Episode 9.6-7-8-9 (1/2)
Nothing happened in the campsite during that night.
The next morning, Vandam asked Lecan with an intrigued look on his face.
”That overcoat. It's awfully clean. I thought it'd been bathed in blood spurts from when you cut down those apes.”
”These bloodstains are inconspicuous y'see.”
They arrived at a town early in the morning. There must be a reason for them to camp out the night when they were this close. The head clerk of an inn whom Chaney Company regularly used was desperately asking them to take a rest, but there was nothing of note besides that.
They approached another mountain path after leaving the town.
As they were about to go down a ridge after reaching a rise, Lecan suddenly jumped on top of the wagon. Ghett the coachman was surprised at this.
”Le-Lecan-san. What's the matter?”
Vandam turned around while still on his horse when he heard that.
”Lecan?”
However, Lecan kept staring at the forest below without replying.
Then he suddenly raised his hand and cast a spell.
”<Flame Spear>!”
”Lecan!?”
”Hyaa. What's going on?”
The flame spear landed several hundreds step ahead, producing a loud blasting sound.
”What was that. Lecan, just what was over there.”
”You'll see when we get there.”
”That much firepower from this distance. Unbelievable.”
By see, Lecan means that the impact point of his magic is close by the path they're taking soon, hence it'll be clear what's in there then. Still, Vandam just can't believe Lecan would fire a magic without any warning all of a sudden.
When they eventually reached the spot, there was a dead man. Moreover, his upper half has been torn with most of his lower half missing, quite an awful way to go out. Judging from his clothes, he seems to have been a mage, there's a cane in his right hand.
Zeki recognized who the dead mage was.
”This guy's <Jiba the Evil Eye>.”
”What. This guy huh.”
Vandam was aware of the man's name.
”He someone famous or somethin'?”
Since Zeki wasn't going to explain, Vandam did in his place.
”If memories serve me right, he was a user of magic, <Illusion>. Bedazzling his opponents with illusion magic before killing them. Apparently, he even made them kill each other. It's said that there was no way to guard against this magic unless you got a specific dungeon item with you. And also, it seems like women who got targeted by this guy would meet an appallingly terrible fate.”
”Uwaa. What an awful man.”
”This cane looks to be of quite a value. And this assassin appears to carry a bag with a <Box> function. There may be other valuables inside. I'm sorry, but would you be willing to let me take hold of these cane and bag.”
”Yea.”
”That's for the best. Please.”
Lecan and Vandam agreed, ending the discussion.
”But to think we've been getting raided three days in a row. This is a first.”
”Musta cost a lot too. Bufuz, Jiba and magic beast user. Gotta be lots of work to assemble the lot of them.”
”Yes. Hence it's probably... No nevermind. Let's press on ahead.”
In the end, they never stayed at any town or village they passed along the way and camped out all the way through.
The raid ended with the third one.
The group arrived at Vantaroy a day later than scheduled after an eight day journey.
The plan is to stay here one or two night before going back to Vouka.
Since they arrived late at noon, the goods were to be delivered the day after.
Vandam and Zeki are guarding the goods in the same room as Orst. Lecan, Nike, and Eda are staying in adjacent rooms each, keeping watch. Renting this many rooms must have cost them in excess, yet it proved just how much precautions they had to put into this.
The day after, they went around to have three business talks, with five adventurers accompanied them everywhere.
Later that night, Orst met with Nike, Lecan and Eda to consult something.
”Originally the plan was to go back with the same member composition, but the situation has changed. Vandam and Zeki will have to go on horses back to Vouka ahead of us to do some business. Which means you three will be the only escorts for our return trip, or would that be too much?”
”Just leave it to us ssu. Us three will overcome anything that stands in our way!”
”I have no objection either.”
Lecan nodded in silence.
The meal that night was grandiose, but lacking boozes.
The day after, Vandam and Zeki left the inn early in the morning.
Afterward, Orst went around two merchant houses with Lecan as his sole guard.
The group set out on their journey back this afternoon.
<TLN: If you're reading this novel at any other site than Sousetsuka.com you might be reading an unedited, uncorrected version of the novel.>