135. The Two-Faced City, Fathie

 

The place Bellman pointed to was a gorge so deep, it looked like it might reach all the way to hell.

It was known as the ‘Noelno Grand Canyon’.

The mountain path, with its bare rocky face, narrowed at points to a width barely wide enough for one person. The wind was fierce, and the cliffs below were unfathomably deep. Even if a boulder larger than a man fell, no sound of it hitting the bottom could be heard.

To cross such terrain with a large army would be all but impossible. It was no wonder the Abik domain had managed to avoid military invasions from neighboring nations for so long.

「[Space Jump], activate!」

Normally, one would have to inch their way along the cliffside trail and cross by the narrow suspension bridges stretched across the chasms. But this was precisely the sort of place where skills shone.

I glanced back at the bottomless gorge we’d just leapt over, and a thought occurred to me.

「Koe-san, Altora and the others headed west, didn’t they?」

「Yes. Altora and the two with him were last known to be heading toward the western border—this very mountain range. We lost contact with them after that.」

「And they went through this with no skills or decent gear…」

Realistically speaking, crossing the range would be near-impossible.

「It’s highly likely they’re buried under eternal snow, waiting to be discovered five thousand years from now.」

「You really liked that image, didn’t you, Koe-san?」

「At the very least, I believe it’s safe to say they were unable to cross the mountain safely.」

I nodded and looked up again. The mountain ahead was even taller. Its ridge was cloaked in snow, and a blizzard of pure white robbed all visibility—a beautiful, deadly world.

「Let’s go. We need to get over the mountains and into Narshe.」

Now was the time to forget about Altora and the others and act for the sake of the village.

Once I’d made that decision, my steps grew lighter. In about three days, we crossed the Leon Enagoris mountain range.

◇

The name of the town we arrived in was Fathie.

It had apparently started as a post town for those trying to cross the range, much like Kinui. But in recent years it had seen rapid development, and the main street was now bustling with energy.

「I thought maybe we’d see elves walking around as if it were normal, like with the dwarves in Vita-Tama…」

「No such luck this time, huh.」

「…Maybe it was the right call not to bring Shizuku.」

Most of the people walking the streets were human. Beastkin were rarely seen—and even then, they were treated little better than slaves. Perhaps that was the only way for beastkin refugees fleeing war to survive. Fathie’s bright exterior came with a dark underside.

And in that darkness, deeper still, many drugs were being manufactured and sent beyond the mountains.

As he surveyed the street, Bellman stroked his chin in thought.

「First we need to identify the source of the drugs. But strangers like us going around asking ‘Where’s that medicine from?’ would only raise suspicions.」

「Why not pose as merchants? They’d welcome people looking to transport their goods.」

Remembering what Guran had said about even peddlers being used to smuggle the drugs, I nodded.

「Good idea. We don’t know what dangers lie ahead, and if someone’s going in disguise, it should be me.」

「You, Master? As a merchant? I’m sure it will suit you!」

「Er, Koe-dono, forgive me for saying so, but… I must disagree. Marge-dono as a merchant is a bit… how shall I put it… too far-fetched.」

For some reason, Angelina and the three from Bellman’s squad stared at me intently. Was something wrong?

「You just don’t seem… friendly enough.」

「Ah, but I bet you’re great with numbers.」

「Even so, it’s hard to picture you as a merchant.」

「Too expressionless. You’d scare customers off.」

They all said the same thing in different words—it just didn’t suit me.

「So I really do have a stiff face, huh…」

「I don’t think so, but…」

Bellman was also considered for the disguise, but there was something I needed him to do instead.

「Further west?」

「Even if we track down the source and destroy it, that doesn’t help those already addicted. And we can’t count on the mastermind to know a cure either.」

There are countless drugs with addictive, dependency-forming properties. Many are sold and traded in secret, and it’s not uncommon for neither seller nor maker to know any cure.

They sell the drugs until the target runs out of money or life—that’s all they care about.

「It’s a tragic thing.」

「I’ve heard there’s a student town further west. I want you to go there and find a skilled apothecary. They might be able to figure out how to detoxify that drug.」

「Understood! Then we shall act separately from here!」

There was also the practical matter of avoiding attention by keeping our group size down. After seeing Bellman and his team off, we began gathering intel in Fathie.

「Let’s find a tavern.」

「A tavern?」

「Old adventurer’s wisdom. People gather in taverns. Where people gather, so does information. And in this case, a tavern tucked away off the main road would be best.」

Customers with shady dealings prefer such establishments. If we find one with patrons sneaking in and out, all the better. Even if it’s unrelated to our main goal, people like that usually have exploitable vulnerabilities.

「So basically, we want one in a discreet spot, with shady regulars, right?」

「Exactly.」

「Then let’s search efficiently. [Mud Infant], activate! Scatter!」

Tiny golems were generated and scurried into the alleys. They’d alert us if they found any place promising.

We also needed a place to stay. Just as I was about to leave Angelina and the golems in charge of tavern hunting and go find lodging—

「…Huh?」

「What’s wrong?」

「One of the golems was destroyed. They’re fragile since they’re for scouting, but they shouldn’t break from just tripping.」

「Then someone must’ve noticed it. These things happen. No use worrying about just one.」

「Still, it’s strange.」

「Strange?」

To strangers, a clump of moving dirt would certainly seem suspicious. Some might break it out of fear, others out of curiosity. But Angelina didn’t seem convinced.

「It was so cute… and only knee-high! Who smashes something so small and adorable!? Gelli could understand taking one home as a pet, but destroying it, never!」

「The world’s full of people with different tastes, Angelina. Was that the only odd thing?」

「Oh, right. It got close to someone sneaking around near a tavern and got destroyed right in front of it. Maybe there’s something there they don’t want seen.」

「Nice work.」

That reeked of suspicion. Could be a tavern involved in shady dealings.

Whether it was connected to the drug or not, it was a solid lead.

「This way~」

Angelina led us through a back alley. The path was dim and winding.

We passed a few people, all of whom wore blissful expressions—until they saw us, when their faces turned awkward and ashamed.

「Definitely suspicious vibes here.」

「…This could be trouble.」

「Master? Something wrong?」

「It’s hard to use detection in a maze like this. I don’t want to invade innocent civilians’ privacy, after all.」

Being as discreet as possible, we followed Angelina’s lead to the place she pointed out.

「…Huh?」

「Wait, is that…？」

A pink sign read ‘Maid Tavern Fancy Mina’. In the dingy back alley, it stood out like a world apart.

「Let’s check it out.」

「This is Gelli’s first time in a place like this.」

I had, in fact, been in one before. Back when I was with the Divine Silver Sword, I’d often had to drag Gordon out of places like this.

Didn’t expect that memory to resurface here… but I pushed the door open. The interior was handmade but cute, decorated with a few girls in black-and-white maid outfits. All expected.

Except for one thing.

「Welcome home, Master~」

「…Eria?」

「Oh hey, it’s Eria-chan! So good to see you again!」

The one in front was a familiar face.

The petite former mage, Eria A. Arlmar, blinked several times with her usual blank look. Whether it was surprise, shame, or confusion—or all of the above—I couldn’t say. Eventually, she quietly pointed at the door.

「…Please leave, Master~」