After picking out the bribe to present to Lobelia and picking up Immun,
We immediately borrowed a carriage and a coachman from Cattleya.
Say what you will, but having her around really is convenient.
Being able to prepare things so quickly despite the sudden schedule….there’s hardly anything more comfortable than that.
“Yes, now hurry up and get lost.”
“Please give my regards to Emily.”
“But of course.”
Yeah, there’s a 100% chance she won’t pass that along.
Well, it can’t be helped.
For now, let’s just be thankful that things were handled so smoothly.
Of course, Immun grumbled a bit along the way. Maybe because he’s gotten used to things now, he doesn’t seem scared of me like he used to.
Well, that’s fine. I never liked using fear to control people in the first place.
Not that there’s any need for that anyway.
“The Scriptwriter might be in danger. Sending you those coordinates could’ve been a call for help.”
“Good heavens! You should’ve said that first! Let’s go immediately!”
“Of course, that’s the plan.”
There’s simply a better way to handle Immun.
Deus probably used to manipulate him the same way.
Anyway, convincing him was easy.
“But where are we heading with the carriage right now? We should be going to the northern gate!”
“Just hear me out first. Do you think rushing in without a plan is going to solve anything? Are you planning to arrest another innocent person like me again?”
“Ahem, w-well, that was my mistake.”
“Right. It was your fault.”
In any case, my goal is to calm Lobelia down. As for Deus… well, I’ll take care of that while I’m at it.
Of course, since I was already doing the work, handling everything in one go was more convenient.
That’s why I was just choosing the most efficient way to get things done.
“First, we’re heading to the trade city of Creta. We’ll check on Deus’s condition there. If it turns out to be just a harmless prank, then great. If not, we’ll simply adjust our course from there.”
It was a bit of a detour, but it wouldn’t delay us too much.
It wasn’t in the complete opposite direction, and if we chose the right route, the difference would be maybe half a day at most.
“Ah, Immun. Please wait in the carriage for a bit. If you’re bored, read one of the books you brought.”
“Where are you going?”
“Just saying goodbye before we leave. I’m meeting someone briefly.”
I spotted Ariel standing near the gate and asked the coachman to stop the carriage for a moment.
“You recognized me right away? I did try to disguise myself a little.”
“Well, you are Ariel.”
Believe it or not, I’ve got a pretty sharp eye. Even with tinted glasses, a hat, and a different outfit than usual. If it’s Ariel, I can recognize her instantly.
It’s not like I’ve been learning illusion magic for nothing.
To deceive others, first and foremost, I need to know how to see the truth myself.
“That’s a little heart-fluttering to hear… but now I’m worried. You don’t say that to other women too, do you?”
“……”
“Hehe, just kidding.”
Seriously, how did my image end up like this?
It’s not like I’ve been running around hitting on women left and right.
I keep saying this, but I never had a choice in the matter. Weren’t the two of them the ones who used their power to suppress me?
“Well then, take care on your journey.”
“No need to worry. Yuna’s with me. And also, you know… that, um, guardian of mine.”
“You shouldn’t worry about this lad. I’ll take good care of him as an adult should.”
Having figured out what we were saying about him, Immun stuck his head out of the carriage and boasted confidently.
Honestly, every single thing he does just makes him look more foolish.
“…Now I am worried.”
In the end, Ariel let out a deep sigh, as if we’d managed to give her new concerns she didn’t even have before.
“Lady Ariel, just stay put here and do what you’re supposed to. I’ll make sure Johan’s taken care of.”
“Miss Yuna…”
Now Yuna poked her face out next, right after Immun.
How should I put this…? It felt more like a provocation.
I started to worry if this might lead to a fight before anything even began.
At Ariel’s current level, she could probably fold Yuna in half…
“Yes, then. Miss Yuna. Please take good care of Johan.”
However, to everyone’s surprise, Ariel simply nodded with a bright smile.
“……”
It was Yuna who was caught off guard by that.
After exchanging such a brief farewell, we passed through the gate.
“Lady Ariel’s changed. She seems more composed now. Is it because she became an Archmage? Provocations like that don’t seem to work anymore.”
“……”
I quietly nodded.
She does seem more composed. That much is true.
But there’s one thing Yuna doesn’t realize.
“Well, there’s no doubt I’m going to monopolize Johan anyway. Puhihihi!”
Ariel was underestimating Yuna.
And it’s not without reason. After all, she Ariel not only caught up to her but also overtook the “progress” the moment we reunited.
At that point, it’s understandable she’d look down on her.
“…Let’s just go.”
I didn’t bother telling Yuna about that fact.
It would only make things more exhausting for me.
***
“You mean me and the Scriptwriter? Hmm… where should I start…”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden? I didn’t ask.”
“Right, I should probably start from my childhood.”
“……”
Maybe reading in the carriage made him carsick or something, but Immun suddenly started spouting nonsense while resting.
“…Go ahead. I’m bored anyway, so why not?”
I wasn’t particularly curious, but I decided to just listen.
“When I was little, I was a shoeshine boy. But the place I lived in was full of bad people, you see. They often wouldn’t even pay me properly, so it was a daily struggle just to eat.”
“You were a pushover even back then, huh…”
A truly pitiful story.
“Then one day, he appeared. He saw me and—!”
“Did he bring you into Deus Ex Machina?”
“He asked me to shine his shoes. Of course, he didn’t pay.”
“……”
That guy really was consistent, huh.
“He looked at the shine on the shoes I polished and recognized my talent! The true value of the shoe polish I’d created. My Super Shiny Gloss Formula!”
“I see.”
What exactly did that guy make?
No matter how good his shoe polish was, I doubt that alone earned him a spot in Deus Ex Machina.
Chances are, he didn’t even know what he had made.
“He shared his knowledge with me and never hesitated to support me.”
“You mean that guy?”
“Of course, I helped him out with all sorts of chores in return.”
“Ah, so it wasn’t exactly for free.”
For a second there, I thought maybe he was surprisingly warm-hearted.
“That’s how I was able to start a new life. If he hadn’t shown up, I’d probably still be out on the streets shining shoes.”
“I see.”
It’s a common enough story. Not exactly moving or anything.
But for Immun, that moment was clearly a turning point in his life.
So then… it’s not so strange that he’d speak of the Scriptwriter with such respect.
“The Scriptwriter was no different from my parents. Maybe not by blood, but he taught me and guided me in so many ways.”
Immun smiled. The same easygoing, warm smile he always wore.
***
The trade city of Creta.
Creta bustled with energy, as if it had never even heard of the war.
Well, the reason was obvious.
Theseus Vicious von Miltonia.
That out-of-this-world monster single-handedly held off the war.
From the barbarians’ point of view, it wouldn’t have made sense to attack Creta when their real target was the capital.
It just wasn’t worth it.
There was no reason to sacrifice that many troops just to get through one monster like Theseus.
“Let’s see… where would Sir Theseus be right now?”
That guy’s always roaming all over Creta, so it’s hard to pin down his exact location.
No wonder he’s the city’s hero.
He’s out on patrol every single day.
“Well, let’s just call him out.”
“Call him out? How?”
Immun asked with wide curious eyes, like he was actually looking forward to it.
He must really look up to Theseus.
I wasn’t too fond of people who were blindly earnest but I suppose in Immun’s eyes, Theseus was the perfect hero.
Unfortunately for him, the way we were going to call Theseus out was going to shatter that image completely.
“Yuna, put on the mask.”
“Mhmm!”
We were about to stage a fake terrorist attack.
Yuna put on her mask and immediately pulled out a dagger for all to see.
And my role was simple.
“Help, somebody help!”
While Immun watched us with a look of utter confusion, we succeeded in drawing out Theseus.
“…What on earth are you two doing, Mr. Johan, Miss Yuna?”
It had been a while since I’d last seen Theseus, and he looked completely worn out.
Man, he really needed to take a break.
***
We followed Theseus into a building.
It wasn’t anything suspicious or particularly grand.
If anything, it was a small, fairly ordinary hospital.
“Looks like this place isn’t open for business?”
“This is where old man Deus used to stay… haha.”
Theseus gave an awkward laugh.
He was hiding something.
And it wasn’t hard for me to figure out what it was.
“Where is old man Deus now?”
“……”
Deus was gone.
Sometime during all the chaos with the war against the barbarians….at some point, he just… vanished.
The Scriptwriter Deus had fallen out of contact.
“Is he dead?”
“Johan! What kind of thing is that to say? Watch your mouth!”
Immun shouted like he’d snapped.
I had just brought up the possible death of someone he considered a benefactor.
I could understand why he’d be upset.
But Immun didn’t know.
The last time we’d seen Deus, he had already been dying.
He’d only heard about it. Maybe it was hard for him to really grasp what that meant.
Still… yeah. I couldn’t say with certainty that Deus was dead.
“Well, first, let’s check out what’s at the coordinates Deus gave us. Once we get there, maybe we’ll learn something.”
“You’re right! Maybe the Scriptwriter is waiting for us there!”
Originally, our goal had just been to find out what was at those coordinates. But now, the situation had flipped.
With no clue about the Scriptwriter’s whereabouts, those coordinates had become our only lead.
“We won’t know anything until we check it out! Let’s go right now! Sir Theseus, please come with us!”
“Uh, I…”
Immun, obliviously pestering Theseus.
For now, the one who’s spent the most time with Deus is none other than him.
He must be curious, too, about what happened to Deus, who vanished so suddenly.
“I won’t be going.”
But Theseus is the hero of Creta. As long as that symbolism holds him back, he can’t easily leave his post. Especially in such turbulent times as these.
“Wh-Why not? The Scriptwriter is your benefactor too, isn’t he?”
“Benefactor…? I’m not so sure. Honestly, I don’t really recall ever being helped by him.”
Theseus gave a bitter smile.
To be honest, from what I’ve seen, knowing the Scriptwriter’s personality, he probably caused more trouble than help for Theseus.
But Immun wasn’t deterred, even by that awkward smile.
“Of course he is! I can tell just by looking at your face right now! You’re having a hard time, aren’t you? Even if nothing was said, even if he was just nearby and that gave you peace of mind…that alone makes him a benefactor, doesn’t it?”
“……”
Immun was delivering a long-winded speech.
Theseus looked deeply flustered. But at the same time, he seemed to be in pain.
He must have his own reasons, his own circumstances.
“Then I suppose we have to head off again.”
“W-Wait, Johan Damus! Are we really going to go without him?”
“Yes. You should stop bothering him and come along.”
I grabbed Immun by the scruff of his neck and dragged him away as he continued to provoke Theseus who already looked deeply troubled.
As a hero of Creta, dealing with the aftermath of war, he couldn’t just leave his position so easily.
Leaving Theseus behind, we departed from Creta.
The journey ahead didn’t feel pleasant. Probably because the possibility of the Scriptwriter’s death loomed even larger now.
I’d hoped that coming to Creta would give us some answers but instead, it only left us more unsettled.
“Is that what it means to be a hero?”
“……”
Immun muttered, as if unable to understand why Theseus had chosen to stay behind in Creta.
Immun who always carried a strong sense of justice must have admired Theseus, even if only a little.
But still, he couldn’t help but notice the contradiction that lay beneath it all.
In trying to care for everyone, he couldn’t care for individuals.
And by being unable to care for himself, he remained heroic….but not human.
The word justice is that unclear, that complicated.
Yes….Theseus the man and Theseus the hero cannot coexist.
That is his contradiction. A fragile identity, always on the verge of collapse.
Until now, he’s overcome everything with sheer strength, but the world is full of things that strength alone cannot solve.
Clunk!
Just then, something landed on top of the carriage.
I’d been ambushed so many times that reacting had become second nature.
Almost on instinct, I reached for my sword, ready to respond—
“Whoa! Hold on. It’s me.”
Before the blade could even leave its sheath, it was caught.
Yuna too had her wrist grabbed before she could act.
“It’s me. Theseus.”
“…Your Highness?”
The attacker’s identity was unexpected.
The hero of Creta whom we’d just parted ways with had boarded without warning.
“As long as no one notices I’ve left, it should be fine for a while. There are still guards in the city.”
“…Are you sure about this?”
Theseus had followed us.
It might not seem like much, but this was a highly unusual turn of events.
Theseus the man and Theseus the hero cannot coexist.
Until now, Theseus had always been a hero.
Since leaving the capital, he had never wavered. He was an unshakable symbol of justice.
“Well… I wouldn’t say he was my benefactor, but in a way, he was like family. So, just this once, I want to act differently.”
And now, for the first time, he had chosen not as a hero, but as a human.
“So please…let’s keep this a secret.”
Watching that warm human smile on his face, I felt a strange sense of dissonance.
The moment a hero becomes human…
In a way, it’s always the beginning of a tragedy.
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