《Stranger’s Handbook》Chapter 29: The Adventurers’ Excuse
Advertisement
“How insolent! How dare you stop the carriage of the Frontier Count’s Household!”
Albert’s angry voice echoed and master rested his head in his palms at this scene.
“So, they’re on the move too now…….Really now, if you obediently go spend a night or two in jail, you’ll be able to leave after that. With this, by stopping the Frontier Count’s Household’s carriage, you’ve just added to your crimes, you know?”
The carriage has already stopped.
We’ll cancel our trip, right?…….In my dreams.
“They’re relying on the Frontier Count’s Household to ask for help, you know, it’s not decent to simply ignore them. It’s not good to only listen to the soldiers’ story, but if we wouldn’t have trusted them, the imperial capital’s army would’ve complained….Ah! It’s so troublesome.”
Don’t look at me so intently, master. Are you trying to say ‘Do something’?
“……..So, we must judge both parties?”
“Well, it really helps that your understanding is quick. Such an excellent son-in-law-dono.”
Smiling, he passed the whole task onto me.
Master, you’ve shown no restraint recently.
But he specifically said ‘son-in-law-dono’, that in itself is full of meaning.
Ah, Albert’s got ahold of the woman……I left the carriage and called out.
“Albert, it’s all right, let her go. I’m Zest of the Varnam Frontier Count’s Household, tell me what you have to say.”
Albert bowed and released the woman, after which he positioned himself to my side.
The patrol soldiers can’t intervene…….They can’t oppose the Frontier Count’s Household if we say we want to listen to them.
“T…then, I won’t refrain myself to tell you our story.”
The woman with both her hands tied up, was trembling, and her voice did sound very young.
Is she in her teens or 20s, I wonder? Her hair is red and put into a ponytail.
Advertisement
Her face is hidden and I can’t see it, but I could figure that her stature is very slender through the leather armor that she was wearing.
“We are adventurers, but if nothing is done now, we will become slaves! Please save us!”
……..What? You’ll be turned into slaves?
I glanced at the soldiers only to find that they were hiding their faces.
Wait a minute! Can it really be…
“Now that you’ve mentioned slavery, I can’t overlook this. Albert, bring that Kenes squad leader from earlier to me.”
“Yes sir! At once.”
One way or another, he caught him in the blink on an eye.
The other soldiers were surrounded by the black nights.
Kenes was dragged along to stay in front of me, his complexion was really bad.
“Good, now everyone’s gathered. So, what did you mean with being turned into slaves? Continue explaining.”
“Yes sir, we were harvesting inside the forest when the soldiers called us to halt and ordered that me and the other girl go with them…….”
She sent a fleeting glance at her companions.
It was true that among the other 4 members of her group, there was one who had long hair and looked like a girl.
I was shocked…….It was the first time I got so angry that I couldn’t feel anything but shock.
“Oi, Kenes. I don’t want to believe it, but I got to ask it. Did you want to take away these women forcibly? If that’s the case, then was the story with the thieves a lie?”
Squad leader Kenes was looking downward, his face ghastly pale, and didn’t answer, moment in which Albert silently hit him with his spear.
“Lord Zest is asking you a question, how dare you ignore him? If it happens again, you’ll lose one leg.”
Advertisement
Don’t draw your sword yet, Albert.
Ah! Even the black knights drew their swords already…….Why is the Frontier Count’s army so fast in acting!?
“Hii! W…we can’t oppose them!” “The squad leader will speak!” “We can’t go against the black knights! We surrender!”
……..Yes, that’s the right choice.
They would’ve killed you in the blink of an eye.
I started talking louder, in order for no one to realize that I was in fact pretty scared inside.
“Kenes, I am asking you whether you’ve lied to the Frontier Count’s Household or not.”
“Yes. P…please, my life……spare my…….”
I decapitated him before he could even finish.
Since my master was watching from behind, if I were to be too soft in handling this situation, I would end up being unwanted sooner or later.
“You’ve also heard it, right? This guy wanted to deceive the Varnam Frontier Count’s Household, therefore he died for his crime. You lot will come to the imperial capital to receive your judgment. If you have any objections, I’ll listen. Step forward.”
The soldiers were collectively staring at the severed head that was rolling on the ground.
These idiots……They’ve made more unnecessary work for me.
The ten or so soldiers were tied and the black knights were pulling them by a rope.
Oh well, it’d be impossible for them to run away, the difference in ability between ordinary soldiers and the black knights it’s too big to even be mentioned.
On the other hand, the already released adventurers were prostrating themselves before me.
“Thank you so very much, Zest-sama, you have sa…ved….. us.”
Pipe down that friendly tone a bit…..Albert, don’t stare at him like that.
“Don’t be so tense, you were the victims in this case. For now, we’ll be traveling together to the imperial capital. I have to report the circumstances after all.”
When they heard that, the two young women moved their bodies a little in an attempt to slightly intoxicate me.
“Don’t worry, I won’t order you to entertain us. There are no scums in the Varnam Frontier Count’s army.”
We won’t ask for your bodies as a means for thanking us for saving you, you know? We are gentlemen after all.
To be honest, the black soldiers are the most popular of all elites, so they don’t really lack the attention of women. You have absolutely nothing to worry about.
There’s no need to even remind my soldiers of this.
As a matter of fact, the Knights Commander is very strict of this matter, so they’re actually too afraid to act improperly to the women.
There were no adventurers who couldn’t ride on a horse.
That’s to be expected of another world, the horse is the main transportation means, so it was only natural.
While the captured soldiers were dragged along by the horses, we were moving towards the next village.
We’ll stay there for the night and we’ll get to the imperial capital early tomorrow.
We’re finally arriving……The last part of our journey was a disaster. Really now, I ended up with more unnecessary work than I was actually disposed to do……
“He he he, dear knights. They look really expensive, those armors of yours. Leave them behind obediently!”
A bandit group showed up.
…….Oi, patrol corps, you’re not doing your job properly.
Ah! We’ve seized them so they can’t actually work, ha ha…..
I quietly looked up at the beautifully sparkling sky and I really wanted to think that it wasn’t so because of my tears.
Advertisement
An Unwavering Craftsman
Given the hereditary nature of classes, everyone expects Damien—the child of two high-tiered adventurers—to be granted a high-tier combat class of his own. Expectations are betrayed, however, when Damien finds himself instead saddled with a crafting class of the lowest possible tier: [Neophyte Tailor]. Left practically crippled compared to those with better classes, Damien wants to avoid becoming a pawn in the machinations of the nobility, desiring only to grind his level in peace while wondering why the usual rules of inheritance were broken. Was it his desire to excel by his own effort, rather than an unearned blessing from a god? Did the Five take offence at his opinions on the unfairness of hereditary classes? Or maybe it was something to do with the alien voice that intruded on his ceremony? A voice that offers great power, and freedom from the tyranny of the Five, but that never names its price. This story is litRPG-lite. While the class someone possesses controls most of their lives, people don't get dinged at for every level they gain, nor can they see their status without undergoing a special ritual. The MC has no romantic interest. Crafting is merely a way to game the system, and doesn't feature heavily in the story, aside from a few descriptions on how they're carrying out the system abuse. There is, on one unfortunate occasion, maths. The pace is quick. This was a participant in the Spring 2022 writathon. (i.e. it was posted as-written at high speed. I may give it another editing pass in the future.)
8 182The Legend Of The Strongest Vampire!
From the day he was born, Richard Vice always exceeded expectations. Because of this, success followed him. He had everything everyone wished for: friends, health, a wife, a child, his own company, and he was happy.But everything changed when the first VRMMORPG came out.
8 149Phenomena the Basic Witch and the Evil Book of Love
What if you could write yourself into a better person? What changes would you make to yourself and would it be worth it? Young sorceress Phenomena Willow had never experienced a true tragedy in her life until now. Having to live with her caretaker, Deidre Love, while she was away from her school—the floating castle of Nightdream Academy, Mena finds her life a lot duller than it used to be. On her thirteenth birthday, she sneaks out against Deidre’s wishes to a magical book festival and learns her favorite author, Melina Penwell has released the latest in a series of romance books: Love Across Dimensions. Mena purchases a copy from a mysterious robed figure before the festival and Deidre’s ranch are both attacked by legions of fiends from Anguish the Blood Siren. Mena is rescued, but Deidre’s fate is unknown, causing grief and self-loathing for the young witch. To distract herself, Mena learns that her Love Across Dimensions book is a magical interactive experience where the reader controls the destiny of the characters within. Not only that, but Fabias the handsome warlock on the cover speaks to Mena, telling her that if she doesn’t like something about herself, or the world around her, she can write within the book to change it. Mena realizes her life isn’t perfect, but it soon can be. All it takes is the touch of a quill. But will her desires to change herself erase the parts that made her who she is? Read on to find out in this slightly darker, but still amusing installment of Phenomena the Basic Witch.
8 132Of Blood and Bones
In a land filled with terrible behemoths and towering leviathans, what place will man take? Will he hide high in frozen mountain fortresses eaking out a survuival amongst the frigid peaks? Or will he build and defend great nations surrounded by walls that reach to the sky? What does a people, or an individual, do to survive in this strange and hostile world? What powers may be found by those willing and brave enough to harness the blood and bones of the very gods that walk among them?
8 93Knights of Auran
We all have a life force known as the Spirit. What if there’s more to the spirit than life? Meet Kevin Riley, a teen that discovers he's part of an evolved sect of humans known as the Seirei Jin that have inhabited Earth for centuries. Abducted for their special powers by the government, Kevin escapes as he's summoned by an ancient stone that transports him to another world, Zonia. He's recruited by the Knights of Auran to help save their world from the evil Laban.
8 148The Matrimony 4 (Completed)
Aziah And August Are Back Can They Make When There Love Is Tested This Time Are Will These Two Let The Devil Take Over Thier Marriage Read To Find Out
8 170