CH 37

When I approached the fallen hero and called out to him, he reacted with a jerk and slowly got up.

“I have a few questions. Answer them maturely.”

“Yes…”

The hero is sitting on his knees without having said anything yet.

“The bishop called you, your name is Ares… you’re a hero, aren’t you?”

“yes”

The young man in front of me answered with a serious look.

To be honest, at this time I was worried about how Ares would be treated. Until I came here, I had planned to dispose of him with the bishop and the sex offenders…

Their treatment of Ares and his own attitude.

and more than anything….

“Next. Ares, how old are you now?”

“I turned 13 this year… maybe.”

“Maybe?”

“…they said that I was abandoned in front of the orphanage when I was still a baby. So I don’t know how old I actually am.”

13…the same age as Ariamel? I mean, he’s still a kid, isn’t he?

“The orphanage… is it in Storia?”

Ares shakes his head slightly at my words.

“No… it’s in Kodar.”

“The Kingdom of Kodar? You are from Kodar so why are you a hero in Storia?”

The Kingdom of Kodar is a country located across the Holy Kingdom of Storia from this country, and one-third of the land is covered with forests.

It’s a country rich in resources, but the depths of the forest are considered more dangerous than bad dungeons, and even high-ranked adventurers are reluctant to go there.

“That is……–“

I asked Ares a lot of questions after that.

Being taken to Storia as if he was kidnapped. Being told to answer that he is from Storia.

Although they did not say so explicitly, he did not know what would happen to the friends he had grown up with if he disobeyed.

The reason for coming to this city must be to bring back a saint chosen by an oracle.

…he thought she would be separated from her family and friends in the same way he was.

I didn’t actually fight him, so I didn’t know, but Ares’ strength is said to be greater than the knights there, but weaker than the man in white armor.

But such a person as a holy knight. I imagined they would be a more serious bunch.

The holy knights of the Holy Kingdom of Storia are quite famous, and there is a rank in terms of strength, especially those in the fifth and above ranks, who are said to be lent powerful holy weapons from the country.

… I guess the sex offender there was different, he didn’t have anything like that.

But I don’t know what to do… I don’t want to kill Ares, who was threatened by the state, forcibly separated from his friends, and forced to follow them in a way he didn’t want to.

I want to send him back to his people, but… it’s quite a distance from here to Kodar, and I won’t have a good night’s sleep if I throw him out to be by himself.

“Can’t we just go back? I’m sleepy.”

As I’m pondering this and that, Harsalia suggests that we go back once.

“… I guess..well, it’s kind of late today.”

I’ll have Ares stay with the innkeeper’s dad tonight. I could have him stay at my house, but I’d have to talk to the kids about that.

Before returning, I remove the money from the bishop and his men’s corpses and collect it in one place.

“Uh-oh, heresy.”

“Why, the corpse doesn’t need the money. It’s a consolation fee.”

Even bandits can be freed from the treasure they have if they are defeated. These guys are similar.

“Consolation fee on top of alimony……”

“I’m going to use this for a lot of things.”

“Well, we need the money to take Ares back to his country.”

“Don’t tell me if you know”

When the transfer stone was used, the area was momentarily enveloped in a strong light. When the light subsided, the corpses of the bishop and his men that should have been there were completely gone.

Seeing that he was secretly looking for Ariamel, at the very least he wouldn’t have talked to the higher-ups of this country.

If they had passed by, they would have sent a bigger entourage. In that case, even if these guys disappeared, Storia wouldn’t be able to make a fuss.

There is no way that a person in a high position could say that he or she sent an escort and the hero to another country without permission and they went missing….

Let’s go home… I have to talk to Emilia and the others.

I decided to have Harsalia join Emilia and the others ahead of us, and I would take Ares to the inn.

After explaining the situation to the innkeeper’s father, I paid the fee for two nights and asked him to show Ares to the room where I had stayed before. The innkeeper’s father wouldn’t leak the information carelessly. Even if it was to his daughter Rina.

“Then get some rest tonight. I’ll come back for you tomorrow.”

Ares opens his mouth just as I walk out of the room.

“Um…Gray-san. Thank you for the lodging, and I promise to pay you back the money.”

“I don’t need it. It’s not my money anyway.”

I wonder if it was to be used for alms or something ….

Harsalia should have explained things to Emilia and the others to some extent, but I’ll be back as soon as I can.