Chapter 24 · 10 min

Chapter 24

“Well, listen. I heard the anecdote too while inheriting that.”

He seemed very eager worried I wouldn’t believe.

“Good. Tell the story.”

He began the story.

At first seeming tense, whether immersed in the story he was telling, before one knew it he freely used both arms and laid out the story.

Summarizing, it was like this.

In the past a mercenary named Welberden Zygmunt was walking the path toward a territory where the fight with monsters was in full swing and joined a merchant who lit the fire first and demanded food.

Eating the food given like that, poison was in it, they say.

Coincidentally Zygmunt was immune to that poison, because when a large snake possessing that poison settled near a small poor neighboring village and killed too many people, he went and fought even without a bounty.

At the time as the finish he struck the snake’s neck, but the dropped neck sprang up once more and bit the arm so he wandered the brink of death, he said.

Whether bitten by the dying guy he survived, and Zygmunt who gained immunity like that didn’t die even eating the food with snake poison.

The one who should have vomited blood and died banging the head as is endured with high fever and stomachache degree, the merchant drew the knife for the finish.

However Zygmunt rather caught the approaching merchant and beat him to faint, then collapsed beside and lost consciousness.

There was a problem. The merchant was a person entangled with a great noble, and his carriage was fully loaded with loads that should go to the knight order of the nearby territory.

The guard corps that set out looking for the merchant who didn’t come on time like that discovered the cooled campfire with the two people collapsed.

Unfortunately the merchant woke first.

He said the mercenary ambushed him, and the mercenary was imprisoned.

Zygmunt appealed that he was hit by the poison first, but no one believed.

In addition to the merchant having no reason to do so, because the body of the mercenary who suffered once and got up was already cleanly detoxified.

Imprisoned like that waiting for the day to die, suddenly the blessing of the red moon descended on Zygmunt.

The lord who received this matter said he couldn’t just kill the one the red moon bestowed a blessing and postponed the execution, they say.

And saying the Blessing wouldn’t have descended on him for no reason and grasping the situation...

“Poison was in all the spices the merchant loaded. He was a death merchant going to kill all the knights protecting the castle from monsters.”

At the end of harsh interrogation the merchant confessed that he suspected whether the mercenary knew his plan and chased and tried to kill.

When he didn’t die he wondered if holding an antidote in the molar and drew the knife, and approached like that and rather got hit and fainted.

“In the end the merchant was executed, and the mercenary Zygmunt became a hero the red moon acknowledged and a hero who saved the territory and was respected for a long time, the story.”

Soon finishing all the words, Hagenbrock put the hand pointing at the moon behind the head again.

“Understood. So, you were doing this here saying you’d receive the Blessing that hero received?”

“Correct. Zygmunt wasn’t affected by all poisons, and the entered poison stayed well in one corner of the body and could be dropped from the fingertips, he said. If several poisons enter at the same time, even poisons that generally can’t mix become one and were contained in a bottle like that, and the extreme poison made like that was sold expensively instead of being burned due to the lord’s demand, they say. Think about it.”

Hagenbrock’s eyes shone.

“Poisonous things. Honestly aren’t they reluctant? So even if money is on it, one doesn’t go catch unless considerable. But if that Blessing is there, how would it be?”

“One could catch as much as one wants.”

“Exactly so. Whether hit by poison or not fight hard and return and receive thick money. Thereafter contain the poison entered the body in a bottle and sell. Earn money well and do work no one can so receive respect too. Do work no one can so work doesn’t cut off and the mercenary badge color will change quickly too. Truly a perfect plan.”

Later Hagenbrock was immune to poison, so when fighting he also sprayed perfume with poison on the body.

A poison that doesn’t take life, but gives overwhelming superiority during duels by scattering mana.

The poison that becomes the material wasn’t particularly hidden so widely known, but only Hagenbrock could mix through the Blessing.

Since the poison obtainable only from him was famous like that, through the word ‘poison’ of the trial sentence he said one could guess the Blessing.

“I understand the plan, but until when did you intend to do this here? Intending to stay like this until a merchant carrying food with poison appears?”

“No, a thief guy keeps bothering demanding food, if meeting often I thought one guy would put poison and give.”

Absurd so laughter came out.

“A crazy person.”

“I hear such words often.”

“Where did you obtain this trial?”

“Drinking alone in a tavern, a person saying a priest of the Red Moon Church came and gave one request. Some large tree goes around taking root in every land rich in vitality and sucking all the nutrients, kill that, he said.”

“Did you kill it?”

“Yes. Others seemed to fail trying to burn clumsily or looking for weaknesses, but I just chased step by step and beat the trunk with the axe I had. Extending stems was the end if blocking with gloves or avoiding, and beating endlessly one scratch arose, and continuing to hit there it eventually split. In fact it wasn’t difficult. Only regrettable that the guy was too hard and I lost the axe.”

“Originally you used an axe.”

“The item held the most in life is an axe. Lucky and obtained a good item, but that tree was damn hard and broke at the same time as knocking down. Regrettably I was using that knife the next best among the weapons I have.”

“Somehow the sword was damn poorly handled.”

“...”

“No but really, let’s not use the sword from now on. If determined to use, better to learn stickily somewhere.”

“Hmm, understood. Anyway that priest of the Red Moon Church gave really unexpectedly big money, and on top of that gave the trial book and left. The anecdote of Zygmunt was all written there too. So I came straight here and was performing the trial.”

“The trial book?”

“It’s inside the grandmother’s bookshelf of my hometown house. If desired I’ll bring it later.”

“No, it’s okay.”

No thought of sticking the trial book in the mansion again.

“There is one strange point.”

“What.”

“The person saying a priest of the Red Moon Church. I don’t know how he knew me and requested such a thing.”

“Hmm?”

“I was a lumberjack and became a mercenary not long ago. The first request also stupidly deceived and almost died entering a dangerous place... Somehow obtained the axe and some good weapons, and these armors, but still an unknown with a bronze mercenary badge.”

“Yet came and entrusted such a matter...”

“Doesn’t seem coincidence. In addition to serving the moon as god, giving the trial book rashly is also so. So rather I was convinced and believed that sentence. It seemed this is real.”

I looked at Hagenbrock anew.

“What, that gaze looking at a person as a fool.”

“The opposite. Just looking at what done here seems extremely ignorant, but thinks more than expected. More than that, you, no times killing citizens or the guard corps here?”

“None. I was very careful. What I killed are only mercenaries. Up to there is unavoidable. Sparing and sending back even mercenaries who came determined to kill me isn’t mercy but carelessness, right.”

“That’s fortunate. Even if catching and giving to the viscount, might not kill. Well, ultimately the lord’s mind though.”

“The lord seems unable to kill me.”

“You know I can’t let go?”

“Didn’t I say. I’ll obediently follow whether prison or wherever. Even stripping all equipment and imprisoning in the underground prison is fine. Just spare me.”

The guy’s words were too sincere so there was a suspicious part.

That seems he’ll just escape prison after I leave the village.

By any chance does he have that Blessing even now?

“By any chance more Blessings?”

“...There is. But I don’t know the sentence. Suddenly received without doing anything special.”

“How did you receive it.”

“Chopping trees in the neighborhood.”

“Enough.”

Going to the guy’s hometown land together and investigating might organize the conditions, but I wasn’t that leisurely.

Even knowing the sentence there is no guarantee I can receive it, and first having to chop trees was the problem.

Knowing until when and under what conditions to chop a few trees, what would I do.

No intention of performing in the first place.

“Aren’t you asking what Blessing it is?”

“Will you tell? What Blessing is it.”

“That is...”

Rolling the eyes so I said.

“Didn’t I say if lying one more time you die?”

“Right. Almost died. It’s a Blessing called the power of balance. Telling the conditions or the operation method of the power in detail is a bit complicated...”

“That degree is enough.”

There was something that became more of a topic than the poison that scatters mana, Hagenbrock’s uneven monstrous strength.

If a mercenary receiving the foot a monster of enormous size steps, he would have to lightly blow away even a large orc’s greatsword.

However Hagenbrock strangely had suspicious muscular strength doing strength contests trembling the same whether facing monsters or orcs.

That Blessing called ‘power of balance’ looked like the fundamental ability Hagenbrock wrote the legend with.

Probably the tree that guy split also absolutely couldn’t be cut with ordinary strength. Thanks to that Blessing he could cut ignorantly.

Perhaps even being able to receive Berger’s spear I was reluctant to meet several times and flee was also thanks to that Blessing.

“By any chance are there targets that Blessing doesn’t work on? Can one also recognize that?”

“How did you know?”

“Thinking the fleeing as soon as seeing me was also because of that power.”

“That, for you it has no meaning, rather I seem to have better muscular strength. Using that power rather seems to weaken, the problem is that monster behind me.”

So he fled seeing Berger.

“The strength seems strong to the degree balance isn’t matched. Right now even if I die and wake I can’t win.”

I nodded.

Curious things are all resolved, and nothing more to hear.

“Then, let’s return gradually.”

I extended the hand to the guy’s chin.

***

I took the fainted guy to the guard corps.

Watching how they do, they just stripped all equipment then put in prison.

“Kind?”

“...For now I’m thinking of moving after hearing the lord’s words.”

Ah, watching the mood.

I heard the story that the Carpenter Viscount treats differently according to the person.

Seemed careful lest acting rashly without even listening to his words and receiving some disadvantage.

Strangely the Carpenter Viscount ran to the guard corps riding the carriage in one breath.

“Where is that guy!”

The Carpenter Viscount who walked in with big strides saw Hagenbrock lying inside the iron bars and tightly gripped the fist.

And vigorously swung toward the sky and shouted.

“Uhahaha!”

How refreshing it must have been.

“One of my worries disappeared!”

The guards also clapped and cheered together.

“Congratulations, lord!”

That much they also seemed to have piled a lot.

“Hahaha! That guy put mana sealing orbs on the limbs and imprison in the deepest prison. Feed only enough not to die for at least half a year so he weakens, and when sufficiently weakened open the prison door and punish.”

The caution is amazing.

Once imprisoned, thereafter not opening at all until sufficiently weakened.

Seemed thinking of preventing in advance the matter of rather getting injured or escaping after opening the door and entering to punish.

“We will do so.”

“The price for the humiliation all then...”

Seeing their attitude, it seems Hagenbrock won’t die right away.

But if the confidence he showed me didn’t come from some certain escape method, from half a year later a very terrible matter seems to happen...

Well, he’ll handle it himself.

A legend isn’t a legend for nothing.

“Ah, you’re here! Our great Equira Sword Family’s magic practitioner Sir Ronan Gradias!”

Because of excitement even the modifiers became excessive.

“My benefactor. Ah, there were no good things recently... Really refreshing as if a aching tooth fell out.”

The Carpenter Viscount approached and stood beside then pointed at the exit with the hand and guided outside the guard corps office.

Personally opened the carriage door then jumped to the opposite side and climbed, and shouted to the coachman.

“Let’s go to the lord’s castle!”

And as the carriage departed, he said to me like this.

“By any chance, is there something you want to have?”