Volume 3 Chapter 87 Visiting The ‘Lion’s Companion’ II
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Piles of thin branches were stacked up, not too far away.
They were probably from the security team under Oswald’s command.
This narrow street was literally the throat of Izerland──a vital point.
Driving away wolves and bandits was undoubtedly an important task for the Knights.
Kian glanced back at the carriage clattering behind him and spoke to Sarah.
”The Dacia Plain is empty—no settlements, no trade—so we had no choice but to take this route. And now I see why the Lord of Ramsey is so influential. The ‘Snow Pass of the Giant’ acts like a natural fortress. It blocks smugglers and stops people from leaving just as easily as it controls what comes in. Even though Ramsey is isolated from the Izerland fortress by land and money, the southern territories still depend on it for grain. They have no other option.”
”Châtillon didn’t force that dependence. Historically, they’ve been known as a region that eats mostly vegetables. But now, Lord Guy is rewriting the laws so that grain becomes the staple food instead.”
”So the real question is: is it cheaper to buy Ramsey’s wheat—or to just keep surviving on meat and greens?”
The question popped out without much thought.
Sarah’s face said, “What the hell are you saying?”
Part of it might be because Kian was showing his bad side too much in front of her,
but he felt like he was becoming less and less reserved.
”Obviously, it’s grain. Châtillon imports it from the Azrael region too. Prices are sky-high now because of the coup and ongoing war, but when you factor in root vegetables and everything else, grain is still king.”
”Makes sense. You just get more bulk at once. Plus, it gives off way more energy than just eating meat or veggies.”
”Remember that dish we had? Flatbread made from dried wheat dough—lagane, right? We baked it with side dishes. It was delicious, filling, and super cheap. You saw how good it was for your wallet, didn’t you?”
”Nope. I was too busy with that Quest to check out the Grain Bureau.”
”Well, you should go next time. You’ll see how serious Lord Guy is about his grain policy. Lately, they’ve even started producing new pasta types—ones that are boiled or steamed during prep. The way they absorb water changes the texture… makes it silky. How do I even describe it…?”
”Sensual?”
”Exactly! That’s the word. The first time I ate it, it was too good—I couldn’t stop. I devoured eight plates like it was nothing.”
”Wow. Now I have to try it.”
”Oh, I’ll cook it for you next time. Once we hit the Ramsey merchant zone, we should be able to get the ingredients easily.”
”I’m looking forward to your cooking day, Sarah. Mind if I watch how you make it? Could be a good learning experience.”
”Sure, you can watch. But just like old times—I’m putting you to work. Hope you’re ready.”
Sarah said this with one eye closed, the edge of the black cloth on her head fluttering in the cold mountain breeze.
The combination of the north wind and the southern beauty with tan skin was imbalanced, but it was precisely this unusual sight that was captivating.
Then again.
(Yes, when I was young, I dreamed of traveling around with Sarah on future missions. I wanted to get out of Azrael, and it would have been nice to have a trusted childhood friend by my side…)
The situation now was a bit different from the fantasies of his childhood, but he was able to travel north with Sarah.
He couldn’t help but feel the mysteries of fate.
’It’s fine to relax your mind, but you mustn’t forget about the quest.’
(‘Glasses’, did you have them?)
’Good question. They’ve been in your chest pocket this whole time. ──It’s about time you put these on. It’ll be more efficient in tracking Rean’s magic power.’
(Yeah, I’ll borrow your strength.)
Nodding in agreement with ‘glasses’, he pulled her out from his pocket.
Kian, in high spirits, started humming a tune as he equipped the transformational magic tool next to Sarah.
His thoughts became sharp and clear.
At the same time, he could faintly sense a putrid smell coming from the direction of the rocky mountain.
(What is this smell?)
’Be careful. Something real bad is nesting beyond that mountain range. Situationally speaking, it’s likely the real deal that hit “Lion”s Companion.”‘
”Sarah.”
”What’s wrong?”
Kian fixed his gaze on the two towering, pale blue mountain ranges ahead.
”Cut the chatter and get on high alert. I’ll inform Ms. Priscilla and the others too.”
”Understood.”
Sarah nodded, her lips tight from the lipstick, no longer the gentle childhood friend, but the cold and calm apostle of Azrael.
The sight of the unchanging yet changed Sarah made him feel complicated, but now more than ever, he felt how much he relied on her professional side.
* * *
After crossing the Snow Pass of the Giant, they found Rean’s group wagon—completely overturned—lying in a pitiful heap at the edge of the forested path where the trees began to thicken again.
At first, they froze, thinking some massive beast had ambushed and flipped the wagon. But upon closer inspection, the canvas covering showed no signs of tearing or claw marks. It quickly became obvious: someone had deliberately tipped it over and staged the scene to look like an accident.
As Kian and the others halted their own wagon to inspect the scattered cargo bags, a figure rustled out from the trees—likely the very person who had camouflaged Rean’s wagon in the first place.
”Yo. Long time no see, Kian—Rank 7 Adventurer. And you too… Serena, Rank 8.”
”You’re…”
A stocky man of average height stepped out onto the path, brushing dried leaves off the shoulder of his heavy coat, which was made from bear hide.
In his hand, he gripped a long staff—clearly marking him as a magician.
”…”
Serena, who had been crouched over the footprints leading away from the overturned wagon, frowned and stood up slowly.
She clearly wasn’t happy to see him.
And with good reason.
The man now stepping out of the woods was none other than the magician from the Guild who had served as their examiner during the Lower-Rank Adventurer Promotion Exam back in East End.
In fact, he was the one who’d managed the entire dungeon used for that test.
Kian only remembered being praised by him, but Serena had been in a party with 2 Adventurers who suffered major losses──they were taken out by the magician’s Rank 7 equivalent Shield Cain.
After the test, Serena protested to the man, but he coldly replied, “Adventurers need luck too. You lot didn’t have enough skill or luck──it’s your own fault.”
He couldn’t have been expected to show a kind face.
”You’ve grown a lot in such a short time. Your magic power has gotten a lot stronger too. What have you been eating?”
He smiled wryly and offered his hand for a handshake.
”Fortunately, my business has been going well, and I’m able to live a better life than before. I haven’t done anything special, though.”
”I see. Just one opportunity can change your whole life, huh?”
”Master, do you know him?”
Rufna, Natra, Sarah, and Priscilla, who had been scattered around investigating the carriage, gathered together.
Kian pointed at the magician and spoke up.
”He’s someone I got to know during the lower-rank Adventurer promotion test. Due to various circumstances, he accompanied us inside the labyrinth.”
”Nice to meet you, I’m John Ellis. Call me John. Kian is a Rank 7 Adventurer, Serena is Rank 8, and──Priscilla, it’s not our first time meeting, right?”
”Ms. Priscilla, do you know him?”
”He was a senior at my Academy. We were in the same club when I first joined.”
”Hahahaha. Back then, I was so poor I lived in the club room. The freshmen, like Priscilla, would look at me with strange eyes.”
”You’ve finally started to keep your hair neat, John.”
”Of course. Even a loser like me back then is now a guild employee, thanks to Mr. Friedrich picking me up 5 years ago.”
”Hey, you were in the same club as this Witch. What kind of club was it, Mr. John?”
”Necromancy.”
”Ahh…”
”Other Academy students thought I was a freak. Not like necromancy──I’d force dead bodies to wake up, then boss them around. Guess that’s why. I kept dragging fresh corpses into the clubroom, so the place always stank like hell.”
The magician──John──shrugged when he said that.
Priscilla kept smiling, but she didn’t move closer or try to shake John’s hand.
She was a big city rich girl, after all, and maybe she just didn’t want to get close to someone as grungy as John.
”I’m Okina. Nice to meet you, Mr. John.”
”I’m Kitsune. Let’s get along.”
”Tengu. It’s a fake name, but pretend it’s real and just call us by it.”
”Yeah, good to meet you all.”
John’s mouth, scruffy with a messy beard, twisted into a slight grin.
One of his front teeth was missing.
The top of his head was starting to go bald too, so yeah──not much of a ladies’ man.
’He acts all smooth, but his hairline’s running for his life, isn’t it?’
(Shut up or I’ll shoot your face through the lens. Besides, I’m getting younger now, so it’s fine.)
”Lord John, were you the one who flipped the ‘Lion’s Companion’ carriage?”
Natra stood with her hand on her plain dress’s waist, looking up at the magician.
John’s face went serious again and he nodded.
”Yeah. I was leading a team to kill off a swarm of Cains at a dungeon southwest of Cockley Clay. Then our go-between said the ‘Lion’s Companion’ went silent. This area’s crazy dangerous, so I sent the non-fighter back to Ramsey Plains and stayed here to watch.”
”Alone?”
”Because of all these Bloodsucking Kind popping up, the East End Guild doesn’t have enough people. Plus, you heard about the enemy from the Guildmaster, right? They can make friends──if you send someone weak, they’ll just get absorbed and turned into the enemy’s army. That’s why they decided I should go alone. Honestly, when I think about my wife and kid, I really didn’t wanna be here.”
”Eh!? John, you’re MARRIED?!”
Priscilla’s mouth dropped and twisted into a weird shape.
”Yeah. I got kicked out of the Academy, met her during my Adventurer days after. I wanted to get a steady income for her, so I became a staff guy.”
”Oh, I see… huh.”
Priscilla’s face turned all gloomy, like she just lost something big.
She really was bothered by being single at 25──not a joke, apparently.
Maybe when she asked Kian all casual and smiley, ‘Wanna get married?
(lol)’, she was actually, like, 80 percent serious…
”Anything weird happen before we got here?”
Serena asked with this chilly voice.
John shook his head.
”I only got here yesterday morning. Lucky or not, this whole town road hasn’t been fixed up lately, and Lord Oswald’s knights got broken up, so most traders are floating down the Nordend River to the Royal Capital instead and selling their grain there. No clue how far the merchant guild’s talks have gotten, but this caravan route’s just dying out. Because of that, the wagon from Rean Rank 1 Adventurer was just left alone, not trashed. And the last time I talked with the watcher, southern mercenaries haven’t come through either.”
”Now that you mention it, there’s been wolves howling on the far side of the pass all night.”
”Yeah, right? Around here, it’s actually gotten nasty. All ’cause the Princess just threw Lord Oswald in jail for some reason. Being TOO hard on the law’s not always smart, if you ask me.”
Kian knew the truth about the coup, so the talk made his guts feel weird, but there was no reason to tell John, who was just a normal guy, that Oswald tried to start a rebellion too.
He decided to just get to the point.
”We’re gonna search this whole area. Can you help us?”
”Of course. That’s our job, right? Over there, in the woods. You might’ve seen already, but there’s tracks──looks like Rank 1 Adventurers went through. Way back, deeper in the trees, I can feel some nasty undead miasma. It’s so thick, not just Guild messengers──even I, with all my skills, shouldn’t get close. Watch out for fights with Wraith monsters too.”
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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