Harbingers of Spring
The party based in Legol became more active as spring approached.
The archer party “Artemis” was hunting in the Baroa Forest.
Apparently they were venturing deeper than usual, targeting sluggish monsters just awoken from hibernation. An early culling of sorts.
The well-organized “Earth Shield” split into several teams – some guiding guilders from other towns to potential hunting grounds near Legol, while others used horses to complete quests at more distant locations.
The easygoing “Swords of the Harvest” each did their own thing. The leader’s team quickly embarked on an expedition somewhere far away, while quite a few took on local jobs.
Other smaller parties also started accepting quests suited to their abilities.
Surprisingly, the rookie party “Farthest Sunray” that had tried to recruit me at the guild before, unexpectedly persevered.
Their leader Frank has a unique personality that often got him in interpersonal trouble, but his obliviousness and thick skin allowed them to get this far. Amazingly, Farthest Sunray absorbed some tiny parties, growing to six members now.
They could barely scrape by over winter, but with more jobs coming up, they might make it through this year too if they’re careful.
As for me? I’ll just go with the flow.
Basically taking forest and riverside jobs to forage delicious spring herbs is ideal.
The weirder ones make amazing tempura.
So I came out to the Baroa Forest for some fieldwork after accepting an appealing quest at the lively guild, when…
“Hey there, old Bronze guy, got a minute?”
“Hm?”
Not long after entering the woods, a duo of guilders called out to me.
Unfamiliar faces – probably from another town.
It’s natural they might ask me to guide them, being new to the forest. But from their shady looks, their request seemed different.
The cruel saying “appearances are 90%” from my previous world rings true here too. Putting it bluntly, this pair looked every bit the “yeah, we’re criminals” type.
Shady-looking guys with hands on their sword hilts, giving sneering “we’re about to commit a crime” smiles – of course I’d be on guard.
They looked to be in their twenties, but their sinister faces made them seem older.
Both wielded short swords, maybe some throwing knives too.
Their bronze guild badges looked suspicious.
…The guild would notice if they were tailed.
Did these guys really lay in ambush near the forest? Quite the cautious bandits.
“You don’t look very friendly. What do you want from me? I just earned a decent bit of money.”
“Oho, straight to the point old man. Drop your sword and hand over the cash. Do that and we’ll spare your life. Oh, and don’t think about running – they call me the ‘Lokir the Eliminator’. Show me your back and you’re dead.”
“And I’m ‘Carlo the Killer’…the moment you make a suspicious move, my throwing knife will be buried in your skull…”
Well they do have intimidating faces, I’ll give them that.
But being armed only with short swords and no shields means they can’t be that strong.
They’ve probably just been mugging lightly-armed solo guilders for money so far.
They must have underestimated me after seeing my bastard sword.
That’s unforgivable, isn’t it?
“Bold words…My name is Mongrel. The one who’ll be dragging you two to the Legol guards.”
“Hah, this guy’s serious Lokir…drew his sword, did he? No turning back now.”
“Can’t be helped, let’s do this. Go, Carlo!”
If some street thugs tried to pick a barehanded fight in town, I’d handle it barehanded too.
But out in the woods, against armed bandits going for the kill, I have no choice but to use my bastard sword.
Of course, anyone dumb enough to ambush me just based on my gear can’t be that tough.
Spring does make weirdos come out of the woodwork. I’ll just think of them as extra income and oblige.
“Die!”
Along with the cliched battle cry cowardly thugs love, a throwing knife came flying my way.
“No enhancements on that projectile.”
I casually deflected it with the tip of my bastard sword.
Lightweight blades are child’s play.
“Ah…”
Seeing me swat away his projectile so easily, this Lokir guy seemed to realize something.
Too bad for you idiots. I don’t plan to forgive you, but I do pity you.
“Using short swords means you can’t use even basic self-enhancements, huh? If you were going to target early spring guilders, you should have aimed for an Iron rank. I was suspicious of you two even at regular Bronze.”
“D-Don’t come any closer!”
“Oh I’m not saying that to spare you. You two are going to the slammer.”
“Uwaaahh!”
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As Carlo tried to turn and run, I struck the back of his head with the flat of my bastard sword’s blade.
The solid steel rang out beautifully as the first thug crumpled unconscious to the dirt. One down, one to go.
“H-Hey, I haven’t actually killed anyone yet…let me go, please…”
“Didn’t you just call yourself the ‘Killer’ whatever? …Actually, now that I think about it, that genuine reaction – have you killed before? If it was just empty bravado that’d be one thing, but…”
So there are people these petty thugs have murdered.
This world may be cavalier about lives, but hearing that still leaves a bad taste.
“P-Please let me go!”
The bandit fled, abandoning his unconscious partner.
How coldly pragmatic. Well, it does make things easier on my end not having to worry about them.
“Divine Retribution!”
“Guah!”
To fell a fleeing foe at range –
the answer is simple. Run faster and pummel them.
Like his buddy, a skull-cracking blow put the second thug down for the count.
Now I just need to deliver these two to Legol.
“Tie them up and sling one over each end of a carrying pole…gonna be heavy though.”
Normally with slain monsters I’d gut them to reduce the weight, but that’s not an option here.
Inconvenient, but I’ll just have to haul them like roasting pigs back to town.
The usually jovial gate guard will have to get serious when I show up carrying two trussed-up humans on a pole.
“An ambush in the woods, how dastardly…Their badges are likely stolen too. They must have killed someone to impersonate guilders and attempt entry to Legol…”
“My apologies, Mongrel. We’ll interrogate these two here. You’ll receive a reward afterwards, the amount depending on any additional crimes they’ve committed.”
The loafers who normally idle in the gatehouse appeared, glaring sternly at the bound pair.
An “interrogation” of dubious other-world quality, aka near-torture, awaits as their additional crimes are ferreted out. Just enough violence short of rendering them unfit for criminal slavery. I’d rather not get involved from here.
“I’ll head back into the forest then.”
“Will you be okay? You aren’t hurt?”
“I subdued them uninjured. I’ll just gather some early spring herbs in the shallows before returning.”
“I see…be careful out there, Mongrel. We town guards can’t protect you in the wilds.”
“Appreciate the concern. But I doubt I’ll have enough free time to bring back your herb share as a gift.”
“Ha, if you bring back some meat next time, that’ll do just fine.”
“Pretty bold demand there, my friend.”
“Gahaha!”
Spring is when people, goods and money get moving. So it’s only natural the unsavory sort also start stirring then.
As unfortunate as it is for such things to be considered mundane seasonal events, there’s no helping it.
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