Chapter 69

It's been a while.

No, it really has been a long time. Sorry, I'm still alive.

Once the 11th passes, I hope to have more time... I want to start updating more frequently.

I'll do my best not to become a procrastinator.

The carriage moved along the road at a relatively slow pace.

The journey there had been quite a forced march.

Given that the safety of the capital and the road was at stake, it was only natural.

But I, who am neither a trained soldier nor an experienced mercenary, was utterly exhausted.

During the battle with Cerberus, I was merely riding on the back of a dragon, yet I felt so pitiful.

We arrived at a small village not far from the road.

From here, it would probably take another half day by carriage to reach the capital.

We are staying in this village today.

The one who greeted us was Captain Shiero of the Second Squad.

The Second Squad, which had parted ways with us near the capital's gate, had been staying in this village as a reserve in case of any emergencies.

After a brief conversation with Tristan, Shiero led his squad back along the road we had come from.

He seemed to have entrusted the remaining materials of Cerberus, which we had to leave behind in the swamp, to them.

Tristan also sent Deputy Captain Bard and the First Squad to the capital.

They were to report the successful slaying of Cerberus and seek the opinion of the upper echelons of the castle on what to do with the young Cerberus.

The young Cerberus is now under a forced sleep induced by the magic of the Sixth Squad.

Tristan and I parted ways as he went to greet the village chief.

"The chief's daughter has arranged our lodging. This way."

The members outside the knight squad followed Luke, the mediator, into the village.

"There seems to be a beastmaster in this village. No matter what we decide to do with the young Cerberus, it would be better to have someone skilled in handling them, right?"

It seems Luke chose this village for that reason.

A beastmaster is someone who tames monsters and treats them as familiars or livestock.

They also train the dragons that dragon knights ride.

Thanks to their efforts, the dragons ridden by dragon knights have been successfully bred artificially.

High-level beastmasters can apparently tame wild monsters and highly aggressive monsters, but only a select few can do so.

In this world, where the threat of monsters is a constant fear, especially during the Dark Ages, beastmasters are a valuable presence.

"Welcome to our village. I am Melissa, the chief's daughter. I will be your guide. Please, make yourselves comfortable."

Perhaps because the capital is nearby.

Even though she is a village girl, her attire was stylish and very elegant.

The inn we were led to had a bright and spacious dining room, where we could sit down and relax.

The mercenaries had already scattered as they pleased.

Alice and Quincy were walking around the dining room.

"Are you tired? Please wait a little longer for dinner. Feel free to relax in the meantime."

Melissa prepared drinks for Luke and me, then smiled and bowed.

I drank the drink without hesitation and took a deep breath.

"By the way, about that cage..."

When Luke asked Melissa, she looked surprised.

"Didn't you meet Henri outside? Maybe you passed each other..."

Alice sat down, pulled down her hood, and reached for her drink.

"Does this village have a cage to keep the young Cerberus?"

"Yes, it does. Oh, you...!"

The moment she saw Alice's face, Melissa, who had been talking calmly, trembled as if she had been shocked.

"What's wrong?"

We were surprised by her reaction.

"Wait, please wait! ...Camus, Camus!"

Melissa stopped us with a hand and ran towards the dining room door.

"Sorry, Melissa. I'm late."

The door opened, and the man Melissa was looking for, Camus, entered.

The sunlight slanted in, making it hard to see his face.

There was a crash of breaking pottery from the side.

"Nicole...?"

Alice stepped on the broken goblet and whispered.

"Nicole? Really?"

I looked at the man standing next to Melissa.

Nicole is dead.

His body was never found, but he was left behind as a decoy to allow the other party members to escape.

Some of his blood and personal items were found where he was last seen.

I learned about Nicole's fate about six months later.

Although it was too late, I wanted to do what I could for Alice.

I couldn't go to the forest, but I asked the spirits, and all I could find out was that he had disappeared into the forest with the monsters.

Alice stumbled towards the two.

Melissa pulled the man called Camus towards us.

"...Nicole"

"...Same face as me?"

The man's skin was more tanned than Alice's, but that was a minor difference.

Gender was a small issue.

The two stood still, mirroring each other in shock.

2015/01/12 Revised