People around are busy. The whole situation can be described as hectic.
Everybody is walking from here to there. They mostly walk in groups. Many of them are also carrying a lot of stuff. Those guards are also patrolling in a group of 4 men, wielding every weapon they have.
Perhaps, the only one who didn't do any work here is Hinata and me.
We've been sitting here without doing anything for more than 2 hours. I was putting my Universal Sense on high alert in case of another sudden attack.
1. So, to spend our free time, we've done some more talking about our purpose in this journey. The summary of our talk is this:
2. Collect Shizu-san's soul and keep it inside of me until we can figure out the rest.
3. Help anyone who's inhibited by Shizu-san's soul, so don't intentionally kill the person just to make the collecting soul could go faster.
4. Minimize our involvement in any world. We must help the one who has Shizu-san's soul, but we must do it with much restraint.
5. Using our true power is the last resort.
For point number 3, it was decided after we discussed how big the scale we've been inflicted on this world. From my experience in politics, our existence could possibly make an uproar for the whole world. And with that, the conflict between Constance and his brother, Terrace, could escalate into multinational tension. It is highly possible that the nation backing up Prince Terrace wouldn't sit idly by after the last night incident. Depending on how they perceive our power, a large-scale conflict could arise between the Kingdom of Casland and the other kingdom.
But neither I nor Hinata would turn our back on this. We decided to take sides with Constance, but we would do it with the utmost of bare minimum casualties. But don't let that make you think the whole conflict is going to be dealt with by my own power or Hinata alone. It's not because we can't handle thousands of enemies at this level, but the prospect in the future, when we're done in this world, would pose a grim situation to the Kingdom of Casland.
"Rather than handling everything by us, we must guide them so they can stand on their feet by themselves. We should leave a useful legacy to them, at least to make them able to keep their safety when we're finished in this world."
Hinata added up our conversation. And she's right. If we handle everything to put up an end to this conflict, the future generation in this kingdom would possibly crumble without our help. We cannot stay in this world forever. We need to make a successor to keep conflict away.
"That's right, and we've been involved too much now. The more we got involved, the more they would rely too much on us. We must be careful not to get involved too much in another world like this."
"Yes, and next time we need to conceal our identity more seriously. Let's just take the lesson from what we've done here."
"You're right. Well, I guess that's it for our plan. For now, we need to finish what we started with Constance."
"I think we should tell Constance. We cannot take a part of his soul and then leave this world casually."
"Yeah, when the time is right, we need to have a talk with him about this."
Hinata nodded, and our conversation stopped there.
It might be strange for me to enjoy a sunrise that appears between the burned trees. But I can't shake it off. It looks stunning.
The burned trees had no more leaves on them, and the woods were colored pitch-black. The sky was clear without any clouds, slowly brightened with light blue color, wrapping the sky. The sound of the spinning wheel of carriages, and human voices barking at each other, added with a heavy footstep from the people nearby, somehow makes me feel calm than last night.
I look at those people. They certainly fall behind compared with the cardinal world. Their lack of hygiene, clean clothes, healthy foods, and weaker physique make my resolve to help Constance win this civil war deepened. I won't involve myself too much with this world, but I would share my knowledge to develop civilization. Perhaps, I'll write a book about it or supervise the very first development program in this kingdom. So for the continuation of the developments, I'll let the next generation decide.
But again, that's still too far ahead to think about it. Right now, there's a civil war that I get myself into. But I don't want to get directly involved like the last night incident unless it's necessary and no other option exists.
In that sense, perhaps what I am going to do right now is contradicting my own decision. Because any minute now, I'm going to teleport the whole convoy to the city of Cardinalis. I can imagine there's gonna be a lot of hassle when we finish the teleportation.
And just as when I have that thought, Constance comes to us.
"Rimuru, we've finished with preparation. You can start anytime you want now."
"Good work. Is there any problem?"
"Well," he paused for seconds with his right hand scratching the back of his head, "I was actually wondering what would happen when we arrived in Cardinalis. I mean, what kind of uproar would happen caused by the people in the Cardinalis?"
Without any remarks, I knew he asked that to himself. And no wonder, even I couldn't imagine how big the uproar would be.
"It's certainly gonna cause unwanted problems. But we cannot go back right now, can we?"
"N-No! Of course not. That's not what I meant. I'm sorry, I'm saying unnecessary words."
"No, it's okay. It's good to be able to say anything troubling us, right?"
"It's… Yes, thank you once again, Rimuru."
"Yosh, if you ready for it, then I'm here with you. Let's finish this up and save your people!"
"Yes!"
Then, together with Constance and Hinata, I walked my way to the spot where I could perform my teleportation magic. I already explained to Constance last night that I need the people to gather around. We were gathering in a small open field, and everyone was cramped in it. The wagon they brought along was parked behind the people. I stand up on a small hill. From there, I can see the whole 20.000 people who followed Constance. Well, it's actually less than 20.000 since the last night's attack, but it's still less than a thousand casualties. And by the way, we also capture some of the enemies' knights. From what I saw, there were around 300 knights that were being captured. They were placed between the men-at-arms. Those men-at-arms were placed near the wagon, so they were standing behind the civilians.
The men-at-arms were around 2000 people, along with professional knights, which numbered 200 men. Constance is guarded by around 10 selected knights, along with Vlan, who serves him as his personal butler. Captain Claune, who acted as the head guard, also became one of Constance's bodyguards.
Constance was standing in the front line along with his bodyguards. The civilian was behind him, and the rest of the men-at-arms and knights were behind the civilian with the wagons and horses.
And standing in front of them all was me facing them head-on. Ugh… even though I already have been doing this many times, I'm still not getting used to it. Especially this time, I received a strange gaze from the people. They must be in disbelief that I can do something unthinkable and only willingly do this because Constance said so. Well, luckily, this time, I didn't have to say anything. I only need to teleport them.
"Let's make this quick, Rimuru."
Hinata suddenly spoke. Oh yeah, I almost forgot she's standing beside me. Perhaps, those strange gazes I perceived were actually meant for her. You know, for her beauty.
But that's not important to think about right now. All right, let's do this.
[I'm ready, Master]
Yosh!
Without any words, I raise my hand up. Along with my raised hand, a huge light appeared on the ground. A super bright light, mixed between white and light blue, wraps the scene in front of me. With a normal eye, you won't be able to see what is going on.
Perhaps, only me and Hinata can see what's going on right now.
The light was gone up, with a blue circle enveloping the whole people and turning them into small particles. And before they knew it, we already arrived at the front gate of the city of Cardinalis.
"' HUH?! '"
Many of the people let out a big gasp. Some of them only stood there in silence. Still cannot comprehend the situation. Constance is among them.
The crowd soon scattered to walk around, checking the surrounding. They also touch the ground, see the sky, glance to the left and right, and do other strange activities.
Umm… Is this what it looks when they see something unthinkable?
And more of that, suddenly, a dozen city guards ran towards us. Among them, surprisingly, was Captain Alan.
Ugh, I guess those lights from teleportation magic also appeared in the destination target. And I guess it's a pretty huge light since it can be seen by the people inside the city.
The first who approached us was Captain Alan.
"Wh-Wha?! Johan-dono! Iza-dono! Is that you?!"
Awkwardly, I turned my face to him, and I tried my best to let out a smile. You know, in the hope of diffusing the tension.
"Y-Yeah… Hello, Captain Alan. Nice to see you again."
"Pfft."
I think I heard Hinata snickering at me, but it must be just my imagination.
"What are you doing here, Johan-dono?! And what was happening before?!"
He walked close to me while sheathed his sword. He sounds more in confuse rather than panicked. But, well, he always has this loud personality.
"Ahh, you know, that…."
"Captain Alan, I'm glad to see you well."
Suddenly I was interrupted by Constance. He came with Vlan and Captain Claune. Constance immediately raised his hand to have a shake with Captain Alan. But as you may guess, Captain Alan was more surprised to see Constance here.
"Y-Your Highness!"
Captain Alan immediately kneeled in front of Constance. Upon hearing him shouting that, the soldiers who followed him here also kneeled immediately. Meanwhile, Constance looks stunned but immediately regains his composure and lowers his hand.
"On your feet, Captain Alan."
"Yes!"
Captain Alan stood up, standing with a strapping pose.
"It's been a while, Captain."
"Yes! I'm overjoyed to see you well, Your Highness!"
"How is everything going, Captain?"
"Yes! My soldiers and I are all well. It would be a lie if I said everything is okay, but everyone is okay."
"That's good enough. Well done, Captain Alan. And Captain," he paused a little, "As you can see, we have arrived unconventionally. Almost unthinkable in precise. But now, it's none of the matter. I bring more or less 20.000 people with me. Can you help me with arrangements?"
"Of course! You can leave it to me, Your Highness! But,"
"What is it, Captain Alan?"
"I-I'm very sorry for my rudeness! But may I ask you why Johan-dono and Iza-dono are here with you?"
Constance's face becomes confused. His eyes narrowed at him, while on the other hand, Captain Alan started to sweat. He regretted his question.
But don't get misunderstood; it was none of their faults because Captain Alan was only known my fake name, while Constance only knew my real name. I guess, this time, I need to take a step.
"I'm sorry, Alan-san. It's a long story, but my real name is Rimuru. And Constance, don't worry, I already met him before."
"' Huh? '"
Not only Constance and Captain Alan who surprised, but also Captain Claune, Vlan, and Constance's bodyguards. I guess they're also confused. Well, as I thought, there's gonna be a hassle once we arrive.
"What do you mean by you're already met him, Rimuru?"
"I'm sorry to ask too, but I also want to know what you mean by your real name is Rimuru, Johan-dono?"
"A-Ahh… that's a pretty long story, I think. And…"
"Forgive my rudeness, but the answer can be postponed. Right now, we have to lead the people into the city and prepare for their facilities. I promise we will cooperate with you, but this time is not right to do the talks."
Hinata suddenly interjected. Man… she suddenly speaks with a domineering aura. There's no magic at all in her doings; it's purely her charisma or, I should say, the scary part of her.
"Y-Yes, you're right, Hinata. We should prioritize the people first. Let's go, Captain Alan."
"Hinata? I-I mean, yes, Your Highness! I'll lead the way."
Captain Alan seems to be confused as well after hearing Iza's real name, but he decides to follow an order from Constance. I bet there are a lot of questions inside Captain Alan's mind. I praise him for being able to hold it long enough.
And so, without further ado, we led the civilians and the remaining forces from the convoy to enter the city. At the front of the gate, there stood a young man with a tall figure. He's wearing his casual tunic, but he has his sword on his waist. He was accompanied by several dozen of soldiers beside him, blocking the entrance to the city. Without even needing to think, I already recognize him. He's Leroy, the vice-captain.
Captain Alan speeds up his walk and goes towards him. They seem to be talking a bit, and I can see a lot of confusion on Leroy-san's face. But eventually, he looks stiffened up and immediately straps his pose.
And when we were already near the gate, the dozen troops before were standing on the side of the road. Every one of them raises their sword above their head as we walk past them. But only after we walk passed them do they dismiss themselves.
It's still morning. In a normal world, it might still be around 8 AM.
When I entered the city, there was a flock of people curiously watching us. The soldiers before were quickly halting the citizen who wanted to see Constance closer. Constance doesn't seem to be disturbed by it. Instead, he's asking Captain Alan a question.
"Where should I be heading, Captain?"
"I would take you to the mansion prepared by Count Billard, Your Highness. He's already preparing this place just for you."
"I see. His kindness is beyond words. I'm very grateful to him. Does the mansion is big enough for more guests?"
"Yes, Your Highness. You can hold a meeting or a banquet in that mansion."
"That's good. All right, Rimuru, Hinata, please come with me."
"E-Eh? Johan-I mean, Rimuru-sama and Hinata-sama is going to stay with you?"
Wait, wait, wait. I never said I wanted to stay in the same place with him!
"Constance, is it okay? We can just stay at an inn."
"Rimuru, you've done so much for us. I cannot treat you with such an ungrateful act. So at least, let me give you a comfortable place to stay."
"W-Well, if you insist. Then, I'll take your offer, Constance."
"I'm very grateful for you to accept it. Now, let's go, Captain Alan."
"Yes! I'll lead the way, Your Highness."
We continued to walk for about 15 minutes from the gate and arrived at the mansion. Captain Alan said this is a mansion, but from the looks of it, it's a small-sized castle. It has 3 floors, white and golden colored walls, glass windows, a wide front garden, a fountain in the front of the entrance, and many other luxurious things.
We entered the building and were greeted by 4 maids, who were perfectly in line beside the door. And honestly, they all look young and pretty. Their clothes were also clean. The interior of the mansion was also stunning, in my opinion. There was a huge, exotic chandelier hanging in the middle, and decorated armor and weapons were on display, along with portraits and paintings. There are also many beautiful flowers on every corner of the wall. It somehow gave me a brief moment that I was not in Ares.
Constance gave a warm smile to the maids who greeted him and successfully made all of them blush. And then, there stood one old man with gray hair and a thick mustache coming towards us. He bowed elegantly and spoke to Constance.
"Greetings, Your Highness Prince Constance. My name is Aidan. I'm the head servant, and I'm entrusted by my Lord, Count Billard, to serve all your needs. And with that, if you need something, just tell me right away."
"Understood. I'll remember your name Aidan-san. In that case, I need your help right away."
"Sure, Your Highness. Ask me anything."
"I want you to give a room for Rimuru and Hinata."
"Understood. You have brought a guest, I presume? Very well, but what kind of room do I have to give, Your Highness?"
"Um, are you prefer to have a single room for each other or a single room for two?"
"Single room for each."
Woah! I'm not even getting the opportunity to think, but Hinata already jumps on the gun. But I agree with her decision. It's going to be awkward to be in a room with a girl, after all.
[I completely agree with her decision too]
Even Ciel strangely agreed with this mundane problem.
"Oh, are you sure? How about you, Rimuru?"
"I agree with Hinata."
"All right. Two rooms for them, Aidan-san."
"Right away, Your Highness. And with that, I'll assign one of the maids to lead you to your room."
"Thank you very much."
"You're most welcome, Your Highness. Now, let's go Rimuru-sama, Hinata-sama."
We were led to the second floor, and we got our rooms as promised. Aidan-san didn't ask us anything and only led us to our rooms without saying anything other than the meal schedule and ordering some maids to be stationed near our rooms so we could call them if anything happened.
And so, Hinata and I were getting into our rooms and had a rest.
Fuhh…
It feels like it's been a while since I haven't laid on the soft bed. I wondered if I should sleep.
[Sleeping won't change anything, but it won't cause any harm. Would you like to have a sleep right now, Master?]
Hmmm… There's nothing to worry about, right? I already tell Aidan-san that I won't need any breakfast, so I can skip the whole morning routine right now and just jump to lunchtime. Yosh, I think it's better to have some sleep. It's for camouflage anyway, to make the people think that I'm a human. Ciel, make me sleep.
[Right away!]
And all of a sudden, I felt an immense drowsiness. And with pleasure, I close my eyes and sleep soundly.
While Rimuru and Hinata were resting in their room, Constance was taking breakfast with Captain Alan and Captain Claune. They discussed the plan for the refugee and the combining force from the remaining troops in Constance's retinue into the Knight Brigade under Captain Alan. And after that settled, of course, there's an urge for them to know what was happening because of Rimuru and Hinata, especially Captain Alan.
"So, Captain Alan, I know you have a lot of questions, but let me ask you first. Why did you call Rimuru and Hinata with the name of Johan and Iza?"
Constance was the one who asked first. He can't contain more of his curiosity until he can't understand the bigger confusion in Captain Alan's mind.
"Yes, Your Highness. I shall answer that question. It was because they introduced themselves as Johan and Iza. We met with them yesterday."
"Yesterday?"
"Yes, it's in yesterday afternoon. We met them in the forest, and we escorted them here to Cardinalis."
"Afternoon? So you met with them yesterday afternoon? When do you parting ways?"
"After we reached the city. I only gave them some parting gift, and then they had already left. I don't know where they are going after that."
"I see. So that's what happens."
Constance was glancing at Captain Claune, and he nodded along. It seems Captain Alan also understood what he meant.
"I don't know what's going on. But there must be a reason why Rimuru and Hinata use a fake name. I can't say it's not suspicious."
"That's right, Your Highness. But I believe they're not bad people. We were helped by them. There's no way they would go this far only for their benefit."
"I didn't say they are bad people, Captain Alan. In fact, they are divine beings. The transcendent beings who are beyond humanity. But it does make me wonder why they kept their identity to you."
"Your Highness, may I inquire more about them? I didn't mean to not believe your words, but it's rare for you to say such high definition to others. I already knew about their kind heart, but what is happening between you and them?"
"Sir Alan, that's a pretty rude phrasing to His Highness."
Captain Claune immediately rebukes Captain Alan's questions. But deep down, he understands how bizarre the whole situation is for the people who didn't see the event directly. He understood that from Captain Alan's perspective, there are so many unnatural events happening in a short time. Such as, how can Rimuru and Hinata be suddenly on Constance's side on the same day as they part with him? Why Rimuru and Hinata didn't use their real name? What was going on today there were suddenly 20.000 people appearing out of nowhere near the city with Rimuru and Hinata between them. And most of all, who exactly are they?
"I-I'm very sorry, Your Highness! I didn't mean to be rude,"
"No, it's okay. Captain Claune, if you were in Captain Alan's position, I believe you would do the same. So don't be harsh about it."
"Y-Yes, Your Highness."
"Now, I believe Captain Alan has a right to know. No, he has to know."
And so, Constance continue his words by telling everything he knew about Rimuru and Hinata. From the beginning of their appearance, their prowess, their abnormal strength, the unnatural lightning, the attacks from the enemy, and he ended with the teleportation that was happening not long ago.
After finishing the story, Constance realized that it all happened in a short time. He felt that it was all happening for a long time. And by that, he started to feel the exhaustion from the last night.
But the discussion was not ended yet. And he would feel bad if Captain Alan didn't understand the whole situation right now. So he endured the tiredness and tried to keep himself composed and continue the discussion.
"Unbelievable. So their strength is beyond comprehension."
"I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it by myself, Captain Alan. But please believe me, all what I said is true."
"Of course! I wouldn't do that kind of shameful act. I believe in you, Your Highness!"
Constance only responds with a smile. He has already finished his breakfast, and he's enduring drowsiness right now. He hoped that there wouldn't be another question for now. But the reality is often disappointing.
"Your Highness, is it okay to rely on them?"
Captain Claune suddenly asked.
"Of course we-" Constance suddenly stop his answer. He never thought about it seriously. Originally he thought that it was natural to rely on them. And it's not false thinking. They appeared for him and saved his people. They perform many miracles for his side. They are the miracles that he hoped for.
But the fact that Rimuru and Hinata were hiding their real identity was finally bugging him. He never heard where they came from. They never mentioned what their purpose is. He quickly concludes they are the miracles he had hoped for, just because they had simply come when he had hoped to be saved by God.
But what if he began to think about the other possibilities around. What if they actually have a sinister purpose? What if they are actually evil being? What if they are actually more of a disaster than a miracle?
No, no, no, no… They appeared to be an honest person. I can see it in their faces. They want us to survive and live, he thought.
He's sure by instinct that Rimuru and Hinata were not evil beings. But it's a different matter whether he could rely on them for the next event. And upon realizing this, Constance starts to regret himself for not talking it through with them last night. But, anyone could realize that it's not his entire fault. He's in a panic and desperate. In such a hopeless situation, what choice does he have to fix the situation?
"Your Highness?"
Captain Claune was calling him with a concerned face.
"Ah? I'm sorry. I was lost in thought. Well, to answer your question, I would like to say, I don't know. I believe they are not evil beings, but I'm not sure whether they would help us next time."
"I understand. They're still mysterious. And what is more, about their power…."
"It's magic, isn't it?"
Captain Alan was the one who continued the sentence.
"Right, it's a legendary power that has been lost for a long time. Many people have tried every way to recreate it. If what they used were really magic, it would cause an uproar to the whole continent. And with that alone, our kingdom would face more troublesome events."
"With our situation right now, it's already difficult to maintain the unification of the whole kingdom, let alone face multinational problems."
"That's why we need to act carefully about the last night incident. If the news about the incident got into other kingdoms, they surely would demand an explanation—or worse, an ultimatum. Your Highness, I suggest we conceal Rimuru-sama and Hinata-sama's existence. We have to avoid having them directly involved in a battle."
"But Sir Claune, although I agree with your suggestion, I have to say it's impossible. There are 20.000 people who witness their power. As much as I hate to think about it, there might be one of them who's a spy from another country. It's already impossible to conceal their involvement, let alone their existence."
"Then what should we do? On the other hand, we cannot truly rely on them. We don't even know who they are. You know it by yourself, Sir Alan. We cannot involve anyone in the war unless we trust them completely."
"No, it's already too late to think about it. We have to ask them to join us in battles. Although we didn't know their real purpose, I'm sure what they wanted was a win for our side. Your Highness, I understand what Sir Claune is trying to say. But it's too late to avoid a large-scale conflict. We have to ask for Rimuru-sama and Hinata-sama cooperation."
"Sir Alan, are you serious?! That means we would take advantage of the kind nature of Rimuru-sama and Hinata-sama. You know it's contradictory to our principles! Our problems should be dealt with on our own! And that's our honor as a proud knight!"
"I know it's damaging our honor as a knight, but what can we do right now? We cannot conceal their involvement. At the same time, we would be facing a larger threat from neighboring countries. Please think realistically, Sir Claune."
"That's enough, Captain Claune and Captain Alan!"
"' Y-Yes! '"
Both of the captains are suddenly silent. They were embarrassed by the fact they were arguing with each other in front of Constance.
"I understand from both of you. But we cannot determine the solution by arguing with each other like this. From the basic of it, we're already wrong in the beginning."
"What do you mean, Your Highness?"
"We were trying to decide what Rimuru and Hinata should do without any knowledge about what they might be planning. It's ridiculous to decide the fate of a divine being such as them, who have done so much to help us."
"Yes, you were right, Your Highness."
"But, Your Highness, what shall we do then?"
"I'll talk to them directly. You can leave it to me."
At the same time as Constance and the other two Captains were having breakfast together, the city officials were busy taking care of the refugees. The sudden arrival of 20.000 people from other territories was a hassle in every aspect. Realistically, it would be a piece of cake if those refugees had a relative in this city or enough money to start a new life.
But the reality is different. Among those refugees, only a few of them have relatives or friends who are kind enough to accommodate them. And not only that, most of them are penniless and only bring their minimum belongings. Aware of the refugee's conditions, Count Billard already anticipated this by allowing the use of the city emergency supply until another shipment arrived. Because of it, at least there are none of the refugees were starving.
But there's some good side to the arrival of the refugees. There are some vacant jobs that need to be filled, and with the refugees coming along, there's a possibility to use them as cheap labor. The skilled people could be easily used and quickly determined for their job, such as Blacksmiths, bakers, tailors, and merchants. All of these kinds easily would get a better start in new life. But the problem lies in the unskilled people.
They would have a hard time starting a new life. But they could be useful as well. They could be turned into serfs and levy troops.
And divide between the skilled people and unskilled people would require an assessment by the city's official. This work was also done at the same time as the food ration distribution.
The one who oversaw this work was the group of knights led by the vice-captain of the 10th Knight Brigade, Leroy Earheart.
Leroy was in a bad state. He's been restless for days, and last night he barely had any sleep. He has been working on paperwork that actually was Captain Alan's work. He's been starving for 3 days before he was finally able to eat properly yesterday. And just as this morning started, he saw a gigantic light appear from the ground outside the gate of the city. The worst thing is he still cannot understand the whole event that just happened today. The sudden appearance of the refugees, Prince Constance, and his newly known people, Johan-dono and Iza-dono. No matter how hard he thinks, he cannot find any possible answer to explain the whole situation.
And for that, he already gave up understanding the situation and focused on his job today. He's here not just to oversee the whole work but also to help. He gave guidance to the refugees, distributed food rations, and sometimes he's replacing the overworked city official in determining whether the refugees had a skill or not.
Although it was a lot of work, Leroy was still doing it with such diligence. Right now, he didn't want to think about his bad state. All inside his mind was to do his job properly.
But that's actually false. There is something else besides the job inside his mind.
It was his family.
He has a wife and two sons. His wife is a beauty with a gentle heart named Vinnie. Both of his sons are still under 8 years old, with Albert the oldest at 7 years old and Bolwin the youngest at 5 years old.
He had missed them so much. He had never been able to see them since the conflict started. The conflict between Prince Terrace and Prince Constance was already happening for 10 months. Every day, he's been anxious about hearing any news about his family being the victim of the war. He waited for any news from them, but he was scared of it at the same time. But nevertheless, he's still waiting for them in every wave of refugees.
Knowing this was the last wave of refugees, he had high hopes of reuniting with his family.
He took every chance to interact with every refugee, asking if they somehow knew his family. Every time he asked the refugees, he placed the hope of finding an answer.
But then,
"You mean, a young woman with two kids? What are they look like?"
An elderly man asks back to Leroy.
"Well, she has a beautiful face with white skin and long black hair. I don't know what she was wearing, since it's been a while since I haven't seen her. And she must be carrying two kids, and both are male. Um, my wife's name is Vinnie."
"Ohhh, Vinnie-san? Yes! Yes! I remember. She's in the back of the convoy. You sure are a lucky man! She is such a charming woman, and your kids are going to be a strong lad, I tell ya!"
Leroy's eyes were fired up. He could feel a fire of hope ignited inside his heart.
"Really?! Oh, thank God… Thank you so much! Please tell me, good sir, where the last time did you see them?"
"Sorry, my boy. I was immediately unconscious when the attacks came. When I woke up, I didn't see Vinnie-san anywhere, nor her kids…."
Leroy's heartfelt suddenly stopped.
"Attack? What do you mean, good sir?"
"You didn't know? We were attacked last night by a bunch of knights! Ahh, but they were actually ignoring us. The worst one was actually those men in black robes! They are terrible, I tell ya! I didn't remember anything after I was slashed by one of them!"
"Slashed?"
Leroy couldn't understand the meaning of this elderly man's words. Slashed? Unconscious? You mean, you were slashed by the enemy and only unconscious because of it? But I didn't see any wounds on his body. Is he lying? Leroy tried to grasp the words which were spoken by that elderly man.
"Yeah, son. Even I didn't know what was really happening. All I know, I was slashed and unconscious. And when I woke up, the attackers had been killed! Ah, but there's also a lot from the refugees who fell victim. It's a horrible scene!"
Huh?
As the words come through his ears, it becomes scarier. Leroy becomes very uneasy. He's beginning to not believe this old man. But then,
"Oh, are you talking about the last night incident?"
Other refugees come along. This one is a young female in her 20s.
"Incident? I'm sorry young miss, but can you give me the details about it?"
"Of course, everyone knows about it anyways. Last night there were attackers wearing black robes. They are very nasty people. They robbed our belongings, killed our men and children, and raped the woman. I was lucky to be able to run away since I was in the middle of the convoy. But the people in the back, I'm not sure, were able to run away or not. I felt very sorry for them."
"A-And… Vinnie is among the refugees who stayed in the back of the convoy?"
"My boy, the last time I saw her, she was in the back. But, I really wished she's survived."
"Sir, who is this Vinnie?"
"She's… my wife."
"I'm… I'm so sorry, Sir. I don't know what happens to them. We dug a mass grave for the victims who died, and it was a lot of people who were buried there."
"I see…"
Leroy's lumped his shoulders. He didn't notice it, but his eyes lost the spirit he had a moment before. He's surprisingly calm. No, he's more confused about what he's feeling right now.
I… What am I thinking? Why do I think it's as expected?
That's right. Leroy was already thinking about the worst possibility for his family. He didn't like it, nor even wished it would come true. It's the otherwise. He's scared of it to death. But at the same time, that possibility always showed up inside his mind, no matter the high hope he had.
"Sorry, I need to go somewhere else. Thank you for your time."
Leroy forcibly tried to part ways with the elderly man and young woman. But he's indeed more needed somewhere else. He only took the chance to ask the refugees about his family. And, after knowing about their truth, he's done. All he has now is his job.
Leroy continues his job sorting the refugees between the skilled and unskilled. Inside his heart, he still carried a hope that he might be finding his wife's name or his son's. No matter which one, he wanted them to survive. If one of them is gone, it's still better than all of them.
But fate seem to be against his hope that day.
He's been doing this from the afternoon until evening. And sadly for him, there was no his family among the refugees.
Leroy's heart sank deeper.
I'm sorry.
That's the only word he can think of. It's not clear whether he felt sorry for not being able to protect them or he felt sorry for the fact he already expected this. But, those are not matters anymore. His family had died—nothing he could do.
At that moment, Leroy starts to think about visiting the mass grave. He promises to himself once the war has ended, he will straightly visit them without any delays. He also promises to bring a beautiful flower with him.
Late at night, Leroy's already back to base. He didn't have anything to do right now. So he can lie down on his bed for the first time after a couple of days without rest. The stress must be immense, and yet, he's just lying down with the eye open. He couldn't sleep at all.
He's scared to close his eyes. Because whenever he closed his eyes, all he could see was his wife carrying his two children. Seeing them right now was an unsightly scene for him. Realizing he cannot be with them anymore hurts him so much.
No, I cannot be like this. I need to move on.
He tried to think about his position. He still has a life. He still has a lot of debt of gratitude. Captain Alan, his comrades, Prince Constance, and lastly, Rimuru and Hinata. He tried to think about them. He tried to think about what he could do to repay the debt.
But what he got was a sudden knock on his door.
"Leroy? You awake?"
It was Captain Alan's voice.
"Yes, Captain. Wait a second."
He gets up from his bed and quickly opens the door. Once he opened the door, there stood a bulky man whose name was Captain Alan.
"Yo, I heard what you've been through today."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah, I'm so sorry for that."
"Don't worry, Captain. It's not your fault."
"It's… well, it's hard time. I cannot let my precious subordinate feel so down. So how about having a drink in my office? I just got some nice booze from His Highness. It's better than just lying down on the bed without being able to sleep."
"How do you know that?"
"Well, you're not the only one who lost someone precious."
Captain Alan's voice was really sincere. His face was soft enough to make anyone who saw it would doubt it was a face of a veteran knight. But here, Leroy could see a soft spot from his captain. He didn't really want to talk with anyone right now, but at the same time, he didn't want to be alone.
"All right, Captain. I guess I'll take that offer."
"That's good! Let's go."
After locking the door, Leroy followed Captain Alan's lead. As he said, they would have a drink inside Captain Alan's office. After a few seconds of walking, they arrived at the door. And as normally it is, the door is closed.
"You open it, Leroy."
"All right."
Leroy opened the door. And he could see from the floor that the room was unusually brighter. He immediately raises his head. Suddenly, there was a figure standing in front of the desk.
There are 3 figures: one adult woman and two children.
And before he could see them clearly,
"' Dad! '"
The two children ran towards him while shouting. Leroy couldn't understand it for seconds. He thought he was seeing a ghost.
But those children didn't let go of their hug. Instead, they grip at him tighter.
"' Dad! I really miss you! '"
"What…"
Leroy couldn't see. His view becomes blurry. At first thought, he thought it was a sign of collapsing. But it's not. A gentle touch can be felt on his cheeks. A soft white skin from a woman he loved the most was touching his cheeks, wiping away his tears.
"I'm here, dear…."
Immediately, two pair of hands were hugging him. A warm and soothing gentle touch was circling around his neck. Before he realizes it, he already moves his arms towards them. With teary eyes, he hugs them all.
There's no sound. But there's a joy.
There are no words spoken. But there's a feeling delivered.
There are tears. But there are smiling hearts.
And without anyone of them knowing, it was Rimuru who saved them.