Chapter 96

(Note) This is my second post of the day.

7

After passing through several villages, we arrived in Diospiro three days later.

Diospiro is a town with a population of about two thousand, which is not particularly large in terms of town size.

However, as a key point for trade within the Kingdom of Aker, the town, surrounded by stone walls, had a fairly robust defense.

It seemed that the royal army was also permanently stationed there for the town's defense, and soldiers in uniform could be seen.

When something unusual happened in the nearby villages, it was said that troops would be dispatched from here to provide assistance.

The road we had been using led directly into the town's main street.

On either side of the street, mainly two-story wooden houses lined up.

Unlike Serratta, which was built around a fortress where people sought safety, this town had grown from a post town along the road.

The road that divided the town in two continued all the way to Aker's capital, Evansea.

Shiran's hometown, the pioneer village, was also in that direction.

In any case, the purpose of coming here this time was to obtain the magic stone needed to move the vehicle.

We wanted to achieve our goal as soon as possible and return to Lily and the others.

"First, let's find an inn."

As Shiran said this, people around her were looking at her.

I was impressed by how popular the Alliance Knights were, but this was probably the umpteenth time since we entered Aker.

If we dawdled, someone might approach us, and we might not be able to move.

Shiran walked briskly down the street and quickly found the sign of the inn we had been recommended at one of the villages we passed through.

"Here it is."

Following her through the door, we entered the inn.

In front of us was the reception desk, and to the left was a dining area where a few guests were eating and drinking.

At the reception desk sat a middle-aged, somewhat overweight man who seemed to be the innkeeper.

And in front of him...

A boy was standing there.

—A surprise attack is precisely what this is.

"Huh?"

The boy, who had turned around nonchalantly at the sound of the door opening, let out a puzzled voice.

He was a tall boy with black hair and black eyes.

His somewhat stern face was looking at us.

Naturally, I stopped in my tracks.

It wasn't because I was intimidated.

Despite his otherworldly attire, the boy clearly didn't look like a native of this world.

"..."

Taken aback by this unexpected encounter, my body naturally tensed up.

Still, I wasn't sure.

Calm down, I told myself.

Considering that I was pretending to be a member of the favored bloodline, it was possible that he, who looked like a Japanese person, was also a genuine member of the favored bloodline...

"Why is there another transferer here?"

...This thought was negated by the boy's gruff mutter.

He was indeed another transferer, and he had the same question.

Why was there another transferer here?

"..."

The boy was giving me a strong, unfriendly gaze.

Seeing this, Rose and Shiran, though they didn't draw their weapons, both entered a combat-ready stance.

The staring contest lasted only a few seconds.

"Customers...?"

The innkeeper spoke in confusion.

Then, the boy averted his gaze from us without much fuss.

"Nothing. I'm extending my stay for a week. It's prepaid, right?"

The boy took some coins from his leather bag and placed them on the reception desk.

Then, as if we didn't exist, he left the reception and headed for the stairs.

"It's none of my business."

His muttered words sounded like he was annoyed.

The sound of his footsteps going up the stairs faded away.

There was no time to call out to him, and there was no particular reason to stop him.

Feeling as if I had been caught in a passing shower, I looked up at the stairs the boy had gone up.

"Master, that was indeed..."

After confirming that the boy had left, Rose spoke with a tense expression.

I exhaled the breath I had been holding.

"Yes, it seems so."

Another transferer, and from the heavy magical aura I felt in that brief moment of caution, he was likely a cheater.

It was a person I couldn't help but be wary of.

However...

He seemed to have no interest in us.

His sullen expression didn't seem to be out of hostility towards us, but rather his natural demeanor.

His attitude suggested that he wanted to avoid trouble.

His stance was not much different from mine.

"What do you think, Takahiro-sama?"

Shiran asked.

"Hmm..."

According to Iino, the exploration team that reached Chelia Fort was heading to the imperial capital.

So why was there another cheater transferer in Aker instead of the empire?

It would be a lie to say it didn't bother me.

However, if I pried too much, it might stir up trouble.

"...If we can agree to non-interference, that's fine."

I didn't want to get involved with other transferers.

As long as he didn't have any ill intentions towards us, there was no need for us to do anything.

"Understood. Shall we complete the check-in procedures then?"

"Sure."

While interacting with the innkeeper, who seemed to misunderstand our relationship with Kato, the boy from earlier came down the stairs.

He glanced at us and then left the inn.

It seemed he genuinely had no interest in us.

When I asked the innkeeper, it turned out that the boy, like us, was pretending to be a member of the favored bloodline.

He was traveling with a companion who was not a member of the favored bloodline, meaning they were not a transferer.

That was all the information we could get.

If they were part of the exploration team, there would be no need to pretend.

Iino had mentioned that there were defectors from the exploration team, but even if the boy was one of them, it seemed a bit unnatural for him to have entered Aker before us.

However, it was unlikely we would learn more.

Besides, I had other things to do.

After arriving at the inn, Shiran led us out again.

We headed to a military facility.

There was someone in the town's military who had been a comrade of Shiran's in the Alliance Knights.

According to Shiran, many knights who left the Alliance Knights to return to their country were often recruited as instructors in the military.

This was to pass on the experience of knights who had fought in the Tree Sea, the worst monster-infested area in this world, to the soldiers.

They also had the role of recommending promising soldiers to become knights.

One such person was in Diospiro.

We planned to rely on him to find a vehicle in the town.

The military facility we arrived at was a sturdy stone building.

In an emergency, such buildings could serve as shelters.

"Ah, Shiran. It's been a while."

A young man named Adolph smiled when he saw Shiran.

He was short but well-built.

However, his left arm was missing from the shoulder.

This was likely the reason he left the knights.

We were led to a room in the stone building.

"So, the knights are in such a situation..."

Adolph, who was related to the knights, listened to Shiran's account of the Chelia Fort attack without holding back.

While she didn't mention that Shiran had become an undead monster or that I was a transferer with special abilities, she did tell him about the significant casualties in the knights and the arrest of the leader by the Margrave MacLaurin.

Adolph, who was pressing his forehead with one hand, had a somber expression.

To him, these were people he had fought alongside.

The pain he felt for the leader and his comrades was unimaginable.

"Thank you for telling me, Shiran."

After a while, he shook his head.

It seemed he had switched his mindset, and his mouth was now curved into a concerned smile.

"I understand the situation. To help someone who protected the knights... and a hero, I will do everything I can."

"Thank you, Adolph."

"No, you've been through a lot."

Adolph shook his head.

"You look worse than before. You must have had a hard time."

Shiran gave a vague smile at the pale face of the demi-rich.

"Well, you can leave the arrangement of the magic stone to me. I'll try to use my connections in the military. While it's difficult for me to prepare a military-standard vehicle, I should be able to get the magic stone."

"I appreciate it. That takes a weight off my shoulders."

"However, it would be better if we could move immediately, but unfortunately, I'm a bit busy right now. We can start tomorrow."

"Of course, that's fine... but is something happening?"

"Actually, there have been multiple reports of monster sightings from nearby villages. While it's not uncommon, one of them is particularly troublesome. Reconnaissance teams are being sent out, and I need to coordinate the personnel."

"Troublesome monsters...?"

When Shiran asked, Adolph nodded with a grim expression.

"A dragon."

"Is that true, Adolph?"

Shiran's expression became sharp.

When I heard "dragon," I remembered the one that attacked us right after our transfer.

It had its face blown off by a student's punch, but that was only possible because of the extraordinary combat abilities of a cheater. Normally, that wouldn't happen.

Dragons are powerful monsters in general.

With their strong wings, they can fly long distances and occasionally emerge from the Tree Sea to cause significant damage to human society.

It's difficult for the usual village forces to counter them.

"If that's true, shouldn't we request assistance from the Royal Knights?"

"Yes, but the person who saw the dragon is from a remote village far from here. Given that there have been no casualties, if there is a nest, it's likely to be even further away. Also, they only saw it from a distance, so it's not certain if it was really a dragon. The urgency is low."

"However, it's not information we can ignore."

"You're right. That's why we're sending out reconnaissance teams."

Adolph nodded solemnly.

"Needless to say, please be careful when you leave the town. I don't want to lose any more comrades."

***

According to Adolph, he would contact a merchant who supplies the military, so we would likely get the magic stone the day after tomorrow.

We heard some concerning news, but there wasn't much we could do about it.

We had a free day tomorrow.

"Why don't we take it easy and rest?"

Back at the inn, Shiran suggested.

"Actually, if you don't mind, I'd like to train with you."

"...That's very like you, Takahiro-sama, but sometimes rest is necessary, too."

Shiran seemed unusually unenthusiastic.

Since entering Aker, I've relied on her more often.

She might be feeling tired.

"That's right, senpai."

Kato, who had been thinking about what to do, spoke up.

She clapped her hands and said,

"That's it. Why don't we all explore the town tomorrow?"

"Ma, Mako...?"

Rose seemed a bit flustered, but Kato didn't mind.

"We've been heading straight to our destination and haven't had much time to explore anywhere."

"Are you suggesting we sightsee?"

"Yes, that's a good idea."

Shiran also agreed with Kato.

"I plan to visit Adolph, but the rest of you can explore the town."

With Shiran's encouragement, I had to consider it.

To be honest, I hadn't thought of it.

But it wasn't a bad idea.

We couldn't do much in one day anyway.

So, exploring the town of Aker, Shiran's homeland, might not be a bad idea.

"Alright, let's do that."

When I said this, Kato smiled happily.

"Thank you."

◆Business announcement:

Volume 4 of "My Monster Lord" will be released on August 30th this month.

It's been exactly one year since the first volume was released last August.

I plan to release the rough drafts next week.