RAW: http://ncode.syosetu.com/n0695bs/31/

9: a fact about Bloom, his title can also be <steam powered battery>, battery is some kind of artillery (I think). Also I think i will be redesigning Ryua, her height seems to shorter than i expected.

Xant: The second I started editing this, 9 messaged me. Am I being watched…? Also, seems Ryua is short and an ironing board, Roel is taller and voluptuous. Huh. Not too far from our original estimates.

TL: in this chapter i will use bandits instead of thieves

Edit by 9: I might be taking a small break (1-2 days probably)

Chapter 30 – Crossing the Kizel Canyon! Part 4

“Thank you very much for the delicious food and boarding.”

“Be sure to visit again soon. Today was also an exception, that hot pot was a special service.”

“…I’m sorry.”

Roel had a sheepish and apologetic look on her face. Once she started eating she wouldn’t stop.

She had eaten about half of the hot pot on her own.

“Now since that’s done, let’s start the day with high spirits! If we keep up the pace we had before getting to the lodge, we should be out of the canyon by tomorrow around noon.”

“Isn’t this place the halfway point? There’s at least half of the journey left to go.”

“You’re not wrong, it is considered the halfway point, but it’s really a big slowdown for people going to the Capital. The nice owner is one thing but the hot springs on top of that tend to make you want to stop there for a while, right?”

(TL: 「どちらかというとアバンガルド王都寄りだな。まぁおやっさんはそんなのより、温泉があるかどうかで決めたんだろうけどな」)

“Aaah my plan was exposed.”

Bloom was laughing with his wrinkled face.

No matter how hard I look at this person, just like Kozow, he doesn’t seem to be a former adventurer.

“Well then, lets depart! See you Bloom-sa~n!”

Cynthia was waving her arms in a wide arc and Bloom responded with the same action.

Bloom kept waving his hands from the lodge entrance as we walked away.

“The bird meat hot pot sure was delicious! Let’s visit them again.”

“That’s really the only thing you like in this entire canyon, isn’t it?”

“Hahahah…” Cynthia laughed in a reserved tone.

‘You’re not wrong’ was in my heart, agreeing with her.

The running coach suddenly stopped.

In front of the coach was a group of people in a line, as if stopping us.

“You guys, are you Bandits?”

Seigel talked to them in a familiar tone, and then one approached us.

“I’ll overlook you guys this time, our business is with that worn-out lodge.”

With those words, all of the men behind him brandished their weapons.

A spear, an axe, a bow, there were a variety of weapons. The armor they had on wasn’t that different from what I wore before I met Roel.

Their looks could use a bit…no, a lot of work.

“Such dangerous looking guys aiming at the lodge, huh? I suggest you rethink that idea, if you’re injured it’s not my fault.”

“Bastard! Don’t interfere!”

Showing off his axe, he violently thrust it into the ground.

“Oooh, sca~ry” Seigel grumbled as he pointed his big sword towards him.

“This is my last warning, don’t do it.”

“If you’re going to be a hindrance-”

Artillery had been fired into the sky…no, it was a single arrow.

It crushed the ground as it landed. Ground zero looked like a meteor had hit, impact crater and all.

“W-what just happened…?”

The bandits peered into the crater.

I immediately understood who the owner of the arrow was.

Looking behind me I saw Bloom.

“If this was set to rapid fire it’s able to sweep up a lot of monsters. Didn’t you name it <Vulcan Rain>, Seigel?”

“Who knows…”

Even Seigel drew back from <Steam Powered Fortress> Bloom’s true strength.

The bandits seemed to finally understand their situation. Some swallowed saliva in fear and others ran away screaming.

Firing a bow into the skies and hitting the ground with such impact…how did he do it?

More than just raw firepower, the bizarre technique surprised me.

“Since it’s like that, it seems we don’t have to worry about the lodging.”

The old soldier with the bow did a thumbs up to Seigel.

I think I’m more concerned about the safety of possible attackers than the lodging…

Most people would die just from being hit by one of those arrows.

“These bandits are nothing to you guys so I don’t need to worry, right? Take care.”

“Ah! Just injure the bandits!”

(TL:「あぁ、そっちは盗賊に怪我させるなよ！」)

With such a dangerous farewell we departed for real this time.

“Bloom-san sure is strong.”

“That exchange was rather stressful and bad for my stomach, I should really be more careful…”

(TL: 「挨拶代わりに薄毛に触れてたけど、腹に風穴があきそうだからやめておこうかな……」)

“Even if it wasn’t like that I would still suggest stopping.”

Both Seigel and Cynthia were surprised at how their image of Bloom had been shattered.

Now that I think about it, Mai also used a bow.

If she became Bloom’s disciple she might become a remarkable bow user.

///

“However, for someone to become a bandit in these parts…if the Capital decided to be a little serious about things the bandits would be exterminated.”

“Those people didn’t recognize Seigel-san, even though you’re famous…”

“That’s rude. It’s because they’re bandits.”

“Yeah yeah.”

I didn’t really follow their conversation, let alone what Roel and Seigel agreed upon. Beside Roel was Cynthia, performing maintenance on her tools. I don’t recognize most of the tools, nor am I interested in them, but Cynthia mistook my glance as curiosity. “Wait a minute” she said, and then started explaining them to me.

“This is one of the materials for a potion, a diluted liquid.”

I got sleepy.

I started to fall asleep peacefully on the spot and Cynthia punched my head with all her might.

“Ow! What was that for!?”

“Oh my. Just as I thought, that hurt.”

“Of course it hurts!”

“Even though you’re calm and collected when a monster strikes you…strange.”

“Cynthia-chan, Ryua-chan feels pain too you know! There was this one time Ryua-chan was careless and a weighing stone fell on her little toe. She really cried out!”

“I’d be shocked if Ryua-chin didn’t cry out from something like that…”

(TL:「それ、リュアちんじゃなかったらショック死してるよ……」)

It’s not like monster attacks don’t hurt, but as long as it isn’t a serious injury or a fatal wound then it isn’t a problem.

Unexpected attacks, like the one just now, hurt a lot.

The canyon road had started to slant but the horse didn’t change how it walked.

We stopped for lunch and ate the box lunch Bloom had given us. ‘I wonder if this smell is from a fish?’ I thought, suddenly a monster attacked.

Before I could make a move Seigel was already on top of things.

He defeated the floor monster here so he should be really strong but I wonder where I got that impression from?

It was only for a brief moment, but I felt it.

I had taken a quick glance at him as he massacred the monster in an instant.

Wasn’t Seigel an elite A rank?

What does elite A rank even mean, though?

When the sun had set and we set up camp, I asked him that question.

“Ah, when you become an A rank there is a ranking within the division regarding how strong you are compared to the rest. Did you know my standing as an A rank out of 102 others is 16th?”

“That’s amazing.”

“I don’t consider it to be that amazing…”

I thought about it.

I’m still at C rank, I haven’t gotten close to A rank yet.

Even getting to B rank is still far away.

Just what do we need to do to become a B rank?

“What kind of benefits are there to having a high rank?”

“The King is happy to see high ranked adventurers!”

“Is that all?”

“That’s all.”

“Then it’s useless…”

“Ryua, there’s more to it than that. You can receive many things from generous people. Being able to wander as I wish is also thanks to my rank. There will also be an important task entrusted to you.”

“So I guess you ended up choosing to receive a girl? You’re really the worst.”

“Just how did you come to that conclusion…regarding girls, I’ll have you know I’m a gentleman towards them.”

I felt worried about something he said.

Even though they’re adventurers, for the King to be happy is strange.

It’s like they’re the King’s servants.

“Fuua~ today sure was tiring. I guess we should sleep soon, so good night.”

Cynthia retreated into the coach and quickly fell asleep.

Roel who had been dozing off beside me was now leaning on me.

“Properly carry her to the coach. Make sure to be careful.”

Seigel winked at me from where he was sitting while closing his eyes.

I didn’t know how long we had stayed up but I wasn’t sleepy at all.

“Then I guess I should also try to sleep.”

i carried Roel to the coach to sleep, and I followed soon after.

///

Seigel and I woke up at about the same time.

A group of men had surrounded the coach.

We didn’t know their exact number but there had to be more than 50.

Many of them fired arrows towards the coach, and at the same time I drew my swords to produce wind pressure and blew the arrows away.

I put enough force behind my attack to even cut the trees. A sizable amount of the attackers panicked.

“W-w-w-what?!”

“Ku! Who are you? Who is the one responsible for this attack!”

“That would be me.”

“B-boss…”

A slender man with long hair who looked out of place alongside the bandits stepped forward.

He appears to be a good looking guy. I can’t imagine him actually being able to manage these stern looking men.

The man who was called boss continued to talk to us in a strangely calm way.

(TL:妙に 落ち着いた 口調 で 頭 と呼ばれた 男 は続け た。)

“Haha, a man and a…kid. According to the information my underling gave me there should be two women but I guess they’re sleeping inside the carriage?”

“Are you…Davitz?”

(TL:if someone has a better name デイビッツ please tell us)

Seigel asked the man a question with a confused expression on his face.

The man brushed his bangs aside and seemed irritated.

“Siegel, I didn’t expect you to be here out of all places.”

“I had been thinking that I haven’t seen you in a while. So, you became the head of bandits in this place. You’ve really fallen.”

“I’m peerless around here you know? Monsters and adventurers are nothing to me. If there is a woman then this hand will embrace them with love.”

Davitz was in a hugging pose with both of his hands.

I feel rather uneasy seeing that gesture.

“Geez…”

Seigel approached him with his large sword drawn.

“No matter your reason, it seems this situation is pretty straight forward huh?”

“Ha! I was hoping to avoid fighting you.”

While saying that Davitz drew his rapier.

The men surrounding us had finished their preparations to attack the coach.

“That’s right. Seigel, weren’t you recently gravely injured and nearly passed away?”

“…how did you know?”

“S-e-c-r-e-t~”

He was smiling like a fool with his index finger over his mouth in a ‘ssshh’ gesture. Bandits are pretty cold hearted.

“Do it.”

The bandits let the blood rush to their head an all attacked at once.

I sighed at the situation.

They’re just too slow.

So many wasted movements…do they think they can win this way?

In the <Caves of Hell> any wasted movement usually meant death.

I trained myself to never overlook an opening.

If these bandits entered that place they would last mere seconds before getting annihilated.

A bandit’s livelihood is from stealing, but like this they couldn’t steal a life.

But regardless of the amount of enemies, I can’t kill them. Instead I ran around hitting their heads lightly.

They collapsed to the ground one by one.

Even though I just need to make contact with them it seems I accidentally added in some force.

Their faces were crashing into the ground, unable to move in the growing pile of bodies.

I didn’t want to kill anyone, but my worries were quickly eased once I saw them twitching. They’ll live.

【Ryua-chan attacked!】

【All the bandits fainted!】

We had been encircled by bandits the whole time, but they suddenly all collapsed.

Davitz looked around to figure out what happened. His mouth was wide open, shocked at the scene in front of him.

“What the hell just happened!?”

I don’t think he included me in his calculations.

His plan seemed to be overpowering us with sheer numbers, clearly he didn’t expect it to fail.

“Are you sure it’s not just a trick?”

Even though Seigel didn’t subdue the bandits he had a boastful expression.

He had kept his stance with his sword the whole time.

I wonder if he plans on fighting Davitz in the end?

“Give up. If you do it right now I’ll plead your case to make your punishment as light as possible.”

“No matter what I do, there isn’t a way for me to live…!”

His hair became disheveled and he unleashed consecutive strikes against Seigel.

His attacks weren’t even able to graze.

“Davitz, why are you doing such things?”

“Are you an idiot!? No matter what we achieve we are just the King’s property! We, as adventurers, should have more pride! We should have freedom!”

“You have pride as a thief?”

Davitz was desperately hitting Seigel persistently with high speed attacks. As he pulled back to ready his next attack, it instantly flew at Seigel again, almost like a spring. The speed that this attack had was incomparable to the previous ones.

“<Spring Thrust>!”

As the rapier clashed with Seigel’s large sword it shattered.

Davitz’s special attack was easily blocked. Seigel’s sword was stabbed into the ground while he had a humble pose behind it.

In reaction to this, Davitz brought up his arms in a fist fighting stance.

“Are you not done yet?”

“Even if my sword is broken I just need to use my hands and adapt myself to the situation. That’s how I am.”

“That’s right, you always were a sore loser.”

I walked between the two of them.

I wonder if Davitz was wary about me, he moved back as if scared.

“Just stop it already.”

“Move out of the way, girl!”

“If you stop now then I won’t have to fight you.”

“Shut up! <Blaze Shot!>!”

He suddenly cast an intermediate magic. Even though he isn’t a wizard, nor is his specialty magic, the power of this spell was incomparable to Tolppo’s version.

Coming from an A rank, it was dreadfully hot.

(TL: Ａランクの凄みがのしかかるほどの熱さ。)

But these flames won’t burn me.

Just before the flames touched me they were extinguished.

【Davitz cast <Blaze Shot>!】

【Ryua received no damage!】

“Are you an A rank!?”

“She’s C rank, actually. I don’t stand a chance against her either.”

“For the Dragon Hunter to fall like that… to this kid…<Sleep Hold>!”

He tried to cast a sleeping magic, but it has no effect on me so his shout only echoed into the distance. Such things won’t affect me.

“Are you done yet?”

“There is still much more I can do! I will show you the fruit of my training!”

“Just give up already…”

I struck Davitz’s head.

A light sound was heard and his body jolted. He collapsed as if crumbling to the floor.

“Seigel-san, what are we doing with these guys?”

“It’s troublesome but we’ll have to hand them over to the Kingdom. We can’t just leave them here either.”

Seigel looked troubled while glancing over the fallen men. He let out a long sigh.

===========================================================

Author’s Notes

The next chapter is the last part of the Kizel Canyon arc.

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