“Hey, what are you doing, commoner! Hurry up and come here!”
“Yes, yes. Just a moment, please, Rouge-sama.”
Responding to the rushing Rouge, I said while adjusting the large backpack I was carrying. I’ve had similar exchanges before, but unlike those times, my steps are now steady, and carrying the load of four people’s luggage no longer shakes me.
“Gahaha. kid, you’ve come a long way, haven’t you?”
“Thank you, Gonzo-san. It’s all thanks to you.”
“What are you talking about? The one who worked hard was you, right? I just helped a little.”
“Even so, without your help, I wouldn’t have made it this far.”
I genuinely tell the cheerful Gonzo that, flattery aside. Regardless of how desperately I tried, I probably wouldn’t have been able to achieve this physical ability in just half a year.
After all, I’m usually acting with the hero party. There are rest days after a set period, but resting to prevent fatigue from carrying over to the next adventure is also part of the job, so the time I can devote purely to strength training is actually much less than what ordinary people might think.
But the Gonzo-style training method makes the most of that limited time. My body is now stronger than ever before, and underneath my clothes is a ripped body that is… somewhat impressive.
…Half a year. Yes, half a year. I have already spent half a year in this hero party. The fact that I am still working hard without being expelled is for the future.
I mean, right? If I need to join hero parties in various worlds in the future, what I can do best is probably carry luggage. If I train my body properly in this very favorable environment, I should be able to work as a top-notch porter in future worlds. Therefore, working hard here should lead to a smooth expulsion in the future worlds.
It’s all calculated. It’s not because I’m attached to this party or starting to find fulfillment in the job of carrying luggage. The feeling of “I should try a little harder in this world” that throbs in the back of my chest was nothing more than a calculation to get home faster.
“By the way, kid. Isn’t it about time for our next destination?”
“Ah, yes. I’ll check now.”
I was engrossed in such thoughts, but when Gonzo called out to me, I hurriedly took out a map from the bag on my waist to check. Even the map, which is a crucial military secret, is lent to us as a hero party.
“Yes, I think it’s not much further.”
“You haven’t lost your way, have you?”
“No way, we’ve been walking straight on the highway, there’s no way we could get lost.”
I give a bitter smile at Rouge, who’s glaring at me. Unless I mistake the right and left at a junction, it’s impossible to get lost while walking on the highway.
“Haa. A little while ago, we could have taken a carriage, but now we have to walk… what a hassle.”
“It can’t be helped. It’s quite troublesome when the mining city’s mines are out of commission…”
In response to Rouge’s sigh, Gonzo answered in a worried voice. The town we were heading to, Atorumtein, was a thriving town due to the mining of a silver mine near the town and the processing of the silver mined from there.
However, about three months ago, the situation changed drastically due to the emergence of a demonic beast known as the Rockworm. Not only was a large amount of silver devoured by the Rockworm, which eats minerals, but also the mine itself collapsed due to the holes that the Rockworm had dug indiscriminately, and the source of income for the people living here suddenly disappeared.
As a result, most of the residents have left the town, and even shared carriages no longer head to Atorumtein. The reason we’re heading to such a place is because we’ve taken on a mission as a hero party to check on the current state of the town and, if possible, to subdue the Rockworm.
“Aotrumtein was a large and vibrant town that processed high-quality silver mined from nearby mountains. It seems there were quite a few skilled artisans who processed the silver, and I also loved using the silverware made here..”
Alexis’s words trail off midway. The town, visible in the distance, comes closer as we walk, and the sight of the town, which we couldn’t see from afar, unavoidably comes into view.
“I never imagined it would come to this…”
“Ugh…”
“Mmm, this is…”
“This is terrible…”
At Alexis’ slightly saddened muttering, we can’t help but let out our voices. There’s hardly any sign of people in the lined-up houses, and not a single wisp of smoke rises from the lined-up chimneys.
Some stalls were lined up in the street, but there’s no sign of the food and goods that were likely sold there. Many stalls are damaged, and the sight of bent and broken roofs conveys a sense of desolation.
A dead town. That phrase crossed my mind, and I couldn’t think of any other way to describe Atorumtein, which seemed to have met its end.
“Excuse me, may I ask you something?”
“What is it?”
Alexis called out to a woman who was barely walking down the street. Alexis, who usually had a haughty demeanor appropriate for his status, was unusually polite. Perhaps it’s because he can’t be cruel enough to be hard on an older woman who was wearing shabby clothes and looks worn out.
“I’m Alexis, the hero who has come to investigate this town and take on the request to subdue the Rockworm. Could you tell me where the town’s representative lives, and where there’s an inn that’s still in business…?”
“Yuusha-sama,, huh… The mayor’s house is a bit further in, so I think it would be better to ask at the town hall ahead. As for the inn… I’m sorry. I think there are probably no inns in this town that are still in business.”
“I see… Thank you, you’ve been a big help. Although it’s not much, please take this.”
“…”
Alexis pulled a wallet from his pocket and gave the woman a silver coin. But the woman didn’t react much to it, she just bowed and left. Alexis, who would usually be angry and say something like, “That’s quite rude for my generosity, isn’t it?” just silently watched her go, then turned back to us.
“What’s with you today, you’re being unusually quiet? Normally, you’d make a big fuss, maybe even draw your sword, right?”
“I choose my opponents. Unlike you.”
“Oh, I choose my opponents too, you know? Unlike you, I burn the ones I don’t like right from the start, so it never turns into a fight.”
Rouge responded with a meaningful smile to Alexis’s provocative words. Uh, that’s scary. And if you go by that logic, it means he thought I was a guy he could just chop off his arm…
Well, that’s probably right. To Alexis, who thinks there’s no one who doesn’t know him, it’s probably just a mercy to not cut down a guy who would dare come at him. Well, he’s a prince, so it can’t be helped.
“Well, shall we go? Ed, please secure a place to stay.”
“Eh? No, didn’t the woman just say there are no inns in business?”
I respond to Alexis’s nonsensical request with a confused voice. Alexis then sighed with an exasperated expression.
“She said so, but we need a place to stay, don’t we? Even if there are no operating inns, the buildings that used to be inns should still be there. Don’t you think we could use them if we take care of them a little?”
“Well, I guess… but is it okay to just use it?”
“I’ll get permission when I talk to the mayor. So you, find an inn worthy of me.”
“Understood, Yuusha-sama.”
Nodding and bowing, I watched as Alexis and the others left me behind. Even though I’m a member of the hero party, I’m just a porter. The treatment isn’t the same, and I don’t sit in on important conversations like this one.
That said, I don’t mind. If anything, I’m glad to have less trouble, and it’s because of this treatment that I have a place in the hero party. Having a clear job to do gives me a sense of security.
“Well, first I’ll need to choose a building, then clean it and do the laundry… wait, are there any bedding left? If I can find something in good condition… and with the situation, even finding a place to eat might be difficult, so should I also get some food? Hahaha, let’s work hard!”
Because no one was watching, I put my full effort in. I take a deep breath from the bottom of my stomach and start running through the town again.
