Volume 3 Chapter 5: A Small Town

A Small Town

About the hometown of Gil and Shuri, I could look at its location from the geography information of this baron territory that the guild made available to public.

More detailed information would be considered as military secret, but there was no problem if I only wanted to know about geography information for the direction to there. Now that I had become rank 3, I could also ask for a bit more detail.

「You're going to that town?」

「......You'll stop me?」

That receptionist lady found me looking at the map and called out to me. I planned to go even if she stopped me but, the lady shook her head a little when I asked her that.

「I want to stop someone your age from going but, strength-wise the possibility of you coming back alive if you go alone is higher than other adventurers. But remember to not be reckless. This guild is expecting a rank 3 scout to come back with information from the actual place.」

「......Will you buy information from me?」

「Of course.」

She and I shared a small smile. I received the newest information about the orcs that she expressly brought to me. After that I spent the whole day gathering information before departing from this town the next day.

I didn't meet that adventurer who picked a fight with me. I didn't plan to do anything to him even if we did meet, but if he picked a fight with me outside the town, there would be no need for me to wait until he drew out his blade this time. That's all.

.

My destination was a dangerous area, so naturally there was no stagecoach that was heading there. It also didn't look like that any merchant would send carriage there, so just in case I purchased supply that worth one gold coin and put them into my Storage and backpack.

「......Well, I won't use carriage anyway.」

Gil and Shuri's hometown was three days away using carriage from this town where the baron lived. The distance would need five days to travel if by walking.

If it was me then I guessed I'd be able to arrive in two days. I got out of the town from the north gate and walked on the highway for a while so I wouldn't attract attention. Then I gradually increased my speed before I broke out running toward the town with around 60% of my full speed.

When a lot of trees started appearing at the sides of the hgihway, I used Stealth by blending the color of the magic particles inside my body to match the surrounding. I used Night Vision to be on my guard toward the surrounding while erasing the sound I made using my leg muscles that were strengthened with Body Strengthening. This area was close to monster habitat, so a lot of monsters appeared near the border. Even so there shouldn't be that many monsters at a highway near a town.

Even in this world where monsters were a threat, places like normal villages could live with only fence as protection because smart and strong monsters had the tendency to avoid human settlement. If that wasn't the case then monsters and humans would continue to fight until one side vanished.

Monster with intelligence knew how scary humans were with the way they were living in group and arming themselves with weapons.

The adventurer guild's investigation also reported that only monsters like wolf or goblin would appear around this highway......in the past.

「......ah」

One hobgoblin suddenly appeared from the forest beside the highway.

I saw it suddenly appearing from outside the range of my detection. I instantly strengthened my body while still keeping my stealth, then using special footwork I leaped over the hobgoblin and kicked the side of its head with my heel.

『GHAA!?』

The hobgoblin groaned from the sudden blow. I used the momentum from my kick to pierce its brain from its neck using the black dagger. Then I used its head as a foothold and jumped. I landed on the ground and broke into a run before the goblin fell on the ground.

「............」

......That was a bit surprising.

A hobgoblin appeared in this area even though it shouldn't be the case. That should mean two things.

First, the orc settlement definitely existed and the monsters that were originally living in that area were starting to drift to other area.

And then, for monster to also appear near the highway like this meant that the soldiers who should be patrolling here hadn't done their job. Perhaps they were barricading themselves in a place somewhere.

It must be really chaotic at the baron's side too.......

It was unknown whether he could exterminate the orcs with only the force he had right now. And so if there was something that the baron could do in this situation right now, it was to seek help from someone like his patron Count Taurus. There were no soldiers around here because he wanted to prevent any loss to his force before reinforcement arrived.

But, there was no guarantee that it was the correct decision. Even if Count Taurus sent reinforcement, the need to gather soldiers and provisions in this winter season would delay their arrival. They would arrive in this baron territory within two months at the shortest. It was also possible that the count would only dispatch his soldiers when spring came if he thought that this matter wasn't that important.

That was the same with the adventurer guild. Adventurers were 『assets』, workers for the guild. In the current situation where they only had rank 3 adventurers at the highest, the guild was unable to issue an enforced quest knowing that the adventurers sent would only die. They could only wait until the only rank 4 they could find arrive while forming a plan.

The situation would likely change in several more months. But.......

「A small town won't last until then.」

.

I had some naps in between while continuing to run through the highway. Two days later I arrived at the town exactly like I confirmed at the adventurer guild.

Its population was around 2000 people. Most of the townspeople were making their living by farming. From that, this place felt more like a large village rather than a small town.

There were also farms spreading out outside the wall that was surrounding the town, but they hadn't been tended on and looked ruined. Perhaps deer and other small animals were coming by because people stopped tending the farms.

Looking at that town from afar, I could see stone wall that had the height of an average human surrounding it, but even though that wall could defend against goblin attack, it didn't look sufficient to defend against attack from powerful monsters like orc. That was exactly why the stone wall was being reinforced by logs and stakes, but something like that would only serve to give them a peace of mind.

「Oi, you there-, what's your business here-」

When I approached, a man who seemed to be a soldier called out from on top of a tower behind the closed gate.

「I'm an adventurer. I got a quest from a past resident here to check on the condition of the town.」

「Advnturer? A girl like you?」

「You won't let me in?」

「A-aa, sorry. I'll open the gate so come in quick.」

The soldier hurriedly got down from the watchtower and then the reinforced gate opened slightly with creaking sound.

「Sorry but, we're going to close the gate right away. Come in quick-」

「Roger.」

The gate was only opened until a human could enter just barely. I entered into the town from there before two soldiers immediately closed the gate and placed a thick bolt over it.

「Fuu......you're adventurer? You know about this town's situation right? To be honest we'll be grateful if you can help protecting this place but......」

「I understand.」

I had taken out some supplies from my Storage before arriving. When I handed it to the soldier who first saw me, his expression brightened seeing what was inside.

「Nice-. Merchant won't come here so salt is in short supply!」

With the town in lockdown like this, they would have little food to share with traveler who came during this trying time, though it would be a different story if the one coming could help with the fighting.

When human lacked salt content, their body would seek salt and their sense of taste would change. The salt I handed wouldn't be enough to be shared with the townspeople too, but the soldiers and the people working to reinforce the wall needed more salt than usual, so I thought that they would lack salt with the merchants stopped coming here. Because of that I bought one gold coin worth of salt before coming here.

「And, how's the situation?」

I called out to the soldiers who were rejoicing that they would be able to have proper meal after this. Their expression immediately darkened and the two soldiers started talking alternately.

「......You're asking about the orcs right? A group of orc came here several weeks ago and the farmers working outside the wall fell victim to them.」

「Adventurers who said that they received a quest from the lord also came. They investigated, and when they came back they said there're really lots of orcs......」

「The place the orcs are settling down at might be the village that got abandoned ten years ago. Those guys are omnivore and brought the crops outside the wall with them but, they'll surely come attacking again if those foods run out. If the lord's army haven't come before that......hey, how's it going with the adventurer guild? Is there anyone coming──」

「Oiiii!」

At that timing, four men wearing armor who seemed to be adventurers came from the direction of the town settlement. We stopped talking when we noticed that they were running this way.

「Did something happen-!?」

「Y-you-!」

「............」

Those adventurers were the man who picked a fight with me at the guild and his teammates.

To meet him again at this kind of place....... Come to think of it, I heard that this man was originally from this town, but could it be that his party was also the one that was hiring Gil and Shuri?

As expected the thief who pretended to be scout wasn't here but, the man who picked fight with me stared at me and questioned me.

「You, why the hell are you here!」

「Wait wait-! I don't know what happened between you two but, stop it Kevin!」

The soldier panicked seeing the dangerous atmosphere and cut in.

Perhaps my action of handing salt was effective. The soldier seemed to be an acquaintance of this man who was born in this town──Kevin. For now it didn't seem that he would back up Kevin unconditionally.

Then Kevin's teammates who had guilty feeling toward me also took advantage of that to remonstrate him.

「Yeah, stop that. This little miss is really strong right?」

「That's right. Come to think of it, did you manage to become rank 3?」

「Yes.」

I was on my guard just in case while taking out my tag from behind the chest area of my leather dress. Seeing that, they and also the soldiers let out surprised voices.

「Ooo」

「She's really rank 3......」

「That's amazing even though you're this young.」

「......tsk」

Kevin clicked his tongue seeing my tag and took a step back from the crowd.

「......And, what do you actually came here for?」

「An acquaintance asked me to check the situation here. It seems he has family and friend here. Rather than that, aren't the residents going to run away?」

Kevin's eyes widened from that question I asked casually.

「You don't understand anything!! The people here have lived here since they were born! They don't know how to live anywhere but here, and there are also those who'll prefer to die together with their farm!」

「Kevin-!」

「I told you stop already.」

Kevin tried to lash out at me again. His teammates grabbed his arms and stopped him.

The soldier who I first met seemed to think that the talk wouldn't progress if Kevin kept butting in every time like this. He sighed before explaining to me.

「People who got money or relative at other town had already run away a long time ago....... But, just like that idiot said, there're old people who can't live anywhere else and sick people here. The families of those people can't just get up and run. We might manage if we have time but......」

He said that around thirty percent of the townspeople were still unable to evacuate. After saying that, the soldier looked at me with a pleading gaze.

「Say, you. How's the situation at the adventurer guild? Can't they do something?」

「Still nothing. The guild can't move right now when they still can't find a rank 4 party.」

「I......see.」

He must have guessed. The soldier's shoulders dropped dejectedly hearing my words.

「......Do something about this if you're really rank 3」

Kevin who was being held back by his teammates spat that out while looking at me.

I see.......

「Let him go. I'll keep him company for a bit.」

「Wait, Kevin is just being too on edge.」

When I said that, one of Kevin's teammates who was holding him back spoke to stop me. He might be worried for either of us. I paid him no mind and lightly beckoned with my fingertip while looking at him coldly.

「Can you only talk? You want to know right? Of "rank 3".」

「What did you say-!」

Kevin was enraged by my provocation and he finally unsheathed his sword.

「Oi, stop!」

As expected the soldiers couldn't overlook it if this devolved into a bloodshed. They tried to stop us, but I unleashed level 3 "Pressure"together with "killing intent".

『──tsu!?』

The soldiers and Kevin's teammates froze from my killing intent. Among them, only Kevin who stopped just from my killing intent brandished his sword at me even though his expression was convulsing.

「......U-UAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!」

His attack couldn't be called a sword skill. I slipped past that messed up swordsmanship that was like a kid's swing and my palm heel struck Kevin's face.

「Gugah......」

Kevin's head snapped backward and he groaned while falling face up. During that I struck his wrist and made him dropped his sword,

Then without pause my fist punched Kevin's defenseless chest and stomach.

「──Ga, go, gah, gi!」

Air left his lung from each blow and his complexion was turning ashen.

I wouldn't use dagger on you. You should have been swinging sword longer than I had lived. But, your sword was lacking "power".

Even though you were pointing your sword at me with anger, I couldn't see the "resolve" to kill me in it.

What do you want to do......with that kind of half-baked resolve?

I mercilessly hit his arms, stomach, chest, face, the positions of his internal organs with speed that his eyes couldn't follow. I beat him up one-sidedly.

「......Gu......ha......」

Kevin crumbled like a puppet that lost its support when my fist stopped punching.

『............』

Kevin was in tatters in less than fifteen seconds. The soldiers and Kevin's teammates were looking at me in fear. I paid them no mind at all and looked down coldly on Kevin who was lying down face up.

「Kevin, who's your "enemy"? What's the "reason" you're wielding sword?」

Even so, I didn't deny him.

If you were pointing your sword toward me with "your own reason", at that time I'd kill you as a human......as a warrior.

「............guh」

Even though he was in tatters, Kevin glared back at me who was looking down coldly on him. He changed his pain into anger and lifted up his body.

「I'm......going to......protect......the people here」

「Then do that.」

I walked away from Kevin and faced the people around me.

「The adventurers there, escort the townspeople away from here while keeping alert of orcs. The soldier there, how long it'll take until the townspeople who're delayed from running away can finish evacuating?」

「A, aa, five weeks......no, give us four weeks! All the soldiers here'll manage it somehow-」

「Then please do.」

The soldier seemed to think something from watching the exchange between Kevin and me. There was light in his eyes that wasn't there before this. If it was them, then I guess they wouldn't give up even when the situation was despairing.

「......What are you going to do?」

Kevin's teammates looked at me in anxiety. I glanced at Kevin.

「He said it right? Do something if you're rank 3......」

Surely he would be fine now. With this they would manage to evacuate the townspeople somehow even without me doing anything.

With this I could do "my own role". That was why──.

I unsheathed the black dagger and turned my face toward the direction of the abandoned village where the orc settlement was located.

「One month....... I'll buy you that time.」

.

Because......that was the "promise" that I made with those two.