Tick, tick.

The shadow of Callius moved with the beat of the flickering flame.

The fire was a comforting warmth, illuminating the dark forest where Callius was camping for the night.

As he stared blankly at the fire, many thoughts floated up to the surface of his mind, and then sank back again as the mind became calm.

A newly acquired sword.

Callius looked at the sword Arsando with his gray eyes.

[Arsando]

Grade – Life Sword.

Inhabited Soul – Arsando Mirinae.

"……"

Puk.

With his sword stuck between the tree roots, Callius tilted his head back to rest against the tree, and closed his eyes.

It was me who was in charge of the overall story of [The Pilgrim's Path].

However, I had been getting more and more tired from the heavy workload, so I was not able to properly create the characteristics of each character.

At that time, I sat on the company rooftop bench and called her.

"Mister writer. You need my help again, right?"

The woman with a bright, sunny smile was an employee of the design department. With a smile on her face, she handed me a coffee and sat down next to me.

"What is it this time? Oh, that bastard, Callius von Jervain! I know. I got inspired while designing him. He's so handsome, isn't he?"

She spoke of the characters she had created as if she was dealing with living people.

"Callius must be a bastard. Yet, he must also have the dignity of a noble. I wish he would be different when he is a Pilgrim and when he returns to his family."

I shook my head and wrote down the details of Callius that Yoo Yeon-Hwa was talking about.

She closed her eyes and tapped her lips with her index finger. There was a trembling around her eyes.

Every time, it was a weird thing to see.

But I knew.

Every time she did this, a firm character setting was given to a sloppy-looking character.

Callius von Jervain.

He is the eldest son of a master swordsman, but a fool with no talent in swordsmanship.

However, the appearance that inherited the blood of Jervain was unmatched in the Carpe Kingdom. But maybe it was a joke from God, since his fate was a series of misfortunes.

"Even though he's weak, he's constantly putting in effort without other people's knowledge, but his character gets crooked because he doesn't get any results! A noble among nobles who has the arrogance and dignity characteristic of the aristocrats, but sacrifices himself to death at the end!"

I jotted down her advice in a notebook, along with whatever came to mind.

"Um, something is lacking… Is there anyone who likes Callius by any chance?"

"Well. I hadn't even thought about that part."

"I wish there were. But it's even more heartbreaking because it's something that can never come true. Ah! It hurts my heart."

Unrequited love.

I don't think it's a very feminine idea, but there's nothing wrong with it.

I nodded my head over and over again.

"But it's so sad."

"Why?"

"Callius dies. The matter of his sickly body always comes up."

That was true.

Callius dies anyway.

No matter which route he takes, he is given a forced choice route where he has no option but to die.

Because of his character.

[Nobility's Duty]

Noblesse Oblige.

Due to this characteristic, when living through the rise and fall of a nation, Callius always makes an absurd self-sacrifice.

“If you follow this storyline, there is no way for him to survive.”

A really handsome man.

Although he is the eldest son of a count, he is a symbol of misfortune who is thrown away because he has no talent as a swordsman. Callius, whose character concept screams the word ‘crazy’.

Players will encounter Callius at least once no matter which route they take, and he will have an unfriendly relationship with most players.

Even if they become friendly, this guy will be useful only once.

When he falls on the inevitable annihilation route, Callius sacrifices himself, saying it is the duty of a nobleman.

It is only before he dies that he repents his mistakes and it is his first and last act to help the player – by dying.

「Callius von Jervain」

「Occupation」 – Pilgrim.

「Spirit」 – Level 6

「Divine Power」 – 1351/1351.

「Talent」 – [Bard's Blessing – Best]

「Characteristics」 – [Verse of Grace] [Nobility’s Duty] [Scapegrace Count] [Four Verse Composition] [Prodigal Son of the Order] [Gluttony]

[Ability]

Strength – 2

Agility – 1

Skill – 1

Health – 2

Faith – 3

The character is very messy.

No properly useful characteristics.

But that's the original character.

A character that doesn't grow in importance in any route, doesn't do much as a villain, and is ambiguous as an ally.

That's Callius.

"At least one… I wish there was at least one. A route where Callius lives on."

She smiled bitterly.

She felt sad for a game character that wasn't even alive.

"Oh, and it's too bad that he doesn't have any talent. Please put in at least one."

"Um… what would be good?"

"Well."

After thinking for a while, she said ah! and exclaimed.

"Is he surprisingly talented in music?"

I burst into laughter at the sight of her smirking as she said this.

She twittered like a swallow and chirped like a sparrow, but she was a comfort that was invaluably precious to me.

But the longer we spent together, the sicker she got.

A gloomy sky.

It was a dark day’s early evening and the sky was full of black clouds.

I couldn't help but watch her funeral from a distance.

"You said it was suicide?"

"Yeah, I don't even know how that can be… because she was always smiling."

"Why did she die?"

"I don't know, there was no will or anything."

My comfort was gone.

[Callius von Jervain]

Tuk, tuk.

The next day after her funeral.

I went to work, sat down and opened Callius' settings window.

‘At least one… I wish there was at least one. A route where Callius lives on.'

Her voice was still vivid in my ears. As if possessed by something, I began to edit Callius' settings window.

"One route where Callius lives."

And –

‘Is he surprisingly talented in music?'

One talent.[1]

Click.

Callius woke up and grabbed Arsando.

The bushes shook, but soon a roe deer appeared and disappeared.

"Did I fall sleep?"

Callius added more firewood to the slowly dying bonfire.

Tadatak.

The sputtering flame grew back in size by eating the firewood he threw.

Callius, while staring at the flame, considered the status window with gloomy eyes.

‘I didn't know that things at that time would continue like this.'

「Calius von Jervain」

「Occupation」 – Pilgrim.

「Spirit」 – Level 4

「Divine Power」 – 2971/3251.

「Talent」 – [Bard's Blessing – Best]

「Characteristics」 – [Verse of Grace] [Nobility’s Duty] [Scapegrace Count] [Four Verse Composition][2] [Prodigal Son of the Order] [Gluttony]

[Ability]

Strength – 19+(10)

Agility – 15+(10)

Skill – 7

Health – 15+(10)

Faith – 20

Three years have passed and my status has changed a lot.

[Gluttony]

Digestibility – Top

Absorptivity – High

If I had known that this would happen, I would have added something like a genius. If I had talent, I wouldn't have had to go through all this suffering for this past three years.

"I wish there was a way to get a Spirit Sword at the start, then there would be a possible route of getting a Vision Sword, and I would have just been able to smash everything with momentum."

Why is nothing easy in life, before or now?

[Verse of Grace]

The first trait acquired by this is the trait of Gluttony.

‘Callius is a character with a weak constitution, so Gluttony is not a bad characteristic for him.'

Whatever you eat, it absorbs and digests nutrients at its best.

On the surface, it seems like it is just rice or food being digested, but depending on how you use it, it can mean more than that.

Besides, the time period here mimics the Middle Ages.

‘There are a lot of cases where people die from eating something wrong.'

The Gluttony trait was indispensable as it reduced the number of such cases and provided the best digestion and absorption of nutrients from the food eaten.

‘Because it digests or decomposes even up to intermediate poison on its own.'

Callius looked at what was marked as a talent.

"The only talent I have is…"

Callius took a leaf of grass and brought it to his lips.

Open your mouth and let the wind blow.

~♬

An unbelievably soft tone resounded through the forest.

If you listened quietly, your ears were purified, your thoughts disappeared, and a sense of supreme satisfaction bloomed in your heart.

Even though it was dawn, the beasts raised their heads and began to gather to hear Callius's grass flute.

"It's absurd."

Tadadat.

When he stopped playing, the animals ran away as if he had never been.

"Is he surprisingly talented in music?"

Had I known it would be like this, I would have put some other talents in it.

"… No, this is good too."

Thump.

Walking through the meadow, Callius played the grass flute.

A fantastic tone reverberated through the forest.

"I found traces."

The man shouted with joy when he found traces of the bonfire.

"Okay. Then where is his destination?"

"But that's…"

"What?"

Inquisitor Delruin had a face that he didn't quite understand.

"Come on, tell me."

As he was urged, Delruin began to confide as if he had no choice.

"There are unusually many footprints of animals in this forest. That's why…"

"It is difficult to discern the direction. Is this what you mean?"

"Unfortunately… yes."

It's so amazing that my nose feels stuffy.

There are so many footprints of beasts that it is impossible to pinpoint their direction.

How many beasts are roaming around, making it look like nobody can be tracked through this mess? Did they pass by in groups in the woods?

‘It's not like it was a herd of water buffaloes… ….'

Even as Delruin was speaking, it was difficult for him to understand this situation.

Are you saying that Callius can even do magic? Magic potent enough to dazzle the beasts and make them erase his footprints? Or was it a spell?

"You may not believe it, but…"

A sigh came out.

Anyone who hears these reports will scold back. Shouldn't you yourself believe it if you say something that doesn’t make sense?

However, Inquisitor Ryburn's expression was quite different from what he expected.

"Maybe it's the power of the relic."

"Ah……!"

Relic!

All of these situations are possible in the face of a miracle imbued with the power of God.

Why didn't I think of that?

Delruin greatly admired Inquisitor Ryburn's insight.

"It looks like it's going to be longer than I thought."

"Yeah, I guess… there are a lot of variables."

Pilgrim Callius.

No, the pursuit of the apostate Callius, who stole the relic, seemed it would take longer than expected.

Viscount Bolivian.

In the office there, was a woman who twirled her ink-stained pen gracefully.

A woman with red hair and green pupils, but with slightly ferocious eyes.

The second daughter of the Bolivian family.

It was Helena de Bolivian.

"Miss."

"What's the matter?"

I'm in the middle of reviewing the documents in a good mood, but you're breaking the flow.

Helena thought she should deduct Butler Alfredo's salary.

"A letter has been sent to the lady. Courtesy of Count Jervain…"

"What?"

Tak!

Helena, who snatched the letter from the butler, immediately frowned.

"What kind of face does this bastard have!"

The source of the letter was the guy who couldn’t be ignored. A con artist who dared to deceive the daughter of a merchant family and extort gold coins!

"You bastard, Callius… Since you stole my gold coins last time, you should just hide and live like a mouse!"

Pppak!

Helena, who broke the pen stand in anger, immediately opened the envelope.

"Just you dare ask for money again. I'll go to the North this time! I'll grab all my money back from the Jervain family!!"

"Considering the hardship, time, and cost of going to the north, it's a no-brainer. Miss."

"Shut up, Alfredo! I know!"

The green pupils quickly went over the letter from top to bottom.

However, a frown gradually formed and only doubt remained on her face.

"Torrett? Copper mines?"

You’re asking me to distribute copper from Torrett's mines out of the blue.

Of course, mining development and distribution is not difficult. Torrett is just a small town near the border.

There will be no proper manpower there, so you can send manpower from here.

All the profits from that will come back to Bolivian as gold coins.

You'll have to go to Torrett to get the full picture, but for Helena, it's nothing to be sad about.

"But something's strange… it smells of something other than money."

As she squinted her eyes suspiciously, Alfredo raised his arm and sniffed.

"I came here today after washing my face. Maybe the Lady…"

"What nonsense! Alfredo! I washed today!"

"That's right. I'm sorry."

Helena, who was glaring at Alfredo with an annoyed face, suddenly widened her eyes as if she had remembered something.

"Wait, Torrett?"

Torrett, Torrett.

Tock tock. Helena, who was holding a broken pen and touching her lips, rummaged through a mountain of papers, and pulled out a report.

"Yes, Torrett. Alfredo. Did I mention that the Inquisitor was heading to a village near the western border a while ago?"

"Yes, I heard that."

To the merchants, information is money.

In addition, information about the Inquisitor is inevitably sensitive.

The rise and fall of people become clear depending on where his footsteps reach.

"There are only a few villages near the border. There was a rumour that Arsando, who went to Torrett, was dead, if that's true…"

The puzzle is put together.

The narrowed brows straightened, and a faint smile spread on her red lips.

"Why did the Steel Justice Inquisitor go to Torrett, was it because of you?"

Callius von Jervain.

Aside from how he killed Arsando, how did he even attract a Heretic Inquisitor?

"If it's Callius, it could be."

Not long ago, Lutheon, who was close to him during his monk days, apostatized.

"Is it because of that?"

It's not clear, but Callius must be being pursued anyway.

The distance from Torrett to the Bolivian family is about ten days.

If you estimate the time when the letter arrived, the picture is drawn slowly.

"Have you been caught by now?"

Or maybe he's already been arrested and questioned? No, I mean tortured.

Ahaha! Helena smiled as she tilted her chair back.

"Doesn’t a God still exist? I can finally see the bad guy who cheated me, Helena de Bolivian, get punished."

Oh, there’s Lord Valtherus.

Helena smiled with great satisfaction and straightened her back.

"But, you won't die, right? You must return the five hundred gold coins that you scammed from me, Callius."

"He is the eldest son of the Jervain family. No matter how much he is abandoned, his bloodline will not go anywhere. He will not be killed."

"Right? So you can't die. I'll have to pay back my disgrace and get back my gold coins tenfold from him!"

Bang. Helena, who resumed stamping her paperwork, hummed to herself.

Editor's Notes:

[1] It seems like when the "original" character setting is being discussed with the designer, Gluttony and Bard's Talent shouldn't be present yet, but that's how the author wrote.

[2] 사시작비 is now Four Verse Composition.