Chapter 34 – Krebskulm Liberation Front (Part 3)

I desperately tried to suppress myself from smirking. In fact, I was trying to show some consideration to the person in front of me who’s showing disdain.

“What will I do with runaway slaves, you asked…? I’m not obliged to tell you.”

“… Oh? It appears to me that you’re ready to die. Don’t think I’ll go easy on you just because you’re a woman. I know you’re no ordinary person just from looking at how cleanly that man’s head was lopped off.”

I readied my shortsword and my fist. He seemed to be a fighter with a fist fighting style. I kept my shortsword sheathed on my waist, and there was no trace of evidence that it was used. Well, it was armed as an extra defense…

“H-hold on a second, Rena!”

Ignoring the pestering Yuu, both of us were probing each other cautiously. We were in a dimly lit narrow alley which did not give us much room for movements. Both of us were being vigilant since we did not know each other’s fighting style and abilities.

“If you don’t attack, I’ll start —.”

“— Were you waiting to attack, idiot?!”

“Huh? Father? Why are you here?!”

Oh? An unfamiliar old man hit the big man’s head.

“… I don’t mind if you come at me at the same time.”

“… Would you please lay down arms? I’d like to speak with you, so let’s go somewhere else.”

Hmm? This development was going along with my original purpose and less of a hassle… I should put the fighting on hold for the moment…

“… Well, that’s too bad, but let’s do that.”

“Hmm, young people are too impulsive! Hey, you standing over there and you sitting down there, let’s hurry and leave this place!”

“Oh! Ah, y-yes!”

“… U-understood.”

“Oh, that was close.”

Well, leaving Yuu aside, it would be unwise to get those girls that I just saved involved in a fight. I shall pull back for the time being and move so I can achieve my initial goal.

“Huh! Father?! Are you going to ask this gal?!”

“… What if I am?”

“But…!”

“I know. But you also know that we have no other choice, right?”

“Well… Okay, I understand.”

They seem to have a bit of a conflict, eh? Do I have something they need? Is it because we were showing our killing intents earlier?

“Anyway, patrols will get here if we stay here any longer. Follow me.”

“I guess. Let’s go, Yuu.”

“O-okay!”

For the time being, it seemed that they would guide us, so I decided to go along.

“Call me Sage Ron. This is my son, Ronove.”

“… Nice to meet you.”

It was a simple introduction, but that big man — Ronove seemed to be curt. I decided to leave him be and hurry on ahead.

After we left that alley, the old man led us to another alley across the street and went inside the back door of a building in the middle. He ignored the clerk inside the store and proceeded down the stairs in another room to an underground passage. We trudged along the passage for a while and emerged outside the city.

“… I see. It’s a secret passage no one could find.”

“… We’re going aboard a boat.”

The boat was moored on the stream near the exit of the secret passage. We promptly got on the boat.

“We’re going out to sea.”

“What? Are we going to be all right…?”

Yuu looked around in anxiousness. When I was about to nudge him, I heard one of the girls’ stomach growled loudly; it was almost cute. They just escaped a dire situation after all.

“Are you hungry? Would you like to eat this?”

“Really?!”

I took out the food I bought for the information gathering quest yesterday and today from my inventory and then gave it to Nia.

“N-nia! I’m sorry!”

Mea refrained from taking the food I offered them, but she could not hide her hunger. I could hear her stomach growling, just like Nia’s did.

“It’s all right. Here, please take this, Mea.”

I gave them the food with a smile. She replied, “Uh, I’m sorry for troubling you! Thank you!” She bowed in appreciation and started eating.

It was nothing much, though. When I bought them, Yuu complained about how we did not decide to gather information at a food stall, so we went to the bar instead. He then was about to prattle about the template, so I struck his gut with my knee. Well, the circumstances were difficult to explain, but I guess it would be all right. At least it would not cause food poisoning.

“… You’re unexpectedly kind.”

“What do you think I am?”

Ronove seemed to be astonished as if I just did something out of the ordinary.

“… No, nothing.”

“Ha ha ha, this guy is thickheaded, so please don’t take offense.”

“Father.”

“It’s true, isn’t it?”

Hmm, their parent-child relationship appeared to be close… Even though it was a pity we put the earlier fight on hold, but I should restrain myself for the time being.

“Well, it doesn’t matter.”

“Ha ha ha, please pardon him.”

After engaging in various conversations, we finally were out at sea. We rowed our boat for farther. There was a remarkably huge boat hidden behind a reef.

“There it is.”

“That boat?”

“Yeah, that’s right. That’s our — Krebskulm liberation front’s hideout.”

Bingo! It was as I suspected. I was glad they had come to organize a liberation front. With this, my plan would move along quite far.