CH 184

Creeping shadow

***---***

The room Takayama and I were given was a double room on the second floor of the stable.

We climbed a dusty staircase, walked down a hallway with hay piled at the end, I unlocked the room that I wondered if there was any meaning to locking, and when the door opened we stopped in place.

"This thing ..."

"Takayama, I'm going back to the boarding house ..."

"Don't joke around, are you going to tell me to sleep here alone!"

"No, because ..."

If I had to describe what was on the other side of the door in one subject, it would be a haunted house.

Unlike Japan, people here didn't have a custom of taking off their shoes before entering.

So, it was not uncommon for a room to be a little dirty, probably because the people who took care of the horses stayed there, it was dusty, smelled musty, smelled like horses, and I didn't feel like I was in a room at all.

"For now, let's open the window ..."

"Yeah ..."

Inside the room was a clothes rack to the right of the door, a small table and two chairs in front of us, two beds with a gap of about 1 meter between them, and a lone window on the wall at the end.

When I opened the window while leaving the door open, the wind blew through the hallway, adding hay and dust.

"What kind of living is this!"

"No, I don't know what to say ..."

"Is this the job you invited me to?"

"That's right, but even Takayama readily gave the OK."

"That's right, but ..."

As if he was already resigned, Takayama threw himself onto the bed covered in dust.

"Takayama, don't do that ..."

"I don't care, even if the futon is full of dust ..."

"No ... it's not like that, but it looks like there are fleas and ticks, right?"

"Uwaaaa! Idiot, tell me faster. Don't just watch, I think there's something on me. Somehow my back feels itchy ..."

"Anyway, let's do something so that we can sleep."

"Something, what are you going to do ..."

Reinhardt gave me some advice when I was at a loss as I looked at Takayama.

[ Kent-sama, no creatures can enter the shield of darkness. Besides, wouldn't it be good practice for wind attribute magic? ]

"I see ... Right, right."

"What, did you come up with a good idea?"

"Takayama, lend me a hand."

"Ohh, that's fine, what are we doing?"

"Throw the bedding out the window."

"Haa? You, have you lost your mind?"

"That's not it, actually ..."

When I explained that the shield of darkness would prevent living creatures from entering, and I explained that it could be used to remove pests from the futon, Takayama was of course very much in favor of it.

"If I put out a shield of darkness outside the window and throw the futon there, the futon will fall into the shadow storage, and the pests will be blocked by the shield, it's perfect!"

"You, that's such a waste of a cheat, but let's do it, Kokubu."

"Yeah!"

I put out a shield of darkness parallel to the ground outside the window and threw the futon there.

"Huh? What's with that?"

"Kokubu, did the futon go in ... Ugeeh, what the hell is that!"

The moment the futon unfolded, it looked like it was riding on the shield of darkness, and when it began to sink at such a speed as if it were being drawn into a swamp, ticks and fleas came up to the extent that the whitish futon cover turned black.

At such a sight, after confirming that the futon had sunk, I mowed down the surface of the shield of darkness with fire-attribute magic.

"Uwaa, disgusting! Impossible, impossible, sleeping on a futon like that would hurt my whole body."

"It's dangerous, a cheap inn in another world, it's too dangerous, isn't it."

"Anyway, let's deal with the remaining futon. We have no choice but to destroy every single one of those."

"That's right, anyway, when we return to Volzard, please do my futon too."

"Ah, I have to do that to the futon in the boarding house tooooo ..."

The remaining futon and the pillows were treated in the same way, and a large number of ticks and fleas were similarly destroyed.

"Okay, then I'll clean the room next."

"It's fine to clean, but there's no broom, no rags, nothing."

"Leave that to this me, I'm Kent Cyclone Kokubu."

"Oh, are you going to blow it away with wind attribute magic, the suction power can't change until the end, right?"

"Isn't that obvious!"

First, I created a whirlwind in my palm and guided the tip of the whirlwind out the window.

Next, I dropped the vortex into the room and controlled the speed of the airflow and the position of the vortex from the outside.

"Ohhh, it's really amazing, the dust is sucked up and it's gone."

"I'm just going to have the dust in the room go outside."

From the floor, under the beds, the beds themselves, the wardrobe, the top of the table and chairs, the walls and the ceiling, the dust was sucked out by running a vortex.

"It's amazing, Kokubu is amazing. Magic is convenient after all."

"The control of physical enhancement is probably useful, but the sense of collusion is unbelievable."

After that, I pushed the dust out of the hallway, wiped it with a rag I took out from the shadow storage, and returned the futons that Reinhardt and the others had beaten the dust from.

"Ah ~ ... I'm so tired."

"No, having Kokubu here, it really saved me."

"Rather than that, Takayama, if you continue to work as an adventurer in the future, won't you encounter a similar situation? You should think about how to deal with that, seriously."

"I guess ... I mean, it would be quicker to ask Lau-san how much the inn would be so you can sleep properly, right?"

"Ah, that's true, if it could be solved with money, it's easier."

"Or should I form a party with someone who can use the wind attribute ..."

Takayama cut off his words and stared at me.

"What's with those eyes, no way, I won't do something like being Takayama's caretaker."

"Tch, don't say something so cold. You're a classmate, right?"

"Takayama, you should be more aware of how much you've caused trouble to people."

"Kuh, I know ..."

After that, I had to clean the communal shower room, and when I tried to take a shower, I found that there was no hot water, the cold water made me shiver, and I was even more exhausted before dinner.

"Well, both Kent and Shuichi should have gotten enough rest since they arrived at the inn, but they look dull."

"No, no, Reese-san, I'm sure you know what's going on."

"Ku!Ku!Ku! ... Now, I wonder what you're talking about ... Do you know, Lau."

"Ho!Ho!Ho! , if you're a fledgling adventurer, you should go through this path at least once. So, what's wrong?"

"Mou, you know what's wrong ..."

When Takayama and I talked about how we were at a loss when we saw the room, how we finished cleaning everything and finished taking a cold shower, Reese-san and Lau-san were laughing while hugging their stomachs.

"Ho!Ho!Ho! , cleaning the whole room of the inn is good, good, it's beyond my imagination."

According to Lau-san's expectations, he thought we would either lie down on the futon without thinking and become prey to ticks and fleas, or we would peel off the futon and sleep on a hard bed with just a blanket, shivering.

"Lau-san, what should we do to stay at a decent inn?"

"That's right, if you're going to a city for the first time, don't immediately find an inn, but gather information while shopping at stalls and shops. If it's only in one place, they may have connections to the inn, so you'll have to ask in several places to find an inn. If you don't have time to ask around, just ask how much a room you can sleep in costs."

According to Lau-san, in the case of large towns and villages, inns for merchants were relatively decent inns.

Looking at the other guests in Mitsuboshi Pavilion's dining room, certainly, most of them seemed to be merchants.

However, in the case of such inns for merchants, it seemed that they often refused to let you stay if you didn't dress neatly.

If you wore dusty clothes like we did today, you would definitely be kicked out.

If you wanted to stay at a good room at an inn for adventurers, the easiest way was to request an expensive room.

The only way to find a cheap and good inn for adventurers was to use information from fellow adventurers and your own knowledge and intuition.

In other words, it's about accumulating experience as an adventurer.

Luckily, the food menu was the same as Reese-san and the others, and the amount was increased.

While I was enjoying a satisfying meal in both taste and quantity, Fred spoke to me via telepathy.

[ Kent-sama ... Just listen ... ]

[ Is something wrong? Fred. ]

[ From Kent-sama's view, to the back on the left ... The man sitting in the corner is suspicious ... Don't look at him ... ]

[ He's suspicious, how is he suspicious? ]

[ When the carriage arrived ... He was just observing and stayed at this inn ... ]

[ Is he aiming for something? ]

[ I don't know yet ... I'll look into it ... ]

[ Tell me later. ]

The man that Fred said was suspicious was right behind Lau-san, so he was probably out of sight.

I pretended to look at Ruija, and when I glanced at her, she seemed to be talking to a bellboy and didn't look at me.

I only glanced at him, but he appeared to be around thirty years old, with short brown hair and the clothes of a merchant.(TN:The suspicious individual)

After finishing the meal and as we returned to our respective rooms, I casually whispered about the man, Lau-san was a little surprised, smiled broadly, and nodded twice.

Probably, Lau-san also noticed.

If I were to act as an escort, I would have to pay attention to these things, but if Fred hadn't told me, I wouldn't have noticed at all.

When we returned to the room on the second floor of the stable, Takayama threw himself on the bed and didn't seem like he would move even if I tried.

[ Reinhardt, is there anyone around? ]

[ There's nobody here. ]

"Takayama, do you have a minute?"

"It's no good, I can't move anymore ..."

"In the dining room, did you notice the suspicious man?"

"Ehh, a suspicious man?"

Takayama was still lying down, but he opened his eyes and turned his gaze to me, who was sitting on the bed.

"My genus saw him, but he observed that the carriage arrived at the inn, and then he reserved a room."

"Does that mean we're being targeted?"

"I don't know yet, but it seems that he was observing us from the corner of the dining room even when we were eating."

"What's with that, it's creepy."

Takayama also got up with a frown on his face.

"Lau-sn seemed to have noticed, and my genus are looking into it."

[ Kent-sama, the man has gone out. Fred is following him. ]

"Okay ... The man has gone out."

"Do you want us to follow him?"

"It's okay, because I have my genus following him."

"What do you mean. Does he have companions outside?"

"Maybe ... that's right?"

"Is it like a robber?"

"I wonder ... Hey, Takayama, are you prepared to fight humans?"

"Humans ... I don't know, if they attacked I will fight back, but killing them is a little ..."

"That's right ..."

Most of my fights so far have been with monsters.

Whether it's the knights of Resenburg, or the Flamehounds, even when I fought directly, I never directly attacked a human and used ways such as sleeping pills or overwhelming them with my genus' strength.

I accepted this quest because I was told that I could accumulate experience as an adventurer, but when I think about it, it wouldn't be strange for escort work to involve protecting people from thieves, bandits, robbers, and kidnappers.

"Takayama, I'll massage you so that you can move in perfect condition at all times, so lie down."

"Oh, I see ... Rather, I won't pay you."

"For today, I'll give it to you as a bonus. But, what are you going to do? Fighting against humans."

"I ... will survive even if I have to kill my opponent. I can't leave Celia alone. Or rather, if anything, it's a situation where Kokubu can't die. Don't be merciful."

"I understand, but ... As expected, I'm not suitable for escort work."

"Certainly, I don't think Kokubu is suitable. You'll save the guy who impaled you rather than killing him. I feel like you're going to get a painful reprisal when it comes down to it."

"Probably, because even if I'm about to be killed, I'll recover in two or three days."

"Ah, I see, the pain at that time was terrible, but the recovery was fast, so the anger didn't last."

"That's how it is. In fact, even when I was impaled, I was in excruciating pain for a couple of hours at most."

"From the perspective of a normal person, it would be nothing more than a beating ... But, as expected, that's abnormal. From my point of view, it feels like a side effect of cheats."

"A side effect of cheats ... That's quite a nice thing to say, Takayama is cheeky."

"Saying Takayama is cheeky is too much. Rather, don't be merciful, Kokubu."

"Understood ... I'll do my best."

After about 30 minutes of massage, Takayama seemed to have completely recovered.

And not long after Takayama's massage, Fred came back.

[ Kent-sama ... he was a bandit ... ]

[ Did he have companions outside? ]

[ Meeting at the tavern ... He was conveying information ... ]

[ Who is the companion he gave the information to? ]

[ Murt is tailing him ... I'm going to look for him ... ]

[ Let me know if you find out anything. ]

[ Roger ... ]

Fred returned to collecting information with Murt as his landmark.

"Takayama, it seems he was a bandit after all."

"Seriously! With the fact that he was a bandit, does that mean we'll be attacked somewhere on our way to Bakkenheim?"

"I think so, but my genus are following the person who received the information, so they should learn more detailed information."

"Should we inform Master Reese?"

"For the time being, let's go to Lau-san's place together."

"Alright, we've become somewhat like adventurers."

"Maa, right, but it's not a game."

"I know, like I said earlier, I can't afford to die."

"We'll pretend to be normal as much as possible. Also, all conversations until we get to Lau-san's room will be in Japanese."

"Oh, right, if it's Japanese, people here won't make sense of it."

"Mart, keep an eye on the room. Even if someone enters, nothing will be stolen, so just watch what they do."

"Wafuu, leave it to me, Goshujin-sama."

After leaving the room and locking it, as if our purpose was to take a piss together, we went down the stairs, and went to visit Lau-san's room.

Or rather, if you think about it, Lau-san would be staying with Master Reese in the best room.

When I knocked on the door, the peephole opened and I could see Gunther's iron mask.

"It's Kent and Shuichi. We came here because we have something to tell."

The peephole was closed and the door was opened immediately.

When we entered the door, there was a short corridor, and there were doors on the left and right, such as bathrooms and toilets.

There was a large fireplace in the living room at the end of the corridor, and the firewood was burning red.

It seemed that Master Reese was enjoying a nightcap while wearing a bathrobe.

"What's wrong, Kent, it's still a little too early for a night crawl."

"It looks like we're being targeted by bandits."

"Oh, is that the man Lau was talking about?"

Lau-san, whom Reese-san turned her gaze to, seemed to be enjoying a drink as well with his usual calm demeanor.

"Yes, he left the inn and passed the information on to his comrades at the bar. The man who received the information is being followed by my genus."

"Fufufufu ... Kent is really reliable, what do you think, Lau?"

"I guess new people have sprung up in Rivarre Pass again."

"New to Rivarre Pass ... is it?"

"That's right, if you go a little further from this village, you'll come to a mountain pass. Since long ago, bandits have repeatedly appeared and been exterminated on that Rivarre Pass."

According to Reese-san, there were people who tried to make a hit in the farthest town of Volzard, and then in the mining city of Marburg, which was located at the end of the forked road ahead of the pass, but on the contrary, lost their property

For the time being, it was the Marburg family that governed as a territory, but the bandits were hiding on this side beyond the pass, and it seemed it was quite difficult to crack down during normal times.

"Even the Marburg household is doing patrols, but in the end they lost initiative, and after becoming bandits, it will become a form of subjugation."

"Maybe it's a plan to capture the bandits by purposefully making them attack?"

"Fufufufu ... Kent is quite smart, however, such thinking is naive."

"Such thinking is naive ... What, no way!"

"The bandits should be exterminated. It's a death sentence even if they're captured."

I was overwhelmed by Reese-san, who had a bewitching smile, and Lau-san, who I tried to ask if it was true or not, nodded with a stern expression.

"Kent, Shuichi as well. I don't know what the laws and ordinances of the world you live in are like, but in Landshelt, those who join bandits are punishable by death. It doesn't change even if it's a female or a child. Bandits are monsters who kill, steal, and don't drop magic stones. If you want to live in this country and be accepted by this country, don't show mercy to the bandits. Got it."

Reese-san didn't lose her smile, but there was undeniable intention in those words.

"D, do I really have to kill them?"

"Fufufufu ... Really, Kent is sweet, but if you really don't want to kill them, you don't have to kill them. In return, you can't allow them to escape out of mercy or put yourself or your friends in danger. If you really want to keep them alive, cut off one or two of their limbs so that they can't fight or run away. In that case, they will also be useful to find out where the hideout is and where their companions are. However, you can't change their fate of being executed."

"I understand."

"There are plenty of opportunities to get back on your feet before you lose yourself to becoming a bandit. Getting involved with bandits is punishable by death, this is a rule of life that people living in Landshelt have been told for as long as they can remember. Do you think a person who can't even abide to that can live as a member of the world? There's no need to show mercy to bandits."

Immediately after Reese-san finished talking, Fred came back and reported on the bandits' strategy.

It seemed that there were 37 bandits in all, digging a side hole in the mountains of the pass and hiding in there, and it seemed that they would ambush and attack at Rivarre Pass.

"Umm, Reese-san, what kind of strategy will you use to intercept them?"

"What plan? The plan is ... Lau jumps out and cuts them down. That's all."

"Eeeehhhh ... But there are more than 30 people. Lau-san alone ..."

"That's right, it's troublesome to miss out, so I'm going to ask Kent to help you, how is it, Lau?"

"Ho!Ho!Ho! , well, with this old body, it's a bit of a pain to annihilate every single one. If you can stop those who are trying to escape, it will be helpful."

Lau-san smiled as usual, but it wasn't that he couldn't do it, the meaning was that it could be done, but it would be a little hard.

Takayama and I were told that tomorrow's departure would be as planned and that we should just pretend to know nothing, so Takayama and I withdrew to our own room.