Chapter 125
Me, Mea, and Shame are stationed at a table in the corner of the break area of the Asshim Branch’s Adventurer’s Support Center .
Shame has figured out that I and Mea are doing a lot of bad things, and she’s helping me to research and gather information .
Because she is well known and a good point of view, she has been able to help us put this and that together in a concise manner . She’s been really helpful .
On top of that, she spent a day with me doing research and didn’t receive any more than the cost of snacks and drinks at the rest stop for her time and effort .
She says it’s just a hobby for her .
I compare the map and the information on neighboring territories that Shame had compiled for me .
I can’t let Gizel catch me yet . I can’t go back to the city of Lomarn . We must flee to someplace that is closed off to the outside world .
…… And moreover .
I need to hide Mea, who is apparently being hunted by the Doom tribe .
From what Mea told me, there was no way I could believe that she was here for a peaceful purpose .
“Why…… no way…… why, why do you……why do you want Mea…… Mea…is not worth even it……”
Mea was mumbling and muttering, while her body is trembling .
…… . . This is completely not good .
Mea has been harassed within her village due to the lack of the stone on her forehead, and have been kicked out halfway across the village, so why would they go all the way to the city to search for her…… mm?
Come to think of it, I remember her saying something that bothered me a long time ago……
“To put it simply, it’s something like that . I heard that the timing of Mea’s birth was also a little bad, and I thought it would be bad if I stayed here too long . So I grabbed my mother’s secret savings and ran away . ”
The words she’d said to me when I’d just met Mea came back to my mind .
Do-, don’t tell me it’s that? is it because of that!?
“He-, hey, it’s not about that secret savings, is it? It’s not because of that secret savings, right!?”
I grabbed Mea’s shoulders and shook her body .
“Hiyaaaa! Huh? N, no! It’s not! That one…… that one…… must be different . Because……”
“Re-, really? You’re not looking out for me, are you? You’d better buy it back somehow……”
There’s enough to buy it back even if it’s a bit too much . There’s also the amount I’ve accumulated from the request and thirty times Gaston’s money .
If it’s that bad, I’ll explain the situation and do something about it……
“Hmmm…… I don’t know the details of the situation, but are you sure you want to take it so easy? Abel-chan’s situation is not good, right?”
Shame, who was reading the Adventurer’s Newspaper with her chin on the desk, looked up at us .
Her hair was hanging disheveled on the desk .
“If I get caught, all I have to do is get deported and get married to my sister . Mea doesn’t seem to have time for that kind of thing, or rather……”
Hearing my words, Mea, who had been limping around earlier, pushed back her chair and stood up .
“Wh, whawha-, what do you mean, Abel!? Mea didn’t hear anything! Didn’t hear anything about that!”
“That’s because I didn’t tell you . I didn’t think it was something worth mentioning…… and it’s kind of…… embarrassing and……”
“…… Actually, you guys have a lot of time to spare, right?”
Shame narrows her eyes and compares me and Mea’s face .
N-, no, I’m desperate about this one, though……
After that, we continued to consult with each other and came to the conclusion that it would be better to go to the country estate in the frontier, which is ruled by Baron Lark Fage .
She said that the Fage territory was closed and had little interaction with the outside world .
As long as they were quietly hidden, it would be unlikely that their place would be found .
Especially in the past few years, it was even more severely closed off than before, and there was no contact with the outside world at all .
Recently, rumors have been spreading that adventurers who wanted to visit the Fage territory encountered a large three-headed dragon on the road and ran back .
If this is true, that dragon may have cut off all of their communication with the outside world, and they may be trapped in the Fage territory .
The Fage territory is a territory along the border .
It is located on the border of the country of Riveras, which is often in a dispute over the interpretation of the scriptures of the water god Levi . However, the border is steep and separated by a series of large mountain ranges, so it is unlikely that the country would be caught in a conflict .
Riveras itself is not a country with much power . It’s small in size, and because it’s being consumed internally by the conflict, it doesn’t have the leisure to do anything to other countries . Even the royal family is probably not so wary of them .
Maybe that’s why they were left alone despite the fact that they were near the border, even though the exchange had been cut off from the Fage territory for a few years .
“Hmm…… Are you sure it’s okay for you to be in the Fage territory? There really might be a three-headed dragon, you know!”
Shame places his hands on either side of his cheeks and wavers . I don’t know what she’s imitating, but I thinks she’s trying to scare me .
“Well if there was a crisis like that, I’m sure they’d be using pogues (birds that carry messages) to inform the outside world . ”
“I’m sure that’s true…… but don’t you think the carriage won’t like it when there are rumors about it? If these many people don’t come and go, it’s doubtful that the Fage’s Adventurer’s Support Center is functioning at all…… and if there’s a plan to deal with the magic beast disaster, or to escort them back home, it’s also questionable . ”
I know, but when it comes to the place near here where you can most likely misplace them, there is no place as suitable as the Fage territory .
Probably I would manage to get by even if it’s not so safe . It’s a city where you live .
…… Let’s ask Elia-san to help us with the carriage .
“Moreover…… Even if you don’t have one, the place doesn’t have a good reputation to begin with . It’s not a good place to live . Since the lord was replaced by his lousy son, Lark, he’s been torturing the people, lavishing them with his own money, and at the end of it all, he’s cut off all contact with the outside world . It has probably turned terrible inside . ”
“Do you think it’s a good idea to stop by, Shame?”
“Well…… I think it’s best if you want to hide . But I think it’s best to know the disadvantages . ”
If it’s at least the disadvantage that just came up, I can do something about it .
Even if there were a little bit more magic beasts or the lord’s bottom line was bad, I’m confident that I could do something about it . Even if a three-headed dragon appeared, I honestly don’t think it would be a larger scale opponent than the ‘Bow of God’ . Even if it’s a little sturdier than that one, I should be able to make it retreat if I throw a couple of magic shots at it .
“Then, I guess it’s decided over here . Do Mea think it’s good in Fage territory too?”
“Ah, yes! Mea will follow Abel anywhere he goes!”
Mea squeezes my sleeve .
“Ri-, right . ”
…… That lack of initiative seems a bit dangerous, but I wonder if it’s okay .
“Shall I arrange a carriage for you? If you keep asking for help and getting rejected, the word will get around, won’t it?”
“I’ve got a friend who can help me out . ”
“Then, maybe it’s better that way . If anyone is looking for you guys, I’ll tell them that you’re going to Lugard . ”
Lugard is a city in the north .
It’s quite a large distance from Fage territory . If they got baited, it’ll be good to stall for time .
“I’m sorry about all of this . ”
“It’s okay . I love this kind of thing, after all . ”
Once we had a plan in place, we left the Adventurer’s Support Center and parted ways with Shame .
“Thank you so much, really . ”
“You don’t have to keep thanking me . We are friends, right?”
Shee’s a light-footed guy . I think she’s friends with most of the city .
“Th-, thank you very much!”
“Yeah, take care too, mea-chan! I wanted to follow you because it sounded interesting, but there are things I want to do here too…… Well then, see you again if we have the chance!”
She sends us off fluttering her hand .