44 – From Now On

Al was thinking.

The war between humans and the demons as depicted in the game. If he could get through it successfully, that would be good enough. It was impossible to prevent the war from happening by personal power anyway. However, it might be possible to harass them in advance to mitigate the damage with a little knowledge of the game’s story. First, that is, the level of preparedness.

And if war breaks out, and I am forced to join the front, I will fulfill my duty as a member of the nobility. However, if there is really nothing I can do, I intend to return to Falconer’s territory, wishing the protagonists good luck. It’s only a last resort.

While this is not the case in the western region these days, it is difficult to maintain the front lines and the lives of the people in other frontier regions without support from the kingdom in the form of living resources.

 

Especially in the south.

The Great Forest produces high-purity magic stone, but the demand for magic stone is high in the royal capital and other urban areas, including the technical workers who process the stone into magic tools.

In a sense, the southern frontier region not only protects the living space of humanity, but also serves as the primary industry for the production of magical stones. There are few territories in the south that are completely self-sufficient, including in magical tools. Inevitably, trade in magical stones and other living materials is necessary. In other words, it can be said that the exhaustion of the royal capital directly constricts life in the outlying areas. The reverse is also true. ……

 

Falconer territory is where Al has spent his time since his birth in this world. It is no different than his hometown. The place where he was. Naturally, he does not want to see the people there suffer. Al himself has a sense of pride and obligation as a member of the nobility. He supports the powerless. Although Al doubts that the people of …… Falconer are powerless.

 

When he came to the academy, he learned that the protagonists have their own unique setting in this world. On top of that, they are surrounded by a gaggle of powerful people. Al has nothing to worry about in this area. He hopes that they will develop the power to defeat the last boss.

 

For example, “Divine Child” or the “Apostle” or what.

Al understands that this world has its own unique settings and flows, but what exactly is it that he is called upon to do?

 

He seems to have been identified as an “apostle” without really knowing what that means. In fact, Al himself had a vague feeling that he was assigned a role based on the rate of encounters with what seemed to be events.

(That said, I don’t feel any special “compulsion” to do so. I don’t know what Claire would say, but I don’t think the goddess Elinora’s punishment would fall on me if I just returned to Falconer. What is it? I’ll give you the “materials” as you see fit, but the rest is up to you ……. It smells of that kind of laissez-faire. The only time I felt close to the existence of a goddess in this world was the first time I saw the main characters, Daryl, and his friends. I don’t have any special feelings toward goddesses. However, it is certain that the goddesses in this world do not frequently tell us to do this or that.)

As usual, I was quietly thinking alone, when suddenly I felt someone enter the room slowly, yet smoothly.

 

“…… haha. Al-sama. You seem to be thinking about difficult things as usual.”

 

Colin.

A servant attached to a mansion in Falconer’s capital. He serves Falconer as a horseman’s apprentice.

He is aware of the presence in advance, and Al is unmoved by his appearance. However, he is quite pleased inwardly.

“It’s been a while. Colin. Glad to see you’re doing well. I’m glad to see you again under mutually life-giving circumstances. By the way, you’re back earlier than I expected. I just received a reply to my message magic a while ago. …… I mean, why a letter? Why not just reply with magic? Didn’t they have a magic message magic in the territorial capital?”

“Oh no, Al-sama. When I went to request magic from the city’s letter carrier, he asked me to escort the courier if I was going to the capital, so we decided to go to the capital together. I think Al-sama must have thought that Kulara-sama wouldn’t object to that, right? Then I thought it would be better to deliver letters than to spend money on message magic. But still, it was a professional job. We parted on the way, but it seems that the deliveryman still arrived a few days earlier than me.”

Al had asked for some time ago to send a message of magic, a magical version of a pigeon, toward Falconer. The content of the request was simple. I want Colin to help me with my activities in the capital. …… And that’s it.

 

Al’s mother, Clara, who was in charge of the administration, received the message and made a quick decision on the spot. It was decided that Colin was going. Without knowing the details of what he would be doing.

 

She also immediately gave him a large sum of money and sent him on his way to the capital.

 

And here we are.

“So, After arriving in the capital, I was followed on the way here by a very boisterous young lady. ……….She is Al-sama?”

“Haha. Good. Did Colin notice Vera after all? I’m sure she’ll be satisfied now.”

One concern. Vera. After the attack attempt on the guild not long ago, she is more sensitive than ever to personal danger from Cyrus and his friends. I’m not sure what to do.

 

We had planned to call Colin to help us with the guild, but Vera, unusually, gave her opinion to Al, saying, ‘I’m worried if the person can be relied upon.’……

“I see, did I pass the test of this Lady Vera then?”

“Of course. Not everyone can notice her when she’s out of sight. It’s not like she was really worried. She’s just worried about leaving the children in her care with someone other than herself. …… is that correct?”

A door that remains open. Next to it is Vera. Naturally, Colin also noticed the presence.

 

Colin himself is not a front-line person, but a non-mage. He has complete control over life magic, and can use a little body strengthening magic. However, he is no better than Al and Vera in sensing presence at close range. However, when she is a little further away, her sensitivity drops dramatically, probably due to the amount of mana she has.

“Please accept my apologies for testing ……”

“No, I don’t mind. On the contrary, it is an honor to be recognized by someone as talented as you. My name is Colin. I am just a commoner with no family name. I was an apprentice horseman in Falconer’s domain. I am not a gifted person, but I look forward to working with you.”

Colin bows. It is the aristocratic way. In Falconer, commoners also use the same bow, meaning that everyone is a warrior. The so-called Falconer style.

“My name is Vera. Although I am related to a noble family, I do not have a family name either. For now, I am at the side of Al-sama as his squire.”

Vera, without feeling any discomfort with Colin’s well-measured bow, returns the bow in the same aristocratic manner.

 

And when they had finished greeting each other, Al just said, “That’s enough,” and motioned to the other.

“Yes, yes, yes. Now that we’ve been introduced, let’s get Colin out of his traveling clothes for now. You’ve got luggage, right? Let’s talk about the rest after you get some rest. There are other people in the house. I’ll introduce them when everyone gets back.”

Colin, Al’s friend/Servent, becomes an add-on to the guild that has been up and running on a trial basis.

****

 

“I’ll be the caretaker and escort of the children here at the Guild, right?”

“Well, that’s roughly how it works. Now, if you can, I’d like to have the younger kids teach them Falconer’s style of mana control.”

Cyrus, the leader of the group, has not yet returned because he is working at the bar, but after meeting with the other members and Colin, Al again explains what he wants him to do.

He also uses this as an opportunity to tell Colin about the war with the Divine Child, the shadow of the royal family, and the war with the demon tribe that will occur in the future of the Apostles ……. This is the first time even Vera has heard about the war.

“But I didn’t know that Al-sama was thinking about such a thing. …… Did you have that ” prophetic dream” since you were a child?”

“Ah. What I saw was not so much a prophecy as it was a possibility. In the first place, there is no “Divine Child” in my dream. The person who played an important role was the same, though.

According to my prophetic dream, there will be a war among the nobles in the near future. When that settles down, the army of the demons will pass through the great canyon in the east and invade the kingdom’s territory. At that time, some of the aristocratic families on the eastern frontier were in league with the demons, and they would attack all the way up to the vicinity of the royal capital. …… Of course, it’s a little different from the real situation, and not all of it applies.”

Al leaves out the quirky stuff about games from past life. He said it was only like a foresight dream. If the war happens as predicted, he said, he hopes to reduce the damage by at least a little. And if it doesn’t work out, he says, he will eventually retreat to Falconer.

 

Regardless of their feelings, both Vera and Colin swallowed Al’s words to a point. They do not believe in everything, but in this world, oracles and revelations from goddesses can sometimes be found. They seem to have convinced themselves that it might be something like that.

“Al-sama. Was it because of that premonition that you were keeping Daryl, Adam, and the others at the time of the admission procedure of the academy?”

“That’s right. Thanks to you, Vera and the others noticed. There are many inconvenient aspects to being involved with the royal shadow, but having you as a squire is one of the few good things about it. Thank you. You’ve always been a great help.”

Al expresses his gratitude to Vera without hesitation.

He quickly conveys what he wants to say. In Falconer’s territory, he thought that was a hot conversation, but after coming to King’s Landing, Al also recognized that this was a good point of his land and started to practice it.

“No, no. I’m sorry for the trouble I’ve caused you. ……You’re too kind. ……Yes.”

However, Vera still can’t get used to being thanked, goodwill, etc. She pauses even when children offer their goodwill. She is still awkward.

“Well, that’s why. I created this guild to support Cyrus and the others, but also to detect any kind of unrest among the commoners. I wanted to be able to act if something happened that matched my premonition. In fact, spies from the demon tribe side have already joined … and it seems that there are more people with demon origins in human society than I thought.

The only thing is,… it seems that the shadow of the Royal Family, Claire, even knows the contents of my prophetic dream, and in fact, she is the one I find disturbing. Therefore, it certainly feels bad to rely on the shadow of the royal family.

Also, I would like to have some contact with Miko, but as for the apostles and such, I would stop just to deal with them if they are involved in the immediate future.

At any rate, this is my course of action for now. Aside from Cyrus and the others, I wanted Colin and Vera to know.”

Al tells his story. The priority is to lessen the damage from the war, he says. He doesn’t want much involvement in goddess-related matters. That’s where the heroes come in. It is good to keep an eye on the black mana in the first place, but I don’t want to fight so many times with the “enemy” who manipulates it. And the black mana users. And the black mana users beyond that, Claire’s figure also flickers. A presence that was not on the regular route.

“Well, I’ll just follow Master Al’s orders.”

“The same goes for me. Even if Claire-sama and the royal shadow were to be my opponent, I would stand by Al-sama’s side.”

Two people nod their heads in agreement. Al does not expect them to disagree with him, but he also does not expect them to believe everything he says. It is just a confirmation process.

“I’m indebted to the shadow of the royal family in terms of money, but I have no problem with them cutting me off. Colin has brought in some additional funds. Well, with that said, I’d like to thank you again for your continued support.”

Al thought casually.

This time, he knew about the existence of the “enemy,” but he thought it was unlikely that he would be involved in it.

 

The game was still in its early stages. The engagement between His Highness Adam and Miss Ariel had not even been called off. From this point on, the main characters were getting acquainted with His Highness Adam through many incidents, but this was only the development in the regular route of the game.

 

Although the idea that “the game and this world are two different things” is gradually taking root in Al’s mind, he is still conscious of the game in some way.

 

The difference between the game story and the game story is now decisive.

Some who had originally died survived. We catch a glimpse of those who were depicted in the latter half of the game as enemies lurking in the shadows of conflict at this point in the game’s early stages, and one such enemy leaves the game early and without a moment’s thought.

And even major characters don’t always work according to the story.

That is the case with Daryl and Cecily. The two “Divind childs” and protagonists of the game, too.

 

Al not only receives information from the shadows of the royal family. but he is also considering contacting Daryl and his friends, whom he has so far been avoiding, to obtain information himself.

 

He has also made connections with the aristocrats of the city, Cerian and Conrad, the Saint Sirmes, and the demon Vince…….

He thought he could at least manage to get some information around the main characters.

 

Little did Al know that by contacting the protagonists, he would be further diverging from the game’s storyline.

 

He is still unaware that he is a genuine foreigner in this world.