章 29: Chapter 29
"When we get to Gururian City, you gotta eat Gururian cakes! But it won't be easy since they are one copper a piece,"
"What kind of cake is it?"
"Um… lemme see… it's made out of white grains with sweet black grains on the outside, I think,"
As we rode towards Gururian City the morning after our night in the village, I found myself not lacking in company. The commoner girls haven't left me alone. They sit on either side of me, excitedly talking about the City as Mia glares at them from the horse she is riding with Nana. I wish she would be more friendly with the girls. They seem like good girls. I am sure they could be friends if Mia would stop scaring them off. The two of them have gotten excited since Lulu reported the walls of the city are now in view.
"You've never eaten one," The elder sister says before turning to me. "A merchant came to our village and talked none stop about them. Now she thinks she has eaten one herself."
"I will eat one! As soon as I get a job that pays, it will be the first thing I buy!"
It will be years before you get paid, dummy,"
The two sisters were going to the sister to become apprentice merchants at one of the city stores. From what they told me, children are given food, clothing and shelter in place of payment until they come of age. It sounds like they will be treated as servants for the time being. Still, Tolma mentioned it was an excellent opportunity for village children to learn the business. Some even go on to run successful businesses in the future. Well, as long as they aren't taken advantage of, I'm sure the two girls will be okay.
When we finally got to the city entrance, we didn't need to wait in line as the temple knights led us around the crowd. Seeing the temple knights, no one complained, but we managed to draw the attention of a group of nobles waiting beside the gate. They were dressed in knights-style clothes and greedily looked at Liza's and Pearl's weapons. I hope this isn't going to be a repeat of what happened tigerfolk man back in Bolehart City.
"Merchants visiting Gururian City!" One of the nobles standing on the box addresses the crowd. "We are seeking a magical sword! If anyone can provide us with one, we'll guarantee you an exclusive deal with the government in the future!"
Obviously, no one answered him. Only a fool would take that deal. But those nobles look like they really will start trouble. The only reason they haven't tried anything yet is that the temple knights are with us.
"Hey! Did you hear that, sis?! They said we could become government merchants if we gave them a magic sword! Isn't that amazing?!"
"It certainly is. But we don't have anything, a magic sword, so it doesn't matter,"
"You girls…" Arisa mutters as she shakes her head. "You two won't last a moment in the city if you let every sleeve bag fool you. You know what he means, right? He is saying, "We don't have money, but we still want a magic sword, so give us one for free. Then if we manage to have a successful career in the future, we will give you special treatment. Don't complain if that never happens, though." Those guys are full of hot air."
"Wow, really? I had no idea,"
"Gosh, Arisa, you're so smart for someone so little,"
Liza's spear, Pearl's and Nana's swords and even Mia's bow. Those nobles hadn't taken their eyes off of them for a second. They will definitely cause trouble for us at some point, so I should see if Satou can cut our time in the city as short as possible. They are starting to follow us from a distance.
We parted ways with the two sisters as soon as we entered the gate. They are in good hands as the gatekeeper promised to speed up their paperwork and even offered to walk them to the shop they will be working at. He seemed like a good, friendly person who would look after the girls.
"Thank you, mister Satou, miss hero,"
"Really, thank you both. You recused us from those bad men and took good care of us,"
"You don't need to thank us, we were happy to help,"
"Yes we do! Listen, we are going to be working in a shop called the Green Shop. Please come visit us if you need something. We won't be able to give you a discount or anything, but we'll make sure you get the best stuff,"
I don't think they will be able to do that since they haven't even started working there, but Satou and I still thank them and promise to visit. After parting ways with them, we enter the steady stream of traffic. At first, I thought there might be some event, but when I noticed all the fighting, I realised what was happening. All around us, people are fighting for a chance to compete in the upcoming martial arts tournament.
Unfortunately, that fighters weren't all that was around us. Besides the merchants, citizens and occasional soldiers typical of the cities I have seen so far in the Shiga Kingdom, there are members of the demon lord-worshipping cult. When Satou checks his map, he reports that there are twenty of them. Most are alone, but I am worried as he tells me a large group is gathering ahead. As much as I want to avoid them because of the city's road layout, we have no choice but to go right past them.
"Master," Tama starts pointing at the closest fight as she rides the runosaur with Pochi. "Sword Fights."
There were plenty of fights going on around us. Axes, spears, hammers, swords and plenty of other weapons clash in a series of fights. If I didn't know what was going on, I would have been worried there was a rebellion since everyone appeared to fight in whatever space was free. There were even blocking the road, forcing us to pull over our carriage.
"It's probably a preliminary battle to decide who gets to enter. Want to go check it out?"
It looks like we have no choice but to watch. As soon as he entered the conversation, Tolma jumped out of the carriage and started to stretch. Well, it isn't like we will be able to move any time soon, so we might as well check out the matches.
"Lord Tolma, we must first head to the Tenion Temple…."
"Relax, we can't move until the road is clear anyway, so let's visit the food stalls first,"
One of the temple knights tried to stop him, but it was in vain as Tolma ran into the crowd. He is surprisingly nimble and somehow squeezes through the tiny gaps between people. They probably would have had difficulty catching him if he wasn't with his wife and daughter when the bandits attacked.
"I'm sorry, Tolma is always like this,"
Hayuna lowers her head as she apologises to the knights. Judging by her and the knight's reaction, it doesn't look like it is the first time Tolma has done something like this. The temple knight Ina, shakes her head before turning to us.
"Sir Pendragon, Hero Kura, I am terribly sorry, but could I borrow one of your companions to bring Lord Tolma back,"
"Sure, that's fine,"
"Okay,"
With her duty to protect the oracle priestess, the cute little baby Mayuna, Ina is stuck here watching Tolma get further away. Tolma is a real handful. I don't think he even has any money to pay for the food. In the end, we send Nana and Liza to bring him back with a few coins to pay for anything he tries to steal. Everyone else started watching the nearest fight as the temple knights formed a perimeter around us.
But I left the group spotting the nobles heading for Nana and Liza. Lucky for me, the crowd is slowing them down just enough to allow me to get in front of the group. They really are arrogant. They glare at me and try to walk around me, but I block their path.
"Move, commoner. We don't have time to deal with you,"
"But you are looking like you might do something to my friends, so you will have to deal with me whether you like it or not,"
"So you are with those demi-humans and girls,"
So they are another group of demi-human haters. They looked at me as if I was a piece of trash when they muttered about me being friends with demi-humans.
"Then you should have them hand over their weapons at once. That lizard girl's spear would better serve a spear master like me,"
"That rabbit bitch should give me her sword,"
"And that big-chested girl should give me hears and stick to entertaining men. She should come to my room tonight as well. I really like them big like that rather than the flatness of your chest,"
I am glad they weren't here to hear those comments. I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have listened to me when I told them to stop killing these jerks. I was hoping to convince them to walk away, but after insulting my friends, I should get a little payback for their hurtful words. Yes, this is to avenge them. It has nothing to do with the jerks reminding me of how less developed I am than the women in this world in certain areas.
"That isn't going to happen," I smile sweetly, but the men take a step back for some reason. "But I will give you my sword if you beat me in a duel."
"A… a holy sword…."
"You… you can't be a…."
"I thought the hero was some big strong ladies man, not a little girl,"
"You're right. She must be lying,"
"You there, you shouldn't try to deceive us. Commoners like you should know their place now. Hand over that sword, and your friend's weapons, and we will forget about you lying to us,"
"But I am a noble," I keep smiling as I tell them who I really am. Why do they seem so scared of my smile? "I am a knight serving Earl Seiryuu, and I recently became a hero after defeating a greater hell demon. Now if you still want my sword, you know my terms for handing it over. You can fight me together if you want."
"Lying about being a noble now too. Have you no shame?"
"Fine then," I sigh, pulling out my sagger with Earl Seiryuu's family's crest. "Is this enough proof."
"So a lowly knight from the country is getting in our way,"
"You have two options in front of you," I take a breath. "Run away or fight me."
It looks like they will run away. All three jerks look at me with wide eyes and sweat rolling down their faces. Is my smile really that scary? All I have is done to them is smile, and they look like they have seen a ghost.
"Is there a problem here?"
"Miss Hero!"
This should be easy now. The gatekeeper just showed up with the sisters, and he had already confirmed my identity as a noble.
"Yeah, this country kid here is blocking our path and threatening us," Oh, so I am the bad guy here. "Arrest her at once."
"In that case, I would like to have these guys arrested for attempting to steal the property of myself, one of the fellow nobles I arrived with and one of my companions,"
"We didn't do any such thing!"
"She's lying. Arrest her at once!"
"Sir, would you bear witness to our duel?" I ignore the jerks as they whine and complain. "I believe that disputes between nobles can be decided by a duel if one party requests that to be the case."
It's an old law that is rarely used but is still the law. I have these jerks now. If they run, they will be found guilty. It's time to teach these jerks a lesson that chest size isn't… I mean that they shouldn't insult people's friends in front of them.
"I understand," The gatekeeper nods his head. "I, Throme Tames, will bare witness to your duel."
"You can't be serious!"
"Why do we have to fight?!"
"The law is the law," The gatekeeper tells them. "A duel has been requested to resolve the matter. Now you can fight yourself, spend ten minutes finding a champion or forfeit the duel."
"You can fight me together if you wish,"
"You will regret this,"
"We will teach you your place,"
Two of the jerks quickly agree as the third hesitates. The spear user points a short shiny looking spear at me while his fellow jerk draws an elegant-looking short sword. Finally, the third jerk joins in, drawing a short sword as elegant looking at the one in his friend's hands. It looks like they decided to fight me together, so I draw my own sword.
"You may start when ready,"
They are more eager than I gave them credit for. I thought I would have to attack them, but all three charged towards me. The spear user tries to stab me while the sword users attack from either side. But they are too slow. I step into the sword-wielder on my left, elbowing him in the stomach before stepping behind the other two. It looks like the one I hit is still in the fight as he picks himself up.
"You just got lucky,"
That spear user really wants to win. He charges me, leaving his friends behind and unleashing a blur of rapid-fire attacks. He really should switch up his attacks, though. His spear can perform slashing attacks, but he only stabs at me. It's not even that hard to dodge. I barely have to move and just need to wiggle my body from side to side.
"We got you now!"
"You will regret messing with us!"
Idiots. They ruined what would have been a perfect sneak attack on a regular person. It wouldn't have worked on me since my danger sense skill already alerted me to their attack, but a regular person would have been in trouble. If only they didn't make the idiotic mistake, I might have been impressed by their tactic.
"You shouldn't yell like that during a sneak attack,"
I calmly tell them as I step on the spear pinning the weapon to the ground. I block one of the swords coming at me with my own weapon, and the other I used to experiment a little. I was curious if this would be possible. I channel my magic into the mithril of my gloves as if it was my sword and punch the jerk's blade. Worst case scenario, the mithril would protect me.
"What the… my sword…"
It worked better than I was expecting. A bright red line followed my fist, creating a spell blade. I had only planned on stopping his swing, but I ended up shattering the jerk's sword. I shouldn't be in trouble, right? This sort of thing probably happens in duels all the time. Surely I am not the first person to break someone's weapon in a duel.
"Did she use a spell blade?"
"She couldn't have. There was no weapon in her hand,"
Oh, it seems our duel is causing a crowd to gather. I didn't even notice, but when I glanced around me, I could see soldiers, armed people and regular citizens. I don't think I will ever be able to visit a town without creating a scene anymore.
"Get off my spear!"
That spear-wielding jerk must be pretty weak since I barely noticed him struggling to free his spear from under my foot. While he isn't a threat, so I have no problem giving it back to him. It wasn't my fault that he happened to pull on his spear the moment I released it. It definitely wasn't my fault that he ended up falling over, causing the crowd to laugh at him.
"Stop toying with us!"
Not it's the other sword users' turn. He swings at me, but I step out of the way, causing him to slash, but I easily parry his strike. The spear wielder was brighter than the other jerks since he didn't yell when he snuck up behind me, but sneak attacks don't work on me. I quickly block the sword in front of me before spinning to deflect the spear behind me, causing both my opponents to stare at me in shock.
"How is she so fast?"
Was I really that fast? Pearl and Satou have no trouble keeping up with me. Then again, those two are really strong. Maybe I was moving too fast for ordinary people. But even after everything that has happened, the jerks are still willing to fight. They may be weaklings, but they are determined. I will give them that.
"I show you why I am Horan, the Spear Master!"
Now it is getting interesting. I can feel the power in his next strike. The spear jerk is still clumsy with his attacks, but they are faster than before. But for some reason, he seems to be aiming for my face.
"Why won't you stay still?!"
"Who would in a fight?"
"I got her, lord Horan!"
Another sneak attack was ruined by a yelling idiot. When will these guys learn that yelling never makes sneak attacks more effective? But surprisingly, it is the jerk whose sword I broke that attacks me. He tries to grab hold of me, but I send him flying with a kick to the gut.
"So strong!"
"Sis, did you see that?! She made that man fly!"
The sisters seem happy by that kick. The jerk might be in a lot of pain when he wakes up, but a soldier in the crowd is already taking him away, so he should live. Meanwhile, the crowd keeps cheering as I continue to dodge the spear.
The sword user tries to attack me, but I dodge. It looks like he learned since he didn't yell or scream, but he was too slow. I jump back from the next spear thrust and swing my blade upwards, hitting the sword's hilt. His sword is sent flying, but he surprises me when he tries to punch me. But it didn't hurt. He hit me square in the face, but I felt nothing.
"Ah! My… my hand… my hand…."
"How is she still standing?"
"Is she made of steel?"
I was injured. He broke my nose and took a single point of my HP, but I quickly healed before anyone noticed my injury. On the other hand, the sword-wielding jerk falls to his knees, clutching his hand. Wow, that looks like it hurt. Several of his fingers are bent at unnatural angles while blood coats his hand down to his wrist.
"You… you monster…."
I ignore that comment as I step towards the spear-wielding jerk Horan. He looks flustered and worried, but he turns me down when I give him a chance to surrender. I wonder how much longer he can keep this up. This jerk is already sweating and looking unsteady on his feet. Was this the first time he had to work so hard?
The jerk trusts his spear at my head, but I tilt my head to the side, letting the spear pass me by. I grab the man's arm as he tries to back away. He is a lot weaker than I thought. No matter how hard he tries, he can't break free.
"Let go of me, you freak!"
"Are you willing to surrender yet?!"
"I will never give up!"
"Okay," I sigh, letting the man go. "I will end this with the next attack."
"I will be the one winning this duel!"
He isn't very bright, but he does have spirit. Even in the face of defeat. Even with the clear difference in our strengths. He still fights with the determination to win. While I should respond in kind. I move swiftly and without hesitation. I cut his spear in two from the spear tip to the end. The jerk narrowly avoids having his hands cut off in the process.
"My… my spear…."
The jerk drops to his knees, picking up the broken halves of his spear. Wait, is he crying? I can't believe I am starting to feel bad for that jerk. But with this, I guess I won the duel.
"Lady Kura is the winner,"
After a brief moment of silence, the gatekeeper announces my victory, and the crowd starts cheering. It didn't feel as good as I thought it would to have defeated those jerks, but they shouldn't be a problem any more.
"Hero Kura, you are so strong,"
"You made that man fly, miss hero,"
The two sisters quickly ran up to me, but a certain little elf got to me first. I wish she wouldn't frown like that. It's ruining her cute face. At least she isn't directing her disapproval to the sisters as they cling to me beside her. Instead, she glares at me as the guards start cleaning up the jerks.
"Don't run off,"
"Sorry,"
I wasn't trying to abandon her, but I did sneak off without telling anyone but Satou where I was going. She must have been worried about me.
"I just needed to take care of a problem,"
"Dangerous,"
"They weren't a threat to me,"
"Mmmm…."
"Okay. I'm sorry for sneaking off,"
That seemed to get rid of that frown on Mia's face. But she doesn't look like she has forgiven me yet. I wonder if everyone else is just upset with me as Mia is. I should probably make it up to them by cooking when we are next on the road.
"Here,"
It looks like someone has brought everyone some food already. Mia pulls out a black cake wrapped in large leaves and hands one to me. It smells sweet and feels warm in my hand. I hope it tastes as good as it smells.
"Is that Gururian cakes?"
So these are the famous cakes the sisters were telling me about. They must really want some. The sister's mouths were watering as they stared at the cake in my hand. I would feel bad if I didn't offer them some, so I broke mine in half and let the sisters share part of mine.
"Can we really have this?"
"Yes you can,"
"Thank you, miss hero,"
"Thanks… this is… better than I… dreamed…."
It must be good. The younger of the two sisters is smiling as she thanks me in-between bites. It could use a little more sugar, but that would be impossible with the expensive price of sugar in this world. But overall, it is a delicious pastry.
We parted ways with the sisters after they thanked me again for the treat. It was tasty, but I didn't think the sisters would have thanked me so much for something like that cake. Mia led me by the hand through the crowd back to the others, but we didn't make it.
"Die Hero!"
A group of three people block our path, but instead of drawing weapons, they press black horn-like objects to their foreheads. I didn't even need to see the blackness taking over the men's veins, making them bulge, and their bodies consort as a black mist surrounded them to know we were in trouble. My danger sense skill was going crazy the moment their bodies started to transform into unholy creatures.
"Mia, get back and find a good place to cover me with your bow,"
"R… right…."
"Don't worry, it will be okay,"
Mia seems nervous, but she gives me a smile before running away. Now it's up to me to ensure the people around me don't get hurt. I don't care if they want to kill me, but I hate how they choose to do it in a crowded street. I use the fence spell to surround the… the people turned monsters.
"Clear the street!"
I yell, running forward, but people are already fleeing as one of the men lets out a deafening roar. They try to attack me, but my barrier stops them. It's already creaking, but hopefully, it will last long enough to allow the people to escape.
"Die!"
"Kill!"
"Die! Die! Die!"
All three of them have turned into lesser demons. One is an ape-like demon with six arms and a long scale-covered tail. Another looks like a black gargoyle, while the last has turned into a snake with three heads. It won't be long until they are free. The barrier is already collapsing. I take a deep breath and calm myself while activating my body, strengthing magic. People are still around, so I need to take care of things quickly.
"Death to the hero!"
At least I don't have to worry about them targeting anyone but me. All three demons rush me as soon as they shatter my barrier. Stay focused. I can do this.
"Die!"
The gargoyle one reaches me first, attempting to slash me with its long sharp claws, but I jump over him and cut deeply into the demon's back when I land. But before I can attack again, I am forced to dodge the snake as one of its heads spits a purple spray at me that melts the ground where it lands. The gargoyle attacks again, but I dodge his slash as the ape-like demon attacks me. It was a close call, but I dodged punches from three of his arms and a swipe of its tail.
This is going to be more challenging than I thought. They are fast and strong, and their teamwork may not be perfect, but they work together better than those noble jerks. But I got a feel for their strengths now. The ape is strong and fast, fighting with its fists and tail. The gargoyle isn't as strong as the ape, but its claws are sharp enough to easily cut through the buildings. The snake is the bigger problem. It keeps its distance while spitting at me.
"Time to die!"
They're using magic now! The gargoyle flew high up and created a massive fireball. If that hits, I can't imagine how many people would be…
"Die… AH!"
It exploded. I saw something glowing hit the fireball, and the spell blew up, burning the demon badly. Another glowing thing hits the demon knocking it back. Mia. She is up on the city's wall, already firing another arrow.
"Don't interfere!"
"Leave her alone!"
The demon tried to fly towards Mia, but I stopped it with a storm of remote arrows. Between my attack and another arrow fired by Mia, we caused the demon to stagger and fall. I doubt it is dead, but it should need some time to recover from an attack like that. Hopefully, it will be down for long enough to allow me to defeat the other two.
The ape demon is relentless. It unleashes a torrent of punches at me that I can barely dodge, and the demon's tail nearly hits me from time to them. Add in the corrosive spray from the snake, and you can see how I am struggling. But it isn't a one-sided fight. Every once in a while, I cut the ape demon or sho a spell at the snake. But their wounds were quick to heal.
"Die!"
"Slaughter!"
That was a close one. The snake got behind me and nearly hit me with that purple spray. I only narrowly managed to jump out of the way in time, but that left me open. The ape's tail slammed into me without missing a beat, knocking me down the street. It didn't hurt, but I had the wind knocked out of me when I bounced down the street.
I picked myself up but not fast enough as the ape punched me into a nearby building hard enough that the wall cracked behind me. It tried to hit me again, but I was faster this time. My sword cuts into the ape's wrist, cutting the limb clean off. The ape howls in pain, but that doesn't stop him from attacking again. I duck under his fist this time, hearing the wall collapse. I slice the ape in half at the waist. But it wasn't enough. The demon's legs and tail turn to dust, but its upper body crawls towards me.
"Die! Die! Die!"
I forgot about the snake! Before I could even react, its body curled around mine. I barely had enough time to cast the fence spell around me before the snake demon tried to crush me. I brought myself some time, but not enough. The barrier will only last a few seconds at most, and the snake is spraying that purple stuff all over me.
Whatever I am going to do, I need to do it now. But what? I don't have enough room to swing my sword, but maybe I could try stabbing the snake. But what about that corrosive stuff? I don't have any immunity to things like that. What can I do? Oh, I could… it is risky, but it might work. I just hope that there is no one nearby.
"Die! Die! Die!"
I let my barrier break, but at the same time, I cast my air hammer spell at my feet. The snake is sent flying instantly, and the purple spray is blown away. It covered the ape demon as I hopped, and thankfully it didn't harm anyone else. I waste no time finishing off the ape-like demon as it withers in pain and struggles to wipe the corrosive stuff off its fur. With one swing of my sword, the ape's head is cut off, and the demon dies. Now I just need to deal with the snake.
The snake tries to stop me, but I use my skyrunning skill to avoid the oncoming attack of corrosive purple spray. The demon could react in time before I cut off one of its heads and then the other. Its last head tries to bite me, but I stab it through the eyes, finally killing the demon.
It is finally over. By the sounds of things, there are other demons I can hear fighting nearby, and there are still other people screaming. I hope everyone is okay. It sounds like the fighting is near where I left Satou and the others. No, I didn't need to worry. Satou is with them, and Pearl is strong enough to fight a lesser demon. But the rest of the city is still in danger. I need to meet up with Mia on top of the….
"Mia!"
<0>
Mia's POV
Made it. I fired an arrow, and it hit in time to stop that spell. Hero Kura may be strong, but even she wouldn't have been able to survive something like that. But the demon was still alive and could cast it again, so I fired another arrow at it. All that does is get the demon to charge at me.
"Don't interfere!"
"Leave her alone!"
Hero Kura fired countless magical arrows at the demon, cutting it to pieces as my arrow struck between its eyes. I'm surprised it could still fly with the holes in its wings, but with more magical arrows and another shot from my bow, the demon finally falls to the ground. Now we just need to….
"Die!"
"Ah!"
It came out of nowhere! One minute there was nothing, and then that winged demon was right in front of me. It tried to cut me with its claws, but I fell down the stairs instead after I collapsed from the shock. It hurt, but the demon tore a hole in the wall to try and get me. I fire an arrow at it, but the demon only stops for a second.
"Die!"
I run. I can't fight something so strong. I ran down the stairs and through a door shutting it behind me, but I didn't get far. I don't even take more than a few steps before the door is smashed, and something strikes me in the back, knocking me down. Looking behind me, I can see the demon crawling through the door.
"Di AHH!"
I quickly get up and fire an arrow knocking the demon back, but it is quickly back on its feet. I start running again, firing arrows whenever the demon gets too close, but I am running out of arrows. I only have four… three left. I just had to knock it back again.
I run through the next door and jump onto a nearby carriage roof, but something grabs my shoulders and starts to lift me into the air. The… demon… I didn't notice it got so close! I quickly stab one of my arrows into its leg, but it doesn't let go. I stab it again and again until finally, it drops me back on top of the castle wall.
"Mia!"
I can hear her calling to me as I land hard on the wall. It hurts, and blood is coming out of my mouth. I don't know where my bow or arrow has landed. I can't even move to go looking for them. The demon lands at my feet and chuckles as it looks down at me. As the demon raises its arm, I can't take my eyes off its claws.
No. I don't want to die. I want to go home. I want to see the world with hero Kura. I don't want to die here.
"Die!"
"… Blind Mist!"
I cast the spell with the shortest chant I know. It wouldn't kill the demon, but it made it recoil in the back and cover its eyes. Satou created the spell. It blinds a target with hot water and causes a lot of pain, but it won't kill anything.
"My… my eyes… you will pay… I will kill y…."
"Kura…."
I can see her. She cuts the demon in two with a single swing of her sword as colourful spirits dance around her. It is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.
"Mia… stay still, and I will fix you right up," She cast a spell, and it feels so warm. "You're going to be okay."
<0>
Kura's POV
That was too close. I barely made it in time before that demon… no Mia is fine… I shouldn't be thinking about stuff like that. I finish healing Mia's injuries. I never should have let her get so severely injured. I was meant to protect her, but Mia had several broken bones and internal bleeding. I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't had a healing spell.
"I have taken care of your injuries. How are you feeling, Mia? Any pain?"
"No," I let out a sigh of relief. "I'm fine."
"That's good,"
I smile as I help Mia stand. It looks like everything will be okay. Mia can stand by herself and doesn't look like she is in pain. It also looks like the battle is over. I can see signs of battle near where I spot Satou's carriage, and another area of the city looks damaged by the harbour. But it looks like everything is fine now.
"Let's go back to the others,"
I pick Mia up and jump from the roof. I should have used the stairs. I forgot how scared Mia is of heights as she clings tightly to me even after we hit the ground. After everything she has been through, I can let her hug me like this until we return to the others. Noticing Mia's bow, I put it in my storage as I carry Mia down the road. People come out of hiding, and soldiers start searching the area.
<Title Acquired: Demon Slayer [Lesser]>
<Title Acquired: Enemy of Demons>
<Title Acquired: Saviour of Maidens>
"Master!"
"Hero Kura!"
Pearl and Nana are the first to run over to me. From the looks of things, they had been through a fight just as hard as ours. Their armour will need some repairs, but it looks like they haven't been injured.
"Are you two okay?"
"We're fine,"
"Satou gave us a potion that healed the minor injuries we received in battle, I report,"
So no one was severely injured. That's a relief. I'll thank Satou later. But for now, I should help treat the wounded. Satou and his girls are already handing out potions, but I should help too. But that leads to one problem, Mia. When I tried to put her down, she only hugged me ore tighter.
"Mia, it's okay now we are back with the others,"
"…"
Despite my attempt to comfort her, Mia only hugs me tighter and buries her head in my shoulder. She must have really been scared.
"Is something wrong with Mia? I have comforting modules in store if you require assistance. I offer,"
I am not sure if those modules will work or what they are exactly, but if they would help Mia, then it is worth a shot. But for now, it isn't a problem that needs to be dealt with. Not when there are people who need help more.
"Not now," I shake my head. "Let's focus on helping the injured and anyone trapped in the buildings."
It looks like everyone here had a hard fight. Several buildings have been destroyed, and many others are on fire or look like they could collapse.
"Yes master,"
"Orders registered, I confirm,"
Pearl and Nana quickly run off to deal with the injured while I take Mia around, using her water magic to put out the fires. Between all of us, we manage to get every under control in less than half an hour. As a result, all the praise and thanks we received seemed to help Mia as she finally let go of me and walked by my side. She still occasionally hides behind me when the crowd becomes too much for her, but I am sure she will get better with crowds over time.
<0>
But we couldn't rest after everything settled down. We had to finish escorting Tolma and his family to the temple and were reunited with two friends.
"Hero Kura, it is a pleasure to see you again,"
"Hero K…."
Lady Sara elegantly bows her head when she greets me, looking like an angelic princess. In contrast, Karina trips as she runs over to me, only to be caught in Satou's arms.
"S… Satou… please stop holding me like this…."
Karina must overcome her discomfort with men if she wants to win Satou's heart. I'm not sure that blushing and nervously fidgeting with her fingers will do it for Satou. If she would use… her assists more… I'm sure Satou will notice her. Even now, her can't take his eyes off of those mountains.
"Thank you for the help you provided to the citizens of Gururian City,"
"I didn't do much. Satou helped out more than I did,"
"But didn't you defeat three lesser demons single-handedly?"
"Yeah, but Mia helped me with one of them,"
"Naah," But Mia shakes her head. "Saved me."
"One of the guards wouldn't stop talking about you," Sara smiles. "He told me all about how you trapped the demons in a barrier to allow people to escape and how you fought them single-handedly. You have become very popular amongst the soldiers, you know. Several of them already compliment how brave you were when they were too scared to move."
"Hero,"
It wasn't as easy as they were making it out to be, but I accepted the praise from Mia and Sara.
"They were also talking about you, Lady Mia. They told me an adorable cute little girl was firing at the demons from on top of the cities wall,"
"Little girl…."
I don't know why Mia has an issue with the compliment, but Sara doesn't seem to notice the frown on her lips.
"It managed to gather quite a few fans to Lady Mia,"
I should probably keep an eye on Mia for the rest of our stay in the city. The last thing I want is for her to be overwhelmed by her fans. But before I can learn more about the rumours people are spreading about Mia and me, a knight on horseback arrives, summoning us all to the castle. We weren't in trouble; instead, we were all given medals for our fight with the demons and Satou, Karina, and I received a bag of one hundred gold coins each.
We also received an invitation to a banquet later that night. But when Satou and Karina got to leave, I received a separate invitation to join to have tea with the viceroy and his family. I didn't want to be rude, so I accepted and stayed behind, giving Pearl my bag of money to buy dinner for everyone tonight. The viceroy was nice enough to write a letter allowing the beastfolk girls to dine at any restaurant they wanted. The invitation to the banquet was only for Satou, Karina and me. I hope this letter will allow them to have a nice meal too.
The tea was more pleasant than I thought it would be. The viceroy may have been slightly arrogant, but it wasn't too bad. He mostly wanted to know about Seiryuu City. Whether the rumours of a new maze appearing there were true, so I told him what happened. There are a few things Earl Seiryuu asked me to keep quiet about, so I avoided those. However, I still managed to satisfy the viceroy with my answers.
After that came the standard for noble greeting, well, a standard for me at least. Showing the viceroy my sword got the reaction I have grown used to. The viceroy and his family cry and hold my sword while speaking of the ancestral king Yamato.
But I ended up staying longer than I thought I would, and before I knew it, the time for the banquet. The viceroy was kind enough to let me clean up in one of the spare rooms, but I felt underdressed. Everyone who attended wore dresses and suits while I was still in my armour. I had my own dress, but in this world, party dresses are not something someone can wear without help. At least no one is saying anything to my face about it.
Karina was wearing a dress that attracted a lot of attention. It didn't show much, but the embroidery pattern brought more attention to those mountains. It's no surprise she ended up hiding behind Satou when every man couldn't stop staring. As for Satou, he looks pretty good in a suit. Handsome with a mysterious air about him. It is good that Arisa isn't here, or she might have started a fight with the women gossiping about her master.
As for the banquet itself, the food was excellent. Tasty and with enough on offer that there was something for everyone. I didn't hear a single complaint from any of the guests. They were simple dishes to make so Satou and I could make them later for everyone else to try.
Once the banquet was over, everyone moved to the salon for my favourite part of noble life, to socialise and make connections. I don't have a problem with making friends. It's just that there are always at least a handful of nobles here that are so arrogant and narcissistic it drives me insane. I wish there was a skill that allowed me to detect people like that so I could avoid them. But at least this time, I am not the centre of attention.
"Lady Karina, is sir Pendragon your fiance?"
"…N… no, he's not,"
Karina isn't doing herself any favours. With her hesitation and the way she is glancing at Satou, there is no way those women won't suspect where her feelings lay. That blush isn't helping, either.
"Then what about Hero Kura? Is she engaged to sir Pendragon?"
Wait! What? I haven't given them any reason to think that. If they had known about us bathing together or me seeing him naked that one time then I would understand. But tonight, I have only stood next to him as people bombarded us with questions about our fight with the demon and the battle for Muno City. I want to correct them, but I can't get away from a group of knights right now. I hope Karina can handle this herself.
"No… she… she is just close with him… they don't have that kind of relationship… I think…."
It was too much to ask for. Karina only convinced the women that something was happening between Satou and me. I hope that worried look she is sending my way isn't because she believes something might be happening between Satou and me.
"So you will be entering the martial arts tournament as well, miss hero," At least a giant knight is here to distract me from their conversation. "We will probably end up facing each other at some point then."
"I look forward to having a good match with you,"
"I'm sure it will be a fight to remember. It's a shame your husband isn't participating. Sir Pendragon really should reconsider entering. With his skill, he is bound to make a name for himself,"
"He's right. You really should take part in the martial arts tournament, sir Pendragon,"
"I could write you a letter of recommendation allowing you to get through to the final section,"
Nobles, knights and even the viceroy himself seem to have the wrong idea about us. I wish they hadn't said that married thing loud enough for Karina to hear. She is staring to glare a hole into the back of my head.
"I think such an honour should be bestowed upon one of your own worthy warriors, your excellency," Satou politely declines. "And hero Kura isn't my wife. I just have the honour of calling her my friend."
At least that misunderstanding has been taken care of. I no longer feel someone burning a hole in the back of my head, so Karina must have heard him too.
"Oh, if you are single, miss hero, then how about I introduce you to my son,"
"No, it would be better for her to marry into my family,"
But that had led to a situation where nobles with single sons or grandsons cornered me. I had never had so many offers of marriage before in my life, and I probably used every line in the book to turn people down. But even then, they were relentless. I had to excuse myself and take a moment to rest in the garden after going through all that. Honestly, I think fighting demons is easier than being a noble.
I'm sure the garden is a beautiful sight in the daylight. Even in the dim light from the magical lights and the moon's rays, I can tell the garden is well looked after. But the privacy granted by the tall hedges in the garden meant I had to walk a bit to get away from the sounds of young nobles hooking up.
"Hero Kura,"
But it seems I wasn't as alone as I thought. Hearing a clear voice calling my name, I turn to the side and find lady Sara standing up from where she was sitting on a bench. The moonlight really is making her more beautiful. In the light of the moon, Sara's silver hair looks like it is shining.
"Um… hero Kura… is everything okay?"
"Oh, I'm sorry," I swear I didn't mean to stare at her like that. "Please forgive me, but your hair looks so beautiful in the moonlight."
"I… is that so…."
I hope I didn't say anything to make her uncomfortable. There is a quiet moment before she speaks again wear Sara fiddles with her hair.
"Hero Kura, can you walk with me for a little bit?"
"It will be my pleasure,"
I'm glad I didn't make things wried. Still, I wonder if Sara has been here before since she seems to know exactly where she is going. Maybe she stayed here on her way to Muno City. She led me to a fountain surrounded by primroses that gentle glow.
"Oh, fireflies…."
Following her gaze, I spot a pair dancing together amongst the primroses. They seem to be enjoying themselves before they fly off to join a larger group.
"It's been a long time since I saw one,"
I think the last time was when I was twenty back in Japan. I went home for my older brother's wedding and saw a few flying around my parent's garden. But there is something about the fireflies in this world that make them more alluring to the eye than the ones I saw back in my old life.
We end up following the group of fireflies for a little bit. Reaching the water, we travelled along its bank while our glowing friends crossed to the other side. It's really a calming spot we found. The soft sound of the river and the cricking of insects proved to be a more soothing combination than I thought they would.
"Hero Kura… can I ask you something?" Staring out at the river, Sara whispered so quietly that I almost missed it. "Do you think… you could change fate?"
"Of course," I reply. "Fate is only set in stone if you don't do anything to change it."
"You… really think so?"
So someone is trying to force her to do something against her will. I am not sure if that is the case, but that is the feeling I am getting. Someone is probably trying to force her into a marriage or another arrangement Sara doesn't want. Being not only the daughter of a duke but also an oracle priestess must be full of problems for her.
"I know so. Everyone said greater hell demons can't be beaten by anything other than a hero or an army. If everything was written in stone, I would have died at the hands of a greater hell demon and never become a hero," I tell her, but the word demon seems to make things worse. "If you ever find yourself trapped by fate, I would be happy to shatter it for you."
"Even if a demon lord is going to kill me?"
A demon lord? Could she have had a vision or been told she would be killed by one? But if a demon lord does want her life, it will have to get through me first.
"Lady Sara," I take out my holy sword and kneel down, copying the knight I used to read about as a child. "As a hero and knight, I promise that a demon lord won't harm you." I exaggerate my voice and actions, finally making her smile. "Surely, with a knight as strong as me, even the demon lord himself would be too afraid to approach you."
She finally laughed after a bit more exaggerated acting, causing some tears to slip down her cheeks. I give her my handkerchief.
"Thank you," Sara wiped her eyes and gently smiled. "And thank you for saying those things. I really needed to hear that."
"Oh, so this is where the two of you ran off to," Turning around, we spot Tolma and Satou approaching. "I didn't think I would find the two of you having a little rendezvous."
"T… Tolma! Kura and I aren't like that!" Sara ends up blushing as she tries to correct Tolma. She is just like Karina, though, and only makes things worse. "We would never do something so unseemly!"
"Oh really? Because you appear to be calling her by her first name,"
Tolma may be teasing her too much, but it is probably for the best. It looks like Sara has forgotten all about the stuff that has bothered her.
"Oh, you!" Sara pouts crossly.
"Lord Tolma, there is no need to tease her any further,"
Satou finally brings Tolma's joke to an end. It might have gone on for a bit too long. I'm a little worried Sara's face might become permanently red if she blushes any harder.
"But I am surprised to see I haven't gotten arise out of you, miss hero," Tolma says, glancing at me. "Most people wouldn't keep a calm expression being teased like that."
"I just don't let comments like that get to me,"
In reality, it was my poker face skill keeping my face straight. Without that skill, I might have become just as red as Sara. I know we weren't doing anything wrong, but I couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed by what Tolma was implying. Still, it was nothing compared to the stuff Arisa would come up with about either me or Satou from time to time.
"We were simply taking a break from the party,"
"So far away from prying eyes,"
"Tolma!"
"Sorry! I'll stop! I'll stop!"
I wonder if Tolma and Sara have known each other for a long time. Neither of them has mentioned having a relationship like that. Still, they reminded me of how two of my classmates who were childhood friends would act.
"I wouldn't want any of us to catch a cold from being out so late. We should head back to the salon soon,"
"… I suppose so,"
"Oh? You're going back? I was about to take Satou with me, so the two of you could continue your date,"
No. These two don't remind me of my classmates. They are just like them. I can remember a similar scene playing out during lunch one day. I can't remember which one had their first date the day before, but the other was teasing them about it.
With his joke said, Tolma put an arm around Satou and made a strategic retreat. Satou apologises as he is led away, but Sara doesn't hear as she chases after Tolma.
"Tolma!"
Tolma made a wise choice in dropping the teasing as we walked back and changed the subject. I didn't think Sara could handle much more of his jokes.
"Still, it was a miracle that not a single life was lost today,"
"Yes. Thanks to gods protection and the help of hero Kura, Satou and their companions," Sara nods while glancing at Satou and me. "The injured can be healed with magic, but there is nothing we can do for the dead…."
Oh. Does that mean….
"Is there no magic that can resurrect the dead?"
But Satou beat me to it and asked the question on my mind.
"… No… none,"
There is something about Sara's answer that makes me not believe it. Her hesitation, the way she looked for a brief moment before answering Satou. It all leads me to believe that that type of magic does exist. Is it banned or just a secret?
"Aren't you forgetting something, Sara?" Tolma only gets me more suspicious. "When that young noble was murdered, the holy woman…."
"Tolma!"
It must be top secret. I didn't think Sara's face could make such a threatening expression. Even Tolma sweats after receiving a look like that.
"Sorry, sorry. I forgot we aren't supposed to talk about that. Sir Satou, Hero Kura, please forget what you just heard,"
"Certainly, I didn't hear a thing,"
"Nope, not a thing,"
It must be a big secret. Maybe the requirements or the circumstances when it comes to using that magic are something they want nobody to learn. But I think it was most likely being kept a secret, so people don't demand to use it. I can picture idiots getting themselves killed in stupid ways because they know they will be brought back to life.
"Were you out for a walk, lady Sara?"
The viceroy and his wife were waiting for us as we entered. Karina must be upset that neither Satou nor I bailed her out because she is giving us a sharp look.
"I went to the garden to look for myself, but we must have missed each other," The viceroy's wife told us.
"Did you need something from me?"
"Yes, in fact, a courier came from the Tenion Temple just a short while ago,"
Thanking the viceroy's wife, Sara bid her farewell before meeting with the courier. For some reason, Satou and Tomla followed after her. I didn't think it was anything substantial, but I couldn't go even if I wanted to. The viceroy and his wife dragged me back to the party as soon as I was alone, saying there were people they wanted to introduce me to. I'm sure Satou will tell me if it was anything I need to know about.
It was hell. The viceroy and his wife kept introducing me to their single relatives until Sara approached them. It isn't clear why but Sara said she was called back to the old capital and needed to borrow an express ship. Despite how she told me it was nothing to worry about, I still get a bad feeling about this. I was tempted to join her when she departed the following day. Still, I decided against it since we would soon be heading to the old capital.
<0>
"Take care on your journey home, lady Sara,"
"I hope you have a safe trip,"
"Thank you, Satou, Hero Kura. Let us meet again in the old capital,"
I get that bad feeling again when we see Sara off the following day. The dock was only for nobles, so it was just Satou, Karina and me seeing Sara off with the viceroy and his wife. Everyone else was watching from the gate, waving as Sara boarded the ship.
A bell rang, announcing that the ship would soon leave on important business. It must be an everyday thing since the fishing boats move out of the way in an orderly fashion. Another bell rang further down the river, followed by another before someone from the dock control tower waved a flag. The express ship was faster than I thought as it took off in a spray of water.
"Fast!"
"So speedy, sir!"
Pochi and Tama looked like they wanted to chase after it as Liza held the back. Our ship won't be as fast as that one, but we will begin our journey down the river in a day or two. The viceroy has permitted us to travel on the ship provided for Tomla, his family, and Karina. I just hope that bad feeling I had was just my imagination.
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