New chapter of Nameless Hero is out! (1/3 chapters)

 

 

Goddess of Magic, Kea

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After parting ways with Lindsey and the others, Alfred and I crossed the wide square in front of the San Amolina Cathedral.

“Fred, you’re not going to leave me behind again, are you…?” (Jack)

“What are you worried about? We’re starting with the preparations today, so you’ll help out too.” (Alfred)

“Preparations?” (Jack)

Saying that, Fred picked up the pace and walked briskly across the square. He was heading in the direction of the main street where the market stalls had been set up the other day.

Is he seriously thinking of starting a business? The reckless Alfred?

As I looked around the town, it seemed that the preparations for the festival were progressing steadily. The carpenters were building the frames for the stalls, and young women were decorating the streetlights with ribbons. In front of the restaurants, a plump woman was carefully polishing a cabin for outdoor sales, as if preparing for the festival.

“It seems like the festival’s really about to start.” (Jack)

I was excited by the lively atmosphere of the town, something I didn’t have much experience with. In contrast, Alfred, walking a little ahead of me, didn’t seem to be in the mood for any of the light-heartedness. He walked briskly toward the market area.

“Jack, festivals are meant for making noise, but if everyone just makes noise the way they want, there are always people who end up feeling uncomfortable.” (Alfred)

Fred poured cold water on my excitement.

“What do you mean? I’m not going to bother anyone.” (Jack)

“I’m not talking about you. Kids can make noise and have fun. As long as they don’t worry about others and are honest, it’s fine.” (Alfred)

 

—

 

When Alfred arrived at the street lined with market stalls, he didn’t seem to be browsing or shopping for anything but instead walked in a particular direction. He arrived at a slightly dim weapon shop, where there were few customers coming and going, giving it a deserted look. As we entered, the dark interior stood in stark contrast to the sunny weather outside, and there was a somewhat gloomy atmosphere.

“Yo, boss! How’s it going?” (Alfred)

“Hm? What’s up, kid. I don’t think I’ve seen your face around here. Are you an adventurer?” (Weapon shop owner)

Alfred greeted the weapon shop owner in a bright, friendly manner. The shop owner, a dark-skinned, bald man, looked like someone from a seaside town.

“I’m Alfred, leader of the Chevalier de Liberta.” (Alfred)

“Liberta, huh… Could it be that…?” (Weapon shop owner)

“Yep, that’s the one.” (Alfred)

“No way. A big shot like you is here for what exactly?” (Weapon shop owner)

“A dump of a shop? To me, this place looks like a treasure trove.” (Alfred)

They continued their banter, quickly becoming friendly with each other.

“Boss, I need to ask you something. We’re a bit short on cash right now.” (Alfred)

“Hey, if you’re here to haggle, forget it. We’re barely getting by ourselves.” (Weapon shop owner)

“No, no. I need you to give me the cheapest sword you’ve got in here.” (Alfred)

“The cheapest sword? What’s up with the leader of Liberta being strapped for cash?” (Weapon shop owner)

“Well, yeah. Give me whatever’s left over. Something cheap, but still looking decent.” (Alfred)

The weapon shop owner gave Alfred a skeptical look and went to the back of the shop. When he returned, he had brought out an old, very thin rapier and a toy-like dagger. He placed them on the counter with a clink.

“The cheapest I’ve got is this. A kid’s toy, really.” (Weapon shop owner)

“He’s a full-fledged member of Liberta, don’t you dare disrespect him.” (Alfred)

“Wait, seriously?” (Weapon shop owner)

For once, Alfred stood up for me, glaring at the shop owner.

“How much for these?” (Alfred)

“Each one’s 160G. Pretty cheap, right?” (Weapon shop owner)

“I see… Then how much for that ornament over there?” (Alfred)

Alfred pointed to an ornate, decorative sword hanging on the beam at the entrance of the shop. It was a heavy bastard sword that seemed more for display than practical use.

“That? It’s not for sale.” (Weapon shop owner)

“Then, how about I buy it for 200G?” (Alfred)

“200G? Haha, you’re kidding, right?” (Weapon shop owner)

“…Two days from now.” (Alfred)

“Hm? What’s that?” (Weapon shop owner)

“I’ll buy your most expensive sword in two days. So, sell me that one for 200G.” (Alfred)

“Are you serious?” (Weapon shop owner)

“How much is your most expensive sword?” (Alfred)

The shop owner seemed displeased but was caught off guard by Alfred’s intense question and answered reluctantly.

“We’re a budget shop, so we don’t have many options, but the two-handed sword over there is 25,000G.” (Weapon shop owner)

“Then I’ll buy that in two days.” (Alfred)

“Hey, hey, you can’t just promise something without any guarantee!” (Weapon shop owner)

“Alright, then, boss. I’ll leave my prized sword with you. It’s the sword of Liberta’s Alfred. Hold onto it for two days.” (Alfred)

“Wait, this is…! The… the Volga series!?” (Weapon shop owner)

The shop owner was stunned.

Alfred’s prized sword, the Volcanic Volga. It was a blackened steel blade with significant heat treatment, giving it a heavy feel. The grip was wrapped in red cloth, a feature that suggested its age, and even the scabbard seemed custom-made with red embroidery to represent flames. From the weapon shop owner’s reaction, it seemed like this sword was famous.

The shop owner was taken aback by the unexpected deposit, but under Alfred’s serious gaze, he reluctantly agreed to hold onto the sword and sell the ornamental bastard sword for 200G. They stepped out of the shop.

“Fred, is that really okay? Isn’t that an important sword of yours?” (Jack)

“…With this, I won’t be able to fight for two days.” (Alfred)

“That’s bad! We should get it back right now.” (Jack)

“No, it’s fine. Thanks to this, I’ll get something ‘good’.” (Alfred)

“You sure you can afford to pay 25,000G in two days?” (Jack)

“Heh, no problem at all.” (Alfred)

He left the shop with a confident grin.

 

—

 

After that, we visited a few more shops near the market area, and Alfred bought paints and other miscellaneous items. It looked like he was just spending money, not making any.

“Won’t Liz and Lindsey get mad if you buy that much?” (Jack)

“It’s fine! I have a plan.” (Alfred)

He says that, but he always acts without thinking…

Before I knew it, the sun began to set, and the red sunset light was spilling into the seaside town. The last place we arrived at was in front of a large, square building without much decoration. Apparently, it was some kind of government office. I still had no idea what Alfred was thinking. The city’s government buildings included a prison and a courthouse, so they covered a fairly large area.

“Wait here.” (Alfred)

Alfred told me to wait in the small park in front of the government building. He handed me the items he’d bought and entered the government building by himself through the front.

Is it really okay for him to go in alone, after being chased by soldiers the other day? I hope he wouldn’t be immediately apprehended once he stepped inside… Or maybe he has gone mad and is voluntarily coming to get arrested.

I couldn’t help but worry.

I killed time by wandering in the shadows cast by the buildings and streetlamps. I started playing by myself, pretending that if I stepped out of the shadow zone into the sunlit area, I would die.

The ‘I will die if I do this’ series was a game that can be played alone. Gradually, the shadows to jump to became fewer, and I was running out of options. It was becoming a desperate situation.
The next shadow seemed too far for me to jump to, and there was no shadow to help me build up speed. But I made up my mind and tried a standing long jump. I didn’t even come close to reaching it, and the unrelenting sunset poured down on me, and I ‘died’.

“Hey, Jack, what are you doing?” (Alfred)

Just then, Alfred came out of the government office, and for some reason, Dwayne was with him.

“Dwayne, what’s going on?” (Jack)

“I just happened to be here. Since we’re all here, let’s head back together.” (Dwayne)

I hadn’t seen Dwayne since the morning, but now he stood beside Alfred, looking just the same as always.

We walked back to the inn together, and Dwayne became quite enthusiastic about explaining the local goddess’s legend while we walked. Alfred seemed uninterested, but I was really interested in that goddess legend.

That’s because of the girl I saw in the Gala Ruins.

If I talk about this to the others, they would just find it creepy. It seems like only I could see and hear her for some unknown reason. I couldn’t say for sure if she is the Goddess, but I felt like she was somehow related to it. Tristan called her an evil god, but she didn’t look like that to me. It seeme like she was simply asking for help.

“In this land, it seems like people used to compare their wealth based on how many cows they owned. The local goddess is said to be Kea Tur de Dau. She is both the Goddess of Cows and the Goddess of Magic.” (Dwayne)

“So, the reason there were so many cow monsters and magic stones in the Gala Ruins is because of that?” (Jack)

“Probably, yeah.” (Dwayne)

The Goddess of Magic, huh. A Goddess who probably won’t smile at me, a person with zero mana.

“Why the Goddess of Cow and Magic? That’s a weird combination.” (Jack)

“The ancient people here had to live in harmony with cows. They thought the source of their mana came from the cows.” (Dwayne)

Dwayne’s lecture continued.

Alfred seemed bored, but when Dwayne paused, he spoke up.

“I don’t care about Kea or Gala, as long as there are magic stones, I’ll take them all.” (Alfred)

“Fred… you might want to avoid touching the magic stones over there.” (Dwayne)

“Why? Are you going to start talking about curses or something? Everyone’s too sensitive.” (Alfred)

Dwayne didn’t react to Alfred’s provocation, staying silent and expressionless. After a while, it seemed like he had gathered his thoughts and began to speak slowly. Dwayne was the type to organize his thoughts in his head before speaking, which he always did.

“Kea is the Goddess of Magic, but it seems that granting humans her power was something she didn’t want to do. So, she doesn’t exactly look kindly on humans who seek the magic stones. To her, we might as well be enemies.” (Dwayne)

“I see. But still, this kind of story is pretty common, right? There are always those stories about people who devour magic stones and get punished.” (Alfred)

Alfred muttered, “Not like it matters”, and turned away.

Adventurers don’t have much regard for the common morals and ethics of society.

“If Kea doesn’t like adventurers, does that mean she doesn’t like fighting either?” (Jack)

I suddenly decided to ask a question.

“Who knows. Well, I’ll follow the leader’s decision. If we’re told to fight, we fight.” (Dwayne)

“That’s the spirit of Liberta. I’m not scared of curses or anything.” (Alfred)

“Yeah, yeah.” (Jack)

The three of us walked through the dimming water city. The evening darkness stretched on.

 

—

 

That night, Liz and Lindsey, perhaps exhausted from their dancing practice, went straight to their shared room after dinner. During dinner, they were happily discussing their magical dance performance. I definitely wanted to see them perform that dance in those costumes someday.

Alfred, Dwayne, and I shared a room, but late at night, Alfred was still messing around with the things he bought and wasn’t going to bed.

Now that I thought about it, he had bought swords and paint earlier. What is he planning to do with all that?

I was curious and couldn’t fall asleep easily.

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