Hero's Coffin Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Clatter...

The meal began only after the commotion had passed. Unfamiliar with the food of this other world, he carefully followed how his companions ate, only after observing them. Though wary of the unfamiliar appearances, once in his mouth, the tastes were mostly familiar.

This was potato, that was chicken. This vegetable he didn't know, but it had a texture similar to spinach, and so on. The spices were unfamiliar, but it was edible enough in its own way.

As he slowly chewed one bite at a time, Kalterik glanced at him and said,

"You're eating like it's your first time."

"Isaph was locked up in prison, so he probably hasn't eaten for a while."

Unexpectedly, it was Noi who took his side. He even added an explanation that the prison where Isaph had been confined was known for its poor conditions, causing Kalterik to close his mouth sheepishly. He had been grumbling to himself from the start, conscious of Harenir's warning.

The hostility in Noi's eyes when looking at him was less than before. Previously, whenever their eyes met, he would flinch and then glare in response, but now he just slightly turned his head away.

It couldn't be that he was grateful for blocking the zombies in the Encroachment Zone, as the identity of the undead Isaph controlled would still bother him. If he had to guess... it was because he kept staggering, dry heaving, and collapsing that the hostility had been withdrawn. He must have judged that with such a pathetic body, he couldn't cause any mischief even without being closely watched.

Though it was fortunate that conflicts had decreased, he couldn't shake off a somewhat miserable feeling...

Gulp, after drinking some water, Noi lightly began to speak.

"We've been observing the Encroachment Zone, and the purification has been progressing smoothly for three days. It will probably be completely purified within two weeks."

"...Wasn't it all purified that day?"

"Do you know how vast the Encroachment Zone is?!"

Well, the area of the forest he had surveyed with souls was enormous. It wasn't a forest in the concept of a walking trail, but one that should be understood as a scale where people frequently went missing. It seemed that from the point where Harenir had infused the purifying energy, the forest was gradually regaining its color.

"Still, the fact that it's being purified at all is truly amazing. It's something no one has ever succeeded in doing before! Perhaps Solnium has given the hero the mission to eliminate all the Encroachment Zones. There was a reason why God bestowed that grace!"

As Noi exclaimed in an emotional tone, Kalterik quickly agreed.

"It's the grace that only a true hero receives. Throughout the empire's history, those who have received grace can be counted on one hand!"

A hint of boastfulness mixed into his loud voice. The glance he cast at him seemed to proclaim that the superior he served was such a great being, and therefore, someone like him was nothing.

Mela also quietly added a word.

"The grace called the Sacred Realm..."

They were all grandiose titles. The son loved by God, the Holy Knight bestowed with grace, the being who spreads the Sacred Realm and purifies an area. He even bore the title of the Indomitable Knight whose wounds healed quickly. No wonder his companions might become Harenir's fanatics.

He mumbled while chewing on whole wheat bread.

"God's making one person work too hard."

"..."

"..."

"..."

...I’m screwed.

The words had slipped out unconsciously. It gave the impression that by giving such overpowered abilities to just one person, it was rather pushing all responsibility onto him and driving him. Having been an atheist in his previous life, seeing these amazing abilities didn't immediately create religious faith. Acknowledging the existence of a god and revering one were different things.

The atmosphere turned cold with his remark. Though his voice had surely been quiet, his dining companions happened to be excellent knights and a fairy who didn't miss even the smallest sound. Everyone looked at him.

W-what should I do? Explaining that he was an atheist in front of them would only make things worse. As he panicked, unable to even chew the bread in his mouth, suddenly a soft laugh was heard from across the table.

It was close to a small chuckle, like air escaping, but surprisingly, it was Harenir who had burst into laughter. A faint hint of amusement settled in the blue eyes looking at him.

"Now that we're certain the purification is effective, I'm thinking we should continue eliminating Encroachment Zones like this."

Harenir spoke in a calm voice. Though grateful for the action that reconnected the abruptly cut atmosphere, he didn't understand the content.

"...Now that you've confirmed Diums are alive, shouldn't you return to the Order?"

Wasn't confirming the Diums' survival the first objective? Now that they had witnessed Diums alive in the Encroachment Zone, the Order would have to believe that fact. Although that body had vanished in the purifying light, there were enough people to testify.

"We only discovered single-horned Diums. There was only one two-horned one."

"...?"

"I want to investigate more thoroughly. Whether the Diums that luckily survived were only gathered in the southern Encroachment Zone, or if they're hiding elsewhere too. And whether they were revived, or if they never died in the first place."

The more he heard, the more confused he became. So, to investigate properly, shouldn't they inform the Order of the current situation and form an official search party?

That Dium was said to have brought about the Great Catastrophe in the past.

Was it because the hero's presence was so significant that they wanted to move cautiously? Considering the possibility that only small fry had survived in hiding, perhaps the goal was to find out more certainly to prevent unnecessary fear.

Though there were still unclear parts, he had a feeling that even if he asked Harenir, he wouldn't get an answer. He'd probably just say again that he never said he'd answer. He should be grateful that he had shared this much.

As he kept his mouth shut, reading the atmosphere, Harenir smiled slightly.

"And ultimately, the goal is to check if 'that' might be awakening."

"What?! Commander, that's...!"

"Haren! Surely, that's impossible!"

Kalterik and Noi were shocked. Even though he had referred to it with the pronoun 'that', they immediately understood and denied it, and even Mela shook her head.

Hmm, contextually, it probably referred to the Dium leader. It could possibly be a successor, but considering the others' reactions and the danger level according to the number of horns, it was more likely to be the leader. Was the reason Noi had been so certain that they had 'perfectly dealt with the Diums' because the event of taking down the leader had been so intense? Usually, when you take out the head, it's easier to eliminate the underlings.

Ah, another flag was being raised.

Though still faint, he couldn't shake off this ominous feeling that made his chest cold. Amidst the noisy atmosphere, he quietly tore and ate his bread alone before casually asking,

"So. Are we going to the next Encroachment Zone now?"

Harenir's eyes widened. He seemed quite pleased with his behavior of calmly asking about future plans in a situation where everyone else was denying the possibility. He smiled slightly, his eyes crinkling.

"Why do you ask that?"

"...What do you mean? To confirm according to your goals, we need to go to the Encroachment Zone."

"You sighed just before. What's bothering you?"

When did he see that? He met Harenir's gaze reluctantly. Somehow, it felt like he was being led in questioning.

"...I was wondering if we could continue searching the Encroachment Zones with just this number of people. Since it seems likely we'll encounter Diums in the next Encroachment Zone too."

It's a rule of games that the path to the boss gets increasingly difficult. Now that they've cleared phase 1 of the raid, phase 2 will naturally be much trickier. But Harenir didn't seem to have any intention of returning to the Order, so he could only see his own hardships ahead. Though Harenir had said he only wanted him for the role of a guide, as long as they entered the Encroachment Zone together, he would inevitably be in danger too.

At his answer, Harenir's smile deepened. The smile on that incredibly holy face was enough to evoke non-existent religious faith just by looking at it, but somehow, the back of his neck felt cold. Why was he smiling? There was no way he could interpret positively being smiled at by someone who disliked him.

This was clearly an ominous sign.

"That's right. We'll need some aids. Since most magical items don't work properly in the Encroachment Zone, I'm thinking of obtaining some holy relics."

"...From the temple?"

"No. That's impossible since we can't use our original identities. Not only do I not want to draw unnecessary attention, but what I want isn't in the temple to begin with."

He blinked blankly. One was a hero reported dead, the other two knights had fled the Order's interrogation with the excuse of following the hero's footsteps, and Noi had resigned on his way out of the holy city. It was for the reason that he needed rest, unable to overcome the sorrow of losing the hero he had been with since childhood, or something like that.

Then, the way to obtain holy relics from somewhere other than the temple...

"I'm planning to go to the first emperor's tomb. A place filled with relics and holy objects imbued with the glory of when the Holy Empire of Solares was first established."

...A tomb? Though it was amusing to see holy knights becoming grave robbers, he was thinking that at least the terrain of a tomb seemed easier compared to the Encroachment Zone.

"And that tomb, as you know, is in the sky."

Huh?

What did he say? No, why suddenly a sky island after a misty forest? Why was the map difficulty jumping like this? He wasn't the only one surprised; Kalterik and Mela also looked at him in shock, and Noi was astonished.

"But until now, no one has been able to approach that place...!"

"That's right. But since it's a 'tomb', won't Isaph be able to make a path?"

Don't talk about finding a tomb like it's my hometown.

He felt extremely wronged, but what was even more bewildering was that with Harenir's answer, the other three all seemed to understand. Was the tomb Isaph's house?