Chapter 4 – Fair Lady of the Fores (1/2)
Half a year after the mass murder escape drama, I joined a band of mercenaries who had their hideout on the city outskirts.
Without any knowledge, the only thing I could do is fight.
Also, since my identity is totally suspicious, I can’t become a soldier or a guard.
In the end, I had no choice but to join up with a mercenary-band-slash-band-of-thieves composed of people in similar circumstances.
“Boss, are we going to chase up that peddler’s group or what?”
The one who asked is called Jamie, one of my colleagues, a flip who specializes in acrobatics.
“Of course, a caravan that big doesn’t come round these parts that often, they also let go of some guards in the next town over. Getting them is going to be a big catch, women and booze all up for grabs.”
The one with the hearty laugh is the boss of this mercenary band, a man called Lovano, I think.
We call ourselves bandit hunters but this band itself is an active group of bandits.
My point is, he’s the head of these bandits.
Even when quarreling among themselves, none of them came to get me involved.
They knew very well that I have no interest in get-rich-quick schemes or women talk.
In fact I have no interest in money or women.
On the other hand, not only Lovano but all the members recognize my fighting abilities so they rely on me in combat.
Our mission now is no less than assault on a large merchant caravan, though they let go of some guards they will have plenty of skilled people with them, even if you only count the merchants there’s quite a number of them.
It was obvious that we can’t avoid a fight.
“But bo~ss, the caravan would’ve gone and reached the mountains by now, chasing them is gonna be hard.”
Speaking of caravans, I get the image that they are slow, but unlike poor peddlers, caravans equipped with plenty of wagons move with quite a speed.
This was to ward off fake escorts and also at the same time, to shorten the business cycle a little bit by reaching their destination faster, and thus increase their profits.
“I get that, so we’re not going to chase them on the roads. We’re gonna take a shortcut through Erg forest.”
The moment Lovano said so, everyone instantly became quiet.
“Boss… That place is bad news.”
Timidly, Jamie broke the quiet.
“I heard there’s a nest of demons inside the forest.”
“I heard evil spirits come out of the swamps.”
“Nononono, the story I heard was that undeads writhe all about the forest.”
The company started telling the rumors they each heard.
I listened while polishing my weapons.
In the end, all I do was fight whatever enemy that comes out.
I wanted to stay alive, but if I die, then that’s that.
“You idiots! Don’t go off believing in stupid rumors! You can’t even get your rumors straight! Are you all bark and no bite!?”
Lovano totally didn’t believe in the rumors at all, but one of the company objected.
“But Boss, the rumors sure are sloppy, but the part where lots of people come in and don’t come back out is true. That forest is seriously bad news.”
But Lovano roared at the underling.
“Shut up! I’m already set on this! Anyone who says anything more gets turned into meatballs for demon bait!”
In the end, the Boss had the final say and the 20-person mercenary company started their raid into Erg forest.
“This is quite a nice forest isn’t it?”
That was everyone’s impression once we entered Erg forest.
We’re already 1 day into the forest now, far from demons or small fry monsters like goblins that usually roam everywhere, not even a bear or a wolf was seen.
What’s more, we came across fruits and edible creatures like rabbits a lot.
“If this is a demon forest, then our hideout must be a block in hell.”
Everyone nodded.
“If it’s like this, then it might be good if we move the hideout here.”
“That’s for sure. We’ll do that.”
While they let out vulgar laughter, the scout, Jamie came back with a dubious face.
“Boss, there’s a…. a house further along this way.”
Everyone stood alert.
There shouldn’t be anything like a house this far, two whole days from the nearest town.
And not a village too, but a single house at that.
It’s strange even if it’s a mountain hut, this place is the demon forest, a place hunters don’t come to.
Is it a guard post, or maybe another band of robbers’ hideout?
However, the atmosphere was turned around by Jamie’s next sentence.
“I tried peeking inside the house, it looks like an incredible beauty lives there.”
The doubtful voices now turned to ridicule.
It’s strange enough that there’s a house here, if you add that there’s a beauty living there, it goes way beyond dubious and into delusional.
Everyone laughed, saying he’s starved for women and mistook a tree for one.
But still, he frantically called for backup, so while laughing, Lovano had us come along after him as backup.
It’s not like we’re taking a detour, and we can laugh at him once we find nothing there.
Meanwhile, as punishment, he was made to carry some extra luggage.
Guessing what Lovano was thinking, the other robbers smiled derisively, and came along without complaining.
The whole party proceeded towards the house that shouldn’t be there… and then…
We got there.
There was a wide open space in the middle of the forest.
There was a wide circular expanse of grass inside the dense forest, and right in the middle of that there was a house.
It was neat, though not very big, yet not small like a storage shed, you could expect a person to be living there.
Surrounding the house there is a well and a small field, it totally felt like some farm village somewhere, blending into the scenery.
But this is the demon forest, this scenery shouldn’t be here.
“Oi oi, are you kidding me…”
Lovano spontaneously spoke, the other robbers widened their eyes.
But they immediately made a move, if they blankly stood there they wouldn’t have become mercenaries or robbers.
Everyone immediately drew their swords, a number of them approached the house, opened the wooden window a little and peeked in.
“Well, this is rare. Am I having visitors?”
A beautiful voice, like a ringing bell.
Skin white as snow.
And features so beautiful that would be sacrilege to call ‘beautiful’.
The woman that could have been a goddess of beauty called out to the men peeking in from the window.
A voice that came out of red lips that stood out from the all-too-white skin.
Not even a sliver of panic was felt from her despite the strange situation where there was a number of armed men before her, and she calmly started conversation.
It was the men who were taken by surprise.
They were prepared to see a mountain witch come out, but this is a beauty like they’ve never seen in their entire lives.
In front of the beautiful woman, there was nothing the men could do but stammer some meaningless sounds.
“Fufu, it is you who came to visit me, but why are you so surprised?”
The woman covered her mouth with her hand and smiled.
“I can see that I have a lot more visitors here. I can’t show you all in to this small and shabby house, so considering manners I’m supposed to greet you at the gate, but because I have a frail body, I can’t come out in the sun, please excuse me for that.”
“I… that we put into consideration!”
“O… of course we’re excuse… allow… pardon… or something!”
The robbers tried to reply to the voice that was like a ringing bell, but none of them has ever had anything to do with polite language in their entire lives, so they just became flustered and gave funny responses.
Hearing that, she once again covered her mouth with her hand and chuckled, the robbers made a face, they are no longer holding conversation. «TN: 盗賊達の鼻の下は伸びきって、もはや会話はなりたたなかった»
“The hell are you babbling! Hurry up and tell me what… …you… …found…”
Lovano was taken aback for a moment, just like his men.
But a fire was immediately lit inside his heart.
She’s gorgeous… I never seen a woman this pretty! Her body is top notch too.
The woman leaning over the window sill smiling at Lovano and his men was clothed in black clothes, her shoulders are likewise wearing a black shawl, and also a black long skirt that reaches down to her ankles.
Despite the minimal exposure, the only skin she shows besides her face are her hands, her large breasts pushed out, jiggling softly each time she moves, and from the stretching of her long skirt, there is no doubt that there is a plump, meaty butt underneath.