Chapter 262: SWOOOOOOOORD!
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As I was waiting alone since Sword had left to handle some sort of formalities, someone called out to me with a voice that made me feel chilly,
“Hey, porter of the S-Rank!”
I wonder what it is. Ever since coming to this town, things have been weird. I keep experiencing a weird feeling of coldness.
“I’m talking to you, over there, porter!”
While I was rubbing my arms, a guy suddenly slammed his hand into the wall next to me. Goosebumps popped out all across my body in no time.
“Porter boy, it’s great that you’ve buttered up to that S-Rank adventurer and all, but that guy’s on the decline, so if you stick with him, you’ll croak in no time. But look, I’m a great guy, so I, Shining Lightning Star, will pick you up out of pity. Come on, follow me, porter!”
The guy grabbed my arms.
……
“…SWOOOOOOOORD!!”
＊
{Sword}
When I heard an extremely loud shout, I reflexively dropped my pen and rushed over. When I arrived there with my hand on my sword’s hilt, I found Indra screamin’.
Her eyes were wide open and she looked like she had frozen with her face ghastly pale. Seein’ goosebumps even standin’ out on her face, I placed my sword against the arm of the guy who was most likely the cause for this.
“Let go off her arm and slowly back off. If try pullin’ some weird shit, I’ll cut off your arm and while at it, also your head.”
After flappin’ his mouth like a dead fish due to my threat, the man slowly retreated. I kept an eye on his movements while glarin’ at him.
When I asked Indra, “…Indra, you ‘kay? What happened?” after he had moved back far enough, she leaped into my arms.
…Hey. I won’t be able to attack him like that, you know?
…But well, I guess I can also cut him down with a yell and the shock-wave of my sword. I should be able to do at least that much if I focus.
“…My brain refuses to comprehend. It’s impossible. So cold (lame). I’m getting goosebumps from how pathetically cold (lame) it is.”
…Indra, your words make no sense…
“Hey, are you alright?”
Indra started to explain with a teary voice when I called out to her, “I ran into a person who’s as lame as the brave or even worse. He’s so pathetic that I’m actually scared. Shining….lame! What’s with that? What a super retarded name! It’s painfully clear that he came up with it by himself, you see? It’s so corny! His alias also shows that he’s full of himself! The finishing blow was him slamming his hand against the wall to block me from leaving! No matter how beautiful a girl I might be, a wall slam! Hell, my brain is refusing it since it’s already reached a level of constant chills! Impossible! His very existence is too much for me!” 1
After spittin’ out all that, she further muttered the reason, “…People who misunderstand themselves to be cool and go beyond pathetic are super lame (cold). My feelings of rejection are as strong as having to face a small, dirty room.”
……
In other words…
“…Your sayin’ pathetic people throw you out of the loop with their words n’ actions?”
Indra nodded.
I felt how all my strength got drained. Just when I wondered what was wrong…
No, for her this gotta be more scary than a dragon attack, I s’pose.
Once I breathed out, I put away my sword and caressed Indra’s head.
“Don’t make me worry so much, silly…”
Given that she might cry in silence, I kept stroking her head. Then I told her, who clung to me while completely unwillin’ to separate, “Gotcha, let’s leave this place after we killed the Brutal Moray, ‘kay? Or rather, it might be a good idea to keep ignorin’ him by usin’ that magic your so good at.”
“……Oh, I see,” Indra straightened up and clapped her hands together.
Looks like she forgot, eh?
＊
And then I said to the guy who couldn’t keep up with matters, “Sorry, but can you stay away from Indra…this girl here? Somehow it looks like she can’t stand folks who act smug by puttin’ on airs and usin’ overblown aliases. She called my alias worthless shit, too. It makes me so frantic that I’ve been tryin’ to get our party name to stick wherever we go. Your name and snobby attitude give her crazy goosebumps, so stay out of our sight.”
It might be a terrible way of phrasin’ it, but if I don’t give it straight to him, he’ll try to get close again.
The man first became flabbergasted and then his face dyed crimson. Well, figures that he’d get mad.
“You’re telling me, the 『Next Gen S-Rank Adventurer』 who’s also known as 【Extreme Spee…”
“Didn’t I tell you just now to stop this bullshit in front of her? Look, don’t you have any pity? She’s gettin’ goosebumps all over, right?”
Indra was tremblin’ with her eyes shut and her hands blockin’ her ears. Her unusual desperation was appropriate for her age and kinda cute.
“Sorry. I know it ain’t your fault, but she simply can’t stand the things she can’t stand. ‘nyway, S-Rank will stay out of reach unless you get attacked by a dragon, but do your best with the A-Rank exam. Once you become an A-Rank, the only difference between us will be the participation in the defense of the capital. This girl here is an A-Rank, too. Let’s go, Indra.”
I tapped Indra’s head, leadin’ her away from here.
＊
Sword finished the formalities, and we finally headed over to the harbor.
Pheew, that felt so cold. As freezing cold as if a frosty wind had blown past.
But! Sword saved me so I was alright!
“Thanks, Sword!”
As soon as I thanked him, Sword faced away.
“Why!?”
“Where did your usual brazenness go? Your still not back to normal, are you?”
……
I’m not really brazen, you know?
＊
Once we arrived at the port area, we could see some people scattered here and there. Since I thought that they might be the people waiting to process the moray we were going to hunt next, I called out to them.
“Since we haven’t a single clue how big it’s going to be, please prepare a good chunk of free space in advance. Also, the thawing is going to take a day. Well, I think all of the parasites are going to die…if we freeze it at a temperature similar to the breath of an ice dragon, so we plan to transport it after putting it in ice first.”
Those words caused a stir.
“Nothing less of S-Rank adventurers…,” many of them started to say but then faltered to continue.
Hmm, I suppose they’re rooting for their local adventurer. Not like I can’t understand the notion. Also, they’re free to support whomever they like anyway.
After all, I’m never going to come back to this town. A place with people who are so lame that I feel like I could catch a cold from interacting with them is seriously a no-go.
＊
When I tried to immediately head out to the sea, a chill hit me!
“Wait! I, the great Shining Lightning Star, shall take care of that prey!”
“SWOOOOOOOORD!!”
We yelled at the same time.
Sword glared at the guy while soothing me at the same time, “You piece of shit… There are limits to harrassin’ others, you know?”
The man flinched away from Sword’s word. But, then he recovered.
“What harassment!? It’s not like I’m planning to steal your prey! I’m simply saying that I’ll defeat prey that’s beyond your capability to handle! In other words, I’m being kind here!”
“What the fuck are you yappin’ ’bout? As if any of that matters. I’ve told you to stay out of Indrea’s sight, you shithead!”
The man became dumbstruck. Meanwhile I hid behind Sword while trembling like a newborn foal.
“Look! Don’t you think she’s pitiable!? Your scarin’ her. Get lost! There’s more than enough other prey you can catch, right? ‘nyway, Indra turns weird whenever she hears your pretentious shit in places where she can see you, so be a good boy and fuck off.”
Given that the man looked my way, I got frightened and screamed, “SWOOOOOOOORD!! It’s looking this way! That pathetic poser is looking at me! Cold! I feel soooo cold!!”
“I got it, so no need to shout. The monsters in the area are goin’ to get scared by your roars, you know?”
He swiftly grabbed my face.
“Mmph-mmph-mmph”
“Come on, let’s go.”
He moved while holding onto my face. And then we got away from the wharf.
“Anyway, let’s get this done!”
“Yeah!”
Taking out the boards, we jumped on them and then dashed off. The Ryokus followed us as well. I left the protection of Leemon and her party to Shikibu.
I felt like I could hear a commotion, but I strained myself to ignore it as much as possible.
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