PS2: Click here to start reading Merchant Noble 231 and Let’s Create a Dungeon 54.

Impact-Site-Verification: 8cabe50b-540d-458f-b5cc-a830236fbb31

 

 

Chapter 56

Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)

I woke up in a hard bed. Even though the sun had just risen, I could hear the sounds of human activity outside. Yes, for example, the sound of a practice swing cutting through the wind. When I got up and looked around, Alice was nowhere to be seen. She was probably outside swinging her sword.

That idiot… she left without saying anything while I was still sleeping in my Haniwa form? If someone had come in, it would have been a disaster.

I took on a human form and went to search for Alice, finding her behind the building in a shaded spot, swinging a wooden stick.

For a moment, I wondered “Why a wooden stick?”. But then, I remembered that she had left her sword with the blacksmith.

“Oi, Alice.” (Nobunaga)

“Hm? Ah, you’re awake, Nobutsuna-san. Is it breakfast time already?” (Alice)

As soon as I called out, Alice stopped her practice swings. She wiped her sweat as if she were exhausted, but unfortunately, she wasn’t even sweating. That level of exercise didn’t even qualify as a warm-up.

Maybe she just started?

I wondered for a second, but then I noticed the wooden stick in her hands. Aside from the leather grip, the rest was stripped and worn down. She had clearly been practicing for quite some time.

“How the hell should I know when breakfast is? I just came to complain about you leaving without a word while I was sleeping.” (Nobunaga)

On the way here, I had smelled something cooking, so breakfast was probably soon, if not already ready. But Alice didn’t seem to understand my complaint. She just tilted her head in confusion. She might not have gotten why I was annoyed, but she did seem to know when breakfast was. Maybe she judged by the position of the sun. Tossing aside the wooden stick, she casually remarked that it had probably just been served and started walking toward the dining hall.

Sure enough, when we arrived, breakfast had just been set out, and we got first dibs.

Can’t you channel this animal instinct into a little more consideration for me?

 

—

 

Breakfast consisted of hard bread and a soup with beans and meat.

Where did that smell go? Was it preparation for lunch or dinner?

Thinking about the source of the missing smell, I brought the bread to my mouth. It was tough, but this body was stronger than my original one, so I could bite through it easily. That said, I had no intention of struggling against my breakfast. I soaked the bread in the soup to soften it before eating.

Yeah… it’s a normal taste. Not much to say about it.

“I see, if you do that, it becomes soft.” (Alice)

Alice, seemingly impressed, starts imitating me. But since she already finished her soup, all she manages to do is slightly wet her bread.

“I don’t know much about the food culture of the Kingdom or Empire, but aren’t you used to eating this kind of thing?” (Nobunaga)

Dipping bread in soup is basic knowledge, right?

“Hmm… When I was with Shishou, I never ate stuff like this. At the training grounds, we got decent food. It was the royal capital, there were a lot of disciples, and Shishou, the Sword Saint, was in charge, after all. Naturally, the meals were good. And when we were out in the field, it was mostly just meat. We didn’t carry any supplies, so Shishou would handle things. My job was just to find a stick to stab prey with. If I couldn’t, I’d just use my sword.” (Alice)

Good food or survival? It seems she has lived a life with a big gap between the two. Moreover, she was always thinking about her sword and never thought about how to eat.

“Speaking of sticks and swords… Earlier, you were practicing swings with a tree branch. Is that really okay? Wouldn’t the difference in weight and balance mess you up?” (Nobunaga)

Training constantly is admirable, but if you switch out your tools carelessly, won’t that lead to issues in real combat?

I asked out of curiosity.

“No problem. If a sword turning into a stick is enough to throw you off, you wouldn’t survive in real combat. …Wait, are you interested in swords?” (Alice)

Not even remotely. With Gravity Magic, Defensive Combat Stance (Tungsten Body), and the dungeon’s defense systems, I have all the protection I need. Well, the dungeon defenses aren’t finished yet, which is why I’m here in the Empire, planning to head to the State Alliance.

“For swordsmen at my or Shishou’s level, we naturally understand how to cut just by feeling it. But being able to execute that feeling with the right strength, speed, and angle takes training is…” (Alice)

She didn’t even care if I was listening. Alice just kept going on about advanced training. From what she was saying, even if I did pick up a sword, I couldn’t imagine reaching her level.

I wonder if the Lizardmen she’s training are doing the same thing? No, last time I saw them, their training was the same as always. Unless they break through their so-called “wall”, they’re just going to keep repeating the basics.

I wish they’d at least do some flexibility exercises.

“So? When are you gonna start training?” (Alice)

Alice, having already decided my answer for me, looks at me with childlike excitement.

Well, I was only half-listening, so I guess I can’t blame her. So, I’ll just tell her the truth.

“I’m not.” (Nobunaga)

Even when she puffed her cheeks in protest, my answer didn’t change.

 

—

 

Andal was a major transportation hub, so the streets were packed even this early in the morning. Carriages headed to other cities, adventurers who seemed to be guarding them, shopkeepers prepared to open their stores, and merchants exchanged information all over the place. Craftsmen headed to their workshops, while their apprentices ran errands.

The city was lively at all hours. That was great and all, but for someone like me, who just wanted to wander around aimlessly, it was kind of a pain. If I walked into this crowd without a plan, I’d probably get swept away and end up who-knows-where.

A Demon King getting lost? Ridiculous. First, I need to pick a destination. If I have a goal, I can at least push against the flow a little.

“Alice, is there anywhere you want to go? Anything you want to see? This city doesn’t seem great for sightseeing, and I don’t think there are any famous spots.” (Nobunaga)

“Hmm? …Then I guess we should just go to the guild? That or the blacksmith, since those are the only places I know.” (Alice)

I see, the guild. It’s a big building, so it’ll make for a good landmark.

“Oh, and let’s stop by some food stalls. Even if they’re still setting up, I bet we can talk them into—” (Alice)

“Denied. We’re going straight to the guild. I want to figure out why they’re the only ones who know about the Demon King. Stay close, Alice.” (Nobunaga)

“…I think I’ll be fine?” (Alice)

Why is she tilting her head? Did I say something weird?

Without finding an answer, I step into the crowd.

In the end, I didn’t get separated from Alice. The moment I entered the crowd, the people around me instinctively moved aside, creating an open space just for me.

I never thought it would be the same as yesterday, when the main street is so narrow and crowded with people. Yesterday, there was still foot traffic, but it wasn’t this much, so avoiding them was easy. But even in a situation like now, where advancing forward is difficult, they still avoid me.

Just how scary do they think I am? And Alice must have predicted this would happen, which is why she put a question mark on it. Well, if it’s like this, there’s no way we’ll get separated.

And so, within this crowd, we smoothly arrived in front of the guild.

This Adventurer Guild, in fact, was apparently operated by a small country within the State Alliance. That place was poor in resources, industries had not developed, and though it called itself a permanently neutral country, in reality, it only continued to exist because there was no merit in taking it. A powerless country.

It seemed that someone from that country, long ago, had devised this guild dispatch system. And then, they had desperately sold it to other countries. Of course they did—after all, the workforce was procured locally, and requests were also local. As a country, as long as they put up a building and hung the name, they could receive tribute money.

As a result, the Adventurer Guild spread throughout the continent.

Well now, what a wonderful history. …No, as a Demon King, should I say a detestable history? It’s an organization that comes to kill me the moment I’m born, isn’t it?

“Nobutsuna-san, Nobutsuna-san.” (Alice)

Alice pulls at my sleeve, trying to appeal to me about something, but I ignore her. Right now, I must think about this guild.

If this guild is something dangerous to me (Demon King), should I eliminate it? However, the headquarters of the Adventurer Guild is in the country within the State Alliance. Even if it is weak, it is still a country. Moreover, even if I destroy the country, as long as the guild itself is needed, it would remain, and that would lead to an unbearable situation. The guild itself could become more independent, and if the tribute money disappears, they would have more funds to allocate elsewhere, possibly making each individual guild stronger.

If that’s the case, then would it be wiser not to lay a hand on them? The best would be if the higher-ups of the original country raised the tribute money or did something incompetent, but… They are in charge of a country, so that would be difficult.

“Look, Nobutsuna-san, it’s the place where the carriage is stopped in front of the guild. Also, pay attention to the head of the man directing the baggage transport.” (Alice)

No, I refuse to look. I absolutely will not look. Right now, I am busy thinking. I have no time to observe other people’s behavior. Uh, right, it was about the guild.

“Shall I tell you what they’re doing? They’re transporting cargo by carriage. Probably letters are inside as well. But that’s fine. The important thing is don’t you recognize that man from somewhere? For example, last night. At the inn, perhaps. Speaking of which, why is that man working with a bandage wrapped around his head?” (Alice)

I can’t hear, I can’t hear. I can’t see, I can’t see. I don’t understand, I don’t understand.

“That’s probably the guild master. I’ve never seen it though. Look, he’s signing, so he must be the guild master. I think any regular employee could do it though. Speaking of regular employees, there aren’t many here. I wonder why.” (Alice)

…

…

…

“I think, based on my intuition, the reason is the Demon King that appeared in the Great Forest of Owa. This city was originally one where many adventurers entered the Great Forest of Owa. However, due to the Demon King’s appearance, the adventurers and staff affiliated with the guild must have fled to other regions. That’s why only an old grandma and the guild master, who probably couldn’t escape due to his position, were left behind.” (Alice)

“…Alice.” (Nobunaga)

“And despite all that, he even suffered a head injury—” (Alice)

“Alright, I understand. Alice, I will accept your request in full. So, please stop.” (Nobunaga)

If she keeps going, I feel like I’ll be crushed by guilt.

I raise both hands in surrender, but Alice looked troubled and lost in thought.

“Request, you say, but… I was just being spiteful because you didn’t let me stop by the food stalls.” (Alice)

…Could it be that I have dug my own grave? Since she was making sarcastic remarks using her rarely-used brain, I was sure she was going to ask for something like a sword or a tour of the stalls. If I act now, can I still cancel it?

“If you don’t have a request, there’s no need to force yourself to—” (Nobunaga)

“Ah! You were supposed to train with Rin and the others when we got back, right? Let me join in.” (Alice)

Too late. And the request is exactly the kind that makes me want to praise her for how unpleasant it is. If it were just training with Alice or rather, being a target for her slashes, that would be fine. Alice wouldn’t be able to cut through Defensive Combat Stance (Tungsten Body). I can stand there in peace.

But if it’s training with Rin, that’s different. That training requires me to transform and fight. Against Rin, I won overwhelmingly, but against Volt, I suffered a crushing defeat. Then, against Alice…? I don’t know what will happen, but I doubt it will end in a simple win or loss.

Perhaps losing patience with my indecisiveness, Alice once again points at the same place.

“Nobutsuna-san, look. That—huh?” (Alice)

There was nothing there. The carriage, having finished loading its cargo, was already gone, and of course, the man who had been checking the cargo was nowhere to be seen.

Alice looked puzzled as she pointed at an empty spot, while I triumphantly patted her on the shoulder.

“Alice, unfortunately, there’s no one there. The guild seems to be busy, so let’s go look elsewhere.” (Nobutsuna)

At this point, Alice has no winning move, and my victory is unshakable…

“I’ll go ask why that man was injured. There might be a serious secret—” (Alice)

“Alright, training it is. Understood. You can stop by the food stalls as much as you like.” (Nobunaga)

With just one sentence, the tables turned. It seems I’m the one without a winning move. I’ll delay training with Rin as much as possible.

 

—

 

After that, expenses piled up from food stall hopping and sword repair costs, and after leaving the city, Alice began cutting down surrounding monsters as test subjects, so we only entered the forest when the sun had set.

“I would have preferred to return sooner. The dungeon is about three days from here?” (Nobunaga)

“That’s right. If you want to hurry back, you could transform into me and run now. You’d arrive by tomorrow at noon.” (Alice)

While gathering firewood for camp and grilling monster meat, Alice casually dropped those words. The unexpected suggestion made my hand stop mid-grill.

“W-What?” (Nobunaga)

“I said, if you transform into me, it would be fine. I don’t know why you didn’t do it on the way here, but I have stamina, and I can enhance my physical abilities.” (Alice)

Her words, as if she had known all along, made me sigh involuntarily, and the words I was about to speak disappeared.

If you knew, just say it sooner!

Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)

Please consider supporting Bayabusco Translation @

Previous Chapter | Table of Content | Next Chapter