bookworm

Chapter 31:

To the Capital

The Crimson Vow and the eighteen rescued humans made it safely through the forest and onto the main road leading to the regional capital.
Though it was called the main road, it was a small country road, just wide enough for a single cart. Two carts couldn’t pass each other except in the designated pull-off spaces placed here and there for that specific purpose.
Just as they had planned, the group didn’t stop in at the village at the edge of the woods. They no longer had to worry about the beastpeople’s retrieval team, but they had wasted more time than they anticipated on questioning, and if they stopped in town, it was unlikely they would make it to the capital before dark. Not a single person objected.
“If only we’d had prisoners, if only we’d had prisoners, the reward would…” Pauline sighed.
“Oh, be quiet,” the guard leader yelled. “I already told you, I’ll make sure they know you all did take prisoners, and we were the ones who decided to let them go! We got a bit of information, so we can use that as a bargaining chip to raise your reward a bit! That should be fine, right, Miss Guild Employee?!”
Tiffy jolted. “Y-yes, I will give my endorsement as well!”
The guard leader, worn down by Pauline’s incessant, obstinate complaints, finally snapped. He hoped the offer was more than a baseless promise. He wondered what might have happened if his opinion wasn’t well received and suddenly recalled Pauline’s gleeful face as she broke the beastmen’s legs. He shuddered.
“By the way, Doctor, ” Mile suddenly began. Dr. Clairia looked her way.
“Yes~?” Clairia replied.
“D-do you happen to know a woman from the capital branch of the Hunter’s Guild named Theresa?”
“Ah…” Clairia made an amused but slightly weary face. “I’m not sure how many times I’ve been asked this. A lot of people assume her to be an elf or half-elf because of her youthful appearance, but both her parents are completely human. Well, I mean, maybe there’s some elf blood somewhere way back in the family line and a recessive trait just reared its head. That’s not impossible. But, as far as I know, she’s a perfectly normal human.”
“Whaaaaaaat?!”
There was a cry of shock from not only the Crimson Vow, but Tiffy and the guard hunters, as well. Apparently, Theresa was well known around these parts.
Tiffy was flabbergasted. “Since it’s a taboo in the guild to pester other hunters about their personal details, no one had the nerve to actually ask her. We all just assumed she was an elf or half-elf or something…”
The secret to maintaining a youthful appearance was worth its weight in gold, especially for women. If it was just a matter of elven blood, the matter could be easily abandoned. But when it was a human who managed it, well, that was when jealousy arose.
Apparently, they had stepped on a land mine.
The city of Helmont wasn’t so far from the royal capital. The five days’ distance between them was considered “relatively short.” Plus, it was the capital; it wouldn’t be strange to see information be exchanged between guild employees.
“That woman…”
Growing frightened of Tiffy, who stared at the ground grumbling, Mile and the others hurriedly gave her some space.

The party managed to arrive in Helmont before the sun set for the evening. They headed straight for the guildhall.
A few hunters who saw them along the way rushed to the guildhall ahead of them, kicking up a fuss. They were likely acquaintances of Tiffy, the guards, or the other rescued hunters.
When they finally arrived…
“T-Tiffyyyyyyyyyyy!”
The guild master, who had been waiting in front of the building, ran toward them, arms flung wide. His face was soaked with snot and tears.
“Tiffyyy!”
Before he could embrace her, Tiffy stepped aside. Half-blind from tears, he continued rushing forth and eventually wrapped his arms tight around Clairia.
“Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!”

***

“…And that’s the sum of it,” Mile concluded.
The guild master gave an emphatic nod, both cheeks bright red and covered in stark scratch marks.
It was intensely undignified.
Mile was the one talking because this was their job completion report and she was the best-equipped to tell the story. When it came to most things, the others treated Mile’s mindset as somewhat unfortunate at best, but even they were aware that when it came to recalling and delivering facts, Mile was far superior to them.
The investigation team would give their report once all matters with the Crimson Vow were settled and the girls had returned home.
“After this, I’ll take the report from the investigation team,” the guild master explained. “Then I’ll send my report over to the lord’s estate. Compensation will be settled then, so please come back tomorrow. We can’t thank you girls enough, and we’ll never forget what you’ve done.”
What he wished to say was, “Thank you for saving my daughter,” but now he spoke as the guild master. He had to be mindful of the ceremony expected of him.
The Crimson Vow, recognizing this, nodded and left the conference room.

“Guess it’s over.”
“That’s the end of it.”
The entire investigation team had been brought back alive, which was something the client probably hadn’t expected. They had also rescued nearly half of the other missing hunters (the rest had probably fallen victim to unruly monsters who had been forced from their territories, so bringing back half, safe and sound, was quite an achievement).
It was an impressive, unexpected success. Even Mavis and Pauline couldn’t help grinning in satisfaction.
“Now then, for dinner tonight,” Reina proposed. “Let’s pay them triple the rate and have them cook us up something special. Sound good?”
“Yeah!!!”
Reina’s proposal was unanimously well received.

***

The next morning, the Crimson Vow headed for the guildhall right at the first morning bell. It went without saying that they were there to collect their payment. Once they collected what was owed, they planned to turn on the spot and head straight for home in the capital.
When they reached the reception counter, the exchange proceeded normally.“Here is your reward for rescuing the investigation team,” the receptionist said while processing their payment, “your reward for uncovering the source of the change in the monsters’ habitats, and a bonus for rescuing Dr. Clairia. Plus, while it isn’t much, you’ve been awarded a bonus from the Hunters’ Benefit Society for rescuing those nine other hunters and an additional sum as thanks from the hunters themselves.”
“You can give that last part back to the other hunters. I’m sure they’re in a bind after losing their gear,” said Reina, to which Pauline nodded in agreement.
Seeing Pauline, the group miser, go along with this, had Mile reeling in shock.
Wh-what is going on?! They say that the only thing that would get TV Tokyo to interrupt its usual broadcast for a special report would be the end of the world, but this is way bigger than that!!!
TV Tokyo was a remarkable television station that, even on the brink of the Gulf War or impending natural disasters, had perpetually refused to deviate from its scheduled programming. Also known as the western SUN-TV or East TV Tokyo, they were pioneers—nay, heroes—in the world of television, the pride of Japan. In her previous life, Mile had been a firm devotee.
“No, that won’t do,” the receptionist explained. “If we make an exception here, others will start hesitating to pay the reward, citing you all as an example. If that happens, you’ll start seeing all sorts of absurd situations, such as people refusing to save others when they figure out that the victims have no intention of paying a reward or delaying helping until payment is confirmed…”
Reina looked a little taken aback, but understood. “Well, guess we better take it then.”
“Including your compensation for releasing the prisoners you took on the investigation team’s orders, and the reward for the intelligence you gathered, this is the final amount.”
The receptionist placed a leather sack atop the counter with a resounding thud.
“Whooooooaaa!!!”
The four of them shouted in shock, their eyes wide. The reward was far greater than they had expected. There couldn’t just be silver or copper pieces inside.
“The guild master requested you stop by his office, as there’s something he’d like to discuss with you. So, if you all would,” the receptionist directed.
Thinking the guild master wanted to give them an additional reward for saving his daughter, or that he wanted to discuss the particulars of their payment, the four proceeded to his office with a spring in their steps. When they entered the room, the guild master and Dr. Clairia greeted them.
“We’d like you all to go back to the beastmen’s camp,” the guild master said without introduction. “It’s a direct request from our lord.”
“Huhh???”
The four of them stood there, shocked at the sudden request. The guild master continued.
“We sent a messenger out to the Capital this morning with a report. A forward rider went ahead as a herald, with a messenger behind them in a carriage. The lord’s own subordinates, along with the entire investigation team outside of Dr. Clairia, will be traveling with them.”
“But the escort party’s weapons…” Mile started.
“The guild lent them some free of charge. They might be returned once they get back.”
“Oh, I see…” Mile was relieved at the guild master’s reply.
To prevent the spread of information, it was reasonable to take the rescued hunters along as both witnesses and guards. Plus, this would help the hunters, whose very livelihood was threatened without their gear. More likely than not, it had been ordered by the guild master, who would have considered that. Although having to return the weapons once they came back was probably quite the bummer.
“Should you make an enemy of the beastpeople, or should the beastpeople begin moving in any sort of organized fashion, and things go sour, there’s a chance relations between us will deteriorate as a whole. In the worst case, we may return to a state of public enmity with the beastpeople. You understand this, yes?”
The four of them nodded.
“We cannot prompt the lord of this region to make any careless decisions. Not without approval from the Crown… However, we also can’t afford to overlook the mysterious activities of these beastpeople who have invaded our territory. Bringing an envoy from the capital would be an empty gambit, and without knowing their intentions, there’s no telling what they will do next. Also…”
“Also?”
“The lord desires whatever treasures they may have unearthed.”
“Ah…”
The four understood exactly what was going on.
Chapter 32:

Once More in the Forest

“Our lord really isn’t such a bad person. Well, I suppose he is as prideful and self-important as any other noble, but he does value the safety of his people.”
As Mile listened to the guild master, she thought, What you’re saying is, he’s really just caring for his prized livestock. So they’ll grow up fat and healthy, and give him lots of milk.
Of course, she would never say such a thing out loud.
“For the sake of the management and development of these lands, as well as his own luxury, he is rather stin… gree… ambitious when it comes to money.”
The four girls were starting to suspect the guild master wasn’t so fond of the man.
“Anyway, you were personally requested for this job. You know where the beastmen are, you’ve already infiltrated and escaped the place, and even if you’re attacked, you have the strength to make it home alive.”
Receiving a personal job request from a lord was one of the highest honors a hunter could receive. It was a recognition of their abilities and a mark of confidence in their success. Only a personal request from the king or another member of the royal family would be a higher honor.
Had they been normal hunters, they would have been over the moon and accepted the job without a second thought.
However, they were not normal hunters.
“So, what does he want us to do?” Reina asked coldly.
“He wants you to confirm the status of the beastmen, confirm what they’re excavating, and, if possible, reclaim it.”
“…”
The four said nothing. Mile eventually broke the silence.
“Um, may I ask you something?”
“Sure,” the guild master replied.
“I think that counts as looting. Wouldn’t that make us thieves?”
“Uh…” The guild master stared dumbly. “Well, n-no, that land is part of our country’s territory, so…”
“But that doesn’t mean we control it, does it? It’s just part of the forest. And, generally, whatever someone harvests or hunts out there belongs to them, doesn’t it? In that case, whatever the beastmen find is theirs, and not ours, right?
“Obviously, kidnapping hunters is a criminal act, but until we get a missive from the capital, we can’t protest it or request that the parties at fault turn themselves over, can we? And other beastpeople doing some gathering isn’t a problem, is it? Wouldn’t pillaging their site be a criminal act on our part?”“…”
Stealing underground resources of another country on your own country’s orders would be an enormous problem, perhaps even a diplomatic conflict. However, there was little issue with a group of private citizens doing a bit of small-scale gathering or treasure hunting on their own in foreign lands. If such a thing were forbidden, then hunters—whose activities already blurred national lines—would never be able to make a career.
While the beastmen had in fact started some kind of large-scale operation, they were “digging in order to find something,” and that didn’t count as a large-scale mining operation for resources. Therefore, if they were to seize whatever (probably minuscule) materials the beastpeople ended up uncovering, then who was the real villain here?
“I-I suppose that’s true…” Having this pointed out, the guild master’s words suddenly left a bad taste in his mouth.
“Mind if we discuss this amongst ourselves?” asked Mile.
The guild master gave his consent, and the four girls moved to the adjoining conference room.

Several minutes later, they returned, once again taking their seats in the guild master’s office.
“We discussed it, and we’ve decided to take the job,” said Mile.
The guild master looked relieved. Turning down a personal request from a lord was unheard of. This branch would become the laughing stock of the hunter’s guild, never mind the blow to the lord’s reputation and temper. Rumors about the “incompetent and unreliable branch that couldn’t even convince a group of rookie hunters to take on a lord’s personal request” would begin to spread far and wide, from the capital to the farthest reaches of the land.
“However, as long as there is no sufficient reason to do so, we will not reclaim the item. The original request was phrased ‘should the possibility arise,’ so I don’t believe that will be an issue.”
What counted as “sufficient reason,” the four had decided, was if the object turned out to be something dangerous or something they couldn’t allow to be handed over to the beastmen or their allies.
Mile, of course, had read plenty of fantasy novels and had already taken into consideration that such tropes as that they might be digging in the hopes of “reviving a demon king” or “breaking the seal on the prison of an evil god.” Of course, so had Mavis, Reina, and Pauline, since they had listened to Mile’s strange tales for nearly a year.
Part of the reason they decided to take the job was the points a personal request from a lord would net them. It was too tempting for their eventual B-rank promotion and would be a huge boost to their reputation, besides. But mostly, they were worried. If they refused the job, it would be given to some other party, and that party might go missing again or come to blows with the beastmen. Which could easily blow up into a huge incident.
Plus, they were keen to retrieve the other hunters’ confiscated gear and return it to them.
Were they being too kind? Or were they underestimating the job?
Well, that was just the way the Crimson Vow was.
“Y-yeah, of course, that’s not a problem. I mean, I’m sure our lord didn’t really think four little girl rookie hunters would be capable of stealing back any treasure in the first place. That’s probably why it came with the provision of, ‘should the opportunity arise.’”
The guild master was relieved the negotiations were settled, but he suddenly realized he had neglected one last important detail.
“Oh, by the way, Dr. Clairia will be accompanying you, so I’ll also have to ask you to put your all into guarding her.”
“Wh-what the heck?! You didn’t say anything about that!” Reina raged.
Her three companions were completely calm. They had already figured that out. Why else would Dr. Clairia not return to the capital and in fact be sitting in the room right now? Unfortunately, Reina was the only one who had yet to figure it out.
There was nothing strange about a scholar accompanying them to investigate a dig site and an artifact, after all. It was, however, perhaps not the best idea to expose Dr. Clairia—an elf, a scholar, and more than likely a person of note—to such danger. Given that she had been part of the initial investigation team, though, she was probably more concerned with investigation and research than with the dangers that might accompany them.
“The lord will also be sending out some reinforcements, though it seems like that’s still in the works. They’ll probably be heading out after you’ve already left.”
There was no way of knowing if these men were actual reinforcements or observers, making sure the Crimson Vow didn’t make off with any treasure. The words “barrier troops” floated through their minds.
“I guess that might be useful. So, how many troops is he sending out?” asked Reina.
The guild master answered, sourly, “One.”
“What?!”
“You heard me. Just one.”
That settled it. This person would be there as a watchman. They might get in the way, but they probably wouldn’t be very useful.
If anything happened to the Crimson Vow, they probably wouldn’t even step in to help, merely reporting what had happened to the lord. The girls would far prefer if they weren’t around.
The four of them thought the same thing at once: Let’s lose ’em.

Afterwards, they tossed a few ideas around and finally settled on leaving immediately. They had hoped to take a day to relax, but now, time was of the essence.
By now, thanks to the mage, several of the beastmen were probably recovered enough for combat, even if they weren’t yet fully healed. They most certainly had sent word back to the dig site. The dig site, meanwhile, was probably shorthanded and vulnerable. Perhaps they were panicking, since they had learned their allies were crippled out in the woods. They might be hurrying to form a rescue team. The Crimson Vow weren’t foolish enough to overlook such important factors, especially when planning an infiltration.
Dr. Clairia had anticipated this as well and finished her preparations the night before.
The Crimson Vow, of course, were always ready to leave at a moment’s notice, thanks to Mile and her “storage.” Since they had intended to head straight to the capital anyway, they were already checked out of the inn.
“Well then, let’s get going!” Reina cried.
“All right!!!” the three companions answered.
Dr. Clairia was just a second behind. “All right!”

“Mavis, here.”
A short while after they left town, Mile gently stretched her hand out to Mavis.
“Are these…?”
“Supplements to the other ones. Just in case. If you use them, I can resupply you with more, so please don’t hesitate. If you don’t try it at least once, you’ll be going in blind when the time comes.”
“Got it. I’m glad to do so, thank you.”
Mavis pulled three of the mysterious little capsules out of the container and placed them in her pocket. She now had five in total.
If she didn’t hurry up and try them out soon, Mile would keep offering her more. Soon, her pockets would be bulging. The premonition hung clearly in Mavis’s mind.

***

As was now the norm, Mile and the others skipped over the village on the outskirts of the forest. Thanks to the guidance of Dr. Clairia, who was skilled at moving through the woods, they kept up a brisk pace, traveling much quicker than they had during their escape.
Evening came quickly, the light growing dim within the forest. Once more, Mile attached wood blocks, painted with her humble “magical luminescent material” to each of their backs.
They moved in single file, what in another life Mile would have called a “Jet Stream Attack.” Of course, no one would be vaulting off anyone else’s head.
Mile, with her sharp night vision, was at the head of the line. Reina, Dr. Clairia, Pauline, and Mavis followed, in that order. Naturally, Clairia, their VIP, was dead center with Pauline, who had the most limited close-range abilities as well as ever-important healing magic. Mavis, of course, was at the tail, prepared to take on anything that might come from the rear. Mages were weak against surprise attacks, after all.
“If they were quick, the messenger will have arrived at the dig site right around now,” Mile calculated. “Or not, if they left only a little while ago…”
Considering the physical capabilities and forest-dwelling experience of beastmen, if a messenger moved at top speeds, he could make it to the excavation site within a day. But really, it all came down to that mage’s magical recovery speed, his healing capabilities, and whether the leader would favor sending word over the well-being of the team.
“Let’s take a detour,” Mile said. “If we keep heading straight toward the excavation site, we might run into that team or even a rescue unit. I’d rather avoid that. And there’s one other place I would very much like to avoid…”
The Crimson Vow didn’t know what other place Mile referred to, but because it was Mile who was saying so, they consented without much question.

“…Erk!”
It had only been a day since they entered the forest. They were very near the dig site, when suddenly, Dr. Clairia stopped in place. She covered her nose and mouth.
“What’s wrong? Oh no, elves have a sharper sense of smell than humans, don’t they? Everyone, change course immediately! This is ‘the forbidden place!’”
“I suspected something like this,” Reina said wearily. “When you had us take that early break so close to that pile of dung, and the beastmen chasing us ended up being much slower than expected…”
Pauline and Mavis nodded in agreement.
Even though they had already changed course quite a bit, the smell ranged so far that they had to detour even further. Mile had had in mind that the place might become something of a safe zone—somewhere no monsters or wild animals might wander into—but it had already become so toxic no one could possibly take refuge in it.
The beastmen would most likely detour around the opposite side of the area. Given the sensitivity of their noses, the team with the broken bones would probably take an even bigger detour than the girls. There was no sign of them passing through, such as broken branches, bent grass, or footprints. So they were very certain they would pass through on the other side.
Now a day and a half since leaving the capital—and a full day since entering the forest proper—the Crimson Vow and Dr. Clairia made it safely to the excavation site. There wasn’t a beastman in sight.
“We’ve been powering through for a day and a half with only a short break. Let’s take it easy and get some rest tonight,” Reina said.
With nothing pinged through Mile’s detection magic, they all nodded. It was already growing dark around them.
Mile picked a level patch of grass and pulled a tent from her inventory. Not a folded tent, but an already assembled one. It was an idea that had occurred to her two nights ago. Why waste time assembling and dissembling the tent when she could stash it fully assembled? So the morning before last, when they were packing to go, she put the tent away without folding it, when the others weren’t looking.
The sight stopped Dr. Clairia in her tracks. “Wh…?”
The other three paid it no mind, going about their tasks of staking the tent’s four corners and digging a drainage ditch around their camp site as though nothing had happened. Even if the weather deteriorated quickly, it was unlikely they would be rained on very hard, given the thick canopy, but it was better to be prepared. That was the secret to a long and healthy life.
“Wh-why wasn’t it folded up?!” Dr. Clairia demanded.
“Hm? I mean, it’s annoying to have to fold it down and pitch it every single time. It’s a waste of time, don’t you think?”
Dr. Clairia was dumbfounded.
Typically, the storage capacity of a mage’s storage magic was limited by weight and volume. No matter how light an object was, if it had a large volume then the storage space would reach capacity much quicker. If an object was compact but dense, storage would be pushed to its limits all the same. The limit was decided by a combination of these factors, not separately.
It was standard practice to store only objects that were as small and light as possible in storage. Even when within the limits, the more a mage stored, the more magical energy and mental stamina it took to maintain the magic.
And yet, this little girl had decided to skimp on the paltry amount of time it would take to fold and set up a tent—which would reduce its volume greatly—and simply stored it as is.
Just how much magical power did she have?! What intense levels of unconscious control went on in that tiny skull?!
Granted, the items she produced during their escape, such as fruit and vegetables that appeared to be fresh from the market and orc meat that appeared recently butchered, were already quite peculiar.
And there was the matter of the wooden weapons she had suddenly offered the group, the fact she could see in the dark, and her shining wood blocks. She also had the physical strength to ward off a dozen beastmen as though they were nothing…
Clairia’s elven intuition gave her the sense Mile was also an elf, just like her. Even if told otherwise, Clairia couldn’t help but feel she was unarguably elf-like.
Part of the reason the scholar had come along with the Crimson Vow was that she had a scholarly interest in finding out what the beastmen were up to and seeing for herself what they might excavate. However, since their escape, the professor had found herself inexorably drawn to the girl, transfixed by her mysterious appeal. Thus, she had taken on this dangerous job for the sole purpose of solving the mystery that was Mile.
It was against the hunter’s code to ask about the past and abilities of another hunter. Dr. Clairia was aware of this, so she restrained herself from asking directly.
However, it still concerned her. It bothered her. Oh, how it bothered her. She was about ready to burst!
“Aaaaaaarrrgh!!!”
“Wh-whatever is the matter, Doctor?!” Mile rushed over at Clairia’s sudden scream.
“N-nothing at all!”
She feigned serenity, glaring at Mile all the while.

Mile stretched a cord around the outside of the tent and then fastened pieces of metal and wood to each section in pairs of two. These were “alarm clappers.”
Until now, whenever they slept outdoors together, Mile had erected a barrier or used her surveillance magic. However, if she became negligent, or moved away from the others, then things could go south. Realizing this, Mile concocted an alarm system that would be effective even without her.
Plus, they had Dr. Clairia with them. She couldn’t use such alarming magic in front of the professor, Mile concluded.

Because they had had nothing to eat but preserved rations nibbled during their short breaks, dinner that evening was a proper meal with a number of peculiarly fresh ingredients from Mile’s inventory.
Dr. Clairia was concerned as to whether it was safe to cook so close to the beastpeople’s site, but Mile reassured her.
“I take care to draw in and contain smoke and scent particles with magic, so it should be fine. Look, this is what they look like all gathered up.”
“…”
Mile pointed towards a strange, blackish blob, as Clairia stared in awed silence.

“Time for tonight’s Japanese Folktale!”
Just as it always was on the days when they needed to sleep early.
“…And so, the thief, having felled the evil count, left the princess, the old man, and the faithful dog behind. Afterwards, a guard came rushing to the scene of the crime and said to the princess, ‘That rascal has stolen something inconceivable… Your underwear!’”
Pfft!
The other girls of the Crimson Vow listened gleefully, but Dr. Clairia sprayed the soup she had been sipping from her nose and mouth. Nostrils stinging terribly, she collapsed in a heap.