Spectre of the Sinner - Chapter 3 part 4: A wanderer becomes the hero
POV: An Nguyễn, 0909 UTC+09:30, Nebioso Wald, Mellanphalia Kingdom
Oops, it seemed that [Earth]-based jokes were in bad taste. At this point, I could only hope in vain that her opinion about [Earth] wasn’t soured too much, as at this point, I was serving as a [first contact] being.
The lady knight, Miss [von Wagner], could only roll her emerald-colored eyes at my antics before resuming the lecture. Of course, I should stop troubling her further, as it wasn’t befitting my already ruined image in her eyes.
“Another thing to note is that [Ravenous Ogres] either only grow one or no horn at all,” as her slightly hoarse voice became further strained, an urge to let her retire from this chore grew in my heart, “and as for the origin of the name…”
Noticing that her words were trailing off, leading to coughing fits, I gave her a concerned look as I opened my helmet. Before I knew it, my hands were already placed on her shoulders, rubbing them gently to soothe her spirit.
“Thank you for the lecture, so you don’t have to force yourself anymore. You can sit back and rest now. And please give me a moment, it’s my fault for not noticing it beforehand. Let me search for something for you.”
After handing her my flask, I rummaged through the medical supplies pouch for some cough lozenges. Suddenly, I registered a faint shocked reply from the lady knight, further worrying me. Lifting my head to investigate, I recognized a familiar white paper package sitting in the palms of the knight. The tissues were already opened by her, revealing my forgotten floral companion, which I picked up while I was refilling my flask the other day.
“Mister… Is this true that… This is a… [Fleur de Miracolo]… Where did you get… It?”
Feeling a bit perplexed due to her shaken voice, I truthfully divulged to her as I bent down to retrieve my flask.
“The other day, when I was still wandering in the forest’s depth, this fella floated toward me. I don’t know why it was as if this fella was begging me to carry it with me. So… I guess that I’d like to hear more about how this little lily got its namesake later.”
After offering her a mint-flavored cough lozenge, the little water lily once again was tucked in nicely in my pouch. Then I dutifully dug out the blood-soaked [Magic stones] from the cold bodies while silently groaning inward for having to conceal my true abilities. In the meantime, our dear knight was enjoying the mint-flavored lozenge, for her fair face was happily relaxing each time she rolled the pastille inside her mouth.
After the knight recovered from her coughing fit, she unsheathed her longsword and started to fiddle with the bleached-looking round gem embedded at the sword’s hilt. Sensing her intention, I helped her pry it out before grabbing a leather bag, from which she took out a fresh dark-colored gem to insert into the vacant slot on her longsword’s hilt.
Then from another compartment, she took out a small vial of dimly glowing translucent potion. After exchanging a grateful glance at me for helping her open the vial, she downed the content in one gulp, contorting her face intensely due to its taste.
“Let’s get this done over now, I’m tired of looking at those piggish brutes.”
While I was suppressing my hand from palming it against my face, the knight’s ridiculously lengthy chanting came to an end, unleashing several specks of bright flames toward the scattered corpses of the [Ogres]. I could not help but be impressed at the display of progress made in the 200 years since I was banished to [Earth]. If only that [Pompeo-Navarre] bastard didn’t fucking make his move, I’d love to get a vacation to [Evrylandia] for some soul-healing R&R now.
“So, are we good to go now, Miss [von Wagner]?”
A dash of melancholy dashed onto her well-sculpted face as she looked at the mass grave, creating a picturesque scene worthy of a major photography award. What a pity to not be able to use the integrated GoPro camcorder, thus I had to make do with engraving it into my memory instead. What a shame.
“Yes, it will take us about 4 days on foot to reach [Vest Schëld]. I’ll be in your care from now on.”
Quickly following her footsteps, my journey to reach a bastion of civilization was reaching its end. Of course, I didn’t forget to offer a quick bow of gratitude toward the dead for the supplies.
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POV: Freida von Wagner, secunda hora noctis, Nebioso Wald, Mellanphalia Kingdom
Nighttime. We were camping out at a rest stop where the convoy intended to stop if not for the appearance of those cursed [Ogres]. It seemed that the Prime Minister and his servants didn’t stop there, as there were no traces of recent human activities. The only thing I could do was to continue praying for their safety, as Mister [An] wanted me to have a good night’s sleep.
A playful tune danced amongst the crackling flames, fanning a pleasant aroma from the burning wood and the grilling meat skewers, creating a warm and cozy ambiance. While we already had some dried meat and bread in the luggage, the foreign soldier went out of his way to nab another wild game, stating that I should eat more to encourage my healing process, to which I had no choice but to comply. Thus, the recipe where game meat was wrapped in dried meat was born, whose fragrance whetted my appetite greatly.
The occasional breezes rustled the leaves ever so lightly as if they wanted to tell tales of the olden days to any interested travelers while further in the background, the nearby creek gently rippled its litany of peace. Thanks to the warmth radiating from the bonfire, those gusts only brought a cooling sensation, sprouting a wistful desire.
Sitting across the bonfire, Mister [An], my savior, was leisurely swaying his body along a tune, his hands strumming on an imaginary instrument and his leg rhythmically stomping accordingly. His rich, clear, and deep voice sang a slow-paced, soulful, and poignant song about a wanderer’s deepest desire: a place to call home after a long voyage.
Subconsciously following his every shake of the head, I found myself slowly sinking into his dark brown eyes, unable to resist the song’s powerful melancholic draw, thus strengthening my earlier wistful desire. Just as the thoughts were swirling, suddenly, he came upon me, snapping me from the churning thoughts.
“It’s all right Miss [von Wagner],” using his intricately decorated handkerchief to wipe my tears, the kind-hearted soldier rubbed my shoulder, “it’s normal to have that feeling about your vriende, I mean, friends. And I’ll state this beforehand lest you got any other ideas: that I’m not pitying you, and that no matter how much you blame yourself, they won’t come back to life.”
Stunned by his frank words, I could only stare at him in utter astonishment, my jaws agape not unlike a fish stranded on the shore.
“And before you ask any further, remember that I’m a soldier too,” his gaze became downcast as he poured out his emotions, “I’ve witnessed a fair share of my comrades being killed over the years, and the surviving ones ended their life because of the sheer grief. It’s hard to be a survivor, so remember this: the survivors are what make the sacrifices meaningful.”
Turning over to check on the skewers, he gently turned them over and stole a glance at his left wrist before continuing to share his astute wisdom while not forgetting to pat my shoulder. At the same time, his dark brown eyes gently peered straight into mine, blocking any attempts to avert my eyes even for a moment.
“And don’t force yourself either because it’s not something that can be done today or tomorrow. Even after all the years, I am still haunted by the look on their faces in their last moments. It’s something that I’m still living with now, and I’m still soldering on to honor their sacrifices. So don’t worry, because when it rains…”
What came next was a hopeful and powerful melody about self-resilience in the face of hardship, and how a true friendship could help in such times. It seemed that today was the day that I wept the most, as once again, the kind-hearted gentleman wiped my tears away with his handkerchief.
“My apologies, my bad habits kicked in again,” with a wry smile plastered on his face, the man excused his habit, “even my vriende always poked fun at me for always waxing lyrical like this.”
Seemingly exhausted after the emotional outpour, he forlornly shrank back onto the spot next to me before noticing the state of the skewers. Then Mister [An] hurriedly took 2 of them out of the bonfire, handing me a perfectly grilled stick with a sheepish grin.
“Almost fucking forgot, my apologies,” he hastily covered his mouth after he blurted out a swear word, “almost forgot about these bad boys. At least I got them out just in time before they became too dry, so please eat up Miss [von Wagner].”
Gratefully receiving the delicious-looking skewer from him, I secretly wished to have some booze to go with these delicious sticks. It took me a while to realize that I was thinking the same thing as my comrades did. Embarrassed by the thoughts, I hurriedly dug into the skewers.
“My, it’s an exquisite treat!”
An exclamation escaped from my lips as I happily savored the skewers, relishing the slightly salty meat juices. With each mouthful, the mix of dried meat mixed with gamey meat created an unforgettable impression, encouraging me to take the next bite. Deciding to steal a glance at the man, he seemed much more reserved in enjoying his skewers, slowly taking a bite each time as if he was preserving his dignity. I couldn’t help but chuckle at the strangely adorable sight, so I had some teasing in order.
“Fufufu, please don’t hesitate at all Mister [An]. Your gentleman façade is already long gone,” I childishly stuck my tongue out at him, “I think that it’s better for you to just devour your part like a beast, fufufu.”
Heaving a defeated sigh, he scratched his head, a peculiar hairstyle where both sides of the head are shaven, leaving a low ridge of short hair in the center, with a low groan before heartily digging into his skewer. Of course, I had already helped myself with a second serving, savoring every bite just like the first. At this rate, I may have to grab a third serving, which I already had the excuse of nursing my wound.
“So, to start with,” suddenly Mister [An] posed a question, almost made me drop my half-finished skewer, “could you fill me in detail about the [Mellaphalia Kingdom]? And if possible, do you mind briefing me about this particular stretch of the forest?”
Now that I thought of it, he did ask for me to lecture him on the state of affairs, and it was only until now we had the time and mood to do that. And judging from his eagerness to collect information like this despite his claim to being a mere humble soldier, the possibility of him being a spy for an unknown country was high. And yet what kind of spy would be this heavily armed and armored like this? Maybe I could lie my way out, but he didn’t look like the type that could be easily fooled despite his earlier apparent goofiness. As I faced such a dilemma, the choice was crystal clear.
“The [Mellaphalia Kingdom] is a country located in the central part of the [Evrylandia] continent. To the North is the [Septentranquil Sea], to the West lies the [Holy Empire of Salusa], and to the East are the various countries of non-human races like [Elves], [Risar] and [Droich], whereas in the South is the domain of the infamous [Campo di Muerte], where hordes of rampaging monsters are only held back by a string of military fortresses. The capital city of my [Kingdom] is the [Kuckucknidum], located in the northern part of the central region. And as for this forest, people call it [Nebioso Wald], named for the occasional thick fog, whose cause is unidentified. Because it lies near the border between the [Kingdom] and the [Holy Empire], it’s a mixed blessing for us as while we have to deal with occasional swarms of monsters, at least we have less to worry about the [Holy Empire’s] expansionist ambitions.”
After listening to the basic explanation, the foreigner nodded as he drew a sketch map using a random wooden stick while taking a finishing bite of his skewer. Seeing that he was particularly pondering over the southern direction, I stepped up to answer his unspoken question.
“If I recall correctly, over 200 years ago, there was a large-scale disaster, called the [Great Stampede], from the ancient [Confederation of Calatempestria] when a sudden outpour of monsters overran everything. Every country south of our [Kingdom] was destroyed, leading to countless deaths. The cause of the event is still largely unknown, but there are two different theories that I know of. One was that it was an act of divine punishment for the ruling [House of Montana], and the other was that the [Great Stampede] was the result of an experiment gone wrong.”
After finishing the rundown, a question suddenly popped into my head: from which direction had the man traveled up to here? There was only one way to find out, and thus I proceeded to question him.
“Mister [An], may I ask this one thing?”
“I marched here from the South direction,” already anticipated my question, the soldier handed me the third serving of the night, “I think that I’ve been wandering for over 2 months in search of a bastion of civilization.”
Ignoring my stunned reaction, he continued to tell his story while wearing a distant look on his weathered visage.
“I was separated from my unit while on a combat mission, and as far as I know, I’m currently all alone here,” the foreign soldier then turned his gaze toward me, making my heart skip a beat, “it was 2 months full of hardships. But thanks to the meeting with you, I have taken the first step in my journey.”
Peering into his dark brown eyes, I sensed a burning glimmer of determination and hope. Even though I knew that I was being swept away by this man’s pace, I couldn’t help but wanted to be carried along with him.
Then he suddenly stood up and stretched out his left arm as if he was waiting for something, breaking my trance and racing thoughts. A small falcon swooped down into his arm, yet its appearance wasn’t like a live bird at all. The falcon-like contraption was black in color, its body small enough to sit in the palm securely, and its wing folded precisely like paper. The soldier then opened his dark-colored sack, stowed the contraption in, pulled out a small box-shaped gadget along with a black cord, and placed it near the bonfire. Then he guided one end of the thread into the sack, which I presumed to connect with the bird-shaped device.
A degree of confusion over the strange contraptions was evident in my thoughts as I tried to decipher their functions. But above all else, it seemed that I should search for the meaning of the mysterious feeling that had been tugging at my heart ever since I was saved by him. Maybe I should start consulting some of my civilian friends once I return to civilization.
Once again, the man broke the silence while contentedly looking at his alien apparatus, checking his left wrist in the process.
“I suggest calling it a night here, don’t you agree? Don’t worry; I’ll take the night watch for you. So please finish up your serving, it’s getting cold.”
Pointedly ignoring my utter confusion over my state of mind, he silently took out some of the paper towels, the same kind that wrapped the sacred flower and started to use them to wipe his mouth while also giving some to me. I could only wordlessly finish my third skewer of the night, albeit somewhat reluctantly.
Afterward, he tucked me into a cocoon-like sleeping bag despite my protests. The leaf-colored sleeping bag was incredibly comfortable to lie in, which combined with the sheer exhaustion of today’s events, I soon found myself drifting into dreamland.