Twilight Alchemist 181

Test

181. Helping Friends Is Only Natural, Isn’t It?

"Everyone's here, I see."

I find myself at a tavern near the Adventurer's Guild.

This was our designated meeting spot for the crew heading to investigate the swamp creatures.

As usual, our lineup includes the strongest party: Raidoc, Solar, Eva, Camille, and Marilyn.

Also, Jitaro. Ignoring him would have been a hassle, so I invited him, and naturally, he jumped at the chance to join. His light-footed nature must come from being a hunter.

Up until now, it's business as usual, but this time, there are two new additions to our group.

"Master, I've gathered everyone's belongings."

"O-oh, thanks."

Efficiently sorting everyone’s gear and organizing it for easy stowing in my dimensional storage is Ryuuko.

She's a familiar, an artificial creature, a golem, a dragontooth soldier, and—most importantly—a maid.

Since Leafan isn’t joining us this time, I decided to bring Ryuuko along as our cook instead.

Sure, I, a former adventurer, and the current members like Raidoc can manage basic cooking.

But with the guys, it's mostly grilling, boiling, or eating food as-is. Eva and Solar can whip up decent meals, but once you've been spoiled by Leafan's cooking, it’s hard to go back.

Enter Ryuuko.

Taking a maid on an outdoor adventure gave me some pause, but she had proven herself capable during our travels through the Small States.

After some deliberation, I concluded she'd be fine.

When I brought this up to Jitaro and Eva, they both gave me puzzled looks and said, "Why would that be a problem?"

It seems their philosophy is simple: as long as we protect her, there’s no issue.

Borrowing the carriage I’d made for Kyle, I hitch it to my trusty steed, Black Dragon.

Normally, this carriage requires four horses, but unlike our previous journey, we’re not blazing trails through uncharted lands, so Black Dragon alone will suffice.

Raidoc and Solar, along with Jitaro and Camille, take turns running alongside the carriage in pairs.

Ryuko handles the reins.

The rest of us with average stamina ride in the carriage.

Only four members could keep pace with the carriage and had the endurance for it, so this setup made the most sense.

And so, we set off.

Leaving Golden Dawn behind, we raced down the highway.

◆

Within a few days, we reached the newly renamed Leafan Town, formerly Zaid Village.

Looking over the town, it was many times more developed than in Zaid’s era.

Thanks to the well-maintained highway connecting it to Golden Dawn, most goods were now available here.

The well-equipped inns also made it an attractive stop for merchants.

Most importantly, it was conveniently close to the kingdom’s urban centers.

The rapidly constructed alchemical hardstone walls protected the town, and the influx of merchants grew by the day.

Though I’d heard Leafan Town had expanded quickly, its growth exceeded my expectations.

"Quite the crowd, huh?"

"Yeah, this place is practically a regional hub now."

Carriages and merchants bustled nonstop.

Immigrants who had aimed for Golden Dawn often decided to settle here after seeing the town, and many chose to stay permanently.

"If they make it to Golden Dawn, they'll see it’s on another level."

"But seeing this level of development, it’s hard to imagine an even more advanced city exists," Eva said with a shrug in response to my musings.

"Fair point."

"And thanks to Kyle-sama, the town's security is excellent."

"Even with the highway improved, Golden Dawn is still far away."

"Exactly. Unless someone has a lot of information, they’re not likely to venture to the kingdom’s farthest reaches."

Rumors about Golden Dawn must have spread throughout the kingdom, but most people probably couldn’t picture its true scale.

Even Leafan Town would be shocking enough to surpass their expectations.

Raidoc chimed in.

"If it were me, I’d go without hesitation."

"That’s because you’re you!"

With his love for adventure and confidence in his strength, of course he wouldn’t hesitate!

"Raidoc shamaa~!"

Please stop; you’re breaking Eva.

"Anyway, we’ve rested enough. Let’s move out!"

There’s no point in standing around joking forever.

◆

Our first destination was a settlement under construction along the swamp’s perimeter.

Once completed, it would serve as a base for cultivation efforts and a bridge to the Lizardman village.

The route from Leafan Town to the settlement was packed with materials, forming a well-trodden path despite lacking formal paving. Thanks to that, we arrived with little difficulty.

Jitaro, who had scouted ahead, shielded his eyes with his hand.

"Ah, I see it now!"

We slowed the carriage, which had been racing along, and approached the village at a gentle pace.

Surrounded by a log fence, the small settlement came into view, prompting us all to disembark and walk the rest of the way.

Noticing our approach, a mix of adventurers and Lizardmen guarding the village tensed up.

But as we got closer, recognition dawned on their faces, and their tension melted away.

"Oh, it’s Raidoc and his crew! Here to back us up?"

"Craft and Raidoc! The warriors who saved us before!"

The adventurers waved to Raidoc and the Lizardmen smiled.

Looking closer, the village was surprisingly crowded—not with settlers but adventurers.

There were also many Lizardmen present, though their village was supposed to be deeper into the swamp. Normally, they wouldn’t gather in such numbers here.

Surveying the area, Raidoc addressed one of the adventurers.

"…Have the monsters increased that much?"

"Yeah. After we took down the swamp’s boss, the hydras decreased, but other monsters started showing up instead."

So Kyle’s intel was spot on.

"We’ve been guarding this settlement since the early days, but the monsters kept growing in number. We had to request reinforcements from the guild."

A quick glance around revealed how rough things had gotten.

The surrounding area bore clear marks of frequent battles.

"Fortunately, Kyle-sama quickly provided the budget, and a large number of adventurers came to our aid. Thanks to that, we’ve avoided any fatalities. Truly, we owe Kyle-sama our lives!"

Before dispatching us, Kyle had already sent substantial reinforcements. Truly impressive.

"I see, that’s why there are more adventurers than settlers here."

"Exactly. Until the Lizardman warriors showed up, we barely managed to hold on."

The Lizardmen warriors, their scales gleaming in the sunlight, stood tall and proud.

I turned to one nearby.

"It’s reassuring to have you here, but is your village okay?"

"Yes, no problem."

"Good. Just don’t overextend yourselves."

"Heh, you’re as kind as ever. Don’t worry; we’ve left enough warriors behind."

"I’ll take your word for it."

His determined gaze left little room for doubt. Probably.

While exchanging manly looks with the Lizardman, a shrill voice pierced the air.

"Craaaft-sama~!!"

I turned toward the voice just in time to be tackled.

The impact knocked me over, and it took a few seconds to process what had happened.

And there she was—a beautiful girl right in my face.

"Craft-sama! Craft-sama! Craft-sama! Craft-sama!"

She hugged me so tightly it felt like my ribs might crack, pressing something oddly soft against me.

"W-wait, hold on!?"

"Haah! Haah! Isn’t this wonderful!? Isn’t it!?"

A mysterious (but not really) girl with reptilian features glared at me like a bird of prey.

"Shururu! Get off, let go, set me freeee!"

My pitiful pleas echoed through the swamp. Oh, woe is me.