Published: July 3, 2025
The next day.
After finishing breakfast in the guild cafeteria earlier than usual, the four of them headed towards the City of Kairadi.
Of course, they walked.
The road between Run and Kairadi is well-maintained due to the frequent movement of people and goods.
Although it is well-maintained, it doesn't have cobblestones laid down; the ground is simply compacted. However, compared to taking a pathless route, it is incomparably easier.
Along the roadside, there are occasionally pillars standing about one meter in diameter and five meters in height.
"What's that pillar that stands occasionally?"
Ryo, curious about the pillar, asked casually.
And usually, it was Eto who answered questions of this nature.
"That’s an exorcism pillar, a monster-repelling pillar. They should be standing every five hundred meters."
"A barrier..."
Ryo muttered involuntarily. What came to his mind was the barrier that Michael (alias) had set up at his home in the Forest of Rondo.
"It doesn’t have much of the effect to be called a barrier, but... well, unless something major happens, monsters won't come close. They are typically set up along the main roads of the kingdom."
It seemed there was one along the road connecting Run and Whitnash, but Ryo had no memory of it. At that time, it might have been more important to extract information from the 'coffee makers.'
It seems the exorcism pillar and the barrier at home are fundamentally different.
Someday, I want to solve the mystery of the barrier at home... Another ambition began to sprout in Ryo's heart.
And then, lunchtime.
While eating the bento prepared by the guild cafeteria, the four were resting.
"Still... nothing really happens, does it?"
"Ryo... what exactly are you expecting...?"
Nils responded with a look of disbelief to Ryo's monologue.
"Well, you know, when it comes to traveling between towns... I thought it would be the norm to fend off monsters coming at us non-stop and catch the bandits coming in groups to steal the treasure we’ve gathered."
"Whose non-human monster realm are you talking about...?"
If such things happened frequently, economic activities at the national level would certainly be interrupted.
Nils explained that.
Yes, it was Nils, who looked like a big troublemaker swordsman, explaining it.
Ryo was astonished.
"Hey, Ryo, you were thinking something really rude, weren't you?"
"N-No, that’s not true!"
Beside them, Eto couldn't hold back her laughter and finally burst out laughing.
After a good laugh,
"Nils had previously heard about this from Mr. Abel, and he remembered it."
"Don't spill the beans, Eto!"
Nils panicked at Eto’s revelation.
"Sure enough..."
"Why do you accept that so readily?"
Ryo nodded vigorously, to which Nils protested.
Amon, who had been listening quietly from the side, said, "But it's impressive that all those things you heard before are properly ingrained in you. I will do my best too!"
Amon is a good guy.
By evening that day, the four arrived at Kairadi without anything happening.
"This is the time when the guild is crowded with request reports. Let's secure a room first," Nils suggested, and they secured accommodations before heading to the adventurers' guild.
Camping out wouldn’t cost them for lodging, but since they were in town, they wanted to sleep in a proper bed.
Adventurers’ bodies are their capital, after all.
After securing a room and having dinner, the four headed to the adventurers' guild.
As expected, the peak of request reporting for that day had passed, and there were hardly any adventurers in the guild.
There was only one young male receptionist present.
"We are adventurers from the City of Run, and we have taken on a subjugation request from Abali Village that came from this town. We would like to receive the request information. Also, this is a letter of introduction from our guild master."
Nils said this and handed the letter of introduction given by Hugh to the receptionist.
"Understood. Please wait a moment."
Saying that, the receptionist took the letter and went through the back door.