Chapter 129 (1/2)
Volume 2
The Simple Job of Only Perishing to the Hero Volume 4 Chapter 10
– 107.167.229.84
That evening, when the sun was setting, Ria was running through the village.
「Oh, Ria-chan. Where are you going?」
「Erm……The open field! I had forgotten something!」
Being called out to by the Karim couple that was coming back from working in the fields, Ria conscientiously came to a stop and answered.
The thing she forgot, was the basket she used to put their bentos in.
Having a red ribbon on it, it was Ria’s favorite thing that she received on her thirteenth birthday.
After having gone along with Teg’s sword practice like usual, she noticed that she carelessly forgot it, and thinking that she should get it before it got dark, she was hurriedly running back.
「Is that so. Be careful so that you don’t fall down!」
「Yes, thank you very much!」
Waving her hand at the Karim couple with a smile, Ria once again started running.
「Oh, Ria! My skill with the sword’s really gone up! Keep me company in my training tomorrow!」
「Sorry, Noll! I promised to be with Teg tomorrow!」
「Then the day after tomorrow! How about the day after tomorrow!」
「Ahaha, that should be fine!」
Waving her hand at the blacksmith’s son, Noll, who was making a fist pump, Ria started running again.
She didn’t know what was so good about being watched by her who didn’t know anything about the sword, but according to Teg, people could improve by being watched……or so it seems.
She didn’t know why they wanted to be watched by her, but by some chance, it might be because they were turned down by the other kids. In that case, she was able to agree with how Noll looked so happy earlier.
While thinking that sort of thing, Ria ran.
Looking up at the large setting sun, she thought “today was also a good day……”.
When she arrived at the open field that was dyed red, she immediately found the basket.
「Thank goodness. Ehehe, I can have a peace of mind with this.」
She approached the basket, picked it up, and checked to see that there wasn’t any dirt on it.
She turned it upside down, and turned it around──
「Nnー……Yosh.」
Satisfied with the fact that the basket was still clean, Ria turned around and was about to head back.
At that moment──
*Gasari*
Hearing a sound from behind her, Ria stopped her feet.
There was a forest at the back of the open field.
The ones who would come out from that sort of place were either Mul the woodcutter or Yorg the hunter.
Thinking that, Ria turned around with a smile.
「Yo, ojou-chan. You look like you’re having fun.」
The one who said that, was a man she didn’t know.
He was bigger than Mul the woodcutter, who was the largest person in the village, and had a body covered in muscles.
Looking more like a bear than the Village Chief who was said to have a “face like a bear……”, his face had a scraggly beard.
Wearing cloth clothes and leather armor, he had a sword hanging on his waist.
「Erm……Are you a travelling person?」
「Nn? Yeah. Ojou-chan, are ya a kid of that village?」
「Yes.」
Thinking “so he really was a travelling vagrant”, Ria was convinced.
It wasn’t rare for vagrants like that to come to villages seeking trouble that could become a variety of jobs.
However, there weren’t even any stray dogs around this pioneer village, and was peace itself.
That is why in cases where travelling vagrants would come by, it was a custom to show them appreciation in the village and then send them off.
According to the Village Chief, by doing that, the vagrants who received that favor would return that favor somewhere else.
And then that someone who received that favor from that vagrant would also return that favor somewhere.
By doing that, the favor would circulate, and peace would be born.
It was for that reason that Al was being made welcome in the village right now.
Ria judged that the man before her was also that sort of vagrant, and called out to him.
「Erm……If you are searching for a place to stay, I could introduce you to the Village Chief.」
「Nnー……」
After the man said that and sank into silence, he started making a scrutinising stare at Ria.
A rude gaze that went from top to bottom.
Seeing that gaze that seemed to be licking her, Ria felt the thing known as a chill for the first time in her life.
It was a defensive instinct.
In accordance with that instinct that continuously sent herself a warning, Ria backed away.
Run to the village──while having that impulse welling up from inside of her, Ria turned her back to the man and tried to kick the ground into a run.
「Oi, oi, hold on there.」
Her arm was grabbed by the man’s thick hand.
She tripped over herself as she tried to run from suddenly being grabbed, and she ended up nearly falling.
However, the man’s hand that grabbed Ria’s arm didn’t allow her to fall down completely, and pulled Ria towards him.
「If ya start running like that, you’ll get hurt.」
When Ria timidly turned around, there were several men that appeared one after another from the forest.
「She did that it ’cause ya got an evil face, right?」
「Ya ain’t wrong.」
Reflexively, Ria let out a breath that went *hii*.
They were men who had the same outfit as the man that was grabbing Ria’s arm. And also, all of them had turned the same eyes towards Ria.
「Wh, what is going on……」
「Nnー? It ain’t anythin’ ya need ta worry about. All we’re doin’ is helpin’ everyone in the village, includin’ you, ojou-chan, with movin’.」
「M, moving……?」
Naturally, there were no such plans.
She didn’t understand the meaning of that.
Seeing Ria infected with fear, the man who grabbed her arm smirked.
「Ou, it’s a real good place, ya know? After all, it’s the place the God of Life is at.」
「Well, we’re goin’ ta have various fun before that though!」
It meant they were going to kill them.
“Scary”, that is what Ria’s mind continued to scream.
And then, that fearful heart lead Ria to extend her hand to her waist.