NOVEL WEB chapter 26
Chapter 26
Let me gather my thoughts for a moment.
So instead of a scene where a veteran adventurer hassles a rookie who came to register, we’ve encountered a scene where a frail old man has fallen and an old woman is caring for him?
No, that doesn’t make sense either…
I mean, neither Gobuzou-san nor Iko-san seemed like the type to cause a commotion, so I can’t understand why this is happening.
What’s going on?
“Look, that’s the rumored Failed…”
Bre-kun whispers to everyone in a low voice.
But for me, who doesn’t know the rumor in the first place, it’s just a “?” situation.
Perhaps sensing this, Tatsu-san kindly provides some context.
As expected of Tatsu-san. He’s so considerate!
“I don’t know who raised the flag, but recently those two NPCs have started appearing in the Adventurers’ Guild.”
“I see.”
“Well, it’s obvious that a special quest has been activated, so people talk to them, right?”
“Yeah, I get it.”
There might be special rewards for unusual requests, after all.
Any adventurer blinded by greed would definitely make contact!
“Apparently, they’re asking for an escort to Foreside.”
“An escort! …Well, why not do it?”
Tatsu-san built up the suspense, so I was surprised for a moment.
But the content was quite ordinary…
Still, though?
An escort just means taking Gobuzou-san and the others to Foreside, right?
Why are Gobuzou-san and the others still in the Evil Grande Adventurers’ Guild?
“According to those who’ve tried, it’s not such a simple request.”
“Is that so?”
“Well, they look like old people, right? First off, they must move slowly.”
“Can’t we just put them in a carriage? We’d make quick progress.”
When I retorted, Tatsu-san said, “Wait a moment,” and fell into thought.
Then he brought up the next factor as if nothing had happened.
What’s with that?
“Also, in the underground labyrinth, you often have a 360-degree view. So protecting those two from enemies attacking from all directions is extremely difficult.”
“My carriage doubles as a safety area, so I don’t think monsters can attack it. Besides, attacks from all directions can happen in normal fields too, right?”
When I said that, Tatsu-san thought with a scary face and said, “Could you be quiet for a bit?”
So after being quiet for a moment, I stated clearly.
“The adventurers who took on the request were just weak, that’s all.”
“Now that I think about it calmly, I’m starting to feel the same way… Despite having such a grand name, maybe the ones who took the request weren’t that great…?”
“Tatsu-san, you’re being deceived! Even skilled parties who’ve reached Foreside before have failed this request! It’s not something we should get involved with when we’re trying to go to Foreside for the first time!”
Bre-kun’s desperate cry.
But if you shout so loudly…
“You folks are heading to Foreside, are you?”
See, Gobuzou-san and the others overheard and are approaching us.
Of course, Iko-san is with him.
“Well, we’re going, or rather, we’re conquering, or how should I put it…”
Bre-kun is mumbling something, but he’s not being clear.
In that case, I’ll say it for him.
“Yes, we’re going. I heard Gobuzou-san and Iko-san are looking for an escort to Foreside? Want to come along with us?”
“Wait– What are you deciding on your own!”
“…Or what? Is Bre-kun the type of heartless person who can easily abandon troubled old folks?”
“N-no, that’s… T-that’s playing dirty, isn’t it!”
“Of course, Bre isn’t that kind of person.”
“Hey, why are you answering, Misaki-chan!?”
“Then there’s no problem, right?”
“No, um… T-Tatsu-san…”
The half-crying Bre-kun clings to Tatsu-san, but,
“Well, if Yama-chan wants to do it, it should be fine, right?”
He’s casually brushed off.
But Tatsu-san didn’t forget to add a “however.”
“You’ll be responsible for taking care of those two escort targets, Yama-chan.”
Are Gobuzou-san and Iko-san pets!?
Gobuzou-san and Iko-san must have been watching our exchange nearby, but they didn’t seem particularly bothered and kept their usual smiling faces–
“Rookies, treating us like animals, how frustrating– Gobuzou’s heart haiku.”
“Oh my, old man, your inner thoughts are leaking out.”
They were actually seething with rage!?
While smiling on the outside but harboring darkness within, Gobuzou-san and the others join our discussion, and it seems our party will be heading to Foreside with a total of six people!
■□■
The news that we accepted Gobuzou-san and the others’ escort request seemed to spread quickly among the adventurers, and after our meeting, for some reason, a betting pool had started in the Adventurers’ Guild.
Apparently, they’re betting on whether we’ll succeed with the request?
So I thought I’d bet on our success, but I was excluded by the bookmaker because participants can’t bet. All’s well that ends well.
— After that commotion, an hour later, we all gathered at Evil Grande’s main gate, and finally, the adventure begins!
During that hour, I went to the Dragon’s Slumber Inn to cancel my lodging reservation and reported to Milene-san about leaving town.
Well, Milene-san didn’t seem fully convinced until the end…
From Milene-san’s perspective, she wanted me to keep living in this town, and she kept telling me to come back, that she’d be waiting, with the persistence of a couple breaking up.
In the end, I made up an excuse about wanting to take on higher-rank requests and escaped, but at that time, she said something like, “Now that Yamamoto-chan is gone, maybe I should recruit new guild members…” So the day when new member applications reopen at Evil Grande’s Commerce Guild might be near.
“Oh, Yama-chan, you’re here. You’re the last one.”
“I got delayed with farewell greetings. Sorry, sorry. But as always, it’s really crowded, isn’t it?”
The area in front of Evil Grande’s gate is so crowded it’s like there’s a parade going on. Among the crowd, I can see some adventurers here and there. Are they going to complete requests now? Even though it’s past noon.
“Well, it’s always crowded around this time, but there might be a few parties trying to scavenge too.”
“Scavenge?”
When I ask, I’m told that there are some unscrupulous people who, upon hearing that we’re aiming for Foreside, plan to use us as shields against monsters along the way, conserve their energy, and then challenge the area boss.
“Well, this often happens to famous parties.”
“We’re not famous, but we stood out in the guild.”
“It was mainly Bre who stood out.”
“Gufuu!?”
I see.
It feels a bit unpleasant, but it seems this is accepted as a strategy, so we’re not blamed for it.
Well, of course, we’re not on particularly good terms with them, so even if they get into trouble on their own, we have no obligation to help them.
But this is a death game, after all.
If push comes to shove, I might end up helping them anyway.
“Gobuzou-san and Iko-san, are you okay with this crowd?”
“Thank you for your concern. I’m fine. How about you, old man?”
“I’m fine too. Back in the day, I used to make quite a ruckus. This is nothing.”
A ruckus?
Is that some Goblin slang? Or is Gobuzou-san actually a Hobgoblin? He looks too thin and small for that, though…
“Well then, shall we depart? Tatsu-san, is it okay if I bring it out here?”
“Avoid the middle of the road. The edge should be fine.”
And so, I summon the carriage.
The sudden appearance of the heavily armored carriage makes everyone who didn’t know about my carriage, including
The sudden appearance of the heavily armored carriage makes everyone who didn’t know about my carriage, including Bre-kun, widen their eyes in surprise.
“Now then, Gobuzou-san, Iko-san, hop on in.”
“My, my, this is quite a fine vehicle.”
“Excuse us, we’ll be intruding.”
And so, with the two elderly folks on the driver’s seat, we’re off!
Me? I’ll walk at first.
I might relax inside if I get bored, but don’t you want to experience the feeling of travel at the start?
I walk next to the rattling carriage, arms folded behind my head.
“The gate is as huge as ever, huh.”
“Sure is.”
The gleaming black gate, seen from the inside, always looks beautiful like obsidian reflecting light. Passing through this massive gate, we emerge into a grassy plain stretching out before us.
We leisurely progress along a single road cut through this plain.
“No, this is weird, isn’t it!?”
After we’ve been walking for quite a while, Bre-kun suddenly starts saying something.
Looks like his frozen brain has finally rebooted.
“I heard we’d be transporting the clients by carriage, but shouldn’t it be a rented one!?”
“Nobody said anything about renting, you know? Ah, is this perhaps your first time seeing the [Carriage Summon] skill? It’s a Dullahan racial skill, so you don’t often see it unless you have the opportunity.”
“A racial skill!? This is a racial skill!? A self-driving carriage!?”
Please direct your complaints about game balance to the developers.
“Bre-kun, you need to understand that’s just how it is with Yama-chan. Otherwise, you’ll get tired later on.”
Tatsu-san says this like a veteran sharing wisdom while sunbathing on the carriage roof, but come on.
I’m not doing anything that outrageous, am I?
I’m just using what’s available and being particular about the design. I think this level of play is probably within the developers’ expectations.
Especially since I have [Divine Artifact Creation], I think that even more.
“Ugh, I-I understand… Taking a hundred steps back, I won’t say anything about the self-driving carriage… But I was thinking, can’t we all ride in this carriage? If we do that, we could progress much more easily– Ow!?”
Misaki-chan interrupts Bre-kun mid-sentence. She’s hitting the back of his head with her sheathed sword, looking scary.
“What are you doing, casually trying to infiltrate a maiden’s flower garden…”
“No, it’s not like that! I thought if we all moved by carriage, we could save time and maybe even avoid unnecessary monster battles!”
I feel bad for Bre-kun as he frantically makes excuses, but…
“It’s messy inside, so I don’t want people in there. Sorry!”
I’ve got Hihiirokane and stuff piled up haphazardly in there, so I can’t just let people see inside!
Whether aware of the current state of my carriage or not, Bre-kun puts on a serious face and says,
“Could it be that Yama-san is a messy room dweller? You should really clean up– Ow!?”
He’s getting whacked by Misaki-chan again for saying something insensitive.
Well, my work room was clean, you know?
As for the living room… let’s just say it was overflowing with signs of life. (Smiles)