[Six Hours Later]

All the villagers were cured and resurrected except the ones who had already been buried six days ago. I talked to one of the villagers who told me the complete story of how everything began. It started eight days ago when a mysterious person came in looking for directions to the Forest of Rogrendria. He called himself one of the Heroes of Livenia but had a very shoddy nature. Even so, the villagers did not know the directions and were displeased by his behavior so they respectfully told him to get out.

There was a heated exchange of words but villagers clearly didn’t want to do any business with him. So when he left he said something along the lines, “I’ll get my revenge for this humiliation.”

But then two days later, a few people began getting sick and died within an hour. And so the villager elder who had some wisdom immediately sent out one of the village’s warriors to Emeraldorr with a hefty amount of gold coins (It was the savings of the entire village).

But even the Elder had succumbed and perished and eventually the Village’s population had been reduced from 1200 to 800 just in 4 days.

(Still, the High Priest’s escorts had arrived much earlier than expected. Also, could the culprit be actually the mystery hero of Livenia?)

…

Returning to the present, many people were shocked to see those who had stopped breathing come back. But I ended up telling a story saying, “it is an ancient technique I’ve learned which purges the Bloodirflu from the body and starts beating the human heart once again.”

It was a blatant lie, but knowing how our group helped them they believed it easily including the soldiers and the High Priest.

Everyone thanked us and even soldiers appreciated us, but then the High Priest approached us.

“Kazuma-dono! Isabelle-dono! Forgive my arrogance and lack of faith. I have shown you great disrespect as the High Priest of Emeraldorr,” the priest said, bowing low, his voice laced with regret.”

(Huh? I thought for sure he would’ve left silently or would come back with something like, “This isn’t over! I’ll get my revenge for this humiliation,” but... no.)

Instead, he continued saying, “I was blinded by the teachings of Grand Cathedral, Anything that strayed from the records or didn’t match the facts provided by them… I considered them as meaningless.”

“But Kazuma-dono and Isabelle-dono you’ve shown me that there are many things unknown about this world and threats that always loom upon us. It's a shame that we couldn’t find the one behind all of this but I’m grateful for everything you’ve done, you even gave me and the soldiers the Potions (Divine Blessings) after everything that happened.”

“No one will ever believe what happened in this village but I’ve seen your brilliance first-hand, how you saved this village from a world-ending plague.”

Hearing him say things like this made me realize that maybe he wasn’t such a bad dude after all, so I said to him, “It’s alright High Priest, sir.”

But then he replied saying, “Kazuma-dono you can call me Ludwig.”

I responded, “Alright Ludwig-san but I have a favor to ask of you.”

“Yes, what is it Kazuma-dono?” He said in an eager and respectful tone.

I told him, “Ludwig-san, could you please inform the soldiers and villagers that the disease wasn’t exactly the Black Calamity but something similar in nature? We don’t want to draw unnecessary attention or rumors about us. We also need to leave for Emeraldorr soon.”

He hesitated for a moment, then responded, “Kazuma-dono, but why? If you were to share the cure, you could save countless lives, gain fame and wealth, and earn the respect of the Grand Cathedral and even Goddess Livenia-sama.”

It didn’t seem like he had any hidden agenda, but a genuine urge to help others. Even so, I had to turn down his suggestion.

After a moment, he nodded, sighing. “Alright, Kazuma-dono. I’ll respect your decision. I’ll tell everyone it wasn’t the Black Calamity. But knowing how this village was targeted, for the sake of saving future lives that could be in danger, I must ask: what was the cure you used? There’s no mention of a cure in the records of Livenia’s Grand Cathedral.”

I didn’t have a solid explanation to give him, but I remembered what Athena had told me earlier. So, I said, “Ludwig-san, the cure (Potion) was made using Breeticule Leaves.”

Ludwig’s face twisted in confusion. “Kazuma-dono, surely you must realize that Breeticuli is a fruit from a children’s storybook?”

I answered calmly, “Sorry, Ludwig-san, I know you’re a priest and put your faith in the Goddess and the teachings of the Cathedral, but Isabelle and I have access to more ancient knowledge. There’s a possibility that history has been manipulated or that you’ve been taught things that aren’t entirely accurate.”

“But… that…” Hearing what I said, Ludwig-san was lost for words and began thinking…

(My own words made me realize that perhaps something is going on behind the shadows?)

“Kazuma-dono I have one more thing to ask,” he said to me while his thoughts looked conflicted.

I said, “Ok” as he continued to ask.

“Kazuma-dono where’d you find the Breeticule leaves and how you had so many in quantity?” There wasn’t any suspiciousness in his tone but rather a curiosity.

(Ah Damn... I don’t think I can bluff my way out of this one...)

(Athena, help?)

( ( “Use Rogrendria’s name.” ) )

Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

(Rogu’s name? Actually, now that I remember after curing the villagers he started casting purification spells around the village on his own while chatting with the spirits and so he has been playing around since then, but he hasn’t been here and so I have come up with a perfect story without revealing our true identities.)

I took a deep breath and began, “Ludwig-san, you’ve heard of Oscavalca, right? One of the mythic beasts who sided with the demons, waged war against humanity, and was eventually sealed by the gods?”

He nodded, “Yes, I’m familiar with the legend.”

So I told him, “Then you understand there is a cult out there who wants to bring back the Oscavalca right!?”

“Yes.” He said.

And so I told him a story I came up with lowering my voice for the effect I began, “Ludwig-san, the truth is… Isabelle and I are believers of Rogrendria. We’ve been fighting demons from the shadows. You might find it hard to believe, but we were chosen by Rogrendria-sama. We both heard his voice in a shared dream, where he tasked us with combating the Oscavalca cultists. When we awoke, we found ourselves deep within the Forest of Rogrendria, bestowed with his blessings and newfound strength.”

I paused to let my words sink in before continuing. “Currently, we need to hurry and leave for the town of Emeraldorrand even the Kingdom of Livenia, to warn them of an imminent demon invasion led by General Helfernia of the demon lord Muza’rn’s army. The time is running out, and though we came here to help, we cannot afford to stay much longer.”

Ludwig’s face twisted with disbelief and confusion. “Huh!? Rogrendria-sama? War? General Helfernia? Demon lord Muza’rn? Kazuma-dono are you serious about all of this? Are you saying that you were chosen by the great Rogrendria-sama, the one known as Force of Nature? The one who’s been in a long slumber since the Great War? The hero of mankind?” His voice wavered as if grappling with the impossible.

I gave him a firm nod. “Yes, Ludwig-san. The very same.”

…

“Sorry Kazuma…-dono but all this is too hard to comprehend, The Great Rogrendria who couldn’t be found kings and demon lords, one who was considered to be a myth truly exists?... What in the world is happening… you’re saying there’s an invasion coming led by Demon General Helfernia of Demon Lord Muza’rn’s army… It’s far too much… I’ve barely come to terms with the Sanguine Rats' plot, and now this…”

He stood wavering while processing the weight of my words. He looked into my eyes searching for any sign of deception or jest, but he couldn’t find it.

As he slowly began to realize he asked me, “You’re serious, aren’t you?

I nodded again answering. “Yes, the demons are mobilizing as of now and will reach within the borders in less than 10 days.”

Ludwig exclaimed, “Less than 10 days!? We don’t have much time then! Even with Pegasuses, it would take us to arrive three days to arrive at Emeraldorr. We can’t prepare an army or contact Livenia within one week and there’ll be no reinforcements either.”

(Pegasuses? Those must be the winged horses we saw with the wagons earlier. If it takes them only three days, they must be pretty fast.)

Then Ludwig continued as he said, “Kazuma-dono, Isabelle-dono you should come with me to the Emeraldorr, It would take you seven more days if you were to travel by ordinary means, we currently have the Pegasuses which can help us arrive within three days.”

(To be honest, we are also going to arrive within three days… but I want to maintain our secrecy.)

So I responded, “But Ludwig-san you must understand we aren’t people with proper identity and we have a great responsibility on our hands we can’t either reveal ourselves and our mission to others or get involved in any official duty, it could bring harm to us.”

Ludwig’s face grew serious as he considered my words. After a moment, he nodded. “Kazuma-dono, I understand. I will use my full authority to ensure your safety and maintain your anonymity from the Goddess and the Cathedral. I swear on my name, Ludwig Wanhoven, that I will protect your mission against the demons.

(Hmm… Since he seems confident in what he says, he must have a lot of power or influence in Emeraldorr… I guess it wouldn’t hurt to accept when he’s offering his protection.)

(Although I'm not sure how Belle feels about all of this since she’s been silent after the incident. I wonder if it was because of the rodent and memories it brought or perhaps because I yelled but either way, I need to have a conversation with her soon.)

So I agreed to go with Ludwig, though I hadn't exactly asked Belle if she was fine with it. But having Ludwig by our side, for now, was the best move until we could find a way into Emeraldorr without the need for verification or identification.

Ludwig informed me that they’d begin preparing to leave within the hour, giving me some much-needed alone time with Belle. The villagers had offered us a room to rest after what happened, but there wasn’t much we needed to do in terms of preparation. Thanks to our personalized methods, we managed our belongings easily Belle and Rogu could store things using space magic, and I had my “Inventory.” Still, I set those thoughts aside and focused on Belle, slowly walking towards her.

I started by saying, “Sorry, I yelled at you guys earlier when you were arguing,” with a soft tone.

After a brief pause, she responded, “No, you did the right thing. I was being hysterical.”

Something in her tone made me realize there was more going on beneath the surface. It was as if some old trauma had resurfaced, gripping her tightly.

“Hey, what’s the matter?” I asked, with concern. “Ever since you heard about the Black Calamity and saw the Sanguine Rat, you’ve seemed more terrified than annoyed. Belle, are you alright?”

“I’m okay,” she said after a moment. “It’s just… a lot of bad memories came back when I heard about the Black Calamity and saw the Sanguine Rat.”

So I asked her, “I see… would you like to talk about it?”

Her frown deepened, and she hesitated. “Honestly, I don’t want to, but there are things you should know.”

Belle took a deep breath before continuing, her voice filled with sadness. “I’ve seen too many mortals close to me die in agony because of the Black Calamity. Girls I grew up with, people from my mother’s kingdom, even our royal chef… every human ally we ever had all… gone. The horrific sight, their screams, the way they suffered... I can’t forget it.”

“You might wonder, if humans were so easily perished because of it then what about demons? It’s because the Sanguine Rats were creations of Oscavalca. Any race or being that wasn’t a demon was vulnerable to the Black Calamity.”

“I’m sorry,” she added quietly. “I lost control. I just didn’t want to see it happen again.”

I’d known she was struggling, but hearing her say all that made me realize how deep her scars ran. And honestly, I wasn’t great at consoling people. So instead, I hugged her gently, patting her back. “It’s alright, Belle… you were doing the right thing, and you’ve been a big help. To me, especially. And, hey, it kinda sucks we don’t know much about the Breeticule leaves or where to find them, but if you hadn’t mentioned that name, I wouldn’t have realized I already had potions made from them.”

I chuckled softly. “Even though I still have no idea what those Breeticule leaves look like or where they grow… so, tell me, Belle.”

She smiled a little before answering, “The Breeticules are round with a dark purplish-red hue. They taste sweet and sour. Their bark and leaves are as red as blood and glow in the dark. They were common in the demon world but also beautiful. My father gave more than just seedlings to mortals, not just as a cure, but as a delicacy.”

Her brow furrowed as she says. “It doesn’t make sense why they don’t exist anymore.”

(My doubts are right there was something going on in this world that changed the most part of the history Belle knows about.)

After a while, Belle started feeling more like herself again. She agreed to travel with Ludwig, and we managed to find Rogu, who, unsurprisingly, was running around in circles, talking to invisible things.

I called out to him from near one of the wagons, while Belle sat inside. “Oi! Rogu! Hurry up! We’re gonna leave you behind!”

“Wah!? Hey! Wait for me!” Rogu yelled, sprinting toward us at a wild speed.

The villagers, grateful for our help, offered us their remaining money, but we respectfully declined. Instead, we asked for wheat and other vegetables so we could plant them in the forest, and they gladly gave us a generous supply.

...

Now, all that’s left is to reach Emeraldorr.

And then... there will be war.

Sigh...