Chapter 29: Vagrant childrens

24 MAR 2022NOOBCHAN TRANSLATION BERSERKER MOB

I’m sorry guys, but i had to deal with some family matters thus I couldn’t post yesterday.

(Take that!)

The moment Al steps in, Vera unleashes her Trump card. The invisible chain sprints forward. Precisely towards his head.

The right hand is already drawn in the striking motion. There is no longer any room for Al to avoid the “invisible chain.

It essentially ends there. Vera wins. Al loses. The junction of the living and the dead.

(It’s obvious.)

Al grabs the “Unseen Chain” with his left hand held in front of him. The skin of his hand rips and blood comes splattering out beyond the physical reinforcement. But he does not let go. The chain stops moving.

The sequence of events, including the behavior of the chain. It’s as it had been predicted from the beginning.

The moment he touched it, “Binding Chain” moved to bind the target from escaping, but it was …… too late. No, the distance is too close. Al’s punch strike came in first.

“.. argh!?”

Al’s first strikes in the abdomen. At the same time, shed mana instantaneously to hunt consciousness. Vera collapses in front of Al, being frightened.

Usually, Al would back away the moment he made the finishing blow and keep his distance to ensure his safety. He would not make the foolish mistake of coming into contact with a falling enemy. Especially the monsters in the Great Forest are sometimes poisonous and harmful just by touching them.

However, perhaps having some thoughts about Vera’s outburst this time,…… Al gently holds her as she collapses.

The tears were on her cheeks. The pain from the blow earlier was certainly not the cause of the breakdown.

She was crying all this time, pointing her ‘binding chain’ toward Al. Vera herself is unaware.

What she really wanted to destroy with her chains was not Al, but something else. And who is it that is bound by the “binding chain”?

(I don’t know, but …… I did something wrong, didn’t I? She looked insane in a lot of ways. …… The last one, too, could have been more skillfully concealed under normal circumstances. What a waste. She’ s a fine mage, but…… unstable.)

Al does not know the details of Vera’s situation. He has no way of knowing.

The only thing I am sure of is that even if I knew about the situation, I could not say “I understand how you feel” in front of her. Al could guess that much.

On top of that, we can see that Vera does not have any liberty at the moment. Even her usual attitude seems to be distressed. A fish on land breathing desperately. No matter how hard they try, they cannot hold on for long.　

(Huh …… but I didn’t realize that fighting “without killing” was such a hassle …… But I don’t want to deal with the shadow of the royal family. …… There’s no way I could push it through by saying I didn’t know, and even if I ran away, it would be the end of me if that Claire monster were to appear……. Well, I guess it’s impossible because I’ll be surrounded by Victor and Yoel. Damn. Life or death. …… I hate myself for missing Falconer and that great forest. I didn’t realize how inconvenient it would be to have a collar. Serving the city’s nobility, is just not for me.)

While carefully holding up the unconscious, Vera, Al calls out to the children, who are still too frightened to move.

“I’m sorry. I gave you a fright. As for this abandoned church site, the church brass and the Knights of the Cathedral are involved. You shouldn’t wander around too much. …… you anyway.”

“Eh …… ah, ha, yes.”

“I’ll give you an allowance, but you have to come to Angus’s inn. Also, the other kids should pick up the coins that scattered earlier and leave this place. I’m sure …… scattered quite a bit.”

Together with their leader, a relatively older boy, they went to Angus’ inn.

From the boy’s point of view, he had no choice but to go. Even though he is not much older than himself, he is in fact a terrifying magician.

Besides, he knew firsthand that he could not pull off a cheap trick against someone who was associated with a Noble family.

“Oh, come on. I did ask you to come back as a guest, …… but I’m not impressed that you’d do it on the same day and by force, no matter how much you want to.”

“Who is it? …… No, I can’t deny that I’m strong, but that’s not the case. Anyway, I’ll ask you to get a room for me. Do you have a place available, like a big room?”

Vargas is also surprised.

One day, a boy shows up in a town of outsiders on a whim, and before you know it, he has beaten up all the hoodlums in the vicinity. It had been a long time since he had appeared, and a beautiful girl with a very well-developed face accompanied him. Furthermore, on the same day, he was holding an unconscious girl in his arms and asked to prepare a room for her. …… There was a bonus of a child. I don’t understand.

“There’s a big room …… for the convoy, or rather a separate building, but …… what the hell are you going to do with it? You’re not just going to let that little lady rest, are you?”

“I’d like to rent it for a month, for now. I’d like to try a few things. If you want, I can pay the full amount up front.”

“…… Very generous. Well, that’s good. I’m no stranger to this kind of thing. Half the money up front. I won’t complain about the use of the room, but do nothing that will get you raided by the Knights of Order.”

Angus’ Inn. A two-story mansion next to it. It is used as a room for large groups of people, such as guards and peddlers, who stay there for long periods, and is opened only when necessary. Basically, they only rent out the building and themselves do the rest of the work. Naturally, they also have to prepare their own meals.

“Heh. I thought that was Mr. Vargas’ private residence. I didn’t realize it was a building that was open to the public as an inn.”

“Hmph. Well, it’s a mansion that has nothing to do with ordinary guests. The usual guards are away from the capital at this time of year, so it should be fine for a month or so. …… Sorry, but we’ll ask you to vacate the house when the regulars return. Is that okay with you?”

“Yes. That’s good enough. In the meantime, I have to let Lady Vera rest. …… Sorry, but you’ll have to wait a bit to talk to me.”

Leader of the vagabonds. Cyrus nods quietly. He hasn’t voiced his doubts yet.

This boy from the noble family called Al is trying to get them to do something. I understand that.

I can guess that renting an inn …… is a part of that. But Cyrus has no idea what Al wants from them.

At the very least, he expects it won’t be anything too rough. Because he is a mage. It is much more efficient for him to use magic and move by himself than for Cyrus and the others. Furthermore, he would not ask people far weaker than himself to assist him in a fight. Cyrus sees it that way.

“Oh. It’ s this way. You have to use the service entrance from the kitchen of the inn over here to get to the mansion. Please try to avoid coming in and out during meal times. It’s a nuisance to have people wandering around when you’re preparing food or whatever.”

“Yes, yes, yes. The area is probably fine. Even if there are some wandering around, there won’t be too many people going in and out at once.”

Vargas gave me a few other precautions and explained the facilities in the mansion.

Although the house had not been used for a while, it was a world filled with magic.

By using the “cleanliness” of life magic, Al was able to set up a living space in no time at all.

“Hmm. You are an amazing. I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen someone who can cast so many “cleanings” in a row. …… The range is a bit wide too.”

“Ha ha. Well, in case you’re wondering, my specialty is dealing with magic. If I could live with just this kind of peaceful and convenient magic, there”s nothing better than that.”

Although there are certainly many magic items in this world, including magical tools, that are closely related to daily life, people still have a strong perception of magic as something that is used for battle or warfare somewhere.

Al thinks.

Now that he has seen the feckless nobles of the capital, he is somewhat conscious of the fact that he too, is a Falconer’s warhorse. If the end of the game is reached, can I think about living peacefully and leisurely?……and. Such a desire, Al started feeling often recently…’ Is this a flag?’ Al feels uneasy.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. Your name is Cyrus, right? My name is Al. I’m a mage, as you probably already know, and I’m currently a student at the academy.”

Al and Cyrus are sitting on a sofa that has been swept clean of the dust that has accumulated by life magic. Vera is already on the bed in her room. For some reason, she is not awake. She is having a nightmare. Is it in a bad dream?

“What exactly does Mr. Al want from me …… us?”

(“A smart lad, after all. And maybe he has experience working as a servant for some Noble family?”)

Cyrus looks firmly at Al. but he lowers his eyes a little and never makes eye contact.

Although Al doesn’t really know it, but in the capital noble family…… especially in the old noble family, it is considered rude for a commoner to make eye contact with a person who is associated with the noble family.

A custom that Al’s point of view, is rejected as ridiculous. Even in this world, there are many noble families who don’t particularly care about such things.

“I chose the wrong word earlier. I’m not trying to “buy” you in that sense. No, I mean “buy” in the proper sense of the word, as a kind of contractor that includes your life. …… Well, I’ll be careful with my words. If not next time, I’m really going to be killed by Lady Vera. Oh, Vera, that’s her name.”

“…… Yes.”

Cyrus is scared inside. Although he tries not to let it show, he is helplessly afraid of Al in front of him.

He is talking lightly and nonchalantly, but just a few moments ago he had a genuine killing spree with this Vera woman.

He didn’t know the details of their magic, but Cyrus is more than aware that one of those magic spells could have killed them easily if they had taken a hit.

Although in the non-mage category, Cyrus was somewhat more skillful with mana than the other children. I could tell that the fight was “serious”. No, to be precise, I think Mr. Al still had some leeway. He was careful not to “kill” her. It seemed that way.

“I’d like to hire you for a limited period. What I want you to do is gather information. It doesn’t matter if it’s a minor event. You can tell me about anything that you hear here and there. Of course, if you need anything, I’ll provide it.”

“!! ……Jo, are you collecting information ……? Is that …… all over the place, or are you asking me to go into the underworld organizations?”

Gathering information is a life-threatening task for Cyrus and others. So-called spies. His voice and heart hardened. I’m sorry, but no matter how favorable the conditions are, I can’t nod my head in agreement.

Get in as a servant of a noble family, or get into the underground of the enemy side. …… Most of them ended up dead. Tortured by the other side, and suffering terribly. Cyrus knows that the number of children who have been used up in this way exceeds the number of fingers on both hands and feet.

“Huh? No, no, no. I don’t care about the underworld. If I want to get information out of them, it would be faster if I acted directly. I mean, some organizations I’ve gotten to know well enough that they’ll give me information if I ask. And I’m sorry, but I don’t expect Cyrus and others to be active in that area at all.”

“Huh? What? So,…… what are we supposed to do then?”

Cyrus asked with determination, but was simply denied. The words were straightforward and matter-of-fact, plain and simple. It’s like talking about the weather.

In the back streets. There are many morons babbling out loud their little tales of heroism loud enough to make a needle in a haystack, but in Al’s case, it’ s the opposite. What did he just say? ….. Cyrus is confused. …… More than whether it was true or false, he senses something alien in Al’s attitude.

“No, It’s information gathering. Ummm…is it easier to understand if I say it as collecting rumors and distress ……? basically I want you to blend in with the outsider town, the people’s district, and gather those stories. If you want, you can help people who have problems. If you can”t help them, you can tell me… How about it?”

“…ha, ha ……? No, I understand what you are saying, but …… it is difficult for us to enter the people’s district, even if it is a town of outsiders. No, I think it is difficult for us to “blend in” even in an outsider’s town. …… We are the scorned ones in the shopping streets of the outsider’s town….”

In this world, there is a useful thing called life magic. Magic that even non-mages, ordinary people, can use.

Thanks to this, towns and people are kept fairly clean. Even a vagrant like Cyrus is not dirty at a glance. Even if their clothes are in tatters.

In this world, vagrants are identified by their appearance, behavior, and atmosphere. In other words, if they are neatly dressed, they can be fooled to a certain extent. Cyrus, in particular, is able to receive and respond well.

From Al’s point of view, it doesn’t matter if they are vagrants or children of noble families in the capital, as long as they do what they are supposed to do. If the cost is low, there is no better way to go about it. And the cost of keeping the vagrants in a reasonable appearance is cheap. Falconer is out in the middle of nowhere, but he has little money.

“So I’ll provide you with the things you need. You know that Mr. Varga is the face of this area, don’t you? I trust him, As a member of a noble family that has been staying at his inn for a long time, I can have him recommend to jobs that are not begging or robbing as you might have done in the past, but rather working as a clerk in a store or assistant for a craftsman. Yes, I could arrange that for you. With this in mind, I want you to live a “normal” life and collect any rumors or concerns you hear about the town.”

I don’t understand.

Cyrus’ confusion only deepens.

Is this house our base of operations?

What’s in it for you to offer us people a job?

What are you going to do with all the rumors about the town in the first place?

What do you need, including our “position”?

Cyrus couldn’t understand why or what he could get by having them do rumors collecting ‘job’?, rather, women named Vera, who misunderstood ‘I’d like to buy you (as a “Toy’) words made more sense.

“I have many questions, …… but in the end, what does Al-Sama get out of our work? I apologize for my lowly opinion, but a job without visible profit is …..I can’t help but think there’s more to it than meets the eye.”

Cyrus asks boldly. From his point of view, it is just like jumping off a cliff. He knew that being told such a thing could offend a person who genuinely had no ulterior motive. However, he also knew that this mage, Al, would not be enraged by such a thing. It was only a little.

“Well, what I gain is certainly not visible to the eye. Furthermore, I cannot share this knowledge with anyone. It is mine only. It’s important and necessary, even if it’s only for ….. I know you’re anxious, hence so let’s set a deadline in advance.. But I’m not sure I should be the one to tell you this. You clearly realize, don’t you, …… Cyrus, that you can’t keep living on the streets like you are now forever, ……? A lowly thought, but you have a good face. I think you’ re prepared to become the plaything of these perverts. But if that’s the case, what about the younger children who adore you? Are you going to let him or her follow the same path?”

“………………!”

Fuming with anger.

You don’t dare!

Cyrus is reliving the frustration felt by Vera.