Night on the first day of the journey.
In the square, several horse-drawn carriages surround a number of bonfires. Our group is spending the night blending in with others.
I lied down and closed my eyes.
I can hear the voices of adventurers chatting. Other than that, I can hear the breathing of my companions and the sound of the flowing river.
It’s quiet. It’s different from the night in the Royal Capital, there’s the tranquility of being in the middle of nature. Every sound stands out, and I realize once again that this is not in the Royal Capital.
Somehow, I was so nervous that I searched my pocket.
I touched the cold gold coin with my finger. Earlier, the gods had been talking about the pickpocketing incident. All the gods had different reactions, some worried and some angry. Solana in particular seemed to regret not being able to do anything.
――The next time he shows up, I’ll be his opponent!
――Even if he had succeeded, that pickpocket would have regretted it……!
Such were the exchange between Solana and Thor. I could picture the two gods with flames on their backs and the other gods smiling wryly.
Exaggerated yet they are reliable, and I felt touched.
The lively sound that still rang in my ears made me smile.
Drowsiness doesn’t come easily though.
……Was it excitement? Tension? Or maybe it’s because I’m lying on a hard seat.
I’m wrapped in a cloak, and the cockatrice armor is made to be warm on the inside.
“……Hmm.”
I stood up and opened the window slightly. I could see the fire through the gaps in the carriages. A white streak climbs into the night sky. Merchants and adventurers gathered together and were still talking.
I wonder if they exchange information in such way.
“I wonder if Father did that too……”
For a moment, it’s like I saw my Father sitting by the fire.
Then an owl hoots.
Feeling somewhat restless, I decided to go outside for a while. Taking a deep breath of the night air seemed to calm me down a bit.
“Can’t sleep?”
I was startled.
It was Felix-san. He stood there, leaning against the carriage.
“……Uh-mm.”
“Don’t worry about what’s outside. I’ll be keeping an eye on it.”
Felix-san’s narrow eyes narrowed even more as he smiled.
“……I can’t sleep.”
When I confessed, his eyes drooped.
“Then, how about we talk for a bit?”
Felix-san walked a short distance from the carriage and went under a lone tree. I followed behind him.
“It’s an unfamiliar journey, and it’s a new city for you. I should have paid attention to you, like Mia did.”
“N-no that’s……”
I remembered the pickpocketing incident in the evening.
“Uhm, earlier……!”
“Don’t worry about it. After dark, I had my men casually search around the carriage, but they didn’t find anyone suspicious. At least at this stage, it seems more likely that it was just a random pickpocket, rather than the slave trader chasing you.”
That would mean I caused the trouble….
There was a pause in the conversation for a while.
“Uhm, you said you want to talk……?”
“Yes.”
Felix hesitated for a moment. Eventually, as if he had made up his mind, he put his staff down.
“……I promised you before. I will tell you about your father.”
So that’s it huh. Felix-san looked up at the walls of Kalmar as he always said.
“This is where I first met Rutger-shi.”
Until recently, I hadn’t thought I’d ever hear stories of my father’s adventures again.
The leaves on the forest in the distance rustled.
“I want to hear them. Can you please tell me?”
Felix-san looked up at the night sky as if following the stars and began to speak.
“Here, Rutger-shi……”
He smiled wryly and then he shook his head.
“Let me change the way I address him. I met Rutger-san three years ago.”
I think his expression has softened a little.
“This is the junction of the main roads, and we met here before turning west to go to the Dungeon City. We meet up in the outer city, like we do now.”
“……How was it?”
“How was it? Hehe, it was normal. He didn’t get worked up, he just raised his hand lightly, and that was it. A very ordinary adventurer —if I may say so, that’s the impression I got.”
Felix-san spoke with a bit of amusement.
“However, once I formed a party with him, I realized just how amazing he was. Not only does he have the Awakening skill that unleashes potential, but above all, he has a deep knowledge of monsters and dungeons.”
Seeing Felix so proud of my father made me happy too.
I’ve formed a party with such an amazing person—I couldn’t be happier to have someone talk about my father in that way.
“An adventurer who has surpassed level 50 —the most elite of the less than 100 people in the world.”
I thought of the commonly-used guidelines.
Up to level 10, you’re a beginner.
Level 20 is the most common, and the so-called “normal” tier.
Level 30 is skilled. Mia-san falls in this category.
Level 40 is elite. Felix-san falls in this category.
And level 50 is—
“It is said that if you are a level 50 adventurer, you can fight off 100 monsters or survive for over 12 hours. Not only was he strong, but he also had excellent judgment, making him an expert.”
Felix-san was silent for a moment. He closed his eyes, and I feel like he is trying to remember something.
A cold wind comes across. Even with a hood on my cloak, my ears hurt a little.
“Can I tell you about the Blood-Red Sunset?”
“……Please.”
I heard the story in the temple. But I’d like to hear how Father fought.
Maybe Felix-san wanted to tell me this story. To tell the last of my father.
“The cooperation between the Raven Warriors and Rutger-san deepened, and although he may have guessed who we were, it was also a valuable cooperation. At that time, we were tasked with investigating an undiscovered dungeon on the west side of the Royal Capital.”
Felix-san spoke calmly.
“As you know, the dungeon was sprinkled with the ashes of the Giant, and Ymir was resurrected.”
He cleared his throat.
“An impact blasted from the depths of the dungeon. Rocks were sent flying, enough to cause casualties among the warriors. Then a tall man emerged from the torrent of magical power.”
“Was it…… Ymir?”
“Probably. That is if we believe his own words that he is the ‘First Giant’.”
Felix-san scratched the ground with the staff in his hand.
“I felt terrified. I immediately thought about retreating. It was the remains of a dungeon after all, and what’s more, it was discovered in secret. There was no town nearby for us to took shelter so I decided we should retreat and meet up with reinforcements first. But.….”
I trembled.
I understood what Father was thinking.
“Rutger-san and his companions didn’t retreat. Even though it was a remote area, there were still houses there. That’s why they did not want to retreat.”
Father was trying to protect the people from monsters.
“Inspired by Rutger-san, the Raven Warriors also came back to life, and the resurrected monsters were defeated. And although many casualties were inflicted, Ymir also retreated. If we had withdrawn even a little…… Ymir and the others would have used the time they had to use the ashes to increase the number of monsters.”
The events in the Royal Capital crossed my mind.
“If that had been the case, the balance of power would have been broken, and the warriors would have been defeated. The enemy might have attacked another town, and even more monsters might have been resurrected from the dungeon.”
But it failed. Because Father and the others stood in front of Ymir and continued to weaken his power.
“A split-second decision that goes beyond tactics, strategy and politics ―that’s what adventurers do.”
I adjusted my breath.
“Your father’s group continued to support the front line for several hours. They defeated monsters and even wounded Ymir. You can’t imagine how much they inspired those around them in such a hopeless situation…”
After pausing, Felix-san points to my pouch.
“During that last dungeon search, Rutger-san found that horn.”
I took out the horn and looked at it. As expected, it looks more faded than when I fought Skoll. I no longer felt any sign of the seal being released.
Felix-san sighed.
“……I wish that horn had come to you sooner.”
“Well, that can’t be helped.”
I couldn’t believe I would be able to play it either.
Felix-san laughed.
“No, the Raven Warriors were looking for someone who can use the horn that Rutger-san found. But it was mostly aristocrats who tried……”
I kind of understood without him telling me.
If someone can use such a difficult item, it’s only natural that they must be a noble ―that was the mindset that the Raven Warriors seemed to share.
“If I’d kept a more level-headed attitude, I think I would have found you sooner, Rion. You’re the son of the discoverer, after all.”
The story ended there.
Contrary to the silence, I felt my heart start to pound. The circumstances of how my father passed away. And how incredible it had been.
I’m glad to know both.
I still have a long way to go, and I didn’t feel like I would ever be able to give back what I had received. Perhaps I would be able to give back naturally as I took each step forward.
“……Do you want to go back?”
“Y-yes. Uhm, but before that, I want to go to the well over there.”
Perhaps because of what I heard, I was a little thirsty.
Felix-san and I start walking together.
『――Rion』
(Solana)
She’s awake huh.
『Well, I just felt a presence just now, but—』
I stopped in my tracks. Felix-san looked puzzled.
(……Presence?)
『It’s a presence very similar to that of the titans’ ashes. It’s very faint, but how can I put it… it feels like there are a lot of them. That’s why I can tell. 』
I frowned.
(Here? It’s not a dungeon, is it?)
『Well, it should be.』
I used the power of God.
First, I used the 『Divine Protection of the God of Hunting』 ability, 【Wild Heart】. There was no reaction to magical detection.
Next, I used the 『Alarm』 ability, 【Unseal】. I used the appraisal power that resides within this to search the surroundings. I couldn’t believe it, but I saw a faint light coming from a carriage a short distance away.
“……Felix-san”
“What is it?”
“I’m going to go over there. The Gods has sensed the presence of the ashes.”
Felix-san immediately tightened his expression and nodded.
The carriage is parked at the outermost end of the ring surrounding the fire. It’s like they’re avoiding people’s eyes.
The light of【Unseal】shines faintly on the carriage trunk. Unfortunately, it was covered with a gray cloth, and I couldn’t see the inside.
『……The presence is close.』
“Is it this carriage?”
There doesn’t seem to be anyone around. Luckily, the carriage’s hood covers the view, hiding us as we peer into the carriage. The situation was too suspicious.
I exchanged glances with Felix-san.
“…… At worst, if we reveal the identity of the warrior group to the owner of the carriage, we can get him to cooperate as an “investigation”. It’s going to involve the temple of Kalmar, so this will be a big deal.”
“It’s not just the Gods, even my alarm skill is responding.”
Felix-san’s eyes widened hearing my words.
“Kalmar is a highway junction. It goes to various cities other than Alvis. It wouldn’t be surprising if ‘something’ was being carried there, but…”
It is someone else’s carriage.
However, there is a clear sign of ashes, and it is loaded with items that can be unsealed. It was too suspicious to ignore.
“……Let’s open it.”
I took the plunge and lifted the cloth.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
Previous ⚜ Table of Contents ⚜ Next
Yume Neiji's Works 