I Became a Foreign Worker Loved by Transcendents

Frigarach Sanctuary.

It was a place where only a handful of people from humanity had ever set foot.

Only those who swore to dedicate themselves to Friga, the god of humanity, were allowed to enter.

One of the heroes I knew had set foot there, but… No, let’s not think about it. The woman who got herself killed out of pride.

“Becoming a hero sure brings you places. Going to receive a blessing in a sanctuary without being a clergyman.”

Well, it was an experience. I chuckled and glanced over at Flang sitting on the opposite side of the carriage.

Normally, her hands would be busy with paperwork, but now they were empty as the day of our return approached.

With nothing to do, she just stared vacantly at her empty hands.

“Aren’t you happy? You’re going to receive a blessing too.”

A faint smile slowly appeared on her lips.

But what was revealed wasn’t joy, but bitterness.

“…Is something bothering you?”

It would be a lie to say that her expression didn’t bother me.

What she was showing now indicated that what awaited us was something neither of us could ignore.

“Bothering me? What do you mean…?”

“What we’ll have to do after we return.”

“…”

Yes, we had to be prepared.

A situation where we might have to oppose each other to protect what we each held dear.

“…You said you were a guardian of humanity, right?”

Even so, I hoped such a situation would never arise.

The question that followed was accompanied by that humble wish.

“As a guardian of humanity, you’ve stood before humanity and fought all sorts of dangers.”

“…Yes, that’s right.”

“The reason you’ve separated from the Imperial Family and are acting independently… Is it because there’s something within the Imperial Family? Some intervention that’s not of humanity’s choosing?”

I hadn’t seen it for certain, but I had some guesses.

The clone that had separated from the current Prince of the empire had, under my influence, weakened its loyalty and was acting independently.

From that, it wasn’t hard to guess that the surface and the core of the empire were entirely different, and it was the girl in front of me who confirmed this suspicion.

If she, who specialized in hunting non-human beings, was acting independently of the Imperial Family, it was highly likely that non-human beings had infiltrated its core.

“Vivian…”

“And the core of their plan is Vivian’s research, isn’t it? The leaders of humanity, who are still being exploited by them today, are forcing the people gathered in the empire to work for that purpose, aren’t they?”

“So, are they being used in the plans of those non-human beings?”

So perhaps, by using that point, we might be able to make an exception for Vivian’s mission.

With that hope, I gathered the clues I’d collected so far and formed a plausible hypothesis, but Flang neither confirmed nor denied it, remaining silent.

Probably a silence that implied affirmation.

“Do you remember what you said when you first started training?”

But that was only for a moment.

Flang, belatedly opening her mouth, cautiously looked up at me.

“At the beginning?”

“That all calamities in this world originated from the existence called witches.”

-Clop, clop.

The sound of hooves between the carriage wheels was clearly heard.

The same silence as before.

“Witches…”

As I gradually recalled, Flang began to tell me about witches.

“Witches are beings who inherited knowledge from another world.”

“Knowledge from another world…?”

“It’s also called forbidden knowledge. Just understanding knowledge that shouldn’t exist in this world allows one to see things that shouldn’t be seen and touch things that shouldn’t be touched.”

As she said that, Flang raised her hand and made a gesture with her fingers.

“And the power created at the end of that process easily distorts the laws of this world.”

With a snap of her fingers.

Nothing happened, but my body began to stiffen rapidly.

What happened right after that gesture is something I can’t forget even now.

“I don’t know exactly where that knowledge originated. I just know one thing for sure. Once beings step out of common sense, they can only mock and denigrate the order taken for granted in this world.”

That suffocating feeling continued.

Every word that followed was closely related to the one I knew.

“And that’s the most dangerous thing about witches. They don’t care how their power is perceived by others. They don’t consider the impact it has on this world or how it will crumble in the future…”

Obsessed solely with their research, with no concern for anything else.

Removing anyone who interferes with them like trash, cruel and cold-hearted.

“If such witches caused problems in groups, we don’t need to explain what would happen to the established order of the world.”

Because such beings once ran rampant, calamities never cease in this world.

Monsters awakened to instincts and life due to twisted environments, dungeons created by warped areas, undead rising from death, and demons crossing the dimensional barrier…

All of these were rooted in the disturbances caused by witches obsessed with forbidden knowledge and lacking ethics.

“And beastmen were also created from the witches’ research. Specifically, they’re byproducts of research aimed at transforming the human body to achieve the ‘ultimate being’ that witches dreamed of.”

“The ultimate being…?”

“Witches have an ultimate goal. They want to know the origin of the knowledge they inherited and whether they can become ‘higher beings’ like them with their own power.”

Cold hatred and contempt slowly appeared in her sharp eyes.

And pity directed at someone else.

“The beastmen we encountered that day were such byproducts. After the witch hunts in the past, a group that preserved the research secretly used it to overcome an impending calamity.”

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They relied on the research used by witches to resist the calamity that started with the witches.

It was an inevitable flow, but if it were for salvation, it wouldn’t have been publicly disclosed.

It was forbidden knowledge that couldn’t be accepted by common sense, and the results disrupted the framework of humanity.

“And, of course, the news was kept strictly confidential, and the stories of those who failed the experiments were thoroughly concealed. They were expelled from the realm of humanity, severing the link and branding them as monsters.”

They were abandoned like that.

The beastmen, who hate humanity and consider themselves superior beings, were born this way.

Although humans were involved in the process, the main reason was the calamity that started with the witches and the research born from the witches.

“So, did you… hear such stories from Phobia back then?”

Flang bowed her head without a word.

It seemed like she was nodding, but she froze there because there were still many stories she had kept inside.

Stories she couldn’t share immediately and didn’t want to share.

“From my perspective, witches shouldn’t even be considered a necessary evil.”

But that silence only added weight to her current words.

If she didn’t deny that there were more stories I shouldn’t know, I couldn’t just dismiss it without knowing.

“Witches are more dangerous than any weapon. And if such witches are being controlled by non-human beings, they must be stopped.”

Flang, understanding that point and seeing me remain silent, narrowed her eyes and glared at me.

“If I served you and hid my true identity to pave the way there… what will you do?”

As cold and calm as it was related to her mission…

She should have been, but her brows were furrowed, and her hands on her knees were tightly clenched.

From her perspective, it was a situation where she might have to oppose the humans she was supposed to protect to deal with those she needed to eliminate.

I had also spent time with her, so my feelings had grown differently over that time.

So I hoped that pointing a sword at her would end with just training.

“All together…”

But before I met this girl, I had an experience with someone named Vivian.

Even after she and I parted, she kept remembering me and considering me special.

“Isn’t there a way we can all live peacefully together?”

Even if her ethics were twisted, as she said.

She taught me that I could develop feelings for others as a being.

“All together?”

“Witches, beastmen, invaders like demons, and other different races… If there were a way for all of us to live together peacefully, there wouldn’t be any need for such worries.”

It wasn’t just about Vivian.

Airi, Merilyn, Tashian… Everyone I’ve connected with, regardless of their race or calamity, I wish we could all live together.

I realized that such a wish existed in my heart when I heard these words.

Because I realized that this was what I truly wanted, I couldn’t be satisfied with the strength I currently had.

That kind of thinking… is probably wrong, isn’t it?

Hoping to live fully with the people I love in this chaotic world.

Isn’t that foolish and arrogant enough in itself?

“It’s not wrong, it’s just…”

Flang hastily expressed her regret at my sorrow.

As I noticed her body flinch at that moment, I also prepared to gather mana into my body, readying myself.

The atmosphere had changed from a moment ago. An ambush?

“Ambush! Everyone, get ready!”

The cries from outside the carriage confirmed my prediction.

I thought there was no more time to waste, so I quickly manifested my weapon and rushed out of the carriage to where the expedition members were.

Fog surrounded us, but thankfully, I could see that our formation was intact.

The key was what kind of beings we were confronting.

-Grr, grr!!

Shadows began to approach from beyond the fog, making growling sounds.

The figure leading them became more distinct as they closed the distance.

A hairy body with bones protruding through the skin, organs, and blood flowing between them…

“What the hell is that…?”

It was such a grotesque being that I couldn’t help but vocalize my shock.

It clearly stood on two legs, but its shape was closer to that of a beast, and its body was flayed and twisted as if it were a corpse.

An undead beastman? No, it still had a sense of vitality in its body.

Despite clearly deserving death, it felt alive… Yes, the orc I faced half a year ago.

Even though its neck had been severed and it deserved to die, it continued to move and wreak havoc.

-Grrr, kaaa…

Using Flang’s term, it had undergone vampirization and gained immortality.

But what stood before us now was a ‘monstrosity’ that was far more twisted than before.

-Screech, aaaaaah!!!

The monstrosity let out a shriek and charged towards the vanguard of the expedition.

As the forceful charge collided with the shields, the struggling vanguard shouted towards the rear.

“There’s only one at the front! Surround and kill it calmly!”

-Squelch! Slash!

The infantry flanked it, stabbing and dismembering its limbs. The monstrosity flailed before collapsing to the ground, gasping.

The same applied to the other monstrosities that followed.

“Good! These things are weaker than expected!”

“Maintain formation and don’t get surrounded! Keep pushing!!!”

The unexpected attack of the monstrosities was dealt with surprisingly easily.

Frigarach Sanctuary.

It was a place where only a handful of people from humanity had ever set foot.

Only those who swore to dedicate themselves to Friga, the god of humanity, were allowed to enter.

One of the heroes I knew had set foot there, but… No, let’s not think about it. The woman who got herself killed out of pride.

“Becoming a hero sure brings you places. Going to receive a blessing in a sanctuary without being a clergyman.”

Well, it was an experience. I chuckled and glanced over at Flang sitting on the opposite side of the carriage.

Normally, her hands would be busy with paperwork, but now they were empty as the day of our return approached.

With nothing to do, she just stared vacantly at her empty hands.

“Aren’t you happy? You’re going to receive a blessing too.”

“That’s true. It would be an honor for me to receive a blessing from the god of humanity.”

A faint smile slowly appeared on her lips.

But what was revealed wasn’t joy, but bitterness.

“…Is something bothering you?”

It would be a lie to say that her expression didn’t bother me.

What she was showing now indicated that what awaited us was something neither of us could ignore.

“Bothering me? What do you mean…?”

“What we’ll have to do after we return.”

“…”

Yes, we had to be prepared.

A situation where we might have to oppose each other to protect what we each held dear.

“…You said you were a guardian of humanity, right?”

Even so, I hoped such a situation would never arise.

The question that followed was accompanied by that humble wish.

“As a guardian of humanity, you’ve stood before humanity and fought all sorts of dangers.”

“…Yes, that’s right.”

“The reason you’ve separated from the Imperial Family and are acting independently… Is it because there’s something within the Imperial Family? Some intervention that’s not of humanity’s choosing?”

I hadn’t seen it for certain, but I had some guesses.

The clone that had separated from the current Prince of the empire had, under my influence, weakened its loyalty and was acting independently.

From that, it wasn’t hard to guess that the surface and the core of the empire were entirely different, and it was the girl in front of me who confirmed this suspicion.

If she, who specialized in hunting non-human beings, was acting independently of the Imperial Family, it was highly likely that non-human beings had infiltrated its core.

“Vivian…”

“And the core of their plan is Vivian’s research, isn’t it? The leaders of humanity, who are still being exploited by them today, are forcing the people gathered in the empire to work for that purpose, aren’t they?”

“So, are they being used in the plans of those non-human beings?”

So perhaps, by using that point, we might be able to make an exception for Vivian’s mission.

With that hope, I gathered the clues I’d collected so far and formed a plausible hypothesis, but Flang neither confirmed nor denied it, remaining silent.

Probably a silence that implied affirmation.

“Do you remember what you said when you first started training?”

But that was only for a moment.

Flang, belatedly opening her mouth, cautiously looked up at me.

“At the beginning?”

“That all calamities in this world originated from the existence called witches.”

-Clop, clop.

The sound of hooves between the carriage wheels was clearly heard.

The same silence as before.

“Witches…”

As I gradually recalled, Flang began to tell me about witches.

“Witches are beings who inherited knowledge from another world.”

“Knowledge from another world…?”

“It’s also called forbidden knowledge. Just understanding knowledge that shouldn’t exist in this world allows one to see things that shouldn’t be seen and touch things that shouldn’t be touched.”

As she said that, Flang raised her hand and made a gesture with her fingers.

“And the power created at the end of that process easily distorts the laws of this world.”

With a snap of her fingers.

Nothing happened, but my body began to stiffen rapidly.

What happened right after that gesture is something I can’t forget even now.

“I don’t know exactly where that knowledge originated. I just know one thing for sure. Once beings step out of common sense, they can only mock and denigrate the order taken for granted in this world.”

That suffocating feeling continued.

Every word that followed was closely related to the one I knew.

“And that’s the most dangerous thing about witches. They don’t care how their power is perceived by others. They don’t consider the impact it has on this world or how it will crumble in the future…”

Obsessed solely with their research, with no concern for anything else.

Removing anyone who interferes with them like trash, cruel and cold-hearted.

“If such witches caused problems in groups, we don’t need to explain what would happen to the established order of the world.”

Because such beings once ran rampant, calamities never cease in this world.

Monsters awakened to instincts and life due to twisted environments, dungeons created by warped areas, undead rising from death, and demons crossing the dimensional barrier…

All of these were rooted in the disturbances caused by witches obsessed with forbidden knowledge and lacking ethics.

“And beastmen were also created from the witches’ research. Specifically, they’re byproducts of research aimed at transforming the human body to achieve the ‘ultimate being’ that witches dreamed of.”

“The ultimate being…?”

“Witches have an ultimate goal. They want to know the origin of the knowledge they inherited and whether they can become ‘higher beings’ like them with their own power.”

Cold hatred and contempt slowly appeared in her sharp eyes.

And pity directed at someone else.

“The beastmen we encountered that day were such byproducts. After the witch hunts in the past, a group that preserved the research secretly used it to overcome an impending calamity.”

They relied on the research used by witches to resist the calamity that started with the witches.

It was an inevitable flow, but if it were for salvation, it wouldn’t have been publicly disclosed.

It was forbidden knowledge that couldn’t be accepted by common sense, and the results disrupted the framework of humanity.

“And, of course, the news was kept strictly confidential, and the stories of those who failed the experiments were thoroughly concealed. They were expelled from the realm of humanity, severing the link and branding them as monsters.”

They were abandoned like that.

The beastmen, who hate humanity and consider themselves superior beings, were born this way.

Although humans were involved in the process, the main reason was the calamity that started with the witches and the research born from the witches.

“So, did you… hear such stories from Phobia back then?”

Flang bowed her head without a word.

It seemed like she was nodding, but she froze there because there were still many stories she had kept inside.

Stories she couldn’t share immediately and didn’t want to share.

“From my perspective, witches shouldn’t even be considered a necessary evil.”

But that silence only added weight to her current words.

If she didn’t deny that there were more stories I shouldn’t know, I couldn’t just dismiss it without knowing.

“Witches are more dangerous than any weapon. And if such witches are being controlled by non-human beings, they must be stopped.”

Flang, understanding that point and seeing me remain silent, narrowed her eyes and glared at me.

“If I served you and hid my true identity to pave the way there… what will you do?”

As cold and calm as it was related to her mission…

She should have been, but her brows were furrowed, and her hands on her knees were tightly clenched.

From her perspective, it was a situation where she might have to oppose the humans she was supposed to protect to deal with those she needed to eliminate.

I had also spent time with her, so my feelings had grown differently over that time.

So I hoped that pointing a sword at her would end with just training.

“All together…”

But before I met this girl, I had an experience with someone named Vivian.

Even after she and I parted, she kept remembering me and considering me special.

“Isn’t there a way we can all live peacefully together?”

Even if her ethics were twisted, as she said.

She taught me that I could develop feelings for others as a being.

“All together?”

“Witches, beastmen, invaders like demons, and other different races… If there were a way for all of us to live together peacefully, there wouldn’t be any need for such worries.”

It wasn’t just about Vivian.

Airi, Merilyn, Tashian… Everyone I’ve connected with, regardless of their race or calamity, I wish we could all live together.

I realized that such a wish existed in my heart when I heard these words.

Because I realized that this was what I truly wanted, I couldn’t be satisfied with the strength I currently had.

That kind of thinking… is probably wrong, isn’t it?

Hoping to live fully with the people I love in this chaotic world.

Isn’t that foolish and arrogant enough in itself?

“It’s not wrong, it’s just…”

Flang hastily expressed her regret at my sorrow.

As I noticed her body flinch at that moment, I also prepared to gather mana into my body, readying myself.

The atmosphere had changed from a moment ago. An ambush?

“Ambush! Everyone, get ready!”

The cries from outside the carriage confirmed my prediction.

I thought there was no more time to waste, so I quickly manifested my weapon and rushed out of the carriage to where the expedition members were.

Fog surrounded us, but thankfully, I could see that our formation was intact.

The key was what kind of beings we were confronting.

-Grr, grr!!

Shadows began to approach from beyond the fog, making growling sounds.

The figure leading them became more distinct as they closed the distance.

A hairy body with bones protruding through the skin, organs, and blood flowing between them…

“What the hell is that…?”

It was such a grotesque being that I couldn’t help but vocalize my shock.

It clearly stood on two legs, but its shape was closer to that of a beast, and its body was flayed and twisted as if it were a corpse.

An undead beastman? No, it still had a sense of vitality in its body.

Despite clearly deserving death, it felt alive… Yes, the orc I faced half a year ago.

Even though its neck had been severed and it deserved to die, it continued to move and wreak havoc.

-Grrr, kaaa…

Using Flang’s term, it had undergone vampirization and gained immortality.

But what stood before us now was a ‘monstrosity’ that was far more twisted than before.

-Screech, aaaaaah!!!

The monstrosity let out a shriek and charged towards the vanguard of the expedition.

As the forceful charge collided with the shields, the struggling vanguard shouted towards the rear.

“There’s only one at the front! Surround and kill it calmly!”

-Squelch! Slash!

The infantry flanked it, stabbing and dismembering its limbs. The monstrosity flailed before collapsing to the ground, gasping.

The same applied to the other monstrosities that followed.

“Good! These things are weaker than expected!”

“Maintain formation and don’t get surrounded! Keep pushing!!!”

The unexpected attack of the monstrosities was dealt with surprisingly easily.