Chapter 7: Novice Adventurer — Part 1: Party Falling Out
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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 7: Novice Adventurer
— Part 1: Party Falling Out
Aurelius and Magnolia's journey was nearing the border between the Exley Kingdom and the Uniom Kingdom.
This region was where the southern Sealea Kingdom, Exley Kingdom, and Uniom Kingdom intersected, and at the same time, the Papas Mountain Range loomed closer.
Although there was a lot of traffic and goods passing through, farmland was scarce and the population was small. The presence of monsters from the Papas Mountain Range made it an unsafe area to settle. However, such locations were lucrative for adventurers, and there were naturally many shops catering to them.
Meanwhile, adventurers Aurelius and Magnolia continued their journey without encountering any major issues.
The town was also filled with adventurers. Without paying much attention to them, the two headed to the guild, intending to sell the monsters they had hunted along the way, just as they usually did.
The Adventurer's Guild building was larger than those in other regions and was situated in the center of the town. This was another characteristic of this area.
From inside, the sounds of adventurers making a ruckus could be heard. As expected, the place was lively due to the large number of adventurers.
Unbothered by the noise, Magnolia reached to open the door.
"Get out!"
A sudden shout rang out.
In the next moment, a young adventurer came flying out, landing on his back.
It seemed someone had yelled at him and thrown him out.
"Are you okay?"
Aurelius and Magnolia helped the young man up.
He appeared to have been struck, as there was a wound on his face.
"What do you want!? Are you with this guy?"
A huge man, who appeared to be the leader, yelled. Behind him, about ten adventurers glared menacingly.
"We're just traveling adventurers here to sell some goods at the guild."
Aurelius walked calmly past them, heading straight to the reception counter.
"We've taken down some monsters and would like our reward. Also, where can we sell them?"
"Um, umm, the purchasing is done next door."
The receptionist looked startled, having been spoken to in the midst of the commotion. Nonetheless, he promptly paid the reward for the monster subjugation.
Meanwhile, behind them, the dispute continued unabated. No, it was more than just a dispute—about ten adventurers were berating the young man, trying to expel him from their party.
"You messed up last time too, didn't you? You charged in by yourself, trying to show off. Thanks to you, we had a rough time."
"But we agreed that everyone would rush in at the signal, so I didn't want to be late…"
"Stop making excuses! You jumped in on your own and made things difficult for us.
You always do this.
And when we let you carry the luggage, you quit right away and left it behind. You're completely useless!"
"There were too many bags, I couldn't manage it. You need to lighten the load a bit…
And I had to gather firewood too."
"I said stop making excuses!!!"
"That's right. Because of you, the whole party has been through hell. You've always been clumsy, foolish, and slow, utterly useless!"
A young woman who was standing close to the large man joined in, hurling insults at the young adventurer.
"That can't be.
You said you wanted me to come with you, so that's why."
"I don't remember saying tha~~~t. Stop making up stories.
The only thing we share is coming from the same village. There's no other connection. In fact, I'm the one suffering because I come from the same village as someone like you."
"That's not true. You said you wanted to be with me. Plus, you said you loved me. And you even kissed—"
"Ugh, disgusting. That was you forcing yourself on me, a fragile woman.
I don't even want to think about it. It's the worst memory.
And yet you remind me of it—how awful."
"I don't want someone as low as you in my party. Just go away."
The huge man shoved the young man who stood up.
"After all the effort I put in…"
"Shut up! If you keep complaining, it won't end well for you."
"Alright, I'll leave the party.
But I want my money back. You always said you'd keep it safe, so give it back."
"I'm taking that as compensation for the trouble. It's still not enough, but I'll let it go. We're being generous, aren't we?"
"That's not right…"
"You're just a nuisance."
"Get lost, you scum!"
"You're an eyesore! Get lost, get lost!"
"Don't ever show up in front of me again!"
"Don't think you'll get off easy if I see you again."
"Come on, just go already!"
The big man kicked the young man down and then kicked him in the stomach.
"That's enough."
Unable to bear watching any longer, Aurelius stepped in between the two to stop them.
"Umm, and who are you? What does a wandering adventurer want?"
"I don't interfere with disputes within a party.
But, this young man is no longer part of your party, is he? In that case, it's just a case of violence. What's wrong with me stepping in?"
Magnolia also intervened.
"Tch, do as you please."
Whether he lost interest because others stepped in or realized that picking a fight with another adventurer was unwise, he began to back off.
However, the young woman alone approached.
"Idiiiiot, scum, go die!"
She spat insults and started to leave.
"Wait."
Aurelius stopped the young man who was about to chase after her.
"Let it be. There's no point in staying in a party with someone so weak."
"What did you say?"
Aurelius made sure to say it loudly enough for the huge man to hear, causing him to turn around.
"Aurelius, don't be so harsh. Even if they're weak, they're still an adventurer. It's harsh to call someone weak to their face."
Magnolia continued to fan the flames.
"What did you say? Are you trying to pick a fight?"
"Of course not, that's not what we're doing."
"Exactly, we don't like picking on the weak."
By now, both of them were clearly intending to provoke a conflict. They exchanged a quick glance, understanding each other's intentions.
"What did you say? Are you mocking me?"
The huge man's companions also began closing in.
"We need to find an inn, so we'll be on our way. If you don't have a place to stay, why don't you come along with us?"
Aurelius helped the young man to his feet and prepared to leave the guild.
"Running away?"
"Leaving behind annoying pests isn't running away."
"I won't allow it. I challenge you to a duel—an adventurer's duel!"
Finally pushed to the limit by Magnolia's provocation, the huge man snapped.
The final method for settling disputes between adventurers is a duel. In an agreed-upon location, with an agreed-upon opponent, they engage in a serious fight. Even if someone is actually killed, no crime is committed. It truly becomes a matter of life and death.
That said, duels are rarely ever carried out. Everyone is afraid to die, and if they fight with all their might, one of them will almost certainly end up dead. As a result, the weaker side usually backs down. Besides, even if they win, they could still end up injured. So, duels are only initiated in extreme circumstances.
Especially now, when it's their first time meeting face to face. A duel is out of the question when they don't even know how strong the other person is. Still, the huge man seemed to be plotting something.
"There's no helping it—alright then."
Aurelius accepted it without hesitation.
"It'll be a duel between me and that person. However, it's acceptable for party members to join in. If you're going to protect him, let him join your party. That way, we can have the duel."
"I understand. When and where will it take place?
Since we need to find an inn after requesting the purchase of our hunt, is tomorrow okay?
Please choose the location and also find a mediator."
"Um, umm, that's fine."
The huge man seemed a bit surprised by how easily the slim Aurelius accepted the duel.
After leaving the guild, someone followed them. They were likely keeping an eye on Aurelius and his group. Since they had no intention of fleeing, they ignored it and headed off to find an inn.
After visiting a few places, they found a suitable room. There was a vacant room with two semi-double beds.
Once they entered the room, Aurelius laid the young man down on one of the beds and used magic to heal his injuries.
"I'm really sorry. I ended up causing you a lot of trouble."
The young man sat up on the bed, while Aurelius and Magnolia sat on the other bed.
"Don't worry about it—we kind of provoked them as well.
But in return, I want you to tell me some things.
How strong are those people?"
Aurelius was seeking information.
"Yes, they're quite strong. Just the other day, they took down two ogres. Even then, they only suffered minor injuries."
"That's about what I expected."
"They seem weaker than Magnolia's companions."
"Of course. My party was ranked in the top ten on the continent—no, at least in the top five."
"Wow, you're that strong? Even though you're a woman?"
The young man was surprised to hear about Magnolia's strength.
"Yes, though the party has since disbanded. There's always someone stronger. But Aurelius is much stronger, far stronger than me."
"Really, is that true?"
The young man looked surprised to learn that Aurelius, who wasn't much bigger than him, was so strong.
"But I don't have much experience, so I can only rely on brute force. So, was that everyone in the party back there?"
"Yes, there were ten members in total—no, now that I've left, there are nine."
"In that case, we might be able to handle it. So, why did you join a group like that?"
When Aurelius asked, the young man answered honestly.
"Yes, those adventurers came to my village for a request. Then they invited my childhood friend, a girl, to join them. She agreed but asked me to come along because she was afraid to go alone. So, I…"
"Was that the girl who was shouting at you?"
"Yes. She was such a nice, sweet girl back in the village. I don't know how she ended up like this."
"Well, that's probably her true nature. You were used and then discarded once she had no more use for you."
Aurelius agreed with Magnolia's assessment.
"That's likely the case. After this is settled, you should return to your village."
"I can't do that. It's been a while since I left the village to become an adventurer, and there were high hopes for me. See, I even had this blessed at the village temple."
The young man took out his only possession, a satchel decorated with a glowing ring and an image of a creature with fangs, resembling an insect.
"This is a centipede. In my village, it's known as a messenger of the War god. It symbolizes bravery and the ability to keep fighting even when severely wounded."
"Hoh, I didn't realize a centipede had such significance. I only saw it as a harmful pest that poisons when it bites.
If it's a messenger of a god, do you think praying to it will have any effect?"
"Who knows? I'm not sure about that."
The young man didn't notice, but Magnolia looked at Aurelius in surprise. However, Aurelius shook his head lightly to dismiss the idea.
"Well, since the duel is tomorrow, you should stay here tonight. It looks like you don't have any money, so I'll cover your lodging and meals.
However, you need to follow my rules. Since we're lovers, we'll share this bed, and you'll sleep alone in the other bed. Don't worry, nothing inappropriate will happen.
When Magnolia needs to change or bathe, you'll have to step outside. I don't want anyone seeing my lover's naked body.
That should cover everything."
"Yes, that's completely fine."
The young man responded cheerfully.
With time still remaining before dinner, the three of them went into town to purchase what they needed for the duel the next day. The young man only had a dagger, so he bought a longsword and a leather chestplate. Aurelius covered the cost with the promise of repayment later.
As evening came, they returned to their room briefly and sent only the young man to the dining hall. Magnolia then washed up, changed into a short yukata, and they both headed to the dining hall together.
During dinner, the young man was clearly anxious about the duel the next day and talked frequently. He particularly discussed the traits and strength of the nine members. It seemed he was eager to provide Aurelius and his companion with any information he could.
After having a bit to drink, the three returned to their room for a brief strategy meeting. The plan was simply for Magnolia to be in front, Aurelius in the middle, and the young man in the back. This arrangement was considered the safest.
Once that was settled, all three of them went to bed. Naturally, Aurelius and Magnolia were in the same bed, while the young man was alone.
The young man seemed to have trouble sleeping, possibly because he was unsettled by the sight of the two of them together or because he was worried about the duel the next day. So, Aurelius used magic to help him fall asleep.
Afterward, the two of them took their time being affectionate with each other. Finally, to avoid being seen by the young man, they moved to the far side of the bed where Magnolia used her breasts to stimulate Aurelius's cock.
Then, after a non-ejaculatory climax, they returned to bed and held each other tenderly.
"Magnolia, isn't it about time for prayer?"
"Well, today and tomorrow should be fine. But after that, it could get tricky."
"In that case, how about you pray with that young man tomorrow night?"
"Is Aurelius okay with that?"
Magnolia looked at Aurelius intently.
"They say the Centipede Emblem grants courage to fight, so I think it's fine."
"That's not the issue. If I'm going to pray, it'll have to be in this room.
What will Aurelius do during that time? I'd feel embarrassed if you watched, so I'd rather not.
Will you leave like last time, sleep, or perhaps wear a blindfold?"
"No, I won't do that, but I have a plan. A way to be in this room and see Magnolia, but not actually see.
But… a blindfold? That might work too. But since I went to the trouble of making it, I'd like to use it."
"I have a bad feeling about this, but maybe it's just me."
"Well, if Magnolia really doesn't want to, you can say no."
"If Aurelius wishes for it, I might consider it.
But before that, we need to think about tomorrow's duel."
"You're right."
They kissed once more, and then both drifted off to sleep.