Persuade Alvy’s tribe and establish a friendly relationship with them. Putting it into words sounds simple, but dispelling the bad first impression was already difficult. The first thing to do was to show that we were not a threat.
“Eiji, could you return that child to her guardian?”
“Yes, of course. Shall we get down, Alvy?”
“Okay! Big sister~!”
Eiji gently set Alvy down on the ground and nudged her lightly, encouraging her to return to her sister. Alvy, with a beaming smile, ran to her sister and hugged her tightly. Her sister hugged her back as if she were deeply relieved, then turned her back to us as if to shield her from us. Oh dear, we seemed to be quite disliked.
“Nice to meet you. I am a wanderer named Isam, leader of the Nightwalkers guild. The ones behind me are all my companions. May I inquire who you all are?”
Just by asking, they became uneasy. They probably didn’t expect a friendly approach from us. It was only natural when considering our unusual appearance.
After some quiet discussion among themselves, a man who seemed to be their representative stepped forward. His hair and skin color, along with his attire and face paint, were almost identical to Alvy’s, but his stern face and muscular physique bore a closer resemblance to Eiji.
“I am Setun of the Nadeus tribe! What brings you to our land? What is your purpose?”
“Our purpose… well, if I had to say, it would be for adventure, I suppose. I apologize for the vague answer.”
“A-Adventure? For something like that…?”
This was the honest truth, but the other party seemed incredulous and was already furrowing his brows in suspicion. That’s just how it is for players, or wanderers, as we are known.
“Adventure? Are you unaware of the strength of the monsters that roam these lands?”
“Monsters, you say? Creatures like the Airblade Weasel were certainly strong, but not unbeatable.”
At this, Setun and his companions let out impressed sounds. It seemed the creatures might have been quite challenging for them. On closer inspection, none of their weapons were made of metal; most were simply sharp stones, likely obsidian, tied to sticks in a primitive fashion.
Some weapons were crafted from monster materials, but only from creatures considered weak on this continent, such as the tails of Airblade Weasels. The strongest among them, Setun, was the one wielding these.
From these observations, it could be inferred that they occupied a position among the weaker factions of this continent. Even though we were new to this land, our equipment and overall strength seemed superior to theirs. Their status as the weaker party likely heightened their vigilance towards outsiders encroaching on their territory.
“I’ll repeat that our sole purpose is to explore the Timbrica continent. We have no intention of becoming enemies with the Nadeus tribe… especially not with Alvy, with whom Eiji has already formed a bond.”
“I’m sorry, but mere words aren’t enough for me to trust you. I have a duty to protect my tribe.”
That was understandable. If outsiders stronger than themselves appeared, it wouldn’t be wise to blindly trust and befriend them. The question now was how to gain their trust…
“Big brother Eiji and everyone else are kind! So, Setun should be friends with them too!”
“Alvy, stop!”
Whether she was aware of the tension between the adults or not, Alvy slipped from her sister’s grasp and approached Setun with her plea. Her sister hurried over, attempting to pull her back, but Setun himself stopped her.
“Alvy, were these people kind to you?”
“Yes! They’re really kind! They even helped me earlier! They’re my… um, knife saviors?”
“Knife…? You mean life saviors?”
“Yes, that’s right!”
Setun seemed genuinely interested in hearing Alvy’s unfiltered thoughts about her interactions with us. Despite her mix-up of the word for life savior, her message was clear to him. From the way she innocently waved at Eiji, there was no trace of apprehension or fear to be found. It appeared that for Alvy, the notion of us not posing any danger was becoming an accepted fact.
While it seemed questionable to trust so easily, unexpected support arrived. Even as her sister pulled her away, Alvy continued to wave cheerfully at Eiji. The latter waved back in response with a wry smile on his face.
“Understood. We’ll withdraw for today. I’ll report accurately to the chief… to father, about what happened here.”
“Thank you. I would like to build a good relationship if possible.”
“Heh, right. Let’s head back, everyone!”
The power of a child is immense. Setun must have found it foolish to remain overly cautious. With the sternness fading from his face and a slight smile appearing, he led the others back home. As they left, Alvy continued to wave goodbye to Eiji until they were out of sight, and by then, no one felt any discomfort at the scene anymore.
◆◇◆◇◆◇
“That’s what happened.”
“The people from Alvy-chan’s tribe, you say? That’s quite interesting.”
After the members of the Nadeus tribe had left, we resumed our exploration as usual and then logged out. The next day, we briefed those who had been absent about the previous day’s events.
“It’s a good thing Jigoro wasn’t there; otherwise, we wouldn’t have been able to come to any agreement.”
“What? That wouldn’t have been an issue!”
“Really? And what would you do if that formidable Setun was standing right in front of you?”
“I’d challenge him to a test of strength, obviously.”
“See? Just like I said.”
“Ugh…!”
Jigoro looked frustrated at being outwitted by Ruby, and although I didn’t say it out loud, I was thinking the same thing. Jigoro’s quick temper was his downfall. Realizing he had no support from those around him, Jigoro crossed his arms and slumped back onto the sofa with a sullen expression.
“It’s rare to make connections with the natives. We should try to get along with them.”
“Yes, I agree. Maintaining a friendly relationship with them could give us access to more information about this continent.”
“You’re always so businesslike, aren’t you…”
Ruby chuckled, but it wasn’t as if I lacked compassion. It was better to have a good relationship than a bad one, and I had no intention of severing the bond between Eiji and Alvy, even if there was a need. In fact, I was prepared to stand by their side if the situation called for it.
However, it was clear that they hadn’t fully let their guard down yet. That was why it was crucial to act in a way that would benefit both parties, to instill the belief among the entire Nadeus tribe that maintaining a relationship with us was useful. This was my strategy, especially since I didn’t have a strong bond like the one between Eiji and Alvy.
“By the way, Iris, were you able to get a new set of armor for Eiji?”
“Yes! It’s not just metal this time; we’ve incorporated materials from monsters as well. It’s a hybrid. We used lighting iron, which is mixed with powdered lighting magic stones, so even if we use materials from aquatic monsters, it won’t have a [lightning Weakness].”
“Wow… that’s impressive.”
“Also, Eiji-san’s shield was nearly broken, so I made a new one. This one is metal-based too, but it’s covered with several types of materials from monsters that are resistant to various elements.”
Iris concluded with a remark that such a thing could never be made in reality. In the real world, shields carried by humans are generally made from wooden boards or hardened leather. Even if metal is used, it’s typically just a thin plate attached to the surface.
In modern times, there are shields made of duralumin or polycarbonate used by police forces, but none of them were made mostly of metal. The reason was simple: they would be too heavy for a human to use. A metal shield large enough to hide Eiji’s huge form was a weapon that could only exist in a game.
“It’s amazing how fast you work.”
“But, because I prioritized Eiji-san, everyone else’s weapons and armor updates are likely to be delayed. I’m sorry…”
“Don’t worry about it! We’re just grateful to be getting anything at all!”
It was just like Ruby said. Iris, who proved to be one of the most talented players at the event, has essentially become our personal craftsman. Considering the caliber of the player crafting our equipment, no one would dare complain about delays. If someone were to express dissatisfaction, they would likely face the wrath of others. At the very least, they would certainly face mine.
“So, what’s the plan for today? It’s rare for just the original members to be together.”
“About that, brother, I found a suspicious hole a little further up the river from here. How about we check it out?”
“A hole, you say? I wasn’t aware of such a thing.”
“Yes, it’s a hole just big enough for Jigoro and the old man to squeeze into, and it’s in a very inconspicuous location.”
Ruby responded to my question. It made sense that she who was a scout would discover such a place. This could well be a hidden area we hadn’t explored in a while. It seemed worth investigating.
“If it’s within reach, let’s go there with this group, for old times’ sake.”
“It’s settled then!”
◆◇◆◇◆◇
After following Ruby’s lead for a while, we arrived at our destination. The great river shimmering in the moonlight was part of an area known as the “Great Vein River – Downstream”. The hole in question was between a large rock and the ground on the riverbank.
Just like I was told, the hole was just large enough for us to manage our descent. However, it seemed impossible for Karl to pass through.
“Sorry, Karl. Could you wait here for a bit?”
“Guuuuu…”
With a sad growl, Karl obediently sat down. He was truly a smart dragon. He had taken a liking to the taste of fish from this region when we had them before, so perhaps tomorrow we could play fishermen and hunt for fish.
I felt a pang of guilt for leaving Karl behind, but I followed Ruby’s lead and descended into the hole. It could hardly be called a passage; it was a steep slope full of stones that was difficult to walk on. I nearly stumbled several times, but fortunately my staff saved me. It was originally intended as a catalyst for magic, but it proved its worth in this unexpected way. Thank you for being so useful!
As we descended, the air grew increasingly damp. Water droplets fell from above, and the ground beneath us became slick with moss-covered stones. What could possibly lie ahead in the depths? The thought that this might just be a natural cavity with nothing of interest was disheartening…
“Wait. There’s something ahead. Something big… I think it’s a monster.”
“Hehe, we have to go there.”
Upon hearing Ruby’s caution, Jigoro couldn’t help but let a savage grin spread across his face, reveling in the prospect of an impending battle. I don’t think his battle-junkie temperament will ever fade away until he dies. Anyway, let’s get ready for battle too.
“Is this a dead end?”
As we proceeded through the darkness, where we wouldn’t be able to see anything without [Night Vision], we came to a dead end. There had been no forks in the path on our journey thus far, which meant that, without another way to go, our exploration of the hole might come to an untimely end.
What Ruby detected was undoubtedly another creature lurking nearby. It was likely that there existed another opening somewhere else, where the creature resided. It seemed we might have come to a dead end in vain.
“No, you’re wrong! This isn’t a wall at all!”
At the same time as Ruby screamed, the dead end we had taken for a wall began to shift with a slithering sound.
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