Chapter 144
Chapter 144
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Companions
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I picked up the bag the mage had left behind.
It was a crossbody bag of a convenient size for carrying around, with a crude design.
I rummaged through it, but there was nothing inside.
"Hmm?"
"There's a Protect spell on it."
Luna approached me as I looked baffled and explained.
"Protect?"
"Yes. It's a security spell."
"Can you dispel it?"
"I'll have to take a look."
I handed the bag to Luna.
She examined it from every angle, performing intricate mana control.
"Dispelled. It's a subspace bag. Good thing he wasn't a high-ranking mage; it came undone easily."
I took back the mage's precious bag from Luna and inspected it.
"I don't know what's inside, but the subspace bag alone is pretty valuable."
"Are the bags you're carrying also subspace bags?"
"Yes, that's right."
I hadn't noticed before, figuring elves just traveled light, but they had subspace bags too.
'A subspace bag... Might be worth checking the dimensional shop for some.'
Purchases from the dimensional shop were a last resort.
I had my inventory, so it wasn't something I desperately needed, but I couldn't deny how convenient they were.
Seemed like a good idea to grab a few for the kids.
I reached into the bag.
It felt like a spacious box inside. There was definitely something in there, but I wouldn't know what until I pulled it out.
I grabbed something at random and took it out.
There was one C-rank mana stone, along with a few D-rank and F-rank ones.
"Those are pretty high-grade mana stones."
Luna commented when she saw the C-rank mana stone.
"How valuable?"
"You won't see many higher than that."
Mana stones seemed just as precious in this world.
I found a few spellbooks.
"Looks like a Perkun School mage. An intermediate spellbook... and even a high-grade one beyond his level."
〚Perkun Leap to 4th Circle〛
〚Perkun 6th Circle Lightning Utilization Spellbook〛
'Lightning... Should I start collecting by attribute?'
Awakeners had all sorts of attributes, so it made sense.
There were quite a few gold coins in the subspace too.
I thriftily picked up the magic staff he'd left behind as well.
All in all, not bad for a quick outing.
Soon enough, Ayla returned with a relieved expression.
We'd dealt with the slave hunters and returned to our camp.
"Ayla lost someone precious to the slave hunters."
"I see."
I couldn't really understand what Luna was saying.
How does holding a grudge justify swinging a sword at some stranger you'd just met?
By that logic, I'd be innocent killing every human I laid eyes on.
We'd be parting ways soon anyway.
No point quibbling about it now.
"Why are you looking for that labyrinth?"
Priscilla asked.
"Hmm... For the sake of world peace?"
"W-World peace?"
Not this world, but...
Strictly speaking, securing the mage's belongings had already accomplished part of my goal, even more than the labyrinth itself.
There were plenty of good items among the mage's possessions.
I planned to pick up some decent spellbooks in the city, take them back to my world, and distribute them for a fair price.
'Wonder what kind of face Merlin will make.'
"Could it be... that labyrinth has something that threatens the world?"
"Maybe?"
Priscilla looked unnecessarily serious at my words.
Honestly, I wasn't entirely sure myself...
Thinking about the two worlds I knew, the word "erosion" didn't exactly scream good news for this one.
That said, it wasn't like I was worried about this place called Pantera.
But Priscilla seemed to be pondering it gravely after hearing me.
The time to part ways arrived.
A road appeared.
It was a bit grandiose to call it a proper road—just a wide path through the forest.
"Keep going this way, and you'll hit a city... probably..."
"Probably?"
"I-it's been about thirty years since I was last there..."
Priscilla said, her face a little red.
"Got it."
"Could you take Luna with you?"
"Huh?"
Priscilla brought up something unexpected.
"We've heard the place you're after is connected to some world-threatening danger. We need to check it out."
"Why you?"
"Why? If there's something dangerous that could threaten the world, isn't that obvious? Even elves wouldn't be safe from a world-level threat."
"........."
Hero's blood ran through their veins—not sucker blood.
"You want to come along with me to check it out..."
"Yes. I can't go because of the village, but if you allow it, Luna will accompany you, Un-ho."
From their faces, it looked like they'd already discussed it thoroughly.
Of course, I was all for it.
"What about that, though..."
I pointed at Luna's pointed ears.
Luna pulled out a simple light-red earring and put it on.
Her pointed ears rounded out like a human's.
"Oh..."
Now she just looked like a regular beauty.
But then an unexpected tagalong appeared.
Ayla.
"You too?"
"I can't let her go alone. Who knows what you'd do to Luna..."
"You know I'm heading to a human city, right?"
"Don't worry. I know how to behave."
I didn't trust her much after watching her butcher those slave hunters like a maniac.
"If you're traveling with me, you follow my orders. Otherwise, you're not coming."
I said it sternly to Ayla.
She didn't like it, but nodded in the end.
"F-Fine."
Priscilla left, and the three of us walked along the forest path.
"No one's here."
"What?"
Ayla replied.
"Don't places like this usually have something pop out? Bandits or monsters?"
"Monsters aren't that active yet... Hmm?"
Luna seemed to sense something.
Speak of the devil.
I detected humans hiding in the forests on both sides of the path.
'Bandits...'
No reason to avoid them.
I strolled leisurely down the path.
The two elves were a bit tense at the thought of encountering humans and followed quietly behind me.
But...
The guys didn't come out.
"Why aren't they coming out?"
The humans in the bushes flinched at my words.
But they stayed hidden, holding their breath.
"Look at you. Anyone can tell you're a knight. What bandit robs a knight?"
Ayla scolded me.
"Hmm... Makes sense."
My build was pretty large compared to the humans here.
Even the slave hunters hadn't had anyone bigger than me.
A guy like that in pitch-black full plate armor... They were too scared to come out.
"Are knights that frightening?"
"You can't become a knight without becoming an Aura User. And the strong ones among them are incredibly powerful."
From what Luna said, knights were basically awakeners.
One awakener could unilaterally turn twenty normals into mincemeat without breaking a sweat.
The hidden bandits were mistaking me for a knight and staying put.
I picked up a stone.
And chucked it at the bushes where they were hiding.
-Thud!
"Argh!!!"
"Come out."
"........."
"Or I'll smash your heads."
"M-Mercy, milord! S-Sorry! We're not b-bandits!! We're the self-defense squad protecting the road!"
A dozen grubby men burst out and prostrated themselves, begging for mercy.
Ayla was quieter than I'd expected.
She'd been a maniac in the forest, but here she showed restraint.
"City this way?"
"Y-Yes!! Erpu City!!"
They cowered on the ground, faces pale, watching my every move.
A city was definitely ahead, just like Priscilla said.
"How long?"
"H-Half a day, milord!"
Half a day meant a good distance.
The gates would close at sundown.
We needed to move faster.
But with these bandit scum flattened to the ground, it felt awkward to just kill them.
"Scram."
"Y-Yes, milord!!"
They bolted back into the forest.
"Unexpected."
"What?"
Ayla grumbled curtly when I glanced at her.
"Figured you'd chase 'em down to kill them."
"What, you think I'm some bloodthirsty monster?"
"After the fuss you made when you first saw me..."
"Th-That was..."
Ayla blushed at my words.
"Humans who come near the elf village are only slave hunters."
Luna defended her friend.
"So you mistook me for one."
"Yeah. You suddenly said you were human... What else was I supposed to think?"
'I am human... What's their deal?'
From their faces, they wouldn't believe the truth even if I told them.
Come to think of it... Biologically speaking, maybe I couldn't exactly call myself human anymore.
From that angle, they weren't entirely off-base.
But philosophical musings like "What am I?" weren't my style.
I didn't dwell on it much anyway.
I was content with this life over one without awakening.
That was enough—what more did I need?
And this minor side effect for gaining strength? Totally worth it.
".........To make it to the city before the gates close, we'll need to pick up the pace."
The three of us sped up a bit toward the city.