9. Forgotten City <Distall>

The forgotten city <Distall> was always ‘dead’…

I had lived here since I was born, but the residents here were had no motivation.

It was balanced in both good and bad ways. Completely ‘forgotten’ by the empire.

The helpless part of this city was that the resident in here loved the stability.

The people in here would disagree if someone tried to promote the city, they would disagree if someone tried to reform the city. They would shake their heads even if there was a reform plan that would make the city 100% better.

‘To be better’…, it meant to make waves.

For those who refused even ‘one ripple in the quiet water’, it was unpleasant if stability disappeared… whether it was to be positive, or negative.

That was why there were only ordinary shops in this city.

Weapon shop, armor shop, tool shop, food store, restaurant, and liquor store. Only the stores that were also located in other cities were available.

I talked to the middle-aged shopkeeper of such a common weapons store.

“It’s been a long time, Dozen…”

“Oh, you’re still alive, huh?… Bad boy, Seal-kun.”

“Bad boy? But, I’ve only done a few times of bad things since I was born.”

“As far as I know, you should have tried stealing more than 100 times?…　and 89 of them are at my store.”

But, I hadn’t succeeded in stealing at this store even once.

“I heard that you hit the lord’s pampered child.”

“Yeah- … Sure, there was such a thing.”

“You, are really stupid to be caught because of it, some more for a year.”

Shut up, I regretted it too!

Even so, because I was caught, I met that old man, so it’s not a minus… No, it’s a plus.

I looked around the store.

“What do you want?”

“Magic item”

Magic item was an object constructed with the help of Mana.

My sealing technique could only be used for things with Mana. In order to increase the number of means, I would like to seal the Magic Item on a talisman paper, unsealing it when necessary, and equipping it… That was my strategy for battle.

When you went on an adventure, sometimes you needed to fight monsters and maybe even human.

And, it was not strange for someone who wouldn’t tell their name to have more Mana than me. For such opponents, there was no choice but to attack them directly instead of sealing.

“A magic item huh… it is a high-level craft created by the alchemist. The alchemist will stick the ‘Alchemy Stone’ and the item (Armor, Weapon) together… You will have a hard time finding it in this boring city. “

“Ah, I guess so…”

“But! I have one in my store.”

The shopkeeper proudly pointed to the back wall of the counter with his thumb… To be precise, the long spear on the wall.

A spear with a Red Alchemy Stone and a Green Alchemy Stone embedded in the center of the handle. 

Well, the dagger I got from the chief guard had a similar Alchemy Stone… The color is blue though.

“It’s not for sale, though. ‘Lion Spear’, The spear stretches when you put in Mana… Perhaps.”

“…Perhaps?”

“The Magician in this city is only in the lord’s house. So, I haven’t tried it.”

A growing spear huh…

“Lend me a little.”

“Ah? You’re not going to steal it, right?”

“No. You know, I’m something of a Magician myself… That spear, I may be able to stretch it.”

“You? A Magician?…. Hahaha! This guy is funny!…　Alright, try it! “

The shopkeeper removed the spear from the wall and brought it to me.

I received the spear and turned the spear up.

“Can I…?”

First of all, I tried to put in the Blue Mana (Mana of Operation) into the spear. 

If my prediction is correct, this would not stretch the spear.

―― There was No change.

Next, I put in Green Mana (Mana of Creation). Then, the Green Alchemy Stone embedded in the spear glowed…

“Ooooh!”

The spear stretched vigorously and reached the point where it touched the ceiling of the store.

“Y-you… did you really become a Magician?!”

“As expected, Does the color of the Alchemy Stone specify the color of the corresponding Mana?”

That means something might happen if I put in Blue Mana into the dagger that I got from the chief guard.

However, the spear lost its strength after it stretched, and withered. The tip of the spear hung loosely.

The more it stretched, the more brittle and softer it became. It seemed to be such a property.

“I see”

I put in the Green Mana and at the same time I put in the Red Mana.

When the Red Alchemy Stone glowed, the spear kept its original strength.

With ‘Mana of Creation’, it created the spear handle and stretched it. With ‘Mana of Strengthening’, it maintained the original strength. This was the ability of the ‘Lion Spear’, and perhaps that was the reason it had two Alchemy Stones.

But, this is hard…!

I’m not good at handling Green Mana in the first place. I heard that the core is the throat, and so I practiced secretly when the old man wasn’t looking, but the limit I could do was to make a harmless mass of Mana. Originally, I can’t create anything with the Mana of Creation, but it seems that with the help of the alchemy stone, I managed to do it.

I used the Green Mana that I was not good yet at the same time with the Red Mana. Since I was handing another with Mana, it meant that I also used Blue Mana. So, at the same time, I was handling the <Three Main-source Colors>, so it was not strange to say that it was hard.

The ability is attractive, but I can’t use it every time. In conclusion… it’s interesting?

When I stopped using Mana, the spear shrank to its original length.

“Alright I can use this…..Sell it to me.”

“Did you hear me? I said that it’s not for sale.”

“Really?.”

I handed the spear to the shopkeeper.

“Well, never mind then. See you again.”

That spear had been on display since I first came to this store.

Maybe it’s a heirloom? If so, even if I beg, He’ll not give it up.

When I tried to leave the store,

” ――It’s not for sale, but I’ll give it to you specially.”

The shopkeeper shyly said so, while scratching his cheeks,

“Hmmm, is it some kind of trap?”

“Of course not!… This is a thank you. after all, you helped my daughter.”

“Daughter? Did you have a child?”

No, well that’s a surprise, but what did you say now?

Thank you for helping my daughter?… A daughter who inherited the gene of such a gorilla-like….. I don’t remember helping one.

“I’ve been separated from my daughter for a long time, because I ran away with my wife.”

“That’s a pity”

“So, I met her for the first time in a few years… shortly before you came… My daughter was looking for a fool. The idiot who hit the lord’s son in front of the guards… and released from the prison today. “

I, I, I seeee…

So, a year ago, the girl I helped by hitting the lord’s son was his daughter?

――what? Seriously?

Wait, if I remember correctly, the girl I helped a year ago was pretty beautiful… She can’t be the daughter of this guy!

“So that’s a gift of gratitude. My daughter wanted to apologize. She wants to say, ‘I’m sorry I couldn’t defend you.’.”

“If she wants to say thank you, she should’ve come to visit me once when I was in the prison.”

“Don’t be stupid. If she went to see you, that lord’s idiot son will even more hostile toward you.”

“I know… Anyway, is it really okay? This spear is an important thing, right?”

The shopkeeper nodded and he smiled broadly.

“It’s okay. After all, you protected the more important things than that.”

“What a common line that you just said…..Then, I’ll received it gratefully, thank you.”

“Yeah! Take it!… Wait. Now, you need a scabbard that protects the spearhead … “

“Ah, I don’t need it.”

I checked the shopkeeper’s expression while receiving the spear.

Then I hit the spear and say, ” ‘MARK’, ’CLOSE’ ” I casted the spell and sealed it on a talisman with in my right hand.

“Huh?!! The, the spear has disappeared… Y-you! What have you done?!”

Of course, The shopkeeper, who didn’t know anything about Sealing Technique, was seeing with his eyes wide open at the mysterious phenomenon in front of him.

“I told you, I’m something of a Magician myself. It’s just a magic trick. Well then, Dozen.”

I thought there was no benefit to being an ally of justice, but it seemed that was not the case.

Surprisingly, the world seemed to be kind to allies of justice.

I went out, laughing at how Dozen was surprised.

—————————————-

Well, I have all the tools now. Let’s go on an adventure.

“For now, my objective is to deliver the letter to the old man’s granddaughter.”

It means, the destination is an unknown Magic Academy. I don’t know where it is… Maybe if I go to ‘The Twenty-two Cities of the Emperor’, I will find one of the clues.

‘The Twenty-two Cities of the Emperor’ was the cities that the Empire had well protected, which in total twenty-two large cities. ‘The Twenty-two cities of the Emperor’ near <Distall> were the Red-light district <Cherry Dance> or the Everlasting Spring Town <Mother Punk>. 

I don’t think there is a Magic Academy for children in the Red-light District, so let’s go to Mother Punk.

“… I’ll definitely go to the red-light district when I have enough money. Please wait until then.”

So now… do I have to go through the valley in the north?

After I pass through the barriers of the city, the monsters will be out in the valley… but still, it’s scary to be alone.

I, a beginner on a trip, if suddenly go on an adventure alone, I’m sure that everything would not go well.

I want a companion.

Who is like me, the one who wants to go to <Mother Punk>…

“Alright, should I check the back alley …”

The development is sleeping in the back alley.

If you go to the back of the alley, there will be girls who are likely to be attacked by thugs. And If you help it, the girls will become my friends.

I’m sure of it… Well, that can’t be true, but, sure there are a lot of stray people in the back alleys, so let’s hire someone and take them. There must have been some guys who came to this town from <Mother Punk>.

I have a month’s worth of living expenses when I was released. With that money, I will hire people. It might be a little pricey, but I can’t solve a problem without making some sacrifice. I have no idea of ​​the land outside this city after all, so if I don’t have a guide, I could get stuck somewhere out there.

I immediately headed to the scrap spot where the scraps were gathered in the city.

There were many taverns on the road, and many scraps were lying behind it.

I entered the back alley of the bar, enduring the smell of alcohol. Then

“Oi, oi, seriously…”

There was a busty blonde ponytail girl who was entwined with three bad guys.

“Miss, you’re wearing such tight clothes, are you inviting us?”

“Oooh! You have a very good style! Are you about 15 or 16 years old? Your face is also very good… if you sell it off, I’m sure it’ll get a nice price.”

“Are you stupid? such a pretty woman, it’ll be a waste to sell her to aristocrats.”

“Certainly, it’s a perfect development……. right?”

The blonde girl wasn’t looked like she was scared at all, she just kept staring at the ground.

I felt like she wanted to say. ‘I’m not interested in whatever you’re all doing.’.

“Another ten seconds …”

The girl was counting something.

Hey, Mysterious girl… What are you doing in this situation?

Even so, I had no intention of defending the men, but I could only think that the appearance of blonde girls was really inviting men. A tight shirt with the navel area could be seen. The short trousers were squeezing the buttocks. She was carrying a cane on her back.

Especially the chest… It was terrible. The shirt was about to tear. I felt that the size was wrong overall. I thought that, she was just a fool to walk here in such an attire.

“Well, it can’t be helped…”

I had a Red Mana covered my right hand.

Alright, this is good. I could do a pre-adventure preparatory here. I’ll use those muscular thugs as a warming up.

“Oi. You guys, stop it n――”

The moment I approached the men, just right a few steps left, something went wrong.

“Ahh?!”

“What is this?!!”

White smoke broke out from the whole body of the blonde girl.

When I was squeezing in between the thugs, the white smoke cleared, and a girl appeared from inside.

The same outfit as the blonde girl. However, her hair was long brown and tiny.

“Did you just transform?”

Unlike the blonde girls who were sexy, the brown-haired girls had the perfect body shape for the clothes. A long-haired brown-haired little girl. The brown-haired girl stared at the men, with the blue streaks on her forehead.

“You guys, what are you doing to my younger sister …! “

A visible red Mana was released from the girl.

The killing intent was also directed at me. Apparently, I was mistaken as the member of the thugs.

Hmmm? The development, it goes completely different from what I expected …

I mean, being able to use Mana, that means–

“This girl is …!”

She is a magician?!!

It looked like the thugs can’t see this ridiculous amount of Red Mana. They were not scared at all.

“Who is this flat girl?!”

POP!

“Oi, loli, I don’t have nothing to do with you! Where did the woman from earlier go? Find her!”

POP! , POP!

Perhaps because of my mind, I heard the sound of blood vessels breaking.

The girl

“……kill…”

The thugs flew in the air with the dangerous lines.

I could barely follow her movement. In less than three seconds, the brown-haired girl jumped and kicked three times on each of the three men’s faces.

Red Mana was the Mana of strengthening.

Perhaps she got extraordinary speed and power by boosting her physical ability with Red Mana, but still… she was too fast & too strong.

“What is it…”

“Oh, it looks like there was still one left.”

My eyes met the brown-haired girl’ eyes.

Ah, this is bad.

The girl’s eyes completely recognized me as an enemy. I reflexively stepped back three times and returned to the entrance.

“Wait a minute! I’m not a friend of these guys …”

“If you find yourself in danger, you’re just going to throw your friend huh?… Whenever I go, I always find Trash! I’ll punish you! !!!! “

‘Hah!’, Said the woman, pulling out her cane and closing the distance with me.

The brown-haired girl jumped up and swung her cane in the air.

“Seriously, it’s totally different from what I expected!”

I took out a talisman with, “祓”, written on it from my pocket and put it between the index and middle fingers of my right hand. [TN: In romaji it will be ‘Harae’ or ‘Harai’, and the meaning is purification]

“Dark Sword <Lutta>. ―― ‘OPEN’ “