“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.
Translator:
I’ve been thinking of picking up a novel. Any suggestions?