Chapter 60

(Note) I also updated two days ago.

6

A high-pitched whistle sounded.

It was an alarm. On the watchtower, the figure of a soldier could be seen.

Men in imposing attire appeared on the wall that surrounded the village.

I had heard that soldiers were stationed in the village.

They must have been guarding the wall from the beginning. Upon closer inspection, they were equipped with the same gear as the soldiers accompanying us.

Then, the villagers appeared, albeit a little later.

Their armor and shields were old and worn, with some of the metal plates twisted and showing signs of repair.

Most of their equipment seemed to be hand-me-downs from the military, but some wore handmade leather armor. Their weapons were mismatched, but all were well-maintained.

Well, we had arrived at the village, but we couldn't just barge in with such a large group and unnecessarily raise their guard.

First, the captain and a few knights went to explain the situation.

The talks ended smoothly. I later heard that the liaison who had gone ahead had already given a brief explanation a few days earlier.

After that, only half of the knights and the transferees were invited into the village.

The village didn't have the capacity to accommodate nearly five hundred people.

Called by Shiran, who had come to the village, I drove the carriage into the village.

The wall was made of stone, but the houses in the village were wooden. As we drove through the paths between the fields, we passed through several gates in the wall.

Looking to the left and right of the road, I could see villagers gathered in several places, watching us.

We were known to be transferees—heroes to them.

Their gazes were a mix of unease, curiosity, admiration, and faith. It was a rather uncomfortable feeling.

"Developing the forest begins with building a sturdy wall around the cleared land. To construct a solid wall, we have to transport stones from distant quarries."

Shiran, who was sitting next to me on the driver's seat, started talking while leading the way. Perhaps she had sensed my unease and was trying to be considerate in her own way.

"As development progresses, the wall is expanded. The stones transported are used for this purpose, so it's common for the villagers' houses to be built with wood, which is readily available. The wood obtained from clearing the forest is sold to the outside world a few times a year, arranged by the military."

"Does the village make a living from forestry?"

"The soil in the forest is not suitable for growing crops. It's said that the excessive magic in the land hinders the growth of anything other than the trees native to the forest. Therefore, the villagers have to supplement their harvest from the fields with the money earned from selling wood."

"Is your hometown village similar to this?"

"It's about one-fifth the size and much poorer, but the atmosphere is similar. This village is also a relay point for Cheria Fort, so it's considered a large development village."

Shiran narrowed her eyes, perhaps reminiscing about her hometown.

During this time, the carriage slowly moved forward, still drawing attention from the villagers.

The villagers probably wouldn't think that there were monsters in this carriage.

Even if we revealed our situation, with the knights present, nothing serious would happen. There was no need to cause unnecessary confusion in a village we were just passing through.

Only the allied knights organized by the captain were entering the village, so there was little risk of secrets leaking. Even if there were problems, the village's forces couldn't do anything to us.

We arrived at a building near the center of the village.

Compared to the other houses, it was more impressive. A sign hung under the eaves, with patterns that seemed to be an abstract representation of the world's script.

I learned that this was a combination inn and izakaya (Japanese pub).

Leaving the carriage to Shiran, Lily and I got out.

"Hey, Shimada-kun. It's been a while. I saw you. You did a great job protecting the soldiers."

"Mr. Mihara. Well, it was Lily, not me."

The four survivors from the Cheria Fort attack, including Mihara, also got out of another carriage.

Two of them looked pale, and Mihara was smiling wryly. They seemed to have been car sick.

The captain and the knights were expected to arrive soon. We were told to wait and have a meal until then.

We entered the village izakaya with Mihara, the knights, and the others.

The izakaya was spacious. The tables, stained with age, were dark in patches.

The two of Mihara's companions who were feeling unwell were led to a room to rest, and the rest of us sat at the tables.

This place was probably where the villagers spent their leisure time, but today it had been cleared of people.

The only ones present were the knights, who were standing.

Only Mihara and his female companion, Tada Ryouko, were sitting at the table, which was a relief for them.

Mihara and Tada were likely in a relationship, as they had an intimate atmosphere. Considering Lily and me, the balance seemed to be maintained.

The meal was soon served.

It was bread and root vegetable soup. Distilled alcohol was also served, but I declined. Lily could probably drink it, but she also declined because I didn't.

When I confirmed with Shiran, who arrived later, she had arranged for the same meal to be brought to the carriage.

I reached for the food without hesitation.

***

During the meal, the main conversation was between me and Mihara.

Mihara and Tada were both concerned about Lily, but they didn't speak to her.

Mihara talked about the capital, as he had heard from the soldiers.

His talkativeness might have been a way to hide his anxiety. After all, the incident caused by Jūmonji Tatsuya had happened, and as one of the parties involved, it was natural to be worried about the near future.

As we were talking, the captain and the knights arrived.

The elderly man who accompanied the captain, the village chief of the development village, was almost prostrate with respect towards us.

We finished our meal quickly because it was so uncomfortable.

Fortunately, the captain understood my nature and, at her suggestion, we were immediately led to the room where we would be staying for the night.

"Are you tired?"

Shiran, who had followed me into the room, laughed as if she couldn't help it when I sighed.

"A little. I'm mentally exhausted."

"There's a communal bath in the village. Would you like to go with Lily? I think you can use it if you ask."

As we were talking, there was a knock on the door.

"I'm sorry to disturb you. May I come in for a moment?"

The captain and Kanhiko appeared.

After thanking us for protecting the soldiers from monsters during the journey, the captain got to the point.

"According to the plan, we were to leave this village immediately, but I would like to change that plan."

"What do you mean?"

"I would like to stay in this village for one more day. I would like to get the approval of Kōhō-sama for this."

According to the captain, the soldiers, who had been walking in the forest without a break, were showing more fatigue than expected.

Moreover, with the loss of Cheria Fort, it was feared that the frequency of monster attacks on this development village would increase. There were already signs of this, and it was not right to leave the anxious villagers unattended.

Therefore, it was suggested that while the soldiers rested, a part of the knights who were less tired would go out and defeat the monsters around the village before leaving.

"I understand. If it's all right, I and Lily would like to participate."

"That would be very helpful. I would like to ask you to do so."

When I offered, the captain's tired face broke into a smile.

After that, we received an explanation about the schedule for the next day and the surrounding geography.

The plan was to leave the forest for the monster hunt after noon. Since there would be time before then, I decided to make a request.

"If there's time before noon, I would like Shiran to check on my familiars."

"Is this about what you mentioned before? I don't mind, but..."

Shiran's gaze met the captain's, who nodded.

"I don't mind. Kōhō-sama has been very helpful to us. You will be accompanying us tomorrow, and there's no particular work to do until noon. Do as you please."

"Understood."

Thanks to the captain's approval, I thanked her with a smile.

"That's great. Thank you, Shiran. By the way, if there's time, I would like to have some training then."

"Oh, Kōhō is going to learn too? Then I want to, I want to. I want to use a longer sword."

When I asked, Kanhiko raised his hand to volunteer.

The captain smiled slightly, as if to say, "What a troublesome guy."

The room was filled with a warm atmosphere.

"..."

But Shiran's reaction was different.

When she heard my words, her expression changed, and she furrowed her brow slightly.

The captain, who seemed to have noticed this at the same time as me, looked puzzled.

"What's wrong, Shiran?"

"About what Kōhō-sama just said..."

After hesitating, Shiran looked me in the eye with a determined expression.

"Perhaps this is a good opportunity."

"Shiran...?"

"Kōhō-sama. I agree to check on your familiars. I don't mind training Kanhiko-sama. However, I would like to refrain from training Kōhō-sama."

I stared at Shiran, taken aback.

"What do you mean?"

If it was just that she couldn't train me, I would understand.

It was fine to train the familiars. It was fine to train Kanhiko. But why not me?

"You should stop fighting, Kōhō-sama."

"...I'm not fighting because I like it."

I was confused.

Shiran's words seemed too abrupt.

"But we can't just ignore the problems that come our way. If we don't deal with them, we'll be burned. If you don't want that, you need to have the strength to fight."

"Even if there's a risk in acquiring the strength to fight?"

Lily, who was standing next to me, reacted sharply.

Her eyes narrowed, as if to say, "I can't let this go."

"Hey, Shiran. What do you mean by that?"

"Exactly what I said. Kōhō-sama's abilities carry a risk."

In response to Lily's hard voice, Shiran answered.

"...No. Just a moment."

I interrupted their conversation.

I couldn't let them say whatever they wanted. Spreading my hands, I protested to Shiran.

"What kind of risk? What do you mean by that?"

"Indeed. You don't seem to be truly concerned."

Shiran's gaze shifted to the tips of my outstretched hands.

There, Asarinna, who had sprouted from the back of my hand, trembled.

"Where in the world do you find a person who can grow a monster from the back of their hand?"

"That's... No, but if it's just the appearance..."

"It's not just the appearance."

With a confident tone, Shiran declared.

"Your left hand. Hasn't something changed since Asarinna took up residence there?"

"..."

I fell silent.

In this case, silence was an admission and agreement.

There was no need to confirm it. From the beginning, there had been a sense of discomfort in my left arm, where Asarinna resided.

Of course. Asarinna, who had parasitized me, had rooted herself in my flesh. It would be strange if there were no effects.

At first, I had judged that this discomfort would eventually disappear.

It might have turned out that way.

...However, there was something I couldn't forget.

To achieve the movement method using Asarinna, I had to reinforce my left hand from the back of my hand to the middle of my forearm with Asarinna's roots.

This was a necessary measure to avoid damaging the joints. However, since the roots passed through the wrist, a joint, it was inevitable that my movements would be somewhat hindered.

Moreover, the human hand is a surprisingly delicate organ. The deeper the roots penetrate, the more effects they have.

"You can't do fine work, can you, even if you can hold a shield?"

"...Sharp."

I chuckled, and Lily and Kanhiko looked at me with worried expressions.

I shook my head.

"Being a bit clumsy with my hands isn't a big deal. I'm right-handed, after all. In terms of strength, I might even be stronger."

"That's not all."

Shiran's serious expression, partially hidden by her eye patch, did not waver.

"If that were the only issue, I wouldn't say this. But do you remember, Kōhō-sama? When I first accompanied you in training, I said, 'The way you handle magic is unique.'"

"...Now that you mention it, you did say that. That was the second day we stayed at Cheria Fort, right?"

"You saw me using magic to enhance my physical abilities, and I said that."

At that time, I was hiding my abilities and was sweating with fear that my secret would be discovered.

"After that, I understood. The flow of magic you use to enhance your physical abilities is the same as that of the legendary white arachne, Gerbera. It's natural that it's unique."

"Ah, right. I learned how to handle magic from her..."

"That's the problem, Kōhō-sama."

"...What do you mean?"

I furrowed my brow.

"We use rings to distinguish ghouls by the difference in the magic patterns of humans and ghouls, don't we? Ghouls have a unique flow of magic. The same applies to humans and other monsters. If it's unique, it can't be replicated. Normally, that is."

I remembered that Rose had said something similar recently.

It's impossible to use a monster's special abilities because the flow of magic can't be replicated by anyone else.

"Do you remember what I said the first time I saw your magic, Kōhō-sama?"

"I think... I think you said, 'Magic usually doesn't flow that way.'"

"That's right. Even if you learned it, it should have been impossible for you to mimic Gerbera's flow of magic."

What Shiran said was impossible, I had managed to do.

...I had managed to do it. And that was what Shiran was concerned about.

"Most of the magic I possess comes