Chapter 8: What Lies Ahead Is Unseen — Part 2: Burden of Old Scars
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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 8: What Lies Ahead Is Unseen
— Part 2: Burden of Old Scars
Two hours had passed, signaling the time for the watch change, and Aurelius woke the spearman and the coachman.
"UUUUhmhm, is it already time for the change?"
"There haven't been any particular issues. We're in the tent, so please feel free to wake us if anything unusual occurs."
Seeing them get up, Magnolia and Aurelius entered the small tent.
Magnolia then nestled against Aurelius's chest as he lay down. Normally, Magnolia would change into her nightwear yukata, but today, given the uncertainty of when monsters might appear, she had only worn a loincloth under her armor. This made putting on the armor faster.
"Good night."
"I hope we can sleep through until morning."
The two of them snuggled up, holding hands, and closed their eyes.
Aurelius suddenly woke up. He sensed the presence of something approaching.
He carefully rose, trying not to wake Magnolia, who was sleeping beside him, and stepped out of the tent.
"What's the matter, mage-san? Can't sleep?"
The spearman and the coachman were seated near the fire.
"That's not it, but—"
Aurelius placed a finger to his lips to signal silence and pointed with his thumb over his shoulder towards the road. The spearman seemed to understand and picked up his spear, rising slowly.
Quietly, Aurelius moved to the road and immediately cast a fire arrow spell.
"Gyah! Gyah!"
The fire arrow magic struck a goblin hidden in the darkness, killing it. The light from the fire arrow then revealed two more goblins.
The goblins, evidently surprised by being discovered, tried to flee in panic.
"Damn it!"
Without hesitation, the spearman charged towards the goblins.
Aurelius cast a second fire arrow spell. The spell definitely struck the goblin and brought it down instantly.
"Causing trouble, aren't you?"
The spearman returned soon after, although he was dragging his legs.
"Did you get hurt?"
"No matter how rusty I get, I'm not going to lose to a goblin.
I just felt an old injury acting up after running hard."
It seems there are no major injuries, and Aurelius was relieved.
"If it hurts, should I examine it?"
"It'll heal quickly if I rest and ice it. Don't worry about it.
More importantly, you noticed it well. Even we, who were awake, didn't realize."
"Well, it's just a sixth sense."
Actually, Aurelius had set up a detection magic barrier around the area during his watch. If a large creature passed by, Aurelius would be alerted. That's why he woke up when he noticed the goblin.
"If we leave the goblin corpses here, they might attract other monsters, so I'll take them far away. Mage-san can go to bed now."
The spearman and the coachman went to dispose of the goblin corpses, but Aurelius stayed awake and waited. He then left the coachman as a lookout and went to dispose of the last one with the spearman.
"Are your legs okay?"
"They hurt a bit, but it's nothing new.
This leg injury has made it impossible for me to be an adventurer.
It doesn't affect my daily life, but walking for a while or running with all my strength, like now, causes pain.
I can't be an adventurer with this.
But luckily, I was picked up by a merchant, so I can still make a living."
"If your leg heals, will you return to being an adventurer?"
"I know it's not an injury that heals easily. Plus, I owe the merchant for picking me up. Unless there's an exceptionally good replacement, I'll continue guarding him."
Aurelius continued talking with the spearman on the way back after throwing away the goblin corpse.
"What was Magnolia like in your previous party? I don't know her well yet. And she doesn't like to talk about her past."
"I understand why.
The Magnolia I saw moved so fast with lightning speed that you'd lose sight of her if you looked away, and she wielded her sword gracefully, as if she were dancing. Also, she was beautiful and had a great figure, so many men admired her."
"Were you one of them?"
"Well, yes.
But I thought she had a lover back then, among the Lightning party.
Now, mage-san is probably her lover. She probably doesn't want to talk about past lovers."
"Yes. I will try not to ask Magnolia about it either.
But if you admired Magnolia, are you satisfied just sitting next to her at dinner?"
"What do you mean? Mage-san is her precious lover, aren't you?"
"Let's talk more about it tomorrow in the carriage.
Well then, I'm going to rest."
Aurelius crawled into the tent, leaving the spearman behind, deep in thought.
In the morning, before the sunrise, Aurelius woke up. It seems that no monsters had come since then.
Magnolia was nestled close, but the chest area of her armor was open, revealing her cleavage to Aurelius.
"It's about time to get up."
Aurelius kissed Magnolia while directly touching her breasts.
"Umm, is it already morning?
So what has Aurelius been doing this morning? If you can't wait, should I take care of it for you?"
Magnolia also touched Aurelius's groin over his pants.
"No, it's fine for now. There's the merchant outside the tent, and it's nearly time to get up.
Aurelius got up and pulled an outdoor tunic and pants from his storage box. Magnolia also donned a loincloth and leather armor.
"Good morning."
When Aurelius stepped out of the tent, the merchant was preparing breakfast.
"Umm, good morning. You woke up without needing to be called. Impressive.
Though my guard and coachman, on the other hand, don't wake up easily."
"Isn't it because goblins came during the night?"
"Umm, I heard. We were saved thanks to Aurelius-san."
"That's part of the job."
As they spoke, Magnolia also came out, and both the spearman and coachman got up as well.
After finishing their breakfast of warmed bread and soup, they immediately continued their journey.
This time, Aurelius rode with the merchant in the lead carriage, while the coachman and Magnolia occupied the next carriage. They needed to reach the next town by noon, so they hoped no trouble would arise.
However, trouble seemed to come precisely when they hoped it wouldn't.
"Um, there's something up ahead. It's not big, so it's probably goblins.
Please stop the carriage."
As usual, Aurelius was the first to notice.
When they stopped the carriage, five goblins emerged onto the road from the front.
"Magnolia, can you handle this?"
"Umm, I've got this.
Hey, you fight as well."
Magnolia and the spearman stepped forward, but Aurelius moved to the back.
"Hey, wasn't Magnolia's lover supposed to be strong? Running to the back now?"
"Just focus on the front."
"Umm, I know that."
The two of them readied their weapons against the goblins that seemed about to attack.
Aurelius, having gone to the rear, aimed his staff at the forest beside the road.
"Why don't you come out instead of hiding? Though, I suppose you don't understand the words."
As he spoke, the bushes rustled, and three goblins jumped out.
"Are you planning to flee if you can't win?"
Ignoring the newly appeared goblins, Aurelius kept his staff trained on the bushes.
The bushes rustled once more, and two slightly larger goblins with swords and one even larger goblin with a spear emerged.
Naturally, since they didn't understand the words, they probably came out in response to Aurelius's killing intent.
"EEEeek—"
The apprentice in the rear carriage let out a frightened cry. While the apprentice could handle ordinary goblins, this was the his first time seeing such large leader-type monsters. They weren't very common, after all.
"It's okay."
"But, but—"
The apprentice continued to panic.
"Gyah-Gyah-Gyah!"
Meanwhile, three goblins came charging, ready to attack.
Aurelius remained calm as he fired three magic bullets, all of which struck the goblins squarely in the face. The goblins that took who received the full force of the hit directly crumpled to the ground immediately. Some of them were still breathing, but their brains had been rattled, leaving them unable to move properly for a while.
Seeing their three comrades felled in an instant, the remaining three goblins exchanged confused glances.
"Gyah-Gyah-Gyah!"
The largest goblin, wielding a spear, barked out something, and the other two goblins screamed as they raised their swords and charged forward.
"They might be a bit strong, but brute force alone won't be enough to win."
Aurelius fired two more magic bullets, both of which struck the goblins in the chest. Even though the larger goblin took a hit, it managed to stay on its feet.
"Eh? Magic doesn't work? It's strong."
The apprentice grew flustered, but Aurelius calmly prepared his next spell.
Noticing this, the goblin quickly covered its face with its hands, trying to protect its weak spots.
However, Aurelius's spell struck the goblin's ankle, slicing it deeply.
"GyahHWAAaaa,"
One goblin let out a strange cry and collapsed, while the other turned to see what had happened. Aurelius seized the moment, casting a spell that slashed deeply into the goblin's neck. Blood spurted from the wound, and the goblin quickly fell, motionless.
"GHOOo—"
The last large goblin, armed with a spear, seemed to realize the danger and began to approach cautiously. When Aurelius feigned casting a spell, the goblin immediately rolled to the side, trying to avoid it. It intended to get close enough for its spear to reach.
The spear-wielding goblin got back on its feet and took a step forward, preparing to charge once more.
This time, Aurelius cast a real spell.
The goblin hastily rolled to the side. As it raised its head, it saw the magic spell pass by and let out a growl—a mix of fear of the magic and relief at having dodged it.
Then, it turned to face Aurelius.
But it was already too late.
"TAKEEeeeee this!"
Magnolia, who had somehow slipped in unnoticed, brought her sword down on the spear-wielding goblin's neck.
Crack,
The goblin didn't even have time to scream as it collapsed face-first onto the ground. Its neck was sliced halfway through, leaving no doubt that it was dead.
Magnolia verified that no other monsters were present and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Phew—"
"Good job."
Aurelius also used magic to check the surroundings. It appeared that there was no more danger.
Magnolia could probably handle five goblins on her own. Moreover, with the spearman and the coachman as additional protection, they could be quickly defeated. So, Aurelius only needed to buy time. The last goblin with a spear had the cleverness to avoid the magic, but that turned against it. By dodging, it was unable to respond to the sword.
Hearing Magnolia's footsteps approaching, Aurelius cast another spell to make the goblin dodge and fall once more. As anticipated, the goblin dodged, allowing Magnolia to jump in and take it down swiftly.
Certainly, if Aurelius had been serious, he could have defeated them by himself, but it wasn't wise to flaunt his strength.
"With this, it's all settled."
After discarding the goblin's corpse away from the road, they climbed back into the carriage.
"Wow, you're truly impressive, mage-sama.
When you suddenly moved to the back, I thought you were making a run for it.
I never expected the goblins to attack us from both sides.
Did you figure that out with magic?"
The merchant, relieved that both the cargo and his life were saved, was quite excited.
"Well, yes. Detection magic is one of my specialties. It's far more useful than shooting fire arrows."
"True, fire arrows might look flashy to an amateur, but magic that reveals the enemy is much more practical.
Please keep me informed if any monsters approach in the future."
The merchant was in high spirits, feeling as if their journey was now guaranteed to be safe.
After being attacked just once, the carriage reached the town safely.
They sold the goods they had brought and bought new ones. Because the attack had caused a slight delay, they needed to leave immediately. Aurelius and Magnolia also waited beside the carriage.
Though it was only an hour until noon, the carriage moved forward.
They made a brief stop for lunch but quickly continued on without much rest.
During that short break, Aurelius requested to ride with the spearman in the middle carriage. Since the spearman could also manage the reins, there was no problem, and Aurelius preferred to be in the middle to better observe the surroundings. The merchant saw no issue and granted the request.
"Why did you specifically choose to ride with me, mage-san?"
"Well, I wanted to hear about Magnolia from the past."
He looked at Magnolia, who was sitting next to the merchant in the lead carriage.
"Well, I only rode with her once, so I don't know much about her.
I remember that Lightning were strong and that Magnolia-san fought gracefully among them. There were many men who tried to approach her, but her lover in the party chased them off."
"I've heard that she had someone like that as well.
Apparently, she was betrayed and completely severed ties with him.
But weren't you one of those who tried to get close?"
"Not at all. I know my place. After sparring yesterday, I realized I can't match her at all. Even without the leg injury, I don't think I'd win.
I'm better suited for guarding carriages."
"Are you not going to treat your leg injury? It can be healed with magic."
"I don't have the money. To get a magus-sama to heal it would cost around a thousand gold coins. It's absolutely impossible with a daily guard's wage of ten silver coins."
"As a mage, I can heal injuries to some extent.
If you'd like, come to the inn where we're staying in town, and I can take care of it. It won't be as perfect as a professional's work, but if that's alright with you."
"I'd be grateful if it could improve even a little. Any improvement would be appreciated.
But I don't have any money. I don't know about profitable schemes, and I can't betray the merchant.
I can't offer any reward."
"That's fine. I have something I'd like to ask of you, and if you're willing to take it on—"
"What are you asking? It's not something dangerous, is it?"
"It's not dangerous for you."
"Then, who is it dangerous for?"
"That's something to look forward to."
Aurelius gave a knowing smile.
"Yes, you said you don't have any money, but you have at least one gold coin, right?"
"In that case, I can pay. If it helps even a little, then it's worth it."
The spearman patted his chest, where he had a pouch hanging from his neck.
"No, I don't want you to pay me. I want you to buy something."
"What should I buy?"
"That's for you to find out. It's something not sold in stores, so I can't buy it myself."
"What is it?"
Aurelius didn't reply when asked by the spearman.
"Also, you had a feeling of admiration for Magnolia, didn't you? Are you content with just having dinner and sparring with her? Don't you want more?"
"What on earth does that mean?"
"It seems Magnolia doesn't give kisses to anyone, just her lover. Keep that in mind and go buy something."
"What should I buy? Flowers for Magnolia-san? Or maybe some alcohol?"
"That's up to you to decide.
Also, Magnolia has been praying a lot lately. Not at a temple, but in her room, towards figurines and charms. It would be nice if you had something like that too."
"My only charm is this."
The spearman drew a dagger from his waist.
"This is a keepsake from my best friend. Thanks to him, I'm still alive today. So I always pray with gratitude, asking him to watch over me."
It was indeed a well-maintained, beautiful dagger.
"'Watching over' seems fitting, I suppose."
They continued to chat idly while swaying in the carriage. Occasionally, the spearman asked what he should buy, but Aurelius just laughed and avoided answering directly.
From noon onwards, there were no monster attacks, making it a peaceful journey.
As the sun began to set, the carriages finally reached the town they were aiming for.
"Thanks for your hard work."
When they arrived at the shop, they collected their rewards and parted ways with Aurelius. It appeared they were heading south next, but since Aurelius was going in a different direction, they couldn't accompany them.
Aurelius and the others went to the Adventurers' Guild to collect the reward for defeating the goblins. They also sold the swords and spears they had. Then, they were recommended a good inn.
As soon as they arrived at the inn, Magnolia used the "Cleansing Board" to wash herself, and Aurelius went out.
Aurelius went back to the merchant's shop, found the spearman, and gave him the name of the inn and the room number.
When Aurelius returned to the inn, he used the "Cleansing Board" to wash himself, taking turns with Magnolia.
After finishing dinner, Aurelius and Magnolia took their time relaxing in the room. Normally, they would embrace in bed and share a kiss, but tonight, there was a palpable tension between them.
Magnolia sat on the bed, draped in a cloth cloak, her figure almost glowing in its whiteness. Aurelius, dressed in his usual loungewear, sat in a chair some distance away.
"Do you think he'll come?"
Aurelius replied while staring at a small vial on the table, prompted by Magnolia's question.
"He'II come. I told him I'd heal his leg injury.
The bigger concern is whether he'll manage to make the purchase worth a gold coin."
"The information from the Merchant Guild?"
Yes, what Aurelius wanted him to buy was the exclusive information available only to Merchant Guild members.
"I dropped plenty of hints, so I think he'll catch on.
If he doesn't, I'II have to resort to this."
The vial that Aurelius placed on the table was an aphrodisiac.
If Aurelius drank the aphrodisiac, he'd be able to ejaculate, which would help calm Magnolia's curse. However, it would leave him completely immobile the next day. He preferred not to use it, but Magnolia's curse was worsening, and it was doubtful she could last until tomorrow.
"And if he does come, will you still stay in the room, Aurelius?"
"I'd like to. I'II wear a blindfold, so it should be fine."
Aurelius pulled out a long, thin, thick black cloth.
"Will it really block your vision?"
"You tested it yourself, Magnolia."
"Yes, I couldn't see anything. But you're not planning to take it off halfway through, are you? It's embarrassing enough to be in the same room—I don't want to be seen."
"I understand. But someday, I'd like you to let me see."
"If that's what you want, Aurelius, I'II try to grant your wish, but I really don't want to. Please keep that in mind."
"I understand.
Um, it seems he's here."
Knock-knock-knock,
The door to the room was knocked on.
"Come in, welcome."
When Aurelius opened the door, the spearman who had accompanied him earlier in the day was standing there.
"I came because you called. I hope that's alright."
The spearman was empty-handed, carrying nothing.
"Of course, it's fine. I wouldn't have called you otherwise."
Aurelius invited the spearman into the room. The spearman was still limping slightly.
"So, did you find something worth a gold coin?"
The spearman seemed a bit confused. Aurelius had only intended to heal his injury slightly before sending him on his way.
"I think I might have."
"Did you receive any divine revelation?"
"Eh? Divine revelation? No, well, yes. Yes, I did receive one."
"Was it worth the value of a gold coin?"
"If it's genuine, it's definitely worth more than that. If it's not, then it's a total loss."
It seemed that the spearman had figured out the correct answer.
"In that case, let's take care of your leg first. Even if it turns out to be a loss, getting healed is still worth a gold coin."
As Aurelius stood up, the spearman suddenly drew a bare dagger. Magnolia, startled, immediately rose and prepared to intervene.
"This is the keepsake dagger that I always pray with. What should I do with it?"
Seeing that the spearman had no intention of attacking, Magnolia lowered her guard. It seemed she had misunderstood his intentions.
"Just place it on the table. We can talk about it later.
Let's take care of your injury first. Please lie down on the bed.
I'm not a professional like a magus, so I can't guarantee how much I can heal."
"Well, if it gets even a little better, that'll be enough."
The spearman lay down on the bed, facing up.
"It's your right leg, correct?"
Aurelius used magic to examine the top of the right foot. As he suspected, several tendons were torn, and trying to force movement would press on the nerves. It might be bearable for a short time, but soon the pain would become excruciating. Aurelius used magic to reconnect about half of the torn tendons, carefully avoiding the nerves. The spearman still wouldn't be able to move recklessly, but the pain should be much less. Of course, Aurelius could have healed it completely, but he held back to ensure the spearman wouldn't abandon his duties as a guard for the merchant.
"How does it feel now?"
The spearman got off the bed and took a few steps.
"It feels much better. The pain has lessened a lot."
The spearman, visibly pleased, began to hop a bit.
"This is the second floor, so please refrain from jumping around—it'll disturb the people below."
Seeing the spearman's happiness brought Aurelius some joy as well.