Chapter 78
His grip tightened.
The Peacemaker’s eyes twitched.
He gritted his teeth.
“Kids these days are just too well-fed.”
“Two hundred years ago, I was the tallest.”
“Oh, right.”
Releasing his hand, the Peacemaker looked up at me and said.
“This is the last day of training, actually.”
My heart stung for a moment.
“…Are you leaving to find the Nature Five?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll also check the escape routes of other knights, like that Nameless Revolutionary or whoever your friend was.”
“It might be a long journey.”
Reluctance welled up.
But I wasn’t going to act childish.
The Peacemaker and I got along effortlessly.
We naturally behaved like master and disciple, certain we were reliable allies with shared goals.
“Come back safely.”
“It’ll be a rough road.”
“Don’t forget what you’ve learned.”
“Train hard and grow strong enough for me to entrust my back to you.”
“Understood.”
Then, from somewhere, he pulled out a box he’d prepared.
“A gift.”
“Open it now.”
His smug expression piqued my curiosity.
Opening the box revealed a beautiful pair of pure white dual pistols.
“Dual pistols!”
“Hunting rifles lack firing speed, you know.”
“They don’t seem efficient to me.”
“I’m not forcing you to switch, but keep them just in case.”
The Interception, Ricochet, and Curved Shot techniques I learned are fully utilized with dual pistols, which offer rapid fire and flexible aiming.
“I’ll use them gratefully.”
“Your hunting rifle is specialized for ultra-long-range sniping.”
“But it doesn’t suit the ‘Saint Gunner’s Dual Pistols’ I’ve taught you at all.”
“It’s a different path, one you’ll have to forge yourself.”
“I’ve only laid the foundation.”
That’s why ‘Temporary’ is attached to the ‘Saint Gunner’s Dual Pistols’ skill I learned.
I’ve certainly received the essence of the skill.
But the Peacemaker ensured I wouldn’t base my marksmanship on a mismatched technique.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
I strapped a holster to my waist and stored the pure white dual pistols.
Their beautiful form rivaled the Peacemaker’s own white dual pistols.
“Wait a moment.”
“What’s this?”
I looked at the box, puzzled.
I thought it was just white silk holding the dual pistols and holster, but on closer inspection, it was clothing.
“I prepared quite a few gifts.”
“Stand up.”
The Peacemaker unfurled the clothing and draped it over me.
It was a pure white robe, embroidered with the symbol of the Peacemaker—a hooded gunslinger with crossed dual pistols on the back.
Then he placed a white mask on my face.
Even with the mask, my vision was unobstructed.
“It suits you well.”
“You need at least this much gear to be called my comrade.”
The dual pistols fit perfectly in my hands, the robe fit my body, and the mask fit my face.
These were gifts the Peacemaker prepared just for me.
“What do you think of my gifts?!”
Suddenly, Luri, standing beside me, glared at the Peacemaker with narrowed eyes.
“Grandfather, I prepared these!”
“Ahem, but I provided the blueprints, didn’t I?”
“I paid for them!”
“Ahem, ahem.”
“Then let’s call it a collaboration…”
Luri didn’t forgive the Peacemaker for trying to claim sole credit for the gifts they prepared together.
She kept glaring at him.
“Grandfather, hurry up and get ready to leave!”
“You’re departing soon!”
“Uh, uh, right…”
The Peacemaker mumbled sulkily about the futility of raising granddaughters.
“Peacemaker, sir, where are you going first?”
“I told you I’m going after the Nature Five.”
“The Majesty of the Mountain, starting today.”
“The secret society on the highest peak will take a while.”
“I see.”
“Come back safely.”
The Peacemaker sighed deeply and said.
“Enough, call me Star Child.”
“After all… you’re a Peacemaker now too.”
“We wouldn’t want confusion with titles.”
The robe, mask, and dual pistols bearing the Peacemaker’s symbol.
They also meant he fully accepted me as a comrade.
With an unusually serious expression, the Peacemaker looked at me.
Given that he passed down his techniques, he might even consider me… his official successor.
“Until the day we save the world from the apocalypse, we’re in this together.”
“While I’m gone, take care of the capital.”
“The capital of the Imperium Empire is humanity’s largest city and its final bastion.”
“Yes, understood, Star Child.”
I placed my hand on my chest and replied.
The Peacemaker nodded and vanished with a Flash.
…He’s really gone.
“Now let’s go have tea!”
Luri clung to my side, linking arms.
This girl… always with the arm-linking.
“Martin~ Let’s go have tea with me~”
“Training…”
“Ugh, come on, let’s have tea! Please? Please?”
“…”
If Luri’s money went into making the Peacemaker uniform and dual pistols, it’s practically a debt.
They were indeed very satisfying.
And considering Luri’s usual kindness, I felt bad refusing her outright.
“Alright, let’s go.”
As I thought about removing the mask, the mask and robe turned into particles of light, forming a pure white bracelet on my right wrist.
I looked alternately at the black bracelet on my left wrist and the white one on my right.
‘The Black Knight armor Hound from the Princess, and now the Peacemaker uniform.’
It feels like I’m accumulating more identities to hide.
Achievement unlocked! ‘Peacemaker’!
You have become a member of the Peacemaker!
Perhaps the Star Child, the leader, is the only one who can save this world from the apocalypse!
Now you will approach the truth of this world!
You have acquired 10,000 points!
‘Gasp.’
The points I earned were on a whole different level from before.
“Martin? What’s wrong? Something up?”
“Hm? Oh, nothing.”
I quickly managed my expression.
…I’m such a materialist.
Luri led me to a newly opened teahouse nearby.
New teahouses and restaurants popped up daily, so there was never a dull moment.
No surprise there.
This is the heart of the world, the capital of the Imperium Empire.
Still, this teahouse was unique.
“Hey, they sell green tea, the kind drunk by eastern peoples!”
“A green tea specialty shop, so cool!”
“You think so too, right, Martin?!”
“It’s definitely different.”
We ordered bamboo leaf tea, made from young shoots picked at the end of February, steeped three times to create a single tea.
Sipping the tea, Luri beamed and hugged her teacup.
“Ah! So refreshing!”
The pale golden hue of the bamboo leaf tea danced cleanly and refreshingly across the palate.
It felt like a gentle spring breeze gliding through my mouth.
“It’s nice.”
It wouldn’t help with recipes, but the taste of the bamboo leaf tea soothed my mind.
“Oh, wow! Martin! Look over there.”
Luri pointed outside the window.
People dressed as knights or jesters were handing out flyers outside the teahouse.
Luri pressed her hands against the window, smiling.
She looked exactly like a girl her age, and I watched her fondly.
“Wow, it’s today! Imperium Land’s opening!”
Wait.
…I’ve heard that somewhere.
“What’s that, Cadet Luri?”
“Our family’s masterpiece!”
“My dad led the project!”
“It was supposed to open two years ago, but it got delayed and delayed, and it’s finally opening this year?!”
“And it’s today!”
“I totally forgot!”
Luri whipped her head around, staring at me with expectant eyes.
“So, Martin~”
“No.”
“Hmph.”
Luri sipped her bamboo leaf tea sulkily.
But no means no.
Lilac, Nerjin, Bianca, and Savo are busy working.
Luri and I can’t just go play.
‘…But I feel like I’ve heard of Imperium Land somewhere. What was it?’
I felt a sense of déjà vu and thought hard, but no clear answer came.
‘If it’s important, it’ll come to me.’
Drinking the bamboo leaf tea cleared my cluttered mind.
Looking at Luri, I saw she’d given up on Imperium Land and was reading a newspaper provided by the teahouse.
“…A newspaper?”
Strange.
Something feels like it should click.
“Yeah? Yeah! A newspaper!”
“I love reading newspapers!”
“Want me to read a few headlines?”
Delighted by my interest, Luri chirped as she read the subheadings.
“Nelson, the second son of the Quesharow family, is actually a demon worshipper!”
“He tried to kill Lady Elisha of Harmadun and Faris, the eldest son of Quesharow, but failed!”
My name was left out at my request.
I’d handed over the recorded footage from that incident to Professor Faris personally.
“Wow.”
“Nelson of Quesharow was known as a respected senior among the third-year cadets at the Academy…”
“What a world.”
Muttering, Luri read the next subheading.
“Successive indiscriminate crimes by demon worshippers.”
“Who are they?”
During Dr. Keren’s incident, the empire tightened security.
But Helaine caused a terror attack right in the city.
And Nelson’s case had video evidence I submitted.
The danger of demon worshippers was spreading across the continent.
That’s a good thing.
If people stay vigilant and prepare…
‘Ah! The newspaper! Imperium Land!’
It clicked.
It was mentioned briefly in the original story, so it took me a while to recall.
It was when the protagonists gathered after the break to catch up.
Reading the newspaper, Elisha was disappointed, saying, ‘Imperium Land, closed after just one day!’ about a place she’d wanted to visit but couldn’t.
“Cadet Luri.”
“Hm?”
The failure of this project deals a massive blow to the Elidore Marquisate, forcing them to delay other ventures.
Now that I know they’re allies of the Peacemaker, I can’t ignore it.
“Let’s go to Imperium Land.”
“Really?!”
I downed my bamboo leaf tea and stood.
“Yay! Martin, you’re the best!”
With Luri cheering and clinging to me, we headed to Imperium Land.
***
[Come play at Imperium Land!]
…With that motto, Imperium Land welcomed a massive crowd on its opening day.
It was a strong start, worthy of its title as the continent’s largest theme park.
The Elidore Marquisate had poured enormous funds into it years ago, scattering flyers.
It was worth it.
A roller coaster faster than a mana-clad knight.
A Viking ship recreating a stormy sea voyage.
A gyro drop simulating a 100-meter fall.
But the highlight was something else.
A brazen hotspot offering a panoramic view of the Imperium capital.
An irreverent ride rivaling the height of the imperial palace and grand temple.
The Ferris wheel.
As a colossal ride, its safety was rigorously inspected.
The mana engine powering it was hidden underground, immune to external damage.
Nor could anyone target the Ferris wheel’s structure.
Marquis Arnold had enchanted the entire wheel with powerful hardening and preservation magic circles.
You’d have to breach the stringent security magic first, which was already near invincible.
Unless the opponent was a spy from a wartime era, it was impossible.
But the worst, unimaginable to Marquis Arnold, was unfolding.
In the dark underground, a masked group stood before the glowing blue mana engine.