Part 2 Chapter 45

Part 2 Episode 45

The party was formed.

The members were me, Rue, the Handsome Swordsman, and Ash. The combination of three people and one non-human was incredibly stable. The ratio of two men and one woman was also well-balanced—though, of course, the one woman here was Rue.

‘It’s been a while since I’ve been to a harbor.’

When was the last time I visited a port this large?

If I remembered correctly, it was back at the tail end of the Magic War, when we headed to the southern imperial archipelago to settle things with Mephisto.

Back then, we were utterly exhausted, supplies were scarce, and while many warships were departing, hardly any returning ships were there. I remembered the atmosphere being tense and gloomy all day long.

Since the ports on the nearest islands were all destroyed, we had to enter the harbor via the coast, stepping over the bodies of countless comrades. It was one of the most horrific and painful battles that left its mark on my mind.

‘Compared to that, this place is…’

The atmosphere here wasn’t bad at all.

In fact, it was rather pleasant.

“Mom! The ship is huge! A super, super huge ship!”

This place felt peaceful and bustling, as if we were just a regular family going on an ordinary trip during ordinary times.

I stood in front of a large notice board at one of the piers.

<Guide on discount on boarding tickets for the Bebonne-Ostia route for guilds:

Guilds of medium size or larger with national certification are eligible for discounts on Bebonne-Ostia route tickets under the following conditions…>

And right beside it:

<Notice for customers,

Due to the Wall of Fire, direct air routes to Containos have been blocked. Both Bebonne Pier and Ostia Pier in the Republic of Containinos are currently undergoing emergency expansion work.

We aim to complete the construction as soon as possible.

We apologize for any inconvenience caused.>

Because of the Wall of Fire, there were no other means of transportation, so everyone crowded into the pier. According to the map, the Wall of Fire stretched quite extensively along the border between Penrotta and the Republic of Containos.

Beneath it, the “Sea of Silence” stretched vertically, blocking the way between the two nations, and most ships used to cross this sea travelled between them.

“It’s been a while since I’ve experienced commoner life—I’m trembling with excitement.”

As he said this, the Swordmaster’s lips curled into a genuinely thrilled smile.

It was a relief that he was no longer wearing that shabby pink rabbit mask, but… looking at this golden butterfly mask now, I almost missed the rabbit. This new one was so… blinding.

“When did you prepare that mask?”

“A treasure personally bestowed upon me by His Majesty the Emperor. How does it look? Does it suit me?”

“May I be honest?”

He pretended not to hear and turned his head away.

“My throat is a bit dry—I should go buy some drinking water. Ah, is our Lady Runa thirsty as well?”

In response to the Swordmaster’s kind question, Rue (Runa) smiled faintly and shook his head.

“I’m fine, so feel free to go ahead.”

Rue had grown accustomed to being treated like a lady, so it didn’t bother him. Still, it was surprising how well the Swordmaster has adapted to the situation, continuing to treat him as a lady even though he knows his true identity.

I stood gazing at the horizon, enjoying the open, expansive view.

The reason why no one at the harbour comfortably paid any attention to me despite me having returned to the form of Ander was, as always, Rue’s magic.

It allowed others to perceive my impression as blurred, drastically reducing not only my presence but even my aura. A stark contrast to that golden butterfly mask.

‘Maybe I should try learning magic too.’

Among those called demigods, everyone except me was a mage. Seeing how long it’d been since Rue last held a sword, it seemed that if you wanted to live over a hundred years, you eventually had to embrace the convenience of magic…

Bzzzt.

I felt an unfamiliar vibration.

What was that? I definitely hear a vibrating sound from somewhere, but I couldn’t pinpoint the location.

Beep.

“Ah, thanks.”

Ash, who had stuck his head into the bag and pulled it out, had something silver dangling from his beak.

“This is…”

That silver lily coin we got on the train.

By the time I wondered what was wrong with it and tried to grab it, it was already too late. Rue snatched the coin away before I could—

Splash!

And without hesitation, he threw it into the sea…?

When I turned to him with a bewildered look, Rue’s face had hardened sternly.

“Where did you get this?”

“……The silver lily coin? Ah, now that I think about it, you were asleep back then. We ran into some weird guy on the train to Brishure, and he left it behind.”

“What kind of man was he?”

He was hard to describe in a word, but I racked my brain to sum him up as concisely as possible.

“A pervert?”

“Not a very helpful description. None of the demigods are normal, Daisy.”

“Hmm… Ah, Deschamps called him the Black Mask.”

Tch. Rue clicked his tongue sharply.

“It was Spolia.”

At that moment, something light surfaced from beneath the water, arcing through the air as it flew toward us. Rue casually caught the coin that was returning at an impeccable speed, scrutinized its perfectly dry surface in detail, and then handed it back to me.

“It’s genuine. Hmm. To think that psycho came and went while I was asleep. And you, have you already forgotten about what happened with Rein? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Perhaps it was because of his sharp tone, but Rue seemed genuinely upset for a moment.

Seriously, how was I supposed to wake up a napping blue cat? But raising my voice in response felt pointless—I understood his concern. Afterall, it hadn’t been too long ago when my heart had literally been stolen.

“It wasn’t intentional. I just… wasn’t in the right state of mind. You were asleep the whole time, too.”

His gaze turned icy, so I deliberately shifted the topic.

“So, what is this coin used for?”

“……If three or more respond to its call, it allows their souls to meet at the entrance to Pantheon, which leads to the cosmos.”

“The Pan-what?”

“Pantheon. The realm of ascension.”

Ah.

He must be referring to that boundary I saw when I bloomed—the desert, the swamp, the lava, and the blizzard all converging.

Meeting there? It was hard to imagine.

I carefully examined the seemingly ordinary silver coin. Aside from the delicately engraved silver lily, there was nothing particularly special about it.

“So, both Rein and you possess one of these coins?”

“Yes. I had no intention of giving one to you… but it seems Spolia moved shamelessly fast. It must have already imprinted you as an owner. There’s a troublesome spell on it—you can never lose it.”

So he planned to exclude me alone from receiving a coin like all the other demigods?

“Why leave me out?”

If the others had it, I should have it too. Even more so if the others included Rein.

When I looked at him discontentedly, Rue smiled faintly, as if deflated.

“My naive Daisy.”

“…”

“Do you know how many demigods were born during the 150 years since Spolia achieved the unity of mind and body, and for you to do the same?”

“…Wasn’t it just me?”

“No, there were five more. Where do you think they all are now?”

As I tried to gauge the meaning behind his expression that seemed to be full of meaning, a familiar presence approached from behind.

“Am I interrupting something?”

It was the Swordmaster.

“……No. But didn’t you say you were going to buy drinking water? What are those in your hands?”

The Swordmaster held the ice creams he was carrying farther away from me.

“Don’t be greedy. This one is for the lady, not for you.”

Rue burst into a fresh laugh as he accepted the ice cream.

“My, thank you. I’ll enjoy it, Handsome Swordsman.”

These two really were enjoying the life of common people to the fullest.

Not long after, we boarded the passenger ship bound for Contantinos.

—

Sorry for the long wait…