Translator: Silver  Editor: Namorax

「Troublesome Things」Part 1

We left the cottage early the following day and headed west of the Annette mountain range. The forest was full of the same fog from yesterday, so we continued our journey on foot.

Occasionally, a monster would bare its fangs and attack, but rather than being a threat they only managed to slow our pace.

Eventually, the sun started to rise and the fog began to clear, which allowed our speed to increase once transfer magic became usable.

But, the true worth of the transfer magic has not been shown on this journey, and the sun was already firmly seating in the west by the time Cellist came into view.

The city was about the same as the first city I visited, Rubierute. The city’s surrounding fields included a variety of other crops besides wheat, and a simple trench and earthen wall had been built in the direction of the forest to prevent monster attacks.

On the way to Cellist, Ariane used her cloak to conceal her lilac skin and pointy ears which were the characteristics of dark elves. While I on the other attract as much attention as a knight wearing a black cloak would. On multiple occasions, farmers would stop their work and glance in my direction.

We quietly walked up to Cellist and paid the entrance fee to the two guards before entering the city.

“We should first find an inn to spend the night……”

“You’re right.”

Ariane replied to my voiced thoughts and began to look around the city. Since it had been night when we snuck into Diento, it was a little unusual to be in a human city in daylight.

Before closing for the night, there were still merchants, and the city was full of miscellaneous sounds as the crowds pa.s.sed by.

Ponta sat comfortably underneath my black cloak as the crowd naturally parted ways as we approached.

After walking the streets for a while, we came across a group of people wearing leather and metal armor similar to myself standing in front of a certain building. The familiar signboard of the adventurer’s a.s.sociation hung above the entrance.

The group of armed adventurers were gathered around another adventure who seemed to have garnered the group’s respect.

The booming voices of the men managed to cut through the street noise and I was able to pick up parts of the conversation.

I lower my walking speed when some of the contents caught my attention.

“Was that how it really happened?”

“No〜, at least it didn’t appear like that to me.”

A rather tall man with a stubby beard, who was equipped with full-body armor and a large round shield was questioning the young man in front of him. The youth in the question was rather slender, was adorned in leather armor and carried a bow on his back. He exaggeratedly threw his shoulders back as he shook his head to express that he didn’t have an answer.

“One of our scouts came across one of them and it immediately ran away.”

“That’s the tenth one in the last seven days〜, it’d be troublesome if a group of them happen to show up.”

“Ah, well they can’t fight if their numbers are too small. Even if traps are set they’ll only snare the dimwitted ones, so it’ll still be a headache.”

“Since the subjugation request for the Haunting wolves has already been sent to us, it’s only a matter of time before the feudal lord’s forces are dispatched.”

When she heard the exchange between the two, Ariane lifted her head in response to something that had been said.

According to the adventure’s conversation, a dangerous group of monsters had appeared in the forest at the base of the Annette mountains, and an urgent quest had been sent out to the subjugate them, at least that was the gist of it.

Judging by the number of adventurers that had been mobilized, the monsters called Haunting Wolves must be a considerable menace.

My only concern was the emergency summons that had been handed down to the adventurers.  When you thought about it carefully, all active adventures would be summoned by the emergency call.

The people that were still talking were probably adventures stationed in this city, and whenever there was a sufficient threat the feudal lord had the right to conscript adventurers into active duty……

──Perhaps it would be better to avoid carelessly using my adventurer’s identification card to enter cities.

While I was in the midst of thinking about my future as an adventurer, I felt someone tugging at the back of my cloak, so I stopped and turned my attention towards Ariane since she was the one doing it.

Ponta seemed to notice that I’d stopped walking as she tilted her head and looked down from atop my helmet.

“Arc, I’d like to talk to you about something…… After we arrive at the inn would be alright.”

“Hum, alright. Let’s find an inn right away.”

In accordance with her desire, we searched till we found an inn to enter.

We rented two rooms on the second floor and after receiving the keys from the hostess, I handed one to Ariane.

After taking the key, she lifted her bag and went up the stairs.

After seeing her back disappear, I asked the hostess for directions to our next destination, Hoban.

“Madam, would you happen to know the way to Hoban?”

“Yada yade, Knight-sama.To be called a madam, you’re making me feel shy. It’s truly embarra.s.sing!”

She shook her voluptuous body and voiced a big laughed once she was done speaking, and honestly, she reminded me of a neighborhood aunty.

“Ah, Hoban was it? If you follow the highway that’s beside the forest after leaving through the southern gate, it should be a two day trip by carriage? The confident ones seem to take a shortcut through the forest, but It’s better that you don’t take that option.”

“The Haunting Wolves……?”

“That’s right! There’ve even been rumors that more than ten people went missing in the last seven days. It isn’t unusual for monsters to appear in the forest around here, since they seem to come down from Annette mountain, but this is a troublesome matter.”

The hostess let out a sigh as her shoulders sunk,

The haunting wolves probably appeared along the highway and attacked travelers and merchants alike; rumors surely spread and the number of visitors to Cellist gradually decreased.

With no other option, the feudal lord sent out the emergency subjection request to the adventurers. While the adventurers were enthusiastic about the high-value fur, it seems that things have not been going well.

I heard these things during my chat with the hostess before I decided to retreat to my room.

I sat my luggage beside the bed before removing my cloak and laying down. Ponta, on the other hand, used her magic to fly to the windowsill where she curled up and looked outside.

Shortly after, Ariane announced here presence with a knock before she entered the room.

She still had her gray cloak on when she entered the room, and she only removed the hood once the door was completely closed; shaking her snow-white hair to arrange it properly.

Her lilac skin was exposed, yet her usually strong-willed golden eyes seemed a little gloomy as she looked at me.

Her expression showed that she was worried about something, yet I said nothing and simply waited for her to start.

“……Arc, can we stop by the edge of the forest tomorrow?”

After a period of silence, she asked such a request.

“Hum? We’d reach Hoban if we follow the highway out of the south gate, but I was told it’d be quicker if we cut through the southwest forest…… but that’s not your reason is it?”

She nodded at my question before quietly speaking her purpose.

“It has to do with the Haunting Wolves that the adventures spoke of  while ago……  I would like to acquire one of their tails if possible…… Could we make a little detour tomorrow?”

“According to our arrangement I am to help Ariane-dono in her endeavours. If you say that a wolf’s tail is important, then I’m willing to cooperate.”

I gave an exaggerated nod to show that I was willing to comply with her wishes as the person in question had an awkward expression while her cheeks turned a deep shade of scarlet.

The usual bewitching smile and energetic disposition were blown away as she came to give her『Request』, and she still seemed out of it as she offered her reasoning.

“……In fact, it seems like my onee-sama will be married soon, so I was thinking of sending her a veil made out of haunting wolves’ tails……”

Her expression turned a little lonely as she spoke of her circ.u.mstances with her older sister.

According to her, the tail of the haunting wolf emits a dark blue light and said tail could be weaved into a glowing blue veil, which was a rather expensive present.

However, the tail of the haunting wolf was a rather difficult to obtain because the wolves were able to create multiple illusions of themselves, making it difficult to find the real one during battle.

──A monster capable using the shadow clone jutsu……

Alone, Ariane would be able to deal with a single one of them, but this was a monster that hunted in packs, which meant there would be multiple adversaries.

Since this request of hers wasn’t related to the rescue of the elves, she was conflicted because the normally unattainable material was right before her eyes.

Her only motivation was to give her older sister a gift, there was no other reason. Taking into account the strength of the monsters, she couldn’t afford to be careless when dealing with them.

“Well, we’ll be able to reach Hoban by tomorrow if we cut through the forest at the base of the Annetta mountain range.”

“Thank you, Arc.”

With tomorrow’s plan set, the blush on her lilac skin lessened and she offered me small thanks. I would’ve liked to see her embarra.s.sed face a bit more, but she was staring back at me with the usual strength in her eyes, so I left it at that.

“Then let us go and buy dinner…… and some preserved food for tomorrow.”

“Kyun!”

Ponta, who had been looking out the window until now, let out a cry when she heard me mutter about food in preparation for tomorrow. She used her wind magic to fly onto my face before climbing onto my helmet.

As we walked down the street into the sunset, I really wondered how Ponta was able to understand human speech.