Chapter 208 - Host (5)

When I signaled that it was okay to come out, the Art Club members in the carriage slowly emerged.

I still had unresolved questions, so I continued asking, "It would have been enough to just break the wheels. Why did Gale attack?"

Hubert pointed at Cecil and said in an emotional tone, "To be precise, he wasn't targeting us but that half-elf woman, and our Instrumental Music Club got caught up in it."

Cecil retorted angrily, "Yeah, they would have just done some sabotage and left, but you poured oil on the fire with your idiotic jokes about northern toilets and Sion!"

"Right, since we'd be stranded in the wilderness unable to go home anyway, dying by monsters or Gale would have been the same."

"Don't you have legs? Do you die if the wheels are broken? Ah, I guess your race with short legs would die soon without wheels."

"Does this look short to you? As you can see, they're quite long."

"The cowardice typical of short-legged races remains the same."

"Ah, I understand you're upset about being rejected by a man, but why don't you take out your frustration on someone else? It's not my fault."

Cecil's face gradually filled with anger.

"You weren't brought here to research like me, but to fight if conflicts arise, you know? If you can't even do your job properly, why don't you just shut up?"

"I can see why your kind was driven out by the elves. It's certainly because your personality is as dirty as a hunting dog."

"You're a coward who can't even play the role of a hunting dog. A dog that can't hunt deserves worse than being boiled alive."

"I fought. I was just outnumbered."

Damian and the other Art Club members blankly watched the two viciously tearing at each other.

Sierra added a comment while looking at them, "...Those with pretty faces always fight like they're going to die, but in the end, they end up falling for each other."

Tami, an Art Club colleague, chimed in, "Hmm, well. Elves and dwarves can't interbreed."

"What?"

"The only species that can mate with both of them is humans. It's in the book 'Species Reproduction'."

"Ah... really?"

"Hybrids of elves and dwarves are born with serious deformities. Their mutual hatred is close to an instinct passed down from ancestors."

As Cecil and Hubert's fight showed no signs of subsiding, I intervened, "If you're going to keep blocking the road like this, move aside. We'll be on our way."

At this, Cecil cleared her throat and politely answered me, "Ahem, first, I apologize for suddenly blocking the road. We had no other choice."

It felt strange to talk with Cecil here. I had believed I had cut ties with Cecil, but now I see that wasn't exactly the case. Especially seeing her injured state, I felt strong sympathy.

"What do you want?"

"Provide us with supplies needed for treatment. We've been completely looted and have nothing left. And... let us accompany you to the nearby village."

Meanwhile, Lilith quietly approached my side. She looked straight at Cecil and said, "Then what can we get in return?"

"We'll compensate you sufficiently when the mission is over. We have more than enough money."

"The same goes for us. As you know, the value of our supplies has increased even more. It's even more scarce here where supplies are difficult to obtain. You'll have to repay more than what we've given."

Cecil bit her lip as if irritated. Lilith maintained a cold attitude with her arms crossed. The atmosphere was so strange it seemed like they might have fought before. Lilith, who usually stumbled and fumbled when she was with me... had transformed into a sharp and strict woman in front of others.

Hubert interjected, "We'd be really grateful if you help, but won't the value of your resources plummet soon too? Once the mission starts in earnest, Gale and his gang will loot with determination. There are hardly any groups that can withstand that."

Lilith immediately refuted, "Do you really think so? I guarantee what we've prepared is no less."

"Ah, I'm sure. How many people in the Art Club can actually fight properly? That bastard Gale has deliberately formed a cavalry. They have much greater numbers too."

Then he looked us over roughly. It was a warning we couldn't ignore. We also had no guarantee that we wouldn't encounter Gale's group. While we wouldn't just be pushed around, if a conflict occurred, we couldn't avoid casualties.

The best option was simply not to meet them. Our goal was to complete the mission, not to fight.

Cecil made a proposal, "Why don't we both join forces instead? If we combine, our strength won't be inferior. And I know Gale's movements. If you help us, I'll tell you how to avoid conflict with Gale."

Lilith frowned at Cecil and turned her head towards me. It was a decision I, as the leader, had to make.

It wasn’t a bad proposal. But if the number of people increased, our movements would become slower and resource consumption would double. It was a matter of choosing after considering the pros and cons.

"Alright. But if we want to disband, you must accept it anytime, anywhere."

***

As agreed, we treated the injured Instrumental Music Club members and set out together.

The Instrumental Music Club members abandoned the carriage they came in and organized the remaining supplies like tents and blankets.

Four members of the Instrumental Music Club rode the remaining horses, while the two leaders rode in our carriage.

Cecil, squeezed into our carriage, spread out a map and explained, "I heard them talking in the northern language. They probably thought I couldn't understand, but that was their mistake."

Then she pointed to a place with her finger. It was a place labeled Ruden Village.

"You probably know the mission site information too, having obtained it. The incident sites are Ruden, Marbas, and Quill. These three places. Those guys skipped Ruden Village and headed straight for Marbas Village. Anyone who goes to Marbas Village will probably encounter Gale's group and be looted."

"Why did they skip Ruden Village?"

"I don't know that either. The only peculiar thing about it is... that it's well-fortified and has many blacksmiths?"

"Hmm..."

"Geographically, it's not a good place to live, so there might be rich mineral veins. It seems to be a place that survives on metal processing and trade. We won't know what the problem is until we go there."

"Hmm."

"But we can definitely avoid Gale's group. We could even regroup and aim for a counterattack."

The counterattack was closer to Cecil's personal desire. The choice I had to make right now was the safe path.

"Then let's head to Ruden Village first."

***

Around early evening, we reached our first destination, Ruden Village.

"Is that... supposed to be a village?"

All of us, including the Instrumental Music Club members, were surprised when we saw Ruden Village.

The village was backed by a steep ravine and surrounded by a semicircular wall in the front. For a peripheral village, it was large in scale and the construction technique was quite sophisticated. It was closer to a fortress than a village.

Those entering and exiting the gate were all merchants pulling carts. When the carts left the gate, they were loaded with sharp weapons.

We parked the carriage near the fortress and held a meeting.

Tami from the Magic Engineering Department and Cecil provided an analysis of Ruden Village.

"I asked a passing merchant, and apparently most of them are blacksmiths and the village is hostile to outsiders. Moreover, it seems their aversion to outsiders has intensified due to some recent incidents."

Hubert shouted boastfully, "Why are we doing this? Instead of this, shouldn't we just go and talk confidently? We came to investigate the truth behind the disappearance cases, not to steal, right?"

The Art Club members, including the Instrumental Music Club members, agreed with Hubert's words.

"Wouldn't it be enough if we say we're an investigation team from Eternia?"

"If we just mention our family names in turn, they'll be shocked and flip out."

Everyone was optimistic about entering easily, but I found it hard to agree.

After struggling with an unsolved case and sending a request to a big city like Rigved, only to have young novices with fresh faces show up. There was no way it would be well-received.

Moreover, in a remote village with no state or lord, they were unlikely to be favorable to nobles.

"Well then, let's go."

As everyone was about to move in a group, Fabella and I stood still.

Hubert looked at us and said sharply, "Why are you just standing there?"

"Don't we need someone to guard the carriage?"

"What are you two trying to do back there? Want to be left behind?"

"Why don't you go first?"

Hubert, displeased with my attitude, led the members towards the gate.

And my prediction was perfectly accurate.

"The more I think about it, the more annoying it is. Did they ever call for some brats?"

A moment later, those who had confidently headed towards the gate returned with faces that looked as if they had been severely insulted.

Cecil and Lilith's faces were especially red.

"They said they'd let us in if we worked as prostitutes...?"

"Those bastards..."

The problem I had anticipated was revealed exactly. We were too young-looking to be entrusted with serious matters like mysterious disappearance cases, and we exuded nobility. We were too out of place in this harsh environment where people hammered over a thousand pieces of iron daily just to survive.

While they were wallowing in humiliation, an idea occurred to me. I asked Fabella, who hadn't shown her face to the gatekeeper,

"Senior Fabella."

"Yes...?"

"Would you help me?"

"...What is it?"

"It's a bit of a dirty job."

Fabella hesitated for a moment but finally agreed.

"...As long as it's not painful, I'll do it."

I gave orders to the members and moved.

"Everyone wait in the carriage."

I immediately picked up discarded pieces of clothing near the carriage. There were many pieces of clothing abandoned by travelers or merchants around the fortress. I picked up one set of women's clothes and one set of men's clothes, shook them off, and handed them to Fabella.

"Put these on."

"These...?"

"I'll wear them too."

After briefly showing a questioning look on her face, she suddenly nodded as if she had figured out my plan.

"Alright."

We quickly changed clothes and faced each other again. We looked no different from complete beggars. The clothes smelled of dirt and mold.

Cecil and the other members looked at my eccentricity with doubtful gazes.

I rolled up a piece of cloth and handed it to Fabella.

"Put this in your belly and secure it well."

"Okay."

After securing it as I instructed, her belly protruded like a pregnant woman's. I held out my hand to Fabella.

"Hold my hand and walk unsteadily."

"Okay."

I moved carrying a bundle of luggage on my back like an immigrant. In that state, we knocked on the city gate.

Soon after, the gatekeeper opened the peephole and peeked at us.

"We don't accept refugees. Go back."

I spoke in a desperate tone, "I, I came to look for work. Monsters shattered our home, and we have nowhere to go back to."

A moment of silence.

"Where are you from?"

"We originally lived in Barbisia. Even when we lost our home to monsters, those bastards in the Principality didn't even treat us as citizens. Where can commoners with no country, no king, no lord, and nothing but their hand skills go?"

"That's true, but doesn't a tinker bring even a single tool?"

Skilled craftsmen usually carry their tools as if they were their own children. Pointing out this part, I immediately held out my palm.

"We fought some rat-like monster on the way and lost them. Well, for tinkers, isn't this the most important tool?"

Small burn marks, calluses, slightly twisted finger joints. These are traces that only someone who has done a lot of hammering can have. Although they had softened a bit since coming to Eternia, they hadn't completely disappeared.

"Looks like it's been quite a while since you put down your tools."

"As you can see, my wife's belly is swollen... For a while, I've been doing odd jobs here and there as a temporary measure."

Fabella, holding her full-term belly, said something without being asked, "Honey... it doesn't matter... can't we rest for just a moment?"

Her struggling to support her belly looked quite skillful. As if she had practiced it.

The gatekeeper's gaze turned to me. He was glaring at me as if I were some kind of scoundrel.

Another moment of silence.

After a while, the sound of the lock being undone was heard, and the door slowly opened.

The gatekeeper quietly let us in with a gesture and said, "What's your name?"

"I'm Yan. My wife is..."

"I'm Fabella."

"Alright, when dawn breaks, go to old man Dickens at the bay tree house over there. I hear he's in urgent need of an assistant."

"Thank you. Thank you."

I bowed my head deeply to express gratitude.

The gatekeeper clicked his tongue as he watched me leave.

"Young fellow... tsk tsk. Feed your wife well!"

The ravine was facing away from the sun, so it quickly grew dark. The village had already lit torches on the streets.

I said to Fabella, "Let's go to an inn first."

Fabella was looking down with a contemplative expression. Seeing her dejected appearance, I asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"..."

"By the way, aren't you exposing your real name too easily?"

"We're leaving tomorrow, so they probably won't remember."

"..."

"...Maybe Damian would have suited the Drama Club better."

"Yes, we were lucky it worked out well."

"It felt... so real."

"..."

It wasn't exactly an excellent method, but we achieved our goal.

I let go of Fabella’s hands that were tightly clasped around mine like a married couple.

The situation had coincidentally aligned well, making it easy to immerse ourselves.

This was a scenario I had imagined countless times when I couldn't sleep.

If I hadn't come to Eternia.

If I had stayed at the Akates Temple.

Perhaps it was a future I might have faced.