The Direction of their Rage

「Is he actually Hikaru?」Selyse wondered.

「That’s really bugging you, huh? I, for one, don’t really care who Silver Face is.」Sarah said.

「And you care a little too less.」Sophie said.「We must verify if people with power are just or not. Otherwise it could spell danger.」

「It’s not that Sophie hates Silver Face. She doesn’t care much.」Selica chimed in.「She just doesn’t like Hikaru.」

The Four Stars of the East were chatting as they walked through the dangerous forest. They kept their eyes peeled, of course, as dangerous monsters lurked in the woods of Grand Dream. They had been walking for four hours since morning, and already killed five huge monsters.

「I never thought he’d find an answer in simple adventurer job—gathering materials. We haven’t take one of those commissions for a long time.」

「Thanks to Hikaru’s dedication to surveying, the Adventurers Guild’s had become more popular.」

The ladies did not participate in the meeting held at Dream Maker. Piecing together bits of information, and the fact that the guild’s representative was in a good mood, meant the meeting went well.

The plan to build a guild branch in Dream Maker was approved as well. For adventurers, more ways to earn money was always welcome.

「We’re almost at our destination. Brace yourselves.」Selyse said.

The girls’ expressions became serious. They came to the forest because adventurers drinking on top of the city walls late at night said they saw smoke rising from the woods.

Most adventurers didn’t believe them. Since smoke signals would normally be used at day when it was visible, they checked it out, but saw nothing. They thought those who saw it was just seeing things from too much drinking.

But Selyse was different. She asked permission from the guild to check it out. Her request was granted, provided they returned within the day.

「Stop.」Sarah, who walked in front, said sharply.

Selyse immediately drew her sword, while Sophie and Selica hid themselves in the trees.

Sarah’s nose twitched.「I smell smoke.」

The girls exchanged glances and nodded at each other. What the adventurer said was true, after all. As they proceeded cautiously, even Selyse, who wasn’t a scouting type, eventually caught the smell of smoke too.

「What is this?」

There were traces of a bonfire. From the bird feathers and bones scattered about, it was obvious that it was not meant to send a signal.

「They were cooking.」

The fact that the smoke was only visible at night mean either two things: whoever made the fire wanted to eat without anyone spotting them, or they wanted to warm themselves at night.

「Someone was definitely here!」Selica folder her arms and puffed up her chest. Why she did the latter, no one knew.

「The footprints go this way… probably human. They’re limping.」

Sarah pointed at the ground, but no ordinary human could see what she was looking at exactly. She had never been wrong, however.

The girls would soon find out who they were tracking.

Grucel frowned as he accepted the documents. Yesterday’s fierce match left him with severe muscle pain. Although he had been treated for the internal bleeding with Healing magic, it was better to leave the muscle pain and fatigue intact to build stamina. For Dream Maker who didn’t have any sort of Healing magic, it was quite convenient.

『That was an impressive match. You fight so well, Lord Grucel.』

More people than usual came to Grucel’s office today. Most of them didn’t have any particular business with him; they just wanted to talk about what happened yesterday.

『Hardly. The Beastman King beat me.』

『Only because your weapon snapped. The Beastman King wants to have a rematch with you.』

『I’d rather he didn’t.』

Grucel let out a weary sigh. He wouldn’t be able to do his job if he engaged in such a strenuous fight every single time. That should apply to Gerhardt as well, but apparently he was out on the training grounds again today, going on a rampage. Grucel couldn’t believe what he was hearing. The commander was unaware that Gotthold worked hard to make up for his king’s neglect of duties.

Then all of a sudden, Gin barged into the room.『Lord Grucel!』

『What’s the matter? You should at least knock.』

『I-I’m sorry… But there are more pressing matters at hand!』

Grucel found Gin’s behavior strange.

『The traitor, Koukimaru, has been captured by the adventurers.』

The usually calm and collected Grucel stood up. His expression had changed.

『Where is he now?!』

『In jail. I’ll take you there.』

Grucel drove his visitors out and started running.

Gin knew Koukimaru, since he was close friends with Koukimaru’s brother, Wakamaru, and Silver Face, who had traveled with him to Lands Harvest.

Grucel was also aware of the circumstances, given his position. His blood boiled knowing that the man responsible for the death of Duinkler—his longtime foe and a rare powerful ally—was nearby.

Grucel also knew that it was Koukimaru who sent the monsters into Dream Maker this time around, and that Silver Face and Galixon defeated him. The military looked for Koukimaru, whose conditions were unknown, but he didn’t expect the adventurers, who wasn’t aware of the situation, to find him first.

『The giant bird he was riding was nowhere to be found, and Koukimaru himself was badly injured, so it appears that no fighting took place during his capture.』

『That’s good to hear.』

『It’s right ahead. The chamber in the middle.』

The jail had been emptied when they abandoned this country, so the only person currently imprisoned here was Koukimaru.

At the end of a bleak passage were three cells. In the middle, a man in tattered clothing sat on a chair, his arms chained, and only his right leg tied to a weight. He had completely lost his leg left from the knee down below. It was already treated and wrapped in bandages.

『So you’re Koukimaru…』

Grucel’s eyes widened as Koukimaru looked up. It was the first time he met the man. The whites of his eyes had become completely black.

『I take it you’re the commander-in-chief here. What are you going to do to me?』

『Nothing.』

『…What?』

『We are on the front lines. We won’t do anything until we stabilize the situation and the king has arrived.』

『Are you stupid?』

『What?』

Gin flared up at the man’s rude remark and mannerisms, but Grucel held him back.

『I am a citizen of Dream Maker. I have a responsibility to uphold the laws of my country.』

『And I’m saying that’s stupid. The one who destroyed your home is right here in front of you. Laws no longer apply when a country is destroyed.』

『People make a country. As long as its citizens remain, a country will continue to exist. That’s what His Majesty the King said.』

『……….』

Grucel wanted nothing but to murder the man who killed Duinkler. But committing such an inhuman act would make him no different than Koukimaru. What’s more, when he watched the man, he felt the anger inside him slowly vanish.

Pitiful, he thought. The old man forsook the place that had been the only source of emotional support for him, and lived a long life bent on taking revenge.

His plan, however, ended in failure.

『Let’s go, Gin.』

『Huh? A-Are you sure, Sir? What about interrogation?』

『For what? I could see it in his face. This man had risked his life to attack our country. You’ll get nothing out of him by questioning him. It’s only a waste of time.』Grucel started walking.

『O-Okay…』

Not completely satisfied, Gin followed his commander.

『Wait.』Koukimaru called.『My lord is already aware of this country’s existence. He possesses power so great that no human could hope to defeat him. Good luck in leaving this continent.』

Grucel turned around silently.『We came back to fight. From time immemorial, man has compensated for his inabilities with wisdom, and defeated even the strongest of forces.』

Koukimaru guffawed.『I’d love to see you fight with your measly wits.』

『I heard you were a wise man. It turns out, you’re not.』

『What…?』

『Silver Face saw through your plans. Your mind is shallow. We will pool all our knowledge and refine it into wisdom. And we will win in the end.』Grucel walked away.

This time Koukimaru was completely quiet.

As Grucel stepped out of the dimly-lit detention center, the spring sunshine poured down on him.

『Gin.』

『Sir.』

Grucel squinted at the brightness.『We will win in the end.』he declared once more, half to himself and half to Gin.