Interlude: Neguro
“Haah, haah… I’m free! Finally made it out!”
After being stuck in the tower that suddenly appeared in the Heavenly Wolf Forest for just over a month, I finally arrived at Craftsman City Raven. In the end, there was nothing in that tower. While it was a relief that monsters couldn’t get in, that was truly all there was to it. I had thought about climbing it, but I didn’t have the luxury of time for such things right now.
“Ah, I seriously thought I was going to die.”
But I managed to take down a few Silver Wolves, so I might have made some money. It’s tough to be holed up in a high-difficulty forest without any income. For now, I should head to the Guild and exchange my spoils. If I can track down the two of them while I’m at it, even better.
“Is that it over there?”
Since it was the afternoon, the Adventurer’s Guild wasn’t too crowded. I made my way to the buyback counter and pulled out several items from my leather pouch.
“Could you buy these?”
“Of course.”
“By the way, did a pair of black-haired, black-eyed individuals come to this city recently?”
After spending some time in the forest, I resumed my usual inquiries upon arriving in the city. In this world, we Japanese stand out quite a bit, making it easy to track us down.
“Haha… you know those two?”
“Yeah, we’re from the same hometown.”
“I see… So, these are Silver Wolf Magic Stones… and their fangs and claws?”
“Isn’t that just common stuff?”
The Fenrir Forest isn’t too far away, after all.
“Well, the forest is nearby, but you have to go pretty deep to encounter Silver Wolves, so they’re quite rare here in Raven.”
Is that so? Then maybe I can get a decent price for them. I didn’t have the luxury to search for natural mushrooms, so I’ll settle for this and find a good inn to rest for the day.
“Speaking of that black-haired, black-eyed pair, they were making quite a buzz for taming a Silver Wolf.”
“What?”
“They were said to be children, but the presence of that magical beast was something else.”
Taming a Silver Wolf? What’s that about? I’ve never heard of monsters being tamed. Is there a profession for tamers? But I could have sworn that guy was unemployed…
“Hmm, are those two still in this city?”
“No, they left about a month ago.”
I figured as much. They must have already moved on. Being stuck in the forest for so long really separated us…
“By the way, those two held a Marriage Ceremony at the temple in this city.”
“……………What?”
What did you just say? A marriage ceremony? What kind of ritual is that? Are they summoning demons by sacrificing monsters or something? No, that’s not it… marriage… as in that kind of marriage.
“They say the Goddess’s Blessing was incredible, and it caused quite a stir—”
The Guild Staff was saying something, but it wasn’t registering in my mind at all. That bastard and Rio-chan? …No way. Knowing that guy, he must have forced Rio-chan into it—
“—Huh!?”
Before I knew it, I was sitting on the bed in the inn. What was I doing just a moment ago? I had booked a room at the Horse Horn Inn, and this was it, right? No, I need to remember a bit more. Right, I was talking to that Guild Staff member. I can’t recall how I ended up in this inn…
But what is this Goddess’s Blessing? When I was summoned to this world, there wasn’t the usual trope of receiving skills from some god… Is there really a goddess in this world?
“Damn it, well… just wait for me… my Rio-chan.”
Finally, the Empire… It’s been a long journey. Even though it’s for Rio-chan, chasing after those two who are out of reach is mentally exhausting. No, no… I can’t be weak. I’m going to rescue Rio-chan from that bastard, right? Even if they received a blessing from the goddess, they can’t tear apart the bond we share.
“For now, I’ll just rest for today…”
With a deep sigh, I entered the inn before me.
“Welcome!”
“One night, please.”
I asked for the price and wrote my name in the guestbook.
“Oh my, a rare black-haired, black-eyed person! Just the other day, a pair of black-haired, black-eyed individuals stayed here. Could you be from the same hometown?”
“What?”
A pair? Black-haired and black-eyed?
“Y-yes.”
The innkeeper seemed a bit flustered.
“Ah, sorry. It’s just… they might be from the same hometown, but…”
“Is that so? They looked so happy holding a baby.”
“……………………………………What?”
As the innkeeper’s words slowly sank in over time, my vision faded to the ceiling of the inn, and I lost consciousness.