I Became the Commander in a Trash Game Who Copies Skills

Chapter 43. The Pale Moon (3)

“Are you sure you don’t need it?”

“It’s fine. It’s not that I don’t covet your ability to have defended Wolfskrig, but… don’t you have a mission you’ve been entrusted with?”

“Still…”

“You’ve done enough just by informing us that a beastman army is approaching.”

The Bishop waved his hand, declining.

It was a similar context to the conversation of office workers dawdling at the restaurant counter after a dinner party, saying, ‘I’ll pay,’ but it was still a part of social life and a necessary procedure.

Running off as soon as I received the delivery item would certainly leave a bad impression.

And I was going to leave for a while and then come back anyway.

I had no intention of letting this city fall.

My long-term plans would also be in trouble.

“Now, go and protect the treasure of the church that has been entrusted to you.”

The Bishop placed the wooden box inside another storage box, put it in a leather pouch, and tied it with a string before handing it over.

He repeatedly warned me to be careful, as it was an item once possessed by a necromancer.

“Aren’t you leaving, Bishop?”

I asked without realizing it.

Surprisingly, the Bishop shook his head.

“Where is there a father who would abandon his children?”

“…….”

“Don’t worry. In my younger days, I was quite strong as a chaplain.”

Despite his worried face, he forced a smile.

Was it consideration for a much younger holy knight?

That must be what a real adult looks like.

“Did you have a good conversation?”

When I came out, Alina greeted me.

As I had told her in advance, she was guarding the horses in front of the building.

The reason I had deliberately excluded her from the report was because of Viscount Pewin's request.

This mission was a secret mission, at least nominally, and she was not an officially incorporated member.

It wasn't bad for me personally, either.

It was to my advantage to hide the card named Alina as much as possible.

If the church recognized her potential, it might become difficult to get her out later.

But when I looked closer, there was another person next to Alina.

No, two people.

Two kids.

“Do you know them?”

I asked with a slight sense of caution.

My hand naturally went to the sword at my waist.

So that Alina, as well as the two kids, would understand the meaning.

“No.”

Not good.

Gunterburk was not a city with good public order.

As it was near the border where three countries met, this was a city overflowing with refugees and wanderers.

Here, even children were not clean.

Rather, it was full of robbers who actively used the mask of their young age to extort and murder unsuspecting victims.

They were closer to little demons than beggars.

The distance between Alina and the kids was too close.

“When did you meet them?”

“Just a moment ago. While waiting for you, my lord…”

“Get back.”

I gripped the hilt of my sword and stepped forward.

“They are good children.”

Alina said with emphasis.

Ignoring her, I took another step closer and said to the two kids.

“Get back. Now.”

The city children were quick-witted.

One pulled the other and they stepped back.

The girl who stepped back first was eight years old.

The one who looked like her younger brother seemed to be four or five at most.

Since both were blond, it was highly likely they were siblings.

So I asked bluntly.

“What did you steal?”

“We didn’t steal anything.”

The girl who appeared to be the older sister answered.

I had Alina check her belongings.

Nothing was missing.

“We were just begging for food because we were hungry. We didn’t mean any harm.”

“How can I believe you?”

“Would we want to die in the middle of a square in broad daylight? I have my younger brother with me too.”

The girl answered a little sharply.

Well.

I wouldn't know.

I might have come out before they could pull any tricks.

Or maybe they were laying the groundwork to lure me somewhere.

“Here. Now go.”

There was no need to make a fuss.

I threw them a few pieces of jerky and half a loaf of bread that I grabbed from the horse's saddlebag.

The children scrambled to pick up the bread and jerky that had fallen on the ground.

As I was about to turn and go, the girl suddenly approached.

My hand instinctively went to my sword.

The girl bowed her head.

“Thank you!”

Her bright blonde hair cascaded down.

The girl forcibly dragged her younger brother, who was starting to tear at the bread, and bowed her head again.

“Thank you so much!”

“…….”

“Addy!

You have to say thank you too!”

“Th-thank youuu.”

“Most of the children in the city had bad hearts.”

After the blond siblings disappeared into an alley, Alina whispered quietly.

“Those two were the only children I saw today who had a pure white light in their hearts.”

A pure white light.

Was it a metaphor?

Or was it another ability?

It wasn't something to worry about right now.

We headed for the city gate, passing through the still-peaceful streets.

There was someone to meet.

***

I left the city gate.

It had been half a day since I entered Gunterburk.

I rode my horse up the mountain west of the city.

Despite the steep mountain valley, the road was well-paved.

Although it was a dirt road and looked old, it seemed to be maintained from time to time.

“There are a lot of caves. But all the entrances are blocked.”

“They are abandoned mines. That’s why there’s a road in this wild mountain.”

“So these are abandoned mines…. I’ve only seen them in pictures. Come to think of it, I heard Gunterburk was originally a mining town.”

Alina was right.

According to the lore, Gunterburk started as a small mining village hundreds of years ago.

After that, a city league was formed, and as the Theocracy rapidly expanded its power, territorial friction occurred several times.

Now, it had become one of the largest cities in the southern part of the Empire, earning a tidy sum from trade while facing the borders of three countries.

“…It is said that traces of its time as a mining town still remain. Not only the abandoned mines we passed, but the city's underground is also entangled with mine passages. They say the passages in the city center are being recycled as water and sewage facilities.”

“Where did you hear that?”

“I read it in a book.”

“…….”

A book.

Did she also have a hobby of reading?

I thought she only read the Bible since she was always quoting scriptures.

It was something I didn't know when I saw her as the 'Corrupted Saintess'.

We continued to climb the mountain, listening to the occasional sounds of insects and frogs.

Two hours since we left the city.

The sun had almost set.

When we reached around the middle of the mountain, it suddenly became bright all around.

The faint light remaining in the sky seeped into a clearing where the trees had temporarily disappeared.

I stood near the edge of the cliff at the end of the clearing and looked down at the city.

Under the wide-open view, the city, beginning to light up, and the vast plains beyond it, unfolded.

“Ah.”

Alina gasped.

“…That.”

“That’s right.”

She was looking at the black things squirming far beyond the city.

At the black wave that had barely revealed itself on the eastern horizon.

It was as if it were alive, gradually growing in size.

The black wave, along with the sky that was turning violet, emanated an unfiltered ominous presence.

“Beastmen….”

It was quite a distance.

However, the beastmen were fast.

Their army would be able to cross that vast plain, whose end couldn't be seen even from the mountainside, in about two days.

“Can the city hold out?”

Well.

It would be difficult for them alone.

Honestly, in terms of troop numbers, they might barely hold on, but as long as the Beastpriest of the Full Moon existed, the odds were higher on that side.

Watching the back of the priest who was stamping her feet, I put my hand inside my coat.

I didn't climb the mountain just to watch the beastmen approaching the city.

[[Small Subspace] is activated.]

Zzzzing-

As expected.

It was vibrating.

Zzzzing.

For the past few days, the Princess of Blood had been calling me not only at midnight but at all times.

She must have been flustered because I suddenly increased my travel speed.

“Alina.”

“Yes?”

“Go down to the city.”

I waved my hand at her, who was forming a question mark with her eyes.

“Go to the vicinity of the city gate and wait. Don’t go in first. I’ll follow you soon.”

“Then….”

“I will protect Gunterburk.”

“…!!”

With a face filled with surprise and hope, Alina went back the way she came.

I watched until her back disappeared among the trees.

When the sound of the horse's hooves could no longer be heard, I took out the items from the subspace.

Newly bought leather armor.

A staff.

Boots.

A red robe.

The statue.

After changing my clothes, I shoved the equipment I was originally wearing into the subspace and finally put on the white mask.

I looked at my reflection in a puddle that had formed from last night's rain.

In the puddle was a perverted psychopathic necromancer.

“Kihihit.”

I practiced his characteristic laugh too.

I took out the statue and slowly walked towards the mountain top as if using a detector.

Zzzzing- zzzzing-

The principle of the statue's call was simple.

It was a method of setting a specific point and calling the other person there.

The closer I got to that point, the shorter the period of vibration became.

Just like how the beeping sound of a metal detector gets stronger as it gets closer to a metal object.

Rustle.

I pushed through the grass that came up to my knees.

The rendezvous point appeared only after almost an hour more of walking.

It was when I had crossed the mountain peak and descended slightly to the opposite ridge, which was full of abandoned rocks.

“Oh my.”

A fragrance that suddenly felt strong.

It was so pungent it made the tip of my nose ache.

The smell of blood.

“If it isn’t our traitor, Tribus. The one who dropped a fireball this-big in front of Burken Fortress.”

A voice came from behind me.

I turned around.

A red-haired woman was walking out from between the trees.

With slow, light steps.

She walked the same path as me and pushed through the bushes without making a single sound.

Her red eyes showed a seductive, slightly playful smile.

“Oops. You were hiding your skills, weren't you? To drop an [Infernal Meteor] of that size and accuracy… let’s see, are you about at the same level as me?”

“…….”

“And last time you were a mercenary, but this time you’ve come right next to a big city?”

The princess licked her bright red lips and said.

“I didn’t think so, but. Have you by any chance teamed up with the human bugs?”

***

The Princess of Blood.

Duke Yulister’s only daughter, and one of only two 8th-rank high necromancers in the Archduchy.

I didn't meet her in Wolfskrig because of all the attention, but she was a person I had to meet someday.

I had to receive payment for defeating Calvenia, but there was another reason as well.

“Kihihit, on the side of humans, you say.”

I had to clear the suspicion.

“What nonsense is that?”

To be precise, I had to firmly establish my second identity.

“Fufu, you know, don't you? We, the nobles of the night, can communicate on a conscious level within the Bloodline our father created.”

“…….”

“I heard and saw everything. The conversation Calvenia had with you. You overlapping his spell. Even you attacking the Count and his troops.”

Bloodline.

A trait possessed by all vampires of the Archduchy.

Perhaps because of her pride in her father, she spoke of it grandly, but if you broke it down, [Bloodline] was basically like a modern internet chat room.

There were a few differences.

Only vampires could join.

Membership was mandatory and used real names.

And equipment like computers or cell phones was not needed.

Naturally, it had many drawbacks compared to the internet.

A prime example would be that because it shared consciousness itself, it was difficult to convey detailed information beyond a certain level.

There was also the fact that it was difficult for a vampire who was isolated and alone to connect.

Just like how wireless communication requires relays at regular intervals.

“When the Count attacked Wolfskrig, I sent a subordinate nearby. If he got too close, he would be caught. At a distance where the city was barely visible.”

“…….”

“Looking at it, you killed a lot, didn't you? And when did you copy Count Calvenia’s spell? Weren't you two close?”

Anyway, the important thing was that all vampires belonging to the Vampire Archduchy were connected to this consciousness-sharing space.

Count Calvenia, his subordinate vampires, and even the Princess of Blood.

That was why I thought she would naturally be watching when the battle took place in Wolfskrig.

Well, what she saw was probably the masked figure of Tribus.

“Interesting. Come to think of it, I heard a magician or a mercenary who uses miracles also appeared….”

Still, I had to nip the bud of suspicion first.

In order to get to the main point.

“To speak of such a disgusting vermin. I understand you're a half-breed, but don't show off your low intelligence too much.”

“…Oh my, getting defensive?”

“Kihi… anyway, that guy will die soon.”

Tribus hated humans.

He hated followers of the Luark Church even more.

You could tell just by looking at how he kidnapped and corrupted Alina in the game, using her like a pawn.

I possessed that mentality and tilted my head as if in displeasure.

As if I had a tic disorder.

In fact, Tribus often did this.

Considering there was no related trait, wasn't the intention just to make the viewer feel bad?

While I was appreciating the psychopathic nature of the character I was acting as, the Princess of Blood clapped her hands.

“Ah. I get it.”

“……?”

“You were moving with the mercenary company back then too, right? You disguised yourself as a mercenary to kill that guy? Well, I guess you have some bad blood I don't know about?”

It seemed like she was slightly off the mark.

It would probably be better to just keep my mouth shut here.

“What was that magician's name? It was short. Asai? Yeti?”

“…Ash.”

“Right, Ash.”

Asahi was a beer.

The princess clapped her hands once more.

For now, Tribus' identity was safe.

A dual identity was very effective depending on how you used it, but the moment it was discovered, it became worse than not having one at all.

That was why I had saved my divine power until the last moment.

“What happened? I heard a mercenary named Ash defeated Calvenia? Wasn't it your spell that neutralized Calvenia’s spell? You were the one pushing him back in the cavern.”

“Kihi, that bastard stole my prey. That’s all.”

A lie.

But I was confident it would work.

As I said, [Bloodline] was a consciousness-sharing space.

The human consciousness was delicate.

Vampires were not much different in this regard.

[Bloodline] also made it almost impossible to share proper information when the subject was injured or emotionally agitated.

In the game, this was depicted by a dying vampire spamming the [Bloodline] chat room with all sorts of special characters.

When playing as the vampire faction, this notification window would pop up frequently in the bottom left, causing mental fatigue for the player.

Quite a lot of users complained about it…

As expected of a shit game, I knew they never patched it.

Anyway.

“Kyahahat! That Calvenia. He looked down on the Luark Church holy knights so much!”

“…….”

“Anyway, you worked hard. That bastard Count. No matter who finished him off, thanks to you, he got a good punch, didn't he?”

Well, I was the one who finished him off.

Even though one of her own kind died, the Princess of Blood seemed to be in a good mood.

It was understandable, because from her point of view, Calvenia was a seed of internal strife.

The reason she sought me out before was to ask me to take her side and attack Calvenia's faction.

‘Kihihit, for now, you guys handle it yourselves.

I'm not interested in the fights of half-breeds.’

That night, I had ended the conversation with an ambiguous answer, but in hindsight, I had fulfilled her request.

So…

[[Freelancer] is activated.]

[Favorability with ‘Hebrun von Zarhill’ has increased.]

That's why a notification window like that would pop up.

If a request was fulfilled, there must be a price.

It wasn't something I did aiming for a reward, but I had to take what I deserved.

For reference, knowing your opponent at the negotiation table was more important than anything else.

Since I fell into this land, I had been through numerous negotiation tables, but one thing had not changed.

“Hebrun.”

“Hm?”

I knew the opponent sitting at the table better than anyone.

“You owe me a debt, don’t you?”

“…Does it work out that way?”

This time was no different.

I knew the Princess of Blood well.

She was hot-tempered, paranoid, and had severe mood swings, making her a tiring type, but…

She was fair.

“…Well, I guess so. A debt is a debt.”

It's not that she was kind.

Her personality was closer to the nasty side.

Her fairness was close to an idiosyncrasy, to the point where she even had a trait called [An Eye for an Eye, A Tooth for a Tooth].

If someone did well by her, she would repay them, and if they did poorly, she would pay them back.

The reason her personality was nasty was probably because she repaid the former at a similar level, but the latter several times over.

“Kihihit, this time, you’ll have to grant my request.”

However, now was the time to benefit from that personality.

“There’s something I want.”