Riot Grasper Vol 1 Chapter 12

1st Volume, 12th Chapter 【Going Well, Returning Well…】

I have revised a part regarding the usage of the guild card as a proof of a person’s identification. (Author’s note)

——In the morning, the sunlight forcibly penetrated through the window and infringed upon the room.
I, who was sleeping on the bed which was directly in line with the sun and the window, was roasted by the sunbeam.

Pascam has a belfry to announce time. However, before it was 6 in the morning, I had woken up.

……O-Oou

Drowsily, I turned my neck around to see whether Arnold-san spent the whole night on the chair or not.
When I crawled out of the bed, I sensed a presence behind me.

「Good morning.」
「Morning- already……?」

It was now confirmed that Arnold-san had put the chair back and returned to his bed.
He fell back asleep and started snoring.

I went to the window and gazed outside.
Pascam port town has water-eroded terrain.
For this reason, the seash.o.r.e is slightly inclined.

Because the inn was located on a remote hill, the whole port town was within my view.
Upon the sunlight, which was being reflected through the sea that was acting like a mirror, I squinted my eyes.

「Sometimes, waking up early can be good~.」

I kept looking dazedly, doing nothing in particular, until the sun was completely out of the horizon.

This is……the rising sun!

——6 bells resounded in the port town.

At 3rd or 4th bell, Lim began moving restlessly and lifted the upper half of her body.

Beastkin are just like humans. However, cat beastkin are markedly different from wolf beastkin……Where Arnold-san looked like he could stab you with his claws, Lim acted just like a cat. Her *unyu~n* was especially cute.

「Good mowning.」
「……Good morning.」

After greeting briefly, I took a glance at Lim’s face.
Un……She seems to be alright.

Upon my looking at her like a mother, she tilted her head and retired from the bed.

「——Papa, it’s morning. Wake up.」

After getting shaken *yusayusa* by Lim, Arnold-san woke up.
I thought about stopping her but eventually decided to keep quiet and observe.

「……Un? Aah……sorry. At this age, getting up early is such a pain.」

His hearty yawn reminded me of my father.

When we were having breakfast on the first floor, Bays-san shared with us what he learnt at the guild yesterday.

「After yesterday’s attack by the Orcs, the Pascam guild has issued the Orc subjugation quest. Lately, there have been frequent incidents of the Orcs attacking people on the highway. The cause is unknown. Therefore, on our return trip, we will have to be fully prepared.」

I see. So the reward of subjugating four Orcs……went to waste.

「I have the quest paper with me. If you obtain the subjugation proof parts, I’ll be able to process the quest at the Merville guild. Until the cause has been ascertained, the quest will be treated as a continuous quest.」

In situations like this does Bays-san look like a staff member.
Oh well. I doubt the bodies of the Orcs, which I left behind by the roadside, are still intact.

After completing the preparations for departure at the inn, we escorted Batteau-san to the trading firm at the scheduled time.

After skillfully s.h.i.+fting the goods, which had already been loaded on a pallet, to the carriage, we bade farewell to Pascam port town and left for Merville.

——We smoothly advanced through the highway while keeping our eyes on the dense forest which was now to our right.

Arnold-san, who was guarding the right of the carriage, which was the same side where we were attacked from by the Orcs yesterday, pulled out his sword from the sheath on his waist, showing his cautious intent.

「……Someone’s approaching us.」

Saying that, I readied the Baselard with my eyes fixed on the forest.

——Jumping out of the forest were two silhouettes.
They were not the monsters.

Thieves……?
Tensed, I tightened my grip on the sword even more.
However, their first words weren’t 『hand over everything you have』.

「He-Help! Help us!」

Somehow……this was an even more disturbing sign.

The one who was shouting for help was panting heavily as if he was completely out of breath.

「B-B-Blo……My friends. Just one……」

They were a duo. Both had the status of an adventurer.
One was a rank C while the other was a rank D+.

Arnold-san, however, didn’t let his guard down and had his sword pointed at the two.
Bays-san descended off the coachman’s rack, cautiously approached the two and asked for the proof of their identification.

……Ah, I get it.
Although I know from 《Scholar’s Knowledge》 that they are adventurers, the possibility that they are thieves can’t normally be disregarded.
Had we let our guard down at their act, we might have lost our lives.

The two took their guild cards out of their chests which displayed their names and ranks.
Because the card doesn’t react to anyone but the owner, it confirmed their status of an adventurer.
Arnold-san, too, lowered his sword.

「Sorry for earlier. So, what happened?」
「W-We, friends, accepted the Orc subjugation quest. When we entered the forest……an Orc……suddenly……a Blood Ogre……」
「Wha……t……?」

Bays-san was frowning without even attempting to hide it.
It’s my first time seeing this look on his face.

「Why would a Blood Ogre……appear in this area? The Orcs are their food……Now I get why the Orcs have been showing up on the highway……They were driven out of their habitat.」

While Bays-san was muttering to himself, the two adventurers asked in a quivering voice.

「I-Is there anyone i-in your group who’s able to kill the Blood Ogres? We have one more friend, we lost them while escaping……」
「Everyone here is taking the promotion exam to rank D. A Blood Ogre is a monster that can only be subdued by multiple rank B adventurers……」

Bays-san cut his words, nimbly took his short spear out and dusted it off.

「It’ll be a bit difficult to do it alone.」

Bays……san?

「Guys, take Batteau-san and get away from here quickly. And you, adventurers, return to Pascam and report at the guild immediately.」

He fixed his gla.s.ses and issued the instructions.

「Aah……If you safely complete Batteau-san’s escort quest, you’ll pa.s.s the promotion exam. Please complete the formal procedure in Merville.」

「……Whenever possible, save your life. In case of danger, turn your tail and run away. Thereafter, inform the guild of the situation. Do you understand?」

While saying so, he ran off into the direction pointed out by the adventurers.
Why……Even though he was sitting on the coachman’s rack, relaxed, just a while ago.

「——Yareyare……What an incompetent man. What kind of examiner leaves the examinees in the middle of an exam?」

Glancing alternately, Arnold-san uttered such words.
Feeling the old scar on his ear, he tightened his lips.

「Seiji, Lim, escort the carriage through the highway.」
「……Arnold-san?」
「I’ll go and bring that examiner-dono back.」
「Eh……Wha!?」

The scary-faced beastkin said so and vanished off into the forest.

What……?
This situation.

……It’ll be alright, I think. After all, Arnold-san should be a rank B equivalent for he fought Bays-san on equal footing.

We couldn’t afford to leave Batteau-san on his own, of course, so we proceeded.
The post station should be ahead. Should we wait there for the two of them to return……?

While I was thinking so, I caught a shadow moving through the corner of my eye. No more time to think.

「——Hey, where are you going……Lim!」

I ran after Lim and grabbed her arm to detain her.
……It’s not like I don’t understand how she’s feeling.
However, Lim is the weakest amongst us.
I can’t allow her to go.

「Let me go……If anything happens to Papa……I’ll hate you……!」

When tears glistened in her eyes, I loosened the grip of my palm on Lim’s arm. For a moment, I couldn’t take my eyes off my hand.

「Thanks.」

——Just now, that word……What did it mean?
I recalled the sensation on my palm from last night.
Even though the night had pa.s.sed, I could still not shake it off.
Was she thanking me only to go and die right after? Why was she thanking me?
I clenched my fist and took a deep breath to calm my heart down.

When I turned around to Batteau-san, he said something idiotic yet miraculous.

「Oh, I forgot to buy one item, I have to go back to Pascam. Those two adventurers are returning to Pascam, right? Then I’ll ask them to accompany me.」
「A-Aah」
「Well then, Seiji-san. Until your examiner returns, the escort quest shall remain pending.」

After bowing unnaturally, Batteau-san turned the carriage around and rushed into the direction of the adventurers who were heading back to Pascam.

Hey……Why is everyone trying to act so cool?
In but a few moments, I was the only one left on the highway.
Even though I just wanted to give my all to the quest.

……Indeed……Nothing goes the way you want it to.
With the legs, which had recovered after having a night’s sleep, I kicked the ground and took off.

Destination——Forest, of course.
I can still……catch up.