Chapter 39: Nazarick and the Otherworld (1)
Arche felt a sharp throb in her head.
She had drunk too much while sharing drinks with Remedios. That, without a doubt, was the cause. She normally had little to do with hangovers—her tolerance was decent—but the night spent drinking with someone she'd survived life-and-death with, sharing hardships and emotions… that night, she had overdone it without realizing.
At the time, she hadn't even felt like she was pushing herself. They say adults who live in society are forced to drink often—Arche actually respected that. She wasn't particularly strong with alcohol.
After drinking some water, she staggered to her feet.
Her hand instinctively touched her rosario. Last night had been a headache even before meeting Remedios. Calca and Kelart had asked if she would consider defecting to the Holy Kingdom.
They promised a fitting position and financial support. Arche didn't have much patriotism for the Empire, but she also didn't feel like going through the trouble of relocating.
But she understood the Holy Kingdom's position.
A nation centered on divine casters naturally lacked magic items and arcane casters.
Especially someone like Arche—a powerful arcane caster—was practically nonexistent here.
Their highest was only 3rd tier, and even those were far fewer than in any other nation. To them, an Adamantite mage of the 4th tier, one with multiple titles like Arche, was like a shooting star. Of course they would want her at any cost.
If they had Remedios for martial strength, Kelart for divine magic, and Arche for arcane combat magic, the Holy Kingdom's strongest lineup would be complete.
Remedios was powerful, but the difference between her and other elite fighters wasn't insurmountable. Kelart wasn't suited for direct combat.
Arche, however, could fight directly despite being a caster—no better fit existed for Calca.
Come to think of it… I wonder if Kaiser is okay?
Arche didn't actually think anything bad would happen to him.
To Arche, Kaiser wasn't "the strongest"—he was invincible. She simply couldn't imagine him losing. It felt like nonsense, a baseless delusion. But Kaiser had drawn Six-Paths Divine Sword. A blade containing the world itself. If he had to use that, then the opponent must have been beyond what humans could handle.
Had Kaiser not intervened, perhaps several countries would've vanished by now. Stretching her tired body, Arche heard her bones crack faintly. She could have asked Kelart to heal her easily, but healing her wounds felt like it would reduce the effect of her training. Kaiser said such things often.
She still hadn't fully healed.
Argos' strike had left lingering pain. That blow of resentment had been the most painful attack she had ever received—more than even the living-evil monster she faced before. Why? Was it because she had been wearing the Berserker Armor?
"Ugh…"
Arche suddenly felt like throwing up again. Alcohol really didn't suit her. She wondered how Remedios—who drank even more—was doing.
As she staggered forward, she considered returning to the inn… but unfortunately, she had an appointment today.
"Are you alright?"
A beautiful woman's voice spoke as a gentle hand supported Arche's shoulder. Arche stiffened.
Someone had approached past her perception and touched her. Kaiser's training had drilled into her that even the strongest warriors can be killed by a sneak attack. That awareness was something she'd been honing.
But this woman had reached her before she even noticed.
It wasn't hostile. It was simply someone helping a staggering girl. A kind gesture.
Arche slowly turned her head toward the woman.
…Wow. So pretty.
She was one of the most beautiful people Arche had ever met. Even the nobles of the Empire, or Calca and Kelart from the Holy Kingdom—none could quite compare. Her beauty felt like it came from a different genetic pool altogether. Arche recalled Kaiser's words: "Makeup can renovate, but only birth can rebuild." That hit different now.
She wore old, humble clothing, yet somehow, on her, it looked like a fine dress. Her hair was neatly tied up, her face elegant and sharp—clever, intellectual. A pair of glasses sat on her face, though they didn't seem to have any prescription. A choker on her neck caught Arche's attention; it was unusual, and perhaps a magic item.
Arche mentally scolded herself—evaluating potential magic items from someone who helped her was peak adventurer brain.
"Th-thank you."
"No, I may have been presumptuous. Your steps looked trained, so I wondered if you had simply drunk too much."
"Y-yes, a bit…"
"…Adamantite?"
"Yes."
The woman's surprise was familiar to Arche.
Everyone she greeted reacted that way. This tiny girl is Adamantite!? they all thought. Adamantite meant the pinnacle of human achievement. That someone who looked like a teenage girl had reached that level… was shocking.
The woman took something from her pocket and offered it to Arche. It looked like a potion, but Arche wasn't sure.
"Please drink it. It's not poison. If you wish, I'll drink one myself first."
"No… it's okay."
Arche hesitated, but drank.
She possessed an item that nullified poison anyway, so even actual poison wouldn't hurt her. After a sip—her headache vanished instantly.
"Huh?"
Her stomach settled too. She stared wide-eyed at the woman.
"Hehe, good. It's a special product from our country. Good for people who drink too much but need to work the next day."
"A-amazing. It removed only the hangover."
Potions normally cured everything, even the "positive" physical stress from training. But this one removed only the bad effects. It reminded her of the potion Kaiser once carried. Rare, difficult to make, but possible.
The woman bowed lightly.
"My apologies for the sudden kindness. My name is Yu—… ahem. Rifa. May I have your name?"
"I'm Arche. And thank you again, Miss Rifa."
Arche found herself staring at her again.
There was something… unusual about this woman. Arche may have been hungover, but Rifa's movement had been beyond her perception—she must be skilled. Yet Arche's talent didn't detect magic from her. Usually it only showed arcane casters' tiers, but recently… it had begun revealing divine and psychic tiers too.
Kaiser said talents sometimes awaken in extreme conditions, though most people never notice. Arche's was the rare, obvious kind—once-in-a-generation.
"Are you perhaps an Adamantite adventurer of this kingdom?"
That question made it clear: Rifa wasn't from the Holy Kingdom.
Her appearance already hinted it, but now it was certain—she was a foreigner newly arrived here. A beauty like her would have caused rumors otherwise.
"No, I'm from the Empire. I only stopped by the Holy Kingdom to train and test my limits. If you wanted a guide… I'm sorry, I only just arrived as well."
Rifa hummed thoughtfully.
Arche wondered if she had said something rude. She wasn't always the most careful speaker… but she didn't want to be impolite to someone who helped her. Kaiser always said kindness should be repaid with kindness, and grudges with grudges—even though he rarely followed the second half himself.
Rifa's eyes studied Arche closely—almost evaluating her. The faint curiosity in her expression seemed to turn into warmth.
"You're… a good person. Humans must originally be like this. I wish my younger sisters could understand humans' good qualities as well."
Her tone carried a hint of anguish—barely audible, almost muttered. Arche couldn't make out all of it, but she clearly heard one phrase:
"You're a good person."
Arche wasn't sure why she was being complimented, but Rifa smiled softly.
"Even with such a terrible hangover, you still pushed yourself to go out. You must have some important business today."
"Ah… yes. Though honestly, it will only be a troublesome meeting."
In reality, under the name of granting her an "award," the Holy Kingdom was preparing various plans to tie Arche down. Gustavo—who believed she was the only one who could keep the Captain in check—was already urging Calca and Kelart to recruit her even more aggressively. Arche, of course, had no idea.
"If you don't mind, I'll request a guide for you. They might not look it, but they're an Adamantite adventurer and recently accomplished something big. They should gladly help."
"I see… then, may I ask for guidance to the lodging just ahead? I'm quite interested in the Roble Holy Kingdom. I wish to learn more."
Was she thinking of moving here permanently?
Arche felt a faint sense of incongruity, but couldn't put it into words, so she stayed silent. Still, Rifa didn't look like a bad person. Arche wasn't as sharp as Kaiser, but she trusted her intuition.
Yet here she was, doubting someone who had only shown kindness. Maybe she had become too cynical—too used to harsh realities.
"Personally, I'd prefer you to guide me. As in… traveling together."
"M-me? …Hmm. Today is impossible, but if tomorrow is acceptable, I'll do it. For the price of that potion, it's cheap repayment."
"…You show gratitude even for small kindnesses, despite being of high status. That mindset is admirable."
"It's normal… And high status? I'm a commoner."
"Isn't Adamantite more than high status?"
It was more of a class than a social rank… but perhaps she was from a land without rigid classes.
Books mentioned countries long ago with no nobles or commoners—equality for all. They eventually collapsed, but who could say such nations didn't exist elsewhere?
"Then tomorrow, I'll visit that lodging you mentioned. Is morning fine?"
"Yes, I'll be waiting."
They exchanged farewells and parted ways. She was… an unusual woman.
....
….
"Then I'll ask again: you truly have no intention of joining the Holy Kingdom?"
Calca smiled warmly as she spoke.
Her gentle, pure-white smile showed no malice—yet Arche saw the pitch-black ambition lurking subtly behind it. Arche wasn't oblivious; she hadn't grown in a greenhouse.
Eating with the queen of a nation made her stomach twist. If she hadn't drunk Rifa's potion, she likely would have thrown up right there from the tension.
"I plan to travel for a while. I don't intend to settle anywhere."
"Even after your travels finish, that's fine. If you desire, I'll grant you noble status. If you serve directly under me, I'll ensure a fitting salary. If you wish to conduct magical research, the Holy Kingdom will support you unconditionally—on my name, Calca Bessarez."
It was an outrageous offer. In the Empire, it would be nearly equivalent to the treatment of Fluder Paradyne. Arche was indeed talented, but this also showed how desperately the Holy Kingdom lacked arcane casters.
Kelart, wearing a far more cunning smile than Calca, added:
"And if you wish to continue as an adventurer, that's fine. There's no law forbidding nobles from being adventurers. If any noble or royal complains… I will handle it. Personally."
Scary! Her eyes are terrifying! She seriously means she'll "handle" them!? Even royalty!?
Arche swallowed hard.
Where was Remedios when she needed her? Her lovable stupidity would have eased Arche's stress.
This battlefield of political schemes was terrible for her mental health.
"I… I'll consider it positively."
Calca smiled warmly.
"Truly… if someone like you joined this kingdom, we could help so many more people. A future where no one in the Holy Kingdom has to cry…"
That part, at least—the ideal—was unquestionably sincere.
Arche repeated that she would "consider it" and excused herself.
But as she left, Gustavo cornered her, asking if she'd consider joining the Paladin Order. That conversation held her hostage for another thirty minutes.
Remedios's absence wasn't due to injuries—but a crippling hangover.
Given how much she drank, being fine would have been stranger.
"So tired…"
She hadn't used magic once today, yet she was exhausted. Her hand unconsciously touched her rosario again. She wanted to collapse in her room, but her promise with Rifa resurfaced.
Rifa said she wanted to "travel together," but that wasn't realistic. Arche was unfamiliar with the kingdom; two lost girls would only become a pair of lost girls.
She needed information.
She decided to seek Neia. She could ask about sightseeing spots and plan tomorrow's exploration with Rifa. Maybe even spar with her—Rifa seemed strong enough.
"Excuse me. Is Neia Baraja here?"
"A-ah! Miss Arche!"
A paladin saluted stiffly, trembling. Arche blinked, startled.
Apparently, her reputation had spread without her knowing.
The rumor that she defeated the monster Argos in a single blow was everywhere.
"Argos who even forced Remedios to retire."
Technically correct… but the nuance was misleading.
"Apprentice Baraja left with some friends about an hour ago. She instructed me to deliver this to you."
Arche accepted the letter.
They didn't plan to meet today, so leaving a letter felt odd.
She opened it and immediately frowned.
[I've taken Neia Baraja. Come alone to the address below or she dies. This time I'll kill you with my own fists.]
Detailed directions followed.
She instantly knew who it was.
That monk she met before—Walker, or something.
She didn't remember his name, only his nasty temper.
"...Haa."
Arche found herself staring blankly into the distance.
The guard looked nervous, but she didn't care.
Why was her life so absurd?
Could she not have a single peaceful day?
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