CH 26

26. Megane-kun, Accomplished an Unexpected Reunion.

「…Hmm」

It smells like trouble.

Roughly speaking, there are four highways that meet into a crossroad and lead toward outside the walls. Commoners use the northern and southern gates to come and go, while the Royal Family, their purveyors, nobles and the like utilize the eastern and western gates to access the country.

Eastern and western gates are, so to speak, the gates for the big wigs. That is why commoners who get close to those gates will be redirected to either the southern gate or the northern gate before they can get inside. By nature, I also am using commoners’ gates myself.

The place where I did my hunt is in the southern forest. I only need to go out from the southern gate and tread the southern highway.

When I keep chasing the flickering orb of light the 「Megane」 is beaconing me, I found myself on the eastern highway. While it is a foreign road for me, I know it’s a highway due to the width of the road. As I keep walking down the road—the flickering light grows in size along with a bad premonition that starts to seep in. First to attract my attention is the tumbled wheel on the road. The highway that is sandwiched by the forests has a mild slope on my right. The speck of light is sitting beneath the slope.

「A carriage accident…?」

Looking from above the slope, I spot a big square-shaped figure down below, most probably a horse carriage.  From what I see, it went like, the wheel came off when the carriage was running and thus it fell into the slope? Though it’s not a steep slope, it would be quite the accident if the carriage is speeding. There’s also a possibility that it rolled sideways.

I change the 「Megane」 to 「Night Vision」 mode then observe the tumbled carriage and its surrounding. A reddish light dimly emerges.  It’s not the light from the animals, it has the outline of a human. Two humans. One is collapsed in a place far from the carriage. The other one is also collapsed, but one of their feet seems to be pinned under the carriage’s frame.

Apparently, the light I was chasing led to the person pinned by the carriage. …Although, perhaps because I’m seeing it in person right now, the light has long gone.

E~to.

I probably should help them, shouldn’t I? Both of them aren’t moving at all. It’s obvious that they can’t move due to the injury they received from the accident. But, I can feel various presences in the forest in the opposite direction. Even if I go down, I can’t do anything for the two over there. Perhaps it’d be more efficient if I just deal with the trouble in the forest.

…No, the one who called me is the person below, isn’t it. I guess I should go there first. I might solve the mystery behind the 「glowing Megane」 too.

The mystery is solved pretty fast.

「…I see, so we’re connected by the 『Megane』.」

The person who is pinned by the carriage… a girl about my age is wearing a 「Megane」 I made.

It’s exactly the 「Megane」 I produced. There’s no mistaking it.

Hmm.

In short, there might be a resonance between two「Megane wearer」 like me and her.

To put it extremely bluntly, they’re 「Magic Megane」 in the first place. …It sounds pretty stupid, but they literally are that kind of object. If that wasn’t the case, then it shouldn’t be able to change colors, or showing the winning percentage while taking the element of surprise into account, or showing animals as red light and pass through other obstacles. Just like all those features, this time it’s just a 「Magic Megane」 synchronized with another 「Magic Megane」.

Then why… was it glowing?

Because the 「Megane」 sensed it was about to be broken and thus yearned for help, maybe?

…………

Rather than to think it’s the 「Megane」, it’d be way natural to think it’s the 「person who wears that megane」 who yearns for help. Doesn’t matter if it’s 「Magic Megane」 or not, there’s no way it has a mind of its own.

「……U、ugh……」

Ah, is she regaining her consciousness?

「Are you okay? Should I lend you a hand?」

With that, I crouched down near the girl who wears 「my Megane」 she obtained through an unknown method.

Aah, blood is oozing from her head. I knew it, an accident. She’s injured. Since she hit her head, it’s best for her not to carelessly move around.

「…eh… who…? 」

Her head seems like in the clouds still, but at least she’s able to hold a conversation.

「Just a passerby. If you don’t need my help then I’ll go home, though.」

If the person in question said they don’t 「need」 it, then I have no reason to help. Shishou did say that I have to「save as much as I can」, he did not tell me to handout and sell kindness dirt cheap.

I also can’t neglect the Splinter Fang Hare I hunted. It’s a game I spent more than a day to bring down. I can’t give up on it that easily. It hasn’t been long since I left it. I think I’ll make it in time. It won’t be late if I go and pick it up later. For sure. My heart doesn’t give it up yet. Miracle yields upon a stubborn heart.

However, the girl instead points her finger at the forest on the opposite side of the highway.

「Th, there’s, escort… help…  」

Ah, the trouble over there, huh.

Judging from the presence alone, I mark some number of wolves and one person who fights against it. They must be the escort she addressed.

…Escort, huh. Well, it should be the case. A considerably skilled one too at that.

—I knew that because apparently, as said escort noticed my presence, they went rushing over here tremendously fast.

「Freeze! State your name! What are you doing there!?」

Their voice is sharp, and their clear killing intent is addressed to me without hesitation. The woman who posed as the escort that fought against the wolves returns to see if the unidentified person… me, that is, an ally or an enemy.

I raise my hand and slowly get to my feet, denoting that I mean no harm.

「I’m just a passerby. If I get in your way, I’ll disappear—Ah」

As I look back in the middle of my sentence… what comes into my view is a pretty distinguishable blonde I’ve seen before, even when it’s under the starry sky.

「Don’t tell me, Lorobel-san? Long time no see.」

I secretly thought that perhaps people in the great city fancy this kind of hairstyle, or maybe that’s the style the great city’s culture has refined, but after I loitered around the city for a few days, I realized that such a hairstyle isn’t common to see. I have no idea why she has that hairstyle, but… well, at any rate, it’s just that rare. I don’t think there’s any other woman who has it and is affiliated with violence.

「…Who are you?」

I hit the bull’s eye.

Maybe because her name is called, her killing intent that was clear enough to be felt like a naked blade is settling down.

Ah, right. Although it’s not very dense, this place is veiled by the shadow the trees are casting. It’s quite hard to grasp my figure if seen from the other side.

「I’m Eil. The 『Megane』 one. I’m the one who dined and dash in Adventurer’s Guild and made you pay it for me..」

「…Ah, that Eil! 」

Yes, that Eil.

「So, what are you doing here? Sorry to say this, but, depends on your answer, I won’t let you off that easily.」

That’s a remark befitting for an escort.

Certainly, it’s reasonable to suspect that there’s a third party in this kind of situation. There’s no helping it if I’m being thought as a thief who takes advantage of the accident. How do they call it again, taking advantage of someone’s misfortune?

「As I said, I’m just passing by.」

However, my reply won’t change. In fact, either saying something that needs a long and wide explanation like “I’m being led by my 「Megane」 that suddenly glows” or not won’t help much in this situation; it’ll just mud things up further. I have no intention to talk about it too, in the first place.

「At this time? Just passing by at this time of day?」

I admit it, it’s a time where no normal Joe would go out. It’s still better if it’s inside the walls, we’re outside the city where the magical beasts roam about nonetheless.  

「I’m a hunter after all. I’m in my way to the city after I hunted my game.」

「Hunter? …Now you mention it, I remember seeing a bow and quiver in your room…」

She’s about half-convinced, I guess.

「Being lost in your thought is good and all, but I think we both don’t have the time for it.」

「What do you mean.」

「As you can see, there are injured people. Isn’t it best if we quickly treat them?」

Besides, I also want to pick up the Splinter Fang hare ASAP. It’s still not too late. It should be. I want to return before those wolves over there or whatever else snatch it.

「If I’m being a hindrance, I’ll just go away. What do you want me to do?」

「—Lend me a hand.」

…Swift judgment, now? I kinda hoped you’d just say 「you’re a hindrance, go」 for a bit.

「Understood. Leave the wolves to me. Lorobel-san, please take care of the injured.」

Let’s get rid of these wolves swiftly and head back to where the Splinter Fang Hare is.

Mabbo here.

Yay, finally, Ramadhan break! Fasting is pretty rough when you’re constantly coughing like I am. Remember, treasure your health more than anything.

On a side note, why I can’t get Bismarck!? Oh, RNG god!! Is my soul not enough for you!? What else should I sacrifice!?