Chapter 42

The forest was filled with a tense atmosphere, completely different from the peaceful air of the border village where he grew up.

Rio read the signpost erected on the road.

"Turn back if you lack confidence in your skills."

Shiraha, standing next to Rio, read the signpost and directed her gaze into the forest.

"The village was safe, huh?"

"Apparently, this is one of the most dangerous areas in the border region, so it's bound to be a comparison."

Even the village was a much more dangerous place compared to the surrounding towns.

However, the Demon Forest of Rihelan, located in the border region, was a dangerous area where evil beasts were hunted once every two months, and magical creatures and monsters fought each other to the death.

Observing the border fortress town of Rihelan, which came into view at the end of the road, he noticed the stone walls and dry moat, with a drawbridge extending from the gate over the moat. The fact that all these defenses were not against humans but against evil beasts and monsters spoke volumes about the danger of this forest.

"It's a bigger town than I heard."

"Ougan said the population exceeds ten thousand," Shiraha said.

"To see that many people, I'd have to read a war chronicle."

The unimaginable number of people made Rio feel a bit uneasy.

However, he had come here on a request from Rasmor Rosiz, the next lord. There was no way he could turn back.

Walking towards the fortress town on the snowless road, Rio recalled Rasmor's words.

Rihelan, where numerous evil beasts and magical creatures lived, had a fortress built for defense, and a town formed by adventurers and merchants seeking resources.

On the other hand, Rihelan also housed hideouts of underground organizations and escaped bandits, making it a highly dangerous area.

According to Rasmor's investigation, unknown animals and evil beasts were frequently being hunted in the Rihelan forest.

It was said that some of these animals, which were thought to have come from the depths of the forest, possessed high intelligence and acted with tactical foresight.

Rasmor, who had taken note of these tactical actions, which reminded him of the monkeys that attacked the village, had ordered an investigation.

"I heard that no gemstones have been found, but how do we even start looking?"

While a liaison would be provided, the investigation would primarily be conducted by Rio and Shiraha alone.

"Is the village okay?"

Shiraha muttered.

Rio laughed it off to ease her worry.

"It'll be fine. We have Karil with the evil sword, and the knights have increased their patrols. Besides, we've only been out of the village for five days. Are you already missing home?"

"I'm just worried. We should think about souvenirs too."

"Do we really need souvenirs? We're here on a request from the next lord."

"Mother told me to take good care of you because you're not considerate."

"Sorry, I'm not considerate."

Shiraha's words made Rio feel that he should buy souvenirs, but he would do so only after completing their task.

"First, we'll enter the Adventurer's Guild, check the past hunting records in the archive, and investigate if any gemstones were seized."

"Does Ougan have an illustrated guide?"

"Right, he has a book with illustrations. Did you not read it?"

"It's a valuable item, so I was told to read it in town."

"I should have brought it with me."

The distance from the village to the town was considerable, but the road was well-maintained, making it possible even for children to travel.

Even if it required an overnight stay, his mother would provide the accommodation fees if he asked.

Shiraha shook her head as she looked at Rio.

"I can't leave you alone."

"Hey, where does this protective instinct come from? I'm much more reliable than you, you know?"

"But you take unnecessary risks."

"Only when there's no other choice. I don't do it for fun."

"If you take unnecessary risks, I'll lock you in the house."

"Scary."

Shuddering, Rio peered into the dry moat of the fortress town.

It wasn't very deep, but it was quite wide.

"The width is about the size of two fields. They could have dug it deeper."

Thinking of his house, Rio imagined placing it in the moat. The first floor would probably fit. The moat had a slope, making it difficult to climb out.

"They make it wide to prevent defensive magic from being bypassed and the fortress walls from being attacked."

"Got it. Thanks for the mage's perspective."

Understanding Shiraha's explanation, Rio started to cross the drawbridge.

The drawbridge was wide enough for about ten people to walk side by side, allowing knights to form a defensive line using Ox-style sword techniques and cavalry to charge if necessary.

Designed to be effective against magical creatures and monsters, it was also useful against humans.

There was no inspection to enter the town, and the gate guards only glanced at Rio and Shiraha.

"Wow."

As soon as they entered the town, Rio couldn't help but exclaim at the vibrant atmosphere. The gate guard smiled warmly at him.

To avoid obstructing traffic, Rio, blushing, took Shiraha's hand and quickly moved away from the gate.

"It's amazing."

"Rio, your vocabulary is limited."

"What can I do? This is the first time I've seen so many people."

"You look like a wild child."

"Don't say that to me, Shiraha!"

Shiraha nodded expressionlessly in response to Rio's retort.

"I thought, 'Huh?' myself."

"You didn't realize it, huh? Well, growing up in a border village isn't much different from being a wild child. Compared to this town, though. It must be hard to remember everyone's faces and names. I respect that."

"Probably not everyone, even if they live in the same town."

As they chatted, Rio and Shiraha followed the sign to the Adventurer's Guild, turning off the main road.

A large stone building with an inn attached came into view. The building was surrounded by a hedge with cute yellow flowers.

Seeing the sign that read "Adventurer's Guild," Rio looked up at the building.

"It's cuter than I thought."

"But it has defensive magic."

"True."

The moment they passed through the hedge, a subtle sense of unease, which only those on guard would notice, hit them. Rio, from his training with Shiraha, recognized it as the effect of passing through defensive magic.

Upon closer inspection, he noticed that the hedge contained iron bars. The building had balconies on the second floor for magical and archery defense, and the roof was flat for stable footing, not a triangular roof.

All these features were designed to allow immediate defense in case of an attack.

Reaffirming that this was a dangerous area, Rio and Shiraha exchanged a glance and, in sync, opened the door to the Adventurer's Guild.