Volume 1 Chapter 16: The result of Beginner Transporter running through the city
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Translator: “Pink Tea” Editor: ”Ryunakama”
After seeing off Axel leaving Sagittarius’ store, Marion sat in her chair and leaned against its back.
「…Now, how many hours will it take for Axel-san to reach his destination?」
「I don’t know. Axel-san seems to be a fast learner but this city is quite convoluted…」
「Right.」
In the City of Stars, the ground is sloped and there can be quite intense differences in elevation.
Since there are so many hills, just going to the outskirts of the city can rob one of all their energy.
「There is also that troublesome inner wall.」
Marion turned her eyes towards the window and her gaze had fallen to the wall that was several levels higher than any of the surrounding houses.
The inner wall of the City of Stars.
Built to divide the center of the city, it separates the town in districts.
Naturally, it had roads and gates down there for regular people to pass through.
Consequently, it tends to get crowded. And that wall is not the only one, although, of different heights, a lot of similar walls are set throughout the city.
Pretty big crowds form at every single one, so in order to reach the outskirts of the city one will have to do one’s best and get through them.
And above all, one will have to cross the cliffs at the outskirts.
A skilled transportation worker, who knows the way, will follow flat paths as much as possible, and by traveling while avoiding crowds and lines will be able to easily make it in under one hour.
However, if a person, who does not know the way, goes there, the time will double, and it will not be strange even if it multiplied several times more.
The request had it stated that goods must be delivered during the morning, so the time is quite limited.
「But that scheduled time is only an approximation? It’s not a《requirement》, so it’s okay if he is a bit late?」
「Well, that. Suddenly handing a request with a time limit on it is not how you treat beginners.」
The request we received this time had a scheduled time stated. However, that time is just a suggestion, not a time limit.
In most cases there is a precaution『if it’s possible』added there, and the customer most likely set the short time limit fully prepared that it won’t be upheld.
If you arrive at the scheduled time, the reward will be better, but it’s not absolute. If it’s a special request that has《adhere to schedule》stated, then it is necessary to do so, but this one is not one of that sort.
…He may be strong enough to defeat a bandit, but this is a different story…
And that’s why this time, I selected nothing but requests for beginners for Axel, where it won’t be a problem even if one were to be late.
For today’s activities, it’s fine if he will just figure out the structure of this city and develop the easy-to-move routes for himself.
And that is why I added the map of backstreets. Given enough time he will figure out shortcuts.
「Well, but Kaufmann-san was saying that he is amazing, so maybe he just might make it in one hour. 」
「Y-yes. Axel-kun appeared to have a really well-trained body. He might do it.」
「Well, for now, let’s do out work until we receive results.」
Anyhow, there is an hour, so I look over the requests at the desk, considering, what can be done in that time, then—
「I’m back.」
「Ara?」
Axel and Berzelia who just left opened the door and came back.
Axel doesn’t have a single drop of sweat on him, but Berzelia is drenched in it. Since they came back in such a rush—
「Welcome back. Did you forget anything?」
Did they forget something at the store and came back to get it? Or maybe, they wanted an even more detailed map, were my thoughts when I asked a question.
But Axel’s answer was neither of those.
「No, we have finished. The delivery. Here is the receipt.」
「…Yes?」
Axel has brought the receipt containing the laboratory’s signature.
But Marion couldn’t really grasp what he was saying.
「Ah……Receipt?」
「That’s right. Ah, sorry. Is it Kohaku who does the office work? Then, here, Kohaku-san, the receipt.」
Axel moved his gaze from Marion to Kohaku and extended a hand with the paper to her.
However, she also was frozen—
「Eh… E-Ehm, Berzelia-chan? Axel-kun? What happened to the goods?」
「We delivered them. Keeping up with Master was pretty hard though, so I’m totally beat…」
Berzelia says that while dripping with sweat and after sitting on a chair goes completely limp.
「However, we properly handed it over to the staff from the laboratory. Here is the signature of a person from the laboratory.」
And Axel, who had no sweat on him at all, put the receipt on the office desk. Then, Marion finally broke free from her petrification.
「Ah, ehm, isn’t this a bit too fast? It’s only been 10 minutes?!」
Or rather, it’s not even 10 minutes. Only this much time passed.
How could he get to the destination so fast? Or rather, did he really complete the delivery? While thinking that—
「Ma-Marion…!」
With a pale face, Kohaku called out to me from the office desk.
「What, Kohaku?」
「This signature is real… Furthermore, a telepathic message just came from the laboratory…『We received the goods. Thank you very much for the swift delivery! As expected of the courier from Sagittarius! Our gratitude to the pair who made the delivery. It’s but a mere token of our goodwill, but we increased the reward』it says…」
Saying that Kohaku shows me a piece of paper. And there indeed was a letter of gratitude in the name of the Magic Laboratory of the City of Stars.
「Heeh, so you get such things as well.」
「Yup, I’m also happy about the increased reward. Doing my best was worth it.」
Seeing that, Axel and Berzelia were delighted, but for Marion, it only added increased her shock.
「Y-You really completed the delivery… Or actually, how did you do it, Axel-san? Even by running, it should take a bit less than an hour to reach the laboratory from here.」
「Eh? Other than that I did my best and ran, there is nothing I can say about how I did it.」
「I don’t understand what you are talking about. If a one-way trip takes almost an hour then how can you make a round trip in under 10 minutes just by doing your best?」
And while saying that—
「Heey! Marion-san! I saw a crazy monster-like something entering here, are you okay?」
One of the top brass from the merchants guild, a male beastkin who was living nearby. Since he often put requests he was on friendly terms with Marion, and now he stormed into the building with a panicked expression.
「Eh, Eeh? Okay… What exactly? Or actually, what did you witness entering here?」
「Well, not long ago, there was a human-like figure running along the roads of the City of Stars with unnatural speed, and then it jumped over the inner wall and the guild tower, you know? And later, it returned here and jumped right into this Sagittarius’ store, so I thought something must have happened!」
Beastman recounts agitated.
And after looking at me and Kohaku he looks towards Axel and Berzelia.
「——eh, that’s the duo that was just flying over the roofs! W-what are those two?! C-could it be, those two are the rumored newcomers of Sagittarius?」
「Eh? Aaah, well, yes. Though it’s still not decided if they will join us or not. Though it wouldn’t be a mistake to call him our new《Carrier》.」
Hearing Marion, the beastman guest’s eyes turned wide as if asking if it’s really so. And then he bowed to Axel and Berzelia.
「Well, An-chan and Nee-chan, sorry for treating you like monsters.」
「Hm? Ah, no, it’s fine. We also were jumping over the roofs without giving much care to anyone around.」
「I see. I’m glad to hear that. I’m working for the merchants guild, but this was my first time seeing a carrier like you, running like the wind and jumping over the inner walls. —— Well, since there is no problem at Marion-san’s place, I will excuse myself here. Yeah, it was nice to see something so wondrous. Newbies of Sagittarius are amazing…」
Saying that the beastman left the store while wiping the sweat off his forehead.
And with the words, that he left behind, Marion guessed what Axel had done.
「Axel-san, could it be that you climbed the inner wall of the city of stars? Isn’t it more than a dozen meters high? 」
「Mm? Well, it certainly was high but luckily there were several tall towers along the way. I used them and passed through. When I asked the person at the reception to the tower『Can I jump off the roof?』 he gave me the OK while laughing.」
The buildings of this city are sturdy and even if a demon were to kick off the roof it hardly would be damaged.
So it’s not like one can’t move around that way. Sometimes, when《Acrobats》are trying to earn money they do it as a part of street performance.
While I was having such thoughts, Kohaku nervously tried to ask Axel a question.
「A-Axel-kun? You couldn’t pass the normal way?」
「No, I tried to run on a normal road at first. But well, along the way the path became complicated and crowded. I thought that I can save time if I went straight to the destination point and that it might be faster to jump from one roof to another. Ah, but of course I wasn’t running in such a way that would cause damage to the roof of someone’s house, so don’t worry about that.」
「No, that isn’t the problem here…… Axel-san, is your job really beginner-tier?」
「Yes, completely beginner’s. So, this time, while running, I was able to check the back streets of the city and grasped the points that had crowds, so this request sheet with the map turned out to be very useful. Thank you both.」
In contrast with Axel who was cheerfully speaking his gratitude—
「Y-yes. You… Are welcome.」
「Y-Yes… W-We had a really amazing person introduced to us.」
Marion and Kohaku looked at each other in astonishment and exchanged nods.
And now Marion and her group started to vaguely sense that they might be providing support to a pretty outrageous person.
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