Chapter 28

《The Skill Level of the Seizure Sword has increased.》

《The Skill Level of the Life Sword has increased.》

《The Skill Level of the HP Auto Recovery has increased.》

After disposing of the Red Bison, a monster that attacked, I took a moment to catch my breath. This monster is a huge bull, with a height up to my chest. As its name suggests, its body is red, and its temperament is very aggressive. It charges at you as soon as it sees you. Fortunately, it doesn't tend to travel in large groups; when it does appear, it's usually just one or two, which is a relief. However, this monster is extremely tough.

After a bit of a struggle, I found that the best strategy was to deliver a powerful strike with the Life Sword, then attack with the Seizure Sword when it slowed down.

"One is manageable, but two can be a bit of a hassle."

"It takes a lot of time to take them down alone... How do you manage to target their necks at such speed, Quon?"

"Indeed, it's fast, but its path is straight. It's easy if you time it right."

This Red Bison, as mentioned, is a tough and troublesome opponent, but its movements are very simple. It just runs and charges at you. Therefore, you can easily avoid its attacks by moving to the side. Then, you just need to strike it. However, if you can't target its weak points, it becomes a very difficult enemy. It's tough and has high attack power. Avoiding its attacks isn't hard, but it takes a lot of time to defeat.

"Well, it's still a valuable monster to defeat."

■ Red Bison Meat: Material, Ingredient

The meat of the Red Bison.

It has a good texture and a strong flavor, suitable for stewed dishes.

Cooking effects are enhanced with bonuses.

In short, it's beef. So far, in the restaurants run by players, only chicken and pork are available. Actually, it's not chicken and pork but the meat of bird-type and boar-type monsters. In any case, there's currently no way to handle beef. While it's available in small quantities in the local market, it's not stable enough to use regularly. Now, finally, there's a prospect of a steady income from beef.

"Sell it to a chef, and they'll probably buy it at a high price! There's quite a bit of it!"

"Well, with such a large bull, Eleanora would probably buy it for a good price."

"...Quon, you know the Guild Master? You have a lot of connections."

"Only through Hizuma."

Personally, I have a good relationship with her, but in any case, an item that no one has obtained yet should be valuable to Eleanora. It's possible that she came with me to Riblum, hoping I would defeat the boss and obtain items. Well, there's a return for me too, and I'm willing to cooperate.

After closing the inventory filled with material items, I turned my gaze forward. What came into view was—

"We're almost there."

"Even from a distance, it stood out, but it looks even more impressive up close."

"It's bigger than Fauskatze... It's fitting for the capital, isn't it?"

A huge city surrounded by white walls. Beyond the high walls, a white castle with prominent spires was visible. The fact that such a conspicuous castle can be built is proof of the peace in this area. It's a new country, and the monsters aren't particularly strong, so there's no need for a heavily fortified city. Still, the walls surrounding the city are impressive and should be sufficient to hold back monsters. I sighed as I observed the city gradually coming into view.

"There's still a bit of unease... but we can't know for sure yet."

"...What's the unease about?"

"Hm? Ah..."

Surprised by the question from the usually quiet Aoi, I nodded and continued. The unease came from the white castle and walls.

"That castle prioritizes appearance. It's not wrong to show the king's authority... but the walls are made of the same material, right?"

"...Maybe?"

"I'm not sure if that white material has the strength needed for the walls. It's especially concerning if the enemy is a demon, not just a monster."

"...I see."

If a powerful demon like Romperia appeared, would those walls be of any use? Well, it flew, so the walls wouldn't matter anyway.

"Well, it could be that the castle is built to be sturdy, and the material is unknown. There's no point in worrying about it now."

"..."

Aoi nodded silently and remained quiet. She seems to still be uncomfortable with social interactions, even though she's gotten a bit used to me. I don't need to force a close relationship, and there's no need to push her. While talking about such trivial matters, we finally reached the capital. The gate was wide open, with a few soldiers standing in front. They seemed to be checking people entering the city.

"Will we be able to pass the checkpoint?"

"If we can't, the game is over. We haven't done anything wrong, though."

"Actually, we're the ones who defeated the demon."

Well, if we can't enter the city, we can't progress in the game. It doesn't seem too strict, so we should be fine. As we approached the gate, a soldier noticed us and opened his eyes wide, then smiled.

"Thank you for your hard work."

"Hehe, thank you. Are you travelers?"

"Yes, we're foreigners."

As I said this, I moved Lumin, who was on my head, to my shoulder. Confused, Lumin waved at the soldier in front of her. The soldier was surprised to see the fairy, which is usually invisible. Fairies are only visible to pure people, so this should be a good sign that we're not evil. As expected, the soldier's guard was lowered.

"To have a fairy... Do all foreigners have a contract with a fairy?"

"No, I'm a rare case. I'm the only one so far."

"I see. Are you from Riblum?"

"Yes, we defeated the demon blocking the road and came here."

"That's great news! Thank you for defeating that demon!"

According to the soldier, the demon had been causing problems with trade. It's understandable that trade would be disrupted if the road was blocked. I considered taking a detour, but the number of monsters would increase outside the road, making it difficult for merchants. The soldier was very happy that the demon was dead. For them, it was a mortal enemy. Considering the sacrifices of the knights, it's understandable. I decided to mention the knights and took out a sword from my inventory.

"The undead controlled by the demon had this. Do you recognize it?"

"This is..."

The soldier was tense when I suddenly took out the sword, but he quickly recognized it as belonging to the knights and took it, his gaze sharp. He checked the emblem and muttered.

"Schreid, the captain..."

"...You knew him, then."

It seems he was the captain of a small unit. Given his position, he was likely well-known. Even if it could only be proven that it belonged to a knight, it would help our case.

"I've brought the bodies of the knights turned into undead. Please, treat them with respect."

"...Of course. Please, follow me."

The soldier, who had a friendly smile earlier, now showed a serious knight's expression. He left the checkpoint to another soldier and led us into the capital. The four girls looked a bit confused but followed me, judging that we would be allowed in.

The city had a familiar atmosphere, similar to Fauskatze. It might even be that Fauskatze was modeled after this city, as it's larger. However, the impression was quite different since only locals live here, and we are the only foreigners.

"It's a lively city."

"...Too many people."

The soldier walking in front of us smiled slightly at the contrasting reactions of the two girls. He seemed to be a good-natured person, despite being a bit shocked by the Schreid incident.

"Isn't it? This white city, Bergsarde, is a source of pride for our Alphasia Kingdom."

"Such a beautiful castle, it's something to be proud of!"

"Yes. As foreigners, this is your first visit to the city. Enjoy it."

Since no one had reached beyond Riblum, this would be the first time for all players. The fresh reactions of the players might be enjoyable for the checkpoint soldiers. While thinking this, I followed the soldier, looking around the city. We were soon led to a facility with a large area, which seemed to be the knights' headquarters. The soldier spoke to someone at the window and led us into a room, which appeared to be used for meetings.

"Please, come in. And I'll temporarily keep this sword."

"Yes, that's best... Ah, one request."

"What is it?"

"It's the last words of the sword's owner. He wanted to pass them on to the captain."

"...Understood. Please wait a moment."

The soldier nodded and left the room. I sat in a chair, and the girls, a bit confused, followed suit. Lumin, who was flying around the room, was left to her own devices as I finally took a deep breath.

"At least the conversation went smoothly. Lumin's presence as proof really helped."

"You suddenly started speaking formally, I was surprised."

"I use formal language when necessary. They represent the state, and we need to gain their trust. We can't afford to make mistakes."

It's best to avoid a hostile relationship with someone backed by a country. It would be troublesome. While it might be necessary to confront them in some situations, it depends on the circumstances.

"More importantly, whether the captain will come directly or not. We don't even know if he's here."

"...Is that okay?"

"I'd prefer to tell him directly, but if not, a message will do. It's not critical information, so I think it will get through."

I want to ensure the message is delivered, but in this situation, I can't be picky. I don't have the position to choose. While thinking this, I sensed someone approaching and narrowed my eyes. I stood up, freed my right hand, and focused on the door. A tall man appeared.

"Hmm...?"

"...Hmm."

We sized each other up, and both of us smiled. He seems to be a capable opponent, but I'm not desperate. He didn't seem to want to escalate things either, as he put away his sword and extended his hand.

"You're the one who brought the sword. I'm Christoph Stoner, the captain of the Alphasia Kingdom's knights."

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Quon, a foreigner. These are the companions who helped defeat the demon."

"I'm Kumiko!"

"I'm Rino. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Ku!"

"...I'm Aoi."

Christoph smiled at the girls introducing themselves one by one. A group of beautiful girls can be useful in such situations. Lumin, who had been looking out the window, came back and waved, as if saying, "Don't forget about me."

"I know. And this is Lumin, a fairy who follows me."

"Hmm... I've heard about people recognized by fairies, but this is the first time I've seen one. Nice to meet you, ladies."

I thought he would be more formal as a noble, but he's surprisingly friendly. That's a relief. It's easier to deal with a relaxed person than a stiff one. After exchanging greetings, Christoph invited us to sit down. We complied, and he sat across from us, placing the sword on the table.

"Let's get to the point... I'd like to hear your story."

■ Avatar Name: Quon

■ Gender: Male

■ Race: Human

■ Level: 13

■ Status (Remaining Status Points: 0)

STR: 16

VIT: 14

INT: 16

MND: 14

AGI: 12

DEX: 12

■ Skills

Weapon Skill: 《Sword: Lv.13》

Magic Skill: 《Enhancement Magic: Lv.10》

Set Skill: 《Dead Point Strike: Lv.11》

《MP Auto Recovery: Lv.6》

《Seizure Sword: Lv.8》

《Identification: Lv.10》

《Life Sword: Lv.9》

《Demon Slayer Sword: Lv.4》

《Tame: Lv.3》

《HP Auto Recovery: Lv.5》

Sub Skill: 《Mining: Lv.1》

Title Skill: 《Fairy's Blessing》

■ Current SP: 8

■ Monster Name: Lumin

■ Gender: Female

■ Race: Fairy

■ Level: 7

■ Status (Remaining Status Points: 0)

STR: 4

VIT: 7

INT: 22

MND: 16

AGI: 14

DEX: 9

■ Skills

Weapon Skill: None

Magic Skill: 《Light Magic》

Skill: 《Light Attribute Enhancement》

《Flight》

《Magic Resistance: Medium》

《MP Auto Recovery》

Title Skill: 《Fairy Queen's Follower》