Chapter 108: Request (2)
TL: Potato-tan
Proofreader: Asianpotato
“Russell, I need your help.”
As the words left her mouth, Sarannen’s energy stirred, and her eyes flared with an emerald glow.
Russell’s energy stirred in response. Like Sarannen, his eyes flared, but with an purple light, and his left hand rose. With a snap of his fingers, the mana that had suddenly filled the area collided with Sarannen’s mana.
BOOOOM!
A shockwave rippled out, like thunder. Loose clothing, straw hats, baskets, wooden stools, and the pots displayed on them flew into disarray. Chaos reigned.
“Ah.”
In the center of the shockwave, Sarannen looked at Russell blankly.
“. . . How?”
Russell spoke.
“Sarannen, was it? It’s not polite to try and whisk people away like that.”
The energy Sarannen had just unleashed was the kind that could tear at the fabric of space. From the flow of it, it seemed that she had been trying to open a portal to a private demiplane(sub-space) of some kind.
Russell had simply countered with his own energy. It had been a long shot, but it had worked better than he’d hoped. It was relatively crude compared to normal magic, making it easier to block.
They would not be able to easily stop the spells of trained wizards in their towers or battle-hardened warlocks in their legions. That wasn’t to say Sarannen’s magic was weak.
It was simply that Russell and Sarannen were far too close, and Russell’s control over his energy far outstripped Sarannen’s.
“. . . . . .I apologize. I was hasty. I have been rude.”
Sarannen bowed her head with a downcast face. Her energy receded, and the emerald glow in her eyes faded. Russell let his own heightened energy subside in turn.
The marketplace around them was in shambles from the sudden clash of energies, but no one made a sound. The stall owner, who had been trying to convince Sarannen to buy his fruit, lay flat on his face, trembling with a pale face.
Hasty indeed. It would seem unwise to cause such a scene in such a crowded place. The townsfolk, and even the lord, would not look kindly on it.
As she raised her head, Russell looked down at Sarannen.
“I understand that you are in a hurry, but I cannot take your word that you are a friend of Magnagarta. We have just met, after all. Why should I believe you when you say you are her friend and that you need my help?”
They were still in the middle of a marketplace, surrounded by people. The commotion had caused everyone—customers and stall owners alike—to back away and watch them.
Wariness, unease, and a hint of fear hung in the air. Sarannen’s face turned red as she saw the looks on their human faces. She was no doubt feeling guilty.
“I have lodgings. An inn called the Dancing Bear. When you finish, would you be willing to visit the Dancing Bear?
Russell looked at Sarannen as she looked at him with pleading eyes, then slowly nodded.
Her androgynous appearance and strange aura. Her emerald eyes swirled with a sense of the natural world. He couldn’t sense any falsehood in her words.
Lying always caused subtle physical signs. Blinking rapidly, swallowing, and fidgeting fingers were easy to spot.
Russell could see more advanced tells involving hormones and nerve responses within the body, dilated pupils, and increased heart rate, but he didn’t bother.
“Very well.”
Sarannen looked relieved that Russell had agreed.
“Thank you. . . . I will be waiting there.”
And with that, Sarannen turned and walked away, apologizing to the stunned fruit seller as she went. Despite having been the center of the commotion just moments before, she blended into the crowd seamlessly, and the people around her seemed oblivious to her strangeness.
“What was that all about?”
Aellasis, riding on Kry’s back, pouted as she watched Sarannen leave.
“Asking for help out of nowhere, then trying to use some weird magic, It was some kind of magic I didn’t recognize, either.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. It wasn’t like human magic. It was more; I don’t know. Natural, maybe? Crude, and untamed. . . .”
Aellasis, as befitting her dragonkin nature, seemed to have sensed something unusual about Sarannen’s energy and magic. Kai, who had been silent until now, spoke.
“She was not human.”
“Not human?”
“No. It’s closer to an elf, but not quite the same.
“I suppose we will find out when we meet her.”
Russell was curious, too. It had been a long time since he’d heard the name Magnagarta, and she had said she needed his help.
Besides, he had a feeling that whatever Sarannen wanted help with wouldn’t be too far removed from his own goals. His hunches were usually right.
“Excuse me. May I show you the way again?”
The soldier escorting them, Devin, spoke up timidly. Despite having received Russell’s energy at close range, he was still trembling, but he had not forgotten his duty.
“Yes. My apologies.”
“Oh, no need to apologize. It is just that the Dragon Slayer is much more impressive in person than the rumors would lead us to believe. Ha, ha. This way, please.”
🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷
Within the castle, there was Lord Latham’s mansion. The well-paved flagstones and symmetrical buildings created a harmony.
When Devin led the horses to the stable, a knight in chain mail came out of the lord’s mansion.
The knight reached out his hand to Russell and said,
“Welcome, Sir Russell. I am honored to meet the Dragon Slayer; I have only heard rumors about you.”
“Nice to meet you.”
The knight, who introduced himself as Vandel Tevons, then looked at Kai and Aellasis.
“As you have said, I will guide you for now. Follow me.”
The soldiers guarding the large, wide door opened it as Vandel gestured. A large hall appeared, and inside it, a long dining table caught the eye.
Tatiana, who had taken off her armor and changed her clothes, was sitting at the head of the table. At a glance, the vest, shirt, and pants seemed to be of good quality, but there was no trace of extravagance.
The knight, who served as an escort, stood behind her, and the servants were serving food.
“You have come. Please, take a seat.”
The meal began with a welcome from Lord Tatiana. Regardless of the lord’s simple attire, the dishes were all excellent.
Ham made from the front leg of a pig, white bread made from wheat, tomato stew with beans, soup boiled with onions, green onions, herbs in chicken broth, and salad with dressing.
The sincerity in the dishes was the same as the sincerity in welcoming the guests. Russell wondered what the Lord would talk about.
“Dragon Slayer. Was your name Russell?”
“Yes.”
“I heard there was an incident in the market earlier.”
The news has already spread. No, it would be strange if it hadn’t spread. A lord who governs a territory has power that surpasses the king’s, at least in that region.
“It was a minor incident. There was a wizard who recognized me.”
“Hmm. Well, someone like you would have incidents and accidents come to you, even if you just stay still.”
The Lord’s words had a sharp edge. Russell also felt that many things had happened to him since he started his journey.
Most of them were not ordinary things. He encountered a dragon in a city, defeated a great devil in a canyon, and faced a vampire monarch in the basement of another territory.
In addition, he was now looking for clues about another great devil, passing through the mountains and forests of the central region and entering a territory that was on the verge of war with orcs.
“I also have a favor to ask of you. Can you listen to it?”
“I will listen and judge.”
The knight standing behind the lord glared at Russell’s words. It was as if he was asking how he could dare to be so presumptuous when he was safe.
Russell, however, didn’t even blink an eye at such a gaze. Tatiana also did not show any anger at Russell’s attitude. Rather, she smiled beautifully.
“Would you like to assist our territory by joining the war? If the rumored Dragon Slayer helps us, the morale of our territory’s army will rise significantly. The mercenaries who fight for money will also change their minds.”
“I believe that you already have excellent knights and soldiers, Lord.”
On his way to the lord’s mansion, Russell observed the military discipline and training status of the soldiers. They might not be comparable to the soldiers of his hometown, who underwent harsh training to deal with the demon beasts of the north, but the territorial army of the Latham territory also showed decent military discipline.
First of all, the appearance of the people in the territory was not bad. In this world, good rulers are rare. There are also many villages of slash-and-burn farmers who cannot afford high taxes and live with difficulty in forests or valleys.
Those who cannot die and live, as well as those who live with hope, cannot help but display their characteristics in their attitude, gait, gestures, and faces.
In that respect, the Latham territory seemed stable compared to the situation where it was about to go to war with the orcs. The people of the territory trust Lord Tatiana.
Lord Tatiana put her elbows on the table and clasped her hands as she looked at Russell. Her pale gray hair flowed smoothly over her forehead, cheeks, and neck. Her blue eyes shone beneath her hair. Those eyes looked straight at Russell.
“That’s why I want your help even more, because we have such knights and soldiers.”
“You mean you want to minimize the scale of the damage? You seem to have a preference for mercenaries over knights and soldiers.
“We need to minimize the damage if we can. This is especially crucial if it can spare another one of my soldiers from certain death.
She was honest. But that was why he liked her even more. Russell looked at Lord Tatiana. His sensitivity to and control over his ‘eyes’ had become much stronger than when he had first left home.
Now, he can grasp the flow of magic power to some extent without having to emit a strange light like a will-o’-the-wisp.
Lord Tatiana was also an awakener with a magic circuit. However, her level was not high. It seemed like she had awakened when she was very young.
Since then, she seemed to have not trained, so the number of circuits was not large, nor was the passage wide. She may have stronger strength, stamina, and reflexes than ordinary people, but she cannot project her magic power outside her body.
Nevertheless, she appeared to have ambition for magic power despite wearing full body armor during the inspection, just as she had when they first met.
Russell had briefly looked around the castle’s interior, and there were many soldiers, but only two knights: Vandel, whom he had just seen, and the escort knight who was now standing behind him.
It’s not strange. Those who can handle magic power can obtain the position and status of a knight, but they must also possess the corresponding combat power.
Vandel, on the other hand, is an old knight who looks old enough. The knight behind him may be young, but his level of magic power is not particularly high. He’s just barely able to hold on.
As is the case with a territory located in a mountainous area, it is not easy to find good talent in such a place. Even if they do, they would rather go to the royal capital than to the countryside. A place where they can expect better treatment and a better quality of life.
“I understand. I will join your cause.”
Lord Tatiana raised one eyebrow.
“So easily? Don’t you ask about compensation or anything else?”
“My purpose is also related to those orcs. My colleague, Kai, also has a plan for them.”
Kai, who had been eating quietly, looked up at the lord. While everyone else wore clothes, Kai was the only one who had his tattooed upper body exposed. Despite being somewhat unusual, his large size and the inherent characteristics of his race made up for any awkwardness.
“Your name is Kai. What business do you have with your kind? Don’t you find it awkward to be with us fighting your kind?”
As he had felt from the beginning, she was very outspoken. Was this what it meant to be a female warrior leading a territory?
“I don’t think race is important, lord. I believe that what is truly important is who I am and what beliefs I have.”
“It’s grandiose, but it’s not a bad mindset.”
“I learned it while traveling with Russell.”
“Is that so?”
Tatiana then looked at Aellasis.
“Aellasis. I heard you are the wizard of the party. You look young, but aren’t you scared of fighting? If you wish, you may not join us.”
Aellasis, who had been watching Russell’s reaction, said,
“If Russell says he will help, I will.”
“What is your will?”
“My will is Russell’s will.”
“Hmm.”
Tatiana, who was looking at the Aellasis, nodded.
“Russell, your colleagues seem to trust you. I’m envious.”
“You flatter me.”
“My purpose has been achieved. Next, where will you sleep? There is a vacant room in the lord’s mansion. You can stay.”
“I’m sorry, but I have a prior engagement.”
“Is it connected to the market incident?”
“Yes.”
“Then, it cannot be helped. I will send a soldier later. It was an honor to meet you.”
Russell and his party left the castle under the guidance of knight Vandel.
“It’s rare for Tatiana-nim to have such a bright expression these days. Thank you.”
“Is it because of the monsters?”
Vandel nodded.
“Blocking the mountain roads will naturally prevent merchants from visiting. The gradual closure of the supply route will lead to a shortage of necessities. Delays in large-scale construction and road widening work are further isolating our territory. There is no expectation that reinforcements will come from the royal capital on time. They say that the royal capital is noisy these days.”
Guided by Vandel, Russell arrived at the Dancing Bear Inn.
The large inn, which was noticeable even from a distance, had a roof with unusually red tiles. Unlike other buildings in the vicinity, which had thatched roofs, Kai glanced at the sturdy-looking inn and said,
“It looks like a pretty good place.”
“Yeah. We’re going to stay here too.”
There was a stable next door, and a teenage boy with freckles and red hair was crouching down. As Russell and his party arrived, the boy quickly got up and grabbed Kry and the other horses’ reins.
“Welcome! Are you staying?”
“Probably. Do you have enough room?”
“Oh, don’t worry. Can’t you tell just by looking? There are more than enough.”
The boy smiled, revealing his teeth. His hair and face were the same. He was a mischievous boy who seemed to be full of mischief, but the way he held the reins and led the horses to the stable showed that he had done this more than once or twice.
“Make sure to give them good hay and water.”
Russell flicked a coin, and the boy quickly caught it. The boy’s mouth hung over his ears at the shiny silver.
“Don’t worry! I will take care of them as carefully as they would in the royal capital.”
The boy opened the door, revealing the scene of the inn and tavern inside. A typical structure has a dining room and pub on the first floor and guest rooms on the second, third, and fourth floors.
However, the size was the largest of any inn he’d ever visited.
Russell, who looked around, soon found Sarannen’s seat. Sarannen was not the only one in the seat.
“Huh? Russell-nim?”
Jess. The Paladin, who had defeated the great devil with him in the Logos Canyon, was there.
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