Chapter 40 - In the town of Brook ~First Part~
The town can be seen in the distance. It's a small town surrounded by moats and fences. There is a wooden gate facing the highway, with a shed by the side. Probably the guard station. Even though it’s small, it seems to be big enough to deploy a gatekeeper. It should moderate the products going in and out, Hajime’s cheeks loosened.
[...... If you are in a good mood, more or less, can you take off my collar?]
At the Hajime who is looking at the town smilingly, a dejected Shia earnestly asks. The inconspicuous, sturdy black collar on Shia’s neck was put by force Hajime as punishment for her earlier gaffe.
Leisurely, so as not to be suspicious, Hajime put the two-wheeler inside the Treasure Box, and switched to walking. As you’d expect, there’d be a fuss if they came riding a jet-black motorcycle.
Along the way, Shia had been complaining and grumbling, but in the end they arrived at the town gates. Sure enough, an armed man came out of the shed beside the gate, that really turned out to be the guard station. He wore just a leather armor with a long sword on his waist, he looked more like an adventurer than a soldier. The adventurer stopped Hajime.
[Stop. Your Status Plate. Also, what’s your purpose in coming here?]
It’s probably a provisioned question. Somehow said with a low motivation. Hajime, while answering the guard took out his Status Plate.
[Mainly supplying of food. We are in the middle of a journey]
While indifferently letting out a sigh and hitting the artifact’s back, the guard checks Hajime’s Status Plate. Then, his eyes widened open. He massages his eyes, trying to hold it a little farther from himself. Looking at the guard, Hajime inwardly thought [Oh no, I forgot to conceal my abilities!] while shedding cold sweat.
In the Status Plate, it is possible to hide the skills column and the values. For mercenaries and adventurers, the information leakage of their combat ability could prove fatal. Hajime, to instantly deceive him, started to bullshit him.
[A while ago, we got attacked by a demon, it seems it broke at that time]
[This, broken? No, but......]
The guard is perplexed. No wonder. At any rate, there is no level displayed on Hajime’s Status Plate, the values and skill are also a messed up. Sometimes the Status Plate was lost, but you’d never hear of a broken one (as in having a bug in the display). Although he would just shrug it off normally, because of the unrealistic state of the display, he didn’t know what to do.
Hajime was in trouble indeed, but he shrugged and continued to talk.
[If it’s not broken, why would the display be so strange? Otherwise I’d certainly be a monster, wouldn’t I? Guard-san, do I look like a monster who can destroy a town with only one finger?]
Hajime makes gestures just like a clown, making the guard smile wryly. If what the display says is true, I’d a monster that literally surpassed the Hero and the Demon King. It’s proper to think the plate is broken, even if there has never been such a case.
Actually, if the guard knew Hajime was really such a monster, he’d faint. At the Hajime who is shamelessly lying, Yue and Shia turn their heads shocked.
[Ahah, no, it doesn’t seem so. I’ve never heard of bug in the display but, well, there is a first time for everything…… As for those two……]
As the guard asks to submit their Status Plate, he gazed at Yue and Shia. And became stiff. Instantly, his face became red, and alternatively focused on watching Yue and Shia. It goes without saying that Yue is a beautiful girl, so much that she can be mistaken for an elaborated bisque doll. Moreover, if she were to keep quiet, Shia would be a mysterious beauty. In other words, the guard was losing his sanity as he admired this two people.
Hajime cleared his throat in an unnatural way. The guard suddenly comes back to reality, and looks back at Hajime in a hurry.
[As I said earlier, because of the attack of the demon, we lost this child’s plate. As for the Rabbitwoman here…… You know, right?]
The guard, convinced by Hajime’s words alone, nodded and returned to him the Status Plate.
[Nevertheless, you have got quite the beautiful thing there. Aren’t white hair considerably rare in the Rabbitman tribe? Are you unexpectedly rich?]
The guard asked Hajime, while wearing an expression of both envy and jealousy, he continued to glance at the two girls. Hajime only shrugged his shoulders, saying nothing.
[Oh, it’s okay. You may enter]
[Ah, thank you. Oh, yeah. Is there a place where I can sell materials?]
[Mm? Well, if you go straight ahead on the Central Road there is the Adventurers’ Guild. Ask them if you want to sell them directly to a store. They also gave you a simple map of the town]
[Oh, that’s really helpful. Thank you]
After obtaining informations from the guard, Hajime and the others pass through the gate and go into town. It was confirmed at the gate, the name of this town seems to be Brook. The town was lively in its own way. While not as many as the ones in Horlad, the town near Orcus, there are quite a lot stalls, also, the voices of vendors and the hustle and bustle of heated negotiations can be heard.
Such noisiness exalts the mood without reason. Not only Hajime, Yue too softens her eyes happily. However, trembling and plump from earlier, only Shia was looking at Hajime with teary eyes.
Without even yelling, Shia just resignedly stares at him with teary eyes, making Hajime heave a sigh just as expected. He looks back at Shia, while inwardly complaining about how she ruined the mood.
[What happened? Even though we finally reached the town, you look like a gorilla-like demon which is desperately supporting a ultra heavy rock]
[Who is a gorilla! I mean, what do you think I am! And Hajime-san would only need a single blow! Do you not feel sorry at all just for having imagined it?]
[.......Your tsuntsun side is making me tear up]
[ A neverending attack!? You are too cruel! Wait, that’s not what I wanted to say!]
Angry, Shia made an hectic tsukkomi. She complained [I’m dissatisfied!] flapping her hands with her whole body. By the way, the thing about the gorilla-like demon was an experiment about compressing transmutation. By no means did they enjoy bullying. Yue had been very cold. Incidentally, the demon had an unique magic, “ Gouwan「豪腕」”.