Chapter 4: Let's Go to the Hot Springs — Part 1: The Road to the Hot Springs
<
≡
>
Warning: This content may contain explicit or mature themes and is intended for viewers 18 and older. Viewer discretion is strongly advised.
Volume 1: Witch Carly Arc
Chapter 4: Let's Go to the Hot Springs
— Part 1: The Road to the Hot Springs
Traveling east from the Kingdom of Tango, Aurelius and Magnolia arrived in the Kingdom of Exley.
The Kingdom of Exley reveres the Fire God.
It is also a nation with significant ties to the Mountain God.
Furthermore, the gods of Smithing and War are believed to have a strong connection to the Mountain God as well.
In particular, the Papas Mountain Range near Exley features volcanoes that erupt somewhere every few decades.
That is why the Fire God is worshipped in the Kingdom of Exley.
The two arrived at the fourth town since entering the Kingdom of Exley.
From afar, smoke could be seen rising from the northern mountains.
"Is that volcanic smoke?"
Aurelius, seeing a volcano for the first time, felt a sense of excitement.
"No, it's not."
A local resident informed them that what appeared to be smoke was not volcanic ash but steam.
In that region, hot water often bubbles up, and on some days, it looks like smoke. It happened to be one of those days.
The bubbling water is known as a onsen—hot spring, which helps warm the body and improve health, making it a popular tourist spot.
However, the town seemed oddly lifeless.
Despite being situated along a major road and having nearby hot springs, the townspeople appeared unenergetic.
It was irrelevant to them, so they still booked a room at an inn.
Magnolia could manage for another day, but they needed to decide whether she should go and pray tonight.
In the worst case, Aurelius could take medication and handle the situation, but with insufficient time having passed, there was concern about potential side effects.
Ideally, they wanted to wait three more days. That, however, depended on how things turned out tonight.
They also visited the Adventurers' Guild for some errands.
Despite the guild being crowded, it was less lively than the town. Everyone was seated at tables, heads down.
They wondered if there were no requests for adventurers, but the wall was covered with numerous requests.
Not understanding why, Aurelius and Magnolia sold the materials from the monsters they had hunted on their journey and left the guild.
Although their supplies were still sufficient, they browsed the market for any unusual items.
There were no particularly rare finds, but they bought a few local sweets and rice cakes.
It was still daylight, but they returned to the inn and had dinner at the tavern.
Given the town's lack of vibrancy, they anticipated a lonely night and decided Magnolia would stay in.
They planned to go to bed early and head to the next town first thing in the morning.
"Um, so this was the place."
An unfamiliar woman suddenly appeared at their table.
"Um, it's you."
No, Aurelius recognized her.
"You know her, Aurelius?"
"We've met before—she's from the Adventurers' Guild reception."
"There's no way I'd remember someone like that."
It's unusual for someone like her to remember the receptionist, unlike Aurelius.
"So, do you have something for us?"
"Yes, I was searching for both of you because I have a request."
The receptionist pulled up a chair, sat down, and placed a paper on the table. It was a guild request form.
"You two came by during the day to sell monster materials, right?
The guild determined from that that you're quite strong.
That's why I came to ask if you would accept a request.
You're aware that there's a hot spring town to the north of this town, correct?
Actually, the road between this town and the hot spring town is currently inaccessible. It seems a powerful monster has made it its home.
Given your skill, as indicated by the monster materials, the guild would like to request that you escort a carriage heading to that hot spring town."
"Hmph, so it's a guild-requested job. What happens if we refuse?"
Magnolia was familiar with guild-requested jobs.
Guild-requested jobs were rare and involved direct requests from the Adventurers' Guild to adventurers. These requests were compulsory and couldn't be refused, but unlike usual requests, the adventurers could set their own reward.
If the reward amount was not agreed upon, the request would be nullified.
However, if an adventurer demanded an excessively high reward, they might be barred from accepting future requests from the guild.
Thus, one had to carefully balance the demands.
It was quite dangerous, but the reward was substantial.
And only exceptionally skilled adventurers received such guild-requested jobs.
"If you decline, you won't be able to handle any requests within the Exley Kingdom, nor will you be able to make any purchases."
"Well, it's not a big issue since we'll be heading to the neighboring country soon.
So, what kind of monster has settled there?"
Magnolia pretended to show no interest.
"Actually, the guild hasn't received any information about it.
The guild has sent adventurers a few times, but none of them have come back.
They've likely either fled or been defeated by the monster."
"Hmph, it's unlikely that we would accept such a request without any information about the monster."
Suddenly, the commotion in the tavern quieted down, and everyone began listening in.
"We can't discuss the details here. Could you please come to the guild again?
We can continue the conversation there."
"If we go to the guild, we'll probably be unable to refuse."
"No, the master said that if you refuse, it's understandable."
"What do you think, Aurelius?"
"I'm a novice adventurer, so I'm not entirely sure.
But I am curious to see what kind of monster it is.
Well, perhaps just hearing about it at the guild would be fine."
"Since Aurelius says so, let's just go to hear the details."
"Is that so, thank you very much."
Prompted by the guild staff, the two of them stood up from their seats.
"And, if you agree to take on the request, the guild will cover your lodging expenses."
"That seems only fair."
The two followed the staff and left the tavern.
As the three left, a collective sigh was heard, and the noise in the tavern gradually resumed.
Arriving at the Adventurer's Guild, they were escorted to a reception room on the second floor instead of the usual counter.
In front of them sat an elderly man, with two middle-aged men standing behind him.
"I believe you've been briefed on most of the situation."
It seemed the elderly man was the guildmaster of this Adventurer's Guild.
"We need detailed information.
Without it, we can't make a decision."
Aurelius was the first to talk.
"Unfortunately, the guild has no information.
If you doubt us, feel free to use magic to investigate."
"Then when did the monsters start appearing?"
"About thirty days ago.
To be precise, twenty-eight days ago.
The usual shipments didn't arrive. There was wreckage from an attack along the route.
As a result, fewer merchants are willing to transport goods because of the monsters.
The hot spring town is struggling, so the guild asked a group of five adventurers to investigate, but none returned.
Then we sent a group of eight adventurers, but the result was the same.
Since then, no one has taken the job, and no carriages have passed through.
So, we know nothing."
"And what about the current state of the hot spring town?
Do they have food?"
"The residents can manage to eat. We're transporting supplies using backroads instead of the main road.
But those paths aren't fit for carriages or even horses. Everything has to be carried by people.
So, they're not starving, but they can't do business."
"Then why are you asking just the two of us, when even eight couldn't handle it?"
"Because, at first glance, I thought you were the right fit."
No way. He probably thought it wouldn't matter if the newcomer Aurelius disappeared.
"Magnolia is an experienced adventurer, so she'll likely survive. The Lightning Speed Magnolia."
"What does that mean?"
Aurelius glanced at Magnolia, who had narrowed her eyes, looking displeased.
"An old name. Forget it."
"No, it's well-known. The strongest young female adventurer, Lightning Speed Magnolia.
But after the disbandment of the Lightning Attack party, only you, Apricot, and Camellia escaped."
"Hmph, so you do have some information."
"However, there's little information on Aurelius. Who registered as an adventurer fifty days ago.
Before that, completely nothing at all.
It's also unclear how you met Magnolia.
You have far less information than the monsters on the road to hot spring town.
I'd rather investigate you than the monsters."
The master glared at Aurelius.
"Then, what exactly is the request and how much is the reward?"
Despite trying to uncover his true identity, Aurelius abruptly redirected the conversation.
The master smirked.
It seemed he intended to sidestep unnecessary details and shift the topic to persuade them to accept the request.
"The request is to escort a carriage.
Once you arrive at the hot spring town, the request will be considered complete even if you don't encounter any monsters.
The reward is fifty gold coins, and I'll also cover the cost of your stay at the hot springs.
This offer is exceptionally generous for beginner adventurers."
"That's insufficient. Our lives are at risk. I would accept if it were a hundred coins, but fifty is not enough."
"A hundred coins is unreasonable.
You've only recently become an adventurer and are unfamiliar with the market rate.
This time, I'll offer seventy gold coins as a special exception.
That's my final offer, and it's an order."
"I have no obligation to follow the guild's orders.
There's no need to discuss this further.
Magnolia, let's leave."
Aurelius began to rise. At that moment, the two guards behind the master positioned themselves in front of him.
"Wait, we're not done talking.
Or do you plan to leave by force?"
"Magnolia, can you hold one of them for just a minute, or even half a minute? I'd prefer to avoid any injuries."
Magnolia also stood up.
"Well, I wouldn't lose in a fight, but if it's just holding them for a minute, I don't need a sword."
"If you cause any injuries, you'll be considered a criminal!"
The master shouted, but Aurelius ignored him.
"They're unarmed, so there shouldn't be any injuries.
If you get hurt yourself, that's your own negligence."
As Aurelius took a step forward, the guards stepped back.
"Alright, I understand. I'll offer eighty gold coins—no, ninety gold coins. So, accept the job as escorts."
"But the budget is a hundred coins, isn't it? Even if you try to hide it, it's written all over your face."
"How do you know that?"
The master's face clearly showed his agitation.
"I told you it's showing on your face."
"Tch, fine. I'll hire you as escorts for a hundred gold coins."
The master, looking dejected, looked down, and the guards withdrew.
After that, they discussed the specifics of when and where to go tomorrow, and how to receive the payment.
The two of them chatted as they walked back to the inn.
"Aurelius could tell the guild's budget was a hundred gold coins just by looking at his face. In such cases, it's better to ask for two hundred gold coins to start with. That way, the guild can claim they succeeded in negotiating down to a hundred coins."
"I lack experience, so I can't match Magnolia's negotiating skills."
"No, it was actually quite a skilled negotiation."
After the two had left, the two guards sat down on the floor in front of the master. They had managed to stand up while pretending to be fine, but once the others were gone, they reached their limit. They didn't know what had happened, but for some reason, they were enveloped in fear and could barely keep from fleeing.
The master also lacked the energy to scold them.
It had been a long time since a negotiation had worn down his spirit like this.
The next morning, when Aurelius and Magnolia arrived at the designated square, they saw a guild staff member talking with the coachman of a large freight carriage drawn by two horses. It seemed they were to provide escort for this carriage.
"Good morning."
"Oh, you've arrived.
You'll be the escorts for today—"
"Aurelius and Magnolia."
"Everything on this end is ready.
I have some questions, but we can discuss them while traveling.
I'd like to get going soon, if that's alright."
"Yes, let's proceed."
The large freight carriage had seats for two people behind the coachman's seat.
As soon as they boarded, the coachman began to move the carriage.
As the horse-drawn carriage left town, the coachman started a conversation.
"You really took on quite the job, agreeing to escort this. You two must be pretty strong.
I heard the last group of eight was completely wiped out, and yet you still agreed to come along."
"You yourself took on quite a dangerous job," Alerius replied.
Indeed, being a coachman was riskier. While danger was a given for adventurers, a coachman would try to avoid it as much as possible.
"Well, I had no other way to continue my peddling.
On my last trip, I was attacked by monsters and had to abandon both my cargo and the carriage. All I was left with was debt.
Ordinarily, it would take years of work to pay it off.
But they told me that if I took on this job and successfully delivered the cargo, my debt would be wiped clean, and I would even get to keep this carriage.
I had no choice but to take this chance."
"But aren't you afraid of the monsters?"
"I'm scared, but if I let fear control me, I wouldn't be able to do anything.
Besides, do monsters really even show up? Maybe those attacks were just coincidental."
"It would be nice if that were true, but I'm almost certain there are monsters.
There was information about them from the Adventurers' Guild."
"Huh, there shouldn't have been any information since no one has come back," Magnolia said, surprised by Alerius's claim.
They had been together the whole time and should have heard the same things.
"There was information. Information that no one returned with any information."
"Is that even information? Doesn't that just mean we don't know anything?"
"No, it tells us quite a bit.
Several carriages were attacked, and the adventurers were also attacked, with none returning.
This means the monsters haven't moved much, likely still being in the same area.
Also, the fact that no adventurers escaped suggests the monsters have a certain level of intelligence.
And why would they attack adventurers? For the monsters, it would seem to pose only risks. What's the benefit in attacking adventurers?"
"Is it to show off their strength? To announce that there's a strong monster around?"
Magnolia couldn't understand the reasoning.
"That's probably pointless. The attack itself was the goal.
And one more thing. Why are the monsters on the main road but not attacking the town?
This should give us a rough idea of their strength.
They can defeat a group of eight adventurers, but they might be overwhelmed if soldiers gather in town."
"Do you know what's coming, then?
Please, don't keep us in suspense."
The coachman turned around and looked at Aurelius.
"My guess is it's an ogre,
A type of ogre known as a man-eater."
"Eek,
So, it's one of those brutal, ferocious large creatures that eat humans?"
"However, Aurelius, ogres are large humanoid monsters but not very intelligent.
They'll wander around in search of prey.
And a team of eight adventurers should be able to take down at least one.
I've fought ogres before—they just rampage without strategy.
They don't ambush or trap adventurers.
I have a feeling your prediction might be off."
"Perhaps there's a leader among the ogres.
A leader who is smart and can command several of them."
"Even just ogres are bad enough, but what kind of leader are we talking about?"
The coachman shuddered.
"But if you know this and still took the escort job, you must be able to handle the ogres, right?"
"Well, I'm not sure.
I've never seen an ogre myself.
Can Magnolia deal with them?"
"With just one, maybe I can manage. But a leader-type is another story. We'd need at least three."
"I'm counting on you two."
"Well, let's hope it doesn't show up or that I'm wrong about this."
Aurelius spoke casually, but the coachman kept nervously scanning the surroundings for any sign of ogres.
Despite this, no monsters appeared, and the carriage continued on its way. They had lunch at a water source and let the horses rest.
Then, the carriage continued along the main road to the hot spring town.