Chapter 117: 117
Chapter 117 – Miria’s Struggle
We left the holy knight residential area, and went into the commercial district . From there we headed towards the hobgoblin forest .
Yesterday it was with Roxy and Miria . Today I came with Aaron and Miria .
I felt safe since Aaron who was so much more powerful in battle also tagged along . Miria also seemed to have similar thought, as she walked calmly next to me .
With the recent goblin trouble, not many merchant wagons still went in and out of the capital doing their business .
Aaron said while looking at this scene .
[This…is worse than I thought . The situation was even grimier than what I have read from the report at the palace . ]
[Yeah, I was also surprised yesterday . ]
[Yes, ye~s! Me too . I was really disappointed that I couldn’t immediately find some food stalls when I need to fill my empty stomach . ]
First there was Aaron talking about serious matter, then after that, there was Miria talking about a more mundane matter . Well, let’s leave it be since it’s still within topic .
Aaron looked troubled as he resumed talking .
[Just like Roxy’s and Fate’s life, the food supply in the capital might bottomed up if the commodity distribution keeps being delayed like this . ]
Considering the situation, I also frowned .
The capital itself had little to no food producing capability, thus having to rely to other towns to supply it with foods . The situation will turn severe if minimum necessities like flour and salt are cut off .
I’ve lived in the capital’s slum long enough to know that well . The outer gate to the commercial district was the key to the capital’s livelihood, as the road ahead of it leads to the neighboring merchant town Tetra .
It’s customary to stockpile foods from other places in Tetra before distributing it to the capital . No other route was allowed . If it’s found that food is being distributed through other route, the perpetrator will be judged as criminal .
Now, with the goblin meadow and hobgoblin forest situated along the way to Tetra, merchants will have a hard time distributing their stuff . And that’s not all . Even if some merchants dared to risk their life to bring supplies to the capital, the amount consumed by the population was not small .
It’ll be the people living in the slum who suffers the most, as they are on the lowest rung of the society . I’ve experienced it myself . When a particularly strong monster appeared in the goblin meadow, I would be starved so hard I thought I’d die . Adding to that was the starvation from the Gluttony skill . The despair was real when there was no food to eat for quite a while .
It won’t be too far off in the future seeing the current state of the gate . Food crisis will soon hit the slum .
[Then let’s settle it today . ]
[Umu, right . ]
[Of course! Because Roxy-sama’s life is on the line! Fate-san, don’t you dare backing off!]
Really now… . am I that irresponsible in her eyes? I felt anger started to boil up, but then realized that perhaps it’s just Miria’s way to show her concern to me .
She told me about her past when we took Roxy back to Barbatos mansion . I suppose we’ve become a bit closer after that?
Yosh, considering the future to come, from now on, I should strive to become closer with her . After all, Miria seems to be staying on Roxy’s side most of the time .
That’s why, I must get along well with Miria .
Sponsored Content
And since I’m currently on Roxy’s body… . she won’t have any penchant of brutalizing me . I stroke her a bit on the head, as that’s what Roxy usually do to me .
[Thank you for worrying about me… . . yoshyosh . ]
[Uuuuuu… . . so unfair… . using Roxy-sama’s appearance and kind face is foul play . ]
Miria’s face turned red, but she seemed to be holding up well . However, after I stroke her head some more, she started to have a blissful face .
[It’s not Roxy-sama… . . it’s not Roxy-sama… . ]
Such a cute little Miria . Should I stop now?
When I thought that I managed to score one against Miria, Aaron scolded me .
[What are you doing playing around like that . We must make haste . You can do anything you like, but only after everything is over]
[ [ Sorry… . . ] ]
Both of us apologized… .
Aaron promptly left the gate ahead of us . As we followed, I heard Miria said in a small voice .
[Mou, it’s Fate-san’s fault that Aaron-sama became angry like that . ]
[It’s because Miria had such a blissful face…]
[I didn’t make that kind of face]
[No no, you truly did . Now now, wanna do it again for proof?]
[That’s foul play]
Miria ran ahead, going after Aaron . I simply followed suit .
Alright, it’s a fight from here and out . I’m feeling good at the moment . Thanks to the mood made by Miria .
We were now in the dense forest .
The traces of footsteps had long faded away, but remnants of the magic diagram were still there . This was the place where the goblin shaman used its magic to switch my and Roxy’s body .
Moreover this was the center of the hobgoblin forest as well as the only open space in it .
Here is a vantage point, so it’ll be easy for you to be found . But it’s also easy for you to see through the enemy line . It’s the most efficient place to do what we are about to do .
[Fate, let’s start]
[Yes]
Sponsored Content
Me and Aaron needed to focus our awareness . The two of us were about to try to detect magic power on a very wide range――basically sweeping through all the living creatures in the hobgoblin forest .
It’s undoubtedly a daunting task to cover a whole forest with about ten or more kilometers diameter .
It’ll take time as well . At least fifteen minutes if according to Aaron .
We can’t move and have to fully concentrate during the process . In other words, if the minions such as the hobgoblins or the goblin kings in the middle of the scanning, we’ll be completely defenseless against them .
Aaron already belonged to AreE, so even if he’s attacked, he won’t receive any damage . But, there is always the possibility of irregulars like the nightwalkers . The opponent is an unknown monster after all… . So we can’t throw the chance of a monster that could pierce through AreE protection appearing here out of the window .
If you become overconfident with yourself, you’ll only end up stumbled by unexpected things .
Unlike regular goblins, the ancient goblin shaman had shown human-like intelligence when trying to dispatch its enemy . So rather than treating today’s fight as a battle against monster, as strange as it is, we should treat it like a battle against other human . Aaron was also agree with me .
[Miria, we’ll be relying on you for protection in the meantime . ]
[Yes, leave it to me . Any enemy dare to trespass will burn from the fire of my magic sword flamberge! Fate, you must protect Roxy-sama’s body as well]
[Thank you]
[You are welcome . ]
Miria drew her magic sword out, overwatching the surroundings . Me and Aaron began to focus our awareness back to back .
I would be searching the south while Aaron will look in the north .
Yesterday, I shot Bloody Ptarmigan southward . I’m pretty sure that the goblin shaman was at least 500 meter away from here back then .
It’s just an estimation of course . After taking into account the skill’s maximum range and the additional distance required for the target to survive the skill’s area of effect .
By the way, if the same amount of distance must be maintained to keep the switcheroo magic in effect, the goblin shaman should’ve been inside the capital already .
In short, I just hope that it hasn’t left the hobgoblin forest yet . In any case, it lost an arm yesterday, so it shouldn’t be able to move far and still unable to fully recover its wound yet .
… . . are you kidding me!?
Aaron also seemed to be aware of this, as he had already drawn his holy sword .
[Hold on! Everyone please continue as is . I’ll handle this!]
[But]
[Believe in me . I’m at least as strong as any of the kingdom’s royal guards . ]
Three goblin kings appeared from the direction where Miria pointed her magic sword . Oioi, something that strong appear so early?!
Goblin kings weren’t actually a commonly appearing monster, so there shouldn’t be that many of them . But I can sense several hobgoblin archers behind them . Thirty or so… . . if all of them shot at the same time, it could be dangerous .
Just when I thought so, arrows were released from all around us . A full 360° attack .
Sponsored Content
This isn’t something a normal person can defend against on their own, let alone protecting others from it .
[Miria!]
[For me, this isn’t much!!]
Unlike her usual tone of speech, Miria sounded sterner as she thrust the magic sword into the ground .
At that moment, I could even feel the ripple of her spiking up magic power on my skin .
In fact, fire rose up from the ground, creating a wall around us . The fiery flame wall was thick and strong enough to instantly burn all the arrows flying towards us .
The hobgoblin archers continued to rain arrows on us, but none managed to reach us .
[That’s quite amazing, Miria . ]
[This is my utmost limit though . Therefore, I can’t maintain it for long . Please, finish the search quickly . ]
[Yeah]
The three goblin kings immediately sprang into action after seeing how the hobgoblin archers were ineffective, swinging huge tree trunk as they go . However, since their weapon was made of wood, it nonetheless burned away upon contact with the fire wall . Attacking without knowing that, just like any normal monsters would do .
This is taking too long .
On Miria’s part, she was sweating profusely, and her breathing had become haggard . Her magic power was approaching its end .
[Not yet?]
[Fumu, I’ve searched a long way and found nothing but some goblins… . no other response . There is no need to search any further, I think . What about you, Fate?]
[There is a sign of huge numbers of goblin in the south . Perhaps because most of the goblins in this place had gathered there . It’s hard to pinpoint the target due to that . It’s about 4 kilometer away from here . That is the most likely place . How about Aaron also join in to search in that direction?]
[Alright, let’s do it . But, Miria seems to be already on her limit . Perhaps it’ll be better if I also join in to handle the goblins]
Aaron said so after checking on Miria’s state . But the girl in question shook her head .
[I can do it . I won’t allow myself to drag everyone down . Just let me do this much . ]
[Such an unyielding nature . I do not dislike it . In that case, we’ll trust Miria on this . O Fate, let us finish the search quickly]
[Yes]
Aaron and I cooperate to cover the rest of the unsearched area . Then, I sensed the ripple of a magic power distinctive from other goblins . It was weak, but very much the same with what I sensed yesterday .
[Found it . 5 kilometer away from here, near the edge of the hobgoblin forest . Perhaps it’s trying to run away . ]
[Fumu, then we should hurry . But before that……Miria, that’s enough]
Just as the flame wall dispersed, Aaron and I split up and started killing . Aaron first charged toward the goblin kings which were at the frontline .
Meanwhile I quickly snuck into the ranks of the hobgoblin archers hiding in the woods . Using holy sword technique《Grand Cross》to make short work of them .
When all monsters had become corpses that littered the ground and situation had calmed down, I could feel warmness flowing in my body . Followed by a sense of mysterious power .
When I asked Aaron about this, I was laughed at instead .
[What are you talking about . That means you have leveled up]
[Level up!? So this is how it feels like to level up!! So full of energy . It feels good!]
[Now that you mention it, Fate is unable to gather experience orbs due to the gluttony skill, causing you to be incapable of leveling up . Perhaps because you are currently in Roxy’s body, it becomes possible . ]
Let me say it once again! Level up feels good .
This is a feeling worthy of envy… . To think all other warriors get to feel this every once in a while… . how envious .
Because on my case, despite the gluttony skill could make me stronger through eating soul and starvation state, it’s mostly a painful experience . That was like hell if compared to leveling up .
Then Aaron added something even more amazing .
[Level up is the blessing of the god Laplace-sama had given to living being . As you say, it brings pleasant feeling . But continuous level up is even more intense than regular one . ]
[Is that true!?]
[Hush hush, hold yourself down . That kind of outburst… . is uncalled for since you are now in Roxy’s body . ]
[Pardon me… . ]
The feeling of leveling up was so pleasant, I forgot that I was still using Roxy’s body . If I could… . I’d like to feel it one more time,
[O Fate, speaking of which, go check on Miria . All this will not be possible without her . ]
[Yes . ]
The girl was on the ground, out of breath . So I stroke her head like before, and praised her .
[You’ve worked hard . ]
[Eeee… . . even I know when I have to be serious . ]
[If so, I’ll be counting on you again in the future . ]
[Of course]
I offered her a hand . Miria took it and stood up . She then smiled to me .
That cute smile of hers actually caught me off guard .