After dealing with one of them like that, Titan raised the corner of his mouth and asked. 

  

"Shaman, tell me. What can you do?" 

  

"Well, how about this?" 

  

I immediately unleash holy power. 

  

In front of the coachman, I only showed the power of Vesta, the goddess of the hearth and home. Typically, a priest serves only one god. 

  

So what I'm doing now is quite exceptional. 

  

Tang! 

  

I pour holy power, incomparably stronger than before, directly onto the carriage floor. 

  

And immediately, I borrow the miracle bestowed by the god in exchange for that power. 

  

This time, what I receive in exchange is the white shadow of Heimdall, the guardian deity who protects the rainbow bridge connecting heaven and earth. 

  

A pure white curtain envelops the carriage where the children and I are. 

  

"Good." 

  

Titan's evaluation of this was simple. Along with his response, he immediately raised the hammer he was holding high. 

  

I had already seen once what the result of that would be. 

  

The explosion that sent bandits flying along with dirt and gravel when Titan appeared. 

  

That came again, with even more powerful force. 

  

Boom! 

  

It wasn't a special technique. What was contained in that single strike was pure power. 

  

Everything else was excluded from that strike, and the correctness of that method was immediately evident in the result. 

  

"Aaaah!" 

  

After the deafening roar passed, what was heard were screams. 

  

The result of the massive wave of power that swept from where the hammer fell on the bandits, to their surroundings, and beyond to where the carriage was. 

  

"I intended to sift out the riffraff, but it's a pity." 

  

A scene of hell created by a single strike unfolded before our eyes. 

  

All that remained were those screaming after losing parts of their bodies, and those who had fallen and were half-unconscious because they were relatively far away. 

  

That's how bandits are. 

  

No matter how large their scale or who's behind them, in the end, they're just bandits. 

  

If they had real skills, they wouldn't need to be bandits in the first place. 

  

"W-Wait! Please spare..." 

  

"There were only riffraff." 

  

Crack! 

  

Titan finished off the bandits who were still breathing by piercing their necks with his spear. 

  

He chased after those trying to escape one by one and burst their heads. 

  

There are no survivors among the bandits. 

  

"There's nothing more dangerous than letting an injured beast escape." 

  

He doesn't leave any future troubles. Despite his appearance, he's thorough. 

  

"Now I've crushed all the tomatoes. Shaman, do you have anything to say?" 

  

Titan, having perfectly dealt with the remnants, approaches the carriage. 

  

As he gets closer, a smile forms on his lips, as if finding the undamaged carriage interesting. 

  

When he's within arm's reach, I dismantle Heimdall's shadow. 

  

The other children step back, creating distance, and finally, I'm face to face with Titan. 

  

And as Titan promised, he grabs my collar. 

  

His expression is blank, and his eyes are as cold as ice. 

  

"Just a moment." 

  

Ignoring that overwhelming pressure, I close my eyes and borrow Vesta's ember, igniting it at my fingertips. 

  

"I've been holding back for a while." 

  

I take out the tobacco I bought in the village from my pocket and light it. 

  

Taking a puff of the tobacco like that. 

  

"Whew..." 

  

I quietly open my eyes as I extinguish Vesta's ember. In front of me is still the ferocious-looking orc. 

  

"I don't have anything particular to say. What, do you have any complaints?" 

  

"Hahahahahaha!" 

  

As I drop the act of playing weak, Titan laughs heartily as if he finds it amusing. 

  

Yes, I knew an orc would prefer this kind of confident attitude. 

  

"The result was disappointing, but it was quite an interesting game." 

  

Titan finally releases his grip on my collar. 

  

"And you, black fox over there, your courage is admirable, but your killing intent is too thick. You can't succeed in a surprise attack like that." 

  

Looking in the direction Titan pointed, I saw Linea with her hood off, perhaps due to the aftermath of the storm. 

  

As everyone's gaze gathers on her, the fox ears on top of her head twitch. She must be uncomfortable with the sudden focus of attention. 

  

Linea fumbles around and quietly puts her hood back on. 

  

"How did you know?" 

  

Linea, having put her hood back on, asks in a small voice. 

  

For a moment, I thought she was asking how he noticed the killing intent, but her gaze was directed at me, not Titan. 

  

It's a question about me. 

  

"What do you mean?" 

  

"How did you know I was a noble?" 

  

She seemed to be paying attention to me from the beginning, but now it seems her interest has turned into suspicion. 

  

In fact, it's natural. 

  

How could one not be suspicious when I handle things like this? 

  

But the excuse is simple. 

  

"It's not just the hood that's the problem." 

  

"Ah." 

  

Linea, looking in the direction I'm pointing, is shocked as if she's been hit on the head. It wasn't just the hood that was blown away by the storm's aftermath. 

  

The front of the cheap robe she wore for disguise is the same. 

  

"That outfit, it's not something you can see in the Empire or other foreign countries. Isn't that a special product from Nidavellir?" 

  

"Aah." 

  

A light pink shirt and a black skirt. 

  

Black stockings under the skirt. 

  

And the white coat worn over it. 

  

The level of completion is 2-3 steps ahead of the general civilization level. 

  

It's clothes that can't be made with the current level of civilization technology unless it's from the future city, Nidavellir. 

  

Even if they could be made, it would still cost just as much. 

  

Anyone, not just me, could easily notice that she's either a noble or the daughter of a wealthy merchant family. 

  

"You don't seem to know how to wear a cheap robe properly. If you want to hide your identity, wouldn't it be better to fasten your collar more tightly?" 

  

"Aaah." 

  

Finally, after giving her some advice, she can't lift her head. 

  

Her face, hidden by the hood she's pulled down, must be bright red. 

  

I've been thinking this since the village, but she seems to have many clumsy aspects. 

  

"I-I'm sorry..." 

  

Linea crumples into a corner. 

  

I could see the other children approaching her to comfort her. 

  

She had a carelessness that couldn't be hidden even by her noble status. 

  

And that careless appearance probably reduced the distance between her and the children. 

  

After all, the reason she was despised by people wasn't because she was a beastkin or a noble, but because of a momentary scene that should have happened today. 

  

"But shaman, what are you going to do now? Haven't you lost your guide?" 

  

The coachman disappeared without even leaving a trace under Titan's hammer blow. 

  

"That's right. Then shall I go find a guide for a moment?" 

  

"Wouldn't it be faster if I went?" 

  

"If you go, who will protect the kids here?" 

  

"Hmm..." 

  

Titan turns his head to examine the children huddled together. 

  

Every time his gaze falls on them, the children shrink in fear. 

  

"Well, they do look too weak to even protect themselves." 

  

Titan nodded in agreement, and the children fell into despair. 

  

Quite a few of them seem to even resent me. 

  

Well, how many kids would still look at me the same way after I've shown my true colors? In the children's eyes, respect has disappeared, replaced by a sense of betrayal. 

  

It's a common occurrence for an inquisitor. 

  

*     *     * 

  

Bandits move in groups, but not everyone moves at the same time. 

  

Of course, if the scale is small, they might, but if it's a bandit group of considerable size, there must be personnel waiting at the base. 

  

Bandits would have a hierarchy too, and such figures rarely come to the front lines. 

  

Which means... 

  

"From now on, I'll leave only one alive." 

  

There's still the main force of the bandits remaining in this area. 

  

There's no need to go back to the distant village to find a guide. 

  

At least one of them should know the way. 

  

I've passed off the preliminary battle to Titan, so now it's my turn to work. 

  

From the beginning, I'm different from the Holy Maiden, so I never thought I could make them repent. 

  

In my own way, as befits an inquisitor who is the shadow of the Pantheon. 

  

It's time to do something not so honorable. 

  

I draw my sword. 

  

The pure white blade that my master gave me as a parting gift reveals itself. 

  

"I'll tell you the details after I've cleared about half of them." 

  

The bandits, who were staring blankly in bewilderment at first, start shouting loudly as I draw my sword. 

  

"You...!" 

  

But I can't hear them. 

  

I didn't hear any sound. 

  

What I borrowed in exchange for holy power is the starlight ornament of Ratri, the goddess of night. 

  

The surroundings fall into silence as if submerged in water. The world that was bright just a moment ago is trapped in quiet darkness. 

  

It's the first time I'm handling a sword since my regression. 

  

I narrow the gap between my past experience of putting down the sword once and my body in its prime. 

  

By the time the bandits, who were confused by the sudden change, come to their senses and start running towards me. 

  

Once more, I unleash holy power. 

  

This time, I borrow the power of Vidar, the god who hunted the monster of Vanaheim. 

  

The swordsmanship I handle is originally a technique I couldn't use with my own skills. 

  

It's an alien level that even I, who use it, can't understand. 

  

It's good that I can use techniques tens of times beyond my actual skill level, following my master's teachings. 

  

But if my body can't withstand it, I'll end up in the same state as before my regression if I don't compensate for the lacking parts. 

  

I was driven to the point where I couldn't wield a sword again after recklessly swinging it. 

  

Grr! 

  

I grip the sword with both hands and hold it horizontally. I look at the world illuminated by the small starlight floating in the night sky. 

  

The bandits in front of me, the trees and forests, the rocks. And beyond that. 

  

I look at the horizon. 

  

Slash! 

  

For a moment, that horizon becomes clear as if swallowing everything else. 

  

"......" 

  

The sword was swung, and the bandits rushing towards me gape at the horizon carved onto their bodies. 

  

Eventually, red spreads over the horizon that swallowed their bodies. 

  

After the starlight ornament that created the silent night is lifted, and the bandits, along with trees and rocks, collapse. 

  

"That's half of them." 

  

In front of my eyes was a clean horizon, and now a different kind of silence settled in the bandits' base. 

  

"Those who know the way to the Duchy of Foris, raise your hands." 

  

The bandits' fighting spirit is broken, so now only a simple selection process remains. 

  

Now, out of the remaining half, only one person can live. 

  

*     *     * 

  

After bringing back a guide cum coachman, we headed towards the Duchy of Foris again. 

  

In the meantime, while I finished the selection process, Titan also decided to walk alongside the carriage without hiding anymore. 

  

The children still find Titan uncomfortable, but at the same time, it was visible that they find him reassuring. 

  

Thanks to this, it also had the effect of preventing the temporarily recruited coachman from having any other thoughts, so it couldn't be better. 

  

Everything is different from before. 

  

The result was the same, but now the children don't fear Linea. 

  

Instead, that fear is directed towards Titan, but that wasn't a problem. 

  

In a situation like this, who did it is more important than what was done. If Linea had dismembered the bandits, it would have been seen as creepy, but it's natural for Titan to crush bandits. 

  

Image based on appearance. 

  

Because of this, it wasn't much of a problem for Titan. 

  

"Excuse me." 

  

After the leisurely carriage journey started again like that. 

  

Linea, who had been curled up in a corner out of embarrassment, slowly approached me. 

  

Her eyes still held suspicion and wariness. 

  

"Who is that person?" 

  

"Hmm." 

  

Well, it's natural to be suspicious when someone who said they were going to find a guide brought back a terrified person not long after. 

  

"I brought him from the bandits' hideout. He happened to know the way to the Duchy of Foris, so I brought him along." 

  

Usually, when you say this, people would think of those who were captured by bandits. Of course, they might also think that I captured a bandit. 

  

But ordinary people would find the former more credible. 

  

"He's a bandit, isn't he?" 

  

Nevertheless, Linea concluded the coachman's identity as a bandit without needing to think about it. 

  

"Why do you think so?" 

  

I wasn't surprised that she found out, but I was curious about the reason for her certainty. 

  

Didn't she even consider the other possibility? 

  

"I smelled blood. Not from him, but from you." 

  

"Oh my, I tried to be careful not to let it splatter, but I guess some got on me." 

  

I forgot that she was a beastkin. 

  

Well, there's nothing particularly to hide. 

  

I've already shown a confident attitude in front of Titan, so this level of suspicion isn't unwarranted, is it? 

  

At this point, no one is going to criticize me for that anyway. 

  

"Thank you for saving us, for taking on the dirty work." 

  

Linea bowed her head. 

  

She seems to have good judgment, so I probably don't need to worry. 

  

"May I ask your name?" 

  

"......" 

  

Linea looks at me with suspicious eyes as she asks. Seeing her like this, I pause for a moment, and she adds, as if she just remembered: 

  

"Ah, I'm Linea... I mean, Linea Spirin." 

  

The latter part was in a voice so small that only I could hear it. 

  

She's already been found out as a noble, but she probably doesn't want the other kids to know about her background. 

  

"...?" 

  

As I remain silent even after her self-introduction, Linea tilts her head. The ears poking out from under her hood move along with her head. 

  

It won't be boring to watch. 

  

"That's right. A name." 

  

However, contrary to her worry, I wasn't ignoring her. 

  

I was just thinking. 

  

I once lost my name. No, it would be more correct to say it was taken away. 

  

The ones who gave me a second name were the Pantheon and the Holy Maiden. 

  

Since then, I've been using that baptismal name as my name. 

  

That's why I hesitate. 

  

It feels like I'm not yet worthy of using that name now. 

  

"Hmm..." 

  

Looking at Linea, she was staring at me with drowsy eyes as if she was looking at something strange. 

  

The Linea I knew was someone who tried to reassure people who were trembling with anxiety with a gentle smile. 

  

I changed things, and a lot has become different. 

  

And the fact that things have changed also means... 

  

That I've lost something I was holding onto. 

  

Today, I changed many things. 

  

I saved someone and lost memories. 

  

-Gaining something means losing something at the same time. So you should always think carefully and pick up only what you need. If you try to hold onto everything, you'll end up losing everything. 

  

Suddenly, I remembered the words of the teacher who taught me how to live in this world. 

  

Didn't she say that gaining something means losing something? It was a saying I couldn't understand well at the time. 

  

But now I think I understand. 

  

I gave Linea a bright future in exchange for losing my memories with her. 

  

The bitter and painful memories that only she and I shared. 

  

And those have become things that can never be found again. 

  

Yes, is there a better word than this? 

  

"It's Lost." 

  

So for who I am now, this name is appropriate. 

   

Because I plan to strive to lose many more memories in the future. 

  

*     *     * 

  

The carriage journey continued. 

  

The terrified bandit drove the carriage looking only ahead, while Titan, who couldn't ride in the carriage, guarded it from the side. 

  

"Hmm..." 

  

Meanwhile, I once again checked the possessions I had with me. 

  

From waking up in the morning to getting on the carriage, everything happened so suddenly that I didn't have time to check what I had and didn't have. 

  

As a result of the check. 

  

I had plenty of money. No, it's even excessive. 

  

Probably my worried teacher packed it for me. 

  

And the sword given by my master. 

  

Looking at the pure white blade, I felt a chilling sharpness. 

  

This is quite a sword too. 

  

And lastly... 

  

"I had something like this?" 

  

Two small stone fragments. 

  

I never imagined I would have something like this. 

  

It's rare if we're talking about scarcity, but it's an item whose value is known to few. 

  

A double-edged sword whose use has been erased by the Pantheon. Just holding it makes me feel uneasy. 

  

<Morpheus' Dream Fragment> 

  

It's a stone fragment emitting a faint light. 

  

If my teacher knowingly put this in, it's quite a harsh lesson. 

  

It's quite an uneasy feeling, but just in case, it might be good to keep this for any unexpected situations. 

  

"Wow!" 

  

As I was finishing checking my possessions, cheers were heard from the other children in the carriage. 

  

In the distance, a huge city wall could be seen. 

  

It was the moment we finally arrived at the big city, the Duchy of Foris, where criminals related to the bandit incident were hiding. 

  

"Stop!" 

  

"Don't move! We'll shoot immediately if you move!" 

  

Along with some minor trouble. 

  

"What annoying fellows." 

  

And the source of that trouble quietly raised his hammer.