Chapter 85: Arrival In Lyadas

Chapter 85: Arrival In Lyadas

The two of them, who had only taken a short nap, continued without sleeping, relying on Tatsuro's [Life Magic] as they were shaken in the carriage with their eyes open.

Behind them, a cylindrical box that accommodated about thirty people was being pulled, and although it was not apparent from the outside, it was rotating sideways using the headwind.

The thieves, who had already awakened from their unconsciousness, were placed on the turntable in a cramped state, screaming without understanding the reason. However, Tatsuro did not have time to pay attention to such things. This was because Jeanne alone exceeded the weight limit, so Tatsuro used wind magic to assist.

Since he was the only one suffering, he quietly teased them by increasing the rotation speed.

While doing such things, they pushed forward as fast as possible to make up for lost time on the way.Follow the latest novels on no/velbin(.)com

Were the thieves pursuing them all among the ones behind or on the way? There was no reaction from the thieves, and there was only one reaction from a monster, but it would take time to stop and deal with it, so they had to ignore it and continue running.

"Oh what a waste." (Ai)

"Right now, we need to deliver the thieves as quickly as possible, so be patient." (Tatsuro)

If they spent a long time in such a terrible environment, it seemed like there might be casualties without exaggeration. Therefore, they decided to keep moving without stopping, except for rest breaks that also served as mana replenishment along the way.

While that was going on, by evening, even the thieves behind had lost the energy to scream, and they quietly drove the carriage, and finally, the place they had been waiting for came into view.

"It's finally coming into view." (Tatsuro)

"Where is it Oh, there it is." (Ai)

In front of their eyes, there was a black outer wall in stark contrast to Obsul. The width of the wall extended into the distance as far as the eye could see, and it seemed to indicate the town's size.

"Among the towns we've been to, this is the most urban one." (Ai)

"That's right. Even just in terms of size, according to the map, it's several times larger than the town of Obsul." (Tatsuro)

"Wow!" (Ai)

Having spent most of the past few days in the carriage, they eagerly looked forward to reaching the town. Their drowsiness had dissipated, and they continued towards it with high spirits.

As they drew closer, they could see a large gate with five wide openings. In front of the gate, there were well-organized inspection stations, and aside from the two left gates, several groups of people were lining up at other locations.

If it were just the two of them, Jeanne and the cart could have been stored to avoid drawing attention, but now, with their heavy luggage, they gave up and joined a suitable line.

Jeanne, in particular, stood out due to her appearance, attracting various gazes. Moreover, groans could be heard from within the objects tied to the pulling cart, and quite a few people looked at it suspiciously.

Gathering attention from those around them, the guards who had been waiting at the inspection stations rushed over in a hurry.

"You there, with the strange-looking animals! Yes, you two! We'll conduct the inspection first, so come to the station here."

"Understood." (Tatsuro)

Although it might inconvenience the people in line, they took advantage of the offer to speed up their processing, and, guided by a guard in his fifties with white hair, and they made their way to the leftmost gate among the five.

"First, may we see your identification?" the guard asked.

"Yes." (Tatsuro)

"Yes" (Ai)

As they got off the rhinoceros cart, the two of them obediently complied with the request from the white-haired guard.

"Hmm!? Cough High-ranked adventurers, I see. Are those over there also?"

"Those over there are adventurers who were attacked by thieves on the way and rescued by us." (Tatsuro)

"Thieves? Wanderers, I suppose?" the guard asked.

"It seems not. In fact" (Tatsuro)

As the guards this time seemed genuinely reliable, they began explaining the events in detail, unlike their previous encounters with the guards in Tofas. Unlike the guards in Tofas, he listened earnestly to their story, his expression growing more serious.

To top it off, they removed the containment box they had been towing, detached only the inner box, explained its contents, and dropped it with a thud before the white-haired guard.

"May I have a look inside?" the guard asked.

"Yes, we made sure that none of them could move, but please be cautious, just in case."

"So, does that mean most cities are like this in urban areas?" (Ai)

"Main cities belonging to the Heldamed Kingdom, including Lyadas here, are known for utilizing the latest building materials and infrastructure technologies. So, I think it's generally like this. However, there's a concern that prioritizing this place too much has created significant disparities with other towns." (Catherine)

"Really?" (Ai)

Catherine answered Ai's question this time, and with the information they gathered, they understood that Lyadas was not the only unique place. They also inquired with the three people who had been operating in this town about the location of inns, shops, and the Adventurer's Guild, cross-referencing the information with their map feature.

"Something like this, maybe. Thanks, now we don't need to wander around the town looking for things" (Tatsuro)

"Compared to the favor we received, this is far from sufficient" (Jema)

"That's right. Besides, you can use notice boards set up in various places to get directions to the shops and facilities, so it's not much of a help" (Catherine)

"Already, the information from those notice boards has been helpful to us. Thanks, Jema," Ai said, adopting a somewhat older sisterly tone as she patted Jema's head.

Jema squinted his eyes and smiled while Salva and Catherine looked on, amused.

After gazing at this for a few seconds, Salva, with a serious expression, turned toward Tatsuro and spoke.

"Big brother!" (Salva)

"What is it?" (Tatsuro)

"Could you add me to your party?" (Salva)

"What's gotten into you all of a sudden, Salva?" (Ai)

Ai, who had been petting Jema, removed her hand and turned her attention to Salva.

"I've seen my own weakness plenty during this journey. I want to become stronger, but alone, it's not enough. That's why I want to join you two" (Salva)

"I refuse." (Tatsuro)

"Why!?" (Salva)

"Why? Well, there is a lot on our plate as it is. We have a ton of things we need to do. In addition, there is another thing. I understand your desire to get stronger, but the way for you to become stronger is probably different from ours. You should find a mentor who suits your style." (Tatsuro)

"But" (Salva)

"Also, Salva, you said you want to get stronger by yourself, but don't forget that you already have two companions right here. If you keep thinking that way, you'll never be able to protect anyone." (Tatsuro)

As Tatsuro and Ai advised Salva, he looked at his sister and childhood friend. They nodded in agreement with Ai's words.

"Big brother is in a team with us, you know. What's the use of getting stronger alone?" (Jema)

"That's right. Besides, we would not be of any help to you in the first place, and in the end, we would just rely on you. Even if you get stronger in that state, we'll never catch up to you." (Catherine)

"You guys I see catch up, huh?" (Salva)

Somewhere in his heart, Salva might have been trying to take an easier path to becoming strong. However, causing trouble for others and becoming slightly stronger was not worth it. To protect important friends and help people in need, you must become strong enough to protect others from any situation. At the very least, he wanted to stand shoulder to shoulder with Tatsuro or Ai within their team.

"Big brother, I'm sorry for saying something strange. I'll think about how to get stronger with my companions." (Salva)

"That's fine. If you're going to think about it, go ahead and overtake us instead of saying you'll catch up." (Tatsuro)

"And in the future, become a hero who defeats the strong and helps the weak!" (Ai)

"Defeat the strong and help the weak Big sister, those are good words." (Salva)

Therefore, Salva took a liking to a phrase he had heard from Ai somewhere and etched it into his mind.

"Oh, and I'll give you this. Decide what to do with it on your own." (Tatsuro)

"Is this ashes?" (Salva)

"Rather than ashes, it's more like cremated remains." (Tatsuro)

Saying this, he handed an earth-colored urn from his [Item Box] to Catherine, the one nearby. It was what remained from collecting and burning the remains when the explosion happened. He had stored it just in case. If they could not receive it by the time they parted ways, he intended to scatter it in a suitable place.

However, it was no longer necessary. The three received it and expressed their thanks. Finally, they exchanged firm handshakes with each of the two and three, and the impromptu party was disbanded.