Chapter 54 – 54. Strange Companion – City of Witches (9)

Elizarote and her escort, Via, brought us to the pub and our lodgings in the pub. It’s a place where travelers can stay in a pub of such quality that it’s hard to believe it’s on the border.

It’s a pub.

Elizabeth, you liked alcohol.

If you come to Frisia someday, buy me a drink.

Well, as it should be, it should be the opposite. I guess it’s normal for the invitee to get something from the person who invited him, but what can I do if he says he wants to drink the alcohol I bought him?

…As long as he’s alive, I can buy him as much as he wants.

Well, that’s good.

As we sat side by side at the bar and smelled the scent of alcohol for the first time in a long time, I spoke to Elizarote.

“Here, this is what Elizabeth was talking about.”

“Yes, that’s right. My sister…She runs a bar like this as a hobby.”

It’s a pub run by the Margrave.

It’s also a bar and inn run by a woman with a really loud voice.

Surprisingly, despite being an aristocrat, she was a woman who treated others with a genuine sense of duty and protection rather than a sense of authority, and was an extremely easy-going woman. If you look at the way he behaves with civilians in his own way, you can see how much he grumbled at me and Gawain, who were also nobles and knights.

Of course, that wasn’t unreasonable either. On the contrary, they were the ones who preached that if you have power, you should use it appropriately, and it was true to a certain extent, so I was able to put up with it. So, although we bickered in many ways, Elizabeth and I, as well as I, became colleagues who respected and trusted each other.

If she had survived until the defeat of the Demon King, would Elizabeth have been working as a bartender here?

It’s true that the Margrave pours drinks himself.

Well, if that’s the case, then it’s right for me to buy it.

“My sister, she used to sell alcohol here sometimes, and she told me when I was little that when I got older, she would drink with me then.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Please don’t apologize. It’s disrespectful to her sister who was willing to risk her life to save the world.”

Is that so?

She was as good at strategy and tactics as any frontiersman, and that’s why she wanted me to deal with Diabolus, and Elizabeth was right, as she said that only by doing so could we win. Naturally, Tio Grandcha, who is currently listening to the conversation between me and Eliza Lotte, is quietly keeping her silence.

She’s simply hiding her true identity for now, but what would her reaction be if this guy was involved in what Elizabeth ended up like?

She said I had no choice but to fight, so I just accepted it, but in the end, Tio was the biggest contributor to putting Elizabeth in a dying state.

And she said, well, for getting this.

In the end, not only was there no meaning in the fight between good and evil and the fight to save the world was nothing more than a game for the gods, but the great cause and all that was anyway was not to save people, but to save my disciple.

There was a time when all the traps were set up to kill me and I was desperate to survive.

Maybe this will be the last.

…

What kind of face would Elizabeth make if she saw the people around me?

What kind of expression will they look at me?

Well, that’s good.

That’s a problem I’ll have to deal with later, but now is the time to focus on reality.

Elizabeth Pantalone.

The wife of the Duke of Pantalone.

And the margrave of the eastern frontier guarded here by Elizabeth.

Originally, the perception of women in Elcadia was extremely harsh. Naturally, most of the poor perception is that they see it as a machine that gives birth and raises children at home, as a trophy that they have won, or as a pretty flower.

A place where you put in a lot of effort.

The reality in Elcadia is that it is difficult to find female officers not only among knights but also in general branches of military service.

Of course, there are no absolutes.

In the meantime, I saw a female knight named Elizabeth Pantalone with exceptionally powerful strength, and of course, she had such incredible strength, stamina, and magical power that I was like, “This is a human cub, or a bear in human clothing.”

If she wasn’t already a skilled knight, I would have no hesitation in encouraging her to pursue the path of a wizard, and my perception was that as long as she had the skills, she could be good as a man or a woman.

That’s right, she’s like that. She’s a woman, so if she wants to say shit, she should have tried every means possible to get what she wanted. But…You don’t do that?

…Is there anything special?

The words of those who are full of vanity and say that they have done something by being accustomed to inertia are meaningless.

And of course, Elizabeth had the power and ability to do so.

As if there were no limitations to her being a woman, she was a knight who led the vanguard of her expedition with her own bold ambitions, her loud voice, and a great sword as big as her voice.

And she is her sister.

After all, they resemble each other because they are blood relatives. While Elizabeth had her short bob, she was seen wearing her shoulder-length long hair tied into a low ponytail and wearing clothes that made it easy to move around. Looking at her wearing a sword at her waist, you can tell that she is also a knight.

And at the same time, although she is not as strong as Elizabeth, she feels a considerable level of strength.

“…It’s strong.”

“It’s not enough yet. And…Not enough to drive away that damned Edward who is desecrating her sister’s place.”

…I’m feeling impatient in many ways. I know why, and Edward’s sudden change of behavior, collusion with the Kanph guys, and even saying such crap to me.

If you’re serious about it, shouldn’t you at least not give a shit to people who come in with legal status?

If she really thought about it, she would know that she is the Margrave of this place and that she is not to be messed with easily, so the risk of her death is low.

Why on earth are you doing this?

But even more than that, I decided to give what advice I could to my colleague’s younger brother who was impatient.

“Maybe around that time, you want to become stronger, so there are times when you get caught up in Sima Mao’s path here and there, but you should never burn your hands on it. Even if you use it to become stronger, when it disappears, it will just disperse like foam and what you have already achieved will be ruined. Be patient and block. Build it up. It will become a strong barrier that will allow you to survive in this harsh world.”

Then I took a deep breath and said what I wanted to say.

“Try to go slowly and calmly, without being impatient. You may not think that’s the case, but the more it happens, the more calmly you try to reflect on yourself.”

“…Thank you for the advice.”

“I can’t even call it advice. Compared to Elizabeth, I’m a paleo blood. But… Lady Elizarote?”

“Please call me Eliza Lotte. I am your sister’s colleague, and of course she is your most trusted colleague… And the person who sent her sister back to Phrygia, so there is no need for an honorific title for me. Besides, gold. The sun is also of the Dawn Bringer…”

“…Well, more than that, it is right that the owner of this place should be treated better. Now, I am neither a Dawn Bringer nor a Magia wizard, but just a wandering wizard. And …I came here to keep my promise to my old colleague.”

In my heart, I want to go and see Elizabeth, but I don’t think that will be possible. Considering that they were blocking the way from the entrance like this, not only would it be difficult to meet Elizabeth, but at the same time, there was a high possibility that the ‘elf’ next to Edward was not an ordinary being.

“Promise…?”

“…Before that, let me ask you one thing. The reason you brought us here. I guess it’s because this place is the most trustworthy, right? That bartender is also keeping an eye on this place and seems quite strong. That butler that Elizabeth was talking about, ‘Barty’ ‘Stan’, right?”

“It is an honor for you to remember an insignificant old man, Geumtaeyang.”

Batistan, well, the head butler who took care of him for a long time. And as a bonus, there is a being called a killing machine that can kill a knight by piercing his armor with his bare hands. In other words, he was a powerful assassin and guard who could throw away blades and heavy maces with his bare hands.

After his retirement, he is said to be the manager of his own pub.

“…That’s it. Anyway, honor and fame are of no use to me anymore, old man. I am not just an Archmage of Magia, nor am I a demon slayer who killed a demon lord. The person I killed is different, and I just can’t die. Because he was alive.”

Okay.

He was just a guy who couldn’t die at that time and was just barely trying to survive.

…

If he said he should have died then, well.

I don’t know either.

Even if I somehow came back for the sake of the people who were waiting for me, I was left with only scars in many ways.

“…Still, I’m glad you’re holding on well somehow. Most knights who lose their comrades like that tend to quit being knights soon after.”

“Of course. All that remained was the thought that his comrade in battle had died and he was the only one who survived, but it would be rather rare for him to survive unscathed.”

Dick responds, receiving Batistan’s words. Meanwhile, he was drinking a blue-colored cocktail and talking about it. Looking at Dick, Batistan looked at Dick with a rather strange expression on his face, and then Dick said:

“Anyway, the alcohol here is delicious. What’s the name of the cocktail, old man?”

“It’s called Return to Elizabeth.”

…

I see

I still hope she recovers and comes back. Many people, including Batistan.

“…I guess she was just as loved as you. Right?”

“That princess disease was the problem.”

“…It’s the princess’s disease. Hehe, it’s a shame that I couldn’t see it when the young lady showed up like that.”

“?”

“Ah, that’s some old man’s nonsense. You don’t have to worry about it.”

There was a faintness in Batistan’s eyes as he said that. Could it be that he is longing for the being he has served for a long time? And Anna just nodded her head slightly in agreement with his words and blushed as she looked at me.

And Batistan looks at those around me.

Some are already hiding their appearances, and if their identities are revealed, they will be in big trouble. Even if his identity is revealed, Tio is unrecognizable.

And the women around me.

Including my older sister, Anna, Lucy, Nia and Aris.

Anna, as well as Lucy and Nia, are officially the ones I take with me, and Aris was practically taken over by force, so if her identity was discovered, she would be in big trouble, so she was hiding her identity by covering herself with a fur coat that Withy gave her, but perhaps it was an old man’s feeling. I realize that most of them are not human.

“More than that, most of the people next to me are not human. Even the ‘Sheep Witch’…”

“Most of them are already following me and are subordinate to me, and that doesn’t even concern me. Everyone is quiet, but there are already monsters that live in hiding even where humans live, and some that live openly.”

Many. There are so many.

“We have all lived well together so far, but I believe you are not a fool whose brains will be eaten up by the ‘struggle to eradicate monsters’ advocated by the Holy Empire.”

Of course, if you show hostility here, that’s the only story.

It’s just a story about dealing with each other.

“In a way, I am also a ‘being’ with the blood of a ‘monster’ mixed in.”

“If you think about it, there is no one who is not mixed with monster blood.”

Yes, even among our ancestors from ancient times, the blood of monsters must have been mixed in.

I look at Solias.

Solias said.

It is said that the demon gods tried to deceive humans by using beautiful monsters, and she got angry and tried to deal with them by summoning the gods outside of her, but they hit her in the back and sealed her for 3,000 years. Was all that blood really exterminated during that time?

I don’t think so.

Moreover, they need slaves to support them, so what does it mean if they kill those slaves just because their blood was mixed with about 0.01g of monster blood?

That doesn’t make sense.

It is only now that the trend of disdain for monsters has developed, which is the result of a fantastic collaboration between the sport of the Elder Gods, who regularly hunt down demon lords, and the Holy Empire, which seeks to profit from it.

They did not ask the existing people unless they had serious grounds for disqualification, and of course, the Holy Empire even sold the so-called ‘indulgence’ for a large amount of money, so it is a truly amazing collaboration.

Even though they are grinding their teeth, they are holding back because they are afraid of the Elder Gods behind them, and they know that, so they are extorting while exquisitely keeping that line.

“And I also know that their narrow-minded claims are nothing more than nonsense. The problem is that the current Freesia will not hesitate to use even the power of monsters. It is probably targeting your power, Golden Sun. Freesia. “If the powerful people in the world knew, they would send tribute to you right away and try to appease you.”

I guess I just left Magia. I was sure that one of those influential people would approach me.

“But why did Edward criticize me as soon as I arrived? What did I do to Frisia?”

“…Would you believe me if I told you that it was the same as being boring, but in a different way?”

“…Did you feel like a person changed in an instant?”

And Batistan nodded at that.

“I can tell because I have taken care of girls, including Young master, since they were young. The ‘Edward’ of today is not the ‘Edward’ I knew.”

“…It’s similar, yes.”

“What do you mean?”

And Elizarote asks, but I hesitate for a moment.

Should I tell you this?

If I tell you, there is a chance that they will get caught up in it, but since they are involved with me anyway, they will have to face it one way or another.

However, rather than informing them, I decided to wait a little longer because I was worried that they might betray them later.

“No, nothing.”

And Return to Elizabeth.

As I take a moment to drink the cocktail that Batistan created, savoring the scent and taste of the cocktail flowing down my throat, I think of Elizabeth.

…

That princess knight bitch.

He speaks of being a nobleman and all, but his hobby is opening up simple pubs and having fun there. It is truly an unknown entity.

That’s why I wanted to come while I was still healthy.

And then I spoke to Batistan and Elizarote, who were looking at me and waiting for my words.

“I promised Elizabeth. I would definitely bring her back to life.”

“…The thing that put the older lady’s body into suspended animation was, of course-“

“Yes, it was me, old man. In the end, I couldn’t save Elizabeth there.”

And he finally found a way to save her.

It’s not time to say this yet.

They may have hid themselves, but in fact, for those of us who can detect the location of almost all humans and ‘intelligence bodies’ as if they were breathing, we have to be more sophisticated and secretive to hide our identities.

Plus, after reading it over and over again, I can now read it clearly.

These are Elven Mages.

“…In the end, there is no way to do it right now, so I put it in suspended animation.”

“Is there no way to save the lady?”

Batistan asks me. You know, the core ingredients that make it with the additional ingredients. And I know the location of the special flame, but I can’t say it here. Information I want to know.

And soon after, I thought they might be able to help me.

At least when it comes to Elizabeth.

“Before that, I have three questions for you, old man. To be honest, you probably have more to say than Elizarote, who doesn’t have any real power yet.”

“I will tell you as much as I know.”

“When exactly did Edward change?”

“…It must have been about a month, a month.”

“…”

It’s a similar time to when his father died and his body was eaten by his previous incarnation.

Come to think of it, Dick also said it.

It is said that the Elder Gods opened doors that should not have been opened and brought in reincarnated people.

Is that so?

In the end, it is a similar incident to my father’s incident and to the reincarnation people who took my father’s body.

“Are the Elven Mages coming?”

“…Actually, I’ve been coming here ever since Lady Elizabeth went on a campaign.”

“…”

So, she was already thinking of making a fuss while Elizabeth was away.

“Lastly…Is there any problem with killing them?”

“There is only one officially confirmed ‘elf’ here anyway.”

“Okay, then it would be okay to kill everything here.”

The appearance of elves dressed in black breaking down the door and breaking the window.

Elven Mages, and Assassins.

A blade, magic- and a sword, trying to subdue us at once.

Via Elizarote, and Batistan steps forward and slashes away the blades. I’m planning to kill them here and blame them on me.

It’s a rudimentary strategy, but it’s also an empty-headed tactic.

They may have done this because they believed in their own abilities, but their arrogance is so extreme that it is truly unknown.

I will admit that they are skilled enough to work in a human city rather than a forest…

In the first place, a surprise attack is a surprise attack if you don’t get caught.

“…!”

Then I take out the hammer and ask Batistan and Elizarote.

I blew off the head of the wizard who had already cast magic on me, and dispelled all the magic that had been cast with a single snap of my finger.

“What is it? Are you planning on going to the Witch’s City with me?”

“What suddenly-“

“…Elizabeth, I found a way to save her.”

“…!”

And I spoke to those two who had their eyes wide open.

At the same time, he looks at Via behind him.

…

Hmm. Also.

The world doesn’t work that easily.

“But I haven’t found the main ingredient yet, and to find out, I have to go to the Witch’s City. Since we were attacked here anyway, it looks like Edward is planning on turning a blind eye to this… Can you help me?”

“But your body…”

“You don’t have to worry about that. No one but me can solve it. Who’s going to answer that question? Dick can solve it.”

“What? Me?”

And Dick points to himself and asks me, but of course, the question and answer about that problem. The problem and answer to unlock the seal came to mind because it was related to the various jokes I used to play with Dick as a child.

-Hey buddy, I think I took a wrong turn, but the leather club is two blocks down.
-■■■■↗■■■↘

Well, what will this guy say if he hears this answer?

And getting through the final question and answer itself is difficult.

…Because no one can untie or destroy it unless they rip my head off.

“You decide. It’s going to be hard for you both to stay here anyway. Are you going to follow me and save Elizabeth, or are you going to stay here and die under false accusation?”