CH 129

Episode 129 – Reinforcements

The words left my mouth, suddenly cutting Byrne off. They had been uttered almost unconsciously, and I myself was the most surprised about the words I had just spoken.

“Eh?! You want to follow us to the city of Seykoll, Lewin?!” (Lyra)

“No, I mean… you’re not even an adventurer, right Lewin? You can’t accept commissions, so does that mean you’re alright with fighting for free?” (Byrne)

“That’s… indeed true. I know it’s an absurd request, but I’d like you to take me with you if you can.” (Lewin)

“Uhhh, Lewin, do you have someone you know in the city of Seykoll or something?” (Porta)

“Nope, no one in particular…” (Lewin)

When I asked them to take me with them, the four of them all stared at me, completely baffled. Thinking about it… it wasn’t really logical for me to go with them. It was just that I had a bad feeling about all this, which was a very vague reason. Honestly, I felt like the members of [Iron Gear] knew just as much as I myself did about my reason for wanting to go with them, which was next to nothing.

“…It’s not a problem for us, but are you sure it’s okay with you, Lewin? Supposing that it really is the Demon King’s Army that’s attacking Seykoll, some of us might not necessarily be able to return from that place alive, you know?” (Byrne)

“Yeah. Even still, I hope you guys can bring me along.” (Lewin)

“Well… it would be most reassuring to have you fight alongside us, so we have no reason to refuse. You won this time’s mock battle tournament with a perfect record, so it wouldn’t be wrong to say that you’re the strongest among the five of us right now…” (Nina)

“That’s right. We appreciate your suggestion and are inclined to bring you with us, but are you really sure about this?” (Porta)

“Like I said, I’m sure about it. I’ll put forth my best effort so I can be helpful to you guys, even if it’s only a little bit!” (Lewin)

I firmly responded to the four of them, who still looked perplexed. I didn’t have any sort of lofty ambition or sense of justice like wanting to save those in need, but I wanted to be useful to those who were close to me— to Kirty, who had just left Grezesta, and to [Iron Gear], who were now also headed to Seykoll. I wasn’t sure if I would be of much use, but I had been training all this time with the intent of being able to put up a fight.

“If you say so, Lewin, then we have no reason to refuse. Let’s hurry up and depart then.” (Byrne)

“Whooo! A reassuring ally! This’ll make our party much more stable!” (Lyra)

Thus, with a warm reception from the members of [Iron Gear], we left Grezesta once more, even though we had just returned. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t feeling anxious, but if I was with everyone else then it would somehow turn out fine.

As we walked along the public road that went towards Nava Forest and Seykoll, the weather was becoming increasingly cloudy and gloomy, making me feel more and more uncomfortable as we approached. The members of [Iron Gear] seemed to also be getting this bad feeling, as they began to unknowingly speak less and less.

“…..We’re almost at the city of Seykoll. Around these parts… I thought there would be more commotion, but it’s so quiet that it feels rather ominous…” (Porta)

“Indeed. Perhaps the battle is taking place inside the city.” (Lyra)

“That would be terrible if that was the case. The damage is going to be even worse.” (Byrne)

“Ah, I know who you’re talking about! That’s the person they call ‘Demon’1, right? If I recall correctly, she destroyed a crime syndicate all by herself!” (Lyra)

“Huh? I’ve been told that she once defeated a dragon by herself.” (Byrne)

“….I heard that she solo cleared a dungeon before.” (Nina)

…Hmm. Somehow, these rumors made her out to be some kind of ridiculously overpowered character.

I thought the extent of her titles were just limited to being the youngest female Captain of the Knights of the Royal Order, but… for some reason, if it was Kirty, I felt that it wouldn’t be strange for her to have done all of those things. Maybe I should hear about it from her in more detail next time.

As I was thinking to myself, the city of Seykoll came into sight. There were quite a few people outside the city, and it was a jumbled scenery filled with chaotic scenes of humans battling with monsters. In the sky above the city, there were some kind of black monsters flying around, and I could even see the massive figures of Ogres and Trolls in the distance. I was thinking that maybe the battle would already be over by the time we got there, but… it looked like I was too naive.

“Looks like the battle is taking place inside the city after all! There’s fighting outside the city as well, but we should hurry and defeat the monsters inside the city!” (Lyra)

“Yup. Battles inside of the city will be different, so we’ll have to coordinate well. Nina, please concentrate on dealing with the flying demons.” (Byrne)

“…I understand. Just tell me when you need healing or support. I’ll be focusing on the flying monsters.” (Nina)

“Lewin, you’ll be in the vanguard with me and Lyra. Porta, buff us with [Bravery] and act as a support for Nina.” (Byrne)

“Understood. You can leave the rear guard support up to me.” (Porta)

After reconfirming each of our roles, we ran at full speed towards the city of Seykoll, where the fighting between humans and demons was in complete disarray.