Praying is not so much a matter of piety as it is a matter of course for daily prayer, a custom similar to the Middle Eastern countries on earth.
It was three weeks after leaving the city of Sakar that I arrived at Mach, the capital of the city.
Because of the active military, we were able to finish our journey without encountering bandits or magical beasts on the road.
It's ironic that the war was a blessing.
My first impression of this city was that the buildings made of stone were conspicuous when I entered the city where I arrived safely.
I felt that this town structure, with its mainstream stone construction, is close to Europe.
Although there may be some bias in the proportions, it is a city structure between medieval Europe and the Middle East.
I walk down the main street alone through it.
This is it for me. As the headquarters of the sun god, just in case.
The vampire's memoria has not entered this city.
As a vampire, she is not accessible to the church or other divine realms, even if she is sealed, so we are separated for now.
No matter how much you seal her and make her realize that she is human, there is a limit.
If they get too close to an incompatible area, they'll know they're vampires and that could be a problem.
So for now, they're hiding outside the city in a safe house in the nearby mountains, ready to help when I take out the heroes.
Someone has to take on this role to begin with, so we've been separated this way.
"If you fail, please do not hesitate to run away.
Being on your own in a city you've never been to was part of the plan in advance.
But with or without insurance, it's a big deal.
I'm not going to be able to get out of the house, but I still feel bad about worrying about her.
You'll be able to see her off and remember the worried look in her eyes as she sees you off, and you put the hood of your outer garment back on.
Thanks to the remoteness of the war, this city is still peaceful.
There it is.
I actually walked to the end of the work, comparing the visual landscape to the map in my head.
Just entering the entrance of the square, you can see the waves of people.
The cathedral is the home of the sun god, who is said to take turns praying every day.
There is a long distance between the entrance of the square and the cathedral, but even so, the huge structure that you can't grasp the whole picture is the most magnificent architecture you'll ever see in Japan or even the world.
It makes you want to visit it unless you are in this situation.
......
But there's no use for the place now.
Go off to a side street to blend in with the crowd.
The street is dimly lit and modestly wide, unlike the glamorous main street.
"Hey, have you got any liquor, bro? If you have it, give it to me.
And then you are approached by a suspicious-looking man who looks good in such an alley.
He looks at the man carefully from top to bottom.
The hat that hides his eyes and the torn scarf, his clothes and shoes are all brown, but there are traces of multiple days of wear.
This is someone I would never normally get involved with.
What kind of drink do you like?
"Kukku, you're a good girl to talk to. Yes, I'd like to have a nice, stiff drink.
"Red?
"Oh yeah, I like blood-red wine
"Well, I'm afraid I don't have any. Why don't you put me in touch with a good place and I'll buy you a drink?
"Kukku, I'll deal with you then. All right, I'll take you to my favorite place.
It seems that this is the person we're looking for.
I talk to him according to the signs Barth gave me, and it all goes very quickly.
Then he leads me to the store, but I guess he's a regular drinker.
His gait is unsteady.
But the image of a spontaneous fall did not occur to me.
I followed the man quietly.
Go on in.
The store was at the end of a complicated road, following the drunkard to the right, then to the right, then to the left, and so on.
With a sign depicting an old but well-kept sake barrel and an ornamental plant with red berries, this seemed to be the place to go.
The man standing in front of the door has a decent voice that is far removed from the unsteadiness of the previous day.
You follow his voice and pass through the door opened by the man.
The inside is clean and tidy, but it's not cramped, but it's not crowded either.
"Welcome to the back guild, guest from another world. Barth has told me about you. You asked for it, we've got all the members.
Apparently, the guest is not a customer either.
The guide, with a practiced hand, changes the signboard to closed and closes the door.
The secret guild, literally, is an illegal group of people who make a living as a backman.
There are such people in every world, and this guild is one of the oldest organizations with ties to the Demon King's Army.
It's not a guild that will do anything for money, but it is a means-tested organization when it comes to money.
When he passes me with a slurp, he removes his hat and bows to Kiza, and the man who pulls out a chair shows no signs of movement while guiding her.
They are the darkness in a world without night.
Let's hear the situation first.
We do not need to introduce ourselves to each other.
The unspoken rule is to do your job without introducing yourself.
I was taught that the backroom is a place for those who use and are used, so I sat there and waited for the guide to sit down across from me and cut to the chase.
The information I had is old and somehow different from the latest information.
The situation is simple, the whole country is excited about the war, this is a holy war, and every day is festive.
This man's every action is an act.
It's a gesture to keep him from realizing his inner thoughts.
But I want to ask myself if it's old Japan that rejoices in the war.
What about this demon lord?
"It's just so strangely uninformative,
What?
I stare at him in question.
'Well, slow down. Most of the information tells me that it may have disappeared naturally. It's a soul that's thousands of years old. You're talking about what's left of it.
"...... sure.
I've even heard people in Trice's army complaining about how they've wasted their money in the background. Some of them even said that they didn't really seal the Demon King.
"But there were facts and seals that were sealed
Yes, that's why people are talking about it disappearing while it was sealed.
"How accurate is the information?
"I have it on good authority, but I can't help it if you can't find ...... in the first place.
Well...
There is no way to check what is not there.
We're not on the vass information network or the company's information network.
Under the circumstances, you'll just have to keep this story in the back of your mind: ...... or
All right. Have you seen our real-life hero?
You've seen some, but not all of them. Some of you are out on the town with your 'bodyguards' as well.
"Escorts, huh?
"A surveillance mistake?
The man responds to my implications and corrects me.
I'm leading the way so that you'll be worried about the dangers of that place, so as not to give you unnecessary knowledge. To the brave men and women, he or she will appear to be a good and kind person. If it's the kind of person you see, you'll know it's a surveillance.
Does that mean the situation is steadily getting worse?
That's right.
A brave man is well on his way to becoming a brave man.
From my point of view, I sigh when I hear about this change in common sense at all times.
I don't need to tell you the character of the man who looks at it with happiness.
"I see you need the drug as planned.
"It's good for us, it's good for us.
This one can bring home the brave and the other can move freely when the country is in turmoil, and our interests are aligned, even though we have different goals.
That's why we have all these people here.
The man laughs, thank God it's so fast.
I wonder how much stuff they have in their bellies, but let's not get into that belly right now.
"Kukku, you're a quick brother. We've been through this already, huh?
They told me that a well-prepared game like this will do the job if you pay them well.
I was told that the only thing left to do is to be careful not to be betrayed.
That kind of talk might be okay with Bath's introduction, but being unguarded is also problematic.
So what happens if we do?
"Yeah, it's tonight.
But there is no time to act cautiously.
There is no reason to stop if you are ready.
For now.
"Kukku, there's still time to get this through your head while you still have it.
"...... Okay.
Let's go with the paperwork for a while longer.
Let's get to work on thoroughly memorizing the city's information and plans.
It's late at night, and I'm standing on the roof wearing a gray coat that resembles a cloudy sky in a space that looks dim to me like daytime.
Even at this late afternoon, the city is quiet, with only soldiers and a few residents moving about.
"Kukuku, are you ready?
"Oh, come on?
I know. Follow me.
A similarly-dressed guiding man runs from roof to roof in a nimble gesture, as if staggering in the daytime.
I'll follow him, but it's not going to be as smooth as a ninja in a spy movie.
The best I can do is to run quietly and inconspicuously.
The buildings are all crowded together and you're not looking for footholds, but they're all different heights and widths.
No joke if you lose your footing and fall.
no matter how fortified it is with magical crests.
"Kukku...this is where we take a break.
"It's more manageable than it seems,
I'm taking the safe route. . of course.
Landing gently on the roof a little further away than the square in front of the cathedral.
Right on time.
"Kukku kukku, there's no shortage of
We've been waiting there for less than a minute.
The distant sound of a distant alarm bell makes us turn our gaze that way.
Even in the cloudy dimness of the sky, we can see black smoke and the light of the flames below.
And the echoing alarm bells are spreading.
Let's go.
"Oh.
The commotion spreads and the attention shifts to the other side.
ride the commotion in the dark.
it is a well-worn hand, but it is also ironclad.
I know who did it and how it happened.
I know what to do next.
I'll move my feet and head for the cathedral.
Instead of following the roof to the main hall, you'll head to the roof of the servants' quarters.
That's enough to get us there, I'm going home. I'm going home. Have a good luck.
"Oh.
It would be the window to the attic.
Three times I rang the window at a particular rhythm, and it was opened.
When the guide confirmed it, he said my work was done, and he walked quietly away without turning around and exchanging a word.
Without further ado, I slipped quietly inside.
As soon as I was inside, the window was closed.
Other than that window, there was no other light source to let the light in, and the light coming through the crack was insufficient, but I knew someone was there.
"This way,
The shadow leads me to a place to go down without hesitation.
As I approach it, it starts groping around on the ground, and when it finds something, it softly opens a door in the floor.
There's a ladder leading down from there.
A woman, who appears to be a monk in the church, is illuminated by the light from the entrance.
She peers down once to make sure no one is coming and then descends, beckoning me down.
I get downstairs so as not to make a sound, and follow her as she leads me downstairs, instructing me not to speak softly.
You are instructed not to talk quietly, and you follow him as he leads you.
You will be able to find a room for four people or just two bunk beds in a row.
This will go unnoticed for a while.
...... You?
"I'll just identify myself as a member of the guild. The guild asked me to work with you.
Finally, we introduce ourselves, but again, we communicate only minimally and do not pry into each other any deeper than that.
I guess that means we are extreme business partners.
I'll assume that even if I was shown the actual place where the sun god resides to hide such a person, I'll assume that's the way it is with you.
I'm sure your goal is to make connections with the brave men and women, is that correct?
"Yeah, because if you go in the front, you'll just get kicked off the door,
Nowadays, the brave men are like idols.
The people are eager to meet the brave men and women and the country will prevent contact with them to avoid danger.
Some of them may even ask to meet him because they are from the same town.
Even if I said the same thing and tried to make an appointment, it would be the same.
And it's hard to believe that this country would take an uninvited guest like me for granted.
At best you'll be turned away at the door, and at worst you'll be literally buried in the dark.
So the question becomes, what are we going to do?
"Meeting them isn't too difficult, but talking to them can be a bit tricky, as they don't come out of their dwellings in the main hall to practice. Even when they do, they are working with the temple knights, so it would be impossible for them to make contact with ordinary people.
"But there is a loophole.
Since ancient times, the majority of forts that cannot be broken down from the outside are destroyed by influences from the inside.
This time, I will follow suit and take action.
She nods in response to my statement.
There are some brave men working out in the courtyard early in the morning. At that time of day, there will be fewer guards and less eyes on them. There are some other brave men and women who are working individually, so if you can make contact with one of them, you'll achieve your goal. There's a hero who practices dancing every morning without fail. I will have you contact her right away.
"Oh.
If you look out the window, you can see that the clouds are gradually starting to clear.
It's going to be dawn soon.
To move again, she'll go ahead and open the door to make sure it's empty.
Meanwhile, I'll take off my robe.
Now I'm dressed in the work clothes of a church worker.
Moving through the building is also somewhat deceptive.
Even though you can't help but move from one action to the next in a hurry, you can't hide your nervousness.
You have never done any undercover work, nor have you trained for it.
It's impossible not to associate failure with a quick fix.
Wipe the sweat from your face and follow her as she begins to move.
There are certainly times when you have to do something at work, even if you can't, and I have experienced this a few times in the past.
But as I walked along, I thought to myself that I wouldn't have had to do such a sober thing in the future when I was at my previous company.
And then I thought
"She is.
"......?
I didn't expect to feel deja vu in the courtyard where I arrived.
The sunlight, marking the sunrise, illuminated her like a streetlight.
As I watched her dance beneath it, I realized that she was the girl I'd seen in the file.
I realized for the first time that there might be a god of destiny.
Tanaka Jiro, twenty-eight years old, with a girlfriend
Her Suela Hendelberg
Memory Tris
Occupation Dungeon Tester (full-time)
Magical aptitude 8 (general class)
Post Warriors
Word of the Day
Sometimes there is, and that's just the way things are!