Hell Mode: Volume 9, page 27
“No, I’m saying I don’t think we have the right to make demands of them.”
“Now, now. Look a little closer. The dark elves are just as curious about it. We’re all dying to find out what you’re searching for, Your Majesty. Why don’t you just tell us?”
“King Olbaas, this affects the future of our village,” an elder said. “If you have a plan in mind, I beg you to enlighten us.”
Olbaas had an answer prepared. The time had come for him to say it. He took a deep breath before he said, “A bride.”
Everyone stared at the king in astonishment. No one could believe their ears, and they reflexively gasped, struggling to comprehend what he had just said.
“Huh?”
“What?”
“A bride?”
Olbaas nodded. “Indeed. To protect the future of my village, I require a bride to support me, and I’ve been searching for one. However, I haven’t been able to find anyone suitable. Why is that? My guess is that everyone in this village, myself included, knows nothing about the outside world. We know only of our village; therefore, I have no choice but to welcome a bride from outside our land. And it’s best that I personally search for such a woman.”
Suddenly, a high-pitched laugh rang through the air, commanding the attention of everyone present.
“Aha ha!” Gressa cackled. “Your Majesty, you sound absolutely ridiculous! But it’s so very amusing!”
“Gressa... I’ve never seen you laugh before,” Makkaron murmured, his eyes wide. He soon grinned at everyone. “But I agree. This is gonna be interesting, Your Majesty. All right, I’m in! Are we cool with that, guys?”
The other three party members smiled and slowly nodded along.
“Very well. My name is Yoze. Let us see which one of us attains our goal first. Will you find a bride before I become the Beast King?”
“I’m Nenebee! But you better think twice before you join our party, Your Majesty. With a leader like ours, there’s no telling when we’ll be able to search for a wife for you!”
“Nenebee, that’s a trial this person must overcome. I, Istahl Kumes, and the power of Lord Elmea shall surely be of assistance. Let’s overcome this trial together and find you a lady of hope who can bring a brighter future to your village!”
“Thank you. I am Olbaas, the king of Fabraaze. And I shall be your friend from today onward.”
Makkaron already had his sights set on his next goal. “All right, now let’s hunt for that legendary albaheron egg!”
＊ ＊ ＊
The members of Majestic had their restraints undone. For the first time in centuries, guests were welcomed into the village of Fabraaze. Needless to say, the elders and generals were tasked with keeping a close eye on the visitors, but Makkaron and the others did not do anything rash. The village did not have the elixir of eternal youth anyway.
From that very night, Olbaas’s dreams began to shift. His younger self in his dreams, wandering around the desert, became more confident. Every step he took across the sands was firm, and when he looked behind him, he saw that his footprints remained—a trail that showed where he had been. Beside his own set of footprints were five more left by the invisible friends walking with him.
Side Story 3: Hell Mode Spin-Off—The Heroic Tale of Helmios (Part 3): A Natural Gift, Act 2
Five years before Allen was born, five-year-old Helmios had just finished his Appraisal Ceremony. The Empire of Giamut had been unable to stop the invasion of the Demon Lord Army, and following a bitter battle, the situation was looking grim.
As though to answer the citizens’ cries of distress, Helmios had been born with the Talent of Hero. The very day his Talent had been appraised, he had been shipped off with three other kids from his village to Howlden City, the capital of the fief, without having even been given time to pack his things. With only the clothes on his back, he had been pushed onto the carriage and forced to leave his hometown of Cortana Village. A few hours had passed since he had departed.
A hundred knights surrounded the carriage, protecting it as it raced across the plains. Vice-Captain Zeine was at the front of the group.
“Hurry!” he shouted. “The sun will set before we reach Zozonoe Village!”
“Roger that!” the knights replied.
Captain Maxil, who had the final say in any decisions, nodded silently.
“Awesome! They’re so cool!” Gatsun shouted as he peeked out the carriage window, his nose running and his eyes sparkling. “Helmios, did you hear that?! These are knights! And the cavalry unit! ‘Roger that!’ they said! Wow!”
As Gatsun imitated the knights and tried to vocalize his respect, one of the cavalry units noticed him and raised his voice.
“Hey! Brat! Keep your head inside the carriage!” the knight scolded. “Don’t make me keep saying it!”
“Huh?! S-Sorry!” Gatsun said.
For the umpteenth time today, Gatsun promised that it would not happen again, and Helmios sighed.
“You should calm down already,” Dorothy said.
“Have you calmed down a little, Dorothy?” Helmios asked.
“What? I’m not depressed or anything. Just a little sad.”
She puffed out her cheeks as she complained. The little girl had looked glum when she was torn away from her parents, but watching Gatsun romp around so innocently as they rode along had cheered her up a little. Thank goodness Dorothy looks more energetic. And what about this girl? I don’t know her. I hope we can get along, Helmios thought. She had mussed, chestnut-colored hair that went down to her shoulders and had been shoved into the carriage with Helmios and his friends.
“Excuse me. Um, what’s your name?” Helmios asked with a smile.
“Huh?! I-I’m Ena.”
“Cool! Do you have any siblings?”
“An older brother and a younger sister.”
“I see. Then it must be lonely, huh?”
“Mm-hmm...”
“What about your mom and dad? What do they do?”
Helmios was sociable and managed to keep the conversation going. He learned that Ena had been born to and raised by a serf family. In Cortana Village, children of commoners almost never mingled with the children of serfs. The farming region, where serfs resided, was far away from the commoners’ residential area. Furthermore, serfs tended to their crops as a family. When the children of commoners reached a certain age, they were allowed to play around outside, whereas serf children who reached that age were sent to work and help their parents. They were not given much time to themselves.
“I see,” Helmios said, wanting to use this opportunity to learn about her Talent. “Ena, can I ask what Talent you have? I hope you don’t mind me asking.”
“Um, it’s Bow Master,” Ena replied.
“Bow Master?! What’s that?!” the large-bodied, spiky-haired Gatsun asked, leaning forward.
“Huh?!” Ena gasped timidly.
“Stop that. You’re scaring her,” Dorothy scolded. She had been smiling, glad to see that Helmios had managed to speak to Ena.
“Sorry, sorry,” Gatsun apologized, scratching his head.
“That’s okay,” Ena said with a nod. She flashed a nervous smile. “Um, I just heard that it’s better than Archer.”
“Wow! Then it’s a rare Talent!”
“Seems like it,” Dorothy added. “It’s a little frustrating.”
“This isn’t a competition or anything,” Helmios said.
“I guess a Hero is allowed to act so carefree.”
“What even is a Hero anyway?” Gatsun asked. “Is it better than a Swordsman?”
Helmios got the impression that the children of serfs and commoners wanted Swordsman as a Talent. He was not sure if he could live up to high expectations, so he chose his words carefully.
“I think so,” he replied.
Talents of the Four Children from Cortana Village
Helmios: Hero (five stars)
Dorothy: Mage (one star)
Gatsun: Swordsman (one star)
Ena: Bow Master (two stars)
The way Helmios steered the conversation as Gatsun spoke his mind and Dorothy scolded him for it made Ena begin to feel more at ease. In the blink of an eye, the four children became friends.
The sun set in the distance, shrouding the road in darkness, but the knights quickly used magic tools to light their way. The carriage continued to rush through, and an hour after sunset, it arrived in Zozonoe Village.
Thick, cylindrical logs surrounded the village, serving as a defensive wall, and a heavy door made of horizontally stacked logs opened, ushering the knights and the carriage inside.
“Wow, we really made it here in a day,” Helmios murmured.
“Whoa,” Dorothy said. “Hmm? Wait, Helmios, have you ever been to Zozonoe Village?”
“No, but my dad said it takes two days to get here.”
His father, Lucas, served as a guard for merchants and had many stories to tell. One of the things the man had told him was that one would never normally make it to a neighboring village this quickly. It was no wonder, then, that they had been so hastily ushered out of Cortana.
“Who cares? We get to sleep in an inn today!” Gatsun shouted.
“So? You said it might be fun to camp outside,” Dorothy pointed out.
“Did I? In any case, how long do we gotta wait? I expect a nice meal at our inn. I’ve got a Talent here, you know.”
“Maybe they won’t let us off...” Ena muttered.
Helmios gazed out the window and spotted the knight captain and vice-captain calling a few other knights to gather.
“Looks like they’re talking about something,” Helmios observed.
We didn’t get much to eat for lunch. I’m no Gatsun, but I’m still pretty hungry... As Helmios focused on the knights outside, he managed to catch tidbits of their conversation.
“How did Zozonoe go?”
“We’ve got three kids. I’ve told their parents to gather them in the village square tomorrow morning.”
I guess we’re not the only village that had its Appraisal Ceremony.
“I see. There were four kids in Cortana. Can I leave you guys with the night shift?”
“Of course, sir!”
“Captain, perhaps leaving only one squad is cause for worry. We should offer a squad for assistance as well.”
“Vice-Captain, I appreciate your kindness, but I believe you’re set to leave first thing in the morning. If you intend to reach the next village before the day ends, it’ll be best to get a good night’s rest.”
“Quite so, but we also have reasons for offering our aid. Is that not so, Captain Maxil?”
Maxil nodded slightly, and the knights of Zozonoe Village lowered their voices. “I knew it. I knew there was a reason behind a squad of our size being dispatched.”
“I will provide you with the details upon our return to the city. There’s been a slew of dangerous cases recently, so as Vice-Captain Zeine says, we shall have two squads stand guard throughout the night. I leave the bodyguard task to you.”
“Yes, sir!”
Once they had voiced their assent, the two squad leaders nodded and faded into the darkness. The captain and vice-captain then turned back toward the carriage, and Helmios swiftly averted his gaze, feigning ignorance.
“Right. Let’s head to the village chief’s residence. Get the kids.”
Helmios and his three friends were guided off the carriage and over to the village chief’s residence amid the peaceful night. The house, illuminated by a magic tool, had several villagers waiting out front for them.
“Ah, it must have been quite the journey! Please, come inside. I know it’s late, but we’ve prepared a meal for you,” an elderly man said. He was likely the village chief.
“Yay! Grub!” Gatsun shouted energetically, paying no heed to his surroundings.
“Hey, stop!” Dorothy cried, hastily clasping her hand over his mouth.
“Mph, mmmph!”
Helmios heard the knight captain let out a gentle sigh before saying, “These kids haven’t eaten yet either. I apologize for the inconvenience, but could you deliver food to their rooms as well?”
“Of course,” the village chief replied before he turned to a middle-aged man. “Please guide these children to their rooms.”
“Yes, sir,” the man replied, then opened the log door.
Helmios turned around and looked up at the knight captain, who gave a nod. And so, the boy entered the village chief’s residence. Gatsun, Dorothy, and Ena followed. The middle-aged man locked the door behind him and walked past the kids to guide them down the front hall. He looks like the village chief. Maybe they’re father and son.
As Helmios was thinking about the man’s face, the villager stopped, opened a door with a loud clack, and encouraged everyone to head inside.
“Here we are,” he said. “Wait inside. We’ll bring you food and hot water. If you would like to use the restroom, head farther down the hall. You’ll find a door at the end.”
The kids gingerly stepped inside and saw a table with a lantern that illuminated the room. There was a single bed, as well as three hemp sacks filled with straw and three blankets to place atop them. It seemed that three of them would have to sleep on the floor.
“Okay. Um, mister?” Helmios asked.
“Yes?” the middle-aged man replied.
“If we can’t have separate rooms, I’d at least like a divider or something...”
“Huh? Precocious brat. Fine.”
With that, he left the room.
“All right! I call the bed!” Gatsun declared, diving face-first onto it.
“Good grief. There’s no arguing with you,” Dorothy said.
As the daughter of a clergyman, Dorothy aimed to live a frugal life, and money was always tight for Helmios because of his mother’s medical fees. Ena, of course, had never led a life of luxury as the daughter of a serf. In contrast, Gatsun, as the son of the sole pharmacist in the village, had led quite a privileged life. Dorothy was well aware of this, and she sighed wearily but did not stop him from claiming the bed. Just then, the door opened, and the middle-aged man entered with baskets hanging from both arms.
“Here’s some bread and molmo,” the man said. “I’ll bring some hot water later and place it in the next room, so use it as you wish. Don’t dirty the towels too much.”
The kids peered into the baskets. One contained four chunks of bread, each as large as their faces, while the other had several molmo fruits.
“Aw. No meat?” Gatsun, who had slid off the bed and was looking into the baskets from next to Helmios, grumbled.
“What was that?” the man asked. “Hmph. Any more complaining and I’ll have you skip breakfast.”
“Ack! I’m sorry!”
Gatsun apologized profusely, and the middle-aged man gave a weary sigh before leaving the room. Helmios took a hunk of bread and a molmo, offering them to Ena.
“Here you go. This is your share,” he said.
“Thanks. Can I take all this?” Ena asked.
“Of course you can.”
As Helmios and Ena smiled at each other, Gatsun and Dorothy took their shares from the baskets.
“Hey, I’m not the type to take other people’s food,” Gatsun said.
“I wonder...” Dorothy said as she bit into the fruit. “Oh, it’s sweet. This is a good one.”
The kids quickly polished off the bread and fruit. When the hot water arrived, Ena and Dorothy used it first, followed by Helmios and Gatsun. The room had a pail that was large enough for Helmios to fit inside, but the kids all hesitated to needlessly use water and soak in a tub. They decided to use towels soaked in the water to wipe themselves clean.
They returned to their sleeping area with nothing to do. Wanting to conserve the oil in the lamp, they decided to turn it off and head to bed. A while later, quiet sobbing filled the dark room.
“Ngh... Mommy...” Ena murmured, trying her best to stifle her sniffles.
“Hey. We should be nicer to her,” Gatsun whispered.
“Yeah, you should take your own advice,” Dorothy countered.
“All right, all right. Ena can take the bed next time.”
Helmios closed his eyes as Gatsun and Dorothy whispered to each other.
The next morning, the middle-aged man—presumably the village chief’s son—arrived to wake them up. They were scheduled to head out immediately, and the knights were already waiting for them.
“Where’s breakfast?” Gatsun asked as he jumped out of bed.
“Packed in the carriage,” the man replied. “There’s lunch too.”
“Nice! Is there any meat?”
Gatsun immediately looked happier, but the man did not answer. He merely shot the boy a withering look and left the room. Helmios then wriggled out of his sleeping area, and when he glanced around the dimly lit room, he noticed Dorothy still curled up in her blanket.
“Dorothy, wake up. We need to leave soon,” he said.
“But I’m still sleepy...” she murmured.
Unfortunately, she was not allowed the luxury of more sleep. They all woke up, swiftly cleaned up the room, and left the village chief’s residence. A pair of knights was waiting out front, and when they spotted Helmios and the other kids, they guided the group to the village square while guarding it from the front and rear. Two carriages awaited them. Since there had only been one when they left Cortana Village, Helmios suspected that the second carriage was for the Talented children of Zozonoe Village.
“Yes! We’re the first ones here!” Gatsun crowed. “Oh! And there’s meat! They listened after all!”
The energetic boy climbed into the carriage, and Helmios spotted the two large sacks Gatsun was gazing into. They had been placed on the seats next to the carriage door. Each contained enough large chunks of bread, molmo, and pieces of dried meat for four.
“The food is for more than just you,” Dorothy said as she stepped into the carriage. “Don’t take all the meat.”
“I know!” Gatsun replied, and he immediately began gnawing on the dried meat.
