There were three carriages on the mountain road.

　This mountain road, which was once an important part of the Roussan region, is relatively well maintained, and a long time ago, traders used to pass each other's familiar faces many times.
　Of course, it's still used today as a route for merchants.
　The merchants still use it, but because of the frequent raids by wild thieves who have their eyes on this mountain road, the use of the merchant corps has decreased compared to the past.
　The lord who governs this area also regularly tries to defeat the bandits with his private army and hired mercenaries, but due to the recent civil strife going on around the country, they have not been able to take care of the security in the vicinity of this mountain path at the moment.
　Even so, if you can safely pass through this mountain, whether it's Runoos Red in the south or the Empire in the west, it's true that you can greatly shorten your travel time. Hence, even though the number of merchants has decreased compared to the heyday, there are not a few merchants who still hire and use mercenaries as escorts.




　Hibigami was lying on the back of a cart in the lead spot among the three vehicles, his arms as a pillow.
　After witnessing the battle between Noyes Dees and Sagara Krohiko, Hibigami left the royal city of Christofia.
　After leaving Christofia, his first goal was to go to Ruvelargan in the north.
　The purpose was to find the talented people lurking in various places.
　An acquaintance from his days in the Sixth Estate had given him information on the men of influence hiding in various places.
　The information on powerful people who are not widely known in the world was provided to Hibigami by the friend as bargaining chips.
　Noyes Deece was a woman worthy of being called a mass of evil, but she was a reasonable person.
　Therefore, I have no doubt about the authenticity of the information given to me.
　In any case, the only thing to do before the completion of the future favorite opponent called Sagara Kurohiko is to find the forbidden spell book at best.
　There is no need to hurry to find that spell book.
　So when it comes to the current situation, speaking of a carefree solo journey, it was.
　A competent person I haven't seen yet, Hibigami muttered inwardly.

　-- If I can draw someone as good as that Sogut Sigismus, I'll be good.

That outfit ... are you from the east?

　As I was slumped in a daze, feeling the carriage sway, someone called out to me.
　When I glanced over, I saw that the person who called out to me was a man wearing a plaque.
　As I recall, he was one of the mercenaries who had been asked by the merchant who owned this carriage to provide an escort.

"...I was born in Midzubere. Born, I do not know.
Isn't that what a katana is?

　The framed man takes Hibigami's "no-kill" sheath in his hand and pulls out his sword and releases it.

''Oh?　What's this........the blade is crushed in a haphazard manner, isn't it? Is that what you call it?

　Hibigami doesn't take it up and only twists the edges of his mouth in a huff.
　If it had been me before I met Sagara Kurohiko, I might have felt uncomfortable with the man's actions and would have broken an arm or two to silence him.
　Perhaps the loneliness of being the strongest had led the former Hibigami to such a personality.
　That loneliness, which is not understood by others, had brought him, if I may say so, an emotion akin to anger.
　That emotion wanted to make all those who put themselves in the fight, even the slightest bit, the enemy.
　But now, if it was only a little disrespectful behavior, he could overlook it without a care in the world.
　-Perhaps meeting that man has helped me to relax my mind after all.
　Sagara Kurohiko.
　That man was growing steadily.
　He was approaching his realm at an astonishing rate.
　Could there be anything more delightful?
　The presence of those who are closing in on me always makes my heart spring to life.
　The presence of someone who feels strong always inspires me.
　To Hibigami, the title of the strongest is just a sign of boredom.

What is the purpose of your journey?

　The framed man, with his sword back in its scabbard, asked with a look of pity on his face.

'Searching for someone, that's what it's called,'
So you're carrying a fake weapon with you to scare off the mugger. From the way you're dressed, I can see why real weapons are too expensive to buy.

　With a huff, the man gave Hibigami a reproachful look.

'You have a little too much respect for the world, you know.
...maybe.
But if we're going to travel from city to city in the Ruvelargan, at the very least we should have real weapons at hand. It's a good thing that we have the experienced White Lion Gang for now, but what are you going to do after we leave?　Can you get rid of those vicious marauders with those useless katanas?　Hey, man, I ain't gonna say anything bad. I'll get a decent job in the next town.

　The man held his Shesho Sword as if to show it off and said proudly.

''And with the money you earn from that job, you can hire a good mercenary group like us.

　'Huh,' sneered Hibigami briefly.

'When you're ready.
What?　People being nice--
Hey, leave it at that, Badak. That's rude.

　As if he couldn't help but notice, the man who approached the framed man was a young man named Huey, who claimed to be a mercenary leader before he left.
　He has the appearance of a gentleman, but his body is that of a warrior.

'Yes, Badak. You're a nasty nosy one, you know.

　The woman sitting poised next to Huey is the deputy commander, Alisa. She gave the impression of a woman with a maternal serenity even in her dignified appearance.
　Also, she was a person without any evil intent. She seems to have a clean spirit.

　From the looks of it, Huey and Alisa seem to be on good terms with each other. I'm sure you'll be able to find a great deal more to say about it.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find a great deal more to say about it than you think.
　I'm sure you'll find that you'll be able to find a great deal more to say about them than you can about the other two. Even the man who spoke to Hibigami just now, Badak, had abilities that rivaled those of the Eight Sacred Trees.
　Although he hadn't seen them fighting, Hibigami could grasp their abilities.
　At the very least, they seem to have the ability to match the confidence they are emitting.

I'm sorry, I just fell into my usual habits. I'm sorry, guys. It's a good thing that I'm not a fan of this kind of thing.
Hey, Badak!
Excuse me, Lord Sub-Commander.

　Badak responds to Alisa's reprimand with an adulation smile.

'Geez, Badak. I'm sorry, um ... may I ask your name?
...the hibigami.
I'm sorry, Hibigami.
Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh.

　Undaunted, Badak speaks to Hibigami.
　He probably has a lot of time on his hands, Hibigami realized.

''You should be grateful to our Commander and Deputy Commander. You may not have heard of the White Lion Clan, but Huey the Fiery Sword and Arisa the White Wind, they are household names in the Ruvel Argan mercenary community.

　Hibigami returned, keeping his arms around the back of his head.

'Sorry, but I'm not interested in the mercenary situation around here.
Well, I suppose. But you know what?　You're actually traveling with some really cool people, you know?
Well, thank goodness for that.
Oh, man.

　Badak cowered.

'If you have a jewel in front of you and you don't know what it's worth, it's just a bunch of rocks.

　Even with that kind of speech and behavior, the man called Badak was surprisingly not offended by it. I wonder if the influence of that well-made personality of the group leaders is also significant. I'm not sure if it's because of the fact that I'm not a member of the group, but I have the feeling that the members of the group also have a moderate amount of civility, despite their crude language and behavior.
　In any case, the lack of maliciousness only makes Hibigami's venomous spirit drain away.
　Besides, there was no point in getting angry at a chicken that was spreading its wings and cackling in front of you.

　Huey had a look on his face that said he had a new idea.

'As I recall, there were a couple of swords left over I'll give one of them to Lord Hibigami. It should be more useful than a sword that can't be cut.
You're a really good person. My kitchen isn't exactly an easy place to live, is it?

　Moo, says Alisa, pecking Huey's cheek with her fingertips.
　Sorry, says Huey, naturally pulling Alisa's shoulder into a hug.
　Alisa smiles happily and nuzzles her head on Huey's shoulder, it's okay, she says.
　Badak points to Hibigami.

'Thank you for your generosity to our Commander, Mister Newbie!
Badak!
Hey, hey.

　After being chided by Alisa again, Badak finally sat back down in his original position.
　In the end, Hibigami let him through with an unfeeling response to the end.

''Hmm...''

　




　Hibigami leaned forward on the gyoja-dai and spoke to Midon.
　Midon was the merchant of the owner of this carriage.
　He was the one who had generously offered him a ride in the carriage, saying that he would pass Hibigami's destination on the road and that he would be happy to ride with him on his journey.
　Then, in the largest city in front of this mountainside, Midon parted from his previous mercenaries and hired the White Lion Gang.
　Hibigami reached into his pocket and grabbed a bag full of gold coins.

''Oyaji.''
Hey, what's going on?
'I'll still pay you. From a merchant's point of view, how much would it be?

　Midon had refused to take the money when he first got Hibigami on board, saying he didn't want the money.

'No, no. As I told you before, I'm willing to pay for it.
As long as it's out of concern for your personal finances, as I'm sure you know from my appearance, you needn't hold back. This is just what I have, but it's enough to make a burglar change his eyes when I tell him how much money I have.
Ho-ho-ho, it doesn't matter what you look like or how much money you have. I don't want what I don't want.
Hmm... is this some kind of a wish?
Oh, you see what I mean?　As a matter of fact, it is.

　The primitive Akindo, with his well-groomed white beard, looked up at the sky peeking out from the long branches above him.

'I have decided that I will do a good deed once a day,'
A merchant doing good deeds for no gain. Not worthy.
That's not true. If you do good deeds in everyday life, you will surely receive good opportunities. That's the idea. The reason I drive the carriage myself is because I want to experience my business firsthand and keep my senses sharp.
'Kaka, I see. Then I shouldn't have given you the money.
I'm glad you understand. And I'm--

　Midon took a glance at Hibigami.

'Maybe it's the way you carry yourself that gives you strange preconceptions, but from what I can see, I have a feeling you're no ordinary person.
Oh, yeah?　What makes you think so?
'I have seen men of skill in many lands. I feel something similar from you.
Well, I don't know. I don't know if I can do it.

　Satisfied, and once the topic was dismissed, Hibigami looked around.
　The sun was now hovering in the middle of the sky.

''So far, there seems to be no sign of wild thieves. I've heard that this mountain road is a dangerous place for those who trade.'
"To tell the truth, a rumor is spreading that the Wildland Fire Hunter, which was rampant in these parts until recently, has recently disappeared. Perhaps he had changed his hunting grounds because bad rumors were spreading too fast to attract his prey. If that's the case, now would be a good time to pass.
But with the burglar gone, there's always another hunter who comes around to hunt his prey, so I took a precaution and hired a mercenary.
Or, the rumor that you have changed your hunting grounds may be a lie spread by the "wildfire hunter" when the prey is getting scarce. You can't be too careful.
Oh, I see. That's possible.




We're under attack!

　A loud, tense voice popped into Hibigami's ears as he was lying down.
　Looking over, Huey, Alisa and Badak began to prepare for battle.
　Then Huey and Alisa quickly checked their equipment and took off at a brisk pace.
　Before Badak left, he made a motion to stifle Hibigami.

'Oops!　You're not here!　This is a real battlefield. This ain't no place to be playing warriors.

　Midon took refuge in the loading dock from the groom's platform.

'Yo, nice to meet you, Master Badak.
Yeah, I got it!

　Perhaps seeing that Hibigami was too frightened by the sudden attack to move, and too terrified to speak, Badak exuded a little tenderness and said.

'Don't worry. We'll protect you. Well, if you're brave enough, you might as well watch us fight and learn how to fight for real!　Now, let's get to work!

　He grabbed the Shesho sword with effort and Badak also jumped out of the cart.

　It's not the hibigami that attracts my heart to the extent of wild thieves.
　As long as they can defeat them, that's no problem.
　They're also reasonably competent, so if they're not very strong, they won't have any trouble.
　Thinking that, Hibigami decided to wait for the end of the battle while watching the fighting white mercenaries visible from the edge of the hood, with a sideways glance.




''Hahahaha!　That's about it!

　A wild gong voice echoed around the area.
　Looking out from the shadows, I saw that more than half of the mercenaries who called themselves the White Lion had indeed turned into silent corpses.

''I wondered how much they were the 'Raging Sword Huey' and the 'White Wind Arisa' of the famous 'White Lion Gang'... hahaha!　Weak, weak!　Looks like the mercenary community is short on men too!　Hey!

　A man with a nasty look on his face, who seemed to be the head of the group, wielded his holy sword with pride.

''You can't even defeat the band of cave robbers led by the Rogen brothers!　LOL!　The way the head of the wildland fire hunter died recently, it was so funny!　You're making this Zeckel Rogen laugh out loud... big deal.　I mean, you know what?　Isn't that a bit weak for all the publicity it's receiving?　Hey! Huey the Battlestar Huey, which one?
Ggh...!

　Huey was robbed of his weapon and his head was pressed to the ground by the soles of Zeckel's shoes.

'Zekel brother,'
Hey!　What, booey!

　Booey looked like the brother of the Rogen brothers.
　It's not a bad idea to have a little bit of a look at your own body, but the flesh is all muscle.

"This girl.........I want you to be my wife.......

　Alisa was assembled by a large man who was as big as the Four Deadly Disasters.
　Belloo, Booi licked Alisa's healthy cheek.

''No, no ... no!

　Buoy snorts and smiles debauchedly.

'Whoa!　Why do you have to scream like a weak little bird..... ...Alizah, Alizah!

　Booy's huge body covers the nearly writhing Alisa, who is unable to move.
　Booy relentlessly tried to press his lips to Alisa's, and Alisa struggled to avoid Booy's lips.

'No!　Help me, Huey!
Arisa...

　Huey's scream resembles a scream.
　With a gulp, Zeckel kicks Huey in the face.

''Guhaha!''
'Nice ... nice, nice, nice, nice, nice!　It's not a moment in your life that you'll ever get to experience when the person you love is being tortured in front of you by a man as crude as Booy, isn't it?
'Aaaaah!　Hey, bro!　I've already decided!　I'm going to marry her off for sure!　

　Booy begins to forcefully rub his cheek on Alisa's disgusted face.
　A rough breath of excitement blew across Alisa's face.

'Iyi ... stop, tee!　Don't do it, sir!
Oh my God, she's not very nice, she's not very nice. Hmm?　Why don't you try to make a baby with me?　Okay?　Let's have a lot of kids and be happy, shall we?
Oh no no no no no no no no no no!
Hey, Lord Sub-Commander!

　As if he had just come up with a brilliant idea, Zeckel called out to Alisa.

''Please ... I'll do anything, nah, do something about this man ...''

　Zekel's answer to Alisa's weak, forceless plea was, however, a ruthless trampling of that plea.

''If you're going to be the Deputy Commander's wife to Booy, I'm willing to spare the lives of your mercenaries, okay?
What?
"I'm not going to kill you, you pathetic Lord Commander, but if you don't, I'm going to cut off one of your legs except for you. ...After those wounds have rotted and the maggots have sprung up in large numbers and finally gone insane, I will torture you in every conceivable way and kill you even more cruelly than you can think of.
Oh, no...

　The choice confronting Alisa, who was trembling and falling to tears, would have been too cruel for someone like her.
　Being a naturally good person, she is unable to rationally dismiss those she has strong feelings for.
　Nevertheless, this situation was also staged by Zeckel so as not to leave you with a choice.

"d*mn it!　Let go of the Commander and Deputy Commander, you lowlifes!

　It was Badak, who had been wounded in his right arm, who barked in anger.
　However, his screams of indignation, surrounded by ruffians who outnumber and outnumbered him, sounded rather sad and unreliable.
　The remaining members of the White Lion Clan, who already remained, have lost their will to fight, as they are no longer considered to be an enemy.
　Sensing this, some of the wild thieves finally began to poke and shout abuse at the mercenaries who were no longer resisting and began to use them as playthings.

'Hibigami, Lord.'

　Midon, who was watching the situation next to me, spoke to me.
　He seemed to be desperately trying to stifle his fear.

Kaka, don't worry," he said. "Don't worry, Kaka, I'll protect myself and this wagon. The only thing is, they're not ready to fight, and they're not ready to fight. ...

　Hibigami sat back down with a thud.

''They too have chosen the life of a mercenary. Of course they were prepared for this kind of situation as a possible future one day... Well, given the soundness of those guys, there is still some doubt as to whether they were able to imagine such a near-worst situation or not. ...anyway--

　Hibigami stroked his beard with a composure that didn't fit the tense situation.

The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that you can't complain about a man without power, no matter how he is treated, even if he is eaten by the strongest of men, as long as he puts his life on the line. That's what it means to put yourself in the fight.

　Hibigami has no mercy or sympathy for those who lack imagination while throwing themselves into battle.

'Lord Hibigami, please.
Don't worry. At least I'll get you through the mountains in one piece.
I want them to...
Hmm?
Can't you help them, please?
Oh, yeah?　You think I can do that?

　With a serious gaze, Midon nodded.

'Yes, in my judgment,'

　Hibigami saw the look on Midon's face and guessed.



　Midon put his hands on his knees and spoke up.

'I believe that we need men of sound mind like them as well. I think you are right, Lord Hibigami...but it is still hard to see the future of good souls like them closing in on darkness. I do not care if I do not survive. So in exchange for my life, please let them.
There's no need to be so good to be good at something, yourself. I don't like that kind of naivete. They lacked determination and imagination. That's all. Well, maybe this will wake them up from their misery. If they see the nightmarish words and deeds that this reality brings about, one or more of them will survive and wake up with a vengeance, and maybe even awaken to the Shura.
Please... please, Lord Hibigami.

　Midon fell to his knees and bowed deeply.

'How can you worry about others in this situation? And to those who were not competent enough for the job they were given.

　Midon didn't move with his head hanging down, and continued to plead only, please.
　Even Hibigami couldn't help but sigh at this.
　Besides, there was a reason why Midon's wish could not be so dismissed.
　'Hmm,' snorted Hibigami, 'I don't owe them anything.

"I don't owe them anything, nor do I have any feelings for them. But--

　Hibigami took the "no-kill" and the "real sword" that was given to him before he was attacked because he had some left over.

"I owe myself a bit of a debt of gratitude. I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work. If anything, I'm a desirable guy.
"Mister Hibigami...

　Hibigami put his foot on the edge of the truck and laughed at Midon.


'Your wish has apparently come full circle and brought you good fortune.