Chapter 110

“Kept you waiting, huh?”

“Were you cursed to repeat that every time?

Well, maybe I was.

“I found out where these guys are staying. Thankfully, they actually reported it…”

“Perhaps we should do the same… But let us go.”

Daniela stood up from the bench. I grabbed the handle of the trolley and pulled it while we walked. It was a little difficult to do so while carrying the hollow bag, and so Daniela carried it for me. We were headed for the ‘Lizard’s Tail.’ It was both an inn and an ale house. Kind of like that place we stayed at in the mining town of Alessa. They were often cheap, but had great value. But we had been looking specifically for a standalone inn, as we meant to stay here for a while, but we might have found an inn sooner if we had been less particular… This was the Adventure City, after all. There were probably a lot of exciting, slightly dangerous places.

Pulling a wheeled cart of ice tended to draw attention on the larger streets, and so we entered a back alley. I just thought it would be cruel to display them like this to the world. Well, there were still people in the back alleys, and so drunken Adventurers still pointed and laughed. But at least Daniela could stop them dead with a glare.

The Lizard’s Tail was mercifully close to the park. The night seemed to just be getting started there, as boisterous laughter echoed from inside. I wasn’t sure how anyone would be able to sleep in there, but then again, Gardo and Ness looked drunk enough to be assured a deep sleep until the morning.

“I’ll go and call someone.”

“I leave it to you.”

I didn’t think she would go even if I asked her, and so I went up and put my hand on the door…tripped, and fell through. There was a large bang and everyone’s eyes focused on me. I was startled for a second but refused to allow it to show on my face. Still, it wasn’t as if I didn’t care at all, and so I shot them a quick glance. They seemed to be mostly Adventurers.

When I reached the bar counter, the bartender gave me a look that clearly suggested he was not amused by my entrance. But I had business here, so I took a seat at the counter.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Mister, this is a bar. Aren’t you going to buy a drink?”

“Oh, I’m not a customer.”

“Eh!?”

He-hey, relax now… I’m not a customer, but I do have business here.

“The thing is, I got two of your customers and-”

“You…”

“And I…”

I was about to say that I wanted him to take them away, but the sounds of chairs screeching over the floor stopped me. I looked behind me to see the other customers staring at me.

“Uh, what…”

“Ahh, I was just thinking about how Gardo and Ness are late.”

“Yes, and so…”

“You bastard…what did you do to them?”

“What? I just had dinner with both…of them…”

“You strangled both of them? You…!”

The threatening face on him was intimidating, and he wasn’t listening to what I was saying. Wait, did he just say strangle?

“Get him! We must avenge them!!”

“Wha!?”

The others stood up, unsheathed their swords and took a step forward. Are you kidding!? I stood up frantically, but there was nowhere to move. Daniela still had the hollow bag. My only option to resist was… I felt a chill run down my back, and I threw myself to the side without thinking. The crash of splintering wood sounded behind me then, and I looked to see the bartender’s fist had gone through the counter. What kind of brass knuckles… Even the others seemed to stop with surprise at this. This was my chance!

I flattened my palms on the floor and allowed my magic to flow into the floor. Everything from the entrance to the stairs in the back was under my control, and I froze it in an instant. Just like that time in the mines with the kobolds. Now that I think of it, I hadn’t given a name to this trick yet. I’ll go with Ice Binder. It’s simple.

I pulled my hands off of the floor and exhaled a pale white breath. Everyone in the bar had ice crawling up to their boots, and they were fixed to the floor.

“Damn, what is…”

“It-it’s cold…!

“What kind of magic!?”

“Who are you! Where did you come from!?”

I can’t answer so many questions at once! Damn it, this is why hate drunkards. They were always a pain when I worked the night shift. Ah…just thinking about it was annoying me.

“Alright, I’ve had enough! I’m the one who brought Gardo and Ness here. And yet you pull out your swords on me without listening! I’ll tear you up!”

“Oh? They’re alive?”

“But didn’t you say that you abducted them?”

“Ah…I thought that you…”

They were finally starting to understand, and they sighed in relief. And maybe it was because they were relieved, that one of them pointed an accusing finger at me.

“Hey, you! Then why didn’t you tell us sooner!”

“Huh!? I would have if you didn’t try and attack me! Screw you!”

I shouted, and they fell silent.

It seemed safe enough now, and so I deactivated the magic, and the ice immediately cracked and disappeared. And the room returned to its original temperature. Damn it. Talk about a little excitement and danger.

“Anyway, if you can just take the two drunkards off my hands?”

“Ah…yes, of course. Pardon.”

Even the bartender looked apologetic with his slanted eyebrows and lowered face. This was all starting to feel very comical, but I was so tired and just wanted to get some sleep.

“Hey, Daniela.”

I called to Daniela, who was supposed to be waiting by the trolley. But there was no answer.

“Daniela?”

Worried, I went outside to see what had happened. Daniela was sitting on the side of the trolley and talking with someone. Though, I could not actually see anyone there.

“Daniela.”

“…Hm? Ah, Asagi. Things sounded a little rowdy in there. Is everything well?”

“You could have come and helped me if you were worried.”

“As if it was anything that you could not handle.”

Well, I appreciated her confidence at least.

“I finally got through to them, and they said that they’ll take them off our hands.”

“Ah, splendid.”

Daniela grabbed Ness, and I dragged Gardo into the building. The drunkards inside saw that they were sleeping and sighed in relief. Damned stupid idiots.

“Here. Take them to their rooms or something.”

“Yes. Thank you for bringing them back. What’s your name?”

“Asagi.”

I said to the bartender.

“Asagi, eh? That name does sound familiar… I’ll tell them that you brought them back, when they wake up.”

“Yeah, thanks. Well, we’ll be leaving now.”

“Thanks again. Stop by for a drink next time. It’ll be on the house, of course.”

“If the opportunity arises.”

Daniela’s head turned when she heard ‘on the house,’ but I pretended that I didn’t hear it and left the building. Then I deactivated the magic that coursed through the trolley, and it too vanished as if being sucked into the ground.

This was quite a night. We returned, exhausted to our own inn and slept until midday of the following day.

The next day, we had a breakfast that was really a lunch at a street stall and decided to explore more of Replant. The town was knitted with intersecting streets, and Daniela had declared that we would surely find interesting stores if we looked around.

And so with grilled skewers in hand, we walked through the streets and wandered from alley to alley. If we happened to become hungry, we would enter a random place and then continue walking afterward. If we were thirsty, there were plenty of vendors in street corners that sold fruit water to quench our thirst with. It was the most peaceful day.

We spent the entire day exploring…well, half a day. Who was it, that said we needed to make money? We did no such thing and returned to the inn on our tired feet.

“Hah… I haven’t enjoyed such a carefree day in quite a while.”

“A stark contrast to yesterday.”

“Yeah.”

“And the bandits…”

“…Ah, right…”

The word ‘bandit’ immediately took me back to that day. I had come to terms with it in my own way, but it could still throb, like an old wound.

“Hey, Daniela.”

“What, Asagi?”

“That head…we obviously don’t have it anymore… Did you?”

We were sitting together on the bed. I looked her in the eyes as I asked. Her expression didn’t change as she nodded.

“Aye, I did.”

“When?”

“On our first night here. While you were sleeping. I delivered it to the guardhouse.”

“Daniela…is that why you got me wasted?”

“Do not complain. You were clearly enjoying it.”

“It’s not like I can help it, you idiot.”

Wait, that’s not what I wanted to talk about.

“That head was from the leader of a group of bandits who were terrorizing these lands. A former C Rank Adventurer. His name was Gargan Zeera.”

That name definitely reeked of…something…

“He had repeated acts of violence and thievery during his Adventurer days. And he was finally sent to work in the mines after attacking a woman.”

“So how was he… Ah, the mines. Yes, it would not be too hard to escape from that place.”

“And that is what happened. He escaped and continued to ravage the area until we destroyed them. That is what I heard.”

“I see…”

It was hardly senseless killing. This didn’t make me feel particularly great about it all of a sudden…but I did feel lighter. The men we killed were evil. We were righteous. Yes. But was that all there was to it? I didn’t know.

“Asagi. This may sound cold, but there is little point in dwelling on it. A life does not carry the same weight here as it does in your world. Even if every life is equal, the price is cheap. Bad people must die so the good can live.”

“It’s not that different. It was only peaceful where I lived, but countless people died daily in other places. This only troubles me because I did it. Here.”

I pointed at the center of my chest.

“Well… I suppose it would. But that is what it is. I can only tell you that it is something that you must get used to. But it will not feel good.”

“Yeah, it doesn’t. But you’ll help me, right? So I don’t fall apart?”

“Hehe. Are you underestimating me then? I will do more than keep you together.”

“Hey, wha…”

Daniela put one hand on my shoulder and the other around my waist as she pushed me onto the bed before I could complain. Well, maybe I could count the stains on the ceiling…no, it was pure white. A beautiful ceiling.

There was no use trying to keep quiet when Daniela held you in her hands. She was becoming almost frightening recently. I might have to put more points into AGI soon.