Our next destination was the city of abundance, Flocia.
On our previous journey we had relied on carriages, but this time was different. Flocia lay to the south of the Royal Capital, along the lower reaches of the great river that ran from the kingdom’s northwest to its southeast.
This time, we would travel by boat.
Two vessels prepared by the Warrior Corps drifted side by side downstream. The river is astonishingly wide—nearly a hundred meters across—so broad that the opposite bank wavered faintly in the distance.
The current is gentle, and the spring breeze felt wonderful. Unlike traveling by carriage, here we could bask freely in the sunlight. I found myself dozing off more than once, though I reminded myself I couldn’t afford to let my guard down. An important duty awaited me in Flocia after all.
“Hey, don’t keep yourself wound up too tight.”
Mia-san beamed at me.
The Raven Warriors had split evenly between the two boats, seven on each. Felix-san is on the other vessel, along with Safi, the gnome blacksmith who is traveling with us.
“First time on a river voyage, huh?”
I couldn’t help but follow the sails of another boat as it passed us by. Leaning casually against the railing, Mia-san gave me a knowing smile.
“Etch it into your memory. From the capital to Flocia, we’ll be keeping watch for you.”
The scenery slid past, carried away by the river’s flow.
Before I knew it, two days had gone by. Already the fields along the banks had grown noticeably greener. We began to see cattle grazing, and donkeys laden with goods hanging from either side. This must be the gateway to the fertile southern lands—the realm of abundance.
It felt like sketching in new lines on the map inside my head. It’s exciting. Maybe it really is the blood of my adventurer father stirring within me.
The river journey was expected to take four days. The following days drifted by just as peacefully. Even the gods who had been bouncing around with excitement at first gradually calmed down.
…Though honestly, seeing Thor more restless than me was a little hard to swallow…
“Are we… camping here for tonight?”
On the third day, the place where we drew the boats ashore caught me by surprise. It is a village, if it could be called that. I think it’s ten houses clustered together, surrounded by fields.
“There’s no walls…”
A rough wooden fence circled the area, but it looked more like it was meant to keep out animals than repel any real threat.
“Most frontier villages are like this.”
Mia-san explained as she deftly unloaded supplies from the boat.
“Remember the outer market we passed in Kalmar? It’s the same idea.”
“…So they’re not worried about monsters?”
“At least, they trust Odis-sama on that point. And in truth, there’s no dungeon anywhere nearby. No reason for monsters to be wandering around.”
I made a mental note as I helped unload the cargo.
The bank here was small, but it seemed to be a common campsite. Another group had arrived and moored their boats farther downstream from us.
“Well, monsters aren’t the only danger out here…”
Mia-san’s words carried a hint of warning.
I sifted through what I knew, matching it with the current situation.
“You mean…river bandits?”
Mia-san nodded.
“Looks like you’ve been paying attention.”
A warm climate. A rich lake. Bustling trade.
The “City of Abundance”—Flocia—was painted in such bright colors. But it wasn’t just lively markets and cheerful crowds.
Money and people flocked there in numbers to rival or even surpass the Royal Capital. And where there’s wealth, there are thieves. Bandits preying on merchants, and a shadowy underworld ruled not by nobles but by the city’s wealthy traders.
The warrior corps’s sources suggested that some of those crooked merchants were in league with the bandit crews who haunted the lake. Several expeditions had been organized to wipe them out, but each time, the raiders slipped away, as if they’d been tipped off.
“Lately, there have been attacks on villages upstream of Flocia, haven’t there?”
“Yeah. By raiders on boats, no less.”
That was information we’d picked up along the river.
If it was true, then the bandit crews must be operating out of Flocia’s great lake.
“Villages like this one must be even more vulnerable—ah!”
I’d let myself get too caught up in the conversation. Still carrying a bundle of supplies, I bumped into someone.
It was Felix-san. As usual, he peered down at me through narrowed eyes.
“I’ve heard the same reports.”
Felix-san said. And then, after a pause, he added,
“Details have begun to surface. The raid happened three days ago. The village that was attacked—aside from a few elderly—was left nearly empty. Even the children were gone.”
“.…Empty?”
A chill ran down my spine. Not just taking goods or money, but abductions. And there were only so many reasons for that.
“.….To turn them into slaves?”
Mia-san twisted her mouth.
“If that’s the case, it’s awfully bold and reckless. The Temple of Odis can’t just look the other way.”
“Of course not.”
A faint crease appeared between Felix-san’s narrowed brows. He adjusted the small coronet on his black hair as though smoothing it.
“But it’s indeed puzzling. The slavers we’ve tracked until now never gathered captives in such a heavy-handed way. The kingdom bans slavery outright after all. To flaunt that so openly would only draw attention and make their future operations impossible.”
Then the gold coin at my belt gave a sharp vibration. The first voice, like distant thunder, belonged to Thor.
『If they’re making it harder to keep working, maybe that’s because they don’t intend to keep working. Maybe there isn’t a “future” for them to worry about.』
Solana’s calm yet serious voice followed.
『Perhaps they’re desperate. There may be reasons for taking slaves beyond their hunt for the power of Creation.』
And then, Loki’s sly tone cut in,
『Hmm…. Well, you’ve heard about that power to steal skills, haven’t you? To Ymir, maybe it’s like feeding. Not just “Awakening” or “Creation”. Even rare skills might give him more strength, or fuel him greater reserves of magic.』
The night settled heavy around us, leaving those unsettling words to linger. We knew about the attacks, but they’d all been farther downstream. I kept my guard up, telling myself not to relax too much.
“Rion!”
The shout yanked me out of sleep. It was Mia-san’s voice.
And then,
—BWOOOOO!
A horn blared through the darkness. I snapped my eyes open. Thanks to the Blessing of the God of Hunting, I could see clearly, even in the pitch black night. From downstream, torchlight burned atop approaching boats. And above the river, screams tore through the sky.
“For real? No way…. talk about tempting fate…”
Mia-san gasped.
A dragon with its mouth open was carved into the boat’s prow, threatening us with its jaws wide open.
Solana’s voice rang in my head.
『Let’s go, Rion!』
“Yes!”
I was about to run when a sound from the river stopped me. I used『Divine Protection of the God of Hunting』, Wild Heart —instantly sharpening my hearing.
Oars are striking the water surface. The bow cleaving black water. Tonight the sky was overcast, so the torchlight never reached the river. The water surface was a pocket of absolute night.
“I can hear them.” I murmured.
No doubt about it. New attackers are coming toward us through the dark river.
“Another boat—no, two more—are heading this way!”
Felix-san stroked his chin with a sharp look in his eyes.
“So…. the boats downstream are just diversions.”
A cold shiver ran through me. Their plan was cruelly effective.
“We were the real target. While they draw attention downstream, the main force would land here. If we had run downstream to help, we would have been attacked from behind.”
Monsters are frightening, but humans can be just as terrible.
To abduct people using a trick like this…..
I clenched the gold coin pouch in my pocket.
“Mia-san, Felix-san…. please head downstream to provide support.”
With my detection, I saw the two boats showed no movement. They are probably waiting for the diversionary force to cause more chaos.
Mia-san raised an eyebrow and stretched like a cat.
“Alright. Then….what are you going to do?”
I drew my short sword and pointed it toward the river.
“I’ll take the two boats on the water.”
Here I could use the gods’ power without reservation. Fighting on the water kept the risk of collateral damage low and kept prying eyes away.
Felix-san nodded.
“Understood.”
The warriors moved like lightning. At Felix’san’s signal, dark figures slipped off toward the downstream chaos.
“Rion!” he called once more as he walked with his staff.
“Let me tell you, Flocia’s dungeon is known as a water dungeon. You’d do well to get used to naval and underwater combat here.”
I raised my short sword and activated the Divine Protection of the Sun, and used the ability, Golden Flame. Warm fire wrapped around me like armor.
“Let’s go, Gods!”
I jumped into the water. I kicked off the shore and approached the enemy’s boat, which appeared as a black shadow.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
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