Gilik Side-story The Old Man and the Mutt Part 1
***---***
The area near the castle gates fogged up in the morning mist was bustling with many carriages, travelers, and stalls catering to them.
I was born in Volzard and grew up in Volzard, but I didn't know that this kind of scene unfolded every morning.
"Hey, don't just stand there, you big guy, you're in the way!"
People loading carriages and carrying travelers' goods were busily coming and going.
I was used to the hustle and bustle of the guild in the morning, but I couldn't help but feel out of place.
"If I remember right, the right side of the gate ... rather, which one ..."
There were many carriages parked at the designated place, and I couldn't tell which carriage it was.
"Damnit, it's troublesome!"
As was unusual, I didn't feel like it was going well from the beginning.
I was thinking of giving up on it and going home, but then it would be the same as before.
In the first place, I remembered the face of that disgusting bastard.
Recalling the face of that bastard made me sick.
"Hey, mutt! The one carrying that uselessly big sword on your back, it's you, you!"
"Aahn ..."(TN:Gilik's 'Aahn' is that Yankee up-in-your-face 'what is it' thing you see in anime, etc.)
When I looked in the direction of the harsh voice, a scowling adventurer was beckoning me.
Aahh, come to think of it, that's the kind of guy he was.
"Bastard, what the hell are you dawdling about for!"
"Aahn? It's not yet the scheduled time."
"What the hell are you talking about. The underlings should come early and get ready! Don't you even know that ..."
"Aahh, that's right. My bad ..."
When I glared at him from above, the adventurer turned his back with blue streaks on his temples.
"Tch ... I'm going to greet our employer Danna."(TN:Danna is a way of referring to a master/boss or sometimes one's husband, in this case it's master/boss.)
"Aahh ..."
When I followed the sly-looking adventurer, a neat carriage was parked.
This carriage seemed to belong to the person I was escorting.
"It's Pedel. Danna, is now a good time?"
"Umu, is it about the departure?"
"Yeah, let me introduce you to the other escort."
"Alright."
"This is the jeweler Ordoff-sama, say hello."
Inside the cabin sat a fat man.
The small man sitting across from him must be an attendant or something.
I didn't want to bow to a man like this, but it couldn't be helped if it was my employer.
"I'm Gilik, my best regards ..."
"Bastard, watch your mouth! I'm sorry, Danna, he's a naive brat, but he's the most promising young person in Volzard, so I'm sure of his skills."(TN:Gilik was not using keigo, so he sounded rude, it's a Japanese language thing ...)
"Fuun, that's fine. Train him well before we get to Marburg."
"Yeah, I'm sorry. Then, excuse me."
Pedel lowered his head and climbed into the cabin.
As I followed and tried to board, I was shoved in the chest by Pedel.
"You bastard is in the coachman's stand. Be careful and keep watch, don't doze off!"
Pedel looked down at me with a look as if he wanted to spit, and closed the door to the cabin.
"Keh, rather than shutting myself up with an indecent bastard like you bastard, it's better to stay outside ..."
On the coachman's stand was a thin old man who looked like a dead twig, holding the reins.
I tried to sit in the empty space to the left and found the sword on my back getting in the way.
"It's a good idea to hang the sword in the loop next to the coachman's stand. You won't have trouble pulling it out of there."
I passed the belt of the sheath through the metal ring and lowered it.
I see, it doesn't look like it will fall off even if it shakes."
"Danna-sama, we're setting off."
Calling out with a firm voice that didn't suit his slender body, the old man who was the driver began to move the carriage slowly.
I thought I've seen the adventurer named Pedel several times in the guild, but yesterday was the first time I'd had a proper conversation with him.
When I was looking for a job that would raise my rank in order to get one up on that damned Chibi who is trying to seduce Myuu-ane, there was a man at the counter talking loudly to the staff.
What I heard without even trying to listen, was it seemed that the man who was supposed to work as an escort was injured in a fight and could no longer work.
He was looking for someone who could serve as an escort to Marburg before they left early the next morning.
"That job, do you want me to do it?"
"Really? You, what's your rank?"
"It's D."
"D? No good, no good. Don't bother talking unless you're at least C-rank."
"What'd you say ... Why don't you try me?"
"Alright. If you make me waste my time, be prepared for what will happen ..."
At the guild's training center, we used wooden swords to spar and show our skills, and I was accepted as an escort.
Pedel bastard was a B-ranked bastard, and although his hits were fairly sharp, they weren't so sharp that I couldn't take it.
But, in my eyes, he was barely more than C-rank.
If it was possible for him to get to B-rank, it should be easy for me to get to A-rank.
When the carriage left the castle gate of Volzard, the number of passengers, the number and rank of the escorts was checked, and if there weren't enough escorts, they would not let you through.
This D-rank me was here as well, so the soldiers in the garrison gave me a sour look.
Pedel, who came down from the cabin, whispered to the soldiers, and after that, when he handed over something, permission to pass was granted.
"Seriously, what a troublesome mutt ..."
While glaring at Pedel as he returned to the cabin, I made up my mind that I would absolutely beat him up after completing the request.
After leaving the castle gate, the carriage would keep a certain distance from the carriage in front of it.
Shortly after leaving town, a cold wind blew in from behind.
The west wind was blowing now, and the wind that was blocked by the city was now blowing.
The cold wind chilled my back, and it seemed that my body temperature was gradually being taken away.
"You, is this your first time working as an escort?"
"What of it ..."
"Aren't you cold, dressed like that?"
"N, not really ..."
The old driver sitting next to me was wearing a thick overcoat and leather gloves.
He even wore a hood to keep the wind out of his back.
"If it's cold, there's a blanked in the box under the seat, so put it on."
"It's not particularly cold ..."
"When the monsters appear, if your body freezes and you can't move ... If that happens, we will be in trouble."
"I guess I can put it on, put it on ... Tch."
The blanket I pulled out from under the coachman's stand was dusty and stiff, but it kept me warm by blocking the wind.
I was able to protect myself from the cold, but this time my stomach rumbled loudly.
"What's that, have you eaten breakfast?"
"I don't really need just one meal ..."
"Then, if it becomes a fight, can you do your best?"
"Keh, monsters are worth less than a fart."
"The opponents you fight aren't necessarily monsters ... Are you okay with fighting thieves?"
"Thieves ..."
"Bandits, thieves, raiders ... Those who attack people on the highway are punishable by death. Even children know this common sense. Even so, those who stray from the path will come towards us with the intention of killing everyone except for the women they will use for pleasure. And, it shouldn't be just one or two ... are you really okay?"
The old driver, while talking, fumbled around in the box at his feet and handed me a waxed package.
"What ..."
"It's portable food. It's not delicious, but it fills your stomach ... Here."
The old man pressed me to eat what he brought with him, so I decided to eat it.
The inside of the package was like a thick, crumbly cookie, and when I ate it, it took all the moisture out of my mouth.
"Guh ... gohou ..."
"Even if you don't eat it in a hurry, don't worry because I won't tell you to return it."
"Such a crumbly thing, can you eat it in a hurry ..."
"You, do you have a water bottle? What's that, are you saying you didn't prepare anything?"
"I, I don't really ... need anything else ..."
In the first place, I wouldn't need a water bottle if I didn't eat such a crumbly thing.
"Seriously, have you never worked outside the city until now, or have you been relying on your friends ... To be such an adventurer, that's no good."
"Sh, shut it ..."
"Here ... leave half of it."
The old man handed me a water bottle wrapped in a bundle of straw, inside of which was slightly warmed tea.
"If you wrap it in straw, it won't get cold for a while."
"I know that much."
"Even if you know it, it's meaningless if you can't put it into practice."
"Kuh ..."
I got angry, I thought about drinking it all up, but I didn't because the other party was an old man and it was childish.
Also, it was true that I've always relied on Myuu-ane.
After overcoming the cold and satisfying my hunger, drowsiness hit me.
The swaying of the carriage, which ran smoothly, also added to the drowsiness.
"Hey, if you're asleep, you can't serve as an escort."
"Don't worry. I'm not asleep."
"You're not holding the reins, just keep your fingers moving so that you can handle the sword at all times."
"Tch ... To that extent ..."
"It's not just the front and sides that you need to pay attention to. Sometimes they attack from behind."
Lured by his words, I turned around.
Since I left town, I hadn't looked behind me even once, nor had I turned my head to check my surroundings.
It was like I proved by my movements that I didn't do any escort work.
The old man smiled and loosened his cheeks.
"If you look like that, you probably don't even know how to signal the following carriage."
When attacked by bandits, when attacked by monsters, when the horse stopped to rest, etc ... It seemed that the gestures sent to the following carriage differed depending on the situation.
I didn't remember ever being told of such a thing, and I never felt the need.
"Adventurers either possess enough skills and knowledge to learn anything, or they have a lot of skills and knowledge. As for you ... It seems you are lacking in both."(TN:Not sure exactly on this translation, it's talking about 'hikidashi' which is either a drawer or a wealth of knowledge and experience useful for handling things, but it doesn't really make sense either way. Basically it's saying they have a drawer big enough to store anything they learn, or else they have a lot of drawers. It's really confusing.)
"Tch, it's none of your business ..."
"If you avoid unpleasant talks, you won't have more skills and knowledge no matter how long it takes."
"Tch ..."
The old driver's name was Ropen, and he seemed to have been an adventurer when he was young, and whether it was true or not, he traveled all over Landshelt.
The Bakkenheim women are strait-laced, the Breichberg women are dirty with money.
The Marburg women are unsociable, and the Edelich women are uninhibited, he told me such.
I didn't want to hear the old man's bragging, but I couldn't sleep.
I was fed up thinking that this situation would last until Marburg.
I shouldn't have easily accepted an escort job just for the sake of increasing my rank.
With three short breaks along the way, the afternoon came without encountering any monsters or thieves.
If you made a mistake in deciding whether to eat lunch early or late, you would have to wait for a long time at the restaurant, and the itinerary may be greatly disrupted.
When approaching the village, it seemed to be a show of skill for the driver, making decisions based on the degree of congestion in the streets.
"Danna-sama, let's rest in this village!"
There was no mistake in Ropen-jii-san's judgment, and we entered the restaurant smoothly.
I was just starting to get a pain in my butt from sitting all the time, so honestly I was saved.
"Hey mutt! Bastard, where are you going!"
"Aahn? Isn't it for food ..."
"Bastard, you're not this way! Together with Ropen-jii-san, watch over the carriage and take care of the horses. Look, go quickly!"
"Tch ..."
That Pedel bastard seemed to eat together while escorting the fat jeweler.
After finishing taking care of the horses while being taught by Ropen-jii-san, I finally got to eat.
"I wonder if Pedel is okay alone ..."
"Aahn, what do you mean?"
"Originally, Pedel's companion was the main escort, but what happened?"
"Dunno, he said he couldn't move because of a fight ..."
According to Ropen-jii-san, the man called Christo, who was paired with Pedel, seemed to be a better adventurer.
It seemed that Christo would enter the establishment first and check if there were any suspicious men when eating on the way like now.
"Compared to Christo, Pedel is a rough chap ... Maa, even so, he seems more useful than you."
"Keh, when it comes to a fight, I'm better!"
"Then, about that ... You, have you ever killed someone?"
"I haven't ... But I won't lose."
Even when I asserted it, Ropen-jii-san sighed and shook his head.
"Haa ... You, no matter how many lives you have, it's not enough. Bandits will do anything to survive. If it's to make the other party let their guard down, they'll crawl or urinate."
"Keh, I wouldn't imitate something so pathetic."
"Well then, such a disgraceful appearance, they'll make you think they don't have the energy to resist anymore, and try to counterattack when you let your guard down. As for you, you're going to be deceived. Listen, when dealing with bandits, stun them completely or stop them from breathing. Otherwise, you'll lose your life."
"O, ou ... I'll remember that ..."
He was like a dead branch, but he was a strange old man who sometimes made me feel strangely frightened.
Thinking that I was an inexperienced youngster, I was able to finish the first day's itinerary without encountering any monsters or thieves.
"Mutt, you bastard is the same room as Ropen-jii-san. Keep an eye on the carriage and horses."
"Fuunh, don't you bastard mess up escorting that fatty."
"Hey, you damned brat ..."
Me and Ropen-jii-san were assigned to a room in the same building as the stable.
The carriage was parked next to the stable, and next to it was our room.
"Here, Gilik. You should beat this futon outside to remove the dust, and then sprinkle this powder on it. I'll take care of the horses first, so come help me when you're done."
"What is that powder?"
"Don't you know, this is a dust mite repellent powder. If you don't sprinkle this and get rid of mites, you'll be in trouble."
"Geh ... How much should I use."
"This one bottle is enough for two futons. Cover it evenly ... And keep that blanket away. Mites are gathering over there too, so throw them on the shelf."
Thanks to the powdered medicine, I no longer had to worry about being bitten by mites, but it was dusty and stunk, and I didn't think it was a room for people to stay.
Even though it was such a room, Ropen-jii-san calmly ate and started drinking the liquor he brought."
"Jii-san, let me drink too."
"You fool! What are you going to do if the escort gets drunk in the middle of work."
"Just a little ... Ouch, what are you doing!"
"That slight difference in ability can be lethal in a battle between people who are close in ability! If you want to drink, do it when you're not taking requests! If you can't do something like that, stop being an adventurer!"
"Tch ... Understood."
Even if you say that, it's a job to be accompanied by a drunk old man's bragging stories, I shouldn't have taken the request.
Nevertheless, he never ran out of things to talk about.
Even if it was only half the story, it wasn't more than one lap around Landshelt.
"Listen, Gilik. It's like playing until tomorrow. The day after tomorrow ... Do you understand?"
"We'll be through Rivarre Pass."
"Right, but, it's not normal now ... Got it?"
"It's not normal, you say ... What is."
"Seriously, don't you know anything ... Are your ears just ornaments?"
"Don't be rude, just tell me."
"Ah~ ... It's that, that ... Look, the Great Forest."
"Are you talking about the increase in monsters in the Irosun Great Forest?"
"What's that, so you do know after all."
"What does that have to do with Rivarre Pass?"
"What's that, is your head a decoration? The foot of the mountain beyond the pass is connected to the Great Forest. There are thieves in the Great Forest as well. That kind of thing ..."
"That kind of thing, you say ... Are the thieves being chased by monsters moving to the mountain pass?"
"It's that kind of thing ... Fuwaaaa ..."
When he finished talking as much as he liked, Ropen-jii-san lay down and started snoring.
The snoring continued all night long, going back and forth, so much that I even thought of strangling him in the middle of the night to make him quiet.
The next day, I had a small argument with Pedel, but we arrived at the inn without encountering any monsters or thieves.
However, compared to yesterday, Ropen-jii-san was in a hurry and we arrived at the inn before the sun set.
"What is it, Jii-san, you slept so much last night, but are you not getting enough sleep?"
"Really, this ignorant kid ... This village is the closest to the mountain pass. Everyone who wants to cross the mountain pass wants to stay in this village. If they run out of places to stay, we would have to camp in the open space at the entrance of the pass."
It seemed that we arrived early and booked an inn in anticipation of the crowds in the village.
The building where the client fatty stayed looked better than yesterday, but the room of me and Ropen-jii-san was the same sable-like room as yesterday.
I exterminated mites like yesterday, and Ropen-jii-san drank liquor like last night.
However, something was different from yesterday.
It was after taking care of the horses and inspecting the carriage.
"Gilik, hold this for a moment."
"What is this?"
"This is horse tail hair. This ..."
Ropen-jii-san tied a piece of hair from the horse's tail and pulled it taut at the entrance of the depot where the carriage was parked, at about his thigh level.
"This is, what kind of curse is this?"
"You idiot. It's not a curse. It's just to see if anyone marked the carriage."
According to Ropen-jii-san, some thieves marked the carriages they were looking for in advance.
It seemed that the carriages ridden by rich men and young women were marked in advance, and their comrades who ambushed them at the mountain pass would attack them due to the mark.
"If they approach the carriage to mark it, this hair will break and fall off. That's why it's hard to step over and hard to go under, so stretch it out at this height."
"Heeh ... That kind of thing, can't they see through it?"
"If the sun is high, they will be able to spot it. But they won't be able to spot it after the sun goes down."
"I see ..."
It was true that if it got dark, it would be difficult to find a single hair.
"Look, don't just stand there and go rest your body. Tomorrow we'll cross the mountain pass."
"If you think that, do something about your snoring."
"Fuun, something like an old man's snoring, don't be so brazen as to mind and just sleep without worrying about it."
In the end, that night as well, Ropen-jii-san enjoyed his evening drink while chatting verbally, and then fell down and started snoring back and forth.
Gilik Side-story The Old Man and the Mutt Part 1
***---***
The area near the castle gates fogged up in the morning mist was bustling with many carriages, travelers, and stalls catering to them.
I was born in Volzard and grew up in Volzard, but I didn't know that this kind of scene unfolded every morning.
"Hey, don't just stand there, you big guy, you're in the way!"
People loading carriages and carrying travelers' goods were busily coming and going.
I was used to the hustle and bustle of the guild in the morning, but I couldn't help but feel out of place.
"If I remember right, the right side of the gate ... rather, which one ..."
There were many carriages parked at the designated place, and I couldn't tell which carriage it was.
"Damnit, it's troublesome!"
As was unusual, I didn't feel like it was going well from the beginning.
I was thinking of giving up on it and going home, but then it would be the same as before.
In the first place, I remembered the face of that disgusting bastard.
Recalling the face of that bastard made me sick.
"Hey, mutt! The one carrying that uselessly big sword on your back, it's you, you!"
"Aahn ..."(TN:Gilik's 'Aahn' is that Yankee up-in-your-face 'what is it' thing you see in anime, etc.)
When I looked in the direction of the harsh voice, a scowling adventurer was beckoning me.
Aahh, come to think of it, that's the kind of guy he was.
"Bastard, what the hell are you dawdling about for!"
"Aahn? It's not yet the scheduled time."
"What the hell are you talking about. The underlings should come early and get ready! Don't you even know that ..."
"Aahh, that's right. My bad ..."
When I glared at him from above, the adventurer turned his back with blue streaks on his temples.
"Tch ... I'm going to greet our employer Danna."(TN:Danna is a way of referring to a master/boss or sometimes one's husband, in this case it's master/boss.)
"Aahh ..."
When I followed the sly-looking adventurer, a neat carriage was parked.
This carriage seemed to belong to the person I was escorting.
"It's Pedel. Danna, is now a good time?"
"Umu, is it about the departure?"
"Yeah, let me introduce you to the other escort."
"Alright."
"This is the jeweler Ordoff-sama, say hello."
Inside the cabin sat a fat man.
The small man sitting across from him must be an attendant or something.
I didn't want to bow to a man like this, but it couldn't be helped if it was my employer.
"I'm Gilik, my best regards ..."
"Bastard, watch your mouth! I'm sorry, Danna, he's a naive brat, but he's the most promising young person in Volzard, so I'm sure of his skills."(TN:Gilik was not using keigo, so he sounded rude, it's a Japanese language thing ...)
"Fuun, that's fine. Train him well before we get to Marburg."
"Yeah, I'm sorry. Then, excuse me."
Pedel lowered his head and climbed into the cabin.
As I followed and tried to board, I was shoved in the chest by Pedel.
"You bastard is in the coachman's stand. Be careful and keep watch, don't doze off!"
Pedel looked down at me with a look as if he wanted to spit, and closed the door to the cabin.
"Keh, rather than shutting myself up with an indecent bastard like you bastard, it's better to stay outside ..."
On the coachman's stand was a thin old man who looked like a dead twig, holding the reins.
I tried to sit in the empty space to the left and found the sword on my back getting in the way.
"It's a good idea to hang the sword in the loop next to the coachman's stand. You won't have trouble pulling it out of there."
I passed the belt of the sheath through the metal ring and lowered it.
I see, it doesn't look like it will fall off even if it shakes."
"Danna-sama, we're setting off."
Calling out with a firm voice that didn't suit his slender body, the old man who was the driver began to move the carriage slowly.
I thought I've seen the adventurer named Pedel several times in the guild, but yesterday was the first time I'd had a proper conversation with him.
When I was looking for a job that would raise my rank in order to get one up on that damned Chibi who is trying to seduce Myuu-ane, there was a man at the counter talking loudly to the staff.
What I heard without even trying to listen, was it seemed that the man who was supposed to work as an escort was injured in a fight and could no longer work.
He was looking for someone who could serve as an escort to Marburg before they left early the next morning.
"That job, do you want me to do it?"
"Really? You, what's your rank?"
"It's D."
"D? No good, no good. Don't bother talking unless you're at least C-rank."
"What'd you say ... Why don't you try me?"
"Alright. If you make me waste my time, be prepared for what will happen ..."
At the guild's training center, we used wooden swords to spar and show our skills, and I was accepted as an escort.
Pedel bastard was a B-ranked bastard, and although his hits were fairly sharp, they weren't so sharp that I couldn't take it.
But, in my eyes, he was barely more than C-rank.
If it was possible for him to get to B-rank, it should be easy for me to get to A-rank.
When the carriage left the castle gate of Volzard, the number of passengers, the number and rank of the escorts was checked, and if there weren't enough escorts, they would not let you through.
This D-rank me was here as well, so the soldiers in the garrison gave me a sour look.
Pedel, who came down from the cabin, whispered to the soldiers, and after that, when he handed over something, permission to pass was granted.
"Seriously, what a troublesome mutt ..."
While glaring at Pedel as he returned to the cabin, I made up my mind that I would absolutely beat him up after completing the request.
After leaving the castle gate, the carriage would keep a certain distance from the carriage in front of it.
Shortly after leaving town, a cold wind blew in from behind.
The west wind was blowing now, and the wind that was blocked by the city was now blowing.
The cold wind chilled my back, and it seemed that my body temperature was gradually being taken away.
"You, is this your first time working as an escort?"
"What of it ..."
"Aren't you cold, dressed like that?"
"N, not really ..."
The old driver sitting next to me was wearing a thick overcoat and leather gloves.
He even wore a hood to keep the wind out of his back.
"If it's cold, there's a blanked in the box under the seat, so put it on."
"It's not particularly cold ..."
"When the monsters appear, if your body freezes and you can't move ... If that happens, we will be in trouble."
"I guess I can put it on, put it on ... Tch."
The blanket I pulled out from under the coachman's stand was dusty and stiff, but it kept me warm by blocking the wind.
I was able to protect myself from the cold, but this time my stomach rumbled loudly.
"What's that, have you eaten breakfast?"
"I don't really need just one meal ..."
"Then, if it becomes a fight, can you do your best?"
"Keh, monsters are worth less than a fart."
"The opponents you fight aren't necessarily monsters ... Are you okay with fighting thieves?"
"Thieves ..."
"Bandits, thieves, raiders ... Those who attack people on the highway are punishable by death. Even children know this common sense. Even so, those who stray from the path will come towards us with the intention of killing everyone except for the women they will use for pleasure. And, it shouldn't be just one or two ... are you really okay?"
The old driver, while talking, fumbled around in the box at his feet and handed me a waxed package.
"What ..."
"It's portable food. It's not delicious, but it fills your stomach ... Here."
The old man pressed me to eat what he brought with him, so I decided to eat it.
The inside of the package was like a thick, crumbly cookie, and when I ate it, it took all the moisture out of my mouth.
"Guh ... gohou ..."
"Even if you don't eat it in a hurry, don't worry because I won't tell you to return it."
"Such a crumbly thing, can you eat it in a hurry ..."
"You, do you have a water bottle? What's that, are you saying you didn't prepare anything?"
"I, I don't really ... need anything else ..."
In the first place, I wouldn't need a water bottle if I didn't eat such a crumbly thing.
"Seriously, have you never worked outside the city until now, or have you been relying on your friends ... To be such an adventurer, that's no good."
"Sh, shut it ..."
"Here ... leave half of it."
The old man handed me a water bottle wrapped in a bundle of straw, inside of which was slightly warmed tea.
"If you wrap it in straw, it won't get cold for a while."
"I know that much."
"Even if you know it, it's meaningless if you can't put it into practice."
"Kuh ..."
I got angry, I thought about drinking it all up, but I didn't because the other party was an old man and it was childish.
Also, it was true that I've always relied on Myuu-ane.
After overcoming the cold and satisfying my hunger, drowsiness hit me.
The swaying of the carriage, which ran smoothly, also added to the drowsiness.
"Hey, if you're asleep, you can't serve as an escort."
"Don't worry. I'm not asleep."
"You're not holding the reins, just keep your fingers moving so that you can handle the sword at all times."
"Tch ... To that extent ..."
"It's not just the front and sides that you need to pay attention to. Sometimes they attack from behind."
Lured by his words, I turned around.
Since I left town, I hadn't looked behind me even once, nor had I turned my head to check my surroundings.
It was like I proved by my movements that I didn't do any escort work.
The old man smiled and loosened his cheeks.
"If you look like that, you probably don't even know how to signal the following carriage."
When attacked by bandits, when attacked by monsters, when the horse stopped to rest, etc ... It seemed that the gestures sent to the following carriage differed depending on the situation.
I didn't remember ever being told of such a thing, and I never felt the need.
"Adventurers either possess enough skills and knowledge to learn anything, or they have a lot of skills and knowledge. As for you ... It seems you are lacking in both."(TN:Not sure exactly on this translation, it's talking about 'hikidashi' which is either a drawer or a wealth of knowledge and experience useful for handling things, but it doesn't really make sense either way. Basically it's saying they have a drawer big enough to store anything they learn, or else they have a lot of drawers. It's really confusing.)
"Tch, it's none of your business ..."
"If you avoid unpleasant talks, you won't have more skills and knowledge no matter how long it takes."
"Tch ..."
The old driver's name was Ropen, and he seemed to have been an adventurer when he was young, and whether it was true or not, he traveled all over Landshelt.
The Bakkenheim women are strait-laced, the Breichberg women are dirty with money.
The Marburg women are unsociable, and the Edelich women are uninhibited, he told me such.
I didn't want to hear the old man's bragging, but I couldn't sleep.
I was fed up thinking that this situation would last until Marburg.
I shouldn't have easily accepted an escort job just for the sake of increasing my rank.
With three short breaks along the way, the afternoon came without encountering any monsters or thieves.
If you made a mistake in deciding whether to eat lunch early or late, you would have to wait for a long time at the restaurant, and the itinerary may be greatly disrupted.
When approaching the village, it seemed to be a show of skill for the driver, making decisions based on the degree of congestion in the streets.
"Danna-sama, let's rest in this village!"
There was no mistake in Ropen-jii-san's judgment, and we entered the restaurant smoothly.
I was just starting to get a pain in my butt from sitting all the time, so honestly I was saved.
"Hey mutt! Bastard, where are you going!"
"Aahn? Isn't it for food ..."
"Bastard, you're not this way! Together with Ropen-jii-san, watch over the carriage and take care of the horses. Look, go quickly!"
"Tch ..."
That Pedel bastard seemed to eat together while escorting the fat jeweler.
After finishing taking care of the horses while being taught by Ropen-jii-san, I finally got to eat.
"I wonder if Pedel is okay alone ..."
"Aahn, what do you mean?"
"Originally, Pedel's companion was the main escort, but what happened?"
"Dunno, he said he couldn't move because of a fight ..."
According to Ropen-jii-san, the man called Christo, who was paired with Pedel, seemed to be a better adventurer.
It seemed that Christo would enter the establishment first and check if there were any suspicious men when eating on the way like now.
"Compared to Christo, Pedel is a rough chap ... Maa, even so, he seems more useful than you."
"Keh, when it comes to a fight, I'm better!"
"Then, about that ... You, have you ever killed someone?"
"I haven't ... But I won't lose."
Even when I asserted it, Ropen-jii-san sighed and shook his head.
"Haa ... You, no matter how many lives you have, it's not enough. Bandits will do anything to survive. If it's to make the other party let their guard down, they'll crawl or urinate."
"Keh, I wouldn't imitate something so pathetic."
"Well then, such a disgraceful appearance, they'll make you think they don't have the energy to resist anymore, and try to counterattack when you let your guard down. As for you, you're going to be deceived. Listen, when dealing with bandits, stun them completely or stop them from breathing. Otherwise, you'll lose your life."
"O, ou ... I'll remember that ..."
He was like a dead branch, but he was a strange old man who sometimes made me feel strangely frightened.
Thinking that I was an inexperienced youngster, I was able to finish the first day's itinerary without encountering any monsters or thieves.
"Mutt, you bastard is the same room as Ropen-jii-san. Keep an eye on the carriage and horses."
"Fuunh, don't you bastard mess up escorting that fatty."
"Hey, you damned brat ..."
Me and Ropen-jii-san were assigned to a room in the same building as the stable.
The carriage was parked next to the stable, and next to it was our room.
"Here, Gilik. You should beat this futon outside to remove the dust, and then sprinkle this powder on it. I'll take care of the horses first, so come help me when you're done."
"What is that powder?"
"Don't you know, this is a dust mite repellent powder. If you don't sprinkle this and get rid of mites, you'll be in trouble."
"Geh ... How much should I use."
"This one bottle is enough for two futons. Cover it evenly ... And keep that blanket away. Mites are gathering over there too, so throw them on the shelf."
Thanks to the powdered medicine, I no longer had to worry about being bitten by mites, but it was dusty and stunk, and I didn't think it was a room for people to stay.
Even though it was such a room, Ropen-jii-san calmly ate and started drinking the liquor he brought."
"Jii-san, let me drink too."
"You fool! What are you going to do if the escort gets drunk in the middle of work."
"Just a little ... Ouch, what are you doing!"
"That slight difference in ability can be lethal in a battle between people who are close in ability! If you want to drink, do it when you're not taking requests! If you can't do something like that, stop being an adventurer!"
"Tch ... Understood."
Even if you say that, it's a job to be accompanied by a drunk old man's bragging stories, I shouldn't have taken the request.
Nevertheless, he never ran out of things to talk about.
Even if it was only half the story, it wasn't more than one lap around Landshelt.
"Listen, Gilik. It's like playing until tomorrow. The day after tomorrow ... Do you understand?"
"We'll be through Rivarre Pass."
"Right, but, it's not normal now ... Got it?"
"It's not normal, you say ... What is."
"Seriously, don't you know anything ... Are your ears just ornaments?"
"Don't be rude, just tell me."
"Ah~ ... It's that, that ... Look, the Great Forest."
"Are you talking about the increase in monsters in the Irosun Great Forest?"
"What's that, so you do know after all."
"What does that have to do with Rivarre Pass?"
"What's that, is your head a decoration? The foot of the mountain beyond the pass is connected to the Great Forest. There are thieves in the Great Forest as well. That kind of thing ..."
"That kind of thing, you say ... Are the thieves being chased by monsters moving to the mountain pass?"
"It's that kind of thing ... Fuwaaaa ..."
When he finished talking as much as he liked, Ropen-jii-san lay down and started snoring.
The snoring continued all night long, going back and forth, so much that I even thought of strangling him in the middle of the night to make him quiet.
The next day, I had a small argument with Pedel, but we arrived at the inn without encountering any monsters or thieves.
However, compared to yesterday, Ropen-jii-san was in a hurry and we arrived at the inn before the sun set.
"What is it, Jii-san, you slept so much last night, but are you not getting enough sleep?"
"Really, this ignorant kid ... This village is the closest to the mountain pass. Everyone who wants to cross the mountain pass wants to stay in this village. If they run out of places to stay, we would have to camp in the open space at the entrance of the pass."
It seemed that we arrived early and booked an inn in anticipation of the crowds in the village.
The building where the client fatty stayed looked better than yesterday, but the room of me and Ropen-jii-san was the same sable-like room as yesterday.
I exterminated mites like yesterday, and Ropen-jii-san drank liquor like last night.
However, something was different from yesterday.
It was after taking care of the horses and inspecting the carriage.
"Gilik, hold this for a moment."
"What is this?"
"This is horse tail hair. This ..."
Ropen-jii-san tied a piece of hair from the horse's tail and pulled it taut at the entrance of the depot where the carriage was parked, at about his thigh level.
"This is, what kind of curse is this?"
"You idiot. It's not a curse. It's just to see if anyone marked the carriage."
According to Ropen-jii-san, some thieves marked the carriages they were looking for in advance.
It seemed that the carriages ridden by rich men and young women were marked in advance, and their comrades who ambushed them at the mountain pass would attack them due to the mark.
"If they approach the carriage to mark it, this hair will break and fall off. That's why it's hard to step over and hard to go under, so stretch it out at this height."
"Heeh ... That kind of thing, can't they see through it?"
"If the sun is high, they will be able to spot it. But they won't be able to spot it after the sun goes down."
"I see ..."
It was true that if it got dark, it would be difficult to find a single hair.
"Look, don't just stand there and go rest your body. Tomorrow we'll cross the mountain pass."
"If you think that, do something about your snoring."
"Fuun, something like an old man's snoring, don't be so brazen as to mind and just sleep without worrying about it."
In the end, that night as well, Ropen-jii-san enjoyed his evening drink while chatting verbally, and then fell down and started snoring back and forth.
