New chapter of Nameless Hero is out! (1/2 chapters)

 

 

Tristan

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It had been a day since leaving the Stride Household. Since I had a carriage with me, it took longer than expected. With two attendants, I finally arrived at the building called ‘Paradise’.

Its appearance was far from a paradise. It was built on the desolate slope of a mountain, and it would be more fitting to describe it as a fortress. Considering that it was a place where children were locked up, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it a prison fortress.

Children must be given freedom. I’ve had enough of such ‘accidents’.

“Tristan-dono, we will be waiting at the rocky area.” (Attendant)

“Ah, this time, timing is everything. Fred and the others will probably arrive by night. There’s also the possibility that I’ll ask you to assist, but be ready to adapt as necessary…” (Tristan)

“Understood.” (Attendant)

I’ll make the children drink Jack’s blood and free all of them. After rescuing the children, I’ll join Fred and the others for an all-out attack on the group calling themselves the Performance Troupe. The number of children is quite large. This will be a difficult task…

 

—

 

The fortress was quiet. Jack had been discovered during the infiltration, but there were no signs of any unrest. I cut off my presence and scaled the outer wall. Using the rocky area to jump, I easily succeeded in infiltrating.

I recalled Jack’s preliminary infiltration results. The children’s dining hall was in an annex. It was apparently across the stone-paved corridor. I quickly found it. It might still be too early for dinner preparation, but I’ll wait here early to gather information.

After confirming the exterior of the annex, I found not only the main entrance but also a food delivery route. I decided to infiltrate through there. Moving quietly, I passed through what seemed to be a storage area for ingredients. Shelves lined with various items, from spices to vegetables, were everywhere. The fact that they could stock this much food… It must be related to the Melpeque Church.

I’ve been given many dirty tasks by Ozeas Skillwood, the druid from the Melpeque Church. I know well that he’s financially well-off.

After passing through the pantry, I found a large space that looked like a kitchen. Large pots, pans, cutting boards, knives, and many other cooking tools were neatly arranged. At the far end of the kitchen, I could see several wooden tables where the children would likely eat. Since it wasn’t mealtime, the area was deserted.

But something feels odd… There are no soldiers or cooks in sight. The food hasn’t been prepared yet. I need to observe the situation for a while.

I looked up at the ceiling and noticed the ventilation duct. If anyone’s hiding, it’s probably there.

 

—

 

I hid in the duct for a while, but there was no sign of anyone. Had Jack’s infiltration resulted in an immediate retreat?

“…Ah, really.” (??)

Then, I heard a voice from one of the girls. It came from the dining hall. My infiltration wasn’t in vain, and I almost let out a sigh of relief.

“Am I on duty today~?” (??)

The girl’s voice grew louder, approaching the kitchen.

“They all complain anyway. I think my seasoning is the best.” (Girl)

I saw the girl enter the kitchen. She was wearing a white and black nun’s outfit. It matched the description Jack gave of the Goddess Kea’s attire. Her hair was slightly wavy, and she looked somewhat familiar. However, there were two horns growing from her head. I hadn’t been informed of this beforehand.

“Moving soon…” (??)

Moving? Are they considering retreating after all?

“I don’t like hot places, but it can’t be helped.” (Girl)

The girl made a clattering noise as she grabbed cooking tools and picked up some random ingredients from the pantry, holding them in her arms as she returned. There was no one else around.

This is a good opportunity. But I’m still not sure. She has features similar to those of the Goddess, but could she really be the Goddess? However, she is a child, so even if she’s not the Goddess, she must have been kidnapped and brought here. Taking her back would still save a life.

 

—

I cut off my presence and descended silently from the duct into the kitchen.

“Oh, I brought the sugar by mistake~. I always mix up sugar and salt—” (??)

The girl, holding a sugar container, turned around. She made eye contact with me.

“Eh—?” (??)

Before she could react, I swiftly grabbed her from behind and held her chin. It was more effective to prevent her from making a sound this way rather than covering her mouth.

“…U…” (Girl)

“Are you Goddess Kea?” (??)

The girl briefly showed a puzzled expression, then nodded vigorously after thinking for a moment.

“I see. Don’t worry. I’m Jack’s ally.” (Tristan)

“…Eh…ku…” (??)

“I’m sorry. I’ll free you now, so stay quiet and come with me. I came to save you.” (Tristan)

I confirmed her consent and released her restraints. Then, the next moment…

“Kyaa—! Grace-chan, help me!!” (??)

The girl shouted for help. The prior agreement was betrayed.

“What… a mind control spell—Jack’s blood… No, but why is the Goddess…” (Tristan)

Before I could finish my confusion, someone immediately responded to the summon. A tremendous explosion rang in my ears. Someone had jumped into the dining hall. I immediately got into a combat stance, rushed out of the kitchen, and entered the dining hall.

“Another intruder? Are you finally going after our Alisa?” (Grace)

There stood a blonde woman, shaking with anger, leaning forward. The entrance had collapsed, meaning she must have broken through the door with tremendous force. She wore a casual shirt and a skirt, which didn’t seem fitting for someone with such strength. But I knew her. She was Grace.

“Oh, Tristan.” (Grace)

The woman called out to me as she saw me, as if she were greeting an acquaintance she happened to pass on the street.

“I don’t know what you’re trying to do, but what are you planning to do to our Alisa?” (Grace)

“….” (Tristan)

I couldn’t speak in the face of this long-time adversary. I couldn’t believe the mastermind behind this operation was someone from my hometown. Grace. She was a member of the assassin team I used to work with.

“It’s been a while, but you don’t even say hello. Well, whatever. So, you’ve come to interfere with me again, huh?” (Grace)

“Grace, are you in charge of this facility?” (Tristan)

“—Yes.” (Grace)

I see. Then, that means we’re enemies.

“By the way, what have you been doing since then?” (Grace)

An irrelevant question. Probably just to buy some time. Back when we worked together, she hated such indirect conversations the most.

“Are you still hung up on Toma?” (Grace)

“…” (Tristan)

Everyone makes mistakes. Bringing it up now is unnecessary. Although I’ve settled my past, hearing that name still hurts every time. Toma was my younger brother. He died because of my carelessness.

“You’re still such a silent man. Well, whatever. Since you’re in the way, will you die here?” (Grace)

“If you’re coming, I’ll respond with everything I’ve got. I have something I must do.” (Tristan)

“Oh, really—” (Grace)

In an instant, Grace disappeared from the entrance to the dining hall. But I knew. To my right, behind me. I could foresee her movement with my heart’s eye.

The sound of a simple metallic clang rang out in the dining hall. Her short sword was coming at my neck in an instant. I effortlessly stopped it with my dagger. With my heart’s eye, I had already sealed her movement.

“—!” (Grace)

Immediately, the sound of a flute echoed. Grace, standing by the window on the right side, was playing the flute. The short sword that had just been aimed at my neck had completely disappeared.

“You learned to play an instrument?” (Tristan)

Grace stopped playing the flute and added a single remark.

“It’s not just an instrument.” (Grace)

Right after that, I saw the shadow of Grace coming from the front. It seemed as though both Grace, playing the flute at the window, and Grace, charging at me from the front, existed at the same time.

So fast…

The approaching Grace unleashed a flurry of rapid stabs with a small knife. I countered with my long sword. Exceeding the speed of sound was fundamental in the training of our settlement.

If mastered, assassination through a surprise attack becomes possible.

“Looks like you can still do it.” (Grace)

“More than you, I suppose.” (Tristan)

Something was moving towards me from behind with a leisurely pace. As I parried Grace’s attacks, I simultaneously kicked the new threat away. The soft sensation of a body reached my foot.

“Eek!” (Alisa)

The one approaching was a girl named Alisa. It seemed she had intended to strike the back of my head with a frying pan.

“I told you not to lay a hand on Alisa!” (Grace)

Grace, acting as if she had gone mad, charged at me head-on. Her fierce assault sent the wooden tables from the dining hall flying, smashing them without mercy.

So fast…!

The flute Grace was holding transformed into a short sword right before my eyes. It seemed she was also skilled with the ‘Unique Conversion’ ability. To her, the flute was not just a tool for enchantment but a weapon for murder. Countless wakizashi approached. They were a variant of the ‘Sonic Eye’ technique, a secret sword style from our homeland that both Grace and I were adept at.  To an untrained eye, it might seem as though one sword was simultaneously many.

I predicted Grace’s sword strokes up to three moves ahead and blocked them with Sonic Eye. My long sword had an advantage in reach, while her wakizashi had an advantage in speed. Those advantages and disadvantages created a balanced standoff.

The slash ended before even the sound could reach us. Then, a flute’s sound echoed. Before I knew it, Grace was standing at the entrance of the dining hall, playing her flute. Alisa, the girl from earlier, was standing beside her. The dry sound of the steel-clashing echoes I had blocked earlier finally reached my ears, harmonizing beautifully with the sound of her flute.

It is like a battle from another dimension… I’m surprised that she has mastered killing to this degree.

“You’re not just fast, you’re actually quite good. I didn’t expect such a soft man to do this well.” (Grace)

“You’ve learned some refinement, it seems.” (Tristan)

“It’s not just refinement—” (Grace)

The sound of the flute filled the air. In that instant, someone grabbed my feet.

“…!” (Tristan)

A sight I couldn’t even catch with my mind’s eye. The darkness beneath my feet seemed to devour my vision, almost as though my sight was stolen by the ground itself.

“You’re an idiot. If you just struggled a little, the future would change.” (Grace)

If I had struggled… My younger brother, Toma, died because of my carelessness. At that time, did I struggle enough against that failure? The prediction my S+ level Mind’s Eye made was that every possible outcome led to my brother’s death. I easily gave up at that point. Perhaps if I had fought harder, I could have avoided Toma’s fate.

“Grace, you are—” (Tristan)

I couldn’t move. My feet were completely consumed by the ground, as if they had merged with it. Resistance was futile, and it felt as if I was being drawn into the earth like sinking into quicksand. The future ahead was nothing but darkness. I gave up easily, just like I did with my brother’s death.

“Musical instruments are wonderful. They color the world in my hue, just like this! Ahaha, hahaha!!” (Grace)

Her mad voice echoed. The last thing I saw was her deranged, ecstatic smile. Eventually, my vision was consumed by darkness, and I could see nothing. As my consciousness faded, the figures of my brother, Toma, and my beloved disciple, Jack, overlapped and faded.

Was it really the right decision to pull Jack into Libertà? Seeing a child who resembled my brother, did I lose my calmness? When I disregarded Alfred’s opposition… I wondered if I was wrong.

 

—

 

The next morning after Tristan’s departure, Alfred, Dwayne, and I were scheduled to leave for Paradise Cyans. In the end, we weren’t able to involve Lizbeth. It was a bit disappointing, but… getting everyone on the same page is difficult. Despite this, Lindsay, who was expecting a child, came out to see us off.

“Alfie, take care. You mustn’t push yourself!” (Lindsay)

“Have I ever gone on a journey and not come back alive? Don’t worry about it!” (Alfred)

Alfred said something unlucky and responded cheerfully.

“Of course! If I suddenly became a widow, that wouldn’t be funny at all!” (Lindsay)

“There’s no way I’ll die without seeing my child’s face.” (Alfred)

I wished he would stop making remarks like that. There’s a rule about statements like that being the start of a flag.

“Jack, good luck.” (Lindsay)

“Yeah!” (Jack)

Lindsay gave me words of encouragement and patted my head. Alfred mounted his horse alone, and Dwayne and I rode together. By the time the sun set, we arrived at Paradise Cyans. After finding two servants hiding on the rocky terrain, we spoke to them and learned that it had been a few hours since Tristan had infiltrated.

“It’ll take a while before the kids are done eating. Should we eat too?” (Alfred)

Alfred started taking food from the saddlebag. At that moment.

A sinister cracking sound. I heard something strange from inside my pocket. I curiously fumbled with the pocket.

“Hey, what’s going on?” (Alfred)

“Hmm… it sounds like something broke.” (Jack)

What was inside was a magical tool, the Presence Recircular ring that Tristan had given me. The ring had been severed.

“Eh!?” (Jack)

“Isn’t that a magical tool? Why would it break?” (Alfred)

Both Alfred and I were perplexed. There was no way it could have broken from being squeezed by my body.

“…Dead.” (Dwayne)

Dwayne muttered, answering our questions.

“Dwayne, what do you mean?” (Alfred)

“The connected twin rings sever when one of them dies to signal it…” (Dwayne)

“What does that mean?! How do you know about that?!” (Alfred)

Alfred sounded frantic. Dwayne, who had lost his usual wisdom, had made an unsettling statement. His words, “Dead,” struck a nerve.

“T-Then…” (Jack)

“No way! He wouldn’t die from something so trivial!” (Alfred)

Dead? Tristan?

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