Bab 32: Chapter 32
"A horse?"
"It's a horse, sir,"
Looking up at the sky, Pochi and Tama are hopping up and down as something flies above us. It has been less than an hour since we set sail from Zurute City, and until now, it had been a peaceful trip. Now everyone is looking up and pointing as the birdfolk crewmembers fly out to investigate.
"Hmm? That little white spot there? I can barely see it,"
"Hero Kura, I would like a telescopic vision expansion, I entreat,"
Nana and Arisa strain themselves trying to make it out. But Nana is still as careless as ever. While Arisa is deliberately pressing against Satou, Nana probably doesn't realize the problem of pressing her chest against people like that. It is one thing to do it to me since we are both girls. Still, Nana occasionally presses against Satou like this and most like other men, too, if she wasn't supervised.
"Too close,"
With a frown, Mia pushes us apart. She hasn't been happy all morning after seeing Nana and me. It wasn't my fault or Nana's. Nana hugged me in her sleep, and we woke up with me using her chest as a pillow.
"M… master, does this mean that you prefer... you know, bigger...?"
Satou needs to be more careful. His poker face skill is failing him more than he realizes, and now he is making Lulu cry. Lulu really is beautiful. She can even make a sad expression like that look good. But Satou needs to stop giving me these jealous looks. He also caught Nana and me this morning, but as I said, it wasn't our fault. We moved like that when we were sleeping. At least he notices his mistakes and wipes away her tears.
"Master, it appears that someone is riding the horse,"
Liza always had her spear close at hand, but it didn't look like she was expecting trouble. Karina, on the other hand….
"Are we under attack?"
"A single horseman would not attempt to rob a ship,"
Karina looked like she was preparing to leap up and assault this new coming, but Raka stopped her. I doubt she would have reached them, but Raka may have saved us a lot of trouble if that person up there was someone important.
Whoever is up there didn't strike me as a threat. My danger sense skill wasn't giving me any warnings, and the way they were slowly lowing in a small circler flight pattern didn't indicate they were up to no good. As they got lower, I could see it wasn't a horse flying but some golem that was pure white in colour.
Riding on its back as the golem horse galloped closer to the ship was a knightly-looking person wearing shiny silver armour. I hope that the armour around her chest is padded. The last thing I want is another person around to remind me of how weaker I am than the women of this world in certain regards.
"It's Lady Ringrande!" A birdfolk scout exclaimed as they returned. "The Witch of Heavenly Destruction has returned!"
She must be famous. The guards, sailors and temple knights on board start repeating her name.
"Riin?"
"Glad, sir?"
Looking around uncertainly, Pochi and Tama struggle to understand what is happening.
"Lady... Ringrande?" Karina repeated. "The one who travels with the hero?"
Jumping to her feet, she stared at the approaching rider like she was about to meet her biggest idol. Her father probably told Karina all kinds of stories about lady Ringrande.
"Have you met this Lady Ringrande, Arisa?" Satou quietly asked.
"Never. I must have met Hayato before she joined up," Arisa shook her head, then paused thoughtfully. "But if she knows what Japanese people look like, she might realize where you're from."
"Good point. I guess I'll just say I'm descended from a Japanese hero, like Lulu,"
"What about you?"
Arisa nudges me, but my answer is clear.
"I am a former mon hunter with no idea who their parents are,"
I have told that story enough times that changing it will cause me problems now. Lady Ringrande lowers down until she is floating just above the mast. She removed her helmet, revealing long silver hair that looked too beautiful to be real. She looks similar to Sara in the face.
"I am Ringrande, granddaughter of Duke Ougoch! I hereby request permission to land on your ship!"
She cried with a sharp, booming voice, and the captain quickly granted permission from the stern. Lady Ringrande even sounded much like Sara, only her voice was much more commanding. But her fans on the ship are starting to cause many problems. Pochi and Tama cover their ears and look scared as they hug Satou's legs while the crowd cheers for lady Ringrande.
"Sit,"
Mia pulls me down onto the chairs as we settle down away from the cheering crowd.
"Sh… she's very popular, isn't she?"
Blushing, Lulu settles next to Satou, leaning into one side of him as Arisa lays claims to the other. She looked pretty cute as her face flickered between embarrassment from being close to Satou and excitement at lady Ringrande's arrival.
"Hero Kura, I desire a plush toy in the shape of that horse, I assert,"
"Sure, I'll make you one during the trip,"
Nana stared intensely at Miss Ringrande's wooden Pegasus. A simple plush toy should take only a half hour or so, and it would help kill time during the trip. I can probably make one for everyone else, and I'm sure cute little Mayuna would like one too. I can't tell whether Nana or cutie Mayuna is more fascinated by the flying horse.
"Thank you,"
Nana shouldn't be thanking me by pressing my face into her chest. If I didn't have my pain resistance skill, it probably would have hurt as Mia pulled me away by the hair. I might try making a larger toy for her to hug in moments like this and see if that helps. I can't say I blame Arisa for getting mad at Satou for giving me an envious glance.
"Sir Knight, miss hero, I apologize for the sailors' noisy behaviour,"
This apology came from the tour guide caring for us on the ship.
"It's quite all right. Lady Ringrande must be very popular," Satou casually comments.
"Are you not familiar with her, Sir Knight?"
The guide must be a big fan, as she approached us with her fists raised to her chest in excitement. Satou shook his head, and she speedily regaled us with various tales of lady Ringrande's exploits.
Lady Ringrande was the eldest daughter of the next duke and a princess of the Shiga Kingdom, making her the granddaughter of a king and a duke. On top of that, she was a prodigy who entered the royal academy at just ten years of age and graduated within two. She'd mastered both Wind and Blaze Magic to advanced levels. After graduation, she even became a researcher at the academy. By age fifteen, she'd revived the lost arts of destruction and explosion magic. During her research, she brushed up on her magical techniques in the Labyrinth City Celivera.
"She was granted the rank of honorary baroness as thanks for defeating a floor master in Labyrinth City,"
"Did she do that all by herself?"
"Not even lady Ringrande could do that on her own!"
The tour guide explained that she had the help of Holy Knights from the royal capital. Because of her accomplishments, the kingdom went into an uproar when the beloved prodigy turned eighteen and left the Shiga Kingdom to work with the hero of the Saga Empire. It soon becomes clear why everyone is so excited to see it. Our tour guide smiles as she tells us this is the first time lady Ringrande has returned to the Shiga Kingdom since she left four years ago.
The clinking of approaching armour soon brought the story to an end. We rose to greet her, but Karina needed her maids' prompting to stand. Lady Ringrande smiled at us. Satou, Karina, Mia, Arisa but me. When our eyes met, the smile vanished from her face.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Ringrande Ougoch, a follower of Hero Hayato Masaki," Introducing herself, Miss Ringrande bowed politely to Karina.
"N… n… nice to meet you...."
That was as far as Karina's self-introduction went before she turned bright red and stammered to a halt. Luckily she had Satou there to back her up.
"Pardon my intrusion. This is Karina Muno, the second daughter of my lord Baron Muno. She seems so emotionally overwhelmed at meeting you that she has forgotten herself. Allow me to apologize on her behalf,"
"Oh, not at all! Baron Muno… you mean Uncle Leon, right? Why, that would make us second cousins, then. The books he wrote back when he was a researcher were why I decided to work with a hero! Please treat me as an equal,"
Lady Ringrande gave Karina a warm smile. Like a fan whose favourite idol had smiled at her, Karina was so red that she could have fainted. Picking up on this, lady Ringrande politely shifted her gaze toward Satou.
"Might I ask your name, then?"
"Certainly. I am Satou Pendragon, an honorary hereditary knight and vassal of the Muno Barony,"
Miss Ringrande's eyes widened at that.
"You're Uncle Leon's vassal? Haven't you heard the rumours about Muno Barony?"
"Yes, of course. But the curse that was afflicting the barony has been broken now,"
He glances at me, and once again, lady Ringrande loses her smile as our eyes meet.
"You must be the second hero we have been hearing about,"
"Y… yes…." She might be a hundred times scarier than a demon lord. I don't know what I have done to upset her, but I wish she would stop looking at me like an enemy. "My name is Kura Suou. I'm a knight in the service of Earl Seiryuu and a hero."
"You don't look strong," I feel like I am being bullied. Lady Ringrande circled me, looking me up and down. "We should be able to beat the demon lord before you."
Oh, I'm competition for lady Ringrande and her party to beat. At least I am just a rival for her and not an enemy.
"But hero Kura defeated the demon lord last night, I inform,"
I know Nana didn't mean any harm by saying that, but lady Ringrande looked like she was about to lose it. Disbelief, shock, anger and confusion. Lady Ringrande flashes through multiple facial expressions as she takes in the news. Her grandfather would have told her when she got to the capital, so it isn't like I could have hidden it from her forever.
"Is it true?" Finally, lady Ringrande turns to Satou and Karina for confirmation.
"Yes, it is," Satou nods.
"I only saw the aftermath of their fight," Karina nervously adds.
"How… we checked out the site in the old capital and found nothing,"
"The demon lord worshipping cult, the Wings of Freedom, used several oracle priestesses in a ritual to revive him deep in the labyrinth."
"The oracle about… tell me, was there a priestess called Sara used in the ritual,"
"Yeah, but she's safe now," I quickly tell her. "She is resting at the duke's castle or the Tenion Temple. The duke and holy woman were arguing about where she should rest when we left, so I am unsure where she will be."
"Thank goodness, she's safe,"
"But she was killed by the demon lord, I report,"
Nana really needs to learn when to keep her mouth shut. Lady Ringrande had finally calmed down, and now she was getting all worked up again.
"Dead?! I thought you said she was safe!! What happened to Sara?!!!"
Grabbing me by the collar, lady Ringrande violently shook me as she demanded information. I don't blame everyone for taking a step back seeing this.
"Please calm down. I can assure you that your sister is alive and on the road to recovery," Slow lady Ringrande stops shaking me, but her tight grip on my collar still threatens to chock me. "Sara was possessed and killed by the demon lord, but we got her to the Tenion Temple in time. I can't tell you the details publicly, but Sara is okay."
"So she used it," Letting me go, lady Ringrande takes a step back. "I'm sorry about that. I was just so worked up I don't know what came over me."
"It's fine," I assure her with a smile. "You were just worried about your sister."
"What's the matter?"
Satou's cause question brought a much-needed distraction. We have gathered a large audience without either of us realizing it, and they could have overheard some sensitive stuff. We must have been making a scene because our tour guild looked like they wanted to say something.
"Well, we'll be entering the Dreamglow Cavern shortly...."
The Dreamglow Cavern was a man-made tunnel about two miles long in the middle of the river and ran through the Grapevine Mountains. The cavern was just vast enough for one large ship to pass through, while the primary current of the river took a wide detour around the mountains and merged on the other side. Our tour guild has told us about the cavern since we set sail.
The Dreamglow Cavern was one of the most famous sightseeing spots in the Shiga Kingdom. It was especially popular as a honeymoon destination for nobles. Lady Ringrande would later admit to boarding this ship to see the cavern. At first, she was all bashful and tried to claim she boarded to take a shortcut. Lady Ringrande had some of Sara's cuteness after all. It was just hidden behind her tough exterior.
"Oh my, I apologize. I would hate to disrupt anyone who's never seen it before. Might there be a seat for me as well?"
Lady Ringrande said. I saw Karina's eyes dart furtively toward the three-seat sofa where she'd been sitting. I can't say I blame Satou for interfering this time. But I am feeling slightly worried lady Ringrande might start questioning Karina about our battle with the demon lord if I leave them alone.
"Lady Ringrande, if you please, the spot next to Lady Karina is open. Why don't you have a seat there?"
"Is that all right?"
"Y… yes, of course! H… h… have a seat,"
Lady Ringrande doesn't seem to mind Karina's nervousness. One of the imperial knights on board seemed to like Satou's idea. I think his name is Sir Ipasa Lloyd, if I remember correctly. He was one of the knights escorting Sara, but he couldn't fit on the express ship that took Sara to the old capital.
"Rin, would you mind scooting over a little? I'd like to sit and look at the Dreamglow Cavern, too,"
"Ah...certainly. Pardon me,"
Lady Ringrande drew close enough to Karina that their shoulders touched, causing Karina to turn bright red. Lady Ringrande chatted with her in a friendly tone, but Karina could give only short responses like "Yes" and "That's right." Luckily, lady Ringrande didn't seem to take any offence. Nor did she try to interrogate Karina, as I feared. They might even become friends if this keeps up.
"All right, everyone, please close your eyes for the moment. Don't open them again until I give the word, if you wouldn't mind,"
We followed the tour guide's hushed instructions as we settled on the sofas. She sounded like she had done this a hundred times before. We most likely had to close our eyes to allow our vision to adjust to the dark inside the Dreamglow Cavern.
"Our batfolk navigator Meru will be steering the ship for the captain as we pass through the caverns,"
After the introduction, a batfolk woman gave a bow. It was the same lady who was in charge of patrolling at night. We gave her quite the freight last night when we appeared out of nowhere on the ship. It was lucky she recognized us in time because Meru looked like she would be a formidable opponent to beat in a fight.
"Sound echoes inside the Dreamglow Cavern, so please refrain from making any loud noises,"
At this warning, Tama and Pochi covered their mouths with both hands. They accidentally covered their noses, so Satou readjusted their hands.
A docking station was in front of the tunnel's entrance, and a small boat left it to enter the cavern just ahead of our ship. As it did, it flashed a signal light to the other end of the tunnel. After a few short moments, another light flashed back in response from the end. Then, the small boat left the tunnel, and our ship folded its sails and proceeded inside. The tunnel was wide enough for only one ship. The signals must have been for traffic control.
It was warm inside. The breeze didn't have the slight chilly as it had outside of the cavern. There was a pleasant unnatural scent in the air too. I wonder if they added something to the cavern because nobles like to visit.
Keeping my eyes closed, I wait for the order to open them as I listen to small waves cash into the cavern. Someone is tightly grabbing my arm. With my light intensity adjustment skill, I would have been okay to keep my eyes open. Still, if I am going to experience this, it is better to do it the way people intended it to be done.
"Now, everyone, please open your eyes slowly! Welcome to the famous Dreamglow Caverns of the Orcs!"
It was beautiful… breathtaking, and definitely worth closing my eyes for. I'm sure if I had kept them open, I wouldn't have had such a feeling at the sight of the cavern. From the cavern's ceiling down the walls on either side, luminous moss emitted a pale light in all the colours of the rainbow, creating a mystical gradient that enveloped us. The exposed crystals flecked across the walls reflected the lights, adding extra variety to the scene. It was like looking up at a starry night sky, only more beautiful. Countless firefly lights danced between the rocks, making the whole thing even more breathtaking.
"Sparkly? Floaty!"
"Amazing, sir! Master! Look, it's amazing!"
Pochi and Tama couldn't seem to figure out where to look. Left, right, up and down, they keep snapping their heads around as they point out one thing after the other.
"It's beautiful,"
"I've never seen anything like it...."
Arisa and Lulu stare up from the carpet as if in a trance. Though I don't think they were doing it on purpose, the way they were both grabbing Satou's legs looked pretty painful.
"It's pretty, isn't it? It's so adorable. Truly...."
Watching the lights dance in the air, Mia murmured almost to herself as she rested against my side. Muttering more words than she would generally speak in a day unless I did something to upset her, Mia smiles.
Arisa, Lulu and Mia aren't the only ones in a trance. Hearing a dull thud, surprisingly, I saw that Liza had dropped her precious spear. Returning to her senses, Liza apologizes as she picks up her spear, and people stare at her. Pearl was in a similar state as she stared up wide-eyed at the scene.
"Hero Kura, I lack the vocabulary to describe the scene. Recommend installation of language set two, I request,"
"Beautiful is enough to describe it, Nana,"
"Understood, hero Kura. Beautiful,"
Nana gave a little sigh of admiration as she gazed at the dancing lights. I don't know what she meant by "language set two", but I will do so if it is possible to grant her request. Glancing around, I spot Karina and lady Ringrande staring up in since with their mouths wide open. It seems the Dreamglow Caverns have charmed everyone on the ship.
It felt like we didn't have enough time inside when we began to exit the cavern. Even being two miles long, it felt too short. I can sneak in here with my new warp skill anytime, so it isn't too bad.
<0>
Once everyone returned to their senses, and a few people got over their embarrassment about their actions, I found myself as the source of entertainment on the ship. Lady Ringrande apparently wanted to leave when we cleared the cavern, but she changed her plans. Instead, she challenged me to a duel.
At level fifty-five, lady Ringrande is no pushover. Her flashy techniques were a sight to behold and something I had never come up against before. But the most challenging part was holding back. We were encased in a defence spell used for sparing, but even still, I could hurt her if I wasn't careful.
"Oh, you're slower than I was expecting,"
Lady Ringrande smiles as I deflect her latest attack. I could have easily outmatched her in speed and strength, but that would most likely break at least one of her bones. I could have attacked and stayed on the offensive. But instead, I let this match remain a close one. Lady Ringrande is an idol, and although we just met, I could tell plenty of people look up to her. I couldn't let her be beaten so easily.
To be fair to lady Ringrande, it isn't all because of my skill with the sword that I am in this position. My OP stats are a big help, but my danger sense skill is practically cheating. It tells me exactly when she would attack and gives me a pretty good indication of how. For example, right now, it isn't going off as lady Ringrande faints to my right, but when she goes to attack my left, it warns me.
Our fight continues for a few minutes with the crowd cheering, and I think Satou is pretending to swing a sword behind them. It's such a ridiculous sight lady Ringrande nearly lands a blow while I was distracted.
"You shouldn't let your guard down in a fight,"
"Yeah, that was stupid of me,"
I can't argue with her there. The first thing I learned from Earl Seiryuu's knights was to never let my guard down, even when victorious. I quickly get back into the fight blocking lady Ringrande's attack and countering when I see the opportunity. But this fight has lasted long enough for me to win without making lady Ringrande look bad.
Lady Ringrande attacks me again, and I deflect her sword, forcing her to step back, but I stay with her. I have counted this way before, so it would stand out. However, I move a bit fast, leaving lady Ringrande no time to defend herself this time. Instead of blocking me as she has done many times before, the tip of my blade catches her shoulder, destroying the magic protecting her.
"So the first time was just a faint?" Lady Ringrande says as we sheath our swords. That wasn't my attention, but I nodded my head anyway. "You had me fooled. I didn't think you would suddenly attack me like that. You're a lot faster and stronger than I first thought. Few people could keep up with me when I don't hold back like that."
"Well, you are certainly as strong as people say you are, lady Ringrande,"
We shake hands as the crowd cheers, but instead of pulling away, lady Ringrande steps in closer and whispers.
"But not strong enough that you didn't feel the need to hold back,"
So she knew all along. Someone with her skill should be able to sense when their opponent is holding back. But why is she looking at me so closely?
"Hmm, you're features look like… could you be a summoned hero from Japan like Hayato?"
"I'm sorry, but I was born in this world,"
"You must be a descendent then,"
"I can't say. I never met my parents,"
"Oh? You have a pair of beastfolk children and even an elf. Why it's the sort of party that hero from Japan might have,"
Lady Ringrande smiled at Pochi and Tama as they watched us. She seems to not have any problem with beastfolk. But I let her know those two were with Satou. After our match, lady Ringrande joined us for a tasty Satou's shrimp tempura lunch. Then she took off for the old capital on her wooden Pegasus with a cheerful wave.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone