"Ugh..."
"You're awake! Tenma!"
When my consciousness returned, Grandpa's face was right before my eyes, and he began feeling around all over my body.
"That tickles, Grandpa!"
"Tough it out! ...From what I can see and feel, it doesn't look like you have any serious injuries."
After assessing my injuries, Grandpa helped me sit up from my reclining position as though tending to a patient and settled me upright on the bed. I'd thought I could manage that much on my own, but perhaps due to the toll of the fight with the Lich, I couldn't muster my strength the way I wanted to.
"Come to think of it — the Lich!?"
I remembered the Lich's torso being blown to pieces, but since I hadn't actually seen it disintegrate right in front of me, a thought had started to creep in that it might have all been a ruse to make me believe it was dead.
"Mm. I spoke with Jeanne and looked over the Lich's remains myself. As far as I can tell, it was dead. At the very least, those remains shouldn't be able to move again. However..."
Grandpa was hesitating, which concerned me. I waited for him to go on.
"The 'Mana Core' wasn't found."
The fact that the Mana Core was missing meant there was still a possibility the Lich was alive.
"I wasn't able to locate it, but my assessment is that the Lich's Mana Core couldn't withstand your magic and was likely shattered to pieces, just like its bones. Your magic... what was it called again?"
"Takemikazuchi?"
"That's right. That 'Takemikazuchi' is, like 'Tempest' and 'Earthquake,' a spell beyond the ordinary. You could practically call it an artificial—"
"natural disaster—"
"in terms of its sheer power. If it took a hit like that, it wouldn't be strange for the Lich to have been obliterated, Mana Core and all."
Takemikazuchi's instantaneous power was so far beyond the other two spells that it wouldn't have been unusual for the Mana Core to have vanished without a trace. And yet, some part of me still couldn't quite bring myself to accept it.
"Since there's no way to verify it, there's no point dwelling on it. Right now, your priority should be resting your body."
With that, Grandpa left the carriage. Only then did I look around, but it seemed I was the only one left inside.
"I'm exhausted..."
The moment Grandpa was gone, a heavy fatigue hit me, and I collapsed onto the bed.
(Even so, was that Lich really killed?)
I had indeed managed to hit it with the most powerful spell at my disposal, as perfectly as I could, but I couldn't shake the fact that its Mana Core wasn't found. That was probably one reason why, on top of it being my first fight against a Lich, it was also several times stronger than I had imagined.
(There are all sorts of things to consider, but as Grandpa said, recovering my body comes first...)
If, as I worried, the Lich was still alive and came for revenge in my current state, the thought that only Grandpa could fight back with magic was unsettling. It wasn't that Grandpa or the others lacked power—the fear was the unknown magic (trap) the Lich had used on everyone except Jeanne.
(It's tough that the only thing I can do right now is rest)
For the first time, I was worried about an imminent attack yet couldn't count myself as a fighting asset. Even with these murky thoughts, my body was tired, and before I knew it, I had drifted off to sleep.
"Fuhya!"
A strange cry suddenly echoed through the carriage, and I woke up with a start. I turned my head to find the source, and my gaze landed on Aura, who was sitting on her bottom after having fallen over.
Aura, in her fallen state, had frozen solid upon meeting my eyes. Beside her, Jeanne was looking up at the sky.
"Umm... are you alright?"
"Aura... are you sure it's your head that's alright?"
They had probably come to check on me. As evidence, Jeanne was holding a bucket of water and a towel... I was just thankful it was her holding them, not Aura.
"How much time has passed since then?"
"Umm... since the fight with the Lich ended? About three to four hours, maybe?"
"That little time has passed? But it looks so bright outside."
Light was filtering through the gap in the curtains into the carriage, and from its brightness I assumed it was daytime, but that wasn't the case. According to Jeanne, they had increased the number of bonfires—not to reduce the risk of being spotted by the enemy, but to make it easier to spot the enemy sooner. The fortress, wary of the possibility that the Lich had set traps, had already moved.
"According to Merlin, this location is more than ten kilometers away from that fortress."
The lookout posts had been doubled, with almost every golem that had been entrusted to Slarin deployed to keep watch around the perimeter. The two of them—Jeanne and the old man—had apparently come to check on me during a break. And apparently, Aura had made a blunder.
"So, did anything unusual happen?"
"No. Wolves occasionally come near, but they run off the moment a golem gets close. No major problems so far."
Everyone seemed a bit fatigued from being more on guard than usual, but their spirits were high—almost frighteningly so. The old man in particular had apparently been crushed with guilt during the time I was bedridden, lamenting that he'd been called a "Sage" yet failed to notice the Lich. But ever since I'd regained consciousness, his motivation had soared to a level that was honestly kind of scary. Right now, he was actively mixing in with the golems to patrol the surrounding area. However, he was so worked up that his eyes were bloodshot, and he'd apparently been mistaken for a monster three times. Those who'd made the mistake were Lion, Chris, and Amur. They hadn't actually attacked the old man, of course, but apparently his intensity was that overwhelming.
"In a few more hours the sun should rise, so until then we're holding our position here, and once it gets bright we'll push through to our next destination city all at once."
Their next destination was Russell City, the closest major town to Kukuri Village. People there would still know the old man well, and they'd also be well-informed about the incident that had occurred in Kukuri Village. So the plan was to report the Lich's existence, the battle, and the possibility that it might still be alive in Russell City. They'd originally intended to stop by Russell City anyway, so this just moved the timeline up by a few days.
"I should be able to do at least the bare minimum, so if anything comes up, let me know."
"Sure, understood."
Jeanne said this and placed a towel and a bucket in front of me. Even as she agreed, her tone was somewhat dismissive—so chances were, even if something happened, she wouldn't let me know until the last possible moment.
"Aura."
"Hmm?"
I called Aura over in the gap after Jeanne had left, instructing her to summon me if anything—
Top-secret orders
—I gave.
Aura was bewildered by the command, but I pressed her into obedience with vaguely threatening remarks like "Who is Aura's master, exactly?" and "If you can't follow orders, I'll have to discuss it with Aina." Granted, I didn't think the danger was quite severe enough that she'd truly fail to notice on her own, but it was insurance for the worst case.
"Were you two talking about something?"
"Huh? No, I was just..."
"I asked Aura to help calm the old man down a bit."
Jeanne had been eyeing Aura's odd behavior with suspicion, so I deployed the excuse I'd prepared. Jeanne immediately shot it down with "No way that'd work." But when I added, "If he keeps acting like an idiot like he usually does, she might get fed up and knock him back to his senses," Jeanne's expression turned serious and she fell into thought.
"I would never do anything like that!"
Aura denied it, but Jeanne glanced at her and let out a sigh. I felt bad about it, but I'd leveraged everyone's image of Aura. Well, saying "like always" was a bit of an overstatement, but it was true that she often did stupid things or made blunders that earned Aina's anger, and even setting that aside, there was the general impression that Aura was always doing something foolish.
"Well, if Aura's blunder could snap Merlin back to normal, it wouldn't be such a hardship... Aura, want to give it a try?"
"Give it a try? And how am I supposed to make a blunder on purpose?!"
"Jeanne, Aura... what are you two doing?"
"Slacking off?"
The two of them were putting on their usual comedy routine when Chris, who had noticed the commotion, quietly opened the door and grabbed them both by the scruff of their necks. Behind her stood Amour, wearing a less-than-pleased expression.
"Well, you see... Aura was kind of..."
"I'm innocent!"
Jeanne had thrown Aura under the bus, but it didn't seem to work on Chris—the grip on their necks tightened, and they looked like it hurt more than before.
"Jeanne... Aura causing trouble is nothing new."
"Amour's right. Covering for Aura's blunders is your job as her partner. So why are you joining in and making a ruckus?"
Chris and Amour said this, then with exasperated looks, led the two of them outside.
"Ah!"
Before I knew it, only Amour had come back.
For a moment, I wondered if she was planning some kind of prank, but Amour had grown as a woman since teaming up with Reni, so there was probably a legitimate reason.
"Tenma, here."
What Amour pulled out of her bag was something that looked like a black rod.
"Is this... Kogarumaru?"
Taking a closer look at the rod, it was indeed Kogarumaru—the sword that had pierced the Lich before I used Takemikazuchi.
"Yeah. I recovered it."
Kogarumaru was stained with soot and grime from having taken the direct hit of Takemikazuchi alongside the Lich. On top of that, the handle and handguard had been completely destroyed by the impact. Honestly, it was surprising the blade had even remained intact.
"Thanks—wait, Amul?"
I reached out to take Kogarumaru, but just before my hand could grab it, Amul pulled the sword back behind her.
"Tenma, promise me you'll put Kogarumaru away in your bag right away?"
"Huh?"
"Knowing you, you'd say you have free time and start polishing Kogarumaru. That would slow down your recovery."
She was absolutely right. If no one had said anything and I'd just been handed Kogarumaru, I would have started maintaining it without a doubt.
I felt a little ashamed that I'd, even for a moment, wondered if Amul might be asking for something in return when she was clearly just looking out for me.
"Thanks for your concern, Amul. But if I keep it on me, I'll just keep worrying about it like you said. Would you mind giving it to Grandpa or Slarin to hold onto?"
"Got it. I think that would be better."
Amul nodded and tucked Kogarumaru away into the bag.
"Oh, and tell everyone to make sure they take a proper break, then hand these out. Jeanne or Aura should have tea, so just let them know and they'll get it ready."
What I handed Amul was the snacks I always kept stocked in my bag. A sweet treat during a rest would help calm Grandpa's spirits at least a little.
"Leave it to me! ...Can I eat one first?"
When I nodded, Amul tossed a cookie into her mouth, then headed outside with the snacks.
A little while after Amul left, I heard a cheerful voice from outside, so I figured the mood had lightened up somewhat.
"Oh! Tenma, you're awake."
"How are you feeling?"
The next time I opened my eyes, it was Amul by my bedside who noticed first, followed by Chris asking how I was doing. The carriage was rocking and bouncing considerably from time to time—we seemed to be traveling at quite a speed.
"I wouldn't say I'm fully recovered, but I'm feeling a lot better."
I rolled my shoulders and checked how my body felt—there was still some soreness and fatigue, but I was feeling considerably better than before I'd gone to sleep.
"Don't push yourself too hard... Not that I'm really one to talk, since I'm the one who fell for that lich's trap..."
Chris, much like my grandfather, was probably still bothered by the fact that she hadn't been able to do anything useful.
"That lich was an off-the-charts Monster, and everyone came out of it safe, so there's really nothing to worry about."
I called out to Chris and tried to get out of bed, but she grabbed my shoulder. She was trying to push me back down, and when she realized I just needed to use the bathroom, she quickly let go. However—
"Careful!"
The moment I stood up and took my first step toward the bathroom, the carriage hit a bump at the perfect time, and I lost my balance. The instant I started to tip, Chris and Amul each caught me under the arms on either side to steady me.
"Tenma, you're still not up for this... Let me help you—I'll lend you my shoulder."
So saying, Chris tried to help me to the bathroom by letting me lean on her. On the other side, Amul was doing the same thing.
I desperately tried to resist out of sheer embarrassment, but in my current state I couldn't fight off two people, and bit by bit the bathroom door drew closer and closer. Surely they wouldn't have stood guard through the entire business, but having young women take care of me at my age was a lot to handle, in more ways than one.
"Senpai, Amul, I'll take over. Tenma's got it rough enough as it is."
Cain, woken up by the commotion from my struggle, volunteered to take their place. It was still essentially the same kind of nursing care, but just having the person being the same gender instead of the opposite was enough to put my mind at ease.
"Cain, I'm counting on you!"
"Yeah, yeah, you've got me."
Since I had explicitly chosen Cain, Chris and Amul ceded their caregiving duties and returned to their seats. At that point, I couldn't see Amul's face, but Chris looked somewhat disappointed.
"Tenma... the crisis to your virtue has passed."
The moment Cain closed the bathroom door, he whispered that to me in a low voice. I'd been thinking more or less the same thing, but there was at least a half-decent chance she'd been acting purely out of genuine concern—and I wanted to believe that—so all I could do was give Cain a wry smile.
"Oh, and wipe yourself down while you're at it."
Cain had prepared a basin of warm water and a hand towel for me after I finished in the bathroom. I did as he said, sitting on the chair beside the tub and wiping myself down, when—
"Tenma, this is just a guess, but I think the whole area around Kukuri Village is going to be sealed off as a danger zone. Once the investigation is done and it's determined to be safe, they'll probably lift the restriction, but since the Great Old Forest still hasn't been fully mapped out, there's no telling when that'll be."
He started talking about that. He did say it was just a guess, but this was something he'd discussed together with Albert and Leon, the next Count, so depending on the Count's judgment, it was pretty much a decided matter.
"Also, regarding the Lich — there's going to be a gag order in place. They can't release information to the general public that there was a Monster who pushed Tenma, the martial tournament champion, to the brink of defeat, that its status is unknown, and that there might be other similar Monsters out there."
Detailed information would only be shared among the King, the upper echelons of the military, and a select few high-ranking nobles. For those of lower rank and other involved parties, it would be edited into information convenient for the state and distributed accordingly.
"So please, Tenma, don't go spreading this information around carelessly."
The phrasing did include the word "please," but in practice, this was essentially an order from the nobility.
"I'll follow whatever the King and the Count decide. Even someone like me can imagine that if this information spread to the public in its current form, the Haust Count's domain — or at least the towns and villages near Kukuri Village — would lose most of their inhabitants."
There were parts I couldn't fully accept, but I didn't want to carelessly blab and throw the Count's domain into chaos. When I gave my agreement, Cain's demeanor softened.
"I'll pass along Tenma's position to Leon on my end. He was apparently agonizing over how to approach Tenma about it, going back and forth on it for a while."
Leon had apparently struggled with how to broach the subject with me, and in the end decided to put the conversation on hold for the time being. Right now he was apparently spending time with his grandfather and the coachman.
"Merlin and Jeanne and the others keep telling him it's up to Tenma, and Chris keeps saying it's up to His Majesty, so Leon's stress must have been through the roof. But now that Tenma's on board, it looks like more than half the people will be on his side, so maybe Leon can relax a little now too."
Cain talked about Leon in his usual joking manner, but as expected of a best friend, he'd clearly been worried about him.
While we were chatting like that,
"Cain, Tenma, are you going to be much longer? I need to use the toilet as well."
Albert called out, knocking on the door.
"Sorry. I was wiping myself down while I was at it, so it took a bit of time."
I changed quickly and stepped outside, where Albert was waiting in front of the door.
"I'm sorry for rushing you."
I gave up the bathroom unit to Albert, and with Cain supporting me, I made my way back to bed. Jeanne and the others were awake now too.
"Tenma, want some porridge?"
Jeanne had been preparing to make porridge, but I wasn't hungry, so I asked only for some water and sat on the edge of the bed.
"Here's your water... wait, are you okay?"
"Well, I'm managing..."
The moment I sat on the bed, Slarin and the others swarmed me. Slarin extended a tentacle and rubbed my shoulders and back like a massage, while Shiromaru and Solomon each rested their chins on one of my thighs. Even with their collars on making them small, having two of them on me at once was quite cramped, but neither seemed willing to give way, so I was stuck bearing the load.
"All three of them were worried about you, Tenma. So, what about Goru and Jiru?"
"Same as always — holed up inside the bag doing their handiwork. They probably don't even know about the Lich, or that I collapsed."
I didn't think the two of them were heartless — they genuinely had no idea. After all, it had been over three years since I'd tamed them, and they had barely ever left the bag. On the rare occasions they did come out, it was almost always inside the mansion. There was no way those two would venture out to a campsite, so regarding them, all I could think was "can't be helped."
"It makes me happy that the two of them are working hard on their craft, though."
It was Cain who had picked up the conversation with Jeanne. The reason he was happy was that the more thread the two produced, the higher the chances it would come to him. The thread those two made was in constant demand, and any thread I didn't use myself I occasionally shared with people close to me. And Cain said he was about due for his turn. Incidentally, I had no idea what order people waited in. But since Maria handled the queue management, no matter how long anyone had to wait, nobody complained and no trouble ever arose.
"The thread based on their standard quality isn't the only option — even the stuff below that is generally ultra-high quality by normal standards. How about I offer you some of that instead?"
Thread judged "high quality" by the two's standards was at a level that could reasonably be called a national treasure, "medium quality" was generally considered ultra-high quality, and even "low quality" was rated as high quality. Moreover, thread below high quality was produced in much larger quantities than high quality, and I had enough in stock to give some to Cain. However,
"I'll pass. I'd rather wait for the high-quality thread, and if I accept other thread from you here, I might get skipped in the queue."
That was what he said. And honestly, that was a real possibility. Even the medium-quality thread from the two of them would fetch a considerable price on the market, and Maria was the sort who would say "thread is thread" even if it was medium quality and wouldn't hesitate to skip someone's turn.
"Yeah, that's the safer bet."
As I exchanged a laugh with Cain, I felt the carriage slow down.
"Hey! I can see Russell City up ahead!"
I heard Lion's voice, so I opened the window and looked outside. A familiar town came into view ahead of us.
It had been roughly six years since I'd last been to Russell City — back when I came as reinforcement during the Dragon Zombie incident. Last time, I had gone straight to the guild, submitted the quest, and left immediately, so this would be my first time actually visiting through proper channels.
"Well, I probably won't be able to do much until I've recovered at least somewhat."
For today, at least, I decided I'd just rest up at an inn and call it a day.