Chapter 53: A City’s Calamity
Translator: ShiroiKaze/Soyokaze Translations
Three days out from the cottage.
Haster’s self-control sohow managed to endure, and we were safely approaching the city of Comb.
A forest spreads out on Comb’s south side, to its north-west is a mountain, and north-east has many rolling hills. The highway goes through from east to west, and extends to the north where the trade border is.
The vineyards those hills are used for are famous, so a highway was provided for their foreign trade. That is the history of how Comb made its tamorphosis into a trade city.
“Last ti we got our wallet swiped as soon as we arrived. Such a nostalgic mory.”
“You know that was just a month ago, right?”
“Well sure, but…”
“Shaddup!”
We haven’t entered the city yet, but master is staying in his young form.
He is basically famous, so if anyone here knows him it could cause a fuss.
In spite of this being a trade city, the speed of information is slow in this world, so there are surprisingly few people who know his face, which probably makes this a pointless concern.
Even the face of Alec, one of the fresher talents on the scene, hasn’t been spread very widely after all.
“In any case, the entrance line certainly is long this ti, huh?”
“One month… Co to think of it, shouldn’t Elric have returned from buying ore around now?”
“I see, so basically you’re saying it’s overflowing with rchants seeking the fresh raw ores, I guess.”
“Nope, he ca back with us, so he got back to Comb about a week ago.”
If it’s been a whole week, then the rush period definitely would have passed. So this line is here because…?
Haster politely calls out to soone in a nearby line to gather information.
“Excuse , I noticed the line seems longer than usual; did sothing happen in the city?”
“Oh, so you were caught in this line too, boy? Well I’m not too sure myself, but it sure is longer than normal.”
“Has sothing like this happened recently perhaps?”
“I suppose. This place is important for trade, so there’s always so line, but this is the first I’ve seen it like this.”
It would seem this is quite the unusual situation.
Haster’s appearance is that of an innocent boy, so the man spoke plenty to him without caution.
“I’ve heard that a wyvern appeared in a city to the north though. It’s been dangerous lately, so you be careful, hear? You make sure you listen to your father too, little lady.”
“Buggoffu?!”
Mister Oreas coughed strangely.
Well, I guess having soone older than him, like Haster, mistaken for his child would be worthy of a spit-take.
And hey, mister, that ‘father’ is one of the “wyvern” killing heroes. Though the one who exterminated it was actually this “little lady”.
To top it off, this thing riding on my head is the child of that “wyvern”.
“Whoops, is the line moving? Well I’ll be going ahead then. May we et again in town.”
“My apologies for holding you up.”
“Here little lady, have this candy while you’re waiting.”
“… Thanks.”
“Excuse “my children” for bothering you…”
Mister Oreas’ expression is sowhat… No, very anguished, almost like he’s making a mortifying decision as he expresses his gratitude.
After seeing the man off as he waves his hand, I speak to mister Oreas.
“Heeey, Papa, sothing must be happening in the city, don’t you think?”
“Don’t you “Papa” .”
“Yeah, for real. You should call him “Father” like a proper daughter.”
“… Please, not you too, mister Haster.”
Haster joins in on the joke.
I’ve been thinking about this while watching him for the past three days, but it really seems like he’s ntally reverting to childhood too.
With my turning more womanly, and his turning more boyish, it would appear that a person’s body has a strong influence on their ntality in this world.
“But when it cos down to it, ‘sothing must be happening’, huh?… Whenever I go on a journey with Yuuri, we can’t seem to go the whole way without trouble.”
“Don’t make it sound like it’s my fault.”
I poke his cheek for saying sothing rude.
With fierce training during these three days, I’ve beco able to touch him.
But then there’s still so discomfort, so I would prefer he not embrace while in this form.
The training involved being held in his arms during his boy form while we slept, but even that led to insomnia for .
“Chomp… Speaking of strange, there are quite a few soldiers lined up outside the city, aren’t there?”
Tossing the candy into my mouth, I look at the guards escorting the lines.
Normally these guards would be on constant standby in the guardroom, but… Having them escort the waiting line at the entrance is unusual.
“Now that you ntion it, you’re right. It’s also strange that they’re fully equipped… Not as if they’re going to war, but like they’re going on a raid.”
“I haven’t heard talk of bandits around these parts, but… Oh, Livyatan aside of course.”
“Based on what you’ve told us mister Oreas, they wouldn’t be on this high of alert for her I would think.”
“I suppose that ans she’s an opponent we can feel safe about.”
Eventually, despite arriving at the city before noon, we only finally entered the city in the evening.
~*~
“Huh? An orc?”
After entering the city and finding an inn to take a break at, we managed to hear what’s happening in the dining area.
The inn is one that mister Oreas often uses, saying it’s recomnded by the adventurer’s guild or sothing. Yig can also stay here, so it’s nice how relaxed it is.
Haster and I are staying in one room, while we’re having Yig stay with mister Oreas in another. It’s important to have so balance in fighting potential anyway.
The first floor was used as a dining area, so when we were gathering information there, the lady from the inn got wound up as if she’d just been waiting for soone to ask.
“Yeah, that’s right, they say that orc built a nest near here.”
“I see, so that’s why they’re being so cautious?”
“I think the mood seems a little exaggerated for just an orc, but…”
Haster and mister Oreas seed sowhat convinced by it.
The inn lady gave off a, “eww, gross, gross,” feeling as she pulled in her shoulders.
“Hey, by orc you an… Those things with pigs’ heads that are ugly, dirty, and have as much energy as Haster?”
“I’m not that bad.”
“Oh, what’s this? Has your little sister seen through you? Well, I’m sure you’re in your pri, but don’t act too rashly.”
The lady hits his back as he coughs. Hey wait, , his little sister?
I don’t think he, with his black hair, and I, with my silver hair, look very much alike.
“She’s not my sister. This is my wife.”
“Whoops, so she’s your fiance or sothing? That was rude of .”
Now it’s a fiance? We flew right past that, and went straight to marriage though.
I lift the fruit water filled mug with both hands and gulp it down. The reason I’m holding it with two hands is because the mug is too big—I can’t hold it with one.
Each and every dish at this inn is a large portion. Leave it to an adventurer’s haunt I suppose. Perfect score on the volu of the als.
“Orcs won’t even let a little lady like yourself off, ya know. Best be careful with your children when leaving the town, sir.”
“Y-yeah…”
He seems like he’s about to cry, as he’s believed to be the dad here too.
After enjoying the conversation for a while, the lady had other orders co in, so she left the table.
Once the people around us were gone, we lowered our voices and started our conference.
“Are orcs really that much of a threat?”
“For normal people. A human is no match for their strength and stamina, so going all out at them head on would be difficult.”
“But then, humans have “technique” on their side. Orcs are no match for soone with a fair bit of knowledge.”
In response to mister Oreas’ vigilance, Haster shows composure. This probably shows the difference in their abilities.
“Their thoughts are simple, they fall for feints easily, and they have absolutely no way to cope with magic. So you could say they’re an easily hunted, delicious opponent for a person with so ‘skill’.”
“The problem is that characteristic of theirs. Even without a female around, they can assault females of other species and propagate with them. In other words…”
“Weaker humans would be perfect prey for them. Orcs are the great kings of eroticism here too, I guess.”
“Kings of eroticism… Uhh well, certainly I’ve heard that it often turns out that way, but…”
A delicate expression cos to Haster’s face. However, that ans that I, happening to be a woman, will absolutely have to be cautious.
What kind of actual combat power do they have I wonder?
“If we were to actually fight them, about how powerful might they be?”
“Their strength and stamina are about twice that of the average person. The brute force approach would be disadvantageous.”
“The orcs’ greatest threat is that breeding ability of theirs. If they get their hands of any victims, then they’ll gradually increase until their sheer numbers beco a problem.”
“Sounds like a pretty terrible outco. Can they be suppressed by the guardsn of this city?”
“If they’ve been taking their training seriously, then it shouldn’t be a problem.”
Hmm… Hmm? Wait, could this, possibly… just maybe…?
“Uhh… Is it all right if we stop at this city for a while?”
“Oh, is there sothing bothering you?”
“Ermm, a bit. There’s sothing I want to investigate.”
“Oreas, are we okay on ti?”
Haster checks with mister Oreas. Sohow it seems he doesn’t want to stay long, does he?
Orcs are spreading in the neighborhood, and I, his wife, am here with him, so I do understand though.
“Sure, seeing as Livyatan only seems to strike about once a month. It’s only been about ten days since her last cri, so we should be fine.”
“Yuuri, how long will it take to investigate whatever it is?”
“I can’t be sure until I actually check. But it shouldn’t take more than ten days I think.”
“In which case we’d barely make it… But in this situation, you’re gonna have to be plenty careful with what you’re doing, got it Yuuri?”
He strokes my head worriedly. This kind of worry feels quite nice. I can truly tell he’s worried for my sake. I really do need to focus on being able to touch him.
However, I would feel bad if I only make him worry the whole ti, so lets make sure to get this investigation done quickly.
“I understand. You be careful too Haster, okay? The guardsn have their attention turned outside the city, so I would not be surprised if things turn lawless inside it.”
“Small fry around here wouldn’t even cost a second. This body hasn’t reduced my power in the slightest.”
Rather than his power reverting, it has actually gotten even stronger. Anyone trying to be a thug might even have their brain matter scattered from just a forehead flick by him.
Strength-wise, even mister Oreas has three tis the average person. Haster’s strong arms have exceeded even six tis that.
? One tenth of the average person; what of it?
A while back I joined in the physical fitness asurents at the village school, and they asured that I didn’t even have a grip strength of 8 kilograms. Plus my back strength was 27 kilograms, which is just barely enough to support myself.
The damn brats who were there pointed and laughed at my weakness, so I used [Body Reinforcent] to completely crush the grip strength asure. That made them piss their pants. Serves ’em right.
“In any case, the food is gonna get cold if you don’t hurry and eat, you know?
“Haster, it’s a bit strange how much you’re hurrying to finish eating, don’t you think?”
“Wh-what might you be talking about…?”
His eyes swimming about don’t hide a thing. Well, we’re newlyweds, so it makes sense.
—Goodness, there’s just no helping this guy!
It would appear that there’s so long awaited work to do tonight.
Reviews
All reviews (0)