Volume 3 Chapter 78 We’ll Need Transportation, Right？ I
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
She furrowed her brow.
Renaud and Priscilla probably weren’t the type to burn down a whole town, but Mankovitch was right that they were dangerous foes.
She had the look of someone who knew she couldn’t be protected if things went south, but she had accepted everything on the face of the ‘glasses’ Witch.
She must feel responsible, thinking she couldn’t back out until she achieved something.
”Tengu, protect the lead Witch.”
”Seriously? You’re taking this little lady with you?”
”I might get turned away on my own. We need someone from Her Excellency Maribel’s side too. ────Kitsune, if you end up in a fight with Ms. Priscilla, take her out before she turns into a dragon. Same goes for Renaud.”
”I was looking forward to testing the magic sword’s edge. It won’t be lacking for the job.”
”Um, Master Kian, about taking them out, it’s a bit…”
”Just disable them by cutting off their arms and making them unable to fight. ‘Taking out’ is just a figure of speech, Baron Mankovitch.”
”I’ll try to hold back if the situation allows.”
Natra said, then picked up the thorny magic sword from her waist with a clatter.
Kian nodded and took out the ‘glasses’ from his pocket────and put them on.
”Alright, let’s head to Lord Renaud’s place. Since Ms. Lucretia is with us, we won’t get stopped by the guards if we use the merchant district road. Otherwise, we’ll just move through the town streets.”
”Hah!””Understood!”
Kian looked around at everyone in turn.
”There’s info about a powerful Bloodsucking Kind wandering the night fortress. There’s a chance of a surprise attack, so don’t let your guard down. Make sure Ms. Lucretia stays close to Tengu. The fighting will be handled by me, Kitsune… and the okina, so please don’t interfere.”
* * *
Kian, Natra, Rufna, Sarah, and Lucretia left behind the old Oswald mansion, where a bonfire was burning brightly.
They made their way up the gentle, winding road leading from the front gate to the merchant district.
Surrounding them were the Beastmen guards that Maribel had recently hired, keeping watch.
The sound of their armor clinking echoed through the quiet of the night──
They had been stopped about 3 times after arriving in the merchant district, but Lucretia handled each situation without trouble.
”That was the Sunlightland Knight Brigade earlier. Lady Eleonora seems to be putting all her effort into capturing the monster,”
Lucretia murmured as she glanced back at the 3 soldiers in yellow armor, who were marching away, flanked closely by Kian and the others.
”Well, the Knight Brigade has their honor at stake, I guess. If they act all high and mighty but can’t deliver when it counts, they’ll just become a laughingstock among the citizens,”
Rufna casually replied while pulling Lucretia a bit closer.
The ‘glasses’ Witch hadn’t noticed, but there was a small mound of yellow vomit at their feet.
Sarah silently took a detour, while the last one, Natra, leaped lightly over it.
Neither made a sound as they moved.
It was as if they floated a few centimeters above the ground, like Night Wraiths.
Rufna appeared carefree, but was actually quite tense, and Natra and Sarah didn’t even try to hide their murderous intent.
The 3 of them wore distorted masks and Eastern-style clothing (though Sarah’s was slightly different), creating an eerie vibe.
If Kian had seen them 2 months ago, he would have immediately turned on his heel and locked himself away in his quarters.
They didn’t know how strong the monster was, but if it was targeting them, it would probably go after the guards instead of Kian and Company.
He would bet a single Gold Coin on that.
(Though, it’s impossible for it to ambush them while evading my detection, anyway.)
’Not you. It’s me, the bald one.’
(I’m not bald yet! My hairline is just a bit shaky!)
They hurried ahead while having this ridiculous exchange about ‘glasses’.
Lucretia knew Renaud’s place, but even without her guiding, she could see Priscilla’s unique magic power far away through the ‘glasses’.
It was down southeast of the merchant district ── a place packed with large warehouses.
There was a big artificial river in front that was occasionally used for moving things around in the fortress.
The river was managed constantly by golems made by Christy, and it didn’t stink or get all muddy like in Châtillon.
This was a place that quietly showed how impressive Christy was.
”That’s over there. Beyond the Izerland Grand Canal ── the land inside the wall in front of the warehouses is Lord Renaud’s territory.”
”Huh, it’s pretty big, isn’t it?”
”Eh…? That’s just, pretty big…?”
”No, it’s not small, alright? But it’s not like it’s super huge or anything. Maybe about 5 hundred meters on each side?”
”Can’t tell from here. But it’s probably a bit smaller than Oswald’s place. Land inside the fortress is limited. If there are warehouses next door, it makes sense they’d have to keep the grounds smaller.”
Natra said this from the back, but his voice was so low that Lucretia probably hardly heard him.
Kian squinted at the many small boats and campfires floating on the opposite bank of the canal.
Usually, he would rush through this place on horseback with Liam, without giving it much thought.
He never imagined that the dragon lord was hiding inside that wall.
”…Hey, Kian.”
”……?”
When he turned right, he saw Sarah, wearing an okina’s mask, coming close to him.
As he wondered what was up, she leaned in to whisper softly in Kian’s ear.
”It’s smaller than your house.”
”Oh, yeah, I guess so.”
”My house is the biggest right now.”
”That would make sense.”
”……”
Sarah seemed to be grinning under her mask.
Since forever, there was something mysterious about her, and it seemed that hadn’t changed even in her late twenties.
She couldn’t come up with a punchline or anything, just a weak response, but she looked satisfied, humming softly as she returned to her usual spot on the right side.
The pitch was disastrous, but it was probably a famous song by Azrael called ‘Song of the Blue Sea.’
(Not knowing what Natra was thinking was, looking back, a trait she inherited from Sarah…)
’Your ex-fiancee is a strange one, isn’t she?’
(I balanced things out because I was the normal one. I was always the straight man in the group.)
’Huh?’
”Ms. Priscilla’s magic power comes from crossing the bridge and turning right at the second intersection.”
When Kian pointed across the river, Lucretia adjusted her ‘glasses’ bridge.
”The second…, that’s the row with the Châtillon family’s warehouses. All those warehouses were supposed to be exclusively used by the Lord Renaud family.”
”It’s just a villa in a fortress, but they’re taking it way too seriously. Does Lord Renaud not like the food in the fortress, so they ship everything from Châtillon?”
”Yeah, seems like it.”
When Lucretia nodded, Rufna let out an exasperated voice.
”No way…, that’s such a waste.”
”Lord Renaud orders materials for blacksmithing from Châtillon and regularly brings in expensive ingredients obtained from their port. He may look that way, but he’s a gourmet.”
”Lord Guy is into blacksmithing and card games. His father is into martial arts and fine dining. Seems like Lord Renaud would have more in common with Lady Fhana.”
”Lord Kian, it’s best not to speak too much about the relationship between Lord Guy and Lady Fhana.”
”Oops. My bad.”
’Everyone knows the two aren’t on good terms, right?’
(At least in the noble salons, that was probably an open secret.)
The group finished crossing the large bridge and turned toward the warehouse town.
The bonfires burned brightly ahead, and there stood 3 knights keeping watch over the area.
Their armor was the sturdy full-body gear of the Châtillon Knight Order.
”I’ll handle this,”
Lucretia said quickly as she approached the guards.
Rufna silently followed her lead.
After a few seconds, the witch with ‘glasses’ gestured with her arm, signaling, “Come here.”
”――――.”
They passed in front of the guards, their bodies tense, ready for battle, making their way to the warehouse town.
Turning right at the second intersection, they spotted a long line of warehouses in the distance.
Priscilla’s figure was easy to find.
At the back of one of the warehouses in a straight line.
A particularly tall warehouse had a bright, makeshift bonfire lit in front of it.
In front of that, a large horse-drawn carriage stood empty and pulled out.
Priscilla waved her usual black umbrella, directing her familiar bone soldiers to grease the wheels and replace the canopy.
The 5 hurried over to her.
”Ms. Priscilla. ――――Ms. Priscilla!!”
”Huh? Oh, Lord Kian! You finally made it!”
The memory of poisoning was already far behind.
The white-haired witch waved her hand with an innocent smile, completely unconcerned.
Kian couldn’t help but glance back, locking eyes with Rufna and the others.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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