episode_0049

Brown skin and light green hair.

This girl, who seemed like she would stand out more than anyone from afar, introduced herself as Kona.

“Are you… a half-elf by any chance?”

“Yes. My mom is a dark elf, and my dad is human.”

Ah, I see.

So her ears weren’t pointed like an elf’s.

Moreover, this distinctive hair color is common among dark elves.

“Why is a half-elf alone in a place like this…”

Spect murmured.

“Do you happen to know Onelloi, sir?”

Kona asked me.

“Well, I know her through your sister. She’s known as Misty of the Labyrinth City.”

“Oh, that’s the friend name my sister mentioned sometimes! She said he was an adventurer.”

The greatest adventurer… indeed.

“Oh, are you heading to Brigal by any chance?”

“Yes.”

“Could you please take me with you? I don’t understand why those scary men over there keep preventing me from going…”

“Who did you get that from?”

I pointed to the pass that Kona was tightly holding.

“My dad used this.”

“And your parents?”

“…They’re gone.”

Kona hung her head.

Well… I can roughly guess the situation.

Perhaps Kona’s mother was acquainted with Onelloi and had immigrated from Brigal to this country, living far away.

But something must have happened, leading to both of them dying, and the orphaned child is probably trying to find her way to some known relative.

A heartbreaking story.

“What are you going to do?”

Spect asked.

“I have to take her; there’s no other choice. If she’s Onelloi of Brigal, then I have to meet her too.”

It’s a favor asked by Misty, so I can’t refuse.

Besides, I can’t ignore the younger sister of Misty’s friend.

“Really?!”

“Yes. You watch the kid for a bit. I’ll go and talk things over.”

At best, she’s just a pitiful orphan.

If she’s a distant acquaintance of an Adamantite-ranked adventurer, it should be fine to leave her with me.

I entrusted Kona to Spect and went outside the outpost.

The guard from earlier was waiting at the door.

“Is the discussion finished?”

The border guard asked.

“Well, that child is my friend’s niece. Since we’re going the same way, if you’d allow her to come with me, it would be appreciated. I know it’s an imposition, but given her unfortunate circumstances…”

“…”

A child coming all the way to the border to pass through likely has some urgent reason, the guard vaguely understood.

He hesitated for a moment with a complicated expression on his face.

“If it’s alright with you, please remove your helmet and show your face. I want to verify if the proof of being an Adamantite-ranked adventurer is genuine.”

“Then I’ll show you inside.”

I brought the guard back inside and removed my helmet.

“Ebony tribe…! Could it be Rasiwood?”

“I didn’t expect my name to be known all the way to the border.”

“Oh, I just happened to hear about it. I once met the leader of the Red Lake adventuring team, a former Oriharcon-ranked adventurer, and he told me various stories about the Labyrinth City.”

“I see…”

“His name was… Gel, I think. Is he doing well?”

“He’s alive, but…”

I chuckled bleakly and shrugged my shoulders.

The guard’s face stiffened.

“I see…”

“Anyway, is my identity confirmed now?”

“Oh, yes, of course. If you’re truly an Adamantite-ranked adventurer, you could even bring a young criminal along. You may pass. However, you’ll have to pay a toll separately through the adventurer guild later.”

“That can’t be helped. Thank you for accommodating my request.”

I put my helmet back on.

Then, with Spect and Kona, I crossed the border.

Now we’ve barely crossed one border.

We still have three more borders to cross before reaching Brigal.

Since there’s nothing to do in between, the journey shouldn’t take longer than a month.

With the Vanguard of the Spearhead Division following behind, there’s no time to waste.

“First, we follow the main road and stop by the village one by one before heading to the royal road. From there, we’ll take a carriage to the border.”

“Yes.”

“Yes.”

Specter and Kona replied.

We continued along the straight road ahead.

For a while.

“…Hey.”

Kona spoke up.

“Why are we going this way?”

“I told you earlier. We need to take the main road to reach the village.”

“But then aren’t we turning back?”

“…Turning back?”

“Yes. Briagal is not this way but that way.”

Kona pointed to a small road slightly off the main path.

“If you continue straight on the main road, you will eventually reach the royal road, but the checkpoint leading to Briagal is faster in this direction.”

“How… How do you know that?”

“I came this way with my dad a long time ago. Oh, I originally lived in Briagal.”

“…”

Specs asked me with his eyes if he could trust Kona’s words.

“Well, knowing Oneroi, it must be true.”

I shrugged.

Oneroi, Misty’s friend, worked as the head librarian at the Briagal Royal Library.

If there’s a royal library, it would naturally be in the palace, and where the palace is located is the capital of that country.

The place we need to go.

“But do you remember what comes next? When we get here, how far do we have to go next?”

“Huh? Of course, I know! I’ve been here before!”

“When exactly was that?”

“10 years, two months, and seven days ago.”

“…?”

“…?”

Specs and I exchanged puzzled looks.

That’s a very specific date.

Considering she’s a half-elf, ten years might not seem like a long time, but it’s still a challenging period to remember a road she only traveled once.

“Um… By any chance, do you remember the color of the eyes of the person who was inspecting goods at the front of the checkpoint we saw earlier?”

Without careful observation, it’s hard to remember.

While it might be easy to forget the eye color of the guard who pushed Kona, there’s no reason to remember the eye color of the person inspecting smuggled goods at the entrance.

I tend to remember details of people for whom I see no reason to remember when visiting important places.

Sometimes it becomes useful later.

And the guard whose eyes I noted was a light brown.

“It was a color similar to my skin.”

Kona pointed to her arm.

Almost identical.

“Do you remember all the way to Briagal?”

Kona nodded.

“…Specter, keep an eye on her and follow closely.”

“Yes.”

Specs also looked at Kona with quite a surprised expression.

Her memory is exceptional.

No… In this case, it’s not just a good memory; it might be a special ability or a curse…?

“Anyway, let’s go that way. Teach us the way well.”

“Yes!”

Kona answered confidently.

We arrived at a small village around dusk after following the small road for a while.

Normally, we would stay overnight in a village during a regular journey, but we don’t have the luxury of doing so now.

Maybe we’ll buy some preserved food in the village and leave…

“Oh, sir!”

But Kona had already run off somewhere.

Of course, since Specter was following her, there shouldn’t be any danger.

“…Huh? Oh, it’s you…!”

A middle-aged man who was leisurely watching the evening sun was slightly surprised to see Kona.

“Long time no see!”

“Do you know each other?”

Specter asked.

“Huh?! Uh, yes. That’s… Back in the day, you rode a carriage… um…”

The man was slightly taken aback when he saw Specter’s face.

There was a large scar running from his ear to his cheek, and his features were sharp.

“You rode a carriage?”

“Oh, no, that’s, well, about 10 years ago? At that time, that kid and another man came around here…”

At least Kona’s story seems to be true.

“Yes, that’s right! You said you were friends with the coachman back then, right?”

Kona asked.

“Uh, yeah, that’s right.”

“What was the coachman’s name?”

Specter asked.

“Hello, I’m Jeron. I may charge a bit more, but I transport goods from border to border. This town is like an alley used by mercenaries crossing the country to get to the Labyrinth City.”

Indeed.

Is this town some sort of endpoint, given its proximity to the border?

“When will that mabu named Jeron come to this town?”

“I, I’m not sure about that…”

“Mr. Jeron will be here by tomorrow or the day after. He said those heading to the Labyrinth City work non-stop all year round, so there’s no time to rest.”

Kona said.

“Uh, really? Oh, right… You remember quite well.”

“Are you trying to lie to me now?”

Spect slightly threatened.

“Oh, no, no. I can’t say for sure…”

“Well… that could be true.”

I patted Spect’s shoulder.

“So, tomorrow or the day after?”

“Yes! Mr. Jeron said his secret to success is keeping time like a clock even on long journeys, and he won’t break that rule.”

“That’s truly impressive.”

Crossing the country is no easy task.

Most mabus travel only a couple of towns away, at most two or three.

You never know what accidents might happen if they go too far.

But that mabu Jeron must have cleverly targeted the niche market in reverse.

By ferrying mercenaries heading to the Labyrinth City, he ensures the safety of the carriage, secures a long but reliable route, and builds trust and credibility by keeping time diligently.

He must be making a considerable income as a mabu, and it’s hard to imagine him stopping after about ten years of such work.

If he becomes too old to continue, he’ll probably pass it down to his son or grandson.

“Where is the inn around here?”

“Oh, it’s over there…”

“Over there, the house with the acorn sign!”

Kona pointed to a different building first.

“Oh, yes. But hey… you’re really sharp. If only our child took after you as much.”

“Hehe.”

Kona chuckled shyly.

A pure-blooded child elf, but she must have crossed thirty by now.

Elves age slowly both physically and mentally.

As a half-elf, she must have been influenced to some extent.

We followed Kona’s guidance to the inn.

“Welcome… Oh?”

The middle-aged woman sitting at the inn counter was surprised to see Kona.

“Oh… Kona.”

“Hello, ma’am.”

“How have you been? You haven’t changed a bit. I recognized you right away, just like ten years ago.”

“Is Jeremy here by any chance?”

“Jeremy? Oh my, hoho. He doesn’t live here anymore.”

“What? Where did he go?”

“He got married last year and moved out. Said there were better opportunities on his in-law’s side. It would’ve been nice if he stayed here with the inn.”

“What?”

Kona’s laughter seemed to fade.

“Well, that’s unlikely… I’m sure… I mean…”

“Hoho, Jeremy used to say he’d marry you if you ever came back. Still waited for you for quite a while. About 3 years?”

“T-Three years…? Barely…?”

“Oh my goodness…”

Seeing the tragedy of long-lasting love, tears clouded my vision.