Sisyphe

　Lady Ishtia's cult is the second largest organization after the Freedom Fighters Association, the largest force in the Free City of Thessia.
　Its temple is very impressive, and such a structure is not often seen even in the Republic of Ariadia.
　The members of the Order are mainly women who do not have citizenship.
　Most of them are refugees from other areas or their daughters.
　Since the cult, which is dedicated to the goddess of love and beauty, Ishtia, expresses its commitment to the protection of women and children, it shelters these women, who have nowhere to go as refugees, and introduces them to jobs.
　However, many of the jobs introduced to them are prostitutes.
　This is incompatible with the doctrine of Lady Feria, the goddess of marriage, who does not recognize prostitutes.
　Although Lady Feria's cult also expresses protection of women, it seems that they have their hands full just solving the problems of civilian women, and they can't seem to protect even non-citizen women.
　So many non-citizen women become followers of Lord Ishta to protect themselves.
　Also, in the doctrine of Lord Ishtia, a prostitute who gives love to many men is sacred and rather revered.
　And those who mistreat them are considered enemies of the Order.
　If you do something bad to a woman, it is widely rumored that you will be cursed with the curse of impossibility or assassinated.
　Therefore, the men of Thessia treat prostitutes with affection and reverence.
　Perhaps this is why some women willingly become prostitutes.
　As a follower of Lord Feria, I don't understand it.
　And now I am facing a woman in one of the rooms of Lord Ishtia's temple. Because I have a job offer.
　I'm a follower of Lord Feria, but I've been doing a lot for the Order.
　That's why the people in that congregation sometimes ask me to do a favor for them.

'Please, War Maiden Sizfe-sama. Please send my son to ....... Please help Phineas.

　The woman facing me, Ms. Salmura, bows to me.
　Ms. Salmura is a prostitute belonging to the Order of Ishtia.
　And Phineas is Ms. Salmura's son. I've heard that he is a forgotten memento of her now lost husband. That means Mrs. Salmura must have been married in the past.
　There is no marriage in Lord Ishta's doctrine. Therefore, it follows that Mrs. Salmula was not a follower of Lord Ishtia in the past.
　He did not know why he became a follower of Lord Ishtia. But it would be unwise to ask. There must be a deeper reason.
　Phineas is twelve years old. A child raised in the temple must leave the temple and become independent when he is old enough to do so.
　Apparently, Phineas joined a certain warrior group in order to become a freedom fighter.
　Well, that's a reasonable decision. The only decent job for a non-citizen boy is as a freedom fighter.
　But the risk to his life is high. There may be other safe jobs out there, but to get those jobs, you'd have to have connections or a great deal of talent.
　So many boys raised in the temple become freedom fighters.
　It seems that Phineas had become a warrior apprentice, helping to slay demons in various places.
　And it was when a group of warriors with Phineas came to the foothills of the Central Mountains on business.
　It was said that the little Pheneas had been attacked by a harpy and taken away.
　The warriors who were with him were unable to help him because of the sudden arrival of the harpy from the sky.
　The Harpies are a race of women only, with human bodies and eagle wings and eagle legs on their hands and feet. They kidnap human males to breed.
　Since they do not take them for food, the abducted men often live for a while.
　There have been rescued men in the past. So there is a high probability that Phineas is also alive.
　However, actual rescues are rare.
　Harpies are dangerous demons; they don't sacrifice someone else to save one person.
　That's why they don't go out of their way to help unless they're very important.
　Besides, even though Phineas is an apprentice, he is a freedom fighter. It's natural to lose your life to a demon.
　Even Phineas has to be prepared for that.
　The warrior group that Phineas belonged to also seemed to have decided that, and there was not much searching done.
　This is the normal thinking of a freedom fighter. Just telling Phineas' mother of his death was a conscientious action.
　However, there are those who are not convinced of the idea.
　His own mother, Miss Salmura.
　Ms. Salmura has asked the warband to rescue Phineas, who may still be alive.
　However, the group refused to undertake this time-consuming and dangerous search.
　At a loss, Salmula heard rumors of me coming and going in the temple.
　And with the title of War Maiden, she feels that I can save Phineas, and she is desperate to ask me to rescue him.
　But from what I've heard, this is a very difficult request.
　First of all, they must find the place where Phineas was taken.
　And since he's a harpy, he'll be taken out to a secluded place. It's going to be hard to get there.
　That's why the warrior group refused to rescue him.
　And even if they were lucky enough to find him, there was a good chance he would be in a battle with a harpy.
　And there's another problem as well.

''Um, just in case you want to ask: ....... How much are you willing to pay?

　I hear about rewards that matter.
　This one is for life. The question of compensation is an absolute must.
　And given the difficulty of the task, it would be hard to justify such a large sum without a modicum of reward. And I also need to pay for the trip to the Central Mountains.
　But it doesn't look like Mr. Salmura has much money.
　As expected, Mr. Salmura looks sad.

'I'm sorry, sir, but I only have a few copper and silver coins from Vita. Will this not do?'

　I almost sigh when I hear that.
　If possible, I'd like to receive my reward in Tewkam Coins.
　The Tucum Coins are issued by the government of the Republic of Ariadia. The weight of gold, silver and copper is uniform, and the number of pieces of gold, silver and copper need only be counted, and there is no need to weigh them.
　The taxes of the Republic of Ariadia are sometimes obligated to be paid in Tucumnes. Violation of this obligation could lead to suspicion of tax evasion.
　Vita is a generic term for coins that are worse than Tewkam money.
　They are smaller than Tewkam's gold, silver or copper coins, or contain other low-value metals.
　If such a vitae was taken to a money changer, he would assess its gold, silver or copper content and exchange it for the appropriate Tewkam coin.
　For this reason, vitae are circulated as money outside the Republic of Ariadia, in the outer cities, and in this free city of Thessesia.
　However, since each vitae is different in size and contains different amounts of gold, silver, and copper, you have to make a selection when you receive it. This is quite difficult to do.
　Besides, it is a hassle to exchange money. Also, depending on the assessment, it may not be possible to exchange money.
　That's why Vita doesn't want to take a job for compensation as much as possible.
　But Mr. Salmura says that's all he has.
　If it's something that involves the entire cult's problems, the cult might be willing to pay for it, but for this case, it's indeed impossible.

''Please, War Maiden-sama!　Please help Phineas!

　Mr. Salmula bows to me again.
　I looked up to the heavens.




　◆Continue, Sizfe.

　There are not many people in the large cafeteria near the Freedom Fighters Association headquarters, probably because it's off-peak time.
　This makes it easy for us to take a seat.
　The cafeteria is one of the facilities built by the Freedom Fighters' Association to cater to those with limited income.
　Anyone who becomes a member of the Freedom Fighters Association can use it.
　In this cafeteria, you can eat cheaper than in other restaurants.
　However, most of the foodstuffs are things that were supposed to be discarded in the Republic of Ariadia.
　The price is cheap, but they only serve food that is good for your stomach.
　The porridge that Keina's sister in front of me is eating is just a pot with all the ingredients you can find and boiled in it.
　However, I think it's good to be able to eat on a daily basis.
　The Freedom Fighters Association also provides cheap housing for its members.
　That's why there are so many freedom fighters who become members of the Freedom Fighters Association.
　However, Maddy the magician says that this is a policy of the Republic of Ariadia to prevent freedom fighters from committing crimes.
　She also says that they can manage the freedom fighters by having them register with the association.
　I think it's a clever way to do it.
　If they commit crimes, they would be kicked out of the freedom fighter association. If they do, they won't be able to get cheap food and lodging.

"So you ended up taking the job, Sisyphe?

　My sister Kayna, sitting at the end of the cafeteria, facing me, gives me a dumbfounded look.

'Yeah ....... Sorry. Sister Kayna.

　I apologize to my sister Kayna.

'Lady War Maiden would have an easier and more lucrative request. It's like the other day, ....... Why are you bringing me such an unworthy request again, Sizfe?

　My sister Kayna was right.
　It was 10 days ago. We had a request from the Freedom Warrior Association.
　After all, it seems that the client had appointed me, a war maiden, by name.
　The content of the request was just an escort. It's a simple job to accompany a nobleman's daughter who is marrying into another country to protect her.
　I was able to send her off safely without incident on the way. Frankly speaking, it's a job that anyone can do. However, it seems to be a good omen for the other nobleman to marry off his daughter-in-law while being protected by a warrior maiden, and when I sent her off safely, she was so impressed with me that she not only offered me a reward, but also invited me to the wedding.
　At that time, she asked me, the maiden of the war, to congratulate her.
　I had no choice but to congratulate her, and she added more rewards.
　My sister Kayna was happy to receive a lot of money, but I felt rather sorry for it.
　And there are other requests that have come to us with high rewards for being so easy.
　Apparently, the title of War Maiden is quite something. It's surprising that our income has doubled compared to before.
　Also, by becoming a war maiden, I received the citizenship of the Republic of Ariadia.
　If I showed my citizenship card, I was guaranteed entry to any country that was a member of the Ariad Alliance.
　They would not be charged an entry fee as before. This makes it easier for us to operate. There may be more income in the future.
　But is that enough?

'There are certainly easier requests, though. I don't think Lady Raina gave me her blessing to give me an easy job.

　I say what I'm thinking.
　Lord Raina didn't give me blessings to get money.
　Lord Raina must have given me power to help people.
　It would not be right to use it for money-making purposes.

"Besides, ......

　I continue with more words.

And?
'I want to do everything I can for Ms. Salmula. If I were in her shoes, I wouldn't give up on someone I care about just because they're a freedom fighter. ......

　My sister Kayna lets out a sigh as she says this.
　I think about my dead father. He became a freedom fighter and was lost to a demon.
　I was very sad when he died.
　If your father was kidnapped by a demon and was still alive, you would have wanted to save him at all costs.
　That's why I can somehow understand how Mr. Salmura feels.

''Well, I don't know. If Sisyphe says so, I can't help but go.

　Sister Kayna shook her head, "Oh dear.

'Thank you, sister Kayna.'
But there's no guarantee you'll get help. Did you tell him that?
'Yes. Of course I told Mr. Salmura that. I'll do what I can, but I'm not sure I can help.

　It's not surprising. It's not something I like to think about, but it could be dead. And it's also possible that they don't find him.

Well, then how do you know where to find him, Sisyphe?
Yeah. Just in case. I think we can ask the flying ones about the flying ones.
?

　My sister Kayna gives me a strange look when I say that.
　I'm sure she does, too. She doesn't know her, and she doesn't know Kayna. She and Kayna don't know her.
　If we don't recognize her, we'll give up.

So I think we'll be okay on that front.
'Yeah, well, if Siszfe says it's okay. I'll have to contact Maddie, Leiria and Nora. Maddie might disagree, but I'm sure Leiria and Nora will come.

　I nodded at my sister Kayna's words.
　Rational Maddy doesn't like requests that aren't worth it. But still, she'll come for what it is.
　Laylia-san and Nora-san will come. These two people don't care about the reward.
　Rather, Mr. Leiria is willing to save lives.
　I know where the three of them are. Maddy is at the Association of Magicians of the Republic of Ariadia. Leiria-san is at Lady Raina's temple. Nora is supposed to be at the inn. We'll have to contact them.

Yeah. I'll have to inform the others. But first, I'll get something to eat as well, sister Kayna.

　I say and sit up.
　Unlike the restaurant with Justy, this diner doesn't have a waiter.
　You have to order your food and go get it. And when you receive your food, you eat at an empty seat.
　So I go to the cook to place my order.

Hey, sister. Are you going to eat now?　Then why don't you eat with us?

　Suddenly, I'm approached from behind.
　I turn around and there are five demented-looking men standing there.
　I click my tongue in my mind, "Aha!
　I haven't seen this development in a long time. I have been involved in this kind of hand-to-hand combat several times when I first became a freedom fighter.
　This kind of tactics are persistent, and if you treat them poorly, they can take root.
　I had a hard time with a guy who was persistent in hitting on me before.
　The only way to deal with these guys is to avoid running into them.
　Lately I've been going to the restaurant run by the temple of Lord Ishtia with Justy, so I'd forgotten about it.
　The prices are high, but I should have gone there. They wouldn't get any of these thugs there.
　The men are standing around me.

I'm sorry. We can't accept your offer because we have company.

　I say no softly.

By "companion," you mean that woman over there. Then why don't you take her with you?

　I approach with a smirk.
　Apparently, he's been watching me and my sister Kayna since we were talking.

'Sorry, but no thanks. I'll go.

　When I try to move aside, I am blocked from going. He is persistent.
　I'm frustrated.
　I think to myself, "What am I going to do?
　With Raina-sama's blessing, I don't want to lose to these guys.
　But if we fought here, we could be banned from the dining hall.
　Why do I have to do such a thing for these people?

What are you doing there?

　Someone sees us and calls out to us.
　I look at the person who called out to me and feel relief.

'An?'　What are you?

　One of the men threatens the one who called out to him in a low voice.

'Wait!　It's a Knight of the Law!　It's not a good idea to mess with it here!

　A fellow man stops him when he sees the one who called out to him.
　The standoff continues for a while.
　The five goons move first.
　They move away from us.

'Thank you, Mr. Decius. Thank you for your help.''

　I thank Lord Decius for stopping the thug.
　Master Decius is a law knight in the service of the god-king, Odis, who protects law and order.
　He is a polite and beautiful man.
　He investigates crimes in order to protect the law.
　I've known him since I helped him with his investigations in the past.

It's all right, Mr. Sisyphe. I just can't seem to deal with that kind of stuff at all: ......

　Shenna, Lady Decius' sister, emerges from behind Lady Decius.
　Shenna is a dancer and actor who belongs to the Donkey Ear Theater Company. She is very popular in the Republic of Ariadia.
　I met Shenna two months ago during the "Black Storm" incident.
　She had been captured by that dark knight, apparently.
　She doesn't like to talk much about that time.
　She must have had a terrible experience. Once again, I'm angry at the Dark Knight.
　That's why I don't ask her about it.
　But I heard that the witch hunter was going to question her severely about it.
　If the black-haired wise man Chiyuki-sama hadn't stopped her, she would have been in danger. I'm really glad to hear that nothing has happened.

It's okay, Shenna. I'm glad to hear that you're okay, Shenna. By the way, what are Decius-sama and the others here for?

　Why are Master Decius and the others here? Is this some kind of investigation?
　Since this Free City of Thessia is subordinate to the Republic of Ariadia, the investigators of the Republic of Ariadia, the Knights of Law, also have the authority to investigate.
　However, the actual maintenance of security and investigation is carried out by the Freedom Fighters Association.
　The investigation of crimes that occur in this city is generally carried out by freedom fighters who are requested by the Association.
　However, if it's a serious case involving the citizens of the Republic of Ariadia, they can come and investigate.

'It's just a little investigation, Mr. Siszfe. To tell you the truth, I'm investigating a drug that has been circulating in the Republic of Ariadia lately and I'm curious about it.

　As he says this, Master Decius takes out some medicine from his pocket.

''What is it?''
It's a drug that's circulating among the citizens of the Republic of Ariadia. Haven't you seen it?

　I look at the small black round grains in Master Decius' palm.
　What is this potion? First time I've seen it.

'No, I've never seen it before. What is this medicine?
"Uh, ......

　I ask, and Master Decius seems to have some difficulty saying it.

'What are you doing already?　Brother. You're not making any sense. This is a power tool, Mr. Sisyphe. It's what men use when they spend the night with a woman.

　Shenna explains.
　I understand why Lady Decius seemed to have difficulty saying it.
　Lady Felia and Lady Odis' congregation are not supposed to say s*xual things in public.

'Shenna, women shouldn't talk about such things.
But, brother. As long as you're investigating, you won't be able to proceed unless you ask. Well, that's why I'm helping you.

　When Shenna-san said that, Decius-sama grunted, "Ugh.
　It's true that if it's an energizer, Shenna-san, who is a follower of the Goddess of Love and Beauty, will have more opportunities to hear about it than me.
　And since Shenna-san has a deeper connection to the temple of Lord Ishtia than I do, it should be easier to find out.
　It must also be difficult for Decius, who is a devout follower of Odis-sama, to find out because of the objects.
　That's probably why the two of them are working together.

'That's certainly true ...... Shenna. The truth is, Sisyphe, this drug has recently been circulating among the citizens of wealthy families in the Republic of Ariadia. If you see it, would you please let me know?

　Decius-sama changes his mind and asks me to do the same.

'Yes, I understand, Master Decius. By the way, I was wondering, could that potion be dangerous?

　When I say this, Master Decius shakes his head.

'I don't know. I have had the priests of the Society of Magicians and the Temple of the Goddess of Medicine, Phanakea, check it out, and it seems to contain ingredients that neither the Society's magicians nor the priests can understand. So far, no one seems to be complaining of any dangerous symptoms: ....... But there's also the black storm thing. I thought I'd look into any drugs whose source I don't know.

　I nodded my head in agreement with the incident of the Black Storm two months ago, when a magical potion called "Sand" was discovered on the market.
The "sand" makes people have pleasant dreams, but then turns them into horrible ratmen.
　The same kind of demon might be pouring out this energizer.
　That's why Master Decius is looking into it.

''I see, I see. If I see it, I'll let you know.''
Thank you, Mr. Sisyphe. I'll leave you to it.
So long, Mr. Sisyphe.

　Master Decius and Mr. Sisyphe leave.
　I watch their backs.
　Energizer. I'll let you know if I see them.
　With that thought in mind, I head out to get my meal again.







　Kilius the Magician.

　Why at all do I have to do this?
　I think to myself in the dark room.
　This is a house in a corner of the Republic of Ariadia.
　It is not the place for me, a brilliant sorcerer.
　However, since I have nowhere else to go, I have no choice but to put up with it.

''Kirius-dono. Is the potion ready?

　A fat man comes down into the cellar.

'This is Lord Tormarkis. That's the ...... material we're running out of. We can't increase production any more.

　I bow to the fat man.
　The fat man's name is Tormulkis. He is the man who shelters me when I have nowhere to go.
　I was once one of the great sorcerers of the magical city of Saria.
　However, I was ousted from Saria because Master Tarabos, the vice president of the Magicians' Association I served, lost his job.
　The reason for his disqualification was because he had made a pact with an evil god and acted hostile to humans.
　I decided to flee to the Republic of Ariadia with Master Tarabos and the rest of my companions to reestablish myself.
　But while I was away on another errand, Master Talabos was killed along with the others by the brave men of light.
　With nowhere to go, I turned to my old acquaintance, Tormarkis.
　I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to find a way to get a job.
　But I didn't know anyone else I could rely on, so I ended up going to Trumarkis' place.
　I was a little anxious, but as I expected, Trumarkis accepted me willingly. It seems that he has no intention of selling me to the brave men.
　I thought that Tormulkis would never pledge allegiance to the brave men considering his character, but I was right.
　Rather, Tormulkis seems to be dissatisfied with the brave men and women.
　Tormarkis blurted out to me that he had less money at his disposal than before.
　Now Tormarkis is not the husband of a great merchant, but the servant of a daughter of a brave squire named Ligena or something like that.
　Most of the property that Tormarkis had was taken away and left to Regena and the others.
　It is said that there is very little money that Tormulkis can use.
　Tormulkis loves good food and drink, gambling and women. The fact that he doesn't have much money to play with must be unbearable.
　It must be intolerable for this man who once lived a life of luxury.
　It seems that the reason why he hid me is because of the rebellion against such brave men and women.
　And Tormulkis asked him if there was any way to make money in return for hiding me.
　I couldn't refuse Trumarkis's request for help, so I thought of a way to make money.
　After some thought, I came up with the idea of selling the magic potion to a rich man.
　But if it was an ordinary potion, the Temple of Phanakea would sell it. So he would sell them something they couldn't normally buy.
　It's a magical energizer.
　When I was at the Academy in the magic city of Saria, I studied demons.
　Some of the females of certain demons, such as goblins, orcs and harpies, produce a secretion to attract males.
　The female's secretions can be used to create a magic energizer.
　They could then sell it to the rich people of the Republic of Ariadia.
　However, we cannot sell the potion openly.
　If they try to find out how to make it, they might find out about my existence. Besides, it would be dangerous for others to know how I got the ingredients. Therefore, it would be better to keep it a secret.
　I'm not going to be able to get my hands on any of them, but I'm going to be able to use them to make a living.
　Tormulkis has a wide range of faces and it was easy to find a buyer.
　Thus, with my environment in place, I set about making the potion.
　Also, thanks to a group of warriors that Tormulkis knew, I was able to obtain the demon's bodily fluids to use as an ingredient for the potion.
　And just a month ago, the potion was completed.
　This energizer was very popular with Tormulkis' playmates and sold for a high price.
　When he had some free money, Tormulkis was in a good mood and asked me to increase the production of the drug.

'Well, I see, I don't have enough material. I'll have to tell the Commander again to get some of the Harpy's bodily fluids.'
Yes, please. We can increase production as much as we can as long as we have the materials.
Well, I'm looking forward to it. The potion you make, Lord Kirius, is very popular with my friends. I'm sure you can sell this as much as you want. ''Nuh-huh.''

　Tormarkis laughs.
　It was a lowly smile, what a lowly smile it was.