Volume 2 Chapter 1 Suspicious Shadow
The day after moving to the town by the ferry, the sky, which had been rainy until yesterday, was beautifully clear and the weather felt nice. The temperature was so warm that it felt almost like summer, leaning more towards hot than just warm.
Al was riding in a small cart pulled by a donkey, carrying Russ and his son Tally, as they leisurely walked along the road to the border city of Lester. Barbara, who had been investigating with Al, had left early in the morning, so she must have already arrived at the border city of Lester.
The border city of Lester was built on a small hill, and while it didn't have a surrounding wall, there were many earthworks that used the height differences for defense. Watchtowers were set up at key points to keep an eye out for any approaching barbarians or magic beasts.
Though it was said to be the smallest of the 6 cities in the Margrave Rain territory, it still had a population of about 6,000 people and served as a major base for frontier development. The road from the ferry was well-maintained, a stark contrast to the rocky path they had crossed before.
"I'm really sorry, Mr. Al. I've relied on you again. Thank you so much."
Russ had been mumbling apologies several times. His son Tally, while smiling a bit awkwardly, was enjoying the scenery beside him. Both of them were still a bit unsteady and couldn't walk properly, but thanks to resting at the inn, they seemed to be feeling a little better.
"I'm much younger than you, so please stop calling me 'Mr.' Just call me by my name."
"Well, even if you say that... you're my lifesaver. Plus, you helped arrange the wagon and a lot of other things."
"And while I was captured, I only got rotten water for a whole week, so it's no surprise I can't move. And in Lester, you can stay at a cheap inn, right? So this isn't a big deal."
Tally, Russ's son, listened to this exchange and felt that Al was a nice and reassuring person.
Since being rescued, Russ, his father, had kept thanking Al. When he heard that Al was coming to the border city of Lester for the first time and planned to work as an adventurer, he suggested that Al could stay for free at their inn. However, Al said that wouldn't work and instead convinced Russ to give him a small discount that would still allow them to make a profit. Since their strength wasn't fully back yet, Al also suggested they go to the inn together.
Soon, they could see the earthen rampart and gate guarding the entrance to the city up ahead, along with a watchtower standing beside it. Beyond the gate was a square with shops lining the town street. It wasn't far to the inn run by the two of them. As the wagon got closer, they noticed 2 women standing near the gate. One looked to be in her early 40s, and the other seemed to be in her mid-teens. When the two women saw the wagon approaching, they hurried over to Russ and Tally, who were sitting on top.
"Dear, Tally!" "Papa, big brother!"
Russ and Tally managed to get down from the wagon with Al's help. They quickly ran over and hugged the two people who had rushed to them tightly. From their attitude and how they spoke, it seemed they were Russ's wife and daughter. Maybe the guard had informed them that Russ and Tally were safe. Although they weren't as bad off as Russ and Tally, they looked quite thin, likely from worry. The wife had black hair, while the daughter had dark brown hair like her father, but overall, they both had a similar beautiful vibe.
"I'm sorry for making you worry."
"I'm just glad you're safe. I was shocked when I got that strange letter saying you were kidnapped."
"Damn, those bandits, they really did that. I'm sorry for worrying you..."
"When we contacted the guard, they wrote that they would kill Papa or brother..."
The 4 of them comforted each other and celebrated their safety. From what Al overheard, Russ's wife's name was Louren, and Tally's sister's name was Iris.
A few days ago, they had received a threatening letter demanding ransom, and it seemed they had been suffering through tough days while staying at the shop. As Al listened to their conversation, he suddenly noticed 2 men hiding in the shadows, watching them. Both were about 170 cm tall (≈ 5 ft 7 in) and a bit skinny, and their clothes were quite messy. The two seemed to be whispering to each other while glancing at the 4 of them. Al felt an uneasy feeling about their presence.
"Mr. Russ, Mr. Tally, I have an urgent matter to attend to. Is it okay if I go ahead?"
"Huh? W-what? Wait a second──."
"I'll explain later. Once I'm done, I'll meet you at the inn..."
The two of them started to walk away. Al lightly stopped Tally, who was about to say something, and forcefully handed him the backpack before starting to follow them. Somehow, considering the timing, he thought they might be the ones who had been watching Russ's family and sending threatening letters.
The bloody bandits were already wiped out, so it might be okay now, but leaving it alone still made him uneasy. That said, he couldn't just act on a hunch in the city. He should find their hideout and report it to the guard.
While thinking about this, Al continued to follow them for a while until the two suddenly turned a sharp corner. Following them in an unfamiliar area was tough. He felt a rush of panic, thinking they might have noticed him, and turned the same way. The two men were standing there, seemingly waiting for Al.
"..."
He let out a light sigh and looked around. He had been so focused on the chase that he realized there was no one else around. The alley had crumbling walls in places, and trash was scattered everywhere.
"I don't recognize your face around here, kid. Got something you need?"
One of the men, wearing a black shirt, asked. The other man, in a brown shirt, seemed to be on guard. Both of them had their hands on their small swords.
"Uh, I got a bit lost. I thought if I followed someone, I could get back to the main street... Sorry for following you without saying──."
Before he could finish his sentence, the man in the black shirt slashed at him.
'Flash'
Al jumped back, thrusting his palm out. A dazzling light burst forth, and the men hurriedly shielded their eyes. Taking advantage of the moment, Al ran to the wall.
'Illusion'──wall
When the men regained their sight and looked around, Al was nowhere to be seen. To be exact, he was hiding by pressing his body against a crumbled wall and camouflaging himself with an Illusion wall above him. The two, unaware of this, continued to search the area.
"Where did he go? Is he not over there?"
"No, he's not. Is he over there?"
They wondered if he had hidden behind something and searched around. However, they couldn't find him. The two tilted their heads in confusion.
"Damn it, that guy used magic. Does that mean he hid himself like the boss with a spell?"
"On top of not being able to contact them, two people came back, which is really careless of them."
They kept cursing for a while, but eventually, they seemed to reach the conclusion that there was nothing they could do.
"Looks like there's nothing we can do..."
"Yeah, that's right..."
Saying this, they exchanged glances and left the place.
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