Chapter 5 – What’s this!? As expected, the slum quarters are bad luck!?
TL: Krrizis
Editors: PenWie & Karma
Once again, I was giving it my all at work today. Since the merchants were on break, I was hunting dangerous animals and demons on my own.
Today, I wore a largish robe with the hood pulled down over my eyes.
As one of the fantasy elements used by adventurers, it’s exciting!! When I first wore the robe, I felt that using a sword didn’t suit my image as a magic user. However, since the robe itself had a notch to hold my sword that was rather convenient and user-friendly.
The only negative was that pulling my hood down over my eyes narrowed my range of vision and was obstructive. Despite this nuisance, I pulled it down anyway because of Mooks-san’s order.
When handling subjugation requests, it was a condition that I wear the hood at all times. In any case, I was told it was to conceal my face … Do I really need to cover it up this much?
I thought I was ordinary, but am I actually ugly?! The thought was simply depressing. Was that really what it was? I didn’t have the courage to ask, though.
It was just like me, but since today was the truly long-awaited subjugation request, my excitement for the hunt returned. Although I had left in the morning, it was already evening now.
I did make dinner preparations in advance, though, so, maa, it’ll be fine, but … am I a housewife?!! I futilely tsukkomi-ed* alone as I made my way home.
Even though I made preparations, it would probably better if I rushed home anyway. If I take too long to hurry back from the subjugation request, Mooks-san won’t be happy. When I imagined that it may be because he’s worried about me, it made me feel slightly happy.
As I quickened my pace to return home, something suddenly came flying out from the direction of the slum quarters. Confused, I did not stop in time, so I I ended up colliding into it and fell on my butt. It couldn’t be helped since I had a body of a child’s, but … It’s still embarrassing.
Sitting on my bottom, I sensed blood thirst and immediately back flipped to my feet, preparing myself in advance. Catching sight of the situation, I was stunned. That guy over there was probably the one I had collided with.
Two large men were there, one of which appeared to be badly injured as a knife was stuck in his stomach. Eckk. The other was propping up the injured guy despite his own injuries.
Although both of them were gasping, they didn’t look away from their opponents.
The injured men were facing two other men in black while I was stuck in the middle. The blood thirst from a short while ago (Ah! It isn’t a bad pun!*) seemed to have come from those men in black.
What the heck is going on!? As expected, the slum quarters are bad luck!?
Just as I pulled myself together from the surprise, I was hit by the sharp blood thirst once again.
My body reacted before my brain, lowering my centre of gravity and extending my posture with my sword drawn. The swords clashed with a heavy impact, but I parried it and sent a roundhouse kick his way that he avoided.
I clicked my tongue at the seemingly large gap between us that put him out of my reach. However, since I had managed to compete with him even from a distance, I suppose it’s a pass.
Does my opponent have an unknown ability? He was holding two short swords in his hand and my attacks were on the defensive side, maybe my counterattacks had surprised him. Heee, serves you right!!
When I had attacked him with the roundhouse kick, I had also used magic to search for more enemies, locating a total of seventeen people. Besides the two men in black, there were fifteen others, excluding the two injured men and I.
The fifteen other people were hidden a fixed distance away in order to observe the situation.
Seriously, what the heck is going on?? What do these seventeen assailants have against these two? Do they have a lot of time on their hands or something? What’s the deal?
Mouu, the slum quarters are absolutely bad luck!!
Discreetly, I activated my physical enhancement magic. For the past four years, I had practiced magic without letting anyone around me know about it, even though my magic is invisible, so even if I had used it out in the open, I wouldn’t have been exposed. Teehee.
I paused, sweating as I mulled it over. No matter how I thought about it, wasn’t this an excessive amount of people? There were also those two seriously injured men behind me, who had mostly caught their breath. What’s with this impossibly hard game mode?
「Ani-ueee! Hold on!! You can’t close your eyes.
Ani-ue! Shit. If I hadn’t brought you along, for whose sake did I–」
The man’s shout echoed through the area, inadvertently scaring me.
However, this was truly a dangerous development.
I looked over my shoulder in the direction of the guy’s voice and froze, unintentionally raising my voice.
「Kei?!」
That’s right, I knew the man bleeding from his stomach.
Seeing his face, I was shocked. This man was more than an acquaintance, he was my best friend*.
As I was distracted, the two men in black suddenly dashed towards us. Maa, it’s natural if they’re aiming for his life. Even if I were to defend him, I wouldn’t be able to make it in time from this distance.
I instinctively raised a barrier around the three of us. *clang*. The sound of their mighty swords being repelled, violently reverberated throughout the surrounding area.
The sudden presence of the barrier caught everyone by surprise.
As they recovered, I tried to think of something else. How the heck should I move on from here?
I didn’t want to use magic, but I was reluctant to see anyone die in front of me because I refused to use it. On top of that, he is my best friend.
I cannot let that happen. Besides, I’ve already used it, and if I hadn’t, I’d surely be dead by now.
Nnn … SuddenIy, an idea hit me. However, I’ve never used it on a person before…
Previously, when I had received a request to stop a bunch of thieves, I had somehow obtained a large egg during that scuffle. Perhaps, it was transferred to me.
From the warm egg, a healthy creature was born and grew up splendidly; however, when I thought to send it back to its parents, it disappeared. That was all that happened, though, and I didn’t even verify all of the possibilities.
Even so… in order to obtain a hint, I tried it out on an object and was successful.
It’s probably too risky to test that out right now, though.
If that’s the case, there’s nothing I can do, but just go with it!! Fuuu, I exhaled and allowed myself to get fired up.
Turning around, I fixed my eyes on the man who was being supported upright as I used a recovery spell on both of them.
「I’m healing you now. However, it’ll only last for a short while. Can you hold onto your brother?」
Even though I had inquired in a low voice, the man seemed startled, but he seemed to have understood and nodded his head. At that, I laughed and broadly grinned.
「Close your eyes. At the count of three three, run to the back of the alleyway!!」
Following my instructions , the man obediently closed his eyes, and I took the opportunity in that three seconds to flash a large ball of light at the opponents.
After that flash of light hit the attackers, I turned around and ran, leading the way while helping to support Kei. The difference in our physique didn’t matter much due to my physical enhancement with magic, making me much stronger, combined with the additional assistance of wind magic.
Mou, it’s a splendid treat!!*
I wasn’t sure how long we ran, but after I calmed my excited heart, I used magic to search for enemies in the surrounding area.
After verifying that there were no signs of danger in the immediate area, I slowed down. Noticing my actions, the man followed suit.
「There are no enemies in the vicinity for now. Are you Kei-san’s younger brother?」
As I came to a complete halt, I watched the man intently as I spoke. It was obvious that the man was clearly relieved by the situation when he replied.
「Aaa. Yeah. Sorry for getting you mixed up in that situation. My name is … Ani*」
The older brother, Kei-san, had mint green-hair that more-or-less reached his shoulders and his eyes were golden.
He was moderately muscular, a hosomacho* who was long, slender, and well-proportionate. A splendid-looking man. Unfortunately he’s expressionless.
When I first saw him, I thought he looked like a doll; although, he appears to have loosened up some recently.
In comparison, Ani-san had the same mint green hair, but he kept his neat and short which was paired with crimson gold eyes.
He had an exceedingly well-built physique, similar to a military man’s. Actually, he probably had a lot of experience fighting as well.
As for his expressions … Maa, at least he was more expressive than Kei-san.
There was no mistake that both of them were ikemens. That’s right, both of them were awesome ikemen-sans.
However, what a pity. Were the expressions on these brothers fixed by default?
Maa, it’s excusable since they’re ikemen. In a way, since they’re ikemen, they’re hot!? Are those guys ikemen explosions?
In my heart, I was cursing ikemens as I continued to carry the conversation.
「My name is Asnord.
I meet up with Kei-san once a month. We’re best friends」
Calming myself down immediately, I put on a pleasant smile.
But hey, with the hood down over my eyes, it doesn’t mean anything.
「Ani-ue’s best friend? In these past few years, Ani-ue has changed.
Perhaps it’s due to Asnord-dono’s* influence」
Looking gently at Kei-san’s figure, he quietly smiled. Seeing his expression, I knew that he really treasured Kei-san.
「We first met about…four years ago. Back then, he was also badly injured, and I was shocked by it. Even his expressionless manners were surprising.
Compared to that time, he now gives off a gentle feeling but for this cruel thing to happen again …」
He looked at the badly injured Kei-san, unconsciously frowning.
「Four years ago… and he was even badly injured then as well. No matter what, we’re in your debt」
Upon seeing his sorrowful expression, I flusteredly answered him.
「He was only badly injured that one time!
Back then, I’d taken him back to the agency and applied medicine repeatedly all over him.
Ahh, e~to, what are we doing just standing around here for. Let’s head over to the place I spoke of earlier」
Right, I wasn’t sure if those seventeen folks in black would come again, and this wasn’t a place that he could be treated in peace.
「You may not trust me but he can’t be treated peacefully here.
Got it?」
「Aside from just assisting him, you’re brother’s best friend, right?
I trust you. Originally, I’d planned to request that from him.
Would you lead the way?」
He smiled sweetly and laughed for a moment before hardening up. An ikemen’s smile really was impressive.
Correcting my hold on Kei-san, I decided to devote my attention to leading the way.
TL Notes:
まぁ大丈夫だけど…って主婦か！！一人虚しい突っ込みを入れつつ帰路につく。
Maa daijoubu dakedo … -tte syoubu ka!! Hitori munashii tsukkomi wo ire tsutsu kiro ni tsuku. – Translated the line so people can hear it in romanji. In Japanese comedy acts (owarai), there’s a type of comedy known as an owarai kombi or comedy duo act. The act consists of a boke (simple minded aka funny guy) who constantly misunderstands things and the tsukkomi (smart aka straight guy) who butts in and corrects the boke. Usually, the tsukkomi will have a fan to smack the boke on the head whenever he says something stupid. If you think this sounds vaguely familiar, then you’ve probably seen it in animes. さっきの殺気は（あっダジャレじゃないよ！）この黒ずくめだろう。
Sakki no sakki ha (aaa dasyarejyanai yo!) kono kurozukume darou. – So first sakki means earlier, and second sakki means bloodthirst. So yeah, it sounds like a bad pun but really, it isn’t. LOL.茶飲み友達です – Tea-drinking companions, best friends, an old married couple (LOL)大盤振る舞いだ！！- It means to give a lavish party or to hold a festive event in a large scale. To give things generously. In this instance, isn’t he just generously using his magic? LOL.オレは…アニという – His name is Ani. I can’t help but think of it as a pun for Aniki. Despite him being the younger kid. Also, aniki is an affectionate way of calling seniors in a gang. 細マッチョ – a thin man with well defined musclesアズノルド殿のお陰なのかもしれないな – If you’ve no idea what -dono means, it’s an honorific way of saying ‘milord’ in hierarchy form. It’s a way of showing respect to others.