Chapter 187: Incident at the Tent Village 2
TL/Editor: Raei
Schedule: 5/Week Mon-Fri
Illustrations: Posted in discord.
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Han Se-ah, along with her viewers, seemed to think of infiltration as something easy, probably influenced by fantasy novels or comics.
They were quietly discussing a plan to sneak into a prostitution area that had emerged in a corner of the tent village due to a quest.
I feel sorry for Han Se-ah, who was earnestly planning and looking for a nice hooded robe, but that's just an unrealistic idea.
Such a plan might have been feasible outside the tower, in the city's red-light district, a bustling place frequented even by disguised young nobles seeking adventure.
However, this is the 35th floor of the tower, and the prostitutes here are openly flaunting themselves.
Do you think they sell hooded capes in this general store? Apparently, they use capes not just for style but as makeshift blankets for sleeping outdoors.
-LOL, a waterproof cape is a must-have for a mercenarys life.
-Cape? Is that something Roland would do?
-But they're really uncomfortable. Like Roland said, one misstep and youre wrapped up in your own cape, game over.
-It needs to be big enough to cover you while sleeping, but if it's too big, it's cumbersome in a fight.
-Fact: Even Superman got beaten up like a dog once because of his fancy cape.
Focused on chatting with her viewers, Han Se-ah failed to notice that not a single adventurer was hiding their face with a hood.
In the tower, adventurers instinctively reach for their weapons and become alert upon encountering others.
It's not uncommon for them to suddenly turn hostile and attack fellow adventurers.
In a place where even a casual encounter can lead to mutual suspicion of murder, walking around with a face-covering cape?
In such a scenario, you might be met with an arrow rather than a guarded stance.
In a neighborhood where everyone, even bandits, roam with uncovered faces, hiding your own would be suspicious.
"Let's use this spot since it's close to the market and empty."
"Alright. We can use this tent here... Oh, theres even a place for a fire."
While Han Se-ah was busy making these unrealistic plans and chatting with her viewers, the rest of the group found an empty spot in the tent village.
It was suitably distant from others but still not far from the market street.
The other adventurers seemed to be dispersed in various ways some were right at the edge of the clearing near the temple, others boldly occupied the center.
The clearing was quite spacious, and since adventurers were spread out in every direction, there was no other adventurer party right next to them.
"Is everyone hungry? If we're planning to sleep early and leave early, I thought of making soup and serving it with bread from the market for dinner."
"I'm fine with eating early. Swinging the sword a lot made me hungry."
"Roland is... okay, then let's just eat now."
At the suggestion of an early dinner, Irene nodded and quickly approached Han Se-ahs side.
She took out a pot and food ingredients from her inventory, lit a fire on the prepared firewood with magic, and filled the pot with water.
Seeing her like that, I couldn't help but understand why the viewers teased Han Se-ah as a professional porter.
I advised her not to obsess over attack magic and she obediently followed it.
"Hm? Roland, why are you laughing?"
"Oh, nothing. It just feels weird to be this comfortable inside the tower."
I thought I had managed to keep my laughter under control, but either my smile gave me away, or Grace's observational skills were exceptional.
As I watched Irene preparing the meal and Han Se-ah assisting with magic, Grace quietly approached and linked her arm with mine.
The touch I expected to feel on my arm was absent, thanks to the armor.
As I pondered this, a semi-transparent camera drone slowly made its way towards us.
Katie had started sharpening her sword with a whetstone and cloth she bought from the market, while Han Se-ah and Irene was preparing our food, leaving Grace and me naturally alone.
Grace, initially attempting to help, was dissuaded by Irene and instead began organizing the arrows and alchemized arrowheads they had taken from the bandits.
-Han Se-ahs achievements today: adding ingredients to the pot, fetching water for soup, lighting a fire for cooking, using magic for dishwashing
-Fire magic (cooking), water magic (washing), earth magic (path-making) shes a genius mage, incredible!
-At least when she used wind magic in the caves to scatter the bats, she was somewhat useful
-Why doesn't anyone mention her using light magic for illumination? That's her most shining moment
-The shining genius mage Han Se-ah
"Hey! If you keep slandering me like that, I might just end the stream before the wholesome tour of the tent village. You wouldnt want to miss seeing scantily clad Graces, would you?"
The viewers playfully teased Han Se-ah, who was diligently cleaning pots and dishes with magically conjured water before storing them in her inventory, but they were quickly silenced by her retort.
It seems the plan to explore the brothel district, faces hidden under cloaks, is still on.
Wondering whether to speak up or offer a different opinion, I was interrupted by Grace suddenly jumping up, grabbing her neatly arranged arrows and bow, and dashing off somewhere.
"Whats happening?"
"Grace?"
"Wait, grab your weapons and follow me!"
She ran towards an adventurer party camped about five tents away from ours, a mixed-gender group apparently affluent enough to set up a magically enhanced tent and enjoy fresh food bought from the market.
"...Who are you?"
"Hey, lady, this is a sacred place under the watch of the temple."
The party's response to a stranger rushing at them a weapon was understandably hostile.
They immediately put down their bread and readied their weapons.
I rushed out to stand beside Grace.
Grace wouldn't suddenly attack innocent people without reason, so as a 4 archer, she must have spotted something suspicious.
With that thought, I too rested my hand on the handle of my warhammer and glanced at Grace.
"...Roland, this man."
"Me? What the hell, I dont know someone like you."
"Well, a guy looking like you wouldn't know a beauty like her."
Grace was intently staring at a man who seemed to be the party's tank.
The group members, who appeared to have decent personalities and good relationships, were wary but not hostile, joking among themselves while taking a defensive stance.
Although the situation called for caution, it was clear they had no intention of starting a fight right in front of the temple.
This attitude became even more apparent when Katie, Han Se-ah, and Irene arrived.
They had come armed, but their weapons weren't drawn.
The sudden appearance of the beautiful Grace, followed by more beauties and a nun, significantly lessened the hostility of the men.
The nun robes work their charm everywhere.
"So, lady, what's the reason for your sudden rush here? You should know, as an adventurer... this is quite rude behavior. If this weren't a safe zone, attacking you for that would be justified, right?"
"Um... excuse me, are you a human?"
"...I might look a bit rough, but I'm certainly not a monster."
"Kuk, you're asking if that face is human? Well, compared to the beauty of your companions, he does look somewhat inhuman."
"Really, you jerk. You're mocking me at a time like this?"
The man had long, unkempt hair reaching his shoulders and a face covered in scars.
Although his appearance was rugged and unrefined, lacking any 'gacha buff', it wasnt something that would shock Grace.
Both our party and the opposing party looked at Grace, expecting an explanation.
She slowly began to speak.
"Um... Roland? This man, he looks exactly like the bandit I shot dead on the 36th floor."
