Chapter 35: Faith

“At that moment, the wind blew from all directions.

The wind, which should have flowed naturally, began to press Lucius from all directions with a clear will.

Front, back, left, and right.

The sharp attacks flying toward him from all four directions aimed at Lucius’ limbs.

Should I use the holy sword?

His hand instantly reached for the ring, but Lucius bit his lower lip and kicked the ground.

P-Ah!

Just by stepping on the spot and jumping, Lucius jumped higher than he was.

The four wind arrows heading for where he was each lost their targets and scattered again, and Lucius landed on the ground and picked up the sword that had fallen on the ground.

Here it comes.

Another wind arrow flew.

Lucius swung the sword he was holding forward, knocking away the arrow that came closest, and then immediately turned his body to the side.

Saeaek!

An attack aimed at Lucius’ face.

That was Rosemas’ hand reaching out to Lucius’ face.

“!!”

Although he had anticipated the approach of the wind arrow, Lucius had not anticipated the approach of Rosemath.

Lucius quickly retrieved his sword and tried to swing it, but Rosemath was already moving faster than him.

Sarak.

Lucius, who had fallen backwards, froze in the position where he had been about to swing his sword.

Rosemath clung to Lucius’s back, supporting him so that he would not fall, and at the same time reached out to Lucius’ neck.

“He’s dead, Arthur.”

“You’re strong, Rosemath. I lost.”

Lucius meekly admitted defeat.

He then tried to return to his original stance, but Rosemath did not let him go easily.

“Rosemath?”

“No. I’m sorry. I was thinking for a moment.”

Rosemath released Lucius and stepped back.

She smiled bashfully, as if she had regrets, but also seemed satisfied.

“You did well this time.”

“It’s still not enough.

What the Master did…

I have to do too.”

“…That’s not ordinary, Arthur.”

Rosemath puffed out his cheeks.

“For an adventurer, that’s the kind of behavior a B-rank spearman, or even someone with higher skill, would do.

But…”

“Master is special.

There’s nothing strange about it.”

Lucius’s voice was full of confidence as he defended the witch.

“He’s the red lotus magician who fought the Demon King Who Must Not Be Named.

He’s from 500 years ago, so his thoughts are somewhat old-fashioned, but considering the era he fought in, there’s nothing strange about it.”

“That’s true.”

“He’s like someone who just came back from the battlefield.

What we’ve seen so far about Master’s skills may only be a drop in the bucket.”

“Is that all?”

All Rosemath had seen was that he used fire, and that he was incredibly skilled with a spear.

“Is there anything else he can use?”

“…I don’t know.”

“Huh?”

“I don’t know the details.

I didn’t even know there was a person called the Crimson Magician, and even if you look it up at the Adventurer’s Guild, no one knows that name.

But that means that Master is using all his power…”

Lucius shut his mouth.

His Master has only revealed his physical condition to Lucius and not to anyone else.

Even if Rosemas had become a companion that the Master had permitted, it was up to the Master to reveal it, and not for Lucius to mention it carelessly.

However.

“We talked about that in passing.

I asked how strong the Master was…”

“I asked?”

“He said that if he used all his power, he could burn down half of the continent.”

“Pfft!”

Rosemas was truly dumbfounded.

“That’s as strong as the Great Demon King from 500 years ago!”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

“A Great Demon King?”

“According to what the Master said.”

“Ha, really, that’s ridiculous.

Arthur, do you believe that?”

“So you’re saying that the Master lied?”

Lucius snapped at Rosemas, his face rising.

“The Master is not one to make empty boasts.

Maybe…”

“What could it be?”

“…No, it’s not.”

He had to think about it some more, but Lucius had one question as he watched Bell use the spear technique.

A magician who had appeared after 500 years.

Someone who knew the ‘activating language’, as the master expressed it, that allowed anyone to use the holy sword naturally.

What if she was skilled not only in magic but also in close combat?

What if the owner of the holy sword from 500 years ago was…?

“Arthur?”

“I’m sorry.

I thought about it for a moment.

How hard would it be for the master to summon that much strength?”

“Well, admit that she is strong,” Rosemas brushed the dirt off Lucius’ shoulder in a blunt voice.

“But you, who use the holy sword, are stronger, aren’t you?”

“What are you trying to say?”

“I’m saying that you are just as strong as her.

Don’t misunderstand.”

Rosemas’s voice quickened.

For a moment, Lucius’s expression hardened coldly, so Rosemas couldn’t easily part her lips.

“Did you think that I was using you, or that I was trying to fool you with those words?

I’m not that kind of person.”

“I’m sorry.

I had a friend like that around me.

Friend?”

Rosmath’s ears perked up.

“Who is it?”

“A childhood friend.”

“A woman?”

“A woman.”

“Hmm.”

Rosemath rolled her eyes from side to side, seeming to be in agony.

“He’s dead now, though.”

“Ah.

I’m sorry.

I didn’t mean to.”

“Okay…

But.”

Lucius drew his sword again.

“Now that you’ve rested, please continue training until Master comes, Rosemath.”

“Even if you rest a little more…”

“No.

I’ve rested enough.”

Lucius gripped his sword tightly again.

“I want to become stronger.”

Morning came.

I headed to the guild where Morzen was waiting with the party.

Mumble.

“There are a lot of people today.

That’s right.

Why are there so many?”

“Should I go and find out?”

“No, that’s fine.

It’s probably because a famous adventurer came and gathered like this.”

That would be the case.

Judging from the line of people, their appearance, and what they were saying, they all seemed curious about and praised a certain person.

“Mercenary King?”

Roses, who had good ears, seemed to have figured out who it was.

“The mercenary king.”

“Mercenary King?”

“He’s said to be the strongest among the mercenaries.”

“Hmm, the strongest in the industry in terms of rank, he’d be S-class, and in terms of swordsmanship, he’d be at least Grand Sword Master.

But he’s still wearing the title of King, so an ordinary human being.”

“Wait a minute.”

I stopped the party because of the energy I felt inside.

“Lucius.”

“Yes.”

“Hide the ring.

Take off the ring, put it back on, and put on your gloves.

Right now.”

Lucius hid the ring at my urgent order.

“Master, why…”

“It might be awkward if we get caught.”

“Huh?”

“That guy, the holder.”

Lucius still didn’t understand what I meant.

I felt slightly upset, but I grabbed Lucius’s hand, pressed down on his ring, and pointed inside with my chin.

“The other ring holder.

Do you understand?”

“Ah.”

“Ugh.

If I explain it in a roundabout way, you’ll understand it all at once.

Got it?”

“Yes, Master.”

Fortunately, Lucius immediately relaxed and eased the atmosphere.

I was worried that the Holy Sword users might have some kind of connection and get caught, and that the Holy Sword user-Mercenary King inside might recognize Lucius’s Holy Sword, but I couldn’t not go inside.

I have to check if my feeling is correct, the holy sword inside is definitely.

“Thank goodness you were outside, after all!”

“Huh?”

A familiar voice was heard.

When I turned around, there was…

“No, why are you dressed like that?”

“Why?

This is your basic outfit.”

A beret on her head.

Tights that exposed her cleavage and a short-sleeved jacket—the ends of the jacket even reached down to her ribs.

And those hot pants that were hard to tell if they were clothes or underwear.

I don’t know if she was going on an adventure or taking her clothes off to go play in the ocean, but it was clear that the woman was really serious about wearing those.

“Mr. Arthur.

Ms. Rosemath.

And Miss Witch.

I’m going to the dungeon for the D-class adventurer evaluation.

Is that okay?”

“Yes, I understand.”

“No, wait. Don’t you think it’s weird wearing those clothes?”

“No. Not really?”

“Isn’t that normal?”

Am I wrong? Or is the world wrong?

“First of all, before we leave, I didn’t tell you in advance and just carried out the procedures inside on my own. I was worried you might not be able to come in…”

“That’s fine, but your clothes…”

“Your clothes? There’s nothing wrong with that. Hmm, witch. Would you be surprised if you saw the Mercenary King inside? What?”

In that moment, the people gathered outside the union scattered to the left and right. And then, parting the crowd, a woman radiating intense heat appeared.

Quite tall. Pure white skin. Shining red hair. That place as big as her head and her well-curved pelvis made my mouth water.

However.

“Mercenary King, you’re the one who uses the Holy Sword of Fire.”

“No.”

I did feel the holy sword. I know that he wields the holy sword, but a warrior of the holy sword walks around like that?

“Those… clothes?”

“From what I’ve heard, his body feels very hot because of the holy sword of fire…”

Underwear that only covered his vital parts. And over that, a being wearing only a pure white, black, translucent one-piece dress that was see-through appeared in front of me.

The warrior of fire, Bearness.

“Isn’t he just an exhibitionist?”

“What?!”

She was.

“Are you directly refuting the doctrine of the Changwol Goddess Church right now?”

A devout believer of the Changwol Goddess Church.

“An impious one who does not know the grace of the goddess.”