Vol 4 Chapter 82: “Residents” (Vol 4: The Otherworldly Battlefield Arc)

A residential area slightly removed from the main street.

Before a worn-out mansion, Sukui and Horo stood still.

“Well, this seems about right.”

The inside of Polivity wasn’t as lawless as Sukui had anticipated.

From the gate, a main street extended toward a large building by the opposite wall. The street was lined with shops and bustled with people, yet the noise never reached chaotic levels.

Sukui noticed how the atmosphere changed dramatically just by stepping off the main street. However, even then, the place seemed more decent than the image of a penal colony for criminals he had in mind.

Still, while the security seemed passable, the buildings were undeniably crude.

Even along the main street, crumbling structures were common, with walls and roofs riddled with holes not at all unusual.

The stalls displayed their goods with equipment that would have been discarded in the Van Kingdom, and there were few items anyone would willingly pay for.

This place must be in the middle of reconstruction, Sukui thought. With that in mind, he pondered the skills of the woman called the Cleric who seemed to have orchestrated it all.

She had only been here for a few years. If Polivity had been the kind of slum Sukui imagined before her arrival, her achievements were not just remarkable—they bordered on miraculous.

Even the gate guards had admitted to being former criminals. Considering that, her ability to organize the town and manage its people might surpass Sukui’s own capabilities.

“Is it fair to say that being shielded from the rain and wind counts as ‘clean’ around here?”

Horo didn’t seem particularly dissatisfied.

Having experienced near-death slavery, he wasn’t one to complain much about living conditions.

“That seems about right. Some cleaning and minor repairs will be necessary, but judging by the state of the town, I don’t think the Holy Knight Order is lying to us.”

The Holy Knight Order.

They were the town’s knights, led by the Cleric.

As befitting their title, the Order managed not just combat but also tasks like assigning Sukui’s residence.

Their promise to find the best possible house didn’t seem to have been a lie.

“A two-story building with four rooms on the first floor and about five on the second, I think.”

Spacious. It could rightfully be called a mansion.

When Horo tilted his head in curiosity, wondering how Sukui could deduce the number of rooms from outside, Sukui pointed to the windows and explained.

“Oh? Are you new here?”

While Sukui and Horo were chatting in front of the mansion, an elderly man approached them.

He was leaning on a cane, looking frail enough to collapse at any moment.

Sukui took a step forward and gave a polite bow.

“Yes, we’ve just arrived from the Van Kingdom. My name is Sukui.”

“Ha-ha, how courteous. I’m Pardaa. I live alone over there.”

Pardaa gestured toward a shabby house near Sukui’s mansion.

Though old and poorly maintained, it was comparatively large, and a garden could be seen behind it.

“Looks like we’re neighbors. That mansion’s been left unused for quite some time—it’s a shame, really.”

The previous occupant had reportedly died in battle with monsters.

It was said that the next resident would be someone who had achieved great merit.

Pardaa confessed he didn’t expect to see new faces, but whoever moved in, he felt the mansion itself would rejoice to have people again. He chuckled warmly.

“How about staying for lunch? I’ve got a pie from a friend, but it’s too much for an old man like me to finish alone.”

“That’s a kind offer. I’d like to hear more about this town, too.”

Horo initially thought Sukui might decline, but on second thought, Sukui valued human relationships.

Given the town’s history as a haven for criminals, it was important to remain vigilant. However, Sukui wasn’t the type to let excessive caution paralyze him.

Rather, it would be wise to actively gather information about the town.

“It’s a peculiar town, after all. Your concerns are understandable. Well, thanks to the Cleric-sama, it’s gotten much better now.”

Walking alongside Pardaa, who was slowly heading toward his house with the help of a cane, Sukui matched his pace.

“The Cleric, you say? I met her just earlier. She seems to be very well respected.”

“Oh, you’ve already met her?”

Pardaa let out a surprised voice at Sukui’s comment, only to be overtaken by a fit of coughing.

Sukui gently rubbed Pardaa’s back and opened the door to his house, urging him to step inside.

“Ah, sorry about that. My body’s gotten quite weak over the years.”

The house had a spacious living room and kitchen, with an additional room on the right-hand side. It was a single-story home.

“Take a seat there. I’ll cut up the pie.”

In the center of the room was a table positioned to give a view of the garden. Apart from the table, there was little other furniture.

When Sukui and Horo sat together at the four-seater dining table, Pardaa squinted and smiled warmly.

“Well, that… hmm.”

“What is it?”

Encouraged by Sukui’s polite smile, Pardaa glanced briefly toward the garden as he placed the pie on the table.

“You were asking about the Cleric-sama, weren’t you?”

“Yes.”

Sukui followed Pardaa’s gaze to the garden.

It wasn’t particularly large, but flowers had been planted and seemed well-tended.

“Up until a few years ago, this town was in a terrible state.”

As he began to cut the fruit-topped pie and took the first bite himself, Pardaa started speaking.

Sukui found it thoughtful of him—an act of consideration common in this town, he supposed.

“Well, it’s no surprise, is it? A penal colony for criminals, with powerful monsters roaming the outskirts… hardly a place fit for humans to live.”

Looting and murder were commonplace.

Those entering the town were either criminals or thieves hoping it might be better than staying outside.

And then—

“Abandoned children weren’t uncommon either.”

In some regions, people were sent to this town as a means of reducing the number of mouths to feed.

Using the pretext of sending people to fight on the frontlines against the Demon King, they would abandon even those who weren’t criminals.

“I used to take in those children back in the day, but as I grew older… well, just taking care of myself became enough of a struggle. It was a harsh town, just trying to keep your home safe.”

It wasn’t a livable environment.

Quite literally, it wouldn’t have been surprising if the population had completely disappeared.

“Then, the Cleric-sama arrived.”

“I’ve heard of the Cleric-sama, but may I ask her name?”

As Sukui adjusted his gloves, he accepted two slices of pie, placing one in front of Horo.

It was a precautionary measure, using a magical tool to check for poison. As expected, there were no issues.

Sukui then pulled three teacups, tea leaves, and a few other items from his bag.

“If you’d like, let’s enjoy some tea together.”

“Oh, you’re well-prepared.”

Impressed, Pardaa glanced at the cups and tea leaves, then boiled water to prepare tea.

He handled household tasks efficiently and brewed the tea with great care.

“She has no name. Cleric-sama said she cast aside her name for the sake of salvation. While I can’t claim to understand her reasoning, one thing’s for certain—she’s someone who puts others before herself without hesitation.”

At the word “salvation,” Sukui blinked slowly.

But he said nothing and simply sipped his tea.

“Not long after arriving, in a town rife with conflict, she made her strength known.”

“Her strength?”

Sukui intentionally voiced mild surprise.

Encouraged by his reaction, Pardaa continued his story with growing enthusiasm.

“Yes, the Cleric-sama stripped every single person who attacked her bare as soon as she entered the town.”

With divine magic—her power as a cleric.

Horo’s eyes widened in shock at Pardaa’s words.

“She’s a divine magic user?”

Horo spoke out in surprise, realizing that Sukui was not particularly startled.

He must have expected this to some extent.

Pardaa seemed to enjoy Horo’s youthful astonishment. Smiling, he cut another slice of pie and placed it on Horo’s empty plate.

“Yes, without even moving, she took all the clothes, weapons, and gear of those who attacked her. She left them utterly defenseless without spilling a single drop of blood. Only a divine magic user could do something like that.”

Horo nodded, convinced by the explanation.

If such an ability truly existed, it was undeniably powerful and fitting to be called divine magic.

With such a power, she could nullify any weapon and render her enemies powerless.

“And standing atop their confiscated weapons, she spoke to them.”

She asked the crowd: “Do you wish to become human?”

“At the time, it sounded like nonsense. But in retrospect, I don’t think there could have been words more appropriate than those.”

“In a world without order, people are no better than beasts—is that what she meant?”

Sukui’s quick understanding brought a smile to Pardaa’s face.

“Exactly. But, of course, the people here weren’t educated or thoughtful enough to understand that right away. At first, they ignored her completely, but she persisted in recruiting them tirelessly.”

She went around saving anyone in sight.

The town wasn’t made up solely of villains. When she saw someone being attacked, she rushed to their aid.

All the while, the Cleric never harmed a single person—even the criminals.

“Over time, those who felt indebted to her or sought her protection began to follow her.”

“She even accepted the villains?”

“Yes. Of course, she didn’t tolerate their wrongdoing, but in the end, most of them were simply tired of the endless life of theft and violence.”

Even the criminals, gradually, began to agree with her message.

As the number of her followers grew, her influence spread, eventually extending to the town’s reconstruction.

“Though it’s only the main street for now, she assigned roles and jobs to people. It’s not perfect, but she brought a sense of peace to the town, which was no small feat.”

And then, the Cleric decided to fight the monsters.

“You seem to know about divine magic users. Her ultimate goal lies in defeating the Demon King.”

Pardaa spread out a map as he explained.

At the entrance to the town where Sukui and Horo had arrived, the main street led to the opposite wall, where a grand cathedral stood.

The former royal castle had been remodeled by the Cleric and now served as her base of operations.

Beyond the wall connected to the cathedral lay the Demon King’s castle.

“From the Demon King’s castle, hordes of monsters emerge at regular intervals.”

“Monsters from inside the Demon King’s castle attack this town?”

At Sukui’s question, Pardaa paused as if thinking, then shook his head.

“Yes, but more accurately, the Demon King is creating the monsters.”

The monsters didn’t simply live in the Demon King’s castle.

The Demon King produced monsters, which then attacked.

“The frontline in the war against the Demon King—that’s what the Cleric-sama wanted to turn Polivity into.”

Sukui had suspected that no one had actually been fighting the monsters before.

In a lawless region like this, it was natural that no one would bother to fight monsters for the sake of the world.

It seemed the Cleric had corrected this.

While Sukui had heard about her fighting monsters, he nodded along as if this were new information.

“For the sake of the world, yes, but the monsters emerging from the Demon King’s castle weren’t harmless to this town either. It’s an old town. The walls have holes, and flying monsters could bypass them entirely.”

To maintain peace in the town, the Cleric began fighting the monsters.

And she awaited the arrival of the Hero.

“As a divine magic user, when the Hero arrives to slay the Demon King, she intends to accompany him. That’s her plan.”

“So, she’s waiting for the Hero, then?”

Sukui felt he understood her intentions well enough now.

Her ability to provide clear visions and assign roles to control people was remarkable.

While her image as a saint was undeniable, her talents were those of a capable leader.

And her power as a divine magic user was unquestionable.

“You’re planning to join the monster subjugation, aren’t you? I think they’re recruiting again tomorrow. Once you’re settled, you should give it a try.”

A casual suggestion.

At that, Horo’s gaze briefly turned sharp, but Sukui held him back with a glance.

“Yes, if I finish unpacking, I’ll head over immediately.”

After saying their thanks, Sukui received the remaining pie from Pardaa, who wrapped it as a gift.

Pardaa remarked that this town still required mutual aid to survive, and Sukui promised to return the favor in the future.

“Pardaa-san!”

As Sukui and Horo were preparing to leave, a young man entered, calling out to Pardaa.

“Oh? Guests?”

“Yes, but we were just leaving.”

The young man looked at Sukui as though seeing something unusual, then broke into a smile.

He didn’t resemble Pardaa enough to be a relative. He must have been an acquaintance.

Judging from his friendly demeanor, it seemed Pardaa was well-connected in the neighborhood.

Maintaining such relationships in this environment must have been a skill in itself, Sukui thought, and he held Pardaa in high regard for it.

“Next time, let me join you!”

“Of course. Next time, I’ll invite you to my house.”

With that, Sukui waved goodbye to the two as he stepped outside with Horo.

“Well then, let’s get started on cleaning.”