Chapter 104

The young man said his name was Idril. Age twenty-three. He’d entered Genn territory three days ago, and he confidently stated he had nothing to do with murder.

“Why did you come to this territory?”

“I told you. I came to deal with dogmas. When they’re around, problems happen to people. With a pure heart I……”

“You’re saying this dog is a dogma, right? Does this look like some amazing monster to you? What even is a dogma?”

The guard captain who’d introduced himself as a Level 5 administrator shook the limp dog corpse while speaking.

“A monster? Not even funny.”

“I told you earlier it’s because all the curses leaked out since it died, right?”

“If you’re going to lie, do it with sincerity. What? A curse? Only great magicians can do such things, not a wild beast like this. Isn’t that common sense?”

“That’s not it…… Ugh, this is so frustrating.”

“If you’re frustrated, tell the truth. You killed people and ran here. Then got caught.”

“What crazy person would commit such a crime then show their face and walk around the marketplace? Do I look that stupid?”

“They say murderers are all mentally disturbed. That fits you perfectly.”

“Ugh, really!”

Idril raised his bound hands and struck the wall.

Boom!

With a heavy vibration, the bars rattled. Dust fell above the guard captain’s head.

The guard captain flinched and pulled his body back.

“Administrator.”

Quilbion spoke while placing his hand on the administrator’s shoulder.

“I think this is enough.”

“No, not yet……”

“That friend’s patience seems to have reached its limit too. If he puts his mind to it, he can smash through this shabby prison in one go. So let’s stop here.”

“But……”

“I know you’re worried it’ll be a problem. Go convey the situation to Ruki. If you’re in a position where you can’t meet directly, contact him through this. I’ll take responsibility.”

He handed over the gold badge to the administrator. The administrator whose face brightened completely said he understood and left.

Quilbion opened the iron bars and entered inside.

“Untie that.”

He pointed at the rope binding Idril’s wrists. Idril snorted and shook his head.

“I won’t untie it until I get an apology. With my own hands, absolutely……”

Quilbion formed hand seals and flicked his finger. The flame that bloomed on the rope instantly burned it.

“Ah, it’s hot.”

Idril brushed off his wrists while blowing on them.

“That works, right? You didn’t untie it yourself—someone else did.”

“……How did you do that? Mana suddenly acted up.”

“I have lots of questions too, so let’s go out first. Have you eaten?”

“Ah, I haven’t eaten yet.”

“Then let’s go eat.”

He came outside with Idril. His eyes met with the guards protecting the castle walls, but whether they’d heard in advance, they didn’t stop him.

“You believe me?”

Idril asked while rubbing his wrists.

“I don’t really trust people.”

“Then why……”

“You didn’t lie during the investigation. Actually, whether you’re a crazy serial killer or a sincere human doesn’t really matter. I’m just curious about dogmas and the industry you’re in.”

Quilbion looked at the streets lighting up one by one.

“When you got caught earlier, I could’ve just taken you away, but I made a promise with the son of this place’s master. I should try not to cause problems.”

He could see a crowded shop.

Business was in full swing even though the sun had set. You could tell how good the public order was.

“Do you have seats?”

He asked an employee moving between bustling customers. She was a skinny girl, but she moved skillfully with stacked food dishes in both hands.

“There’s an empty seat inside. Please come to the counter to order.”

“Alright.”

When he went inside, he could see a spot with no people and only stacked empty dishes. He sat down and looked around the noisy shop.

“Maybe because I’ve been alone for a long time, I feel good for no reason when I come to places like this.”

“Me too. I like places with lots of people. Rather than quiet ones.”

“Order food. I don’t know much about food.”

“Then.”

Idril stood up from his seat and went to the counter. Meanwhile, an employee came and cleared the dishes. On her way, she asked if they needed alcohol, but Quilbion shook his head.

Looking at how she asked regardless of food, there seemed to be money falling into her pocket each time she sold alcohol.

“I ordered. Um……”

“Quilbion. You can comfortably call me Quil, or do as you please.”

“I’m Idril.”

“I heard earlier.”

“Haha, right.”

Idril laughed awkwardly.

“If you have questions to ask first, ask.”

“Are you perhaps of noble blood?”

“No. It’s not like that, so you don’t need to worry.”

“Aha.”

The girl brought fire-grilled dried fish. It seemed food didn’t all come out at once but was brought as it was prepared.

“This is an eyeball anchovy that’s often caught off this coast, dried and grilled—it’s a delicacy.”

“Is that so?”

He picked one up and put it in his mouth. Though he didn’t know hunger, he could feel taste.

The salty thing was a snack perfect to eat when bored.

“Ah, I ordered alcohol too. No matter how I looked, that kid seemed like she could only get paid if she sold alcohol.”

“You take good care of others.”

“I believe good deeds will change the world someday. They don’t have to be grand actions. Small acts of giving definitely help too.”

“Is that so?”

Seeing people armed with goodwill made him feel good. Of course, it could be a mask, but right now nothing was bothersome.

“Here you are.”

The girl smiled brightly while setting down a cup before Idril, then placed a cup in front of Quilbion with a somewhat blank face.

“Feisty kid.”

“Ahaha. Ah, if you run out of alcohol, you can order more. Anyway, I received help, so I’ll pay here.”

“This is enough. I don’t really enjoy eating here.”

“Here?”

Idril looked with a face that didn’t understand the meaning. Quilbion didn’t explain and drank a bit of alcohol.

Unripe fruit scent, sour taste, and unpleasant sweetness rose. It seemed made from grapes just before rotting.

“It’s delicious!”

Idril spoke after gulping down alcohol. What an enviable tongue. To be able to say it’s delicious after drinking this.

“You seem hungry, so eat first.”

“I can talk while eating. My specialty is talking with my mouth full of food.”

He thought it was a useless specialty, but watching Idril speak with precise pronunciation even with his mouth full of food to the point his cheeks would burst, applause naturally came out.

“I feel like I’m watching a circus.”

“Hahaha!”

After laughing cheerfully, Idril gulped down the food in his mouth.

“Um…… about the dogma.”

“Yes, dogma.”

“How did you catch it?”

“I stepped on it with my foot to catch it.”

“No, that’s not it—you caught it barehanded. Like this.”

Idril spoke while gripping the wooden cup tightly.

“Can’t people in your industry touch dogmas?”

“We can touch them. However, it’s always a problem because trouble happens.”

“Trouble happens?”

“Yes. Because the residue of curses calls misfortune.”

“When you say misfortune……”

Idril blinked.

“You really don’t know anything.”

“As I said, I don’t know anything.”

“Hmm.”

Idril, who’d been tapping his chin with his fist, carefully opened his mouth.

“I know it’s really rude, but may I ask your age?”

“I’m twenty-one.”

“Ah……”

“Why? Is it less than you thought? Or more?”

“To be honest, I’m still confused. This is a first for me. I’m looking at someone’s face this close up, but it’s hard to guess their age. You seem younger than me, but also like a senior who’s been around much longer. Is it because of your hair?”

“Maybe so.”

Idril took a big bite of meat pie.

“Actually, what does age matter? I just asked because it’s interesting. Ah, we were talking about misfortune, right?”

“Yes. We were.”

“Misfortune is like a disease you get when you encounter a curse or curse residue left by a dogma. It could end as a light cold, but if unlucky, you’ll die.”

Idril sniffled.

“The forms misfortune takes are various. As I said, you could really get sick, or you could die getting hit by a stone while walking. Someone I know had a fork suddenly surge up while eating and stab their jaw.”

“Did they die?”

“No. Fortunately they’re alive. Even now they talk about it like a boast. I’m telling you! Even with a fork stuck in their jaw, they didn’t scream once!”

Idril smirked while imitating someone’s unknown tone. The person himself was full of playfulness and cheerful.

“But Quil, the words you use are extremely cold.”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

“The expression ‘cold’ is interesting. It doesn’t seem wrong either. If it’s uncomfortable, I can fix it. I’m good at that.”

“No, no. It’s a personal characteristic—why would you need to fix it?”

Quilbion nodded and tapped the table with his index finger.

“That curse thing is visible to you too, right?”

“Yes, I can see it well.”

“Is this the curse you’re talking about?”

Quilbion emitted some of the nark he’d absorbed while killing the dog. Of course, gloomy intent was also contained.

Idril was horrified and stood up from his chair. The chair fell over with a clattering sound.

The noisy shop became quiet for a moment. Gazes flew over, but thinking it was nothing serious, they quickly dispersed.

Conversation resumed under the shop’s ceiling.

“Th-th-that.”

“Yes, this.”

“If it’s on your body, brush it off quickly! If you have curse residue like that, it’ll be big trouble. Curses call more curses.”

“I wonder. They do stick together, but for it to be big trouble……”

Before he could finish speaking, Idril hurriedly pulled out gloves. After putting on the gloves, he flicked away the nark that had formed on Quilbion’s fingertip.

“Curses parasitize living things. If you brush them off like this and drop them on the ground, they disappear quickly. You can be relieved now.”

Idril let out a big sigh while watching the nark disperse into the atmosphere.

Quilbion stared at Idril’s gloves.

Something similar to nark was wrapped around the surface. Like the nark composing the sky-barrier, it was firmly bonded to the glove’s surface.

“Those gloves……”

“As expected, you recognize them. They’re magical tools used when hunting dogmas. They contain the power of spirits.”

“Spirits?”

He’d heard of them but never seen them.

Spirits.

A power that looked similar to nark but was definitely different.

“May I look?”

“Of course. But they’re expensive, so don’t tear them, hahaha!”

He received the gloves.

Was this a form of incantation, or…… sorcery he still couldn’t fully understand?

Quilbion emitted nark containing intent again. He wanted to see how it would react.

The nark flowing from his palm touched the gloves.

And.

Hiss—smoke rose slightly, then the glove’s surface melted with a strange sound.

“Ah.”

Oh no.

For the first time in a long while, he looked ahead flustered. Idril, who’d been smiling brightly, was looking at the gloves as if the sky had collapsed.

Ah.

Quilbion carefully placed the melted gloves on the table.

“That……”

It had been a long time since words didn’t come out well either.