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Chapter 42

The Time I Spent With The Two Girls In The Carriage And A City Of Surprise

 

A rattling sound that I usually only hear from outside echoes through the wooden body of the carriage.

The wheels, which were running on unpaved dirt and grass roads unlike the ones you’ll find in the city transmitted the unevenness of the ground as vibration to my body.

 

We are currently in a carriage we rented.

 

I stared blankly at the blue sky outside through the small window of the carriage to keep my mind off the dizziness that clung to me every time the carriage shook.

 

And especially… from the girl sitting on the opposite seat who’s giggling with 「Nufufufu」 since earlier, trying to hold back her laughter… or rather, you just laughed at me, didn’t you?

 

「Oyaaa~ you sure have gotten tamer ever since you reunited with Emmy, aren’t you Russel~?」

 

「What’s that? I’ll seriously beat you up you know.」

 

「Just try it if you can~」

 

……Yeah, there’s no way I can do that. For one, it’s because the one holding me in my place is Emmy, who has the Job【Holy Knight】, one of the highest-ranking Jobs.

Sure, my muscular strength which I also got from the Goddess’ blessing isn’t weak by any means, but even if I were to use all my strength, I still wouldn’t be able to make her budge.

Of course, as a party member, that strength of hers is very dependable.

 

However.

This and that are different.

 

「Emmy, can you loosen up a little bit?」

 

「Uuu… sorry, it’s just that… I’m still not used to this yet…」

 

It doesn’t matter if you have one of the most high-ranking Jobs in the world, it won’t change the mental capabilities of a person.

Emmy, who was never good with vehicles, was clinging to me like this the entire time.

 

Well, it’s not like it’s a big deal. And I don’t exactly hate it anyway.

 

「……Ehehe……」

 

「Ah, Emmy-chan, you’re actually pretending just so you can use this chance to cling to Russell, aren’t you?」

 

「Gasp!」

 

Oi, you just said “Gasp”, didn’t you? This is my first time seeing someone who actually said it out loud.

 

「Ah, Ahahaha…」

 

「Emmy.」

 

「Y-Yesh!?」

 

I sighed and dropped a chop on her head without holding back with my free left hand. I did this with her consent, by the way.

It let out a pretty loud sound, but Emmy’s reaction was…

 

「……Ehehe~ It’s Russell’s chop~」

 

「You’re really tough, huh…」

 

I guess this is the extent of the reaction I will get with the muscular power of a magician.

Good grief…… the Goddess’ blessings are truly something. I miss the days when we would spar using wooden swords together and not even once lose to her.

 

「Aaaah~! It’s so hot! It sure is hot in here! It’s not like we’re heading toward the 『Scorching Sand Country』!」

 

「That’s rich coming from the one who started this. Just shut up.」

 

「Don’t want to~!」

 

And the one who decided to join in after watching our exchange with a big grin on her face was Sybilla, who was sitting in front of us.

She’s a 【Mage】 at level… 21, as her cover, was it? Maybe a little higher, but… anyway, such a girl is my adventurer senpai.

 

However, Sybilla’s true identity is a genuine and authentic Goddess, the black-winged 『Twilight Goddess』. On top of that, she’s a Goddess with the Dark Attribute, different from the Sun Goddess that the church worships.

It’s frustrating, but her beauty is worthy of being called a Goddess, and sadly, even though she acts like this, her abilities as a Goddess are also the real deal.

It’s such a shame. It really is.

 

「……You’re really merciless aren’t you, Russell……」

 

「No, I’m talking about you here, you know?」

 

「What is there to be shameful of this pure and modest, world’s most beautiful woman, Sybilla-chan?」

 

It seems the woman in front of me is not the Sybilla I know.

Doesn’t sound like her one bit.

 

「Ha!? I’ll beat you up, you know!?」

 

「Well, I’ll counterattack with Dark Magic then.」

 

「You’re not actually thinking that Dark Magic would work on this Sybilla-chan aren’t you? It is MY attribute after all.」

 

That’s, well… since she’s a bonafide Goddess, I guess that makes sense.

 

「……Muu~ Russell is flirting with Sybilla-san again…」

 

「It wasn’t like that, I swear.」

 

「……How envious……」

 

Emmy here is just being Emmy, and I don’t know how to deal with her anymore……

 

I was originally in a same party with Emmy and the others as the 【Saint】 Russell.

But because I couldn’t use offensive magic, I couldn’t contribute to the party and was kicked out.

 

A lot has happened since then. Back then, I sacrificed four levels of my 【Saint】 Job and she bestowed me with another Job called the 【Twilight Sorcerer】, and as I used my Dark Magic, I also became known as the 【Black Kite Saint】.

 

That girl who gave me that nickname is, in a sense, my benefactor.

But she probably thinks that I was her benefactor instead.

This kind of relationship is not bad.

 

「Oh my, is there something on your mind, Russell?」

 

「Hm? Ah, no, I was just wondering if Brenda is doing fine.」

 

「……I see. Well, it’s Victoria-san’s daughter, so I’m sure she’s full of energy as always. I bet she will even grow up to be stronger than you.」

 

「Yeah, you’re right, I’m sure she will grow up to be a more proper adult than you too.」

 

We laughed lightly as we said this to each other. When it comes to the little girl, Brenda, Sybilla showed kindness in her eyes and wasn’t as cheeky as she usually was.

The woman named Sybilla is especially good at adjusting boundaries like this. That’s why I can’t come to hate her no matter how much I tried.

 

Even though we have only met for a short time, we have naturally become what I would call 『partners』.

I think that’s how I see Sybilla, not as the Twilight Goddess, but as a simple and plain adventurer.

 

Emmy clings to me as the carriage shakes once again with a loud rattling sound.

For some reason… I feel like she’s holding me in place so I don’t shake with the carriage. No, could it be that it was her intention from the beginning?

If that’s the case… then it would be best if I say nothing.

 

Ahh… this peaceful time after all those continuous fighting isn’t so bad.

Not that I have a real one like Sybilla, but it feels nice to stretch my wings like this every once in a while.

 

After a while, I become used to the shaking and I even feel like the shaking is starting to make me sleepy.

I didn’t resist the sleepiness and fell asleep, even though the carriage shook greatly sometimes, I would fall asleep again right away.

As this process of sleeping and waking up repeated several times, I noticed something strange.

 

「…What is this feeling…?」

 

I woke up Emmy, who was also asleep next to me. I tapped her on the shoulder and she let out 「Hnn……」 as her sleepy eyes stared at me closely.

 

「Emmy, wake up,」

 

「…………!?」

 

Her eyes suddenly went wide as she pulled away instantly. Before I can say anything, Emmy’s face instantly turns red.

 

「That’s new.」

 

Emmy and I immediately turned around at the same time when we heard a very familiar cheeky voice coming from the seat in front of us and saw Sybilla with her usual wide grin on her face.

 

「As expected of the number one childhood friend, how cute~!」

 

「Leaving that aside, Sybilla, don’t you feel like something is strange?」

 

「Something strange, you say… are you talking about the 『Scent』?」

 

I finally noticed it when Sybilla told me. It was a scent that I had never smelled before.

Even Emmy was as surprised as I was.

 

「R-Right right. I wonder what this is… this strange scent…」

 

「Then, let me ask you guys one more thing.」

 

With a look as if she was having fun on her face, Sybilla put her fingers to her nose, then put the palm of her hand behind her ear.

 

「Is there anything else you notice?」

 

The pose is clearly hinting that the answer is something that we should hear.

But all I heard was the rattling sound of the carriage since earlier…

 

「——Ah.」

 

Just as I noticed it, Emmy suddenly raised her voice.

I can hear a loud voice. Something like… a sandstorm?

But the sound keeps getting louder, then getting smaller…

 

As Emmy and I looked at each other, Sybilla started to chuckle.

 

「Fufu~ haah~ it’s always fun to take people from the countryside to the outside world and see their reaction.」

 

「Oi Sybilla, why don’t you just tell us the answer already?」

 

「Ah, if you want the answer, you should be able to see it soon.」

 

Just as Sybilla said this, the carriage stopped.

There’s no doubt about it, we’ve arrived at the city’s gate.

 

A short time later, the carriage doors opened.

At that moment, I can feel the strong gust blowing through me, as well as… that strange scent.

 

But what surprised us more than that was——.

 

「It’s been a long time since I came here… IT’S THE SEAAAAA——!」

 

——The endless blue surface of water that spread out before my eyes.

 

The city for our new base.

Its name is, 『The Port City, Seiris』.

 

A city near the sea that Sybilla had chosen.