studiobondurri Chapter 183 : Chapter 183
Chapter 183 : Chapter 183
Translator: AkazaTL Pr/Ed: Sol IX
***
I went around the noisy taverns asking about the middle-aged woman.
That was how I learned her name—Frey—and that she had once been a beautiful priest of the stars, the very star of Antoine itself. And I learned that the cause of her transformation into what she was now involved an unidentified figure known as the “Little Prince.”
“Curious about Priest Frey, are you?”
Of course, the information I had gained so far was incomplete. A crucial part was missing—the reason why the Golden Star guided me not to a sword, but to a person. On the Fair Scale, I had clearly seen a blade. But the needle of the Golden Star pointed to a person. A middle-aged woman living a life of misery.
“She’s broken now, but once she was our pride. Even among the famed beautiful priests of the stars, she was special. A rose blooming among a field of wildflowers. Her nickname was Rose. Antoine’s Rose—one no one could pluck.”
I needed to understand what that meant.
Did the middle-aged woman Frey possess the sword I needed?
Or did she hold the clue that would lead me to the blade I had seen?
The Golden Star told me only the direction; it did not give me the method to find what I needed.
Much like the explorers of ages past who wandered endlessly, guided only by stars and maps.
“Traveler, word has spread that you’ve been asking about Priest Frey everywhere. In small cities, rumors travel quickly.”
“Yes. I was personally curious.”
“Good attitude. Travelers I saw in my youth were the same. They held curiosity even toward small things, questioned the lives of the humble, and searched for answers of their own. In essence, travelers and pilgrims are one and the same.”
In the end, there was only one method left. To run around and seek with my own two feet.
“But now is not the time. Satisfying your curiosity is fine, but return to your inn for tonight. Rest by the hearth. When the sun rises, leave this place.”
“Why?”
“This city… is cursed.”
And no matter how much I wandered, I could not obtain the answer I wanted.
“Leave.”
Everyone reached the same conclusion. Leave.
“This is advice for your own good.”
But I could not listen to them.
The Golden Star had already been activated, and for the journey to come, consuming a new sword was essential. If I had not begun at all, perhaps I could walk away. But once a step had been taken, I could not turn back. I had to move forward.
“……Thank you for the advice.”
“So you won’t listen, will you.”
To find the answer I wanted, I had to go elsewhere.
“You’ll get hurt.”
“I’ll be fine.”
The only clue indicated by the Golden Star— the middle-aged woman, Priest Frey of the stars.
I had to meet her directly.
***
The night in Antoine, the City of Stars, was short. Even considering the Southern Continent’s nature—long days and short nights—the night here passed in a blink. That was a trait of Perry in the western Southern Continent. Unlike the burning-hot day, the desert night was cold like the northern winter. Summer and winter coexisted in a single day.
“Hm.”
I didn’t immediately rush to find Priest Frey. First, I took a short nap at a nearby inn to recover at least the minimum stamina. Crossing the desert had consumed much of it. And with my weakened body due to the Golden Star’s restriction, moving two days in a row was madness.
I no longer had a Steel Heart. Meaning lost energy could not be instantly restored without rest.
‘I’ve only been under the restriction for a day, and I already feel like dying.’
Complaining wouldn’t help. If I couldn’t change the circumstances, I could only act within them.
Before moving in earnest, I assessed my current condition.
‘Without proper rest I can’t move. I need to plan my route wisely. Simple food to replenish nutrients. Water is essential to avoid dehydration in the desert. The heat of the day and the cold of the night—both lethal to me right now. I need countermeasures for heat and cold.’
Fortunately, most of what I needed could be bought.
“Buy more water than food. In the Perry desert, the deadliest threat isn’t venomous scorpions or sandstorms—it’s thirst.”
“I don’t recommend clothes for blocking the cold. Caravans who travel all night buy those. Instead, buy clothes that block heat, and a magic tent to shelter you from sandstorms. The tent also stores the day’s heat to keep you warm at night. If you’re not in a rush, it’s better to rest during the night rather than travel. Days are long and nights short.”
The merchants of Antoine were wary at first, but once I began selecting typical traveler’s supplies, they lowered their guard and became friendly. As the old woman said, this city’s people were kind to travelers. A few merchants even rolled up their sleeves and chose items for me themselves.
「They’re not kind. You simply look so weak even wild dogs could bully you. Who would maintain caution against an outsider who looks like he’ll die if nudged? If anything, they probably feel protective. Like seeing a child left by the riverbank.」
“…….”
Not wrong, as much as I hated it.
There was a reason the Arena gave me the nickname “The Little Gladiator.”
“With the essentials ready… that should do.”
Just because my body had regressed to its weaker state didn’t mean I would give up. I had lived far longer without a sword than with one.
The weak had their own way of fighting.
The wisest method was to avoid battle—but in my experience, weak people didn’t get to choose to avoid battle. When those without strength fight, it isn’t because they want to. It’s because they get swept into it. Could I really pass through this chaotic land without running into trouble?
Maybe. But I didn’t trust my luck.
“I’d like to buy this crossbow. A light one, even if the power is low. Ah, and if you have any trap sets used by rangers…”
Meaning— I planned ahead. Prepared. In my own way.
***
After gathering everything I needed, I immediately went to find Frey.
That wasn’t hard. I had the needle of the Golden Star to lead me.
“A favor… a favor please…”
Following the needle, I found the middle-aged woman, Frey, crawling along the ground again today. The pedestrians carefully walked around her so as not to step on her.
‘Still doesn’t look like a priest at all.’
Frey looked less like a former priest and more like a worn-out courtesan from the entertainment district, or a madam soaked in alcohol. The kind often seen in the Iron Kingdom’s slums.
“Priest Frey!”
But today was different from yesterday.
“Ah, why are you crawling again? Come on, let’s get up.”
A small girl sat beside Frey. The little girl was struggling to lift her.
“Let’s go eat lunch at least. Or at least drink something? I got some camel milk this morning.”
The girl wore an oversized priest’s robe—the same kind worn by the corpses hanging on the observatory. The robe dragged on the floor, far too big for her, and bore a large pentagram.
“Hurry, come on.”
A crawling middle-aged woman.
A child tugging at her priest’s robe.
A strange sight. I watched briefly, then stepped forward.
“Hm?”
Hearing my footsteps, the girl turned her head.
“Oh, a traveler? Wow, I haven’t seen one in ages. Amazing. B-But the Perry region is full of scary Crusaders right now—how…?”
“I made it through.”
“Aha! Welcome to Antoine, the City of Stars. May the starlight shine upon your path—ah, wait, no. Not the time to give blessings.”
“……”
“A-Are you trying to go into this shop behind us? I’ll move aside! P-Priest Frey, please. The Goddess of the Stars said we shouldn’t block the path of free travelers. Come on, let’s stand up, okay?”
The girl was quite scatterbrained.
“I’m not here for the shop.”
“Huh? Then?”
“I have business with her.”
“With Priest Frey…?”
I answered with a nod. The girl scratched her head.
“Hm. Traveler, Priest Frey looks like a beggar right now, but she’s not actually one. If you’re feeling sorry and want to give her a coin, we… we politely refuse. T-The Order of the Star is poor, but… we can’t take money from a traveler.”
“That’s not why I’m here.”
“Then?”
I looked away from the blinking girl and instead looked at Priest Frey. She was still muttering nonsense with unfocused eyes. I lowered myself to meet her gaze.
“Priest Frey.”
“E… eheh.”
“Do you perhaps possess a sword?”
A frontal assault.
***
“Mmm! This is so good!”
Yes. A frontal assault.
“Traveler, c-could I… order one more? Not because I eat a lot—it’s just, I’ve been starving lately. It’s been so long since I ate real food…”
“……Order as much as you want.”
The result?
“Wow, woooow! The Goddess Astra of the Stars will surely bless you!”
Nothing gained.
“Priest Frey, please eat too!”
“Draw… draw me a sheep.”
“Why do you keep asking for sheep drawings? Just eat your lamb stew already.”
Priest Frey couldn’t understand my question. When I asked if she had a sword, she only repeated the same things—“draw me a sheep,” “I have a favor.”
‘Is she truly insane?’
Had the Golden Star been mistaken? Maybe. Zeppelin Gold did slip up occasionally, and since the Golden Star was his authority, perhaps something was lacking.
「Lacking? He’d flip if he heard you say that.」
“……”
「The Golden Star did not make a mistake, young descendant.」
“Not mistaken… are you sure?”
With no progress, I decided to change venues. Repeating the same questions under the scorching sun was pointless. Since returning to find her again later would be troublesome, I brought Frey and the girl who seemed to accompany her to a restaurant. And so this scene unfolded. But even as the meal neared its end, Priest Frey said nothing useful. Not a single thing.
「Think of the essence.」
The essence?
「The Karavan’s Steel authority is to eat swords. But strictly speaking, it is to devour and absorb the soul contained within the blade.」
“That’s true.”
「Focus on the core. The blade is merely a shell. What matters is the soul within. In that case… if the soul exists, then the blade need not exist physically, yes?」
The blade need not exist. True. But if my master was right.
“……Then does that mean that woman has two souls inside her?”
「That is what you must determine.」
Two souls. Rare, but not impossible.
Orcs undergoing their coming-of-age ceremony could house many souls in one body. But Frey was a priest. A servant of a goddess. Would someone like that house another soul within her flesh—one not even of her faith, but a soul related to a sword?
‘…Even if the Master is right, it’s still a problem.’
I had lost all my sword’s power. Even if Frey had two souls, how would I separate them? Even if I could separate them, how was I supposed to absorb that soul? Until now, the Steel authority required me to physically put the blade into my mouth. But if there was no physical form…
How could I activate Steel?
「That too is part of the trial, young descendant.」
Damn it. My head throbbed. The girl kept eating with a bright smile, as if she hadn’t eaten for days. For some reason, it annoyed me.
“I have a question.”
“Ah! A-Ask anything, traveler. After all you did for us…”
“I want to hear about Priest Frey.”
“Ah, yes. About how she… ended up like this…”
What else could I do? I had no clues. I had to proceed step by step.
“Well, it’s a long story. Let me think where to start—”
And then.
“Oh! If I start from there—”
“Mister, how strange.”
Priest Frey suddenly jerked her head toward me. Gone was the dull, unfocused gaze— Her eyes shone like stars, drilling into me.
“You have so many flowers. So many dazzlingly beautiful flowers. Like a garden—a beautiful rose garden…”
“……”
“You’re loved, aren’t you?”
Frey leaned forward. Uncomfortably close.
“Flowers… no, should I say swords instead so you understand? But what does it matter? Names don’t matter. You have so many swords. So, so many.”
“……”
“You must remember something.”
Her eyes shone like the stars of the night sky. At that moment, everything except her eyes dimmed, as if only her gaze existed in this space.
And then.
“For everyone—”
Her voice changed. It was.
『You are responsible forever for what you have tamed.』
A sword’s voice.
『To be tamed by someone may mean you will someday shed tears.』
In that instant, Frey was no middle-aged woman. She became a boy. A boy with star-like eyes, smiling innocently, holding a single beautiful rose cupped in both hands.
I felt it instinctively. The sword that had called to me before I entered the Southern Continent.
The blade I had seen on the scale of the Golden Star— it was in front of me.
Yet it felt close and impossibly distant at the same time.
I couldn’t tell how I was supposed to grasp it, eat it, or accept it.
And then—“Hide!”
A scream loud enough to tear ears. With the burst of that voice, I snapped back to my senses.
“Hide, quickly!”
A loud bang. A large man burst into the restaurant. Panting, he waved frantically at everyone.
“The Crusaders! The damned ones with the crosses are back!”
Damn it. It was an important moment.
‘…The moment this restriction lifts, all of you are dead.’
The timing was impeccable—in the worst way.