Welcome to Hell! - Chapter 261: Behind the Scenes of Defeat and Those Wishing to Accompany Us

After Leo left, I approached Tigar who was still sprawled on the ground. As I extended my hand to him, Tigar looked up at me with a frustrated expression on his face and I asked him why he had conceded the victory.

“Surely you’re not so frail as to fall from just that?”

“Heh, you caught on, huh?”

Tigar grabbed my hand and, with a grunt, pulled himself to his feet. He rubbed his jaw, but his stance was steady, indicating he still had plenty of fight left in him.

Tigar then retrieved the greatsword that Leo had kicked away and stared in the direction Leo had walked. He let out a deep and heavy sigh.

“Just like boss said, I could have continued fighting. If I wanted to win, I could have.”

“Then why…”

“I can withstand a physical punch, but it was the punch of words that knocked me down.”

“A punch of words?”

Tigar and Leo had been exchanging blows and words at the same time. I tried to recall the words spoken at that moment, especially what Leo had said just before Tigar fell.

“Don’t decide it’s impossible before I even try, was it?”

“It was after that. He said, ‘I’m my father’s son’…hehe. How can he not believe that when his proud son says so?”

It was Sharl who pointed out my mistake. After Leo had left, his mother Sharl had gone after him. I thought she wouldn’t return for a while, but she came back much sooner than expected. Did Leo send her back?

With a playful smile, Sharl extended her palm towards Tigar and started healing his wounds. The healing power of demons had already healed most of the bruising, but with her help, he was completely healed.

“Facing such words, how could I resist? Believing in Leo was the only option left.”

“But wasn’t that a bit too much? The poor boy fainted from a distance away.”

“I treated him while he was unconscious.” Sharl continued. It was no surprise that he fainted after being hit that hard. It seems I’ll have to pick him up later and bring him back to the royal capital.

While I was thinking about what would happen when I returned, Tigar wore a bitter expression on his face. Even though it was in the heat of the moment, he had knocked his beloved son unconscious with his punches. It would be strange if he were unaffected by it.

“I will take Leo back with me. To wake up in the camp after making such a grand stand…Leo would be embarrassed.”

“That sounds good. Take him with you today.”

“I’ll visit daily until we depart. If anyone else wishes to stay in the kingdom, let me know then.”

“Alright, see you.”

I had planned to spend more time at the camp, but the quarrel between Leo and Tigar meant I had to leave abruptly. After carrying Leo who had collapsed at the spot Sharl mentioned, I raced through the forest while thinking about the fight between the two of them.

Though I lacked someone like a father myself, I could grasp the nuances of their emotions. Tigar’s harsh intervention stemmed from his deep care for Leo, while Leo’s desire to prove himself was driven by his respect for his father Tigar. Their quarrel was a manifestation of their mutual affection.

“A family of my own seems out of reach… Yet, if I were to have a child, perhaps I could stand by Tigar’s side.”

But that was a far-fetched thought. Because I don’t have a partner. And I don’t think I could be a good father like Tigar. So I just dismissed these idle thoughts. My focus now was on returning to the royal capital.

Leo had been living as Lieselotte’s servant in her mansion, but unfortunately, I didn’t know the exact location of her residence. It might have been the same place where Hilda jumped out from during my scorpion days… but I had no idea where that was, nor could I be certain it was the same location. Left with no other choice, I decided to take him to my room.

“Ah, teacher. That was quick… Oh, Leo?”

“A lot happened. Here we go.”

Perhaps due to his exhaustion, Leo did not wake up even after we returned to the royal castle. Unlike before the battle in the arena, entry and exit were permitted, albeit through a back door. It seemed King Carl was being considerate.

I laid Leo, whom I had been carrying, onto the bed. I decided to let him rest until he woke up. I needed to explain to Chirik how Leo ended up in this state… Oh?

“Excuse me. I have brought a guest.”

“A guest? Who is it?”

Just as I was about to explain to Chirik what had happened, there was a knock on the door of the guest room assigned to me. Judging by the timing, it seemed they had been waiting for my return from outside.

However, the mention of a guest left me puzzled since I had not been expecting anyone. No one had informed me of a visitor’s arrival. While King Carl might drop by unannounced, the stature of the person on the other side of the door, as I inferred from the vibrations, was different from his. In fact, it seemed like someone I had never met before.

“Please, come in.”

I didn’t know who it was, but I didn’t feel my position was secure enough to turn away a visitor. Chirik politely sat down next to me and waited without me even having to speak to him.

The man who entered the room with the maid was quite tall; he was possibly taller than even Gora. However, unlike Gora, he did not possess a muscular build; instead, he appeared almost too thin.

He had reddish-brown hair with hints of gray slicked back and a mustache of the same color. He looked to be in his forties. His tanned skin gave off a healthy vibe, but his slender frame left an impression akin to a withered tree.

“Thank you for having me. This is a small token of my appreciation.”

With those words, the man produced some gold coins from his pocket and pressed them into the maid’s hand. He was well-dressed and was probably a wealthy person. What could such a man want with me?

After the maid accepted the gold coins, she bowed respectfully and exited the room, leaving us alone. The man then turned towards us and extended his hand with a smile as if seeking a handshake.

“Pleased to meet you, Sir Antares. My name is Lorenz Reiner.”

“I’m Antares. This is my disciple, Chirik.”

“Pleased to meet you, Mr. Reiner. I’m Chirik.”

“Hahaha, what a bright disciple you have! He’s quite different from my son when he was at this age!”

Given the polite greeting, it was only right to respond in kind. I stood up to shake hands with Lorenz. Following my lead, Chirik also stood and bowed slightly.

Lorenz seemed charmed by Chirik’s demeanor and he was smiling as he shook my hand. Considering Lorenz’s age, his son was likely already an adult, making him too old to be a peer for Chirik.

“Ah, the firm handshake of a warrior.”

“So, there was a purpose to the handshake?”

“Indeed, there was. I have come to make a request, after all.”

So he came to make a request, huh? I assumed it must be his main purpose in coming here. I asked Lorenz to sit down so I could listen to his request calmly. He accepted and sat down as prompted.

“Well then… let me just get straight to the point, I have but one request. I wish to join you on the exhilarating journey across the Shumie Mountain range.”

It appeared Lorenz wished to accompany us. However, his request couldn’t be immediately granted with a nod. My first impression of Lorenz was not bad, but I didn’t know anything about him.

…. Even though it was just to be on the safe side, I’m sure others wouldn’t like the way we kept trying to keep everyone at a distance like that. Although change wouldn’t come overnight, let’s try to follow in the footsteps of Leo who decided to stay behind to challenge the prejudice against demons.

“I understand your request. Could you share why you wish to join us?”

“Of course, I will explain. If I recall correctly, there was something in the royal castle’s guest room…”

After saying that, Lorenz approached the bookshelf in the room, retrieved a book, and brought it over to us. The title was “Tales of Wandering in the Western Lands”… the book that had captivated Chirik the most.

“Ah, that book is…”

“Oh, have you read it? The author of ‘Tales of Wandering in the Western Lands’ Godwin of the Swallow is actually called Godwin Reiner. He is my grandfather.”

According to Lorenz, his grandfather Godwin Reiner was born the fourth son of a poor farmer. He apprenticed with a traveling merchant as a young boy and began to do business while wandering through various places.

Though the life of a traveling merchant was difficult, Godwin did not find it burdensome at all. The reason was simple: he loved the very act of traveling.

“My grandfather was once a mere helper for a merchant but he eventually set up his own shop and became independent. That was when he embarked on the solo journey he had always dreamed of. With his experience as a merchant, he had no trouble earning his way, and it seems he enjoyed his travels with complete freedom.”

“That’s… amazing.”

Chirik seemed genuinely astounded. Talking about wandering freely is easy, but actually doing it is incredibly difficult. Being travelers in search of new horizons ourselves, we could truly appreciate that fact.

Beyond the safety of towns and villages lie dangers such as hostile creatures and bandits, and falling ill could be life-threatening. It’s one thing for a group of skilled warriors like us, but it would be recklessly dangerous for someone alone.

“It may sound reckless, but he truly did it. I heard it straight from him, so there’s no doubt about it.”

Lorenz continued with a wry smile. Godwin enjoyed his carefree travels, but eventually, they came to an end. He fell ill during one of his journeys, leaving his legs unable to function as he wished.

With no choice but to give up his travels, Godwin turned to writing travelogues and he started with this “Tales of Wandering in the Western Lands”. It seemed to be a win-win situation for him, as he could reminisce about his travels and earn his daily bread at the same time.

Then a turning point came for Godwin once again. A wealthy merchant who had read his travelogues wanted to meet him in person and invited him to his home. After some talk, the merchant took a great liking to him and welcomed him as his son-in-law.

Originally, Godwin had become a traveling merchant to earn his way on the road, but he was also adept at regular business and further developed the wealthy merchant work. It seems “Godwin of the Swallow” led a life full of ups and downs.

“When I was young my grandfather always spoke of wanting to travel again. Perhaps influenced by him, I’ve always tried to conduct my business on foot.”

“Is that why your skin is so tanned?”

“Yes. When I heard about Sir Antares’ intentions from the noble I supply, I was reminded of something my grandfather used to say. He said, ‘If it weren’t for my legs, my next destination would have been the southern half of the continent’.”

“So, Mr. Lorenz, you want to cross the Shumie mountain range in place of Mr. Godwin.”

“That’s right, Mr. Chirik. And I want to write a travelogue about the southern part of the continent in place of my grandfather. That is my wish.”

Lorenz spoke passionately about his wish. The fire of determination in his eyes seemed genuine. I found myself pondering what I should do.