Berserk of Gluttony Vol. 3

by Isshiki Ichika

  “Galia is the kind of place you can never underestimate,” I said. I knew she knew this, but I wanted to warn her of the dangers all the same.

  “You’re absolutely right. This was a perfect example. As thanks, we’ve prepared a tent for you. You’re welcome to spend the night in it. After all, you’ve tailed us for quite some time now. I’m sure it’ll be more comfortable than sleeping on those bumpy rocks out there.”

  I felt like my mask was going to fall off in shock. I forced my voice to stay even. “So…you noticed.”

  “Of course. You tried not to leave any sign, but it was obvious.”

  I heard Greed shouting, “Fate! You idiot! You clueless, foolish amateur!” through Telepathy, but I, personally, was at a loss for words.

  “And you did…” Lady Roxy paused for a moment. “You did shout my name quite loudly when you first saw us. It would have been strange for me not to notice, no?”

  I flushed, grateful yet again for the protection of my mask.

  Lady Roxy laughed. It was like she was telling me that, for all my strengths, I’d still slipped up. In other words, they’d known I was following them from almost the moment I came across them and squeaked Lady Roxy’s name.

  I couldn’t believe it.

  “There’s no need to talk out here. The minor damage to the tents is likely repaired by now, so we can converse back in camp.”

  “Very well.”

  “Please be on your best behavior. That means no more running away, Mr. Corpse. After the last time, I swore I’d sit you down for a nice, long chat.”

  It was just like Greed had said: running from Lady Roxy only pushed her to pursue her prey more doggedly. I supposed that if she was going to catch me anyway, tonight was about the best timing I could have asked for.

  In the camp, we sat on two rocks, facing each other. Here, under the dark blanket of stars, our conversation picked up where it had left off.

  “It’s gotten a bit cold, hasn’t it?” Lady Roxy observed. “We’d have started a fire, but there’s not a hint of firewood in Galia.”

  “In that case,” I said, “we can use this.”

  Even now, the salamanders’ bodies still burned in the distance, but they gave off the foul stench of oily rotten meat. We were better off avoiding them. Instead, I used my spell Fireball, which I’d learned from consuming the souls of gargoyles, to create a contained sphere of flame. I kept it hovering between Lady Roxy and myself.

  “Oh, it’s so warm,” Lady Roxy said. “Thank you. You must have practiced a lot to keep such tidy control over the spell.”

  “Some of us are fortunate to have been born with magic. The least I can do is learn to use it well.”

  “You’re a much more diligent fellow than your appearance implies.”

  For a time, Lady Roxy stared at my skull mask, but there was only so much of that I could take before speaking.

  “It’s a little embarrassing to be stared at so…intently.”

  “My apologies. It’s just, you remind me of somebody. How do I put it…? The way you talk, and your gestures, they’re like a mirror image of him. It’s like he’s right here by my side, even though he’s at the Hart family estate now. It’s a strange thing to say, I know, but…”

  “Whoever he is, he must be very fortunate.”

  My heart pounded in my chest, my breath caught in my throat. However magically this skull mask hid my identity, it couldn’t hide the gestures that were a natural part of my personality. Speaking face-to-face with Lady Roxy like this brought out the person I was under the mask.

  To Lady Roxy, however, Fate Graphite was someone in need of protection. As far as she knew, he was safe working as a servant far to the north at the Hart family estate. To her, that fragile boy could never reach a place like this. That knowledge reassured me. As long as I didn’t remove my skull mask, I could remain beside her as the adventurer called Corpse.

  Lady Roxy stared up at the night sky.

  “Sometimes, I wonder if he’s happy,” she said. “He wasn’t always a servant of the Hart family. I had my reasons for instating him in that position. I thought I was taking that step for him, for his sake, but now that we’re apart like this, I wonder if it’s really what he wanted.”

  “Anybody would be happy to have someone think of them so kindly,” I said, “and I’m sure he’s no different. I’d fight any person who complained about such a position.”

  “Thank you. I’m sorry to burden you with all this idle talk. It’s late, so I’ll get to the point. What do you want, Mr. Corpse? It’s clear that your primary goal is not to tail my troops.”

  I had neither need nor reason to lie to her now that I’d come this far.

  “The craftsman Jade Stratos asked me to gather duskstone,” I said. “You can usually purchase it from the kingdom’s army, but for some reason, it’s no longer in stock. I’m supplying it to him instead.”

  “I see. Then our paths really have intersected,” said Lady Roxy, looking at me with a new seriousness in her eyes. “We lost contact with the squadron that usually gathers materials in Galia, duskstone included. Their absence has led to significant supply problems for our armories and Babylon’s craftsmen alike. My troops and I are headed this way both as potential support and to investigate what happened. Our goals are different, but our destination is the same. Shall we head there together?”

  “Very well,” I agreed. “We’ll travel together until we reach the great canyon.”

  “Then it’s decided. We’re happy to have you on board.”

  Lady Roxy put out her hand. I clasped it in my own, careful not to engage my Telepathy as I did so. She was an honest person with an honest heart, and I didn’t want to peek into it without her permission.

  As we shook hands, that short girl with chestnut hair appeared. She dove in and grabbed Lady Roxy around the waist, pulling her away.

  “Just how long do you intend to hold Lady Roxy’s hand?!” the girl cried.

  “Miria, enough,” said Lady Roxy.

  “If you want to hold someone’s hand, you can hold mine. Here you go. Nice to meet you.”

  The girl thrust her hand into my own, startling me, and my Telepathy kicked in before I could stop it.

  “This skull-masked mystery man might be here to get close to Lady Roxy. He was obviously stalking us! I must protect my Lady Roxy! Don’t get on your high horse just because you’ve got high stats, lich-face skull-man. I’ve got my eye on you, and you’re the enemy! I won’t sleep a wink until I know what you’re up to!”

  I couldn’t believe how different Miria was on the inside. She was deeply suspicious of me. She’d said “nice to meet you” with enthusiasm, but what she meant was “nice to meet my enemy.” I let a wry smile creep from behind my mask as I released her hand.

  “Hm… You know, I’m still very curious about what’s behind that mask,” said Miria intently. “So curious, I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep. Would you do me a favor and remove it?”

  I had the feeling she wouldn’t be afraid of grabbing my mask right off my face. I needed to remain on guard. Lady Roxy quickly moved between the two of us, her expression troubled.

  “Miria, that’s enough. You know you’re out of line,” she said sternly.

  “But, Lady Roxy! Don’t you want to know what he looks like too?”

  “I do, but…” Lady Roxy hesitated.

  What?!

  Even though Lady Roxy had stepped in to help, for a moment, I wasn’t sure I’d made the right decision—what might she do to get me to take off the mask?

  Well, to be fair, I knew the impulse. Lady Roxy had wanted to understand the common folk of Seifort so badly that she’d disguised herself to venture out among them. She couldn’t fight her own curiosity. Still, she wasn’t the type to simply force her way into another person’s affairs.

  I knew where she would land even before she spoke again. “You’re still out of line, Miria!”

  “What?! But, Lady Roxy!”


  “If you can’t listen to reason, you’ll have to listen to the person behind you!”

  “Huh?”

  Miria turned to find Captain Mugan standing behind her, his eyes narrowed, his forehead furrowed so tightly that veins pulsed at his temple.

  “Ugh, Mugan,” Miria groaned. “I thought you were still doing the clean-up and investigation…”

  “One of my soldiers wasn’t pulling her weight and vanished in the middle of duty, so I went to check up on her. Guess what I found?”

  “I just wanted to make sure some creepy guy wasn’t pestering Lady Roxy!”

  Did she just call me a creep? This girl just runs her mouth, huh?

  Lady Roxy giggled. She put her hands together and bowed apologetically to me.

  “Right, we’re off,” said Mugan.

  “Mugan, wait!”

  Mugan once again took hold of Miria’s collar and dragged her off. Miria called out for Lady Roxy even as they disappeared.

  “Quite the handful,” I said.

  “They’re always like that,” Lady Roxy replied. “Still, it’s nice that they’re so lively.”

  “That’s one way of looking at it.”

  Not that I distrusted them, but those two were the sort of people who made me glad to travel alone.

  Lady Roxy nodded. “Well then, until tomorrow.”

  “Until tomorrow.”

  Our departure was set for early the following morning. I headed to the tent that Lady Roxy had designated as mine. Inside, I was surprised to see I was sharing it with Captain Mugan. I had never in my life imagined that I’d share space with a commanding officer. Even more surprising was the fact that I was also sharing with Miria, who currently lay on the ground with her hands and feet tied.

  “What is she doing here?!” I yelped.

  “No need to worry. If we don’t do this, she always runs off to bother Lady Roxy in the middle of the night. I know it’s unusual, but…” Mugan sighed. “This is kind of our routine now.”

  “That’s, uh…that’s some routine.”

  I ignored Miria’s bitter, piercing gaze, knowing that responding would only get her started again. Sleeping in the skull mask wasn’t particularly comfortable, but I didn’t have a choice. I made sure I was a comfortable distance from Miria and allowed myself to drift into a light sleep.

  That night, not only did I have to be wary of the ravenous monsters stalking the Galian wilderness, I had to fear this enterprising girl trying to rip off my skull mask.

  Chapter 14:

  The Kingdom’s Army

  I AWOKE TO LIGHT streaming into the tent from outside, and I turned to see Miria’s sleeping face trapped between Mugan’s legs. From the look of it, she’d tried to pull something after I fell asleep, and Mugan had held her back. There was something silly and a little endearing about Miria in that moment, lost in slumber with a line of drool sliding down the side of her chin.

  I rose from my bed and took the black sword Greed in hand. Mugan’s eyes opened as I did.

  “Sorry about last night,” he said. “If we had a spare tent, we’d have put it up for you, but we only had time to bring the essentials for this mission.”

  “It still beats sleeping on the rocks,” I said. Then, glancing over at the still-sleeping Miria, I added, “But more importantly, how did you sleep?”

  “This? Oh, this happens all the time. She’s a handful, all right, but she’s also a trustworthy ally in battle. I hope to see her one day become Roxy’s second in command, but until then, I’ve got to keep a close eye on her.”

  “You’re practically family.”

  “Sometimes the troops say the same thing,” Mugan replied with a laugh. “Don’t let Miria hear you, though.”

  We left Miria to sleep and exited the tent. Outside, the troops had already started breakfast preparations. But nobody was making any food. The absence of water or firewood in Galia meant you couldn’t really cook. Food was thus a simple affair. The troops passed out rations: dense brown bread, jerky, and dried fruit on wooden plates, as well as a cup of water. I’d brought the same sort of food.

  “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the tasteless meals out here,” said Mugan. “All the same, do you want some?”

  “I’ll pass. Provisions are priceless in Galia, and I’m here uninvited. I’ll eat from my own stock.”

  “I see… To be honest, I’m a bit relieved. I have a feeling your share would have come straight off Lady Roxy’s plate. That’s just who she is, for better or for worse.”

  The comment left an impression on me. I could see Mugan’s pride in his commanding officer. Lady Roxy soon joined Mugan, myself, and the troops as we ate. Jokes and banter filled the air.

  “Is Miria still sleeping?” Lady Roxy asked.

  Mugan paused in his munching to answer. “She kept trying to escape and sneak into your tent, Lady Roxy. Eventually, she wore herself out.”

  “Oh, that girl…” Lady Roxy sighed. “I guess it can’t be helped. I suppose I’ll go wake her, then.”

  Lady Roxy put her unfinished breakfast down for a moment and walked over to Miria’s tent. A short while later, we heard Miria’s overjoyed voice, and when Lady Roxy returned, Miria was practically glued to her side.

  “There is nothing better in this world than being woken by Lady Roxy! I can now officially, and happily, die without regrets!”

  “Let’s avoid any comments about untimely deaths out here, Miria,” Mugan said.

  I sympathized with Mugan’s sentiment. We really had no idea what waited for us out there in the great canyon.

  “Good morning, Mugan,” said Miria, pumping her fist to the sky, “and good morning, troops! Let’s make today a great one!”

  “Did you even hear me, Miria?” said Mugan, exasperated. The slump of his shoulders seemed to indicate that he knew he was in for another long, busy day.

  Lady Roxy and I glanced at each other and chuckled.

  Northern arrived soon after and sat close by my side. His right arm was wrapped in bandages due to the injuries he’d suffered last night. The salamander’s attack had sent him flying. Even with his arm in a sling, cocky Northern still grinned as though the whole world was his delicious oyster. His smug attitude was in clear contrast to Lady Roxy’s camaraderie with her troops.

  “Ah, so we meet again, Corpse,” Northern said. “Thanks for your help yesterday.”

  “You’re supposed to be a holy knight,” I said. “Your tactics were beyond careless.”

  “When you put it that way, yes, I’ve really got no excuses. It was me versus two crowned beasts, and I acted in haste. As you can see, I’ll be fairly useless in battle with this injury, so it’s nice you’re here to take my place. At least every cloud has a silver lining, right?”

  “Your silver lining lasts until we get to the great canyon, so your arm better heal up by then.”

  “I’ll be fine,” said Northern, his smile widening. “By the way, have you put any further thought into becoming one of my men?”

  It was impressively arrogant for Northern to ask as much after a single salamander had blasted him through the air. This was the famous overconfidence of Seifort’s holy knights. My answer remained unchanged.

  “I have no intention of working under you,” I said. “No matter what happens.”

  “Such a pity. And I had such high hopes for you…”

  Northern had barely touched his food, but he stood up and left. His clique, who I’d barely noticed, followed him close behind. Despite myself, I was increasingly curious about this holy knight. I turned to Lady Roxy, now quietly eating her breakfast.

  “Lady Roxy, may I ask you something?”

  “What is it?”

  “What sort of person is Northern?”

  “Northern Alistair…hm. He’s a member of a family of holy knights who have protected Babylon from monsters for a long, long time. He knows Galia like the back of his hand, and he’s taught me a lot. He was the first to realize the gathering expeditio
n had been delayed, and we came to investigate on his recommendation.”

  It seemed Lady Roxy put a lot of trust in Northern. This was her first time in Galia, after all.

  “He’s not the type to talk about himself too often,” she went on, “which makes it easy for people to get the wrong idea about him. He’s similar to you, in that respect.”

  “Huh?! Me and Northern are similar?”

  “Well, you’re both full of secrets.”

  I couldn’t argue there. I looked over at Northern and his men as they prepared. Northern gave the orders while his men quickly folded down tents and stowed them in rucksacks.

  The two of us are similar…?

  Despite Lady Roxy’s praise, something about Northern’s aloof mysteriousness chafed at me.

  After breakfast, Lady Roxy and her squadron proceeded farther south. I went with the group. Miria somehow had the energy to keep up her antics for the entire journey. However, because the only thing around us was the endless rugged landscape of Galia, I was a little glad for the distraction.

  “I’ll take that skull mask, thank you very much!” Miria cried, grunting as she reached out to yank it off my face. Really, she made the otherwise-dull march feel a bit like sparring.

  “I don’t think so,” I said, dodging away. “You’ll have to do better than that if you really want it!”

  She was quite the spirited girl. Even as we rushed toward our destination, she bounded left, right, up, and around as she looked for any angle from which to take my mask. Still, she never got close, and I evaded her attempts with ease. Her movements were simple, and I followed her feet to know where she was going.

  “Damn it! How are you evading me so easily?!” she cried, winded.

  “That’s a trade secret. If I told you, I’d only make life harder for myself.”

  “What?! But I’m trying so hard! How dare you!”

  Miria’s rage lent her speed, and I feared she’d be an exhausted mess by the time we made it to the great canyon. Luckily, before that could happen, Lady Roxy interceded.

  “Miria, that’s enough. If you don’t show some self-control, I’ll show you what I’m like when I’m angry. And, Mr. Corpse, please don’t encourage her!”