Ishura - Volume 3 - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Alimo Raw

The second tragedy that assailed Alimo Row perfectly aligned with the man’s arrival at the village, a wood box slung over his back. The main road that led into the village was blockaded by a large number of Aureatian soldiers, but the detours around the blockade only led to a small church, or The Land of The End. That region, feared by living creatures far and wide, was exactly where the man was heading.

“Really showed up at a strange time, huh.”

The Aureatian soldiers coming and going from the road in front of the town appeared to be trying to cover up the very existence of the incident from the eyes of the people around them.

The reporter carrying the wooden box was a man named Yukiharu the Twilight Diver.

“…Something really stinky going on here.”

He was a small-framed, round-faced man. Wrapped up in trim, neat apparel, his dress was completely different from when he had visited the Gokashae Sand Sea.

His most distinctive feature was the instrument hanging from his neck. It was equipped with a monocular lens, but its large base and bellows construction made it vastly different from the monocles familiar to this world.

A strange voice answered from inside the wooden box on his back.

“Seems like a lot of people died, after all. They’re probably piling them up in a lumberyard or something nearby. If there were some large buildings, they’d probably use those, but a village this tiny isn’t going to have any of those, after all.”

“Not like that, I mean that this whole incident smells fishy to me… Take this, for example—”

Yukiharu looked down at the freshly dug wheel rut at his feet. Opportunities to use this narrow road detouring around Alimo Row should have been very limited.

“At the very least, within the past two days, a large number of carriages have been coming back and forth down this path here. They’re heading for Alimo Row…… While these are foot tracks leading out from the village. There are all these footprints heading out, but none coming back.”

“I mean, you say that, Yukiharu…”

A troubled voice came out of the wooden box.

“But I can’t see any of that from inside this box, you know.”

“Ha-ha-ha, forgot about that, sorry. Anyway, that’s what’s going on. You want a peek? I could open up and show you. I don’t really sense anyone around that’d get a glimpse of you.”

“…I’m fine; it’s fine. So then, do the footprints tell you something?”

“I mean, it’s a simple story. A large group of villagers walked out of the village and didn’t come back for some time. When they did eventually return, they were wheeled in on carriages. Carriages that weren’t used when they first left.”

He adeptly manipulated the instrument around his neck and photographed the tracks in the area.

“Basically, that’ll mean the villagers were all killed up ahead of here and had their corpses carried back to the village.”

The glass dry plate camera, at the present moment, hadn’t spread to Aureatia yet.

It was his own personal machine, allowing him to do everything from focusing to aperture adjustments with only one hand. His supernatural skills to take a series of pictures all while holding it in his hands—or really, the mere fact he was taking photographic pictures at all—was something no one in this world could comprehend.

“…Yukiharu. It was one of the Twenty-Nine Officials who mentioned they were cleaning up after that massacre, right? Um…… Nofelt the Somber Wind, was it? Isn’t he the one behind it all, then?”

“There’s no question that Nofelt was the one to dispose of the large pile of bodies. But Nofelt’s troops themselves aren’t the perpetrators here. The time line has the radzio transmission about the incident coming to them from the neighboring town—and then arriving at Alimo Row with his unit a day after that. So after the massacre. If they had ordered the perpetrator from the start to carry out the massacre, then their plans should’ve moved forward with a lot more speed. In other words… Nofelt doesn’t have any direct link with the perpetrator, but he seems to be covering up the criminal he did find.”

The true criminal must have been at the end of the road Yukiharu was currently heading down. There were only two destinations at the end of the road skirting Alimo Row. The Land of The End, where the True Demon King perished, or the small church.

“Yukiharu. You really asked all over about the church, right? That there was this strange ogre living with an old woman…… You didn’t know from the start, did you?”

“Ha-ha-ha, oh, no, no, no. That’s in my nature, really. If something interests me, I end up asking all about it. I’d regret not being able to ask everything I want to ask when given the chance, right? But…… Things have gotten interesting thanks to that.”

He heard this ogre was incapable of using the language of Word Arts and had silenced a fearsome gigant.

Meanwhile, Nofelt’s squad, dispatched to the frontier beyond the eyes of Aureatia proper, was actively trying to cover up the crime. They were proceeding with plans to muzzle anyone who knew of Uhak the Silent’s existence. He wondered if the residents in the other village Yukiharu had gathered information from would’ve been so open with him had he arrived a day later.

Nofelt’s actions were his own. Was there a reason to go so far for just a single ogre?

“There are going to be Royal Games. If Nofelt does put him as a hero, then that’ll confirm this story. This’ll sell for sure.”

Coincidently arriving right on time, Yukiharu alone had gotten ahold of information regarding a powerful fighter who was still unknown to anyone else.

“Seriously, Aureatia’s way of doing things is as nasty… Uh-oh.”

Noticing something, the wooden box lowered their voice.

“There are soldiers coming out in front. They’re not walking like Aureatian soldiers.”

“From out in front?”

They were coming from the direction of The Land of The End. Yukiharu went on high alert and paid close attention in their direction.

Climbing up the hill and showing themselves was a group of five merchants. They were leading a one-horse carriage solely for carrying their belongings.

“They’re all soldiers. Don’t let their disguises fool you,” the wooden box warned in a whisper.

Yukiharu put on a bright smile and walked up to the group directly.

“Well, well, good day! Honestly, it’s been quite the rough going for you and me both, I’m sure!”

The peddlers came to a stop, a bit at a loss at Yukiharu’s confident attitude.

“Oh, and who’re you? Doing some work involved with the latest incident, I’m guessing?”

“Yes, I’m a reporter. Yukiharu the Twilight Diver. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“…Twilight Diver!”

A tall, lanky younger man reacted at hearing Yukiharu’s second name. He filled in the details to the muscular man who seemed to be their commanding officer.

“He’s a shrewd reporter! Twenty percent of the incident reports that come in have Twilight Diver written on it.”

“Calm yourself.”

The muscular man commanded his excited subordinate with a wave of his hand.

“…That so? I had no idea. That means we’ve made acquaintances with a celebrity. Gathering material about the slaughter at the village, then?”

Yukiharu understood the significance of the commander’s behavior. The tall subordinate lad’s comments were clearly a slip of the tongue. The commanding officer cut him off before he accidently revealed anything beyond that.

The articles that Yukiharu the Twilight Diver mainly specialized in were primarily incidents of large-scale death and tragedy—or foresight of such events. He was a war reporter.

Additionally, he had a complete grasp on what percentage of the information he leaked himself ended up in which city. Twenty percent. A city with an extremely high demand for reports on ongoing battleground situations, even when limited to Yukiharu’s articles alone.

…Free City of Okafu. I see; so these are mercenaries with the self-proclaimed demon king Morio.

“That said, best not to keep going any farther. Up ahead’s The Land of The End, after all. What the hell’re you heading there for?”

“Huh? Is it really?”

Yukiharu constructed an expression as if he was honestly surprised and then scratched his head.

…The Land of The End, where the True Demon King perished. The reason he purposefully came all the way out to this frontier was solely because he was making for this region, the only clue to discovering the True Demon King’s true identity.

“Whoops. I must’ve gotten lost somewhere along the way. I’ve never really been out this way’s the thing.”

“Ha, now that’s quite the misfortune to find yourself in. It’s embarrassing, but we’re in the same boat. Just on our way back. Seriously, the Aureatian bastards are always blocking up the roads like that; it’s a damn headache.”

…I see. Then they must’ve not been expecting to encounter anyone, either.

Never dropping his superficial smile, Yukiharu’s train of thought continued forward.

They were using the same excuse as Yukiharu, that they got lost, because they hadn’t anticipated beforehand that they’d be getting into a dialogue with someone they met along the way. They had borrowed Yukiharu’s reply.

This was likely why this officer had taken the initiative to ask first. But more than that—

…They’re investigating something. Wait. Maybe it’s something else here…

Yukiharu closely observed the gazes of the four mercenaries. Their peripheral vision was focused far wider than the average person.

They’re standing guard.

“The rumor is that the with this recent massacre, it was the work of someone who came out of The Land of The End. After all, this story involves the Demon King, so even Lord Nofelt has to dispose of everything in secret, right? I came out all this way to get details, and instead I can’t even get into the village.”

“A monster from The Land of The End. There was the incident with Belka the Rending Quake, too, for one. Stands to reason they’d do that.”

“In secret.” With that description in mind, Nofelt’s unit likely leaked information on purpose. Precisely because of the incident with Belka, they’re able to frame someone like her as the criminal behind the recent massacre.

“The True Demon King really is terrifying, aren’t they? They died a long time ago, right? To still have such an influence, even from the grave… Just what in the world were they?”

“Who knows. You curious?”

“Oh, come now. I mean, who wouldn’t be? Better question: Are they actually dead in the first place?”

In that brief moment, he could tell all five of the men’s breath caught in their throats. The reaction suggested they didn’t want to entertain the possibility, even for a moment.

Yukiharu spoke cheerfully.

“After all, no one’s ever confirmed the True Demon King’s corpse for themselves, right? It’s something I’ve always wondered. Why does everyone believe some rumor that the Hero brought them down? Always a chance—even now that they’ve been alive in The Land of The End the whole time and could come out at any moment.”

It was said there was some unidentified presence that attacked anyone who came to The Land of The End to investigate. Aureatia. The New Principality of Lithia. The Free City of Okafu. Various powers continued to dispatch reconnaissance units after the Demon King’s death, but they were all warded off by this mysterious assailant, and this unknown presence was called the Demon King’s Bastard. It wasn’t considered the actual True Demon King itself.

“We know.”

The officer replied with a strained smile.

“They definitely died. That much is very clear… When that thing was alive, things were much worse. Not just here, either. The whole world, all of it, was… It was terrifying just knowing the True Demon King existed. Even you gotta understand that much.”

“……”

Yukiharu, of course, knew as well. That the True Demon King was definitely dead.

Knew that on top of their enormous power, they were a real demonic king, their very existence itself bringing fear.

“……That said, I’m still a reporter, after all. I need to pay close attention to everything, even the things no one else is concerned about.”

He needed to confirm the facts. No matter how frightening it may have been to close in on them. The twilight everyone else was scared to step through was exactly where he’d tread. Thus, his second name—Yukiharu the Twilight Diver.

“Demon King… Aye, D-demon King. Killed ’em.”

The elderly man among the five mercenaries, sitting in the bed of the carriage, cut in with inarticulate words.

“…Killed ’em, all right. The Benighted White Wind, Alena, must’ve killed ’em. That brat was a real genius. D-didja know? He… A spear, he hits with the spearhead. The very tip of his thrust, see.”

“Hey, Gramps, that’s enough.”

The officer admonished him, looking utterly fed up. On the left side of the old man’s head was a deep scar.

“Heh-heh-heh. That hero, y’know… Now that’s some real courage… The First Party…”

“Alena the Benighted White Wind. They were one of the seven members of the First Party. I’ve heard plenty about his legend. Is that older one there acquainted with Alena?”

“Pretty much. Used to be students together or something, and he’ll always find a reason to start talking about them. Even though Alena’s been dead a loooong time, now… Even though everyone in the First Party ended up losing.”

The First Party—the first and last hope during that lost age of terror. The seven people said to be the strongest the world had to offer came together to challenge the Demon King all at once, and they were mercilessly defeated.

So, too, was their glory now all part of the past.

Then, in the end, even the True Demon King was killed by some unknown force.

“…Ended up talking a while on the roadside here. You’ll have to sit next to Gramps, but want a ride back to town? I wanna hear all the stories a legendary reporter like you has to share.”

“Oh no, please, I’ll have to politely decline. Truth is: I’ve got an appointment with Aureatia’s unit to gather material on the massacre. I was thinking I’d just stop by Alimo.”

The commander replied with a smile.

“That so? A real shame.”

From the moment Yukiharu encountered the men, he understood.

They’re planning on killing me.

Mercenaries from the Free City of Okafu are here. On a road with nothing but The Land of The End awaiting them. Not only Yukiharu the Twilight Diver, but the Free City of Okafu was also investigating The Land of The End. These five were standing guard. To ensure no one else got the information before Okafu.

“Well then, at least let us hear some stories on the road back, Twilight Diver.”

The soldiers around him, save the commander talking, put their hands in their breast packs or the bags they carried. They were getting ready to draw their daggers.

In an attempt to stall them, Yukiharu abruptly spoke up.

“Um, excuse me? It’s Twilight Diver here, per our arrangement! I got a bit lost on the way, see? The soldiers gave me directions, and well, I’m on a road somewhere on the way to the church right now…”

His words were directed to the radzio transmitter extending up out of the wooden box. The five mercenaries stopped moving.

While they might have needed to kill Yukiharu, they had no other choice.

“……This is Asnes the Veering. What happened? You were supposed to meet me in Alimo Row. The soldiers should know you’re coming, too.”

The reply came from the wooden box itself. However, to the eyes of the five mercenaries, it looked as if there was a radzio transmitter hidden inside the wooden box… He was scheduled to gather news from the Aureatia unit stationed in Alimo Row. A lie to prevent the men in front of him from trying to harm him.

Yukiharu conveyed his present location to the voice on the other side of the radzio with his initial message. The mercenaries couldn’t afford to kill him anymore.

“Sure, I get that, but they told me to take this road, so what was I supposed to do? Can’t you use your authority, Commander Asnes, and say something to them? Oh, actually, was it Lord Nofelt in command right now?”

“Forget it; just stop wandering around. I’ll send a unit to find you. You don’t have anyone else with you, right? This operation’s classified. I can’t have you screwing things up with your stupid reporter antics.”

With the hollow and functionless transmitter in his hand, Yukiharu winked to the five mercenaries.

“………Oh no. Just me here. All right then, I’ll wait here for your escort.”

When Yukiharu ended his radzio performance, the wooden box once again fell silent.

As he turned back to face the five mercenaries, he waved his hands back and forth.

“You don’t need to worry. I won’t say a word to the Aureatia folks. We both got ourselves lost out here after all, right?”

“…Yeah, right. Thanks.”

The commanding officer lowered his head and passed by Yukiharu. Though they had planned on killing Yukiharu, as long as that could possibly lead to engaging a squad of Aureatian soldiers, they couldn’t afford to do so.

Yukiharu the Twilight Diver was a man who had continued to survive across numerous battlefields thanks to his quick wits.

“Don’t make me improvise on the spot like that.”

A tone of displeasure rang out from the wooden box.

“Ha-ha-ha, sorry, sorry. Still, you did great. I think you and I make a surprisingly good team if you ask me. Asnes the Veering? Bwah-ha-ha-ha!”

“…Who cares what the name was. That was really close, you know.”

“Pretty much. Thanks to that, though, I learned something very important—Okafu’s probing The Land of The End, too. They’re trying to exclude anyone trying to get information on it. There’s a chance they might have a lead on the True Demon King, too. But, man, the self-proclaimed demon king Morio is scary! Those five just now were quite strong in their own right. They never let their guard down.”

“…If The Land of The End’s a bust, does that mean a trip to Okafu? This basically suggests that if there are any leftover clues about the True Demon King, that would be the only place that’d have them, right?”

“Weeeell, I’m not so sure.”

There was one other lie in the previous performance. He was not alone, after all.

With Yukiharu the Twilight Diver, there was always an unidentified presence inside the wooden box that moved together with him.

Additionally, seeing that he was undertaking an investigation of The Land of The End, and everyone who had come before him had failed……he contrived a meetup with a separately acting group that was already deployed on sight.

“That decision really depends on the inclination of our client, wouldn’t you say?”