As a city connecting the east and west of the south, the amount of goods gathering in Hudelen was massive.

However, just as butterflies are drawn to flowers and bees to honey, there were also many bands of thieves targeting those goods. This right here was the proof.

"Just walking down the road is a chore."

"This vicinity is just... like that. Because it's on the outskirts, many of them set up camp in these alleys, taking advantage of the fact that the guards rarely come here."

As soon as we entered the vicinity of Hudelen, we had already been attacked three times.

They weren't people who had crawled out because of the hardships of poverty, but rather wicked scum who had only ever intended to make a living through plunder.

"Then do you fight such people every time?"

"Not exactly, Priest. Usually, when passing through, we pay a toll to the group with the most power and pass."

"A group holding power...?"

"From the thieves' perspective as well, fighting merchant groups every time would lead to a severe manpower shortage. So they tend to let it slide for a reasonable toll. However, since the amount is quite lucrative, they often fight among themselves to get it. Thus, the strongest group represents them and takes it."

Well, just like gangsters collecting protection money or the Green Woods Alliance in martial arts novels, it seemed even such wicked scum had their own methods of letting people pass, but...

"Uh, then why were we attacked...?"

"Usually, there is at least one group that takes the initiative... but seeing them attack sporadically, it seems the seat is currently empty. I don't know if we're lucky or unlucky. I really feel like it was a great idea to hire you all."

The timing was bad for both sides. For us, because we inevitably had to draw our swords, and for the mountain bandits, because they had the bad luck of meeting strong individuals and losing their lives.

"Ugh, spare m..."

STAB!

"We were already in the red thanks to the lost goods, but at least we won't need to pay a toll now."

However, all things considered, they brought this upon themselves.

Therefore, whether it was the hired escorts aside from us or the guards operated internally by the merchant group, no one bothered to leave the band of thieves alive.

It would be difficult to drag them all the way to the city, there was little room for them to repent, and crucially, they had attacked first. There was no reason to show mercy in our strikes.

"Why aren't you using that skill? If that black thing goes flying, I feel like they'd all die!"

... Well, thanks to that, even I, who would have normally fought with my fists, am just fighting with a sword in hand. Though I didn't use any skills, just as the Berserker asked.

"Or did you yield the opportunity to this Berserker? Uahaha! Thanks!"

For the record, the reason I didn't use it is absolutely not because of that.

It's just... it wasn't an emergency, nor was it related to demons, so I just thought there was no need to deliberately create a gruesome spectacle.

Honestly, severing dozens of people with a slash isn't exactly a pretty sight to look at. Just because someone can watch gore doesn't mean it's something to be proud of.

"I wish I could use useful skills like the Demon Knight too."

"It definitely seems like it would be convenient when killing things that aren't worth dealing with one by one, yet still need to be killed."

"I'm not even as good as you guys, though."

But cruelty and usefulness are separate things, so the others seemed envious of it. I'm thankful they didn't criticize me for not using it, but I feel oddly unsettled.

"... If I could come to use something like that, it would be even easier to execute demons."

Also, it bothers me that ever since we left Pa Enoch, the Inquisitor has been oddly down in the dumps during every battle!

Did leaving the city without being able to properly help its people due to her lack of combat power weigh on her mind that much...!

"That's right, why can't you use things like that?"

"There are various reasons, but crucially, it is due to my own lack of ability."

"Uh..."

In the meantime, DeB, who had revived thanks to the heat dying down a bit, tried to tease the Inquisitor. This time, however, it seemed the Inquisitor's foolish honesty—or rather, her completely deflated state—won out.

"Being too humble is not good either, Inquisitor. If you package the absence caused by the history related to the nature of divine power as purely your own incompetence, won't it cause misunderstandings?"

"Ah, Archmage."

But wait a minute. Looking around, it seems the mountain bandits have all been dealt with, so let's get ready to depart first.

My party and I got on the horses we had traded our camels for in the previous village. Even though this was Hudelen's territory, we still had a long way to go.

Since we could just talk while moving—though as long as I was wearing the mask of my concept, I wouldn't even be given the chance to talk—getting on the horses first wouldn't cause any problems.

"Does divine power have a nature too?"

So, as we started moving again, the Berserker asked cheerfully.

"Of course it does. If you think about the efficiency of divine power versus mana when performing healing, you'll know exactly what I mean."

"Isn't that just because it's the power of God?"

"That might be the reason. However, regardless of the cause, if its characteristics show a consistent form, wouldn't it be fine to establish it under the word 'nature'?"

Unless there were thieves, it was just a road where all we did was walk anyway. And we weren't exactly close enough to have friendly chats with the merchant group's people.

So, seizing the opportunity, the Archmage held a brief special lecture.

It was something that happened occasionally when we were on the move, and it was a quite welcome time for me. Naturally, I had to supplement my common knowledge whenever the chance arose.

"Divine power has the property of forming a surface. It means it spreads out widely and doesn't scatter easily. But on the contrary, tightly compressing divine power into a point or a line is practically impossible."

"Is that so?"

"... Was that so?"

"...? Why don't you know?"

"I've only ever used it instinctively; I've never approached it in this way before..."

It seemed I wasn't the only one who needed to supplement their common knowledge.

"For things like physical bodies or weaponry... things that already possess a form, the difficulty of spreading it as a surface, stamping it as a point, or drawing it as a line is roughly the same, which is probably why you didn't know. That difference is only felt when manifesting it externally."

"I see."

"Indeed. Now, returning to the explanation, it is easier to concentrate mana into a point or a line than to form a surface with it. Of course, once the density exceeds a certain level, this too becomes tricky, but... anyway, that is how it is."

"Hmm, hmm. What does that have to do with having no attack skills?"

"Then think about it. Does it hurt more to take 10 units of force dispersed by 1 unit across 10 areas, or to take it all at once in a single spot?"

"Taking it all in a single spot...?"

"Because of that, mana developed more offensively, and divine power developed defensively. Their dispositions are just too different from each other."

The Archmage also shared other stories, mentioning that history was also to blame for the lack of attack skills using divine power.

However, while the editorializing about history was interesting, I wasn't taking a test on it, so the content itself wasn't very important.

Rather, from the perspective of someone secretly eavesdropping, I was more curious about something else.

'If pinpoint focusing is impossible, couldn't she just attack using the surface itself? Blunt weapons like hammers are also technically attacks utilizing a surface, aren't they?'

"Um, if divine power's characteristic is forming a surface... can't you use it to press down or crush things?"

Yeah. Just like DeB said.

"That is..."

The Archmage was momentarily rendered speechless by DeB's words. Aside from knowing the theory, she didn't know how to handle divine power herself, so it seemed she didn't want to hastily discuss the possibility...

"Is it not possible?"

"... No, I think it might work."

On the contrary, the only one who knew how to use divine power froze stiff.

Her stiff, jerky movements made it look as though she had received a tremendous shock; if this were a comic, there would be exclamation mark effects plastered all over her background. It was cute and funny.

"Th!"

The fact that she was about to shout her thanks, only to stop dead upon seeing DeB's face and mumble the "-anks..." part quietly, was truly hilarious and cute.

"What's with that deflated greeting?"

"It is a word of thanks."

"No, I mean it sounded so deflated."

"Do you have a problem with it."

And with the topic shifting like that, her dispirited mood completely vanished, too.

I suppressed the laughter trying to leak out and urged my horse forward. The two bickering dumplings, along with the Berserker, who was still groaning because she couldn't understand the Archmage's explanation, passed by on either side of me.

Luckily, we didn't encounter any more bands of thieves after that. In fact, we even received a free escort by running into a patrol guard unit that was returning after finishing their rounds.

The fact that our work as hired muscle was lessened was a bonus.

"Haha, welcome to Hudelen."

And finally, when the guard said those words at the city entrance.

Befitting a region connecting the east and west, a truly massive and developed city entered my sights.

"... It is beautiful."

"We hear that a lot. They say it's a scenery worthy of being one of the top cities in the world."

'Feels like something's missing.' Such a thought crossed my mind, but it quickly scattered.

Instead, just like the Inquisitor, I swallowed my awe at the scenery. I had no choice but to do so.

Buildings erected by developing the entire cross-section of the cliffs and the mountain range seen in the background, the waterways flowing occasionally between them, and even the lake pooling at the very bottom, which served as the center of the city.

When I heard that we had to travel along a road carved into a cliff to enter the city, I figured as much, but seeing it now, it was the most fantasy-world-like panorama.

The guards had every right to take pride in its beauty.

"Nothing bad will happen in this city, right?"

However, looking at that beautiful world, DeB only showed vigilance rather than awe. Since incidents and accidents erupted every time we stopped by a city, it wasn't an incomprehensible reaction.

"I wonder what kind of strong fighters are here!"

The Berserker's words weren't even worth listening to in the first place.

"Surely nothing will happen. Now, our request seems to be over, so we just need to report to the guild and part ways."

And lastly, the Archmage... planted a flag.

My gaze briefly touched her before turning away. I decided to just get some good rest, trusting that our first day of arrival would be safe.

"Please accept our request next time as well!"

We hurried across the city, going through various procedures.

Since trade and the resulting requests were frequent, the Adventurer's Guild was also attached to the trading post, so there was no wasted movement.

Though, ironically, the locations of our most important lodging (the Temple) and the Magic Tower were total opposites.

"To think the Temple is at the very top and the Magic Tower is at the very bottom. What a bizarre choice of location."

"Temples are originally often situated in high places."

"Do you think I'm asking because I don't know that?"

"Hmph! Going back and forth between the Temple and the Magic Tower a few times seems like it would make for a good workout. It is a good city."

But connecting this to a workout? Aside from her being a battle maniac, there was a reason she had those muscles.

"... It really seems the Berserker Boss is steeped in madness in a different sense."

"The Berserker is not mad, though."

"I didn't mean it in that way... but I apologize if I offended you."

"Good. I shall accept that apology."

The Berserker put on a rare serious face at the word 'madness'. The Meat Dumpling, who flinched at that, immediately bowed his head. Only then did the Berserker's expression relax into its usual hearty cheerfulness.

"Provided that you join me in running back and forth to the Magic Tower tomorrow!"

"Ugh!"

If anything, she seemed a bit too relaxed. I turned a blind eye to the Berserker throwing her arm around DeB's shoulders.

'I'm not joining. You guys do it yourselves.'

"Training? I shall join as well."

"Uha! Good! You were a warrior after all!"

I inwardly shook my head in dismay as I examined the dizzying incline.

It's a city where they had to build zigzag paths horizontally because putting stairs straight up the front would be too steep, and you're going to run back and forth on this? Whether it's possible or not, why would you do such ascetic penance.

I'm someone who doesn't even hike because I hate climbing steep places so much!

"Demon Knight! You join us too!"

"Piss off."

Ah, I hated the idea so much that I answered with a spinal reflex. However, I won't take my words back.

'Don't make me hike.'

"Why? Do you prefer a different method of training?"

'No, I don't really train... although I do practice my skills occasionally to apply them more precisely and in various ways.'

'I've also been focusing extensively on that part after the Weapon Master dropped that hint-that-wasn't-really-a-hint.'

'But I don't want to say I don't train and end up having to join that brutal workout. And answering her would be breaking character to begin with.'

I ignored the Berserker and walked forward. It was a relief that the Temple was so visible that I didn't have to worry about getting lost.

"Ah, Demon Knight. Did I not tell you? You have to go to the Magic Tower today."

... Not that it changed the future of having to go all the way down there and back.

'No, why! Whyyyyy!!'

"Don't feel too bad about it. The Fierce White Wind called for you because she has something she wants to check regarding your seals."

'Gaaaah.'