Surviving without God

“The Holy Army will arrive soon.”

After those words left my mouth, everyone stared at me as if I were insane. The guild master’s daughter, Eddie who had rushed over in a hurry, and Ryan, who was trying to hold me back in confusion—all of them wore the exact same expression. Only one person reacted differently.

Kalian Ladenbach. His pupils, framed by deep wrinkles, trembled ever so slightly. ...A tangible unease seized him, then slowly faded away.

— Has this bastard completely lost his mind? How dare he barge into the guild master’s carriage without permission?!

— H-hold on, Eddie! Gunther isn’t the type to do something like this without a reason.

— Bullshit, get the hell out of my way!

— Fuck, put your sword down!

A commotion broke out outside. Naturally so: an ordinary mercenary had suddenly rushed at the guild master’s carriage and flung the door open without ceremony. The entire caravan froze. Still, that worked in our favor. It would buy us more time.

Ignoring the noise, I looked only at the guild master. At last, he spoke.

— Everyone, step back.

A low voice. It filled the space, like the sound of a musical instrument.

— And you, sit down. You’re making my head spin.

Bang!

As the door closed, I caught a glimpse of Ryan’s and Eddie’s bewildered faces. I sat down across from the guild master. All this time, his gaze never left me for a single second, tracking my every movement with sharp attention.

— Your name is... Gunther, correct?

— You know me?

— Thanks to my daughter.

From outside came a loud, “Dad!”, followed by a brief burst of noise. The guild master calmly asked again. His acting was flawless.

— So, about this Holy Army. Where is all this coming from?

He was so natural that even I, knowing the truth, might have doubted myself. But I didn’t have the luxury to admire his performance.

— Not only the Holy Army will come. Paladins will come with them.

— ......

The response came after a short, unnatural pause.

— And why would they do that?

I’ll say it again: there was no time. I leaned forward and whispered directly into his ear:

— Because you are a member of the society, “Golden Fox”.

— !

In an instant, the mask cracked. Overwhelming confusion, disbelief, impulsiveness, and anxiety all collided on his face.

— ......

A perfectly natural reaction. From the mouth of a mercenary he had known for barely any time came information that should never have existed there. But right now, I didn’t need vague persuasion—I needed a crushing blow. This was the best option. As expected, the guild master immediately discarded his leisurely demeanor.

— After a statement like that... I very much want to know who you really are.

— A prophet, a spy of the Theocracy, a madman... I don’t care what you think of me.

After the return, it won’t matter anyway.

— What matters now is that the Holy Army will arrive soon and slaughter every last one of us.

I deliberately shifted my gaze to the guild master’s daughter. His lips twitched ever so slightly.

— Blackmail? You’re making the worst move possible.

— The real “worst move” is dragging out this pointless argument.

A fierce duel of gazes. It felt as though his eyes were piercing straight through me, probing everything hidden beneath my skin. That was when the guild master’s daughter intervened.

— Dad... Gunther isn’t someone who would spout nonsense like this for no reason.

The guild master let out a heavy sigh and turned to her.

— Yor, what do you even know about this man to speak so confidently?

— At the very least, he’s not insane.

— What?

— Oh, Dad, do you seriously think I’m defending him just because he has a pretty face?

Yor pointed out the window.

In front of the carriage, the caravan guards stood in formation with drawn swords and spears, facing off against several of my fellow mercenaries. Ryan, sure—but I hadn’t expected the others to step in as well.

— His words are earning that much trust from his comrades.

— ......

— Would we really lose anything just by stopping and preparing?

I hadn’t expected her to take my side, and it left me slightly stunned, but I decided to strike while the iron was hot.

— Running away in this situation is useless.

And that was the truth. With the caravan’s mobility, we’d be caught in no time. Besides, the guild master wasn’t the type to abandon his daughter, his subordinates, and his goods just to save his own skin.

“The enemy surely accounted for the possibility of our escape.”

That was why the best option now was to form up properly and take the fight here. For my sake—and for theirs.

— ...We have to fight. I’ll answer every one of your questions without holding anything back, once we survive.

The guild master sighed, looking as though he had aged ten years, and leaned back against the seat. A moment of silence.

— Eddie!

Eddie burst into the carriage as if he’d been waiting for the call.

— Guild master! Are you unharmed? And milady... you’re safe as well.

I tensely shifted my gaze between them. Would he order me thrown out? Or would he listen? The guild master’s face froze, unreadable—then—

— Prepare for battle.

— ...What?

Eddie forced out a crooked smile.

— No, guild master, you can’t be serious... You didn’t really believe the ravings of this idiot, did you?

— Move.

With a look of frustration, Eddie stepped outside. Soon, hectic noise filtered through the carriage walls. The guild master stared at me and spoke quietly.

— Absurd. To think I’d be pushed around like this by a youngster who isn’t even twenty.

— The ability to make correct decisions under limited time is a merchant’s virtue.

— You’ve got a sharp tongue.

He suddenly let out a bitter chuckle. Strangely enough, there was a glint of interest in that smile.

— Listen. If nothing happens...

— Then what?

— Then I’ll hire you as my good-for-nothing daughter’s lifelong bodyguard. That will be harsh payment for your short-lived lie.

Behind him, Yor silently threw her hands up in the air. I pretended not to notice and asked:

— And if they really do come?

— ...What?

— If the Holy Army arrives?

Silence filled the carriage, all eyes fixed on me. I continued:

— Then you will grant me two requests.

.

.

.

The sudden order to prepare for battle was met with confusion, but the moment the guild master promised extra pay, the discontented mouths snapped shut. Mercenaries and guards began building barricades from wagons, driving in stakes, and forming a defensive layout. As befitted veterans, their movements were quick despite the skeptical looks on their faces.

“Good. There’s still enough time.”

Since we weren’t moving forward, the distance to the enemy increased. They, too, would need time to assess the situation. Ryan, pushing a wagon beside me, whispered quietly:

— Hey, is this really okay?

— What exactly?

— Is the Holy Army really coming? Why would they even...

Ryan tilted his head in confusion. If even he doubted, then in truth, no one believed me. Understandable—those who didn’t know the guild master’s true identity would naturally take my words for the ravings of a madman.

— No, and even if they do come... Why did you make that demand?

— What demand?

— What do you mean, “what”? You idiot, you demanded command authority from the guild master!

Exactly. This time, I had chosen the option “Act as a group”.

“In the current circumstances, this is the best solution.”

I planned to coordinate the flow of battle without standing out too much, while uniting all available forces to create an advantage. But Ryan’s unease didn’t seem to fade.

— Commanding people isn’t a game. Have you ever led this many men before?

A perfectly reasonable concern. That was precisely why I hadn’t dared to choose this method from the very beginning. However, in my previous life, I had seen one possibility.

[The King of {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} Ninety-Nine Defeats snorts at Ryan’s concerns.]

“The King of Knights.”

If I had a god with me who had commanded tens of thousands of warriors, then turning the situation around was possible. Besides, Act 1, Chapter 1 was a battlefield I had studied thoroughly, dying here again and again. Now that the issue of the guild master’s reaction had been resolved, things would definitely go differently from my past lives.

— Fuck me sideways.

At that moment, Eddie approached, his face twisted with extreme irritation.

— What Holy Army in the middle of this backwater.

He looked at me with a warped expression and spat loudly.

— Gunther... I know your type very well. Upstarts who claw their way up, desperate to become the main character.

“A main character clawing his way up,” huh. I couldn’t help letting out a short laugh. In a way, he was right. Though, to be precise, it would be more accurate to say—a miserable bastard with no choice but to be the main character.

— Laughing?

Eddie’s face hardened threateningly. He took a wide step toward me, clearly intending to unload everything on his mind. But suddenly, his irritation turned to shock. His pupils constricted and began to tremble minutely.

— No... what the hell is that...

Drrrrrr!

The ground began to vibrate with a low, dull rumble.

* * *

In the distance, a cloud of dust appeared, soon spreading out like a black curtain. The faces of those who had doubted just moments ago instantly went pale.

— ...Fuck.

Eddie stared at me as if I were personally squeezing his throat. He was so stunned that his hand fumbled uselessly through the air, unable to find the hilt of his sword.

— They’re really coming? The Holy Army?

Ryan hurriedly climbed onto a barricade. Though the silhouettes were not yet clearly visible, an experienced eye could tell immediately: this was no mere band of mounted bandits. Without wasting a second, he shouted:

— Enemy! Incoming!

An icy wind blew. People froze as if bound by frost, only their eyes darting around in fear. And then, a booming voice snapped everyone out of their stupor.

— EVERYONE, PREPARE FOR BATTLE!!!!!! —

The guild master stepped out of the carriage with a calm expression. Standing at the very center of the formation, he declared:

— To those who survive this battle, I will pay the promised reward threefold—no, fivefold! And that applies to all my people! All profit from this expedition will be divided among you!

His presence radiated unshakable confidence in victory. ...Thanks to his masterful performance, the atmosphere shifted instantly.

— Fight bravely! For your lives and for gold!

— Oooooooaah! —

Inspired, the people raised their weapons. Preparations for battle accelerated even further. In many respects, this opening was far better than in my previous lives. If not for one “but”.

— I won’t hand command of the guards over to you.

Eddie refused to submit to me. Unlike the mercenaries hired specifically for this mission, Eddie and the other guards were full-time guild employees. They looked down on mercenaries with a clear sense of superiority.

— Incredible. Is your damn pride really the most important thing right now?

— This isn’t about pride. It’s about rationality. None of us will entrust our lives to someone we don’t know.

An icy silence fell.

— We’ll act our own way. You can play around with your mercenary buddies.

...Fine. This was exactly what I expected.

— Eddie.

— You still have the ner— —

Without hesitation, I struck him with the pommel of my sword.

[Skill “Knight’s Fencing” (Lv. 1) activated!]

Hit in the solar plexus with incredible speed and precision, Eddie collapsed without even managing a scream.

— ...You... kh—how... —

For him, it was pure shock. The one he despised had neutralized him with ease. His subordinates rushed over in confusion, but I ignored them and leaned down over him.

— Rational approach? You really think so?

Uuuuum!

As I spoke, I deliberately exposed the Stigma on my wrist. I knew men like Eddie well. To have a proper conversation with him, he had to realize that I was his equal—or above him. And sure enough, Eddie’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

— ...A contractor? I-it can’t be. —

His astonishment was understandable. My Stigma was an anomaly, obtained at the cost of Karma. It wasn’t the result of a normal contract, so he hadn’t immediately recognized me as a bearer of divine power. Besides, such one-sided identification usually occurred only when the opponent was bound to a far higher-ranking deity.

[The one who sends love letters that will never be returned takes a step back.]

In other words, he now mistakenly believed I had contracted with a god of extraordinarily high rank. I continued, looking down at the frozen Eddie:

— Your employer, and the woman you care about, are in danger.

— I... I...

— Choose. Act like part of the herd and let those bastards crush you, or we join forces and try to do something about it.

I turned away, not giving him time to answer. Behind me, I heard his subordinates helping him to his feet.

— Fuck... —

And the sound of footsteps, reluctantly following after me. Fortunately, he proved capable of at least minimal rational thought.

[Alphonse of Red Street likes your way of solving problems.]

— Whoa, how did you pull that off? — Ryan whispered. He was standing with the other mercenaries, having seen Eddie trailing along obediently. I swept my gaze over the nearly finished barricades and asked:

— Everyone here?

— Yeah. So what do we do now?

The gazes of two dozen mercenaries converged on me. They were silver- and copper-rank mercenaries the “Silver Compass” guild had hired for pennies right here in Bedland. Over the past two months, I had naturally become their unspoken leader. I was the strongest among them, and my tactical knowledge, passed down by the King of Knights, had saved us more than once in skirmishes. Now was the time to use that accumulated trust.

— Guys, there’s nothing to be afraid of, — I lied, standing at the very center where all the caravan’s forces had gathered.

— We will definitely win.