Try again? - Chapter 53

Not long after we arrived at the temporary camp, we saw the first batch of adventures fully loaded with bags and rucksacks. Shortly afterward, some of the ones that were guarding and managing the camp helped them to unpack and switch the materials in other rucksacks…

I wasn’t sure for what reason they did that, but I assumed that the reason must be the better quality or capacity. At least the new rucksacks looked to be of better quality with complex enchantments on them.

After that, the ones who just arrived at the camp stayed here to rest switching the roles with the others. Thinking back at it for a second, it was reasonable for an extermination team like this to contain personnel for these jobs as well.

Though… There was something that wasn’t fitting too well in the scenery.

Outside of the obvious adventurer-like group of people, in a separate corner of the camp, there was a different group that caught my attention.

They were wearing the same kind of armor with small adjustments to suit the wearer’s needs better, which was obvious-as-day of better quality compared with the previous group. They didn’t seem to be bothered to help the guys who were carrying the stuff around despite not doing anything else…

Seeing that I was starting at them, Frank told me that I was better to let them be. They were part of the knight order that was supposed to help us with the extermination, but they were more like a bother than actually help. I was a little disappointed at the discovery. In the end, I did as he said and did not investigate further. The last thing I wanted right now was to be remarked by a troublesome group like that.

As the reed moon started to appear, the last batch of adventures came back to the camp together with Hector and some more knights… I was quite happy that he was too busy to care about me at that moment. My opinion on him dropped a lot after my discussion with Silvia.

In the morning, we packed and headed toward the road. We spent quite some time to get there since we had to carry a lot of cargo with us. At least I managed to confirm yet again that my ring’s weigh nullification wasn’t normal. The enchanted rucksacks had some weight reduction but that was all. And even that was depending on the item’s grade and quality, the reason which they moved the materials from one into another back in the camp.

They had carriages waiting for them at the road so the poor guys weren’t forced to carry them to the city on their backs. Sadly, there was no space for us as well so we had to walk on foot.

” Well… I think that here we part ways. It was a good experience to work with you two. ” Frank said to us shortly after we entered the city.

” Thanks, Frank. Even though the whole situation was unexpected, working with you wasn’t a bad experience for us either. Hope we’ll see each other in the futur… ”

” Hmmm… What do you mean with that? Didn’t we agree to meet tomorrow and do something together? You forget already? ” I couldn’t even finish my sentence before to be interrupted by a question coming from Silvia.

She was glaring at me with narrowed eyes so I didn’t know what to say.

” Well… I think that she was referring solely to me and Elliott… I don’t remember you mentioning something like that and judging by the face Elliott is making right now, he seems to not either… ”

Fortunately, Frank came to my rescue and save me from the awkward situation.

’Thank you very much. You saved me.’

” Hmm… Maybe you are right. We wanted to pay a visit to Rebecca and do some ‘girls’ stuff after we submit the quest and take our rewards. She should be able to get hers by then, right? ”

” I think so… Hector will submit the quest report right away. Her situation and rewards should be decided by then… Though, it’s better to not go there right in the morning. Just to be sure. ”

” Yeah… thanks again, Frank. Then, I think we’ll part here and meet tomorrow afternoon at the guild… right, Silvia? ”

” Yes. I will wait for you two there. ”

” Thanks. ”

We said our farewells and parted shortly afterward. Fiona just nodded to them and didn’t say anything. Even so, it was still some progress nonetheless… No matter how little, interacting normally with other people was good for her.

Meeting tomorrow for the quest submission wasn’t a bad deal either. The situation was quite complicated and getting some help from Silvia wasn’t a bad choice. I still didn’t know who Rebecca was though…

We decided to not go back to Erin and the others right away. They did not know when we were supposed to arrive so it wasn’t a bad idea to take a detour and get something from the commercial district. We still had around two or three silver coins and since we should get our payment tomorrow, it wasn’t a problem.

Fiona supported my decision the moment she heard about it.

’Is this because of that kebab thing? Well, whatever… I think I promised to take some for Erin as well when we departed for the quest.’

That was a good idea. Additionally to that, we managed to find an older lady selling some kind of bread with jam inside. Even though it was quite pricey we took two of them for me and Fiona. That was the puffiest and sweetest thing I ever ate in this word so it was worth it.

Looking at Fiona, she seemed to share my opinion. She was munching on it with so much gusto that I couldn’t help but give her half of mine as well. She tried to refuse in the beginning but the puffy bread-like thing managed to win in the end. It was so funny seeing her fighting an impossible battle against such an overpowered opponent. She had no chance at all.

” Thank you, Lizza. ”

” Mm. Do not worry, Fio. You worked hard these days… It’s fine to reward ourselves with something from time to time. ”

” Mm. Lizza worked hard too. ” she said and smiled to me while some jam was still lingering on the corner of her mouth.

”…”

’Oh my Tree… T-This… This is the sweetest smile I ever saw in my life. Is she an angel? Well… Nope, she’s not… She’s a wolf after all…’

While chuckling at my bad joke, I failed to see a group of people coming in our direction.

” Seriously, just give up. You’ll just bother her again… ”

” Is that the one he told us about? The one you messed his chances with, Arnold? She’s quite young. ”

” I didn’t do anything. He’s the one who is insisting that he had a chance in the first place when she was clearly not interested. ”

” Shut the fuck up, Arnold. Just shut up and let me speak this time. Actually, shut up right now… She’ll hear you. ”

Catching the strange conversation, I turned around to see four men approaching us. I was so confused because I didn’t know how was it possible for them to know me. At least, I didn’t recognize any of them.

’Maybe they got the wrong person?’

A plausible assumption.

” Hello, we met again. ”

” Ah… Hello, I think… but I’m not so sure we meet befor… Wait… Fio? W-What are you doing? ” I tried to politely refuse whatever he wanted to say since I was quite sure that he should have been mistaking me for someone else when Fiona suddenly jumped in from of me.

She tried her best to hide me behind her while glaring dangerously at the group of men in from of us, especially at the one who just tried to talk to us.

” Ehh… Fi… Fio? What are you doing? ”

” Lizza, this is the perverted guard that tried to hit you when we left the city back then. ”

’Huh… Who? I don’t get it… He tried to do what? To… hit me? Was there someone who tried to hit m…’

”…”

’Wait… Wait a moment… Pervert… pervert… Huh? Pervert guard… Oh, ohhh nooo… Oh, no, no, no, no…’

Looking back at the person in question, he had an expression akin to someone who just received the news that he had cancer or something like that. The others around him were just looking funny at him while not saying anything.

Actually, that was the best reaction possible. Better to be stunned by her reply than actually doing something bad to us.

I quickly grabbed Fiona’s hand to get the hell out of there before he managed to snap from the shock.

” Lizza? ”

” We are leaving, Fio… Ahh, sorry about that. She didn’t want to say that… We’re leaving, goodbye. ”

While I was busy dragging my fluff out of there, I could hear the other three men bursting in uncontrollable laughter at the poor guard’s bad luck. I was just happy they didn’t decide to follow us at least.

’Goddamit, Fio… Though, I have my part of the blame here…’

Looking back at her, she had a dejected expression on her face. She just wanted to protect me so I couldn’t be mad at her. Since they seemed to not follow us we stopped and I gave her a heartwarming hug.

There was no problem that couldn’t be resolved with such a technique. And I was right. She seemed to regain her smile and started to giggle like nothing happened moments earlier.

At how effective it was I couldn’t help but think that that was the moment for an announcement to suddenly pop up and say that my hug technique gained another level or something.

’Hehe… That should be hilarious…’

[*Ding: You have gained the passive skill {Spirit Enlargement (small)}!]

”…”

FDSIO

Perverts: 0  /  Fiona: 1

The day was saved by Fiona yet again! =)) Let’s cheer for her!