Chapter 38

□ Duel City Gideon 【Paladin】 Ray Sterling

Ray, Nemesis, and Hugo decided to take on the sudden quest with a difficulty level of eight, titled [Rescue -- Rody Lancashire].

This quest, like Mirian's previous one, would be a race against time.

However, there are two problems to overcome in order to complete this quest and rescue the child.

One is the difficulty level of the quest.

Since I didn't know what a difficulty level of eight entailed, I asked Hugo...

"It's a difficulty level where even Tian, who has reached level 500, would most likely fail. If it's just Tian, even a party would be questionable."

He added, "Of course, since Tian, who only has one life, naturally carries more risk in leveling up compared to a <Master>, there are very few who reach level 500."

But a difficulty level where even a level 500 maxed-out character would fail...

Even with the difference between Tian and a <Master>, for me, who hasn't even reached level 50, it's an insurmountable wall.

However, I have no intention of giving up the rescue because of that.

In the worst case, even if I become the scapegoat, I will rescue the kidnapped child.

And the other problem is...

"Letting them escape was a bad move."

Earlier, the five villains we dealt with.

One of them, after I hit him, was still out cold, so Hugo tied him up with a wire to prevent him from escaping.

We handed him over to the guards, and the woman we saved -- Rebecca, I think -- is heading to the guard station.

However, the problem is the other four.

They escaped, leaving a parting shot.

From Rebecca, we learned that the group they belong to is the Gouz Maze Bandits, but we don't know where their hideout is.

If they return to the hideout first, they might learn what happened here and harm her brother.

"I should have made them inhale some poison gas."

If I had blown some from the [Miasma Flame Gauntlet], they wouldn't have been able to move...

"That would be terrorism if done in the city, you know."

...Indeed.

No, then I could have scorched their feet with the left flame to prevent them from walking...

"Ray, you seem to be thinking of something not very peaceful. But don't worry about those guys."

Hugo pointed to the alley where they had escaped.

The alley curved in a U-shape, and the part beyond the curve was not visible from here.

However, a heavy dragging sound came from beyond the corner.

"What is it?"

The source of the sound gradually approached and eventually appeared from around the corner.

"Oma ta fe yugo"

A girl appeared.

Her height, excluding the white Russian cap on her head, was about the same as Nemesis.

Yes, the first impression of her was white.

White hair, white cheeks, white cap.

In addition, she was wearing a white felt long coat and a white scarf, despite it not being cold.

For some reason, she had a white manju in her mouth.

Her eyes were the only part that were blue.

"Huh. Good work, Kyuko."

"Gulp. It's a hassle, but they're just grunts, so no problem."

Looking closely, she was dragging people -- the thugs who had escaped earlier -- with both hands.

She had grabbed the collars of two people in each hand, dragging a total of four people by herself.

It was a surprising amount of strength, but upon closer inspection, there was a <Master> emblem on the back of her left hand.

It's not surprising if she's a <Master>.

...By the way, has she been reading in a monotone this whole time? Is this role-playing or her natural way of speaking?

"......"

"Hm?"

Noticing my gaze, she stared at me and Nemesis.

She glanced at us in turn and said,

"Feminist Hugo brought a lolicon."

"Who's a lolicon!"

"Who's a loli!"

I was labeled with an abnormal fetish on our first meeting!

"That flat chest and low height can only be a loli. And if you have a loli as a servant, you're truly a lolicon."

I am innocent.

Nemesis is my alter ego, so it doesn't count.

"No! It's a work of art! My form and design are the ultimate in beauty!"

"...Calling it a work of art, the <Master> of <Enbrio> is seriously a lolicon."

"Damn you! I'll show you!"

"Come on."

Nemesis lunged at her, and she also faced her with a monotone expression.

They fought more like kittens playfully wrestling.

...It's rare for Nemesis to be so unrestrained with anyone other than me.

"So, Hugo, who is that monotone girl who called me a lolicon?"

"Kyuko. She's... a member of my party. I contacted her earlier to have her capture the escaped group. She's rude, but as you can see, she's reliable. By the way, today's comments are still mild compared to what she's capable of."

"...Mild?"

"Compared to the venom she spewed at the owner of our clan, they're much milder."

...What kind of words did she spew?

But anyway, with three <Masters> now, our chances of succeeding in the quest should have increased.

"Then, Kyuko, the information."

"Sure."

While still in a wrestling lock with Nemesis, Kyuko turned her head to Hugo and began speaking.

"I caught them, interrogated them, and they talked about the hideout. It's beyond the East Gate, in the <Cruella Mountain Range>. The details are on the map they had."

Kyuko skillfully pulled a rolled-up map from her pocket with her mouth and threw it to Hugo with just her head.

"<Cruella Mountain Range>?"

A map I haven't been to yet.

"It's the mountains to the east of this city. Beyond the mountains is the <Valera Great Desert>. If you go further, it's the territory of Cardina."

"So it's also a border with a neighboring country?"

"It's a good place for bandits to set up camp. If the Alter Kingdom's army acts in the <Cruella Mountain Range>, it will inevitably provoke Cardina."

"Wouldn't they cooperate to eliminate the bandits?"

If bandits are in the border area, they would be a nuisance.

Wouldn't the two countries cooperate to eliminate them?

"No, that's impossible. That country basically only does things that make money, and they do anything that makes money."

"What do you mean?"

"If they can get paid, they would treat bandits as 'customers.'"

...They're in cahoots?

"Most likely, they would provide high compensation and passive cooperation. They would show a reaction if there are signs of the kingdom's army moving. Even so, it would make it difficult for the kingdom to take action."

Hugo said this as he opened the map he received from Kyuko.

The map had Gideon on the left and the desert on the right, with several mountains in the middle.

A circle was marked on the second mountain from the East Gate of Gideon.

"Is this it?"

"Seems so. We need to cross one mountain, so we need to hurry."

"Right. Let's run."

"...Huh?"

When I said that, Hugo looked at me with a puzzled expression.

"What's wrong?"

"Ray, you're a [Paladin], right? Aren't you going to ride a mount?"

"...I have a horse, but I don't have the <Riding> skill, so I can't ride it."

"......I see."

"......Ah."

The atmosphere is heavy!

"Huh. I've never seen a knight-type character without the <Riding> skill."

"Is it normal to have it?"

"Being told 'I'm a swimmer! But I can't do crawl, backstroke, breaststroke, or butterfly!' is similar."

That much!?

"By the way, what's left in swimming if you take away the four strokes?"

"Maybe dog paddle or ancient swimming techniques?"

That's different from swimming.

"But I understand the situation. Leave it to me. I'll take care of the 'transport' to their hideout."

"...Thanks."

By the way, Nemesis and Kyuko had somehow shaken hands firmly.

It seems friendship blossomed after the battle.

More friends are a good thing.

They even look like the main characters of a girls' anime from a few decades ago, with their black and white colors.

◇

Our party -- me (Nemesis in greatsword form), Hugo, and Kyuko -- stood at the entrance to the <Cruella Mountain Range>, beyond the East Gate of Gideon's Third District.

There was a mountain road leading into the mountains, and carriages were passing through.

We were supposed to head for the bandits' hideout using the "transport" Hugo mentioned, but...

"So, Hugo, what is this 'transport'?"

"It can't be used here yet. We need a place where there are no people around."

Can't be used where there are people?

"Is it too conspicuous?"

"That's one way to put it."

We walked for about fifteen minutes.

Not on the mountain road, but through the forest.

"......"

Something's off.

No carriage or vehicle could pass through such an unmarked path.

If we were to ride something, it would be better to take the mountain road we saw earlier.

Even if it's a bit more conspicuous.

"Is this place good?"

Hugo said this when we found a clearing in the forest.

It was a circular area about ten meters in radius.

The trees were unusually short, and the plants seemed to have just started growing.

"Maybe a magic user used a wide-area attack spell here. But it's convenient for us this time."

Hugo took out a rolled-up silver sheet from his item box and started to spread it on the ground.

I noticed then that the sheet was quite large.

It was a square about four meters on each side.

"The [Cage] is ready. Kyuko, any detection?"

"No problem. No enemies or people in sight."

"Understood."

Hugo opened a window on his hand and started operating something.

Then, a mechanical sound came from inside the sheet Hugo had spread on the ground.

"...Mechanical sound?"

That's when I finally realized.

Hugo's job is [High-Grade Operator].

Operating means controlling a machine.

However, in this fantasy world, there are no machines to operate.

--- "Except for one country."

"Hugo, you are..."

"Ray, I am now a <Master> who, as a knight, is protecting the flower of a lady in this quest."

Interrupting my question, Hugo spoke.

"Why are you doing this quest? Is it because you are a [Paladin] of the kingdom? Or because you are a man named Ray?"

Hugo's question.

To that question, I answered,

"I'm doing it because I thought it would leave a bad taste if I ignored it."

I just answered what I thought at that moment.

"At least, I didn't take the quest based on my position."

"Me too."

Hugo said this, smiled faintly, and pressed a button on the window.

It was labeled "sortie" in French.

Immediately, the sheet on the ground unfolded.

The surface slid open like a shutter, revealing a hollow space inside, ignoring the thickness of the sheet.

Four pillars rose from the corners of the sheet, extending to a height of five meters.

Then, from the bottom of the hollow, a lift rose with a loud noise.

When the lift reached the ground, a massive object was seated on it.

It was a humanoid figure with two arms and two legs.

But it was certainly not human.

It was about six heads tall but reached a height of five meters.

Its entire body was covered in dark green steel, and a gun and army knife, sized to match, were mounted on its waist.

There were also various weapon-like parts attached to different parts of its body.

Its chest was open, revealing a seat similar to a fighter jet.

It looked like something from an old anime I had seen.

It was -- a humanoid combat robot.

"<Magic and Gears> -- commonly known as <Majingear>. It's the main weapon of the Dryf Empire."

Hugo -- the [High-Grade Operator] of the Dryf Empire -- revealed this as he climbed into the cockpit of the <Majingear>.

"...Hugo"

"Right now, I am just a knight fighting for a lady's tears. Isn't that right, a knight who is not a [Paladin] of the Alter Kingdom?"

"...Yeah"

Again, with a tone reminiscent of a shoujo manga or Takarazuka, Hugo delivered his dramatic lines, and I nodded.

The kingdom and the empire have been at war.

They are currently in a temporary ceasefire, but it is said that they will resume hostilities in a few months.

A clear enemy, not just a hypothetical one.

But that doesn't matter to us now, or to the woman who was crying, or to her brother, the target of the rescue.

What we should do and our positions are completely unrelated.

I am me, and Hugo is Hugo, and we are facing this quest as individuals.

"Shall we go?"

"Sure."

I jumped onto the hand of the <Majingear> Hugo was operating.

Kyuko was already on the other hand.

Holding us in both hands, Hugo's <Majingear> stood up.

"<Sub-Dragon Class Majingear>, [Marshal II]... Launch!"

And the <Majingear> -- [Marshal II] -- sped towards the mountains, our destination.

To be continued

The next chapter will be posted tomorrow at 21:00.

(=ↀωↀ=) <By the way, although it is called <Sub-Dragon Class Majingear>

(=ↀωↀ=) <Currently, the <Sub-Dragon Class> is the limit of what Dryf can mass-produce>

(=ↀωↀ=) <...In other words, it's a country that can produce a lot of <Sub-Dragon Class> units>