Isekai Nonbiri Sanpo Tabi

Walking, Chapter 290: Arrived in the Western Margravate

(Sounds of hooves and carriage moving)

“Ah, I can see the town!”

We’d been riding the carriage service from the baron’s estate for about half a day. At last, the capital of the Western Margravate is now spreading out before us. Shiro and the others leaned eagerly out of the carriage, unable to contain their excitement.

“Haha, looks like the girls just can’t wait. The harvest festival isn’t for another two weeks, but some of the stalls are already up and running.”

The middle-aged wolf beastman riding with us sound cheerful as he spoke to Shiro and the others.

“““Eeh!?”””

I couldn’t help smiling. The wolf beastman was also enjoying himself chatting with them, but this time, I thought, I’d rather stroll around tasting all the festival food than cook anything myself.

“By the way, you gave that idiot some surprisingly good advice back at the carriage station.”

“Oh—was it obvious that I was the one who said that?”

I asked, a little sheepishly.

“Haha, beastmen have excellent hearing. Most of the ones who were there know it was you who spoke.”

I knew Shiro and the others had sharp ears, but even ordinary beastmen could hear surprisingly well too. I felt a little embarrassed.

“Not everyone’s like you two, with no prejudice against beastmen. There was an adventurer in the past who caused a huge scene, insisting humans came first.”

“Really? Then, what happened to that adventurer?”

“Nothing special. He picked a fight with beastman adventurers and got completely beaten up. Just a weakling all talk.”

He answered with a laugh.

Hmm… From what I’d heard, adventurers in the Western Margravate tended to be tough. That trio we met earlier? The women might manage, but their male leader didn’t seem useful at all.

Lost in those thoughts, we finally entered the town proper.

Other adventurers from carriages that had been running alongside ours were also heading to the western frontier marquisate’s guild, so altogether, including us, a group of twenty set off toward the Adventurers’ Guild.

“Oh, so you two are adventurers with titles. You really can’t judge a person by appearances.”

“The little girls have titles too, and that slime over there is even a martial arts tournament champion. What an incredible party.”

“I watched the Northern Margravate’s martial arts tournament. When the Orc King appeared, it was amazing—every one of you took him down with ease.”

A large, bear-like beastman added, nodding in admiration.

“So even this little ladies are strong, huh?”

“““Ehehe”””

Shiro, Fran and Horn replied, giggling.

As we traveled, the conversation naturally turned to our strength. Since some had actually seen the martial arts tournament firsthand, their words gave our reputation some weight.The big bear beastman patted Shiro and the others on the head as he spoke, and I couldn’t help but notice—adventurers around the Western Margravate really did respect those who were strong.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.


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Isekai Nonbiri Sanpo Tabi

Walking, Chapter 289: A commotion at the carriage stand

The next morning, we headed to the carriage station to catch a carriage bound for the Western Margravate.

“Sue, do you think that trio will be going to the Western Margrave’s territory too?”

“Most likely. This barony is where roads from various regions converge, so the road from the capital to the Western Margravate passes through here.”

The male adventurer leader was a human supremacist, so it was almost certain that trouble would follow him into the Western Margravate.

After all, the region was home to many beastman, and he had already caused problems here in this barony. I couldn’t understand why anyone like that would deliberately head into a territory where most beastman are, but one thing was clear: he’s a person to watch closely.

As I’m thinking that, the carriage station grew noisy. Sue and I exchanged a glance before moving toward the commotion.

“Hey! Don’t you have a carriage for humans only?!”

“There’s no such thing! What are you even saying?!”

“You’ve got to be joking! I’m from the earl’s family!”

At the carriage station, just as I had expected, the male adventurer was yelling loudly at the coachman.

First thing in the morning, and already such a huge nuisance.

To make matters worse, it was the very carriage we wanted to take—definitely more trouble than we needed. The two female adventurers were desperately trying to restrain him.

Well, I guess I’d better offer a little advice.

“If you’re nobles, wouldn’t it be simpler to hire the entire carriage for yourselves and head straight to the Western Margravate?”

“Oh! That’s an idea. I’ve got the money—can we really hire it privately?”

“That is certainly possible.”

I spoke from within the crowd without showing my face, and it seemed both the male adventurer and the coachman accepted the suggestion.

Though apparently, the women accompanying him would be the one paying for it.

Just how much of a scumbag is that guy?

Watching the carriage pull away, I couldn’t help but let out a long, exasperated sigh.

“Sue, we should probably head to the Adventurers’ Guild early and share this information.”

“Mm, you’re right. And if possible, it might be wise to inform the lord of the Western Margravate as well.”

“Right. Ugh, what a troublesome person…”

“Indeed… sigh.”

Sue and I couldn’t help but let out long, exasperated sighs.

Luckily, with the Harvest Festival approaching, there are special carriages going to the Western Margravate, so we’ll be able to depart in about thirty minutes. We joined the queue for the carriage.

“That guy gives off a really bad vibe.”

“Fran feels it too.”

“Horn as well.”

Shiro and the others seemed to sense something off about the male adventurer. Since Shiro and the others are beastman, I need to be careful not to let anything happen to them.

“If he tries to do something, Shiro will knock him out!”Cough. Correction, I need to make sure Shiro and the others don’t do anything reckless.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.


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Isekai Nonbiri Sanpo Tabi

Walking, Chapter 288: Suspicious adventurers

At last, we were approaching the lands of the Western Margrave.

“Once we pass through this barony, we’ll be in the Western Margrave’s territory.”

After stepping down from the carriage, we took in the sights of the town.

“There are so many beastman here.”

“Yeah, really.”

“There are more of them than humans!”

“Well, the Western Margrave’s lands have a large beastman population, so it makes sense that even this barony has a lot of them.”

Shiro and the others looked around the bustling market with curious eyes.

In most places we’d visited so far, beastman made up only about twenty to thirty percent of the population—but here, that ratio was completely reversed. Perhaps because of that, the atmosphere felt livelier than anywhere else we’d been.

“Alright, let’s book an inn as usual.”

“““Got it!”””

We walked through the town, aiming to find a place to stay.

Just as we entered the area lined with inns and were about to make a decision, someone’s voice cut through.

“Tch… I’m not staying at an inn run by beastman!”

From the inn in front of us, a group of people emerged, grumbling loudly.

Could it be that they refuse to stay anywhere unless it’s run by humans?

It looked like a trio of adventurer-types—two women and a man—but the leader, a male adventurer, was the one voicing his complaints.

“““.…”””

Hmm?

The two women accompanying the leader glanced briefly at Sue. Sue didn’t change her expression, but she clearly noticed their gaze.

Better to move inside the inn and hear from Sue without causing a scene here.

“Welcome! Five guests, correct? With the Harvest Festival approaching, we’re quite full. Unfortunately, everyone will need to share the same room.”

“Okay, that’s fine. Thank you very much.”

Because the Harvest Festival in the Western Margrave’s lands draws tourists from across the country, every inn must be swamped right now.

Sue didn’t mind sharing a room, so we accepted the room key and stepped inside. The inn also had a dining hall, so we planned to eat there later.

“That trio… they’re children of nobility from the royal capital, around my age. The leader is the fourth son of an earl’s household through a concubine, and the other two women are from viscount families.”

So, as I suspected, that trio really was from the royal capital’s nobility. And that male leader, he obviously looked down on beastman. This is definitely going to be trouble.

“Actually, those two women are acquaintances of mine. And the leader’s family happens to be their guardians.”

I could kind of see why that trio had gathered, but with that male as the leader, there was no way things would go smoothly.

“I honestly have no idea what those three want, so for now, I guess we just wait and see.”

“Right. Although, that man isn’t actually very strong, so that’s at least one small relief.”We were almost at the Western Margrave’s territory, yet I already had a bad feeling about potential trouble. Whenever it’s a situation like this, it seems we always end up getting caught up in some kind of mess.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.


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Isekai Nonbiri Sanpo Tabi

Walking, Chapter 287: The road has been successfully restored.

That afternoon, I decided to try a small experiment. First, I began digging around the debris, sectioning it off into roughly one-meter-square blocks.

“Shun-oniichan, what are you doing?”

“I’m trying to figure out a more efficient way to get the debris into the item box.”

Shiro watched me curiously, but I thought that if we could isolate the debris into smaller sections, it might fit into the boxes more easily.

The result…

“Ah! It went into Shun-oniichan’s item box!”

“The experiment worked! Now we don’t have to scoop out every single bit manually.”

We tested Ao’s item box the same way, and just like mine, it worked perfectly.

From here on, all that remained was for Ao and me to carry the debris and deposit it in the designated area.

“Oh, in that case, this method makes it much easier for us too!”

“Alright, let’s keep at it!”

The townspeople immediately caught the enthusiasm, and the landslide cleanup began progressing at an astonishing pace.

Even with the initial “one-man bulldozer” approach, I think it would’ve taken three days to clear all the debris—but the sooner this kind of thing is handled, the better.

Shiro and the others continued sectioning off the soil, while Ao and I carried it away to the designated disposal area.

“Phew… think that’s everything?”

“Yeah, somehow we managed to finish before evening.”

“““We’re done!”””

By late afternoon, all the debris had been cleared. It was my first time doing this kind of work, but finishing it brought a real sense of accomplishment. All that remained was to sweep the road so it would be easy to pass.

“Wow… you adventurers really are something else. To clear all this in such a short time—it’s truly incredible.”

“I made a nice meal for everyone. Dig in!”

“““Yey!”””

The townspeople had prepared a delicious dinner for us, and we all gathered together, sharing a lively meal with those who had helped in the cleanup.

As we ate, everyone praised our efforts and exchanged words of encouragement—“Well done!”—for a job well done.

Apparently, the heavy rain from the previous day had been unusually severe for the area, and landslides like this had never occurred before. It really had been a stroke of chance… and, thinking about it, it was just as much a coincidence that we happened to be in this post town at that exact time.

After dinner, we went to a nearby inn with a proper bath, cleaned up, and then returned to our original accommodations.

“Tonight, sleep in your own beds. The thunder won’t bother you anymore.”

I said this with a small smile, but everyone was so exhausted from the landslide cleanup that they fell asleep almost immediately.With the road restored, the path cleared, and everyone rested, our journey is ready to continue once more.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.


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Isekai Nonbiri Sanpo Tabi

Walking, Chapter 286: Landslide recovery operation

“Ugh… Shun, I’m sorry. I didn’t think I’d end up falling asleep clinging to you like that…”

“It’s alright. Shiro and the others were clinging to me too. They were just as scared as you were, so it’s completely understandable.”

Sue, now awake, apologized for her earlier mishap. Well, a lot of people are afraid of thunder, and Shiro and the others had been terrified beyond reason.

Anyways, we finished getting dressed and made our way to the landslide site.

“Ah, this is it. The mountainside has really given way.”

“Yeah… but we’ll have to figure out a way to move all this debris.”

The mountainside had collapsed extensively, blocking a good stretch of the road. The width of the debris was roughly twenty meters. Luckily, the height of the landslide wasn’t even a meter, and since the heavy rain hit in the middle of the night, there didn’t seem to be any casualties. Still, it was definitely inconvenient.

“Hmmm… neither my nor Ao’s item boxes can hold this much at once.”

Since we couldn’t clear the landslide in a single swoop, we’d need another method to transport the debris. We tried scooping small portions with shovels, and those smaller amounts could fit into our item boxes.

“Alright, let’s scoop out the debris bit by bit while using earth magic to reinforce the mountainside.”

“““Yeah!”””

It was going to be a manpower operation, but if we didn’t clear this landslide, we’d have to change our travel plans. Not just us—the people of the post town pitched in, and the restoration work began in earnest.

“Take this!”

“Wow, the girl’s got some serious strength!”

“We can’t fall behind either!”

The most reliable powerhouse here was Shiro. With incredible force, she tore through the debris, inspiring the local townsfolk to give their all as well.

“Fran won’t lose either!”

“Horn’s doing her best too!”

Fran and Horn also used their enhanced physical abilities, carefully digging through the debris without overexerting themselves.

But there was no need to try to match Shiro, who had basically turned into a one-man bulldozer.

Since accidents were always a risk at a site like this, Sue helped remove the debris while also keeping an eye out for anyone who needed healing.

“For now, let’s focus on reinforcing the visible parts of the mountainside.”

Ao and I reinforced the collapsed slope with magic, while Shiro and the others scooped the debris into our item boxes and carried it to the disposal area designated by the post town.

Time flew by as we worked, and soon it was lunch.

“Man, you folks really saved us. If we’d tried to clear this ourselves, who knows how many days it would’ve taken.”

“Yeah. And that white cat girl is incredibly strong too—at this rate, we’ll have the road open in no time.”

The innkeepers of the post town had prepared a hearty meal for everyone, and we all gathered to eat together. Surprisingly, even the older men looked genuinely cheerful as they dug in.

Still… I wished there was a better way to get all this debris into the item boxes.Ah—maybe I can try a different approach.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.


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Isekai Nonbiri Sanpo Tabi

Walking, Chapter 285: Stormy night and landslide

With the troubles in the baron’s domain safely resolved, we set out on our journey once more.

The carriage rattled along the road.

“Oniichan, we’re staying at an inn along the mountain today, right?”

“Yeah. We’ll be stopping at one in the post town.”

We were heading toward a small post town nestled along the mountains, planning to cross a modest pass. Since we were only staying the night, we hadn’t intended to do anything in particular.

But the moment we arrived at the inn, everything changed.

Rumble… rumble…!

“““U-nyah!”””

“Eek!”

Just as we were about to have dinner and turn in, a sudden downpour and a violent thunderstorm swept over the area. At the deafening cracks of thunder and the tremors from nearby lightning strikes, the girls clung tightly to me, hands pressed over their ears.

Ao tried to calm them, gently patting their heads, but… yeah, this wasn’t going to settle down anytime soon. Shiro and Fran, being beastkin, were especially sensitive to sound—thunder must have been unbearable for them.

“Looks like thunder’s not your thing either, Sue.”

“Uu… I—I can’t handle it… it’s scary…”

Sue looked up at me with teary eyes, and for some reason, the way she looked right now—so childlike—was incredibly cute.

Rumble… crack… BOOM!

““““Aaaah! I hate thunder!””””

“Alright, alright. Calm down,  it’s okay. You’re safe.”

And so, for a while, all I could do was focus on calming everyone down.

Eventually, worn out from all the screaming, the girls fell asleep right where they were—still clinging tightly to me as the storm finally began to subside.

To be honest, I spent so much energy trying to soothe them that, the moment they drifted off, I followed soon after.

Chirp, chirp.

“Mm…, morning already? Uh-, why can’t I move?”

The next morning, I woke to a strange heaviness pressing down on my body.

Every single one of the girls was still clinging to me in their sleep.

Wait—hold on. When you think about it, isn’t it kind of a problem for a noble lady like Sue to be sleeping in the same bed as an unmarried man?

Just as that thought crossed my mind, I noticed Sue peacefully sleeping, hugging Horn like a pillow.

Carefully, I tried to slip free from Shiro and Fran’s tight hold, hoping to make my escape from the bed without waking them.

“““Mmm”””

But even then, Shiro and Fran refused to let go, still clinging tightly to me in their sleep.

That’s when an idea struck me.

Why not just carry them like this and move to another bed?

Just as I was about to put that plan into action—lifting both of them in my arms and rising from the bed—

Thud.

“Sir, this is an emergency. There’s been a landslide further up the road.”

Ah—the innkeeper had burst into the room to deliver the urgent news.

At the sound of the door being flung open, the girls—

“““Zzz… zzz…”””

—didn’t stir in the slightest. They’re sleeping soundly.With a wry smile, I held onto Shiro and Fran and headed toward the innkeeper, Ao already awake and moving alongside me.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.


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Isekai Nonbiri Sanpo Tabi

Walking, Chapter 284: An apology from the Baron

Though we woke with a lingering heaviness in our hearts, what awaited us only made it worse.

“Um… there’s a messenger here from the baron.”

The innkeeper’s wife informed us of the visitor, her expression apologetic. Sue and I exchanged a glance, both of us letting out a weary sigh before making our way to the entrance.

We had a bad experience before in another barony—when the lord there had gone out of control. Remembering that, even Shiro and the others seemed visibly deflated.

“His lordship has sent word, expressing his apologies for last night. He wishes to offer them to you in person, and humbly asks that you come to the estate.”

Oh… this time, the response was surprisingly reasonable.

The man, who looked very much like a butler, spoke to me with a sincere, apologetic tone.

Seeing no immediate cause for concern, we accepted and climbed into the carriage sent to fetch us.

“My people have committed a grave discourtesy within my domain.”

By the time we arrived at the estate and were shown into a reception room, a refined, dignified baron was already waiting.

The moment we entered, he bowed his head and apologized.

Caught off guard, we could only listen as he began to explain the situation.

“To tell you the truth, that establishment is, in name, directly managed by my baronial house. I had heard some time ago that its operations had become questionable. Then, last night, one of my domain’s soldiers happened to be present and reported the matter to me immediately.”

Right. For a baron’s own establishment to behave like that—there was no way it could be overlooked. Perhaps he understood that better than anyone, because the baron’s expression was deeply troubled.

“I have ordered the shop to be closed for one week. During that time, it will undergo a complete review from the ground up—cleaning, equipment maintenance, everything. As for the head of the kitchen who was responsible for the dishonest cooking, and the owner who condoned it, they have both been arrested. Upon investigation, we also uncovered collusion with merchants, including evidence of bribery.”

Whoa. Not only had they been serving terrible food to first-time customers, but there had been bribery involved as well.

At that point, there was really nothing left for us to say.

“I bear responsibility as well, for failing to uncover the corruption in my own establishment until now. I offer you my sincerest apologies.”

“My lord, I accept your apology—so please, raise your head. We’re truly fine now.”

“Thank you.”

With the matter of the baron’s apology settled, we turned to a more relaxed conversation.

“I’ve heard that it’s currently the harvest season for summer vegetables in your domain, my lord.”

“Indeed. Agriculture is the backbone of my lands, and we are right in the peak of harvest. We also grow some autumn crops as well.”

So they even supply vegetables to neighboring territories—essentially a major center of food production.

“Ah, yes. This may not fully make up for my earlier apology, but please, allow me to offer you some of our produce. They are quite delicious, even eaten raw.”

“““Yay!”””

Thanks to the baron’s generosity, we ended up receiving a large quantity of fresh vegetables.

Even without going into town, we now had more than enough produce, and Shiro and the others were absolutely delighted.

And just like that, the trouble in the baron’s domain was peacefully resolved.

That evening, I prepared a summer vegetable curry, making full use of the ingredients we’d been given.Of course, everyone ate their fill—and then some—leaving nothing behind.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.


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Isekai Nonbiri Sanpo Tabi

Walking, Chapter 283: A terrible dinner

“Hey, hey—are you really an adventurer with a title? You don’t look like anything more than some rookie dragging a kid along.”

Right on cue, a man who looked like the one in charge of the kitchen strolled out, a smug grin plastered across his face. Apparently, he’d already decided we were nothing but ordinary adventurers.

Without a word, Ao slammed a medal down onto the table.

“This— It’s the champion’s medal from the martial arts tournament! It even bears the crest of the Margrave’s house!”

The kitchen manager picked it up with trembling hands, turning it over again and again as he inspected both sides closely.

Meanwhile, I exchanged a glance with Sue, then reached into my item box and pulled out another medal.

“This one was entrusted to me by the Eastern Margrave.”

“W–what?!”

The kitchen manager stared at the medal I had produced—the one entrusted to me by the Eastern Margrave—his face draining of all color. Then, without another word, he hurried off into the back of the shop.

“Let’s just pay and leave. I’ll make something simple when we get home.”

““““Yey!””””

We had no desire to remain in this place a second longer, so we set some money on the table and made to leave.

Just then, the kitchen manager returned, this time with a slightly overweight man in tow.

He looked like the owner, but there was something about his expression—greedy, calculating.

“My deepest apologies for the trouble regarding your meal. As compensation, we will prepare a replacement dish for you—”

“No, that won’t be necessary. We’ll be going.”

“W-w-w-wait just a moment!”

As we tried to leave without another thought, the man who seemed to be the owner grabbed my arm. He probably thought we were about to cause some kind of trouble.

“I have no intention of causing any trouble for this establishment. Everyone else seems to be enjoying themselves—and it would probably be better if we weren’t here.”

“H-hey, wait!”

The man who seemed to be the owner called out from behind us, trying to stop us, but we ignored him and headed straight back to the inn.

What a disastrous dinner.

“We don’t have much time, so I’ll whip something up quickly.”

““““Got it!””””

Back in our room, I prepared a simple stir-fried vegetable dish along with fish dumpling soup.

Shiro and the others, Sue included, all ate with clear delight, and seeing that put me at ease.We are planning to explore tomorrow. But thinking about the people we ran into at that diner today made me hesitate a little.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.


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Isekai Nonbiri Sanpo Tabi

Walking, Chapter 282: Terrible cafeteria

As scheduled, we safely arrived at the barony.

The first priority was securing lodgings, but a problem arose.

“Unfortunately, we only have one room available. It comes with a bunk bed.”

“That’s fine then.”

Even though only one room was available, Sue readily agreed, so the lodging problem was quickly resolved.

“““Rock, paper, scissors!”””

Instead, the real excitement erupted in a heated game of rock-paper-scissors to decide who would sleep with whom—between me and Sue.

We were planning to stay two nights in the barony, leaving tomorrow free for sightseeing. Since we’d arrived in the late afternoon, dinner and bedtime came quickly.

But this inn offered rooms only, so we all headed out for dinner together.

“Ah… I wish we could eat at home. Oniichan’s cooking was better.”

“““Yeah!”””

“‘What do you mean yeah? Sue, you too—why are you agreeing?”

The moment we stepped into town, everyone seemed to agree with Shiro’s complaint.

When you travel to a new place, you have to try the local delicacies you know.

So, we headed to a nearby eatery. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a complete disaster.

“This doesn’t taste good.”

“It’s all greasy”

“The meat’s tough too…”

Even though the restaurant was crowded and clearly popular with locals, the food they served was awful. The dishes were drenched in oil, the meat overcooked, and the seasoning completely off. I couldn’t eat it, and Ao wasn’t even willing to try digesting it.

And the one most furious about the terrible food? Sue.

“Who on earth made this abomination?!”

Whoa—

Sue was yelling, which was rare enough to make everyone pause.

But then, some of the other patrons nearby started smirking and calling out to us.

“Hahaha, this place doesn’t serve first-timers.”

“You need a recommendation to even get a decent meal here.”

Wait…. does that mean they deliberately serving bad food to newcomers?

From the back of the kitchen, the chef was grinning as he watched us.

No way—that was just cruel.

I am now starting to get angry too.

At that moment, some other diners seemed to notice us.

“Hey, isn’t that the party from the northern frontier? The martial arts tournament champion, the black-haired boy, the blonde girl, a slime, and bunch of kids?”

“The black-haired boy is rare enough so there’s no mistaking it. That means…. this place is basically challenging the Lightning Chef and the Holy Empress, right?”

“Isn’t that a bad idea? Especially since the Lightning Chef is rumored to mercilessly electrocute anyone who treats his food carelessly.”

Once our identities were recognized, the murmurs around the restaurant grew louder.

Actually, I probably wouldn’t use electric shocks on someone who treats food so carelessly.I’m not sure about this time though.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.


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Isekai Nonbiri Sanpo Tabi

Walking, Chapter 281: Sparring with adventurers

Boing, boing, boing.

“Ao, you’re back!”

“Your magic was amazing!”

“Horn can’t do magic like that yet.”

Shiro and the others were frolicking with Ao, and the adventuring duo watched them with obvious admiration.

“Wow… this slime is incredible. As expected of the martial arts tournament champion.”

“Right. Though I suppose it’s the nature of adventurers to want to fight strong opponents.”

Seeing Ao take down the wolves so effortlessly only fired them up even more. Ao, for her part, hadn’t even broken a sweat, so it was decided that the sparring match would begin. Since both adventurers were swordsmen types, Ao would fight in a swordsman style too—without using any offensive magic. Both sides would only enhance their physical abilities.

“All right, let’s begin!”

“““Go, Ao! Do your best!”””

At my signal, they stepped back, taking their positions with swords drawn. Ao held a wooden practice sword in her slime form.

Cheered on by the usual enthusiastic support from our little group, the three of them slowly move. Swords at the ready, they gradually narrowed the distance between each other.

“Hah!”

“Sei!”

In an instant, the two adventurers surged forward in perfect tandem, attacking Ao together. But Ao moved with calm precision, dodging their strikes and calmly parrying with her wooden practice sword. Time and again, they tried to strike her, but Ao didn’t even break a sweat. It was clear she was merely observing them, sizing them up, rather than committing herself fully.

Shu~

Tap. Tap.

““Ah!””

And just like that, the match was over.

Ao circled behind them in the blink of an eye and was gently tapped their legs with her wooden sword. The adventurers’ faces were a mix of shock and disbelief, but they immediately conceded defeat.

“Woah, she’s strong. No wonder she’s the champion. We thought we were pretty good, but we didn’t stand a chance.”

“Indeed. But it’s a good chance to witness the true strength of a martial arts tournament champion. Looks like we have a new goal to aim for.”

Though they had lost, the adventuring duo wore bright, genuine smiles.

From what I could tell, they clearly had the skill to make it through the preliminaries and even win the first round of the main tournament.Back in the carriage, the two of them continued discussing their impressions of the sparring match with Shiro acting as translator. It seemed everyone had benefited from the friendly duel—it had been a good experience for all of us.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.


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