Foreigner Volume 8, Chapter 153

Volume 8 Chapter 153, Steady Advance ~ 06

　The town of Clatta is small, with a population of about 3,000. Surrounded by walls, the town is small in size. Even so, it calls itself a kingdom and is recognized as the capital of the kingdom, which shows how easygoing this world is. Even so, it is strange that in some areas there is a lot of fighting between countries.

　The carriage arrived at the town of Clatta before evening, and the old man told Satoru that there would still be plenty of room at the inn at this time.

「Sorry, and thanks for the ride.」

　Satoru called out to the old man as he unloaded everyone from the back of the carriage. The Old man's good-natured smile turned into a bit of a grimace.

「That's my line. You got rid of that herd of orcs. Thank you.」

「No problem. Well then, be well.」

　As for Satoru, he thinks the feeling is mutual, so he doesn't mind. According to Rico, there is a fine line between being an adventurer's job and a soldier's job when it comes to exterminating hordes of Orcs. Rico also says the market price is 2s (shillings) per orc, so 30 Orcs equals 60s or 3L (libram). If you think of it as work that puts your life on the line, it may be cheap. Satoru heard that if he dropped and reported it to the government, he could get paid, but it was too much trouble, so he passed.

　Satoru waved goodbye to the old man and stretched out wide.

「Well, then...」

「Accommodations, information gathering, and shopping?」

　Satoru nodded yes to Rico's question. It is not a very large town, so the amount of shopping and quality of information will be limited, but that information is important because the country on the way to Arsweta smells fishy.

「That's about it. ...... We're going to stay two nights. The seed house is comfortable, but it's been a while since I slept in a bed」

　The seed houses are very comfortable if you think of them as simple accommodations, but they have the disadvantage of being conspicuous only because they are made of trees of a certain height unless they are located in areas where there are many trees around. The same is true even if the house is temporarily built of stone. The series of commotion in Ares has made Satoru a well-known figure to some, but even so, he does not want to stand out a strangely.

　Besides, it was getting cold with only leather bedding.

「Is this the place the Old man said to stay?」

「Yes, that's the plan.」

　Satoru had heard beforehand that there were only three inns in this Clatta that could be called inns, and that the quality of one of them was better than the others.

　Once inside the town, Rico becomes the main character in Satoru's group. Leia, who can't go outside, Solor and Minerva, who have no social sense, and Liz, who grew up in a forest and doesn't know things, are the only ones who can't help it. Isolde may have some common sense, but she is not as worldly-wise as Rico.

「Hmm, then, Liz, can I ask you to do the shopping? I'll go gather some information.」

　Rico must have thought of a way to do it in her head. Even though Satoru said they would stay two nights, it was already evening. There was no time to spare to gather information.

　Liz has been studying with Leia, Rico, and Solor as her teachers. The results of her efforts were immediately apparent; she could already read and write and had mastered simple four arithmetic operations. Shopping is no problem for her. However, she still doesn't understand the market price of things, so she can't bargain.

「Yes, let's see, what I'm going to buy is.....」

　Satoru suddenly thought of something, and he interrupted Rico and Liz, who were writing down the necessary purchases on a piece of parchment.

「Oh, I wonder if we can buy a carriage. It should be about two horses, with a roof. If all goes well, it doesn't have to be that expensive, because it only has to be up to Arsweta.」

「I'll look for it.」

　Considering Liz and Minerva, Satoru thought that buying a horse-drawn carriage would be a good idea. Liz was not used to traveling, and Minerva was still in the early stages of pregnancy. At least it would be faster than on foot, and if the carriage had a roof, it would be easier to sleep in.

「Minerva is going with Liz. Minerva will carry the luggage.」

「Isolde. Please follow Liz and Minerva」

「Ha!」

　Satoru felt uneasy about Liz and Minerva alone, so he decided to have Isolde accompany them. I am overprotective, but there is nothing wrong with nipping danger in the bud, even if only a little.

　Solor was to accompany Rico in her information gathering. Solor herself had expressed an interest in going there. Gradually, something like ego is beginning to emerge in Solor, too. It is not a bad thing to be out in the world and be exposed to a variety of information.

　However, as Satoru himself is aware, this group is extremely weak when it comes to interacting with people in the town. They are dependent on Rico.

　Rico, who grew up as a thief and knows the dark side of society, does an excellent job, but Solor and Minerva are ignorant of human society, and Isolde's information is limited. Liz and Leia have grown up in a small place and don't know the dark side of society, and Satoru, to be honest, is aware that he has a sweet tooth that goes beyond kindness. Rico's presence has helped them a lot.

　Satoru, who was unexpectedly left alone, went to the inn where the old man had told him to stay.

『It's been a while since you've been alone, eh?』

(You're here, aren't you?)

　Satoru replies with a half-smile to Leia's voice coming from the shadows and wanders around the town. Even though Leia is in the shadows, it has been a long time since he has walked alone in a town like this.

　Fortunately, he can speak the language, so he doesn't feel like he's in another world. He feels this atmosphere when he uses money, when he looks at the different architecture of the town, and when he eats.

　Satoru found the inn he was looking for soon after, and after settling into the room, he went to the tavern on the first floor to wait for his companions and drink some tea. As expected, he did not carry a Giant Killer on his back when he went to the tavern. Inside the tavern, five or six men are drinking tea or sake, relaxing from their daily fatigue, or having a meal. Satoru, feeling sorry for himself for having only tea, waits idly while eating a lamb dish, the pride of this region.

　To the untrained eye, he is nothing more than a large, strong-looking young man. No one would ever guess that this young man is the owner of a giant soul that could destroy the world.

「Oh my, brother. You look so big」

　Satoru turned his gaze only to see a woman in a sensational open-breasted dress, probably not much older than him. She was not as beautiful as Minerva or Solor, but she had big breasts, and although not particularly eye-catching, she was not ugly.

「That looks like a big one too(?). How about one night? If it's brother, I'll give you 3 ...... No, just 2s is fine?」

　The woman's voice, which was licking her tongue while appealing to her big tits, made Satoru smile a little. He had not expected to be accosted by a town prostitute at a place like this. The people at the inn pretended not to notice. She probably does this kind of business for a living.

　Satoru shrugged his shoulders and turned around.

「Unfortunately, I'm not in any trouble.」

「Huh?」

　Her face, colored with a little heavy makeup, is distorted.

「I'm back.」

「Oh, welcome back.」

　Three women appear at the entrance of the inn. Satoru calls out to them, his own magical slaves, and calls them over to him. The other men at the inn looked at Satoru and the women with a surprise.

「Uuuhhh―Minerva might be a little hungry. Danna-sama」

「Here. You can eat this」

　Minerva, who has been pampered by leaning on Satoru's back, is shown the meat dish Satoru ordered instead of a snack. Liz places her luggage on Satoru's table, and Isolde, by his side, shows her slender limbs in an attentive posture.

「...... what, you've got a very nice lady with you.」

「That's why I told you, right?」

　Satoru smiled lightly at the astonished face of the town prostitute and dismissed her. Leia, the first magical slave, had once told Satoru not to carelessly embrace another woman after discovering that sexual intercourse can elevate one's soul. Satoru agreed quite readily.

　At that point, Satoru was surrounded by Leia, Rico, and Minerva. Now they are joined by Solor, Liz, and Isolde. Minerva has been excluded from the group because she has conceived, and Isolde has been excluded because she doesn't seem to be interested, but the quality of the women around Satoru is extremely high, and Satoru has never been dissatisfied with that.

「? What was that about?」

　Liz is curiously looking at the back of the woman who is leaving with her shoulders shaking.

「Not really. It's nothing to worry about.」

　The idea of a town prostitute is probably not in the girl's vocabulary. Elves are particularly celibate in terms of sexuality and are not well-liked. Liz, who grew up in such a society, is not familiar with the dark side of society. With a small tilt of her head, Liz made a report.

「I think we can manage to get a carriage. But I heard that the horses will be arranged tomorrow.」

「Well, that can't be helped.」

　Horses and other livestock are especially expensive in this kind of world. In a town like this, where the population is not so large, it may not even be possible to get them, so Satoru was thankful that they were available. Liz and Minerva sat down on either side of Satoru, while the other stood guard behind him.

「Hey Isolde, why don't you sit down instead of just standing there.」

「No. My mission is to protect Milord and your companions.」

　Satoru smiled bitterly at Isolde's overly conventional attitude. He described her as having the temperament of a samurai, but he thinks she was going a little overboard.

「That's a bit annoying. Just sit down.」

「...... Ha! Well then」 

　Isolde, after being scolded by Satoru, reluctantly sat down next to Liz. A round table for six with one man, two beautiful women, and one beautiful girl attracts the attention of the tavern's drunken crowd.

(W-What the hell is that guy?)

(Three women, each with a different type of woman)

(I want that one with the big tits.)

(That half-elf girl, hshs.) (TLN: hshs=(internet slang) Used to represent the sound of unusually heavy breathing, usually while in an aroused state. May carry connotations of sniffing.)

(I want that woman who pretends to be a swordsman. I want to be stepped on, and I want to be cursed by her.)

　Satoru could hear the men's vindictive voices, albeit in a whisper and in secret. Isolde's sharp face is even harsher, so she must have heard them, too. Liz is organizing the spices, meat, and other ingredients she has bought, and Minerva is smacking her tongue at the lamb dish Satoru gave her.

　Well, I guess in a way, the men's jealousy is inevitable, Satoru said with a wry smile. Anyway, as long as no harm is done, that's all that matters. Besides, with these three are not the end―

「I'm back」

「Oh, welcome back」

　Satoru raises his hand in recognition of Rico's well-timed ― in a way, badly timed ― return with Solor.

(Th-there still more of them!?)

(What the heck is this brown-skinned, energetic girl?)

(Scary beautiful doll-like ......)

　The tavern is even more crowded, and the men have only one emotion for Satoru, who has five various beautiful women.

(I hope he dies!)

　Satoru, who is receiving all the jealousy and vindictiveness of the men, is indeed feeling uncomfortable, and he stops Rico, who is about to speak up with some information, and calls out to the innkeeper with a bitter smile.

「Sorry, I'll take my meals in my room. Please bring it to my room.」

「Y-Yes, sir.」

　The innkeeper, who had heard that six people would be staying at the inn, but had probably not expected the remaining five to be such a lineup of beautiful women, was also surprised.

　In fact, there is a beautiful girl who has become the 【Immortal King】, who is also sung in history, in Satoru's shadow, but as expected, he cannot say such a thing.

　Satoru's back was filled with vindictive and jealous glances as he walked up the stairs with the beautiful women in tow.

『......Well, it can't be helped. It's not easy being My Lord when all the men are jealous of you』

(Shut it)

　Satoru sighed and blurted back at Leia's teasing voice coming from the shadows. One or two people may not be a problem, but a situation where five people can be seen exclusively by one person would indeed be met with scorn.

　After entering the room and receiving the meal for the number of people, Rico finally opened her mouth after confirming that Leia had applied the 【Silence Ward】 as usual.

「Yep, I guess in the situation in Liese country is a little confused after all.」

　Liz continued to check the items she had bought.

「The merchant from that side said it was an epidemic. It's okay to go out from the other side of the checkpoint, but it's hard to go in there.」

「Epidemic, huh?」

　Satoru growls with reluctance. It may be the opposite to say that it is through to leave a country where an epidemic is prevalent and strict to enter, but I see, that if an epidemic is prevalent, it will be somehow strict to enter and leave that country.

　In this world, sorcery can heal injuries and such, but what about diseases? Satoru wonders and turns back to the experts in the Holy Arts.

「Just to make sure. Leia, is it possible to cure illnesses with the Holy Arts?」

「There is an art called 【Healing】, but I can only say that it depends on the thing and the degree.」

　Unfortunately, the answer was somewhat vague.

「If the lesion is clear to some extent, it can be treated. If it is a simple one, Solor can handle it, but if it is a complex one, it will be in the advanced category, and I'm the only one who can use it.」

　The 【Regenerative Healing】 that Leia uses to treat injuries belongs to the higher level of Holy Arts, and there are only about 20 to 30 people who can use it even in this day and age. The Holy Arts are more difficult to use than 【Transfer】 and the like. This Clatta country is small, but Satoru guesses Liese is not so different. It is hard to imagine that such a small country would have so many practitioners who can handle the Holy Art, which is difficult even for a big country.

「Disease is difficult. In the same way that there is no way to heal a person who has been weakened by my 【Life Force Absorption】, 【Healing】 is meaningless when dealing with a person whose strength is weak. There are also cases that can be cured by 【Detoxification】.」

「I see. There are diseases caused by toxins.」

　Even in the world where Satoru lived, there are toxins that cannot be treated by modern medicine. In this world, medical knowledge and technology are not as advanced as they were in Satoru's world. In addition to the history of the Black Death in medieval Europe, where many people died, the disease is a difficult thing to treat.

　However, sanitation in this world is better than in medieval Europe. Plagues and other diseases are often caused by poor sanitation, so that is better.

「I mean, ...... how are diseases thought of in this world and how are they dealt with? There aren't that many users of the Holy Arts, are there?」

　In response to Satoru's question, Leia showed a slightly difficult face.

「It varies from country to country and from region to region,......, but the disease is an impurity. There is an art called 【Clean】 in the elementary level of the Holy Arts, and the basic idea is to apply the art and rest.」

「No ...... Um, Leia. Sure, there are ways to do it that way, but it's not common, you know?」

　Rico interrupted unintentionally. Leia comes from an upper-class background and is not familiar with common sense. Rico, on the other hand, is from the town and was raised as a thief, so she can supplement what Leia does not have.

　According to Rico's explanation, it is generally the same everywhere that disease is treated as an impurity. If you have money, as Leia says, you should ask the church to perform a 【Clean】 art on you so that you can rest. If they can't even buy that, they try to avoid contact with other people and keep themselves clean.

「Hmmm... ...... that's not a wrong way to deal with it.」

　These measures were generalized during the time of the Ancient Magical Kingdoms. Ironically, the ancient world maintained a more advanced civilization than the modern world, where sorcery is the mainstay.

「By the way, how is a disease considered in my Lord's world?」

「Hmm, ...... The word " uncleanness" is roughly correct. Bacteria are tiny, invisible germs that enter the body and do bad things to it, or cause internal problems, etc.」

「Hoooh,...... invisible, huh......」

　Leia crosses her arms and groans. The idea of the disease itself is certainly the same as in Satoru's world if you consider such invisible germs as dirt.

　Liz, who also has a difficult expression on her face, is thinking about Satoru, who is eating a piece of fried mutton with a difficult expression on his face.

「I wonder if it is possible, though, that the Orc we met when we came here might have drifted over from there?」

「That is a strong possibility. If the Kingdom of Liese has been weakened by an epidemic, monsters will also be on the move in search of prey.」

　At Isolde's reply, Satoru's jaw stopped moving as he chewed on a piece of fried mutton. He did not know what kind of plague this was, so he feared that it could be transmitted through contact. He looked back at Leia, who was just licking the water little by little.

「......Just in case, can I ask you to 【Diagnosis】 Isolde to see if she is alright?」

　With a small smile at Satoru's concern, Leia performed the 【Diagnosis】 on Isolde. The result was no problem. The bone in her wrist had healed perfectly, and all that was left was for her muscles to return to normal, and she would be in perfect health.

「Come to think of it, Isolde hasn't prepared any magic tools to counter my 【Life Force Absorption】」

　Leia pointed out, and Satoru unintentionally groaned. If we think of resisting 【Life Force Absorption】, it may be possible to repel bacterial and viral diseases. The reason he hadn't given Isolde the equipment was because he didn't trust her 100%, but he couldn't say that to Isolde to her face. But when Satoru tells her that, she seems to let it slide, which is natural, considering her personality.

「Is there such an art?」

「It's a combination of 【Resistance】 strengthened with 【Art Enchancement】, and 【Magic Resistance】 strengthened with 【Art Enchancement】, and only when both are present is it possible to resist my 【Life Force Absorption】.」

「......Not many people can use such a complex formula.」

　Leia explained to the astonished Isolde, and Isolde responded with a resentful expression. Of course, it is the Immortal King who manipulates the most powerful 【Life Force Absorption】, but vampires and wraiths of the same family also manipulate 【Life Force Absorption】. The countermeasure against them is something that has been difficult to attain. However, 

「My Lord makes it by 【Grant Goods】

「...... once again. You can see how different Milord is.」

「I think it's possible to ward off an epidemic with that.」

　Isolde replied to Leia's somewhat boastful voice with a sense of dismay.  No wonder the magical slaves other than Satoru were not so frightened of Leia.

「With that, I think it would be possible to ward off disease as bad as an epidemic.」

「I'll prepare it as soon as possible. Leia, let her choose the ornaments later. And give her two or three magic crystals.」

「I-Is that all right?」

　Satoru matter-of-factly replied to the surprised Isolde.

「It's fine. Unless you want to betray me.」

「I have no intention of doing so.」

　Isolde replied with a slight frown, to which Satoru gave a small laugh.

「Then. Then it's only natural that you'd want to increase your strength.」

　Satoru says so and throws a lime-like fruit into his mouth. After a moment's pause, his whole face came to the center of his mouth. It was sourer than he had imagined.

　While the troupe laughed at Satoru's funny face, only Isolde was horrified.

「...... once again. He has an extraordinary vessel.」

　 She thought it was because she was not yet trusted or accepted.

　It was a natural logic. Until recently, Isolde was the one who was trying to kill Satoru. In fact, they had fought each other for life and death. The fact that she surrendered and even made a magical slave contract, it's not surprising that Satoru doesn't trust her.

　However, Satoru swallowed even the disturbing element called Isolde and said that it was a reinforcement of his forces.

　Thinking back on it, Leia had also said that even she was no match for Isolde at this point in time. Inviting an opponent who is not yet 100% trustworthy into such a group ― I knew it, Leia Löwenstadt is also a person of considerable caliber. Isolde felt this again and sighed.

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