The name’s O'Brien.
I’m thirty years old—just another middle-aged guy.
I grew up in a poor household. Because of that, I’ve walked the wrong side of the tracks a few times, but I never touched any truly heavy crimes. My parents raised me well, I suppose. I thought they were annoying when I was a kid, but now I can honestly say I'm grateful.
My profession is that of a priest-warrior. When people hear the term, they usually imagine a soldier who can use recovery magic. Unfortunately, I can’t heal so much as a papercut. I’m a devout follower of the Korin religion, sure, but it’s probably more accurate to describe me as a mercenary who happens to belong to the church.
As for my skill... I wouldn’t call myself the best, but I take pride in being among the top tier.
Still, I haven’t survived this long on strength alone. I use my wits when the situation calls for it, and I’m quick to run when I’m outmatched. Fortunately, I possess a unique weapon. I’m not talking about the high-quality longsword at my hip—I’m talking about my eyes.
I have a special trait called the Weakling's Eye. It’s an ability that allows me to see an opponent’s true power. When I say "see," I mean it in a sensory way. It would be a lot easier if strength appeared as colors or numerical values, but the world isn't that convenient. Even so, I’ve managed to stay alive this long thanks to these eyes. That’s why I trust them implicitly. I’m the kind of guy who uses eye drops religiously every morning and night and avoids anything that might strain my vision.
And yet, right now, I couldn't bring myself to believe what they were telling me.
The story goes back three days. I had just finished a reasonably large job and was looking forward to some time off. Of course, if you actually spend your entire vacation resting like an idiot, you’ll find yourself in a bind when an emergency strikes. Usually, you’d spend that time training or taking on private contracts.
Fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately—I was personally requested for a job by a high-ranking official that day. Being a priest-warrior of the Korin religion, the official was, naturally, a member of the church hierarchy. The pay was good, so I went to hear the details.
That was the moment I started regretting it.
The employer was one of the church’s Priests. That part was fine. The content of the request was to assist with a mission led by Fouche, a High Priest of the Korin religion. Specifically, I was to act as an escort while moving a certain group of people. That was also fine.
The problem was the secret favor the Priest asked of me after the formal briefing. He wanted me to monitor Fouche’s actions.
Fouche. The one they call Fouche the Malignant. She’s a legendary figure; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say everyone knows her name. Moreover, she’s the head of the church’s most elite combat unit. To put it simply, she’s the leader of a group that sits about three levels above the unit I belong to. She’s an opponent I could never beat, even without looking through my Weakling's Eye.
And I was supposed to monitor her? What kind of twisted punishment was this? I wondered why they’d even assigned a job like this to me.
"O'Brien-kun. I have high expectations for those eyes of yours."
A chill ran down my spine at my employer's words. I’d never told a soul about my eyes, yet he knew.
"Now, don't look so worried. I’m not asking you to do anything nefarious. You will simply assist High Priest Fouche with her work. While you’re at it, I just want you to gauge the power of those present."
It was the classic "request you can’t refuse." Suppressing a sigh, I accepted the job and the hidden favor.
Fouche’s mission was simple enough. A group of about twenty people was relocating, and we were there to protect them. The movement was apparently handled via teleportation magic, and I was blindfolded to keep the method and destination a secret. Even my eyes are useless if my vision is blocked, so I followed orders.
Teleportation magic, though... users of such magic are incredibly rare. They probably blindfolded me because the caster would be in danger if their identity got out. But were these people really worth using such precious magic? They looked like ordinary families to me. There were ten other escorts besides myself, all high-caliber, and Fouche was accompanying us personally. I couldn't help but wonder where we were going.
When they finally told me I could remove the blindfold, I found myself in a forest. A short distance ahead, I could see fields... a village.
Wait. There was a mansion there that looked remarkably large. I could tell even from a distance. Was it a noble's villa?
I scanned my surroundings. The twenty people we were escorting were definitely civilians. A few looked like they could handle themselves in a scrap, but even if they all rushed me at once, they wouldn't stand a chance. That was their level.
The other escorts, however, were the real deal. There were ten of them, and I didn't want to fight a single one. Every one of them was either my equal or stronger. They were true veterans.
The one who truly stood out was Fouche. Even if the ten other veterans teamed up against her, they probably wouldn't win. My assessment was the same as it had been before we left. My eyes were working perfectly. I’d worried there might be some lingering effect from the blindfold, but that didn't seem to be the case.
Which meant... the fact that my eyes were currently screaming in terror while looking at the forest was a perfectly accurate judgment. I’m sorry I doubted you, eyes. I trust you.
But it looked like an ordinary forest. Did that mean it was anything but ordinary?
Unaware of my internal crisis, Fouche started walking toward the village. A welcoming party was already on its way out to meet us.
It was the Angel Race. Truly a rare sight. Moreover, I could tell from their gear that they were warriors. They greeted Fouche with smiles and laughter. Fouche really was something else; that Angel was several times stronger than her, yet she spoke to her as an equal. I hadn't thought there were beings with power exceeding Fouche’s, but I suppose it made sense if they were Angels.
The village itself was a gathering of monsters. High Elves? Elder Dwarves? High Ogre Race? Lizardmen? Harpies? Minotaurs? Even Centaurs? And what was this—there were even Elves with different skin tones.
This was bad, bad, bad. Every single one of them was on the same level as that Angel. Fouche looked like a commoner by comparison. This was seriously dangerous. If there were High Elves here, did that mean this was the infamous Forest of Death? That was supposed to be a land untrodden by humanity. What in the world had we come here for? To transport people? Was this a sacrifice? Had I been made an accomplice to something horrific? Was this what my employer wanted to uncover?
Then, something even worse appeared. An Angel far stronger than the first... and the woman standing beside her was just as terrifying. That was a Vampire. I remembered her from my childhood. Lulushi. Was this her home? To think a legendary figure like her lived inside the Forest of Death.
My eyes literally refused to look any further. But I forced them. I looked when I shouldn't have.
That woman was no human. Those horns, that tail... she was a Dragon. It was no use. My eyes felt like they were breaking because I was forcing them to process the impossible. Standing next to the Dragon woman was someone even stronger. Does such a being even exist? Was she a Dragon too?
A woman... she was someone you must never, ever approach. And yet, there was a man flirting with her. Who was he? The Village Head? The master of that massive mansion?
Wait, then what about Lulushi? No, there was a Dragon stronger than Lulushi... my head was spinning. I was in a total panic. Nothing made sense anymore.
But the strangest part was the Village Head. I couldn't see his strength at all. Was he just an ordinary human? No, wait... I felt a faint trace of divinity coming from him. What did that mean? Was that man the one leading all these monsters? Had my eyes finally failed me, or was he simply immeasurable?
It was no use. My eyes were completely broken. I was certain of it because I felt a clear, overwhelming divine presence coming from a mere Cat.
The only thing left for me to do was gracefully lose consciousness.
When I came to, I was back at our starting point, and the job was over. When my employer asked how it went, I told him only one thing: it would be best never to get involved with that place. No matter what I said, he probably wouldn't have believed the truth anyway.
The reward? I didn't take it. I’d been useless. I was worried about those twenty people we’d left behind, but I had a feeling things would turn out fine for them. I was certain of it.
After all, I remembered the last thing I saw before I blacked out. A Young Girl had appeared, riding on the back of a jet-black wolf. To my eyes, she shone with the golden light of a Great Hero. A true Great Hero.
There was no way a place where she lived could be evil. I wondered if the legendary Great Hero Urulbraza had looked like that through the eyes of others.
I’ve started my sword training again. I might not make any real progress even if I train until the day I die, but I have a new goal.
If the day ever comes when she leads an army, I want to be worthy of standing among her ranks.