Published at 25th of March 2019 11:40 pm

Chapter 42 - City of Flowers and Mysterious Voice Part 1

On the fifth day since our departure, we reached our destination……a settlement made in the『Flower Valley』, the city『Minet』a.k.a『City of Flowers』.

I just said that easily, but the past 5 days had been hell for me.

We were attacked by demons and bandits, like on the first day, various times, and I was challenged by Sherry-san for too many times.

This girl with『Time killing = Battle』sort of thinking, ever since the morning of second day, kept on challenging other adventurers and the bodyguards hired by Trader Group. In that time, she also challenged me, but I refused all of it.

Some of the people challenged said OK to her request wanting to touch her by feigning an accident, but those people, never were able to hold more than some seconds since the signal and all went KO.

There were also people who took the sparring as serious matter, but sadly, it turned all the same.

After all, this person doesn’t seem to have restraint on her. Maybe because of sparring that one time with me, she would go with against everyone in same high-spirits……in the end some people appeared who have got a trauma.

Even so Sherry-san loitered here and there challenging others for killing time, eventually the already injured adventurers came to me saying『Please just spar with her』, and I wasn’t able to refuse them down.

Just because I was the only person who can hold his own against that person, and our ranks are also the same. Truly give me a break.

Finally, the people from the Trader Group also came asking me to spar with her because her actions seemed to be related to the internal conflicts within the caravan.

It couldn’t be helped anymore, so I let her agree with once per day rule. So now I have judge her sword attacks seeming like raging blows, while she enjoyed herself.

In doing so, eventually or rather inevitably, the time I spent with her grew more……and she was now more frank than the time I saw her for the first time.

Well her looks are that of a beauty, the parts I talk with her are normal and they’re normally remind of sister……but for some reason, always at those time Elk’s mood seemed to worsen and she seemed completely unsociable,

Even I ask her what happened, only『Nothing at all』comes back as a reply.

Moreover the reproachful gaze that would come flying at me, felt like they had some serious emotion inside them, unlike before, and it somewhat had a sense of urgency.

Then the most mysterious one is that after glaring at me her gaze surely, every time goes onto Sherry-san standing beside me, and a little later Sherry-san complacently smiles for some damn reason while alternating her gaze between me and Elk.

They both seemed serious, but didn’t tell me anything -One because of bad mood, and the other because of turning away her head with an amusing expression- so the truth is basically still a mystery while we reach our destination.

☆☆☆

City『Minet』upon looking is truly a quiet and tranquil place, if one had to say this place is more『Village』rather than a『City』, well I shouldn’t brood over small details.

And upon entering the village……an friendly looking old man, who is apparently the city head personally came to give his greetings, looks like this Trader Group are quite the big shots here.

Like that, he said basic greeting like Welcome, Best Regards for this year too, and after the inspection of our luggage, the whole Trader Group parked in a place prepared from before.

There, we adventurer escorts temporarily broke up.

There are even vigilante corps in the city, and we have cleared the dangerous journey too, hence for 4 weeks, until we start going back to Volka, we are free to move however we want.

Then the city head even said basic greetings to us adventurers.

「You are all adventurer escorts, right, welcome. As you can see this place is dull compared to Volka, but we have first-rate flower dishes and processed goods. Though it might be for a small time, but have fun in『Minet』」

He bowed courteously.

We all heard the place of inn -which is also given by the Association- , we broke up at that place, and everyone went to tread through the city.

As for Zari, it goes without saying, he went ahead to『Explore』the city.

Sherry-san……as usual asked me if I wanted to go to the『Sports Field』located in the center of city, but as I already know what she is asking for so I refused her, hearing that she replied that she would go around the city for sightseeing.

Along with “If you change your mind, don’t hesitate to tell me”.

Majority of the adventurers too roamed around the city for sightseeing. The minority were those who returned to inn for resting.

And as for me and Elk……

☆☆☆

「A Lily Sandwich, Violet Sandwich, Dandelion Burger, Flower Chicken Meat……and also this Sasanqua Tea with ice……」

「Hey wait, can you eat all this?」

While I order a lot of food that even caused the miss of the street stall to draw back, Elk retorted to me. No, well I’m ordering it only because I can eat it.

It’s also lunch time……and I’m hungry.

Adding up to that is the aroma of tasty foods drifting all over the place.

Me and Elk, ……as soon as the order for dissolution was given, assaulted to the stalls which were mostly selling『Flower Dish』.

Well, after we saw the products, it were truly flower dishes, or rather, their appearances were……something that would make one feel someone is playing a prank on them.

A hotdog with a Lily-like flower inserted along with sausage. A sandwich with violet-like flower inserted between. A hamburger holding dandelion-like flower in between, etc.

Among all this, the Sasanqua Tea is……a normal tea in tea cup with a whole flower poking out of it. Although it is simple but is also impactful.

All of these normal foods have various flowers inserted, and people are normally eating these foods seeming like a prank. Despite all that, it is normally tasty.

Alva also seems uninterested. Maybe because it doesn’t has any magical energy.

The dishes were done in some time and brought to us.

Elk too her dish in her hand by wrapping a paper around it, but in my case the quantity of food can be just too much. So I took all my food on a paper plate of diameter 30cm, and left the stall. The miss from the shop was seeing at me with complicated eyes while I was leaving from that place. It’s fine, don’t worry I will eat all of it.

And I carried out my words. I started throwing all the food in my mouth and filling my stomach.

The bread and meat both were good, maybe they used something for adding taste……And, the flower which was in them, had the juiciness of a vegetable and sweetness of a fruit, that seriously freaked me out. Is this true!?

So this is a flower dish. As expected……no more than what I had expected, moreover it is tasty.

The dishes above the plate just keep on disappearing very fast, along with the tea.

Around the time Elk finished her food, I was about to finish my own.

「You’re fast when eating, as usual……」

「Hahaha, It’s always been like this. Leaving that aside, is there some place to dump the garbage? I want to dump this paper plate as it will be a hindrance when I buy again」

「You still want to eat!?」

Of course. My eat-and-walk trip has only just started.

And, I like this tastiness more than I had expected. It’s my precious stay here, then I want to eat all the Flower Dishes……no, in this occasion I want to dominate all the stalls in this city.

「Geez……you’re like a gourmand. You’re too much honest to your appetite, but keep in moderation, okay? Apparently the food in inn is also『Flower Dishes』, don’t blame later if you can’t eat because of your stomach is already full」

「Hahaha, it’s fine. This much will get digested pretty soon」

In fact, my『Elemental Blood』can even enhance the internal functions of body. Hence, it even enhances my digestive system from the stomach to the intestines, like that the digestion and absorption is completed within some minutes. It’s convenient when in a hurry. And in addition, the efficiency of absorption of nutriments is also an improved version if compared to normal ones.

`「I see…………Hm?」

At that time,

Elk abruptly stopped……and surveyed the surroundings.

“What happened”, I asked but she didn’t reply and kept on looking around restlessly.

Those movements got me curious, so I also stopped and started looking around restlessly. But, I don’t see any unusual thing at all.

「……Minato, did you hear that?」

「? That, like what?」

「A high-pitched voice……like that of a child, something like that……」

……A child’s voice?

No, well there are many children in this city, so of course I can hear them from here and there……with my enhanced hearing ability.

But there is nothing unusual or anything……

「No, it wasn’t a normal voice, but it was very clear, and resounded too……it’s was a very strange voice. Moreover it seemed like a crying voice……Minato, didn’t you hear it?」

……? Nope not at all……

Or rather what do you even mean by clear and resounding?

I look at Alva on my shoulder and it cocks its head in puzzlement as is saying『Don’t know』. Apparently Alva also didn’t hear it.

「Isn’t it……your imagination?」

「No, I don’t think it might be like that……Ah, hey, I heard it again!」

「Eh!? Right now!?」

Immediately I strain my ears……and enhance my『hearing ability』just in case, and tried to search through the surroundings.

I strain my ears to see if I can hear the voice Elk is telling about.

The useless noise are really too much, so it’s a trouble to find the target, but because I’ve gotten somewhat used to this thing, so I persevere and still continue.

……Or so I had thought……

「See! Right now too……I can heard words like『it’s not good like this』and『why』, I can hear them. Hey, Minato, Alva too」

「…………」

Ehhhhhhhh……? No, well, umm……We both don’t hear a thing.

Seeing my somewhat unpleasant face Elk guessed that much, and appealed saying『I can truly hear that』while showing a bewildered expression.

No seriously, it’s me who is bewildered……

Frankly, I don’t think it can happen that we both don’t hear a thing while Elk can hear it.

From what I know, Elk hasn’t done any training in that area, so her hearing ability should be the same as a normal adventurer. Even in her training with me, I don’t train her in that stuff.

On contrast with her, my hearing ability, without any more enhancement, is already several times better than a normal human being.

Alva is also the same. It’s common knowledge that Alva’s demon sensor is several times superior than humans. In addition, from the experience till now, in many cases……his danger sensing ability can even surpass mine.

And those us, this time I even enhanced my hearing ability yet wasn’t able to hear the voice……while Elk could?

「……Are you sure it ain’t your imagination?」

「Wh-What!? You doubting me……Ah, I can’t hear it anymore……」

「…………」

——PiiiiIIIiiiiIII?

「This wasn’t my imagination!? I seriously was able to hear it just before!! Why can I hear it anymore!?」

No, it’s me who damn seriously want to hear it.

After that Elk still persisted, so I tried to search for the owner of the voice, but……it’s not a problem of difficulty when searching for something one has no recognition of.

When I asked Elk『Where』did you hear it from, she only replied that she doesn’t know.

In the end, the identity of that mysterious『voice』still didn’t get clarified, and like that the day turned into night.

Night.

The inn prepared by the Association wasn’t a high-class one, but still it was quite a comfortable place. It was wide and good place for relaxing.

Above all, the Flower Dish given in the inn, were all tasty.

So we satiated ourselves by eating it, along with the stuff we had ate while walking.

Incidentally, we weren’t able to eat together with Zari and Sherry-san. Did they eat outside?

Like that after having fun once, the adventurers got into the mood of『Let’s have another party』and left the inn, this time Elk and I didn’t go with them and returned to our room.

「Even so how could you eat that much stuff when you were eating just before entering the inn? This is just too much even with stomach enhancement」

While relaxing in the room, Elk came asking that thing to me.

I have already told to Elk that if I wanted then I could digest no matter how much I eat in an instant -although I haven’t told her about the details of『Elemental Blood』. But apparently it seems like she is quite bothered by it, hence the great reproachful gaze.

Well it can’t be helped after all I alone ordered food that a big group would order for their parties.

Even so it was truly tasty. That Flower Dishes of unknown taste. It could be classified as something like salad, but that taste of a main-dish just entranced me.

Elk ignored my talk saying『Hmmmmm』and currently……she was reading『Necronomicon』I lent her, for killing time.

I also read it for killing time, recently I’ve come to know that this book also have quite simple or basic stuff too -although there are too many pages, so I don’t always remember what page has what content written-, and so currently Elk who is also training in magic has also been reading it.

As a result, coupled with the amount of experience till now, recently Elk has been showing quite striking growth in the Magic Branch.

Using the magical energy efficiently, she used the wind magical energy that she excels at, and enhanced the sharpness of dagger and also her agile movements. Furthermore she is slowly reaching the point of using wind blades rather than throwing knives for long-distance attacks.

This growth pace is quite a thing.

At this pace……the day I entrust her with some out of my numerous powerful Original Magic, is most probably, not that far in future.

Of course, though I say entrust her with them, I will surely choose the type I want to……I’ve got no intention of teaching her magic like『Elemental Blood』or others.

Setting aside the trust and so forth things……it’s just because they are dangerous.

After all they are, for a certain reason, troublesome and also have high degree of difficulty. Even the person who created them, me, had been training with that since when I was five, and started getting it into shape only after reaching ten years old. After that increasing the time for practice, it still took me over ten years to reach the point I am at right now.

Mom also showed interest in that, and started training along the way, but……because the magic theory and concept were completely different, even that mom of mine had a hard time.

And mom and me used to do severe training from the start, so it was quite a high-pace training too……even so it took『10 years』.

Well of course I also researched the magic and improved many of them, so it took time. Now that I have completed the theories completely and are all in my brain……it might be possible to teach it to others in short time.

……Even so, taking all that in consideration, the current Elk is just doesn’t have sufficient ability.

Therefore I am perfectly fine to teach her immediately if based on trust……however, it will be just bad for her to learn that unless her control on magical energy increases.

Hearing all that……Elk sighed heavily.

「Well I did knew it……that good things don’t show themselves easily to you. If I could use them, then maybe I could’ve known the source of that『voice』……」

Aaah, I see.

That strange『voice』she heard (apparently) in daytime. Elk is still saying that it couldn’t be anything like illusion. Her physical condition is not bad enough, neither she lacked sleep enough to actually hear auditory hallucination.

……Except the days when even I have lack of sleep together with her.

She said that it didn’t had any sort of unclear feeling to it. That the feelings in voice were clearly transmitted.

It was so clear that……it seemed like sometimes talking directly in her head.

……No, wait a minute. 『Hearing directly in head』doesn’t that make it more of a illusion……no, no, no wait a minute.

(Don’t tell me that directly hearing in the head means……?)

I suddenly remembered that phrase, took the『Nercronomicon』from Elk, and started flipping the pages hurriedly.

Err, if I’m right, I read something like that yesterday……Found it!

「Isn’t it this?『Telepathy』」

「『Telepathy』?」

On the page opened was……the thing that was famous even in my previous world, however not as magic but as psychic ability, the so-called『Telepathy』.

Literally, this is a way to talk with a person far from you without using voice, but thoughts as intermediary. Although it needs talent for using but it is quite popular magic out there.

Among the magicians present in the military, there are many of them who have learned this for communication purposes.

Reading the theory behind it……it is quite obvious I can’t use it. Damn it.

Setting my rant aside, this magic is exactly like『voice reaching directly in the head』……and also the source of voice can’t be found out, hence it matches Elk’s testimony.

But, in that case why did that『Telepathy』reached Elk? Or rather from whom?

In this city, Elk’s acquaintances are only me and Zari. In fact, she doesn’t have any acquaintance who can use such a technique.

In that case what is the meaning of Elk, who is not even that person’s friend, getting that person’s telepathic message, when I think that, the answer would be……

……That the『Telepathy』message was sent in confusion and indiscriminately……is it a rescue signal?

「……If I’m right, you heard things like『not like this』and so on, right?」

「Yeah that’s right……you want to go?」

「Just in case」

No, I still doubt it, but for the time being we both completed the preparations and left the inn.

☆☆☆

“There’s no way it would be like that”, thinking stuff like that we both come to the place where Elk heard that『voice』in the daytime.

Just, although we came here, we don’t have clue, as of yet, of from where did that『Telepathy』message reached Elk……

In the daytime too we weren’t able to discover the source……at that time,

As if it waited for this chance, the message came.

「It came!」

「Eh, What?」

「Voice, the voice! I can hear it! Err……『Is it』, 『elp』……probably it means『help』I think!」

You serious! Just how good this timing can be!

And that contents of message, truly seem like rescue signal……

However both me and Alva still can’t hear it, even now. ……Just why? If it is a rescue signal, then it would be heard by everyone in a fixed range for increasing the chances of rescue, isn’t that natural? Then why just Elk?

In fact from the appearance of the person『hearing』that, Elk……it can be guessed that the owner of『voice』is at it wits’ end -of course it might just Elk exaggerating- but it can’t be helped if I can’t hear it. If it is like this then it would end up the same way as in daytime.

As long it is『Telepathy』it is sure to be magic……in that case I just need to trace the origin of magical energy, however, regretfully I can’t use that sort of convenient magic.

Thereupon, Elk abruptly,

「Plaza!」

「Eh?」

Shouted. What happened?

「Behind the big tree in the plaza located on the outskirts of the city! It was in broken pieces, but probably it said this. Mianto, let’s go!」

Ah, I see. So she heard about the place with『Telepathy』, right. Now this is great. Why was she not able to hear this much in morning? Anyhow……we now know the place.

As usual, I entrust Elk to guide me while holding a map in her hands. Like that we rushed up to the『Plaza on the outskirts of city』

Along the way, again that『voice』stopped……the person might be nearing the physical limit, so we hurried up.

However after reaching till here, it was the work of mine and Alva’s ears.

Before even reaching the plaza……I heard painful groaning voice like『Ugh……』with my enhanced ears. Aiming for the source of that voice we rushed across the plaza.

There a big treed was indeed growing……

And behind it……

((……Child?))

A girl of about elementary school with bright green hair……was crouching.

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