novelraw Chapter 111 : Guide
Chapter 111 : Guide
Chapter 111: Guide
They left Runeberg.
After changing out of their thick clothes, his body felt much lighter.
Sigbard, taking off fur garments for the first time in his life, found the strange sensation fascinating.
“Is it true that people don’t wear clothes when you go south.”
“It’s not that they don’t wear them, I heard they dress lightly.”
“For example?”
“The sleeves are much shorter than now. I also heard they don’t wear tops at all.”
“Isn’t that the same as not wearing clothes.”
“That’s for men, and at the very least they’d wear pants.”
Crack.
Listening attentively to Robin’s explanation, Sigbard swung his rod.
A hyena that had been eyeing them for a chance to bite was struck down.
“I haven’t been to such hot regions either, so I haven’t seen it myself.”
“I see.”
The hyenas that had been moving in packs slowly retreated backward.
The ones that had been following them for quite some time showed no sign of giving up.
When they first encountered the initial group, they had cut them all down.
Perhaps drawn by the scent, another group came.
The second, the third…….
Robin soon stopped putting in the effort to drive them off.
No matter how many he repelled, others soon arrived.
“Truly, the world is vast.”
Robin let out a small chuckle and opened the compass.
Vegetation appeared here and there along the path heading west.
At this pace, they could reach Narvik within five days.
“By the way, is there still no reaction from the candlestick.”
“Yes. I’m not sure whether to call that fortunate…….”
The candlestick Cruel had used was now with Robin.
Thanks to Marlen absorbing the demonic energy, no demonic energy could be felt anymore.
‘The more I look at it, the more fascinating it is.’
The mana stone embedded at the center had lost its purple color.
Instead, it carried a faint bluish hue, and rather than feeling ominous, it conveyed a strange sense of clarity.
“That his abilities disappeared is a relief.”
“Aren’t you disappointed, Sigbard?”
“I’m not. What use would turning transparent even be.”
Robin pressed his lips shut.
The ability Cruel had used was not limited to that alone.
‘There’s no need to bring it up.’
Whether invisibility or enchantment, if they could be used, they would help in battle.
But it was an awkward topic, so he decided to let it slide.
After all, it truly was a perverse kind of ability.
“Ah, there is one thing I regret.”
“What is it.”
“It would have been nice if it had a function where it lit up automatically.”
An unpleasant scene flashed through his mind.
Perhaps not noticing Robin’s expression, Sigbard continued.
“The true purpose of a candlestick is to illuminate the darkness. It would be nice if we could carry it instead of a torch.”
“That’s true……?”
The purpose of a candlestick was to hold a candle, but he did not point that out.
“Still, only small fry keep showing up, it’s making me restless.”
“This isn’t an uncharted region or a dungeon.”
“Even so, I didn’t expect not to see a single monster.”
As Sigbard said, the journey went smoothly.
Even after leaving Runeberg, no dangers were in sight.
The hyena packs followed them, but they were merely annoying.
Robin hoped things would continue without incident like this.
“Just endure a little longer. Once we register as adventurers, we’ll be busy.”
“Understood.”
Sigbard scratched his beard and swung his rod.
The watching hyena yelped and retreated.
A fairly chilly night breeze blew.
They should have lit a campfire, but it was called off due to Sigbard’s opposition.
It was weather that could hardly be called warm, but it suited Sigbard just fine.
Robin even covered himself with Sigbard’s fur garment, so he had no complaints.
As he drifted into a shallow sleep like that, he woke when his shoulder was shaken.
“Something is coming.”
Sigbard, who had been standing watch, was gripping his rod.
Robin immediately grabbed his sword and stared into the darkness.
Step. Step.
Judging from the footsteps, the approaching presence was human. He was walking straight this way.
‘Alone?’
When they checked before preparing camp, there had been no one around.
It was because they had chosen the shortest route to reduce travel time.
With habitats of wild beasts scattered everywhere, it was a place most travelers avoided.
“Stop.”
At Sigbard’s warning, the footsteps halted.
Robin hurriedly rummaged through his backpack.
The moment he pulled out the flint, a voice burst out from the other side.
“Wait a moment! I’m not a bad person!”
A young-sounding voice.
He did not know what had been misunderstood, but Robin did not stop.
“You can’t light a fire!”
She sounded urgent, but it was too late.
The sparks that flew as the flints struck spread with a whoosh.
As the torch lit up the surroundings.
Robin doubted his eyes.
Sasasa-sak.
Everywhere was crawling with insects.
They were not ordinary insects.
Dozens of bugs that looked to be about a meter long were spread all around.
‘Giant cockroaches?’
They were monsters.
They looked like fingernail-sized bugs enlarged as they were.
Seeing them up close was grotesque.
There were monsters before them that might number over a hundred.
“Eek! Run, hurry up!”
The one running toward them with a shrill voice was a woman.
A girl who looked to be in her mid-to-late teens.
‘Who is that kid, and why is she coming to me?’
He set aside the question for the moment.
They had to block the crawling bugs.
“Don’t fight them, run!”
The girl had already come right up behind Robin.
Chasing away the bugs, Sigbard opened his mouth.
“We have baggage we need to take.”
“What does that little bit of baggage matter!”
“Sigbard, I’ll take care of it.”
The rod Sigbard used was long.
And very solid.
Just swinging it made it a deadly weapon.
Whooong!
As the unremarkable-looking rod traced a semicircle.
Puff, puff, puff, thud!
The bugs burst apart.
Sticky greenish bodily fluid poured down like rain.
In the meantime, Robin hoisted his backpack.
“Let’s get out of here first.”
“I know the way!”
Could they really trust this girl?
Without any chance to reply, the girl snatched Robin’s torch.
“I’ll throw this away!”
Whoosh.
When she tossed the torch, the bugs swarmed toward it.
“Follow me! Hurry!”
The girl darted ahead, weaving through the corpses of the bugs.
‘Let’s follow her and see, even if it’s a gamble.’
By coincidence, the direction the girl was heading was the same as their destination.
A path they had to take anyway.
They followed behind the girl.
Only when dawn was about to break did the three of them stop.
There were no monsters around.
Perhaps reassured, the girl plopped down on the ground.
“Let’s rest for a bit.”
Robin and Sigbard set down their baggage while keeping their distance from the girl.
The girl spoke as if displeased.
“I’m Maria. I’m fifteen. And you?”
“I’m Robin, and this is Sigbard.”
“Nice to meet you.”
When she shook out her hair soaked with bodily fluid, dull blond strands fluttered.
Short hair and quite a cute face.
Maria let out a long sigh.
“Lighting a fire suddenly in the middle of the night wasn’t a good choice.”
“I didn’t know monsters were surrounding us.”
“Still, it’s a relief we’re safe.”
“Yeah. More importantly, why did you approach us?”
“I was trying to warn you that it was dangerous. It seems it backfired instead.”
Maria pulled out a handkerchief and made a distressed face.
Twisting it like wringing laundry, bodily fluid streamed out.
“It looks like this is your first time around here?”
“That’s right.”
Maria’s gaze shifted to Sigbard.
“I thought so. Just looking at you, mister, you’re clearly not ordinary, and if even I don’t know you, you must’ve come from far away.”
“I am a Barbarian.”
“A Barbarian? I’ve never heard of that. Tell me more.”
With an easy friendliness, Maria asked Sigbard questions she was curious about.
She showed no sign of fear, even though one might expect it.
Sigbard calmly answered her questions.
“Wow, you came down from the snow mountains? I can’t believe it.”
“That would be natural. Barbarians haven’t gone outside for a long time.”
“Then, will I be able to see other Barbarians like you, mister?”
“I don’t know.”
From her chatter, a sense of vitality came through.
After chatting for quite a while, Maria turned her gaze to Robin this time.
“You said you’re going to Narvik, right? I have a proposal.”
“What is it.”
“Hire me. I’ll be your guide.”
“We can find the road ourselves.”
“If it weren’t for me, you two might not have seen the sun this morning.”
Pointing at herself as she spoke proudly, she looked quite amusing.
And that was because among the three, Maria looked the most miserable.
Perhaps thinking his faint smile was being ignored, Maria continued.
“I’ve lived around here my whole life. I’ll guide you through shortcuts outsiders don’t know.”
“Shortcuts?”
“Yes. Shortcuts only I know. Two days will be enough!”
Reducing a journey that would take five days down to two?
It was an attractive offer.
Time was precious.
As Robin closed his mouth as if in thought, Maria held up one finger.
“Just 1 Silver! I usually charge 3 Silver, but since you’re handsome, I’ll give you a discount!”
“1 Silver? Then it’s better we just go on our own…….”
“Alright! 90 Cooper! I have to make a living too!”
Maria was desperate.
‘I had no intention of hiring her…….’
When he said nothing, Maria lowered the price.
“Fine. 80 Cooper! Wow, I really won’t make anything!”
Her gaze was so earnest that Robin took out some coins from his pocket.
“Thank you! Uh… this is 50 Cooper though?”
“I’ll pay the remainder depending on how things go.”
“Is that how you’re going to do it. Alright. I’ll serve you with everything I’ve got!”
When he said he would pay more if they shortened the time even further, Maria’s eyes sparkled.
Burning with motivation, she sprang to her feet.
“Let’s go quickly! If we want to get there even a moment sooner, we don’t have time for this!”
The exhausted look she had just moments ago was gone.
Maria enthusiastically led the two of them.
Along a shortcut only she knew.
“Ta-da! I prepared this for you two who must be feeling uncomfortable.”
The place where Maria stopped was a valley.
It was consideration for the party, who had been marching without even washing.
“I’m different from other guides who are only obsessed with shortening time.”
“Alright.”
“Take your time washing. I’ll be down below.”
“Call you when we’re done.”
Maria went down with a bright eye-smile.
The sound of cool valley water flowed pleasantly.
Sigbard jumped right in.
Robin sorted the important baggage and hid it in the bushes.
‘It might seem excessive, but it’s better to be cautious.’
Sigbard waved his hand toward Robin.
“Robin, come in.”
“You have to take your clothes off before going in.”
“You’re going to wear them again anyway, what does it matter.”
It wasn’t exactly wrong, but Robin took off his clothes one by one.
Only after doing a quick wash in the flowing water did he immerse himself.
As the monster bodily fluid washed away, a refreshing feeling came over him.
Splash, splash.
Sigbard looked for a spot to fully submerge himself, but the valley wasn’t very deep.
In the end, he gave up and sat awkwardly.
Robin stayed fully submerged, drawing a map in his head.
‘Our current location is the rocky mountain. I didn’t think there’d really be a shortcut.’
Maria’s words were true.
It was a much faster route than even the shortest path Robin had calculated.
On the way to Narvik, there was a rocky mountain, so he had naturally planned a route that went around it.
‘To think there was a path that cut straight through the mountain.’
They might really arrive within two days.
He was thinking that as he lifted his head above the water’s surface.
“Ru… n……!”
“Maria?”
Maria was running up in a fluster.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!
Dozens of monsters fiercely climbed up the valley behind her.
By the time they hurried out of the valley together, they were already right upon them.
“Run away! Eek!”
Maria screamed while covering her eyes with both hands.
“Clothes! Put your clothes on!”
‘I know without you telling me.’
The moment he hastily pulled on his pants, Maria grabbed Robin’s arm and ran.
No, she tried to run.
‘I can’t leave my swords behind.’
“What are you doing! Hurry and run!”
Holding both swords, Robin shrugged his shoulders.
Monsters were dangerous.
But even that depended on who they were facing.
Clang.
With the sword draw, fighting spirit shot out.
The boar-like monster at the front rolled away with a thud.
“W-what… Oppa, were you a knight?”
“No.”
At the word knight, his chest throbbed.
“Ah, anyway! We can’t deal with all of those!”
Robin asked himself.
Could he not deal with those monsters?
It wouldn’t be easy, but it didn’t seem impossible.
Whoosh.
Once more, fighting spirit was fired.
Thud!
Another boar collapsed.
‘But why… aren’t their bodies being split in two?’
The first boar that had fallen regained its senses and stood back up.
“I told you we have to run!”
Robin nodded and sheathed his sword.
“Sigbard!”
Sigbard, who had already been swinging his rod, leapt up with a standing jump.
Thump.
Landing right beside Robin in one motion, Sigbard also wore an expression that something was off.
“Hurry!”
Maria pushed the two of them from behind.
When Robin gave a slight nod, Sigbard turned his back.
Squeeeal!
A tactical retreat.
That was the phrase that suited the current situation.