CH 65

Chapter 65

When Peaceful Times Cease To Exist : In The Beginner's Dungeon, Part 13 — Mysterious Woman

Translated by KaiesV

Edited by KaiesV

「I kind of feel like it’s been a while since I’ve seen the sun.」

「I didn’t feel like I was alive there…」

「Yes, seriously. I shudder to think what would happen if those two boys came back. I’m glad we got out before they came back.」

Even Nia, including the mercenaries around her, looked relieved, but Fenna’s words made everyone gasp. Everyone who thought they were safe and smiles had returned to their faces, but once again there was a tinge of uneasiness.

「…Let’s get out of here right away. It’s kind of weird to be here. Is it okay, Alfie?」

「Yes, I agree. Even if it means crashing through the woods at night, so much the better.」

「By the way, where are you all going?」

Kazas asks Alfiris and the others.

「I think the closest one was Mileno. We went there for now. We’ll see what happens after that when we get to town.」

「I understand. If you don’t mind, I would like to accompany you.」

「That’s fine. I’d rather accompany the surviving mercenaries as well.」

「Thank you. Rhine-san will be there, won’t you? …Huh, Rhine-san?」

「Nhn? Ahh, I…」

Rhine was serious and thoughtful about something. Alfiris appealed to him with her eyes,「Don’t come～!」but it seemed appropriate to accompany him, considering the situation. But Rhine’s reply was surprising.

「No, I’m not going with you. I need to think about something, so go ahead.」

「Erm, I thought I’d offer you a reward…」

「Make up a deed and send it to the mercenary guild in Mysia along with the money. I was planning on going over there soon anyway.」

「That’s fine, but isn’t it dangerous to stay?」

「It’s all right. Don’t worry about it. See you.」

After saying this, Rhine quickly moved away. Rhine’s behavior was surprising to Alfiris, as she used to hang around Alfiris in some way. Miranda whispered softly to Alfiris.

「Alfie, are you sure? To let him act alone?」

「He says it’s fine, so why not?」

「But, you know—」

「It’s fine! Let’s go.」

Alfiris starts walking in the opposite direction of Rhine. Miranda is concerned about Rhine’s behavior, but she can’t follow him, so she followed Alfiris. And not long after, Alfiris and the others left. The girls were still thinking about the dead mercenaries, but they were not yet ready to let their minds wander. All were walking with the same thought in their minds that it would be okay to mourn the deaths when they got to town.

＊＊＊

Meanwhile, Rhine has found something like a stone platform at random and produces the rank insignia entrusted to it by the mercenaries. He turned them over one by one to see where each was from.

「I’ll have to make sure all of you will get it back…」

Rhine is now 26 years old, but has a lot of battlefield experience for his age. He was in the military until the age of 19, and after becoming a mercenary, he often volunteered to go into battle, especially after he became a mercenary. The hardest part of it all for him was not slaying the enemy on the battlefield, but delivering the report of his friend’s deaths to their families. Although the past 20 years have been a period of peace, known as the Tranquil Period, it is not entirely free of war. There were no major battles, but rather many skirmishes. Therefore, casualties from skirmishes occurred regularly in the army.

The most tragic of these was being left for dead. This is not uncommon in major wars, but those who were left behind were not happy. When he was still in the beginning of his military career, he once saw a lady who had been waiting for more than 20 years for her own husband’s return. She was married and carrying a child just before heading off to war, but she was so worried about her husband that the child drifted away, and as it was, she was a woman who was a little crazy. The reception was normal, but 20 years later she still thought she was still the same person she was when she was newly married. Not wanting to see such a scene, Rhine had been as meticulous as possible in reporting the deaths of his fellow soldiers after becoming a mercenary.

But this time, the number of deaths was unusual. The percentage of casualties was a bit unthinkable in this area affected by the Arnelia Church.

「Damn, I can’t believe they died just like that. It’s not like we’re at war. All of you couldn’t have done something more…」

Alfiris and Rhine are just like each other to be troubled in these places, but it’s expected that they are both completely unaware of it. The two don’t get along, which is a kind of mutual hatred, but neither of them realizes it.

「This from the town of Staffie, this is from Latorre… Now then, where to turn from. So, whoever’s there, come on out.」

Rhine puts his hand on the sword at his side. Then a woman with black wavy but slightly longer than shoulder-length hair and dark eyes emerges from the shadow of a tree behind the line. She is also on the taller side of the scale. She is wearing a dress, but it is rather revealing. The bust is quite open, revealing her ample bosom, and the slit goes almost to the base of her legs. The fact that her underwear is not visible through such a wide opening suggests that she is not wearing anything underneath. Her back is also very open and she is almost naked. Even prostitutes who take customers in the street do not dress so boldly outside. A prostitute in such a beautiful state would be quite popular, but Rhine was not so jaded that he would even entertain such a thought in such a situation.

「Who are you? You wouldn’t happen to be a hooker taking customers in a place like this, would you?」

「Who knows…」

「Don’t play dumb, I’m not stupid enough to make a joke in this situation. Depending on your response, I will cut you down even if you are a woman.」

「Fufu, so scary.」

A woman giggles when she saw Rhine poised on the sword. Her gesture is also bewitching. She thought that the two of them were about to have a fight, but Rhine sighed and put his sword away.

「Oh, you don’t want to cut me down?」

「I have no taste for slashing unarmed women.」

「Or a mage, perhaps.」

「I’d know if there was any sign of that. Besides, you and I are less than five steps away. Before you can turn your hand to me to cast some kind of spell on me, your neck and torso are parted.」

「Hmm…」

The woman had no idea if Rhine was actually capable of doing that, but seeing as how he had not let his guard down, it was not surprising that he could really do it. The woman observes Rhine seriously with interest. Rhine asks the woman quizzically.

「What are you staring at? What do you want, are you attracted with me or something?」

「Something like that. Just observing the one who would be my master.」

「Buh–!」

Rhine gushed involuntarily. He didn’t expect to be served by a woman dressed in such a hideous outfit, either. There’s no way he’s a master, that he’s the master, that he’d do such and such things at night—— The fantasies of such a thing flashed through his mind at that age. But he shook his head and came to his senses. But his voice was raspy.

「Wh–Why do you serve me?」

「What are you talking about? You have broken my seal. Unfortunately, the one who breaks the seal becomes my master. I, too, choose my masters, but you seem to be worthy of being my master.」

「A seal?? When?」

「You, did you forgot how you gave me all those kicks?」

「…Don’t tell me?」

「This is totally real. I am the Magic Sword from the underground.」

The woman grins. The woman, however, was stunned to see Rhine like this, and she felt as if she had done him a favor. And the woman bowing gracefully, or perhaps the magic sword.

「Let me introduce myself once again. My name is Dance Slave. Please take care of me from now on, My Master.」