Episode 76: Patrol, Afterwards
The trio of Fatty, Skinny, and Old Lady had apparently managed to scatter the Romanesian Empire soldiers without incident, successfully protecting the newbie.
The newbie who wasn’t affiliated with a Clan seemed to have fled in the confusion and was nowhere to be found. Well, that’s just how Striders are. They’re basically vagrants, so they aren’t managed. If they ran, they ran, they can do whatever they want! If they want to be a Strider again, they can just come back and register, right?
“Are you alright?!” “You’re alive!” “Don’t worry us so much, geez…”
The three of them conveyed their relief to me and Kaede, who had returned battered and bruised. You guys are the ones who took care of that many people, the three of you? They really are strong.
“Yeah, we managed somehow. But, we shouldn’t be doing Highway Patrol anymore. We’ll strip the Empire soldiers of their equipment and take it to the Guild to report to the Lord. This is that kind of situation.”
“I-is that so? If we report it, we’ll get a reward!”
“I heard Count Missgancia is super rich! We can expect a good reward, right?!”
“Well, we’ll probably get enough to cover the cost of the broken gauntlet. The Lord isn’t that stingy, probably.”
Saying things like that, we returned to the Guild…
“Welcome back~… What?! What happened?! You’re all beat up!”
“Ah, Mirei. Call Randolph-tossan, I have something important to talk about.”
And, well, that’s how it went.
What was supposed to be a simple Highway Patrol mission ended with the veterans returning in tatters.
Mirei, the Guild’s poster girl, thought something was amiss and went to call her father, the Guild Master… Randolph.
In the meantime, we wiped our wounds and cooled our bruises with cloths we received from the other Guild staff.
I plan to heal them with magic when I get back, but for now, I just want to cool them down. Maybe it’s because the battle is over and the adrenaline has worn off, but right now, a considerable amount of fatigue and pain is hitting me all at once…
“Ah… I thought I was going to die for a second there! It’s been so long since I’ve fought people, since my soldier days, so it was pretty dangerous!”
In the midst of all that, Fatty, or rather, Bull, said.
Come to think of it, this guy was originally a soldier who fled from the conflict zone in the south.
His skillful handling of the sword and shield had the lingering scent of formal training.
Swords and shields are actually quite difficult to handle well.
For amateurs, an axe or a mace, a weapon that has lethal power just by swinging it down, would be better.
And on top of that, a shield too? You really have to receive proper training for years to be able to fight.
Of course, not only that, but the skill to move while wearing armor is also necessary. It’s difficult, in many ways.
“Seriously! I ran away here because I hated killing, but to have to fight people here too, give me a break!”
Skinny, or rather, Bucky.
He, like Bull, was also a former soldier.
Bucky is a master of the short spear and large shield, both of which also require training.
When it comes down to it, both of them seemed to be skilled soldiers. They also have command ability, and they’re strong, so were they something like squad leaders?
“Joze, wipe your wounds well. If they get infected, they won’t heal.”
“Hmph! When I was in the tribe, I had worse injuries! This is nothing!”
“Seriously… Barbarians are such a pain.”
“You civilized people are so weak, aren’t you?”
On the other hand, there’s Old Lady, or rather, Joze.
She seems to be from some tribe or another.
Tribesmen have sturdy bodies. Well, it might be a survival bias that you can’t live to adulthood in a tribe unless you have a sturdy body, but anyway, their physical abilities and recovery power are high.
Taking advantage of that, she fights by swinging around a large War Pick.
Even if a regular soldier who can’t use Magic Skills defends with a shield, she’s strong enough to crush their arm along with it.
In particular, the ridiculous output when she uses the Adamantine Strength Magic Skill at full power without thinking about the consequences was insane.
If it hits, it’s a storm that tears off arms and heads along with the armor just by grazing them. That’s amazing, the scariest thing is when someone is purely strong.
Well, but that fearfulness was useful and protected everyone’s lives.
And me…
“Kaede, are you okay? I’m sorry for using you as bait.”
“No, that was the best solution at that time. And… I believed you would come to save me…”
It’s Kaede’s treatment.
To heal her small cuts and bruises, I secretly made ice with magic, wrapped it in a cloth, and cooled the affected area.
“Hyaa?! It’s cold!”
“…I secretly made ice with magic. If it’s cold, the pain will be dulled, right?”
I whispered in a low voice.
Well, I’ve already shown it to Kaede.
“Yes… It feels good…!”
“After this, when the swelling goes down, warm the bruised areas instead. Cool it down immediately after it swells, and warm it up after a while.”
“…Ah! That’s right, you were a doctor.”
“That’s right. Listen to what the doctor says, okay?”
“Fufu, yes!”
Kaede was stronger than I thought.
With just one katana, she was able to hold her own against two Knight-level existences for a while, alone.
Moreover, although she was injured, she didn’t lose any limbs.
What an amazing skill, as expected of a Samurai.
Kaede held them off alone for five or six minutes. Against opponents that beat me up in less than two minutes. She’s really strong.
“Kaede, come to my place when this is over. Of course, after reporting to Katerina.”
“Eh? Is that okay…?”
“I’ll treat your body and treat you to a meal. It’s an apology for today.”
“An apology! I…”
“Even if Kaede is okay, I feel bad. Because I let my beloved Kaede get hurt.”
“I-if that’s the case…”
Then, a voice from the back room.
“Father… The Guild Master says to come to his room!”
Mirei called out to us.
“I’m coming!”
I said that and stood up, leading the members into the Guild Master’s office…