Chapter 80: Spring Rain (2)
TL: Potato-tan
Proofreader: Asianpotato
Shwaaaaaaaa. . . . . . .
A soft rain began to fall.
The cold clouds and wind that blew in from the northern mountains met the warm air of the central region at the edge of the mountain range, turning into rain that soaked the earth.
Shwaaaaaaaa. . . . . . .
There is a quiet conversation between the sky and the earth.
The sky was overcast with clouds. As the sun slowly began to set, the sky only darkened, not lightened. It seemed that it would maintain that expression until dawn.
The rain soaked the earth, turning it dark and muddy. Someone’s shoes left muddy footprints as they trampled through the mud.
Strangely, though, when the shoes moved, there was no mud on the soles.
The shoe owner led the horse they were riding and stopped in front of an inn.
It was the only inn in this small village. Since there was only one inn, it didn’t even have a name.
Since travelers, merchants, or adventurers who came to the village asked for the inn, not the name of the inn, the villagers simply called it the inn and didn’t feel the need to give it a specific name.
This village had come into existence thanks to a nearby small river and a well that produced clean water.
It wasn’t very large, but it was a small village with well-maintained roads and watchtowers maintained by the kingdom’s or territory’s patrols, so there were no fences.
Only a low fence surrounded the village. No watchtowers were visible. It seemed like the village was very peaceful.
The person led the horse to the inn’s stables. The horse entered the shelter without resistance, led by a hand. It demonstrated trust in its master. The person who had stroked the horse’s mane then opened the inn’s door.
Jingle, jingle. The movement caused the brass bell hanging on the door to ring. When the sound was heard, the inn’s waiter, who had been wiping down a table, looked up and greeted the person.
“Welcome!”
Then, the waiter immediately checked where he had placed the mop. It was to wipe up any mud on the guest’s shoes.
It was raining outside, and the village street must have been muddy and wet. The waiter, who had checked the mop that was leaning against the wall, walked over to the guest.
“Huh?”
The waiter was taken aback. The floor was clean.
The guests, now seated at one of the inn’s tables and drinking noisily, had kept it clean after a single wipe.
Only transparent drops of water were dripping from the robe, leaving small drops on the floor. It wasn’t even that much.
Only then did the waiter look at the new guest. The guest, who was taller than him and wore a robe and hood, had his face covered. The guest looked around and sat down at a nearby table.
The waiter hurriedly brought a water pitcher and cup from another table and placed them in front of the guest. Then, he poured water into the cup. The guest picked up the cup and drank the water.
“Are you alone?”
When the waiter asked a question, the guest put down the cup.
“Yes. The package includes dinner for one person and one night’s lodging. How much? Oh, and my horse is in the stables.”
The inn suddenly fell silent. The beautiful voice of the person with a hidden face caused the silence. The male mercenaries, who had been talking loudly, stopped talking. The man, who had been eating alone, also looked over.
The voice, indistinguishable from a man’s, was unmistakably that of a woman, a voice uncommon in such a distant or isolated village. A woman traveling alone was just as rare as such a voice.
The waiter stammered.
“D, Dinner for one and a night’s lodging, you say? And your horse is in the stables?”
“Yes. I would like a lot of water and food. I wasn’t able to stop at another village on the way.”
“Okay. That will be eight copper coins.”
The woman took out a coin purse from her pocket. The waiter could see that the guest’s hands were white and very pretty. Water seemed to have never touched her slender, long fingers.
“Hmm.”
The woman let out a small groan. She had only four copper coins in her hand.
“Oh dear. I seem to be out of copper coins. And silver coins. . . . . . . . . Oh dear.”
The waiter was about to say that she didn’t have to pay. However, he couldn’t not accept the money. The innkeeper would threaten to dock his wages and kick his shins.
However, the waiter realized that his judgment had been premature. The woman took out a gold coin from her purse.
The waiter blinked twice because of the rain that had been falling non-stop since morning. The candle was bright, and under its light, the gold coin seemed to shine on its own.
“I only have gold coins. Here.”
The guest spoke to the dazed waiter.
“Are you not going to accept it?”
“W, What? O, oh! I’m sorry!”
The waiter bowed deeply. Then, the guest laughed with her still-beautiful voice.
“What are you apologizing for?”
“O, Oh that is, I.”
“It’s fine. Take it. And bring me some change. The exchange rate for silver and copper coins is half-and-half.”
“Y, Yes!”
The waiter glanced up as he received the gold coin. He was curious not only about the gold coin but also about the woman’s face.
However, he couldn’t see the guest’s face properly. The hood, pulled down over her head, obscured her face. He could only catch a glimpse of her slightly exposed lower face.
Her chin was sharp, and her lips were red. Her skin was fair and white. But that was all, and he couldn’t see above her nose.
“I’ll bring it right away.”
She didn’t respond. She just nodded. While the waiter went into the kitchen, the woman put her purse away and took out something else.
There was a map. It was a map that showed the continent, its mountain ranges, grasslands, mountains, and valleys, as well as the borders of kingdoms and territories. It would have been invaluable to someone who knew its true worth, but the woman handled the map casually.
The woman traced her finger from where she had left to where she had arrived. Her finger stopped at one of the villages she had already visited. Tap, tap.
Logos. This village, located just above Logos Valley, experienced a terrible event a few months ago. It was around the time of winter.
A monster appeared in the winter forest, kidnapping people, and there was a strange phenomenon where corpses that had died came back to life. The villagers were terrified. For a long time, a guardian had protected their village, but the incident proved difficult to resolve.
Two paladins from the church, the village’s guardian wolf, and a black-haired man at that time resolved the incident.
The villagers didn’t know exactly what had happened. The Paladins who returned simply said that they had killed the monster. The village’s guardian wolf didn’t come looking for them, as it had always done, but remained in its lair in the forest. The black-haired stranger had left as suddenly as he had come.
The villagers went into the forest to see for themselves. The villagers who explored the forest discovered something shocking.
In the middle of the deep forest, there were plenty of burnt and smoldering ashes. It was clear that these were the traces of undead corpses that had risen from the dead thanks to evil magic and spells.
In addition, there was a thick white fog in the valley outside the forest. The fog was terribly cold. The villagers didn’t go any further into the valley at that point.
So, the woman went in herself. And there, she discovered traces of the battle that had taken place. It was a trace of a small number of people fighting against a large number of things.
The broken and shattered rocks, as well as the many dried bloodstains, were more than enough to make one wonder how fierce the battle was at the time. The most notable of these was a decapitated corpse.
The corpse looked like it had originally been human. However, its skin was completely charred and shriveled. The woman sensed a peculiar energy in the corpse, almost gone but still slightly present.
It was similar to the energy of the leader who ruled over demon beasts and demons in the deepest part of the north. The mind and body became deformed due to the infiltration of an otherworldly energy.
The woman looked up at the valley. She did so because she sensed a presence. Three or four wolves were looking down at the woman from the valley above. The wolves and the woman watched each other for a while.
Soon, the wolves disappeared. The woman also left the valley and returned to Logos Village; after obtaining some information, she left. And then she was in this small village.
“Your meal is here.”
The waiter came out of the kitchen and placed a plate and utensils on the woman’s table. As with most small village inns, the food was not luxurious.
People often kept a stew simmering until dinnertime, made with various vegetables and meat from the morning. It was convenient.
Only new ingredients continued to add to the thickening broth. Still, thanks to the decent skills of the chef or innkeeper, there wasn’t much of the unpleasant smell that was characteristic of long-simmered broth.
The woman said to the waiter,
“Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome. . . . . . .”
The waiter’s voice trailed off. The woman had taken off the hood that she had been wearing over her head the whole time.
Her black hair, rarely seen in the central region, fell down, revealing her elegant features. The exposed eyes shone and sparkled like obsidian.
The waiter’s mouth hung open. He had lived in this small village for 16 years, but this was the first time he had ever met such a beautiful woman.
The same was true for the group of mercenaries who had been quietly drinking their alcohol and sneaking glances at the woman or man who was sitting alone in the corner.
The waiter wondered if she was a fairy. However, her ears were not pointed. They were round and small, just like an ordinary human.
Then he heard a voice calling him from the kitchen.
“Hey! What are you doing out here? Aren’t you going to peel the onion skins?”
“C, Coming!”
The waiter glanced at the woman as he went into the kitchen.
The woman ate her dinner without paying attention to the gazes of others. Her meal ended quickly. It was a habit. Coming from a cold place, the woman hadn’t had many leisurely meals.
Demon beasts didn’t provide meals for people. Rather, they attacked to fill their own stomachs. In battles that didn’t distinguish between day and night, it was important to eat as much and as quickly as possible.
So the man who approached to ask if he could eat with her couldn’t help but look embarrassed.
The woman, who was pouring water from the water pitcher into her cup, looked up at the man who had come close. The man wore an adventurer’s attire.
He wore oiled leather armor, an iron guard to protect his heart and shoulders, and a sword belt to hold his blade. The sword was not attached. It was leaning against the table where the man had been eating until just now.
The woman said,
“Do you need something from me?”
It was a natural question, but the man couldn’t dare point out that it suited her appearance too well.
“Oh. That is, would you like to have dinner with me. . .?”
“Why?”
The man hesitated but couldn’t help but speak.
“B, Because you’re so beautiful. . . . . . .”
The woman chuckled.
“Thank you for the compliment. However, I have already finished eating and would like to rest now. May I go?”
The man failed to achieve his goal and retreated. His flushed face and embarrassed expression showed how innocent he was.
When the man retreated, two of the mercenaries who had been drinking at the other table stood up.
Both of them were large, and the large scars carved into their faces and exposed forearms seemed to prove that their lives had not been very smooth with their whole bodies.
One of them appeared to be a little mentally ill because he kept giggling. The other one, who looked like his brother, approached the woman, leaving the giggling man behind.
He glanced at the woman’s outfit. She was wearing a robe made of dark but luxurious fabric, with well-tailored traveler’s clothing inside.
She appeared to be carrying a sword handle for self-defense, as it protruded from her waist. The sword handle also gleamed as if it were not an ordinary sword.
However, the woman’s white hands showed no calluses from prolonged sword holding.
So it was likely that the sword was just for show—to show that she wasn’t just an inexperienced traveler, nothing more and nothing less.
He smiled at the woman, who was wearing expensive clothes and carrying a sword and traveling around without an escort. Inwardly, of course.
The man who wasn’t smiling said,
“Hello. May I have a moment of your time?”
The woman looked annoyed.
“What is it?”
“Well, it’s just that I was very impressed that you’re traveling alone as a woman. If our destinations happen to be the same, I would like to help make your journey safer.”
The woman shook her head firmly.
“No, thank you.”
“Hehehe, don’t be like that, and let’s go together, pretty lad━AAAA!”
The man, who had been laughing, suddenly screamed and fell to his knees. The woman’s small hand clutched his large, deformed hand tightly. The woman looked at the man who had tried to touch her shoulder with cold eyes.
In the corner, the man who was about to help the woman stood awkwardly.
He looked surprised, as if he couldn’t believe that the tall woman had easily subdued a man twice her size.
“What are you doing?!”
“If you touch someone’s body without permission, you should have expected what would happen next.”
“Let go of his hand!”
Presuming the man to be his brother, he charged in. His hand, which was as large as his head, spread out and flew. The woman’s long hair was the focus.
The woman, who frowned, let go of the other mercenary’s hand, which she had been gripping, and dodged his palm. Without retreating any further, the woman’s fist, which had dug deep into the man’s wide-open chest.
Bam!
The man with the clear fist mark on his leather armor staggered back, whining. Despite the pain, he tried to rush at the woman again with bloodshot eyes.
“Stop!”
At that moment, a loud voice rang out from behind. The man sitting in the center of the group stood up. Then, he walked over quickly and slapped his two subordinates.
Two smacking sounds rang out.
“Pathetic.”
“Sorry, boss.”
The two subordinates bowed their heads, holding their tails between their legs. The mentally unstable man held his hand and shed tears. The boss said to the woman,
“I apologize. My subordinates have behaved poorly.”
“The incompetence of subordinates is the incompetence of their superior. Control them well.”
“. . . . . .I will keep that in mind. You’re quite skilled. Which knight are you from?”
“I am not.”
The woman stood up from her seat. The boss asked her.
“Where are you headed?”
“South.”
“To the central region? Are you also going to take part in the war?”
‘War’. The woman thought for a moment and shook her head.
“No. I’m on my way to find someone.”
“Who?”
“It’s none of your business.”
The boss’s eyes turned cold at those words.
“Do you know who we are?”
“No.”
The woman didn’t continue the conversation there. The innkeeper and the waiter, who had been peeking out of the kitchen at the loud noises in the hall, watched the situation. Luckily, there were no broken tables or chairs.
Then, they were surprised to see the woman approaching them and coming out.
“The change and the key.”
“Yes? Oh, h, here it is.”
The waiter hurriedly handed the woman the change and key that he had calculated in advance.
The key bears the room number.
“I understand.”
The woman went up the stairs and found her room. Only a table and a bed furnished the simple, structured room. The woman locked the door, put the bag she had been carrying on the table, and lay down on the bed.
It was stuffy because it had been raining all the time. She felt uncomfortable, incomparable to the bed in her own house and room. The woman, Irrucil, sighed.
“Whew. I wonder what’s so fun about this.”
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