NoveLight ™
"Finally, we’ve made it...!"
Ordo!
Journey cried tears of joy as she looked at the city walls surrounding Ordo. The people standing in line to enter the city pointed and whispered at her, arms wide open and shouting.
"..."
I pulled my hood low over my face and stood at a distance.
"Kana!"
...Too quick to notice.
Despite not being able to see incoming attacks properly, Journey immediately caught on and followed me as I tried to put some space between us.
"Why are you wearing your hood?"
"...I could be recognized."
Although not many people would know my face, there's always that slight chance. I wanted to avoid any unnecessary trouble.
Journey accepted my half-hearted explanation with a nod.
It’s funny—just a while ago, she was groaning like she was about to die, but now she’s walking around just fine.
"So, it was all an act, huh?"
"An act?! I seriously thought I was going to die!"
Journey protested fiercely in fluent Grannic.
Thought she was going to die, she says.
"I saved you every time you were on the brink."
"That’s not what I meant..."
She had been excited about going on a trip with Kana, only to attract all sorts of strange people. Instead of helping her, I stood by watching... and sometimes even egged her on, wondering why she wasn’t fighting faster. Sure, I did save her, but couldn’t I have just stopped things from the beginning? Where was the quiet, intimate adventure she had imagined? Journey grumbled gloomily in Arkish.
Her voice was full of complaints, and I shook my head in response. This is all experience that would make her stronger, but she didn’t seem to appreciate it.
Throughout the journey to Ordo, Journey had been harassed by Apostles. Some politely requested a duel, while others charged in, sword in hand, demanding a fight. Then there were those who tried sneak attacks or shot spells and arrows from a distance. I personally handled those who attacked from afar since my goal was to help Journey improve her skills, not torment her.
Of course, if someone challenged her directly and fairly, I left her to it, no matter what kind of weapon they used.
What was strange was that, after every fight, the Apostles would look at me as if they were expecting something... probably because of the rumor spread by the Apostle who received the commemorative coin from me.
It’s not like I’m some sort of gold-giving goblin...
After handing out a few coins, I realized I had to stop, so I replaced the gifts with handshakes.
Not my idea, of course—it was what the Apostles had requested.
Why they wanted a handshake was beyond me, though.
'Well, at least it saves me money.'
Naturally, I didn’t shake hands with the Apostles who lost to Journey. I had only given compensation because I felt bad for interrupting fights when Journey was about to die. But if she won, there was no reason to give anything.
And, oddly enough, that seemed to ignite the Apostles’ determination even further, with more of them charging at Journey.
I still have no idea what Journey did to make so many people come at her like that.
"..."
It felt like Journey gave me a look filled with pent-up frustration.
Must’ve been my imagination.
In any case, something strange had appeared in Ordo while we were gone.
"Next, please!"
The line of people at the city’s entrance was odd. At the gate, guards were performing strict checks on everyone coming in. Some people were even turned away.
There had always been a checkpoint, but they never used to control access like this. Maybe policies changed after the city became independent?
I tugged at Journey’s sleeve.
"What is it, Kana?"
"That."
"The checkpoint? What about it?"
From her reaction, it seemed like a normal occurrence now.
I looked up at her, signaling for an explanation, and she responded.
"They’re checking identification—mercenary badges or trading permits."
"Hmm..."
As she said this, Journey pulled out her mercenary badge. The golden plate shimmered in the dimming sunlight.
Gold-tier mercenary with that level of skill? What has the world come to?
Actually, that’s not the issue here.
"Identification..."
Back in the day, there was no need to worry about such things. Who would dare question someone clad in the armor of the Crimson Flame Knights?
But now, I had no way of proving my identity.
"Next!"
While I was lost in thought, the line had moved, and it was our turn.
The checkpoint was a stark and austere place. A small jail, desks, chairs, and equipment to control the crowd—it lived up to the term "checkpoint."
A guard in polished armor saw us enter and spoke in a firm tone.
"Please remove your cape."
"Kana, your cape."
Without a word, I lowered my hood.
The guard’s eyes widened for a moment, but then he quickly regained his composure.
"Do you have anything to prove your identity?"
"Here..."
"Ah, a mercenary from Ribery. You’re confirmed."
The guard nodded after examining the badge that Journey handed over. Then he turned to me.
"And what about the young lady here...?"
"Oh, I’m sorry! My sister can’t speak Arkish. She’s from a really remote village and it’s her first time coming to Ordo. I’ll vouch for her—is that okay?"
"Hmm… Since you’re a gold-tier mercenary, your guarantee should suffice. But we need one more thing. What was the name of your village?"
"Oh, um... What was it again...? No, I’m serious, I just forgot!"
As the guard’s suspicion grew, Journey flailed her arms in panic.
From the looks of it, the problem was my lack of identification.
Something to prove my identity...
Oh, I did have something.
Suddenly remembering, I reached into my pocket. It took a moment to find, buried between imperial coins and Grassis commemorative coins, but eventually, I pulled out what I was looking for and showed it to the guard.
"Will this do?"
"Hmm? This is…"
The guard squinted and carefully examined the item I handed him.
I thought the matter would resolve easily given how seriously he was looking at it.
Clang!
"…Huh?"
I was thrown into the small jail on the side of the checkpoint.
* * *
"No!"
Journey practically breathed fire from her mouth.
Of course, she didn’t actually breathe fire, but her excitement made it seem like she might as she yelled out in frustration.
"You’re really bad, bad... uh..."
After Kana was locked up, Journey had been kicked out of the checkpoint. Desperate to prove Kana’s innocence, she passionately pleaded with the guards, only to suddenly pause. Memories of all her past struggles flashed through her mind.
She momentarily wavered, but quickly snapped out of it and raised her voice again.
"...I’m telling you, she’s not a bad person! It’s just that she’s from such a remote village that she can’t remember the name!"
"If you continue to cause a disturbance, even as a mercenary of Ribery, we cannot guarantee your safety."
"No...!"
No matter what she said, the guards responded stiffly, and with her party suddenly reduced to just herself, Journey felt like she was going mad.
As if oblivious to Journey’s internal turmoil, the chat was full of laughter and banter. Journey glanced at the chat window with a resentful look in her eyes.
Then, the guard, who had been standing there with a stern expression, finally spoke.
"It’s not about her identity."
The guard had seen the item Kana presented. He might not have been of high enough status to fully understand what it was, but he knew it wasn’t something a mere girl from a rural village should be carrying.
From the moment he saw her, he had sensed something unusual about her. And when she showed him an item bearing the insignia of the fallen Grassis royal family, her appearance ceased to matter.
Even though Grassis had fallen, the use of the royal emblem was still a serious issue, so after imprisoning Kana, he immediately reported it to his superiors.
If the girl had no idea about the significance of the emblem and was using it recklessly, it was unfortunate, but she would face a considerable punishment.
However, if she had some connection to the royal family...
No, that’s impossible, the guard thought to himself.
He didn’t know all the members of the royal family, but he had never heard of a girl like this.
And besides, would a member of the royal family, long thought dead or exiled after the dimensional beasts attacked, suddenly show up in Ordo? What wind could have brought them here?
I’d sooner believe that Lord Garid himself had returned.
That man had truly loved Grassis.
The guard thought of the long-scarred man he had once seen from afar and felt a bitter taste in his mouth.
Now that I think of it, I never heard who succeeded Lord Garid as commander.
The position must have been filled by someone after it became vacant. Rumors were rampant—some said the new commander was a tyrant who killed both his subordinates and enemies without hesitation; others claimed he was a giant, twice the size of any other man; still others whispered that he had once knocked out royalty.
But those were just rumors. Nothing concrete had ever been confirmed.
He had once asked his superior, a former member of the Crimson Flame Knights, but his superior had only responded with a terrified face and avoided the question.
Even the man who had always seemed so fearless was too scared to speak of it, so the guard couldn’t help but think that maybe the rumors were true.
...It’s pointless to dwell on it.
Grassis had already fallen. What good was there in reminiscing about the past?
In fact, he found life better now than before the fall, so he didn’t particularly miss the old days.
Shaking off the last bit of sentimentality, the guard firmly pushed Journey aside.
"We will investigate, and if there are no problems, she’ll be released. Normally, we’d have to detain you too, but since you’re an Apostle of Edel, we’ll let it slide."
"If you’re letting it slide anyway, couldn’t you release Kana too...?"
Grumbling under her breath, Journey met the guard’s sharp glare and quickly backed off.
"Shut up! And it’s not running away—it’s a strategic retreat! It’s not like sticking around will magically solve anything!"
Journey sighed in exasperation. Everything seemed to be going off track, both earlier and now.
Of course, even in this situation, she wasn’t worried that Kana might actually be in danger.
From what Journey knew of Kana, even if she lost her sword, she’d probably just tear the city apart to escape if her life were really at risk.
Still, neither of them wanted to become fugitives on the run.
"What the heck did Kana show them...?"
Every time she felt like she was starting to understand Kana, something new would pop up, and just when she thought she had figured it out, something else would come along.
What a girl... She’s like an onion—layer after layer.
With these thoughts running through her mind, Journey began walking away, pondering how to free the small bird now trapped in a cage.