Chapter 389: Chapter 387 – Guard Route

Guard Route

The payment for the guard commission was 25,000 gilans for the return trip, which meant 2,500 a day for the whole ten-day round trip. It was no wonder moderately-skilled adventurers would not want to take it. All the more so when the payment was not per head, but for everyone.

「Thank you so, so much! You can sleep on the way there! And I’ll pay for the lodgings too, so you can eat and drink all day all you want!」

Nino was extremely grateful for Hikaru’s help. Hikaru lay outstretched on the spacious, empty wagon. It would be packed with kounatsu on the way back, which meant they would have to walk.

Hikaru had become completely accustomed to traveling in this world. He could even sleep despite all the rocking. But right now he had things to do.

「Paula. Let’s do some holy magic training.」

「Okay.」

Hikaru found notes left by a Saint in Quinbland from a long time ago. It contained detailed written accounts of rituals performed through the nation’s request, and descriptions of the lands he visited on his pilgrimage.

There were even notes regarding Holy Magic: Angel Judgement.

「A new spell. Paula’s getting stronger again…」Lavia said.

「What do you mean, “again”?!」Paula asked.

「A woman’s gotta have guts.」Lavia gave a thumbs up.

Paula shook her head furiously.「I-I’d like to take the more ladylike route…」

Lavia was browsing a collection of Quinbland folk tales, while Paula was reading a manual on running a church that was similar to Hikaru’s book, but more practical.

None of them gained any knowledge that might be useful for going on adventurers. Then again that’s what reading is all about, Hikaru thought.

「First things first.」Hikaru said.「Apparently this spell doesn’t kill.」

「Really?」

「Based on what I’ve read, it only applies shock to the target proportional to their sins. The spell was used to determine one’s innocence.」

「Oh…」

「Now use it on me.」

「What? Oh, but I think you’ll be fine. Yes.」Paula said, nodding to herself, as she took the notes that Hikaru wrote.

Does she think I’m some kind of a saint? Hikaru thought. I just thought I’d be the perfect guinea pig since I’m a sinner.

Hikaru thought a spell left behind by a Church personnel wouldn’t cause serious injuries. He wanted to see how useful it was. In that case, he would be a fine target after some of the things he had done.

Whatever. It’s important to know if Paula can use it, so might as well try.

『O’ God who art in heaven, by your wisdom, pass thine judgment. The light from thine right hand sees the truth, blessing the holy and judging the wicked.』

It was a slow and relaxing incantation. Despite the sun blazing high in the sky, it was still chilly and comfortable here in the north.

They weren’t too far from the capital yet. Many caravans traveled along the road, drivers greeting each other.

Wait a sec, what’s this light coming from her?n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Paula was emanating a pure, bluish-white light, as though she was burning at an extremely temperature.

Three golden rings descended from the heavens, each about ten meters across, swiftly encircling the wagon.

Oh, no… Is this actually bad?

Nino turned around, startled, but Hikaru didn’t have the time to look in his direction.

『Angel Judgement…?!』

A blue light zipped from Paula’s outstretched right hand to Hikaru. Far duller than before, the light went inside Hikaru’s chest.

「H-Hikaru…?」Lavia asked fearfully.

「I feel nothing… No, wait. I do!」

Hikaru felt a shivering sensation in the center of his body. From far away, he sensed a gaze of a transcendent being boring into him.

I’m being watched.

A primordial sense of dread assaulted Hikaru, threatening to drive him insane, then vanished completely the next instant.

It was quiet. The rings of light had also disappeared.

「Hmm? Yup, guess it was really nothing.」Hikaru mumbled, relieved.

Then he heard something crack. Hikaru, Lavia, and Paula exchanged glances.

「What was that? It sounded like something just broke.」

Slowly, Hikaru reached for his breast pocket.「It’s this.」

The guild card, an item created using mysterious technology, had been split in half. Moreover, the class field was covered in darkish red smudge that made it unreadable.

「………」

「………」

「………」

「Hikaru. What did you do?」Nino regarded him.

「Uh… Sorry, I actually don’t know either.」

「Please don’t do anything reckless.」the merchant warned.

It’s safe to assume that Paula’s spell worked, Hikaru thought. But we don’t know what it does exactly, so we can’t just use it on anyone. Maybe I’m guilty but my angel class saved me?

There was an Adventurers Guild in the inn town that they arrived to that day, and Hikaru had his guild card reissued. He was able to set his Greater Angel class without problems, along with the five other classes under it.

Anyway, Angel Judgment is banned for now. We should be glad that Paula has a means to defend herself now.

「I’m actually the son of a mistress.」Nino began.

It was the third night of them traveling together. Lavia and Paula were already asleep. Traveling in a wagon was exhausting for them even though they just sat all day. Lavia actually had 3 points on Stamina, but she lacked endurance in the first place. The Soul Board wasn’t exactly an almighty ability.

「Really? So was your father a wealthy merchant or something?」

Only Hikaru was around to listen to the drunk Nino. The diner attached right beside the inn served alcohol and snacks at night. Bards came and sang songs.

Adventurers gathered in more noisy taverns, and this diner became a hangout for merchants. Hikaru could hear some of them talking about the prices of goods.

For these people who risked their lives to make money, the information exchanged here could be useful.

「A wealthy merchant… I suppose, yes. He was a very successful businessman at first. It all started when he discovered an agriculturist who could grow large quantities of kounatsu.」

「At first? Is it different now?」

「That doesn’t matter.」

「It doesn’t?」

Nino was drunk, and he was intent on saying what he wanted to say.

「My father entrusted his business’s branches in major cities and towns to my siblings. They’re all competing furiously, announcing their sales every month, finding out who earned the most and the least. It’s all just too much. My father has three legitimate wives, and he’s declared that seven of my siblings had inheritance rights. That’s why they’re trying so hard.」

Three legitimate wives, plus a mistress. His dad must’ve made quite the fortune.

「I don’t expect to inherit anything since I’m an illegitimate child. But I do want my father’s approval… He started out as a peddler and worked his way up. I’m trying to follow his footsteps.」

「I see.」

「In my opinion, it doesn’t matter if my siblings are doing great running the branches. In the end, they’re just riding the coattails of my father’s success. Don’t you agree?」

「Yeah.」

「You think so too?! I’m right, aren’t I?!」Nino downed his ale.「I need a refill.」he said, his face already red.

「I think you should stop.」

「No, I’m good. Peddlers get killed by bandits and monsters. They die without ever collecting credit. Some perish when their wagons fall off a cliff. So I’m gonna say what I want to say, when I want to.」

「Don’t peddlers have any dreams or something?」

「We do, actually.」said a bearded man at the next table. He was exchanging information with some people.「We go from town to town, trusting our own wits to stock up on goods and sell them. That feeling when your prediction is right and money comes rolling in is better than bedding the finest woman!」

「As if you’ve bedded a fine woman before.」a balding man from the same table chimed in.

「Damn right! And I’ve never actually had money rolling in either!」

The men burst into laughter.

「We’re wanderers. Going wherever the wind takes you is the best.」

「There are times when you don’t have enough money to purchase anything, driving your wagon down an empty street, and think, “Ah, I feel so alive.”」

「We follow the law, but we make our own rules on how we run our own business. In a way, I’m like the king of my nation.」

「What kind of king drinks cheap booze in this sh*thole of a diner?」

「There’s a bunch of us here!」

Laughter filled the diner. The men took the opportunity to move tables and expand their circle of acquaintances. Hikaru didn’t know what kind of criteria they followed, but it was as if their movements were predetermined.

「You see, while that loud exchange was going on, everyone was watching closely.」Nino said.「Who said what and how they reacted. After concluding that they could exchange profitable information with a person, they move tables.」

「In such a short time? Is that even possible?」

「It is. All right, then. I’m heading over to that table.」Nino pointed at a table with a middle-aged man in plain orange clothes and a hat. The man raised his hand.

「Why him?」Hikaru asked.

「We passed by each other yesterday in the parking lot. He was transporting alcohol, while my wagon smelled of kounatsu, but I didn’t know his name or identity. That means we both have information on taverns, diners, and inns that the other doesn’t. It’s a great way to get new clients, don’t you think?」

「Oh…」

「Later, then. I don’t need a guard, so you can go to bed.」

Hikaru watched Nino leave, impressed.「In other words, that loud exchange just now have nothing to do with it.」

I think he just fooled me, he thought. Nino’s a smooth talker, all right.

「Well… if he’s off doing his job, I’m gonna do mine as well.」

Hikaru stood up, grabbed the cloak hanging on the chair, and left the diner.