Chapter 5: Companions

Raiga’s proposal left the researcher confused.

Emi brought her right hand to her chin and calmly considered the warrior’s words. On the one hand, having a powerful escort would be extremely convenient. She had already witnessed his strength during their first encounter, and according to him, he had single-handedly defeated the criminals who attacked her caravan.

On top of that, she had been unconscious for an entire day, and he had not done anything inappropriate to her. He seemed like a genuinely decent and honorable man.

On the other hand, Raiga was still a stranger.

Trust was all well and good, but caution was safer.

And then there was his title as the Heretic.

Emi had no real proof of anything Raiga had told her. She did not even know why he carried such a painful stigma.

A woman traveling alone, incapable of defending herself and somewhat physically frail, needed to think twice before agreeing to journey with a man she barely knew.

Emi remained silent for a few moments. Then she stepped back inside the tent and sat on the edge of the bed.

“Why do you want to be my escort? I don’t have much money, and although the capital isn’t very far away, the journey won’t exactly be easy. Is there some grimoire you want as payment?”

The young researcher’s voice did not sound accusatory. She simply wanted to understand his true intentions.

“This isn’t about money or possessions, Emi. I’m just tired. I’m the Heretic. People are hostile toward me, and I have no one to talk to or spend time with. I’m human too. You haven’t treated me with hatred, and that’s unusual. People accuse me without reason, insult me, treat me like filth, and never give me the chance to show them who I really am.”

Raiga spoke honestly. There was no point telling empty lies to someone as sincere as Emi.

The young woman lowered her gaze. She wanted to speak again, but the look in the adventurer’s eyes made her feel guilty for being so pragmatic.

“I find it strange too. I don’t feel any hatred or resentment toward you, even though you’re the Heretic. Still, if we’re going to travel together, I need you to be honest with me. Please.”

Emi placed both hands over her chest, took a deep breath, and allowed her thoughts to settle.

“Why are you the Heretic?”

She needed to know.

Traveling with him without understanding that crucial detail was impossible.

She had to learn the truth before entrusting her life and safety to a warrior whom the entire world had turned against.

For Raiga, however, the question stirred up a soothing wave of emotions he could not fully understand.

No one had ever shown any interest in his story. Everyone judged him as a villain before giving him the opportunity to explain himself.

Without realizing it, he smiled again. He had wanted to share his tragedy for so long that even he was surprised by his eagerness to speak.

“Fourteen years ago, when I was just beginning my career as an adventurer, I was given a special mission. I had to rescue a newborn baby from an evil cult. They intended to offer the child to Bal, the Dark God, as part of a bloody ritual. I was hired by the church of the god Ares. Back then, I truly believed in the gods. I prayed to Ares for ten full days before infiltrating the enemy stronghold.”

Raiga paused to catch his breath. He closed his eyes and recalled those distant scenes buried within his memories.

“Thanks to my training and a little good fortune, I managed to rescue the baby and return to the church. I felt so fulfilled, holding that child in my arms and feeling him breathe. And then…”

The warrior’s voice faltered.

“The priests of Ares took the child from me and offered him as a sacrifice to their own god.”

Emi’s eyes widened. She brought her left hand to her mouth and recoiled in horror at the story.

“N-No. That’s impossible. Ares doesn’t demand sacrifices, especially not babies!”

“It happened,” Raiga replied, his voice bitter and hollow. “When I saw them placing him on the altar and preparing to drive a dagger into him… I lost control. I went mad. I killed them all.”

He closed his eyes again and turned away. He did not want to look at Emi at that moment.

“All of them?”

“Yes. I don’t know what came over me. Maybe it was the betrayal, the rage, or simply animal instinct. I moved like a wild beast and cut them down without mercy. I rescued the child and took him to an orphanage where no one would be able to identify him. I never learned why both cults wanted to sacrifice him, but he didn’t deserve it. No one should have to die just to satisfy a god’s ego.”

“Raiga, I… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you remember something so painful.”

“No, it’s all right. I’ve never told anyone this before. I wanted to get it off my chest and share it with someone.”

Raiga took another breath.

“Well, the story didn’t end there. A few days later, when I entered a city, I was arrested by the soldiers guarding it. The Moon God, Tsukoyomi, had sent his priests after me because I had committed a grave offense against a god. I tried to explain myself, but no one listened. There was no trial. Only punishment…”

“Punishment? Was that when they named you the Heretic?”

“That’s right. They gave me the title of Heretic instead of executing me. They said death would have been too merciful. The gods placed their mark upon my soul, and now I can no longer use ordinary magic or divine miracles. That’s why I devoted myself to the Dark Arts, which draw their power from chaos. They’re far more difficult to master, but they’re the only source of power still available to me.”

“But you didn’t do anything wrong!” Emi exclaimed. “Why don’t we go to the capital and demand a fair trial? People should listen to you!”

She could not believe it.

Such an injustice had to be corrected.

In her mind, the very idea that the gods could have misjudged Raiga was inconceivable. In theory, they were supposed to be perfect beings, capable of distinguishing good from evil.

Such an act of tyranny should have been impossible.

“No. I already tried, and all I received was more hatred. The title of Heretic is an eternal sentence. I’ll have to carry it for the rest of my life.”

Raiga lowered his gaze.

“Even so, I don’t believe my decision was wrong. I saved that child, and I’ve saved other people since then. I refuse to give the gods the satisfaction of believing they did the right thing.”

His expression hardened.

“They were wrong.”

“I understand. You’re telling the truth, Raiga. I can see it in your eyes. You were falsely accused, and now you carry a stigma that can never be erased.”

Emi smiled awkwardly.

“I’m sorry for being suspicious, but I needed to know whether I could trust you before we traveled together. Although I suppose you’ve already proven yourself twice. Good grief, now I feel terrible…”

Her caution had been reasonable from a cold and analytical perspective.

But from a warmer, more compassionate point of view, such coldness could easily be misinterpreted.

“Don’t worry about it. For once, I wanted to tell my story without being interrupted.”

Raiga looked at her expectantly.

“In any case, does this mean you’re accepting my help?”

“Yes, I accept. We’ll travel to the capital together, and then we’ll decide what to do next.”

Emi straightened herself and beamed at him.

“I’ll be in your care! Allow me to introduce myself once again. My name is Emi Redfox. I’m twenty-eight years old, and I’m a magical researcher. It’s a pleasure to meet you again!”

She extended her hand with a smile stretching from ear to ear.

Raiga took it, immediately blushing.

No one had ever given him such a sweet and gentle smile.

He nearly cried from happiness, but managed to hold back his tears. Instead, he smiled just as tenderly.

“My name is simply Raiga. I’m thirty-three years old, and I promise to protect you throughout this journey. Thank you for agreeing to become my companion. It makes me happy to know I won’t be alone for the next few days.”

“And thank you for offering to protect me.”

Their handshake ended, but Emi did not stop smiling.

“Oh, you’re younger than I thought. I assumed you were already forty.”

“I’m not quite that much of a veteran yet, although I will be soon.”

Raiga winked at her and nodded.

“You look about eighteen. You’ve aged remarkably well.”

“Right? I’m eternally youthful. My mother also looks much younger than she really is. I haven’t aged a single day since my beloved eighteenth birthday!”

She hesitated and looked away.

“W-Well, I may have gotten a little wider. I admit I’ve gained a tiny bit of weight over the past ten years, but it’s nothing important! Hehe.”

The two of them shared a gentle laugh, dispelling the dark atmosphere created by their previous conversation.

For Raiga, those peaceful moments were worth more than gold.

He no longer had to suffer in silence, and talking with Emi helped him endure the pain that continued to torment his entire body.

.　　　　　　　　　.　　　　　　　　　.

The following morning, Emi and Raiga woke early, shared a light breakfast, and dismantled the camp.

Raiga’s ability to summon objects was extremely useful. He stored his belongings inside a small pocket dimension capable of holding up to one hundred kilograms.

Inside, he kept everything he needed for camping, cooking, and eating.

“All right, let’s head for the capital. But first, we need to make one important stop.”

Emi puffed out her cheeks and raised her right hand to get his attention.

“Where?” Raiga asked.

“The lake! Don’t take this the wrong way, but the smell still hasn’t gone away. If you want to improve your reputation as the Heretic, you need to maintain proper personal hygiene. So no arguments. We’re going to find a good place to bathe. I need to clean myself too.”

Emi stuck out her tongue and lightly tapped his black armor.

“Oh, and take off that helmet. It’s rude to speak to someone when they can’t see your face.”

“But my great helm protects me from blunt attacks. I need it to keep my head safe.”

“Yes, you can wear it as much as you like when it’s time to fight. But you aren’t fighting anyone right now.”

Emi narrowed her eyes.

“You thought I hadn’t noticed, didn’t you? You use that helmet to hide your face, and that gives people a negative impression of you. If you haven’t done anything wrong, then you have no reason to keep that great helm over your head. Let everyone see you!”

Emi gave a little jump and attempted to pull off his helmet, but the difference in their height made it impossible.

She stood only 1.56 meters tall, while the adventurer was 1.87 meters—more than thirty centimeters taller than her.

Even so, Raiga was forced to store the helmet inside his liminal space in order to satisfy his new companion’s demand.

“Thank you. Much better.”

“I feel strange without a helmet on my head. I usually travel fully armored.”

“You’ll get used to seeing the world through your own eyes instead of through a metal visor.”

Emi confidently raised her fist.

“As long as we’re traveling together, I’m going to teach you what it means to truly live, no matter what punishment you carry…”

She pointed dramatically toward the road ahead.

“Onward to adventure!”