I Became the Main Character’s Demon Sword

59

The location of the branch and the method of entry written in the report Lexia had handed over were completely different from the place they were currently looking for, rendering them useless. As if anticipating this situation, a note was clearly written at the bottom:

‘More investigation is needed regarding the beast’s cry.’

On the second day of searching the village thoroughly, Leriana’s face became sullen.

“Are you sure it’s really in this village? We can’t find it no matter how hard we look.”

“If we can’t find it in the village, we’ll have to look outside too.”

Soon, her face contorted. It was an expression that screamed displeasure to anyone who saw it. Of course, Rohan didn’t care the slightest bit about such changes.

All his attention had long been focused on Arpel. His hand busily went back and forth over Arpel’s bowl.

“…Rohan. That’s enough, you can stop now.”

“But Arpel, you’re too thin…”

“I don’t gain weight no matter how much I eat.”

“Still…”

The spoon, having lost its destination, hovered in front of him for a moment. Faced with pleading eyes, Arpel couldn’t bring himself to refuse. In the end, he nodded. This had already been repeated during lunch.

“‘I don’t gain weight no matter how much I eat’? Wow, I’m envious.”

Leriana, sitting across from them, muttered a few times with a dazed look. Even Casia turned her head slightly to ignore her, so she received no attention from anyone.

Seemingly frustrated by this, she picked up her soup bowl and drank it whole. As she tilted her head back, Casia grabbed her robe that was about to slip backwards, just before her shimmering golden hair, which easily caught people’s eyes, was fully revealed.

Crash.

Amidst the noisy people eating and drinking, a loud sound of something falling over was heard. Since this place doubled as a restaurant and a pub, most people didn’t pay attention, as if it was common for heavily drunk people to fall over.

However, not everyone was indifferent. Some gazes clearly turned towards the source of the sound. Rohan’s group, who had been eating as usual, was no exception.

The cause was a man who had suddenly stood up, knocking over his chair. His pale face and trembling legs that shook uncontrollably seemed ominous. His gaze was fixed precisely on Leriana.

“…Haah.”

“Is, is it my fault?”

“Who else’s fault would it be?”

“…Sorry.”

The man hurriedly paid and left his seat. As he quickly fled, Casia, who had been dabbing her mouth with a napkin, stood up.

“Take your time leaving.”

Her steps following the direction the man had gone were brisk. A scream rang out before the three who had quickly finished their meal could properly pay.

“I’m, I’m sorry. I’m sorry…!”

The man, who seemed to have been roughly caught, was covered in dirt here and there, looking quite disheveled.

His cheeks were slightly sunken as if he often went hungry, and his legs, whether due to lack of stamina or fear, trembled uncontrollably after his desperate run.

It was quite a pitiful sight, but only Leriana hesitated. Neither Arpel nor Rohan showed any particular reaction to his appearance. There was nothing to be given to someone who was obviously suspicious to anyone who saw him.

“You ran away after seeing Leriana’s face. What are you up to?”

“Up, up to? That’s unfair! It’s unfair…! I just thought you were pri, priests…”

His voice grew progressively quieter. Eventually, it diminished to a whisper-like volume, but no one present would have failed to hear it. Casia’s brow furrowed sharply. Naturally, the force restraining him intensified.

“Agh! My, my arm… Argh!”

“It would be better if you spoke properly.”

Tears fell from his eyes, which had dark circles under them. The dirt on his face mixed with the tears, making the droplets that gathered at the tip of his chin murky.

Rohan, who had been staring at him intently, slowly bent down. His finger slowly extended to lightly tap the man’s cheek. Tap, tap. Though it was just a gentle repetition, the man’s face grew increasingly pale as time passed.

“You said you ran away because you thought we were priests?”

“Y-Yes…!”

“That seems even stranger.”

If you have nothing to hide, you shouldn’t run away. A chilling glint appeared in Rohan’s gently curved eyes. The man, frozen like ice, could only move his lips slightly.

Arpel’s gaze on him was also cold. People of the Empire tend to look up to priests. Most believe that gaining holy power and magic means being chosen by God, and it’s the priests who protect them from the specters threatening the Empire.

The man’s behavior was strange in more ways than one. He had deduced that Leriana was a priest just by looking at her face, and upon realizing this, he immediately fled.

Although his actions were too conspicuous to be ignored, it wasn’t enough reason to dismiss suspicion.

Finally, the man, with tears in his eyes, confessed:

“When I was young, my fa-father said priests were bad people! I heard it so many times it was like nails in my ears, so without thinking, I…”

“…How did you know we were priests?”

“…”

“Answer.”

“Ugh! I’ll, I’ll answer. I’ll tell you! My, my arm…!”

As soon as he showed signs of clamming up, his arm was twisted. Half crying and shouting, Casia slowly released the pressure from her hand. The man’s gaze dropped to the floor.

“…Because…”

“Speak louder.”

“The, the lady was shining too brightly…!”

For a moment, silence fell. If someone else had seen it, they might have gotten goosebumps at how intensely emotional Rohan’s eyes had been, but slowly, light returned to them. Even that was closer to a feeling of bewilderment.

Leriana, who had been silent throughout, couldn’t hide her pouting lips. Arpel glanced at her briefly before quickly looking away.

“…Leriana.”

But his mouth faithfully called her name. Arpel, looking at the man pinned to the ground, tilted his head.

“You said you were curious about the village, right?”

“The village? …Ah. That’s right! There seems to be a lot to see, but I don’t know where to start sightseeing.”

Leriana’s eyes widened for a moment, but soon she seemed to catch on to Arpel’s intention. Her winking attitude was quite mischievous.

Arpel’s gaze seemed to be saying, ‘This is your chance for redemption.’ The man, swallowing hard, nodded vigorously.

“I’ll guide you! I, I can do it well!”

Casia, who had been pinning him down from above, looked at Arpel with a strange expression. After a moment of silence, as if trying to gauge his thoughts, she removed her knee that had been pressing down on him and withdrew the arm she had been about to twist.

“He’s not at all trustworthy, so I’ll accompany you, Lady Leriana.”

“As if I wouldn’t bring Sia along? Come on, introduce us quickly!”

“But, but now is not the time…”

“Now.”

Leriana, who had been smiling so brightly that anyone would have marveled at how lovely she looked, curled up one corner of her mouth. That alone was enough to create an eerie atmosphere.

Finally, realizing that there was no one in this place who cared about his well-being, the man nodded so vigorously that his neck might have creaked. It was due to the fear that if he refused, the knight standing behind him might actually rip his arm off this time.

Rohan, alternately watching Leriana and Casia walking away, and the man whose face had turned blue as if being led to a slaughterhouse, slowly stood up. His eyes, which finally met Arpel’s, curved gently.

“Let’s go together.”

His hand was firmly grasped. Moreover, it was held tightly with fingers interlocked as if refusing to let go, leaving Arpel no choice but to silently stare at the captured hand for a moment.

Rohan acted as if he already knew everything Arpel was thinking. As he slightly pulled the captured hand to walk ahead, Arpel obediently followed him. Every time Rohan entered his field of vision diagonally, Arpel’s chest felt inexplicably heavy.

“Do you know where that man from earlier lives?”

The place they headed was the restaurant where they had been eating until just now. Rohan slightly lifted his robe towards the woman who was looking at him with wide eyes.

When his face, full of warm colors, broke into a gentle smile, gazes were drawn from all around. It was the kind of smile that easily made others feel affection. The woman, who had been staring at Rohan as if mesmerized, finally came to her senses. Her cheeks were subtly flushed.

“Ah, I think I know. You lent him money, right?”

The woman who had helped them with their bill showed her fondness for Rohan while nodding as if she understood.

“Yes, I thought he was a good person and lent him a large sum… but he hasn’t paid it back. I couldn’t even talk to him before he got away.”

“He lives on the outskirts of the village. Go straight out, turn right immediately, and keep walking until you see a bakery with a blue roof. From there, enter the alley on the left. After about 10 minutes of walking, you’ll see an isolated house.”

The woman, who had provided more detailed information than expected, smiled softly. Though her face was rather plain, when she smiled shyly, it exuded a fresh atmosphere.

“If you have time, how about a cup of tea…”

Before she could finish saying “together?”, she was cut off. Rohan, who had intended to firmly decline but at least express gratitude for the information received, opened his eyes wide at the strong pulling force.

However, as soon as he realized it was Arpel, he relaxed his body. Rohan, who was obediently pulled along, finally completely left the restaurant. He heard the confused woman calling after him, but Rohan cleanly cut off his interest. After all, she was someone he would never see again.

More importantly, Arpel right in front of him was hundreds, thousands of times more important. His gaze, full of puzzlement looking down at Rohan, was tinged with a bit of worry.

“Arpel? Are you not feeling well?”

“…No.”

“Then…”

“Don’t smile.”

Faced with this incomprehensible answer, Rohan’s expression became peculiar.

Unlike usual, his slightly furrowed brow suggested he was trying to gauge what Arpel was thinking, as Rohan’s gaze didn’t leave Arpel. After moving his lips a few times, a small voice leaked out. It was as if he had gained some kind of realization.

“…Do you dislike it when I smile at other people?”