NOVEL NEXT Book 6: Chapter 4
The Two Boys
The desert town, Cutlass.
The ancient city ruins Resvel was bordered with the desert of death and Rost Mountain Range. This town was located half a day of travel from there. It was said that its name originated from the curved sword that the people of the desert preferred.
That town that was some distance away from the ancient ruins was a settlement that was built by people mired in greed.
Carlfan Empire was located around one month of one-way travel from there, but this town didn’t belong to the empire.
That was why every kind of race and people was living in coexistence there.
Adventurer, grave robber, criminal, exile. The majority of them were Cruz people, but there were also dog and cat beastman and dwarf. Not only them, dark elf that was called evil race could even be seen there although they were few in number.
Just as could be understood from how the town was named after a weapon, this town that was formed by the gathering of adventurers and thugs didn’t even have a feudal lord governing it, or soldiers to protect the public order. It was each person’s own responsibility whether they stayed alive or dead.
The only way to protect oneself was to join one of the powerful organizations. This town was known as a lawless area where only people with strength could survive.
.
「This town is that kinda shitty place without any order, but there’s still the minimum rule. Cruz people’s Kirly Company that is selling food, the dwarf’s Hogros Company that sell weapon and manage the adventurers……those two called themselves company, but both of them ain’t any proper merchant. And then there’s the Munza Gang that is formed by the beastman thugs, and Riezan Family that controlled all the gambling and red district regardless of race. Don’t go against these four organizations in this town.」
The owner of the bar that we visited right after entering this Cutlass town said that without any amusement while bringing food to the counter where we were sitting.
He was a resident of this town so we couldn’t trust everything he said but he also wasn’t a malicious person. At the very least he had the conscience to tell us to leave this town when he realized that we were Melsenian woman.
The food he served was made from sorghum flour that was kneaded and baked. It was a type of bread like nan in that woman’s knowledge. He also gave us fruit water with light green color.
I called it fruit water but, it was just something made from peeling the leaf of a thick thorny plant that could grow in the desert and squeezing them. It only had a light bitterness and slight sweetness to it, but apparently it was nutritious.
I took sip of that grassy-smelling liquid and not pm the bread too to check that there was no poison, then I nodded at Elena who was sitting beside me that it was alright. She took a sip of the fruit water before talking to the bar owner.
「Which organization do you belong to?」
「None of them. One place to drink will be gone if this place is destroyed……I’m just barely left alone because of that kinda stupid reason. ……How’s it? The meal here is bad right?」
The bar owner asked Elena who had just tore a piece of the bread and ate it. Elena smiled vaguely with only her lips.
「You can get proper food if you join Kirly Company, but the price is stupidly high, and they’ll also demand tax if you open a restaurant. If your payment’s late, everything you got will get stripped off before you can even blink. You’ll be just their slave. The dwarves’re relatively better but, those guys will go crush any strong fellow who ain’tdwarf.」
The bar owner was fearful at the beginning after I killed the customers that picked a quarrel with us, but it seemed that he had calmed down or perhaps resigned himself. He taught us some things about this town.
When I asked it seemed that he was a former adventurer, but apparently he caught the eye of Hogros Company that took over the role of adventurer guild in managing the adventurers and got one of his legs crushed. It seemed his fellow adventurer at that time used Cure, but it couldn’t completely heal his leg and his path as adventurer ended there.
The customers who I eliminated were underlings of Riezan Family that was in charge of the red district, but they were just the bottom of the barrel so the bar owner said that there wouldn’t be any revenge coming for us. Apparently low ranked human adventurer would clean up their corpse. But Hogros Company would send a bill to this restaurant as the cleaning fee so the bar owner was at his wits’ end. Because of that I put down several more silver coins as information fee.
It seemed that improved his mood. Or perhaps because there was no other customer than us or he had free time, the bar owner warned us when we were about to leave.
「You lass……. I know that you’re quite strong but, don’t stand out too much. Fight between underlings is normal here but, if you do something to an organization’s top brass, they’ll come to crush you to maintain their face even if you’re just a kid or a woman.」
.
We left the bar and headed toward the town’s entrance that the bar owner told us the location. I called out to Elena who was showing a slightly pondering look.
「……What do you think?」
「Let’s see……. At the very least I didn’t feel that he was lying. Though I also can’t say that he told us everything.」
Elena was in charge of negotiating. It was because she was more knowledgeable than me about foreign country, and there was also how my way of speaking had slight Claydale accent, so it would be better if I left this kind of thing to her who had experience in interacting with people from Carlfan Empire.
「He didn’t lie but, he was reluctant to give us information about the organizations……I guess that there are things that he can’t say to keep himself safe. Either way, it’ll be dangerous to make decision based on information just from a single person, so let’s gather more information after this.」
「Roger.」
There were quite a lot of people even outside the fence that was surrounding the town. A lot of people turned their gaze at us who were hiding our face with hooded cloak, but nobody tried to make trouble with us.
It was this kind of city so there were many suspicious people everywhere. No matter whether they were adventurer or drifter, no decent person would come to this kind of place. Only criminal who was chased by their country or someone with shady past would come here.
With hooded cloak covering our whole body, it would be impossible to [Appraise] us accurately even if someone caught a glimpse of us. Perhaps that was why I caught sight of some other people dressed the same like us.
.
We walked for several hours along the outer wall surrounding the town before we found one of the gates to enter the town.
Rock dwarves wearing armor with strange luster were protecting the gate. ……They weren’t merely guards. They weren’t guards like in Claydale Kingdom who were approachable by traveler, but rank 2 warriors who were on guard against monster attack.
Them being dwarf might meant that they were member of Hogros Company that was managing the adventurer guild of this area.
If I was alone I could climb over the wall and hid myself inside but…….
「Aria, let’s go from the front. It’s not a good move to cause trouble without even knowing about the state of affairs completely.」
「Roger.」
I followed Elena’s opinion and stepped forward. Negotiation was Elena’s field but I judged that if the other party was adventurer then it would be better if I stepped up.
「Stop! Who are you guys, outsider!?」
The rock dwarf guard raised his voice with a tone that sounded angry toward us who were approaching them.
Outside or inside huh? In other words, he was asking whether we were townspeople or not. Normal resident should cower if they got questioned with voice that loud, but I knew that this was normal for rock dwarf.
「We’re with merchant caravan. We went outside for some business.」
「You two……with just women?」
The guard made a suspecting look for an instant. I intentionally spoke gently and slowly held out my right hand toward him.
「I’m bodyguard. Sorry to make problem for you. Sorry that I only have foreign money but go buy some drink with this.」
「……Oo, it’s great if you know.」
The rock dwarf saw that it was silver coin that I gave him and grinned. Then he told his friends to open the way.
It would become troublesome if the money I gave him was too much or too little. With our number and a rock dwarf as the other party then the cost of drink would be just right.
We entered the town and saw that it was completely different from Claydale Kingdom. The building was different. The people were different. There was no plant inside the town. The buildings were built with only stone. Cloth that was weaved from plant was hanged up toward the street to block the sunlight. It formed a townscape that was completely different than the kingdom.
And most of all……the eyes of the people inside the town were sharp as though they were hungering for something.
「Stay close.」
「……Yes.」
We were searching for a relatively safe lodging in this town.
According to that bar owner, as expected using an organization’s inn would be the best to buy safety in this town. And as long as we had money, then Kirly Company that was mainly handling food and daily life product wouldn’t be hostile toward us. They also had several inns that were used by merchant from Carlfan Empire who visited this town.
When we entered one of such inn, there was a middle aged woman working as the receptionist. She was looking at us with suspicion but, she instantly became all smiles when we handed a small gold coin and treated us like VIP.
The cost of staying for a night without meal was two silver coins per person. It was a price that was close to a high class inn at the kingdom, but the room that we were given was at the same level of a countryside inn that would cost five small silver coins.
For now we would stay for two days with one small gold coin. I handed the rest of our money to the receptionist for two days worth of food, hush money, and tip. It was a lot of money but, a safe place to sleep was necessary so Elena’s stamina could recover.
「……Aria. Can this become money?」
We entered our room and could finally relax after confirming the safety of the place. Then Elena said that and handed a knife to me.
That was the knife that Elena had with her for killing herself. It was something that noble daughter carried around with them. The knife that belonged to a princess like Elena had jewels embedded in it so they could be exchanged for money when pushes came to shove. From what I heard before, they could be sold for five big gold coins in a proper shop, but I quietly pushed back that knife to Elena.
「We’re not that troubled for money yet. Carry it with you until it’s really necessary.」
「……Understood.」
Elena seemed to realize the meaning of my vague words. If two woman drifters exchanged such pricy thing for money, there was a risk that we would catch someone’s eyes. If we were going to use it, we would need someone and a situation where it was possible to disclose Elena’s identity to some degree.
I could give out my name that was a fake name from the start, but Elena’s name still had to be kept secret.
Elena understood that and tightly held the knife on her chest. She quietly nodded.
「Let’s confirm our plan.」
The final objective was Elena’s return but, first we had to send the news of Elena’s survival to Claydale Kingdom.
It had to be done within three months at the very least. We had been discussing our plan to some degree on our way to this town but, the method of borrowing communication magic tool from adventurer guild seemed impossible based on this town’s situation. In the first place no matter the country, the communication magic tool would be under the control of the country. It was possible for guild or high ranked noble to have one, but the possibility of merchant having it was exceedingly low. Even if they had it, if they found out Elena’s identity it was possible that they would kidnap her to be used for political bargaining.
We had also considered asking a merchant who came to this town to allow us to go back with them until Carlfan Empire, but there was a distant of one month from the empire until her. Any merchant who came to this kind of place would definitely be connected to Kirly Company or Hogros Company, so we would require serious connections if we wanted to go that route.
If possible Elena’s identity should be kept secret until we reached Carlfan Empire. Elena and I agreed on htat. If we wanted to head to Carlfan Empire while keeping Elena’s identity a secret, I also considered the method of working as adventurer doing bodyguard request, but most likely the merchants here already had their own personal bodyguards seeing how far the distance they had to travel.
That one month distance was also problematic if we wanted to travel by ourselves. There wasn’t any inn town midway. Elena’s stamina wouldn’t last if we had to cross the rocky areas and desert by walking alone.
Elena’s stamina had decreased greatly even just from these several days of walking. She was acting to be fine in front of me, but even the amount of food she was eating was decreasing. I couldn’t force her anymore than this.
「It’ll be better to rest already for the rest of the day. You haven’t slept much right? Let’s think again tomorrow.」
「Yes……」
Elena too seemed to have felt the limit of her stamina. I applied Clean on her and the bed, then she obediently sat on it. I had also worked as maid after a fashion, so I moved to help her changing her clothes, but she refused saying that she wanted to do it herself.
「Also, use this. Sorry that it’s my secondhand but it has defensive capability.」
「T-this is your thing!?」
What I handed her was underwear. They were created by Gelf. There were thin tights and garter belt made from mythril fiber, then bustier also made from mythril fiber. They had white or black color with five sets of each. I handed the white sets to Elena because of my impression that it would suit her more. But those weren’t all, Elena spread open the small silk panty that had to be tied at the sides using string to wear, which was something that I got from Gelf too. She turned bright red and froze.
「What’s wrong……?」
「No, umm……」
Come to think of it, this type of underwear came from Dandall, so it had only been accepted by female adventurers and some noble ladies. If I remembered correctly, Elena was usually wearing short drawers, so perhaps she had reluctance to wear a new type of underwear.
When I looked at her while wondering what to do, Elena’s stare went back and forth between me and the underwear several times. She turned bright red until her ears, then she looked down and murmured with a small voice.
「……P-please help me wear them.」
「Roger.」
***
The next morning we had breakfast with a stew of potato and bean that the innkeeper brought us. Then we headed toward Hogros Company where adventurers gathered.
The bar owner said that it was “relatively better”, but we couldn’t let our guard down. Even then we were heading there not only to earn money, but also to raise our reputation as adventurer, which was our main reason.
Money and strength were needed to buy safety here. But, Hogros Company would crush anyone not dwarf who showed their strength. Even so connection with Kirly Company would be needed if we were going to show our strength.
If we showed our strength as adventurer and formed connection with Kirly Company, the possibility of being able to accompany a caravan to Carlfan Empire would be born.
There we were thinking to sell medicine in order to obtain that. According to the innkeeper who we tipped, the life necessities in this town were really expensive. It was difficult to gather ingredients in desert, while Kirly Company was importing necessary potion from Carlfan Empire, so the ordinary people couldn’t even use them often.
But, in the handwritten book that was entrusted to me by master, a dark elf who lived in this region, there was writing about the ingredients and the method to create potion that wasn’t common in this region. I too had learned it.
There was also dark elf in this city, and it was possible that they too understood that method, but this method was using monster part as some of its ingredients, and it was unthinkable that a dark elf living in obscurity in this kind of town could be a better alchemist than master.
We would accept quest as adventurer that wouldn’t make us stood out, obtaining money and materials.
Then we would create high class potion using monster part, bring that to Kirly Company to make connection with them, and then the potion would flow toward the adventurers, putting us in a position where they couldn’t touch us.
The problem was the two mafias but, we couldn’t predict how they would move in the current situation. Just us being Melsenian young women would already make us stood out, so there was a risk that they would try something with us because of that.
In the worst case they would harm Elena……I would crush them if that happened.
.
「But Aria……this isn’t the adventurer’s gathering place isn’t it?」
「Yes. First we need to buy equipments for you Elena.」
Hogros Company was replacing adventurer guild but, they were fundamentally merchant. The adventurer guild was right next door to Hogros Company.
Weapon, armor, and other metal items, all of them were being handled by Hogros Company, so naturally the company’s building was selling weapon and armor.
The dwarves of Hogros Company didn’t tolerate high ranked adventurer of other race because they would make it difficult for them to monopolize the materials. But perhaps even the exclusionary dwarves of this place wouldn’t refuse business. The shop also had quite a collection of armor for human.
Armors and weapons were lined up in a space that was as big as a dance hall, but just from a brief look there was no armor or weapon that was as good as Galbas or Gelf’s creation.
The stubborn rock dwarves were working as gate guard but, it was mostly mountain dwarves like Dalton who were good with carving who had appearance like adventurer.
The weather must also be playing a factor. Heavy armor wasn’t preferred in desert. What the shop had was mainly hard leather armor using what seemed to be lizard hide or armor with strange luster like what the gate guards wore.
Most likely that was made from beetle’s carapace. It seemed that in this area the insect monsters could grow bigger than dungeon monster. It was lighter than metal but heavy armor would be disadvantageous for Elena. I chose leather armor that mainly protected the vitals, gloves, and boots. I also found a smallish short sword and purchased them all with four small gold coins.
Elena was hesitant to use money in our current situation, but this was a necessary expense.
「Do they suit me……?」
Despite her reluctance, wearing “adventurer” equipment that she should have never the chance to put on because of her position as a princess made Elena smiled. She asked me that question while twirling in high spirits.
But, it was then──
「Eh? A Melsenian girl. That’s unusual.」
We heard that voice and turned around. Standing there was a Cruz boy our age wearing a friendly smile and──
「…………」
Behind him was a slender dark elf boy, staring at us with a sharp gaze.
「──tsu」
Elena hurriedly put on her hood and hid her exposed face.
We were careless. Standing there were a duo of a Cruzian and a dark elf. From appearance both of them looked our age, but there was no guarantee that their appearance and actual age matched just like us.
It was especially difficult to judge the age of the long lived elf race based on appearance. The sharp gaze from the dark elf made me stepped in front of Elena to hide her from their gaze. The Cruz boy noticed that and lightly tapped the dark elf’s shoulder.
「Kamil, don’t scare a girl like that.」
「…………」
When the Cruz boy said that, the dark elf──Kamil turned around without even changing his expression. The boy who was left alone shrugged playfully before pointing to a direction, waved his hand at us, and chased after Kamil.
「……Aria.」
「It’s alright.」
The duo was suspicious……or rather, mysterious. Both of them were still young, but I felt that they were quite strong. They were also covering their whole body with cloak, so I couldn’t do accurate Appraisal at them, but I guessed that it was also to hide their true strength.
But from their attitude, it didn’t seem like they were the type of people who would spread around the fact that we were Melsenian. Perhaps Elena had also sensed that. Her wariness wasn’t toward them.
This selling place was in a blind spot from Hogros Company and adventurer guild beside it, but I had been feeling a presence that was observing us ever since we entered this building.
Most likely this presence was evaluating us. From their perspective we must also be quite a suspicious duo. I couldn’t predict how they would act from there but, that boy hinted at us that there was a possibility of attack.
We had a need to make connection with one of the four organizations but, we weren’t thinking of joining hand with the two mafias. Then, which was better between Hogros Company and Kirly Company?
We needed to decide how to get involved with Hogros Company depending on how they would treat newcomer.
.
「Let’s go.」
「Yes.」
The two of us also left the building. At the same time I sensed several people started moving to follow us even though we were still within the ground.
「Ou, you two women there, wait. Not even giving a greeting after coming this far, that’s real cold don’t cha think?」
It was three men who were calling out to us like that. Two Cruzian and one dark elf……the two boys just now were also like that. This land wasn’t rejecting dark elf as “evil race”.
They were wearing beetle light armor with a thin jacket over it to block the sunlight. I guessed that these men were around rank 3. Their combat strength was over 350 so they were powerful fighter above middle rank as adventurer.
「What do you want?」
「Your voice is young……. Not many people come to this town other than merchant, so information is quite easy to find. You two are the women who went wild in the bar right? You look quite strong but, newcomer shouldn’t throw their weight around.」
The Cruz person at the middle who was holding a spear was putting the pressure on us.
The people I killed in the bar were grunts of Riezan Family that was in charge of other race’s thugs and red district. In that case these guys were also member of Riezan Family?
「I heard that it’s fine if you’re strong here though?」
「Hah, exactly. If I’ve gotta say, the guy who act big when they aren’t even strong is at fault. That’s why here it’s the organization’s power──」
「Your business?」
When I interrupted the man’s words, the dark elf at the right side bared his fang in irritation.
「Do you know what’ll happen to a little girl who don’t know when to shut up?」
The dark elf’s hands reached toward the twin swords on his waist while approaching. His breath slightly smelled of alcohol. I ignored him and turned my gaze toward the first Cruz person. The man grinned and showed his white teeth.
「Join Riezan Family little girl. In this town, the dwarves manage the adventurers while Munza Gang is in charge of the beastmen. Everyone else won’t be able to live as adventurer unless they join us y’know. Sides’ you can also work in red district under us. I’m gonna give that missy over there personal training yeah?」
Elena held her breath when she heard the man’s words. The other men laughed.
「……I see.」
The violence in this town was managed by the dwarf’s adventurer guild and beastman’s Munza Gang. Even so that didn’t mean the other races would just stay quiet. Riezan Family gathered those other races to break that hold.
Their proposition was valid in a sense. It would be possible to live as adventurer under the umbrella of Riezan Family. And “woman” would also have other path to survive with them.
But, our answer had been decided from the start.
「We refuse.」
I instantly did body strengthening. My magic power control that reached level 5 purified my mana. My palm that had its muscle strengthened struck the dark elf’s jaw from below. Then I grabbed his head without allowing him to react and slammed him on the coarse stone floor.
It was this kind of town. Someone making a threat and reaching toward their weapon was definitely enemy.
Furthermore, they tried to lay their hand on Elena. There was no way I could let them go at that point.
*Splat* There was a sound like melon getting squashed. The man at the left side of the Cruz person was dumbfounded for a moment before he pulled out his scimitar……just an instant before that steel blade was pulled out from its sheath, I who had strengthened my agility pulled out and fired my crossbow from the Storage. It pierced the man’s brain from his left eye.
「……Wha-」
The first man groaned seeing his fierce and tough rank 3 comrade killed instantly.
「You bitch-, Riezan Family’ll──」
The moment those words left the man’s mouth──.
A voice that was as loud as a gong roared from behind the Cruz person who was readying his spear.
*Zun*, there was a sound like the sandy rock that formed the floor got crushed. Coming out from the building of Hogros Company was a one eyed mountain dwarf with darkish skin and pure white beard that grew until his waist.
The old dwarf was most likely older than even Galbas. He was clad in chainmail that was made from magic steel, carrying a huge halberd made from magic copper leaning his shoulder, and walked with a gait that pressured his surrounding.
「Jilgan……」
The Cruz man who noticed him unconsciously took a step back while a mutter escaped his mouth.
Jilgan. So that was this dwarf’s name.
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▼Jilgan Race: Mountain Dwarf ♂ – Rank ?
【Magic Power：220／220】【Stamina：438／454】
【Overall Combat Strength：1413（With Body Strengthening：1707）】
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Strong……. I assumed that he was an upper rank 4 or a lower rank 5.
Jilgan’s eyes lingered on the corpses on the ground and me. He lightly raised an eyebrow before his single eye glared piercingly at the Cruzian man.
「You’re a grunt of Riezan Family huh. Open that ear of yours youngster. As long as you’re an adventurer, it doesn’t matter which organization you belong to. But……」
「W-wait a second!」
The man tried to step back further, but in that moment, the halberd that was lightly swung around like it was just a tree branch dug into the man’s stomach and blew only his upper body to the other side of the street.
「You think I’m going to overlook someone who try to do something to adventurer right in front of my eyes? Oi, clean up these corpses!」
Jilgan said that in front of the lower body that fell down on the ground. Young dwarves approached to clean up the corpses while some onlookers around us screamed. Then he slowly returned his gaze to me.
「「…………」」
Jilgan and I glared at each other wordlessly. Even the voices of the surrounding died down from that tense air. The people cleaning up the corpses were holding their breath as though to make themselves unseen. Then Jilgan quietly spoke.
「You, what’s your name?」
「Aria.」
I shortly answered him. The corner of Jilgan’s lips slightly rose before he rested his magic copper halberd on his shoulder and turned around.
「Strong guys are welcomed here. But……」
Jilgan paused there before radiating a pressure that wasn’t killing intent.
「……Don’t misjudge okay?」
***
Jilgan’s words were a warning. But, I felt like I could see Hogros Company’s policy from his action and word.
They didn’t trust anyone not dwarf but, they wouldn’t go out of their way to become enemy to those who understood that. Right now it was enough that I could learn that.
We walked away from Hogros Company and toured the town. We finished resupplying ourselves with food and equipment that were quite expensive before returning to our inn. The next morning, after I was convinced that Elena’s stamina had recovered quite well, we left the town and headed toward the ruins.
The adventurer guild wouldn’t be our ally but they also weren’t our enemy, so the gate guard let us passed just by showing an adventurer guild’s tag.
「Elena……you alright?」
「Yes, thank you Aria.」
Elena’s complexion didn’t look good. It wasn’t just because of the desert’s climate and her condition, but also because she had seen too much human’s death and malice since coming here.
It was this kind of town. Death was lingering everywhere. I too were merciless against enemy. But, Elena’s surrounding until now had a wall that separated herself from the outside. Even though death had also occurred around her before, it was something that happened outside her view.
That was the reason I was taking her out of the town but, Elena was staring at me who was acting like that and quietly shook her head.
「I’m really fine Aria. Everything is something that I myself decided.」
「……Yes.」
She was forcing herself. Even so I would respect it if that was what she herself decided.
Elena wasn’t just a doll that needed to be protected from everything. She was a human who was standing by her own will.
We were heading toward the ruins that was half a day away while it was still dark. It wasn’t just for defeating monster. Of course we would defeat monster and harvest their parts if we ran into one but, our main objective was to obtain precious material in this area.
There was a flower called Death Root in this area that was used in making high class recovery medicine. It was an alchemy material that sometimes could be seen in graveyard at desert. Because of that it was a precious material that was few in number, but master said it needed the dry climate that was characteristic of desert and “miasma”.
There were various theories about the true identity of miasma, but it was said that it was generated in place that had negative emotion and pollution of death, and it served as the source of strength for undead and devil and the like.
It was uncertain why Death Root bloomed at place with miasma, but if I wanted to search it in this area, I thought that Resvel Ruins where a lot of undeads were roaming would be a good place.
Of course it would be dangerous. We would have no problem with zombie or skeleton that could be damaged with physical attack, but against monster with no physical body like wraith, the ordinary adventurers would find it difficult to even escape from them.
But it was different for Elena and me. Weapon made from magic steel could affect wraith though not as effectively as mythril. Elemental sorcery also affected them but, light sorcery’s Clean was even more effective. It was able to erase the miasma that was the source of undead’s existence.
「Aria, is this flower usable?」
「Yes. Only the petal parts are used, so you can just take the flower part.」
「I understand.」
Elena was plucking the Death Root’s flower with a serious face. We left the town at early morning and arrived at evening, then we had a light meal and a nap until the temperature lowered and night came before we started searching the ruins.
The ancient ruins became more dangerous the deeper you went. The outer circumference wasn’t that dangerous. You wouldn’t be able to build a town that was just half a day of travel from here if that wasn’t the case. It would be easier to find the precious ingredient if we advanced deeper where the miasma was thicker, but just as I thought, when I used my eyes to find a place where dark magic particles pooled and searched at the shadowy spots, we were able to find it unexpectedly easily even in this nearby place.
This flower was also a poisonous object that was difficult to handle, so if possible I didn’t want Elena to touch it but, I asked her to help with harvesting because of her strong desire to help.
Both of us weren’t harvesting at the same time. Either one of us would stand guard against the surrounding in case a wraith appeared.
Even so perhaps because adventurers often explored this area, we still hadn’t encountered any undead, even skeleton much less wraith. Perhaps the vitality that human possessed had the effect to drive away miasma.
We were able to collect quite the amount of Death Root’s flower. Perhaps it wasn’t solely thanks to my eyes, but also because there was nobody collecting them. I put our harvest into Storage.
「Elena?」
Elena who had finished picking Death Root’s flower was turning her face toward a wall with a puzzled look.
「No, this has been on my mind since some time ago but, it feels like there’s vibration from the other side of the wall……」
「Vibration?」
Elena said that with an expression that looked unsure about her own words. I also approached the wall and confirmed that my Search skill wasn’t detecting anything before I carefully touched the wall with my finger.
Then I focused my attention to the other side of the wall and certainly I felt a weak vibration. Perhaps Elena noticed it because she was closer to the ground from crouching to pick up flower. I pressed my ear on the ground to ascertain the source of that vibration. From there I sensed that there was a battle it seemed.
「Something is fighting. ……What now?」
Perhaps there was a dangerous monster. But perhaps there was somebody who got attacked.
If it was adventurer then they were on their own. My role was to protect Elena. But, if someone was really being attacked and Elena would feel guilty from abandoning them, it would be fine to at least go check the situation.
I asked her like that with my gaze. Elena weighed the safety of her and me……and the weight of her mission, then she looked back into my eyes.
「Let’s at least check the situation. We won’t be able to respond well if we don’t know what is actually causing this vibration.」
「Roger.」
We left the building we were in and headed toward the path where we were feeling the vibration from. There was no sign of monster nearby, unnaturally so. The moon was visible at the sky, but Elena didn’t have night vision and I paid attention to not get too far away from Elena while gradually approaching the vibration’s source. There we found silhouettes of people being attacked by more than ten beetle and worm monsters.
Were they civilian or adventurer? I reinforced my “eyes” with body strengthening and confirmed. I caught sight of the faces of those people just for an instant. They were familiar faces.
「What’s going on?」
「It’s those two. The Cruzian and dark elf boys.」
I returned and reported the situation to Elena. Elena made a conflicted look.
Those two were most likely adventurer. They were surrounded by quite a lot of monsters but they should be prepared for the worst if they were adventurer. If this was in Claydal Kingdom then I would help if I saw adventurer getting attacked, but I had no duty to save them if it would expose Elena to danger.
Elena too, although those two had warned us that we were in danger, she didn’t know how far we could trust residents of that town.
If she couldn’t decide then I was going to abandon them by my own decision. It was then we caught sight of sand cloud approaching from the other side of the street.
「That’s……」
「More monster?」
Coming from the other end of the street was several huge beetles. But that wasn’t all. We could also see a beastman running in front of them. And then I caught a faint smell mixed in the wind and frowned slightly.
「It’s the smell of bug lure.」
「……Eh?」
I too once used it to gather insects in dungeon for trap against the assassin guild branch of north frontier district.
Was that beastman setting up trap against those two? If these two sides were enemies then I had no reason to put a stop to this. But it would be a different story if this was just a criminal act based on resentment or greed, but we had no way to know the truth.
「Elena.」
There was no “law” in this land. Strength was the only law. Law was decided by organization’s strength.
That was why we had to decide ourselves what was right.
But it would be pointless if we made decision randomly. It was Elena who decided our action policy. I asked her what was her decision as princess. Elena took a short while to sort the situation, her emotions, and everything in her mind before she turned her gaze to the approaching beetles and beastmen. Then she spoke quietly.
「Let’s wait.」
Elena said that we would stand on the road and observe the beastman’s reaction.
If he was a decent people, they would hesitate to involve other people, which should show in their reaction. It was fine even if they only had a sliver of conscience. We would stay uninvolved if they had anything like that.
But──
「Aria!」
The moment that cat beastman saw us, he threw the bag he was holding toward us without giving any warning. So it was a scented bag! The beastman threw the insect lure toward us and grinned while running past us and climbed up a dilapidated building.
I confirmed that he was definitely hostile and threw a scythe shaped pendulum at the bag in the air. The bag was caught by the blade and I rotated the pendulum to toss back the bag toward the beastman.
「What!?」
「──Pain──」
That beastman stiffened from the illusionary pain and slipped down from the building he was climbing. Most likely he prioritized getting rid of witnesses but, the swarm of beetles that were attracted by the insect lure’s scented bag that fell nearby drowned the death throes amidst them.
「Let’s help them, Aria.」
「Roger, Elena. Can you use it?」
「If it’s just activating it……」
「Got it. I’m going ahead.」
I checked that there was no monster’s presence near Elena and dashed away in order to reinforce the duo who we had decided to help.
Originally I shouldn’t leave Elena’s side as her bodyguard. But, I also knew that Elena had been putting in effort in order to escape this situation.
That Cruzian boy and dark elf were being attacked by ten odd insect monsters.
From what I saw they were barely holding there. The dark elf looked like he was strong enough to endure, but the Cruzian boy wasn’t as strong as him. The dark elf was fighting to protect the wounded human boy, so he couldn’t use big technique like Battle Skill that would create opening after use.
Insects that were lured by the scented bag wouldn’t run away because of their excited state. That was prolonging the current deadlock but, I’d have them maintain that deadlock while I went to eliminate the “cause” that was creating this current situation.
I rushed through the battlefield while focusing my “eyes”.
It was blending among the presences of the duo and the insects who were fighting but, I discovered it through the magic particle colors. I snagged my pendulum’s string on a dilapidated building’s wall and then ran up the wall. I leaped out in front of the two cat beastmen hiding there.
「「Wha-!?」」
The two beastmen tried to lift up their bow with a shocked expression, but in that moment the scythe shaped pendulum that I had pulled back and rotated tore the carotid artery of one of them deeply.
「T-this woman, do you know who we──」
「Don’t know.」
But I had a guess. From their action that immediately tried to eliminate witness like us, I assumed that they were from Munza Gang, the mafia that united the beastman thugs.
I didn’t know the relation between Munza Gang and those two. But, these guys casually tried to kill witnesses in order to trap those two.
But we were the same. Now that we had got on the way of Munza Gang, there was no meaning of letting these witnesses to go home alive.
「Little girl!」
The beastman drew a curved sword with single edge and slashed. I slipped through it and stepped into his bosom in a single step. I crushed the man’s throat with an elbow strike before snapping his neck by putting my arms around it.
There was a reason why I didn’t use blade. The man that I killed at the start had the smell of blood on his thing, but when I checked the possession of the man whose neck I snapped, I was able to find a scented bag that was still sealed.
If they wanted to eliminate witness, I thought that they would have a spare in order to lure the insects once more. I found it just as I thought and tore the seal before throwing the scented bag to the distance. Several of the beetles attacking the two caught the scent and moved away from the two.
But that too was only a temporary measure. The insect lure’s scent would disperse after some time passed. The insects would gather here again so I would end this before that happened.
「──High Heal──」
The two got some leeway after several of the insects left. Elena who was following them casted healing sorcery at them.
The Cruzian boy who received the high recovery showed a surprised expression. Two beetles showed were excited seeing the new prey and turned toward Elena.
「──Water Ball──」
Elena fired water sorcery after the healing, stopping the beetles. The water ball burst and a lot of water scattered until Elena’s feet. There she gathered even more mana and slammed her hands on the mud.
「──Dig Volt──」
The level 3 composite magic of wind and water element, Dig Volt ran through the mud and burned the beetles’ nerves. They screamed and shook.
『GIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!』
Insect type monster had dull sense of pain. It was rare for them to escape from enemy smaller than themselves. They would keep attacking without care about some amount of damage. Even elemental sorcery of wind or water element couldn’t inflict much damage on them. Even fire or earth element wouldn’t be effective unless it had wide range. Even ice element could only slow down their movement. They were a troublesome opponent.
But it was a different story with lightning sorcery. It could bypass their hard carapace and directly attack the nerves of the insect monster that was insensitive to pain.
Elena had lost her fire element but, to make up for that she was putting in effort so she could use “lightning sorcery” that was a combination of water and wind as her attack method. Right now just activating it was still making her hands full and she also couldn’t make it strong enough to defeat the beetle monster, but that was enough for now.
I jumped down from the building’s rooftop like a monster bird with my cloak flapping from the wind.
My aim was the beetle that was stopped in its track. I stabbed my black knife into its neck borderline, then I continued with lobbing off the head of the second one.
Insect wouldn’t die just from getting its head crushed, but they became unable to attack after losing their control tower. Sooner or later they would die.
Those two were still fighting at the street ahead, but the number of insects had decreased and the Cruzian boy got healed by Elena. Because he could protect himself now, the dark elf boy could finish off the wounded insects with his two short swords.
Because the insect’s number decreased even more, the Cruzian boy could also join with eliminating them. And when only several wounded insects remained, the dark elf boy suddenly rushed out from inside their encirclement.
*GAKIIINN!!*
My black dagger clashed with the short sword of the dark elf who closed the distance like a gust of wind, creating a piercing sound.
「What’re you scheming, woman.」
「That’s my line.」
*GIN!*
We didn’t lock sword. We moved apart at the same time while slashing at each other. Sparks scattered once more from the blades colliding.
The dark elf swiftly kicked the sand on the ground toward me. I took distance by rotating my back toward him while pulling out a knife from my thigh that I threw at him. The dark elf blocked it with his short sword.
「Aria!」
「Kamil!」
The voices of Elena and the Cruzian boy resounded. The dark elf──Kamil radiated killing intent as though to drown those voices. In respond I too switched my focus into lethal combat.
I assigned body strengthening to my speed and dashed forward, but Kamil met my rush with his sword. I didn’t avert my eyes from the sharp blade and dodged it in a hair’s breadth. Kamil’s eyes widened for the first time seeing that.
Kamil jumped back to dodge my dagger that rushed at him. When I threw several throwing knives in respond, Kamil’s posture broke and he lashed with a black chain from his sleeve. It struck down all the throwing knives.
It was a small weighted chain made from magic steel. The female evil race who I defeated at the village between mountains also used it, but it should be stronger than my pendulum in strength if he had a control skill. Kamil didn’t pause and swung the chain in succession, smashing the ground and rock──
*GAN!!*
I read the trajectory of its tip that was swiveling in high speed and intercepted it with my weight type pendulum. They made an ear-piercing sound.
We both used similar weapons. The chain and string entangled with each other the moment we inhaled air.
Both of us didn’t let go of our respective weapon and pulled with our left arm. We both sensed the mana of the others rising, but at that moment when we both took a stance for Battle Skill──
「Enough!」
「Stop!!」
Yells for us to stop entered our ears again from close by. Our blades stopped still right in front of each other’s brow ridge as our Battle Skill ended up unfired.
「Wait wait, Kamil!」
The Cruzian boy seemed to have finished dealing with the remaining beetles and cut in between the two of us. Seeing that I used string control skill to disentangle my string from the chain and stepped back fro the two of them. Elena came to my side with a grave expression.
「What’s the meaning of this?」
Elena spoke with a really thorny voice from anger. She seemed to be very furious. Her whole body was filled with mana that was just a moment away from being fired. Static electricity was making her wavy blonde hair to stand on ends.
Kamil was wary toward Elena who was in such state and moved to step forward, but the Cruzian boy stopped him with his hand.
「I told you wait. We’re the one in the wrong here. We were saved by them you know?」
「We didn’t need it.」
「This is why you……, well, our bad, Melsenian ladies.」
「……tsu」
The words of the affable Cruzian boy made Elena noticed that the hood on her head was out of place. Her hand quickly reached toward it……but Elena stopped her hand and chose to keep glaring with her exposed face.
……Perhaps Elena too had noticed. For kist a moment, the boy turned a sharp evaluating gaze toward her.
「About the apology……can I take it that you’re the one in charge of negotiating? Is it okay if I ask your name?」
「You aren’t going to introduce yourself first even though you’re asking a woman her name?」
「I guess……call me Ron.」
「Then, you can call me Lena.」
It sounded completely like a fake name, but there was no point telling them Elena’s true name here.
It wouldn’t be a problem if it was a name like mine that was a fake from the start to be registered as adventurer’s name, but it would be wiser to not say Elena’s name as the princess.
Even though it was a self-introduction that was riddled with falsehood, the boy who called himself Ron also didn’t look like he was bothered at all. This time he bowed his head with a serious face.
「My thanks for your assistance. We caught the eyes of a slightly troublesome bunch you see.」
「Perhaps you two had done something bad to invite such reprisal?」
Elena spoke while playing ignorant about Munza Gang. Ron smiled a little bitterly.
「We just crushed one of their businesses. But the two of you will be alright……I guess? Even the men who were remaining here had been eliminated by the girl over there after all.」
Ron’s gaze turned toward me. His eyes were slightly narrowed.
「You’re really strong……this is the first time I saw a girl who can fight Kamil equally.」
「I feel the same with him over there.」
Kamil was strong. I couldn’t accurately gauge his combat strength because he was wearing a cloak just like me but, I felt that he was as strong or even more so than me.
I didn’t intend to lose even if that fight continued but, Kamil must also felt the same. Judging from the feeling I got when we exchanged blow, he too was still hiding his trump card.
「Are there many skilled fighter like you two in that town I wonder?」
「How can that be. If strong guys like Kamil are wandering all over that town, I would have run away already from there. But if you don’t know about that, does that mean the two of you only arrived to that town recently?」
「Is that important to know?」
Elena replied to the probing conversation and words coldly. Ron shrugged and smiled faintly.
「It doesn’t really matter. It’s just……you two look like a young lady and her bodyguard from somewhere.」
Elena too didn’t change her expression hearing those words and put on a cold smile.
「My, just like the two of you?」
Elena and Ron were staring at each other while smiling coldly. Beside them Kamil and I were glaring at each other wordlessly.
「This is enough right?」
The one who broke the tense atmosphere was unexpectedly Kamil. He placed his hand on the shoulder of Ron who was looking at his with a hint of dissatisfaction in his face. Then he flicked a coin at me.
I grabbed it at midair and opened my hand. It was a large gold coin that I had never seen before.
「It’s Karlfan Empire’s currency. Now there’s no problem right?」
「Isn’t it too much?」
If this was equal to Claydale Kingdom’s large gold coin, it was a really great amount for a reward to save them.
「It’s also to apologize for Ron’s rudeness.」
「Kamil, you’re saying that?」
Ron directed a half closed gaze with a pathetic expression toward Kamil who was shelving what he himself had done. The atmosphere was relaxing somewhat. Then Elena plucked the large gold coin from my hand and turned a slightly nasty smile toward them.
「Isn’t this too little to apologize for the rudeness?」
「…………」
Elena was putting on a sweet smile like a blooming flower. Ron also smiled wryly and tossed another small gold coin toward me.
「What a really pricy help eh, well, it’s a cheap price for our life though. Then let’s leave from this place already. The insects are going to come again.」
「Yes, let’s do so. Are you fine with us being strangers even if we meet again at the town?」
「That way will be better but……well then, I have a little warning.」
Ron’s words made us who had started moving to end the conversation and leave stopped for a moment.
「Don’t trust anyone in that town. Doesn’t matter whether it’s kid or old man, they’ll be your enemy tomorrow even if they’re smiling today. Of course, that also includes us.」