Chapter 83

On the fourth day after leaving the border city of Lester, Al arrived at Clarence Village, which is at the foot of a hot spring resort where Alnite can be found and a cave that leads to the tomb of Tempest.

At the entrance to the village, a familiar young man and boy were sitting, and they quickly stood up as Al approached. They were Ethel and Gabby of the vigilante group.

"Hello, Ethel, Gabby."

Al greeted them with a cheerful voice.

"Hey, Al. It's been a while. Is he okay now?"

"He? Oh, you mean Orson. Yeah, he couldn't move for a while, but he seems to be fine now. Thanks."

Gabby showed a friendly smile, quite different from the first impression he gave when they met. It was probably because of the venison they had served him before. From their appearance, it seemed that Clarence Village had not been affected by the civil war in the Kingdom of Tempest and looked peaceful. Rather, the village was bustling with the sounds of what seemed like a festival. He had heard that many refugees from the Kingdom of Tempest had fled to the border city of Parker to the northwest, which was why Narech had been called, but this area seemed to be safe.

"The price of wheat and other things has gone up, but there hasn't been much of an impact otherwise. If you want to get to this village from the Kingdom of Tempest, you have to cross some pretty tough mountains. Even I would find it difficult without proper preparation."

While keeping his friendship with Narech a secret, Al asked his question straightforwardly, and Ethel answered him in this way. If a local said it was that difficult, the mountain crossing must be extremely challenging. Patricia must have been able to cross the mountains thanks to Joanna, who could use body enhancement. Still, the fact that they took this route probably helped them avoid being caught by their pursuers.

"But there was a rumor that the Kingdom of Tempest might attack. At that time, we, the vigilante group, were allowed to enter the fortress."

Gabby said proudly. He had mentioned being an apprentice the last time they met, but now he seemed to act like a full-fledged member. Come to think of it, he had called Al "Lord Al" right after receiving the venison. He didn't seem to be a bad person, but he was a bit of a show-off. Al himself felt he had grown a bit in the past six months, but he was a little worried about how he might be perceived by others.

The fortress he mentioned was probably the same one the village chief had referred to as a fort on the mountain. It was likely a defensive base where the knights were stationed. Ethel nodded in agreement with Gabby's words.

"It was about a month ago. The village chiefs and vigilante groups from the surrounding villages were all invited to the fortress. They explained that they had found what looked like tents of the Kingdom of Tempest's knights at the foot of the mountains on the other side. At that time, there was a big commotion about how to evacuate the villagers, but apparently, the tents disappeared about two weeks ago. The village chief thinks they tried to cross the mountains but gave up, but it's not clear."

Al wasn't sure if this was a common occurrence, but Ethel and Gabby seemed to think it was.

"The village seems noisy. Did something happen?"

"Yeah, the caravan finally arrived yesterday. They probably thought there wouldn't be any trouble around here."

If the shrewd traveling merchants had made that judgment, it seemed safe. The two of them seemed relaxed because of this background.

"Wow, I just stopped by since I was nearby, but since I'm here, I might as well check out what they have. Can I go in?"

"Of course, please do." "Sure, you're welcome."

With the approval of the two vigilantes, Al entered Clarence Village. In the square at the center of the village, many people had gathered. In such rural villages, it was common for traveling merchants to bring necessities on their wagons. The shopkeeper had spread wooden boards around the wagon and displayed the goods on them. Many high-quality used clothes and accessories caught Al's eye. They must have been bought from refugees.

"Did you come from Parker?"

Al asked while holding a few pieces of used clothing.

"Are you an adventurer? Yeah, that's right. I left the border city of Parker about a week ago. Things have calmed down over there."

According to the shopkeeper, a young knight called "Brother" Narech had recently arrived with merchants and started taking care of the refugees. As a result, issues like water, food, and waste management in the camps were beginning to be resolved. Al was pleased to hear that Narech, who had earned a nickname, was working so hard. If possible, he might want to finish his business here quickly and go to encourage him.

While thinking about this, Al looked at the goods on display. A pair of rings caught his eye. They were about 5 millimeters wide and had wave-like patterns. When placed together, they formed a larger wave.

"I bought these from a knight who served the Count of Sennet. He said it was passed down from his ancestors. They are probably made of silver. It's a valuable heirloom, so how about 1 gold coin?"

The rings were a bit too large for Al's fingers, but he was attracted by the intricate design. Since the knight had served the Count of Sennet, Patricia or Joanna might know about them. In any case, they were certainly worth one gold coin.

"What was the knight's name?"

Al asked, but the shopkeeper shook his head, saying he didn't know. Al hesitated for a moment but decided to buy them. They would make a good gift for Patricia. This made him want to buy something for Iris and Lars, who always took care of him at the "Red-Faced Sheep" inn.

"Wow, show me more."

Al started looking at the goods with a serious expression.

Thank you for reading.

I plan to post twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays at 10 AM. Thank you for your support.

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September 9, 2023: I received feedback and considered Gabby's character, so I made some changes to the description. I also made some minor adjustments to the text, but the story itself remains unchanged.