Chapter 65: Unexpected reunion

Translator: Tseirp

“You’re two days late but I guess it doesn’t matter.”

“He-heh, my apologies.”

Charter Mail, the service that transports any requested parcel at the quickest speed.

Captain Blake, captain of the Golden Road, a light-cla.s.s galley, lowered his head politely.

However, in his heart, he felt like spitting. The winter sea there did not experience any storms but the waves were strong and they faced great difficulty in steering. And yet sometimes, the wind may stop abruptly and even as a skilled sailor, Blake could not determine the speed their boat should sail at.

(The people on land acting all high and mighty.)

However, he never revealed a hint of those feelings.

He only crinkled his suntanned face into a pleasing smile and continuously lowered his head.

Blake may be a sailor but the Divine Protection he housed was『Court Poet』.

He could learn skills capable of manipulating the emotions of others in order to anger or appease them. Negotiations were also their forte.

However, Blake could not bring himself to utilize the emotion manipulation type skill on the man in front of him.

The young man with a smile that seemed like it was pasted on his face looked through the catalog of the parcel as he stroked his chin.

“Could you let me take a look at the parcel?”

“Sure thing.”

Was it the confidence of the strong that exuded from the man’s body?

At the same time Blake realized that the man was strong, he also determined that he could not be trusted and was secretly wary of him.

“Byuui-san, the parcel has been transported to the warehouse to the side of the ship.”

The man called Byuui held the inventory with his left hand as he stroked his chin with his right.

Suddenly, Byuui’s expression turned grim as if having noticed something.

“Is something the matter?”

There was an adventurer-like man with a copper sword on his waist in Byuui’s line of sight.

To Blake, he seemed to be an ordinary adventurer that could be found anywhere.

“That’s someone I’m bad at dealing with, I don’t want to meet him if it’s possible.”

Byuui shrugged his shoulders and lowered his voice a little before he began counting the items that arrived.

(These many magic tools should be sufficient. All the results of my investigation so far point toward the Wood-Elves sealing a weapon in the mountain. The only likely location there would be the Ancient-Elf ruins. The Wood-Elves here seem to have a.n.a.lyzed the Ancient-Elf techniques to a certain extent.)

Byuui picked up the cutting-edge surveying equipment and made his resolve.

☆☆

A couple of hours later.

Three men and women stretched their bodies after rising from a small boat that landed on sh.o.r.e.

“Such a shabby harbor.”

Sage Ares commented bitterly when he saw Zoltan’s harbor.

Normally he would not voice that out but Ares currently did not have the composure to do so.

He must find Hero Ruti and be by her side when she subjugates the Demon Lord.

Otherwise, he would not be able to justify why he continued on this journey covered in blood and mud. Ares was frustrated with the situation.

Theodora frowned slightly upon hearing Ares’ words.

Nevertheless, they would not be able to find an inn to stay today if she tried to correct every single word that Ares said.

“Are you all right?”

“Yeah.”

Theodora asked Albert who was tottering behind her.

As a fugitive of Zoltan, Albert’s face was wrapped in a bandage to hide his features.

That bandage was a magic item that, when wrapped around a person’s face, would cause others to not pay attention to them.

Of course, such recognition inhibitor would not have any effect on people at the level of the Hero party like Ares and Theodora but Theodora figured that the residents of the remote region Zoltan would not be able to see through it for now.

“But it is quite lively despite how it looks.”

“There are trade ships moored so I believe the market is open. I heard that Ares-san’s ship crew members will also be selling goods during their stay at the harbor.”

Said Albert.

The Sylpheed vessel that Ares paid a great sum to borrow was basically only loaded with water and food. However, the sailors bought small but expensive items like precious metals and crafts using their own pocket money in order to sell them at whichever harbor they would stay at.

That said, they would probably not find a great deal at the remote region of Zoltan.

“However, I’m glad we didn’t have to travel to the Wall at the End of the World. The crew members of the Sylpheed were not enthusiastic of that prospect either.”

Although Ares borrowed the Sylpheed on a contract that they would travel to wherever he wished, heading toward a location beyond the Wall at the End of the World which was the world largest mountain range was still outside their expectations.

Forging ahead where there would not be any decent resupply points with only a single fast ship would probably be difficult. In that case, their plan was to borrow a couple other ships to form a fleet.

That was until they approached Zoltan and found that Hero Ruti was not headed toward the Wall at the End of the World but was actually in Zoltan.

“Crossing to the other side could be easily done with the flying ship but the same can’t be said for both sea and land routes.”

If Zoltan could trade with the East, this region would not have been called the remote region.

At the moment, the only trade routes across the Wall at the End of the World were the sea route that circles around north called the Crown Route or the mountain road called the Dragon Path. Both were said to be harsh paths where less than half survive.

“Like I was saying, that one-armed personage beat up all the pirates!”

“Stop lying! How could a single person defeat five pirate ships.”

“His single punch split the ships in two!”

“Ahahaha! If you want to make something up, at least make it a little more believable, you drunkard!”

“What did you sayyyy!”

“Are you telling me he crushed a sailboat that can carry up to a hundred people with only his fist!”

“He did!”

Ares’ frown deepened increasingly as the voices from the trade ships became louder.

“Haaa. Let’s hurry up and find a lodging. I’d rather not stay in such a dingy town. The central region would be many times better so let’s find our lodgings there.”

“I’ll be looking for an inn here. In order to gather information from the harbor.”

“Do as you please. We already know Ruti’s whereabouts so what’s the point of gathering information now.”

Ares snorted and shrugged his shoulders before walking off.

“He’s normally not that terrible.”

Theodora said to Albert with a troubled expression.

By no means did Ares have a good personality but he was not that short-tempered either.

“Ares’ reason for joining this journey is to subjugate the Demon Lord together with the Hero to revive the fallen Suroa Duke house which had lost not only their name but also their land, prestige, and a.s.sets.”

Albert shook his head to indicate that he didn’t mind it.

“Is it that difficult to revive a fallen house?”

“The family head four generations ago started a rebellion. Moreover, he conspired with the neighboring country which was aiming for their territory. A crime of high treason. They tried to murder the king and s.n.a.t.c.h the country. And it was through a contract to hand over the country’s territory to a foreign country. The majority of the family was executed and the family name was inherited by Ares’ great grandfather who was studying under another house.”

“That … is a terrible past.”

“It’s better if you don’t talk about this in front of Ares, he can’t put down the fact that he has to struggle in life because of such an incident.”

“Of course.”

Albert nodded. For a person like Ares with a lot of pride, that was probably an intolerable personal history. Something that should not be touched upon.

Albert kept what he heard at the back of his mind and led Theodora to an inn in the harbor district.

☆☆

Rewinding time a little.

After Byuui confirmed the parcel and instructed for the various tools to be carried into the mansion he rented.

When Red was looking through the market that was opened near the trade ships.

“Ah, they really have it.”

I paid with silver coins and received several tools.

Although I could not get all of them, I was able to purchase a few of the magical alchemic tools we were looking for like the high precision measuring tools and filters.

“Just these are worth over a thousand Peryl huh?”

That was a negligible amount when I was with the knight order or in the Hero party but it was a considerable sum to me now.

Naturally, the trade ships did not accept loans or credit. Only lump sum payments.

I wrapped the tools I purchased carefully and stood up to chase after Lit and Tise.

“Gideon!”

At that moment, a loud voice called out my name.

I knew that voice. I recognized it but why was he here?

A huge shadow leaped over people’s heads with a lightness that was unimaginable from that enormous body.

A huge man landed in front of me with a loud slam.

“It’s really Gideon! You’re totally in some shabby equipment!”

The man grabbed my shoulder without knowing anything about my circ.u.mstances.

Why did he appear at this timing …

“Danan, calm down, this place is too conspicuous so let’s change location. We probably have much to talk about.”

I had not seen Danan for a while and he had lost his right arm from below the elbow but he laughed it off.

“I’m glad to see you again, comrade (friend)!”

It looked like it was going to be troublesome. I did not imagine reuniting with Danan at such a place and at such timing.

That was probably my blunder.

However, looking at Danan smiling happily after seeing me again, I could not shun this reunion.

“Yeah, well, that’s right … I’m happy too.”

In my heart, I was troubled by what was to come but … at the same time, I smiled from the bottom of my heart because I was able to reunite with Danan.

Current situation

Ruti: Checking on the Devil’s Divine Protection production status in the Ancient-Elf ruins.

Lit, Tise, Ugeuge-san: Moving toward the Ancient-Elf ruins to explain the situation to Ruti and investigate the Devil’s Divine Protection.

Red, Danan: Reunited at the harbor, currently explaining each other’s circ.u.mstances in a quiet bar in the harbor district.

Theodora, Albert: Gathering information after finding an inn in the harbor district.

Ares: Searching for an inn in the central district.

Byuui (Shisandan): In his own mansion in the central district in preparations to head to the Ancient-Elf ruins.