Chapter 45: Pray and Pray Again (3)

Chapter 45: Pray and Pray Again (3)

I spent a day and a half enjoying my newfound freedom alone. The ship that was to be used to catch the Sea Dragon had arrived.

I had heard it had a lot of defense devices and artillery...

By then, I realized close-quarter combat probably wouldn’t happen this time. I’d expected it after hearing the plan’s details, but that narrow deck made it even more evident.

A typical Raid involved fighting a boss while avoiding its attacks, but this thing wasn’t big enough for that.

Even if I tried to with my sizable gaming experience, the ship’s mast or outer boards would get destroyed, or the Sea Dragon might split it in half with its tail.

Either way, that was wholly unacceptable. We couldn’t risk the ship sinking just because we wanted to get close enough to engage it in melee.

However, that wasn’t really the problem.

“It’ll take a miracle to find a crew that can operate it, much less a captain...”

Whether it was finding people to lure it to the coast or to carry out a maritime battle, they would first have to enter the Dragon’s Gate... We couldn’t find anyone who would venture into that place.

“Is it that hard to find someone even in this big city?”

“Everyone who comes to us says they don’t really have the required skills, and if they do, what can we do if they don’t budge even after being offered hundreds of millions of Gal? I’m sick of it, too.”

Even Deb, who probably sought the help of the Information Guild, raised both his hands and feet into the air. That meant there wasn’t anyone who met our requirements in this city, at least.

“How come?”

“There are plenty of opinions about battling the Sea Dragon. Although we’ve been telling everyone that the ocean is slowly but surely getting destroyed, they don’t seem to believe us because nothing has happened here yet.”

The reason those with poor skills responded to our call was, ironically, because their skills were poor. They weren’t good enough at their job to make much money, so they volunteered to confront the Sea Dragon to earn some.

However, we didn’t need such people. What we needed was a first-rate captain.

“I’m currently in the process of searching for more and persuading them, but I’ll definitely get something in a few days. You got that?”

“No, you already went through so much. What can you do in this situation? It’s not like the talented people we need will suddenly fall out of the sky. Still, please keep it up a bit longer.”

“Okaaay...”

At that moment, I wondered whether that Windhand or whoever was on that list.

“Windhand.”

“What?”

“Didn’t you say with your own mouth that he is famous?”

After leaving some pretty lengthy video messages yesterday and today, I was worried that my tone of voice had softened a bit. I frowned at the thought.

“...According to the rumors, it should be possible for him. People consider him a descendant of Soldini, so his navigational skills must be exceptional.”

“But he’s a privateer...”L1tLagoon witnessed the first publication of this chapter on Ñøv€l--B1n.

“And?”

“He’s a criminal! Although they are only implicitly recognized as pirates, according to the law, they are still criminals.”

The Inquisitor shouted, seemingly unable to make any sense of this situation. Honestly, I would have been disappointed if she stopped pointing out this sort of thing.

“I don’t care.”

However, when had I ever cared about criminal records and the like? I didn’t think that the ends justified the means, but that was just my own opinion. My character would use any means or method to reach his goal.

But given our position, I wasn’t against this choice. If we didn’t solve this problem quickly, the entire region might disappear soon.

If they weren’t that bad, wouldn’t it be worth trying to be a bit flexible? Like, try working with them first and, if they are too evil, send them to jail after?

Usually, characters meant to be supporters weren’t that terrible. Hmph, what was the point in ruining the player’s mood, right?

“B-But...”

The Inquisitor seemed to break down again, while the Archmage and Deb looked quite pleased.

“This might be a better move than you think. How should we go about negotiating with privateers? But... um, what about his notoriety?”

“As a privateer, he has some basic notoriety. However, I don’t think I have ever heard anything about him or his crew being particularly vicious. I’ve even heard that if one were to get robbed at sea, it’s better to get robbed by Windhand...”

“What? People hold that kind of opinion?”

“It’s the lesser evil. It’s better to be robbed by a privateer who is only after your wealth and guarantees humane treatment than by one who takes not only your wealth but also your life.”

There was no denying he was a criminal, as he robbed others, but he was far better than those types of people. If there were lines he wouldn’t cross, he was more morally acceptable, and this transaction would be much easier.

“Then it seems this option is quite feasible.”

“Even you, Sir Archmage!”

“Our situation is quite urgent, isn’t it? I’m not asking you to forgive him, but I want you to consider what takes precedence. If we don’t deal with the Sea Dragon problem, tens of thousands of people will die.”

“Th-that’s...”

“Should I find a way to contact him, then?”

“Please do. I’ll also tell the others, as well.”

“Sigh, I don’t know if it’ll work, though.”

Deb spoke weakly, asking how he could find people across the sea. But from the raised corners of his mouth, it didn’t look like it wouldn’t work out.

Rattle.

At that moment, the door to the guild hall opened. The conversation, which had been gradually wrapping up, was thus completely cut off.

“Yes, this is the Grü Teltz Adventurers’ Guild.”

“Hey, I’m trying to find someone.”

“Do you want to make a request?”

I was drinking some water at that moment, despite not being particularly thirsty, so I could glance at the person who had come in.

My character wouldn’t watch his surroundings like that, but it was inevitable that I would catch a glimpse of them even while staring ahead.

What I saw were two people wearing robes. One was approximately 170 cm tall and appeared to have a somewhat strong physique.

The other had decorations dangling down from under his hood to about his neckline.

“It’s not supposed to be a request. I just wanted to ask if you know whether that person is among the adventurers.”

“It would seem you are looking for designated employment, then.”

“Only if the person we are seeking is an adventurer.”

“Please describe what he looks like.”

Not only could I somehow perceive their appearance, but I could also hear their conversation. Perhaps because it was evening, the guild hall was surprisingly quiet.

Although we were sitting in the connected tavern, we were the only ones present.

“First, uhm, he carries a huge sword on his back and has an eyepatch... Yeah, that’s what they wrote down.”

That’s how I managed to catch what they were talking about from the other side.

“He wears black... Oh, right. Most importantly, the left and right sides of his hair are completely different colors! Do you know anyone like that?”

No matter how I looked at it, they were searching for me.

“...Like him?”

“Huh? Where... Ah, yeah! Just like... like...”

I saw one of the suspiciously dressed people mention me, just as he happened to catch sight of me, as well.

His voice slowed near the end before stopping completely, but then he suddenly raised his voice.

“Found him!”

What was going on?

“Demon Knight, do you know these people?”

“There sure are a lot of people in this city who know you, Mister.”

“Have you worked here before?”

Everyone in the party had something to say, but I had no idea. Even if I knew them, it would be extremely difficult to recognize them while they were covered in robes like that.

“Shut up.”

After stopping those three from chattering further with two simple words, I made eye contact with the person approaching me. Only a grinning mouth was visible beneath the hood.

“Hey, I had no idea that I would be able to find you right away.”

“And you are?”

I tried to guess my opponent’s identity through my usual rude manner of speech.

Honestly, there wasn’t a single person who came to my mind when looking at him. There were only a few I was involved with whom I could recall clearly, but none of them had a voice like that, and I didn’t necessarily remember others who might know me...

“Someone who wants to ask for your help?”

Even if he tried to speak cutely in that deep voice, I didn’t feel anything, so I just put that aside.

“Not interested.”

I had no idea when I would have to slay that dragon, so what’s with this random request now?

I didn’t know whether it was a short-term mission, but I wasn’t the sort to wait for others to explain the situation in greater detail or let them list their conditions. So, all I could say was no.

“Don’t be like that. Just listen to my story.”

“Get lost.”

The robed one who’d stepped forward scratched the back of his head at my stubborn attitude. The person behind him seemed moderately annoyed and took a step forward, but the first one promptly blocked him, making his efforts useless.

It was a wise choice I was grateful for. My character would never avoid a fight, after all.

I didn’t want to fight civilians if possible.

“Then let’s do this: pay me my down payment first. I will then accept your request.”

“Huh? Down payment? That’s a bit... No, we can do it like that, huh? How much do you need?”

“I’m not in need of wealth or the like.”

“Then?”

“Your navigational skills.”

“...?”

Ah, of course, it wasn’t impossible, but I never said that I would be kind about it.

“Guide us through the Dragon’s Gate.”

Windhand’s expression became kind of strange.

“...I’m a bit surprised. Why do you want to get there?”

“We must hunt the Sea Dragon.”

“...What?”

The guy behind him had the face of someone who doubted his ears.

“Wait a second? What? The Sea Dragon?”

“Do you lack the ability to comprehend speech?”

“Wait, really? Why??”

I think that was actually a very normal reaction, but I tried to maintain a look of irritation in my eyes. Windhand struggled for words.

“Noisy. I’ll explain in detail.”

“Woah. You’re even serious enough about this to explain? Why are you hunting the Sea Dragon?!”

“Because it was corrupted.”

“...What?”

From that point on, it was the Archmage’s turn. The wizard took advantage of the opportunity I gave him to quickly and concisely explain the current situation.

Windhand and his companion inevitably sat there, mouths gaping open, throughout the explanation.

“No, no, what?”

Right. Of course, it would be rather shocking to learn that the place they came to in order to resolve their civil war actually had a much bigger time bomb to resolve. That was just the kind of world we were living in.

“...Okay, I understand the situation. You aren’t in a position to easily move right now.”

Fortunately, Windhand was quick to grasp the situation.

“I will withdraw my request.”

And he was also quick to cut us loose.

“I came here to find people to save our land, not risk my life.”

“Wait, please reconsider. This doesn’t just involve this city. The entire West Sea will be doomed.”

“I don’t know either, okay? The West Sea won’t be destroyed immediately, right? Unlike Jacrati! Jacrati is nothing more than a candle in the wind right now.”

“Didn’t we say we would accept your request? All you have to do is get us into the Dragon’s Gate.”

Windhand let out a sharp laugh at the Archmage’s request. He expressed that we should stop talking nonsense without even having to say it.

“I just need to get you into the Dragon’s Gate? How shameless! Unless you have the ability to walk on water, it’s obvious I would also have to steer the boat while you hunt the dragon!”

He blurted out the next few sentences without even giving the Archmage time to continue.

“My life isn't mine alone. The people of Jacrati sent me out because they believe in me, so I can’t die in vain here.”

It was a very sound rejection. Although, the Archmage wasn’t one to retreat lightly, either.

“If you say you will help, I will do my best to send aid directly to Jacrati from the Mage Tower and the Temple.”

“Hey, how can you guarantee they’ll move? Do you think I don’t know how heavy those bastards’ asses are? Or do you have some connections, maybe?”

“I have no connections, but as an archmage, I oversee part of the Magic Tower. I’m not lying, so please believe me.”

Did he not expect this? Windhand’s expression softened a little.

“...Fine, I can’t verify whether what you said is true or false, but I’ll just believe you for now. Even so, my opinion remains unchanged. I don’t think those selfish Magic Tower bastards would help Jacrati if they didn’t have something to gain from it.”

Of course, believing didn’t mean accepting.

“And the Temple... You all know the Yabad region doesn’t favor the Temple, right? You should have just mentioned the Magic Tower, you know? How stupid.”

What did he mean? I frowned at hearing that the Yabad region very much hated the Temple.

“...”

When I glanced back, I saw that the Inquisitor wore a complicated expression.

It was a bit strange that Deb had been completely silent for some time now. I wondered if that was the reason why.

“Whatever. Talking more would just be a waste of time. I’m leaving now. There are probably many more adventurers and mercenaries of the same level around here.”

“...Until this matter is resolved, it’ll be rather difficult for you to achieve your goal in this city. Those who claim to be skilled will likely mobilize to slay the Dragon.”

“What?”

“I’m pretty sure the Lord is in a similar position. The closest city to the Dragon’s Gate is Grü Teltz, after all.... If this matter is left unattended, this city will be the first to suffer damage.”

“...Are you threatening me now?”

“How could I? I only gave you some advice because I didn’t want to see you waste any more of your time.”

Such things were usually called threats, but...

I kept my mouth shut. No matter how I looked at it, I would only benefit if the Archmage won this argument.

“Shit...”

Windhand chewed on his lips, his expression baring the intent to punch the Archmage in the face.

For a person representing a group, he didn’t seem very good at managing his facial expressions. Or maybe he was just that anxious.

“...How about this instead. If you help us deal with the problem in Jacrati first, I will also help you.”

A minute later, Windhand gave us another suggestion.

There was also the option of going to another city, but it seemed like he wanted to find his solution here.

“Then the West Sea will suffer further damage. Are you saying Jacrati’s problem can be resolved in a day or two?”

However, as the Archmage said, the problem was that this matter wouldn’t be settled anytime soon. Maybe in a few days at the earliest, but it would most likely take longer.

And during that time...

『In any case... If this continues, the only thing awaiting us will be death...』

『But why couldn't you save my mom?』

Small towns might be unable to endure it any longer and disappear into oblivion. No, it had taken far too long already.

“Then what about the Dragon? Can you catch it in just one or two days, then?”

“That’s...”

Was it now my turn to step forward?

The order didn’t really matter, but taking turns helping each other seemed to be good for both sides.

Thus, I just needed to reassure them that it would be fine if their turn got pushed back a little. If they were worried we would take too long, I just had to assure them that we wouldn’t.

“No, is it even possible to hunt it to begin with? Do you actually think it’s possible to kill a dragon?!”

And I was better suited for that than the Archmage. That was my character’s specialty.

“Why do you think it’s so absurd?”

“What?”

“Let me ask you. How long does it take to get to the Dragon’s Gate.”

“Hah, I should have already told you. Unless you help us first, there’ll be no deal...”

“I asked you how long it would take.”

I lowered my voice but spoke very clearly and with plenty of emphasis. Windhand seemed to feel something and stopped there, staring straight at me.

“If we leave from this place, it won't take more than a day.”

“You sure?”

“It’s not that far away, right? I memorized the entire West Sea, so yeah, I’m sure. No more than a day. If you just want to go there, half a day’s enough.”

“Well, it’ll take half a day for me as well.”

“What?”

Now came the most important part.

I declared it as if trying to brainwash myself.

“Taking off from this city, slaying the dragon, and returning to this city.”

Due to the Raid environment, close-quarter dealers wouldn’t play an active role. Also, the abilities of the party we would be raiding with were unknown. In fact, we hadn’t even discussed the proper strategy to attack the Dragon yet, either. I simply ignored all these problems.

“Half a day, no, one day would be enough since it’ll be a round trip. Assuming the time you just gave us isn’t incorrect.

Because roleplayers didn’t really care about that!

So please do a good job, my future self!