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Over the Infinite Chapter 25 Part 4

 

「If you understand that, then I think you’re suitable for the Labyrinth City. Why not try? With such unique powers, if you’re recommended by the guild, you meet the preliminary conditions, right? 」

「Don’t joke.」

 

I don’t want to get near such a city. It’s frightening how you implant a scary image and then invite me.

 

「Don’t fill this old man’s ears with too pleasant words. 」

「You can rejuvenate in the Labyrinth City, though. 」

 

I have no interest in such things. I only have one wish.

 

「Speaking of the dungeon, people come back to life, but is it possible to resurrect someone who has already died? 」

「It seems impossible outside the dungeon. Maybe they just don’t do it. 」

「Then, I have no wish. If it were possible, I might have fought desperately. 」

「I see. 」

 

That night, I lost my mother and the villagers. I’d give anything to get them and that back. But if that’s impossible, then there’s nothing I want.

 

「Besides, there’s a shortage of adventurers lately. It’s an unpopular bottom-tier job, and everyone’s going elsewhere. Even someone like me seems to be needed. 」

 

It’s not a job that pays well, and if there aren’t any adventurers, the guards would probably take over.

 

「I see. 」

 

Tiese seemed slightly pleased by my response.

 

-4-

 

「Tiese-chan, a message from Parsley-chan… The dragon’s invasion is faster than we thought, so they’re going to engage it now. 」

「Okay, understood… Let’s hurry up too. Tell them it’s okay to take it down. 」

「Got it. 」

 

Their talk is incredible, but from the earlier conversation, the scout who went out could take it down alone.

 

「Is it going to be okay? 」

「It should be fine. I don’t think it will advance any further… Sorry if it’s over before we get there. 」

「No, that’s okay… but what do you mean by hurrying more? 」

「We’ll have to overwork the horses a bit. 」

 

Tiese said that and moved to the driver’s seat with Carrot. When the two did “something”, the two horses glowed and seemed to grow larger. Was that… some kind of magic? It’s my first time seeing actual magic without any chants.

 

The carriage felt like it was being pulled with more force. No, it was faster. Not quite double the speed, but close.

I thought they should have used this from the beginning, but Tiese mentioned overworking the horses, so maybe it’s not something that can be used continuously.

 

With the enhanced strength of the horses, we reached the village on the same day.

 

「Tiese, I’ll talk to the village chief. How much should I explain? 」

「It’s up to you. There’s no particular problem. Just don’t scare the villagers. We’ll head straight to the site… Apparently, there were two dragons, and Parsley couldn’t handle them alone. 」

「What should I do? 」

「If it’s close, please help with the evacuation. If they’re gathered somewhere, we can manage even in the worst case. 」

 

The worst case… is there a chance they might come here?

But Tiese’s calmness seems like just a precaution for the worst.

 

「Got it, I’ll have them evacuate to the village chief’s house, just in case… It’s going to be okay, right? 」

「It’s alright. It won’t come to that, but it’s the saying, ‘Forewarned is forearmed.’ 」

 

「Huh? 」

 

That was a language I recognized. ((Super Translation)) translates everything, but I couldn’t have misheard that sound.

 

「Bolkan-san, just in case, take this. 」

「This is… a sword. 」

 

It was a slender sword that Tiese had been carrying at her waist.

 

「You should be able to use it. There’s a chance monsters might flee from the dragon, so please consider it part of your reward. 」

「I thought the reward was going through the guild. 」

 

Given our conversation, it felt excessive.

 

「It’s an extra. It’s not expensive, but it’s better than what you have. 」

「What about you, Tiese? 」

「My main weapon is a bow. This is more like an accessory. If you really want, you can return it after the job. 」

「…Okay.」

 

Is that some kind of flag? It sounds like a death flag.

 

「Don’t worry. It’s just a charm. In my past life… I had a senpai who broke such death flags. 」

「I see… I don’t quite get it, but good luck. 」

「Yes, you too. 」

 

Tiese said that and quickly joined her two companions, running into the forest.

But really, guiding from here should have been part of the request.

 

Celery casually lifted that chunk of iron.

Tiese’s movements felt unnaturally powerful.

I couldn’t understand Carrot, but I knew she was beyond my common sense.

So, I should probably leave it to them. I’ll do what I can.

 

After explaining the situation to the village chief, we started evacuating people to his house.

Watching for monsters that might be chased by the dragon, I and a few village men guarded the area.

 

Loud noises could be heard from afar, occasionally flashing bright lights.

It must be them fighting the dragon. It was like a fairy tale battle happening out there.

 

It felt like an unrealistically distant event from where I stood.

 

Nothing happened in the village, and dawn broke.

The four returned at sunrise, a bit dirty but seemingly unharmed.

 

Out of curiosity, the village children crowded around them as they explained to the village chief.

Upon visiting the site with a few villagers, we found two gigantic dragon corpses, larger than we imagined. Such large creatures take time to undergo magical transformation, though almost only bones remain now.

 

「The prior information was completely useless. That thing spat fire at us. The empire is really careless. Hmph. 」

 

It seems the dragons were larger than expected and there were two of them, with different abilities, which is why it took longer. Tiese seemed a bit irritated, but still, they were unharmed… Truly an excessive force.

 

-5-

 

After regrouping with Parsley, we headed back to the city. It was a tough journey, but the four Elves were in high spirits. Apparently, this level of activity is normal for adventurers from the labyrinth city. Some even continuously operate for a week or more.

 

Back in the city, as I bid farewell to Tiese, I returned the ‘death flag’ she lent me.

 

「I ended up not using it, though. 」

「No, I insist you keep it. I’ve changed my mind. 」

 

What’s she talking about?

 

「Its name is (Air Thruster), a magic sword imbued with the power of wind. It’s just a sturdy thin sword unless your magic value meets the standard, but you, Bolkan-san, should be fine. 」

 

A magic sword imbued with magical power? That’s no mere trinket, it could even be a national treasure. I don’t want to be targeted for it.

 

「It looks plain and it also has ((Disguise)), so you can just keep it as a trump card for emergencies. 」

「…May I ask why you changed your mind? 」

「It’s a fellow countryman’s courtesy. With a name like ‘Ori-shu’, it’s okay for you to be a bit OP, right? 」

「Wha…? 」

 

I glared towards the carriage, and Carrot quickly hid herself. …That rascal.

 

「You knew from the beginning. When did you realize? 」

「It was just a hunch at first. There were some reactions.

Ah, and the death flag thing wasn’t a lie. I had someone in my previous life who broke such flags easily. Oh no, …I’m getting a bit down now. 」

 

She seemed to be getting depressed by her own words.

 

「Flags, huh? That’s a nostalgic concept. It’s been over forty years for me.

By the way, how valuable is this thing? Even if it’s disguised, if it’s really expensive, I can’t accept it. 」

「It’s less than 1/10 of my monthly income. For me, it’s just pocket money. 」

 

…The standards are vague, but well, let it be. Meeting them might be some sort of fate. I’ll keep it as a memento.

 

「Then, I’ll keep it as a talisman. 」

「Please do. And feel free to visit the Labyrinth City if you feel like it. It’s definitely an ‘infinite hell’ but living there is surprisingly nice. 」

「Maybe I’ll drop by in my old age. 」

 

Saying so, I watched Tiese smile and head towards the carriage.

 

「Tiese. 」

 

I called out to Tiese, heading to the carriage.

 

「My name is Orihito Mikami. You really helped us. 」

 

I said it simply, but if they hadn’t been there, the damage to this area would have been unimaginable. I owe them more gratitude than I can express. It felt wrong not to give my real name. It seems that the “Orish” question is already known.

 

「Ahaha, that feels nostalgic… Yes, the sound is the same, so it should be fine.

My name is Miyumi Okamoto. Mikami-san, maybe we’ll meet again someday. 」

「Sure, see you. 」

 

And so, two reincarnated former Japanese, now living as different individuals in another world, bid farewell using their Japanese names.

 

Whether I will visit the Labyrinth City or not remains uncertain, but it seems like an interesting idea for retirement.

Even if their lifespans differ, they would have grown a bit by then.

 

When that time comes, …I’ll make sure to give Carrot a good knock on the head.