episode_0002
by fnovelpia000
“Veil of Darkness.”
The `Living Forest`, where light barely penetrates due to the thickly overgrown trees’ shadows.
When Cleon, hidden in that shade, softly utters the name of the spell,
black magic flowing from Galatea in his hand wraps around his entire body.
A technique applying the magic’s small domain from the re-contract with Galatea.
Instead of defense as a barrier that cannot be interfered with from the outside,
it is a type of stealth ability that makes Cleon invisible unless a high-level magic eye is used.
Indeed, even a human with magic power equivalent to Lyla’s could not see even Cleon’s shadow unless they concentrated magic in their eyes with all their might.
The first ability Cleon created, after being able to completely control the magic sword through the re-contract, was the ability to avoid the eyes of others.
The day Cleon was expelled from the party.
Two days have passed since the day he was reborn as the master of the magic sword.
Galatea, having completed the contract, entered a dormant state for about a day to rebuild its core.
Cleon, too, was affected by this and fell asleep in his lodgings as if dead.
After that,
the master and servant, having recovered their condition, were carefully checking the newly acquired abilities, looking for an opportunity to take revenge on Albein’s party.
And that opportunity came very quickly.
001
When Cleon, having recovered his body, showed his face at the adventurer’s guild, the guild staff looked at him as if they were uncomfortable.
It would be less so for the people who had known him since the days when he built his reputation alone—
─After all, an adventurer who didn’t have a good ending with the hero is bound to have a falling reputation.
In the end, the guild staff are outsiders and do not interfere in the internal affairs of the adventurers, who are guests.
This is because it goes against the ideals of adventurers who pursue freedom, and it is the guild’s policy to treat parties fairly.
So, Cleon decided not to say more than necessary to them.
After all, Cleon’s target for revenge is only `Albein` and his party.
“Um… Mr. Cleon…?”
The only one who spoke to Cleon first was a girl he had never seen before.
Her age is two or three years younger than Cleon, a little younger than Albein and Kuon.
Probably, about the same age as Lyla.
Her hair color is orange, like the color of a burning sunset.
The length comes down to the middle of her back, and it feels like the color of a fox’s fur that shines golden when it receives light.
Apricot-colored skin. Green eyes. An impression that gives off a vibrant and healthy feeling.
She is wearing armor made of ordinary leather and cloth.
It is light, allows for good mobility, and moves flexibly.
Cleon could tell at a glance that she was not someone who stood at the front or cast spells from the rear.
Trained muscles moving under the clothes that covered her whole body.
Among them, the muscles that connected her arms to her back were more trained than Albein, who wielded the Holy Sword, the lightest and most powerful sword in the world.
After seeing the thick gloves covering her thumb, index finger, and middle finger,
Cleon judged that she was a `ranger` who served as an archer and guide.
Cleon felt a similar feeling from her as he did from Kuon three years ago.
Hesitating to speak to him, and the atmosphere that she was not yet familiar with the city.
Probably, like them, she is a fledgling adventurer from a more remote area than here.
“Who is she?”
Therefore, he didn’t have a very good impression.
What if she’s a newcomer who has approached him to use him again…?
He was even thinking that it would be okay to destroy her.
“M, my name is Sasha. I wanted to say hello to you today, Mr. Cleon….”
“Say hello…? To me?”
Cleon became a little interested in Sasha’s hesitant attitude as she continued to speak.
Certainly, in the structure of adventurers, it is often seen that seniors act bossy towards juniors.
This is because the knowledge and experience acquired first become the ultimate joker for adventurers.
That’s why there are quite a few juniors who respect their seniors, at least outwardly—
“Um, I joined Albein’s party yesterday.”
“──I see. So?”
“Ah, no. Um…. I think I’m replacing Mr. Cleon, so…. I thought it was right to say hello….”
“There’s no such thing. Didn’t you hear it from them? What happened when I left the party, or about me.”
Sasha shook her head and spoke at Cleon’s seemingly fed-up tone.
“Of course, I heard the circumstances from everyone. But I heard that it’s always the case that adventurers’ opinions clash.”
She smiled bitterly and looked into Cleon’s eyes.
There was something mixed in it, like pity.
“If you take some time and cool down. I’m sure Mr. Albein will be able to reconcile with Mr. Cleon. If that happens. You can go back to a party of five, including Mr. Cleon—”
“──…”
Galatea vibrated slightly at Sasha’s words.
Only Cleon could know that tremor, but Cleon calmed Galatea and remained silent for a moment.
Opens his mouth.
“I see. Back to five people…. huh.”
“Yes! If that happens, it will be a very stable party in terms of balance!”
“That’s quite an optimistic hope. I don’t know if Albein wants that…”
Cleon smiled as kindly as possible and replied to Sasha.
“I’ll be looking forward to it. The day we adventure with you again.”
“──! Yes!”
After that, Sasha bowed to Cleon several times and left the place.
Cleon quietly looked at her leaving and tried to sort out his emotions and thoughts, but a voice interfering from the side disturbed it.
“Innocent but stupid woman.”
A cold and dark female voice.
It was only audible to Cleon.
To be precise, it should be said that it resonated in his head.
“That evaluation is not appropriate. That’s called not knowing the ways of the world. It has nothing to do with intelligence.”
Cleon’s voice, too, is transmitted to Galatea without passing through his mouth.
It is a conversation of thoughts made possible by the bond of souls.
“That’s what I call stupid.”
Cleon was silent for a moment at Galatea’s words, then opened his mouth again.
“Albein, that bastard. He had Sasha in mind in advance. To recruit new people this quickly…”
“Lyla and Kuon. Those women would have opposed a new woman joining the party…. He must have convinced them that it was to quickly fill the power that was lacking by expelling Cleon.”
Cleon’s and Galatea’s predictions were almost correct.
Albein’s behavior patterns had been almost analyzed over the past three years.
Sasha, a fledgling female adventurer who hasn’t been to the capital for long.
Her appearance is a little plain compared to Lyla and Kuon, but she had a healthy beauty that they didn’t have.
Albein, intoxicated by the various women’s favor, goodwill,
She is a suitable target for Albein to target as his next prey.
In addition, he can get rid of Cleon, who is an eyesore, so it must be a win-win situation.
“But. It’s a good opportunity for us.”
Cleon, too, was feeling joy, though not as much as Albein.
Galatea, sensing that, questioned her master’s thoughts.
“What are you going to do?”
“Let’s use that woman. Sasha. Let’s start with her.”
A party with a strong bond centered around Albein.
Sasha was chosen as the needle to create a small hole in the seemingly unbreakable bond.
002
“Ouch.”
Kuon, who was walking through the forest with her party, felt a stinging pain on the back of her neck and quickly brought her right hand there.
“What’s wrong? Kuon.”
When Lyla saw Kuon and questioned her, Kuon shook her head, `Uh-uh.`
“I think I got bitten by a bug.”
“Ah- you too? Certainly. It’s annoying because there are so many bugs here.”
Kuon smiled bitterly at Lyla’s empathy.
It was because she was a little ashamed that she made a noise because she was bitten by a bug while Albein was blocking the attacks of the monsters in front.
“It was written in the encyclopedia that there are no poisonous bugs or monsters in the Living Forest.”
Sasha, who was looking for the way above the trees, landed on the ground with light movements and spoke to Kuon.
“It’s not like we’ve been here once or twice. We know that much, too?”
Sasha responded to Lyla’s slightly arrogant taunt with `Oh!` I see! without malice.
There, Lyla also lost her venom and turned her head, `Tch`.
Albein watching that scene as if he was pleased.
The adventurer named Sasha, who joined after Cleon left, appeared in the city where the group was a few days ago.
She came from the countryside like themselves
It was the right answer to have hinted at the offer of recruitment in advance to her, who said that she wanted to become an adventurer and gain fame.
If left alone, a woman like her who doesn’t know the ways of the world.
Because she would have become the perfect target for other adventurers.
In this way, one more person.
The sense of accomplishment that he succeeded in having a woman who showed him favor by his side
It gave strength to Albein and the Holy Sword.
──Even the Holy Sword reacted to the positive emotions that could not be said to be good intentions.
“Sasha. What are the scouting results?”
“Ah, yes. The goal is to go left at the intersection 150m ahead. There was a large monster blocking the way in the middle – probably a plant-type golem. But I don’t think there will be any problems.”
“Plant Golem, huh. Low-grade, or mid-grade. Either way, it doesn’t matter.”
Lyla began to cast fire-type magic in advance at Sasha’s words.
“Lyla, prepare as much fire magic as possible…. Sasha is still lower level than us. Watch the fight from the rear and move mainly to check.”
“Yes! Leave it to me!”
What is important in an adventure of a party consisting of many people is to match each other’s breathing and coordination.
A large number of people who cannot communicate are worse than moving alone.
Albein was simple, but he was not a fool in adventure.
Thanks to the experience he had with Cleon, his instructions looked accurate when viewed from the side.
Prepare for what’s about to happen,
And put out what is suitable from the cards they have.
By repeating that process, the adventure leads to success.
“Kuon. Plant Golems are weak against fire magic, but they still regenerate. It’ll probably resist a few times. So, your healing magic is important. Help me so I don’t fall.”
“Okay. I understand.”
But Albein was forgetting an important fact.
It is necessary to check `their condition` and update it in `their cards`.
Even in a place where they have been many times.
It is necessary to prepare for the possibility that something unusual may have occurred.
For example.
The situation may arise where the power of Kuon’s healing magic is halved and healing is not timed properly.
That day, Albein’s party failed the request again.
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