◈Episode 107 To a Faraway Land (1)
“Is this right?”
“Didn’t you agree yesterday too?”
“By the way. “It seems like the driver, Na-ri, is disgusting.”
“…that.”
no. are you okay. I knew you would come to the party, but whatever. I knew this was fate, but whatever.
“I’m counting on you! Hahaha!”
Even though my ears won’t be safe in the future….
It’s a joke and I don’t like the concept, but I’m fine with it myself, so please don’t misunderstand me too much.
Have you been reciting the Buddha’s name all this time to ask not to get involved? You could ask that, but I don’t really hate Berserk himself.
Does it feel like just an introvert making an extrovert friend? Or how do you feel as a dog lover who suddenly adopts a beagle? It’s almost like that feeling.
There’s a subtle feeling like that, where you don’t hate it even if you’re a little tired. I don’t know about people who don’t have friends.
Anyway, for that reason, I don’t hate Berserk.
No, to be honest, I’m the one who is the one to blame, but it’s a tendency that appears often in shonen comics, so there’s something about it that I’m rather familiar with, right?
Because Berserk is so long, I like him enough to give him the nickname Berserker like Dev. really.
So I quietly leaned back in my chair, leaving Berserker smiling wahaha.
I wonder why the Weapon Master is not visible, but I think he will figure it out on his own.
Rather, my interest is where the next area is. A new party member has arrived, so I hope next time we go a little lighter.
I take a lot of rest while traveling, and I also get plenty of rest after solving a case… but I still want to spend it a little lighter.
* * *
We spent two more days in the city. It was to observe the progress, but as a result, there were no additional invasions.
Considering the number of demons consumed in battle, it was quite understandable. Unless we know exactly the power of the Great Devil, we cannot be completely at ease.
“I think it would be better to leave now.”
But that doesn’t mean I can stay here forever. In that respect, the Archmage’s remarks were very welcome news to me.
“Already?”
“hmm. That’s a shame. “I wanted to fight a demon knight properly!”
The spare sealing ball was delivered to me this morning, and Berserker has been bored for the past two days and has been requesting a duel whenever he gets the chance.
I was relieved to see that the battle had just ended and no one even brought up the duel flag. It was as expected.
“Aren’t you tired?”
Separately, Dev, who had known for two days that Berserker was surprisingly easy to deal with, spoke next to him. Berserker’s eyes widened for a moment and then he burst into laughter.
“Nothing can tire Berserk!”
No, please be tired. I said I was exhausted.
“Don’t bother the demon knight too much.”
“huh? “Have I troubled him?”
“You are being unreasonable.”
“Berserk? “You said you were being unreasonable??”
Still, I’m glad that Inquisitor and Dev worked together to stop Berserker.
Perhaps because Berserker is such a tough person, it is a bit disconcerting that the Inquisitor suddenly appears to be a master of social life.
“It seems like everyone has become very close.”
Surprisingly, the Archmage doesn’t seem to be stressed about controlling Berserker.
Actually, it was just a case of not being able to communicate about the fight, but it wasn’t a case where normal conversation was impossible. Considering that, the Archmage has no choice but to be comfortable. Because I’m pulling all the Berserker aggro…
In fact, it’s gotten even worse. ‘Are you okay with your body?’ ‘Are there really any problems with the seal?’ Including the rush, I think I’m the one having the most trouble. There really is no mercy on either side.
“Now, now, but you’d better not delay too much. “Would you please listen to my story?”
“Has there been a rescue call from another city? Seeing you speak so hastily, I wonder if there is a problem…”
“Oh, it’s not like that. However, I found a request whose route matched the destination I was trying to suggest.”
The Archmage said to put off talking about the request for now, and then brought up the story about the destination first.
“First of all, I was planning to suggest Hudelen as my next destination.”
“You mean Hudelen?”
“yes. “It’s a city you almost have to pass through if you want to go east.”
She took out a map and took a picture of where we were. Then he moved his finger toward the east on the map. There was a mountain range that stretched almost vertically.
“There are limited locations where you can cross the Karil Mountains. Of course, the ruggedness of the Karil Mountains will be no problem for our group, but there is no need to choose a difficult path.”
The Archmage next slightly lowered his finger to the south. A city located halfway up the mountain range: Hudelen was covered by her finger.
“So, Hudelen. Because it is located at the point where the mountain range becomes thinnest, it was originally famous as a city connecting east and west.”
The reason for the decision was too reasonable to say that she was being forced to make the decision on her own.
I don’t need anything else, and rather than go over the rough mountains to the east, I just go back.
“I understand why the destination is Hudelen. But the request…”
“It’s an escort mission.”
“ah.”
There’s even a convoy quest that goes exactly that way? You don’t want to miss this. It may be a bit uncomfortable, but the work seems to be completed and if you can make money while doing it, why would you refuse?
“It looks like the Gridana upper level is moving to another city. “There is almost no need to worry about additional attacks, but it is different from the top’s perspective.”
She handed over the option, saying that since it was requested first from the top, it doesn’t matter whether she rejects it or accepts it.
The words were a transfer of initiative, but in reality, it was a question to the Inquisitor.
Me and Berserker don’t care about demons or anything as long as there’s a fight, and Dev didn’t seem interested in getting involved with the destination or the way to get there.
“I wonder if it’s okay to leave already…”
However, the Inquisitor seems uneasy about something. Even though the battle is over, there is room for further invasion. Since the castle walls and city reconstruction have not been completely completed, you never know when the Great Devil will try his trick again.
It was a completely different context from leaving the cleanup of corruption to those who remained.
“hmm.”
The Archmage also seemed to understand that feeling and had a slightly stern expression on his face.
“Inquisitor, actually, the reason I want to leave now is not because of a request. As long as we have the help of the magic tower and temple, we are not in a position where money is tight. “It was recommended for a variety of experiences.”
“Yes, I know that.”
“The reason I want to leave now is because I feel anxious.”
She said that and looked at me. Is it because of the word anxiety? I remembered the broken seal. But because of that and the Great Devil?
“Is it because the Great Devil appeared?”
“But in the end, didn’t Nari win?”
“Has the Great Devil appeared??”
The Archmage shook his head slightly at each person’s reaction.
“It’s true that the Great Devil was taken into consideration, but it’s a little different. “The most important thing I looked at was how the Great Devil ‘knew’.”
“Isn’t that… what you predicted?”
“It’s probably possible. If you look at our progress, our intentions are clear. “But it’s strange that the date is exactly right.”
The Archmage said so and mentioned various places in the city. They were cities of almost similar longitude to Pa Enoch.
“You can expect us to go east. But isn’t it a bit strange that among these many cities, they accurately predicted which one we would go to? “What’s more, we announce our destination to temples and magic towers and don’t move.”
“For sure…”
Dev, who was as smart as an Archmage when it came to information, lowered his head.
“However, we must take into account that they did not clearly specify the destination and only collected related rumors. A magic tower or temple adventurer guild. Lastly… you should keep in mind that the Intelligence Guild has a liaison.”
“You are right. “But the important thing now is that the demons knew we were here.”
“…Are you worried about further attacks?”
“What I’m worried about is not additional offensives. “It’s more than that.”
The Archmage said nothing more. So I had to guess on my own what would make further attacks ‘something like that’… After ruling out what the Archmage would be afraid of one by one using the elimination method, I quickly came up with the answer.
I am sure that the final boss will not appear due to meta elements, but for the Archmage who is not so sure, Satan is also an object of ritual.
“That guy. I don’t quite understand Archmage’s words. “What does it have to do with the fact that they passed on our information to us and that we have to leave the city?”
“…It could be some kind of trap. “If you knew we would come here and prepared for this attack, you probably wouldn’t have prepared for the possibility that it would have failed.”
“If you do that, shouldn’t you have to stay here even longer? If you target me and make additional attacks….”
“That’s not allowed.”
This may be the reason why he did not say it out loud.
If Satan comes here, there is a high possibility that this city will be destroyed. There is no way the Inquisitor would back down even if he knew that.
“Inquisitor, didn’t you fall because you overused your divine power this time? “It would be dangerous if the enemy took advantage of this and divided their forces several times to attack.”
“But it’s still better than last time. This time I didn’t black out all day. “I woke up with less sleep than I did during the time I slept on Montata Island.”
“I know. But can you do that even when the great demons are continuously attacking you?”
“That’s…”
“The more time we give the enemies, the more dangerous it becomes. “How do we know if the demons on the northern front are coming down to the south?”
The Archmage stroked his staff and gently scolded the slumped Inquisitor.
“On the other hand, if the warrior leaves early, they will not move either. “If the purpose is gone, there is no reason to move too hard.”
However, if this happens… why didn’t you leave two days ago? Is it because of stamina recovery? Well, if I went out of the city in that state and ran into an ambush, it would have been hard work.
“Uh um. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Berserker…”
Meanwhile, Berserker was completely destroyed and was lying on the desk. It was the same as when I was a student and gave up on math and laid down.
Well, that doesn’t mean I don’t understand Berserker’s position. Since you just joined, you don’t know much about the situation here. Even if I had joined before, I still think I would have had a headache.
“It is right to go since the purpose of coming to this city in the first place has been achieved. In addition, isn’t it a situation where we need to find a way to exorcise the great evil of sloth? “It was a coincidence that we managed to stop it this time, but we still don’t know how to inflict damage to that archdemon.”
The Archmage did not give up and gently persuaded the Inquisitor. Even those excuses were probably just the tip of the iceberg, but in the end, it was the Inquisitor who passed over.
“If that were the case… I wouldn’t be able to object. All right. I… will follow the Archmage’s judgment. “How about the others?”
“I don’t like things complicated about Berserk. “If you’re going to go, go. If you’re not going, don’t.”
“I don’t mind.”
“If you do that, we’ll be leaving tomorrow morning. “Everyone, please be aware.”
If the Inquisitor had been a little more experienced, he would have pointed out the possibility that the Archmage had intentionally left unmentioned… but it seems difficult now.
But I can’t tell you that. In fact, even if I had been in a position to tell you, I would have covered it up.
“Demon knight, you come with me. “Shouldn’t you go to the guild?”
So I stood up following the Archmage’s call.
Unlike Archmages and Inquisitors who are registered as part of a party, I am an individual member of the guild, so I have to sign a separate contract.
It’s a bit annoying to have to stop by the guild every time something like this happens, but I’m just going to deal with it since adding my name to the party is a bad thing. Since it is a separate request, the remuneration is set separately, so it is not a loss, and it is quite useful to be able to avoid the position in times like this.
“for a moment!”
Then someone came. Since the door to the dorm had just been opened, everyone was aware of the visitor’s presence.
“I came here because I had something to say. Do you have some time…?”
It was Kankan with one arm missing.
“What.”
“First of all, let me apologize for coming here late at night. I didn’t eavesdrop to eavesdrop on you! “I saw you talking about the request with the boss earlier… Well, I think we might be leaving tomorrow, so I thought I should say hello before then.”
He scratched his mane-like hair and made a shy face.
“Thank you everyone. Especially you… I’m so grateful to you. “Thanks to you, I was able to stop my friend.”
Then he finally bowed his head. He didn’t seem to be used to saying thank you – he looked roughly my age, so I could roughly understand his feelings. As you get older, it becomes so difficult to say thank you. It gets really easy once you get over it, but—the ears visible through the lowered head were red.
“What… I didn’t do anything.”
“No, if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have been able to stop him. These arms alone are proof of that, right? Proof that I couldn’t beat him. “You, on the other hand… slit that guy’s throat beautifully.”
But if he were Kankan’s friend, it would be King Mu. Did Kankan and Dev kill King Mu together? Berserk didn’t help?
You never said anything like this!
“It was possible because you caught my attention.”
“Haha, anyway, young hunters are really shy. You can be confident, young hunter! He gave up being a warrior, but he wasn’t weak. “You were able to break through that guy’s spirit and attack successfully!”
“Berserk is right. “It is never easy to make another sneak attack on someone who has stabbed you once.”
I felt betrayed. You… you said Berserk was done. What’s this! There is something to be pretentious about. What if we reduce this?
“Thank you anyway. “Not just that guy, but all of you.”
Anyway, the Inquisitor humbly said that he was just doing what he had to do after blessing the entire castle wall, and Devna caught the guy who he expected to be a mid-boss or boss even though he wasn’t expecting him to be brute force.
I am proud that our dumplings are doing their jobs so well. When I think about the kids’ age, I cry a little. Sobbing.
“This is my way of saying thank you.”
In the meantime, Kankan held out something strange, a bone fragment bracelet.
Strictly speaking, it wasn’t something he commissioned, and it was just a matter of punishing a traitor during the war… but it seems like he wanted to repay his emotional debt.
“It’s nothing special, but in my hometown there is a custom of giving something like this to a benefactor. So, this is a kind of…”
“It’s a token. Proof of recognition by the Norda warriors. As long as Berserk is with us, there will be no more hostility between the Norda warriors, but with this, there will be no more hostility!”
“Berserk is right.”
Berserker chuckled and nudged Dev to take it. Of course, Kankan took care of all of our shares, so Dev was not the only one receiving.
It’s just that Dev received the most.
“Why are there so many?”
“Thanks to you, there are many who survived King Mu. “Those guys were threatening to pay you back, but you were nowhere to be seen… so I decided to deliver it instead.”
“But this is still too much.”
“Take it.”
Just as I received a bundle from Tatara, Dev also received a bundle of gifts.
Even though he received it, he took the credit for it by saying things like, ‘Is it okay for me to receive this?’ or ‘Other people had a harder time.’ It seemed like he was really not used to this type of situation.
There was no one who tried to stop me because I felt that I should receive it if I had made such a contribution.
“Now, demon knight. “You take it too.”
“Not required.”
“I especially want you to accept it… I don’t want the Nordic warriors to die because they are hostile to you without knowing it.”
“….”
Well, it wasn’t like I was avoiding it.
I’m glad it’s just a bracelet and not a bundle of gifts, but I’m not happy about it either. It’s not like collecting medals.
It would be more convenient to give it as an honorary title, but giving it as an item only increases the malicious inventory.
“Then may the great warriors have a great struggle ahead.”
Still, I accepted it. I already received what I was supposed to receive, but this is just one additional thing.
* * *
“Ugh, it’s hot.”
I would have done something similar to say goodbye to Kankan, but there would be nothing to do in the city.
On the other hand, there are many reasons to go. So we left the city with an escort mission without any regrets.
“Haha, the heat around here is a bit murderous.”
However, even if it was an escort mission, there was not much to do to protect the luggage. This was possible because the desert is essentially a land without demons or beasts.
Of course, there are thieves in the desert, but you don’t come across them often, so let’s put it aside.
The biggest enemy here was, of course, nature. For example, the sunlight and heat hitting your skin and the occasional sand storm.
“Would you like some water?”
“Oh, thank you.”
Well, I was able to endure the heat without getting sick. The problem is Dev, who gets very hot.
It would be better if the Archmage made ice, but that was a benefit he had already enjoyed 10 minutes ago.
Since she needs to save her magic power for emergencies, it’s okay to ask her again. As I said last time, making ice in the desert was a task that consumed quite a lot of manpower.
“Ugh.”
As a result, Dev had to endure the situation, lying limp on the camel, with only water given occasionally. I feel like I want to take some of the heat away, but that’s not possible.
“It’s weak.”
“I’m only holding on thanks to my armor…”
“Oh no!”
Um ah. Speaking of armor, this occurred to me. Is there still one item left that the sea dragon gave me?
If that bead also has the power of water… But I don’t know if it will work or not because the child is very upset right now. More than anything, even if this happens, I think it would be a bitch to give this up. It’s a bit funny that they’re giving it to us now that the desert area is over.
I’m sorry Dev. Hold on to your evil spirit. It’s the path you chose.
“Haha… But if we go two more days, we will reach the Karil Mountains, so the heat will go away. “Hold on just a little longer.”
“Yes.”
Fortunately, we spend less time in the desert than when we came from Canaves to Pa Enoch. Dev also had a bright look on his face when he heard that fact.
“Hmm. It’s boring. “The desert is such a barren place.”
Meanwhile, Berserker went limp in a different way. She gets hot at a similar level to Dev, but it seems that what really bothers her is boredom.
“There’s nothing to hunt.”
When something to hunt comes up, Berserker may be happy, but the people at the top will scream.
I saw people who couldn’t even fight back and just smiled awkwardly. Anyway, it’s a lot of hardship.
“Is there anything interesting happening in Heudelen?”
“First of all, I haven’t heard anything. “Do you know anything?”
“Me too…”
Dev shook his head helplessly and pointed at the people at the top. I think the intention was to ask them since those gentlemen would be quick to hear the news.
However, no particular information came from them either. Since nothing much happened in the first place, I’m going in that direction.
After all, those gentlemen aren’t hunters, so what reason would there be for them to go to a city where there’s an incident going on? There is a strong possibility that the product will be lost like this one.
“hmm?”
At that time, Berserker glanced up. When the body that was stretched out straightens its back, the view is as high as that of an Archmage.
Her amber eyes began to closely watch the area ahead.
“…I smell a fight.”
Did I also stare straight ahead? When Berserker discovered the dust cloud on the horizon, he immediately said that. The face that had been drenched in boredom gradually became lively.
“Wait a minute…”
“Swarms of magic enemies ahead! “It comes this way!”
As Berserker’s body shook, the person holding the wishing mirror in his hand shouted. The Archmage, who was trying to stop Berserker, quickly retrieved his outstretched hand.
The magistrate’s eyes were like, ‘How did you know that?’ It has a certain level of imagery. I also admitted it. I don’t think he has good eyes and his intuition is at the level of a true beast.
“Hahaha! It’s a struggle!”
“…Please.”
Anyway, there is no way to skip any quest.
The camel carrying Berserker and I left the group and began to gallop forward.