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Chapter 4 – Stay back!

I'm currently away from the girls on one of my scouting missions.

“Phew...” I look at the tracks that were left behind recently. Looks like monsters, some kind of canine, pack hunters if I look at the number. Though they are the first tracks of their kind I've found today, they are like all the others: Moving northwest. This is the direction we're heading as well.

Are they running towards something? Or running away? Hard to discern, as they were moving at a pace that's the equivalent of human’s slow running.

OK, let's remember some bad stuff: Correo had used monsters before to send towards us, so he's the culprit, most likely. With his Seven-League Boots, he can walk past us easily. Actually, the boots make him so fast that he can walk vast distances easier than small ones, according to Ara-san and my own observations.

If we assume it's him, he's gathering monsters for a reason, and I believe the reason is to send them against us, either to wear us down or for some scheme. Can I do something about it? At best, we could return to the trade route, stick close to some mercenaries and... well, walk into the hands of some mercenaries on his payroll.

Seriously, the fact that our enemy has money may be one of the most frightening aspects of him. I mean, he has paid a big mercenary company before, so why not another? Wealth and gadgets, maybe the most overpowered combination of them all.

Stealth is still the best option. We're a small group, these hills and small forests won't restrict our movements, we just need to get to the woodlands and then Correo has nothing on us... I hope. I just guess that we have mercenaries behind us, we will have monsters in front of us, some danger on our flanks, but as long as we keep moving...

I return to the girls and report my findings and even my thoughts. “What if it's someone else?” Kyou-san asks her arms akimbo.

“Then I can't predict anything anyway. Why do you doubt it’s him?”

“It's not that I doubt it, but how can I say... intuition?” Oh yeah, female intuition, the most accurate radar of the world... I'm being sarcastic. She returns my look with one as if I made her a bento consisting of a sole, whole bell pepper. “Don't look at me like that. There is something off and I can't name it.”

“Phew... what about you?” I ask Rine and Ara-san in hope to get some more input.

Ara-san lowers her ears slightly, while stating dryly: “I actually doubt that it's Correo-san.”

“Why so?”

“Two reasons. First, he said he'd leave us alone for a while. I know that you won't trust his words, but he's human.” Ah, I see. Because humans are highly illogical in her eyes, she thinks it's absolutely plausible that Correo will follow his words. “The second reason is that there is nothing here. Correo had set up something similar before when we left Aroahenn and he failed, besides better apparent preparation with... them.” She's talking about the squirrels.

To sum the whole story of the squirrels up: Ara-san had brokered a deal with squirrels that moved into her house. It seems that she was somehow traumatized by them and decided to let them have the kitchen. Then Rine killed some of the squirrels, which ended into some kind of blood-feud... at least from the squirrels' standpoint, which means that the traumatized Ara-san is now in constant fear of the retribution that will befall her.

It may sound odd, but those squirrels are definitely strange and kinda dangerous.

After catching her breath again, Ara-san continues: “I think Correo-san is smarter than doing the same things but worse.”

“That's actually a good point.” I mean, we could only flee because of external help from another ranger, but it's not like we will make the same mistakes again. So would he use the same tactics in similar circumstances? “Rine?”

“Huh? Erm... sorry, I haven't listened. What are we talking about again?”

“About whether Correo is involved or not.”

“Does it matter?” I hate to admit it, but she has a point. In the end, it won't matter who or what we're facing, the current objectives stay the same.

“Phew... let's go. Also, Kyou-san?”

“Yes.” Knowing what I mean, Kyou-san offers me her hand and I take it. WP-grind.

She and I lead while Ara-san and Rine are some steps behind us. After a while, they start a conversation about some hero-stories. As a native, Rine has for most stories her own version, which was passed down her culture or maybe even family.

“Ken,” Kyou-san says, most likely using this opportunity where at least Rine can't follow two conversations to bicker at me. “I thought that she's better.”

“Better in what way?”

“Haven't you noticed that she's off again, more in thoughts?”

“I did, but it's not like we can choose when she's working on her own internal issues.”

“Don't you believe that all of this is stressing her?”

“Sure, but she won't burn out.”

“What makes you think that?”

“Hero-system. I mean, every normal person would lie around in a fetal position, trying their best to die, if they had lived through what I have since coming into this shitty world.” Being stabbed, being mauled, being punched around through the air, being crushed, being hunted, having my soul burned, by now I have a lot of things that most people would never need to suffer. I'm seriously worried sometimes that the moment I return home and cease being a hero, I'll break down and suffer from PTSD or something.

“Good thing that you weren't exactly normal to begin with, but yes, I think you have a point. But Rine-chan is different, right?”

“You mean, because she was made a hero by the curse, right? Also, the only reason I'm not 'normal' is because everyone else is a two-faced moron.”

Of course, Kyou-san just ignores the last part: “When we were called, there was some sort of god or goddess involved... what if that makes a huge difference? I mean, do you remember Lvo'tjos?”

“That's... a good point.” Rine was unable to fight, while I may have had an episode, but was totally able to fight, even beyond my normal capacities. So maybe it's the difference between an otherworldly hero and a native hero? “But what exactly would make her crack? Ara-san's payback alone wouldn't be enough, we already did worse.” At least from my standpoint. “...what happened in Racist City? Why did you get into a tavern brawl?” I actually never heard exactly what happened with Rine there.

“It has no relation.” Kyou-san's absolutely convinced about this. “It's also hard to talk about.” She's also really pissed and looks like a monster from a horror movie suddenly proclaimed it’ll crash on her couch for a few days.

OK, what's up with that!? I mean, Kyou-san has several very picturesque looks, but that one just makes me want to know what happened now more than ever. Though I imagine that probing would make her shut up really tight. So it seems to be smarter to calm down myself and try to convince her.

Too bad that I know how bad I'm with convincing people. “Fess up.”

“Why do you need to know that?”

Good question, she says it has no relation, and I trust Kyou-san on that. “I don't know.” I scratch my head, trying to unravel these yarns of emotions. “I guess curiosity?”

Kyou-san's face first becomes suspecting, then she slowly softens up. “When we got the message that you were imprisoned, Rine-chan wanted to make a rescue attempt. I calmed her down and talked her into a girl's night out in a tavern. We had a drink, listened to the musician, then two men came towards us. It was obvious that they were hitting on us.” You rather sound proud, but I guess for Kyou-san it's absolutely normal that guys are hitting on her. Well, she is a beauty, after all. Still, I don't like it. “Then one of them... I heard a bone breaking and one of the men had his arm broken, Rine-chan was still holding the wrist. She didn't even know what she was doing until it was too late and she feels bad about it, but I know what happened: That man wanted to feel her up.”

…

… … …

I blink, as I come back after being mentally overwhelmed for a moment. Kyou-san looks at me, maybe worrying? Or afraid? I guess, I'm looking pretty scary right now, as I just had the urge to return back to Racist City to commit murder.

This comes right out of nowhere, and I'm not sure if it's me or the curse that gives me that indescribable mixture of hatred and rage.

Kyou-san starts shifting the conversation back to the actual topic. “I wish I could bring her to talk to me, telling me what's going on, but she blocks me off, always saying that she's alright and needs time to think. Seeing her so much in thought makes me worried”

“At least we know that it barely affects her fighting capabilities, so I see no reason to interfere.”

“That's it? As long as she can fight, we leave her alone!? Is that all you think of her?”

“Heck, of course I have some more thoughts, but first we need to get through the current stuff and if I'm honest, I have little to no capacity to concentrate on anything else right now. Even now I'm still using [Pitch] in the hope that I can hear the next arrow in time before it hits me.” [Pitch] allows me to discern several overlapping sounds, which means I can still hear the wind rustling through the grass even though there are two conversations going on.

“Ken... the next time we see Correo, let's kill him.”

“No kidding.” We both are sick of that merchant and what he can do. Heck, everything is because of Rine. If she had just decided to play along all these months ago, then we would have no curse and no trouble.

Whelp, we couldn't force her back then, we couldn't force her right now, and I somewhat lost my will to do so. While it may be because of how the curse messes with my mind, I don't want to hand Rine to anyone.

“You look fierce,” Kyou-san comments, and I'm not sure how she means it. Her voice has some mixture of fear, admiration, observation, and resolution. “Do you have a plan?”

“How could I? I just reaffirmed my priorities. It doesn't matter if it's Correo, bounty hunters, avengers, or whatever else may come after us. I'll deal with them for good and all.”

“Fine with me.” Kyou-san lifts a hand to her mouth while letting out a soft giggle, I never heard that sound from her before. “Now for another matter... what would you like for dinner?”

“…hah?”

“Food. With the new rations, I thought about either sandwiches, as long as we have fresh vegetables, or we could make some salad and eat it with bread.”

“I know that you mean food, but why are you asking me!?”

“It's not the first time I ask you, is it not?”

“No, but... heck, we have the whole situation around us and-”

“Ken, you're tensing up again. We don't know when they'll strike and if we want to get to the woodlands, we need strength, right? Means, dinner. While I'm the one who keeps the nutritional value in mind, eating something you like is also good for you.”

Seriously, leave it to Kyou-san to totally derange a conversation and make it sound reasonable... well, Ara-san is also a master of this technique. “Phew... sandwiches, I guess.” I don't like salad, as it just feels like it’s not a real meal. Somehow, putting it between two slices of bread makes it better, though I guess we will have some cheese in there as well which will promote the meal to something adequate.

“Great. We could also put some meat in there, we should use up what we can.” While we can store pots full of meat in our [Inventory], it doesn't stop spoiling. While Kyou-san can conserve it to a certain degree, we can't do so indefinitely.

Too bad that Ara-san's [Freeze] spell doesn't work well with meat or any other kind of meal. Also, putting something frozen into the [Inventory] will thaw over the course of a day, so using it as a refrigerator or a freezer isn't really possible. We tried, but keeping the temperature requires much more work than it's worth. So pickling, smoking, and salting it is, or whatever Kyou-san's [Preservation]-skill tells her to do.

In terms of meat, we usually don't carry that much around with us, as we get constant supply by hunting whatever animal or monster we come across that is edible. Though bleeding the meat out is always a hassle. Maybe there is a [Skill] to make it faster...

That's a fantasy world for you: One moment you worry about how to escape unseen attackers, then you speak about sexual assault, then we worry about food. It's the big things as much as the small things that make this world suck so much.

In addition to my own inner turmoil which I can't understand at all.

―○●○―

You gain 1 WP. Having a nice conversation with your husband while holding his hand is sure to soothe and excite your heart at the same time.

I wouldn't say 'excite', though I know that my heart rate is a little quicker than usual. That's just the effect of the curse, Ken's almost non-hostile behavior towards me, and that he was kinda cool when he spoke about resolve and something, all of these working together. Men are just more attractive when they strike that certain balance of burden and resolve. Add the curse and how it makes me feel about Ken and I should be rather proud to keep a calm mind.

“Time for camp,” Arako exclaims. The curse messages are the best clock we have, so we usually make short breaks after a hand-holding session.

Ken lets go of my now sweaty hand, though the air moisture is surely another reason for that disgusting feeling. Coldness also creeps onto it, now that it's empty.

I use [Weather Forecast]. “No rain for today.” We're going into winter and the rain becomes more sparse, though everything tends to be wet and moist these days, as there is too little sun and warmth to dry the ground. This also caused light mist often, like today.

“Phew... I wished it would rain more.”

“Why?” Rine-chan asks while helping setting up the stools from our [Inventory].

“Because it would mask our tracks. This is great weather for following someone, the moist ground leaves behind tracks more easily but you can still see far enough.”

“Oh, that seems right. You really know a lot, Kenta.” Come to think of it, Ken really became something of a survival-specialist. I mean, he was a gamer back in Japan, so I'm sure he started off with less knowledge in this particular area than I.

“Nah, just some stuff I was taught.”

“Who taught you?” I ask, strangely curious about it. Now that I think about it, it's not that strange. After we were summoned into this world, Ken went off for two months and then returned as an expert about the wild and local monsters.

“Erm, didn't I tell you already?” He scratches his head and after a second: “Ah, I guess you're the only one I didn't tell.”

So he told Arako and Rine-chan? Before me? ...this makes sense. He has most likely told Arako his whole journey for her research and Rine-chan will have just asked him at a point, the same way she asked me several things out of nowhere. “Then tell me,” I say in the most nonchalant voice I can muster.

“Nothing big. Right after I left the castle-”

“Left? More like, ran away?”

“Nah, I just left.”

“You didn’t even write a note.”

“Was there anyone who cared?”

“...fair point. Continue.”

“Well, after I left the castle, I joined a group of hunters. I figured that I needed survival skills and wanted to attain the [Hunter]-class, though I got [Scout] instead.” Ken looks less displeased than usual, almost like he thinks of better times. “They taught me how to handle a spear, how to sneak, how to find game, how to make a campfire...” Suddenly, his face hardens, “and they made fun of me, being unable to do all that basic stuff... of course, nothing can beat alfar in that regard.”

“Ahem.” Arako, don't be proud of that.

“After I got [Scout], I said my goodbyes and the rest is just a series of trial and error while power-leveling.” Ken's regime of doing all day little less than finding and fighting monsters, looting their caves, and regaining his power with potions whenever necessary.

“You joined other people? With your distrust?”

“It's not like I let them know that I'm a hero, and I needed to learn stuff. I wanted to survive on my own and ironically, I needed to learn to do that from others. I mean, why would I stay in the castle? At best, I'd be forced into some team that doesn't want to have me anyways and are then pushed around by people, who may still not understand this shitty reality we're in.”

“I can't disagree with that. I mean, since I'm with you, I'm well aware how dangerous all of this is.”

“Don't worry, Kyou, Kenta. We're doing fine,” Rine-chan chimes in. “You're plenty strong enough for now and for everyone you can't beat, I'll do it. At least I can fight well.”

“We're relying on you, Rine-chan.”

“Tehehe.” For a moment, I have the feeling that Rine-chan's mind is drifting away again. “Yes, everyone plays their part. I'm the one who fights best, Ara offers knowledge and magic, Kenta leads and helps us survive in the wilderness, and Kyou takes care of everyone.”

Ken gives me a glance. 'Have you any idea where that comes from?'

I answer with my eyes. 'No, but leave it to me.' I'm sure it has something to do with what she had been working through. “You can do more than just fight, Rine-chan. You mend our clothes, and even make coats. Ah, how about you make the rest of our winter outfits as well? We have enough fur and cloth, and it would make more sense for you to make it, not only to save money, but also to take into account your and Ken's armor.” Arako and I wear highly durable alfr cloth, though we still have plenty of that from Aroahenn, so protective winter-clothes shouldn't be an issue.

“Sure! I have some ideas for that.”

“Just make sure to include some frills for Ken.”

“Hey.”

“*giggle* No, Kenta needs to keep his current look. Maybe I should pad his hood? Let me think...” Rine-chan looks at Kenta from head to toe, then blushes a bit. “I'm worried if it will downgrade your coolness.”

“Hah!?” Ken really just can't take a compliment.

Time to mess with him a bit. “I have to agree, clothes make the person. As long as you look aloof and don't make one of your disgusted faces, you certainly can look cool.”

Instead of saying something, he looks in pure disbelief at Rine-chan and me, which certainly doesn't give him that aura, but makes him look more his age. Very satisfying. Ken lets himself drop on his stool. “Phew...”

“Rine-chan, let's get the lap-sitting out of the way now.”

“Sure.”

“Do you mind, Ken?”

“Do what you want.” He spreads his legs a bit further apart. Rine-chan and I sit down on one of his tights, though we make sure not to lean on him. Ah, that movement in his trousers. I'm sure he popped a boner, and thinks nobody has noticed.

Well, I am pretty, after all, same as Rine-chan. So it would be stranger if Ken had no reaction at all, and I may have accidentally sit closer to him than usual, so he may be aroused by my behind, which is also high-tier.

If we take the curse into account, everything is absolutely understandable and I will just take it as a compliment and don't mention it. It will also help me mask the fact that I feel the urge to rub myself on him, as the curse also makes me feel certain emotions.

Rine-chan certainly feels the same way, as the way she sways has more to do to calm her calves than any balancing issues. Oh god, this sounds like we're all just one step away from jumping at each other.

A cautious look at Arako tells me that she's currently writing something. Maybe she's writing down things she noticed after speaking with Rine-chan about legends and such. I don't know much about her structure—or any facet of her research at all—but I know that concerning legends and fables of this world, she asks mostly whether the people included are heroes or not.

Sometimes she even asks me about stories and fairy tales of my world, and while I have a rough knowledge about Japanese ones, I know maybe eight in total about western fairy tales... let's see... Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, the Nutcracker, King Arthur (very roughly), Robin Hood, and something about Atlantis.

She suspects that maybe some of the native legends are actually fairy tales the heroes brought with them when they returned from this world. I suspect she wants to narrow down her research to actual hero stories.

“Kenta, what is your favorite color?” Rine-chan asks out of nowhere... wait, she was thinking about the winter garments, I think?

“I don't have any... maybe black? Nah, just a convenient color. Favorite... well, in games I often use white and blue as the main colors for my characters. Though I won't call it my favorite.”

“Oh, you can color your characters?” While I don't think that Rine-chan really knows what Ken is talking about, she has amassed enough conversations to at least keep track of them by now.

“Sometimes. Depends on the game. I really wish there were more MMORPGs that let you choose a color scheme and just adjust the gear towards it.”

“So would you wear white and blue? Maybe I could try dying your armor.”

“Hell no! I don't care what color my clothes have, as long as they're functional.”

“OK, I like your crimson more anyway. It gives me the feeling of your fierce personality.”

“My what personality!?”

I can quickly put my hand over my mouth before starting laughing out loud. 'Fierce' personality! Rine-chan may be the only one who would call Ken fierce and think of it as a compliment.

Though I also have to admit that I grew to like Ken's current look. Even though nobody would think of crimson red as the color of a survivalist, he somehow learned how to wear it. It may also have to do with how red is my favorite color to see on a man.

Of course, Ken is looking at me angrily, as I couldn't hide my amusement, but it's fine. After a second to get myself under control again, I look at him with a sweet smile, which annoys him even more. Mission accomplished.

Rine-chan cocks her head for a second, then she pets Ken's knee to tell him that everything is alright. He looks like he wants to grumble, but just accepts the gesture.

You gain 2 WP. Sitting on the lap of your beloved husband with your sister-wife makes you more daring, teasing your husband a bit to get closer to him.

“Heh.” I don't know what message Ken had, but it makes him smirk at me. How can some innocent fun just be misunderstood that much!

Rine-chan and I stand up, we should still have some minutes before we have to continue our journey. I sit down on my own stool and while I know that I should save my power, I want to do something and can't relax.

I guess I’ll continue with my knitting. I still have one sock to do, after all.

Suddenly, Ken jumps on his feet, Arako calmly puts her papers into her portfolio, while Rine-chan draws her sword just a second later. I look around, as it seems I'm the only one who doesn't know what is going on.

Ken swings his spear and its blade only stops a few centimeters in front of a man, who doesn't even flinch, as if he knew that Ken would stop his weapon.

The clothes of the man have the color of earth... in addition to several layers of dirt. A hunting bow inside a quiver which is at his waist, a simple spear in his hand. He turns around and puts two fingers above his heart and then waves them towards Rine-chan. That's a formal greeting of Feuerberg! “Your Highness,” then he repeats this towards me and Ara-san: “Hero-dono. Alfr-dono.”

The tip of Ken's spear begins to tremble, as he slowly lowers it. He's pale, as if he has seen a ghost.

The stranger turns his gaze towards him and greets him without the gesture: “Bob.”

...Bob!?