Chapter 15: Brown-haired Ellie(1)
Chapter 15: Brown-haired Ellie(1)
No matter how much of a sucker the Regressor was, she wouldn't carry a guy who couldn't do anything.
I had to prove my own worth.
If it’s just about finding demonic energy, I might have an advantage over Lina. My eyes are good, after all.
But this worry about getting a spot on the bus would only last until I learned magic properly. I seemed to have a knack for it, too.
The problem was if I got kicked off before I had a chance to show my talent. That would be a bit of a headache. Still, it was better than the old days when I had nothing.
"This is a pretty big village."
After living in this world for about two years, I could tell where people tended to gather and talk.
Places that put people in a good mood.
Drinking, holding a woman. In times like these, even the most tight-lipped men would loosen up.
Kerry started heading toward a more secluded part of the village, asking people for directions as he went.
"The place with the best-tasting booze in this village? Well, there's only one top-tier tavern here."
And so, he arrived at the street he was looking for.
It seemed to be an entertainment district, with brothels mixed in. Beautiful women in revealing clothes tried to entice me.
"Hey there, handsome. You're looking good. Just my type. What do you say? Want to hang out here tonight?"
"Oh my. He really is quite handsome, isn't he? Come over here, and I'll give you some extra service."
I fought off the temptation. Honestly, any other time, I would have fallen for women this beautiful in a heartbeat, but right now, Kerry needed information.
I still have the money Lina gave me... Should I just stop by for a bit? No. Now's not the time.
Now was the time to find out about the demonic energy encroaching on the village as quickly as possible.
So that's the tavern with the most customers in the village.
It was a rather fine-looking establishment. It was large enough that, despite it being daytime, I could see some loafers hanging around.
As I opened the door and went inside, a man who appeared to be the owner gave a slight bow. Then he muttered to himself.
"Hmm. An outsider? We've been getting a lot of outsiders lately."
It seemed I'd come to the right place. This guy would know the village's situation inside and out. I sat down and ordered a drink.
"Give me a glass of whatever's most popular here."
To pay, I coolly slid a single gold coin across the counter. The owner, smelling money, immediately sprang into action.
"Right away, sir."
Dressed in the decent gear I'd taken from the bandits and casually tossing out a gold coin as if it were nothing, I looked every bit the part of a skilled adventurer.
I could feel some gazes of admiration from the people around me.
Of course, the reality was that I was an F-rank adventurer, but there was a reason for the bluff. You can't look like a pushover in a place like this.
In a closed-off village that's harsh on outsiders, being underestimated could get you beaten up and thrown out, or in the worst-case scenario, killed.
You had to be especially careful when you had a lot of money. And looking like a big shot was better for gathering information.
Kerry played the part of a big shot, smiling with an air of confidence. He then urged the owner to hurry up with the drink.
What kind of alcohol is this? In this world, I've been so busy just trying to survive that I haven't had much experience with drinking.
Alright. Where should I start asking? Kerry took a sip of the nameless liquor. It was a bit strong, but quite drinkable.
"It's my first time here, so I have a question for you, owner."
"Ask away, adventurer."
"Have... any suspicious people been coming and going around here lately?"
"Suspicious people, you say..."
"One guy, scrawny with a fierce-looking face... and another one, fat with a face like a pig. Hah. This drink isn't half bad. You recommended a good one."
I didn't forget to maintain my confident pose. The owner, perhaps intimidated by my suffocatingly cool act, seemed to be pondering my simple question deeply.
"Ah, now that you mention it, yes. I heard a few days ago that some people saw men matching your description. Everyone said they were creepy and scary. Why, did those men do something wrong?"
A direct hit. Now I had to dig deeper.
"...They've done wrong, alright. But don't ask for details. You're better off not knowing."
At my serious tone, the owner swallowed dryly. It seemed my act was working perfectly.
"H-Hmm. I see."
Some rough-looking loafers were also eavesdropping, but none of them had the guts to meet my eyes.
This is why gear is so important. Appearances get you halfway there.
"Here's your change."
A hefty 99 silver coins were returned. Kerry took 1 silver from his pocket and handed it to the owner.
"This is a tip. Do you know anything else about the big guy and the skeleton? Owner."
"W-Well, of course I do, sir. No one got close to them because they had such a creepy vibe. This place isn't exactly welcoming to outsiders, you see. With those two ominous-looking fellows wandering around, some of the tougher young men in the village got worried and started tailing them, I heard."
"And?"
"According to the village youths, they didn't do anything particularly bad. But they still felt uneasy, so they didn't stop following them. I don't know if they're still in the village. If you'd like, I could introduce you to the men who tailed them. They're friends with my son."
"I'd appreciate that, owner. I'll add a few more coins to the tip."
Kerry tipped him with a relaxed air.
Tipping wasn't a common custom in this world. Most people were just struggling to get by day to day.
Seeing Kerry tip several silver coins, the surrounding customers were now convinced he was a big shot.
"In that case... you can keep the tip. I have a favor to ask."
"What is it, owner?"
"Please, just be quiet while you're in this village. This is the hometown I've lived in since I was a child."
Kerry smiled leisurely at the owner, who was even refusing a tip, and replied.
"You don't need to worry about that."
It wasn't long after, as I sat there striking a serious pose and sipping my drink, that a few men who looked like the village youths approached, their faces tense.
The owner must have given them a stern warning that I was no ordinary person.
After introducing themselves, the young men began their story.
"You can't ignore a person's first impression, can you? And in terms of impressions, that duo wasn't just unpleasant, they were downright spine-chilling. So we followed them every day, worried they might cause trouble in the village."
"They didn't do anything out of the ordinary while we were watching... but since they arrived, more and more people in the village have been acting strangely."
"It's definitely their doing! They must have put some kind of mind-altering drug in the well."
"The number of missing people is also on the rise. Sir... are you here to catch them? Honestly, we want to grab them by the scruff of the neck ourselves, but we don't have any proof. Damn it."
"..."
I was getting clues about them more easily than I'd expected. Unless they were idiots, there was no way they would have shown themselves so openly.
Especially not right after encountering a formidable enemy like Lina.
The guys who should be laying low are showing their faces... This smells fishy as hell.
"They're staying at a farmhouse quite a ways from the village. It's the one run by Ellie's father. I know the way well."
The moment one of the young men mentioned Ellie's name, the others broke into dopey grins.
What's with them all of a sudden?
"I miss Ellie."
"Ellie's the best. She really is."
Who the hell was this Ellie that made these guys blush and snicker like that?
"And who is Ellie?"
"Don't you worry about it, sir. She's a famous prostitute from our village... so expensive that these guys have never even met her, but they get like this whenever her name comes up. You idiots! The adventurer is a busy man, so stop with the useless chatter and get to the point!"
Kerry raised a hand to stop the owner.
"I'd like to hear more about this Ellie."
"Yeah! You're a man too, sir! I've only heard stories, but they say once you see Ellie's smile, you can't escape."
"Brown-haired Ellie is the pride of our village."
"That's right. Brown-haired Ellie is the pride of our village!"
"You fools! How is she the pride of the village!"
The owner's roar was met with a burst of laughter from the men. Once started, their lewd banter went on without end.
The talk about Ellie had taken up some time, but I'd gotten all the information I could.
Lina and Natasha would never dream of coming to a place like this, so they were probably still wandering around aimlessly.
At best, they'd be asking residents for information, but the people here were unkind to outsiders and wouldn't open up easily.
Brown-haired Ellie... I should keep her in mind.
Hearing how crazy the village men were for her, I couldn't help but want to pay her a visit before I left.
They said those guys are staying at a farmhouse far from the village, right? Then Ellie's father is...
My guess was that the owner of the farmhouse, Ellie's father, had likely been murdered by the pig and the skeleton. Or he was being threatened. Poor Ellie.
Kerry had found out where they were, but he still had a bad feeling. It was because he'd learned about them far too easily.
Something smells fishy...
I was still missing something. I couldn't say I had a lot of time, but it was better than rushing and messing things up.
Kerry wandered the village aimlessly. Just sitting around wouldn't get me anything.
"Come to think of it, the village youths said that more people started acting strangely after those guys arrived..."
Acting strangely. These were the kind of people who wouldn't hesitate to make human sacrifices. They wouldn't think twice about using curses or magic to break the villagers' minds.
I went to find the village youths again and had them take me to one of the residents who had been acting strangely.
"Adventurer, sir. See that man sitting in the rocking chair over there? I've known that grumpy old coot since I was a baby, and this is the first time in my life I've ever seen him sit so quietly."
"Maybe he's just not feeling well..."
"That's not it. I had to go to his house on some urgent business, and what do you know, he was chewing on raw meat with blood still dripping from it. I told him he'd get sick and should cook it... but he said he suddenly had an insane craving for it. He's never been like that before."
"And it's not just him. Many others are showing similar but bizarre symptoms. One woman apparently tried to bite her own son. Ever since those guys came, more and more grim rumors have been spreading through the village."
"..."
It seemed the young men weren't just being nosy busybodies. Kerry used the Goddess's Eye on the man sitting blankly in the rocking chair.
[Name – John Morgan]
[Age – 58]
[Status – Voodoo (In Progress), Old Age, Hunger.]
What was Voodoo? Kerry used the Goddess's Eye to check exactly what it meant.
[Voodoo]
[Summary – A type of wicked sorcery that turns a living person into a ghoul.]
Ghouls!
Now, the picture of what they were planning was forming in my head. They were meticulously setting a trap.
For us. The fact that they let their location be known was also for some kind of trap.
Could they be hiding a large number of ghouls there?
They did say there have been many disappearances in the village. That must be it.
They were filthy bastards. Kerry had no intention of preaching about justice, but they were definitely crossing a line.
I felt like I could understand why Lina was so desperate to kill them.
Kerry, still playing the part of an experienced adventurer, spoke.
"That man over there. He's been afflicted by a wicked curse. A terrible curse that turns people into ghouls."
"What? Adventurer, sir... is that true?"
"Why would I lie?"
"No, but... he doesn't look that bad..."
"That's only on the outside. Right now, his mind is being eaten away by the wicked curse. Eating raw meat, trying to bite his son—it's all because of the curse. I guarantee it."
The young men started panicking, asking each other what to do. Until now, Kerry's image had been that of a powerful, seasoned adventurer who had seen it all.
These weren't the words of an F-rank adventurer, but of a powerful one with a mysterious air. They were believable.
"Then... what do we have to do to break this wicked curse?"
"Please help us. My benefactor is also..."
"My mother too! My mother is showing similar symptoms! Please help us, adventurer!"
Until now, they had been speaking to me with a sort of semi-formal respect, but suddenly, their tone became extremely polite.
Honestly, what great ability did I have to break a voodoo curse?
Any other time, there would have been no way. But right now, Kerry had the solution in his possession.
[Superior Holy Water]
This opportunity came faster than I thought. I can sell this for a good price.
This was probably the only bottle of holy water in the entire village. And there were villagers who were afflicted by a voodoo curse, slowly turning into ghouls.
On top of that, since it was Superior Holy Water, it might be effective for multiple people.
"To break this wicked curse... as you all know, you need holy water or a priest."
"Ah... of course."
"We don't have a priest in our village. And there's no way we'd have something as precious as holy water."
"Adventurer, is there really no way? My mother... I can't just stand by and watch my mother become a ghoul..."
I felt bad doing business with desperate people, but I wasn't nice enough to give away the holy water for free.
What's the point of being nice when you're broke? You just get treated like a sucker.
Kerry slowly opened his mouth.
"As fate would have it, I happen to have a bottle of Superior Holy Water on me..."
"I'll buy it! Adventurer! I'll buy it!"
"My mother is sick! I'll bring every penny we have in the house, so please, sell it to me!"
"My benefactor is sick too!"
Kerry calmed the young men down.
"Superior Holy Water is quite a remarkable item. It might be able to save the lives of many people in this village. So what I'm trying to say is... 10 gold. If you all can pool your money or find some way to gather 10 gold, I will hand over the holy water without another word."
There's no such thing as a free lunch. With 10 gold, I'd have more than enough to meet Brown-haired Ellie.
It looked like I was going to make some good memories in this village.