CH 61

Chapter 61 – The uncouth lady and the jagged plants

Keeping up with Jenni's spinning, we manage to reach the town of Cattena.

It seems to be a very desolate place in Sutrena, and we see many broken fences and houses in the town. Many of the buildings are uninhabited and can be described as decaying places.

From the air, the outside of the town was dotted with vacant lots that looked like old fields that had been trampled by magical beasts.

Walking down the street, Lord Nazel frowned.

"It's terrible. There are claw marks of magical beasts all over the place. It's as if we are being attacked frequently."

"I suppose that's true."

Henry said as he got off his Pegasus and seemed to be falling, dizzy. I wonder if he was drunk?

"We had to abandon the survey because it was sabotaged along the way, but food shortages have also occurred over the past few years."

It's a fishy story. Are the forces that are interfering with Mr. Henry's investigation guilty of something?

Lord Nazel and Henry's men went around talking to the townspeople.

"Agnes, you must be tired. Let's take a break."

"Ah, yes."

We decided to take Mr. Henry, Kelly, and Torre with us as we headed to the inn nearby...

"I'm feeling like the town is getting rougher and rougher."

The expressions on people's faces are disturbing.

As I was thinking about this, a brawl suddenly broke out in front of us.

Loud voices and the sound of running and clattering echoed through the quiet town.

We all looked at each other at once.

"They're stealing stuff!"

Someone shouts, and at the same time, a group of ruffians rushes toward us from the direction where the brawl took place.

"What, huh?"

Torre got into a fighting stance in front of about ten large men.

With an air of frenzy, the group of ruffians shouted in hushed tones.

"You're wearing nice clothes! Give us something for money and food!"

"And leave the women behind!"

Lord Nazel also pulled out the sword at his waist. He seems to be angry.

Also, the ground is cracking and jagged plant stems are coming out. They seem like they're painful.

"Lord Nazel....."

"It's okay, Agnes. Go to the back with Kelly and Henry."

"Yes!"

The three of us huddled in the shadows of the building to stay out of the way.

The men who had attacked us all fell to the ground within seconds.

The jagged plants went on a rampage, knocking them out almost instantly.

"Oh my, that didn't take long."

The soldiers brought along began the work of capturing them, and Kelly, whose face did not change at all, assisted them.

"Haha, you little weasels! I didn't even have to get huge! That's what I'm talking about, Lord Nazelbert!"

Torre retrieves the goods that would have been taken by the thieves and returns them to the people from whom they were stolen.

Lord Nazel ran to me without hesitation.

"Agnes, it's all right now. That was scary, wasn't it?"

"No, not really. Not so much, since they were taken down so quickly."

I told him I was fine, but the overprotective Lord Nazel hugged me tightly.

A few moments later, a neatly dressed woman came running toward us from Torre.

She was dressed in an expensive outfit, different from the townspeople gathered there.

"Thank you for catching the thief!"

The woman approaches Lord Nazel in a familiar manner and tries to take his hand.

But Lord Nazel, still holding me in his arms, had his hands full.

I observe the woman who remains frozen with her hands outstretched. Fancy clothes, fancy hair...

Does she look like someone I've met somewhere ......?

The woman was undeterred and spoke to Lord Nazel.

"Excuse me, you are the lord of Sutrena, aren't you? I heard you are staying in the town."

"Yes, but..."

"Please come to my house! Unlike a simple inn, we can offer you great hospitality!"