Volume 4 - CH 3

We were riding Dalton’s large high-speed carriage to travel to the territory of Duke Fudale from the capital.

The carriage’s appearance looked like it was a noble’s carriage with its ornaments removed. But, the ornaments were remove in order to decrease the weight and increase the speed. It seemed that the cost of the carriage was about the same with the carriage that the royal family used.

It had plain appearance but the exterior was processed with alchemy and sorcery it boasted an endurance that could endure even level 5 fire sorcery according to the calculation.

「It actually never got hit by anything like that though.」

It was Viro who said that. It seemed that the carriage would be able to endure such attack but the next attack would put it out of commission.

The lower part had hollow space around dozens of centimeter where weapons and equipments that couldn’t be brought inside were stored. They could also be taken out from under the floor. The roof part was used as space to store spoils of war. Both spaces had their capacity increased using storage type darkness sorcery and also equipped with the function to reduce weight.

The space between those two storages were for people to ride, but it had enough room that there was still enough space even after the large Dalton and Feld got in. It should be easy for the carriage to carry ten people.

There were four horses pulling the carriage, but it seemed that the carriage also had magic tool to move it. It seemed that by using magic stone as fuel the carriage could run on its own to some degree.

「Listen well Aria. You’re recruited for your ability to use light sorcery but, we don’t plan to waste your combat style. We’ll have you act as scout most of the time.」

Dalton explained about my role inside the carriage.

「What’re we going to do for recovery during battle?」

「Recovery during battle is rare even when we got Samantha with us. Usually we just take care of it with potion after battle. If anyone is bothered with that method then they can learn it themselves just like Feld.」

I too didn’t use healing in the middle of battle. I could use it if there was a chance but, there was also times when such opening could lead to death.

「Aria, you’ll heal only wound that might pose as obstacle for battle. But, all of us are fighters. It’ll be pointless if you waste your mana and can’t fight when needed. After all even with mana recovery potion, it’s possible that its effectiveness will worsen if you keep drinking it several times in a day.」

「Roger.」

I could agree with what he said so I had no objection. But, a party wouldn’t be able to move smoothly if the role of each members weren’t clear, whether it was for healing or for teamwork.

The current composition of adventurer party “Rainbow Sword” had this kind of form.

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Heavy Warrior   Role: Tank and Attacker

▼Dalton Rockwall　Race：Mountain Dwarf・Rank 5

【Magic Power : 250/250】【Stamina : 512/512】

【Overall Combat Strength : 1940 (With Body Strengthening : 2420)】

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Swordsman   Role: Frontline Attacker

▼Feld Lewin　Race：Human・Rank 5

【Magic Power : 212/225】【Stamina : 357/370】

【Overall Combat Strength : 1494 (With Body Strengthening : 1908)】

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Scout – Light Warrior   Role: Detecting enemy, removing trap, hit-and-run

▼Viro Dawn　Race：Human・Rank 4

【Magic Power : 220/220】△10UP【Stamina : 320/320】△10UP

【Overall Combat Strength : 1056 (With Body Strengthening : 1281)】

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Spirit User – Archer   Role: Attack and defense with spirit magic, detecting enemy, hit-and-run

▼Miranda Mormor　Race：Forest Elf・Rank 4

【Magic Power : 350/350】【Stamina : 175/175】

【Overall Combat Strength : 1097 (With Body Strengthening : 1321)】

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Illusionist – Assassin   Role: Healing with sorcery, detecting enemy, hit-and-run

▼Aria (Alicia)　Race：Human・Rank 4

【Magic Power : 270/270】【Stamina : 210/210】

【Overall Combat Strength : 916 (With Body Strengthening : 1123)】

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Other than combat strength and combat style, we also told each other our special skill and trump card. Adventurer rarely told their trump card to each other but, there would be no point of getting obsessed with that if it might caused Elena getting exposed to danger.

My trump card was the body strengthening using the origin Battle Skill, but in Mira’s case her trump card was also the weak point of spirit. It really made me felt trusted when she told me that.

As expected with the rank 4 sorcerer Samantha retired, the overall strength of the party had gone down, but according to Dalton the human Feld and Viro were still growing, so he thought they would still be able at the same level like before depending on Mira and my sorcery. Even so I would replace Viro one day, so the party was still looking for a sorcerer even now.

Our final destination this time was the large scale dungeon in an island, so this carriage was heading toward a port city in Fudale territory.

Normally we would pass the relatively safe main highway and entered the duke’s city, from there we would head to the port city at the east but, midway we left the main highway and used the route that passed through a forest. This road was smaller than the main highway, but it was rarely used by ordinary traveler so it was easier for carriage to pass through unobstructed.

Like that we kept advancing inside the forest and soon the day would turn dark. Just as we started thinking of searching for a camping site, the coachman called out.

「Lord Dalton, it’s still far ahead but I heard the sound of sword fighting. I can’t sense who’s being attacked and who is attacking from here. What should I do?」

This coachman was the butler grandpa who was taking care of Dalton’s mansion. Although his main occupation wasn’t a butler, he was a retired former adventurer and had the strength of a rank 3 scout. His combat strength was decreasing due to his age but, the information that he gathered could be trusted.

「Is it a stupid merchant’s carriage getting attacked? Troublesome, but it can’t be helped. You youngsters go out there and take care of it.」

Dalton gave an instruction even while frowning. He was displeased because he understood that this road was relatively unsafe compared to the main highway.

Even if things like bandit, thief, or monster like wolf wouldn’t come out, there were many other forms of danger. Even so there would be no attack if the traveler had guard of some capability with them, but being attacked mean that the victim didn’t have sufficient protection.

Carriage could move fast in a road where no ordinary people passed. Even if there was danger there, one should just hire mercenary or adventurer to take care of it, but stingy merchant who didn’t want to lose money and met misfortune instead could always be found anywhere.

「Then let’s go.」

「Uh huh.」

Feld and I got down as Dalton instructed.

When Dalton said 『younsters』, Mira whose appearance was youthful stayed sitting while nibbling on dried fruit, conversely Viro was about to stand up but then his eyes met mine and he seemed to notice that he wasn’t a youngster, so he lowered back his waist on the seat.

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When I got outside, certainly there was the sound of sword clashing from afar. Feld also noticed and looked forward. His face turned just a little grim.

「That’s not monster……the sound of weapons clashing is loud. It’s a fight between two people trained in combat. Be careful Aria.」

「Roger.」

Just in case, we told the coachman butler that information. Then in preparation of melee, Feld held two hand axes in his hands instead of his great sword, while I broke out running through the road that was getting darker without pulling out any weapon.

I ran at the front seeing that I had good night vision. Feld followed behind me. As expected from Feld……. Although he was wearing armor and carried large weapon, it didn’t seem like I needed to slow down for him.

After running for several dozen seconds, light of sorcery and faint light from torch came into view from the road ahead. The situation became slightly clearer.

「The side being attacked is a carriage that seems to belong to a noble. The assailants are also seems to be human.」

「Can you identify the enemy?」

「Those hiding their face and wearing black leather armor are the assailants I think. And, are we going to help?」

「Isn’t it fine to help if the situation is that easy to understand?」

「Got it. I’ll go ahead.」

In that moment I rushed forward with body strengthening. Although Feld and my agility parameter was the same, if it was just running speed than I was faster than him because my body weight was lighter.

My Night Vision saw multiple carriages that seemed to belong to noble far ahead. The number of bodyguard seemed few for noble but, they seemed to be skilled. They were fighting evenly against assailants that outnumbered them by several times more. ……No, looked like the guards were in slight disadvantage.

Among them there was one knight who was having a hard time fighting against three assailants. Seeing that I quickly moved into action.

「──Pain──」

I aimed while running and activated darkness magic the moment I was within range.

「Gugyah!?」

One of the assailants who was brandishing a spear screamed from the intense pain of the illusion. The man beside him turned around in surprise. The throwing knives I threw pierced his mask. My scythe shaped pendulum then tore the neck of the man who was freezing from the pain. I didn’t slow down and used the momentum to kick the face of the last masked man with my heel while cutting his exposed throat with my black knife.

I swung my knife to get rid of the blood while turning around. The knight who was under attack trembled for a moment.

「I’m a passing adventurer. Are your side the one that is being attacked?」

「T-that’s right-」

Although he was being questioned right after three black armored men got killed in a flash, that knight nodded vigorously even while being dumbfounded.

「Am I being too nosey? If it’s unnecessary then I’ll leave.」

「No, my thanks for the assistance. The assailants are more than expected, so I’m worried about the carriage that has gone ahead. But you’re…….」

「Adventurer, “Rainbow Sword”.」

「What-, you’re from Rainbow Sword!」

As expected it seemed the reputation of “Rainbow Sword” was known even by noble. The knight’s face turned bright from relieve. In contrast to that, the masked assailants around us seemed to think of me as a hindrance and several of them moved toward me.

The combat strength of the assailants was around 250……they were upper rank 2 or lower rank 3 from this number. It was hard to call them expert but, depending on their resolve they weren’t an opponent that could be underestimated. Even so they were wearing leather armor instead of metal armor, perhaps because they prioritized laying ambush. In that case even I could deal with them.

I quickly tossed weighted pendulum to the darkness and controlled it to strike the head of the man at the forefront from the side. My skirt flapped as I pulled out and threw a throwing knife from under it to pierce his throat.

I pulled back the pendulum inside the darkness and with centrifugal force the weighted pendulum drew a large arc and smashed the head of the next assailant who approached.

「Shit-」

A masked assailant noticed that my weapon attacked from the darkness and charged forward while covering his vital spots with his arms.

In respond I jumped and kneed from above the guard that was protecting the face.

「Gugah!?」

The assailant groaned and lifted his face. My arm snaked through the opened gap in the guard and around his neck before I circled behind him and snapped his neck.

「Watch out-!」

The knight I saved just now yelled. I instantly saw two assailants charging in with sword in their hands──, “hand axes” flew from both sides of the knight who was about to dash forward to assist. They pierced the two assailants’ face.

「Aria, you’re too fast-!」

Feld complained while catching up. He didn’t slow down and pulled out the magic steel great sword on his back and jumped forward while bisecting another assailant into two.

「I-is he your teammate……?」

The knight’s voice turned hoarse seeing how strong the attack was. I lightly nodded to that knight and called out to Feld who was looking for the next enemy.

「The carriage that’s going ahead is also getting attacked.」

「Got it. Go there Aria. I’ll take care of the enemies here.」

「……Roger.」

I already knew but, as I thought Feld was strong. Against opponents of this level, even if there were several rank 3 mixed in, he would have no problem as long as he didn’t let his guard down.

「Come at me! You masked fellows!」

It was a bit concerning that he sounded somewhat muscle brained though…….

The assailants hesitated somewhat with Feld’s reinforcement. I slipped through them and dashed away with a speed that nobody in this place could follow.

When I passed the side of the attacked carriage, I caught sight of a familiar crest from under a plank that seemed to be almost torn off from being hit by an attack.

(……The royal family’s crest?)

The carriage that Elena rode in at Dandall’s recuperation resort also had the same crest painted on. In that case this group was related to the royal family?

Dalton told me that the route the royal family’s carriage used was kept secret for safety.

The possibility that came to mind was that this horse carriage belonged to the crown prince or Elena who was heading to the dungeon, but to think that they only brought this much guard. I didn’t understand why they didn’t use the safe main highway then.

Viro should have told them about the possibility of attack at the very least but, the royal family didn’t consist of just the two of them, and if they passed through this kind of road then they might simply be in a hurry to transport something. I hope that was the case…….

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Further ahead I saw the figures of people wearing black armor and guard knights scattered inside the darkness. I didn’t need to check whether they were still alive or not. With my eyes that could see magic particle, I didn’t even need to use Appraisal to see whether the body had any life force remaining or not.

Did they kill each other? Or there was still another skilled assailant remaining?

*HYUN!!*

A knife flew from inside the darkness of the forest in that moment. I deflected it by immediately taking out the all-purpose type pendulum from the Storage, then I also hid myself behind a tree while throwing the knife that I pulled from behind the slit toward the silhouette that I caught sight of for just a moment.

「…………」

The knife was most likely dodged. I didn’t know who it was inside the darkness but, I was able to feel the opponent’s strength from the silhouette of the magic particle that I caught a brief sight of.

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▼Unknown　Race：Human?

【Magic Power : 182/220】【Stamina : 221/260】

【Overall Combat Strength : 929 (With Body Strengthening : 1126)】

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The opponent seemed to have sensed my combat strength too. “Killing intent” that shook the dark forest surged out.

……I see. There is an “expert” here.