Paradigm Parasite

The next day we received the plates and decided to kill some time by doing simple jobs until departure day.

I did the warehousing and chore-type work.

Heidi doesn't know ....... Not interested.

I guess she was doing something since she hadn't returned to the lodge.

Time passed while I was doing all these things....

And the day of departure.

Now we were being rocked by a horse-drawn carriage.

There were a total of 20 carriages on the road.

The first two carriages were in the lead, and the rest were running side by side.

We were riding in the back of the carriage and watching the scenery flow by.

Heidi, who was sitting next to me, stuck to the window to see if the carriage was unusual.

I guess this is what I call a trip.

Unfamiliar scenery. Unfamiliar air. This freshness is the best part of traveling, isn't it?

I know the scenery from my memory that I ate....

Don't worry about the details.

Goblins attacked us sporadically along the way, but they were being repelled before we could move.

There are more than 50 guards. No daredevil would dare to attack this number.

If there were, it would only be those who were lacking in various ways, like the goblins who were repulsed.

The guards are not only yellow like me, but also blue and a few red plate bearers.

Most of the goblins would have been killed in an instant.

Thanks to them, I could enjoy a leisurely carriage ride.

After completing the route without any problems, we were able to enter Medream.

After entering Medream, we passed through several villages.

After a few more days, we arrived at the main city of Willead.

Medream Territory.

A large trading city in the northern part of the continent.

It is responsible for most of the distribution in the northern part of the country, and the economy is booming.

The main capital, Willead, is a famous tourist destination, and the first thing that catches the eye upon entering the city is the mountain that rises in the middle of the city.

Muslim Sacred Mountain.

The altitude is not that high, but there is a base of a religious organization called Gnosis, and it is crowded with pilgrims and tourists.

These two pillars, the rare goods coming from the south and the sacred mountain, are the main sources of income for the Medream.

...There are certainly a lot of people here.

After receiving our reward for completing the contract, we immediately went to the main street where the stores are lined up....

Too many people. It's going to be difficult to move around.

Besides...

"I've never been to Willead before, but there are so many people here!"

...I should also note Heidi's twinkling eyes next to me.

"Heidi..."

Just as I was about to call out to her, Heidi bumped into a passerby.

"Hey! Hey, be careful!"

"Oh, I'm sorry... hey you."

Heidi swears and grabs the arm of an old passerby who is trying to move away.

As she was saying this, he left.

"Hey, let go of me! I'm in a hurry!"

"If you're in a hurry, can you leave my wallet?"

"What? Did you say I stole it?"

No, you stole it with all your might.

Heidi puts a lot of pressure on her hand. I could hear the sound of bones creaking.

"I'm not going to question you. I watched you steal it."

"Okay, I get it. You can have it back!"

The man took the wallet out of his pocket and tossed it far away.

"Hey, hey!?"

Heidi ran after it.

I grabbed the man by the neck and dragged him into a narrow alley between buildings.

"What the hell are you doing? Let go of me! I gave you back the wallet!"

I use Silence I to muffle the sounds around me, just in case.

I slam the dragged man to the ground.

This town has a lot of crime because there are a lot of people.

Pickpocketing is commonplace, murder, robbery, you name it.

By the way, the thing the guy just threw away was probably a fake, and the contents were probably rocks or something.

She's too dumb to think anything of it.

I kick the man in the stomach, who is groaning after being slammed to the ground.

One, two, three kicks.

"Wait, wait, wait. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'll give it back."

The man spits up blood and holds out the wallet to me with shaking hands.

I take it and check the contents, stomping on the man to prevent him from running away.

This time it's the real thing.

"And it was a fluke! Help me! I don't want to die!"

The man begs for his life in a very loud voice.

This guy is a real piece of work, isn't he?

He is so careful to prepare a dummy to blindfold anyone when he is caught.

The reason he is shouting so loudly is probably to attract passersby.

He is also very tactful.

Well, I guess it's a lie to say it was just a fluke. He is a habitual criminal, no matter how you look at it.

By the way, no matter how much you shout, no one comes because of the magic effect.

You had the ability, but no luck.

I grab the guy by the hair.

"Wait, please forgive me..."

"Think of it as a disaster and give up."

I dragged the man away and walked to the end of the alley.

After I got a few things done, I returned from the alley to the main street, and Heidi was scurrying around, her eyes wandering.

What the hell is she doing?

As I approached her, she turned to me with a relieved look on her face.

"Where have you been? I was worried when I came back because I couldn't find you."

Her expression was dark as she said that. No wonder he stole your wallet.

I let out a sigh inwardly and push the wallet I got back to her.

"What? This is my wallet."

"Don't let them steal it next time."

Heidi accepted the wallet and looked relieved.

"Thank you, but how did you...?"

"No, he was an understanding guy. He gave it back to me when I asked him for it and told me about the city. Let's stay at the place he recommended."

No, he was a really nice guy.

I really learned a lot thanks to him.

If you leave the main street and go along the mountain to the west side of the town, you will find an area lined with inns.

Incidentally, some of the inns offer discounted rates for pilgrims, but...I don't care.

I have no intention of joining.

But I am interested in the sacred mountain.

The view of the city from the observatory at the top looks quite spectacular.

Maybe I'll take a peek at it tomorrow.

"As expected, there aren't many people around here."

"Yes, that's true. Compared to the main street, though."

It's the middle of the day.

Most people, except those looking for a place to stay, are probably shopping on the main street or hiking up the mountain.

"What kind of inn is this one?"

"It's called the Golden Thread Inn, and it's run by an old man with his son and his wife. I heard it was a little off the beaten path, so it's a bit of a hole-in-the-wall."

"I see. By the way, is this the only inn in this area? Is there a similar building just down the road, or is that different?"

Yes, the area to the south is an inn, but it has a different flavor.

There are many special-use accommodations with soundproofing and various options.

"No, it's an inn."

"...? What's the difference?"

"Well, technically, it's an inn where men and women go to have an affair."

"What!?"

What are you surprised about? In a town of this size, there are definitely such places.

Unlike Japan, there are no regulations here, so you can open any kind of brothel you want.

"And then there's the whorehouses."

"Oh, really... they have whorehouses..."

I don't know what she's embarrassed about, but that's why virgins(doutei) are...well, virgins(shoujo) now, I guess.

By the way, I got rid of mine in an adult bathhouse, so I have experience.

It was a big blow to my wallet, though. It's bad when you get hooked.

"Yeah, that's why I'd stay away from them. If you're not careful, some strange guy will catch you and take you in."

Well, with her, as long as she doesn't go voluntarily, it's not a problem.

"If you're interested, you can do whatever you want. If you're going to go, be careful about getting sick."

"What are you talking about!? I'm, I'm fine. I'll be fine."

I don't know what's okay, but there are too many playgrounds in that area that are not wallet friendly.

It's fine to go, but talk to your wallet.

While chatting like that, I saw the inn I wanted.

It is located a little away from the other stores, and the building is somewhat larger than the others.

A relief of a golden bird was dug into the double swinging door.

The building itself is old, but it seems to be well maintained and clean.

When I entered the building, a girl of about five or six years old came up to me.

"Welcome. Are you actually a guest?"

Was she the innkeeper's daughter?

"Yes, I am. Are you helping out at home? That's great."

Heidi was talking to the girl, bending down so that their eyes were on the same level.

The girl seemed pleased by the praise.

Perhaps noticing the girl's voice, a young woman...the proprietress? came out from the back of the room.

"Welcome. Are you staying with us?"

"Ah, for the two of us, the period is...for the time being, ten days."

The proprietress's face lit up with happiness and she hurriedly brought the guest book.

I don't see any sign of people. Rather than a hole in the ground, it is... deserted?

It looks well cleaned, and I can't think of any reason why people wouldn't stop by....

Strange. I'll be on the lookout, just in case.

"I'm sorry, sir. I'm sorry to bother you, but we renew our lease in two-day increments."

"Do I have to pay for every two days?"

"Yes, please pay if you wish to continue your stay."

The proprietress's face clouded a little.

Hm. Well, if I don't like it after staying there, I can just cut it off after two days.

That's a strange thing she's saying.

I pay the fee for two days while tilting my head inwardly.

The proprietress took my money and showed me to my room. We went up the stairs to the third floor.

The service is good. Most of them just give you a key and let you go up on your own.

The room I was shown was quite spacious.

The beds are well made.

It is certainly a nice place to stay. That's why it's strange.

There was no sign of other guests until I came here.

Is it possible that people don't come around here because they're "leaving" or something like that?

No, I don't think so.

If that were the case, I would have remembered it from the pickpocket's memory.

That pickpocket recognized this place as a good place to stay that he could recommend to others.

...Have they gotten into any trouble lately?

I thought about it for a minute and...decided not to.

Either way, it was none of my business.

The hostess handed us the key and left the room.

"The room and beds are spotless...nice inn!"

Heidi is touching the bed and looking out the window.

I'm going to learn from her and think things over simply.

After putting down our luggage, I'll register at the Adventurers' Guild and head out for sightseeing.

The sun was still high in the sky. Let's look around.

"I'll go to the Adventurers' Guild and complete the formalities before I forget. After that, we're free to do whatever we want."

"I understand. What are you going to do after you get to the guild, by the way?"

The mountains will be full of pilgrims.

We'll go there first thing in the morning. Maybe I'll go to the market and try some of the local specialties.

"Or maybe you'll go to a whorehouse?"

I'm not going to a whorehouse. It's a waste of money.

I don't have the slightest desire to go there now that my libido is so low.

"No, I'm going to look around the market."

"I see... what about me?"

"Suit yourself. Be back tomorrow morning at the latest."

"Okay."

I decided to leave my luggage and head to the guild since there was no point in talking.