169 Rumors in Fathie: ‘The Forest of Vehl’

 

Ten days had passed since the battle, and in Fathie, the scenery of everyday life had largely returned to what it had been before.

Thanks to the fact that most of the monsters had been stopped, the town’s infrastructure remained intact. Even the wells—once feared to be poisoned—were confirmed safe, and the water supply was no longer an issue. Business, construction, housework, even the occasional brawl—everything was regaining its usual vitality.

That said, the town had not come through unscathed. In the eastern district, where tremors and stray monsters had caused damage, reconstruction was underway. If one walked under the clear summer sky, the sound of hammers could be heard ringing out here and there.

For the people in the back alleys, it had been a disaster in the midst of already difficult daily lives. It should have been a hardship, nothing to celebrate—but the faces of those repairing homes and shops somehow looked cheerful.

「Hey, did you hear? The Elves are seriously moving into the woods.」

「Yeah, I heard. Supposedly they’re being made to manage those monster-infested mountains… Poor bastards.」

「Heh, like hell. Good riddance, I say.」

「Damn right. If we don’t have to live in fear of green-haired freaks anymore, then I say it’s cause for celebration.」

Glancing sideways at the gossiping men, Altora hefted his shopping bags and turned his gaze toward the mountains. Now that summer had fully arrived, the forest’s greenery must be thick and vibrant. Clicking his tongue at the Elves who were probably out there, he muttered, ‘They pulled it off pretty neatly’. A crooked, cynical grin played at his lips.

「That Remonde made sure to take what she was owed, huh.」

Anyone with even a basic understanding of dungeons would know the rumors floating around town were nonsense. The monster overflow had been caused entirely by the dungeon’s influence. Now that it had been cleared, the area was no longer dangerous. For the Elves, being sent to the woods was a blessing, not a punishment.

That area, which people had started calling ‘The Forest of Vehl’, would surely become a safe haven for the Elves. Eventually, people would realize there were no monsters coming out of it—but by then, it would have transformed into a fortress no outsider could set foot in.

「Their longed-for ‘Elven Forest,’ huh. Just stay in there and never come out.」

There was the Werewolves’ Hidden Village, which maintained friendly relations with the inn town of Kinui.

There was the Jet-Black Fuzzy Town, which pursued mutual prosperity alongside the major city of Vita Tama.

And now, there was the Forest of Vehl, which would remain in quiet coexistence with Fathie, each influencing the other, but never interfering.

Their forms differed, but each arrangement offered a way for humans and demi-humans to live side-by-side. Even Altora could see that now.

「Well, with no more tribute to the Vehl Family, that’s one load off—but it’s gonna heat up the competition. Time to head back and prep the shop.」

Until now, Fathie had been governed by two powers: publicly by a mayor and officials appointed by the state, and behind the scenes by the Vehl Family, led by the Elves.

With the Vehl Family now gone, there had been some concern that the power balance would collapse and hurt the people of the slums. But the mayor had been replaced by direct order of a high-ranking official from Narshe, and the town’s living conditions had actually improved. The new mayor, it was said, was pro-demi-human and sympathetic to the Forest of Vehl. Strange, but true.

「Strange… Yeah, let’s leave it at that. Don’t poke the gods, and all that.」

Altora had a pretty good guess that Remond was behind the appointment, but he chose not to dwell on it. He wasn’t some up-and-coming adventurer climbing the social ladder looking to ingratiate himself with nobles and politicians anymore. He was just a tavern worker, pouring drinks and flashing smiles to keep the regulars coming back. Better to spend his brainpower thinking up the next silly customer draw than worry about politics.

He was just about back to his little castle—the pink sign of Fancy Mina now in sight—when he spotted a small figure crouched in front of the shop. As he approached, he saw that it was a tiny girl, face pale and trembling all over.

「…Eria? What the hell are you doing?」

「Despair. Have you forgotten what day it is today?」

「Huh? Oh… Collection day or something?」

「Incorrect. Incorrect, incorrect, incorrect. Today is the day the skill lent to us through [Skill Lender] is repossessed.」

「…Yeah, I know. I was trying not to think about it, and now you’ve gone and reminded me.」

Today marked ten days since that battle.

Marge’s [Skill Lender] had a minimum term of ten days—and today, that period expired. Since the contract had been precisely defined, repossession would happen automatically. It was time to part with the suite of skills they’d borrowed, including [Sword Saint]—likely for good.

The realization had Eria sweating cold bullets and trembling violently.

「You and Gordon are fine. Your brutish, single-purpose combat skills are useless outside of a battlefield. You’ve settled into a backwater tavern now—no need for those anymore.」

「You know, I’m starting to think your dear [Ancient Wisdom] warped your personality beyond repair.」

「My skill is directly linked to cognitive function. Once today ends, I’ll be back to dunking bread in soup and calling it a revolutionary discovery. If I don’t finish my last paper before then, the wisdom of Eria A. Arlma will be lost forever!」

Seeing the little mage clutching her head, Altora groaned, drawn-out and irritated. Losing one’s intelligence wasn’t something he could relate to, and frankly, he didn’t want to try. He had no words of comfort, and didn’t care enough to come up with any. Still, he had to move the conversation along.

After a moment’s thought, he just said the first thing that came to mind.

「You didn’t seem all that miserable without the skill, though.」

「Shut up. Don’t talk nonsense just because it’s not your problem.」

「You were getting along pretty well with that shorty alchemist, weren’t you?」

「Alchemist… You mean Angelina Emesmes?」

「See? Even if you turn into a dumbass, at least you’ve got a friend.」

「…Friend.」

Friend.

Eria repeated the unfamiliar word, one she seldom used or heard.

「I see… Even without my wisdom skill, I’ll still have a friend.」

「Yeah, well, it must be hard to make friends with your usual personality.」

「Because I don’t need any. Normal people may need two or three companions to collectively raise their mental capacity, but I can handle the thinking of ten, a hundred people all on my own. I’ve never had a reason to make friends.」

「Real handy, that.」

Though she continued to rattle off cold logic, Eria avoided Altora’s gaze and looked skyward—eastward, toward the blue sky that led to the Werewolves’ Hidden Village.

「Still… it’s not so bad, having one. That’s what I think now.」

「You’re a real piece of work, you know that?」