Chapter 59
Chapter 59
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: The Twenty-Fourth Fragment, Carpediem
-----------------------------------------------------------------
After shaking hands, Jeanne staggered and sat down heavily. She must have lost quite a bit of blood, as she seemed dizzy.
*Looks like we'll have no choice but to spend the night here.*
Having already stayed one night, there shouldn't be any major issues. That said, the strawman's corpse over there... As a decent person, he couldn't just leave it be, so he piled up some stones to make a rough grave. Deep down, he wanted to toss it out as monster bait, but lingering qualms kept stopping him in his tracks.
He hastily stacked up the scattered stones nearby to form a burial mound. It was more a pile of rocks than a proper grave, but making it eased his mind a little.
By the time he finished the grave, the sun was setting. Judah headed up to the third floor of the building where he had stayed the previous night, with Jeanne in tow. Part of the wall had collapsed, and there was a hole in the ceiling through which the sky was visible, but it was suitable enough for one night.
First things first, they hadn't eaten anything, so he needed to prepare a meal. Jeanne said the jerky and dried fruit she had were fine, but Judah thought that wouldn't cut it. To help replenish her anemia, he pulled out some herbs and Black Wolf meat he had stored in his <Bag>.
The meat and herbs were incredibly fresh. Ever since they went into the <Bag>, time seemed to stop for them, preserving their state exactly as when gathered or butchered. He took out a pot, poured in water, and prepared a stew, which he fed to her.
"! This is delicious. Your cooking skills seem to improve every time."
"Want me to teach you?"
At Judah's words, Jeanne let out a soft "Mm," avoiding his gaze.
"As I mentioned last time, I'm embarrassed to say I have no talent for cooking. I just can't get the seasoning right."
She spoke with evident self-doubt, and hearing it, Judah chuckled.
"That's fine. We're going to be companions from now on, so I'll handle the meals. Of course, there might be times when we have to make do with jerky."
"Ah, that's all right. Even occasionally getting to eat such tasty, warm food outdoors like this is more than enough to be grateful for."
She truly meant it was delicious—she devoured the stew like a starving woman. She polished off one bowl in no time, and when she looked a bit unsatisfied, he generously refilled it from what remained. They ate in silence, without exchanging words.
*...Come to think of it, isn't there a treasure chest around here?*
A treasure chest—the crowning glory of RPG games. Anyone who's played old dot-matrix games knows: they're always tucked in corners of castles or villages, or hidden spots. Opening one yields recovery items or a bit of money—small rewards. Of course, in this realized game world, taking things from people's homes or castles counts as theft. But in open ruins like these, finders keepers.
This ruin, however, had long been picked clean by monsters and adventurers of anything valuable. You might dig through collapsed debris or clear blocked paths and get lucky with something usable if you're fortunate, but it wouldn't fetch much coin. Even if you found a weapon, it'd just be rusted scrap. Far better quality arms were sold at Serenia Castle's smithy. Still, there was one treasure chest untouched by adventurers or monsters, meant solely for players. Judah scooped up some stew with his spoon, lost in thought.
*But nothing really useful inside.*
Recruiting the strawman and Blue Spear Knight had been a hidden quest, inaccessible to those unaware. Players who uncovered it and gained these companions naturally tested their performance first. They'd hunt monsters infesting the ruins and poke around for hidden items.
That would lead them to the dilapidated mansion to the north. Goblins had nested inside, turning it into a dungeon. Wipe them out, and you'd get an old chest as reward. It contained a few gold coins hoarded by the goblins and a decent early-game weapon. Low chance for a code, but nothing with great options, as he recalled.
*Do I really need to bother?*
He had no attachment to the gold; hunting Black Wolves nonstop had netted him a tidy sum from their hides and magic stones. Money was always better in abundance, but he had plenty of other ways to earn it. He still had the lord's wolf-hunting quest, and crossing Serenia to the knight's nation of <Philoria> offered tournament prizes. The chest's items weren't vital to him now, either. Experience points, maybe, at best.
"What are you thinking about so intently?"
"Hm?"
Jeanne's question snapped him back; he reflexively looked up. Her bowl was already empty. Meanwhile, half his stew sat cooling. He took a spoonful—it was definitely warm earlier but now cold. He hadn't thought for that long. Jeanne wore a concerned expression.
"You were just staring down at your stew without a word. Is something wrong?"
"No, nothing. I was just wondering if Tia was doing okay."
"Now that you mention it, she didn't come with you. I knew something felt off."
During the two years Jeanne had spent with Judah, the two were never apart. Like twins, they went everywhere and did everything together. The odd vibe she'd sensed upon meeting Judah stemmed from Tia's absence. Judah nodded, eating his stew.
"Yeah, since I'm probably leaving Serenia Castle soon."
"She's not coming along?"
Judah gave a wry smile, stew still in his mouth. Jeanne looked puzzled by it.
"Why not? If you're looking for the most trustworthy companion, wouldn't she be better suited than me?"
*Because of her stats.* How could he say that? Judging people by looks was like him judging companions by stats. To gather fragments in this world, he had no choice. He couldn't dodge or gloss over the answer—it'd become another trust issue.
"..."
Just as he opened his mouth, a distant sound made him gesture for Jeanne to stay quiet. Carefully setting down his bowl and spoon, Judah moved to the hole in the wall.
Kreek!
*Goblins.*
About twenty goblins approached warily. They glanced at the piled corpses of their kin, then hoisted one each. The remaining ten headed for the stone grave Judah had made for the strawman. Sniffing blood, they rummaged through the rocks and pulled out the corpse. Judah frowned.
He'd spent two hours building it to keep monsters away, and they'd ruined it in under ten minutes. Unbelievable. The goblins slung the strawman and dead goblin corpses over their shoulders, scanned the surroundings, then retraced their steps. Watching from the rooftop, Judah sighed.
*The mansion with the treasure chest?*
He'd hoped to avoid it, but now he had no choice. Still, he hadn't expected them to dig up a corpse he'd gone to the trouble of burying just to eat it. Jeanne sidled up beside him, watching the goblins herd off, then turned to him. Her lake-like eyes seemed to ask what now.
"I'll explain later. More importantly, how's your condition? Can you move?"
"After that delicious meal, my energy's surging. Perfect for a post-dinner workout."
Judah nodded.
"Good. Shall we go, then? I went to the trouble of making a grave—can't just let them have him like that."
Jeanne nodded in agreement but glanced worriedly at the sky. The evening glow painted it beautifully, soon to be swallowed by darkness. Goblins were nocturnal, with good night vision, but he and Jeanne lacked that. Could they kill them all before light fully faded?
"But the sun's about to set. You sure?"
As if waiting, Judah pulled three glass vials of suspicious fluorescent liquid from his <Bag> and handed them to her.
"What's this?"
"Liquid that emits bright light on impact. If it gets too dark after sunset, smash one on the ground. It'll glow for at least ten minutes."
Come to think of it, he'd never bought any, but the general store owner had recommended them cheaply once. Storing even such trivia in his subspace... Jeanne suddenly wondered what else—and how much—was in there. His reliable vibe, pulling out whatever was needed, made her chuckle softly as she followed.
"Why the laugh?"
"...Hm, nothing."
Judah eyed her suspiciously but said nothing more, descending the stairs. Jeanne trailed with a fond gaze. The goblins, oblivious to being tailed, merrily carried the corpses—and soon entered a mansion.
*As expected.*
The map position matched. The northern mansion, goblin nest. Judah glanced at Jeanne. The ruddy final sunlight lit the darkening sky, illuminating her face too. Ahead of battle, her expression was blank—no fear, no joy.
"Lady Jeanne, uh—your arm okay? Can you fight?"
"Of course, Judah. Blue Spear Knights aren't so frail as to need worrying."
Silvery particles gathered around her, cladding her in the beautiful full-body armor and helm unique to her order. Her shield and spear were in poor shape, though. Her right arm was bloodied. Judah's gaze lingered on her gear. Perhaps sensing it lacked full trust, she glanced between spear and shield, then added with a surge of emotion.
"...Even like this, goblins are no problem."
========== Author's Note ==========
[Quest. Will you join the raid to unseal the Weeping Soul?]
[No / No]
[No]
[No]
[No]
[No]
[Error]
[The event has been canceled.]