Is It Bad That the Main Character’s a Roleplayer? - Chapter 72: From the Very Beginning (7)

“I wanted the Demon Knight to promise me something.”

“And what would that be?”

Deb, who’d witnessed almost everything that had just happened, asked the Inquisitor, his tail swishing about. She gave him a swift and systematic response.

“To not harm anyone, even the person I point out to be infected and about to turn into a Zombie.”

“…What?”

Deb’s expression looked astounded. The crowd’s atmosphere also changed at that moment.

“Hey, doesn’t that mean…?”

“There’s one here.”

“Here in this port.”

“Yes, so we must take care of it as soon as possible…”

Deb’s face, on the other hand, turned deathly pale. Things became a little confusing, but I knew what he was thinking.

While I did feel sorry, I couldn’t do anything about this mess anymore.

“As expected, those Temple bastards—!”

Then I heard someone shouting. Was he called Boss Rahong? The wrinkles and scars on his face proved his many years of experience.

“Who would ever trust those—!”

Our eyes met. I didn’t do anything, but Rahong was so frightened and horrified that he ended up swallowing his words.

“You… You.”

At that moment, Windhand approached us with stomping footsteps and spoke up, his body trembling. He gripped the Inquisitor’s shoulder. Compared to when he grabbed her by the collar, his actions were a lot more moderate.

“Those… Those words…”

“…I’m not lying. However, you have nothing to worry about. I won’t throw away this opportunity I barely received.”

Had he heard those words when we went to slay the dragon or when he just met her on the island, he most definitely would have tried to kill her.

However, Windhand had witnessed what type of person this woman called Inquisitor was for the past few days. And quite frankly, the Inquisitor was such an open book that one could figure her out in under a day.

“I… I believe you.”

So, he reacted very differently.

“So tell me, who is it? Just who here…”

“Windhand!”

“Tell me.”

The Inquisitor’s red eyebrows twitched once. Her green eyes soon stopped at a single place.

“Right over there.”

People’s eyes followed her gaze. A little away from the store was a young man standing on an oak barrel.

“…?”

The man who’d suddenly become the center of attention practically had question marks floating above his head.

“Hey, what’s the matter?”

He even looked back, thinking they were looking at someone behind him, but when he realized that this wasn’t the case, he raised a finger and pointed at himself.

He appeared to be in his late teens or early twenties, but his youthful face made him appear even younger.

“Ah, wait a second, Mister—”

“Woah!”

But right now, that was my lunch… No, that sounded off. Prey… Target for elimination… Wait a second, I didn’t intend on killing him right now. Even if my character hated Demons to the core, I should still be able to cut the recently infected some slack, right?

In the end, rather than talking any further, I pulled the young man down from the barrel.

The man, who was slightly shorter than me, trembled. He was so scared that he didn’t even let out a single sound, which pricked my conscience.

“Let go of him!”

At that moment, Rahong, who’d succumbed to the weight of my pressure before, let out a roar.

“How dare you target a member of my crew!”

Seeing how subdued he’d acted toward me earlier, I didn’t think he would yell like that. Still, a captain was a captain. Whenever a member of his crew got involved, he would burst into a flaming rage.

“If you all just sit by quietly, I will kill you all with my own hands!”

“…! Wait, Rahong, stop!”

“Stop! Didn’t you see how they helped us before!”

“You saw that battle earlier, right? You must never turn them into our enemies!”

“Everyone, get out of the way! You heard what those guys said earlier!”

However, I was a veteran roleplayer. Of course, none of the people around listened to what he had to say, even after Rahong tried to pull out his weapon.

Things would have gotten a little troublesome had the others not stopped him. That didn’t mean things weren’t difficult right now, though.

“Can’t we just resolve this peacefully?!”

At that moment, just as Rahong was about to let out yet another roar, Deb, who had approached me, grabbed my arm and desperately whispered to me.

He was saying that to someone who’d to this point always solved everything with force and was even trying to use the same method now.

“Let go…!”

“Come on, Mister! You know that if you touch anyone here, everything will be ruined…!”

“I-I have something to say about this, as well.”

“What is it?!”

“It’s actually possible to treat that person.”

“Why are you only saying that now?!?!”

There was a peaceful solution to this?

“I-I was going to mention it sooner! It’s just that I was told this was quite a sensitive subject so I couldn’t speak about it carelessly!”

“No, you absolute idiot!!”

“Don’t insult me!!”

“What did you just say, you idiot?!!”

Good grief, those dumplings! To think her naivety would cause us trouble yet again…!

“Wait a sec, there’s a cure?”

“There’s a cure, you say?”

“No way, that’s nonsense! Who here would even believe such hogwash?!”

“Wait, Rahong! I said, wait!”

Haha, what a mess.

On one side was Rahong going on a rampage, and in front of me were the Inquisitor, Deb, and some others chatting away, and the crowd surrounding us seemed quite unsettled, as well. I slowly raised my hand as I observed this chaotic situation.

Boom!

Although the ground consisted of solid rock, my sword, engulfed in my jet-black Arcane Power, penetrated it as if cutting through soft tofu. Due to the loud noise followed by a slight quaking of the ground, the people around us fell silent.

“Explain in detail.”

Of those frozen at my show of force, Deb was the first to awaken from his stupor. Tak. He nudged the Inquisitor with his elbow, to which she answered as if a switch had been flipped.

“If the infection and possession haven’t been fully realized, Purification is still possible by only targeting the Demons within the victim’s body. However, since the time to take action is limited, it could become dangerous if we delay the treatment any further.”

Is that so? Didn’t that mean if we just Purified this guy now, our problem would be solved?

“Choose.”

Seeing a way for everyone to survive in this scenario, I was the first to react. Before others could open their mouths, I gently shook the guy I was still holding.

The young man instinctively trembled.

“Die at my hands or receive treatment.”

“Wh-What?”

Good grief, why was this guy so light? Was he still not yet fully grown? Why was he so tiny? Was he not eating well?

While these words with nowhere to go circulated in my mind, I continued roleplaying.

“I won’t repeat myself.”

“Urgh! W-Wait a moment, just a moment! I still have no clue what you’re talking about…!”

“Mister, please. You need to properly explain the situation before putting him on the spot like that!”

“Put him down!”

“Hey, Rahong. If they can Purify the Demons inside his body, what’s the problem?”

“Everything! Everything is a problem! How could any of you trust what someone of the Temple says?”

Boss Rahong shouted in utter disbelief as he fiercely struggled.

“I!”

However, the Inquisitor raised her hand, interrupting his rampage. She managed to attract everyone’s attention instantly. Her flaming, crimson hair fluttered around her neck.

“I know you can’t forgive nor tolerate me. However, the moment the Demons devour his brain, his state will be irreversible.”

“Shut up, you Temple bastard!”

“Your desire to save this person might kill him!”

“Shut up—!”

“Divine Power!”

The Inquisitor wasn’t some undercooked dumpling. As Rahong’s voice grew louder, the Inquisitor also raised her voice more and more.

She didn’t mean any harm. She was just shouting louder to be heard.

“The power of Purification doesn’t harm a person’s body! If you have any doubts, you can just test it first! He won’t get hurt at all!”

“How can I trust you guys?!”

“I’m not asking you to trust me! I’m just asking you for a chance!”

Wow, she sure had one hell of a voice. It was so loud that it resonated throughout the whole hidden bay and extended all the way to the sea.

“I’m not asking for forgiveness. I just want you to give me a chance to save someone who is dying!”

However, she spoke the truth. I somehow felt like I now understood how she’d managed to persuade the people of Jacrati with just her words.

“You—!”

“I-I, Sir Knight.”

Just as Rahong was about to lash out again, the young man trembling in my grasp called out to me. After hearing Deb’s condensed explanation, he seemed about to reach a decision.

“So, erm, I’m… infected, right?”

“No, don’t, Lianti! Don’t be fooled by their sly words. You…!”

“In that case, I would like to receive treatment.”

“Lianti!”

“Urgh, Captain.”

The young man, whose name seemed to be Lianti, shook his head once more at Rahong’s shout.

“Erm, Captain! I know you hate the Temple, Captain. I don’t like them either, but…! If I really am infected, other people will suffer because of it. So, at least this once… Wouldn’t it be okay to trust them? They said I wouldn’t be harmed in any way during the treatment. Would the person who saved our port lie?”

No matter whether he had a change of heart or had always been this brave, the young man clearly expressed his opinion while looking Rahong straight in the face.

Rahong’s face, and the faces of quite a few other people, showed extreme shock. Most of them were Slands or older-looking people.

“That person is from the Temple, right?”

“Y-Yeah. Seems like it.”

“The Temple.”

“…Really?”

“But how can she ask us to give her a chance?”

“B-But our lives are at stake here.”

At that moment, a realization hit me.

Judging by his appearance, Rahong seemed to be at least fifty years old. On the other hand, this young man was at most in his late twenties.

Of course, the incident happened forty years ago, but the parties involved were still everywhere, so the next generation wasn’t without any animosity either…

However, someone who was personally involved and someone who’d only heard about it were bound to be different. Not only were their colleagues’ lives at stake, but their own life depended on it, as well.

“Well, i-it won’t hurt, right?”

“Depending on the progression of the infection, you may experience some degree of nausea.”

“How bad will it be?”

“If the Demons have started eating your brain, quite bad? Or you might just feel a little bit of nausea? Oh, there can be side effects depending on how much of your brain has been devoured.”

“…Then, can you please do it quickly?”

“Lianti!”

“Eek.”

“How, how could you?!”

“I-I’m sorry! But Captain. I don’t want to become a Demon! I don’t want my brain to be eaten, and I hate the thought of attacking my comrades even more!”

“What…!”

“I-I want to survive and return to my hometown…! Captain, you said you’d make sure I could do that.”

I let go of the young man. He didn’t have to be subdued anymore.

“So please, let this go, just this once. Please.”

At his words, Rahong fell to his knees.

* * *

* * *

“Boss!”

“B-Boss!”

Windhand’s heart felt like it had been stabbed when he saw this person on his knees.

He couldn’t help feeling that way. Rahong’s actions didn’t just represent him; they represented him, his people, and everyone who witnessed this moment.

Pirates, city officials, and civilians; he had been the voice of those who still remembered those days, regardless of occupation, gender, or age.

“…How… How…?”

“…Boss.”

“How could we forgive the Temple?”

“…He’s still a kid.”

“B-But the Temple has done so many horrible things to us!”

His loud shouts were like daggers, piercing the hearts of those who had been through the same.

Yes, it only stabbed through the hearts of his generation.

One could tell just by looking into their faces who deeply sympathized with Rahong and who couldn’t.

“…Yes. That’s right. But he’s only sixteen now. He was born twenty-four years after that incident.”

“…”

Their hatred had now become theirs alone.

“The kids who didn’t go through that hell… You know they wouldn’t hate the Temple and religious organizations as much as we do.”

“But… But…”

While he had to smell the putrid scent of aches rising from the burned remains of his world, the children currently the same age as he’d been back then only thought about doodling and playing.

“Rahong.”

“Windhand, even you? Have you forgotten, as well? How could even you…”

“How could I ever forget? Hey, just because I have a young face doesn’t mean I haven’t lived for as long as you, you know?”

“Then, why…?”

“Shit, this really is so fucked up. It really is. While hatred still lives and breathes in my heart, as time goes by, all those bastards who also remember keep on dying. The memories of those days still burn before me at any given moment, but those damn kids only ever look at me strangely when it happens.”

“Th-Then why…?”

“Damn it, I can’t lose my family again!”

Windhand silently knelt before Rahong.

The warmth of that forehead touching his reminded him of the warmth of that day when he was struggling with all his might, hugging a complete stranger who told him they should survive together no matter what.

“For our families. We can’t let them go through the same thing we had to…”

He felt even sadder than that day, though.

“Hey, Rahong. Let’s bear with it just this once. Fuck, let’s endure even if it’s unbearable for us. We’ll live among those burnt remains, smelling the stench of ashes, but they shouldn’t.”

He felt so incredibly sad…

“It’s enough that we have to live with this shit.”

* * *

The meal that had gone cold was entirely tasteless. Still, if I wanted to live and move forward with vigor, I had to fill my stomach somehow.

“Erm, I got the information you requested.”

I greeted Deb, my mouth filled with withered leaves. Thanks to the consideration of those in charge of the port, this tavern had been made our private restaurant and rest area during our stay.

“The information.”

“Here you go.”

I put down the stack of papers Deb had brought to my table. A world without Excel sure was inconvenient. I had to go through every line twice to understand the information on those papers.

“How did the treatment go?”

“It ended without a hitch.”

As I stared at those documents, the Inquisitor answered before she could even gulp down her stew.

Her mouth seemed full of potatoes, meat, and other things. She somehow managed to gulp it all down in one go.

“What was the result of your search?”

“That was successful, as well.”

For your information, right after treating the young man, the Inquisitor and I walked all around the port just in case. I wondered whether there were even more infected people.

“We found a few dozen more infected people and could treat all of them.”

“A few dozen?”

“It seems someone procured ingredients containing the parasites. Those who ate the food made by it became parasitized.”

“…A traitor?”

“We haven’t found anything pointing to that yet.”

“Where did the ingredients come from?”

“We are urgently gathering and interrogating those with access to the food warehouse. However, the ingredients were brought from outside…”

“It might be rather difficult to catch the culprit, then. This situation is quite complicated.”

I’d even say that everything was a complete mess. That was how bad the situation was.

Be it a traitor, a spy, or just an accident. We couldn’t really figure things out because anything could have led to this situation. The question was, what would happen after we left?

“But doesn’t that mean we’ll have to stay here until the traitor’s revealed?”

That was also problematic. I didn’t know whether finding the traitor was required to proceed with the Quest, and if it wasn’t, there wouldn’t be much reason for us to stay here and help.

Unlike Deb, the Inquisitor wasn’t that helpful in tracking down traitors.

Furthermore, the longer we stayed here, the more of a disadvantage we were at.

Staying here and defending against these attacks might be helpful for now, but it also gave the enemy more time to plan. If possible, I’d prefer not to give them time to summon some strange Demons.

I wanted to leave this place as fast as possible and end this Quest.

“If you’re worried about this place, you can relax a little. There’s a wizard who came here for research purposes when an incident happened. I planned to contact our main team through him to inform them of our situation.”

“Ah, I heard about that. He contacted the Temple on the mainland and requested they rescue him from Jacrati. Thanks to that, we were able to receive reinforcement right away.”

“…I’m just glad that we got this opportunity.”

Ah, then it wouldn’t be such a big problem if we left. If reinforcements arrived right away, they would at least be prepared.

Or they could evacuate the people somewhere safe.

Thank God.

“Then we’ve settled that problem if nothing else. It seems there won’t be any more disputes between the Temple and the people. Does that mean the only thing left now is catching Vipurit?”

Right. Our most immediate goal was to attack the base of Vipurit’s gang, but our ultimate goal was to kill Vipurit.

“…You’re not leaving right away, right?”

What? Did he want to attack the base right away? I was a bit tired, so I planned to get some rest first.

I’d already reflected on how reckless I had been—though I had no intention of correcting my behavior—and returned the documents.

Immediately after, I properly grasped—probably—what Deb was trying to say, which was kind of difficult as he had left some words out of his question.

The castle where Vipurit was located was clearly marked on the map. It was different from the place Windhand knew of.

「❖ Fangs Aimed at Jacrati

∎ Locate the bases of Vipurit’s gang: 11 / ??

∎ Destroy the bases of Vipurit’s gang: 11 / ??

∎ Move to Ayu Hin, which is occupied by the enemy

∎ Optional: Kill Vipurit」