CH 76

Chapter 76 - Rain Clouds and Adventurers

“…… Hey, what’s up? Did something happen?”

Merylou, who was walking at the front of the wagon, came over and called out in concern.

She immediately noticed Aisha sitting down and catching her breath and said nothing more, perhaps convinced of the reason for the stop.

“Merylou-kun, since we have plenty of time, I suggested to Peryton-san that we make a short stop. I heard that the mountain lodge is less than an hour away, so we should be able to make it before sunset.”

“I see …… well, we got an early start, after all …… But the weather doesn’t look too good.”

Merylou muttered, looking up at the sky.

A few minutes ago, the sky was tinted with the setting sun, and black rain clouds were mixing in. The wind had picked up a bit, and it looked as if it could start raining at any moment.

“Aisha-san, are you okay? …… Please have a drink if you want.”

Mia called out to Aisha, who was sitting down, poured water from a canteen soaked in herbs into a glass, and handed it to Aisha.

“Thanks, Mia …… I’m fine. Somehow …… Peryton-san. I’m really sorry for causing you trouble.”

Aisha drank out of the glass of water she received and nodded helplessly in apology.

“……. Well, the slope of the mountain road has become very steep …… However, tomorrow we will also pass through a reasonably steep mountain path. Will you be okay, young lady with glasses? …… And I’m worried about the weather.”

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Peryton looked up at the rain clouds and frowned while showing concern for Aisha.

The number of days an adventurer may be detained by request is four days round trip. If for some reason it is extended, an additional fee is required on a pro-rated basis. Considering the client’s position, if it rained a little, we would most likely be forced to march, unless the wagon was impossible to move.

“Hmm. How about you, Tat-kun?”

Souya called out to Tat, who was leaning against a tree chewing on an apple.

Since he’s a grass elf, a Grasswalker, and he was used to walking, so I called out to him, but I wasn’t worried about him. At least he wouldn’t end up like Aisha.

“I’m fine. But my soles are a little sore …… These shoes don’t seem to be suitable for the stony mountain paths.”

Tat was wearing a pair of light brown leather shoes. It seems to be easy to walk on the grasslands, but it may not be so good on the gravelly mountain roads.

“Next time I come to the mountains, I’ll buy some shoes for hiking …… Are you okay with those black leather shoes, Souya-niisan?”

“To be honest, these shoes are designed to look good, not to function as shoes. No matter where I walk, they are hard and uncomfortable to wear. Well, I can’t let go of them because they contain a strong magical power.”

Souya looked at the business shoes and smiled bitterly.

The shoes were not suitable for adventure by any stretch of the imagination, but I couldn’t complain. It is very likely that I will not be able to find any equipment of higher quality than the business suit and business shoes that have been given magical power by the goddess Eris, even if I search around this world.

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“…… Aisha-kun. How are you doing?”

After a short break, Souya called out to Aisha who was sitting down.

Considering the fact that we had left Ilstadt 20 minutes earlier, we had a little more time to spare, but considering the increasingly bad weather, it seemed better to consider an early departure.

“I’m okay. I’m sorry for the inconvenience …… I guess I’m a failure as an adventurer.”

“You are a bronze-ranked adventurer recognized by the guild. We should not be more timid than necessary here. As for what to do, from the looks of it, the luggage is becoming a burden. There is still some space in my dimension box. I can take care of some of Aisha-kun’s luggage, but what do you think?”

This suggestion would depend on whether she would trust him to leave it with him or not, but Souya could not think of anything else but this idea.

The back of the wagon driven by Rams was empty, but it was hard to ask Peryton to carry the luggage since he was walking with his luggage on his back to avoid putting a burden on the wagon. If we were to ask, we would have to find a way to pay for the burden on the horses.

In addition, on the way back, there will be so much wine that there will be no room left in the back of the wagon, so it will only be a stopgap on the way there.

“…… I understand.”

Aisha nodded at Souya’s concern, stood up, picked up the leather shoulder bag that was lying beside her, and handed it to Souya.

“…… This bag contains several parchment books. Souya-san, please take care of them for me.”

Aisha bowed her head pleadingly.

Books are very expensive in this world, and even the blank notebooks that Souya had gotten from the tool store were pricey. It was a big responsibility to take care of several of them.

And the leather bag that Aisha handed him was quite heavy. Including the other adventure necessities, I could imagine that the weight of this leather bag was quite a burden for her.

(…… She has to carry books with her on her adventures. I guess that means she doesn’t have a home in Ilstadt.)

It is difficult to collect books without a place to store them, and if you bring books with you on your adventures, there is a chance that they will be damaged or lost. If you are going to carry them around with you, it is preferable to be able to use magic suitable for storage, like Souya.

If you can’t use storage magic, then you should keep the contents in mind and give the book away, but I didn’t tell Aisha about that. It would be too much to ask whether or not she owns the book.

“I think we’d better get going, Peryton-san. By the look of these clouds, it’s not surprising for it to start raining. “

Peryton nodded at Souya’s words and signaled to Rams in the driver’s seat of the wagon.

“…… Souya-san, how should I thank you for the luggage?”

“I’d like to say no thanks …… but I’d be happy if you lend me a book at the mountain lodge. I’m curious to see what kind of books they have.”

Souya put Aisha’s handbag in the dimension box and took out a rainproof cloak instead.

At last, a small drop of water from the rain cloud grazed my nostrils.