Chapter 97: Wedgefort functions as a wedge
The swarm of monsters that attacked Wedgefort have mostly been suppressed. The monsters that ran away likely wouldn’t approach Wedgefort for a while either.
After the battle, we stayed in an inn at Wedgefort and slept like logs until the afternoon the next day.
Drastically leveling up, Marnie, whose status values were on the rise, was perplexed by her own change.
「……Wow, it’s like it isn’t me.」
「It’s because your level was low before that you instantly level up just by dealing the finishing blow, Marnie.」
「That’s right, with this, you can make progress with dagger training, too.」
It seems that to Maria, a maid must learn to use assassination techniques at any cost. Just what could Moulin-san have indoctrinated in Maria?
「For the time being, I was thinking we could rx at Wedgefort, but there’s no problem with that, right? 」
「Yes, we are in no hurry to ept a request.」
The requests we’re pertaining to are not the requests of the Adventurers Guild, but those of the Papeck Company and Margrave Volton’s for magic devices and different kinds of potions.
「Now then, I’m hungry so shall we go to the restaurant?」
「「「「Yes.」」」」
「Listen, Heath, I wanna know what type of guy that Takumi is.」
「Mm? About Takumi-kun? I met him maybe around 2 years ago. I first met him when he came with us to Volton from Bohd, a rural vige. At that time, the Papeck Company bought a bunch of things from him. I wonder if he was a cksmith and a pharmacist.」
「A cksmith and pharmacist? He wasn’t an adventurer?」
In the bar next to the inn at Wedgefort, Merilda, the leader of the 『Crimson Rose』 was asking Heath, the leader of the 『Lion’s Fang』, about Takumi. The participation of Takumi’s group yesterday had been a shock to Merilda.
「That’s right. But the next time we worked together was when we went hunting for Treants in the outskirts of the Forest of Death, I think. You probably know Doganbo-san, the dwarven cksmith living in Volton. It looked like he was going to dig for ores with Doganbo-san at Horuas, but that was the second time we worked together.」
Merilda could not believe her ears when she heard from Heath that, at that time, it hadn’t even been a year since Takumi registered as an adventurer.
「Well, Treants are not that difficult of a monster, but they aren’t something for a newbie to hunt so soon after his registration.」
「Well, Takumi-kun was hunting even in Bohd Vige, so I don’t think he’s just a newbie.」
The image of Takumi yesterday was burned into Merilda’s eyes. Rushing into the middle of the monsters, moving freely as he clutched a spear in one hand and a sword on the other, defeating the monsters. Moreover, she lost sight of the shy and violent Takumi at times during the battle. Suddenly monster blood sprays, then Takumi could be seen at that spot. The next moment, Takumi’s figure would disappear again. Merilda said that to Heath.
「Ah, that’s probably the Stealth skill, right?」
「If it was the Stealth skill, even Linda, who is a scout in my party, would have noticed, but it likely wasn’t Stealth.」
「Maybe, but I think he used a magic item that enhances Stealth.」
In actuality, it’s the effect of the cloak that even grants a +Inhibit Perception, but Takumi didn’t discuss their equipment to anyone else aside from his household, so there was no way for Heath to have known.
「A magic item?!」
「Maybe it’s Takumi’s own creation.」
Merilda could understand if it was found from a dungeon treasure chest or at an ancient ruin, but she’s never heard of a magic item made by an artisan or an alchemist that has an effect to such a degree.
「Even if that were so, there’s no way he’s only been an adventurer for 2 years. Just what <em>is</em> that nonsensical strength?」
Merilda became an adventurer when she was 15 years old, and A rank is finally within reach after 12 years. It ismon sense in this world that high level adventurers have longer lifespans. If you go by that standard, Merilda is at an age where she still has years of great effort to do to reach that. And the young man known as Takumi Iruma has grown and acquired that strength in 2 years.
「The healer in Merilda’s group asked, didn’t she? Is he involved with the Genesis Faith. Takumi-kun isn’t a liar so it’s probably different, but I think that’s exactly why it wouldn’t be strange for him to have powerful divine protection from Goddess Norn.」
Hearing Heath’s conjecture, Merilda ended up agreeing. He has outstanding skills as an artisan that leave nothing to be desired, and has the ability to grow inbat. It certainly seems like he had been blessed with strong divine protection by Goddess Norn.
「When I think about it that way, I understand. It isn’t just that kid either. While the people around him aren’t at his level, they’re oddly strong enough.」
Merilda said so herself, recalling once again how absurd they were.
「You get the idea from his tamed familiars too.」
Archenie, Dragon Horse, Metal Golem. None of which are monsters normally tamable.
「That’s why, Merilda, I’d like you to keep Takumi-kun’s rtion to the Genesis Faith a secret.」
「…… If it’s the Genesis Faith, then it’s still preferable. The problem is the Light God Faith. If the zealots of the Light God Church knew, who knows what they’ll do.」
For adventurers operating in countries aside from Triaria Kingdom and the Divine Empire of Sydnia, they perceive the Light God Faith to be a gathering of avaricious zealots. Merilda’s party has a beastkinrade. The Light God Faith’s treatment of the Beastkin is unforgivable to Merilda.
「Right, if it’s the Light God Faith, they’d send assassins. Well, I can’t imagine Takumi-kun would die from that though.」
「<em>Haa</em>, we’d really like to get that kid to make our equipment too.」
「Yeah, those spears and swords were amazing. Their armors would definitely also have outrageous abilities, right?」
The two remembered Takumi’s group’s exhibition during the fight yesterday. Cutting tough monsters with no resistance; d in fire; creating storms; freezing monsters.
「It’s as if they’re artifacts. Just how much would it cost to make them?」
「It would probably be expensive even at a friend’s rate.」
Drinking since morning, the conversation of the two continued until the afternoon. After leaving his subordinate in charge with the post-processing and returning to Volton, Knight Leader Dorn went to the castle to report to Godwin the following day.
「This is the quick summary report. We will calcte Wedgefort’s defense with this.」
Godwin looked over the report that Dorn had given.
「There were no parts in the wall that copsed?」
「There were norge scratches. ording to Takumi-dono, the wall was bestowed with Harden. The surroundings of the wall have been dug up too, not allowing the monsters to invade.」
「Is Wedgefort enough to be a wedge[1]?」
「More than enough.」
A strong wedge hammered into the buffer zone of three countries known as the savagends. Triaria Kingdom would likely be shocked to know that Wedgefort’s defenses had weathered the flood of monsters without any damage. In one room in the royal castle at Tivaal, the royal capital of Triaria Kingdom. Two men were having a private talk there.
「Is the report of the spy correct?」
「Yes, I have verified it from reports of multiple sources, but it is a fact that arge fortress town was built in that location, moreover, it is also a fact that it overcame arge-scale flood of monsters without any damage.」
「……………………」
The expression on Mercules, the king of Triaria, who had fallen silent was filled with so much anger that it was easy to understand.
「Can this town called Wedgefort be assailed?」
「……………………」
When the Minister of Armed Forces, Vcan, was asked this by King Mercules, he could not voice his opposition.
Eventually, he opened his mouth and out came his words.
「Difficult……, no, that would be pretentious. I believe it is impossible. Firstly, marching through the savagends is a suicidal act. If we were to circumvent it, the burden would be too great and unrealistic.」
「We can not march inside Lomaria Kingdom either?」
「If we were to do that, we would be at war with the alliance of Lomaria Kingdom and Valkyra Kingdom. It would be too perilous for our country, which has only just recovered from the liabilities from the war with Yggurle Kingdom 50 years ago.」
「Yes, that is so.」
A heavy atmosphere circted between the two.
「However, for such arge fortress city to suddenly appear in a ce like that.」
「With therge flood of monsters on this asion, the monsters in their surroundings would settle down for a while. The matter regarding Wedgefort was taken in by Valkyra Kingdom.」
「Nevertheless, it would likely be impossible for us even if we gather earth magic users.」
Isn’t there a n to recover from this hopeless situation? King Mercules sank into a sea of thoughts.
At the Divine Empire of Sydnia, information that held a sense of impending danger was received.
「In a mere few months, the fortress town Wedgefort waspleted? An impregnable fortress town with a firm foothold in savagends?」
Pope Warvaal had a dazed expression as he read the report he received.
「Why God’s work did not ur at our country, but in that of the Genesis Faith’s is something I do not understand.」
「Musudan-dono, it is an exaggeration to call it God’s work. They must have mobilized a mass of Earth magic users.」
Prime Minister Musudan’s remark on God’s work was remonstrated by Head Magician Homer.
「That aside, is it not surprising that they resolved the matter of a flood of tens of thousands of monsters with seemingly no damage?」
Holy Knight Leader Packard learned from the report of a spy that the monsters were eradicated by the reinforcements consisting of adventurers who rushed in from Volton town and knights dispatched by Margrave Volton. He wondered what if it had happened in his own country, and cold sweats ran down his back unceasingly.
「It is a year until the hero summoning. When that happens, the time wille for the Divine Empire of Sydnia, the Light God Faith, to conquer the continent.」
The first imperial princess Elizabeth said to have a little bit more patience.
Afterwards, when the detailed information came in, they learned that the adventurer party known as 『Wings of Norn』 had yed a veryrge role in it. Thus Pope Warvaal and the others had gotten the wrong impression that the 『Wings of Norn』 were members of the Genesis Faith and had restrained themselves from carelessly starting a fight. Not sending in more zealots causing Takumi’s group to be able to have a peaceful time was an ironic result.
***
<strong>Footnotes:</strong><ol><li>In case it isn’t clear why they ask if Wedgefort is a wedge, a wedge is technically “a material having one thick end and tapering to a thin edge, that is driven between two objects or parts of an object to secure or separate them”. So you can think of it as something that can stop something from moving, like a door stopper. But it can also be a simple machine that splits things apart, like an axe cutting through a log. In the novel’s case, Wedgefort is a very strong and secure door stopper against monsters and possible invaders.</li></ol>
<strong>Sphy’s Note:</strong>
I’m grateful to people who point out mistakes, but please don’t be rude and usatory about it. It’s really demotivating. I’m sorry if this ruins anyone’s day / mood. In any case, let’s all just talk about the chapter~ we don’t need to be gloomy, I’ve vented enough in the previous page! Thank you for reading and for the encouragingments! ^^