“When you take on an escort mission, you’ll be teamed up with a veteran for practice. I’m going to have you join the merchant’s escort squad and experience it for yourself. This is a must. Since you’re amateurs, you’ll be treated as guests. You’ll need to pay for your travel expenses. That’s on your own.”
“Speaking of which, what happened to the reward for defeating the goblins?”
“I’ll pass on the word from the lord of …….”
I’ve got a bad feeling about this.
“Viscount Althaus said, “It was a great deed.””
So that’s it …….
“I’m sorry. I’m sure you’ll understand. Before you do anything, you have to make a proper contract and get paid as much as you can in advance, or you have to accept the work ordered by the guild from the guild. Remember that.”
“…… Yes I understand that very well.”
I felt like an idiot for protesting.
It seems that Saran is the same way. Half-eyed.
“I’m the one who asked for it urgently, you know. I’m sorry about that. That’s why the guild will pay for the training. I’ll even introduce you to a party to form. All that I need is your permission.”
“Okay.”
“Oh, well.”
Three days later, while I was waiting for the deer and coyotes to be exterminated, I was told by the old man who told me that party that would participate in the scrot was decided.
When I went to the east entrance in the morning, I found many wagon teams loading and unloading their goods.
Twelve cars, I guess.
It’s like the stagecoaches you see in old western movies.
“Yo, you guys are the ‘raccoon heads’? That’s really cool”
…… I didn’t know we had a name like that.
The two of us are wearing matching raccoon raccoon hats.
It’s not a raccoon at all. We’re wearing full-body camouflage clothing, though.
I was approached by a burly, middle-aged man who was as tall as Saran and wore a steel-plated armor.
“So that’s Saran, the big girl, and you’re Shin, the pigeon killer.
Can’t you come up with a better nickname?
I am already famous for that? I don’t know, …….
“I’m Bartyr, a second level hunter. I’m the leader of Team Ballistias. I heard from the guild master that they wiped out a nest of twelve goblins. I was wondering what kind of people would show up, but I didn’t know it was you guys. ……”
“Do you know who we are?”
“I saw you shoot down a pigeon here. You were using some kind of slingshot.”
He laughed. He is a charming man.
“I’ve also heard that you use other strange tools. The master told me, ‘Don’t ask, don’t look”. Are you a wizard?”
“Well, something like that, I guess. We’re both long-range.”
I look back at the M870 with a 26-inch shotgun barrel. I’m wearing a gun cover so you can’t see what I’m carrying.
The Saran uses a super long bow. I could have used a spear, though.
Bartyr nodded with a fumu sound.
“Well, if it can still kill a Lavalas crocodile and defeat twelve goblins, it must be real. I trust you there. Balu-san has endorsed me as a promising newcomer. I look forward to working with you.”
“Yes, thank you very much.”
Then we both bowed our heads.
“You’ll be treated as our guests for now. Watch us work. But since it’s an apprenticeship, you’ll have to keep watch with us, and if there’s a battle, you’ll have to participate. Basically, you’ll be doing support work for us. Is that okay?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Attention, Ballistas!”
I was introduced to the members.
Bartyr-san, the leader, a spearman. Myrdd, the swordsman with a one-handed sword and shield.
These two seem to have been working together for many years and are close in age.
There are also two wizards. One is said to be an offensive magician, and one is said to be a healer or defensive magician.
There’s also a bowman, so it’s a party of five. They are all male.
…… That’s right.
There is no way that a hunter is a job for a woman.
I’m not sure if there are any beautiful girl adventurers in the fantasy world.
There was not a single woman in the hunting association that I belonged to.
The recently talked about hunting girl is just an urban legend in a small town like mine.
It seems that it is no longer possible in this world for a hunter to be married and have a wife who is a hunter with him. That’s what Balu-san said. Yes.
I was told, “If you have a wife, you should get a real job. ……”
I might want to do that if I could. Yes.
“I thought you were sticking grass and leaves together, but it’s dyeing. ……. It’s amazing.”
“Yes, it’s equipment for hiding in the mountains and forests and getting close to prey.”
Bartyr-san looked at our camouflage and was impressed.
“We’re hunters and everything, but you’re hunters, right?” (The first hunters are written in katakana and the second in kanji.)
“Well, yes.”
“It doesn’t make much difference. It’s just that you’re dealing with people or animals.”
We laugh at each other.
I’m not laughing so much. ……
Everyone was divided into two carriages, the lead carriage and the rear carriage. Milledge-san will be leading the carriage. We are in the lead carriage with Bartyr-san.
I heard that the thieves are stupid and think they can win if they attack from behind, so they need more people in the back.
Here we go!
Our destination was the neighboring city of Topurus. It’s a bigger city than the one we were in, Surplast. It’s far from the river and inland.
It’s our first land trip and a new city for Saran and me. I’m looking forward to it.
“I’ve been told not to look or ask, but since we’re going to be fighting together, I’d like to know the weapons of my companions, and I’d like to know what they are and how to use them.”
Bartyr-san asks me.
Right now, Saran is sitting next to Gosha-san, and he’s on alert.
Saran is sensitive to the presence of enemies and animals, so she’s perfect for keeping watch.
“This is … a gun.”
I took off the cover to reveal an M870.
“…… I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s supposed to shoot out magic. ……”
“Something like that.”
“How far does it reach?”
“Well, it’s about the same as a normal bow, but more powerful.”
“Can anyone use it?”
“Only I can use it.”
Well, to be precise, you’d need bullets.
“Did you make this?”
“No, a craftsman.”
“What craftsman?”
“Eliphalet Remington.”
He’s the founder of the Remington Arms Company in the United States. He’s a master of the firearms world who started his own business by making guns from barrels. The Remington Company is the oldest existing firearms manufacturer in the United States, dating back to before the Civil War, so I’m not lying.
“I’ve never heard of that guy. If they can make something as good as this, it’s not surprising that they’re well known. ……”
“He’s been dead for over a hundred years now. This is something I inherited from my grandfather.”
“I see. It must be very valuable. Take good care of it.”
Yes.
I managed to cover it up without telling a lie.
It’s easy to tell when someone is lying.
“Um…”
“Hmm?
I’d like to talk about something else.
“How do you tell the difference between a burglar and a robber?”
“Well, you know, a thief is a thief with a weapon.”
“Don’t most people carry a sword or something for protection when they travel?”
“Ordinary people are not allowed to carry weapons. When they travel, they ride in a stagecoach.”
Is that so?
“…… Come to think of it, we used to walk from place to place together.”
“Except for the hunters. You can walk around with a weapon. If you get stopped, just show your card.”
“But how do you know if you’re a hunter or a thief?”
“Hmmm… ……, well, I’d say you’ll know it when you see it. We escort hunters are familiar with the other hunters. It’s a good idea to get to know your fellow hunters as well. It would be no laughing matter if you were taken down by mistake.”
It’s not funny. …….
“Well, thieves are dirty, smelly, and horrible as you can see. They’re not small like you, and they don’t come with women. We don’t look like thieves either, do we?”
That’s right. You can see at a glance that all of them have pretty good equipment.
“You guys keep wearing those hats. It’s a good landmark.”
Have you decided to wear a raccoon head? I think I’ll call myself “Raccoon Head” from now on.
“People!”
Saran shouted, and Bertil-san and I leaned forward and looked ahead.
“……? Where is it?”
“A long time ago. Five people. They look like hunters.”
“…… You got good eyes, girl. I’ll be on the lookout.”
Bartyr-san changes places with Saran and sits in the seat on the platform.
Saran and I peek in from behind.
“Ahh~ It’s Tirath’s party, isn’t it? They’re in charge of patrolling the roads.”
The five of us give way to the carriage party and wait at the side.
When Bartyr waved, the five of them lightly bowed and smiled.
They are equipped with bows, spears, and swords, but they are a bit dirty.
I’m sure the thieves are even dirtier than this,…….
We have to be careful about our appearance too, don’t we?
“If you’re not a robber, it’s polite to wait and give way like that. Remember that.”
“Yes, I’ll be careful.”
“Also, bandits are numerous. There are usually more than ten of them.”
“How can we fight them with that many men and that many guards?”
“A bandit is a desperate bastard. It’s not possible to have an elite few. If they had that kind of skill, they’d be doing something else by now. They’re weak, so they surround you with numbers to scare you and attack you ……. Hunters are not our enemy.”
That’s a lot of confidence. Feels reliable.
“Well, it’s a major road between Sarplast and Torplus. There are not many people who would steal in such a busy place. There are people like us guarding them, and the guild has a strict policy of killing all thieves on the spot. I don’t care if it was a hundred years ago, banditry is not a lucrative business nowadays. Even so, there is talk of banditry these days.”
Even a country bumpkin like me knows what a “death flag” is.
I’ve tried not to say anything about it, but I knew it. ……
“There will be bandits. A hunter will escort you. The bandits disappear. When it becomes safe, more merchants will travel without guards. Then the bandits come out again. Repeat.”