Record of Wortenia War: Volume 1

by Ryota Hori

  But even after clearly detailing the dangers of traveling with him, the twins didn’t seem to have changed their minds. Quite the contrary, in fact.

  “If they do not know what you look like, traveling alongside us will make it even harder for them to notice your flight, will it not? They would assume you do not have any allies in this world.”

  Such was her proposal. After seeing their resolve to accompany him, hearing the advantages of their traveling with him, and saying he would eventually release them from their servitude, Ryoma decided to allow the sisters to come with him.

  “Are you sure you want to come with me? I’m planning to leave this world as soon as I get the chance to, you know.”

  Ryoma had no intent of staying in this world for much longer. Even if no one knew how to send him back to Earth, Ryoma intended to find a way how from nothing if he had to. Such was his resolve.

  “In that case, we will remain by your side until the day you find your way back home.” Laura said, a smile on her face.

  “Laura.” Sara, who stood next to her, parted her lips to speak. “Could we not also go to Master Ryoma’s world?”

  “My. Yes, that is an option. A wonderful idea! That way, we’ll always be able to serve him.”

  Sara’s words made Ryoma’s expression turn aghast.

  Now just a damn minute... Take them back with me? Gramps would have my head on a pike... never mind what Asuka might do.

  But without regard to Ryoma’s inner conflict, the sisters grinned happily.

  Well, I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it. I should focus on getting across the border for now.

  The next day, Ryoma’s group of three went through the town of Alue, stocking up and gathering gear for the journey ahead. The sisters were most used to a fighting style that used scimitars in both hands, but sadly, no one in Alue sold those.

  Since armor didn’t fit them (for how large their bosoms were, their hips were slim), they made do with buying swords and throwing knives.

  What was truly staggering, however, was the inheritance from the slave merchant, Azoth. They brought the gold coins to the bank, and as expected, there were five hundred of them. They carried the necklaces and jewels to a gem dealer, who named a startling cost.

  “The grand total is three thousand gold coins.”

  “““Huh?!””” Three stupefied voices overlapped in the gem dealer’s shop.

  “Are you displeased with the price? Frankly, this is as much as I can give...” The gem merchant apparently took their exclamation to be not surprise at the cost, but disappointment that it was too little.

  “Ah! No, no... It’s fine.”

  Ryoma knew there were a lot of rings and necklaces in the chest, but he never imagined it would fetch this much. Hearing Ryoma’s response, the gem merchant smiled.

  Huh? Is this guy... trying to rook us?

  Perhaps he thought Ryoma and the twins to be amateurs, and unjustly tried to buy the jewels off them at an unfairly low price. That said, Ryoma had no idea how much they really cost, and carrying so much precious metals with him when he was on the run would be a risk.

  “I see! I’ll be taking them all, then. However, I’m afraid I don’t have that kind of amount on hand... Would a transfer to your account be acceptable?”

  “Yeah. Um...” Ryoma glanced at the twins.

  It wasn’t hard for Ryoma to figure out he was the only one of them with an account.

  “Take this, then.”

  Of course, even while using his account was the only option, he felt guilty at having it all transferred to him. But upon seeing the sisters nod, he handed over his card.

  “Before we register you at the guild, we’ll need to stop at the bank.”

  “The bank, Master?” Sara echoed Ryoma’s words.

  The two of them didn’t really have much knowledge when it came to being an adventurer.

  “Yes. You need to have an account before you register, so they can reward you for completing missions.”

  “Is that a fact?” The sisters’ faces were filled with surprise and respect.

  This person really is amazing. He was summoned only a few days ago, and he already knows more than we do.

  While Laura was bowled over with admiration, Ryoma’s footsteps suddenly came to a stop.

  “Right, here we are.”

  Ryoma passed through the entrance of the bank, facing the main street.

  Thirty minutes later.

  After opening accounts in the bank, the three of them headed for the guild, and the girls completed their registration. On top of that, the three of them also learned of some important information in the guild and headed back to the inn.

  The Empire was blockading the borders. When they registered the sisters at the guild, they intended to advance to the next town, Adelpho, only to be forced to change their plans.

  “We need a backup plan.”

  “Yes, I believe going to Adelpho would be a poor idea.” Laura said.

  “I agree.” Sara nodded. “If it were a normal blockade, we could pass through by paying the stationed forces generously.”

  “Princess Shardina, huh...”

  “Yes.” The two nodded at Ryoma’s words. “The blockade is commanded by the princess’s direct orders, so bribery is unlikely to work here.”

  Money could solve most problems, but with the princess being in direct command, it wasn’t likely a bribe would tempt anyone. At worst, they could be beheaded on the spot.

  “So do we keep going... Or do we retreat...”

  A map of the empire’s territories they bought in the tool shop was spread out on the table before them. It was for civilian use, so it only showed the locations of the cities, the roads connecting them and the rough distance between them, but it was better than nothing.

  “If we’re retreating, we’d have to go south...”

  To get to the southern border, they’d have to go southwest of Alue through the monster-ridden forest, return to the capital and go further south from there. Cutting through the forest would diminish the distance, but since they were likely to encounter monsters, the distance would be more or less the same.

  “No... I’m not going south. The Empire’s likely to be most wary of the southern border.”

  That border was the closest one to the capital. His pursuers would naturally assume that Ryoma, being on the run, would prefer to take the shortest path possible out of the country.

  “Which leaves the north and west...”

  The expression on Laura’s face clearly showed she wasn’t in favor of that, and the reasoning behind that was apparent from a brief glance of the map. They were both too far. According to the map, the distance between each of them, if one were to go in a straight line, was 500 kilometers. If they were to go on foot, at 30 kilometers per day, it would take them half a month to get there.

  If they were willing to waste their time crossing that distance, it would be wiser and safer to simply wait for the heat of the pursuit to die out, and the blockades to be lifted on their own. That said, if they were to simply wait, there was a chance the Empire would resort to deploying its massive manpower to flush Ryoma out. Considering the dangers, it was clearly better for Ryoma to cross the border as soon as possible. The sisters understood that well enough, too.

  “I guess our only option is to keep going towards the eastern border...”

  The sisters nodded.

  “I have an idea about that.” Sara said, and two sets of eyes fixed their gazes on her.

  “You’re going to suggest going off the highway?” Laura asked, prompting Sara to nod back.

  “While we may have no choice but to cross the eastern border, we don’t have to go through Adelpho to do that. If we choose to enter the forest over taking the highway, we should be able to cross into the neighboring kingdom of Xarooda. What say you?”

  Sara moved her finger from Adelpho’s location on the map to a forested area north of it, which led into the kingdom of Xaro
oda.

  Not a bad idea, but...

  Ryoma couldn’t shake off a certain concern. Sara’s suggestion was sound and had no flaws to speak of, but an inexplicable anxiety gripped his heart.

  If the princess was smart enough to predict I’d rather go east and closed down the border because of that, wouldn’t she consider the possibility I might try to go off the highway?

  This world’s highways were protected by warding barriers which only extremely powerful monsters could hope to cross, so traveling along the highways allowed for safe passage. That was written in the guild’s booklet as well.

  But that didn’t mean using the highways was the only option. Those who were confident in their skill and willing to forgo staying in a pleasant inn in favor of spending the night in the forest were welcome to travel off the main roads. Few would make that choice, though. The only ones who would were either criminals, adventurers or spies; people with particular reasons and circumstances.

  Judging from how swift her decisions had been up to this point, Princess Shardina was a sharp-minded woman. She wouldn’t neglect to consider the possibility that such people might choose to cross the forest. That said, judging by the information he had picked up along the way, there weren’t that many pursuers heading to the eastern border. It was unlikely they’d be able to handle the entire stretch of land the forest occupied. In that regard, Sara’s suggestion still seemed workable.

  But if they were to be discovered, they’d be arrested without a doubt. The Empire’s soldiers didn’t know what Ryoma looked like, which would conversely make any man of large build a suspect. If so, even with Laura and Sara accompanying him, it was unlikely they’d let him go.

  I don’t see them letting me walk away just because Laura and Sara are with me... In which case, there’s no point in us going together... No, wait a second...

  A faint thought surfaced in Ryoma’s mind. The Empire’s forces weren’t aware of the Malfist sisters. They wouldn’t be detained so long as they weren’t traveling with him. And when he considered that, an idea flashed in his mind.

  “Sara, Laura. Let’s go with crossing through the forest. But...”

  As Ryoma spoke with a cruel smile overtaking his lips, the girls’ eyes widened with surprise.

  All right. It’s about time I taught you who’s the one being targeted here, princess.

  That was the moment when the hunter and the hunted exchanged their roles.

  Chapter 4: The Hunter and the Hunted

  The sound of the foliage being crushed under boots filled the forest. It had been a day and a half since Ryoma entered the forest north of the town of Alue. The twins weren’t in sight. After they concluded their preparations for the journey, Ryoma left for the forest off the highway all on his own.

  The forest was governed by darkness. The sparkling of the stars failed to penetrate the veil of the trees, and without fire to light the way, it would be impossible to see anything.

  “So far, so good...” Ryoma whispered to himself, illuminating the big tree roots at his feet.

  He’d only been with the twins for two days, but he was feeling their absence already. Surely no one would judge him for getting sentimental after being thrown into an unfamiliar world.

  Ryoma looked around cautiously, chewing on the beef jerky he’d bought in town. A day and a half of being off the main road had taught Ryoma well enough how menacing it could be, even though there naturally weren’t any enemies Ryoma couldn’t handle. He’d gotten off the highway, but it wasn’t that large of a detour.

  Their numbers were overwhelming, however. Every time he’d beaten a monster, the scent of its blood attracted another one, resulting in a vicious cycle. He hadn’t been aware of it the other day when he was hunting the wild dogs, but being able to retreat to the safety of the highway and rest his nerves was a major boon. However, now that he was forced to fight monsters in such fast succession without time to pause for breath, the strain was bearing down on him.

  They’re finally here?

  As Ryoma rested his body near the fire, he felt movement in the air and a gaze being fixed on him in the darkness, and it didn’t feel like a monster. The piercing gaze from the shadows felt almost adhesive.

  Ryoma doubted it was another adventurer who’d decided to cross through the forest, either. If they wanted to rest by the fire, they’d just call out to him. And if they were to notice that he’d clued into their presence, they’d think him to be a bandit and launch a preemptive attack.

  On top of that, it wasn’t the gaze of a bandit. There was no greed in it. There was certainly a sort of unpleasant stickiness to it, but it didn’t feel to be based on the desire to take another’s money.

  Ryoma placed a hand on his sword’s handle. Whoever it was, if they intended to attack, Ryoma was ready to cut them down. It was then that a man’s voice spoke from the darkness.

  “I seem to have startled you. My apologies.”

  Ryoma tightened his grip on his sword.

  “Now, now. No need to be so cautious. I’d just like a moment of your time.”

  His manner of speech was decidedly vexing. His words were polite, but somehow had a pressure to them that left no room for argument.

  “Fine. But come out slowly.” Ryoma said.

  A moment later, he could hear the sound of the branches being parted. When Ryoma saw the face of the man approaching opposite of him illuminated by the fire, a certain doubt filled his heart. His hair was carefully combed, and he had a longish, oval face. His height was roughly 175 centimeters, and he gazed at Ryoma with serene eyes hidden behind a pair of silver-rimmed glasses.

  He looked like a salaryman, the kind you could find countless examples of in some Japanese business district. Except, of course, you’d be hard-pressed to find a Japanese salaryman clad in armor and carrying a sword.

  “Hmm, is something the matter?” The man asked, seemingly having noticed Ryoma’s discomposure.

  “It’s nothing... I just thought, you don’t look much like a bandit.”

  “My, my.” The man smiled. “You say some troubling things. Mind if I sit over here?”

  Without waiting for Ryoma’s response, the man sat opposite of Ryoma.

  “I don’t recall saying you could.”

  Despite Ryoma’s admonition, the man didn’t seem apologetic. On the contrary, he took the chance to start talking.

  “Now, now. I just need to ask you two or three questions, and then I’ll be off.”

  Ryoma seemed to have resigned himself to the fact that nothing he could say would change this, and motioned for the man to continue.

  “I imagine you’re an adventurer, but I’d like to know what you’re doing in a forest off the highway. Are you doing work?”

  “I heard in Alue that the border checkpoint was blockaded.” Ryoma answered the man’s question honestly. “And apparently no one knows when it’ll be lifted, either, so I decided to cut through the forest. I’m pretty confident in my skill, you see, and I came prepared to camp out.”

  “Oh... Is that right? Still, I can’t say I find it all that commendable. Confident as you may be in your sword arm, crossing through the forest all on your own... Are you in a hurry of some sort? Perhaps, you’re being pursued by someone?”

  The man’s eyes narrowed, his gaze turning sharper. There was a glint in his eyes, as if he was trying to see through a lie.

  “No, there’s no hurry, but I’d rather go ahead and accumulate experience over just sitting around in town waiting for the blockade to lift. Besides, hunting monsters will net me money.”

  “I see, I see...”

  It was Ryoma’s turn to direct a probing gaze at the man.

  “And who are you, to demand this kind of information out of me?”

  Ryoma already had a pretty clear idea of what was going on, but he still asked, feigning ignorance. The important part was to not rouse the other party’s suspicion. At least, for the time being.

  “Oh, my apologies. I go by Hi
deaki Saitou. I serve as vice commander of the Empire of O’ltormea’s Succubus Knights.”

  “Oooh. Impressive...” Ryoma maintained his act, silently suppressing his doubts.

  So it really was one of my pursuers, huh... But, Saitou? He does look Japanese, but...

  Since he didn’t know the angle of the other party yet, he decided it would be most wise to pretend to be a mere adventurer.

  “And what would you be doing in the middle of a forest, sir vice captain?” Ryoma asked with a hint of politeness, since he now knew the other person’s standing.

  “You see, I’ve actually been in pursuit of a certain man. We suspect he may be trying to cross the border through this forest.”

  “A certain man? What did he do?”

  “Oh, I do apologize.” Saitou answered Ryoma’s interest with an utterly unapologetic tone. “It’s a confidential matter, and I can’t divulge the details to an outsider...”

  That was what Ryoma thought he might say. He didn’t expect Saitou to tell the truth handily at this point; it would actually be worse if he did. It would be one thing if he were simply loose-lipped, but Ryoma knew what fate those who learned things they shouldn’t hear could very well end up facing.

  But if he didn’t question Saitou here, it would come off as suspicious; as if he didn’t ask because he already knew something.

  “Oh, sorry. What is your interest in me about it, then? You don’t suspect me, do you?”

  As Ryoma spoke with an almost offended tone, Saitou shrugged in a flustered fashion.

  “No, no. I’m not suspecting you at all, but you see, we just don’t know that man’s face.”

  “What, you’re chasing someone when you don’t know what he looks like?” Ryoma raised his voice in surprise.

  So they really don’t know... Not surprised, though. I killed all the ones who saw my face.

  Ryoma mentally confirmed the accuracy of his judgment. Common sense and morals meant nothing in this world; survival was everything.

  “Yes, it’s actually quite the hassle... My superior’s pressuring me to catch him quickly and be done with it... And that’s where you come in. I’d like to ask for your cooperation with something.”