Weekly chapters (2/2)
A little bit bloody here, but the MC did a right thing to do on that situation.
Enjoy the chapter~
Translator: Raizu
Editor: Shirayuki
Chapter 25 – Joyceman
[Ghee, ghee, squeak!]
When I opened my eyes after being slapped in the face, I saw Don, the guardian beast, complaining about something. Is it food?
When I roughly put the food I got at the store on a plate, it let out a satisfied yip, then grabbed it in its hands and started eating. It eats like a hamster. No, does it look more like a squirrel? Rather than stuffing the food into its cheek pouches, it dexterously grabs the food in both hands and gnaws at the edges.
Hmm, that’s pretty cute.
[Umm… Master?]
Sasha, who had just woken up, directed her gaze at Don, and we ended up watching it eating as if we’re watching a movie together. Pets do soothe the soul.
[Well, we can’t just relax forever, can we…]
This afternoon, I’ll be on escort duty. There was a commercial caravan heading south just then, so I applied without actually hoping for anything. But, I passed.
When several merchants who knew each other teamed up, the scale of the business grew larger than expected, so they were looking for more than just an escort as they had originally planned.
I was thinking of finding niche demand for more independent merchants, but it would be safer if I could join a larger team.
But well, along with that comes social interaction and teamwork, which I’m not good at.
Nothing I can do about it.
I let Sasha prepare the armor while I inspected the weapons.
To date, my status was as follows.
==========
Yoyo (Human)
Job: ☆Interferer (14) Magic Gunner (8) Magician (5↑)
MP 33/33
・Parameter
Attack G+
Defense G+
Agility F-
Endurance G+
Magic E-
Magic Resist F-
・Skills
Status Viewing II, Status Manipulation, Add Job II, Display Status, Hide Status
Slightly strong magic attack
Fire magic, water magic, earth magic, wind magic
・Additional Information:
Slave: Sasha
Beast Slave: Don
==========
This is the rear-guard build. If I use『Magician』, MP will increase as expected. What’s more, each time『Magician』level increases, the MP also increases by about 1. This is convenient.
However, I don’t feel like using the magic gun much during my upcoming trip, so I’m planning on using the magic swordsman build instead.
Then, the status will be like this.
========
Yoyo (Human)
Job: ☆Interferer (14) Swordsman (6) Magician (5)
MP 27/27
・Parameter
Attack F-
Defense G
Agility F-
Endurance G+
Magic F
Magic Resist F-
・Skills
Status Viewing II, Status Manipulation, Add Job II, Display Status, Hide Status
Slightly strong slash
Fire magic, water magic, earth magic, wind magic
・Additional Information:
Slave: Sasha
Beast Slave: Don
==========
My attack goes up one rank, but my magic goes down in rank. MP also feels a little short. Still, if I set it to “Magic Gunner” even though I don’t use a magic gun, the experience points would be wasted, so I plan to improve my swordsmanship a little more.
Lately, I’ve become a little curious about『Warrior』as well. It’s a job I acquired quite a while ago, but I’ve come to realize that there are many jobs that are derived from having a certain amount of 『Warrior』experience.
One of which, I heard from Sasha, that you can acquire the『Bow Warrior』job as you level the『Archer』 job.
Maybe, but there’s also likely to be a『Magic Warrior』, and something could happen with『Swordsman』and『Warrior』. Maybe the『Gladiator』? Sounds strong.
Probably, just like the『Magician』is the basic magic job, the『Warrior』is a basic vanguard combat job.
Although it has general characteristics and does not have any sharp characteristics, special jobs are derived from it.
I think it would be a good idea to raise it to level 10 at some point for the future. Well, first of all, let’s raise the swordsman job to level 10.
=========
Sasha (human)
Job: Archer (6)
MP 4/4
・Parameter
Attack G-
Defense N
Agility G
Endurance G
Magic N
Magic Resist N
・Skill
Slightly strong shooting
・Additional Information:
Yoyo’s slave
========
Sasha hadn’t made any improvement. Well, lately she’d only been following me on my magic practice, and she hadn’t had much actual battle with a bow.
We learned last time that bows come in handy when it comes to escort missions, so I’m sure she’ll show her growth from here on out.
I don’t feel like letting her back to being a『Merchant』yet, so please do your best, Sasha.
After changing clothes and checking our weapons, we helped each other put on our leather armor.
Hmm, I feel like I’m in battle mode when I wear this.
[What do you do with your helmet?]
[I’ll put it on later. I’ll carry it for now.]
If a suspicious person with a metal helmet on his head suddenly appears before you, you would probably be wary. I have to go the friendly route first.
[Should we bring Don inside the backpack? Or Sasha wants to hold it?]
[It’ll get in the way, so let’s have it sleep in the backpack.]
I expect Don to be our night watch, but it won’t have to serve in that position that much when we’re traveling in a large group.
I look forward to its success as a healing agent.
[Mew~]
Oh, you can also make a cute voice that isn’t boring. Let’s put away the things that get in the way and provide the most comfortable space possible. Well, it’ll probably sway around when we walk, but don’t worry about that.
[Kyu.]
Sasha held Don, which was hanging loosely, as if picking up a cat, and carefully put it into her backpack.
[Is it bad there?]
[Kyukyu.]
I heard a slightly sleepy voice in return, so I guess it’s okay. I took a quick peek, saw its stomach rise and fall with its breathing, and then closed the backpack.
When introducing myself, should I declare it as my guardian beast? I can’t really calculate it in terms of fighting strength, but…
[Master, is there any space in the other dimension?]
[Hmm? Ah, right. I’ve put some clothes in there, but I think there’s still some space left.]
[In that case, let’s pack some ingredients from here that will last a long time. Food is important.]
Yeah, even though it’s only been twice, I still have to give the report to the white-haired kid. Even he would be surprised if it was packed with food. That’s fun, so I decided to adopt it and fill it with ingredients.
==========
[Hello, is this Mr. Dentre’s carriage?]
[Hmm? That look, a mercenary, huh?]
There were carriages lined up at the inner gate leading to the eastern residential area, so I took the plunge and greeted the person at the end.
[Private Mercenary Yoyo. I’ll be joining Mr. Dentre’s as an escort.]
[Oh, I see. Wait a minute.]
The thug-like man who spoke to me, well not my fault he looks like that, stopped the men who were busy moving around to check on them and talk to them.
[…I’ve confirmed that. You’re in charge of the first carriage, so go ahead and say hello to the carriage with the purple cloth tied to it.]
[Got it.]
There were three horse-drawn carriages in total, but they were used only for transporting goods, and everyone except the driver and some merchants seemed to be traveling on foot. I thought I would be riding a horse again, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
[Well, wellー. You must be Yoyo. huh? What about the young lady behind you?]
When I greeted the turbaned man who was busily giving instructions in the designated carriage, I realized that this was the man who put in the request.
[My slave. Since she can use a bow, she’ll also participate in this escort mission.
[Oh, I see. Getting two guards for the price of one, now that’s what I call a bargain.]
Dentre said that honestly as his face broke into a smile.
[I’ll have some food, but it’s only the bare minimum. If possible, I’d like to hunt some monsters along the way, but is that possible?]
[Just in case. But, it depends on the situation.]
[Of course. If you can hunt just the right monster, you can eat meat. That’s about it.]
[Alright.]
Afterwards, as I was helping with the loading, other escorts seemed to have arrived as well, and we exchanged greetings in quick succession.
[I’m Tors, personal bodyguard. I use a spear, but I can also use a bow.]
[Also bodyguard, my name is Mara. Nice to meet you]
There’s certainly no need to tell others what your job is. Well, I guess it’s enough to say that I’m wielding a sword.
[I’m Yoyo. a mercenary. I’m using a sword.]
[And I’m his servant Sasha. I use a bow]
After some brief discussion, we decided to have Sasha introduce herself as my servant to everyone other than the client. I heard Elliott complain that there are people who behave in a blatant manner when it comes to slaves. Just in case.
[You’re a slave, right?]
Just as I was thinking that, a thick voice instantly destroyed my deep consideration. The voice of a man wearing a fur jacket appeared after us. He looked truly like a rogue. The smell of trouble included.
[…..]
[You’re ignoring me, even if we’re on the same team.]
[And?]
[Yeah, lend her to us too. I don’t even mind if it’s after you.]
[I decline. My Sasha can use a bow and is a decent battle slave. Now let’s not make her uncomfortable, shall we?]
[Ha.]
He looked around with a mocking smile on his face. His group of friends were also grinning.
There are people like this too. That’s why Elliott is picky when choosing who to team up with.
[I’m Joyceman, and these guys next to me are Nosehair, Butthair, and Pussyhair.
[Fuck off, that’s not our name.]
The entire group burst out laughing. I guess they’re that type of people. The only ones who weren’t laughing at all were us and the escorts.
[…Vulgar.]
[Tsk, acting so classy even though you’re just a slave. I guess you’re shaking your hips at your master every day, huh? Or are you going to finish before you can shake them? Early commer!]
He even cracked a joke that made fun of me.
I don’t want to get involved with these guys as much as possible, but… I guess I can’t say that.
He laughed erratically, and the rest of the members took turns introducing their names, looking bored.
There are five people in Joyceman’s party, and they are called Runt, Savant, Dodo, and Omuttashimoi. They all look like normal humans, and are all wearing dirty fur. It smells really bad, probably because he hasn’t even taken a bath. It even smells like alcohol, so it might have been after a night of drinking in the town. If so, is this strange tension due to that?
He must have been fooled by the light of the port. That’s annoying.
[Later, the other two merchants, Martos-dono and Sean-dono’s bodyguards, will join us. There will be around 20 people in total, but keep in mind that these eight people will work as a team.]
Tors, the personal bodyguard, naturally handles everything. He is a spear wielder in his 30s, with tied back long hair and wearing beautiful metal armor.
Since he has a strong aura, he must have had a lot of experience in this field. Although it’s small-scale, being a merchant’s personal bodyguard seems to be a star job. It is said that it is an ideal job for mercenaries to move to because it requires skill and is stable.
[As for the slave, she will remain inside the carriage as the final line of defense… I’m counting on you.]
[I’m Sasha, I understand.]
[Among the remaining guards, those who can use bows will be at the back. Those who use swords and spears solidify the front and left and right sides.]
[Oy oy, isn’t that preferential treatment for just a slave there?]
Joyceman snapped back.
[She’s a slave, so she won’t run away with the load on her own. Besides, she’s a woman, so she wouldn’t want to cause unnecessary trouble.]
[Tsk.]
Apparently, he was careful not to mess with Joyceman and the others. Tors is a good guy. Let’s make a note of it.
[Myself, Mara, and Yoyo will take the front. Joyceman’s team should split up and guard both flanks. Any objections?]
[Yeah, yeah, we got it~.]
I won’t have to deal with Joyceman. That alone made me feel a lot better.
It seems that the client, Dentre, will be in the driver’s seat.
At the scale of an individual merchant, the merchant himself must also fulfill certain roles.
We exchanged greetings with the following escorts of Martos and Sean, but only Martos had two personal bodyguards and six mercenaries hired. Wait what?
[Sean-dono, please renew your contract with the mercenary group…We will only help you this time.]
Martos had a sour look on his face. Sean bowed his head apologetically.
I see, it was explained that it was because the scale was large, but in reality, I wonder if the urgent request was made to compensate for a contract mistake.
[Alright, let’s head out.]
The leader of the merchants was Dentre. He also hired the most escorts out of them all.
At the same time as his command, the carriage slowly started moving. The escorts also moved slowly to match their speed. Well, first we just had to go through the residential area and get to the south gate.
Even after departing from the south gate, I didn’t see any monsters for a while. It also seems to be well protected by a group of warriors.
Even though the south is dangerous, it’s still only “compared to this area”.
[Feel like I have too much free time.]
I could hear Joyceman lamenting, but if it’s an escort mission where you can get paid without having to work, it’s definitely better to have some free time.
On the first day, we arrived at the post station around dusk and spent the night there. It was a simple post, and although water and firewood were available for purchase, each person had to pitch their own tents for sleeping.
We’re limited to walking speed, so progress was slow. It would probably take nearly two weeks to travel to the trading city in the south.
[Hey, handsome guy.]
I was given a large tent that was originally used for bodyguards. As I was happily setting up the tent after dinner, a young man from Joyceman’s entourage called out to me.
What now?
[…..]
[Answer me.]
[…What? As you can see, we’re busy setting up the tent. It’s not something really important, right?]
[Unlike during the day, this is a serious negotiation. Lend me your woman.]
I couldn’t help but look back at him with a suspicious look on my face. …It didn’t seem like he’s joking.
[I would’ve still refused even if it’s not a joke. I don’t want to lend her to you.]
[Hey, are you planning on hogging the good stuff for yourself? That’s not allowed.]
[Dunno, man. If you want a slave, you can buy one yourself.]
[….don’t regret it later.]
Haa. I felt like there’s something going on. It’s kinda annoying.
Although it’s a post station, there were other merchants there, so you can’t go without caution. We got a late shift and retired to the tent.
There was something about Joyceman, and it made me feel unwise to flirt with Sasha.
Without practicing magic, I wrapped myself in a blanket and went straight to sleep.
=========
[…Gyuu, Kyu!]
I heard a thud and felt a heavy weight on my stomach. When I woke up unexpectedly, it seemed like Don had tackled me in the stomach.
[Hurts…. What is this? Don, are you hungry?]
There, the entrance to the tent was thrown open and torches were turned towards us. It’s dazzling.
[Oy oy, you even bring a pet? You think you’re going on a picnic here?]
[It doesn’t look strong. Well, should be alright.]
[I’ve secured the sword.]
The men came inside, saying something to each other.
I jumped awake to make distance. When I looked to the side, Sasha was surrounded. One was grabbing her by the head.
My sword… they’ve taken it. It was thrown outside the tent.
[That’s it. This guy is a swordsman. Without a sword, he’s nothing.]
[…..what are you doing?]
[It’s your own fault, y’know? Being so unagreeable.]
The one who answered was a fur jacket and a stubbled face… was he a Joyceman?
[That’s not the right answer. Let Sasha go.]
[Huwhat? Don’t you understand your position? If you just shut up and lend me your woman, I won’t take your life. Be aware of your position.]
I see, so you’re trying to make a move on Sasha while trying to avoid being attacked?
[I kind of understand the situation. Are you saying that if I lend Sasha out quietly, I won’t have to ask any questions?]
[You’re very understanding, aren’t you? After that, I guess I’ll have you swear your obedience to us, since my heart was hurt because of what happened during the day.]
I see.
[Let me confirm.]
[Ha?]
[Sasha is my slave, my property. Does that mean that unless I surrender her and submit to you, I will lose my life?]
[…How else can you get it? Are you stupid?]
As I lowered my right hand, which was open above me in a surrender pose, I took out a magic gun from another dimension. There was a slight pause, but the Joyceman seemed to have no idea what I was going to do, and looked on in shock.
Then, I shot Joyceman in the head. Since my MP pool is larger, I put in as much as I can in a short time. I used quite a lot, but I didn’t want to take chances at this close range. Then, I shot the two people surrounding Sasha as well.
[Hey, yo…!]
I saw the heads of his entourage explode, but it seemed that Joyceman could still speak. I wonder if his magic resist parameter is high.
As I tackled Joyceman with my whole body, I picked up the sword that was discarded at the entrance. I fired two more times into Joyceman’s torso.
Since he might still be alive, I slashed him in the neck with my sword. As expected, he finally fell to the ground, so I threw it down and laid a beatdown.
Beat it.
And kept beating it.
[A-aniki, what happ…!?]
The entrance opened and I was met with the eyes of the young man who came earlier to ask me to lend him my woman. I see, I guess he’s the lookout.
After a strange silence, the sound of a magic gun rang out.
He might still be alive…I need to make sure…
That’s it.
[Status, open.]
Status was not displayed for anyone other than Joyceman.
He still has some breath left after all that? He’s really tough, isn’t he?
I opened his mouth, inserted the muzzle of my magic gun inside, and fired. His head exploded, and at last, his status was no longer displayed.
[Alright… who’s next?]
I killed them in a flashy manner.
For the time being, I’ve confirmed that the other party intended to kill me (with the condition that I don’t comply), so I think it can be considered self-defense.
He may have meant it just as a threat, but as long as he said he would kill me right to my face, then that’s it. If I had time I would’ve liked to see where it’s going, but I was outnumbered and didn’t know how things would turn out if I showed too much leeway. They might kill Sasha too. Therefore, instant killing would have been optimal.
Considering future developments, it would be a bad idea to leave things half-finished. If the parties had remained, they would have had to listen to each other’s side, and something like that could have happened. I might be able to win in court, but there is no guarantee. I won’t be able to sleep peacefully since I’ll be targeted for revenge. If I’m going to go through it, it’s safer to just kill them all.
Even so, it may have been a bad idea to kill most members of the escort team. It cannot be said that there is a possibility that I will be arrested without questioning. I’ll have to think of something.
When I looked at Sasha, she seemed to be standing there stunned.
[Sasha, are you alright?]
[Aa…y-yes.]
Sasha looked at me with a tinge of fear in her gaze. No matter how I put it, the sudden attempted rape and having to watch the blood splatter may have been too stimulating. I’m sorry.
[Don… ah, he’s back to sleep already. What a sleepyhead.]
Don went to the edge of the tent, lay down, and closed its eyes. It may have been trying to hide itself, but its stubby body made it look like it was asleep.
Sasha also laughed and the tension eased a little. Hmm, animals are nice to have indeed.
[Sasha, can you go outside and get someone to help clean up?]
[Ah, yes.]
It would be a bad idea to keep her looking at the blood splatter for the time being. I gave Sasha a reason to leave the tent.
However, before that, someone must have heard the commotion and came rushing in.
[What’s going on!?]
[Th, this is…]
One is a man who was introduced to me but I don’t remember his name, and the other was Tors, who is the leader of the escort team.
[Right on time. Hey, you… do you mind if you help get her outside for a bit?]
I called out to the person whose name I couldn’t recall.
[Huh? No, but]
[I’ll explain to Tors-san the situation. I don’t want to keep her in this kind of scene. She’s a girl, you know?]
[Anzo, it’s fine. Go ahead and wake up the others too.]
[Y, yes.]
The person who turned out to be called Anzo took Sasha and left. I let Sasha hold Don. It’s animal therapy. Healer, do your job.
[What happened? Were these corpses your doing?]
[Yeah. I was sleeping until just now when these guys barged inside.]
[…..and?]
[They threatened to kill me if I don’t let them have their way with Sasha, so I fought back.]
[…..]
[We were outnumbered, so I couldn’t afford to be lenient. I know it may affect the escort mission, but I apologize for that.]
[These guys are a mercenary group with a decent track record. Did they defeat all of them and win?]
[They let their guard down because they think they outnumbered us. I was able to take the first move, and the rest is just me going with the flow.]
[…Fine. Even if that’s true, what does this wound mean? The sound was also pretty loud. You’re a swordsman, right? Did you have a magic tool or something?]
I have already prepared some excuses for situations like this. Let’s use one of them.
[Ah, I haven’t told you, have I? I do use swords, but it’s because I’m a『Magic Swordsman』]
[『Magic Swordsman』, you say?]
[It’s not that rare of a job, right? I’m not good at adjusting the power. My magic power runs out as soon as I use it, so I tried not to use it too much.]
[…..I see.]
[But since I was going up against 5 people, I thought it’ll be tough unless I can kill them in a single blow. I used all my power, but some of them survived the first hit, so I got a bit nervous.]
He looked at me and the corpse in disbelief, but when he realized that there was no further explanation, he let out a sigh.
[Okay, for now I’ll take that at face value. Let’s clean up the corpse.]
[What about their properties?]
[…do you have any suggestions?]
[Well, if you’re deferring it to me as the victim, I’ll give half to Mr. Dentre.]
[Why?]
[Mr. Dentre paid for these guys, right? Since I was the one who wiped them out, it would be best to show some sincerity.]
[…..]
[Or am I wrong?]
[What about the other half?]
[I’ll give it to the escorts other than myself, so please split it up.]
[What? You’re going to give it to us?]
[Yeah. With five less people, the escort mission would be more difficult. At least consider it as my apology.]
[…you’re fine with that?]
[This wouldn’t be a problem if they were captured alive, but I ended up killing them all because I couldn’t afford it. I’ll try to be more careful from now on.]
[I see.]
Tors seemed to have thought about it for a while, but he decided to call someone in and clean up the corpse because it needed to be cleaned up anyway.
I thought about helping out, but he told me to take a rest, so I joined Sasha around the bonfire. As I was stroking Don and watching people coming in and out of the tent, my employer, Mr. Dentre, and a group of merchants came out.
I stood up and bowed slightly. Even though I’m the victim, I’m still causing them trouble. At least I should do this much. Mr. Dentre put out his hand to stop me.
[I’ve heard about the situation. It seems like a disaster has occurred.]
[Well, we got out alright.]
[This will be a problem in the future, you know that?]
[Yes.]
[From what I heard, you fought back because your slaves and lives were being targeted…]
When I was about to confirm, Sasha cut in.
[That’s right, it’s the truth! I don’t mind undertaking judgment!]
[Hmm, I have some misgivings about them, but considering you dare to go through truth/false judgment, I don’t think they’re lying.]
[That’s right. Even if there is a line of excessive defense, it cannot be said that it is groundless.]
[No one will benefit from pursuing excessive defense here.]
The three merchants nodded as they discussed between themselves.
[As for those five people, let’s say they let their guard down and got eaten by monsters.]
[…..will that be alright?]
[There’s no need to go out of our way to report it and cause more trouble. I heard that you willingly gave away your property to me?]
[That’s right. So to speak, it’s like I damaged the product that Mr. Dentre bought.]
Dentre nodded with satisfaction, looked at the remaining two, and then spoke again.
[When we searched their tent, we found jewelry of unknown origin.]
[Pardon?]
[I don’t see them as the kind of people who would prepare something like that. That’s why it’s strange.]
[That’s outrageous.]
[Don’t be rude. If I’m not a merchant, it would be a hassle to deal with it. How about we take that and divide the things other than cash and jewelry between the escorts?]
[I have no objection.]
[Good. you’ll also receive a portion since you’re one of my escorts.]
[…will that be fine?]
[What, you’re my traveling companion? Don’t be shy.]
When I saw Dentre smiling, it somehow made sense to me.
Either that, or do you want to make it so that if trouble happens later, I’ll be an accomplice?
[Thank you for your kindness.]
I returned to the tent after cleaning, but there was blood all over the floor. I don’t think this will come off even if I wash it.
Do I have to pay for the tent later? …No, it’s okay if you ask me.
I had no choice but to lay Sasha down in a clean place and lay down on the blood, but I couldn’t seem to fall asleep, probably because I was so excited. I ended up practicing magic quietly.
When it was time for me to go on duty at dawn, I went out to the front and found someone who was not scheduled to be with me. I guess they were there to watch me.
Maybe they were worried that I was too upset to the point of leaving, or maybe they wanted to keep an eye on me just in case. I tried to be on guard while chatting, wondering if there was anything to worry about.
Just before I left, I was stopped by Tors. He said he was distributing the properties of Joyceman’s group.
[In that case, since I don’t need cash, could you give me the sword that Joyceman used?]
[Sword? That big one? I don’t have anyone who can use it, so, sure why not? But, are you really sure about it?]
[I was thinking of buying a new sword anyway. I thought it would be a good fit.]
[Alright, as you wish.]
My allotment was decided to be Joyceman’s great sword. Even though it’s a great sword, it’s not the strangely huge one usually seen in the manga and anime, but rather it’s long and heavy for a sword. Perhaps it’s more correct to call it a Tachi?
It looks even more so since it is slightly curved.
Since I came to this world, my muscle strength has increased, and my parameter has also further improved it, so I think I’ll be able to handle it without any problems. I realized that a long handle is more convenient when dealing with monsters.
Nega Translations 