Episode 2.10

There was no problem in the night of second day.

And on the third day.

The wagon's door that had been closed was opened by Chaney once again.

"Lecan-san. It's all thanks to you that we managed to come this far. I had to get back by tomorrow no matter what, but at the rate we're going, we should arrive this evening. You are my lifesaver. I will never forget this."

"We're not there yet."

"Yes. We'll be in your care till the end."

"I hafta say my thanks too. Yer' truly one remarkable adventurer."

For some reason, Eda looked triumphant behind Lecan.

The wagon continued down a mountain path for a while.

Lecan suddenly halted.

"What's the matter, Lecan-san."

"There's four men 800 steps ahead. Two of them are probably hiding on each sides of the road."

"How'd you know that... no, that was foolish of me to ask. What you're saying must be true. So, what should we do."

"Keep going 500 steps forward. Then make a stop. I will confirm their movement. Do not move until I tell you so. If you deem that it's getting dangerous, get back away."

"Understood. Eifun-san, please do as told."

"...Ho ho. Yale (got it). But really, that's some terrifyin' detection ability ya got there."

"Is it bandits? I'll show 'em what I've got this time."

"Eda. You've only got three arrows left."

"Uu. I'll let you have one."

"Can't you use magic?"

"Huuh magic? Like I could use those stuff! Don't make fun of me!"

"Fumu? You go protect the wagon. Keep an eye out in the back."

"I-I got it."

After the wagon went 500 steps forward, the other party didn't make a move.

The wagon stopped, and Lecan went ahead by himself.

They're inside <3D Perception> range. Two are holding bows at the ready, the other two have drawn swords in their hands. The four of them are hiding skilfully behind trees and bushes, erasing their presence well. If you could assign ranks on ambushing, these fours would be around advanced level.

Lecan stopped his legs. The enemy is only several steps ahead of him.

These hiding men aren't attacking Lecan.

Which means, they won't attack anyone who just happens to pass by.

And yet, if they hid themselves after noticing Chaney's wagon, they did so far too quickly.

They must have had prior knowledge that Chaney's wagon was going to pass through this path and thus, they lay in wait here.

And these assailants are no bandits. At the very least, they are not just some penniless ruffians.

Lecan knows from experience. These assailants have had proper training.

Training like that of soldiers'.

Lecan has grasped all he needed to know. Now he's free to kill them.

He jumped into the bush on the right while drawing his sword out, and cut off the right arm of a man who had his sword at ready.

Afterward, he leaped five steps forward, cut off the right foot of a man with bow on top of a tree, landed as bent over, and rushed into the opposite bush in low position.

While hearing the crashing and screaming sounds from the bush where he had left behind, he ran up a tree, jumped high, and cut off the head of another man with bow.

Lecan soared in the sky above trees using the momentum.

As he looked below at the last opponent, the man put something on his right hand and raised the hand toward Lecan.

Lecan immediately invoked <Mana Detection>. A hit. It's a magic item.

"Wind!"

A gust of wind blew the man's left hand from side.

A fireball flew off from the item the man had on his hand, passing by Lecan's left flank.

Lecan landed right in front of the man, lop his head off and jumped backward to avoid the blood spill. Without having to turn around, Lecan saw a huge tree falling behind him through <3D Perception>.

He approached the man and took the apparatus that shot out a fireball.

It's shaped weirdly unlike anything he's seen before. He put the apparatus into his <Storage> and checked out the place where the fireball landed.

Thick trunk of a huge tree has vanished.

What fearsome firepower. Comparing it to the magic in his former world, this has as much power as the <White Fireball>. Even Lecan might have died from this if he got hit without his Overking Bear coat on.

Some of the trunk and leaves are burning slightly, but due to the morning dew, the flame is already disappearing fast. It likely won't turn into forest fire.

The wagon is coming closer. He hadn't told them to though.

"Le-Lecan-san. What just happened 'ere. I saw somethin' like a fireball flew off."

"There was a mage among the enemy rank. Chaney."

<TLN: If you're reading this novel at any other site than Sousetsuka.com you might be reading an unedited, uncorrected version of the novel.>

"Yale (yes)?"

"One of these four is still alive though wounded. If you want to use him for testimony, I can tie the man and stop his bleeding."

"Humm, what should I do."

"Naw, Chaney-san, ain't we in a hurry. I'd love to make 'im cough up the bandit's hideout location sure, but we coulda just ask the lord to dispatch soldiers here no. We gotta hurry up ahead rite' now."

"That's right. Let's do that."

"All four of these men have adventurer badges on their necks. Copper colored."

"What! Then we have to fetch those badges and deliver it to the association. I can't believe these adventurers would turn to crime."

"Err, Eda-san. They probably either got those from dead adventurers or stole those somewhere."

"Eh?"

I see. There is no guarantee that an adventurer badge truly belongs to a person in question. Wonder what is the point of these adventurer badges then.

"We done here rite'. Very well! Let's get goin'."

The wagon got on a plain road before long.

They could faintly see a town far ahead.

"That's the town of Vouka. We finally got here. Huh? Eifun-san. We're going off the road, you know?"

"Well. I kinda felt thirsty all of a sudden after seeing the town y'see. I'd like to wash my hands and feet and get some water on the river o'er yonder."

"Ah, I see. Cleansing yourself before entering the town, is it. That's a good idea."

Lecan joined the wagon too.

The wagon stopped by the river's bank, Eifun got down the coachman's seat.

"Now now help yerself, everyone."

"Oh me me, I'm dying for water. This is nice."

"Hohohohoho. Oh? Chaney-san. Yer' not getting off."

As Eifun goaded Lecan and Eda toward the river, he turned around.

"Humm. I'm going to excuse myself here. I don't want to let this bag off my hands even for an instant right now."

"Ho ho. No helpin' it then. <Sleep (Sperl)>!"

Lecan and Eda immediately crumbled down.

"Eh? What did you?"

"I made 'em fall asleep. These two adventurers y'see."

"Eifun-san, so you were a mage."

"Ho ho. Clueless, ain't ya? Been hidin' it 'fter all."

Eifun took out something from his breast pocket. It's the same weapon that shot out fireball the assailant earlier used.

And Chaney seems to have an idea what kind of firepower that weapon possesses, he's looking at the weapon in shock while turning pale.

"W-where did you get something like that."

"From a certain place."

"But why would you pose as a coachman. You could have earned much more as a mage."

"Oh I do earn much."

"Who's paying you all that money."

"Ho ho. My real employer did."

"Did your real employer instruct you to kill me?"

"Wasn't actually told to kill ya. I was just told not to let that brown bag get to the town."

"So you've been deceiving me these past five years."

"Ho ho. It has been that long eh. I was actually raised in Kogurus y'see."

"Kogurus. So you weren't from Boyd. Kogurus is where Zaikaz headquarters are located, don't tell me, Eifun-san."

"Not Eifun, my real name's Marakis."

"M-Marakis the Coldblooded. But he should have been executed already."

"Hohoho. Still, this 'fter I went all the trouble of drugging the escort and hired the missy and the wolfman. The missy's just as useless as I expected, but I was way off base on the wolfman. How'd the guy be so considerate with that brutal face of his. Who woulda thought he'd actually protect his client nary a scratch and without stealin' anything. On the contrary, he even went and dealt with the four pros I set up in advance as a backup. Thanks to 'im, now I gotta take care of this myself. Went the roundabout way so I'd be fine even if they put me through <Bell of Truth>, but guess ya can't have everythin' yer' way."

"So those four were really not adventurers. Were they your subordinates?"

"Not exactly subordinates. But I did give 'em orders this time."

"Back when I was tasked with the repair of the lord mansion's bulwark, the specification document and quote were stolen by someone. That was your doing wasn't it."

"Hohoho. I sure did eh. Now that's some good memories. Well then, 'bout time for you to die."

"Please tell me one thing before you kill me. Is your employer, Zack Zaikaz?"

"That's right."

"It's fine now, Lecan-san."

Right when Chaney said 'it's fine', Marakis's right arm where the weapon was on got cut off by Lecan's sword.

Marakis turned around while gripping his right arm with his left, and looked up at Lecan in disbelief.

"B-but how. I used <Sleep> spell on ya."

The effect of <Sleep> spell was instantly dispelled then, but Lecan had no intention to inform him that.

Boasting as you disclose your secret is not only unsightly, but also dangerous. He just bore witness to one such demonstration.

There is no way he would reveal it.

Lecan wordlessly plunged his sword's hilt into Marakis's neck.