Chapter 26: Things were only getting worse.

Things were only getting worse.

I froze for a moment, but at least we’d confirmed her location. Still, if she managed to escape, I couldn’t help but wonder why she hadn’t come straight back here.

“Hey! Open this door!”

The pounding grew louder. If we hesitated any longer, they’d break it down. Our only way out might be the window.

“There’s no other choice. We’ll have to go out the window. It’s going to be a bit rough—mind if I take the lead?”

“Is it really okay to make enemies of the city guard?”

“If we just explain everything properly, won’t they understand?”

Their voices overlapped slightly. It seemed Kasai-san was still stuck in a Japanese mindset. Maybe it was because he’d been around his fellow countryman—our master—but it made me feel uneasy.

“No, that won’t work. If we get caught, it’s over. I’m sure Berma’s after this one.”

As she said that, she gently placed her hand on my head. Huh? Me? Wouldn’t they be more interested in Yuria...?

“There’s been talk around town—rumors of a black-haired man traveling with an elf. Once I’d calmed down and thought about it more clearly, I realized something didn’t add up. Of course, most people can’t tell the difference between goblins and dwarves, so the rumors never really took off, but...”

“…Oh, you’ve got to be kidding.”

I didn’t expect that to come back and bite us now. Mobilizing the city guard just to hunt down a new slave—or ‘pet’—what kind of despot is this Viscount Barus guy?

“Guess it’s a case of hiding in plain sight. Took me a while to realize the ‘glass bead’ was actually a diamond.”

Ugh. This is exactly why I was calling myself a goblin or a dwarf, even if it meant a bit of dishonor. And it’s all the fault of that brown-haired idiot and Kasai-san. Once this is all over, I’m filing for damages. I’ll sue, I swear.

“Clarice and I will buy you some time. Makoto, protect the other two.”

“Huh!? But... they’re humans, right? You’re going to fight them?”

“Will you be okay...?”

Kasai-san’s voice trembled with uncertainty. I could understand his hesitation—it was perfectly reasonable. And yet, in this situation, I couldn’t stop myself from worrying.

Sure, I wouldn’t want him rushing into a fight with a grin either, but to feel this unreliable just from a single line... I know he’s not lacking courage or particularly cowardly. He just doesn’t have the experience. Still... it’s complicated.

“It’s not like I want to fight fellow humans, but sometimes there’s only one path you can take.”

“…I’m not going to force you to fight. If you’re not up for it, I can cast an invisibility spell. Just hide under the bed and wait for things to settle down, then get out of this town.”

Clarice’s words were half-kind, half-cold—a clear message that dead weight wasn’t welcome. Maybe Kasai-san picked up on that chill in her tone, because he fell silent for a while… then slowly shook his head.

“No… no, I’ll try my best.”

“I see.”

The pounding grew more violent. The door was starting to warp. It wouldn’t last much longer. We were running out of time. We had to get out now.

Sorry, but in a fight against humans, I couldn’t count on Kasai-san. I handed off just enough of our supplies to avoid slowing him down and freed up Yuria’s hands.

“Alright then, Clarice-san, we’re counting on you.”

“Of course. Let’s meet up at dawn, at a place called the Snake’s Nest Inn.”

She handed me a slip of paper, which I carefully tucked into my chest pocket. With Kasai-san leading the way, we moved to the window. After exchanging a quick glance for timing, we had Clarice cast an invisibility spell, then flung open the window and leapt out.

“O raging wind, become the armor that shields our bodies!”

As we descended, I cast wind-element defensive magic on everyone. It worked like a cushioning shield, softening the fall. A fall from the fourth floor would normally mean serious injury. The moment we hit the ground, we broke into a run, sprinting into the alleyway.

---

Thanks to the invisibility spell, it must’ve taken the guards longer to track us—we weren’t pursued. Still, to throw off any potential tail, we kept running in zigzags for nearly an hour. Exhausted, we finally huddled in a corner of an alley to catch our breath.

“They’re not following.”

“Probably thanks to Clarice and the others.”

A loud boom, like a firework exploding, rang out—and a huge burst of flames lit up the night sky. Isn’t that going a little overboard? Are they going to be okay after that?

“…Looks like they’re putting on quite a show.”

“Yeah, seems that way.”

If we end up being unwelcome in this country, don’t blame me… Still, at least it kept the enemy off our backs, so I won’t complain. For now, it’s probably best to slip out of town and hide in the forest until dawn. Luckily, we were stocked with plenty of monster-repelling tools, so we should manage through the night.

“Well then, shall we move outside the city?”

“Yeah, let’s.”

Just as we steadied our breathing and stood up, Yuria—who’d been watching our surroundings—suddenly stiffened and shouted sharply.

“My Lady! Behind you!”

“!?”

I spun around instinctively. A gaunt man, dressed in a dusty gray-brown robe and holding a staff, was reaching toward me. When did he get behind us!?

“Shorty!?”

“O primal flame, in my hand take form, and strike down my foe as burning stone!”

Leaping backward, I fired a fire spell straight at the robed man.

I aimed right for his face—no holding back. But the spell fizzled out before hitting him, stopped by some sort of barrier. Now that I think about it, I had heard that battle-grade mages always keep defensive spells active… That was careless of me.

He jabbed the spherical tip of his staff straight at me, still unable to move.

“Guh!?”

“My Lady!”

Before I could chant another spell, a sharp pain slammed into my stomach, and I collapsed clutching my gut. It wasn’t even a particularly strong blow, but it still hurt like hell.

“Damn it, you—!”

Through my tear-blurred vision, I saw Kasai-san draw his sword and charge. Honestly, I didn’t think he looked all that tough—but the speed of his strike was so fast, I couldn’t even follow the tip of the blade.

Even the robed man seemed caught off guard by the sheer force of it. He couldn’t react in time. The blade sliced through his barrier with ease, closing in on his now-panicked body—

“—!”

—Only to stop just short of cutting him down.

“S-surrender!”

“Idiot! What are you doing!?”

I’m not saying you have to kill him, but stopping your blade mid-swing? That’s a terrible move!

“There’s no need to kill him. The fight’s already over!”

“I told you it’s not! Yuria!”

“Yes!”

Yuria charged forward, axe raised, but the man grinned and twisted his lips into a smirk. He pointed his staff at Kasai-san’s chest and murmured something under his breath.

We’d been completely read.

The enemy had realized it: no matter how skilled Kasai-san was with a sword, he’d never killed anyone. He even hesitated to hurt someone.

I suddenly remembered something Master once said—
“To a seasoned fighter, a blade without killing intent isn’t even a threat.”

“Gah!”

“Kyaa!”

A gust of wind whipped up, sending both Kasai-san and Yuria flying.

“Both of you!”

Just as I was about to run toward them, the robed man grabbed my arm. It was too late by the time I realized the danger, and I heard his murmured words.

“—Teleportation, begin.”

Suddenly, a magic circle appeared beneath our feet, glowing brightly, and the scenery around us began to warp and change.

“My Lady!”

“Yuria! The mission continues!”

I could still hear Yuria’s voice, so we were still connected. I quickly pulled the piece of paper from my chest pocket and tossed it to her, even though her figure appeared distorted in the shifting space. I should’ve known it was only a matter of time before a teleportation mage showed up—there’s no doubt now that I was the target all along.

This is really... turning into a huge problem.

---

◇◆ADVENTURE RESULT◆◇

[EXP]

NO BATTLE
◆【ソラ Lv.50】
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Sora Lv.50[509]

【RECORD】

[MAX COMBO]>>33
[MAX BATTLE]>>33

【PARTY】

[Sora][Lv.50]HP45/50 MP220/420[Stable]
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【Comment】

“Now, will it be a snake or an orc that appears?”