Chapter 220

(220) Sleepless night

Translator: Tseirp

Night fell as we were on our way to Gagarian Town .

Desert nights were chilly but they were not that cold .

Today we would have to spend the night out in the center of the desert .

I prepared a bonfire, grilled the fish I caught on the way to this country and ate them .

( … It’s a little bland and isn’t a particularly tasty fish . It was a little too difficult working with just salt . )

I thought of redoing it as I looked toward Hariel .

“It’s very delicious, Ichinojo-sama . Thank you very much, you even used valuable salt in the process . ”

” … Is that so? I’m glad . ”

That was probably not her true feelings . Hariel’s expression when she took a bite out of the fish on the stick didn’t escape my eyes .

However, in order to respond to my goodwill and to replenish strength to cross the desert, she hid her true feelings and ate the fish .

(She’s a good child … she doesn’t display the arrogance of a n.o.ble …)

I looked at my own fish and sank my teeth into it once again .

She’s a good child but I don’t intend to let her into My World .

I set up the tent I got from Miri’s item bag .

“This tent is made from some unusual cloth . It seems very st.u.r.dy . ”

Hariel touched the yellow tent . That was probably because there were no synthetic fiber tents in this world . Or perhaps not, since Daijiro-san invented flying s.h.i.+ps, she might have created something as simple as synthetic fiber too .

“Hariel can sleep inside here tonight . ”

“But I would feel bad for Ichinojo-sama . At least let me act as a lookout . ”

“Does Hariel have good night vision? Or do you have the Presence Detection skill?”

” … No, I don’t have either . ”

“In that case, leave it to me . ”

I said as I threw firewood into the bonfire . Hariel showed an apologetic expression but she was keenly aware that she was not of use so she entered the tent .

The wood crackled in the bonfire .

My Presence Detection skill only detected Hariel inside the tent .

And the presence inside the tent occasionally moved slightly .

It was probably not because she had bad sleeping posture but that she could not fall asleep .

In an unfamiliar wilderness with a guy she met just today beside her .

There was no way she could sleep well in such a situation .

I felt sorry for her but I was glad that she was around .

Traveling on my own was way too lonely .

And at the same time, I found out just how much the company of Haru and the others meant to me .

I recalled the day I parted with Haru and the others as I was on night watch duty .

On that day at Port Kobe .

※※※

“Thank you very much . Seriously thank you so much . ”

After returning to Port Kobe, we headed to the Adventurers Guild and pa.s.sed the special medicine for the petrification disease to the girl who was the client .

Then, the young girl handed me the money .

For me, there was no need to accept the money but it was her goodwill that she did her utmost best for so it would be rude to reject it .

Seriously just when did she … I thought to myself . In the item bag that Miri left behind, there was the medicine made from Kiriri Gra.s.s and even a concisely written prescription with the consumption instructions . And for some reason, there was enough for a hundred people too .

“Quickly go home and treat your mother . Also, I mentioned it just now but the medicine will not show its effects immediately but will only do so after three days of consumption, three times a day, immediately after waking up, in the afternoon and in the evening . But you must make sure your mother continues to drink the medicine for a week . ”

“Yes, thank you very much . ”

The small girl bowed low and ran off with small strides .

“Master …”

Haru stood beside me and seemed to want to say something .

“Ah, Haru . I leave it to you . But, don’t overexert yourself . ”

A few men inside the Adventurers Guild saw me hand the medicine to the girl and silently stood up from their seats after the girl left .

They probably intended to intercept the medicine .

Haru nodded to my words and followed the men .

Well, if one of the men didn’t have the job 【Thief: Lv13】, I would have totally missed it .

Seriously, there were thieves everywhere . Just how do they get into town?

Maybe she would know more about that . Stepping in to fill Haru’s spot, Carol returned from gathering information .

“Ichino-sama, I’m back . ”

“Welcome back, Carol . ”

We borrowed a private room from the receptionist and changed the location to that room .

It was a rule that only adventurers could borrow the private room but the receptionist remembered Miri and processed the application a.s.suming that I was Miri’s attendant . The application for the usage of the private room seemed to be quite flexible .

“Haru-san seemed to have left but where was she headed?”

“Just to escort the client for a bit . I believe she would be back soon … more importantly, how was it?”

“Ichino-sama, the scheduled boats will not set off until next week . In addition, sailing to the South Continent on personal crafts will be dangerous given the situation . The state of affairs in the South Continent is currently not safe . Although, if Ichino-sama uses magic to mow down all the wars.h.i.+ps that attack us … it might be possible . ”

” … Naturally, I can’t do something like that . ”

If I had to choose if it was possible or impossible, I would say it was possible but I couldn’t expose Haru and the others to danger .

I wished to pursue Miri and Daijiro-san that very instant but I guess I would have to wait until next week .

“There’s just one other method to travel to the South Continent . ”

“Really?”

“Yes … although it is a little dangerous . There’s the option of getting hired as a guard for a merchant s.h.i.+p . ”

Merchant s.h.i.+p guard?

I would certainly be able to reach the South Continent that way but don’t I have to go through the Adventurers Guild for such tasks?

Could a non-adventurer like me accept such requests?

Or do I take it using Haru’s name?

While I was thinking, Carol whispered to me .

“However, that merchant s.h.i.+p is actually a smuggling vessel . ”

” ― !? 「Silent Room」”

I was about to exclaim in surprise but I swallowed it back and activated the Silent Room spell suitable for secret talks .

“Smuggling!?”

“Yes, during this season, due to the fis.h.i.+ng of s.h.i.+jimon Shrimps, even the Pirates would defend the fis.h.i.+ng grounds so the merchant s.h.i.+ps that usually ask Pirates for escort will not set out . The South Continent is aware of that so their open ocean security would be lax . During that chance, smugglers would conduct their activities . ”

” … So we will be aiding the smugglers . ”

I just aided Pirates too but that was their first offense and there was still room for rehabilitation .

If a single person among them had fallen to the Thief job, I would definitely not have helped them .

However, the situation was different for this case . From what I heard, they sounded like a veteran smugglers gang .

“No, it is the opposite . In order to raid the smugglers, we will perform an undercover investigation to acquire information . Ichino-sama can take that role . ”

“No no, that’s impossible . There’s no way an ordinary person like me can perform an undercover investigation?”

“I feel that Ichino-sama will be fine . After all, one of the tentative investigators is Suzuki-sama . ”

“Suzuki, that Suzuki!?”

Suzuki — the virgin Hero Suzuki .

A j.a.panese person I once met in the country of Dakyat .

A Paladin who proclaimed himself a Hero and a despicable riajuu who traveled with three beautiful young ladies … or so I thought but he was actually a guy caught in a h.e.l.lish circ.u.mstance where he was traveling with the three of them but was unable to touch any of them due to various circ.u.mstances .

I was certain that he went to clear the landslide at Ferruite but he’s already in this town?

Just how did he reach Port Kobe from Port Ithaca? I thought to myself but remembered that they had the Wyvern called Pochi . Of course, with a Wyvern, they could travel to coasts near Port Kobe .

“Do you know where Suzuki is now?”

“Yes, luckily, he is living alone in an inn nearby . ”

Maybe he was taking separate action from his companions .

“Let’s go right after Haru returns — no, we can’t leave immediately . We still have to wait for Kanon and Norn who are getting our luggage, moreover —”

Dispelling Silent Room, I exited the room to find two unconscious males with Haru dragging them .

It would take a while to gather information on the circ.u.mstances .