ăDamn it, to think that I, Raus-sama would experience this kind of eventâŚeven though I had almost arrived at Pteah kingdom.ă
Raus raised such complaints as he made his way through the dense foliage of the forest, dragging his heels.
Raus was a traveling merchant who was attacked by goblins during his voyage to the Kingdom of Phteah
The goblins were a perpetual scourge on the realm. Many travellers were plagued by goblin attacks despite the golden sunlight. Sunshine was a goblinâs weakness, they absolutely abhorred its golden glow and the burning sensation it brought upon their scaly, wizened skin. Resourceful as ever, the goblins took advantage of the expanse of shade afforded by the thick branches of the trees along the highway, which made it possible for them to appear in the day. Raus continued his seemingly never-ending barrage of comments.
ăAre those knights of Phteah even doing their job properly?ă
The knights were supposed to protect the areas outside the safety of the fortress wall that surrounded the city and castle. Upon the kingâs orders, they were intended to be stationed along the length of the highway as protecting trade routes would ensure that a blanket of prosperity would envelop the kingdom. Carelessness in their duty would have allowed such demons to appear along the stretches of highway. A sizable portion of their fortune and livelihood being transported, merchants were wary travelling such unpredictable routes,which were brimming with danger. A sudden loss could thrust them into pauperism and pennilessness. Raus shuddered at the very thought.
ăAnd where in the hell I am right now? I suppose that Iâm not that far from the highway butâŚă
Dark and damp, forests were the territory of demons. They thrived amongst nature and the shadows. Looking around nervously, Raus unconsciously picked up his pace. The woods were teeming with such unsavory creatures, the goblins were the least of his worries now. There was a high possibility that he could get attacked by more demons. He had to retrace his path to the highway before night fell- not only would he have to contend with the onslaught of demons but also his chances of being found would drastically decrease.It was imperative that he enter the cityâs wall as soon as possible.
He grew increasingly confused and panicked as he spun around quickly, surveying his surroundings. No matter how much he walked the terrain seemed identical- any indication of the highway was obscured by the dense vegetation. Raus had strayed in the forest.
ăIâm thirstyâŚ.ă
His throat was parched after he ran from those goblins with all the energy he could muster. Every swallow grated like sandpaper.
ăNevertheless, I wonder why they stopped chasing after me?ă
Fortunately for Raus, goblinsâ short stature affected their speed. It was a miracle that a plump, middle-aged man such as him was able to waddle out of their greedy grasps. Raus thanked the gods for his luck and resolved to leave the forest as soon as possible, after all, he wasnât out of the woods just yet.
ăAâŚ.song?ă
Raus paused in his tracks when a gentle and melodious, the likes of which he had never heard before, drifted over to him. Like a sailor following a sirenâs call, he followed the source of the voice unbidden. Soon enough, he could hear the water gurgling and splashing as a harmonious accompaniment to the song. Built with flawless white marble, the water was crystal clear and blue as the sky reflected upon it. It sparkled in the sunlight beckoningly. Raus was a weary traveller who had stumbled upon a hidden oasis.
ăThanks goodness, wat-AAH!?ă
An earth shattering scream erupted from Rausâs being. The sound seemed to shake the trees and drive away the birds, shattering the tranquility of the forest.
From the water, a woman emerged. Half submerged in the glittering water, her torso bare and luscious locks dripping droplets of water into her eyes, she looked like a mermaid. Her sun-kissed skin glowed as she continued singing, lost in her own world. She was completely oblivious to Rausâs presence. Raus felt torn between approaching her and disturbing this picturesque sight. Before he could overthink the situation, his instincts set in. Raus slowly approached her, charmed by her song and ephemeral beauty.
ăWhoâs there?ă
The womanâs head snapped in Rausâs direction, her long wet hair swaying in an arc behind her. The movement sent a sea of small droplets splashing through the air. Finally noticing Rausâs arrival, she stared at him wide-eyed.
ăM-My apologies! I swear I had no intention of being a peeping tom! I was just so charmed by your beautiful voiceâŚă
Raus rambled on anxiously. He stumbled over his words quite a few times in his haste to clarify any misunderstandings before they could properly take root..
ăNot at all. Infact, itâs actually my fault for bathing in this kind of an open space.. How about you join me? The water is very refreshing after all, and you look so weary. Hasnât it been a tough journey for you?ă
The beauty smiled at him invitingly, making no move to cover her exposed skin. She leaned on the edge of the fountain, leaving her ample chest on display. Upon seeing that charming smile, Raus felt dazed. It was as if a fog came over his mind, clouding his judgement.
Had he ever seen something so beautiful?
ăMy apologies but, I donât think Iâm qualified to take a bath with such a fair lady like you! My only wish is to drink the water from that fountain to quench my thirstâŚ.ă
ăIs that so? Well this fountain isnât mine to begin with. Itâs open to all. Feel free to drink as much as you want.ă
ăIs that so? Well then, I shall partake.ă
Since she had given her permission, Raus approached the fountain without even an ounce of hesitation. Mesmerized by her almost otherworldly beauty, he didnât spare even a moment to ponder the situation he had found himself in.
(How stunning. Lady Luck has surely smiled upon me today. Getting lost in his wretched forest turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I want to glimpse every inch of that flawless skin up close. Anyway, as I go to drink the water, Iâll have no choice but to draw closer. Iâll drink my fill of the water and this beauty.)
A small smile had unconsciously bloomed on his face while such thoughts whirled around in his mind.
The beauty was smiling brightly at Raus.
He bent over slightly until his face was a short distance from the water before scooping it up. He couldnât help but sneak looks at the gorgeous maiden as he ran a wet hand across his face. Small streams trickled out from the gaps between his fingers as he brought the cool liquid up to his chapped lips. The mouthful of cold water quenched the burn that tortured his throat. As he greedily gulped another mouthful, he couldnât help but muse to himself- âCould it be that the water was so refreshing because a beauty has bathed in it?â.
But then, he felt that something was wrong with his body. A slight pinprick sensation spread throughout his body before it was replaced by a numbness that crept in so slowly that it was barely discernible. The paralysis set in stealthily like a predator stalking its prey.
ăMy body isâŚ.ă
Raus groaned. Raus groaned pathetically, he couldnât lift a finger. Still crouched over the rim of the fountain, he could only gaze at his reflection detachedly as he watched his expression morph into one of absolute horror as the muzzle of a huge beast emerged from the fountainâs watery depths. As soon as the entirety of the beastâs face arose from the water, the fuzziness in his mind cleared up in a flash. The utter wave of terror that washed over him shocked him to sense, like a chilling bucket of ice cold water.
ăWHA!?ă
ďźCome to think of it, how could there be a gorgeous woman in this monster infested hellhole? Why didnât I notice this fact sooner?!ďź
Raus forced his paralyzed body to turn around and looked at the beauty. Ignoring the overwhelming sense of lethargy enveloping his body, Raus used the last dregs of his energy to glance back over at the beauty.
The epitome of schadenfreude, the beauty smiled widely.
The beast opened its gigantic jaws, displaying rows of razor sharp teeth which glinted menacingly.
ăAAAAHâŚâŚă
Raus looked around him desperately, searching for any chance of survival. There was no way out, Raus concluded as he froze in fear. He had no chance of resistance.
At this point, he could only close his eyes and pray for the salvation of his soul. He had resigned himself to his fate. The rancid stench of the monsterâs maw was his last memory before the beast began to eat him alive.
â
Kuroki cursed under his breath.
ăDamn, today is another failureâŚ.ă
It had been a month since he had departed from the region of Nargol to journey towards the Holy Republic of Lenaria. Reiji and his company had adopted the Holy Republic as their headquarters.
Despite Nargol and the Holy Republicof Lenaria being practically situated on different sides of the continent, it hadnât registered as a concern in Kurokiâs mind. Since his arrival into this world, his speed and strength were unparalleled- he could easily run faster than the swiftest wild stallion. He had already traversed two-thirds of the distance towards his destination. Although he had no method to precisely measure his speed, he estimated that it easily crossed the 200km/hrs threshold. In fact, Reiji and his company all experienced the same effect. Thus he hypothesized that any human from earth would gain superhuman powers upon being summoned to this world<sup class="modern-footnotes-footnote" data-mfn="1">1</sup>.
Along the journey to his destination, Kuroki became more familiar with the ways of human society in this world.
Compared to the democracies of modern-day Earth, human countries here instead resembled medieval city-states such as those like Sparta. There were simply too many to count. If you looked at a map of this world, it would instead seem like an extremely detailed mosaic.
The humans constructed ramparts to protect their cities from the monsters lurking in the woods and beyond. The city lay inside the rampart, protectively nestled within its walls. It was as if they were enclosed in a protective bubble. These pockets of peace were isolated from the outside road with the exception of the spider web-like network of highways that spanned the entire continent, connecting one city with others.
Each city-state was vastly different both in political ideology and size. They ranged from cities big and small- there were ones that were small and village-like but also existed cities so large in which each locality could be considered its own city.
Additionally, each of them had their own government system : democracies, republics and monarchies. In short, the mayor of each city-state was chosen through different methods and eligibility varied its requirements.
Thus, there were city-states which had their own royal family and nobility- in which inheritance, caste and position were handed down from one head of the family to the next. The mayor and vice-mayor positions also functioned in the same manner.Naturally, there were also those which followed a radically different system in which officials were elected.
The majority of the city-states followed the Elios pantheon and revered its twelve gods. Following the explanation that he had heard from Nut, Kuroki became aware that the group of humans who did not follow the Elios pantheon were scorned and regarded as outcasts from society. They were condescendingly called âbackwaterâ and referred to as the tribe of âsavagesâ.
On that note, Kuroki had recently visited a city-state called the Phteah Kingdom which was home to about three thousand citizens. To be accurate, it was home to three thousand people who retained citizenship, the number rose exponentially if those without citizenship were also included in that calculation. Those with citizenship were regarded as lawful residents of the city state while individuals without it were treated as foreigners.
To put it simply, someone without citizenship couldnât pass through the rampart to enter the city.
Then what about the currency circulation? That particular problem was solved by the formation of a treaty which brought a specific policy into effect in both the kingdoms- the passage of foreigners of one city-state to enter the other city-states allied to that government.
Naturally, there exists a completely isolated city-state which is completely self-sufficient and independent.
Thus, Kuroki, who could not lay claim to the citizenship of any city-state was not to be allowed to pass through the fortress of any of the city-states. At least legally. Kuroki had no qualms resorting to such unsavory means if it meant that his work was done.
Naturally then arose the problem regarding Kurokiâs sustenance. The forest was a veritable treasure of food, filled with all the doos he could eat- fruit and nuts galore. It was so abundant that there was more than enough to feed a village, if there werenât any demons prowling around. Eventually though, when the temptation to eat proper, cooked food was too great, Kuroki would have no choice but to sneak through the fortress gates. Kuroki fondly recalled the time when he secretly entered the rampart with flight magic and ate the skewered-grilled meat while apologizing to the shopkeeper.
Popular cuisine in this world primarily featured pork and mutton. Surprisingly, the humans rarely used beef while cooking.
Kuroki hesitantly took a tiny bite of the mutton. He had only pecked at his food, eating a small mouthful. The overwhelmingly gamey scent emitted by the mutton did not translate to its taste, Kuroki discovered. Thanks to the generous use of herbs and spices, the gamey taste that he had been bracing himself for never arrived. In fact, it had disappeared altogether, Ravenous, Kuroki dug into his meal with great enthusiasm.
ăWell, what should we do about today, Nut?ă
Kuroki questioned his travelling companion around a mouthful of meat.
ăHow about sneaking in using invisibility magic again?ă
Invisibility magic was a form of sorcery that masked the userâs presence, allowing them to go unnoticed and undetected by keen eyed observers.It was a branch of magic best suited for espionage, reconnaissance and getting out of sticky situations. Kuroki had fearlessly sneaked into human cities time and time again, the magic surrounding him like a protective cloak. He easily blended into the dark shadows of the night.
However, it had one drawback- it wouldnât work against users of detection magic or those who had detection abilities. They would be able to peel back the illusion piece by piece until nothing was left but stark reality. Additionally, once the magic spell was discovered, it would lose its effect entirely.
It was perfect for Kurokiâs goal of gathering information on Reiji and his associatesâs recent activities. That was why he had decided to pay the Holy Republic of Lenaria a visit after all, it was Reiji and his partyâs base of operations. The place where they spent the most time would obviously be the best source to glean such information.
ăNah, letâs refrain to do that this time, Reiji and coâs information are about the same in every single place.ă
All of the rumours about Reiji and the company told the same story.
Demons plagued this world, wreaking havoc and destruction. Moreover, the humans of this world were pathetically weak. Alone, they didnât stand a chance against such foes. As the prey of the demons, the people turned to Reiji as their messiah. He had gained considerable power since he was summoned to this world. Thatâs how he got the moniker âHero of Lightâ- Reiji became the hope of humanity. The word spread as he continued to subjugate many demons and saved numerous people since his arrival in this world.
Thus, many people felt grateful toward him. Although many people felt grateful for his contribution, that didnât mean that bad blood was non-existent. Reiji had managed to sleep with a shocking number of beauties throughout his journey. He turned a blind eye to anything other than their appearance- some of these women were married, engaged or single. Either way, it didnât matter to him.
This reputation as a casanova sowed a lot of resentment from the male populace. He was the bane of every manâs existence. And so, men usually ended up loathing Reiji but, they were forced to swallow their bitterness.
Many women praised Reiji, the Hero of Light. In fact, the majority of his popularity stemmed from his favor among females. Even if you crossed borders from one country into the next, laws, architecture and culture would change but, the topic of gossip among the ladies would remain the same- Reiji-sama.
Kuroki swore his ears would bleed if he heard about Reijiâs romantic escapes yet again. On second thought, he was so tired of hearing about it, heâd rather go deaf.
The Phteah Kingdom would likely have no new information about Reiji or his company, so there was no need to sneak in and go to collect intel.
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