Chapter 65

The next morning.

I was walking in the courtyard of the mansion with Alice.

There would be no daily running today.

The difference from yesterday is that Quincy is always at the edge of my vision.

"How was your trip back home?"

"Yeah, I met my mother."

A while ago, Alice told me that she had gone back to the village where she was born.

"You came back pretty quickly. Is everything okay at home?"

"Yeah. I should have returned to the capital city sooner. I wasn't by Noah's side when it mattered..."

Alice said with a look of regret.

"...Hey, Alice. You don't have to keep paying me back. You should live freely, without being bound by anything."

When I said that, Alice laughed for some reason.

If I wasn't mistaken, it was a happy smile.

"That's why I decided to stay by Noah's side. Because that's what I want to do."

I was speechless.

Alice had lost her father and her brother.

Her family now consists only of her mother in her hometown. Conversely, her mother has only Alice left.

If something happened to Alice, how could I apologize to her mother?

"Noah, I became a knight. That's why I went back to my hometown."

"Huh...?"

Alice smiled wryly, saying her family situation is a bit complicated.

"If you don't like being bowed to, just think of me as a friend."

"Friend..."

Alice said with a serious face that she would protect herself and wanted to help me as a friend.

"Noah, you don't have to carry the burden of my life."

Those words were a wake-up call for me, who had felt responsible for involving Eugene.

I could tell that Alice was saying this out of concern for me.

At the same time, I also felt that I couldn't accept her kindness so easily.

However, thinking that everything was my fault might be an overreaction.

"...It's noisy outside."

Quincy slipped over.

"I'll go check it out."

Alice was the first to move and headed towards the commotion.

"Who would have thought the little girl would come back as a lady knight. You're loved, Noah."

Ignoring Quincy's teasing, Tristan appeared in the courtyard.

Alice and several other members of the group were there.

And among them, the leader of the investigation team was being supported by one of the members.

The leader, with bandages around his head and feet, raised his hand and smiled weakly.

"Leader, what happened to your injuries?"

Looking back and forth between the leader and Tristan, I asked for an explanation.

"I came because I have a favor to ask of you."

"A favor...?"

At Tristan's suggestion, we moved to the parlor for the discussion.

A member slowly helped the leader sit down in a chair.

"Are you sure you don't need to lie down?"

"Yeah, it's an emergency. I don't have time to rest."

The leader then began to explain the reason for his sudden visit.

"A month ago, there were reports of monster sightings on the road connecting the capital and Copia."

Copia is famous for its crops.

Most of the capital's food is brought in via that road.

It's a very important route.

There is only one difficult spot, a swamp. The ground is well-prepared, but thick fog can occur due to the weather.

"Before the guild could act, a group of merchants had already hired a B-rank party of adventurers to eliminate the threat."

However, a week passed and the party didn't return.

There are also unconfirmed reports that merchants from Copia have gone missing.

The guild asked the investigation team to identify the type of monster before issuing a large-scale extermination request.

"According to eyewitnesses, they couldn't see well due to the fog, but they heard the roar of a huge beast. At first, we thought it might be a Silver Wolf..."

The Silver Wolf is different from ordinary wolves, characterized by its large body and glowing white fur.

The Silver Wolf's attack power isn't that strong.

However, the glow of its fur has a hallucinogenic effect.

It confuses its prey and drags them into its den.

That could explain why the B-rank party was defeated.

The leader, having prepared for the Silver Wolf, led a four-member party to the swamp.

"But it was a complete misjudgment. We tried to approach cautiously, but we were ambushed from behind."

The leader put his hand to his head, as if the wound was painful.

They tried to lure the creature out of the fog to identify it, but were attacked instead.

It seems to be a very intelligent monster.

"I clearly saw two heads. The others said they saw snake heads."

The leader took a sip of water, either to quench his thirst or to calm his fear.

"It was probably an Orthros. I saw it for the first time, but its body was as big as a small hill."

Orthros is a two-headed dog-like monster. Its tail ends in a snake.

Its ecology is shrouded in mystery, often referred to as a phantom.

"...So, the guild asked our Mensis Knights to take on the extermination request?"

Tristan, who had been silent, quietly asked the leader.

"Yes. The guild is busy dealing with yesterday's fire. But this problem needs to be resolved quickly."

The leader and his team had to fight back to escape.

Dog-like monsters are known to be tenacious.

If they follow the scent of the injured to the capital, it could be disastrous.

To maintain the capital's food supply, the road must be secured as soon as possible.

The guild decided to implement the previously discussed cooperation with the knights.

"I understand. But why did you specifically request Noah to join?"

At Tristan's question, I widened my eyes.

The request was for me to join the extermination mission.

What could I possibly contribute?

"It's the guild master's hypothesis. Your skill might work on monsters too."

I was momentarily speechless.

"...If I have the skills to check status and appraise, I can identify the monster."

Tristan glanced at me for my opinion.

"---Even without an item, I can use the appraiser's skill. If I know the name, I can read the status."

I had once tested this on a caged monster.

Even if it's a monster, my skill works.

"The fog prevented us from seeing its full form. It's a monster with little information. If you come and help identify it, we might be able to find its weakness."

None of the party members made it back to the capital.

One was killed by the Orthros, and another died from severe injuries before reaching the capital.

"---Please."

The leader bowed to me.

Before coming to the capital, I would have definitely refused.

I would have hesitated and pretended not to know.

"Noah, the decision is yours. If you come with us, we will do our best to protect you."

At Tristan's strong voice, I raised my head from its lowered position.

Tristan's expression was the same as always.

I knew his calm demeanor reflected his seriousness.

Behind him, Alice was looking at me with a straight gaze.

"Alice, will you come with me as a friend?"

"Yes, I will go with Noah."

This is something I can do.

Tristan, Alice, and the other knights are here.

If I can reduce their risk, I should go with them.

I nodded at Tristan.

"I'll go."

The leader whispered, "Thank you."

2015/01/12 Correction