Chapter 364: The Name and Chills that Cover the Chest

In the outskirts of the puppet city of Philos, Heraldic soldiers and mercenaries were stationed in a specific place. I wondered if the combined number easily exceeded hundreds.

These units were not only meant to prevent Philos from being attacked by other powers, but also to protect the city from magical beasts that had been active since the start of the death snow.

The other units were in the city of Philos, but considering their scale, Matia probably thought that reinforcements were necessary.

To be honest, I felt pity for the soldiers and mercenaries who were doing their duties in the freezing cold wind. They had to hold on a little longer. I wanted to bring them some ale later in the day.

I opened my mouth after looking at the enthusiastic merchants who were shouting loudly at the soldiers and mercenaries.

「Are you okay? How are your injuries? I heard you’re still recovering. 」

I bit the chewing tobacco on my lips and slowly enjoyed the scent through my nose. Unknowingly, I relaxed my cheeks when I spoke to a nostalgic yet familiar face.

The target of my words, Bruder, used her fingers to touch the brim of her hat while moving her neck. There was something embarrassing about her expression.

「Come on, my employer. I’m not the kind of person who wants to stay in bed forever. In fact, I’ll be in good shape if I move a little.」

Her brown hair bounced through the air, dissipating the whiteness of the death snow. If I closed my eyes to the awkwardness of her movements, I’d say that she was almost completely recovered.

During the chaos that once brought down Philos, Bruder suffered a serious injury because of the evil man named Roseau. I thought the mercenary job was over for her, but it seemed that she overcame her ordeals quite unexpectedly.

Was it the skilled doctor, or was it her own life force?

I felt reassured that she was unharmed. After all, she was the one and only friend I’ve had in my past life. I wanted to buy a new bottle of ale to celebrate her recovery.

Ah, but.

「So how did you end up with me anyways? 」

I deliberately shrugged my shoulders, then I narrowed my eyes and questioned her. I noticed some irregularities. When I stopped, Bruder also stopped her legs. When I started walking, Bruder also followed me. I was not a bird chick.

Bruder moved her shoulders as if to imitate me and showed off her frustrated brown eyes.

「I’m in a complicated position too. It seems that your Saint is very concerned about whether you will act alone.」

Bruder’s wry smile seemed to ask what I had done.

I see, so it was Matia’s doing. It wouldn’t be that strange for her to keep a watchful eye on people like this. She was a very surprisingly fearless person, huh.

No, actually, it was true that I rushed things when trying to deal with Prison Beulah. Still, I didn’t need a supervisor.

It was not like I let my hips float so lightly. Even though I was surprisingly fast at thinking about things and flapping my legs, I wanted my allies to trust me a little more.

Looking at my disposition as I sighed heavily, Bruder used her words in an amusing way.

「What’s wrong? Are you dissatisfied with my presence? If you don’t like it that much, do you want me to hide somewhere?」

Bruder spoke teasingly while chewing a tobacco just like me. While clearing my throat, I replied there was a reason to be upset, but implied that she was not that reason.

There was no way I’d say something that heartless by pointing to my former friend and just complain. But I didn’t feel good to be watched.

I had told the general story to Saint Matia and Eldith. The story surrounding the illegitimate princess. Also, about the catastrophe and the demonic creatures. That’s how I drew the path.

I didn’t know how much they swallowed that story. After all, it was hard to find something credible. Besides, I didn’t think an organization would act easily based on just stories.

Organizations were like that. The bigger it got, the more complicated it got in decision making. Therefore, no matter what conclusion Matia and Eldith came to, it would be difficult to make a prompt decision.

However, I was different from them in that regard. I didn’t care what the Heraldic Order and Ghazalia decided.

I just couldn’t stand by and watch everything without doing anything. After all, I had a big reason for this…my past life.

The smell of chewing tobacco, mixed with the smell of iron, struck my nostrils.

「Hey, listen employer…I think I’ve heard you say something similar before. But can I ask you to clarify?」

Bruder opened her mouth in a strange manner. When I thought about the past, this expression of hers was something I had never seen before. If anything, she was the type to search for clear words without asking.

I turned my eyes to the side in order to prompt her to say the words. She hardened her lips a little before continuing.

「…I just heard it lightly. You spoke about magical beasts and demonic beings. Employer, why is it you that has to deal with those foes? Isn’t what you’ve done already enough? If I can describe your responsibility, then I think you’ve done well already.」

Bruder’s brown eyes looked at me with mixed emotions. I looked straight at them as well.

I see, these were probably her worrying words. A swaying emotion was visible and stuck between her words.

My cheeks loosened in response. Oh really, she was not the same as she used to be.

「As far as I’ve heard, it’s no longer about an individual fight. The other party is regarded as a large-scale disaster. Is it truly necessary for you to force yourself to do something about it?」

Or maybe you have a purpose. Bruder continued to speak.

I paused for a moment before opening my mouth. My cheeks were greatly distorted.

「That’s right. There are people who are originally suitable to deal with important matters…Heroes, brave men. It’s easy to leave those matters to them. They give you a peaceful mind, so you can sleep and wait without any problems.」

A scene I once saw was reflected in my eyes.

The golden hero. That shining back which I tried to reach from the depths of my chest, longing for it. I wondered if at least a finger of mine was touching that back now. I had no way of knowing the answer.

My breath was hot while my heart was strangely light.

「…But there’s no more. There are no heroes, Bruder. So, I have no choice but to become a hero.」

A hero like the sun no longer existed. But if I hadn’t slashed him down with my own hands, I couldn’t have escaped from that fate. Therefore, I had to move forward so that I could die in the right place.

Seeing Bruder’s stiff face, I let out a deep sigh. I didn’t mean to get too complicated, since I made it all the more worrying.

I moved my lips, and my throat rang.

「C’mon, let’s drink a good wine and eat venison when things settle down. Wouldn’t it be nice once Vess joins us?」

Unfortunately, Vestaline was stuck in Prison Beulah, but I hoped to drink with the sisters someday. Anyway, it sounded like fun. I would greatly enjoy a quiet time.

I didn’t know how long it would take for everything to be over. Even so, words like these were especially reassuring.

After saying those words, I looked at Bruder’s face and noticed that her expression gave a strange feel.

What was that face?

「…You’ve become quite close to my younger sister, employer. When did you start calling each other by nicknames?」

Ah, come to think of it. I nodded slightly, affirming her statement.

It was only recently that Vestaline allowed me to call her Vess. There was nothing strange about it, even if it seemed strange at first. Especially from Bruder’s point of view, since it was about her precious little sister. I wondered if it bothered her too much.

Bruder scratched the surface of what happened in Prison Beulah, but she distorted her lips as if she was a little surprised by this piece of information, even if frivolous. She was looking at me with her narrowed brown eyes.

After a period of silence, Bruder finally spoke.

「Okay, if you’re going to call her like that, then why don’t you call me by my real name. You can do it when it’s just the two of us. Well, it’s not like I dislike the name Bruder.」

Unknowingly, I widened my eyes in shock. There was a slight confusion in my chest at the sudden words professed by Bruder.

I knew that the name Bruder was originally her father’s name.

However, to be honest, I was more familiar with the name Bruder. Besides, she didn’t seem to care about her real name either, so it never bothered me.

When it came to her real name, it felt kind of unfamiliar. I even felt uneasy and embarrassed. However, her brown eyes staring straight at me probably had no intention of letting me escape.

With a wry smile on her face, Bruder shrugged her shoulders as she called out her real name. It seemed that she was finally satisfied. If it meant forgiveness to her own self for all she went through, then I’d be happy for her too.

On this moment, we suddenly closed our eyes. A windy sound echoed, and the death snow blew strongly.

The snow covered the entire area of the garrison. It seemed that there was going to be a lot of death snow again tonight. It was troublesome. My white breath was lurking here and there.

The gray sky that seemed to engulf the chilly wind, spit a sound.

In an instant, my heartbeat increased.

A hot sensation ran through my chest, and the sound of the treasure sword at my waist resounded. The blood running in my veins remembered a strange deviation.

Why did I feel this way? A strange feeling consumed my body. I had a bad, very bad feeling. Ah, it was a chill I had felt before. It felt like ice had been thrust into my spine.

A demonic aura. In other words, a magical devilish being. I felt like I could hear those footsteps in my earlobes.

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