Chapter 65
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 065
Chapter Title: Oath Regarding the Tail #3
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“Yor, it's a shame we couldn't meet the blacksmith before escaping the city.”
“Couldn't be helped. Party missions come first.”
“As expected, our Yor is cut from a different cloth than those thieves who can't tell priorities!”
Hammer was overly consoling me.
It was probably because we'd failed my personal quests: “Find the blacksmith” and “Find Chepheri's adopted daughter.”
“Yor, our escort mission was no ordinary one. I see it as a miracle that we all made it out alive without a single casualty.”
That was true.
A dragon had shown up, after all.
There was some good news, though.
“Hermit says the teleportation magic circle in Cunning Town is now linked to the Ether table.”
“Oh? And that's good how?”
“If Hermit operates it, we can sneak into the city easily.”
It meant we could go to Cunning Town and back in a single day with a snap of magic fingers.
Anytime!
Of course, we'd need Hermit to activate the spell.
That thought greatly improved my mood.
“Hammer, what’s Hermit up to right now?”
“I left her in Ishtar's care. She needs rest for the time being.”
I didn't know much about it, but apparently, a “teleportation magic circle” was an extremely taxing spell.
It was the kind that normally required multiple mages, yet she'd activated it solo, so no wonder she was worn out.
“Hammer, is there anything we can do to help?”
I wanted Hermit to recover quickly.
That way, we could head back to Cunning Town.
Plus, Hermit was a key member for Ether farming in her AoE role.
“If you're that worried about Hermit, how about making her a good-luck charm?”
“A charm?”
“Something like a health-prayer trinket.”
Ooo, that sounded like a great idea.
Better than just sitting around doing nothing.
So I put an Ether coin in a small pouch and tied it tight.
Yor's special coin charm.
‘Get well soon, Hermit!’
Praying for someone's recovery was a first for me.
It felt incredibly embarrassing and awkward.
Hammer took the “coin charm” from me.
“Then I'll give this to her.”
“Yessir!”
“By the way, Yor, what about that kid?”
“That kid...?”
“That bewitching beast, Nimbel!”
It felt like he'd uttered the name of a demon we weren't supposed to say.
Even hearing it made me shudder in fear.
“Nimbel...”
“Soon, Director Jeremiah will come to pick up Isaiah and Erdari Sauriel. Make sure that kid doesn't cause any trouble then—keep a close eye on her.”
“Me?”
“You brought her!”
I didn't bring her; she followed me.
Kinda unfair!
Anyway, I searched the Wall's nooks and crannies for Nimbel, tense as could be.
I found her in a warehouse stacked with wooden crates.
She was glancing around suspiciously, just like a thief.
“Nimbel, what're you doing here?”
“Shh—quiet.”
“......”
What the heck was she up to?
Anyway, Nimbel had gotten swept up in Hermit's teleportation spell.
A day had passed since then.
She'd been prowling the Wall, wary and fascinated by everything.
Pop—!
Nimbel darted quickly.
—Squeeeek!
“Whoa! Look! Caught a rat! So many fat rats here—no chance of starving!”
She grabbed the rat by the tail, thrilled.
“It's just like that underground where the dwarf was locked up!”
Underground prison where the dwarf was held?
That suddenly caught my attention big time.
“Where was that?”
“Underground in that ‘city’ place.”
“Cunning Town underground?”
“Yeah. Saw it while pheasant hunting. Dwarves all tied up, hands and feet bound.”
Ooo—!
Dwarves were the folk who masterfully turned all sorts of materials into tools!
“Can you tell me more?”
“Oh? Lots of other people tied up too. Girls my age in those frilly clothes, bawling their eyes out—total eyesore.”
Frilly clothes.
Noble dresses maybe—!?
Blacksmith and kidnapped noble daughters.
If we played it right, we might solve both in one go—I felt great.
‘Nimbel’s an unexpected lucky charm!’
Whatever, Nimbel cackled kehhehe while eyeing the rat pup.
“This one's enough to fill me till morning?”
Squeak-squeak.
The suffering rat pup.
Nimbel opened her mouth wide, clearly planning to swallow it whole.
I watched tensely, and she froze mid-motion.
“Why're you staring like that?”
“You're really gonna eat that?”
“Tch, fine. Here, for you.”
Nimbel offered me the rat pup.
Pheasants or sparrows were one thing, but a rat pup... no thanks.
If it were a few months ago when I was starving, maybe, but now that I farmed Ether for chicken and cola? Hell no.
‘Probably crawling with germs.’
Most explorers overlooked it, but health came first in Harvesting.
Otherwise, you'd end up dying of heart disease like my past self.
Nimbel scowled.
“Not eating?”
“Uh, later.”
I pretended to stuff the rat pup in my satchel, then quietly released it behind me.
‘Little rat, I'll spare you—so pay me back someday.’
Thanks to the “Subtle Touch” skill, even sharp-as-a-beast Nimbel didn't notice.
This is why people need skills.
Gotta devour those skillbooks.
Nimbel kept scouting the warehouse area after that.
“After more rats?”
“Can’t hunt, can’t eat.”
Such primal thinking.
I took her to the campfire.
Then bought chicken and cola with Ether and offered it.
“Try this instead of rats.”
“Nope.”
“What? No?”
“This isn't from hunting. It's magic.”
Nimbel crossed her arms, puffing out her chest proudly.
“Humans beyond your Wall are weak 'cause they don't hunt—that's why you can't beat the night.”
Less looking down on me, more scorning humanity as a species.
I was humanity's rep right then.
Suddenly felt kinda insulted?
Speaking for all hardworking humans and laborers:
“To be precise, this comes from hunting too, y'know?”
“Huh?”
“We kill monsters, get Ether, use it as money.”
Civilized labor's no different from hunting.
Everyone risks their necks at work.
My thieving always puts my fingers on the line too.
If that's not hunting, what is?
If that's not honest work, what is?
Nimbel's eyebrows shot up at my words.
“Hmm, makes sense when you put it like that.”
She snatched a drumstick.
Sniff-sniff—she sniffed it, poked the batter with her tongue tip, super wary.
Like a wolf tense before poisoned meat.
Finally, mouth agape, one bite.
Crunch, munch.
“Eh, not bad, I guess.”
Her tail was wagging side to side like crazy.
Wagwagwagwag—!
Hilarious!
I felt this weird sense of superiority.
‘Heh heh heh, beast is beast after all.’
Nimbel demolished a whole chicken in seconds.
“Urp—yeah, tasted good.”
Cola time was a sight.
“Gah, ptoo, ptoo! Poison!”
Ha, raw reaction!
Wagwagwag—her tail spun like a helicopter, whacking everything.
It smacked my body too, so I grabbed the tail.
“Why's it wiggling so much?”
“What?!”
Flinch—!
Nimbel freaked when I grabbed her tail.
That's when I marveled.
‘Tail feels like top-grade fur.’
Bet it'd fetch a fortune stolen.
She slyly yanked it free, snorting.
“Anyway, who's the smartest here?”
Smartest person?
Hermit came to mind.
But with her asleep, probably Sir Saxon from the adjacent party?
Sir Saxon was a grizzled combat mage.
“Beast-like lass! A Druid of the Black Blood clan still lives!”
Sir Saxon in the library gasped at Nimbel.
Come to think of it, Sauriel had called her Black Blood something too.
“What's that?”
“Druids commune with nature. Different breed from wizards like me who study magic, or sorcerers like Miss Hermit who're born with it.”
Wizard, sorcerer, druid.
Aren't mages just mages?
Wanted to ask, but it'd drag on, so I held back.
Fair enough—thieves have pickpockets, robbers, burglars, kidnappers, etc.
We do a bit of everything usually.
“So she's human?”
I'd figured Nimbel for a beast-human hybrid.
Sir Saxon chuckled at my question.
“Of course human! But long ago, many didn't see it that way. Druids got labeled monsters, persecuted—fled to Night Land.”
“Me, human?”
Nimbel scowled.
Shocked me too.
Nimbel wasn't half-beast!?
‘If fully human, she's just a cute girl with animal ears!’
Suddenly felt awkward.
I'd been less tense thinking her an animal.
Nobody tenses around cute dogs or cats.
“Miss, mind if I touch that tail?”
Sir Saxon snorted eagerly.
But Nimbel panicked.
“Shut it! I'll rip you apart!”
Gasp—! I panicked too.
Rip apart Sir Saxon!?
Whoosh—Nimbel bolted after that.
“Sir Saxon, let me apologize on her behalf!”
I glanced warily at the veteran combat mage.
But Sir Saxon beamed at her ferocity.
“Exactly as the tomes describe!”
“Huh? Tomes?”
“Druid bloodline maidens are fiercely chaste—won't permit touch easily!”
That was it?
I'd grabbed her tail during cola earlier.
Thinking that, I suddenly felt chills all over.
“Sir Saxon, can I see more books on Druids?”
“Yor, finally interested in reading?”
Heh heh heh—Sir Saxon was thrilled.
He piled thick books on me.
I took them to the training grounds to read.
Found tales of the “Black Blood Clan.”
Title: Research Report on Various Tribal Cultures
....
The Black Blood Clan is a reclusive tribe, their romances extremely cautious and solemn.
If you wish to gain their favor, try gifting food.
Especially gifting ‘flowers’ to Black Blood Clan women───
The old, worn book had faded text.
What happens if you gift flowers?
The rest was smudged beyond reading.
‘Can't stand not knowing stuff like this.’
One way to find out.
Get flowers and give 'em a shot.
Might even score a kiss if lucky.