Berserk of Gluttony (LN) - Volume 1 - Chapter 25

Chapter 25:

Departures 

BY CONSUMING HADO’S SOUL, I had eased the pressure of Gluttony’s starvation. My red eye returned to black like a receding tide. Knowing I didn’t need to hide it with bandages was a relief. I wouldn’t have to worry about explaining it away every time I met someone, either. 

With Hado Vlerick dead, I had checked one task off the list. Two still remained, but there was nothing I could do while they were away from the kingdom. 

The problem now was not the Vlericks, but Lady Roxy. She departed for Galia tomorrow. It was likely only a very small number of servants at the manor had been informed. I expected the head servant probably knew. But Lady Roxy had not told me, and resentment built somewhere deep within me. 

Then again, as far as Lady Roxy knew, I was powerless, and there would have been no reason to tell me about this. It was more like her to keep her troubles to herself so as not to worry others. 

I spent some time rebuilding my lost stats by hunting hobgoblins. Then, as I walked the night paths back to the kingdom, Greed spoke. 

“Here’s a story: Guy spends his time hiding who he is, but in the end, still wants the girl to rely on him… Bit self-absorbed, if you ask me.” 

“Shut up.” 

“It’s time to give that up. This is your fate.” 

“I said, shut up!” 

My shout drew confused looks from passing drunkards, who turned toward me. I ignored their bleary stares and hurried on my way. 

No lights were on in the manor. It was silent as the grave as I slipped in through the window of my room on the first floor. I placed Greed by the bed, slipped under the covers, and closed my eyes. But it was strange. Even after the battle with Hado, I wasn’t the least bit tired. My swirling thoughts refused to grant me slumber, and I spent the entire night lost in worries about Lady Roxy. I greeted the morning having not slept a wink. 

“Let me tell you something worthwhile, Fate,” said Greed. “First-rate adventurers take rest wherever they can get it. You getting your heart all in a bother like this? That makes you less than third rate.” 

I remained silent. 

“And now you’re sulking? How pitiful to think that you wield the great sword, Greed.” 

“Shut up.” 

Greed laughed. “Still have some life in you yet, huh? In that case, let me tell you something else. There’s a real commotion outside your room. Might want to check it out.” 

I was so lost in thought that I hadn’t noticed what was going on outside of my own room. Now I picked up on several pairs of feet rushing in the corridor. Servants were taught not to run through the halls. There was only one reason I could think of that would have this many people so restless. 

The other servants had at last been informed. I hurried out of bed and left my room. Desolate faces passed me by, and I joined them as we headed to the manor’s entrance. We found Lady Roxy there, surrounded by other servants. As I neared, she noticed me. 

“Good morning, Fate,” she said. 

“What is this? What’s going on…?” 

She was leaving for Galia. I knew it, but I had to ask. 

“A summons arrived this morning from the castle. I’m being sent to the Galian post. It’s a great honor.” 

It was a lie. It had been decided long ago. But she’d kept it hidden until this morning, until the very last moment, all to make sure nobody had a chance to rebel. Not the servants, and not the townspeople who loved the Hart family. That was the extent to which the people of the kingdom adored the Harts. The one who knew this best was the head of that family: Lady Roxy herself. 

I pushed down my desire to say what I truly felt and spoke. “Galia’s too dangerous right now. And your father, he…” 

“I understand the situation, Fate. The task my father was unable to accomplish—his duty—it falls to me now.” 

“But how long will you be there?” 

“Until we have the monsters under control. Judging from past expeditions, I’d expect around three years.” 

Lady Roxy would never last that long. Not when the Divine Dragon had broken its thousand-year silence and ventured as far as the country’s borders. Since Lord Mason’s death, if Hado’s words were to be believed, the dragon had been spotted multiple times crossing the border. The situation there was more dangerous than could be imagined. Lady Roxy’s target was heavenly calamity itself. Such a monster wouldn’t let you run if it found you. You would die like nothing more than an insect, holy knight or otherwise. 

“Please, Fate, don’t look like that. I’ll be fine. While I’m gone, you have permission to work at the family estate. As long as you’re there, the Vlericks won’t be able to reach you.” 

“I…” 

“What is it, Fate? What’s wrong?” 

Take me with you. 

I couldn’t say it. I was a monster of Gluttony. I devoured the souls of those I killed and took their power as my own… I existed outside the rules the gods had created. In this world, I was an ungodly outsider. One of the forsaken. 

If my powers were known, I would be rejected. Exiled. When I thought of that, I couldn’t find the words to speak. Lady Roxy left me and headed for the manor’s entrance. 

I had no power to stop her. As a servant of the manor, I could only do as the others did and see my master off on her journey. 

It was then that I saw the pendant, a blue stone at Lady Roxy’s chest—the present I had given her when we visited the Merchant District together. She had turned it into a necklace, which she now wore. 

Lady Roxy noticed me staring at the blue stone, and her face grew shy. “This memory is very precious to me, so I’ll take the stone with me always. What do you think?” 

“It…looks wonderful on you.” 

She appeared satisfied with my words, and she replied with her own, though they couldn’t possibly come true. “We’ll meet again, Fate.” 

“Good…good luck, Lady Roxy.” 

Standing before her servants, Lady Roxy gave a final farewell and left the manor. We stood there together, seeing her off as she grew smaller down the road and drew further away. From here, she would head to the Military District, where she would lead the army waiting for her toward Galia. 

*** 

I cut through the crowd of crying servants and headed back to my room, where Greed rested on the bed. I started preparing at once, though admittedly, there wasn’t much to do. I owned only a few sets of clothes, the black sword Greed, and my skull mask. I was ready to go in mere moments, and I took Greed in hand. 

“So you’ve decided,” he said. 

“Yes,” I said. “I’m going to Galia. Not as a servant…but as just another adventurer.” 

“I see.” 

As I left my room, the head servant arrived. She carried a document of some sort. 

“Fate, take this,” she said. “It’s a letter of recommendation from Lady Roxy for work at the Hart family estate.” 

Just as she had promised me earlier. But I didn’t need it anymore. 

“I’m sorry, but I can’t accept it. I’m going to become an adventurer.” 

I pointed at Greed, hanging from my belt. 

“But…you’re not strong enough. You’ll never make it in that life. You can’t talk like that. Please, take this.” 

When I stubbornly refused her request to take the letter, the head servant sighed in resignation. She took five gold pieces from her pocket, which she passed to me. 

“I can’t force you to stay, so I guess this is it. Here, these are your wages as of today, along with your severance pay. Use them wisely.” 

“I earned this much…? Thank you for everything. Including for looking after me while I was here. I’ll put this money to good use.” 

The money was actually a huge help, because I didn’t have much. With this, I could pay my way to join a caravan instead of walking. I gave the head servant my final thanks and left my room. 

Next, I went to the head gardener and told him of my decision. I knew he was training me to be his successor, and he was both angry and disappointed. “Stupid kids these days!” he muttered. As I left, though, he turned to me and said, “If you change your mind, you come on back. We’ll be waiting.” It was a kindness I wouldn’t forget. 

Finally, I stood before Hart Manor. I bowed deeply to the structure itself to show my thanks and walked away. I stopped by the Merchant District to buy provisions, which I stuffed into my bag. For someone with an appetite like mine, food was essential. 

After that, there was one last place I needed to go. If I didn’t, I knew that guy would end up putting another flower on the counter, thinking I was dead. 

It was still early, so the bar was preparing for the lunch rush. Just as I thought I’d picked a bad time, the barkeep poked his head out from inside. 

“What are you doing here so early? We still haven’t opened.” 

“Well, actually, I came to say goodbye.” 

The barkeep was speechless, and he disappeared back inside. After a time, he reappeared with a bottle of wine in hand. 

“Here,” he said. “It’s a parting gift—a bottle of the cheap crap you always drank. It’s your favorite, right?” 

I couldn’t help but laugh. I never drank it because I loved it. The barkeep knew that too, and the gift was his idea of a joke. 

“You’re always welcome here, friend. And by the way,” he said, pushing the wine at me, “this is actually the high-quality stuff.” 

“Thank you so much.” 

I took the wine and found a little space to stuff it into my bag, which was so full it was nearly bursting now. I said a final farewell to the barkeep, and I left the bar, too. 

Finally, I arrived at the Merchant District gate. From there, I would take a caravan headed south, toward Galia. But while I stood there, I felt something like nostalgia as I watched the endless back-and-forth of caravans, and adventurer parties heading out to hunt goblins. It felt like so long ago that I had come here with Greed to venture out on my first hunt. 

I paid for passage on a caravan, and I glanced at the castle in the center of the kingdom. It was there that everything had started, first with gatekeeping and then with the bandit I slew. Now I was leaving to fight the monsters that roamed Galia. What would the old gatekeeper version of myself have thought, seeing me now? He’d probably think I was a lunatic. 

“Excuse me, sir! The caravan will leave shortly!” 

I hopped onto a wagon as it headed out and away from the Kingdom of Seifort. I had experienced great pain and suffering within the kingdom’s walls, but also memories to treasure. It was my home, and one day, I would be back. 

But for now, it was farewell.