First Encounter of Terror (1)

Seina and I made our way out of Rania Forest and spent a day resting in a city called Obidos.

The place was known for arts and craftsmanship of every kind—painting, music, architecture—and it was a favorite getaway for travelers from all corners of the world.

"So good."

Seina swallowed a chunk of perfectly roasted rabbit in a single bite.

The table was already buried under a mountain of empty dishes.

When your engine is a sports car, you burn through fuel just as fast.

"You're not eating, Gerard? You said things are about to get busy. You can't put up a fight on an empty stomach."

She must have noticed me watching, because Seina glanced over at me and said that.

"I've had plenty. Eat as much as you want."

"Okay, then I'll work extra hard to cover your share too, so I'll eat a little more."

A small laugh escaped me.

For a werewolf, she had surprisingly decent table manners.

That's right, keep eating.

She was going to be worked to the bone soon enough.

With that pleasant thought, I snapped open a newspaper.

Yep. Trash game through and through.

A newspaper. In a medieval setting. Of course.

Just as I thought.

I skimmed down the key points.

The whole continent had been in an uproar lately over the death of the 7th Lord.

Which was only natural.

The 7th Lord, rumored to be every bit as powerful as the Archlord himself, had died with no cause of death ever identified.

But seriously, why did this guy die?

Even the game never explained the 7th Lord's death in any detail.

He ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was simply listed as already dead from the moment the game began.

Whether the devs couldn't be bothered to write it or cut it somewhere along the way, I had no idea—but no player ever really cared either.

By the late game, he was never even mentioned again.

Still, just in case, I should look into it later.

There was no harm in being careful.

The Council of Lords is in a week, they said. If I leave today, I'll arrive with plenty of time to spare.

Part of me wanted to forge Seina a proper weapon while we were here, but I didn't have that material on hand, and time was tight besides.

I had just folded the paper in half, consoling myself for the missed opportunity, when—

-CRASH!

Someone kicked the inn door clean off its hinges and stomped inside.

"Man! I'm starving to death over here!"

"Fighting goblins on an empty stomach like this? We'd lose for sure! Kahaha!"

"Both of you shut up already. We're not the only ones here!"

A group of two men and one woman.

Going by the armor, they were mercenaries without a doubt.

"Innkeep! Whatever comes out fastest, three of it! Quick! Quick! You get me, right?"

"Terribly sorry about this. We've run clean out of ingredients, so I'm afraid it's lodging only tonight."

The innkeeper looked up at them with a pained expression.

At that, one of the mercenaries shot up from his seat, his brow knotted in fury.

"Hey, innkeep! The sun's still high in the sky and you're telling me there's no food? You're just saying you don't want our business, plain and simple!"

"Please, there's been a misunderstanding! It's just that the table over there ordered so much food that we've truly run out of everything. We're in a difficult spot ourselves, so I ask for your understanding!"

"Huh?!"

And then the mercenary's eyes met mine.

I stared back at him, perfectly indifferent, and spoke.

"Is there a problem? I paid my bill fair and square."

Thud. Thud.

The man came swaggering toward me, chest puffed out like he owned the place.

"A problem? Oh, we've got plenty of problems."

Don't come over here.

Inwardly, I prayed he would just turn around and walk away.

Beating people up was really not my idea of a hobby.

"Look at all you stuffed yourselves. Damn it, and here I'm dying of hunger as it is. It's because of thoughtless bastards like you, who never spare a thought for whoever comes after, that we have to go wandering from inn to inn. How do you plan to compensate us?"

He spat the words down at me, condescending as could be.

"Don't! He looks like a highborn!"

One of the women, presumably his companion, shouted from far behind.

"...Highborn?"

The man's body flinched, just slightly.

"Ahem. Now that you mention it, I suppose mistakes can happen. We'll leave it at that."

He muttered in a small voice.

But the woman, oblivious to the stakes, marched right up and grabbed his arm to hold him back.

"No, I told you to drop it! We've still got a contract to handle!"

I let out a sigh at the sight.

She just did the one thing you must never do.

It was a kind of trigger.

Something like an aphrodisiac that gets a male who's already calmed down all riled up again.

And right on cue.

"Damn it! No escorts in sight, so you're probably some noble from a backwater. Think being a noble makes you the same as any other noble, huh? Hey, your highness. This place isn't so soft as all that. A man can disappear here without a sound—no body, no trace. You catching my meaning?!"

The man stole a glance at the woman, then—like a whale suddenly back in water—went completely berserk.

-Grrrrr.

Beside me, Seina had started to growl.

I casually reached out a hand to stop her, then addressed the man.

"Listen. If you'd rather not see blood, walk away."

"Ha, look at this guy? Hey, country bumpkin. Can't read the room? You ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠should be bowing your head and begging forgiveness, and that's letting you off easy. And what's with the girl? Sitting there in some weird hat jammed down over her eyes."

The mercenary reached for Seina's hat, trying to yank it off—and that was when—

-Snap!

I shot to my feet and seized his wrist.

"Fuck, what are you doing?! Let go!"

"Walk away now, and I'll pretend this never happened."

"Don't give me that bullshit—AAAARGH—!"

I channeled Maximization into my grip and squeezed.

At the same instant, his scream filled the inn's dining hall from wall to wall.

"L-let go of me! AAAARGH—!"

I bent his arm backward and slammed it straight down into the table.

The remaining companion, who had been watching this unfold, finally came running over.

"P-please, stop this, my lord! We were wrong!"

"I gave you a fair warning, if I recall."

"Th-this friend of mine has had far too much to drink today, I think. Please, show him mercy just ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠this once. I'm begging you!"

"AAAAGH—!"

The man pinned beneath me made a sound like he was dying, pawing weakly at my arm as if begging for his life.

Only then did I release his arm.

"Take him and get out. Now."

I said it to the woman standing frozen at a loss beside us.

She was the one who caused all this, after all. Cleaning it up was her job.

"AAAAGH—! Remember this! Mark my words, I'll remember this!"

Propped up between his companions, the man glared back at me, his face flushed crimson.

"Seems he still hasn't come to his senses."

I so much as shifted a single step, and the three of them bolted for the door.

Tsk.

I clicked my tongue and shook my head.

For just a moment there, I thought I could vaguely understand why nobles held commoners in such contempt.

Seina and I left the city of Obidos behind.

Given the choice, I'd have liked to take our time and see more of it, but the hours we could afford to linger were few.

A shame.

When I glanced back over my shoulder, the city of arts had already vanished from view.

It was a beautiful city. I'd have to come back someday, without fail.

"Gerard."

Then Seina spoke up.

Ever since the trouble with those men earlier, for some reason she'd been unusually quiet.

"What is it?"

"About earlier. Thank you."

"......"

Her words stirred a strange sense of déjà vu in me.

Was thanking someone supposed to sound this somber, coming from a werewolf?

"But don't ever do that again."

And at what followed, I yanked hard on the reins of the conversation, bringing it to a halt.

Only then did I finally realize what I'd done wrong.

...I completely forgot about that fact.

Werewolves were a supremely proud and noble race.

They took fierce pride in battle and overflowed with confidence in themselves.

Because of that, they leaned far closer to the role of protector than the protected.

In truth, her tribe had watched over elves, dwarves, and many other races for generations.

And I had shattered that pride.

By crushing that mercenary, I had demoted her—transformed her from a guardian into something that needed protecting.

Of everything, that's probably what cut deepest.

Everything else aside.

She had sworn her loyalty to me.

She'd vowed to be my sword—only to end up on the receiving end of protection instead.

Was there anything in this world more laughable than that?

"...I'm sorry."

I hadn't thought it through.

It was a clear, undeniable mistake.

"You don't need to apologize that much."

Seina's tone was flat, without a trace of her usual playfulness.

Even so, I wasn't particularly worried.

I knew exactly how to fix this.

"Would a T-bone steak do the trick?"

"Not in the mood for jokes."

"Truffle beef stew thrown in, on the house."

"...I said no."

"Fine, I've got it. Golden rabbit stew, then. That's a dish you can't get even with money."

"......"

A conflicted expression crossed Seina's face.

Proud werewolf or not, at the end of the day she was a carnivore.

Which is to say, no deal in the world survives an offer of food.

"...If you're going to put it that way, I suppose I have no choice. Not that I'm particularly hungry."

It was a lie a monkey wouldn't have bought, but I played along and pretended to swallow it whole.

So simple.

Well, that was exactly why I liked her.

"KYAAAA—!"

Then it happened.

A scream split the air, ringing out from somewhere far off.

"Over there!"

I followed where Seina was pointing and saw it—down the slope of the hill, armored figures were attacking a carriage.

"Are we saving them?"

Seina asked, looking eager—perhaps hoping to redeem her dishonor from earlier.

"...No. We're passing through."

"Great, then let's hurry and—huh?"

My answer must have caught her off guard, because she turned to stare at me with eyes gone round as saucers.

"Why...?"

"Why, you ask...?"

Well, because.

.

.

.

"Because it's a trap."

I could see it.

The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠level of the person inside that carriage.