70. [Altora] Life’s Biggest Chance/Leaving (2)
「Gor, don…?」
「Come.」
He dragged Altora to the back of the alley. There was something that looked like a house, made from pieces of boards patched together.
「Look inside.」
「W-What is it?」
「Look.」
He did as told and looked inside. There was a girl with a skinny face chewing on moldy bread. Altora still remembered that face.
「Are you Eria…!?」
「…Altora?」
Eria immediately hid the bread, probably because she didn’t want it to be taken. There was no trace of the intelligent or peaceful cake-pecker she once was.
「Altora. Because of what you did, the Divine Silver Sword’s assets were taken away and this is all there is. Don’t you have something to say?」
「……」
「Eria used ancient magic and she also looked good. Guys who wanted to dissect her, guys who wanted to keep her as a pet, came in swarms. We ran away from them all the way here. Do you understand?」
Gordon’s body trembled. In front of him, Altora was stifling his laughter.
「I see, so we can sell Eria. If so, let’s quickly turn her into money.」
「What did you say!?」
「While I was desperately trying to do something, the guy who chose to confine himself into a room is now so bossy, huh? Ekk?」
Gordon grabbed Altora by the neck and started choking.
「Bastard, just how far will you…!」
「B-ha…!」
I don’t care anymore. No money, no honor, no future. There’s no point in staying alive, Altora thought to himself.
However, the tightness around his neck gradually loosened.
「…No one talks to me anymore. No one!」
「Aa?」
「If I kill you, Eria will be the only person I can talk to in this world!」
「Tsk……」
After dropping Altora to the ground, Gordon clenched his fists.
「Damnit, damnit!」
A moment of silence passed. As the town was enveloped in darkness, the only sound echoing in the dark alleyways was the sound of rats running around.
They had nothing to do or have to do.
「Hey.」
Altora was the first to speak.
「Tina. Why don’t we go look for her?」
「Tina? Do you know where she went?」
「Are you stupid? We don’t know where she went, that’s why we’re gonna look for her.」
Before coming here, Altora had stopped by the cathedral to seek care. The cathedral, which celebrates love for those less fortunate, did not open its gates to Altora, and the only information he received was that “Tina wandered off singing and never returned.”
「Look for her and then what?」
「Who knows.」
「You don’t know?」
Silence again. Eria was the next to break it.
「Question. What about traveling expenses?」
「Who knows.」
「Cut the crap, man.」
「Actually, there might be a way.」
Gordon and Eria’s eyes looked up slightly at the hope Altora expressed.
「In the grassland to the west. I fought with Marge. That’s where I dropped the Divine Silver Sword… and that’s how it ended.」
「Does that mean it’s still there?」
「I don’t know.」
Thinking about it from a standpoint of common sense, it must have already been collected by the Duke or Marge. However, there was nothing else to cling to other than to a possibility which was thinner than a spider’s thread.
Eria put the bread in her pocket and slowly stood up.
「Let’s go.」
「For me, it would be better to have more people with the same perspective.」
「If there isn’t one, let’s just run away to the neighboring country to the west. …We can’t visit Kinui though.」
The next day, the three vagrants left town. Were they able to gain something by heading west, or not? And where did they go?
No one knows that.
◆◆◆
「No one has seen Altora in Kinui. At least, it doesn’t seem like he stopped by.」
「I see.」
I thought that depending on the circumstances, he might be given the death penalty, but I was a little surprised to learn that Altora was released soon after. Was it the duke’s disposition?
「So, Marge-dono, did you recover that Divine Silver Sword?」
「I didn’t touch it. It must have been collected by people who were desperate for compensation.」
「I see…Shall I send some pursuers?」
「No, it’s fine. Let them be.」
Asagi was probably feeling concerned about it, but for me it’s already a thing of the past.
「Master, you are here.」
「Koe-san? Did you come to pick me up?」
Perhaps worried about my late return, Koe-san brought me a jacket. It was getting late and I thought it was time to call it a day. So I stood up and shook the sand off my clothes.
「Thank you for your hard work, Asagi. Things will be busy again tomorrow, but I appreciate your help.」
「Yes. Please take a good rest.」
「Let’s go, Koe-san.」
「Yes, Master. I will accompany you.」
As I looked up at the night sky, the constellations were gradually starting to change their positions. Koe-san and I started walking together under the twinkling lights.
The first winter with the village. I wonder what the days will be like.
RELEASE RATE
Skill Lender Get Back His Pride
Speed up schedule by 10 hours
Current schedule: Every 90 hours
Eh, it’s okay-ish. Can’t tell if large sections are poorly written or poorly translated or both.