Is It Bad That the Main Character’s a Roleplayer?

Chapter 62: If There is a God (5)

Contrary to the direness of the situation, it improved in just two and a half days.

Truthfully, it was already resolved yesterday, but Windhand asked me to observe the situation for one more day.

Going by my character setting, I would have preferred to go to the other island immediately to eliminate all the Demons, but unfortunately, I didn't know how to steer a ship, and Windhand, who knew how, was opposed.

Finding a captain other than Windhand in this awful situation was also more or less impossible.

So, I had no choice but to stay here for the following one and a half days after working especially hard the day before. That was actually pretty good and satisfying for me.

Since there was almost nothing to do on the third day, I used the time to recover from all my fatigue. Wahaha.

“It seems all the Zombies have been killed. However, just to be safe, we quarantined the zones where Zombies appeared, and those who’ve been bitten but aren’t showing symptoms yet have been gagged and put under surveillance.”

After hearing the report, people all over wore bright expressions.

I mean, it was inevitable that the people would feel happy after overcoming something as huge as a Zombie outbreak, even while their eyes bore big dark rings and their limbs hung down in exhaustion.

“The pirates we captured are currently being interrogated… Thanks to one of the adventurers here, we learned a few things. Oh, he also discovered a few spies in our midst. This is him.”

“…It feels kind of weird getting called out like that.”

Incidentally, this was the first time I heard about everything Deb had done. I had been wondering what he was up to, but it turned out that he was helping them investigate and hunt down our enemies. What an admirable meat dumpling.

“From what we’ve uncovered, the Demon Worshipers have joined hands with Vipurit.”

The person giving the report kept glancing at Deb, but upon reaching the main point, his expression turned grim.

“It is said that those who spread the Zombie parasites on this island and brought over those other Demons were the Demon Worshipers, who share a cooperative relationship with Vipurit.”

“That’s!”

“That mad bastard!”

As the report continued, the faces of those in attendance also became serious.

“That said… It appears that Montata Island is in very, very dire straits.”

“…We have completely lost contact with those investigating Montata. That’s most likely why.”

“Yeah… It seems like it.”

The Lord, the only person whose face remained unchanged, gestured with her hand.

“Have you heard any other news?”

“I’m not exactly sure… Oh, we spotted Outlaw around Ayu Hin.”

“Is that so? Well, his tenacity is stronger than anyone’s. Good. Other than that… How is Montata’s current situation? Is Ayu Hin still holding up? What about the places occupied by Vipurit?”

“I’m not sure about Ayu Hin. And the places occupied by Vipurit… I heard that many of the city’s occupants have become Zombies, and the survivors were captured and either enslaved by the pirates or used as sacrifices.”

“And?”

“The officials in the castle are mainly Vipurit’s people and those believed to be Demon Worshipers… They continuously summon Demons or perform various rituals using the residents as sacrifices.”

The one reporting this added one more thing.

“It appears the Demons that attacked Jacrati were also summoned that way.”

The atmosphere within the conference hall immediately boiled over and exploded like an active volcano.

“Those bastards!”

“They have no morals! How could they bring Demons to this land after what happened forty years ago?!”

“I can’t forgive them, even if we cut them limb from limb before beheading them for hundreds of years!”

As someone with no idea what happened forty years ago, I felt left out…

I furrowed my eyebrows. Since I had no one who could ask for me and I wasn’t in any position to ask myself, I had no choice but to piece together what transpired from the clues they gave me. I was just glad I wasn’t completely incapable of extrapolating things.

“Absolutely. Demons are evil beings that should be wiped off the face of these lands.”

“We have to kill them all now!”

“Don’t say the obvious as if it was a brilliant idea. And you, have you determined their purpose yet?”

“That’s…”

“What? Is it to rule over the islands?”

“…Yes.”

“Hah, did they actually join hands with Demons just to get some insignificant pieces of land? How could they fall so far?”

The Lord furrowed her elegant eyebrows. She combed back her long hair with her hand, then tightly grabbed some of it.

Her black eyes seemed full of pitch-black flames.

“You.”

At that moment, the Lord looked at me, unable to contain her fury.

She was the one who told me to attend the meeting, even though I wasn’t an official. The energy around her seemed unusual, so I put some strength into my eyes as if trying to fight against the pressure.

“I heard you wanted to leave for Montata Island today, if possible. You’ll want to advance step by step, starting with Garorim.”

Montata Island was completely under Vipurit’s control, so we absolutely had to penetrate Garorim to receive more support from the other cities…

Right. It would probably be as the Lord said. I hadn’t heard anything about the plan changing after all.

And it was only right that we departed today if we could. Right before the meeting, Windhand said he would let us leave once he received reports that the city was fine.

“Am I correct in assuming you will take the same number of people you arrived with?”

By the way, I wasn’t really in charge of that, so even if she asked me… It would be better for her to just ask Windhand, not me…

“You only took three days’ worth of food with you. Will that be enough? If you need anything else, please feel free to let me know. There’s no need to show consideration toward our situation. I will give you as much support as I can.”

How temperamental. But I still wasn’t in charge of these matters.

“Discuss that with Windhand.”

For that reason, I handed all that work over to Windhand, who seemed restless whenever he stood before the Lord.

He was staring at me as though I had just backstabbed him…

No, I didn’t do anything wrong here. Hey, you’re the leader! I was playing the role of some hotheaded damage dealer who ignorantly charges straight ahead! So, why was I carrying the team now?!

“...Is there really nothing you need? Since you have already dealt with the Demons, we should forge an additional contract about this matter…”

At that moment, the Lord also watched me with an inexplicable expression—her words were rather subtle, but had I not managed my expression as well as I did, I’d have probably looked ridiculous.

“I want you to arrange for a boat right away so I can go kill those damn Demon bastards.”

Other than that? Yeah, there wasn’t really anything I needed other than that. Yep.

“…You truly are an amazing adventurer.”

The Lord started to laugh.

“In that case, if I were to leave you a certain request of mine, what should I give as a reward?”

…I just thought she was enthusiastically supporting me as the role of the Lord demanded. But that didn’t seem to be the case.

I’d been contemplating whether to ask for a decent longsword, but I was glad I hadn’t. If I did, I might have gotten scammed here.

While praising my wise judgment, I looked coldly at this petty Lord before me.

“Depends on what you want from me.”

“You’re right.”

The Lord casually and lightly responded to my words before pausing to take a breath. She inhaled and exhaled slowly, then held out a piece of paper.

In the center of the heavily creased paper was the portrait of someone who looked quite similar to the Lord but strangely had a different air about him. Below it was a name engraved with large letters.

“Your Lordship!”

“That’s!”

People fussed when they saw the paper, while the Lord only raised her hand. In that instant, the room became quiet.

“The bounty on this person’s head is ten million Gal. Now that he’s done something like this, the amount will inevitably rise again, and since he has joined hands with the Demons, our ability to restrain and defeat him ourselves is almost zero.”

I separated from the wall I was leaning against and walked toward the table. The rustling sound unique to paper resonated through the room as the portrait became even clearer.

Vipurit. That was the name written below it.

“However, we can’t wait any longer. So, what do you want? What can I give you to make sure you bring me that bastard’s head?”

So, did that mean she wanted me to kill Vipurit?

* * *

* * *

「❖ Fangs Aimed at Jacrati

∎ Destroy the base of Vipurit’s gang

∎ Demons eliminated: 215 / ??

∎ Optional: Kill Vipurit」

The Quest also updated right at that moment, giving me certainty. The Lord, Pion, had decided to have her brother, who had gone too far, killed.

“This request is separate from the one asking you to drive out the enemies of Jacrati from these lands. So tell me: what is it you wish for? What should I offer for you to accept this request?”

However, there was one problem.

Was she saying she’d give me something like a bounty for that guy?

I was somewhat lost in thought as I engraved Vipurit’s portrait into my brain.

Hmm. As long as she paid me that amount she mentioned, I’d do it, no questions asked! I almost actually shouted that out, but her tone of voice was so ambiguous that I just couldn’t figure out whether or not she meant this bounty.

Considering the nuances, it seemed she wanted to give me something else in addition to the bounty…

However, the condition of this city wasn’t that good now.

How could they afford to pay out ten million Gal? That wasn’t an amount you could pay out of pocket, you know?

Even if it was possible, I believed it would be much better to use that money to restore the place rather than just giving it to me…

“Is there a decent blacksmith in this city?”

Hmm. Oh, whatever. There was no need for me to refuse something offered.

I wasn’t sure if this was about the bounty, but I had to kill that guy anyway. I should just tell them something that would be good if I received it but not too disappointing if I didn’t.

“Of course, there is. Do you need a blacksmith?”

I put down the paper and grabbed my inventory bag. I turned it upside down and shook it over the table a bit before something fell out.

“Wait a second, that’s!”

“…Are those scales?”

“When I return, I want you to have a blade ready for me.”

I threw a few scales and teeth of that dragon onto the table before taking back my inventory bag.

Even if I gave him good materials, if the craftsman’s level was too low, they would probably fail either way, right? Well, that was a problem for the Lord to solve. Ah, she was the one who asked me what I wanted, anyway.

“…Those things are?”

The Lord, who had yet to identify the things I’d dropped on the table, picked up a scale and turned it around.

“Well, I understand. Is there anything else?”

Oh, she would regret those words.

I, however, wouldn’t. Instead of adding to the list of rewards, I asked for more details on the condition.

“Does the head have to be intact?”

“…As long as I can tell that it’s Vipurit’s head.”

“Understood.”

And so, we wrote a contract… or that was what I wanted to do, but I couldn’t bring it up first due to the pridefulness my character was designed to have, so I gave up on it with tears in my eyes.

I was saving money for my image, but I would never abandon my image for money…!

“Is that all you called me here for?”

“Correct…”

“Then there’s no reason for me to stay here any longer.”

“Wait, are those all your conditions?”

Wouldn’t you usually think something like ‘Oh my god, how cheap’ when the other party practically forfeited any further conditions? Why were these people actually confirming these things?

Or were they perhaps still suspicious of me? That was for the best. Conditions that appeared too good to be true almost always lead to fraud and weren’t made by some pushovers.

“Don’t you dare hold me back any longer.”

However, I was the latter. They were free to take advantage of me but would have to deal with my temper instead!

Bam.

Judging I’d heard everything I needed to, I left the conference room confidently. It wasn’t how I should act before the Lord, but no one said anything about my behavior.

“…Well, we already expected as much, so there’s no need for any more support. So, let’s leave as soon as possible.”

“Wait, Suriy—”

“Let’s go!”

“Stop grabbing me by the back of my neck!”

Watching me curiously, Windhand quickly followed after, dragging Deb along. His timing was quite good. If he hadn’t escaped now, I’d have had to wait until the meeting ended!

“Uuuurgh. Hey, are you really going to accept that request?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“Shit… I don’t even have ten million Gal!”

“Were you planning to pay me that in their stead?”

“…Come on, I’ll try coming up with the money, so could you not ask the Lord for it?”

“So, you’re really going to give it in their stead, huh.”

Could Deb read my mind? How could he express my feelings so well without leaving anything out?

“I’ll add it to the request from earlier—”

Well, this was fine.

I pulled out the scimitar I’d been using since picking it up from somewhere and held it just below the nape of Windhand’s neck. Windhand reflexively raised both his hands, assuming a surrendering pose.

The sharp blade slightly cut Windhand’s skin, causing some blood to flow out.

“Your dedication and loyalty don’t matter to me. You’d better stop testing my patience by telling me what I should do or say to others.”

I tried to sound as cold as possible and a little annoyed.

I thought it might have been a little too much, but after concluding that my character would absolutely act like that, I didn’t hesitate any longer. Moreover, it was Windhand who crossed the line first.

“Keep in mind that you aren’t the only captain that can take me to Montata.”

I slowly and gradually removed the scimitar from his neck and quickly returned it to its scabbard. Flutter. The ends of my coat fluttered heavily along with my movements.

“You were in the wrong this time, Mr. Windhand.”

“…Seems like it.”

“Alright, let’s leave quickly. If we keep Mr. Knight waiting any longer, he might cut us down before the Demons.”

“…Got it.”

Seriously, I could finally move my body properly now.

* * *

The Inquisitor stroked her mace as she watched the island slowly approaching from the horizon—though truthfully, it was her ship approaching it.

The remnants of Demonic Energy yet to be Purified clearly came from the island.

“Ships!”

At that moment, several ships began departing from the port. They were obviously approaching the vessel she was on.

“Raise the white flag and put out the signs.”

At the captain’s command, the crew started to move busily. They desperately put signs all over the ship indicating they didn’t intend to fight.

And when their ship finally reached the ones departing from Jacrati’s port, negotiations began.

“We are the reinforcements sent here to fulfill the contract made with Sir Windhand.”

It was the Archmage who spoke on behalf of everyone aboard the ship. What he held was the contract he’d drawn up with Windhand, and the faces of the Jacrati people softened slightly when they saw the Adventurers' Guild’s seal stamped at the bottom.

While the possibility of it being forged wasn’t zero, it was enough to give the other party some peace of mind.

“Are you really an Archmage of the Magic Tower?”

However, the person before him wasn’t so gentle. A particularly tense atmosphere spread over the ship.

“That’s right.”

“And what about that person in white behind you? If my eyes aren’t wrong, isn’t that a member of some religious order?”

“…Right, again.”

The Archmage opened his mouth with some difficulty. The next moment, the eerie sound of drawn blades echoed across the sea. They all came from the Jacrati ships.

“How shameless must you be to bring someone of a religious order to these lands! Get out now!”

The hostility that poured over them was much sharper than their swords.

The Inquisitor clenched her fists when met with hostility much more intense than she’d expected. She tightly gripped the hilt of her mace.

“Get lost now!”

“Leave this part of the sea before I kill you!”

“Disappear already!”

However, she should never wield it against them. She absolutely couldn’t. She would never repeat what had happened in the past.

“Just once!”

So, the Inquisitor put down her mace and moved forward. Although she didn’t bear the Temple’s emblem, just seeing a God’s servant shouting so loudly made the atmosphere even more sinister than it had been before.

“Please listen to me, just once!”

However, she continued to talk steadfastly. She showed no sign of hesitation.

The Inquisitor was aware of what she had to overcome, but she wasn’t such a soft-hearted person that she would be overcome with guilt to that point.

If she were, she wouldn’t have dared to apologize to the Demon Knight in their third encounter or begged to learn tolerance from him.

“We have nothing we want to hear from you!”

“I know. But just listen to me this once!”

She was tactless and honest. It might be a weakness in many situations, but at times it could also be a strength.

“We won’t!”

“Please, listen to me just once!”

And right now was one of those moments.

“Please, just give us one chance!”

Her unwavering, unbreakable green eyes shone brightly.

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