The Banished Sage Who Escaped his Childhood Friend

That night, Alice and I were indebted to the Autumn family.

There is no problem with money since we had just recieved a lot of it, and I was thinking of finding an inn in the city …

But, Anju and Nine told me not to think much about it and sleep at their place, and I decided to take onto that favor.

To be honest, I thought it would feel somewhat lonesome to say goodbye to Anju and Nine, so I’m happy to be together with them.

But, I can’t afford to disturn them forever, so I have to go out tomorrow.

However, that night….

“I have a request”

Anju, said with a stern expression on her face.

What could I and Alice do but listen? We listened to what she had to say after making a face quite in contrast to her usual self.

“Please continue, young lady. No need to be reserved.”

“Thank you, Nine”

Nine brews tea for all of us to drink at the table.

Only the four of us were in the room.

By the way, Anju’s father… the head of the Autumn family, I have never greeted him before.

Anju said that he is indebted to me, and would like to meet me once …

But couldn’t because he is very busy now.

I don’t understand.

How busy can one be to not find a moment in two whole days?

But probably I shouldn’t think much about it. He is the lord of the city after all.

“What do you mean, what kind of request?”

“As I have told you before, my profession is a saint.”

A saint is a chosen rare profession that only a limited number of people can be.

One day, the future saint seems to receive an oracle claiming their talent in the field.

Those who are chosen in this way can undergo rigorous training and become true saints.

They are the true recovery magic experts.

It is said that even the dead can be resurrected by a saint who is extremely powerful.

“But, now I’m just an apprentice. I’m in the middle of training.”

“I’ve heard that you have to practice hard, but what exactly do apprentice saint have to do? Oh if you don’t mind, can I ask you so?”

“Yes, it’s okay. The training of the saint is to go on a pilgrimage to the tombs of successful and reknowned heroes in various places.”

Somehow, When I heard the word ‘hero’, I reflexively frowned.

Anju goes on explaining without noticing my shift in my appearance.

“It may sound simple, but … in fact, pilgrimage is a very tough nut to crack, with 70% dropping out.”

“They might have been powerful herous once but its still a dead body closed inside a lid, isn’t it just a visit to a grave? Why is it considered so hard?”

“Successful heroes who are said to have saved the world have always been respected and revered by many people … just like a God. It was considered blasphemous to make the graves of such heroes in the city with other people. It was insisted that they should be buried in the mountains where God descends and in a place full of nature where spirits appear … and thus they were made so.”

I frowned.

“Well, I can somewhat understand what you mean. In short, the people of the past have built the hero’s graves in ridiculously unexplored regions. That made the pilgrimage extremely difficult … is that right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

I think it is a bad fate that the heroes had to face …

The resoning was very unnoying and unconvincin.

If heroes were like deities, doesn’t that mean that many people will want to visit their graves? Not to mention that even heroes have friends and families. They are no different than normal people. To have built their graves so far away was certainly cruel.

They didn’t think about their feelings at all.

But maybe I understand now what Anju was getting at.

“Maybe you are asking me to …”

“Yes. If you woud like. Would you accompany me on my pilgrimage trip as my escort?”

“I would like to ask you too. Could you please protect my young lady?”

Anju and Nine both bowed together in sync.

“Saint’s pilgrimage trip …?”

I think it’s very important for Anju, the daughter of the lord of Arland.

If she couldn’t become a true saint, it would be bad for the people …

Her failuer or success wouldn’t affect the city alone.

The saint acts under the oracle’s dream, so to speak, they are a messenger of God … a shrine maiden.

Sometimes, the actions of a saint can even save a city, if not the world.

Roughly speaking, they are like the heroes who have been scaled down in importance a little.

“I’d like to know if you are okay with me though …”

“Why, is something wrong …?”

“I wonder if I’m okay? I don’t think I have the qualifications to escort a saint …”

”” No no no no! “”

They shook their hands and necks sideways, as if Alice and Nine were in sync now while Anju stood in a daze.

“If Haru is not even then I am not even sure who would be! I’m already worried that your attack power is simply too high to involve in this task.”

“Isn’t Haru’s self-esteem a bit too low !? What level would I be if Haru claims that he is incompetent and has no power?”

For some reason, they denied me in a haste.

Hmm.

Are they trying to cheer me up, even though I am a weakling?

As I thought, both Alice and Nine are kind.

“But well … let’s do as much as we can. What about Alice?”

“Yes, I have no complaints.”

“Well then……!”

“If we’re okay, I’ll accept the request.”

Thus, I and Alice decided to accept Anju’s request.

To be the pilgrimage escort of the saint.

I think it’s a pretty difficult request, but …

Only by receiving such a request can you gain strength and experience as an adventurer. Fighting mosters could hardly be considered as valuable experience. Not to mention that Nine and Alice would be coming along as well.

I have to pat my back and wish myself good luck.

“By the way, how long does a pilgrimage trip take? I’m afraid I can’t let it take too much time. I am kinda in a hurry.”

If it takes too much time in this, I may be overtaken by Leticia. That would certainly be bad.

“That’s okay, because the next pilgrimage site is east of this Arland, it would take about a day by horse-drawn carriage.”

“One day by carriage to the east …”

We would be back on the road you came from, but it shouldn’t be a problem it its for about just a day.

At this point, I could only be optimistic. There was no telling what Leticia could do.

――――――――――

Leticia left the city she was staying in and was swayed by a carriage.

The purpose, of course, is to find Haru.

“Haru …! I can’t forgive you for not only fooling me into a duel, but also fooling me and running away from me … I can’t forgive you! This grudge that I couldn’t get rid of … I’ll release it all on you together when I find you. “

Leticia roared like a stray dog. She had been howling like that ever since, gritting her teeth and gnashing them against each other.

The coachman was wondering what was going on, but at this point I couldn’t afford to worried about the eyes of others.

“Ahhh …!”

Leticia frustratedly hits the carriage floor with her toes …

I bit my nails.

It’s was my habit.

When things go wrong or when I’m worried, I just bite my nails.

I’m wondering if I could get rid of it someday, but I can’t seem to fix it because it’s my childhood habit.

“Ah … customer”

“What!”

“We will arrive in Arland in about a day.”

“Yes? Thank you.”

Knowing that I was about to arrive, I could somehow feel my head cool a bit.

It’s was no coincidence that I chose Arland as my next destination.

It’s impossible for Haru to escape from me. For I can use magic tools that I had once put in his equipment to keep track of Haru’s whereabouts anytime, anywhere.

I can use it to pinpoint Haru’s approximate location.

“Kukku … Wait, Haru! I was stupid to run away from me, even the bones … I’ll carve it into all my souls and teach you! Ha! Goho, Geho! “

Seeing Leticia laughing and coughing, the coachman began to cry.

He had picked up a strange guest … and he still regrets it.