"O Chosen One, I am delighted that you follow your path so faithfully, but should you not take better care of yourself?"
"What do you mean, bishop Martha?"
She let go of her formal tone, speaking with quiet concern. The sight of the bandages clearly troubled her.
"Cain, aren't you pushing yourself too much? This is the third time this week you've needed medical help from us. Though it has been nothing serious yet, you ought to be more careful. What are we supposed to do if we find you near death again? Miracles are not convenient tools; they are the grace of God. Should you succumb to your fate..."
"Bishop Martha, you are worrying too much. Eirlys is always looking out for me, so I will definitely be fine. She is an outstanding mage like none other, though I have never seen another one. Well, the point is, she is very reliable."
"...Angela always said the same thing, too."
"...I will refrain from dangerous stuff while recovering."
"I'm glad to hear that. Please take it easy, Cain. There is no need to rush anything. We are grateful that you are fine and well already."
"Sorry. Can I go now? I heard that they are selling some exotic food at the market. What was it again? Ashroot Keb? Anyway, I will get going now.
"May God watch over your path, Cain."
"...Thanks."
I left the infirmary. Casually exchanged greetings. The nuns and priests here were very nice. At some point, this place felt like my home. If I asked to stay here, they would probably allow me, but I don't want to bother them any further. Especially Angela.
A month had passed since I arrived here. One thing I realized recently was that I was the only Chosen One here. I know this city is quite remote, but this is quite unexpected. Actually, I think it is because the Empire is too large.
I had been taking down demonbeasts day by day. Injuries naturally accumulated, so visiting the Church became part of my routine. Am I being too reckless? Maybe I am. Even Eirlys told me not to be hasty. But what can I do about that?
Killing demonbeasts was the only thing giving me a sense of purpose. Only then did I truly feel like living. Besides, I had grown quite stronger by slaying them. Though to say this felt like a game would be wrong, very wrong.
Lost in thought, I eventually reached the market. A few familiar items caught my eye—the magic handkerchief said to wipe anything clean, the odd orb that could record voices, and a pill bottle that cured stomachaches instantly. Right, Evan told me all about this stuff.
Truth to be told, back then, it would be awkward to walk in silence, so I dragged the conversation on, wasting both our time.
'...I wonder how he is doing now.'
There it was, that street vendor's stand. I heard that Ashroot Keb was made from a plant that had meat, a mushroom, then? No idea. I ordered one. Not quite hungry, just bored. My daily routine now consists of trying street foods by day and killing demonbeasts by night. Hah, what am I even doing?
I really should find a new hobby.
"Hey, why the long face, man?"
"Uh, was I?"
"Yeah, cheer up, man. You might chase away all of my customers with that somber look of yours."
The vendor remarked casually. Then he shamelessly asked me to buy another keb to make up for his losses. I decided to bring one anyway.
"Hey, are there any fun things to do in this city?"
"Here? Wrong place, friend. Don't know why you came to this city, but this isn't a city you visit for fun. Might as well go to the Nine Wards if you want that."
"Nine Wards? Where is that?"
"It's to the north. Don't know much about it, but heard it's the biggest city in the Empire."
Yeah, the whole world wasn't just Eridu. If I want something new, I should travel somewhere else.
There's just this weird attachment I have with this city. One I cannot put into words.
Oh well, whatever, I will think about it later. I had all day, didn't I? No need to rush things. There was another place I wanted to visit.
***
After waiting patiently for a while, the door opened. The old man stared at me, showing a surprised look. Why?
"You again? Why are you here?"
"Buying your items, obviously. I have been dealing with demonbeasts a lot lately, you see."
"Ah, so that's why you look like that. Damn, kids these days change so fast."
"?"
"Kid, you might not realize it, but you are like a different person. Not in a good way. Point being, you look gloomy as hell. Do something about it."
"Uhh, sure, I guess?"
He was unusually nice to me. What was the matter? Ah, right.
Demonbeasts.
"...Actually, now I kind of understand it, your obsession with demonbeast, I mean."
"...Hah, just pick what you need quickly."
The interior was dark as I remembered. As I looked through the items, I found myself asking more questions.
"Come to think of it, we haven't even exchanged names. I'm Cain."
"Brian."
The anti-demonbeast spray looked quite useless. A mask preventing demonic corruption, I also didn't need that.
"Do you have anything noticeable? Something special on sale today?"
"...What do you even mean by that? Look around yourself. God knows if you need something."
"Right."
A tallow candle, a warding charm, and some other miscellaneous stuff. To be honest, I didn't know what I needed, either.
"Hey, you are a hunter now, right?"
That question caught me quite off guard. I never formally registered for something like that, nor did I do any commissions related to them. I just follow Eirlys around and do as I was told.
"Sort of."
"That's quite the turn for a newbie."
Old Man Brian fell into thought.
"Must be tough."
"...Yeah."
"So what turn of fate led you to this?"
I recalled the events since arriving in this city. Letting go of my thoughts like this once in a while was nice.
"..."
"What? Why so silent? If you are pitying me, then that wouldn't be necessary. You see, Eirlys said—"
"No, no. I wasn't pitying you. It was just a peculiar point in your story that made me wonder..."
"What is it?"
"That girl you mentioned, Mara, right? You said you met her through a delivery commission?"
"Yeah?"
"...She had been on the missing persons list for a long time. I check the missing persons list often—it's one of the few ways to track Red Zone activity."
"What?"
Wait, so... How?
No, looking back, there were many unusual things, too. I must investigate this.
As I walked away, old man Brian spoke up.
"Kid, don't push your luck. Take care of yourself more."
"I will."
In the end, I didn't buy anything. Bidding goodbyes, I left the store and rushed to that place. Mara's house. Somehow, I felt the responsibility to deal with this myself.
***
Since when had I become this proactive? Because Eirlys had helped me understand myself? Or is this because I'm much more confident in my strength now?
Both would be naive thinking. This is simply my responsibility. For my past self and Mara. Not once had I questioned what really happened back then, so it was time to do what should have been done.
As I suspected, this whole area had become a Red Zone. This had now become much harder than it should be. I just want to talk with Mara to confirm my suspicions.
I sincerely hope the worst doesn't come to pass.
Demonbeasts lurked at every turn, making passage difficult. Without Eirlys's magic, this became indefinitely harder. However, I shouldn't bother Eirlys with this. Knowing her, she would probably tell me to deal with it myself, too.
It was quite hard to navigate in the dark like this, but I couldn't help it. I would be found instantly otherwise.
-SKRRR—!
"!!"
A claw missed my head by a hair's breadth. I retaliated instantly, swinging in a wide arc, leaving a large wound on it. I followed up with a downward slash, finishing off the demonbeast.
However, I had no more time. Demonbeast could sense fresh blood. I need to move. Fast.
I scaled the wall and carefully moved along its edge. I slipped inside a room through a broken window, scanning the surroundings as I planned my next route.
Demonbeasts sped by on the road below. Not all buildings were safe, either. They must all be woken up by the ruckus below. Taking a detour will take a while, but no other choice.
Night was falling, too. This was not ideal.
Oh well, whatever, not like I could do anything about it. Let's take this slow and steady, shall I?