Chapter 84 – The Night Wind of Yoshanka was Cold
Basking in a warm light of Magic Lamp was the ‘Sea Breeze Inn’.
Just like any other buildings in this town, it was also made out of stones, giving it a well-seasoned appearance.
This was the most popular inn in Yoshanka. It boasted a special dishes using the meat and eggs of the giant bird Togord.
Its client consisted primarily of adventurers and traders. This inn was not a luxury inn and its charm lies in its approachable, down-to-earth atmosphere.
And the inn’s proprietress was known for her cheerful disposition.
Welcoming every guest warmly.
Welcoming, every guest, warmly…… Or so it should have been…..
“Come on, get out of here! Do you want to ruin my business!? People like you are a hindrance to business, you know!”
Said the plump woman, the proprietress of ‘Sea Breeze Inn, Harinna.
Grasped by the neck, thrown outside toward the blowing cold autumn night breeze, was the black-haired black-eyed traveling girl, Emmy.
After leaving the Adventurer Guild Branch, Emmy looked for some inn. And she found the ‘Sea Breeze Inn’.
At first, despite her late arrival, Harinna had treated Emmy with politeness and warmth.
She even showed sympathy for a young girl like Emmy, traveling alone.
But the moment she noticed Emmy’s black hair spilling out from the cloth wrapped around her head, her attitude took a sharp turn.
In the blink of an eye, Emmy found herself expelled from the inn, forced to wander the streets of Yoshanka on this chilly night.
*woosh* *woosh* The distinctively strong sea wind of Yoshanka chilled Emmy’s body.
After that, Emmy visited other inns, eateries, and shops dealing in foodstuffs, only to find that they all displayed attitudes similar to Harinna’s.
She couldn’t even secure a proper dinner, and she currently rested in the central park of Yoshanka, taking a small break.
Her judgment had been naive.
If only she had concealed her hair better, perhaps she wouldn’t be in this situation.
With just a single piece of cloth, it was challenging for Emmy to completely hide her long, black hair, which reached below her shoulders.
If only she had cut it shorter before coming to town.
Emmy regretted it.
But she couldn’t help it, her black hair was so beautiful.
She thought it was a waste to cut that.
Having been treated as a person in the Baron’s household, she had somewhat forgotten how her appearance triggered such adverse reactions in this world.
By now, the fact that Emmy was a cursed child must have spread throughout the town.
It was too late to cut her hair.
Well, there is no use dwelling on it.
With a slap to her cheeks, Emmy adjusted her mindset and decided to get some sleep first.
She had found a spot beside a hedge in the park where she could shelter from the sea breeze. Then, using her backpack as a makeshift pillow and the cloth wrapped around her head as a blanket, Emmy began to rest.
The rough and cold stone paving was her bed. But it did not particularly bother Emmy, who has been accustomed to sleeping outdoor.
Only because she didn’t have to worry about being attacked by monsters, making this park a decent place to sleep.
◇ ◇ ◇
“…. Oi, wake up. Wake up!”
How many hours had she been sleeping?
The surrounding, was still dark.
Some kind of rod strongly poked Emmy’s cheek and she opened her eyes.
Emmy was awakened by a young man.
The stars were concealed by the cloudy sky, but even though Yoshanka was small, it was still a town.
It still had streetlights installed, dimly illuminating the figure of the man.
Wearing cheap armor and holding a baton-like object, he was dressed like the gatekeeper at the town’s entrance.
“Guard?”
“Yo, that’s right. I come here because we received a report that a vagrant is sleeping in the park.”
Someone must have been worried about Emmy and reported it.
The world wasn’t completely heartless, Emmy thought.
“I couldn’t just leave it after receiving the report. Now, get up. Come this way.”
The guardsman prodded Emmy with his baton while guiding her, and once again, Emmy came to the town’s gate.
The guardsman’s outpost next to the gate still had its lights on.
Even though she was suddenly awakened and felt irritated, Emmy was grateful to be allowed to sleep here.
That’s what Emmy was thinking.
“It’s tiring for us too, you know. Why does a vagrant have to appear during my night shift……”
With a clattering sound, the guardsman opened the door using its key while yawning.
But….. it wasn’t the door to the outpost.
Right beside the gate, there was a small side entrance. That door was opened.
Swoosh.
The side entrance opened, making a noise as the wind escaped to the outside of the town.
“Here.”
Eh?
Wait, wasn’t I supposed to be taken care of?
Wasn’t I supposed to be allowed to sleep at the guard outpost?
Emmy was still half-asleep.
So she was having such a convenient dream.
But reality was always harsh on Emmy.
Grabbed by the collar by the guard, Emmy was casually thrown out through the side entrance like a piece of garbage.
Emmy was a vagrant, a cursed child.
She wasn’t treated like a normal person.
Clank, clank.
The door closed and was locked.
Late at night, Emmy was locked out from the town, alone.
The night wind blew mercilessly against the small body that stared up at the gates of the town, dumbfounded.
The night wind of Yoshanka was cold.
The world really isn’t a kind place, Emmy thought.
◇ ◇ ◇
The town of Yoshanka was surrounded by high stone walls.
These stone walls protected the town from the strong sea winds and, above all, from the demons that were overflowing from the forests of Kaise.
This structure could often be seen in towns near demon’s domain.
And in the surrounding area was a barren land where strong sea winds blows, prevented the growth of tall trees.
Emmy was strolling the barren land along the stone wall with the night wind blowing in her face.
Her eyes were completely open.
Whoosh.
A particularly strong wind blows.
It was cold in its own way.
Both physically and emotionally.
With a blank expression on her face, Emmy sighed.
The stone walls of Yoshanka.
The wall, towering over Emmy as if to reject her, actually presented no obstacle for her.
She could climb it with [Silverfish]
She also could hop over it with her [Grasshopper]
Perhaps she could even smash it down.
There were many ways to do it.
That level of power, Emmy had already obtained it, even though she was only seven years old.
But there was a wall that could not be crossed with such power.
A wall of the heart? Or was it a societal wall?
In Yoshanka, there was another wall towering over Emmy, a wall that she could not pass over.
Emmy was prevented by this wall and was never truly able to enter the town of Yoshanka.
“Growl-owl……”
The sound of a beast’s growl could be heard mingling with the sound of the night wind.
When she turned her gaze away from the stone walls and looked behind her, there was a pack of wolves.
They had green fur, and were quite large in size.
They were prairie wolves, said the voice in Emmy’s brain.
There were quite a few of them.
It was too dark to see exactly how many there were, but there must have been about 30 of them. It was a large pack.
In order to sustain an excessive number of them, they need more food.
And that was why they had come so close to a human town, a place they rarely approach.
For them, Emmy was small and its quantity was limited, but it was a better nighttime meal than nothing at all.
“Grrrrr ……!”
“Woof, woof!!”
The wolves threaten Emmy while slobbering.
Emmy was as expressionless as ever. She was completely unfazed.
This was the girl that has already defeated Topopolok’s stampede single-handedly.
She didn’t think anything of the 30 wolves that have just appeared.
On the contrary.
Let me reduce your number a little.
She thought about that nonchalantly.
Casually, she picked up a stone and threw it.
With just that, one wolf’s head exploded, and several others in the line of fire behind it were pierced, struggling and suffering.
“…………”
As usual, Emmy still maintains her blank expression.
However.
Somehow it felt a little …… fun.
She dived into the pack of wolves, who were suddenly flustered by this sudden turn of events.
Kicking the wolves upward.
She hit them as hard as she could.
Slashing with her hand, or even with invisible strings of magic power.
A few dozen second of rampaging to her satisfaction.
With just that, the pack of prairie wolves was annihilated.
It was not a matter of ‘reducing their number a bit’.
Blood and flesh were splattered all over the area. It was quite a mess.
“…………”
Standing alone in the midst of it all, Emmy was immersed in the battle’s afterglow.
She was immersed in a dark delight.
…… It feels good.
Without thinking, using all her power.
It was a wonderful, exhilarating experience.
But she soon came back to herself.
What do I look like now?
Am I smiling like one of those lovely bunnies I had fought during the day? Am I showing that unpleasant smile?
Emmy was scared.
Emmy hated those nasty smiles more than anything else.
She really disliked that look, that look which makes its wearer thought they were strong and could use their power to torture their prey as they pleased.
She touched her face using both of her blood covered hands.
It seemed she was as expressionless as ever.
She was not laughing. So, she felt a little relieved.
Ah, no good.
That was no good. This must never happen again.
I’ll be more careful.
And just like that, she slapped her cheeks again, changing her mind.
For now, let’s clean off the dirt.
Then, let’s go to bed. Let’s find a place to sleep.
Emmy began to wander around the wilderness at night again, with a strong night wind blowing.
◇ ◇ ◇
Author note:
Emmy, to a certain extent, was falling to the dark side.
…… Well, her heart has already stored up quite a bit of darkness from her previous life, though.
Chapter 84 – The Night Wind of Yoshanka was Cold
Basking in a warm light of Magic Lamp was the ‘Sea Breeze Inn’.
Just like any other buildings in this town, it was also made out of stones, giving it a well-seasoned appearance.
This was the most popular inn in Yoshanka. It boasted a special dishes using the meat and eggs of the giant bird Togord.
Its client consisted primarily of adventurers and traders. This inn was not a luxury inn and its charm lies in its approachable, down-to-earth atmosphere.
And the inn’s proprietress was known for her cheerful disposition.
Welcoming every guest warmly.
Welcoming, every guest, warmly…… Or so it should have been…..
“Come on, get out of here! Do you want to ruin my business!? People like you are a hindrance to business, you know!”
Said the plump woman, the proprietress of ‘Sea Breeze Inn, Harinna.
Grasped by the neck, thrown outside toward the blowing cold autumn night breeze, was the black-haired black-eyed traveling girl, Emmy.
After leaving the Adventurer Guild Branch, Emmy looked for some inn. And she found the ‘Sea Breeze Inn’.
At first, despite her late arrival, Harinna had treated Emmy with politeness and warmth.
She even showed sympathy for a young girl like Emmy, traveling alone.
But the moment she noticed Emmy’s black hair spilling out from the cloth wrapped around her head, her attitude took a sharp turn.
In the blink of an eye, Emmy found herself expelled from the inn, forced to wander the streets of Yoshanka on this chilly night.
*woosh* *woosh* The distinctively strong sea wind of Yoshanka chilled Emmy’s body.
After that, Emmy visited other inns, eateries, and shops dealing in foodstuffs, only to find that they all displayed attitudes similar to Harinna’s.
She couldn’t even secure a proper dinner, and she currently rested in the central park of Yoshanka, taking a small break.
Her judgment had been naive.
If only she had concealed her hair better, perhaps she wouldn’t be in this situation.
With just a single piece of cloth, it was challenging for Emmy to completely hide her long, black hair, which reached below her shoulders.
If only she had cut it shorter before coming to town.
Emmy regretted it.
But she couldn’t help it, her black hair was so beautiful.
She thought it was a waste to cut that.
Having been treated as a person in the Baron’s household, she had somewhat forgotten how her appearance triggered such adverse reactions in this world.
By now, the fact that Emmy was a cursed child must have spread throughout the town.
It was too late to cut her hair.
Well, there is no use dwelling on it.
With a slap to her cheeks, Emmy adjusted her mindset and decided to get some sleep first.
She had found a spot beside a hedge in the park where she could shelter from the sea breeze. Then, using her backpack as a makeshift pillow and the cloth wrapped around her head as a blanket, Emmy began to rest.
The rough and cold stone paving was her bed. But it did not particularly bother Emmy, who has been accustomed to sleeping outdoor.
Only because she didn’t have to worry about being attacked by monsters, making this park a decent place to sleep.
◇ ◇ ◇
“…. Oi, wake up. Wake up!”
How many hours had she been sleeping?
The surrounding, was still dark.
Some kind of rod strongly poked Emmy’s cheek and she opened her eyes.
Emmy was awakened by a young man.
The stars were concealed by the cloudy sky, but even though Yoshanka was small, it was still a town.
It still had streetlights installed, dimly illuminating the figure of the man.
Wearing cheap armor and holding a baton-like object, he was dressed like the gatekeeper at the town’s entrance.
“Guard?”
“Yo, that’s right. I come here because we received a report that a vagrant is sleeping in the park.”
Someone must have been worried about Emmy and reported it.
The world wasn’t completely heartless, Emmy thought.
“I couldn’t just leave it after receiving the report. Now, get up. Come this way.”
The guardsman prodded Emmy with his baton while guiding her, and once again, Emmy came to the town’s gate.
The guardsman’s outpost next to the gate still had its lights on.
Even though she was suddenly awakened and felt irritated, Emmy was grateful to be allowed to sleep here.
That’s what Emmy was thinking.
“It’s tiring for us too, you know. Why does a vagrant have to appear during my night shift……”
With a clattering sound, the guardsman opened the door using its key while yawning.
But….. it wasn’t the door to the outpost.
Right beside the gate, there was a small side entrance. That door was opened.
Swoosh.
The side entrance opened, making a noise as the wind escaped to the outside of the town.
“Here.”
Eh?
Wait, wasn’t I supposed to be taken care of?
Wasn’t I supposed to be allowed to sleep at the guard outpost?
Emmy was still half-asleep.
So she was having such a convenient dream.
But reality was always harsh on Emmy.
Grabbed by the collar by the guard, Emmy was casually thrown out through the side entrance like a piece of garbage.
Emmy was a vagrant, a cursed child.
She wasn’t treated like a normal person.
Clank, clank.
The door closed and was locked.
Late at night, Emmy was locked out from the town, alone.
The night wind blew mercilessly against the small body that stared up at the gates of the town, dumbfounded.
The night wind of Yoshanka was cold.
The world really isn’t a kind place, Emmy thought.
◇ ◇ ◇
The town of Yoshanka was surrounded by high stone walls.
These stone walls protected the town from the strong sea winds and, above all, from the demons that were overflowing from the forests of Kaise.
This structure could often be seen in towns near demon’s domain.
And in the surrounding area was a barren land where strong sea winds blows, prevented the growth of tall trees.
Emmy was strolling the barren land along the stone wall with the night wind blowing in her face.
Her eyes were completely open.
Whoosh.
A particularly strong wind blows.
It was cold in its own way.
Both physically and emotionally.
With a blank expression on her face, Emmy sighed.
The stone walls of Yoshanka.
The wall, towering over Emmy as if to reject her, actually presented no obstacle for her.
She could climb it with [Silverfish]
She also could hop over it with her [Grasshopper]
Perhaps she could even smash it down.
There were many ways to do it.
That level of power, Emmy had already obtained it, even though she was only seven years old.
But there was a wall that could not be crossed with such power.
A wall of the heart? Or was it a societal wall?
In Yoshanka, there was another wall towering over Emmy, a wall that she could not pass over.
Emmy was prevented by this wall and was never truly able to enter the town of Yoshanka.
“Growl-owl……”
The sound of a beast’s growl could be heard mingling with the sound of the night wind.
When she turned her gaze away from the stone walls and looked behind her, there was a pack of wolves.
They had green fur, and were quite large in size.
They were prairie wolves, said the voice in Emmy’s brain.
There were quite a few of them.
It was too dark to see exactly how many there were, but there must have been about 30 of them. It was a large pack.
In order to sustain an excessive number of them, they need more food.
And that was why they had come so close to a human town, a place they rarely approach.
For them, Emmy was small and its quantity was limited, but it was a better nighttime meal than nothing at all.
“Grrrrr ……!”
“Woof, woof!!”
The wolves threaten Emmy while slobbering.
Emmy was as expressionless as ever. She was completely unfazed.
This was the girl that has already defeated Topopolok’s stampede single-handedly.
She didn’t think anything of the 30 wolves that have just appeared.
On the contrary.
Let me reduce your number a little.
She thought about that nonchalantly.
Casually, she picked up a stone and threw it.
With just that, one wolf’s head exploded, and several others in the line of fire behind it were pierced, struggling and suffering.
“…………”
As usual, Emmy still maintains her blank expression.
However.
Somehow it felt a little …… fun.
She dived into the pack of wolves, who were suddenly flustered by this sudden turn of events.
Kicking the wolves upward.
She hit them as hard as she could.
Slashing with her hand, or even with invisible strings of magic power.
A few dozen second of rampaging to her satisfaction.
With just that, the pack of prairie wolves was annihilated.
It was not a matter of ‘reducing their number a bit’.
Blood and flesh were splattered all over the area. It was quite a mess.
“…………”
Standing alone in the midst of it all, Emmy was immersed in the battle’s afterglow.
She was immersed in a dark delight.
…… It feels good.
Without thinking, using all her power.
It was a wonderful, exhilarating experience.
But she soon came back to herself.
What do I look like now?
Am I smiling like one of those lovely bunnies I had fought during the day? Am I showing that unpleasant smile?
Emmy was scared.
Emmy hated those nasty smiles more than anything else.
She really disliked that look, that look which makes its wearer thought they were strong and could use their power to torture their prey as they pleased.
She touched her face using both of her blood covered hands.
It seemed she was as expressionless as ever.
She was not laughing. So, she felt a little relieved.
Ah, no good.
That was no good. This must never happen again.
I’ll be more careful.
And just like that, she slapped her cheeks again, changing her mind.
For now, let’s clean off the dirt.
Then, let’s go to bed. Let’s find a place to sleep.
Emmy began to wander around the wilderness at night again, with a strong night wind blowing.
◇ ◇ ◇
Author note:
Emmy, to a certain extent, was falling to the dark side.
…… Well, her heart has already stored up quite a bit of darkness from her previous life, though.
