Azuma – Tsukiba Port
How many days has it been since we left Avangarde? I think it’s been nearly a month. We set sail from the port of the Kingdom of Avangarde, crossed the Ballad Continent, and finally arrived at Tsukiba Port after another boat ride. As always, the journey by sea was unbearably dull. Roel was chatting away with the other passengers and seemed to be enjoying herself, but for me, the boat trip felt like hell. I felt bad for the others, but I would have preferred if monsters had attacked us to break the monotony.
In reality, we had only encountered a handful of monsters, and compared to the ones I faced with Zangiri, they were weak. Moreover, the guards assigned to us were quite strong, and there were times when I woke from a nap only to find everything had already been dealt with. I wouldn’t say Bottom and the others were weak, but those guards seemed even more experienced.
It seems they weren’t registered Adventurers and had never measured their levels. It turns out there are many people in the world who aren’t Adventurers after all. By the way, I asked about the One-Winged Demon, but as expected, they didn’t know anything about it.
“Ah, finally arrived!”
Like Roel, I stretched my arms wide. It felt like ages since my feet had touched solid ground.
Before me lay a rather unusual scene. Wooden ships lined the docks just as I had imagined, and the roofs of the buildings were layered with black tiles. The clothing of the people here looked similar, and they all seemed to be cold. That’s right; Zangiri had worn something similar.
Oh, but that woman over there is dressed in a way that looks uncomfortable. She has something like a blanket wrapped around her waist, and her feet are completely covered. She probably can’t run in that outfit.
“Those roofs are called tile roofs. They’re quite rare, aren’t they?”
“Those people look cold. Oh, that person over there is carrying something that looks like a barrel hanging from a stick. I wonder what they’re doing?”
The more I looked around, the more my curiosity grew. The port of Avangarde was lively, but this place had a certain energy. Cheerful voices rang out from all directions, almost to the point of being noisy. Over there, they were spreading out a large catch of fish, and it was amazing how different things could be just because we were in another country.
“Roel, let’s head to Mount Daigami right away.”
“Y-yeah. But first, we need to ask for directions. Um, excuse me, could you help us?”
Roel called out to someone, but they walked away without responding. Maybe they didn’t hear her. Roel tried again with another person.
“Hey, do I need to speak louder? Excuse me!”
“…Tch.”
This time, the man she spoke to merely clicked his tongue and hurried off. Undeterred, Roel continued to call out, but no one paid her any mind.
“We’re busy here! I don’t know if you’re on vacation or what, but you’re in the way! Shoo! Shoo! Honestly, what are you dressed like that for, it’s not even a festival…”
Is this what they mean by getting annoyed? I felt a surge of irritation.
“What’s with that guy?! Roel, there’s only weird people around here!”
“Well, from their perspective, we might be the weird ones. And it feels like they’ve been staring at us since we got here…”
It was true; everyone seemed to glance at us as they walked by. Were they whispering something bad about us? I remembered how it felt when I first arrived in Queemil. I wondered if people really wanted to avoid interacting with someone just because they seemed a bit different. Just like back then, I felt tears of frustration welling up.
“Let’s walk a bit further.”
Following Roel’s suggestion, we decided to leave the port area. This place was probably filled with workers who were all busy. I convinced myself that was why everyone seemed so irritable.
Azuma – Tsukiba Town
As we moved away from the port, we found ourselves in an area lined with buildings that looked like homes or shops. Each entrance was wide open, giving off a strange atmosphere. Over there, people were sitting on red stools, eating round items that were skewered.
“Oh, that’s it! Those are called dango! They’re delicious!”
I understood now why Roel was licking her lips. The small, white, round treats were covered in a sweet, dark purple paste. According to Roel, that was called anko.
“Mmm! So good!”
“W-wow, this is delicious…”
I quickly bought some to try. The exquisite sweetness spread across my palate, and I could see why it was addictive. Plus, three of these for just 100 gold was too cheap. Kirkton had said that outsiders were treated harshly, but that didn’t seem to be the case at all. Sure, we were coldly treated by those people earlier, but as long as we had money, we could enjoy delicious food. I wondered what other strange and tasty things awaited us.
Azuma is such a nice place, I thought, feeling a bit greedy even though I wasn’t Roel.
“I’d like some dango, please.”
“Sure, three for three gold.”
When the two of us looked at the vendor, we clearly heard them mutter, “Uh-oh.” Why did they sell to that person for three gold but charge us 100 gold?
When we asked the vendor for an explanation, they ignored us and hurriedly retreated inside. What was going on?
“…I heard there are shops that sell to unsuspecting tourists at inflated prices. Looks like we fell for it perfectly.”
“What?! I can’t believe that person!”
“Just try to avoid causing trouble, Lua-chan.”
In the end, we could only sigh in defeat. We walked along, but no one would engage with us, and I still felt those stares. I was at a loss for what to do.
“Roel, what should we do?”
“Hmm, I feel like a good idea is about to come to me…”
“Did you think of something?”
“Almost there…”
“Still?”
“Not yet.”
“Hurry up!”
“Geez! Just be quiet!”
“Excuse me, lovely ladies, are you perhaps tourists from a foreign land?”
Suddenly, a cheerful man spoke to us. After being ignored for so long, both Roel and I were taken aback and couldn’t find our words. Sensing our surprise, the man smiled again.
“Ah, yes. That’s right. Um…”
“I thought so. You seem to be in a bit of trouble. You probably haven’t even secured a place to stay for tonight, have you? This town has many inns, but there are also some unscrupulous ones that charge tourists exorbitant prices. If you’d like, I can recommend a good inn.”
“R-really?! That would be a huge help!”
“Ah, then follow me.”
Wow, there are nice people here after all. Roel and I exchanged relieved glances.
Azuma – Tsukiba Port – Alleyway
We followed him, but he led us deeper into a deserted area. I began to doubt whether there was really an inn in such a place, and soon we found ourselves at a dead end. At this point, even I realized I had been tricked. The man turned his back to us and said nothing.
“Um, where’s the inn…?”
“…You two, it’s your turn.”
The man’s voice had changed to a low tone, completely different from before. Five men appeared behind us. They had square, rugged faces and stocky builds. One was thin with bulging eyes. All of them had menacing looks, and they certainly didn’t seem like nice people. Each of them was armed.
As they drew their weapons, I recognized the thin, easily breakable swords they wielded. Yes, Zangiri had used the same kind of weapon—a sword.
“Um, where’s the inn?”
“You foolish little girl. You still don’t realize you’ve been tricked? If you don’t want to get hurt, just behave.”
“Lua-chan, they really are bad people…”
sigh “What is this country coming to… It’s nothing like the Wizard Kingdom.”
“Heh heh heh, a foreign girl, huh? Quite the catch.”
One of the men grinned as he approached us, the sound of him licking his lips was utterly disgusting. I could only sigh in exasperation. What had we done to deserve this? We didn’t come all this way to deal with people like them. If we just kept quiet, would they let us go? No, they were definitely thinking of something vile. Enough of this; I decided it was time to put them all to sleep.
・
・
・
“Cough, ha…”
Ignoring the writhing men behind us, we began to walk away. I was so irritated that I didn’t regret my actions at all. One man, pale and writhing in agony, had Roel’s Fire Rod pressed firmly against his stomach. The expression on his face was one I had never seen before, and I could tell he was in excruciating pain. Seeing him clutching his stomach and groin desperately, I felt a twinge of sympathy.
Before taking them down, I had tried to ask about Mount Daigami, but they hadn’t told me anything. From their perspective, we were in a dire situation, and it made sense they would be angry when we casually asked questions. That was what led to this confrontation.
“…Let’s look for an inn.”
“I just thought of something. You see…”
Roel’s idea was a surefire way to gather information about the location of Mount Daigami from the townsfolk. I felt a twinge of anxiety, wondering if it would really work, but seeing Roel puffing out her chest with confidence reassured me somewhat.
◆ Azuma, Tsukiba Town, Hototogi Inn ◆
“Ah! To think you’ve come all the way from a foreign land to see Lord Daigami! How impressive! You should stay the night!”
The once grumpy, portly landlady, who had ignored us upon our arrival, was now in high spirits. This meant Roel’s plan had succeeded, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of guilt creeping in. Was it just me?
“Yes! We’ve been very interested in Lord Daigami and his faith and influence in Azuma for quite some time. We finally saved enough money to make this long journey. Seeing it in person, I’m amazed at how wonderful this country is—truly, it must be thanks to Lord Daigami’s blessings.”
“Absolutely! This year’s bountiful harvest is all thanks to Lord Daigami! The prosperity of this land is entirely due to him!”
I couldn’t help but admire Roel for her ability to weave such a tale on the spot. I hadn’t even known Lord Daigami’s name until I heard it from the King, and I had no particular interest in it either. The key was to maintain an attitude of curiosity about Lord Daigami while pretending to know nothing. If I were to admit that I was still learning, it would expose my ignorance and lead to complications. When Roel firmly instructed me to act as carefree tourists, I realized I could never outsmart her. Yes, I definitely needed Roel by my side. I wanted to stay with her, to follow her.
“First, we’ll head east to the capital. There, at the Daimyoko Shrine, we can pray for health, prosperity in business, and even good relationships. Mount Daigami, where Lord Daigami is enshrined, is just nearby.”
Not only was she in a good mood, but the landlady also nearly waived our lodging fees and served us a feast unlike anything I had ever seen. Among the dishes, a salty brown soup surprised me with its deliciousness. However, just hearing the name “miso soup” didn’t make it sound appetizing.
Amidst all this, I was struck by one thing since arriving in this country: there were no monsters.
“Monsters? What are those?”
I was told that this land was protected by Lord Daigami, so such unclean beings did not exist here. This meant that unlike other countries, even those without fighting skills could walk around safely without hiring guards. That was quite remarkable, wasn’t it?
Of course, the true marvel was Lord Daigami himself. If this divine being truly existed and had eradicated the monsters, what immense power must he possess? What kind of abilities did he have, and how did he achieve this? Could the same be done in Vandalsia?
“Before bed, we should thank Lord Daigami for keeping us healthy today. Don’t forget, you two!”
Perhaps even the Demon Lord Army would think twice before laying a hand on this country.