"...What did you just say?"

"Hmm?"

Neyman was startled by my gaze and said, as if making an excuse.

"Ah, don't mind it. It seems to be a rumor circulating among the ranks."

And then he tried to let go of the hand he was shaking, but I grabbed it tightly and asked.

"That rumor. I'd like to hear more about it."

"C-calm down."

"Calm down? Where is there a man as calm as me? Just tell me quickly. What kind of rumor is circulating?"

Daryl answered quickly.

"I don't know the details. I just heard that the Sherwood Mercenary Corps has been disbanded."

"When?"

"It's been a while. About half a year?"

Half a year... It strangely coincides with the time I fell from the cliff.

"The reason?"

"I don't know the reason either..."

Neyman, who was sweating, answered about the reason.

"I don't know the details either, but I think I heard that one of the members died."

"...!"

Neyman said, observing my expression.

"It's nothing. It's just one of the stories that the wanderers always talk about. There's also a rumor that there was an internal conflict. Rumors tend to get exaggerated. Don't mind it."

I slowly let go of the hand I had been clutching and muttered.

"...Yes, I suppose so."

Neyman grumbled, shaking the hand that had been caught.

"Control your strength a little."

Daryl also looked at me with surprised eyes, rubbing the hand that had been caught.

"What strength..."

Neyman said his farewell.

"Anyway, I'm going. Be careful."

"Yes. Take care."

He waved his hand as he walked away.

"Half of the rumors circulating are false, so don't mind them too much!"

And so, we said our goodbyes to the two mercenaries.

I watched the retreating backs of the two mercenaries and was lost in thought for a moment.

The Heavenly Demon asked.

[Is the one who died among the members, you?]

"...Probably."

It must be. Because there are no positive fools who believe that one can survive after falling from the Mist Cliff.

[Hmm... I suppose so. It would be strange to think that one could survive after falling from such a high place.]

It seems they had tracked my traces to the Mist Cliff. If there's no contact for a long time, the guild will come to investigate.

[What are you going to do?]

There's no clear way right now. I can't figure out what happened for sure. I have no choice but to go and see for myself.

"Change of plans."

I called Linda, who was watching me.

"Linda."

"Yeah?"

"Go buy some beef jerky."

"How much?"

"A lot. And don't fall this time."

"Okay!"

Linda ran off.

Shushruta asked cautiously.

"Ashuban. Should I investigate?"

I nodded.

"Yes, please."

"Leave it to me."

Swish—

Shushruta shot up into the air.

"Hoo..."

I sighed and collected my thoughts.

My thoughts had changed. I was planning on getting ready and leaving early the next day to cross the border. But now, I have no choice but to hurry.

"...These bastards. What on earth are they doing?"

***

Linda went to buy food, and Shushruta went to investigate the rumor. I had no choice but to stay and guard the carriage parked on the side of the road. It was because the atmosphere was such that the carriage would disappear if I went somewhere for a moment.

I fed the horses carrots, and then put a piece of beef jerky in my mouth.

I leaned against the carriage and chewed on the salty beef jerky, lost in thought.

'The Sherwood Mercenary Corps has been disbanded?'

Of course, it could be just a rumor, but it might not be. The timing and the reason are strangely bothersome to dismiss as just a rumor.

There's no way the mercenary corps would disband just because I died.

He also said there was an internal conflict.

Even if a fight broke out because of my death, it wouldn't have escalated to the point of disbanding the mercenary corps. Did the leader just let that happen? He wouldn't have let that happen, even if he had to beat them to death.

"...."

My thoughts became complicated.

As I was lost in thought with the anchor of my thoughts lowered... the voice of a beggar reached my ears.

"Have mercy! This is the way to save yourself..."

Looking, I noticed a beggar. It was an old woman with a black band around her eyes, sitting on the side of the road and begging. As the blind saint and the president of the blind association, I couldn't just stand by, so I rummaged through my pockets and approached her.

Clink!

When I dropped a coin into her bowl, the old woman bowed her head in my direction.

"Oh, thank you."

"It's nothing."

Just as I was about to turn away, the old woman's words caught me.

"Hey, young man! Don't just go."

"What is it?"

"Although I can't see, I have one trivial talent."

"What talent?"

"Wait and see. I'll tell you your fortune."

And then she began to mutter something like a spell that was hard to understand.

I scratched my head and looked at the old woman. It seemed to be a kind of product for begging. Like, if you give money, she'll tell you your fortune.

She probably wasn't a psychic fortune teller. Why would such a person be sitting on the street?

I waited for the old woman who was chanting a spell, with my expectations lowered.

At some point, the old woman stopped muttering and said to me.

"Hmm... are you on your way back to your hometown?"

I was a little surprised. But I am a master of psychological warfare, a man who can fool even a green frog, a swindler who swindles swindlers, so I told a lie.

"No."

The old woman grinned.

"Don't think of fooling me, young man."

"...!"

Is she a real fortune teller?

"Hmm... you are destined to wander quite a bit. But it's a relief."

"What's a relief?"

"Someone you have a connection with from the past will help you. You must have lived a good life."

I snorted.

"Good, my ass."

There is no villain like me. I can't even guess how many people I've killed.

The old woman laughed.

"You underestimate yourself. You've probably saved more people."

I was startled and looked at the old woman. Did she just read my thoughts?

The old woman was just smiling silently.

I swallowed hard and then asked.

"You said someone I have a connection with from the past will help me?"

"I did."

"Who is it?"

The old woman clicked her tongue.

"What will you do if you don't even remember the face of the one you saved?"

"What?"

"This is as far as I can tell you. Go to her grave."

Thump.

My heart sank.

I stuttered and asked.

"...Her grave, you say?"

The old woman smiled gently and pointed at my chest.

"Why. Isn't there still someone living in there?"

"...!"

"Not forgetting means that they are alive in your heart."

Now I was starting to get scared. This old woman. What is her identity?

My hand naturally went to the hilt of my sword.

The old woman, as if she could see me, smiled gently and looked at me, then said in a suddenly changed voice.

"Child, do not be afraid."

"...!"

Just a moment ago, it was the voice of an old woman, but now it was the voice of a mature woman. A voice that was authoritative yet gentle, clear yet tinged with a cold charm.

For a moment, it felt as if everything around me and the old woman had stopped. It was quiet. Like a night where the moonlight quietly pours down.

"...Who are you?"

The old woman smiled and said.

"Don't you have a guess?"

I swallowed hard.

The old king had said that when the blacksmith god Volund descended, a divine light flowed from his eyes and a tremendous flame surrounded him... But the old woman in front of me was infinitely quiet. Like the stars twinkling in the night sky.

The old woman asked in a gentle voice.

"How is your second life?"

I swallowed once and then answered.

"...Not bad."

The old woman laughed.

"I'm glad."

Seeing the laughing old woman, I suddenly remembered the incident in the village where the flute-playing magician had appeared. Prescilla? Yes, it was Prescilla. She, who seemed to be a believer of Ketel, had run into me while being chased by a magical beast while receiving an oracle from the temple.

She had accepted me into the village, proclaiming to the villagers the oracle that the blind saint would come.

Until now, I had thought that the protagonist of that oracle was someone else. That a true blind saint was coming, and that I had impersonated him. That's what I thought... but a thought flashed through my mind that it might not be so.

Ketel had given an oracle, and that oracle had been fulfilled as it was. Then... was I the protagonist of the oracle? The true blind saint, was that me?

When my thoughts reached that point, I looked at the old woman with a rather dazed face.

Ketel smiled and said.

"Would there be anyone else?"

"...."

I felt at a loss for words. I moved my lips, and then finally stuttered and asked.

"Were you... watching?"

The old woman smiled quietly.

"Of course. I was always watching, my lovely child."

"Why..."

"Is there a reason to watch? More importantly, can you give me a piece of beef jerky?"

At the sudden request, I gave her a piece of beef jerky I had.

"Here you go."

"Thank you."

The old woman put the beef jerky in her mouth and chewed on it.

"Hmm."

"How is it?"

"It's salty."

"That's the taste."

I looked at the old woman eating the beef jerky for a moment, then asked.

"Why did you come to me?"

It was rude, but I had to ask.

The old woman smiled brightly.

"Because you are the most lovely of my children."

"...Really?"

"Would a god lie?"

"I don't even know the doctrines of the night."

"That's not important."

I calmed my trembling breath and asked again.

"You told me to go to her grave. Or I would be destined to wander."

"Yes."

"Is it okay for you to tell me this?"

As far as I know, the gods of the heavens do not interfere in the world of humans as much as possible. But to come down and tell me this directly.

She said, as if it were no big deal.

"There's no problem. It's just an oracle in exchange for the offering."

"An offering?"

The old woman took out the beef jerky she was chewing and shook it.

"It's the price of the beef jerky."

I remembered the beef jerky I had thrown towards the darkness a few days ago, which had suddenly changed its trajectory and fallen on Shushruta's face.

"...Didn't you refuse it?"

The old woman laughed softly.

"How could I refuse a gift you gave me? I couldn't eat it, so I gave it to that child instead."

"Aha."

"And I'm sorry, but I can't hit Volund's head."

I felt my face turn red.

"...I told you to pretend you didn't hear that."

The old woman chuckled.

"You don't have to mind his words. Fate will naturally guide you."

The old woman stood up from her seat, then reached out and caressed my cheek.

"My lovely child. I'm always watching."

.

.

.

"Hut!"

I had been leaning against the carriage, and then I stumbled and woke up.

I heard the Heavenly Demon's pathetic voice.

[What are you doing?]

What? What just happened? Why am I leaning against the carriage? Just a moment ago, I was with the old woman sitting on the side of the road...

"Huh?"

The begging old woman was nowhere to be seen.

I heard the sound of the Heavenly Demon clicking his tongue.

[You're doing all sorts of things. Have you now reached the realm of dozing off with your eyes open?]

I quickly asked the Heavenly Demon.

"Master. Didn't you just see that?"

[See what?]

"Just now..."

I stopped talking and quickly rummaged through my pocket and took out the beef jerky pouch. I always carry ten pieces of beef jerky in my beef jerky pouch. Because beef jerky is my friend.

I had refilled it after Linda and Shushruta had left, so there were ten. I had eaten one while waiting, so there should be nine. In other words, there should be nine pieces of beef jerky left in the pouch.

But there were only eight left.

"...."

[Tsk... is he really going crazy?]

I stared at the beef jerky blankly, then touched my cheek. I felt as if I could still feel her touch. Cold, yet gentle.

"...."

[Oh dear... why am I stuck in this guy's head?]

I didn't think she would be watching. The night was always cold to me. But, I learned that it wasn't so. That alone was a great comfort to me.

I pulled out a piece of beef jerky from my pocket and shouted.

"Ketel is with me!!"

All eyes turned to me at once. But I didn't care and threw my head back and laughed.

"Hahahaha..."

[Tsk, tsk, tsk...]

Between the sound of the Heavenly Demon clicking his tongue, I thought I heard her laughter, crumbling like moonlight.

***

"Hahahaha..."

"...."

"...."

Linda and Shushruta looked at Ashuban, who was laughing with his head thrown back on the side of the road. Just a moment ago, the atmosphere was so serious, but now he was bursting into a fit of laughter. People were slowly moving away from him. He was truly a madman.

Linda, who was holding the fattened bag with both hands, looked at Shushruta.

"Bingbing?"

Shushruta nodded.

"Bingbing."

At that moment, Ashuban, who had spotted them, gestured.

"Ah, you're here?"

Flinch.

The moment their eyes met Ashuban's, they flinched without realizing it.

"What are you doing? Get on."

At Ashuban's urging, the two reluctantly got on the carriage.

Shushruta, thinking that Ashuban had gone a little crazy because of the news related to the mercenary corps, said as soon as she got on the carriage.

"Ashuban. According to my investigation—"

But Ashuban cut her off.

"Let's talk on the way. We have a long way to go. Linda."

"Yeah?"

Linda, who had naturally gotten into the driver's seat, turned around.

"Let's go."

"Right now?"

"Right now. Drive with the determination to have dinner in Maia. We'll cross the border in one go. Got it? Let's go!"

"L-let's go!"

Linda shook the reins.

"Giddy-up!"

Clip-clop—

The horse began to run down the street at a fast pace.

"G-get out of the way!"

"Waaah!"

People hurriedly moved out of the way.

"Get out of the way, get out of the way! Ashuban, who has received the grace of Ketel, is coming through! Hahahaha..."

Ashuban's laughter stretched out long in the chaotic street.

(End of Chapter)