Chapter 55 : Beggar-Like
Chapter 55: Beggar-Like
Leaving the dumbfounded Robin and Imelda behind, the girl landed lightly.
It was hard to believe she had been underground, but while most of the dirt had fallen away, even the remnants could not be completely erased.
As if she had just returned from the desert, her clothes were caked with dust, and her face was the color of earth, like she had done a loess mud facial.
To put it simply…….
‘Beggar-like.’
Robin himself had gone through a period of begging like a beggar while living in an orphanage, so he did not find it unpleasant.
It was just that the girl’s first impression was, quite literally, beggar-like.
However, perhaps because a person’s beggar-like first impression heightened wariness.
Robin pointed his sword toward the girl who was trying to approach.
Imelda, too, had already drawn her sword.
“Stop.”
The girl, slightly shorter than average height, stopped.
Blinking her half-lidded eyes, she alternated her gaze between Robin and Imelda, then opened her mouth.
“Isn’t it enough to just escort you safely to Bellaruka?”
“What are you. A demon tribe?”
“Calm down, I’m human. A spirit mage.”
Robin and Imelda both sucked in a breath at the same time.
Those who handled spirits that existed in nature were called spirit mages.
Their numbers were so few that there were plenty of people who went their entire lives without ever seeing one.
They could not decide whether to believe it or not.
Perhaps used to such reactions, the spirit mage raised her wooden staff.
“It’ll be faster to see it once than to explain it with words. Watch closely.”
The girl’s eyes became clear, and droplets of water gathered atop the wooden staff.
The droplets, which had been as small as fingernails, grew until they were large enough to completely cover the spirit mage.
The mass of water floating in midair was utterly unreal.
“Waa…….”
Imelda let out an exclamation without realizing it.
Perhaps pleased by that reaction, a satisfied expression rose on the spirit mage’s face.
“How is it. Amazing, right?”
Robin and Imelda lowered their swords.
In truth, they had no choice.
They had never met a demon tribe that used magic, so they could not distinguish them.
Noticing that Robin had not fully let go of his suspicion, the woman opened her mouth.
“There’s definitive proof that I’m not demon tribe.”
“What is it.”
“The Demon King, that fucking bastard.”
“……?”
At the sudden profanity, Robin and Imelda stared blankly at the woman.
The mysterious atmosphere shattered completely.
“Satan, Baal, Belphegor, Lucifer, Lilith, Amon, Barbatos, you rotten bastards! Trash not even worth gnawing on like dog bones! Oh, God. Let me kill those demon tribe bastards and go to heaven! Long live His Majesty the Emperor, long live, long long live!”
“…….”
“Hmmm. Usually people believe me by now—do you need more? Those demon fuckers who wouldn’t have enough even if you ground their faces on a grindstone! Even if they spend their whole lives eating shit…….”
“N-no, no! Th-that’s enough……. I believe you.”
Imelda hurriedly waved her hands and covered the spirit mage’s mouth.
To Imelda, who had grown up like a greenhouse flower her entire life, the spirit mage’s profanity was shock itself.
Robin was used to even worse profanity, but it was shocking in a different way from Imelda’s.
The water floating in midair had already grown to the size of a carriage.
It was continuing to swell.
“Spirit Mage, just how big is that water going to get.”
“That’s exactly the maximum. What, are you worried it’ll get bigger? Afraid it might suddenly fall on our heads?”
He had been hit right on the mark.
Robin answered with silence.
As if it were nothing, the spirit mage lightly swung her staff.
Kwaaarrr!
The speed at which the mass of water swelled became even faster.
In an instant, it grew as large as two carriages joined together.
Looking at the spirit mage, her eyes were shaking.
“Huh……? Why isn’t this working? You guys, you should listen to Mom, right?”
“Young Lady, step back.”
“Okay.”
Robin and Imelda put distance between themselves and the spirit mage.
More precisely, they moved outside the range of the mass of water floating above their heads.
The spirit mage shook her staff several times, but each time it only grew larger.
Eventually, as if giving up, the spirit mage flung the staff away.
Curious about what she would do next, Imelda watched intently, her mouth falling open.
Splash!
The spirit mage jumped in place and entered the mass of water.
“What is that…….”
The spirit mage, stopped at the center of the mass of water, brought both hands together as if praying.
Then something astonishing happened.
Hissssss!
The water began to boil, then evaporated while spewing out an enormous amount of steam.
The size of the swelling mass of water shrank, and before long, it disappeared.
When the spirit mage, who had evaporated even the last drop, landed, her skin looked smooth, as if she had just been in a sauna.
Her body, which had been entirely earth-colored, became clean as if it had been washed.
“Ahem… did you see it, the greatness of this body.”
“Ah, yes…….”
“Then let’s get back to business. If I help you, how much will you give me?”
“…….”
“Why is there no answer?”
The spirit mage, who had transformed from a beggar into a traveler with a dignified impression, spoke smugly.
It seemed they had gotten themselves into something troublesome.
“We’d like to talk for a moment.”
“Sure. Sir Robin and Young Lady Imelda, who might be chased down at any moment by a pursuit force sent by the Empire after being branded as traitors.”
“How did you……?”
“The spirits told me. Don’t worry, I’ll keep your secret.”
Robin turned his back together with Imelda.
Could they trust that woman.
Regardless of the countless possibilities he considered, Imelda’s expression was calm.
“Young Lady, are you okay?”
“Hm? About what?”
“That woman knows who we are and is even after money. If she’s a spirit mage, she’ll be helpful somehow, but the problem is after we part ways later.”
He laid out, step by step, the problems that could arise from traveling together with a spirit mage.
As long as she knew their secret, they would inevitably be led around.
To avoid being caught by the Empire, they would have to comply with unreasonable demands as well.
She might even think it was a good opportunity and demand tribute for the rest of their lives.
“I understand what Robin is worried about. But we don’t have a choice.”
She was right.
No matter how they looked at it, in the end, they had no choice but to accept that girl’s help.
Even if she went around talking about Imelda’s identity, keeping her close felt safer.
If she was nearby, at least they would have a chance to do something.
“Don’t think about it too complicatedly. She looks a bit lacking somewhere, but she doesn’t seem like a bad person.”
“Then let’s have her accompany us to Bellaruka.”
Imelda nodded.
With a friendly-looking smile, Robin approached the spirit mage.
The spirit mage, who had been muttering to herself into empty air, opened her mouth.
“Are you done talking?”
“Yes. Please escort us to Bellaruka.”
“And the compensation?”
Robin took out a brooch he had prepared beforehand. It was a brooch he had received from Palacio.
Before he could even explain that it would grant VIP treatment from the Elize Merchant Company, the spirit mage snatched it up.
“I’m Serena. Can I call you Robin and Imelda.”
“As you know, our identities can’t be exposed. Please call us Roy and Melida.”
“That’s not hard. Then let’s depart right away.”
Serena mounted the horse she had tied up.
Even though the horse had reason to be wary, it carried Serena gently.
Imelda looked at her with eyes tinged with envy.
“Spirit mages are people loved by nature. It’s easier for animals to bond with them than with ordinary people.”
They loaded the luggage onto the horse Serena was riding, and put Imelda on the other horse first.
With Robin climbing up in front of Imelda, the preparations were finished.
“Let’s go.”
At that single word, the horse Serena rode started off.
She was not even holding the reins.
She ran forward with her arms crossed.
‘Do all spirit mages ride like that. She’s not just a complete airhead.’
Robin followed after Serena.
The sound of hooves struck his ears noisily.
When he drew up alongside Serena, she opened her mouth.
“We need to increase the speed.”
“It’s already fast enough.”
“There are knights chasing us from behind?’
In Robin’s stead, Imelda looked back.
There was no one.
Serena continued speaking calmly.
“They’re chasing from 5 km behind. There’s a knight over there specialized in pursuit.”
“You can tell even that?”
“I put in a bit of effort. I have to be worth the request fee I received, right?”
“Then let’s increase the speed.”
Following Serena’s advice, the two horses went at their top speed.
Perhaps the distance from the pursuers had widened, because Serena no longer said anyone was following.
Until the sun set, the three of them rode hard.
“We’ll camp here today.”
“I’ll follow the employer’s words.”
Before it got too dark, they found a suitable place and stopped.
Perhaps long hours of riding had been hard, because Imelda got down with her legs wobbling.
“Hooaah… I can live now.”
“Please rest. I’ll prepare the meal.”
“I can’t do that. Robin suffered the most. I’ll at least set up a tent.”
“I’ll take care of the sleeping quarters.”
Serena swung her wooden staff, and a wall rose from the ground.
It wriggled like clay, and a house made of earthen walls appeared.
“Waa… Serena, you’re really amazing. Then I’ll go check if there’s a river nearby.”
“Is it because of drinking water. That’s not a problem either.”
“I’ll pass on uncontrollable water like earlier.”
Serena shot Robin a slight glare, then swung her staff without replying.
A very small amount of water formed in midair.
When she opened her canteen, the water trickled in.
“This time you did it properly?”
“Of course. Earlier, I panicked because of the ether that suddenly increased.”
“I’ll spread out the sleeping bag…….”
In a sulky voice, Imelda laid out her sleeping bag inside the dirt house.
“Why is Melida like that?”
“I want to help, but she’s stopping it. She feels a lot of pressure because she thinks I’m suffering because of her.”
“So you know that, and you leave her alone?”
“What can I do, Serena is competent.”
At the sudden praise, Serena’s shoulders lifted.
Whether she cared or not, Robin set out dinner.
He was not unaware of Imelda’s feelings, but no matter what he did, he would not be able to soothe her.
The death of someone precious affected a person enough to change their life.
Rather than avoiding it by throwing herself into something else right now, it was better for her to sort out her own heart.
“By the way, when we first met, what were you doing alone?”
“I found a vein where ether was gathered. You’re asking what ether is? Simply put, it’s the material a spirit mage needs in order to commune with spirits.”
“Is it related to the mass of water swelling so suddenly?”
“Sure. You can think of it as me suddenly getting stronger. Think about an elephant tapping an egg with its foot so it doesn’t break. How hard would that be.”
“What about now?”
“I’m done adapting. Want me to show you?”
Robin hurriedly stopped Serena, who was about to swing her staff.
He did not want to see the meal he had finally set out get soaked in water.
Only after Serena set her staff down, saying she would show him next time, did Robin finally breathe again.
Just then, Imelda came out and ate dinner with them.
‘If they only rode like today, they could arrive by tomorrow evening.’
Imelda showed her curiosity about spirit mages to Serena.
Contrary to her cold-looking impression, Serena answered readily.
How she became a spirit mage, what spirits she could handle, why she wandered alone.
“I’ve never heard of a job called a treasure hunter.”
“It can’t be helped. It’s a job I made.”
“You made a job? That’s a fresh idea.”
“Ahem, it’s only possible because I’m me.”
‘So she’s an adventurer.’
The two girls unexpectedly got along well.
Imelda listened as if enchanted by Serena’s voice, as she softly recounted what had happened during her travels.
Robin, too, opened his ears.
A chance to hear experiences like this was rare.
A real spirit mage’s adventure tale, not some rumor you could hear at a tavern, was interesting.
‘She has strong self-love, but if said nicely, it could be called confidence.’
As they were in full bloom of conversation and the mood rose, Serena sprang to her feet.
With Imelda showering her with praise and Serena’s nose lifting higher, she finally manifested a spirit.
When a lump of flame shaped like a puppy appeared, even Robin could not take his eyes off it.
He was startled when it wagged its tail and leaped up at Serena, but what he had feared did not happen.
It was not hot.
“How is it. Cute, right?”
“Yeah, yeah! Can I touch it?”
“Sure.”
Imelda carefully put her hand to the puppy.
It was not the feel of soft fur, but she felt a pleasant warmth.
Perhaps the spirit liked Imelda too, because it did not refuse her touch.
Pop.
“Ah! Where did it go?”
“Haaam, that’s it for today. Manifesting a spirit uses a lot of ether. It’ll recover after I sleep a bit, so I’ll show you next time.”
Serena yawned without hiding her fatigue.
Imelda felt regret, but she looked forward to it at the words that she could see it again next time.
‘She’s a bit better.’
Thanks to Serena, even if only for a moment, Imelda found her smile.
It was a positive change.
Serena slipped into the dirt house like a cat and fell asleep as she was.
Imelda did not fall asleep right away and stayed beside Robin.
“What do you think, when you look at her?”
“Serena?”
“Yeah.”
“She seems like a decent person.”
“Right?”
“Even so, I can’t trust her completely. I’ll stand watch. Go in first.”
Imelda tried to say more to Robin, but she shut her mouth.
In her eyes as she looked at the road they had come along, now sunk in darkness, there was anguish.
“Wake me in 2 hours. We’ll take turns.”
“Okay.”
“Promise. You can’t try to do it all alone!”
Only after receiving several firm assurances did Imelda go to bed.
Left alone, Robin checked his plans going forward.
If he shook off the pursuit and reached the north, he could meet the people he missed.
Calimacos, Paul, Torgen, Mirian, Brandok, Felix.
He wanted to show them that he had grown this much.
‘Should he join the mercenary band too.’
That would not be bad, either.
In Regiville, there was no one who could handle Robin’s swordsmanship besides Sir Greg.
It was not something that could be compared to Calimacos, who did not yield even against aura, but…….
‘If he stayed beside the captain, he might be able to find a clue.’
With that, Robin stood up with his sword.
Since he had lent one of his swords to Imelda, he only had a single blade left in hand.
A longsword they had given him as a gift before the mercenary band departed.
Each time he swung the sword, his tangled feelings settled.
Even after perfectly recreating the knight’s swordsmanship, he did not stop.
A year of tearing it apart and fixing it to compensate for what was lacking.
Robin’s swordsmanship was evolving little by little.
“Robin.”
At the voice piled with fatigue, he turned around.
Serena stood there, leaning on her staff.
“You woke up? Rest well. We have to ride all day tomorrow.”
“They came.”
As if to overcome fatigue, Serena put strength into her eyes.
Her wooden staff pointed into the darkness.
“Six people. They’re coming toward us right now.”
Clop clop clop.
A faint sound approached like a hunt.