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Immediately after
parrying the staff strike, I ducked a spinning kick that came at me with the
wind in my face by backstepping just in time.
The backward kick of
the further pursuit snatched my ear that I ducked.
“That was close…” (Nyango)
“You dodge this too… pretty much…” (Shure)
The morning after our
meeting off at the base, I’m immediately engaged in a hand-to-hand combat with Shure.
The staff I am
holding is a shortened version of the one Kevin used.
The staff that Shure
is holding was originally used by Kevin.
The front yard of the
base was muddy from yesterday’s rain, but we were able to hold the hand-to-hand
combat without any problems because I was using void magic to create footholds.
I think Shure probably
hasn’t even put out half of what she’s capable of yet, but I was on the
defensive and couldn’t even find an opening to attack.
If I had to describe Shure
in one word, it would be “very dangerous footwork”.
There was no sound,
no preliminary movements, the distance vanished, and an ever-changing kick came
from an unexpected direction at an unexpected distance.
No matter how small a
catkin’s body was, I never expected that the kick I thought was coming as a leg
sweep would leap up toward my head the next moment.
Shure was holding
back, so I just barely managed to avoid it, but if she had been serious, I would
have been kicked away like a soccer ball.
“Nyango, you can use your magic.” (Shure)
I responded to Shure’s
words with a small shake of my head.
“Nyango is stubborn… but that’s good.” (Shure)
“Meow!” (Nyango)
Just after her words ended,
Shure’s front kick was thrust out like a spear, and with the momentum of the
kick, she stepped forward and a knee kick was coming at him.
As I dodged the knee
kick just in time and tried to jump closer, I was hit by a downward swing of the
staff, followed by another front kick.
It was as if I was
dealing with a small tornado, and my whiskers kept twitching.
The staff in my hand
was too busy parrying Shure’s attacks, and I had no time to unleash either a
thrust or a cleave.
“Take this… Meow!” (Nyango)
The staff caught a
front kick that I couldn’t evade, but I was kicked away without being able to decrease
the force of the kick.
I rolled over in a
ball and tried to get up quickly, but Shure’s staff was at my throat.
“I give up.” (Nyango)
“Fufu, now I have the right to sleep with Nyango tonight as well…”
(Shure)
“Meow! I don’t remember making such a bet…” (Nyango)
“Losers follow winners…” (Shure)
“Gnuu…” (Nyango)
Last night, although
I enjoyed the bath alone, I was captured in the middle of getting ready for bed
and brought into Shure’s bed.
The bedding was damp,
the dust mite powder smelled funny, and I had to spend a very disorganized
night.
I washed the sheets
as soon as I woke up and spread the futon out on the roof to dry, but I’d
rather sleep alone tonight if possible.
I’d rather go out and
buy my own futon.
“You guys are so energetic in the morning…” (Serge)
Serge, yawning
loudly, peeked out of the first-floor window.
I’m sure he didn’t
drink too much last night, but he still looks as if he hasn’t slept enough.
“Serge, you smell like an old man…” (Shure)
“Hey! Nyango, let’s go buy breakfast.” (Serge)
“Yes, I’ll go get ready.” (Nyango)
I use [Step] to get
up to the roof and enter the attic through the skylight, which I left open to
let the humidity out.
I wiped off my sweat,
changed my clothes, put on my backpack, and jumped out through the skylight.
On the way, I land in
the front yard, killing my momentum with [Step].
“Your agility puts monkeys to shame.” (Serge)
“If you ask him to do something like a night raid, I don’t think there
are many people who can match Nyango.” (Shure)
“It’s true if he wears black clothes, he won’t stand out at night.”
(Serge)
I don’t know if there
are any requests for night raids, but it looks cool, like a spy or an agent.
If I had the chance,
I would love to do it.
Serge took me to a
market on the main street.
The warehouse
district where our base is located is a bit far from the market, so there are
various goods for people living in this area.
We stocked up on
bread, milk, eggs, cheese, bacon, sausages, leafy greens, and wine.
This is enough food
for two days for Chariot’s members, but for four large adventurers plus me it’s
still a lot of food.
“I’m sorry. I should have brought Laius with us.” (Serge)
“I can carry it, so it’s fine.” (Nyango)
I put the items I
bought on a cart that I made with void magic and pushed it along.
“I did not know you can even do that. Nyango, you are too convenient.”
(Serge)
“If you are a big person, you can carry it on your back or with both
hands, so this is not surprising.” (Nyango)
“Don’t be silly. If it wasn’t a surprise, people wouldn’t pay so much
attention to it.” (Serge)
It is true that
people passing by look back in surprise, but that is probably due to the fact
that the groceries are floating in the air.
The reason why people
are surprised is because of the unusualness, but the number of things I am carrying
is not that much to be surprised.
Well, if I get
serious, I can carry an entire orc.
The day will come
when I will show my real strength, and I will surprise you.
“Thief! Thief, someone catch him!” (Voice)
I had just left the
market after settling my account and started walking toward my base when I
heard a loud voice behind me.
I turned around to
see a deerkin shopkeeper had just run out of the market.
Ahead of him, a dirty
catkin was running with his hands full of bread.
I deployed my [Shield]
and almost tried to block the front, but I couldn’t.
The catkin carrying
the stolen bread jumped into the narrow gap between the buildings where the
deerkin couldn’t enter, and ran away.
Turning our backs to
the frustrated deerkin, I pushed the cart toward the base.
We turned down the
street toward the base, and just as we were out of sight of the market, Serge
spoke to me.
“Do you know him?” (Serge)
“I don’t understand… Well, probably…” (Nyango)
He was dirty and thin,
but he was probably my second brother, Fawkes, who had left home in the spring.
I had been concerned
because the snow had melted late this year and he had left late for Ibouro, but
since I hadn’t heard from him or seen him back in Atsuka, I assumed he was busy
working.
“There’s a slum in the other direction. I guess he lives in the slums
because he looked very dirty.” (Serge)
Serge, an archer, had
a good eye, even though he had only seen him for a short time.
“It’s not safe there, is it?” (Nyango)
“Well, to put it mildly, it’s the worst. If a decently dressed
person enters carelessly, it’ll be not unusual if their clothes are peeled off even
their lives might be taken. I’m warning you, stay away from the place. Listen,
this is not a joke. Stay away from the place.” (Serge)
Serge reminded me
again and again, sticking his right index finger up to his nose.
Serge’s steadfastness
compelled me to nod.
“If you want to find that guy, you’ll have to catch him as he comes out
of the slums. You may think the odds are against you, but if you have a
connection, you have a chance. Remember, never set foot in there yourself.”
(Serge)
“I understand.” (Nyango)
I’m sure Serge, who
usually seems so flirtatious, has a good reason for being so serious.
And I may have been
mistaken in thinking that he looked like my brother, and it could have been somebody
else.
In any case, this is
not a place I would carelessly approach, so I’ll have to gather more
information.
The cart, which had
been light a moment ago, felt unusually heavy.
Back at the base,
Serge started to cook breakfast with the ingredients we had bought.
Gad cut the bread,
and Laius brewed a pot of Calfe.
“Shure, pour me some milk, the cups are on that shelf over there.
Nyango, get that plate over there.” (Serge)
Serge, Gad, and Laius
are all preparing quickly and efficiently with familiar hands.
I wish my father and
brother at home, who do not do any housework at all, could learn from them.
This morning’s menu
consisted of a fried egg, a thick slice of fried bacon, daikon radish sticks,
carrots, cucumbers, bread with cheese, milk, and Calfe.
There is no dressing
for the vegetables, the fried eggs have pieces of shells mixed in, it’s a very
rough man’s cooking, but the bacon is sprinkled with pepper, and there is a
strange sense of attention to detail.
“Yummeow! This bacon is yummeow!” (Nyango)
“Well, the bacon at that market is delicious.” (Serge)
The surface of the
bacon is crispy, but when you bite into it, the fat that has been melted by the
heat seeps out.
The sweetness of the
fat, the flavor of the smoked meat, and the aroma of pepper combine to spread
in your mouth.
“Yummeow! And if you add
cheese, even more, yummeow!” (Nyango)
“I’ll let you eat this much anytime you want, so shut up and eat.”
(Serge)
“Fufu, eating with Nyango is yummeow…” (Shure)
The bread and milk
are much tastier than the ones we had in Atsuka village.
Since I was hungry
after working with Shure in the morning, it must have tasted even better.
Dealing with tough
opponents, shopping at the market, eating a delicious breakfast… If it
weren’t for the commotion of the catkin thief, this would be a great start of
the day, but the gaunt and dirty profile of the catkin is in my mind, casting a
dark shadow over my heart.
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