Chapter 131: 【Story of the Red-Haired Hero】The Fortress City of Liheid

Chapter 131: 【Story of the Red-Haired Hero】The Fortress City of Liheid

131 【Story of the Red-Haired Hero】The Fortress City of Liheid

* * *

“Whoa...!”

Gazing at the beautiful moss-covered stone cityscape, the numerous stalls and food carts lining the narrow alleys, and the many adventurers and peddlers coming and going, the red-haired boy... the hero Torch exclaimed in amazement.

“You shouldn’t be gawking around like that, Torch. They’ll take you for a country bumpkin.”

The one who admonished Torch was a petite blonde woman clad in the white vestments of the Holy Church of the Holy Goddess.

She is Chiron Heeksight, Torch’s traveling companion who serves as a priest and healing mage.

While it may be hard to imagine from her smaller stature compared to Torch, she is actually already an adult claiming to be a “lovely older sister.”

...Although, while warning Torch, her own eyes are wandering to the fruits being sold at the stalls and the meat being grilled at the food carts, making her look just like the young girl her appearance suggests.

“Shishishi! With this many people crowded together, it’d be a cinch to pickpocket to my heart’s content here!”

The one laughing while saying something slightly dangerous is Zydeo, the scout.R/ê/Ad lateSt ch/a/pters at novelhall.com Only

This lean man has a shady past, having been a thief before, but after being reformed by Torch, he now accompanies the hero’s journey as atonement.

“Geez! Zydeo, there you go saying those things again! Repent! Repent!”

As a prim, proper, fastidious, and lovely older sister, Chiron won’t allow Zydeo to even hint at committing crimes!

Two swift punches are immediately driven into Zydeo’s stomach!

A cutting body blow!

“Ow! H-Hey you brat! I was just stating my thoughts, not sayin’ I actually wanna pickpocket... Ow! I said it hurts!”

“I’m not a brat! I’m a lovely older sister! Hyah! Hyah!”

Chiron’s fists won’t stop pummeling Zydeo!

The lightning-fast chain of blows is a sight any aspiring martial artist would surely be amazed by!

When she first met Torch and set out on this journey, she was merely a powerless priest and healing mage, but after continuously punching Torch’s master Arcus (because she disliked him) who was somewhat hopeless with alcohol, tobacco, and women, she achieved remarkable growth (probably in the wrong direction for a priest and healer)!

“Ow! It hurts! Stop punching for real! Please, stop! I’m begging you, please! Ow ow ow!”

“Ahahaha!”

“Don’t just laugh, Torch! Help me stop her—!”

Engaging in their usual friendly banter, the hero’s party advances through the fortress city of Liheid.

* * *

“Phew...! But man, there sure were a ton of people! The streets are narrow like a maze too. I feel like I’d get lost if I walked around alone in this city.”

“There’s even a theory that the monsters in those mountains originally gathered there in search of kirkree nuts.”

“So it’s a troublesome plant? Even though the nuts are tasty.”

“Tasty things aren’t troublesome.”

“...It’s thanks to the monsters gathering that adventurers gather too, and the economy of this town keeps running. Shishishi, things aren’t always so simple to label as black and white, Torch.”

“......”

While rationally understanding Zydeo’s point, Torch’s feelings on the matter are complicated.

His hometown was... destroyed by monsters sent by the Demon Lord’s Army.

Although he usually puts on a cheerful demeanor, there is a large scar left in his heart from that time.

He just can’t emotionally accept Zydeo’s argument of “thanks to the monsters.”

“...Well, let’s leave the kirkree talk at that. Shall we get to the main topic?”

Noticing Torch’s clouded expression, Zydeo changes the subject.

“...Yeah. It’s about where to find ‘Tezonkania,’ right?”

“Kid... Chiron, no new divine oracles have come, right?”

“Yes. In the first place, divine oracles don’t come that frequently.”

Chiron makes a troubled face while swiftly punching Zydeo’s stomach once.

...’Tezonkania.’

Finding this entity that they only know the name of is the current objective of the hero’s party.

The ancient ruins of ‘Saikanedon’s Tower’ in the Tezonka Kingdom.

The silver dragon Herensia, an apostle of the Holy Goddess who resides there, has been afflicted by an unknown illness.

She is the guardian sacred beast protecting the ley lines in this surrounding region, and if she continues to weaken and pass away like this, this land will lose its defensive keystone and likely face even greater invasions from the Demon Lord’s Army.

To prevent that, and above all, to save the silver dragon Herensia who has become a close friend, Torch and the others have come to this land.

According to the divine oracle given to Chiron by the Holy Goddess, to cure the silver dragon Herensia’s illness, something called ‘Tezonkania’ is needed, and it seems to exist in the northern part of the Tezonka Kingdom... in other words, around here.

“Well... in that case, what we need to do hasn’t changed. Let’s start with the usual information gathering. I heard there’s an adventurer’s guild branch across the canal from this inn. Let’s head there first.”

“We also need to pay our respects to the Margrave who governs this land. Torch is the hero, and we have a letter from the King of Tezonka, so we shouldn’t be turned away at the gate.”

“Okay, then... break time’s over!”

“Yes!”

“Yeah!”

The three of them leave the inn and begin their activities.