New chapter of Nameless Hero is out! (2/3 chapters)
Lindsay
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The story goes back about a week.
“Then, Lindsay. I’m counting on you to watch the house.” (Red-haired Warrior)
The red-haired warrior, carrying a large sword on his back, said this while turning back at the entrance. His armor was dyed red, and he was entirely in red. On either side of him were two male companions and one female companion, who each called out to him.
“Please be careful with the fire. And about that matter, I’ll leave it to you.” (Female Companion)
What the female companion referred to as “that matter” was, to put it simply, gathering more party members.
They had been childhood friends since they were young. About five years ago, they formed a party as adventurers and traveled together. The five party members were well-balanced. There were two front-line swordsmen, two rear-line mages, and one archer. Gradually, they had made a name for themselves within the adventurers’ guild as a dungeon-exploring team. However, that was still not enough. They had indeed come close to losing their lives in more powerful dungeons. And all five of them were approaching their twenties, and they had begun to see the limits of their daily training and skill development.
The red-haired leader suggested increasing their party size. Since they had been a party of childhood friends for five years, there was some hesitation among the members. However, they were at an age where they gradually began to think about the future. With a majority in favor, they decided to add more members.
“I think having kids is a good idea. It’s better to have someone who has potential and can be trained.” (Red-haired Leader)
This was the leader’s intention. In response, the female archer next to him argued back.
“What are you talking about? Who’s going to take care of them?” (Female Archer)
“The kids will grow up just by being taken along. They might not be immediate assets, but in the future, they’ll surely become much stronger than us.” (Red-haired Leader)
“We can’t afford to be that relaxed. Other parties are gaining strength rapidly.” (Female Archer)
“Haha, well, that’s true. Alright then, let’s refocus and head out. Lindsay, I’m sorry, but expect some good stories when we get back.” (Red-haired Leader)
With that, the four members, excluding Lindsay, walked away from their shared residence, which they had just purchased as their base of operations. This shared house had only recently been acquired as a hideout. Considering the future addition of new members, they needed a place to return to and a base of activities. They wanted as spacious a house as possible, but given the balance of size and cost, they had no choice but to sacrifice on location. Thus, they bought a house in the rural town of Soltaire.
After the five members obtained the house, they began to settle in. As usual, they were about to head out for a hunting expedition. However, since they had just bought the house, it felt strange to leave it unattended, so Lindsay took on the role of staying behind. Soon, they would have to hire a maid for the house. Just thinking about such future matters made Lindsay feel excited.
—
For the next few days, Lindsay spent her time in a peaceful and uneventful manner, but she hadn’t done nothing at all. She had decided to start the early activities of gathering companions. For now, she thought of gathering information to see if there were any skilled adventurers around. Since the countryside was not suitable for information gathering, she decided to take a trip to the thriving commercial town of Barwitch.
In the bustling city, her expectations grew. With so many people, she might find potential companions. She thought that stopping by the adventurers’ guild and observing people in the plaza would make for a fulfilling first day.
“Hey, mister, have you seen any skilled adventurers around here lately?” (Lindsay)
Lindsay spoke to the bar master at the adventurers’ guild’s bar.
“What are you talking about, young lady? This area is full of skilled ones. Are you looking to form a party?” (Bar Master)
“Well, something like that. I’d like someone who has good teamwork.” (Lindsay)
“Well, I’ve heard a similar thing recently. There was a suspicious bard all dressed in black who asked something like that.” (Bar Master)
Lindsay realized that recruitment activities were becoming more active elsewhere. It seemed that she might not be able to take her time as she had thought. Although she approached various adventurers, there were no candidates who seemed like they could get along well with her currently balanced companions.
When she stepped out of the Adventurer’s Guild, cold rain began to fall. Even though it had become warmer, it was still not spring yet, and it felt chilly. She wrapped herself in a leather cloak for protection against the rain. As if to contradict the earlier bustling crowds, the number of people walking through the streets had decreased significantly. Thinking of taking a shortcut, Lindsay turned toward an alley. Having been an adventurer for a long time, she was familiar with the winding streets of Barwitch.
Then, as she reached the alley, she noticed a child exposed to the rain. He was thin and might die if left alone. Worried, Lindsay approached and touched his body.
He is quite cold.
Lindsay didn’t think much, but she felt that she had to help him. It seemed he was still breathing. She picked up the boy, draped her cloak over him, and hurriedly decided to take him home. His body was lighter than she had imagined. He was far too young to be a beggar or homeless. He should still be at home with his parents. Yet, he was left exposed in such a state. Lindsay couldn’t help but rescue him.
—
She brought the boy home and warmed him in her study, where she could light the fireplace. He would lose body heat if he stayed in his wet clothes. She dried the boy’s tattered clothes with magic. Then she realized that she was drenched as well and changed into some suitable work clothes. After that, she made soup and waited patiently for the boy to recover. About an hour later, the boy woke up.
When she spoke to him, he seemed to be disoriented and unable to voice himself properly.
“W-where… am I?” (Boy)
“Here? This is my house.” (Lindsay)
Through their conversation, Lindsay realized that saving the boy’s life had created a responsibility for her.
“I kidnapped you and brought you here.” (Lindsay)
She glossed over it. She had to hear the boy’s circumstances to know how to respond. She decided to continue the conversation unilaterally. However, the boy remained silent, refusing to open his heart. There was still time until the leaders returned. For now, she thought it best to leave him be until they could warm up to each other.
Three days passed, and seeing that things weren’t progressing, she decided they should go out together. Even though he had grown up in somewhat harsh conditions, he was still just a child. She thought that if she took him out shopping and bought him something he wanted, he might open up to her. She considered this rather easily.
There was even a chance she could recruit him as a party member. The leader had said he preferred children. Someone with potential who could be trained for the future. Lindsay began to think that perhaps taking this boy was the right decision. It seemed that the boy had no name and was an orphan. Bingo, she thought. So, Lindsay decided to call the boy “Jack”.
Now that it was decided, she became even more curious about Jack. What did he like? What were his combat characteristics? What abilities did he possess?
It would be great if he is good at magic. If he has a high attribute for magic, I could make him my disciple and take him on adventures. I could witness Jack’s growth in the future.
Lindsay felt elated, as if she had gained a little brother. She bought an old-style ability measurement tool called a Managram from the shopkeeper and put it on him to take a look.
“No way!?” (Lindsay)
The numbers that appeared were contrary to her expectations. While it was true that there were people who were born without magical power, she never expected the boy she saved to be one of them. Moreover, he showed no remarkable abilities in close combat either. Seeing that, Lindsay did not feel disappointed. She reflected on herself. She had placed expectations on a weak child. She had unwittingly gotten carried away due to her own circumstances, putting pressure on the earnest child, and revealed his low ability values. That led her to think about the boy’s parents. Perhaps they were worried about him.
The child had said he was abandoned, but perhaps something happened that caused him to be separated due to some circumstance and he mistakenly believed that he had been abandoned. If Jack truly was an orphan without any family, Lindsay had been considering taking responsibility for him. However, he was such a lovely child. No matter how ruthless a person could be, when they give birth to a child, everyone should first be a parent.
“Don’t you have to go home in the end?” (Lindsay)
“If I go home, they won’t let me inside.” (Jack)
She suddenly threw out those words. She needed to hear the detailed circumstances again.
“At least you could go to Barwitch–…” (Lindsay)
“I’m weak anyway, and all I’d do is be a burden! I know that!” (Jack)
Suddenly, Jack showed his anger. Perhaps, it was because she had pressed too much, he seemed to misunderstand that she despised his weakness.
It was Lindsay’s fault that he felt that way.
“Eh? No, I didn’t mean it like that.” (Lindsay)
“I don’t want to live just to bother others!” (Jack)
“Ah! Jack, wait!” (Lindsay)
With that, Jack ran off and distanced himself from her.
I messed up. Once you have saved a life, the responsibility is heavy. If Jack is found dead somewhere, it will leave a bad aftertaste, and it will be my responsibility.
Admitting her fault, Lindsay chased after Jack.
—
I messed up. I regret my words and actions. No matter how much I run, I cannot catch up with Jack, and eventually, I lose sight of him.
Jack is surprisingly fast on his feet.
After that, she searched the outskirts of town aimlessly for a while, but there was no progress. Since she had only recently met Jack, she had no idea where he might have gone.
Gradually, the sun began to set, and it became dusk. As she returned to the town square a little more calmly, she noticed a woman who was also looking for someone. She stood out a bit in her apron, as if she had rushed out of the house in the middle of housework.
Upon hearing her story, I learned that this mother was worried because her child had not returned from school, so she came to town to look for them. I thought it was probably unrelated to Jack, but the timing made my anxiety grow…
As I searched together with the mother, I overheard a weapon shop owner say, “I heard a child has been looking for the Melana Dungeon”.
The Melana Dungeon was a beginner adventurer dungeon that had formed in the nearby Melana Cave. However, the term ‘beginner’ was from a long time ago. In the past, it only had monster bats, but now she had heard that gargoyles had taken up residence deep within.
Gargoyles had a high territorial consciousness but were indifferent to things outside their territory, so it seemed the town’s residents had left it alone. They hoped that one day an adventurer would come along and defeat them, with no real urgency in the request, which had been submitted to the dilapidated Adventurer’s Guild as a mere formality.
The characteristics of the child that the weapon shop owner mentioned were exactly the same as Jack’s. Surely, Jack must have thought of trying to conquer it for the reward.
Her blood ran cold. A child with Jack’s status would not be able to defeat a gargoyle. She felt a surge of anger at Jack’s recklessness.
I want him to value his life more. I don’t know whether the other mother’s child is involved, but for now, I must hurry to the Melana Dungeon.
—
Without any hesitation, Lindsay entered the dungeon alone. She had no fear at all. The Melana Cave was a place she had entered many times when she was a beginner, using it for a test of skill. Unlike dungeons with complex and high difficulty levels, she had a decent understanding of the path.
After advancing deep inside, a familiar stone door suddenly appeared in the passage. It must have been hastily constructed by other adventurers to serve as a barrier against the lurking gargoyles.
She forcefully pried open the stone door and arrived in a vast hall beyond. What she saw was a hellish scene. Two young children were found lying in a horrible state near the entrance. One of them might be the mother’s son from earlier. Mixed with regret and frustration, she also searched for Jack’s figure.
In the center of the hall stood Jack. Facing him was a gargoyle, breathing heavily and glaring at its target. Jack showed no intention of fighting and was defenseless. It was uncertain when it would strike.
Immediately, I readied my fire-attribute wand in one hand to unleash my magical power at full strength and began the incantation.
Two young lives had already been lost, but Jack is still alive. I must save him…!
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