Chapter 2 (1/2)

「Ossen, encounters a trope」

It had been a week since I’d been brought to this world

After so many days of my survivalist lifestyle, I finally came across an artificially created road

The Fafuran forest was a harsh environment to live in

I didn’t have a single oblins, orcs, trolls, man-eaters, wyverns and chimeras

When I tried to sleep in a cave, it turned out to be a killer ant nest, I was attacked by lizardmen when I took a break by a riverside and when I went to sleep in a rocky area a crazy ape took a swipe at my backside

My heart had been strained over the last week

“A-At last… I’ll be able to find a huh……”

I’d became awfully emaciated over the last few days

However, th remained and I had used only a little mana

I was relieved at finally escaping that hell, and just re how harsh my life so far had been made me feel depressed

“Well, which way is the town……? With two directions, I have a fifty percent chance…… I’m still lost”

I picked up a fallen branch, raised it into the air and tried to decide my path based on which way it fell when I dropped it

Since it landed to the left twenty-three tiht

Apparently, I have quite a contrary nature

The road was a si the ground

There wasn’t any cobblestone and the weeds were starting to retake the road in a few areas

Although it seemed like this place would resemble a river when it rained, I kept a leisurely stride

In any case, therein

If there are, then this would be a chance to interact with someone, or maybe even to make some friends

After living in the wild for the last week, I washuman interactions

“I’d be happy even if a bandit appeared”

Anyone would be fine as long as I could talk to someone

However, if I came across a bandit with the intention to kill, it would dissolve into a one-sided slaughter

I’ve been fighting for survival for a week after all

At some point, I’d developed a knee-jerk reaction to

Speaking of things I noticed……

“That said… it’s been a while since my last bath〜…… I don’t stink, do I?”

Since there hadn’t been a moment to bathe, I orried about my body odor

It was a strange worry to have for someone who normally didn’t care about his appearance

Sie achievement for me

“I should clean h”

I walked down the road as I said that

Whether it was because I was lucky, or because it was a commandment of God, I came across a river

However, it was the artificial bridge that caught my eyes

It was a small river about 7 meters across, but I was thankful for the water nonetheless

I picked a place that would be invisible froe and made my way towards it

After re my equipment, I jumped into the river

After not having bathed for such a long ti Under these circuhly washed the dirt off my body

Further a meal while they dried on a nearby boulder

However…… it was only meat, just as always……

I dully watched the river while I waited for my clothes to dry

Since it’d been days since my last calm moment, I spent it leisurely

Occasionally, I heard a creepy laughter

“They should be dry soon……?”

When the sun reached the apex of the sky, I donned ain

I’d grown accusto my equipment over the week, and it just felt natural to wear it

Though the equipment would be considered useless in modern society, my familiarization with it was a case example of human adaptability

Occasionally, I caught sight of a e, which proved that there must have been human settlements nearby

When I crossed the bridge e had been going to

A luxurious, all-white carriage passed me by, but since I had no interest in the rich I paid it no mind

I venture forith light steps

On the road through Fafuran, a lone carriage was running along

The luxurious, pure white carriage had gold wiring along its frame

Two knights were sitting on the driver’s seat, while tell-dressed people sat inside the carriage

One of the passengers was an elderly, but muscular man

This person was the forion, and related by blood to the royal fadom Solisthea】

However, he was currently enjoying his retirehter

His name was 【Creston van Solisthea】

Shortly after he had handed the farandsons had started to intensify, with his granddaughter 【Selestina】 beco to ease his worries

Selestina was sitting opposite of her grandfather with a slightly depressed look on her face and a book in hand

In a country where lected by her father, the duke

That was because she had no talent for ic whatsoever

To be accurate, she, like all creatures in this world possessed ical power, but her ability to use it was remarkably low

In addition to that, she wasn’t even the child of the duchesses, so her family’s persecution of her had been severe

Selestina was born from an affair between the current duke and one of the mansion’s servants

Coupled with her inability to use ic, her torment only continued

Creston, as protective of his only granddaughter, had her move into his retirement villa in an attempt to make her talents flourish under his watch

He’d hired faicians from across the country to be her tutor, but all it resulted in her being branded as a failure

Creston just wanted to see his granddaughter’s sain, but all he had done was hurt her

Glientle expression before it vanished

For her part, Selestina continued with this because of her grandfather’s kindness

Even she was the daughter of a mistress, he loved loved her unconditionally and she respected and cherished him as well

However, noif her efforts didn’t bear fruit

As a result of her failures, her smile had become a sorrowful one

It was painful for Creston to see it

When the carriage approached the bridge, Selestina let out a 『Ah……』

“What is it, Tina? Did you see so?”

“Yes, grandfather There was atords”

“Tords? Are you sure it was a ician? Was there really a person like that?”

“Yes, he wore a grey robe…… really……”

“Did he have a shabby appearance? If that person earing a grey robe, they ician Or n country”

It was a custoh the color of their robe

Gray was the lowest, black was intered to the elites in direct service to the country

If you alking around in a gray robe, it ician fron country

Research regarding dom, but there were many factions within the state

It was a systeles

“However, to carry a sword…… They are probably ician, that’s a rather difficult choice to make”

“Why is that?”

“Well, while ic, swords to do both only results in a half-baked ic swordsman”

Both es and disadvantages

Magic was superior at long-distance combat and support, but eak in close combat

While swords-distance attacks and were iic

Depending on the strategy, neither could be considered outright better than the other

Further that could not be completed in one lifetime

Either way, in order to become the most powerful, one needed to have talent and to spend a lot of effort

“However, its possible they’re carrying the swords for self-defense Magicians are hen caught off guard after all”

“Despite le step yet……”

Despite her depression, Selestina returned her eyes to the

She had ic formations, but had difficulties to activate them

She had already studied them multiple times, but still haven’t found the answers she needed

While their attention had been elsewhere until now, Creston noticed that the carriage was hts in the driver seat

“Is so?”

“My lord Soo on”

“They’re stuck? Was there an accident?”

“It seeuards are trying to move it”

“Hs I have a bad feeling about this”

“I understan…… huh?!”

When the knight raised a shout, Creston realized that his concerns had been justified

The thieves that had been lurking in the nearby forest attacked all at once

“B-Bandits!!”

“Guards protect h!”

“damn, it’s an ambush!+”

“Fore! Archers, intercept them!!”

While the uards and bandits began

One of thehit by an arrow

Fortunately, it wasn’t a life-threatening injury, but his guards began to scream and scatter

“G-Grandpa!”

“Hush dear I will take part as well!!”

Creston exited the carriage and drew his silver swords from its sheath

It was a ical sword that created a defensive barrier around its user

The two knights brandished their shi+elds to defend against the arrows

“Well…… this won’t do Their nureat”

Although it was ahe could channel ic, the barrier would dissipate

In battle, there were a number of variables that deter with sheer numbers for example

The bandits had most likely blocked the road and intended to steal the uards

However, because his granddaughter’s life was at risk, Creston had no choice but to intervene

He would have liked to attack withit, they’d be surrounded

In addition, he would’ve had to drop the barrier to attack, providing an opening for him to be killed

Because of hi the initiative, his hands had been tied

“The area around the carriage has been secured! How long will the old ic sword hold out?”

“Well, hisinto the sword after all…… I’d say until the effect shuts off”

“They’re not gonna ignore us”

“Tch…… they intend to kill us sincetheir faces”

“Without a doubt……”

Since the eous

However, if he shut down the barrier he’d be killed by the arrows before he had a chance to counterattack

It was a well thought out plan

“Huhahahaha! You prepared to die bastards? Start collecting the valuables, women, and children We can sell the children to the slavers and the woman too, once we’ve had our fun with them”

“Take care… we have to get in the swing of things”

“It won’t be that easy to kill me!!”

“Quite dandy, aren’t cha? But〜, what can you do in that state? You’re gonna die anyway, o peacefully”

The man who seemed to be the bandit’s boss had arrived

He are thathis losses by coping with it

He must have been an experienced cri similar before

“How vexing……out”

“Sink or swim, attack or surrender?”

“There’s no other choose It would be easy to deal with theic……”

“Ooh, the sword is already waning? Please go to hell〜, and leave the rest to us Hahahahaha!”

The boss and the bandits were in a good mood

They had no doubt that their strategy would not fail

However, there was an unexpected intrusion

Without warning, a beast suddenly bared its fangs

“An obstruction? 『Ice Flower』”

The forest around the merchants was suddenly dyed white, with every bandit still within it being frozen before they shattered

The volley of arrows ca the road remained

“If there are bandits…… it ht…? That’s so boring and cliché”

“Who’s there!? Show yourself!!”

When the boss shouted that, a person casually descended onto the white carriage as if he were answering the call

He wore a gray robe and his disheveled hair covered his eyes

He was of medium stature and had a stubble

Satoshi+ had been traversing the road when he noticed so in the forest, so he’d decided to observe the situation from the treetops

To be frank, when he realized that they had been bandits he initially didn’t want to intervene, but he’d done so anyway

“bastard… you killed our companions”

“Companions? Weren’t they disposable tools? They should have only amounted to that much for you……”