Residual awareness. After finishing a long, slow breath, Tao turned back to me.
"Whew... That was a close one, Lloyd."
"You saved me, Tao. I didn't expect to run into you here of all places."
"Hahaha! I was surprised myself. But I'm just glad I made it in time-aru!"
Tao laughed heartily. Seeing her like this, it was clear her total Ki had grown exponentially since we last met.
"It looks like you've been doing some serious training."
"...Well, I did suffer a pretty humiliating defeat. I had to find a bit of motivation," she said bashfully. But it was more than just a "bit." Her movements, her Ki capacity—she was on a completely different level.
"That strike just now... did you see the nucleus of the Magic Sword?"
"Hmm? I don't know anything about a nucleus. But the eye of my heart guided my fist-aru."
As she spoke, Tao closed one eye and gripped her fist. Shingan—the Mind's Eye. I’d heard stories of such techniques in foreign lands; they supposedly allowed a person to see what was invisible to the naked eye. I’d always been skeptical, but after that display, I had no choice but to believe it.
"Nuh-haaa! Tao-tan's new costume! Hah! Hah!"
I silenced the panting, excited Jiriel with a sharp smack. Now that he mentioned it, her outfit was different. It was still the red martial arts wear she usually wore, but with subtle changes to the design. A white muffler and a gourd hanging from her waist were her most striking new features.
"But Lloyd, what are you doing here-aru? There are soldiers and even a princess about."
"Actually..."
I explained the whole situation to Tao: how the country was in danger due to a monster Stampede, how I was leading an army to stop it, and how I had come here to recruit the leader of these bandits as my military strategist.
"...And that brings us to the present."
"I see, I see. That sounds like a major crisis-aru."
Tao thumped her chest with a confident smile.
"In that case, I'm coming with you. It’s the perfect opportunity to show off the results of my training!"
"Thanks, Tao. That would be a huge help. ...Oh, and Grimo, Jiriel, thank you both as well."
I offered my thanks to the two familiars for trying to shield me earlier. My mana had been nearly exhausted, and since Mars was wielding a Magic Sword, taking a direct hit could have been dangerous. They had both stepped out to protect me with their own bodies.
"I-I mean, it's just... damn it, like I could ever admit a Majin like me jumped out instinctively..."
"Hmph. At times like these, you should simply accept the gratitude with grace. It is a great honor, Master Lloyd."
Grimo turned bright red and started muttering to himself, looking deeply conflicted. Well, whatever. More importantly... I turned my gaze back to Mars.
"I'll be blunt. Saloom is currently facing a national crisis. I want you to lend me your strength as my military strategist."
Mars remained collapsed on the ground, his eyes fixed in place as he answered.
"...I see. You wish to hire me as a strategist?" After a moment of thought, Mars shook his head. "Unfortunately, I must refuse. I’ve had quite enough of killing. Living freely like this suits my nature much better."
"Ha! What’s a bandit talking like that for-aru!"
"We have never once attacked people of our own volition. This time was purely for self-defense. Fighting is a hassle I prefer to avoid."
Come to think of it, Galilea had mentioned that they were bandits who didn't attack people indiscriminately. So that was why he wouldn't accept my invitation. That was a problem.
As I pondered my next move, someone stepped out from behind me.
"Are you... Mr. Mars?"
It was Isha. Mars lowered his head in a hurry.
"P-Pope! Why are you in a place like this...?"
"To stop the Stampede. ...When I heard the reports, I wondered if it might be you, and it seems my suspicions were correct."
It appeared they were acquaintances. I couldn't quite keep up with the conversation.
"That's it! I remember now, Master Lloyd! Mars was a strategist in the Northern Empire. He grew weary of war and defected to the peaceful Kingdom of Saloom."
Jiriel suddenly spoke up.
"I remember him because he was a man of deep faith, which is rare for an Imperial officer. To fight in a way that minimizes damage to one's own allies, one must continue to kill the enemy with maximum efficiency... Mars gained prestige doing exactly that, but in the war-torn Empire, the fighting only continued to escalate. Disgusted by the cycle, he defected."
A former Imperial strategist, huh? A person of that caliber wouldn't be allowed to escape easily, especially if he held state secrets. It made sense why there were wanted posters for him at the Adventurers' Guild.
"The mountains in this area are Church property, but bandits had settled here and made it inaccessible. However, Mr. Mars took charge and organized the displaced people who came here."
"Yes. I went directly to the Pope to ask for permission to live in these mountains, on the condition that we caused no harm to the people around us."
Isha nodded at Mars's words. So that was the connection. The reason the army hadn't pushed further to eliminate them was likely because Isha had given her official permission.
"I ask this of you as well, Mr. Mars. Could you please lend your strength to Lloyd-kun?"
Isha clasped her hands before her chest and lowered her eyes, but Mars still shook his head.
"As much as I wish to grant a request from the Pope, to whom I am so indebted..."
"Why? Lloyd-kun is fighting so that innocent people won't be sacrificed. Isn't that the same as your own philosophy!?"
"...It is true that I despise the mutual taking of lives. It might be self-satisfaction, but my minimum pride is that I have never taken a life pointlessly. However, this boy attacked our mountain and put my subordinates' lives at risk just to obtain me. Is that not an utterly selfish act? And you want me to cooperate with him?"
When Mars glared at her, Isha was momentarily silenced by his intensity. I suppose he had a point. Self-defense was necessary; without it, you'd be killed helplessly when attacked. Just like I was in my previous life.
"Nevertheless, if the Pope goes so far as to request it, I cannot simply ignore it. How about this? Master Lloyd, are you familiar with Hyogi?"
"Yeah, I've played it..."
"That is good. I am quite fond of the game myself. If you can defeat me, I, Mars Birgitte, promise to swear my loyalty to you. How does that sound?"
Mars gave a smirk. He seemed incredibly confident. Refusing wouldn't get us anywhere, so I figured I might as well play along. I was reasonably good at the game, and in the worst-case scenario, I could always use Holy Magic to 'Purify' his stubbornness.
"But we don't have a board."
"There is no need. I shall use this."
Mars tapped his head with his finger.
"Here I go, then. ...Seven-Seven Soldier."
"Three-Two Knight." "Eight-One Mage." "Two-Six Archer." "Four-Five King." "Seven-Four Soldier." "Three-Two Mage."...
Ugh, damn. This guy was incredibly strong—on par with Shneider. Furthermore, the board was entirely in our heads, meaning I had to keep track of every single piece's position. It took everything I had just to keep up. Meanwhile, I could tell my opponent still had plenty of room to spare.
"What's wrong? Is this the end? Eight-Five General."
"N-Not yet! Four-Two Soldier."
"Eight-Four Archer. ...Hmm. To keep up with a three-dimensional offensive and defensive game of Hyogi, and blindfolded at that... Even though I am considered among the top ten in the country. But it’s strange. His playing style is focused entirely on interfering with the opponent, which is very unpleasant, yet at times he makes irrational decisions to avoid using sacrifice pieces. If it weren't for that, even I would be forced to get serious... Is he doing this with some kind of hidden intent?"
Mars was muttering something, but I didn't have the mental capacity to listen. When playing blindfolded, it was hard enough to track the pieces; losing them to sacrifices would make the mental map even harder to manage. I kept up while pushing my brain to its limits.
After some time, I heard the sound of horse hooves striking the ground.
"Master Lloyd! Are you safe!?"
"Sylpha! ...Wait, give me a second!"
When someone suddenly interrupted, my mental board got all muddled. Let's see, that piece was there, and this one was...
"...What is the meaning of this?"
Mars let out a shocked gasp. Sylpha had returned, bringing the captured bandits with her, all tied up in Galilea's threads.
"Master Lloyd, as per your orders, I have suppressed them without a single casualty."
"Impossible! These men were trained in a fortified mountain... and you captured them all without a single fatality!?"
"Ah... it's the real deal, Brother."
A man dressed like a typical black-haired bandit spoke to Mars.
"These guys captured us without killing a soul. I can't believe it either. They’re some seriously ridiculous bastards."
"...Pff, haha! Hahahaha!"
Upon hearing the man's words, Mars burst into laughter. I wondered what had come over him so suddenly.
"I give up. I see... so that was the intention behind your playing style."
What was he talking about? While I stood there confused, Mars knelt before me.
"I am deeply impressed, Master Lloyd."
"Eh? What?"
"I am saying that I have lost. I, Mars, swear to serve you with every bone in my body."
At Mars's declaration, the people watching let out a massive cheer.
"You did it, Lloyd! I didn't know you were this good at Hyogi."
"That was amazing, Lloyd! I didn't understand it at all, but you won!"
"I don't quite understand the situation... but it is only to be expected of Master Lloyd."
No, I didn't win. In fact, I was right on the verge of losing. I wondered what had caused such a sudden change of heart.
"In that last match, Master Lloyd thoroughly refused to create sacrifice pieces. This was a message to me: 'I am not a person who treats people as disposable.' You must have known about my past as an Imperial soldier, where I won many victories using sacrifice strategies, only to be discarded like a pawn myself. To prove your point, you carried out the suppression without taking the lives of us bandits. ...Hmph. Does this mean I was dancing in the palm of your hand from the very beginning? You truly are a terrifying person..."
Mars was muttering something to himself, but I had no idea what it was about. Well, anyway, it was a good thing we managed to get their cooperation.