abcnovels
Chapter 38
Chapter 38
Chapter 38
“Look! We’ve finally arrived!”
As soon as the coach crests over the hill, I saw a bird’s-eye view of a large town.
“Mu!”
“Argh, I’m beat.”
We’ve departed Nisua and started this road trip about two weeks ago.
We originally rode the cart the guys back at the village had prepared for us, but we boarded a stagecoach about two villages before where we are now.
It was easier to get to Arleaf’s relatives this way and we’re going to look for clues to undo the Forced Possession Summoning.
I’m not familiar at all with this world, so I’ve really got to thank Arleaf for guiding me here.
On the way here, Veno had read and analyzed the tome that Arleaf’s ancestors wrote.
Veno said that he learned something about a spell that can reverse the Forced Possession Summoning.
It apparently appeared before a hero who wished for aid when danger had befallen him.
But now, we’ve got to head to Arleaf’s relatives. We’ll be taking refuge there so that we can gather more information.
I was shown a large map of the surrounding area which included the neighboring country. It seems like many areas are polluted by miasma.
There are surprisingly few places in this world that humans can live in.
Well... we’ve gone through few rough spots along the way that they had to put on gas masks for.
‘A new town... it would be nice if the truth about us has not been circulated yet.’
“I think we should be fine. Remember how that none of the villages that we passed along the way had heard anything about us?”
Arleaf tries to dispel Veno’s worries.
We heard that everyone had been questioned, but we must’ve left Nisua by then.
Arleaf’s relatives had spread false rumors about us as well. That had to play a big part in why we hadn’t been caught.
She must have lots of relatives or something.
I thought adventurers were the type to say anything for money, but I guess those are unfair assumptions.
‘After all, thou hadst gone to battle alongside the lass’ family. I doubt that they can say anything that would only harm thee. But they would perhaps blame me for the epidemic.’
Ah... I guess so.
Rather than labelling me as a humanized dragon who killed a monster with a big bounty, it would be more persuasive to say that we were behind all of it.
And Elbatoxin was simply Veno’s minion, that’s why they had slayed it... it’s plausible that’s what they said.
‘Moreover, the Elbatoxin incident had caused quite a bit of an uproar. Those adventurers took the chance to escape and tracking them would be rather difficult.’
I see... so it’d be hard to pin any blame on me just because I took down the bounty.
Well, if you think about it, it was weird for them to escape.
‘In any case, we shall be fine if we act natural.’
“I think our Lord the Holy Dragon is exactly right. And plus... my father and the others are prepared for anything that might happen.”
Even if our pursuers were to do anything terrible, it doesn’t seem like she’ll run back home.
“We’ll do anything to get them off your scent, Yukihisa, and to help the Holy Dragon as well.”
“Mu!”
I’m glad that at least someone’s there for me.
I was worried that I’d be forever stuck traveling with the mushroom and this dragon in my head.
‘... thou changest nary a bit.’
Veno heaves a sigh, but he doesn’t seem to care much.
In any case, we have to head to our hideout.
And so, under Arleaf’s guidance, we head into the town ahead of us.
I get off the stagecoach and look around me.
“A new town, eh?”
“Yes, this is the town of Lif’el. It’s famous for its commerce and many industries.”
The trading town of Lif’el. If this were a game, it’d probably get its own cutscene.
It feels like just as I had got used to the decaying old European-like village of Nisua, I finally reach this bustling city.
The buildings are all made of stone and brick... and lamps light up the streets.
It’s a fantasy world, so it probably isn’t fueled by natural gas but by magic or something, right?
This even feels a bit steampunkish.
This place feels like it’s taken straight out of an anime.
... but looking more closely, it’s probably closer to a city out of an MMORPG.
In any case, it’s a pretty big town.
I bet they have running water and a sewer system in place here.
I heard that back in medieval times, people would just dump their chamberpots out their windows.
That’s unthinkable for someone like me from modern day Japan.
‘Calm down. Thou seem like some bumpkin straight out of the boondocks.’
What? You think me a country bumpkin?!
‘After all, the first thing of which thou thinkest the moment thou art in a new town is the toilet situation. Even I am astonished by that.’
“The toilet situation?”
“Mu?”
Ugh... Arleaf heard you!
Veno, can’t you have said it a little quieter?! What the hell do you do anyway?
‘Me?’
Actually, I don’t want to know.
You’re locked up in that tiny space... inside me. That’s just gross.
‘After I excrete, I send it out to another dimension. Sometimes, I incinerate it. Sometimes, I throw it off the side of the street while thou are unaware.’
“I told you not to tell me!”
Oops, I didn’t mean to yell that out loud.
“Huh?!”
“Muu?!”
I scared the wits out of Arleaf and Muu.
“Umm, guessing by what the Holy Dragon had said, you are talking about night soil? If it is the excrement of the Holy Dragon, we can even use it to craft some potent potions. It would be a waste to just throw it away, right?”
I didn’t expect Arleaf to respond with such insight.
What a deadpan answer too. She’s so pragmatic, it almost turns me off.
‘... indeed. I simply thought it was something that needn’t mentioning. But speaking of which, lass, your ancestors, too, had used my excrement as well.’
What, is this a job you inherit?!