Chapter 27: Toward the Adel Hills
The next morning, after finishing our preparations, Rowena and I exchanged our final greetings with the innkeeper at the counter.
“Thanks for everything, innkeeper. Here’s the rest of the lodging fee.”
“Alright. Come stay anytime. And you, young lady—take this with you.”
Saying that, the innkeeper pulled out a small paper bag filled with baked sweets from beneath the counter and handed it to Rowena.
Rowena’s face lit up instantly, and she accepted it with a deep bow.
“Thank you. Also, if the members of ‘Black Dagger’ happen to come by, could you pass along a message?”
I said this while recalling Fiona and the others.
“Tell them this: ‘It’s Edwin, the one you helped before entering Blackleaf Forest. Thanks to you, I made it safely to Norest.’”
“Got it. I’ll be sure to tell them. Take care!”
With the innkeeper seeing us off, we left the city of Norest behind.
The road heading west was well maintained and easy to walk on, much like the road we had taken when coming to Norest.
The scenery stretched out with gentle hills and farmlands, and occasionally wagons loaded with goods passed us by.
Rowena walked along energetically, sometimes holding my hand, sometimes riding on my back when she got tired, all the while looking like she was enjoying herself.
That evening, just before the sun completely set, we arrived at a roadside waystation.
Rowena must have been exhausted, because she was already asleep on my back, breathing quietly.
The next morning, as we prepared to leave the waystation, I asked Rowena, “Do you want to try riding in a wagon?”
But she shook her head vigorously and tugged at my hand, already starting to walk forward.
It seemed she enjoyed walking on her own feet.
We continued along the road as we had the previous day.
However, shortly after finishing lunch, the weather began to turn.
The blue sky was swallowed by thick gray clouds, and a damp wind began to blow.
We decided to look for a campsite early.
Just off the road, we chose a spot beneath a large tree.
Other merchant caravans, apparently wary of the coming rain as well, gathered nearby one after another, forming a small temporary campsite.
Rowena seemed to take a liking to a young adventurer who was escorting one of the caravans.
He lent her a wooden sword and played at mock sword fighting with her.
Meanwhile, I spent the evening quietly around the campfire with the other travelers, exchanging bits of information.
On the morning of the third day, the caravans each set out for their respective destinations.
The wagon driver from the caravan whose guard had played with Rowena the night before called out to us.
He was a kindly-looking older man.
“Are you two heading for the Adel Hills as well? If you’d like, I can give you a ride part of the way.”
It was a welcome offer.
Before I could even respond, Rowena had already climbed onto the back of the wagon and sat down as if to say, “Of course we’re riding.”
(Pretty bold of her…)
Though slightly exasperated inside, I thanked the driver and accepted his offer.
The caravan itself was modest—just the driver, his employer, and a young guard.
The ride along the road was comfortable, but after midday, the rain finally began to fall.
What started as light droplets quickly turned into a heavy downpour.
Just as the driver was spreading a protective sheet over the cargo in the wagon bed—
Amid the pounding rain, shrill cries suddenly rang out.
“Grr!” “Gyaa!”
Goblins.
With visibility worsened by the rain, seven goblins burst out from the forest.
Two rushed toward the driver.
Two went for the guard.
The remaining three charged straight toward us in the wagon.
“Rowena, get down!”
I shoved Rowena toward the back of the wagon and drew my sword as I turned.
Slash!
The first goblin that leaped at me was cut down as we crossed paths.
With the returning swing, I sliced open the throat of the second and spun around to thrust straight through the heart of the third.
It all happened in just a few seconds.
Next, I leaped down from the wagon and cut down the two goblins heading for the driver in a single swift motion.
Looking toward the young guard, I saw that he had already defeated the two attacking him on his own.
He was quite skilled.
“Are either of you injured!?”
“N-no… we’re alright. Thank you for the help!”
After confirming that both the driver and the guard were safe, I immediately made a suggestion.
“Other monsters might be drawn here. We should leave quickly.”
We dragged the bodies to the side of the road and hurried the wagon forward.
Along the way, the driver thanked me several times, but I only replied, “Please don’t worry about it.”
Thanks to the quick pace, we reached a small waystation town at the foot of the Adel Hills by evening.
By the time we arrived, the rain had stopped as if it had never happened.
There, we parted ways with the caravan.
They tried to thank me repeatedly, but I insisted that giving us the ride had been more than enough.
Before us stretched the Adel Hills, their fresh greenery washed clean by the rain.