Chapter 283
The northern provincial capital, Hokushi.
I've been here many times before. Though, that was in the game. But thanks to that knowledge, I have a rough map in my head, so I know which roofs to traverse to reach my destination.
"......"
Peeking down to confirm no one was there, I used Air Walk to leap to the building opposite, advancing along a path that wasn't a road, but *my* path.
I remained constantly vigilant of my surroundings. This town had covert operatives lurking everywhere.
However, I also knew their likely hiding spots to some extent, so things were proceeding smoothly for now.
I moved about under the cover of night. It was a pattern of action that practically shouted 'I have something to hide,' but this time, I had no choice but to move like this.
Since entering this town, I had noticed several situations that could be called abnormal.
"It doesn't seem like going out is restricted, but few people are out."
The first was the scarcity of pedestrians. Based on my game knowledge, there should be a fair number of people even at this hour. But comparing it to Hokushi's current state, the lack of people was so pronounced it felt unnatural. One could argue it's late, so there are fewer people, but it's abnormal that even when passing over places where people *should* be at night, there isn't a single soul. If everyone was holed up at home, I'd understand, but was some disease spreading?
I naturally peeked into the lit-up taverns too, but they were deserted, with only staff closing up. You'd expect a drunkard or two, right? The fact that there weren't any made me frown.
"......"
You visit Hokushi relatively early in FBO. You can come here in the early stages if you follow the adventurer route. Story-wise, you almost always visit here, and I can recall the scenes from that time.
It should have been lively, and fairly developed too.
But even accounting for the late hour, the current scene didn't make sense.
A bad feeling stirred. These kinds of premonitions usually turn out to be right. I'd rather it wasn't, but thinking that, I hurried towards the mansion from my memory to find my target.
"Found it."
There it was, the mansion just as I remembered. Though 'mansion' is a bit grand; it's just slightly larger than the other houses. A brick building, solid-looking but somewhat worn in appearance. A house that seemed a bit shabby for a noble's residence.
Relieved it was in the right place, I observed the building.
"A light is on?"
Unlike the other houses, a light was on, indicating the occupants were still awake. Thinking I might have a chance to make contact, I stealthily infiltrated the grounds and gently peered through the window.
*'NOOOO!!!!! I'M DONE FOR!!!'*
A cry of despair suddenly reached my ears. Startled, I widened my eyes and peered carefully through the window to identify the owner of the familiar voice.
Inside, I saw a lavish meal, and a family gathered around a young boy, comforting him. The father, the head of the Rizel family, had his hand on the boy's shoulder, trying to console him, but he showed no signs of stopping his crying. The mother was also crying, a handkerchief to her mouth. And the servants all wore uniformly sorrowful expressions.
*'Judas, don't be so pessimistic. It's not certain you'll die.'**'I WILL die!! I'm gonna die!! I'll die tomorrow!! Everyone who challenged Jakaran died!!'*
In my memory, the person named Judas gave a first impression of being much milder and quieter. However, as you befriended him, he gradually showed his inner self, becoming an interesting character who would unleash heartfelt screams, akin to comedic retorts, in front of his family.
This interesting character was genuinely, deeply terrified and lamenting. There was no doubt he was my target, but why was he showing such despair before what looked like a last supper?
Needing more information, I pricked up my ears, listening to the voices inside, mainly Judas's shouts, and gathered intel.
From what I could gather, Judas was going to fight Jakaran. The reason for the fight was Jakaran's stress relief. The lack of people in the streets was because they were avoiding unnecessary outings to not attract Jakaran's attention in the slightest.
Even during a pandemic, some people still want to go out, but when Jakaran rampages, people vanish from the streets? Somehow, while it's true to the original that Jakaran causes trouble, wouldn't doing this ruin his reputation as a hero and harm the Duke who shelters him?
*'First of all!! We just wanted to live peacefully, reading his mood and laying low to get by, but then a messenger from the Duke came, and now I have a duel tomorrow!! Unreasonable!! It's too unreasonable!! What did I even do!!? I was trying not to stand out, to be harmless and useless!! By the way, today I was helping an elderly person in trouble!?'*
The more I listened, the less sense it made. There must be a reason, I thought, crossing my arms and pondering on the spot, when Judas's desperate cry reached me.
Yep, Judas is being challenged to a duel for a truly unreasonable reason. Misfortune often strikes me too, but I've never seen misfortune like this.
Probably, precisely *because* he was trying to lay low, they thought, 'This guy, we can just cut him down,' and targeted him. It's truly nothing but unreasonable.
What to do?
Coming all this way and leaving feels wrong, but if I save Judas here, an investigation will start into who saved him. The neurotic Duke Boltlinde would definitely investigate the suspicious person who intervened.
On the other hand, could I just let him die? I can't stand by and watch a named character I know get killed in such an unfair way. Even if he's not my favorite, Judas Rizel is a character I personally like, and while he might not be Tier 1, he's around Tier 2.5 and quite useful.
Considering the future, saving him here wouldn't be a loss. Plus, seeing him being comforted by his family, who are worrying with him about what to do, makes it clear he's an endearing person.
*'Waaah! I don't wanna die without even getting a fiancée!!!'*
Somehow, I'm starting to sympathize with him as a man. I was already leaning towards helping after that cry, but my resolve solidified completely, and I started thinking of rescue methods in my head.
Should I just break into the room, reveal my identity, and save him? I have documents from the Duke as identification, but if I show them and it gets reported to Duke Boltlinde, it would be a disaster.
In that case, I need to consider other methods, but the fact that this is the only one that comes to mind feels critical. However, no other good ideas come to mind either.
Fine, I'll save him, I decided, and put on a little act.
So, I waited for the crying Judas to return to his room and for everything to fall silent. Waiting on the roof the whole time was boring, but I resigned myself to it.
*'Uuuuuu...'*
When the other mansion residents had gone to sleep, and only Judas, who had been crying wrapped in his futon, was still awake, I knocked on the window. I was worried they might all be sleeping together in this atmosphere, but he had returned to his bedroom alone. Good.
So, I'll attempt contact using the method I thought of earlier.
*'!? Wh-who's there?'*
The window I knocked on gently, yet noticeably, didn't make a sound like the wind blowing, but an artificially produced sound.
Startled by the knock, Judas stopped crying for a moment.
Then, I knocked again at that timing. I could sense him cautiously approaching the window from inside.
So, I smoothly showed my face at the window.
"Dōmo, Judas-san. I am a passing Ninja."*'A-a suspicious person!?'*
I tried the classic greeting, but if you don't get the reference, you just get treated as suspicious, huh? Covering my face completely with a ninja-style cloth is probably also a problem. With only my eyes visible, and appearing at this hour dressed like this, Judas's reaction is understandable.
"This humble one is not a bad ninja, desu yo?" (Uses archaic/formal ninja speech)
But, even for the sake of character, to think the day would come when I'd speak like this clichéd ninja (temp)... Well, I did something similar back when we had a ninja festival among friends.
"Today, I have come upon hearing that Judas-san, who is troubled by being challenged to a fight by Jakaran tomorrow, needs aid, desu."
I wondered if someone would come because of Judas's screams, but fortunately, no one seemed to have heard. A poor noble's house doesn't have garrisoned guards, and the servants didn't seem to be on standby either.
As he fell on his rear and scrambled backward, I greeted him, and he tilted his head.
*'Help me?'*"Nin nin, that is correct, desu." (Uses ninja catchphrase)
When a person is cornered, even if the helping hand comes from an obviously suspicious person, they want to cling to it. That's why, even through the window, he was willing to listen to me, if only for a moment.
"This humble one knows a way for Judas-san to be saved, desu."
People who sell their souls to the devil must be those who feel they have no other choice, right? If I were told I might die tomorrow, and everyone told me to give up, but someone said there was a way to survive, I'd want to bet on that slim possibility too.
Hesitantly, he approached the window, unlocked it from inside, and opened it.
"R-really?"His eyes, younger than in the original and desperately hoping for a future, held fear, but I also felt a vitality, a will to live.
"This humble one does tell lies, desu, but this time it is true, desu yo.""Th-that part, shouldn't you say you *don't* tell lies?"
He hadn't given up. Relieved by his demeanor, I made a joke, and he looked at me with exasperated eyes.
"It's a... ninja joke.""I don't get it!?"
So, when I tried another joke, he got angry and told me to stop fooling around.
"Ma~a, enough jokes. It was about a way to survive the duel with Jakaran, desu. If it were a formal duel before the gods, one might normally survive, desu ga, but that is not the case, desu ne?""Duels before the gods require mutual consent. Everyone is brought by force, so they don't even happen in the first place.""Then it is a private fight, desu. In that case, this will be useful, desu."
Confirming that a bit of color had returned to his pessimistic face and he had perked up, I assessed the situation based on the information I'd gathered by eavesdropping. As a method suited to the situation, this item would be the most helpful, I thought, pulling out items one after another from my magic bag.
"This is?""Props, desu. This is a substitute doll, this is fake blood, this is..."
I'm glad I prepared various tools suited for infiltration when I heard about this mission. Looking at Judas, who was tilting his head as if looking at something strange, while I presented a straw-doll-like object, something that looked just like blood, and even makeup tools...
"Using these, Judas-san will...""I will?""...Die, desu yo."
I declared it thus.