## Chapter 347 – Kim Katz and the Forty Bandits
“ELISEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEㅡ!!!!!!”
ㅡUgh!
ㅡWha, what?!
ㅡShit!
My eyes rolled back in my head, and I was literally ‘flying’ towards Elise. I felt an unbelievable sense of floating, along with a rush of speed. It was as if I had rockets strapped to my feet.
It spewed fire, fueled by the overwhelming joy that filled my insides. Good! I’m going to collide with Elise like this! The Divine Combination Great Demon God Kim Katz & Elise will descend upon this place!
“Saint-nim! Please don’t fly over here!! You mustn’t!!”
Elise’s flustered appearance was so welcome.
It was the first time I’d seen her since we parted ways after the Holy War. After chopping up the minions of that crazy Ejatz and returning, I went to the beach once, and then I didn’t see her face until winter. It’s because we live in different cities.
Still, spring is really nice.
At the tail end of spring, Elise appeared like a spring breeze.
“Why won’t you be my frieeeeeeendㅡ!!!!”
At the same time, I felt betrayed. I was already crying for real. Why wouldn’t she be my friend? Elise…!
“I’ve been worried about this the whole time! That’s why I was planning to leave as soon as Saint-nim arrived, but I was too late! What a mistake! Please lower your voice!”
Elise, who had finally jumped up and ran out, was horrified and reached out to block my mouth as I landed. Elise’s hand, wearing a white glove, was trying to pry open my maw.
“Dick, Dick-byeeeeee!!”
“Ah, ah! Saint-nim, please!!”
“DEEVIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
“F, frien…! This isn’t the place! I’ll take emergency measures!”
ㅡFlash!
Suddenly, Elise showed off a technique like that of a wrestler, lifting me up in a flash. It was like David fighting Goliath… Ah, no!
How could I be subdued so quickly!
“Kuaaaaaaak!! Elise!! What the hell are you doing!!!”
“That’s what I want to say to Saint-nim!!”
“Let me go!!!!!! Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t!”
And then, ignoring the adventurers who were staring at us with their mouths open, she jumped over the tables and started running outside. It was incredibly fast.
“Eliseeeeeee!!!”
Elise, who had quickly left the guild, immediately put me down. Her skills were no different from a master of bare-handed transport.
She’s still so damn strong.
Anyway, Elise, who had put me down, circled around me with an anxious look on her face and said.
“Haa… Saint-nim. Of course, I’m also happy to see you, and I know that Saint-nim is happy to see me too, but if you make such a loud noise in a public placeㅡ”
“Elise. I know everything.”
I cut off Elise, who was about to lecture me.
“Of course, you shouldn’t make loud noises in such places. That’s obvious. It’s a matter of basic etiquette and it disrupts order. It’s something that undermines good customs.”
“Y, you know that? You’re saying the right thing to the point of being flustered.”
“But.”
However, the world doesn’t run on such correct order alone. Common sense is just words. The same goes for morality.
Everyone knows common sense and morality, but everyone’s standards are different.
There is no truth in this world.
Not even any religion can speak of truth.
That’s why.
“All stories. First.”
ㅡGrab.
“You shout the catchphrase first.”
I stared at Elise with determination and reached out my arm. That’s right. If I met Elise, this was the first thing to do. Anything else can be done after that.
“That’s common sense.”
“Th, that…”
Everyone’s attention was focused on the scene.
Those who were alone just watched and passed by, but those who were in groups whispered something. Seeing the scene, Elise’s face turned bright red, and she hesitated and reached out her arm.
ㅡThe Cross.
“A, alright. Then.”
She made a cross with me.
Now, let’s begin.
“Alright. Then I’ll start. I’ll start. I’ll start? I’ll staaaaart!!!”
“Why, why is your voice getting louder and louder…! Saint-nim!”
I gathered all my strength and shouted while looking at the sky.
「DIVINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!」
An otherworldly cry.
In a pure white space where it felt like the world had stopped, I could see Elise, who was reluctant to open her mouth. I half-jokingly took a deep breath again.
The only way to stop me is to speak.
That’s what this means.
Seeing my determination, Elise widened her eyes and shouted as if she had made up her mind. As expected, it was a shout filled with sincerity and full power.
“F, frieeeeeeeeeeendㅡ!!!”
“Ah.”
That’s.
It.
“I’m relieved.”
I’m relieved that you haven’t changed.
And so the commotion was settled. Really, Elise. If she had just shouted ‘Friend’ as soon as she saw me, this misfortune wouldn’t have happened.
“Hehehe, nice to see you, Elise. How have you been?”
“S, Saint-nim… I’m so embarrassed…! Everyone’s staring because of Saint-nim!”
When I released the cross, Elise said with a fuss, almost out of breath. Of course, I know that Elise is more than embarrassed.
“Elise… I told you about the irresistible impulse last time, right?”
“If you’re thinking of shouting Dejaaahㅡ, I have no choice but to stop you! I know everything, Saint-nim! I know you’re going to pretend to say that and then scream!”
No, how did she know that?
Elise… she really knows Kim Katz well.
“How did you know?”
“I want to ask why you thought I wouldn’t know!!”
“Too bad… Hehehe.”
When I smiled as if I was harmless, Elise finally sighed in relief. It’s a little disappointing. My heart is beating so fast, but I can’t let it out.
Kim Katz’s four desires are not satisfied.
“Saint-nim… what I’ve been worried about ever since I came to this city is this. I was worried that Saint-nim might see me and shout, or make strange noises. I was anxious about the thought that the eyes of passersby would be drawn to us, so I came up with countermeasures.”
Elise complained about her anxiety.
“In the end, I couldn’t stop it.”
“That can’t be… I’m sorry, Elise. I didn’t know.”
I knelt down.
And I begged for forgiveness like a sinner repenting with tears streaming down my face.
“Ah! Please get up! Stop with the eccentric behavior! I didn’t mean for you to repent!”
“Huhu…! I’m sorry, Elise…! I was just happy to see you!”
“Of course, I’m happy too! Goodness, you’re bursting into tears!”
“I’m kidding.”
I wiped away my tears and stood up.
Well, Elise is a soul sister, a Divine Friend, and a true little sister to me.
This much joy is not only natural, but also belongs to universal common sense.
I can’t even imagine that this is wrong.
“E, even the tears are a joke… Saint-nim is still the same as ever.”
“You too. You’re so embarrassed of me.”
“It’s only natural to be embarrassed when you act like that. It’s really troublesome.”
Elise’s tone, which had escaped from her excited state, began to become more and more calm. A blank expression settled on her red face.
“Anyway.”
Only then did we properly greet each other.
“I’m very happy to see you after a long time. I’m also glad. Saint-nim, how have you been?”
“I’ve been doing incredibly well. Killing monsters and beating up robbers. It’s been a pretty fulfilling life.”
“Hehe, I’m relieved that you’ve been living piously.”
I didn’t know where she could find piety in the story I told, but I decided to just go with it.
“To always be at the forefront and punish evil with overflowing courage, it’s truly admirable. It’s a sacred life, just like the martyrs. I think there’s a lot to learn from you.”
“Does it turn out that way?”
I suddenly acquired the title of martyr.
In this era, beating up robbers and plundering their property was a sacred act.
As expected, there is no truth in this world.
“I also spent the winter performing missions near Krasheim.”
“What kind of mission?”
“It was a mission to investigate a dungeon discovered in an undeveloped area with my brothers and sisters. But we didn’t find anything special.”
So a dungeon was discovered there… The only dungeon I remember there is that dark Kobold dungeon from my F-class days.
I wonder what the atmosphere is like in that neighborhood these days.
“Hehe, really? That’s too bad. Then, shall we go grab a bite to eat?”
“Alright.”
We decided to go to a nearby restaurant and continue our conversation.
The fact that Elise left Krasheim and came to Isvant means that something happened. Elise usually does a lot of dispatch missions.
Perhaps something went wrong, so they sent Elise to solve it.
We chose a stew restaurant. We sat down and ordered two stews with some meat in them, and continued our conversation.
“So, Elise. What happened that made you come to Isvant?”
“Ah, I was waiting for Saint-nim at the Adventurer’s Guild to talk about that.”
“What? Me? Just today?”
Then the timing is amazing.
“That’s not it.”
“Then?”
“I’ve been waiting for Saint-nim at the Adventurer’s Guild from morning to afternoon for the past three days… but unfortunately.”
“Ah, I don’t go every day. I feel a little bad.”
“It’s alright. I was gathering information during those three days anyway, so it doesn’t really matter. Rather, I’m really glad to see you today.”
Elise had been waiting for me while gathering information for the past three days. It’s a relief that I came out today. If I had made a mistake, I might not have seen Elise, who had come all the way here.
“Now, I’ll tell you why I came. Saint-nim, have you heard any news about bandits rampaging in the area?”
“Huh? No? This is the first time I’ve heard of it?”
I don’t go to the Adventurer’s Guild these days, so I don’t know.
These crazy criminal bastards are rampaging again? It’s no wonder Elise is going crazy.
“Then I’ll explain. We have received information that bandits have appeared between Krasheim and Isvant. The damage to small merchants and travelers is already enormous.”
“These sons of bitches. They’re stealing other people’s money.”
These are the most despicable bastards.
“That’s right.”
It’s okay for ordinary people to catch bandits, kill them brutally, and steal their money. But if bandits kill ordinary people and steal their money, it’s such a heinous crime that they deserve to be torn apart.
“So I came here with a merchant group to find out about it and confirm the truth… but unfortunately, the bandits didn’t show up when I came. So I couldn’t go back alone, so I came to Isvant.”
I certainly wouldn’t be able to return to Krasheim alone.
“Really?”
But a question arises.
In this chaotic world, monsters run rampant in the borderlands of the kingdom, and heretics gather, plotting to turn the world upside down. The poor are starving, and people suspect each other and look for opportunities to pickpocket.
There are plenty of bandits.
Is there a need for Elise to solve it?
“But bandits always show up, right? I don’t think there’s a reason for Elise to come all the way here?”
“That’s right. Usually, the church doesn’t investigate these things separately. However, in this case, our thoughts are a little different.”
Just then, the stew came out, so we stopped talking for a moment and said thank you for the food. We each took a bite and continued talking.
“Saint-nim, you remember the last Holy War, right?”
“Of course I remember. It’s an unforgettable event.”
“I can’t forget it either.”
Because it was a terrible event.
“We believe that the bandits are the heretics who fled during the Holy War, gathered again, increased their power, and are now actively operating.”
No way!
Was any evidence found?
When I asked, Elise replied.
“After all, those heretics are evil and despicable beings who cannot live without committing criminal acts. The region, the timing, and the brutal methods are similar. There is enough evidence.”
Then it’s almost certain.
The only culprits are heretics because they are brutal.
In fact, no one but heretics commits banditry.
No, in a broad sense, all thieves are no different from heretics, even if they are not aware of it. The fact that they are not aware of it makes them even more vicious, and they need to be severely punished.
These damn heretic bastards!
I still remember the tower made of corpses and the screams of the women. I remember that black monster!
“Since it’s still in the stage of weak suspicion, the church can’t move directly, so the Cardinal gave me the mission to investigate. It may be nothing, but if it’s true, a lot of blood will flow again. It’s something that must be prevented in advance.”
I think I know what Elise is trying to say.
Elise hesitated for a moment and said timidly.
“So I came here to get Saint-nim’s help… Saint-nim.”
“Elise.”
I cut off Elise’s words.
Words are unnecessary for a Divine Friend.
“Elise’s work is no different from my own. Let’s go, Elise. We can’t leave evil people, whether they’re heretics or anything else, alone! We have to purify them all!”
“S, Saint-nim!”
“And we must confiscate all their property to eliminate their evil deeds!”
“That’s right! You’re absolutely right! Ah, I’m so glad I waited for Saint-nim! What a pious person you are!”
And so, the bandit extermination trip with Elise was decided.
