Chapter 276 : The Saint Who Doesn't Believe in God

Rustle, rustle.

As I was packing my things, the lewd and debauched knight came slouching over.

"What are you doing?"

"Can't you tell by looking? I'm packing."

"So why are you packing?"

I muttered as I stuffed a lot of beef jerky into my bag.

"What a funny question. Why am I packing? To go on a long journey. Why am I going on a long journey? Because my destination is a place so far away that I have to go with the sun at my back. I've heard all sorts of stupid questions."

"..."

Lyle, who had been watching me for a moment, asked.

"Is it a commission?"

"It is."

"I didn't know you were such a diligent guy. Does the position make the man? Did you change after becoming the captain?"

"That's right. You pervert."

"Hmm. It seems the person hasn't changed."

Lyle asked, watching me pack.

"To think of leaving again as soon as you come back? What kind of commission is it? Is it that important?"

"Correct."

"Where are you going?"

"South."

"Hmm. South..."

I stopped packing and looked at him.

"Hey, pervert."

"Pervert?"

"Are you bored?"

"A little."

"If you have nothing to do, why don't you come with me?"

"Where are you going?"

"South."

"South?"

I nodded.

"South."

"So where in the south. Be specific."

"I'll explain on the way."

"In that case, I refuse."

"Why?"

"It's the result of a rational inference that there must be a reason why you're not telling me now. What do you think of my deduction?"

"It's stupid."

Lyle chuckled like an idiot.

"It seems you were planning to go alone, so how about you just stick to your original opinion? Women hate indecisive men."

"So what."

"Tsk, tsk... that's why you're not popular with women."

I threw a spare bag at him and said.

"If you have time to talk, just pack. We're leaving right now."

Lyle, who had caught the backpack in a daze, widened his eyes.

"Are you really going?"

"Didn't you know? I'm a man who never utters a single lie. You could say I'm a living sage. The very embodiment of integrity."

The Heavenly Demon chuckled.

And the debauched knight frowned.

I stopped packing and straightened my back, looking at him.

"You don't want to go?"

"I don't want to go."

"Aha, then I have no choice."

Screech—

I drew the Night Sky Sword and aimed it at the rebellious debauched knight.

"It seems there was a misunderstanding."

Lyle looked at the black sword tip aimed at him once, and then at me.

"This is not a request, but an order, Lyle. Pack your things."

"...And if I don't want to?"

I shrugged.

"If you don't want to, well. I have no choice but to try to persuade you in the usual way."

Lyle glared at me.

"You violent bastard. It's not honorable."

"What can I do? This is all I learned from my predecessor."

"Don't you think bad habits should be eliminated?"

"Bad habits? I've never seen a better means of persuasion."

Here, persuasion meant beating them until they listened.

It was a method with a long history that Guston had enjoyed using, and since it had been a medicine for madmen since ancient times, I had not yet found a better means.

If it were the old days, Lyle would have persuaded me instead.

But that debauched knight had already lost to me once in a dark back alley and had been beaten up.

I'm not the me of the old days.

I tilted the tip of my sword and urged him to choose.

"If you have a complaint, let's talk it out."

In the end, Lyle glared at me and expressed his grievance.

"Why me."

"Because I want to."

"..."

Actually, I had no particular thought.

If Lyle was at fault, it was the crime of being caught by my eyes while he was loitering around.

While we were suffering in Tundra, he was a guy who was just chasing after women's tails.

The more I think about it, the more despicable he is.

Actually, since they were all competent guys who did their own share, it didn't matter much who I took from Sherwood.

So, the reason I chose Lyle as the expedition member to go on a long journey with was purely because he was annoying.

In other words... should I call it a crime of being despicable?

The Heavenly Demon laughed lowly.

[He got caught by a madman.]

I asked, without moving the tip of my sword from him.

"Your answer?"

Lyle, who had been glaring at me for a moment, grabbed the hilt of his sword with a grim expression.

"I, Lyle, the idol and hero of all ladies, the noble black knight of the night. I can't live like this, defeated."

"Is that a rebellion?"

"I'll struggle."

"A fine choice."

A touch-and-go moment.

Shushuruta came up the stairs and looked at us, who were in a standoff.

It seemed she had heard all the conversation between us, as she immediately asked me.

"Where are you going all of a sudden?"

"I told you. South."

Shushuruta looked into my eyes.

"Is it so important that you have to leave as soon as you come back?"

I looked into Shushuruta's eyes and answered.

"It's an important matter."

"How much?"

"More than anything else."

Shushuruta stared at my eyes for a moment, and then.

"I'll go and pack. Wait a little."

She went into her room.

"..."

Lyle, who had been watching the door that Shushuruta had entered for a moment.

He stealthily let go of the hilt of his sword, which he had been holding tightly.

"Come to think of it, I also had some business in the south."

"Suddenly?"

"I'll accompany you. You should consider yourself lucky."

"..."

And so, the rescue team to bring back the saint who doesn't believe in God, Sirila, was formed.

* * *

After quickly packing our things, we prepared to leave as soon as we were ready.

And admirably, the Sherwood members came out to see off the captain who was going on a long journey.

Although they didn't come all the way to the gate, I was seen off in front of the hideout.

But where was this?

Since I was a simple man, I decided to be satisfied with this.

"Be careful."

Hud looked at me with her arms crossed.

"Siri, you have to bring her back, no matter what. You know that, right?"

"Of course."

I clenched my fist and announced my ambition.

"I will definitely bring back that dazed saint. On Hartz's honor."

An immediate rebuttal came.

"Why are you betting my honor, you madman?"

"Hey, doesn't the captain have that much authority?"

"Do you think so?"

"Regret."

Hartz tilted his head and said.

"I'll lend it to you just this once. Just bring Siri back."

"A guy who has no honor to lend is talking big."

"Hey, then why did you mention my honor?"

"Shut up."

"..."

His eyes turned blue, and Sorrow appeared.

"Captain."

"Sorrow."

"If you want, I'll lend you my honor too. Go and come back."

I nodded.

"I'll bring Siri back, even if it means tarnishing your reputation."

"...That's a bit."

Dofang laughed and said.

"Don't worry about here, little brother, just focus on bringing Siri back."

"Devil, you have to come back quickly!"

"Hmph... go and come back."

I waved my hand roughly at the guys who were throwing farewells, and then.

I also met the golden eyes of Schmidt, who was staring at me.

—Go and come back, big brother. And be sure to bring back that fool.

I nodded.

It would be the same for the others, but Siri must be particularly special to Schmidt.

Because they were like siblings who were always bickering.

"I'll leave the rest to you. While I'm gone, go and beat up the Dark Heaven Society guys."

"Ah, don't worry about that."

Hartz, who had returned with yellow eyes, smiled, showing his teeth.

It was like a beast smiling before a hunt.

"Since hunting disobedient beasts is my specialty."

I was very reassured.

"Yes. A beast would know a beast well."

"Hey..."

"Well then."

With that, I got on my horse.

Shushuruta jumped on behind me, and Lyle also got on his horse and followed me.

"Devil! Don't get hurt!"

I could hear Linda's voice from behind.

I waved my hand roughly, and then I rode my horse and walked the streets.

Clip-clop, clip-clop—

Lyle sped up a little and came up next to me, and then said in a dissatisfied tone.

"Hey, if you were going to get Siri, you should have said so."

"Would you have willingly accompanied me if I had said so?"

"Of course."

I looked at Lyle for a moment and then turned my gaze forward.

Shushuruta, who was sitting behind me, said.

"We're not taking a carriage this time."

"That's right. We're a mobile unit."

This time, since the distance was far and I planned to cover that long distance quickly, I decided to go by horse instead of a carriage.

It would be more appropriate to say that since it was a small elite group with not many members, there was no reason to insist on a carriage.

And so, the mobile unit left the gate and headed south.

"Giddy-up!"

Thump, thump, thump, thump—

We gradually picked up speed.

"So!"

Lyle said, keeping up with me without falling behind.

"Where are we going!"

"South!"

"So where in the south! Is it toward Periln?"

"No! Further south!"

"Then Schirnberg?"

"Further south!"

"...Further south from there?"

Lyle looked at me.

"Don't tell me..."

"Our destination is the Holy Empire of Hilka!"

"That's a foreign country!"

"Hahaha! Let's go on a trip abroad for a change! Giddy-up!"

"You madman!"

The Siri expedition ran south, becoming a single gust of wind.

* * *

We rode our horses quickly.

We only took short naps when the horses were tired, and other than that, we continued to advance.

We didn't stop in villages or cities except to replenish our food supplies.

It was as if we were going in a straight line.

And so, after hurrying on our way, we soon reached the end of the mountain range.

The border area between the Maia Kingdom and the Holy Empire of Hilka.

Snort!

"Whoa. Whoa."

As I stopped for a moment and looked at the place, a new thought came to me.

A while ago, I had come here from there, but now the situation was the opposite.

It was an interesting thing.

[What's so interesting?]

Even I didn't know that.

[...]

Next to me, Lyle was grumbling.

"Damn it. The Holy Empire of Hilka. We're going far."

Since it wasn't the first or second time, I lightly ignored him and then looked at the border area that we were planning to break through at once.

Just then, the sun was setting and dusk was falling.

Darkness was slowly setting in.

In that darkness, there must be those who were hiding, plundering the poor refugees who were trying to escape from the Maia Kingdom, which was full of magical beasts.

Escaping from a land full of magical beasts, only to be greeted by another form of magical beasts with open arms.

Were they trying to teach us the precious lesson that there is no paradise in the place you run to?

The probability was high that they were not.

I waited until the horses had caught their breath, and then I drew my half-sword.

Because the aura produced from the half-sword was more noticeable than the Night Sky Sword.

Shushuruta, who saw that, said.

"Is that a torch?"

"Yes. Like last time."

Lyle asked.

"What torch?"

"Like a torch that drives away the darkness, the aura that contains our resolve will drive away the demons."

"Does it hurt to speak more simply?"

Lyle, who had roughly understood, also grumbled and drew his sword from its scabbard.

"Lyle-kun. Grumbling men are not popular."

As if to prove those words, Shushuruta was glaring at the grumbling Lyle with eyes that were by no means kind.

Lyle glanced at Shushuruta, then raised his sword and muttered solemnly.

"May the lamp of my soul guide the way."

"..."

"I will open the way! Giddy-up!"

Shushuruta looked at him with a rather pathetic gaze.

And I chuckled and followed Lyle, who was leading the way.

* * *

"Hey, we have guests."

The band of thieves, who had been plundering the border area, chuckled and looked at the two horsemen who were coming at a gallop with sinister eyes.

"Keuk, keuk. How fearless."

"Just selling the horses will be a good profit."

"Are they knights?"

"Keuk, keuk. This is our territory. Even those great knights have to get off their horses and pass through here."

"Get ready. They're coming soon."

The moment they stood on the road and were twirling a looped rope.

Fwoosh—

As if a torch had been lit, an aura bloomed on the swords they were holding.

The plunderers' eyes widened.

"...Aura!"

"They're aura users!"

"Get back! Get back!"

"Shh! Shut up!"

A quiet commotion erupted in the darkness.

And a moment later.

Clip-clop, clip-clop!

The two horses passed the plunderers, who were holding their breath.

"Hooo... I almost died."

"I know, right."

"For two aura users to suddenly appear. What bad luck."

Just as they were letting out a sigh of relief.

Stab!

A blade that came out of the darkness slit their throats.

They fell into the night without a sound, and Shushuruta, who had become one with the darkness, got on behind Ashuban again.

"Cat burglar, your skills have improved even more."

"Of course. I haven't been playing around all this time either."

Lyle glanced back.

"Is there a problem?"

"No. Just keep going straight. We'll cross the border at once."

"Confirmed."

The blue and red torches cut through the night.

(End of Chapter)