Chapter 44
The contents of the passed agenda were as follows.
A confrontation will take place between the survivors who accompanied each group.
Ostensibly, it is said to be for the sake of observing the tradition handed down at the summit venue.
Duels between prospects at the summit venue were something that had always existed.
However, that was not the real reason.
They were simply curious.
Which group was worth cooperating with.
Perhaps they just needed a spectacle.
Nobles desired provocative amusement.
Like those who are obsessed with an addictive daily life, visiting brothels or dens of vice.
Even after the world became like this.
They always find playthings in new ways.
Rodwell looked at the other leaders with eyes that seemed to interrogate them.
“Sir Carius, are you truly confident that this method can have a good influence on us?”
“Of course.”
“Is it certain that the others also agreed?”
“...That is correct.”
Rodwell let out a sigh.
“I will give you one warning.”
“A warning?”
“How about scrapping this agenda? That is the path where all of us can be happy.”
“Haha, isn't that only beneficial to Sir Rodwell? Since you brought a Novice, that is.”
Carius mocked him.
The sound of his laughter merged with the silent hall and sounded exceptionally loud.
Rodwell closed his eyes.
Wouldn't it be better if everyone sitting here simply became Joshua's puppets?
He sincerely thought so.
The lump of fat in front of him doesn't know even a tiny bit of the boy's potential.
He didn't even think to look into it.
‘They still don't know the seriousness of the situation.’
An unidentified monster appeared for unknown reasons.
There were still many parts unknown regarding its scale and characteristics.
The agenda of the summit should have focused on the monsters first.
However, these people prioritized a power struggle between the knighthoods.
Pathetic humans.
He didn't know what they hoped to gain from this duel.
Only one thing was certain.
‘Every single one of them believes without a doubt that the prospects they brought will win. Foolish bastards. The real monster is right here.’
Joshua wins no matter which student here he competes against.
His ability was already surpassing the level of a student.
“Fine, do as you please. I've clearly warned you.”
The first day's summit concluded.
The atmosphere was reasonably amicable, except for the Starlight Knights.
* * *
“Joshua.”
Rodwell sought out the boy.
He turned his head this way as if he had been waiting.
“Let's talk in the room for a moment.”
The two quietly slipped out of the hall and went up the stairs.
They didn't say a single word until they arrived at the room.
Rodwell opened the door and sat on the bed.
Only after stretching did Rodwell open his mouth.
“First of all, I'm sorry.”
“About what?”
“I said you only needed to accompany us, but it seems that won't be possible. Looking at the contents written in the agenda earlier, it seems they intend to make the survivors fight each other.”
“I see.”
“How far was this within your expectations?”
“For now, up to this point is according to my plan.”
“Plan?”
Rodwell wore a bewildered expression.
“When they tried to secretly pass the agenda. We hadn't even arrived at Rosenwald yet. Did you plant some kind of spy? Or is it magic?”
“It's neither. Sir Rodwell knows better than anyone that such a thing is difficult.”
He nodded at the boy's words.
Even if there were an informant, there was no situation at all where information could have been exchanged.
The three of us were always together.
Even if we were apart for a moment, it was at most for a few minutes.
It wasn't magic either.
Communication magic is among the high-difficulty spells even within common magic, and it's harder the further the distance.
The boy's skill hadn't reached that point yet.
“I don't know anymore.”
The more he thought about it, the darker his mind became.
From a certain point, he stopped worrying about this problem further.
It was because a different problem came to mind.
The minor frictions he had with the boy in the past.
The pent-up emotions he hadn't resolved back then came to mind belatedly.
He had to strike first.
Rodwell looked at the boy with a challenging gaze.
“Joshua.”
“I'm listening.”
“Regarding the compensation for the added mission, how about we agree on ten days' worth of food?”
“That's far from enough.”
“I knew it wouldn't work...”
Rodwell clutched his head.
A sense of anxiety crept in.
It felt like he wouldn't be satisfied no matter what conditions he presented.
The boy wore an evil expression like a human who had been waiting for this moment.
“Let's not rush things.”
“Hmm?”
“The results aren't out yet. It'll be fine to discuss compensation after that.”
“Well, that's true.”
“Since it's a matter directly linked to the reputation of the knighthood, I won't just ignore it.”
Joshua shrugged his shoulders.
There's an order to everything.
* * *
Joshua opened his eyes.
When he pulled the curtain on the window to the side, it was still dawn.
The black-painted ground was dyed bright by the torch pillars set up here and there.
[Clever] recommended going back to sleep.
It cited the reason that his body's condition had worsened due to camping for several days.
“I'm sorry, but that'd be difficult.”
Even while resting, he couldn't completely separate the tension from his body.
He was always sensitive.
He thought it was something already ingrained in his body like a habit.
He rose from his seat.
The sound of snoring from an unknown owner was heard loudly in the hallway.
When he hurried downstairs, the hall was already organized and clean.
He went outside.
The wind blowing at dawn felt damp and sticky, which made him feel unpleasant.
Winter is coming soon.
It got colder day by day to the extent that he felt that sensation.
“...Hmm.”
I let out a sigh.
As I reached the vicinity of the town entrance, I saw a middle-aged man who had fallen asleep under a light.
I thought his outer clothing was too thin to endure the cold.
He was trembling even while dozing off.
I leaned over and picked up the spear that was his weapon.
Even then, the middle-aged man was deep in a dream and showed no sign of waking.
“Graaaah!”
A single zombie drawn by the light rushed toward us.
It was a horrific bastard with a face full of scars.
It wasn't a variant.
[Cool] saw through the fact that the bastard's leg was limping and advised aiming for the rear.
I quickly moved behind its back.
The zombie with an uncomfortable left foot took a long time to turn its body.
Slash! I pierced the nape of the neck with the spear I was holding.
As I struck down while adding force to the handle, the zombie's head was torn from its body.
The separated head and body fell to the ground and squirmed.
“Um... uh, ah!”
Only after everything was settled did the middle-aged man wake up.
He retreated backward while sitting with a face pale from fear.
“W-What the.”
“Which group do you belong to?”
The middle-aged man's dull eyes met mine.
He couldn't answer immediately and pulled his lips tight.
He seemed confused.
“...Sunlight Knights.”
“I'll convey to Sir Carius that the sentry neglected his duties.”
“W-Wait a moment!”
The middle-aged man expressed difficulty and stopped me by grabbing my pant leg as I was about to return.
“Please, young man. Please forgive me just this once. If Sir Carius knows about this, I'm a dead man!”
“If I hadn't come here at this time, the zombie would've bitten you, and two zombies would've broken inside. Have you thought about how many victims there would've been if that happened?”
“I'm sorry, truly.”
The middle-aged man apologized with a voice almost tearful.
Looking at his appearance, was he just over forty?
It was hard to guess his age because of his unkempt beard, but he looked to be around that age.
“How long have you been here?”
“It was from 6:00 yesterday.”
I distorted my brows.
Even for a normal person, nearly twelve hours of labor is painful.
Furthermore, could a person with neglected equipment, a terrible environment, and no energy endure?
Carius Gillan...
I repeated his name inwardly and suppressed my anger.
He was an annoying opponent even when I played the game, but meeting him in person was beyond imagination.
“When does the next guard arrive?”
“They'll arrive before 6:00.”
“Then I'll guard this place until then.”
“N-No. The grace of saving my life is enough. It's fine now, so go back to the inn and rest.”
“It's fine. I couldn't fall asleep in the first place, so I came out for a walk in this direction.”
I answered indifferently and sat down.
The middle-aged man, who showed a troubled look, seemed to have given up and shut his mouth.
He curled up with his legs together under the torch.
I felt enough sympathy to want to take off the coat I was wearing and give it to him.
However, this was the limit of the help I could provide.
An hour passed from then.
The guard who came for the shift was startled and flustered upon seeing me.
After hearing the explanation from the middle-aged man, he nodded as if he understood.
I rose from my seat to return to the inn.
Constant expressions of gratitude were heard from behind.
Around the time the walk ended, I saw the sun rising on the horizon.
“Hah! Hah!”
A vigorous shout so loud that I worried a zombie might hear it and come looking.
That sound was coming from the backyard of the inn.
As I approached that direction, Leonard swung a wooden sword as if being chased by something.
Training since dawn.
I was going to praise him for being diligent, but I felt a strange sensation.
The boy had an anxious look the whole time he held the sword.
Leonard loved swordsmanship so much that he'd jump up even from sleep.
That was an attitude that hadn't changed even after the world became like this.
It's different now.
Like a child who had lost interest.
He had wandering eyes, not even feeling interest in swinging the sword himself.
“Ngh!”
His thrust pointed this way.
The boy discovered me watching from under the roof and caught his breath.
“Since when were you watching?”
“It's been less than five minutes.”
“I see.”
The boy avoided my gaze and dropped the sword down.
“I wasn't training while being conscious of you. Adela or Serena are also coming out for today's duel. I was just thinking of them.”
“Yep.”
He turned his head again as if my nonchalant answer was displeasing.
“Aren't you even scared?”
“What should I be scared of?”
“If you duel, you might get hurt somewhere. In this world where it's hard to find potions or a doctor to treat it, even a tiny injury is fatal.”
“Are you saying those words because you're worried about me?”
His eyes, which were like those of a bird of prey, trembled.
He was so flustered that he let the wooden sword he was holding slip from his hand.
He picked it up again while pretending it wasn't a mistake.
“You're saying ridiculous things. Why would I worry about a Novice like you. I just don't want to do the act of tormenting a living human.”
“Have you never killed a living person?”
“I haven't. But you sound as if you have.”
“I've killed quite a few. To the extent that I can't count the blood on my hands one by one. It might easily exceed ten thousand.”
Leo wore a very unpleasant expression.
“You're going too far, Novice. Are you saying you want to joke with me?”
“Think whatever you want, Mithios (7th Grade).”
“My name is Leonard Conrad.”
“My name isn't Novice either.”
Leo distorted his mouth.
Then, a minute laughter leaked through the gap that opened up.
It seemed the tension had relaxed a bit.
“You have a personality that truly hates losing despite being a failing student.”
“I hear that often.”
The boy moved his lips several times as if he still had something to say.
He wanted to ask.
But it felt like he shouldn't have it confirmed.
He hesitated, unable to choose either side.
However, the boy whose goal was to be a knight seemingly had a greater desire to look back at his own problems.
“Can I ask one thing?”
“Anything.”
“Did I truly not grow?”
“At least as far as I can see.”
“I see... so that's how it is.”
Surprisingly, the boy didn't get angry.
He wore a self-mocking smile and swung his sword once more.
“Are you planning to keep watching?”
“If it's a hindrance, I can disappear.”
“Do as you please. You won't beat me just by having examined my sword.”
After obtaining his permission, I stayed in that spot until the practice ended.
The boy's swordsmanship was elegant.
A solid foundation that brought to mind the phrase 'a piece of art.'
However, as time passed, cracks appeared, and by the end, it became noticeably sluggish.
I realized the reason.
The boy repeatedly adjusted the fit of the clothes on his back with a look of being bothered.
“...So that was it.”
It seemed his back wasn't normal.
* * *
Today the weather was surprisingly clear.
The fog that had covered the surroundings disappeared, and the stinging autumn sun soaked the ground.
Everyone seemed a bit excited.
Some even hummed and sang a song, saying they hoped this weather would continue forever.
Tania was also in that group.
“It's good to be excited. But I'll announce the match list starting now.”
Derek made an announcement that threw cold water on the mood.
Those who were chatting felt dejected in small voices so he couldn't hear.
“The matches were decided fairly by each leader drawing lots. One rule was added here, which is to ensure that you don't meet survivors belonging to the same group.”
At Derek's explanation, Tania put her hand on her chest and let out a sigh of relief.
“The total number is ten people. The rule is to fight only once each. Then, let's call out each other's opponents starting now.”
Each person's name is called out.
My name was called seventh.
The opponent was Leonard.
He glanced this way and then quickly turned his gaze away.
Carius disappeared somewhere with the survivors, including the boy.
“It's not that I don't get a somewhat suspicious feeling.”
Rodwell spoke as he approached from behind.
It seemed he felt something fishy about the drawing of lots.
“I left them as they were, believing that you'd be fine.”
“You did well.”
“Well, I knew you'd say that.”
“I'm glad. That you're starting to understand me little by little.”
“Don't tease an adult, kid.”
I shrugged my shoulders.
The real-world Kang Minhyeok was 30 years old this year, and would be 31 after winter passed.
There wasn't that much of an age difference with him.
Rodwell, who didn't know that fact, evaluated me simply as a brilliant and crafty boy.
“Try your best. Since it turned out this way, if the result is good, I'm planning to accept whatever you want. Especially if you break that bastard's face, it'll be more than perfect.”
I looked where Rodwell's gaze was pointing.
It was Carius.
He was laughing quietly while massaging the shoulders of the survivors.
I guessed it wasn't encouragement.
Because the complexions of those listening were as pale as a sheet of paper.
“I sympathize with that thought as well. I want to see that Captain's face get distorted, to see him fall.”