Chapter 120 Future Countermeasures
――Treasure Hunter Marta's skills were impressive. She expertly wielded multiple knives, taking down monsters one after another without hesitation. As she ventured into deep forests and caves in search of treasure, she had grown accustomed to battling monsters, as I had mentioned when she joined "Last Brave".
With Marta and Olivelle-san, the vice commander of the Savila Knight Order, fighting together, there was no enemy that could stand in their way. Monster after monster fell, and the moment Olivelle-san's sword pierced the belly of a monster that could speak, the remaining monsters literally turned tail and fled.
This situation seemed familiar. It was just like when I visited the northern country of Platonovena with Arnold and heard from Alex-san that when the speaking monster (boss) was defeated, the other monsters retreated.
"Hmm, they're running away... because we defeated their leader? Well, that's fine. Now, let's search for loot..."
Marta let out a cheerful voice, out of place in this situation, and began to examine the bodies of the defeated monsters. She probably intended to skin them and exchange them for money. She had done the same thing in "Last Brave".
As I gazed at Marta's back, feeling nostalgic, I suddenly snapped back to reality. If we stayed like this, we might be attacked by monsters again.
I turned to Olivelle-san and asked him.
"Where should I go...?"
"That's right... let's head to the garrison for now. Marta-san, I'd like to express my gratitude again, so may I request your company?"
Following Olivelle-san's judgment, Marta and I temporarily took refuge at the Savila Knight Order's Flaria garrison. As expected, the garrison was in an uproar due to the monster attack.
"What about the monsters in the city?"
"It's likely they've retreated, I think. We're currently on high alert and scouting the area. The evacuation of the city's residents has been completed."
From the reports I've overheard from other members to Olivelle-san, it seems that there are no monsters in sight within the city. I feel relieved.
At the same time, the thought that the monsters' target might not be this city, but me, grows stronger, and I can't help but shudder. Did the demon king order his subordinates to target me, remembering my face from that experiment and seeking revenge? I don't want to believe it, but the possibility is high, considering the words the monster spoke.
Have I been watched all this time? The royal capital has a stronger barrier than Flaria, and the Knight Order has many members. That's why they couldn't make a move, but this time, the monsters saw an unexpected chance with my outing on the Flaria branch and launched a surprise attack.
As I imagine the scene――Iris and Basilio-san's faces suddenly flash in my mind. They were running ahead of me, so they're probably safe. However, since my figure wasn't found at the evacuation site, they might be worried about me.
Feeling apologetic for taking up their time, I hesitantly opened my mouth.
"Um, I want to let Iris and Basilio-san know that I'm safe..."
"I understand. I'll have the soldiers deliver the message."
Olivelle-san didn't make a single unpleasant face, and instead, smiled kindly to reassure me. As twins, it's only natural, but her expression resembled Marcedes-san's.
After that, Olivelle-san busied himself giving instructions here and there. I sat on the same sofa as Marta, gazing at him with a blank expression.
Once he finished giving instructions, Olivelle-san sat down at the desk, facing me, and slowly opened his mouth.
"Thank you again, I'm grateful, Marta-san."
"It's okay, it's okay, people have to help each other, you know? So, yeah!"
Ahaha, Marta laughed as she stretched out her hand towards Olivelle-san. Olivelle-san stared at Marta's hand, then tilted her head.
"...What's with this hand?"
"I helped you, so I expect a decent reward, okay?"
――Ah, this is the Marta I know.
She's kind and often helps people, but she's not generous with her money and expects compensation for her help. Some characters even call her a miser, but the truth is that her fixation on money stems from a childhood trauma, which is revealed in the middle of the story.
Even before I knew about her past, I loved Marta's bright and cheerful personality, despite her being tight-fisted with money.
Olivelle-san's confusion and Marta's beaming smile were hilarious, and I couldn't help but laugh. Then, as a thank-you gift, I took out several prototype products from my bag. I was interested in them, and I thought maybe she wouldn't mind trying them out.
"Do you think this will do as a thank-you gift?...If you're okay with it, please take it"
"What's this?"
"It's the poison I threw at the monster earlier. It's really effective against monsters."
Marta's eyes sparkled as she received the trial product. Then, she examined it from all angles, as if shining a light on it from the inside out.
"Yeah! How did you make this?"
Come to think of it, I was asked to teach her how to make it.
It's not that I have a secret that I can't share with anyone, but I still hesitate to teach someone who's essentially a stranger ―― even if they'll become an irreplaceable friend in the future, like Lukas ―― about things like The Drinking Water of the Spirits or Hero's power.
I forced a laugh to diffuse the situation.
"Uh, please forgive me for this one"
"Aww, is it a secret recipe or something?"
"Well, something like that."
The Marta I know is a bit too talkative and can be a bit pushy, but she never does anything that would really annoy people, and she knows exactly where to draw the line. I expect she won't push the issue any further, and that's a relief.
"So, there's no way around it. Ah, hey, hey, if that's the case, why was Laura being chased by a monster? It's clear she was targeted, right?"
Another painful point was poked, and I let out a bitter laugh.
I tilted my head slightly, trying to show that I didn't understand, and furrowed my brow a little.
"That's right, I don't really get it either... maybe there's a reason, but..."
"Well, no matter what the reason is, it's better to have a bodyguard, don't you think? So, what about me? I'm pretty capable, you know."
A smile spilled out at Marta's proposal, which was so like her.
In reality, her proposal was worth considering. I couldn't rely on Lukas and the others, who were busy with the demon king subjugation. And it was also unreliable to ask the Savila Knight Order, which was short-handed, to protect mr. In that case, asking Marta, who was capable, to be my bodyguard seemed like a solution.
However――now that we've met, and I've learned that there's a Treasure Hunter named Marta Murcia in this world, it would be better to have her accompany Lukas and the others on their "Hero's Journey".
But, unfortunately, paying for a bodyguard's fee was a pretty tough issue.
"The fee is scary, isn't it?"
"Yeah, that's true. But Laura, that uniform of yours is from the Royal Alchemist, right? That means you're rich, doesn't it?"
"I'll consider it."
With a bright smile, I said that, and Marta pouted, looking unamused.
"Tch. But, realistically, you should come up with a plan, don't you think? You might get targeted by a monster again and get others involved, or worse, die."
What Marta said was right. Now that we knew I was being targeted by a monster, I had to come up with a plan. I had to avoid getting others involved.
Thinking about the future was giving me a headache. I wanted to make healing potions while waiting for my childhood friends to return, but that didn't seem possible anymore.
"...How about I get Laura-chan protected by the Savila Knight Order?"
"Is that a realistic option, I wonder?"
"But, we're already short-handed in the fight against monsters..."
I suddenly realized something. If I'm being targeted, Elvira might be in the same situation too.
I panicked and stood up, appealing to Olivelle-san.
"More importantly, Elvira might be in the same situation We have to contact her quickly!"
"Don't worry, I've already sent a messenger. Since Mel is still in the royal capital, it's probably safe."
Olivelle-san had thought ahead of me, who was too caught up in my own worries. His smile put me at ease, and I sat back down on the sofa.
Since we weren't attacked while we were in the royal capital, it seemed safe for now. However, the monsters were just waiting for their chance to strike. If Elvira and I were in the royal capital, it was possible that the capital would be attacked at any moment. The more I thought about it, the more I got stuck.
Anyway, I thought I should return to the royal capital and discuss my next move with Kasper-san. I remembered Kasper-san's exhausted expression when he ordered me to go on a business trip to the Flaria branch.
Kasper-san would probably advise me to return to the royal capital and protect myself. But if I did that, who would synthesize healing potions in my place at the Flaria branch? They were already short-handed, and it would be a hassle to add more trouble.
"I think I should go back to the royal capital too. But I was ordered to go on a business trip to synthesize healing potions..."
"Your life is more important than any orders, Laura-chan. I'll take care of it, so let's think about heading back to the royal capital for now."
Olivelle-san said that and stood up, saying "I'll write a letter." As I watched him leave with a dignified expression, I let out a sigh for the umpteenth time today.
I never expected things to turn out like this. I thought that if Lukas went on a journey, I'd just be a side character ―― just an alchemist waiting for the heroes to return. But to get caught up in something like this....
"Laura, how old are you?"
Marta, who was sitting next to me, suddenly asked. I was taken aback by the sudden question, but I answered.
"15... no, 16 years old."
"Ah-ha, you're one year younger than me. That's tough, working for the country and all."
I couldn't help but force a laugh at her words. From Marta's perspective, having traveled the world and lived freely, my job as a national alchemist must seem really suffocating.
Marta thought for a moment, her hand on her chin ―― then her face lit up with a bright idea.
"Hey, why don't you ask Hero-sama for help?"
"Huh?"
"You know, Hero-sama who went on a journey to defeat the demon king? I don't know much about it, but isn't he strong against monsters?"
What Marta said was straightforward and correct, which is why I couldn't help but nod in agreement.
I had thought that relying on Lukas or Arnold would be the best option, but I didn't want to add to their burdens, considering they were carrying the fate of the world on their shoulders. And even if I wanted to tell them, it would be hard to track them down since they're always traveling.
If I didn't tell them, they'd probably get angry at me for not speaking up. But when I weighed my own life against the fate of the world, the scales would tip in favor of the latter.
I should think of some other way to solve this problem besides relying on them. And if I couldn't come up with a good plan, I might have no choice but to rely on them after all.
"But defeating the demon king is a big deal, right?"
"Yeah, I guess so. Won't Hero-sama help you?"
Marta's words reminded me of a certain scene from "Last Brave".
It was when the Hero visited a village that had been completely destroyed by a monster. There was a girl crying and yelling at the Hero, "Why didn't you help us?"
As I watched that scene, I felt sorry for the girl, but I also thought, "It's impossible to save everyone." It's not like they can just sacrifice some people. However, no matter how strong the Hero is, it's unrealistic to think that he can protect every single person in the world from monsters.
The image of my childhood friends, who are still desperately fighting, flashed in my mind, and I couldn't help but retort.
"It's not that he won't help me... it's just that saving everyone is difficult."
My tone was a bit harsh, but Marta didn't seem to mind, nodding and saying, "Yeah, that's true."
"If he tries to save everyone, it'll be endless. So, I'll do what I can, and let the Hero focus on defeating the Demon King."
Why didn't you help us?
Lukas might hear those words on this journey, and my kind-hearted childhood friend might take them to heart, get hurt, and worry.
(...It's tough.)
For example, if I had lost my parents to a monster and a Hero came to the village after everything was over, I might say something like that. I can understand how the girl feels. However, as the Hero's childhood friend, I don't want him to get hurt more than necessary.
The Hero is not a god. He's just a human with a little extra power.
I prayed that my childhood friend wouldn't get hurt, and that his friends would support him.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)