Chapter 45

"Hero Kura, please take care of Sara,"

"Yes, of course,"

"And Sara, make sure you continue to study, and before long, you will be able to achieve your dreams,"

"I promise the next time we meet, I will have mastered all the spells you have given me,"

Sara and I are currently meeting with the Holy Woman, Lady Yu, inside the sanctuary of the Tenion Temple. Sara's father and grandfather were here initially but had already left due to their duties to the city. It was a warm and sweet farewell, and I didn't expect the duke to hand me a bag containing five hundred gold coins for travel expenses. It seemed a bit too much, but I still accepted the money after the duke insisted.

"Just be sure to send me a letter every once in a while," Lady Yu asks, taking Sara's hand. "Travelling with a hero is a challenging but rewarding journey. I have faith that you will become so much stronger and wiser by the time we next meet."

After talking briefly, we parted ways with Lady Yu, and Sara had to take a moment to dry her tears before we left the temple. We joined the others at the city's dock. When we arrived, we found the send-off was larger for Satou than it was for Sara.

"Sir Pendragon, you have saved our family from a great peril,"

Viscount Emerin, the owner of the Lulu fruit orchard that Satou had helped, is currently taking his turn in talking to Satou. From what I hear, thanks to Satou, lulu fruit orders were at an all-time high, with nobles from the old capital, merchants from the royal capital, and other nearby regions buying as much of the fruit as possible. Lulu fruit was even rising in value and becoming a high-grade fruit.

"This is all thanks to your skills at cooking and promotion, not to mention your willingness to share your research materials with the public,"

"I'm the one who should be grateful. The orchard you're starting in the Muno Barony is a greater gift than I could ever have hoped for,"

Viscount Emerin proposed an orchard for the profitable lulu fruit to be established in the Muno Barony. He supplied the seedlings, equipment and a knowledgeable instructor from his orchard to help ensure the project ran smoothly until everything was up and running.

"S... Sir Satou... once you finish your training, you will be returning to the Muno Barony, correct?"

"Yes, that is the plan,"

Viscount Emerin's second daughter, Rina, approached Satou as soon as her father finished his business with him. Satou had mentioned he was planning on revisiting the Muno Barony. I don't know how long he plans to stay, but he said he wants to stop and check in on the Muno Barony before he leaves the Shiga Kingdom and travels around the world.

"A... all right! I'll do my best,"

"Very good. I'll be cheering for you, then,"

"Thank you!"

Satou needs to be careful saying things like that. When he returns to the Muno Barony, Rina stares at him as if expecting to marry Satou.

"Oh, Satou, you're so cruel,"

"Tolma, keep your thoughts to yourself,"

As soon as Rina and her father were done with Satou, Tolma approached with his older brother Viscount Hosarris Siemmen. They were accompanied by Mr Djang and Miss Natalina from the scroll workshop. I barely know the last two, but Satou must have made quite the impression because Natalina looks like she might cry at Satou's departure.

"If anything interesting happens on your trip, make sure you write me about it, all right? Here's some extra info for you,"

Tolma handed Satou a bundle of papers tied together with string. Looking at it later, I learned that the papers contained information on important nobles in both the royal capital and the Labyrinth City.

"Sir Pendragon, do be careful in Labyrinth City. This is a letter of introduction to the guild master there. She is a bit of a difficult individual, so if she gives you any trouble, please turn to her adviser, Miss Sebelkeya,"

As Satou started making his goodbyes, I was soon approached by members of the crowd, but Satou and I weren't the only ones giving farewells.

"Mia, say hello to Lady Aaze and everyone in our home town for me,"

"Mm, okay,"

Mia spoke with Cyriltoa, the Songstress, who had come to see us off. We are so close now to Bolenan Forest, the elf village and Mia's home town. It won't be that much longer until the journey to bring Mia home comes to an end.

"You'll come back, won't you, Nana?"

"Nana and Nana's master, coming' back?"

"Larvae, Hero Kura and I shall visit this place again, I declare,"

Nana tightly embraced the sealfolk children, who flailed around adorably.

"Lulu, come by any time if you want a job,"

"Th... thank you, Chef,"

The duke's castle chef is still trying to recruit Lulu.

"Arisa! We came to see you off!"

"Take care, Miss Arisa,"

"Let's play shadow tag again!"

"Aw, you came to say goodbye!"

Arisa was surrounded by happy voices as the children from the orphanage gathered around her. Of course, Sara was subjected to the same flood of children along with Satou, Nana and me, too.

"Liza, Tama, Pochi, I know you can get even stronger. Defeat monsters and gain all the experience you can,"

"Yes, sir. We won't forget your teachings, Sir Kajiro,"

"Take care, everyone,"

"Ayaume, too?"

"Yes, sir!"

The Saga Empire samurai pair who had been training the beastfolk girls, Mr Kajiro and Ayaume, also came to say goodbye. Satou paid them extra for their work after seeing how much stronger the Vanguard team had gotten. I think he paid them nearly three times the promised amount.

"Sir Satou! It's not too late. You can still become the head chef of the Lloyd family!"

"No, no, Sir Satou must marry a daughter of the Hohen family and become the head chef and a member of our family!"

The gourmand pair of Marquis Lloyd and Count Hohen stepped forward as the children finished their goodbyes. They gave Satou and me a dagger with their respective family crests, saying to use it if we ever got into trouble. There were many other familiar faces, too, like the nobles who hosted us, the Worgochs and others we had visited during our time in the old capital.

"Sir Pendragon, please try to avoid getting into danger. If things look impossible, turn back at once... and don't die,"

"Don't worry. I won't do anything reckless,"

Sir Ipasa Lloyd. The imperial knight had a serious face when he took hold of Satou's hands. Liza had to cover Arisa's mouth to stop her from making any boy-love comments with so many people around. Unfortunately, with the number of people that came to say goodbye, we delayed the ship's departure. We had to apologize to the captain and other passengers later. Still, eventually, the ship set sail, and we waved to everyone at the port until they vanished over the horizon.

"So, are we taking the land route over the mountains to Mia's home town? Or the sea route?"

Arisa asked as she approached Satou.

"Viscount Emerin told us not to take the sea route,"

"Oh, right. His fleet got destroyed near the Sea Dragon Islands, didn't it?"

"Yes, and that's the only way to get to Bolenan Forest by ship,"

I could probably handle it, Satou had the same idea, too, but we didn't know anyone who could give us a ship.

"So we'll be going through the mountains, then?"

"Yeah. Lady Cyriltoa said she went that way, too,"

When we went to the music hall for the second time, we brought everyone else to watch the songstress's performance. When we met backstage after Cyriltoa's performance, she told us about the journey she took to leave Bolenan Forest.

"But is there a highway through there?"

"It's probably better to assume that there's not,"

Traders, Cyriltoa and nobles from the area all said there was no road through those mountains. To make things worse, it sounds like no one has been travelling that route for over a hundred years. So we should expect the trails and mountain paths to be overgrown and in bad shape.

"Mountains, huh...? I wasn't much of a hiker in my past life, just so you know,"

"I wasn't planning on walking, of course. Don't worry. I've got a plan,"

Oh, yes... Satou's plan. I had seen Satou testing the possibility of aviation in the old capital. He would sneak out occasionally at night to test his latest design and then return to Arisa, who accused him of cheating on her. Not every one of his tests has succeeded, and I hope this small blimp-style airship he wants us to use doesn't crash.

Still, at least between the two of us, our group now has some new equipment. Satou's girls had new armour made primarily from the hide of the giant monster fish. It had better blade resistance than mithril, was fireproof and even shock resistant. It should keep them all safe even when they do battle with opponents stronger than the kind we have already faced on our travels. Satou camouflaged his girls' armour with the thin white shell of hard newts.

As for weaponry, Satou also gave his girls some new gear. Pochi and Tama were equipped with Magic Swords that looked like simple bronze swords. Those swords could be switched between two effects: Soft Stun for dealing with people and Sharpens for exterminating monsters. As for Arisa, Satou gave her a staff made from the wood of the Mountain Tree. Lulu was gifted a muzzle-loading musket with the Shooter Version II built in.

As for my party, Pearl, Nana, and I had new armour made from giant monster fish hide, but our armour also had mithril plates that really stood out. It was part of Satou's plan to blend in. We should draw everyone's attention. Satou made sure it would even gently shine slightly. Mia and Sara didn't look that much different. We modified their clothing by adding a thin layer of giant monster fish hides to the inside of their clothing. I had to double-check with Sara and Lady Yu to see if I could modify Sara's priestess clothing that way.

Mia is the only one in our group to receive a new weapon. Pearl's and Nana's swords are already far better than anything Satou and I could make. We could only match Nana's sword but never surpass it. Like Arisa, Mia was gifted a new staff made from the wood of the Mountain Tree. We would have gotten Sara, a new staff but she joined our group too late for us to order one for her. Unlike the rest of our equipment, neither Satou nor I had a hand in creating the staffs. We had those made at a staff store by a skilled craftsman during our stay in the old capital.

<0>

The first day on the ship was nothing special. Satou and I apologized to everyone for delaying the ship's departure. We met the captain and toured the ship. The only thing that stood out was Sara. She looked upset, saying this would be her longest time away from the old capital. Before, she would only leave for a few months, but now neither of us knows when she will return.

It rained on the second day of our trip, forcing us to stay inside the ship. Our rooms were too small for us all to group together, but luckily there were plenty of places on board where we could hang out together. But despite the nice rooms on the upper decks, we found a dining area on the lower decks to be the best place to have fun. The people up top had a big problem with beastfolk, and one even tried to hit Pochi. They were lucky Satou stopped them before they broke their fist. But despite the rain, we made the most of it. Mia entertained us with songs, and Arisa told stories with Tama and Pochi acting out some scenes. It was a fun day.

But on the third day, after the rain finally ended, we moved onto the deck for fresh air and saw something unexpected. It was something thin to the southeast. As if there was a giant spider web in the sky.

"What is that?"

Satou also spotted it, but it doesn't look like the others can see it.

"What do you mean? There's not a cloud in the sky,"

Arisa asks, straining her eyes and trying to spot what Satou and I are seeing.

"Spider thread?"

"It's thin and stretchy, sir,"

Out of everyone, Pochi, Tama, Satou, and I could see the thin white thread.

"World Tree," Mia mumbled from my side.

"Is that what that is, Mia?"

Mia nodded, but it didn't look anything like a tree. I don't think Mia would lie about it, but I can't see that thin white thread being part of a tree.

By the next afternoon, we arrived in Couka, the southernmost town aside from the port city of Sutoandell, to switch to a ship that would take us upstream on a river branch. We were heading to Kuuche and will be travelling by land from there.

Unfortunately, when we started travelling in the carriage a few days later, we found the roads leading out of Kuuche were overgrown with grass. There was little traffic as the locals seemed to prefer to travel around in small canoes.

"Master, do you think the black dragon they mentioned in that town is around here?"

Arisa looked out the window with a worried look on her face. When we passed through Kuuche, we heard stories of a black dragon attacking the town. The outer wall was a little charred but not burned down. It seemed too little damage to be inflected by a dragon.

"There aren't any demi-dragons nearby, so perhaps they mistook a wyvern or large snake monster for a dragon?"

"Wyverns are scary, too... will Lulu be okay in the coachman's seat? And the horses?"

"Don't worry. I'm always on the lookout for enemies,"

Satou patted Arisa's head, and she finally flashed a relieved smile.

"Master, the village up ahead seems to be in a rather strange state,"

"Hero Kura, I recommend battle preparations,"

Liza and Nana were fully armed and rode on runosaurs, moving closer to give their report. We had sold our spare horses back in the old capital, so all we had were the four pulling the carriage and the two runosaurs. Lulu was steering the carriage with Pearl sitting by her on the coachman's stand while the rest of us were in the back.

The village up ahead was positioned between a branch of the river and the highway, and it looked like the people there made their living as farmers and fishermen. But the villagers were armed and waiting for us at the crossroads leading to the village.

"Do you have some business in our village? You're riding runosaurs, but you sure aren't dressed like thieves or eastern savages,"

The village elder stood waiting for us with ten armed villagers behind him. Their weapons were crude and didn't look like they could hurt us even without our new armour. Some held pointy sticks, with a few wielding poorly made spears tipped with obsidian shards. They looked like they would break the instant the villagers used their weapons.

"No, we weren't planning on stopping by,"

Satou's response did nothing to relax the tension of the situation. They must be scared because the village looks like it was recently attacked. At least half the villagers had burns on their hands and feet, while the rest sported various other injuries. There must have been a big fire since several of the buildings showed signs of damage.

"It looks like some buildings have burned down back there. Were you attacked by bandits?"

"No, much worse than that. It was a nobleman and his friends,"

One of the younger village men spoke up when the elder looked hesitant.

"Was this noble from around here?"

"No, we'd never seen him before,"

"Yeah, I didn't recognize the crest,"

"They asked if we were sheltering any beastfolk, and when we said we didn't know what they were talking about, they used magic to burn down our houses,"

"One guy held a fireball in front of my face and demanded a confession,"

The youngsters began to answer Satou's questions one after the other. So a nobleman is using fire magic to harm people. Could he be the same one Sara mentioned when I saved her from the Fire Slugs? Satou also said he encountered a fire-loving noble at the dark auction.

"If you have injured people, I would be more than happy to treat them for you,"

As soon as she became aware of the situation, Sara stepped forward. Her eyes held a hint of worry, but she still smiled brightly. Ultimately, her gentle smile convinced the villagers to lower their weapons.

"Priestess, I am afraid we won't be able to afford your treatment. That noble took most of our valuables, saying it is our punishment for harbouring beastfolk,"

"That's terrible, but you don't need to worry. I won't ask for any compensation,"

The village elder still looks reluctant to take Sara up on her offer, but he gives in once the younger men ask Sara to heal them. Sending one person back to the village, he has the men, women and children gather around Sara. Some were worse than I thought, with burns so bad I doubt they could be treated. But with a gentle smile, Sara casts a wide area of effect healing spell until everyone is as good as new.

"Kura,"

But while Sara was treating the wounded, Mia grabbed my sleeve and pointed to the nearby tree line. I can see something moving. It was large enough to make the trees sway.

"Something's coming!"

"It smells bad, sir!"

Pochi and Tama quickly grab Satou pointing in the same direction. I can hear it now as it snaps, twigs, and crunches leaves. It isn't long before a level twenty naga emerges from the forest. It is a creature with dark brown scales, bat-like wings on its back, a snake-like body with four arms and a dragon's head.

"Nana, Mia, stop that monster before it reaches the village. Pearl, stay back and guard the carriage,"

"Order's registered, I report,"

"Okay,"

Nana and Mia quickly move out and are joined by Pochi, Tama and Liza. Arisa has already begun chanting while Lulu takes aim with her new gun. Satou, meanwhile, stands ready to step in if he needs to. Pearl hangs back, but she doesn't look happy about it.

"Master, please let me fight too,"

"I'm sorry, but the others need the practice,"

"Yes... master..."

Pearl doesn't look happy, but it doesn't look like she will disobey me to join the fighting. I feel bad for forcing her like this, but the others need to level up some more. It didn't seem like they needed any help, though.

"Slashy, slashy!"

"Master's magic sword is amazing, sir!"

Pochi and Tama cut through the monster's scales with little resistance as Nana blocks every attack with her shield. While Lulu tries to shoot the naga, only for her bullets to bounce off.

"Lulu, try aiming for the eyes, ears, nose or mouth,"

"Y... yes!"

I advised Lulu after her third shot failed to scratch the naga. Her fourth bullet narrowly missed its left eye, but when Lulu fired a fifth bullet, it blinded the naga's right eye. The naga reeled back in pain, allowing Pochi and Tama an opening to cut deeply into the naga's stomach.

"I did it!"

Lulu smiled and gave an adorable cheer before blushing and covering her face in embarrassment. Just then, Mia and Arisa cast their spells, dealing a lot of damage, but Nana delivered the final blow when she cut deep into the naga's neck.

"It seems you did not need me for this battle," Liza commented as she confirmed the naga's death.

"Easy peasy!"

"We're invincible, sir!"

Pochi and Tama struck a victory pose after hearing Liza's words.

"Have a seat, you two. Listen..."

But Pochi's and Tama's gloating and posing only earned them a scolding from Liza. No one stepped in to stop her since she had a point. Overconfidence and pride can be your downfall on the battlefield.

"Say, do you think that Naga was the black dragon we've been hearing about?"

"Dark brown,"

Mia shook her head when Arisa brought forth a theory. It isn't hard to believe someone mistook a naga for a dragon. But like Mia said, this naga didn't have the same colour and seemed unable to breathe fire. I doubt a naga was behind these fires. But we didn't have time to theorize all day, so we started moving again as soon as Sara was done healing the burn victims.

"Found it!"

"It's flying over the top of that mountain, sir!"

Tama and Pochi pointed to the south as they took their turn riding by Lulu on the coachman's seat. When I looked, I saw the outline of the Black Dragon Mountains beyond the lower mountains. I thought the mountains we had seen were big, but the Black Dragon Mountains are at least twice their size. But there was something up there. Something that was coiling around the white, snow-capped peaks of the Black Dragon Mountains.

"Great job, you two,"

Satou leaned out and gave Pochi and Tama a few pats on the head. It really was impressive they could see the mountains over such a long distance away. But before Satou could finish praising the girls, robbers attacked us. We were only an hour away from Puta, so we were surprised the robbers would be so bold. In the end, we easily beat them. We didn't have room to take them with us, so we tied them to a tree planning on sending the town guard to collect them later.

<0>

The town of Puta came into sight. Beyond the trees, we could see the town sandwiched between two mountains, with a castle built on the slope of the western mountain. The mithril mine site was on the mountain to the east, but all they mine there now are small amounts of tin and lead. The town's population had more beastfolk than humans, and the only nobles in the town right now were the constable, Baronet Poton's family, and the noble believed to be behind all the recent fires.

According to the information we got from nearby villages, the town of Puta was famous as a gathering point for mon hunters. If demi-goblins or other monsters were seen wandering near the local villages, the town would hire the mon hunters to exterminate them. They had to since the town's constable refused to take any action until serious harm had already been inflected.

Somehow I already knew all that information. It has to be the dragon gods doing, but somehow I already know about the town's history and layout and even feel happy seeing the town walls. It feels like I really was once living in this town. I wonder why the dragon god gave me all these memories.

At the entrance to Puta, I had been grinning right up until we glimpsed a group of mon hunters in an altercation. Four female members and a male adolescent were bickering in front of the gate.

"Like I said, I can't pay the entrance tax unless you pay me in advance!"

"Why should we have to do something like that?"

"Exactly! You said you'd come in handy if we brought you along, but you haven't done a damn thing for us so far,"

"You can't even carry our baggage, and you drink all our water,"

"Worst of all, you sliced up the firefox we worked so hard to take down and ruined its coat!"

The women coldly disregarded the boy, who only had one arm, perceiving him as a nuisance. Nonetheless, he remained steadfast and would not give up. I can't shake the feeling that I have met those women before... I remember their names and even breaking down monsters for them... the memories feel so real I can't tell them apart from my other memories.

"Hey, Kena, wait a sec,"

"What?"

The guard, who'd been standing around like it was none of his business until now, suddenly spoke to the leader of the women. I can remember him too. I can remember greeting him as I entered and left the town.

"A firefox, you said? Did you go all the way to the Blighted Valley?"

"Pfft, of course not. If we went to a place like that, we'd be the ones getting hunted,"

"Then where...?"

"We found it in our usual spot in the Twin Mountains,"

"You did?"

The Blight Valley. I remember that place is filled with mighty monsters, but they shouldn't be a problem for us, so maybe we could stop there to train before leaving the city. As for the Twin Mountains, I remember that being a place where demi-goblins liked to build nests.

"Yeah, we saw a goblin that used fire magic, too. Pretty crazy,"

"Was that in the Twin Mountains too...?"

"Yeah, that's right,"

The mon hunter women waved to the guard and headed through the gates, but the boy hurried to stop them.

"Hey, we weren't done talking yet!"

"Fine. Come to the bar next to the buyer's shop by sunset today. If you show up, we'll give you three coppers for six days, just like we originally promised,"

"Wait a minute! I defeated four goblins, too. You owe me four more coins for the commission for those!"

"Why, you little... you just sneaked in the final blow on the goblins we'd all but finished off, didn't you?"

"You've got some nerve trying to claim a reward for that. Cheeky brat,"

"That still means I beat them!"

The tall leader of the women just shrugged her shoulders.

"All right, all right. But you didn't kill those four alone, so you get half the commission. That means two extra coppers. Just make sure you get to the bar before the end of the day,"

The woman snickered at the relieved smile on the boy's face. He needs to hurry. I can remember those women love drinking a lot.

"Heh, you better hurry, or we'll spend it all on booze,"

"Okay, let's make a bet on whether we can drink everything away before the kid gets there,"

"Great idea! I'll put one large copper on, yes,"

"Me too, five coppers on drinking it away,"

"Gah, ha, ha, come on, put some real money on it!"

They weren't joking. I remember them drinking half my pay away when I arrived to receive payment. But I wasn't late because I couldn't pay the entrance fee. They had me butcher some monsters, and they drank while I worked. The boy must also know how serious the women were as he hurriedly tried to negotiate with the gatekeeper.

"You heard them, right? Just let me through now, and I promise I'll come back to pay later,"

"Ha! If I believed every word you mon hunters say, I wouldn't be fit to be a gatekeeper. Why don't you just go hunt some game to pay in kind before sunset?"

"How am I supposed to catch a beast without tools to set traps?"

"Well, you better give up, then,"

When the gatekeeper notices our carriage approaching, he pushes the boy aside. The kid tried to charge into town while the guard was distracted, but a second guard stuck his foot out and tripped him.

"Hey, welcome to Puta. Never seen you around before. Are you a peddler?"

"No, we're just stopping by on our journey,"

Satou jumped out of the carriage and showed his silver identifying plate to the gatekeeper. Since he was just wearing plain robes, the gatekeeper didn't realize he was dealing with a noble as his face quickly pales.

"My sincere apologies. So you are a noble, sir?"

"Hate to be rude, Sir Noble, but did you say you're on a journey? This town is pretty much the end of the line, you know. So where exactly are you going? Planning to head over the mountains to steal some wyvern eggs or something?"

"Cut it out, Jitts,"

The other gatekeeper is most likely talking about the wyvern nests on the other side of the black mountains. The dragon god even gave me memories of that activity. I don't remember doing it myself, but plenty of people have gotten killed over the years trying to sneak into a wyvern nest.

"Are Wyvern eggs good to eat?"

"Really good, probably. They sell for a high price anyway. If you bring them to the royal capital or the Siruga Kingdom on the other side of the mountains, rumour has it you can trade them for their weight in gold,"

"They say the spawn are raised as mounts for the Flying Dragon Cavalry,"

If only that was true, but it sounds too good to be true. If anything, I reckon you would only get a quarter of their weight in gold.

"Hey, Mr Noble!"

"Quiet, you,"

One of the gatekeepers quickly silences the boy with the butt of his spear. It was a bit excessive, but the guard probably did it for the boy's own good. I can think of plenty of nobles who would call for the boy's head because he spoke to them out of turn.

"It's all right. What is it, young man?"

Satou waved the gatekeeper away and approached the boy, still picking himself up off the ground.

"Mr Noble, I need your help to get into the city. Please lend me a copper! I promise I'll pay you back,"

"Speak a little more formally, would you?!"

"I don't know all that fancy language. Isn't 'Mr.' formal enough?"

The boy must really be desperate to ask a noble for money. He is fortunate it was Satou he asked, or the boy might have already lost his head.

"Sure, I'll lend it to you,"

"Really?!"

"Sir Knight, this kid is a mon hunter, you know. They never have enough money to last through to the next day. He's never going to pay you back,"

"Hey, stay out of it, will ya? He already said he'd lend it to me. I swear I'm gonna pay him back!"

The boy smelled like he hadn't bathed in a long time and had the scent of goblin blood and guts on him too. The kid snatched the coin from me with his only hand, then shoved it at the gatekeeper.

"Oh hey, Mr. Noble! You should go to that inn by the gate if you don't know where you're staying. It's pretty expensive, but the food there is famous for being super good!"

The boy waved at us as he sprinted up the main street. Now, Satou just needs to do something about the disapproving looks these guards were giving him, and we can get moving.

"Sir Knight, kindheartedness is surely a virtue, but there are lots of people in the world who'll take advantage of ya... you... without a word of thanks, you know?"

"All right, that's enough. Don't insult his lordship,"

"It's all right. Thank you for your concern, but I already know what mon hunters are like,"

Satou nodded to the guard in thanks, then pointed to me.

"Hey, when have I ever stolen money from you?"

"Oh, it's you..."

He recognizes me? I doubt word has reached all the way out here that I am a hero, so is it because of the dragon god? Did she alter the memories of the people in this town too?

"Hey! Aren't you that little kid that would follow around everyone, asking them to teach you how to hunt monsters?"

"Yeah, that's me,"

"I knew it. You know, people were sad to see you leave town? A lot of people became dependent on you to take care of the monster bodies,"

"You look much more fancier than when you left... did this noble take you on as a guard or wife?"

"I'm the wi hmm..."

It sounds like someone stopped Arisa from calling something out.

"Oh no, it's nothing like that," I pull out my own identification plate. "We are just currently travelling together."

"So you left town as a skinny brat and became a knight?"

"Don't be disrespectful!"

"It's fine. I'm still new to the noble life, so you can talk to me how you like,"

"Anyway, welcome back home. I'm sure a bunch of people will want to see you, so we won't keep you waiting here,"

As soon as we got back into the carriage, Lulu started to move it. But the gatekeeper spoke up just then as if he'd just remembered something.

"Sir, a noble from a rather troubled country is currently staying with our constable Baronet Poton. Please be careful of him,"

So that pyro noble was already causing trouble in town. Satou gave two large coppers to the friendly gatekeepers as thanks for the info before asking for more details.

"The noble is called Marquis Lloyd Dazaress of the Makiwa Kingdom. He... well he..."

"He goes around asking questions and setting things on fire if he doesn't like the answer if you can believe that,"

From what the guard tells us, the same thing happening in that village is happening in the town of Puta. The pyromaniac noble had started threatening people with fire magic while asking about the beastfolk.

"I'm surprised the lord is willing to allow that,"

"He's got Count Bobino's support, you see,"

Count Bobino was a former noble and lost his title and life when he was discovered to be a supporter of the demon lord-worshipping cult, the Wings of Freedom. His son will replace him as head of the family at the end-of-year meeting.

"It's all about the bribes, see,"

"Shh! Jitts!"

"My apologies, Sir Knight. Those are only rumours,"

"Yeah, but he suddenly got all that power half a year ago, and he's been bringing in boxes with the Bobino crest on them that we don't get to inspect? He's gotta be smuggling for someone, right?"

"Thank you. I'll be sure to avoid getting involved with Baronet Poton or Sir Dazaress,"

Satou gave the pair a silver coin each as an additional thanks and reported where we left the thieves before we headed for the inn. Unfortunately, Satou and I were nobles and had to greet the local nobles whenever we entered a town or city. Sara is in the same boat. She may have given up her noble status, but being born into such a high-ranking family meant she still had to perform the same greetings Satou and I did.

Lulu carefully steered the carriage down the town's narrow streets towards the inn by the gate. When we rode the carriage into the courtyard, a girl who seemed to be a maid came rushing over to greet us.

"Welcome to our gatefront inn!"

Satou, Arisa, Sara and I left the rest of the girls with the carriage and followed the girl into the inn. When he saw us, the inn proprietor rubbed his hands together and looked like he had hit the jackpot.

"What a pleasure, young master. We just happen to have an excellent room open for you,"

The room he was talking about was the most expensive. In fact, it was a house, not a room and an entirely separate building. Three stories tall, with the bottom floor serving as a warehouse that could hold our carriage and horses. There was a bathroom on the first floor and a single small bathtub, but unfortunately, there was no hot water unless we boiled it. Because of the time it took to heat the water up, we were asked that we try to avoid bathing during meal times.

We were allowed to use the water from the irrigation canal for anything but drinking. We are going to need to purify the water before we bathe. I wouldn't be surprised if there was sewage water mixed in there.

"Because of its remote location, this town is not the most orderly..."

The innkeeper said it would be best to pay an additional fee to hire a nighttime sentry to prevent robberies. The lodging house was one silver pre-night, with the additional cost of two extra coppers a night if we wanted to hire the sentry. Ultimately, we paid for the sentry so we could all have a peaceful night's sleep without posting a guard ourselves. We could have got the sentry for free if we had stayed for five days, but we only intended to stay for two nights.

Before the innkeeper left us to get settled, Satou, Sara and I had him send a letter to Baronet Poton requesting a meeting. Satou also put the letter he got from Marquis Lloyd with it too.

"Whoa, so this is where the noble's staying, huh?"

It's him. A hunter who looked like a mob boss swaggered into the courtyard as we returned to the courtyard to take the carriage into the warehouse. He was carrying a large sack that he spread for us to see. Venison. Already cut and ready to cook. Why do I feel so happy to see this man, though? I feel like I was close to him.

"Hey! Aren't you that kid that used to butcher our prey?"

"Y... yes,"

I was so preoccupied with the venison that I didn't notice he walked right up to me. Smiling brightly, the mon hunter pulled me into a tight embrace. I hug him back, remembering who he is. Uncle or that is what everyone calls him. Despite his intimidating appearance, Uncle is one of the friendliest hunter in town and always helps new mon hunters.

"It's been a long time, Uncle,"

"Yeah, it has been. It's a shame you left but how about we throw a party? The tavern by the docks ordered too much booze and is practically giving it away,"

I can remember that bar. I used to clean dishes there. The dragon god did an outstanding job with these memories she gave me. It's like they really happened. I agree to have drinks with him later on without even thinking about it. I will probably take Pearl and Satou along. Everyone else is too young to drink or can't hold their drink.

"Oh-ho, pretty big prey for you, pal,"

"Yeah, haven't had a catch like this in ages. How about it, young noble? It's ripe for eating. Just no entrails because I ate those the day I caught it. Gah, ha, ha, ha!"

The innkeeper looked like he would be interested in buying it if we weren't, and the price Uncle was asking for wasn't too bad either. It was less than half the price of the venison sold in the old capital. According to my memories, the dragon god provided Uncle was never the best businessman. Just how many memories has she given me? And how many people has she implanted memories of me inside?

Unfortunately, Satou won't be the one cooking the venison. Our building doesn't have a kitchen, so when Satou brought the meat, he had to entrust it to the inn's chef.

<0>

We suspected it would take a few hours for Baronet Poton to respond to our letter, so we decided to get changed and explore the town. We put our most valuable stuff into our storage and magic bags, so we could go together without a fuss. But where most of us decide to put on plainer-looking clothes, Satou wears something that would make it hard to mistake him for a commoner.

"Where are we going?"

"Sir?"

Tama Pochi looked up at Satou as they held his hands while Arisa and Lulu jealously stared at their linked hands.

"To the harbour. I heard they sell some rare fruits there,"

"Fun,"

Mia nodded as she clung to my side. Puta was a small town, and even though these memories weren't real, I could still guild us to the docks in under ten minutes without getting lost. I already knew there wasn't an official market in the town, but people were manning a few carts and stalls selling food and drink to seafarers.

The town hasn't changed much if my memories are correct. Dirt roads and sparse buildings, only a single floor was built above the ground and were well ventilated. They weren't on stilts like beach houses, but their foundations were built up to protect against flooding.

The people haven't changed either. They were all lightly dressed, and many of them wearing short skirts and shorts. The older women wore longer skirts but never long enough to cover their ankles, while the minors wore skirts that ended just above the knee. As for the men, some were wearing wide-open shirts while others went shirtless altogether. Satou quickly turned down Arisa's suggestion that he should remove his shirt to blend in.

The children wore the least amount of clothing thought. Many of them had shirts that didn't reach their belly buttons, but this seemed to be because they outgrew their clothing rather than a fashion choice. Some children had the opposite problem and wore clothes that were too big for them. But there were still others. Others were practically naked. Those children were happily running around barefoot, wearing only loincloths.

It didn't bother me, but since some members of our group were from places where outfits like this were considered inappropriate, they were having a hard time looking at the people around us. Besides, according to the memories the dragon god gave me, I used to wear similar-fashioned clothing as the locals before I left this town.

"Hero Kura, there are many larvae here. We must adopt them at once, I advise,"

"Nana, it's too dangerous to bring them with us,"

I am going to have to keep an eye on her wherever we go from now on. Ever since she held that cute little baby Mayuna, Nana has been more insistent on adopting a child.

"Our destination is in sight, master,"

Liza reported from the front of the group. Peddlers were gathered in the streets and storehouse entrances. Few of them had stalls and instead had their wares spread out on top of mats on the ground.

"Not a lot of salespeople out here in the sticks, huh?"

"Arisa, hush,"

Satou chided Arisa for his rudeness before he approached the nearest vendor. But I don't follow them, instead looking to an empty spot at the edge of the docks. There used to be a statue there... I can remember it being a statue of the founder of the town.

"Master, is something wrong?"

Pearl and Sara stopped when they saw I wasn't following the group and came close to me as Mia looked up from my side.

"It's nothing. I was just wondering what happened to the statue that was there,"

"Oh, that old thing, missy," A fisherman stopped when he overheard me. "Some nobles from the royal capital stopped by about... a think it was a few months ago. They tour it down, saying country nobles shouldn't have statues and used their family status to get out of trouble. They are most likely dead now. They went looking for wyvern eggs and dragon scales in the mountains and never returned,"

So that is what happened. The current noble causing trouble isn't the only one to have brought harm to this town.

"A lot of people weren't happy when they tore down the statue. The man was a hero during the last cycle of the demon lord, founded our town and was a fairer ruler than most. He didn't deserver to be disrespected like that, not after he gave his life to defend this town from a green-skinned demon. I remember his entire family died that night when the castle burned. But there was a rumour going around at the time that his granddaughter survived,"

"Excuse me, but when did this demon attack?"

Sara spoke up just before I was about to ask that same thing. If these memories are real, I might be...? No, I know I was brought to this world a different way. But what if that was a lie?

"About fourteen years ago. I can still remember the sight of our hero bravely fending off the demon. He forced it to retreat after a brutal battle, but the castle and half the town were destroyed. Our hero was fatally wounded and died not long after,"

We thank the fisherman and hand him a few copper coins for the story. It sounded so familiar that I really felt like I lived it before. Fourteen years ago. I would have been a baby then and had very few memories of my family. It adds up, so while to my backstory, I told everyone. Did the dragon god really make all this up and alter everyone's memories? I am starting to feel that it is more likely that these memories really did happen.

"Were you that grandchild that people think survived, Kura?"

"I don't know," I shake my head at Sara's question. "I would have been only a baby at the time."

But was I really that child? I hope the dragon god will contact me soon because I really want to know where these memories come from.

"Hero Kura! Master Satou has brought everyone some sweet fruit, I report!"

Nana came running over to us, carrying enough fruit for us all to try. There were several to choose from, from miniature melons to citrus fruits to peach-coloured pears. The melon was pretty good and tasted a little less sweet than a watermelon.

"Mm. Yum,"

"It is really refreshing,"

Sara and Mia were big fans of the mini melons. Pearl, meanwhile, seemed to prefer the fruit that was like a palm fruit and needed to be cut open. It was a little dense, sticky, and sour, but it tasted good. Nana, on the other hand, favoured the peach-coloured pears. But as she was eating one, she suddenly stopped.

"Hero Kura, I have located the criminal unit who assaulted the larvae. I report,"

Nana pointed toward the harbour. There was a white tigerfolk man who seemed to be having an argument with one of the merchants. He looks like the person who had kicked the sealfolk kids back at the old capital.

"Permission to annihilate immediately!"

"No, Nana, there is no need to go that far,"

That was an accident when he kicked those kids. Besides, the tigerfolk man was hit by a runaway horse shortly afterwards as punishment.

"Please!"

"I told you we don't have any in stock,"

But despite me telling her no, Nana still approached the tigerfolk man, and I had to stop her, but in the process, I came within earshot of the tigerfolk man and the merchant's argument.

"I just need medicine for burns. It doesn't have to be a potion,"

"I sold my last salve yesterday,"

"Then tell me who bought it. I'll get them to give me some,"

"Not a chance. Can't have you harassing my regulars,"

The tigerfolk man clung desperately to the curt salesman. There were no alchemy or magic shops in Puta. Every drop of medicine had to be imported from the old capital, so it could take weeks to restock when someone ran out.

"Damn it. Hey! You there! This is no play for your amusement!"

When our eyes met, the tigerfolk man swiftly shouted angrily.

"Hero Kura, the target, has taken hostile action. Commencing annihilation,"

"I told you no,"

Nana tried to step forward, but I grabbed her shoulder and gently pulled her back.

"Please reconsider! I must avenge the sealfolk larvae, I entreat,"

But those children aren't dead.

"Sealfolk...?" But Nana's words made the tigerfolk man stop and frown momentarily. "Wait, did those children die...?"

"No, we treated them quickly, so they are all right now,"

"I... I see... I got knocked out by that runaway horse myself, so I've been worried about those children ever since," The tigerfolk man sighed in relief. He is a lot gentler than his scary face implies. "Are you all acquaintances of those children? I'm very sorry. I wanted to go apologize myself, but I wasn't able to do so. Please forgive me."

The white tigerfolk man rolled over on his back in front of us in a show of submission. I fought the urge to rub his belly since this was probably the tigerfolk race's way of showing their highest penance. If I were to rub his tummy, I would probably just be insulting him.

"I forgive you, I declare,"

Nana nodded, so I offered the man a hand to help him up. Now that Nana was satisfied, I changed the subject to why he was looking for burn medicine.

"My comrades are near death because of their burns,"

"Burns?"

"Yes, Brother Gar and the young miss tried to save some people from a fire...."

"If you would like, I could heal them,"

"Me too,"

Sara quickly volunteered to help right after me, and even Mia agreed to lend her aid. But it was only when Mia revealed herself to me, an elf, he decided to trust us.

"R... really?!"

"Sure,"

"Thank you... I'm in your debt,"

"Wait a moment," I quickly stop the tigerfolk man from moving as I notice someone watching from a distance. "Someone looks like they might follow us. Everyone stay still for a second I will use illusion magic to hide us and create body doubles to lead our follower away."

It was a simple spell... or at least I thought it was a simple spell that anyone could use. After confirming our direction, I had the decoys go the opposite way. If all goes well, they should lead the guy spying on us to the constable's castle. Meanwhile, we would be invisible, going to treat the wounded. Like I said, I thought it was a simple spell, but everyone was looking at me like I pulled off a miracle. I later learned that pulling off such a realistic illusion on such a large scale was impossible to perform without a group of people backing them up. I contacted Satou with the telephone spell to let him know what was happening once we got moving.

"Hey! Lower your weapons! I brought an elf and her friends who can treat us!"

As we approached the mine entrance, I spotted multiple tigerfolk warriors prepared to ambush anyone getting too close with bows and spears. A few spell casters and traps were set up to catch anyone snooping around. They had set up a solid defence, but there were too few people here to hold out for long if attacked.

We are taken deeper in and led through a maze of tunnels until we finally stop at what appears to be a dead end but, in fact, is a secret door carefully hidden. There are a few guards inside who look ready for a fight, but the white tigerfolk man quickly gets them to stand down. Once inside, we find a young tigerfolk girl and a strong-looking warrior who were severely burned.

"Why would you bring humans here?!"

"They can help us! The Young Miss and Brother Gar can be cured by them!"

"You better know what you are doing,"

One of the tigerfolk, a tough looking one with scars over his body, tried to stop us, but hearing the white tigerfolk man say we can help seems to have won him over. People are still watching us suspiciously, but they give us some space to work.

Sara went over to heal the tigerfolk girl while Mia handled the tigerfolk man called Brother Gar. Brother Gar looked severely burned, so I followed Mia in case she needed more help. It turns out Mia didn't need my help in the end. They still need to regrow their fur that was burnt off, but they shouldn't have a scar left behind.

"Thank you. Lady Elf,"

"You saved him, Lady Elf,"

"I can't thank you for saving me, kid brother, Lady Elf,"

Unfortunately, becoming the centre of attention made Mia shy and uncomfortable. She quickly hid behind me and clung to my back. The tigerfolk seem to get the message that Mia isn't good with crowds and give her some space.

"Thank you, miss,"

"It's fine. I was happy to help,"

It looks like Sara is getting along with the tigerfolk girl. It is probably for the best that Pearl is holding Nana back. That girl looks important, and we will probably get in trouble if we don't keep Nana away from her. I can only imagine their reaction if Nana suggests we adopt her.

"I have a feeling you may need these in the future,"

I sigh before I hand over a few potions and healing salves for burns. These are probably the beastfolk the nobleman with a taste for starting fires are looking for. I might not be able to stop him from pursuing them, but hopefully, these will help them in the future.

"Are you sure we can have these's...?" The white tigerfolk man looked ready to grab the items from my hands but regained his composure at the last minute. "I mean... you have already done so much for us. There is no way we can accept this gift on top of everything else you have already done."

"It's fine. I have plenty more of them, so you can have these,"

"If you insist," Hesitantly, the guy accepts the potions. "Allow me to thank you. I, Frost Knight Gargaolon and loyal servant Princess Luniya thank thy."

The white tigerfolk man, Gargaolon, dropped to his knees along with several other tigerfolk who gave their thanks. The last one to thank me was the tigerfolk girl. She had beautiful pure white fur and bright blue eyes. With Sara's help, the girl approached me.

"Miss... hero," The girl had a soft and gentle voice even as she struggled to speak the language of the Shiga Kingdom. "I... Princess Luniya... thank thy... for the... aid..."

"It's fine," I smile, kneeling to be at eye level with the girl. "I am happy to help anyone in need."

"Young miss, please rest for now until you have recovered,"

Gargaolon guided the princess back to her bed. We went to take out leave not long afterwards, but Mia suddenly stopped.

"Kura," Mia tugged on the hem of my shirt.

"What is it?"

"There,"

Mia pointed at a white horse tied up off to the side. For some reason, it looks like the tigerfolk kept their distance from the horse.

"A horse?"

"Unicorn,"

Mia took my hand and led me over to the unicorn. Looking closer, I noticed there was a stub on the horse's forehead where a horn had been cut off. The unicorn had a mean look in its eyes, but it quickly softened when Mia stroked it.

"Hey, be careful!"

"That one is dangerous!"

A pair of tigerfolk quickly approached us.

"It attacks anyone who tries to touch it... wait, it isn't attacking you, kids..."

"It must be the power of an elf,"

"You are free to take that no-horn," Gargaolon quickly approached. "It's the least we can do after everything you have done."

"Thanks," Mia nods and agrees to take the unicorn. It looks like we are the owners now. "Kura. Up."

"Can you ride it?"

"Mm,"

With my help, Mia quickly hopped onto its bare back. The hornless unicorn seemed to have no objections to letting Mia ride it. I stroke its body. Unicorns are so much softer than horses. But apart from me and Mia, the unicorn doesn't let anyone else touch it. We will need to find a safe place to release it before someone gets hurt.

<0>

"Lady Ougoch. I am honoured that you graced our lonely town with your presence. On behalf of the town, allow me, Baronet Poton, to welcome you,"

When Satou, Sara and I return to the inn, we find Baronet Poton waiting for us. As soon as he saw Sara, the Baronet instantly bowed. Sara's family must have more power than I thought. Most nobles I have met never bowed to anyone arriving in their town.

"The honour is mine, Baronet Poton," Sara smiles gracefully and politely bows. She makes being an ideal noblewoman look so easy. "I am no longer part of the duke's household, so please just call me Sara."

"But I could never treat someone of your lineage like that,"

The Baronet insisted on addressing Sara by her family name, so Sara had to let him do so. After exchanging a few more words with Sara, the Baronet finally looked towards Satou and me. His expression wasn't nearly as gentle and kind as the one he showed when greeting Sara.

"Are you Sir Pendragon and Lady Kura?"

"I am Satou Pendragon. A Hereditary Knight of the Muno Barony. It is a pleasure to meet you, Baronet Poton,"

"My name is Kura Suou, a Knight in the service of Count Seiryuu. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Baronet Poton,"

Everyone else from our group was waiting nearby in a vacant plot while we returned to the inn to greet the Baronet. Satou noticed on his OP mapping skill that Baronet Poton had just arrived at the inn with ten guards escorting him.

Baronet Poton wasn't like what I was expecting to find when we entered the inn. He was a plump, balding middle-aged man who kept looking around as if someone might attack him at any moment. He was wearing fancy clothes that seemed out of place in this town. I thought he would look like he was struggling and not wear such flashy clothing.

"Marquis Lloyd's letter said to treat you as I would the marquis himself. However, I have never known the marquis to have an associate such as yourself..."

So he thinks Satou is a conman trying to scam him with a counterfeit letter. The Baronet doesn't seem like he will arrest Satou until he has proof, so that is probably why he came in person to judge Satou for himself.

"Quite understandable. I have only had the pleasure of his acquaintance for roughly a half-moon now,"

Satou reached into his robe and pulled out a dagger with the Lloyf family crest and presented it to the Baronet. It was a beautiful dagger with an elegant design.

"A dagger with Marquis Lloyd's crest..."

Baronet Poton held the dagger and flowed magic power into it, and the crest glowed faintly with some ancient letters that must have been the family motto.

"It… it's real!" The blood drained from the man's normally ruddy face. He must have been expecting me to be a fake. "F… forgive my rudeness, Sir Pendragon. Wait! Does that mean that the letter from the king is also real?"

"Yes,"

I nodded my head. As Satou sent the letter from Marquis Lloyd, I included my letter from the king.

"Please, you two need not stay in such a miserable shack as this. Won't you come to my castle instead?"

The innkeeper scowled at this rude comment. But he obviously couldn't complain to a noble before all those guards. I didn't want to stay under the same roof as that pyromaniac, and Satou had an intelligent way of turning the Baronet down. One that will kill two birds with one stone.

"I am truly humbled by the invitation, but it may be in my best interest not to visit Your Excellency's castle,"

Satou made a show of glancing toward the galley, where the flames could be seen burning in the kitchen. The whole-roasted deer looked and smelled like it will be delicious. The inn must have a talented chef.

"S… Sir Pendragon, did Marquis Lloyd by chance give you some secret assignment...?"

Baronet Poton widened his eyes and made a clumsy attempt to get information from Satou. I struggled not to smirk seeing the Baronet sweat,

"No, not at all," The Baronet breathed an audible sigh of relief. "However, I cannot imagine he would think kindly of a foreign noble harming innocent citizens. Not everyone is as forgiving as Your Excellency."

Baronet Poton froze. If he'd had a tail, it would've been between his legs. I doubt Satou planned to use his connections like this, but he doesn't look like he will be stopping now.

"Baronet Poton, I have heard that you are..." Satou paused for a moment, looking straight into Baronet Poton's eyes. "An excellent constable, so I am certain you would never knowingly allow a foreign noble to terrorize your townspeople."

"B… but of course. Of course not! Please tell Marquis Lloyd that as long as I, Porolo Poton, yet breathe, the town of Puta shall always be secure!"

"I expected no less, Your Excellency. As it happens, I intend to write a letter to Marquis Lloyd tomorrow. I hope that I can inform him of Your Excellency's hard work,"

"I… indeed. I thank you for your consideration, Sir Pendragon,"

Baronet Poton practically tripped over his own two feet as he hurried out of the inn and threw himself into the waiting carriage, which quickly carried him away. Satou might have been a bit too blunt, but Baronet Poton seemed to have understood my message: Deal with that pyromaniac noble by tomorrow, and I'll tell Marquis Lloyd only good things about you in my report.

"That was amazing, Mr. Noble! I've never seen that stuck-up constable look so scared!"

The boy with one arm must have watched the scene unfold from the back door. He entered the room looking much better than when we parted ways this morning.

"Hey, kid, if you're looking for alms again, go around back,"

"N… no, not today. I came to return the money I borrowed from Mr Noble here,"

The boy looked flustered by the innkeeper's assumption.

"Mr Noble, thank you again. Here's your copper back. You really helped me out there,"

Satou accepted the copper he handed him. It must have cost him another fight to get his reward from those women. There was a cut on his lip and a bruise coming in on his right cheek. This town is just as violent as my memories calm it is.

"Hey, innkeep, I got cash today. Gimme some of that tasty-looking deer,"

"Don't be stupid. That stuff's not for a green-horn mon hunter like you,"

"Psh, whatever,"

"Why don't you get our famous grilled fish with white sauce special?"

"Yeah, that's fine, I guess,"

White sauce special? I don't have any memories of that being a thing in this town. I wonder if it is because I didn't have any memories of this inn or is it because that white sauce special didn't exist before I left this town. But putting that aside, isn't that dish too expensive for the boy. At two copper coins, it seemed too much considering his recent pay.

"If you spend that much, how will you have enough to get back into the city?"

Satou must have thought so, too because he asked the boy about his spending habits.

"I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. You never know when you're gonna die, so you gotta at least make sure you're eating good food, right?"

I'm not sure whether that is stupid or smart when I can remember how quickly a mon hunter's life can be brought to an end. As we talked, the other girls entered the inn, so we left the main inn building for the separate house where we were staying.

"Looks like you took care of that problem,"

"Yeah, no worries,"

Satou nodded. Arisa had the Space Magic spells Clairvoyance and Clairaudience, so she knew the whole story. But Satou and I explained the situation to everyone else.

"Well, I hope the constable does his job right..."

"It should be fine, don't you think? He seems very concerned with self-preservation, and he thinks I'm working for Marquis Lloyd,"

"Yeah, but small fries like that can do crazy stuff sometimes. I'd be careful,"

Arisa's advice was good for a change. To ensure we didn't get caught up in any trouble, Satou planned to gather information tonight so we could leave the next day. I planned to help out when I met Uncle for drinks.

"Master, I believe dinner is ready,"

A servant informed Lulu that our food was ready, so we headed to the dining hall. No one seemed to have a problem letting the beastfolk girls join us. Maybe it was because of the incident with Baronet Poton earlier.

"Hungry, hungry,"

"Hungry tummy, sir,"

Pochi and Tama held Satou's hands on the way to the dining hall and swung them back and forth, singing their "hungry song", complete with musical accompaniment by Mia. The Hungry song's lyrics seemed to change every time they sang it.

"Looks like we're at this table in the centre,"

Arisa pointed at a large table in the middle of the room with eight chairs and food already laid out. The meal was a simple whole-roasted deer. From the looks of it, you were meant to shave off some meat, add the white sauce from a small bowl, and eat it wrapped in lettuce-like leaves. There was also a separate plate with steamed vegetables and pilaf that I'd ordered for Mia. The white sauce turned out to be mayonnaise. I'm surprised we didn't find it sooner. But something isn't right with it.

"Wow, this lettuce-wrap thing is really good!"

"Mayo?"

"It's mayo, sir!"

"Yes, the mayonnaise is delicious, but I think the meat is best enjoyed on its own first,"

"Hmm? The mayonnaise does taste good, but..."

Lulu looked to Satou for confirmation as soon as we all had a chance to taste it. Lulu was right about the taste not being right. The mayonnaise here was extremely heavy. Maybe they used a different kind of oil, or maybe the proportions of their mixture were off, but I felt like I was going to have heartburn by the time I finished eating. As I prodded Mia's cheeks, since she looked sulky while she ate her vegetable pilaf, Satou warned everyone not to eat too much mayonnaise.

"Sir, is the white sauce not to your liking?"

"It's quite tasty, thank you. Is it of your own devising?"

The innkeeper, who'd been watching from the galley, came over.

"No, this was taught to me by a one-armed mon hunter some half a year ago. Got me to pay out the nose for the recipe, too. He was a shrewd one, unlike that little dolt Kon over there,"

"Hey, don't lump me in with that creepy-looking dude,"

Having thoroughly cleaned the meat off every last bone of his grilled fish, the young mon hunter Kon glowered at the innkeeper. But that one-armed mon hunter catches my attention.

"Did you happen to catch that man's name?" I ask.

"Yes, he called himself John Smith,"

John Smith a common pseudonym back on Earth. I asked the innkeeper what the man looked like, but all he remembered was that he had black hair, no left arm, and relatively flat facial features. I strongly suspected he was the unaccounted-for third man Princess Menea's kingdom had summoned.

"Come to think of it, he just up and disappeared outta town one day,"

"He was a mon hunter, right? He probably just got killed by a monster,"

"I don't think that man would've gone down so easily,"

Even as he chatted with the innkeeper, Kon's gaze was locked firmly on the venison. Satou ended up offering him some.

"Are you sure?! Wow, thanks! You're the best, Mr Noble!"

The boy accepted it reverently with both hands, savouring it with tiny, careful bites. After each bite, he mumbled things like "Damn!" and "Tasty!" But as Kon ate, my attention was drawn to Nana. Before I could stop her, Nana was on her feet. She carefully hid her forehead, used Body Strengthening on herself, and then zipped over to the door faster than the eye could follow. Then she returned proudly, carrying two ratfolk babies under her arms. The babies struggled frantically, but with Body Strengthening enhancing her powerful arms, they didn't stand a chance against Nana.

"Hero Kura, I have taken custody of these larvae. Permission to force-feed?"

"Go ahead but don't force them to eat,"

Everyone but Pochi, Tama and Liza were done eating by now, so I gave her permission. I warned Nana and watched her out of the corner of my eyes as she started to hand-feed the two babies. Just to be safe, I used the telephone spell to have Satou confirm Nana didn't kidnap anyone's babies, and I let out a breath when he confirmed they were homeless orphans.

As it turned out, they had lived in the orphanage in town until Baronet Poton closed it down, leaving them homeless. Today, at least, Nana made sure they could eat their fill. They seemed confused initially, but the babies started gulping the food down like little birds once they realized they could eat.

"Mrrr, I won't lose, sir… Urk!"

"Pochi, water?"

Feeling threatened by the new challengers, Pochi started eating even faster and ended up choking on her food. Tama quickly handed her a cup of water.

"Mmph,"

"Mrp-mrp,"

The ratfolk children stuffed their cheeks like hamsters, filling up on meat and vegetables. Liza tried to teach the ratfolk to savour their food. Kon must have looked left out because Satou invited him to join us, and we ended up having a pretty hectic dinner, but overall, it was a lively and enjoyable evening.

<0>

"The Black Dragon Mountains?"

Satou, Pearl, and surprisingly even Sara joined us for the drinking party. Arisa and Mia wanted to come too, but after what happened with the dwarfs, Satou and I made sure they stayed behind. Since we would stand out in fancy clothing, we all wore planer clothes Satou had enchanted to make the wearer less noticeable. It was pretty neat since only people we wanted to notice us would. Satou originally designed this clothing for spying on troublesome nobles, and tonight was an excellent opportunity to test them out.

So far, the evening was pretty fun as I met up with mon hunters I have memories of and the sweet alcohol the bar was famous for tasted great even if it was too strong. It paired perfectly with the salted mystery fish snacks.

"I've been to the Farthest Village, and all there is beyond it is an old, overgrown highway, y'know,"

"I'm pretty sure there's a mon hunter who specializes in that area,"

Satou treated the merchants to some alcohol, committing the information they gave him to memory.

"Isn't there a pioneer village at the foot of those mountains,"

"No, I think that village got wiped out twenty years ago by a huge avalanche of earth urchins,"

I shake my head when I see Satou looking like he is starting to get more interested in eating urchins than gathering information. He's even drooling.

"Hey, drink up!"

"It isn't often we get to drink the night away like this!"

"You girls have been drinking every night like this away,"

Uncle chuckles, scolding the two girls who are pouring me another drink. They are from that party at the gate this morning. Their leader was busy eating some of the snacks that Satou brought with him while these two were starting to get out of hand. At least I don't have to deal with them as Uncle pushes them away.

"Man, a silver just for participating in some inn siege?"

"That's crazy. How many goblins is that?"

"One silver is twenty coppers, so... that's a lot,"

"But that arsonist freak is gathering a buncha followers, right? Are we really gonna get paid?"

"C'mon, think, ya moron. We'll just steal anything of value when we attack the damn inn!"

"Should we really be attacking some nobles, though?"

"Eh, we'll let the arsonist take the fall for that,"

They are talking about us. I shake my head, seeing my peaceful night come to an end. Looking around, I can see Pearl has been drinking, but she looks sober enough for a fight. A potion Satou recently invented should help her sober up. Sara herself hasn't been drinking anything but water since the alcohol here wasn't to her taste, so she should be fine.

I had hoped that Satou's talk with Baronet Poton convinced him to deal with the pyro noble, but either he failed to persuade or arrest him, or he got talked into siding with him instead.

"But what's the arson guy got against the noble at the inn?"

"I heard They're hiding the beastfolk the fire freak is looking for. They're with them at the inn,"

"That makes sense. I heard he bought a ton of food supplies,"

Satou must have purchased a little too much food at the trading post. He really went overboard when he placed orders for tomatoes. I don't even know what we are going to do with fifty crates of those red fruits.

"Hey, it looks like we will have some trouble tonight," Satou quietly contacts me via the telephone spell.

"Yeah, it sounds like that guy has it out for us,"

"Then how about we let them pull off the siege instead of preventing it and catch that stupid noble in the act? If it gets out that he gathered a bunch of thugs and attacked a sleeping noble, he'll never be able to talk his way out of it,"

Satou must have also contacted Arisa because she suddenly voices her idea.

"Good point. Let's deal with this pyromaniac once and for all,"

"Okey-dokey! We'll get ready, then. The great Arisa will demonstrate how much she learned about sieges from reading tons of Warring States manga!"

Arisa sounded way too happy about this, but it shouldn't be a problem. As long as Satou uses his cheat mapping skills to locate snipes and we watch out for poison, nothing should be able to stop us.

"Come on! Wait a minute!"

"Outta the way, Kon,"

I heard the boy Kon outside arguing with the leader of the mon hunter women. She sounds like she has had too much to drink tonight.

"That noble is a really good person! He wouldn't hurt a fly,"

"That doesn't matter one bit,"

"She's right. We get a silver each just for sur- rounding an inn!"

"Yeah, do you have any idea how many goblins that is?"

"Even a good-for-nothing like you could get in on this, you know! You'd have to be a fool to let this chance go by,"

"Hey, Ordo, put the drink down and get them to stop!"

"Why? Let those ladies do what they want,"

"C'mon, Ordo!"

This "Ordo" fellow was a one-eyed rabbitfolk man, and his group ranged from levels seven to nine, high even for mon hunters. I don't have any memories of him from the dragon god, so maybe he is new to town.

"You better back off, or it'll be more than just a punch this time,"

"C'mon, miss, please,"

Kena, the leader of the female mon hunter group, raised a fist, but then Ordo called out to her.

"Kena, I'd think on that a minute,"

"What do you want, Ordo? It's not like you to stick your nose in other mon hunters' business,"

"Just a piece of advice, lass. We're siding with the nobles in the inn. He saved Borsch's sister's life, and besides, we got a request from the beastfolk alliance to protect both those nobles and their servants,"

"Are you serious, Ordo? I know you guys are strong, but there's more than just a couple dozen mon hunters here. The constable's guards are coming, too, y'know,"

"The constable isn't stupid enough to side with that fire freak," Uncle spoke up. "Besides, do you really want to pick a fight with Kura? She is one of those nobles at the inn."

I must really be popular. Most of the mon hunters here look at a man with disgust. He must be working with that fire-loving noble because he makes a hasty exit.

"I wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but I happened to hear what you were talking about. Miss Kena, was it? I wonder if I could ask you and yours to stay here and keep drinking tonight,"

Satou was the next person to join in the conversation.

"Drinking? You're not here to recruit us for your side?"

"What?! If you were listening, you must have some idea of what's going on, right? Shouldn't you be leaving that inn and running for the hills? I'm sure Ordo could open the gates for you if you ask nicely,"

"Don't worry about it," I stand up and smile. "That noble we be dealt with tonight."

Satou and I quickly communicated a plan via the telephone spell and relayed it to the mon hunters.