DMHS 32

“I heard Sir Frederick will guide us on this journey.”

“The Third Tower and the Fourth Tower have some exchanges. I have gone that way a few times, so I know the path.”

“Then I will count on you.”

“If Sir Kian speaks like that… hmhm… then I also will…”

Daisy cut off Frederick’s words.

“Since we are going anyway, I hope it will be a rewarding trip! Sir Semes, you think the same, right?”

“Please call me Kian.”

“Ah, yes. Then, Kian…”

Lucien, who had been quietly listening, cut into the conversation.

“The title is Sir Kian. And you must speak politely.”

The atmosphere that had been softening turned cold in an instant.

“How long are we going to chatter here? Hey, blue hair, you said you are the guide, so why don’t we depart?”

“…We will depart.”

“Sniff.”

Sniff?

When Kian turned around, Ibrahim had already come out to the entrance and was wiping his nose with a handkerchief.

“You must come back safely, Sir Kian. If you meet wild beasts, make the knight defeat them, and if you meet bandits, make the mage drive them away. Sir Kian, you must not move a finger and travel in comfort.”

“……”

“I still cannot believe Sir Kian will ride a horse. What if you sit in the saddle too long and your hips get sore? What if ugly muscles appear on Sir Kian’s beautiful hips? Why is there even a rule that you cannot use teleportation magic for the coming-of-age ceremony. If I could, I would abolish all those rules right now…”

‘My worries were nothing compared to this.’

Walter, who had almost gotten sentimental, came to his senses.

“Please have a good trip, master. I will wait here.”

“I will come back.”

After receiving Walter’s farewell, Lucien led the group forward. Kian embraced Ibrahim one last time and then let go.

With the sound of Ibrahim’s loud crying in the background, the journey for the coming-of-age ceremony began.

Walter watched the four who received horses chosen in advance from the stable and galloped toward the palace gate. According to the schedule, they would reach the Fourth Tower in half a month, and the Hero’s Tomb in one month.

Dagadag. Dagadag.

‘I hope you return in good health.’

Walter pressed his two hands together and prayed.

***

Frederick pushed back the hood of his robe and sighed.

“Don’t tell me, again?”

Daisy placed her hand on the hilt of her sword and stepped forward.

“This time it is my turn.”

The group, made up of Frederick, Daisy, Lucien, and Kian, was crossing the mountain ridges that led west.

The mountain path was rough, so they had been leading the horses on foot for a long while. What blocked their way again was a bandit gang.

The bandit leader at the front grinned unpleasantly.

“Kekeke. You kids are wearing nice things. I will take your armor.”

Frederick shuddered when he saw the bandit’s tangled hair and hid behind.

“Ugh…”

Raised as a pampered young master, he trembled whenever he saw filthy bandits. Since yesterday and today they had already met seven groups of bandits, it meant he had shuddered seven times.

Not noticing Frederick’s reaction, the bandit spoke proudly.

“You are really unlucky. To meet me, called the ‘King of the Crouching Wolves.’ You can only call it bad luck…”

It seemed they had even learned some kind of group cliché, because every bandit spouted similar lines.

For reference, the bandit leader they had met earlier had called himself the ‘Guardian of the Wise Hawk.’

Frederick frowned and muttered.

“Certainly, we are unlucky.”

Kian gave a similar word of comfort.

“They must be targeting the tourists gathered because of the festival in the lower village this week. So we are not the only ones unlucky.”

Listening to them, Daisy drew her sword from its sheath.

“I will deal with them quickly.”

A flash of blue aura rippled, and it did not take long before all the bandits were sprawled on the ground.

Frederick pinched his nose and kicked the bandit leader’s thigh.

“They should at least use this time to wash themselves.”

Daisy, who had put her sword back into the sheath, answered casually.

“These people cannot go down to villages freely. They must have restrictions even for washing.”

“So Lady Daisy even understands the circumstances of lowly bandits? I did not know you were such a broad-minded person.”

“Unlike Sir Frederick, whose heart is narrower than a minnow’s.”

Frederick clenched his molars.

Kian made a soothing sound like calming an angry bull and entered the conversation.

“Did you not swear only yesterday that you would not speak ill of each other. If you keep acting this way, we cannot move together with you two.”

“I am sorry. I slipped without realizing.”

“Apologies. I will restrain myself.”

At the same time, there were people looking down on them from the trees.

They had wrapped all of their bodies except for their eyes with black cloth. They were elite members of the Thieves Guild.

The man leading them was named Black. The two subordinates used the false names Violet and Lime.

Since yesterday, they had been hiding their presence and trailing the group they saw before their eyes.

“……”

The man who had mediated the quarrel pushed the knight and the mage on their backs.

“To reach the village before sunset we must hurry our steps. Let’s go quickly.”

“Understood.”

After the group disappeared from sight, the thief Violet spoke.

“You saw it just now. Not only the male mage, the female knight’s skill is also outstanding. They are not opponents we can handle.”

The thief Lime agreed.

“Wouldn’t it be better to find another target? From what I see, those people are really…”

But the leader Black did not bend his will.

“Who told you to fight them one on one and win? Thieves don’t fight fair. We only need to take the item we need.”

Black’s eyes shined with greed.

“The weak-looking boy has a subspace pouch! Just selling that pouch would buy a mansion, so how long will you keep talking weakly?”

“But, boss. How do we get past the knight who uses aura.”

“If we watch, the chance will come. The village with the festival is our backyard. Tonight we make our move.”

Black led his subordinates and followed Kian’s group.

‘We only need to separate the mage and the knight.’

The blond boy looked weak at a glance, and the black-haired man was surely just a servant. If he timed it so only those two were left, the subspace pouch would end up in his hands.

When they came down the mountain, the lower village was in the middle of a festival.

They had said the festival was even grander at night. The village with yellow magic stones hanging from every house was brighter than daytime.

Black forced his way through the crowd of bustling people and bumped into someone passing by.

Thud.

Black frowned and looked at the person beside him. Then his body stiffened on the spot. No wonder, because the one he had bumped into was a monster goblin.

Grrrrr.

‘Why is a green goblin down in the village?’

Black looked around in shock. His eyes soon widened like lanterns.

‘It’s not just this one. Everyone I thought was a person is actually a goblin! This is a goblin village!’

Sweat poured down his back and drenched it in an instant. In front, behind, to the sides, goblins with green skin were everywhere.

Black hurriedly stretched out his hand. Fortunately, his subordinate Violet, who was following behind, grabbed it.

“We must hurry, hurry out of this, this village…”

The sound coming from his tightened throat was small. But Violet answered in his usual leisurely voice.

“Wow, the disguises really look real, right, boss?”

‘Disguise?’

“Every year on this day green goblins come into the village and play pranks, so people disguise themselves as goblins to tease them back. It’s a fun festival.”

Only then did Black came back to his senses. Now that he looked closely, the passersby were clearly people below the neck, only wearing goblin masks.

‘Why did I mistake them just now?’

Black coughed loudly to cover himself.

“Green goblins are very difficult opponents if you fight them one on one.”

“I heard they can use magic. Some say they even tell prophecies.”

“They enjoy attention, so surely they are hiding somewhere here.”

“Heh. Suddenly it feels scary.”

“Even so, today they will not harm anyone. Since this festival is held in my name, they will quietly enjoy and leave.”

Black looked around and found his target.

‘Oh goddess! You give me such fortune!’

He rejoiced. Meanwhile, the knight and the mage had gone off somewhere, leaving only the boy and the servant to look around the night market on the street.

The two looked as appetizing as lambs before a wolf.

“Hey!”

Black lowered his voice and called Violet and Lime.

“You two draw their eyes. I will sneak from behind and take the pouch.”

His heart pounded heavily. From the boy’s trouser pocket stuck out yellow tassels. It was clearly tied to the subspace pouch.

‘If I just snatch that…’

The dream of turning his life around was right before his eyes.

Violet and Lime naturally blocked the two from the front. Using the method they always used, Violet acted exaggeratedly like an old acquaintance and spoke to the servant.

“Oh, aren’t you Jack? It’s me, Millon. We used to play together when we were kids!”

Lime joined right in.

“Jack? That’s right. Mischief-maker Jack! You threw a stone and broke our window!”

“Since it’s been so long, let’s hug once. Good to see you, Jack!”

Violet opened his arms and suddenly hugged the servant tight. Sticking close behind, Black swiftly stretched his hand toward the back pocket.