ReBirth Arc – Prologue
The day was damp and rainy.
The street with its exposed dirt had become soaked, and puddles of water developed in the trenches created by wagon wheels.
Forest trees were on either side, and while the branches created some cover, it was not enough to keep one out of the rain completely.
“Damn it. I hate the rain.”
The figure grumbled while walking on the other side of the pack donkey. He wore leather armor and carried a longsword. And he was covered in a hooded cape. A mercenary at a glance, and he had been hired for protection.
“He said that he could read the weather. What a foul liar. ‘Oh, it’s fine because the wind towards Shirien is not damp’!”
“Hah… Even they do not know everything about the weather.”
The man really did talk too much. Apparently, he had that personality where he had to say whatever came to his mind. And he would always expect an answer on top of that.
“But even so… He charged ten coppers! It’s rediculous. If I knew what kind of weather we would have, I would have stayed another day and..”
He had not paid for the weather reading, or the room at the inn, for that matter. And yet he was grumbling as if his coin purse had taken the blow.
It was often said that skilled mercenaries talked little, but that was probably because they could not stand to be around people like this man.
Perhaps it would be wise to join a different caravan as soon as the opportunity presented itself. It was just as the merchant mused on such things, the mercenary suddenly raised his sword.
“Hey, what is that!”
“Huh? Ah, that. There is no need to worry.”
The man pointed. A single beast was standing there.
Amidst the rain, standing in the middle of the road like mist. Like some kind of white dog. His face had fur that shone silver, and there was a mane around his neck.
That being said, he was also wet in the rain, and looked a little tired.
“It’s glaring at us?”
“Ah, that is the Star Wolf, which recently took residence here.”
“Star Wolf?”
“Aye. He comes out on these roads, and stares at humans that pass by. Though, he has never done any mischief, so no one has stopped him.”
If anything, ever since the Star Wolf appeared, dangerous monsters and even bandits seemed to stay away. And so now, he was seen as a divine guardian of sorts.
“As long as you do nothing, he’ll leave you alone. So put away your sword.”
“….But…it’s unsettling…”
He grumbled, but sheathed his sword anyway. The Star Wolf looked relieved, and then retreated to the side of the road. The merchant took out some dried meat and tossed it to him.
“You are feeding it?”
“The Star Wolf is a very smart creature. However, this is something to show our gratitude.”
Without barking, the Star Wolf took the meat into his mouth and disappeared into the bushes.
“Hah… So that beast is the protector of these roads…”
Well, at least it didn’t bark like some of those obnoxious dogs. The mercenary continued to complain about the cold rain, but then he suddenly remembered something.
“By the way, was there ever a Hero around these parts?”
“Hero… Ah, yes, a very strange-looking child was here.”
“Servants sent from the gods. Not just on this continent, but I hear that they are also in Efalea to the west, where they fight demons..”
Even a lowly merchant knew that. The demons had appeared decades ago, as did the boys and girls who were used to defeat them and their king.
They had power beyond anything seen in this world. And they had such strange backgrounds. The merchant had seen them a few times in the past.
“That…Star Wolf, was it? Seeing it just reminded me of something. An amusing story.”
“What? What story?”
“About a monster that the Heroes were targeting frantically. You never heard?”
“Hahh… If the Heroes are targeting it, then it must be a dragon?”
“If only! But no, the thing they are targeting is…”
This was not a very interesting story at all. And yet the mercenary talked so very happily.
“They say…it is a single kobold.”