Chapter 11: Quest 6: Defeat the Bandits [Part 1]
Christine Elway gazed at the scenery from inside the covered carriage.
It was autumn.
The plants lining the highway were still lush and green, but before long they would display brilliant colors.
Seasonal change nourished the heart.
Though when it was oneâs own territory, the matter was different.
The Elway County of the Kingdom of Verisâlocated southwest of the royal capitalâwas said to be a land where, in the Age of Gods, the human race and the army of the Undead King clashed in mortal combat.
Perhaps because of that, this land contained an extraordinary number of dungeons, beginning with the Dungeon of the Corpse King, subordinate to the Undead King.
With overwhelming military powerâhigh-level adventurers and knightsâit could become a mountain of treasure.
Without it, it was nothing but a troublesome land.
Christine turned her eyes to the knight seated across from her.
A woman with lustrous golden hair cut short like a boyâs.
Her name was Laura Cerberus.
Three generations ago, the Cerberus family had earned minor nobility through battlefield merit, and she was its current head.
She had trained since childhood to become a knight, yet after spending most of her life in training, she had only just reached Level 15.
Even so, at this level she was stronger than the other knights serving Christine.
In other words, Christineâs strongest piece.
Incidentally, the knights directly under the king numbered Level 30 to 40 among the rank and file, while their captain Luke was nearing Level 50.
Other powerful nobles maintained knights at Level 20 to 30, with their captains perhaps reaching Level 40.
In short, Christineâs knights were weak.
Well, against humans, they could manage somehow.
Even if the infamous Evil Grizzly appeared, careful preparation could drive it back.
But to fight the undead that appeared every few years like a forgotten memory required accepting heavy casualties.
Fortunately, since Christine became lord, only skeletons, zombies, and ghosts had appeared.
Yet that meant her people could not grow stronger.
If only she could throw up her hands and declare it impossible.
But as Count Elway, she had a duty to protect her people.
Thus she must travel to the capital, bow her head to her father, King Veris, to influential nobles, and to her most hated half-siblings, begging them to lend strength in emergencies.
She remembered her most detested half-sisterâCharlotte.
“…Bitch.”
“Is something the matter?”
She had muttered aloud.
Laura addressed her.
“It is nothing.”
“…I see.”
Christine doubted she had fooled her.
Laura was likely pretending not to hear.
Silence is golden; speech is silver.
“…Haa.”
Christine sighed deeply.
She wanted stronger subordinates.
If she had stronger subordinates, she would not have to bow and scrape.
“…Could we not make a Visitor our subordinate?”
“Lady Chris, I have heard Visitors are rarely summoned.”
“So you heard that.”
“Yes. We are quite close, after all.”
Laura replied flatly.
Visitors were those summoned by Periolis, servant of the One True God Apeiron.
They were granted jobs, had a high rate of rare skills, and it was said many reached Level 100.
Isnât that favoritism just because you summoned them yourself?
In this world, ordinary people reached Level 20, prodigies 30, and geniuses 40 at most.
“Well, that is true.”
“Yes.”
Though she agreed they were rarely summoned, Christine knew around twenty Visitors were under King Verisâs protection.
Or perhaps control was the better word.
She thought one could at least be spared for her.
Yet if she were king, she would likely do the same.
Visitors could disrupt military balance.
Few would truly reach Level 100, but properly raised, they could surpass natives.
And their children would inherit some of that talent.
That was why that detestable half-sister made her advances.
Of course, so did other nobles.
“That bitch spreading her legs for anyone to take the throne.”
“…”
She muttered again.
Laura said nothing.
She looked outside.
When Makoto opened his eyes, he saw tree branches.
Layered upon each other, they formed a canopy overhead.
He lay on the ground and turned his gaze.
Trees.
More trees.
Nothing but trees.
“…A forest.”
He exhaled.
Not relief.
A sigh.
Escaping the dungeon alive was something to celebrate.
But escaping only to land in a forest was absurd.
If this were a game, it would be a trash game.
“My body hurts.”
Not just his right arm.
His entire body burned.
He raised his left hand.
The blown-off hand had regenerated.
“…What the hell?”
He muttered blankly.
His left hand was covered in armor like his right arm had been.
He stood and looked down at himself.
Jet-black armor covered his entire body.
He touched his face.
It was smooth.
“Why can I still feel it?”
Despite being covered in armor, he could feel.
Even the breeze brushing his cheek.
“…Water.”
A hoarse voice escaped him.
He listened.
The sound of a river.
He walked toward it.
A dragging sound followed behind him.
He glanced back.
A tail, armored like the rest of him.
It seemed he had become a monster.
Strangely, he did not panic.
Perhaps this was what it meant to become one.
Soon, he reached the river.
He peered at his reflection and froze.
His face was covered like a full-face helmet.
How was he supposed to drink?
He touched it.
No mouth.
A slight seam, but no idea how to open it.
Would he live in burning pain and thirst forever?
How does a monster live?
He looked up at the sky.
Thenâ
“Hey, wake up.”
Yukaâs voice.
He opened his eyes.
She stood over him, hands on hips.
“Finally awake.”
“…A dream.”
He sat up and looked at his hands.
The armor was gone.
His left hand regenerated normally.
So it had been a dream.
“Where are we?”
“In a forest.”
He stood and looked around.
Trees ahead.
Trees right.
Trees left.
A river behind.
“What forest?”
“How should I know?”
She sounded irritated.
Not the most reliable partner.
He did not say it aloud.
“We shouldnât have left our stuff in front of the temple.”
“No point saying that now.”
“Do you remember after the dungeon collapsed?”
“Yes. I stayed conscious.”
“How did we get out?”
“It went pitch black. Then we were standing in the forest.”
“So I passed out from the damage.”
He raised his left hand, clenching and unclenching.
“Good. You leveled up.”
“I didnât hear the Voice since I was out.”
“Want me to check?”
“Yeah.”
After that fight, Level 80 would not be surprising.
Yuka narrowed her eyes, looking displeased.
As if worried he would attack her with such a level gap.
“We survived together and you still donât trust me?”
“IâI do!”
She faltered.
Defensive to the core.
“So what is it?”
“…100.”
She pouted.
“Level 100, huh. Stats?”
“All 255.”
“What kind of RPG is that?”
He slumped.
“What do you mean?”
“Lots of games cap stats at 255.”
“Huh.”
She tilted her head.
Uninterested.
“So what now?”
“We head for a town.”
“How?”
“Downstream.”
“I heard following rivers is dangerous.”
“Thatâs mountains.”
“Was it?”
“Yeah.”
He remembered hearing that in mountains, following rivers was bad due to terrain and waterfalls.
Stillâ
“Better odds of finding people than wandering blind.”
“True.”
“And we can get food.”
Fish swam in the river.
They looked ordinary.
Maybe poisonous, but he could not afford caution.
“We have no tools.”
“Weâve got hands. If a fish can outrun someone with 255 stats, I want to see it.”
“Unless the system requires a fishing skill.”
“Itâs not that game-like.”
“I hope not.”
Yuka sighed.