As we drew closer to Saile Village, we noticed a gathering of armed adults near the entrance. It wasn’t just the village militia; ordinary villagers were present as well. The atmosphere was as if all the villagers had come out to defend themselves.
Although it was a small village, this wasn’t normal. What could have possibly happened?
“What shall we do, Sir Dahl?”
At this point, it seemed wise to follow our client’s preference. We could either keep our distance or boldly approach the village to assess the situation. Whichever option we chose, our actions would have to be tailored to his comfort.
“…To return without conducting any trade would tarnish a merchant’s reputation. Yet, exposing goods and personnel to danger poses a great risk as well. Let everyone wait here. I shall go alone.”
“Please wait. It’s not good for Sir Dahl to go alone. At the very least, it would be wise to take one escort along.”
Ah, this was an unexpected turn of events. Sir Dahl wanted to proceed alone, but his subordinate intervened and suggested a more cautious approach. The subordinate’s worry was justified; even if the villagers were acquaintances of theirs, their aggressive behavior could lead to unforeseen dangers.
Perhaps driven by a strong sense of responsibility, I couldn’t stand by and watch someone risk danger without intervening. It seemed appropriate for me to offer help here.
“Sir Dahl, I must agree with what your subordinate has to say. As someone who has been requested to escort you, I cannot just let you go alone.”
“But…”
“You might be concerned that having strangers like us accompany you could complicate matters further. Rest assured. I have visited this village once before.”
“Is that so?!”
Sir Dahl was visibly surprised by my words. Was it that unexpected? Well, it doesn’t matter. I decided to continue with my persuasion.
“While I wasn’t exactly welcomed with open arms, no one caused me harm. For better or worse, my appearance tends to remain in people’s minds, so it’s likely that some villagers will recognize me.”
“However…”
“What if we do this? You allow me to accompany you to the village. Being just one person, I am less likely to raise suspicion, and I can also use [Space-Time Magic]. Should the need arise, we can always escape.”
“…Alright. Let’s do as Sir Isam says.”
It seemed that my persuasion had been successful. The thought of Sir Dahl dying was unbearable, not only because of the fear of failing the quest but also because of the disappointment it would bring to Sir Haze. More importantly, the death of someone I had chatted with, even if they were just a resident of a game, would be a sad event.
“Moth-san, I’m entrusting you with the command. Eiji and Usaji, be ready to fight at any moment. And of course, that goes for Karl as well.”
“I’ll take over.”
“Understood!”
“Be careful out there, okay?”
“Guoooo!”
With this exchange, Sir Dahl and I made our way to Saile Village. What exactly awaited us there? Even though I felt a sense of danger and vigilance, I couldn’t deny the excitement bubbling inside me.
◆◇◆◇◆◇
When we arrived, it was clear that the people of Saile Village had spotted us. Someone noticed us first and shouted, causing a flurry of activity as the villagers hastily pointed their spears in our direction and nocked arrows, seemingly ready to attack at any moment.
It seemed they were quite on edge as if a dangerous monster had appeared… though, looking at it objectively, I too looked like a dangerous and malevolent monster. I decided to keep the Magic Shield spell on standby, ready to protect Sir Dahl at any moment.
“Is that… hey! Lower your weapons!”
“That’s the traveling merchant, Sir Dahl!”
The relatively well-armed members of the village’s militia raised their voices. They had recognized Sir Dahl’s presence. It was fortunate that there were those among them who could act rationally. Sir Dahl and I exchanged nods before we began our descent.
As we landed, two of the militia members who had been calming the other villagers rushed over to us. The expressions on their faces made it clear that we had arrived at a bad time.
“It’s been a while, people of Saile Village. What’s going on here?”
“Sir Dahl, the thing is… you, you’re?!”
One of the villagers was about to explain the situation to Sir Dahl when he suddenly noticed me and shouted in surprise. The other didn’t shout, but his face twisted in a frown. They remembered me then, and it seemed they still harbored ill feelings. This was problematic.
It appeared that Miss Margaret had failed to convey that we were “good monsters”. There was a chance she hadn’t even tried to explain our nature, but I preferred to believe otherwise.
However, being met with hostility didn’t mean we should be confronting them. I decided to take a friendly approach.
“Hello there, villagers. I’m here today as Sir Dahl’s escort. There’s no need for you to worry.”
“What…?! How dare you…!”
“It’s true. He and his companions are my guards. More importantly, may we ask about the situation here? Depending on what’s going on, we may have to reconsider our visit.”
In spite of the militia member’s initial outburst, Sir Dahl quickly interjected, steering the conversation back to the matter at hand. It was clear that he saw no value in exchanging insults in such a critical situation. The other militia member, perhaps understanding Sir Dahl’s intent, stepped forward to intervene before the man who seemed ready to attack me could do so, and began to explain.
“…A monster appeared. And not the kind we’re used to seeing around here.”
“A Cyclops from the forest, perhaps?”
“No, that’s not it! It’s not some easily recognized monster!”
Sir Dahl speculated that a fearsome monster, perhaps a cyclops, had emerged from the nearby forest. I had come to the same conclusion, but it seemed we were wrong. The more ill-tempered of the two was quite adamant in his denial.
In fact, despite his bravado, this ill-tempered man seemed to be trembling. It was likely that the sight of the monster had terrified him. What exactly did he see?
“One of the villagers first spotted something floating in the sky. It turned out to be a monster, and it was approaching us, so we attacked and drove it away.”
“Oh? From what you’re saying, it sounds like you were successful in repelling it, weren’t you?”
“The problem isn’t that! There’s no way such a blasphemous creature should exist!”
“…There are many villagers who share the same opinion as this guy. Unfortunately, a storm yesterday damaged part of the fence surrounding the village… We’ve decided to increase the number of guards for the time being, which has been causing quite a bit of commotion.”
I was aware that a storm had hit Vetus Floating Island last night in the game. The “Ancient Ruined City” also had underground passages that were flooded with water and puddles, making it troublesome to explore. With the village fence damaged, not only the entrances but also the gaps needed guarding. No wonder there was a commotion in the village.
Even so, I was surprised that the reason for their heightened vigilance turned out to be the appearance of a monster they had driven away. Was it so grotesque that it could make grown men tremble in fear? They described it as blasphemous… Just how repulsive could it be? It made me curious enough to want to see it for myself!
“What a misfortune… So, can we conduct our business as usual? We do have some goods that could be used for repairing the fence.”
“Please discuss that with the village chief. This way, please.”
It seemed the discussion had concluded while I harbored a somewhat inappropriate curiosity. At the urging of a militia member, Sir Dahe entered the village. I wanted to go with him as his escort, but one of the guards pointed his spear at me with hostile intent and declared,
“You cannot enter! Perhaps if you were a Birdian merchant with whom we have long-standing dealings, but we cannot allow a suspicious creature inside!”
“Sir Dahl, the village is on edge at the moment… Could your guard please wait here?”
Oh no, they won’t let me in? Then I can’t perform my duties as an escort! This is troubling.
However, I could understand their reluctance to let me into the village. With the village threatened by monsters, it would be hard for them to accept an unknown creature like me entering their midst. It seemed my presence there was becoming pointless, but the decision rested with Sir Dahl.
“Is it not possible for the village chief to come out here? Sir Isam, could you please wait a moment?”
“It seems I have no choice. It should be safe, but please be careful.”
It wasn’t my first visit, and I doubted the villagers would suddenly attack. I had also given Sir Dahl a short teleport talisman just in case. If anything, my presence might cause more trouble. It seemed my only option was to wait.
I watched Sir Dahl enter the village, but the problem was that the more reasonable militia member had gone with him, leaving me with the ill-tempered one who was still glaring at me fiercely. Give me a break, seriously.
“Hey, you.”
“…What is it?”
“Tch, what a prick.”
What? Just like that, I’m being insulted? If you don’t like me, you shouldn’t talk to me in the first place…
“Well, whatever. It was you, wasn’t it? The one who filled Margaret with strange ideas!”
“Ah, is she well? Has her mother’s illness been cured…?”
“I’m the one asking questions here!”
Hmmm….? What’s the harm in telling me? And by “strange ideas”, was it stuff about us?
“Even if you say ‘strange ideas’… what exactly did she say?”
“Don’t play dumb, you bastard! Going on about benefactors and whatnot, you must be controlling her with some spell, right?!”
“…You think one of us is controlling her? And what would we gain if we do such a thing?”
“Shut up! If not for that, there’s no way Margaret would hit me!”
“Hmm? Hit you?”
As he continued his outburst, I learned that Margaret had spread the word around the village that we had saved her, just as she had said when we parted ways. Given our dealings with the Birdian merchants, most villagers were surprised yet they accepted the fact that wanderer monsters could communicate.
However, some young men objected, insisting that there could be no exceptions other than Birdians. They began to claim that Margaret must have been deceived or controlled and that the perpetrator must be punished.
Margaret herself was the most vocal opponent of these claims. She defended her benefactors, insisted that she was of sound mind, and scolded the young men for disrespecting her benefactors. As a result of the argument, this man, who had been the most vocal in his insults to us, ended up being hit by her.
Ah, this man… he must be in love with Miss Margaret, right? She was indeed a charming young lady. It seems these men feel the same way about her. They’re jealous that the girl they adore is praising someone else as her benefactor. Ugh, I wish I hadn’t heard any of this.
It’s understandably frustrating when the object of your affection praises someone else, regardless of gender. I can grasp that much. But naturally, insulting that benefactor is bound to provoke her anger. Can’t they see something so simple?
I didn’t come here to listen to this man’s jealous grievances. Oh, how I wish Sir Dahl would return soon…
“Sir Isam! Permission has been granted!”
“Ah, that’s great news! Let’s hurry and gather everyone without delay.”
“Uh? Oh, yes, let’s do that.”
“Hey, wait! We’re not done talking…!”
I didn’t want to stay here for even one more second, so I hurried Sir Dahl, who had finally returned, and quickly flew into the sky. Perhaps because he could sense how desperate I was, Sir Dahl followed me even though he had doubts.
I felt like I heard something from behind, but I was determined to ignore it. Even though I wasn’t at fault, I found myself fleeing from Saile Village, if only for a moment.
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