The Order of the Crimson Flame had a longstanding tradition of asking a particular question whenever a new recruit joined:

"So, why did you come to join the Order?"

The answers varied widely. Some recruits offered wild responses, some repeated common answers, and others couldn’t come up with an answer at all, mumbling their way through. As for those in the last category, they rarely fared well—most would lose their resolve and leave of their own accord, while the worst cases ended with them being carried out, dead.

However, those who answered, “for revenge,” were the ones who grew the fastest and endured the longest.

Those who’d lost a parent, sibling, lover, or sometimes a close friend had a fire within them. That drive helped them withstand and overcome any hardships thrown their way.

Having seen people like that, I couldn’t deny that humans need a purpose or motivation to grow stronger. I’m probably not the only one who thinks this way. After all, the world is filled with stories of heroes who awaken due to some tragic event, and the abundance of such stories hints that many people think like I do… or maybe they just enjoy seeing tales of overcoming adversity.

Anyway, the one-armed swordsman was someone who had experienced such a turning point.

After losing both his comrades and his left arm, he made a vow to become stronger.

And I was the one who gave him that reason.

…But why doesn’t he hate me?

If I were in his shoes, I doubt I’d see myself in a positive light.

I couldn’t understand his reasoning, but as long as he didn’t approach me with hostility, I had no reason to kill him, either.

After our initial duel, I ended up sparring with him several more times.

“As I expected, it’s still beyond my reach. But thank you.”

The man was smiling with satisfaction when we ended our final match, and it seemed that my controlled sparring had helped him a great deal.

Daeun, who had been watching him walk off into the distance, spoke up.

“What… was that all about?”

“No idea.”

I couldn’t answer her question. I had never encountered someone who treated me with neither vengeance nor fear, despite having faced me as an enemy before.

There was something striking about his unburdened departure.

I watched him until he vanished below the horizon, still unable to understand his thoughts.

 

“I’ve grown attached…”

Whinny

Daeun patted the horse’s muzzle, unable to hide her disappointment.

Apparently, she wasn’t the only one feeling reluctant to part ways, as the horse nickered softly and shook its head as if in agreement.

“We don’t have a choice.”

From Ordo to the Holy Kingdom, and then from the Holy Kingdom to this city at the continent’s western edge, bordering the demonic lands—it had been weeks of travel together, enough time for bonds to form.

I understood how she felt, but that made it even clearer why we had to leave the horse behind in this city. The last thing I wanted was to see a creature we’d bonded with turn into a monster under the influence of dark energy.

“And it’s not like Selene can stay with it all day, either.”

“I suppose not…”

With a resigned sigh, Daeun gave the horse a final pat before stepping away.

After our bittersweet farewell, we returned to the city streets.

Living next to demonic territory meant constant threats from monsters, which was apparent by the many civilians who carried weapons.

There were also a considerable number of apostles around.

I pretended not to notice the stares directed at us as we walked.

“Let’s just grab what we need quickly and leave.”

“Huh? We’re not going to rest here?”

“No.”

The atmosphere of this city wasn’t one you could call pleasant, even in the slightest.

People here lived on the edge of life and death, fighting to survive daily against threats that could arise at any moment.

Some might say, “Why don’t they just move to another city?” But even a city like this is a hard-won home, and leaving it all behind to start anew isn’t easy. Most of the residents here couldn’t afford such a luxury, after all.

Even the mercenaries stationed in this city were people desperate enough to risk their lives for money.

The apostles were an exception, of course.

Still, while I understood the circumstances that created this tense atmosphere, understanding it didn’t mean I wanted to stay here.

We hadn’t walked far from the city entrance when I witnessed several scuffles break out nearby, only strengthening my desire to avoid resting in this place.

Crash!

“~~~~!!”

“~~! ~~~~!”

Before I could even finish my thought, a nearby stall shattered, and fruit went flying.

Smack.

I snatched a fast-moving apple out of the air.

Looks good… yeah, not bad at all.

Taking a big bite, I savored the crisp flesh and the burst of sweet juice, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand as some dripped down. Ugh, sticky.

Looking around for something to wipe my hand on, I casually brushed it against the edge of Daeun’s sleeve while she was distracted by the commotion.

It seemed a disagreement had broken out between a merchant and a mercenary.

The mercenary would undoubtedly win if they turned to violence, but anyone with sense wouldn’t resort to drawing a weapon here.

So, clearly, this particular mercenary lacked sense.

Shing!

The mercenary drew a gleaming axe. His eyes, lost in rage, glinted like the blade he held.

“Whoa, are you crazy?!”

“Hey! Grab him! Stop that guy, quick!”

Sensing the impending danger, other mercenaries rushed in and dragged the man off, his actions thwarted but leaving the merchant visibly shaken.

Given the disapproving glances from the other vendors, it didn’t seem likely that the mercenary would be able to do business in this city again without paying a steep price.

“Such… peace.”

“…Peace?”

Of course, that was sarcasm.

Daeun looked at me in disbelief as I took another bite of the apple.

It was still delicious.

“Kana, that apple.”

“Hmm?”

What about it?

I held up the apple, nibbling on it as I waited for her answer.

“Did you want a bite too?”

“No, it’s just… that apple was from earlier, wasn’t it? So you didn’t pay for it?”

“….”

“You need to pay for it! You can’t just eat it like that!”

Reluctantly, I lowered the apple and hid it behind my back.

Daeun, shaking her head as if she couldn’t believe it, marched over to the merchant.

“Sorry about that. My sister here picked up an apple that had rolled away and started eating it. Here’s the payment…”

“Oh, thank you for being honest. I wouldn’t have known if you’d just left it.”

“I’m really sorry….”

“It’s alright. Just keep an eye on your sister to make sure she doesn’t pick things up off the street. Especially in a place like this….”

“In a place like this…?”

“Miss, you’re new to this city, aren’t you?”

“Yes, how did you know?”

“Well, people here don’t typically come back to pay for a single apple after a scuffle like that. Most would just consider it good fortune and keep quiet.”

“Oh… I see.”

Glare.

As Daeun glanced over at me with a critical look, I quickly ducked behind Selene.

Selene chuckled awkwardly but adjusted her robe slightly to cover me.

…It wasn’t like I had planned to eat it secretly or anything… it just sort of happened.

“If you head out of the city and go a little further, you’ll be in the demons’ territory. That’s why most people here don’t venture outside the city unless absolutely necessary. And if they do, they head inland. Excluding the mercenaries, of course.”

“Is that because of the demonic energy? Is this city safe from it?”

“Yes, thanks to the priests and sisters from the Holy Kingdom. They work tirelessly to keep the city relatively safe from the corruption, but…”

The merchant lowered his voice.

“…There are some who sell items contaminated by demonic energy at a discount, so be cautious, especially with food.”

“Oh… so that’s why you warned me not to pick up things off the street?”

“Precisely. Eating something tainted could lead to severe illness. Even if it’s not contaminated, eating something dropped by a mercenary could be risky, especially since the mercenaries here are much rougher than those in other places.”

“Oh… I see.”

Nodding along, Daeun scanned the surroundings. After glancing around, she spotted me hiding behind Selene and walked over.

She relayed what she’d learned from the merchant.

“You understand now, Kana? Just because something looks tasty doesn’t mean you should put it in your mouth.”

Her serious tone drove home the point, but my reaction was…

“…Is it really a big deal?”

…what’s the problem?

Eating a bit of demonic corruption hadn’t hurt me before, and I was confident I could handle any trouble with the mercenaries here.

“Kana!”

Daeun’s eyes flared with indignation at my response, and a barrage of scolding words shot out from her.

Even if it wasn’t corrupted, she scolded, it was unsanitary to eat things off the street, I could catch diseases, and so on…

“Ugh… Fine, I won’t eat it. Happy now?”

After enduring her lecture, I raised the white flag.

It wasn’t like I’d actually picked up food off the street to eat…

Well, not unless I’d been starving for survival in the past.

“Promise?”

“Childish… alright, fine.”

I grumbled at her extended pinky, but seeing her stern gaze, I quickly locked pinkies with her.

Since I was the one in the wrong, I followed her lead and bowed slightly to the merchant, who waved it off good-naturedly.

“It’s fine. Here, want a cherry?”

“Thank… uhm, thank… you.”

Suddenly, I had an extra piece of fruit in hand.

I looked up at Daeun, wondering if she wanted some, but she was busy talking with the merchant and didn’t notice. When I offered it to Selene, she politely declined with a small smile.

Guess I’ll just eat it myself.

Chomp.

“So, what brings you to a place like this? This doesn’t seem like a place for ladies of your standing.”

“Ahaha, well, I am technically a mercenary myself.”

“A mercenary? I didn’t notice the sword. Well, it’s not a bad place to make money. Back in the days of Grassis, there was no funding, but ever since its fall, they’ve been regularly providing funds for monster exterminations.”

“You’re from Grassis?”

“Oh, no, I’m from another kingdom. I ended up here looking for work. As you can see, though, it’s not much…”

He gestured to his broken stall and shrugged.

“In any case, earning money is important, but if you feel unwell, I’d recommend returning as soon as possible. I’ve seen plenty of people lose their lives because of their greed.”

“Hm… thanks for the advice, but I’m not here to make money.”

“Huh? Then why come to a place like this…?”

“I’m planning to visit a village of the demons.”

“…A village of demons?”

The merchant, who had been conversing with Daeun casually, frowned, his face contorting with open disgust.

“You’re planning to visit that ‘garbage dump’?”