Two months had passed. We arrived at the port town of Westport.
The streetscape bore a striking resemblance to Zantport. But the town was larger, naturally. The road from the capital of the Millis Holy Kingdom to the capital of the
Even from outside the town, you could see massive warehouses lined up along the edge of the harbor. Near the warehouses, people who looked like slaves or apprentices worked busily. They hauled enormous fish onto carts and rumbled along with them, while robed figures cast water magic to freeze the fish. And so the fish made their way into the warehouses. After that, they would presumably be packed in ice, salted, or smoked, then shipped out to various parts of the world.
--- Well, that was as far as the carriage went. Unlike the ferry in my previous life, this world didn't allow you to load a carriage onto a ship and transport it. So, much like with the lizard, I sold it off and planned to buy a new one after crossing the sea.
I sold the carriage at the stables. Unlike the lizard, I hadn't grown too attached to it, so I didn't bother giving it a name. Farewell, Haru○lala.
After that, we headed to the checkpoint. Unlike Westport, this was a large building. Guards in full armor stood at the entrance. Armored knights were a common sight even in the streets of Milshion. Looking at
Joking aside, when I entered the checkpoint, the inside was packed with people. Adventurer-looking folks, merchant-looking folks. Energetic-looking staff members handled them efficiently. It was the complete opposite of the quiet, unmotivated atmosphere at Westport.
I headed for one of the counters and spoke to the clerk. The receptionist here was also buxom. Was there some unwritten rule in this world that receptionists had to be buxom? There might well be.
I kept those thoughts to myself, of course.
"Um, I'd like to apply for passage." "Certainly. Please take this and wait over there."
What I was handed was a wooden number tag. The number 34 was written on it. It felt very much like dealing with a government office.
I returned to the waiting area and sat down in one of the chairs. Eris immediately plopped down beside me. Ruijerd remained standing. Looking around, there seemed to be many other people waiting, just like us.
"This is going to take a while, isn't it." "Aren't you going to hand over the letter?"
At Ruijerd's question, I shook my head.
"You wait until they call your number." "Is that how it works..."
Eris was fidgeting. She wasn't used to waiting. That was probably unavoidable.
"
When Eris told me that, I looked around for whoever was looking her way. It was the guards. They kept glancing over at Eris. Eris received those stares with a scowl, glaring right back.
"Don't pick a fight." "I won't."
I didn't trust that one bit. But what reason would the guards have for looking at Eris? Could they be captivated by her beauty? Eris had become quite pretty lately, sure. But she was still firmly in the child category. Unless every last knight was a lolicon, that seemed unlikely.
"Number 34, please."
When my number was called, I stood up and went to the counter. I handed the letter to the receptionist and told her we wanted passage.
She took the letter with a smile, then the moment she looked at the name on the reverse, her expression turned suspicious.
"One moment, please."
She then stood up and disappeared into the back of the office.
After a while, there was a loud noise from somewhere in the back of the office, along with someone shouting. A guard burst out from the back and whispered something to another guard. With a grim expression, the second guard took off running outside.
The atmosphere was starting to smell fishy. I'd trusted Ruijerd and handed over the letter, but maybe I should have looked into this Gash Brush character more carefully.
The receptionist returned. She couldn't hide her tension.
"I'm terribly sorry for the wait. Duke Baxier would like to see you."
I had nothing but a bad feeling about this.
--- "I am Baxier von Wieser, Director of the Millis Continental Customs Office."
That pig looked exactly like a pig. Scratch that — that person looked exactly like a pig. His neck was buried in fat, his chin completely submerged. Pale blond hair was plastered flat against his forehead. He had bags under his eyes, giving him the impression of a tanuki. A pig and a tanuki, making no effort to hide his displeased expression. I felt like I'd seen a guy like that before. In a mirror.
"Hmph. To think a filthy demon race would bring a letter like this."
Baxier sat in an ornate leather-upholstered chair. Without standing, he slapped the paper in his hand — thwap — then leaned back, making the chair creak as he looked down at us. On his expensive-looking desk, among piles of documents, I could see a letter envelope that had been broken open. So that paper was the contents of the letter.
"To think you'd invoke such an important name. And the seal is well-made too, very convincing. But I won't be deceived. This is a forgery."
Baxier flung the paper away. I reflexively caught it.
========== This individual is of the Spelt Tribe, but is one who has received my great debt. Few in words, but of admirable spirit. Cover his passage costs in full and see him safely to the Central Continent.
Commander of the Holy Knights, Galgade Nash Venic ========== The moment I saw that name, I felt dizzy. Where had the name Gash Brush gone?
Galgade Nash Venic. Ah — so Gash was a shortened form? Or maybe a friendly person would say, "Just call me Gash." Maybe Ruijerd had taken that literally and assumed his name was Gash. But where did "Brush" come from?
And that title. Commander of the Holy Knights. One of the Three Knights of Millis, and their commander.
This was giving me a headache. Why would someone like that be an acquaintance of Ruijerd's...
Well, I could guess. For instance — his position. As Commander of the Holy Knights, he would hold a fairly high rank. It would be problematic if word got out that he was friendly with a member of the Spelt Tribe. So maybe he used a false name.
Or thinking more simply — Ruijerd had said they met forty years ago. Maybe he'd changed his name through marriage or something in the interim.
"That taciturn man would never write a letter. I know him well. He's not just a reluctant writer — he's the type who won't even write necessary documents. And he supposedly wrote one for a demon race like you? Enough with the jokes."
As for Ruijerd, he wore a troubled expression. His letter had just been declared a forgery. From his perspective, the reason might well be that he was of the Spelt Tribe. He might end up thinking that way.
Indeed, according to
But if this was well-known, then Gash — or Galgade, whatever — would have known what kind of man Baxier was. In that case, you'd think he would have written something more persuasive. Or maybe the letter really was a forgery?
No. Remember what Ruijerd told me. He'd said Gash was in a massive building. A building on par with Kishiris Castle. That was quite large for a private residence. But if it was the headquarters of a knightly order or something like that — the building would be large, and there would be many knights inside. As their commander, every knight present would be his subordinate. That matched Ruijerd's description of "having lots of people under him."
Even so, knowing that didn't help much. Baxier had already declared the letter a forgery.
And at this point, I wasn't about to just say "Oh, it was a forgery? My apologies, goodbye."
I stepped forward.
"So your Grace is saying this document is a forgery?" "And who are you...? Child, step aside."
Duke Baxier looked at me with a suspicious expression. It had been a while since someone treated me like a child. It felt oddly refreshing. When you wanted to be treated as a child, people treated you as an adult; when you wanted to be treated as an adult, they treated you as a child. You just can't win.
"Forgive the late introduction. My name is Rudeus Greyrat."
At those words, Baxier's eyebrow twitched.
"
A branch house. The moment Baxier heard that, his eyes began to look down on me. In that instant, I gestured to Eris with my palm.
"However, this young lady Eris bears the true and proper name of Boreas Greyrat."
With a light pat on her back, Eris stepped forward. She looked at me with a startled expression but showed no further hesitation. She crossed her arms and spread her feet shoulder-width apart — no, wait, that wasn't right — she uncrossed her arms and tried to pinch the hem of her skirt in a ladylike curtsy, then remembered she wasn't wearing a skirt, and instead did the same hand-on-chest greeting as me.
"I am the daughter of Philip Boreas Greyrat. My name is Eris Boreas Greyrat."
It sounded stiff, and I think she got something slightly wrong. I checked Baxier's expression. Hard to read. Oh well. We'd rely on the prestige of Eris's family here.
"Hmph. And why is a daughter of the Asura nobility here?"
A natural question. There was no need for a lie.
"Has your Grace heard of the mana calamity that struck the Fittoa Region about two years ago?" "I have. A large number of people were teleported, I'm told." "Yes. We were caught up in it as well."
From there, I explained that in order to protect the young lady, I had hired Ruijerd as a bodyguard and traversed the Demon Continent. We'd managed to scrape together the funds at the Millis customs checkpoint by selling off our remaining assets, but we didn't have enough to travel from Millis to the Central Continent. Ruijerd's passage fare in particular was far too steep.
So we had turned to Lord Galgade, an acquaintance of the Greyrat family and a close friend of Ruijerd. Lord Galgade had graciously written the letter.
I had fabricated this entire story.
"The young lady is dressed as an adventurer, but that is to avoid attracting the attention of unsavory types who might target her upon realizing her noble birth. Your Grace surely understands." "I see."
Baxier's expression remained stern.
"So you're saying you're part of that 'Fittoa Search Party' that's been going around Milshion lately, forcibly seizing slaves?" "Wh-what?! No! What are you talking about?" "I know nothing of any Eris Boreas Greyrat."
He snorted like a pig, then Baxier continued with a "but."
"I do know the name of some petty crook called Paul Greyrat. Word is he's been forcibly abducting slaves lately."
Dad's reputation was terrible.
"So what your Grace is saying is this: Lord Galgade's letter is a forgery, Lady Eris is no Asura noble, and we are all part of that Paul Greyrat — that no-good, stinky-footed, perpetually drunk, takes-it-out-on-his-son, makes-his-daughter-suffer deadbeat's — crew." "Mm."
What a terrible thing to say. Paul was doing his best, in his own way. Sure, he had shortcomings, and maybe his methods were wrong. But to dismiss him as a deadbeat like that was absolutely unforgivable.
"And why do you say the seal on the letter is also forged?"
I pointed to the stationery on the desk. Baxier furrowed his brow slightly, then nodded.
"The Holy Knights' seal is easily counterfeited. Forgeries circulate frequently."
Is that so? First time I'd heard that.
"And why do you say my employer, the young lady, is a fake?" "A young lady of the Asura aristocracy would never look like some hillbilly swordswoman."
I looked at Eris. She was standing with her arms crossed in her usual pose. Her arms bore no scars, but they were tanned beyond what you'd expect of a young lady, and her muscles were more toned than those of any young adventurer around.
"I see. Your Grace doesn't seem to know Lord Sauros."
I let out a soft laugh. Baxier took the bait immediately.
"Sauros...? The lord of the Fittoa Region?"
He didn't know Eris's name, but apparently he did know old man Sauros.
"He is Eris's grandfather. That man gave her an elite education as a swordsman." "Why would he do something like that..." "This is a private matter, but... Lady Eris has been promised to marry into the Notos family. And Lord Sauros has a deep dislike for the head of the Notos house..." "I see."
In short, the reason Eris had been raised like some mountain ape was that she'd been trained to kill the head of the Notos house in his bedroom. Eris tilted her head. If she understood what that meant, my face would have crumpled.
"Therefore, the young lady must return to Asura. If you declare her a fraud, we will simply return to Milshion and petition the appropriate authorities."
I had no idea what those appropriate authorities actually were. I hadn't looked into it.
"If you insist this is genuine, then prove it right here." "Lord Galgade's letter is the best proof of all." "Meaningless. It's just a he-said-she-said." "Fine, even if it is. But does your Grace truly wish to stand opposed to the Greyrat family of Asura?"
Dangerous. I was starting to lose track of what I was even saying myself. But it seemed to be getting through. Baxier glared at me with fierce eyes.
"Very well. Then I shall grant passage to you and the young lady, the two of you." "But our escort..." "In the name of Duke Baxier, I shall assign several knights. Surely that would be safer than relying on a member of the demon race?"
Ah, so rather than let a demon through, he'd attach a couple of spare knights instead. In any case, Baxier clearly had no intention of allowing Ruijerd to pass. Stubborn to the end. This was my first time seeing such prejudice against the demon race up close, and it was stronger than I'd imagined.
Well, what to do now. Should I transport Ruijerd separately? And then get into another fight with smugglers? Quite possibly. What should I...
Knock knock.
Just then, someone unexpectedly knocked on the door.
"What is it? I'm in the middle of something."
Baxier looked annoyed, but the door had already opened without waiting for a reply. Standing there was a woman in blue armor, with golden hair.
"Excuse me. I was told that Ruijerd of Dead End was here." "...Mother?"
It was
--- Because I had whispered "Mother," every gaze in the room turned toward the woman.
She glared at me with an irritated expression.
"I am unmarried. I do not have a large child like you."
Wait — Zenith? Had she lost her memory without my knowing? Or had she grown tired of Paul?
Thinking that, I stared at her closely. Then certain differences from Zenith became apparent. We'd been separated for several years, so my memory of Zenith's face wasn't perfect, but the mole was in a different place, and the hair color was slightly different. She was a different person.
"Forgive me. You just resembled my missing mother." "...I see."
She regarded me with a pitying gaze. Perhaps she was looking at me the way one would look at a child separated from his mother. I wasn't usually treated as a child much anymore, but my appearance was still that of a boy.
"Well, well... what brings the newly demoted Holy Knight here?"
Baxier snorted once at the Zenith-like knight.
"A member of the Spelt Tribe has appeared within Millis. Would it not be natural for a diligent worker like myself to come here?" "Your appointment doesn't start for ten days. Don't stick your nose in." "Don't stick my nose in? What a strange thing to say, Duke. I may not have officially started yet, but my predecessor has already departed for Milshion and is no longer here. When an issue arises at the customs checkpoint, a Holy Knight is supposed to handle it. And yet there is not a single other Holy Knight to be seen. How do you explain that?"
The Zenith-like knight rattled off these words without pause. Baxier's face went pale, and he let out an "Ugh."
"Customs protection is to be managed by two heads. That is an absolute ironclad rule set by the Millis Faith. Surely you, Duke Baxier, do not intend to draw the bow of the Millis Faith." "No, nothing of the sort. It's merely that you've only just arrived in this town. I was suggesting you take your time settling in...?" "That is unnecessary."
The pig duke's face looked like it was about to be slaughtered. When I eat pork again, it's going to taste even better.
"So, what's the situation?"
This knight seemed to be about as high-ranking as the duke. Normally a duke would be the highest-ranking noble, but... the Millis Holy Kingdom had a strong religious character, so that probably had something to do with it.
"Well, you see..."
Baxier began to explain. There were occasional embellishments on his part, so I filled in the gaps as needed. The female knight listened silently to the whole thing, then glanced at me.
"Hmm... You are indeed a demon."
She fixed Ruijerd with a particularly hard stare. But the moment she saw Eris, her gaze softened. And finally, she met my eyes, then paused and brought her chin to her hand as if in thought.
"...You said earlier that you mistook me for your mother. May I hear your mother's name?" "Zenith. Zenith Greyrat." "And your father's name?"
I snuck a glance at Baxier. Hmm. I really didn't want to say this...
"Paul Greyrat."
I tried being honest. Baxier's eyes went wide.
My father was a completely different man from that useless waste of space. That's what I wanted to insist. My father was like a god. Tap him a little and he'd produce gold.
"I see."
The female knight said that, then crouched down and pulled me into a tight hug.
"...Eh?!"
I was stunned. It was an out-of-nowhere embrace.
"You've been through a lot..."
As she said that, she stroked my head.
The bulky armor made it not particularly pleasant as far as sensation went. But there was a soft, sweet feminine fragrance. Naturally, my lower half started to get... No, it didn't.
That was strange. Why? Son, what's wrong with you? That's the sweaty smell of the woman you love so much. Even the other day, when Eris... I glanced over at Eris, and she had her eyes wide open, fists clenched. Terrifying.
"Um... excuse me?"
The female knight patted my head a few times, then stood up straight. Without looking at me, she declared to Baxier.
"I will vouch for them." "What?! There's a demon among them!"
Baxier panicked. The female knight snatched the letter from my hand and scanned it quickly.
"The letter is also in order. This is Lord Galgade's handwriting." "To think a Holy Knight would defy the teachings of the Millis Faith..."
At that point, Eris let out an "Oh!" The female knight turned to Eris and winked. What was that about?
"I am the squadron leader of the Holy Knights' 'Shield Group.'" "Tch. And you were demoted to a place like this after losing your subordinates?" "Hmph. I shall return those words to you in kind. Though I should note there's quite a difference between me, who completed my mission, and you, who gave up halfway."
Baxier ground his teeth in frustration. It seemed he, too, had been demoted here. When you thought about it that way, the title of duke seemed rather diminished, which was curious.
Baxier's eyes began to fill with loathing.
"Even if you do come from noble stock, don't get too cocky—"
Baxier's words were not finished. The female knight bowed her head slightly.
"No, I'm sorry. I went too far. Now that I'm posted to a place like this, I have no desire to be on bad terms with you. This time, there are also personal matters involved. Please forgive me."
I thought that was good timing. She'd said exactly what she wanted to say, then apologized with ease. Baxier's anger drained away in a flash with those words. I'd have to remember this technique the next time I made someone angry.
"Personal matters?" "Yes."
Baxier looked skeptical, but the female knight nodded. Then she placed a hand on my shoulder.
"This boy is my nephew."
Say what!?
--- Therese Latreia. She was the fourth daughter of the Latreia family, a noble house of Millis, and a rising young knight who had become a squadron leader of the Holy Knights at an early age.
Her birth family was the House of Latreia, Counts. Zenith's maiden family was also the House of Latreia, Counts.
Once Baxier learned that I was related to her, he wore the expression of a man who had given up on something, let out a deep sigh, and made our passage free of charge.
--- Right now, I was being hugged by Therese at the inn in Westport. In the room were me, Therese, and Eris. Ruijerd, perhaps having read the mood, was nowhere to be seen.
"Rudeus-kun. I already knew about you from my sister's letters." "Is that so? What did Mother say?" "She said you were very cute, and while she couldn't believe it when she first saw you, she had to admit that yes, you really are adorable."
As she said this, Therese buried her face in the side of my neck. Now that I thought about it, over roughly twelve years I'd been called impertinent, suspicious, and creepy, but the only one who'd ever called me cute was Zenith.
But even though I was being held by a gorgeous, buxom woman, my railgun down below wasn't even considering launching anything. Come to think of it, it hadn't gone to full mast with Zenith either. And come to think of it further, I never felt any urge to be overly close with
"Therese. Let go of Rudeus already."
Eris tapped the table with her cheek propped on her hand. She looked to be in a foul mood. She might have been jealous. I was a sinful man.
"Lady Eris. I understand your feelings, but I don't know when I'll be able to see Rudeus-kun again. And the next time we meet, this cuteness will surely be gone. This is just a fleeting memory. Please be understanding."
Therese showed not a hint of remorse as she ran her hands over my body.
"Therese, why do you use formal language with Eris?" "Because she saved my life."
I dug a little deeper.
Eris had gone out on a goblin extermination mission and saved Therese, who had been ambushed by enemy forces and was on the brink of death. At the time, Therese had been guarding a certain important person, and if Eris hadn't been there, that person and everyone else would have been killed. This was something I'd never heard before. When I looked at Eris, she wore a guilty expression.
"I'm sorry, Rudeus. I forgot to mention that..."
According to Eris, she had been so focused on my being depressed that the whole goblin extermination incident had completely faded from her memory. My fault, apparently. Well, that couldn't be helped.
Therese was — I couldn't tell because she was hugging me from behind, but — presumably wearing a blissful expression as she fondled my body. It wasn't exactly unpleasant, but it was definitely uncomfortable. After all, even with breasts pressed against my back and my body being groped, nothing was happening. You could call it a new sensation.
"Ah, Rudeus-kun, you really are adorable. I could just eat you up." "Eat me up — in the sexual sense?"
I tossed out a careless quip, and she clamped her hand over my mouth.
"...You're cuter when you're quiet. When you talk, you remind me of that Paul."
It seemed Therese wasn't particularly fond of Paul.
"By the way, Commander Galgade hasn't changed a bit."
While she continued petting me, Therese changed the subject.
"Sending Baxier a letter like that — you'd have to know how he'd react."
According to Therese, Galgade Nash Venic was indeed the commander of the Holy Knights. The Holy Knights were a mercenary force whose role was twofold: to send young knights into conflict zones to gain battlefield experience, and to spread the teachings of the Millis Faith to various regions. They were currently in a recruitment period between expeditions, and had returned to the country to recruit new members.
Gash was that commander. He was a survivor of a past expedition to the Demon Continent, and over the past several decades had raised the Holy Knights to what was widely considered the strongest they had ever been. He was a taciturn, rugged man who rarely smiled. Rumor had it he treated even the worst criminals with equal composure.
A Millis knight completed their training by participating in the Holy Knights' expeditions. Since Gash had become commander, the Holy Knights' survival rate had exceeded ninety percent. For that reason, the current Holy Knights bore the title of the strongest in their history. Many people owed their lives to Gash, and among the knights of today, there was not one who did not respect him.
"He's also famously a man of few words."
On the battlefield he issued orders crisply, but in daily life he was so relaxed that he could barely be bothered to return a greeting. He almost never wrote letters, and documents received nothing more than a stamp. Almost no one had ever seen his handwriting.
According to Ruijerd, Gash had been talkative and passionate. Though, then again, Ruijerd himself wasn't exactly known for being talkative. Maybe the standard was different. Or maybe Gash was only that way around Ruijerd.
"Hey, how long are you going to stay glued to him..."
Eris looked like she was about five seconds from losing it, so I pulled away from Therese.
"Ahh... Rudeus-kun's warmth..."
Therese looked wistful, but I wasn't a body pillow. Being hugged didn't exactly make me happy.
"Rudeus, come here."
I did as she said and sat down beside her. She took my hand.
"..."
I looked at Eris's face and saw she was blushing all the way to her ears. Just watching her profile was enough to make the corners of my mouth relax.
Glancing over, I saw Therese punching a pillow repeatedly. She could have just punched the wall. She didn't seem to have enough muscle for that, though.
Therese let out a sigh and assumed a serious expression.
"Oh, right. Rudeus-kun. Let me give you one piece of advice. It might be meaningless advice since you'll be leaving Millis soon, but..."
After that preamble, Therese opened her mouth.
"Don't mention the name Spelt Tribe while you're in the country." "Why not?" "In the old teachings of the Millis Faith, there is a precept that the demon race must be completely purged."
All demon race were to be driven from the Millis continent. That was the Millis teaching. It had become hollow in practice, but the Holy Knights still followed it obediently. For a well-known tribe like the Spelt, even if they were fake, they apparently had to be expelled with full force.
"Because you owe a debt to Rudeus-kun, I have no choice but to turn a blind eye myself. But normally, this is something I absolutely could not overlook." "Unlikely."
The one who responded to the serious Therese with a cold expression was Eris.
"No matter how many of you team up, you wouldn't beat Ruijerd." "That's right. Lady Eris speaks the truth."
At that matter-of-fact tone, Therese smiled wryly.
"However, including myself, the Holy Knights are a gathering of fanatics. Even knowing we couldn't win, we would still be compelled to fight."
The Millis Knights had many such people among them. So she impressed upon me that if I ever returned to the Millis continent in the future, I needed to be careful.
This incident had made me reacquaint myself with the depth of prejudice against the demon race. Restoring the honor of the Spelt Tribe on the journey ahead might prove difficult.
Also, if anyone found out that I worshipped
--- The sea voyage went smoothly.
Therese had prepared everything we needed for the journey. From food for the trip to seasickness medicine.
I'd thought that pharmacology wasn't very developed in this world, but it turned out that healing magic wasn't the only form of medicine. Seasickness medicine, at least, existed. It was quite expensive, though. Connections through relatives were a wonderful thing.
Therese had gone out of her way to provide Eris with every possible convenience. Her treatment of Ruijerd was somewhat harsh, but... there was nothing to be done about that. Not everything in life could be neatly resolved.
Thanks to the seasickness medicine, Eris was only mildly uncomfortable — well enough that she didn't need to beg me for healing magic. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed not to see the demure Eris. Then again, because of it, my gauge didn't fill up, Buster Wolf didn't go berserk, and I didn't end up on the receiving end of Eris's Sunny Punch. All was normal.
But Eris, perhaps still shaken from the last time, stuck close to me the entire voyage. That wasn't demure at all. Still, I was satisfied to see Eris getting excited over the ocean views.
"Hey you two, hot stuff! Having a wedding in the Dragon Kingdom?"
As we watched the sea together, a sailor whistled and teased us.
"Yep, a grand one."
Taking him up on it, I put my arm around Eris's shoulder — and got punched.
"Wi-wedding is still way too early!"
Eris punched me, but she didn't seem entirely displeased, and fidgeted a little. She apparently didn't like being teased by other people. She wanted that kind of thing just the two of them, somewhere private, with the right mood. That was the deal. Even Eris, who turned into an Asura the moment she picked up a sword, was still a maiden when it came to romance.
But marriage, huh. What had become of Philip and the others who'd been trying to pair me and Eris off? Paul had told me not to be optimistic, but...
It wasn't just them. Zenith and
Worries on every front. No — I shouldn't let my thoughts drift to worst-case scenarios.
For all I knew, when we returned to the Fittoa Region, everyone might be there, healthy and safe. That was an optimistic thought. I knew perfectly well there was no way it could be that easy. But at least right now, there was no need to worry too much. I'd choose to believe that.
--- And so, we departed from the Millis continent.