We finally arrived in Camberer. Though we would be leaving within a few days anyway.

"As a token of gratitude..."

"I don't need it."

"Don't be like that, just one conversation with me...!"

"Get lost."

But why are there so many people clinging to me?

I pushed away the Lord of Camberer, who was trying to start something—whether he was trying to subtly freeload off of us, or if he had gone blind from the Hero's prestige and wanted to try something foolish.

According to the Young Lord, he was in a state similar to a lame duck. Is that why he's acting like this? Anyway, it's annoying.

"A medal from the Adventurer's Guild... Uh."

"C-Caught it."

"T-To treat such a precious medal like that..."

"C-Cool."

The Adventurer's Guild, which brought their dead stock over saying they couldn't help with this incident but still had to recognize the honorary achievement, was just as annoying.

I returned the medal (by throwing it) to the person at the guild counter and left the building.

[Are you really, reeeally not interested? Ah, you said that person was already taken. Then, hmm. Ah, the Hero doesn't quite suit you. Is there anyone else you're interested in?]

At that, the Mountain Lord, who had tagged along all the way to Camberer, peeked its head out.

I hate to say this, but I don't know when it's going to go revive the eastern region.

"... Stop spouting useless nonsense and leave."

Of course, even if I said this, it wasn't like I only wanted to scold it.

After all, the Mountain Lord was a precious entity capable of resolving the eastern region's drought. Plus, it was a good person... no, a good snake, who willingly stepped forward even after being told there would be no reward for its devotion.

In such a situation, how could I dare to scold it? Who am I to do so?

[Hiiiing. Ya see, it's my dream to officiate a wedding. Watching those idiot Priestesses officiate looked really fun. If it's the Knight's wedding, I'd be able to officiate too.]

I was wondering why it was so obsessed with other people's love lives.

So it was simply more interested in the perks than the actual ceremony.

I was at a loss for words at the absurd truth. The Mountain Lord was currently enthusiastically pestering me, bringing up this person and that person.

"Get lost."

But as if I would date and get married. Of all places, here, in this situation.

[Hiiiiiing.]

If you're the Mountain Lord, act like an adult.

I ignored the enthusiastically tail-wagging snake and bought a round melon from a nearby stall. Grasping it in my hand, the way it fit perfectly in my fist felt quite nice.

And the juice that flowed out when I took a bite.

The scent and sweetness were on the weaker side for a fruit, but it had that refreshing taste unique to gourd plants, which was actually nice.

It was a bit inconvenient that there was so much juice it got on my hands, though.

[Give me one too.]

"... One box. How much is it."

"Gasp, you mean a whole box?"

More importantly, how could a fist-sized fruit do anything for that huge body. It wouldn't even serve as a palate cleanser, let alone satisfy its hunger.

I bought a box of melons and moved them to a corner where people wouldn't notice.

At that, the Mountain Lord used its long tongue to scoop up and eat the melons one by one. I thought it would eat them box and all, but I guess it didn't want to do that.

[Yummy.]

Well, what does the way it eats matter. As long as it enjoys the food.

With that thought, I stared out at the street. The people who should be arriving soon weren't showing hide nor hair.

Seriously, what the hell. Weren't we leaving today? Why are they so late?

I thought of the party I had agreed to meet at the Adventurer's Guild.

Since I couldn't stay at the Temple—or rather, didn't want to stay there—we had agreed on a date and time to meet up... Did they hate how I unilaterally gave my opinion like a notification? Did they abandon me and go on their own because of that?

[Ah, they're comin' now.]

Phew. Guess that wasn't it. Thank goodness.

[Then I'll be gettin' going too.]

But as the party came into view, the Mountain Lord also raised its body.

I wondered if it was planning to tour the eastern region by following me around, but unfortunately, that didn't seem to be the case.

[It'd be nice to bump into ya again while roamin' around the east, but that'll probably be a lil' tough. It's a shame, but what can ya do. Let's see each other again before I die.]

Wait, is this guy triggering a death flag?

I clicked my tongue at the Mountain Lord stepping right into a cliché on its own. Then, I took another bite of the remaining melon and reached into my inventory.

SWOOSH.

Biryuho's heart fell in a parabola before being caught by the Mountain Lord's tail.

It was inside a seal—a transparent cube shape—crafted by the Mages, so it wouldn't have been a problem even if it hit the ground, but still, nice reflexes.

[Huh, what's this?]

"Biryuho grew stronger by eating the corpses of demons. So you should be able to do the same."

[Just eatin' 'em doesn't make me stronger, but, well, I guess so. But... um, is it really okay for me to take this?]

Ah, so it really works. I didn't save it for this purpose, but I guess I got lucky.

I looked at the heart on the Mountain Lord's tail.

Since my wallet was practically empty, I had no choice but to sell off the skin, claws, tail, and internal organs... but I kept the heart, just in case.

It wasn't exactly that I intended to give it to the Mountain Lord; it was just a choice made for possibilities I didn't even know about yet.

There were also rumors that the heart contained the most energy, so I didn't know what kind of incident or equipment crafting it might be used for later.

[Really? I can really eat it?]

However... honestly, I don't think the day will come when I make equipment with this.

In a normal game, it would be the easiest material to bring up for enhancement, but it wasn't like general gaming common sense applied here.

So rather than letting it gather dust, I thought it would be better to give it to the Mountain Lord.

The Mountain Lord was a confirmed ally, could restore devastated lands, and had many useful abilities like eating demonic energy and mana.

It felt like if I powered it up now, there would come a day when I'd need to ask for its help. Just like now.

"Eat it."

[Huh...]

So, instead of pressuring it, I waited patiently.

Then, as if sensing my sincerity, the Mountain Lord eventually shoved it into its mouth.

SHATTER.

The seal cube shattered and the heart slid down the back of the Mountain Lord's throat. The snake's round eyes shone even blacker than usual.

[Knight, just watch and see. See what happens to the east.]

Who knows. Would I ever get to see that? I had that thought, but I didn't say it out loud.

WHOOSH!

With a gust of wind, the white snake left the city.

"Demon Knight!"

Now it was time for me to leave as well.

* * *

"Bemurhen really is far."

"Because it's a city nicknamed the city at the eastern edge."

"The edge of the east... um, sea beasts aren't going to just appear again this time, right? Like riding a boat?"

"Surely not."

"They say 'surely not' is what gets people killed."

"... Let's prepare for it."

I lowered my brows slightly as I listened to the conversation between the Deathbringer and the Archmage. The sea again? The battle with the Sea Dragon flashed through my mind.

Hmm. Still, it probably wouldn't be this time. I quickly denied it. It definitely wasn't me just stating my wishful thinking, but a denial backed by my own reasoning.

Because if it was an aquatic battle this time too, that would mean the concept overlapped for the third time already.

Absolutely, that couldn't be the case. Setting a different concept for each region is a golden rule in all games. Two might overlap, but three is crossing the line, so they definitely wouldn't have done that.

I urged my horse forward without a single doubt about that fact. The horse, which had been about to turn its head toward the grass on the roadside, looked ahead again.

"Looks like we'll have to rest here for today. We saw a stream on the way too."

And not long after, a space suitable for a campsite appeared. The fact that the surrounding trees were all cleared out, and stones were gathered in a circle over the flattened grass—probably used to make a campfire—was the very proof.

It seemed to be a campsite frequently used by many people. Though it felt like they had cleared away a bit too many trees for a simple campsite.

"Do you think it will rain?"

"Yes."

"Ooh... Young Hunter is smart."

"Well, it's nothing to..."

"I don't see any rain clouds..."

"You probably can't see them yet. But look, the clouds are moving fast, aren't they? You have to take things like that into consideration."

Anyway, if it was going to rain, it was right to unpack now. The sun hadn't set yet... but resting two hours early was better than searching for a campsite in the rain.

"Give me the reins."

"Here."

"Take it, Hunter."

I watched the party tie up their horses and then tied my horse a little distance away.

It was a horse I had extorted from the Young Lord of Camberer by telling him to hand over a horse if he was truly grateful. Its name was Frederick.

He said something about its mother being brought over from Munmunt for her, and it having inherited the blood of that guy, blah blah blah...

Since I lacked knowledge in this area, I still didn't know if this was a good thing or a bad thing. I just went along with it because he said it was good.

WHINNY.

"Wait."

Still, it looked like a top-tier horse on the outside. It was large, had clear eyes, and possessed good stamina when running, giving the feeling that this was no ordinary horse.

Its personality seemed to be on the nasty side, as it didn't get along with the other horses even without me tying it separately... but it fit my concept, so it was just funny.

How did a horse that fits me so perfectly end up coming to me.

WHINNY.

"... Haa."

For the record, its haughty attitude didn't just apply to the other horses, but to me as well.

I took out an apple and gave it to Frederick. I heard that it often threw its rider if it didn't like them, so this was a bribe hoping it wouldn't do that.

Frederick snapped up the apple and ate it.

"Um, Boss... they say it's going to rain, so at least share the canopy with us."

Meanwhile, DeB, who had been persistently trying to make conversation even though I hadn't answered him once, approached me. Behind him, the Archmage and the Inquisitor were watching with expectant eyes.

FLAP.

Instead of answering, I sat under the tree where I had tied Frederick. The disheartened Deathbringer backed away again.

NUDGE, NUDGE.

WHINNY.

... Right. You want another apple.

I pulled out another apple, debating whether I should be grateful that Frederick wasn't scared of me in the slightest, or if I should feel weird about being treated like a snack dispenser.

Not long after, the rain began to drizzle down. By the time the sun set, it had turned into a torrential downpour accompanied by thunder and lightning.

"A fire!"

"We're saved..."

I had draped a waterproof tarp solely over Frederick, who hated getting rained on, and was just sitting there taking the moderate rain, when—

Two presences came rushing over from the direction our party was intending to go.

"Someone's coming."

"Huh? Oh, you're right."

"Are they attackers?"

"I don't think so..."

"Ah, we are just passing peddlers! Please don't attack us!"

"We're not dangerous!"

Was it because I had set up camp under a tree a bit away from the campsite, or because I hadn't even lit a campfire?

The two of them failed to spot me and approached the party first.

Throwing both hands in the air as if to signal their harmlessness was a bonus.

"Stop right there, would you?"

"Y-Yes!"

Under the radius of the campfire's light, they set their bundles down on the ground and raised their hands again.

The Deathbringer scanned their faces with sharp eyes before gesturing. Judging from past experiences, it was a hand signal meaning they didn't seem to be dangerous individuals.

"Thank you. We lost our way in the forest and then it started raining, so..."

"With this rain, you'd have been better off digging a hole under a large tree and spending the night there rather than trying to find your way. Looks like you haven't been peddling for long?"

"Do you really think we didn't do that because we didn't know?"

The two men chatted amiably and settled down a little distance away.

The skill with which they pulled out a cloth from their bundles, secured it over a tree and the ground, and set up a campfire in the resulting triangular shelter was extraordinarily adept.

"Then, is there another reason?"

"Of course, of course. But to tell you the reason we started running so frantically, we'll have to rewind time a bit..."

On top of that, they seemed to be quite the smooth talkers. After setting up their spot in an instant, they cleared their throats.

"Now then, the rain was a bit lighter before the sun went down, wasn't it? It was at the level where you'd think it would be better to take a little rain and find a better spot."

"That's right."

"That was exactly why we didn't just stay put in one place! The goods we're carrying happen to be fabrics, so if they get wet, they become incredibly heavy. We figured it'd be better to keep looking for shelter instead."

"But what a coincidence! As this guy and I hurried our steps and walked a bit through the forest, we spotted a cabin off in the distance!"

"And?"

"Naturally, we thought, 'Bingo!' and went right in. It was a bit unnerving that we didn't feel any presence, but who cares if it's an empty house! It's better than our goods getting wet!"

"Right."

"So this guy and I sprinted straight toward the cabin and found the door. But right at that moment, the rain grew stronger and a bolt of lightning struck with a CRASH!"

"And with that, the pitch-black surroundings lit up with a flash, completely opening up our field of vision...!"

"O-Opening up?"

"Now then, let's pause the story here for a moment. Do you happen to know about the incident that took place around these parts?"

"What the, don't cut it off and keep going! Don't go off-topic!"

Unlike DeB, who was throwing in half-hearted reactions, the Inquisitor and the Berserker were instantly sucked into their story. They practically stomped their feet when the peddler changed the subject.

"It's because it's connected to this story. So, do you not know?"

"We don't know anything about this area."

"Oops. Then I should tell you."

"Now then, take a look at this campsite. Isn't it a bit too wide for a clearing created just by passing travelers resting here?"

"It is wide, isn't it?"

"Aren't you curious... as to what the reason might be?"

"... Is there a special reason?"

"Ooooof course there is."

When the naive Inquisitor played right into his hands, the peddler got excited and dramatically steered the atmosphere into something solemn.

It was to the point where even my gaze drifted over there for no reason.

"A few years ago, you see. In this very campsite... several Priests and Heresy Inquisitors were killed."

"What?!"

"Oh."

"The culprit was never found. However, I heard the bodies of the victims discovered back then were gruesome beyond words. Their limbs were torn apart, and the fragments were distorted and crushed by fire and heat... so much so that those who recovered the bodies lost sleep for days on end."

"The reason this campsite expanded was because of that very incident. They say dozens of trees were smashed to pieces during that battle, creating the clearing we see today."

"... Has the culprit still not been caught?"

"Of course not! The culprit is still at large! Even now."

This campsite was indeed wider than usual, but to think such an incident was tied to it.

However, it seemed a bit like a made-up story for the peddler's words to be completely true, so I felt skeptical. Well, it wasn't my first or second time dealing with merchants' tall tales. Somehow, that seemed like an exaggerated story too.

"Now... let's return to what I was saying earlier... The moment the lightning struck with another CRASH!"

"The moment our field of vision lit up with a white flash!!"

"M-Moment?"

"Through the crack of the door that opened with a CREAK, CREAK, a skeleton!!"

"Gasp!!"

"A skeleton!"

"And when the flash faded and darkness returned, a pair of fiercely glowing eyes appeared from inside accompanied by a CRUNCH, CRUNCH sound... How could we possibly go into a place like that!!"

"Is it a murder scene??"

"C-Could it be that criminal from the past!?"

"Good grief. It was probably just a fox or something. Why would the culprit of an incident from years ago still be here?"

Seemingly feeling the same as me, the Deathbringer interjected. Hearing his words, the Inquisitor and the Berserker realized their mistake and deflated like punctured balloons.

"What, was it a lie?"

"Is that... true?"

"It's not a lie that we saw a skeleton there. As for whatever was making that crunching sound... well. The truth is, we screamed and bolted the moment we heard it. Haha."

"This guy and I are such scaredy-cats, you see. We ran frantically while screaming... and then we discovered this light."

"When we caught a glimpse of armor reflecting in the campfire... we figured we'd be safe if there were knights. Thinking about it now, it was a bit of a foolish move. Haha."

"Eeeh. How boring."

"I see. Still, I'm glad you're safe!"

In the end, it seemed the Deathbringer's interjection was correct. A skeleton meant a person had been dead for a long time, and there was no way whatever turned them into a skeleton would still be lingering there after all this time.

As for the crunching sound or the glowing eyes... they were literally just a fox or some other wild beast. It's not like it would be eating a skeleton of all things; it was probably eating a rat or something that had wandered into the cabin, wasn't it?

"More importantly, from what you're saying, it seems the distance isn't that far? Between the cabin and where we are."

"That's probably the case. It's a 10 to 15-minute walk at most."

"That's super close."

The peddlers actually seemed to think so too, laughing awkwardly to lighten the mood. Well, the story was quite interesting while it lasted, so even their awkwardness carried its own kind of amusement.

"Hmm. Then how about we drop by on our way tomorrow?"

"Huh, why?"

"Is there a need for that?"

"I'm just saying this in case, softie. A skeleton means the person has been dead for a while. You won't catch the culprit."

"I know that too! And I didn't bring it up to catch the culprit. I just felt pity for the person who couldn't even be buried in the ground, and was merely suggesting we at least prepare a simple grave for them."

"Who's even going to appreciate that, doing something like..."

"Why not. I'm fine with it, Inquisitor."

"I don't know why we're doing it, but the Berserker doesn't mind either."

On top of that, a minor detour to our schedule was created because of their story. It wasn't too bad.