Kansutoppu Chapter 83 Part 2 (Patreon)

◆ Deep in the Azuma Mountain ◆

"Gyan!"

What a surprise, I and Roel let out the same scream. Thanks to the level, Roel was in pain, but not badly injured. On the contrary, I think he cast some kind of defensive magic just before the collision. I was surprised that Roel, who couldn't even manage that recovery magic, could grow up to be able to do such a thing on the spur of the moment.

"Ouch.... We've come to a very deep place, haven't we?"

"Yes, but it's kind of open for a forest.... Look, there's nothing but grass and not many trees here."

"Ah, ah..."

I heard a voice. It wasn't the sound of an animal, but a human voice. A girl who pointed at us and, without covering her open mouth, simply expressed her surprise with her whole body. It was a person, a human being. I suspected it was a phantom or something, but it was a person. Because I don't think a phantom would be surprised to see us.

"Human...?"

That's precisely what we said. We were surprised to meet a girl in such a deep mountainous area, where bears might be found.

Roel told us that the clothes they wear in this country are called kimonos. The girls there were also wearing kimonos, but they were much dirtier than the people in town.

She is a young girl in a red kimono, with her hair cut the same length in the front and back. She was wearing a red kimono and her hair was cut in the same length in the front and back. She was holding a basket-like thing in her hand, and many strawberries were being picked.

She blinked repeatedly and seemed to be trying to acknowledge our presence.

"We're travelers, but we seem to be lost. Are you from around here?"

"Wan...derer?"

"Eh? Because we're Adve... Mogyuu!"

I was about to say that when Roel interrupted me. I don't know why, but I guess I was about to say something else when Roel stopped me. I'm going to leave this to Roel. I'll just shut up like a clam.

"Oh, travelers! How nice of you to show up here! You must be tired. Come this way!"

Suddenly, the girl smiled as if a flower had bloomed. She was strangely excited and started walking like a dancer, inviting us to join her. Roel and I looked at each other and felt relieved.

The girl's steps were familiar, as she hopped along this bumpy, stony, branch-filled terrain. From the looks of it, the girl lives in this area after all. I wonder if she lives alone.

"There's a village where we live just up ahead. I've never had a guest before, so I'm sure everyone will be surprised."

"Village? Are there other people living this deep in the mountains?"

"It's a small village. Hey, why don't you stay with us today!"

I looked up and saw that the sunlight was no longer shining through the leaves. It was already night. As for me, I had planned to pick a few millennial herbs today and go back home, but my plans have gone awry.

The king said it was only a request to pick medicinal herbs, but that's a big lie. I wonder if things are going well with Balm and Gilbert. I don't mean to compete with them, but we can't lose either.

◆ Village deep in Azuma Mountain ◆

A village deep in Azuma Mountain, where fields are spread out as if a part of the forest has been cut out, and houses with straw roofs stand side by side. I can't really describe it as anything other than idyllic. The houses in my village were made of logs, but here they are all made of planks.

And the area is so large that you can't see it all at a glance. Surrounded by mountains and forests, this is the only place where there is a lot of human space. Somehow, it reminded me of the village of Ikana. Thinking back on it, I wonder if that man who taught me, so many things also wandered into the village like we are now.

"Hello, Gensuke-san!"

"Oh, Nanoka-chan."

"Ah, these are travelers. They were lost, so we're letting them stay with us today."

"Oh! I didn't think anyone would come this far! I'm amazed!"

Nanoka exchanged a few words with a man who was working in the fields. We bowed to him lightly, and he insisted that we take it easy and stay at his place for the night.

"You're more welcoming than I thought you'd be..."

"It's the first time we've had people from outside. Isn't that unusual?"

It was the first time I had ever been greeted kindly by someone on our first meeting in this country. I wondered where there were so many people when I was thinking about it in a daze, and then people started to gather. Where did they come from, and for what purpose were they traveling? How could I answer these questions one after another?

"Ah yes, yes! Questions later! Come on, let's go to my house."

"Oh, traveler! See you later!"

"Tell me about your trip!"

I don't like to be cold, but this is also tiring: as soon as I mention Daigami-sama, their attitude changes, and I wonder why people in this country are so extreme.