Chapter Twenty-nine: The Battle Ends and the Sun Has Set… All That Remains Are Mysteries
The beastman and elf seemed to have cried themselves to exhaustion and fallen asleep. By the time the old man was able to stand up, the day had completely faded, slowly enveloped in twilight. Honestly, having done nothing, I didn’t know what kind of face I should put on. From the driver’s seat, I watched as Mr. Ville and Mr. Ed returned, carrying the drop items. Well, if it’s okay to stay silent because it’s not good for others to know about my abilities, then I suppose that’s fine.
…Speaking of which, do larger monsters drop multiple items…? In Mr. Ville’s hands were what looked like claws and fur.
"Ah… thank you sincerely for your aid. Without you all, we would have been annihilated!”
"No, I’m glad we made it in time. We were fortunate to encounter that cat boy.”
"Kent was the fastest on foot in our party, so I had him run to call for help.”
The old man deeply bowed in gratitude, which Mr. Ville stopped and waved his hand as if to say, "Let’s sit down," and took a seat nearby. Following suit, Mr. Ed, Ms. Aria, and Mr. Xenon also settled into their own spots. Watching them, the older gentleman also seemed to have settled near the sleeping beastman and elf, leaning against each other. I also quietly left the driver’s seat, going through the flip-up counter into the cabin area. It’s easier to listen from over here!
"My name is Rayer. These children are Shion and Aida. Together with the children from the orphanage on the outskirts of town, we formed the party ‘Lucky Clover.’”
"An orphanage? Then are you the cleric that cat boy spoke of?”
"Yes. Though I retired after injuring my knee, I used to be a priest warrior in my younger days.”
Old man… Mr. Rayer, according to his words, he, as the head of the orphanage and a former adventurer, formed a party with the tiger beastgirl Shion, the half-elf Aida, the werecat Kent, and other children from the orphanage, rotating members as they took on simple requests to make a living.
Today, they had accepted a gathering request in a nearby forest when they unexpectedly encountered that fire bear. Knowing the fire bear’s obsessive nature towards its prey, Mr. Rayer tried to stall it while having Kent run to call for help… leading to this situation.
“You didn’t think to have the children escape?”
“Shion and Aida could avoid the fire bear’s attacks… I could not stop it alone and would have been quickly defeated. If I fell, the bear would catch up to the fleeing children… I had them remain to divide the fire bear’s attacks and act as decoys.”
“Prioritizing buying time over defeating it. With you, as a cleric providing at least basic healing, it may have been better than scattering and risking casualties.”
It’s a tough problem…
Even if everyone were to flee together, the difference in strength is clear, and it’s evident that Mr. Rayer, with his bad leg, would be caught up by the bear. Saying something like "Run while the fire bear devours me!" as self-sacrifice isn’t a realistic option when considering the other children. Besides, after half-killing Mr. Rayer so its prey wouldn’t escape, the fire bear might go after the children.
To begin with, the idea of "throwing away one’s own life"… is not something most can easily do. And if they scattered, it was certain that whoever was caught would be killed.
Considering that, having Kent run for help while the three of them avoided the fire bear’s attacks to buy time until reinforcements arrived gave them the highest chance of all surviving. With the attacks divided among three targets, even if injured, they could be healed…
But if help was delayed, they might have been exhausted and defeated in the drawn-out battle…
We narrowly made it this time…
"Anyway, why would a fire bear show up in such a shallow area? Normally, creatures like that should appear much deeper in the forest, right?”
"Ah. And for a fire bear, it was too weak. They’re usually smarter and tougher.”
"Is that so? To us, it was a terrifying monster…”
Mr. Ed pursed his lips and kicked a pebble toward Mr. Ville. Mr. Ville, deflecting the pebble that flew towards him with his toes, also places a hand on his chin, seemingly lost in thought.
Watching the two of them, Mr. Rayer tilts his head, but to be honest, I can’t help but share the same impression as him. Mr. Ville and Mr. Ed defeated it so easily, but from my perspective, it was a really powerful and scary monster!
"In any case, we should return to the guild to report this incident, notify the other adventurers, and discuss the reward.”
"…Yeah. The reward doesn’t matter, but we have to report and notify…”
As Mr. Xenon stood up and brushed off his coat, Ms. Aria followed suit.
Report, inform, and consult are the basics for any working professional! It becomes especially important when irregular situations like this occur!
If an abnormally strong monster appeared, adventurers would need to take greater precautions with equipment and items. And the guild would need to spread awareness.
"That’s right. It’s getting dark, we should hurry…”
Before I knew it, their discussion faded into the darkness surrounding us.
In the dim evening air, Mr. Ville’s strawberry-colored eyes met mine.
Seeming to sense what he is thinking, I nod, and Mr. Ville nods back.
"Rayer, was it? Despite the protective spells on the Large Highway, traveling at night is dangerous. If you agree to our conditions, we can arrange to transport you to the town safely and quickly. What do you say?”
"I’m grateful for your kind offer. Having been aided by you, we shall follow… The children won’t object either.”
"It’s no great trouble. You’ll just need to sleep until we arrive. Xenon!”
“Understood. Let the sheep sleep.”
Mr. Rayer humbly bowed his head at Mr. Ville’s words.
Understanding, Mr. Xenon waved his staff, its tip emanating a blue light that enveloped Mr. Rayer, Shion, and Aida. By the time the light faded, they were breathing softly asleep.
Ah, I see. This way they won’t notice being loaded into the camping car!
Once I settle their boarding rights, Mr. Ville lifts up the folks like they are sacks of rice, and with ease, carries them into the vehicle.
…Wait, so the Large Highway had magical protections? That’s why my navigation chose it as the main route, and Kent the cat… ran that way too, huh? If he tried cutting through the forest, who knows what other monsters or beasts he might have encountered, losing more time. I’ll take the Large Highway as a return route, too. It’ll be a smoother ride, and the Clover members sleeping on the floor won’t roll around as much.
"I see, indeed Rin is a ‘baggage-carrying porter’ who can cook!”
"So, we’re also considered part of the ‘baggage’, I guess?”
"…Ville, good job…!”
The lively chatter from the living area reaches the driver’s seat.
Yes, well, I suppose I am a capable driver, chef, acupuncturist, and caregiver welfare worker!
“Say, Rin. Is it possible to cancel these passenger settings?”
“Hmm… I’ve never tried, so I don’t know for sure. But I imagine it should be possible, like deleting a saved location in the navigation.”
Mr. Ville, having loaded the Clover members, took the passenger seat.
Maybe it works similarly to removing registered locations in the nav system since Campy is such a capable camping car! I have complete faith in its features!
…That said, it pains me that we haven’t really utilized its "camping car" functions much yet… But I’ll be staying overnight for a while to save on lodging costs! Mr. Ville has been using cleaning magic, but I still want to use an actual bathtub sometime!
As we quietly drive along the brick-paved Large Highway, I renew my determination to finally stay in Campy tonight.
“…Rin. There’s a high chance we’ll be stuck at the guild tonight. We may not be able to return to this vehicle.”
Mr. Ville looked at me with a pitying expression.
No way! Well, if we get stuck there, at least we won’t have to pay for lodging, I guess?
“This time was unplanned, but regarding your abilities, I’d like to keep them concealed as much as possible going forward. Is that alright?”
“Yes. But if lives are at stake or it’s an emergency, please feel free to have me use my skills without holding back!”
Yup. It’s important to align our opinions. Mr. Ville tends to be quite considerate in that way… I think. I appreciate his thoughtfulness, but if there’s anything I can do to help, I want him to rely on me…
Hey, laugh if you want about my strong desire for approval!
…No, well, I’m self-aware about it.
I got caught up in some incomprehensible conspiracy involving summoning a saint, lost my livelihood, and amid all the uncertainty about what’s next, I just leaped at the chance when I met Mr. Ville, my light of hope, so to speak… I’m fully aware of that!
Because if Mr. Ville were to abandon me, I’d be completely lost in this unfamiliar world with no idea where to turn, you know!? Right now, I still have food and basic necessities, but who knows what will happen in the future!?
…That’s why, even if the conditions or environment were akin to those of a black company… I decided to latch on for the sake of survival.
But Mr. Ville listens to my opinions and cares about ensuring that I can live the life I want. Even Ms. Aria, Mr. Ed, and Mr. Xenon, although we haven’t been together for long, they all show concern for me.
So what’s wrong with wanting to be helpful to such kind people?!
"Thanks to you, Rin, we were saved today. Thank you truly.”
…That’s why, just being told that… Being smiled at as if to say "well done"… Makes me incredibly happy!
I’m glad I could be helpful!
The approaching town lights seems to blur as I secretly wipe my eyes.
The translator’s corner
I like that Rin is a realist and honest with herself.
Thanks for the chapter!
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