A day after we accepted the request of Noel-nee-san.
That’s because of things under the pretext of ‘Isn’t it fine to at least rest for 1 day’, so no going to danger areas or dungeons for today; hence she is secluded in her room and is resting.
Though it looked like she defeated it easily –In fact, it was easy- but she might have mental fatigue piled up, or so I think.
It’s not like that today is the arrival date, so it’s needed to go there for getting my stuff, but I can get rid of this habit from my previous world, there unless I went to take the stuff I mail-ordered, I would never be able to settle down.
So, I let Elk rest, and decided to go alone.
Malras Association is a place I have gone to many times, though with Elk. I ain’t some damn kindergartener, I won’t get lost after all this time.
Like that, without losing my way, and without the situation turning like sorry I got lost, I was able to reach sister’s association and take my stuff.
「……Hm?」
It was at the time I was thinking that recently not many people have been troubling me, like just after the case with『Exceed Subspecies』, at that I was called by many people and had to deal with them.
Smell of an animal.
However a case with screams of lots of people, accompanied with the stomping sounds of hoof, is something that is not present in my all-too-well memory.
A moment later, they all made great haste and ran towards the sides of main road, then did I see the origin of all this noise.
Judging from the collar on its neck, and the chain which extends from there and has the end torn would only mean……It ran away from an animal farm and is on rampage.
Its movements are not slow but are simple, if one fights it in spacious open plains, which happens to be its habitat, while taking advantages of gaps while fighting, even a novice adventurer would win without much injuries, but looks like it’s not going to be like that in this road filled with people.
At that time, again for some reason it changed it direction towards an old man and old woman, who couldn’t move due to shock, Yikes, it’s a direct hit course.
At that moment,
Her movements seemed very natural, so I didn’t feel much uncomfortable.
Maybe she is an adventurer or something……the second I thought that,
「――!!」
It was bloodlust.
And maybe the rampaging ox also sensed that, before hitting the girl, it suddenly changed it direction. Whoa, great. Now that old couple and the girl too are safe.
「——Holy shit, this ain’t good!」
I can’t possibly evade it, behind me, there are children and other old people, and it might not be a great thing to let it keep on rampaging.
Now only did the miss who made the ox change its way with bloodlust, realized that though the old couple was safe but the direction it was now going into was not safe, so she called out to me like that, but I purposely ignore her and lower my waist.
「Hakkeyoi!!」[1]
Because the force it rushed at me was quite strong, I was pushed back two or three meters, but somehow stopped at that point.
Then, after some seconds, WOW, shouts of joy rose from the surroundings. Along with voice between the lines of『Holy freak!』『Way to go Bruh』『Eh, is that Black Lion?』.
The rescue currently is, this agitated ox by my side, so the curious onlookers aren’t coming close to me. They can only mumble from a far at most……as for my mood, that mumbling alone is enough to destroy it.
Woot quite brave, hey don’t you come here; these two types of feelings were within my heart when I look at the person coming to me……isn’t this the miss from before.
Saying that the miss came near me without having any signs of fear of ox, seeing the courageous miss once again, I noticed her characteristic appearance.
A leather belt fastened at the waist. And there, as before, a single sword was present. The golden ornaments are good, and it looks wonderful. Well I won’t know if it’s a practical sword unless I see the blade.
And the miss with great appearance which anyone would say『Cute』or『Beautiful』, was appraising me while smiling.
「Hmm……though you look so weak. Is it the so-called don’t judge a person by their looks? Are you also an adventurer?」
「As expected. Oh the surrounding seems to be in uproar……are you famous? I just came to this city, so don’t know much about others」
As well as, maybe because I’ve been refusing to meet everyone except Elk and Tanya-chan.
Redhead Dark Elf Part 2
The Trader was bending his waist at a perfect 90 degree angle, but miss’ stare is strict. Maybe she remembered about the old couple from before was about to die, so while listening his apology closely, she complained back at him sternly.
She let off the Trader after nagging at him for some time, which made me feel that he became smaller with each word, then the miss said some words to the old couple and returned back to me.
This miss who might already have realized I was watching her, hesitating and thinking for a bit, said.
「Hey, do you have some time right now? I think it was some sort of fate that we met here……I want to say my gratitude and an apology, can you accompany for a meal?」
She invited me while winking.
Or rather, what is this thing about gratitude and an apology?
Apparently it just happened to be noon so she wanted to invite me to a meal.
Of course Elk knew about my poor sense of direction, so she warned me『If you don’t return by 1’o clock, then I will eat in the bar adjacent to inn』right to my face. Oh damn geez, so she understood me perfectly.
Well if it was like that, I chose my favorite skewer kebab stall. It was the shop where I ate for the first time when I came to this city, now I’m already a frequent customer there.
Then the miss ordered, double of what I ordered i.e., 4 skewers for her own, this somewhat shocked me. Is she a glutton?
「Here you go Minato! And also……err……」
「Ah, Yes, nice to meet you. I’m Minato Quadrille」
After finishing the slightly-belated self-introductions, we took our skewered kebabs and left the shop.
Sherry-san and I headed the same way, so we walked together for a while.
「Yeah, well my luck is really good」
In that moment, the eyes of Sherry-san were inspecting me from head to toe it seemed, her eyes glittering like that of a carnivorous animal aiming at its prey……was it my imagination?
Sherry-san said that while patting my shoulders or touching it, in a mutter which made me wonder if she is talking to me or herself.
「Having this much power without having a burly arm is really rare……your muscles and joints also seem flexible. Maybe it is because of your physical constitution? You seem like a warrior type, but your movements seemed more like a martial artist……is it self-taught?」
「Well yeah. My family was quite strict, or rather really a great at nagging. They made me learn martial arts, so albeit reluctantly, I was forced to learn it」
However, still it is great. Well I don’t know much about body constitution, but she’s right about my arms not getting burly no matter how much I train, or that I have no abs, and my martial arts are self-taught, well they are the blend of SFX : Game : Hong Kong Movies in the ratio of 4:3:3.
Now that she says that, seeing Sherry-san standing pin-straight, seems elegant and maybe is the tell-tale signs (?) of uderstanding martial arts. No, this is absolutely my imagination, it’s not like I can understand it this easily.
She showed me first saying『Here you go』, so I thought it would be rude if I didn’t show her mine.
And, at that time, I found out from seeing her Guild Card that Sherry-san was also an A ranker just like me. That truly surprised me.
However, her innocent and friendly smile, and her attitude seeming like that of a relative cousin, doesn’t make it feel like it’s difficult to approach her.
However, that……stare of a starving carnivorous animal is something I’ve got completely no clue about, and it’s not like I can just fucking ask her.
「But, I’m somewhat happy. Since I came here, I haven’t met that many A rankers. The people I used to hang out with when I was B ranker or C, somehow feel estranged, and those irritating types who approach me, begging me to join their groups have increased」
「Right? Though I’m not some spectacle, still they keep on coming, seriously irritating. I became an adventurer because I liked the freedom……but it finally became too much, and I changed my base location」
「Yeah. There, Dark Elves were rare, so people easily spotted me, calling out to me aiming for my body or my abilities. In fact, there were friends who left me because of that. Ah, geez, I finally am at ease after coming to this city」
So, Sherry-san was a Dark Elf? Her ears were long, so I truly thought that she was a tanned Elf……so there is race like that too.
「Just like I said before, it might be some sort of fate that we met, so if it’s fine, how about taking a quest together? Our Ranks are also the same, and since coming to this city I don’t have a friend who could go with me on an A Rank quest. So, how about it?」
I have been doing quests with her up till now, and it’s been going great. Never have I thought about her as a burden, so I’ve got no intention to change this style this late.
And as for results, Elk is also raising her Rank, so I think it will remain this way for a while; I have even discussed this with Elk.
I don’t know if that is her true intentions or an act to not make me feel guilty, but I’ve got nothing to reference it to,
And as she says that, the topic is closed.
However, I just can’t find a compromising point right now, and there is also the mission by Noel-nee-san which I have to go on the day after tomorrow, hence I will be gone for a while.
Apparently Sherry-san also has taken a request of a long-term period. She was planning to take me with her had I agreed. Well conversely, isn’t this great?
「Hmm, so there was a quest like that? Offered by the Guild of this city? I never noticed that quest……」
「A Limited-time offer quest?」
……Eh?
Incidentally, when I returned after buying side dished as I had promised in morning,
She frowned hard, and walked briskly towards me……and for some reason she started sniffing my body. Eh, what the hell!?
「Eh, where……I just went to my sister’s association for taking my stuff」
「EH !?」
I showed an obvious discomposure, but calming myself I tried to confirm my body odor. Of course without moving my head……but with just enhancing olfactory sense.
Or rather Sherry-san didn’t wear any perfume, neither did she come really close to me so that her scent would stick to me.
Yet……
「……You still smell weird. It’s really indistinct……a scent with a presence that is gentle yet sharp. What is this!?」
Different sorts of expressions that I’ve never heard before keep on coming out, it’s almost strange like trying to speak to a wine sommelier……
「Tell me the truth Minato. Where did you go? Did you only go to the association? Did you go somewhere before or after?」
「Where did you go? Don’t tell me, you wanted to let me rest today while you go to red-light district and make do with some prostitute?」
「Then what is this scent……in fact, can this be called as scent? Anyway what is this!? Just what happened since you left here till now!?」
「THEN. FUCKING. SPILL. IT」
While being scared of Elk who was oozing with wrath, I persuaded myself saying there was nothing lewd, right, and told her about everything that happened today without concealing anything.
As a result, though the misunderstanding was corrected……but for some reason Elk’s mood was really bad for some time.
…… I wonder why?