Legend of the Southern
Legend of the Southern
Wasn't there a saying that civilized people are ruder than barbarians because their heads don't get split open for saying impolite things?
If I flipped that statement around, couldn't I say that people who freely spouted rude words and actions were members of a civilized society? If so, Itisel was an incredibly civilized nation, and perhaps these people had grown up enjoying its benefits so completely that they feared nothing and had no sense of restraint.
Since I was near my destination, the large city of Millean, the possibility was plenty high.
"So the orcs around here are almost completely wiped out?"
"Yes, yes. That's right. And so, uhm, the competition, I guess you could say. It got a bit intense. Orc parts are worth a fair bit right now."
Truthfully, there was hardly any fight at all.
Because before the corpse of the warrior bastard who took an axe to the solar plexus and went flying had even finished rolling down the hill, I hurled the whole pot of stew—now turned into orc blood soup—at the wizard bitch trying to cast a spell, making a scream come out instead of an incantation. Then I threw the axe and sent her after the warrior, and that alone was enough to make the rest of them lose their will to fight.
To be precise, two of them knew me, so things progressed quickly.
One mercenary and one adventurer. The former had overheard stories related to the orc gate incident through the Blue Owl Mercenary Band, and the latter was the type who knew my infamous reputation that was widespread in the capital.
I hadn't thought that just because two of them slammed their heads down, the rest would agree, but fortunately, they accepted the fact that they couldn't even properly track my movements and quickly threw down their weapons.
Thanks to that, I was now cleaning the pot with rations and water flasks confiscated from the bastards, boiling stew again, and listening to various circumstances.
They said they had merely been staying in a nearby city, formed a temporary party, and set out to make money. It was an action born from the calculation that since the orcs were almost all disappearing anyway, six of them banding together would be manageable. The royal family, as well as the merchant guilds, had released funds to quickly stabilize the situation, and as a result, a situation had also arisen where those with half-assed skills were rushing in like crazy.
"So other than that, things are quiet."
"That's... right?"
"Really?"
"...Uh..."
When I probed, wondering if there was any other story to be had, the eyes of the four surviving bastards began rolling desperately.
Even though I had already said I'd spare them, as I was tasting the re-boiled stew while watching them struggle as if they'd die if they couldn't squeeze out more information, the copper-skinned blonde mercenary, who looked like he'd be great at seducing other men's women, suddenly said "Ah!" and spoke urgently.
"Rumors related to Demonfolk are spreading near Mandela Port! The rumors have been unusually frequent lately!"
"...Mandela Port? Wasn't the damage there already months ago?"
"Th, that's right! So we thought it was strange! Up until a few weeks ago, it had been quiet!"
"You little... pass."
I hadn't expected anything at all, but squeezing them did make something come out.
I couldn't hear any details beyond that, but this much was plenty satisfying, so after recovering usable items from the corpses of the warrior and wizard, I provided an appropriate information fee and sent them on their way.
I briefly fell into contemplation over whether the Demonfolk had crossed the sea or set up a gate somewhere else, but since pondering it wouldn't yield a conclusion, I quickly finished my meal and decided to focus on moving. If it truly was something related to Demonfolk, there were plenty of ways to obtain information anyway, so now was the time to hurry home.
I did lose a bit of time because of those troublesome bastards, but fortunately, I arrived at Millean before the gates closed at sunset and was able to enter the city receiving treatment as an utterly ordinary adventurer. Though since the gate had business hours like a bank, from 9 AM to 4 PM, I couldn't fly out immediately.
Still, since the belongings of the warrior and wizard, who were the very incarnation of shamelessness, turned out to be worth more money than I'd thought, I got a room at a high-class inn with a bath to celebrate my safe return, and fell asleep relishing a generous, high-quality dinner and the warmth of a cozy fireplace.
As expected of an expensive inn, the bed was incredibly comfortable.
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After waking up feeling refreshed in the morning and finishing a proper meal at the inn's attached restaurant, I could finally feel that the end of this journey was approaching.
This time, I could say it with real confidence. It was all over.
There wasn't even a hint of a flag to raise that would tie me up in an incident. I'd arrive at the capital today as soon as I took the gate. At worst, there would be a simple belongings and body inspection before and after using the gate.
"Once I really get back, I'm not moving for days and just sleeping."
My steps leaving the inn after packing my things and checking my equipment were light beyond compare. I took a tea break to time it right, then drank in the cool air as I headed for the gate, and there were surprisingly many people who had lined up early since morning to use the gate.
It wasn't hard to guess that most of them were adventurers. It was rare for nobles to move this early, and merchants prosperous enough to use the gate casually just passed through without lining up. Even in the capital, the people standing around this early were mostly adventurers of red-rank or higher with skill and money.
Up to that point, nothing was strange, but seeing that many adventurers gathered at the gate in winter was quite a bit odd. Unless the city was so saturated with adventurers that there was no work, they would try to hold onto them as emergency personnel somehow.
What was more, the closer I got, the more oddly stirred up it was, and the mood wasn't very good.
"Everyone. Please, I'm begging you. I'm not even asking you to take the lead in the search. I'll provide financial support, so please just stay."
What I heard when I stood at the very back of the line, filled with puzzlement, was someone's pleading. Glancing ahead, a truly cold-looking bald man stood at the very front of the gate line, desperately appealing something to the adventurers.
"We're all just trying to make a living, Guild Master. They say our skills can't handle Demonfolk. If we stay, it's just a dog's death, so does money matter? We're begging you too, so just let us go."
But the desperation was similar for the adventurers who heard his words.
Contrary to my expectations, most of those standing in line had no ease in their expressions. Arriving while their conversation was in full swing and grasping the situation, I quickly realized that instead of adventurers with plenty of skill and money, these were adventurers scraping together what little money they had to move to another city.
It was a peculiar atmosphere. Even though the guild master was blocking the front, it wasn't compulsory, so they probably could have just passed through, yet no one acted that coldly, maybe because they were originally active in this city. Rather, fear and guilt coexisted on the faces of some adventurers.
"I can swear on the guild's name. I will never force unreasonable tasks upon you all."
"Anyway, the people who are confident in their skills are staying, aren't they?"
"Of course there are such people, but do only Demonfolk show up in winter? You all clearly know that many requests you could handle without difficulty will arise. In the midst of that, if you move like this just because there might be a Demonfolk threat, the workforce..."
Hmm, it was a rare sight in many ways. A situation where adventurers and a guild master were begging and pleading with each other wasn't that common.
But no matter what, I couldn't stand the fact that the line wasn't shrinking even though the guard was telling people who were going to use the gate to come forward.
"If you're not going, I'll pass through first."
Because I had absolutely no reason to be held up like this.
Even as I openly slipped out beside the line and moved forward, there was no one who particularly blocked or stopped me. The twenty or so adventurers seemed to be natives who had been active in this city for a long time, overflowing with guilt.
"A traveler passing through. Excuse me."
Fortunately, the man who was the guild master didn't grab me either. He didn't even know my face, so he seemed not to think I was an adventurer. Thanks to that, I didn't even have to stand in line, and while I wanted to express my gratitude, it was obvious I'd look like a clueless bastard if I really did that, so I shut my mouth and while getting body searched by the guard, I casually tossed a question at him.
"Did Demonfolk appear around here?"
"Strictly speaking, it's not even around here, and we don't even know if they really appeared. It's just that a rumor spread that Demonfolk ships were found near Mandela. Those folks got scared prematurely and want to go to the other side of the inland."
"When you say the other side...?"
"They said... what was it? At the western edge... Ogwen? Ugwel? I think they said some new dungeons appeared in a city called that, but since I have no interest, I don't really know."
Huh, to think I'd hear about Ogwen here. If the rumors had spread as far as the east, it must really be changing a lot and quickly. As thanks for telling me, I slipped him a few copper coins, and the guard's attitude, which wasn't bad to begin with, became even better.
"I can understand their feelings, but truthfully, it doesn't look good. They're acting like that over being a little scared, considering all the benefits the guild master has given them so far, tsk tsk..."
"Well, it's not my place to say. They're adventurers."
"Haha, our areas of activity are different, aren't they? Judging by your adventurer tag, you seem to be active in the capital, so what business brought you all the way out to the far east?"
"The orcs... put me through some trouble I never asked for."
Answering his question honestly after he finished checking my identity seemed pointless, so I smiled vaguely and dodged it, and the guard burst into hollow laughter, shaking his head side to side.
"Huh, those beasts that suddenly appeared are causing a lot of people to spill blood. Anyway, you're clear. The fee has been collected without issue, so you may move inside."
I had worried up to this point that Duke Lesrom might have done something and made things needlessly noisy, but it was just a groundless fear. I said my farewells to the kind guard and looked at the gate the mage had activated.
Honestly, it was ridiculous to say this having come this far, but even knowing there was no problem, I felt uneasy.
Maybe because there were more cases where things went to shit than cases where I saw a good outcome after taking a gate up until now, my steps, which had been light just moments ago, grew a bit heavy. At that, the male mage standing in front of the gate smiled a good-natured smile and said.
"It seems it's your first time using a gate. You don't need to worry too much. Just close your eyes tight, take two or three steps forward, and you'll arrive in another city."
Hah hah hah.
I had nothing in particular to say, so I thanked him and followed his advice, closing my eyes and stepping forward. For a brief moment, I felt my fine hairs stand on end from the gate's Magic Power, but I didn't feel a hint of the foreignness I felt when crossing the Demonfolk's gates.
"...Finally!"
And when I opened my eyes again, the endearingly familiar capital of Itisel was spread out before me.