Chapter 6 – It seems there is a storm ahead

There was no one opposing Shions suggestion to return to the village for now.
Because they were in a forest Renya had lost his track of time. If they were to keep searching the sun would set upon them which would be dangerous according to Shion as Goblins were nocturnal.
Animals and Monsters were all nocturnal which was astonishing new information to Renya. However, Shion asserted this to be common knowledge.

“Nevertheless I will act during the daytime.”
said Shion while searching the luggage left in the rented house which was used as operational base.
The luggage of the six mercenaries who were left behind in the forest contained an considerable amount of items.

Returning to the village, the villagers were surprised to see the number of adventurers to have dropped by six people. Shion told them that after they got separated on the way their whereabouts were lost.
“We can’t really tell them that they got beaten up and left behind in the forest after having attacked us, now can we?” (Shion)
“Will you report this to the guild in the same fashion?” (Renya)
When Renya asked this, Shion immediately denied this.
“I cannot lie to the guild. I will report the truth to them.” (Shion)
“Won’t I be treated as a criminal then though?” (Renya)
asked Renya worriedly regarding treatment of murder in this world.
His concern was not so much about being a criminal though but more regarding the troublesome restrictions being treated as one.
However, Shion simply rejected his worries.
“No problem. Because Ro and I will act as witnesses. The testimony of those accompanying when the incident took place while acting on the request is regarded as the strongest evidence.” (Shion)
“Because these kind of people usually conduct themselves badly, one gets acquitted immediately if the circumstances are explained properly.” (Rona)
Rona interjects while still rummaging through the contents of the luggage. Judging by the way she is talking, this seems to be restricted to a certain degree, causing Renya increasingly to look dejected.
“At any rate, these fellows … I can’t find any weapons in these.” (Shion)
“It is impossible to use anything from this. Since the changes of cloth are useless at this point too, let’s just burn everything.” (Rona)
The fireplace was lit up and the two threw the unnecessary luggage into the burning fire.
Towards this too appropriate treatment, Renya silently prayed for the 6 people who very likely departed this world already.

“Are you looking for something?” (Renya)
Renya asked while watching the luggage burning down to ash mercilessly.
“Proper money and goods. I thought we need this and Renya should have a proper weapon.” (Shion)
Although this is completely the way a thief talks, Shion drew a blade lightly. Renya pointed to his shinai but Shion discarded his motion simply.
“I do understand your hesitation but you should still use a weapon with a proper blade, Renya.” (Shion)
While it may be a complete change of style compared to using the shinai for Renya, Shion claimed it to be foolish to rely only on thrusting attacks in combat.
“If your attacks are limited to only stabbing, your attack range will be rather narrow.” (Shion)
“But with his kind of movement I don’t think he will have any problems.” (Rona)
responds Rona towards Shions argument. However Shion denied this right away.
“Using only piercing attacks is problematic. Combining it with slashing attacks will make fights easier and give him more options. Therefore he should change his weapon.” (Shion)
“Well, such a way of thinking is possible too.” (Rona)
“Hey, is there no other option than me passing Renya my spare weapon?” (Shion)
“Umm .. well .. there will be no problem with him using it, I think.” (Rona)
Rona somehow judged after taking a moment to decide. Shion didn’t seem to mind it either as she took out a longsword from her bag and passed it to Renya.

Upon receiving the longsword from Shion, Renya drew the blade from its sheath. Levelling the longsword horizontally in his right hand with a firm grip, Renya focussed his attention on the blade.
After assessing the edge for a while, Renya returned the sword into its sheath. One could see that his hands were fully accustomed to the action of drawing and redrawing a sword.
“How is it?” (Shion)
“Well, the sword is sufficient enough.” (Renya)
Renya answered Shions question flatly.
Truthfully he was very dissatisfied with the quality of this longsword though.
The blade was crude without any decorations trimmed only towards its practical use. The iron used for the blade was of inferior quality devoiding the blade of any feeling of life within it.
The edge of the sword was sharpened only to a certain degree. Making one doubt whether cutting anything with it was possible at all.
Renya remembered that weapons were used for crushing rather than slicing when paired up against full plate armour in the medieval times on earth.
It is very likely that the crafting skill advanced only this far resembling this motion and thus there was no other way than using the sword similarly.
In contrast to the poor blade, the quality of the hilt was magnificent.
Because useless decoration on the hilt only leads to inconvenient handling, only thin tanned leather stripes were wrapped around the hilt.
The sword guard displayed two intertwined dragons using respectively gold and silver to depict them, having them face each other in the centre of the guard serving as crest.
“Part of the hilt looks to me remarkably expensive.” (Renya)
“Though the blade was broken several times, the hilt portion was handed down as legacy. I am no match for your discerning eye.” (Shion)
Shion admits wearing a slightly mortified expression.

Even though Renya was still somehow dissatisfied with the sword he accepted Shions sacrifice to lent him something precious. Not using the sword would be rude thus he stored his shinai in the inventory.
“Oh, how enviable to possess [Inventory].” (Rona)
“That’s true. It is a skill which causes requests to carry payload to flood in with only that.” (Shion)
The two women raised their voices in admiration seeing the shinai disappearing into the void.
As Renya didn’t comprehend their excitement he looked at them with a questioning look. Shion then explained.
“Just now that weapon was put away in empty space, right? It is a skill called [Inventory]. There are very few possessing this skill.” (Shion)
“Rumors say the amount of items that can be stored away is limited. Still it an enviable skill as it totally disregards weight restrictions.” (Rona)
Renya looked down on the luggage spread on the floor.
At first it was planned to finish investigating before the next regular carriage arrives in two days, thus the amount of luggage for two people was reasonable making it possible to simply shoulder it.
Small tools for maintenance, food, water, ointments and equipment were particularly visible. Most likely the rest of space not visible was used up by changes of clothes and similar.
Considering that these two were moving around a lot to different places it was easily understandable that possessing a skill which allowed them to not carry the luggage all the time was indeed enviable.
“To return by foot, do you two want me to carry your luggage using [Inventory]?” (Renya)
“That would be very helpful as it would save us some of the faring expenses.” (Rona)
The fare expenses for using the carriage seem to be decided by the weight including the luggage rather than the number of people boarding. Rona might say that but it is not like everything is measured exactly.
The carriage driver decides the price by the equipment worn and the additional baggage included.
“That is an easy task. But before that we have to finish investigating safely.” (Renya)

“That’s true. Our opponents may be goblins, nonetheless one has to be careful.” (Shion)
“Since the terrain is unfamiliar to us.” (Renya)
Although it was vaguely called an investigation, but as there are no maps available for the area, it is mostly wandering aimlessly through the forest until the goblin settlement was found by a stroke of luck. Shion explains the basic outline. Alternatively one could follow goblins who were hunting for food, using them to calculate the position of the goblin settlement, it seems. Without a map of the forest deriving the location from accumulated information might be quite difficult though.

To confirm the situation once more Renya started to open his mouth but suddenly he felt a chill down his neck making him stiffen his back. Rubbing his neck with right hand, Renya approached the window.
The crafting technology to produce glass seemed to have developed in this world. Although its quality was not comparable to earth, rather the glass here was murky and uneven. Nevertheless one could still see the outside with this degree of transparency. Through the window you could see that it would be very soon night as the red glow of the sunset had faded already and it got dusky.
The rented house was facing towards the outskirts of the village. The defensive wall which was set up had approximately the same height as the trees. Not too far away from the wall the black silhoutte of the forest was slightly visible. Even though Renya strained his eyes, he couldn’t see anything within that dark mass. But if Renya was to trust his intuition there was something definitely there.
“What’s wrong, Renya?” (Shion)
Shion inquired, noticing his grim face as he was watching intently at the forest.
“I am not sure but there is something in the forest.” (Renya)
“Is this another of your skills?” (Shion)
Shion walked next to Renya taking a look outside towards the forest. Tilting her head looking doubtfully she asked Renya.
After a short while of pondering over the matter Renya shook his head.
“It is no skill but more of a feeling.” (Renya)
“Intuition, huh?” (Shion)
“Ah, I’m pretty sure about it though.” (Renya)
Even if his memories were wiped by god, his acquired senses were not. Renya was determined to believe in his intuition.
“I don’t sense nor see anything but if Renya says so, it may be worth to check it out. Ro, can I entrust it to you?” (Shion)
“Yes, no problem.” (Rona)
Shion asked Rona turning around to her. Rona nodded and folded both hands in front of her chest.
This pose caused her bountiful chest to be pushed up emphasizing it furthermore. Realising this, Renya shook his head lightly as now was not the time to think about that.
Renya carefully watched Rona as she fluently recited the spell words.
“I beseech you.
In my belief to our holy Lord.
Identify the being disturbing our peace.” (Rona)
Renya perceived a powerful wave spreading from Ronas folded hands. Like the sonar of a submarine it quickly spread over a wide area and converged just as fast back into Ronas clasped hands.
As the wave converged Rona looked up to Renya.
“There is something hostile within the forest for sure. Even more so there is quite a number of them. Probably 50 or more though I am not quite sure. It seems there are quite a few outside the perception range too.” (Rona)
“This is … ?” (Renya)
Even though it was clearly visible, Renya didn’t understand what happened.
“It is the magic practised by priests who serve a god. If there is someone with malicious intent in range of the spell the caster will be able to tell. Still … 50 or more? What the hell is going on …” (Shion)
“There is miasma gathering in the forest which causes this many of them to crowd together.” (Rona)
“… This is bad. There is a commander leading the goblins, huh?” (Shion)
Upon Shions words Renya remembered the information he had seen in the Help before returning to the village.
It said that sometimes there are rare cases of monsters born with high individual ability who would gather a large group.
“For now, Ro, please hurry to the village chief. Those able to fight have to prepare while the women and children have to be evacuated.” (Shion)
“Right away.” (Rona)
Rona answered while starting to run.
Seeing Rona off Shion turned around to Renya.

“Our bad luck seems to continue. Will you help out too?” (Shion)
You could feel from the questioning tone that there was no room for refusal.
Renya could pretty much tell that the situation was quite bad.
“Do you think they will attack?” (Renya)
Renya asked which Shion confirmed right away.
“With a number of 50 or more gathered, the possibility of a scouting party is non-existent. If they are working under a commander even more so.” (Shion)
“What’s the degree of difference in military power?” (Renya)
“The current population of this village is slightly over 50 people. From those only 10 young man would be able to fight. This leaves us at pretty disadvantageous odds of 13 against 50 including us.
Moreover the men of the village have not received any combat training if the situation becomes one versus many in contrast to one versus one fights.” (Shion)
“And if we loose?” (Renya)
“I don’t want to imagine it.” (Shion)
Shion replies making a bitter face.
“Once the village is taken over, those guys will consider humans as fodder. The young women if not dead by then will wish they were considering the things they will experience.” (Shion)
“Yahoo, a future with many children is waiting. The AV development is deep blue too.” (Renya) (T/N: Not quite sure, but I guess “deep blue = Rape/Netorare”, oh and AV = Adult Video.)
Renya uttered in jest, not meaning it earnestly though. Although one might say that’s the way life goes. I don’t think there is AV in this world though.
But, however you might put it, it left a bad taste from the bottom of the heart.
“Please don’t joke about it, it is not very funny.” (Shion)
“Is that so? Hmm, I guess so … we can ponder about what’s to come afterwards once it’s over.” (Renya)
“Somehow … the tension has become weird, hasn’t it? If you …” (Shion)
Shion raises her voice lightly being astonished while taking a long hard look on Renyas face.
“Why … Are you laughing?” (Shion)
Unconsciously Renyas corners of the mouth were raised which he covered with his hands after it being pointed out. Certainly, it seems I am aware of myself smiling.
Even so, you can’t say it was a good smiling face.
“Why? … You ask. How to put it …” (Renya)
After thinking for a moment what to say, Renya continued.
“After all, the fight is interesting because it is disadvantageous, isn’t it?” (Renya) (T/N: evil smile)

 

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