Editing/Standardisation: Medicine Melancholy
Original Translation: Medicine Melancholy
Diamant Valley Mayor
(TL: Contains really uncomfortable topics, feel free to skip this guy’s section if it isn’t for you)
Inside a rattling wagon running on the rugged forest path
“Keh, keheh, kehahahaha!”
I did it. I really did it. Now there’s no going back for me.
I only became mayor because I took over the post from my father, and I had no desire to be stuck in this snowy hole forever… but that’s all behind me now.
Now that I was no longer able to use the mine, which was occupied by some strange creatures, little by little, I made my plan to abandon my post and ran away… Though it’s a shame I had to leave most of the ores behind.
At first, that made me hesitant, but things had changed in the past few days.
Some youngsters entered the town with those mercenaries, who were not ordinary travelers by any stretch of the imagination.
The sheer gut of that young man when he dared to talk back to me in my mansion.
He said he was the Count’s guest, but I’m sure that he’s actually his inspector, who finally came to investigate this area at last.
As I lamented my bad luck, the devil’s whisper suddenly came to me.
Some men from the black market, who had come from the western continent to conduct business, brought a plan to have monsters attack the town and take advantage of the commotion to rob it of anything of value and make my escape.
As the arrangements for me to cross the continent were made, I was determined to follow through with this plan at all costs… and here I am. The plan went off without a hitch, and now all I have to do is to escape to the port town south of here!
Part of the reason why I so desperately wanted to escape was because of the inspection.
This northern country was very difficult to do business with, and some of the business deals I had handled so far have been against the law, such as smuggling and human trafficking, and I could easily lose my head if caught.
But above all… the girls in this haul would be more than enough to pay for every trouble I’d gone through in that town. As they laid shivering in the wagon, I chuckled at the money I’m going to earn from this.
One of them was a beautiful alchemist with a good reputation in town. I had approached her several times to marry her because of her beauty, but each time she had brushed it off.
In addition to that beauty, she was also skilled with medicine. That alone would probably fetch a pretty good price if sold as a slave. Enough for me to live on for a few years.
But she couldn’t hold a candle to that silver-haired girl who was with the youngsters accompanying the mercenaries.
When I found her in that clinic, she was lying in bed because she was sick or something, but she resisted really violently at first. Well, until I attached “that thing” I bought from the black market on her anyway. She was as docile as a lamb now.
Since I first saw her in the western gate, I’d had an intense urge.
She must be mine.
Though she was still immature, she was so dainty that one cannot imagine how large a flower she will blossom when she grows up, and her healing arts was so powerful that outclassed even a Saint, who the Church so coveted.
At first, I intended to find the best buyer for this girl.
She had such a beautiful appearance that one would not embarrass themself putting her anywhere, and her demeanor was neat and tidy.
She had an extremely rare talent for healing arts, one that the Church hadn’t claimed.
For the aristocrats in particular, she must be a gem that they would want no matter how much money they have to pay for… just imagine how prosperous she would make their bloodline become once she bore their children.
Such a young bud, still untouched and can still be dyed in any way the owner wishes, would grant me enough money to live on for the rest of my life… that’s just how worth this girl is.
And yet… it’s still a shame to let her go from my grasp.
If I could train her with my hands and make her obedient to me, how much wealth would I create?
There is no need to be a mayor of a small town in such a remote area, and it is surely not impossible to make a name for myself and become a lord of a castle in the western continent, where money throughout the world comes and goes.
If anything… should she produce a child who inherits her talents and good looks, I might be able to get in contact with the nobility, or even a royal family.
The gift of healing arts was highly prized everywhere in this world.
No, no, no, I should leave such afterthoughts for later. For now, I simply desire that girl. If I could make love with that dainty little girl, how much would it feel me up… It is no exaggeration to say that the desire that welled up was mesmerizing.
That girl, under me, with my hands, her gorgeous face contorted in shame, fear, and eventually pleasure.
How delightful it would be to break such a dainty bud with my own hand and pluck her future away. It’d be the ecstasy of a lifetime.
As I pondered about such things… the wagon suddenly slowed down.
Soon, a man whose expression and thoughts were hard to read, claiming to be a guide introduced by the black marketeer, entered.
“…Apologies, but the wagon got stuck in the mud.”
“Then what the hell are you doing here, fool?! Get out!”
Useless piece of garbage! How dare he call himself a guide when he’s so sloppy?!
If I was too slow, they would surely send pursuers after me once the commotion in that town had been quelled.
“Tch… Screw the luggage! I only need the girls anyway, bring them to me!”
Losing the cargo was a blow to my profit, but still, as long as those girls were secured, it’s nothing to worry about.
“I’ll never have to stay in this shithole again, I’ll surely escape with my money! My power…!”
Little did the mayor know, somebody was watching his every movement with a cold stare.
Aini
Inside the wagon, hidden from the outside in the shadows of the rest of the cargo, was a metal cage that looks like it could be used to keep some kind of animal.
“…Ugh…Aaagh…!! No, please…!!”
“We’re gonna be alright, okay? Someone’s going to rescue us, I’m sure of it.”
Despite my wrists being tied, I still managed to hold the little girl close to my chest and patted her back to calm down her trembling body.
The girl who was brought here with me, Iris-chan, seemed to be tormented by nightmare even though she was asleep.
It was only thanks to the sedative effect of the cold medicine that the situation was under control, if only for the moment. When she was awake earlier, things were really bad.
We had been kidnapped… At first, she resisted violently, but as soon as those men fitted a collar-like object on her, her face, which should have been feverish from the cold, turned pale. As if she had regressed to being an infant, she deliriously and incessantly muttered “I’m sorry” and “Forgive me” in a hollow voice.
I wonder if those symptoms were the result of a flashback to some traumatic event she experienced. She soon fell into a coma due to the high fever, but her condition was anything but normal.
With both my arms and legs restrained, all I could do for her was hug her to calm her down, how little it might be.
A thick, heavy metal collar fitted around her slender neck. When I crawled my fingers along it, I felt intense discomfort at my fingertips, as if my strength was being drained away.
…What a nasty contraption. Not only was it designed to seal the use of magic, but it also scrambled the flow of magic in the body like crazy… To take away the power and will to resist, I assume.
As someone whose magical power wasn’t that high, I couldn’t imagine how much of a burden it would be for this child, who was gifted with exceptional healing arts. Combined with her already existing illness, it must be torture for her to wear that collar.
And as someone who practices alchemy, I couldn’t tolerate this kind of maliciousness that is only meant to ensnare people and cause them pain. If I had the necessary equipment at hand, I would smash it into a million pieces.
I sensed the presence of highly refined magic nullification stones within this collar, even though their distribution in this country were heavily restricted by law because they could be used in this way…
Such items like this is a huge threat to the Magical Kingdom of Nordglacier. As a matter of fact, numerous secret agents keep a close watch on each town, so they could not have been produced domestically.
A foreign force must be behind this. Perhaps it’s the underground organization of the Trade Federation in the west. While that country has strong merchant power and a very free market, it is also home to a huge criminal organization.
If that’s the case, we must escape as soon as possible. If this girl is really who I think she is, then the last thing we want is for her to fall prey to their hideous scheme.
I remembered how uncomfortable I felt when I talked to her companions.
Despite such a huge anomaly occurred near human settlements, they were still living and acting normally as if nothing happened.
It’s as if they possessed a means to erase that “Wound” in the mine. If it were that easy to do so, the sphere of human life in this world would not be so small.
Throughout recorded history, until this day, only one race of people had been able to accomplish this.
I don’t know what on earth happened to her, but if this girl is really who I think she is, the things that should have been on her back were now gone… I shuddered at how heavy a burden was placed on the back of such a small girl.
No matter what, I must bring this girl to safety, that’s my determination.
Suddenly, the wagon carrying us stopped.
Hayato
I ripped off another stick shuriken at the back of my muffler, threw it in a conspicuous place, and followed the two carriages as they tried to drive away again.
It is frightening that I can weave through the trees at a speed that parallels that of horse-drawn wagons skipping along the plains, but even more frightening to lose sight of those two wagons.
I moved as if flying, frantically judging where to place my next foot on a foothold where even the slightest slip would cause me to fall.
I could never forget the image of that girl who was also sent here like me.
She was always so soft, but she was also very kind and concerned about other’s wellbeing. When I was in danger, she would not hesitate to protect me even if it puts her in danger herself.
When she was captured by those men, I couldn’t get the sound of her crying out in grief out of my ears.
And Aini-neechan. She was an older sister who picked me up and saved me when I collapsed after wandering around, unable to trust anyone.
She gave me a normal life when I was at my wit’s end. Without her kindness and guidance, I’m sure I would have…
Okay, I admit it! I think I have a crush on them! Possibly both!
That feeling is like admiring the prettiest girl in my grade, or a kind and beautiful older sister, it’s just natural.
But when I talked to them, I tended to act shy and cocky, despite my heart thumping so hard inside.
Right now, if things continued as they were, both of them would become the property of who-knows-what.
Slaves.
That word is as unfamiliar to me as it was in the original world.
I felt nauseous. Disgusted. This cannot stand.
My heart was filled with dark emotions.
I must rescue them before it’s too late.
Besides, I don’t want to betray that Nii-chan’s expectations this time, who put his trust in me despite what happened.
Just a bit more. This particular route, originally used to transport ores to a nearby port town, was deeply rutted due to the frequent passage of heavily laden wagons, and would be muddy all the way through due to melting snow at this time of year, as Aini-neechan once told me when we gathered medicinal herbs together.
Those tightly packed wagons, clearly carrying more than their capacity, if they drove them through the mud with those skinny wheels…
My time has come.
As predicted, one of the wheels on a wagon came off because of the muddy road.
I approached the wagons as close as possible while holding my breath.
Hiding in the bushes, just a stone’s throw away… I saw the men arguing for a while, and then a few private soldiers went to the wagon and rummaged around in it for something.
Coming out of the wagons were Aini-neechan, whose hands were tied, being pulled around roughly and… carried like a sack of potatoes, fitted with a crude metal collar disproportionate to such a little girl, the Princess.
Curses!
Both the situation and my own emotions didn’t allow me to just sit back and watch any longer!
“She’s not feeling well, treat her more respectfully, please!”
“Silence!”
The Princess’ complexion was clearly deteriorating. Aini-neechan, despite being a prisoner herself, stood up and argued with her captors for a better treatment.
The man dragging Nee-chan swung his hand down on her face.
Nee-chan reflexively shielded her face with her hands.
My consciousness concentrated on the back of that private army guy, which, from my point of view, was exposed and unprotected.
“Ack?!”
I quickly inserted a dagger into the side of his stomach.
It was not as formidable as I had anticipated. For a moment I thought I had missed. But the liquid gurgling out of the man’s mouth proved the opposite.
The blade in my hand was sharp… because it was designed to take lives.
Desperately, I pried and pulled out the blade of the dagger that had been dug into the man’s stomach. I felt a weird sensation of something shredding in my hand.
“Dam, mit…”
The man fell to the ground helplessly. Slowly, something other than mud spread on the ground.
“Hah… hah…”
I had stabbed someone… with clear intent to kill.
I thought I would be more distraught, but I was surprisingly level-headed. But… the moon was dazzling tonight. I could see the surroundings too well, even the expression on the face of the man who had collapsed.
Surprisingly, I was unfazed by it.
Aini-neechan stared at me in shock.
Another person was stunned and unaware of the situation… the man carrying the Princess.
I charged at him with all my might.
“AAAAARGH!!”
I could hear a scream nearby, who the hell? Oh wait, that’s me.
In this world that feels unreal, lightning converged on my right hand, which wasn’t holding the dagger… and I slammed it into the man’s stomach, with all the momentum of my rush.
SQUICK
Feeling a warm, wet sensation on my fingertips, I took the Princess from the man who crumpled down in agony after a thunderbolt was thrust into his body, and stepped back.
She’s so light.
My sense of reality rapidly returned as I felt the feverishly high body temperature and feathery weight I felt through that thin nightgown.
The Princess, who was just a little taller than me, was so light that I could hold her with one arm.
Since she traveled with such powerful people with her, I thought that the Princess would be pretty strong herself… I’m so stupid!
Of course I’d be stronger than someone in a pure support build… why hadn’t I realized that sooner?!
“Hayato-kun…?”
“Nee-chan!”
I cut away Nee-chan’s restraints to free her, and shoved the unconscious Princess into her arms.
“Take the Princess and go! I’m sure that Nii-chan and his friend must be on their way here by now!”
“B-But what about you…?”
“Just do it! I’ll stay here and buy you as much time as possible, so hurry-”
As I was shouting, I slid my small body under the arm of another man who tried to grab me and struck him with my elbow.
“If I’m in danger, I’ll just run away! It’s a promise!”
Hesitantly, Nee-chan ran off… Please be safe, both of you.
“What the hell?! Stop standing around and recapture the girls, dammit! Don’t let them get away!”
Behind me, the pig bastard started foaming and screaming.
I quickly kicked my opponent in the back of his head, knocking him out instantly.
As I stood in the path of the men chasing after those two, they pulled out their weapons, as if they saw how I felt.
Surrounding me was a gleaming array of tools used to take lives. One hit by any of them, and I’d probably die.
“Ha, haha…”
A laugh escaped my mouth.
Dammit, this isn’t funny! I’m scared as hell here!
They were mercenaries who were also accustomed to killing people, meanwhile I was just a student until a month ago, of course I’d be scared!
But I must do this! Because… I made a promise to protect them!
“Accursed brat… you’re just some stray kid who wandered into my town! How dare you forget who lets you live here in the first place?!”
“Huh?! I owe you nothing, piggy!”
I got a bit pissed off at the pig bastard’s cursing. But it distracted me from my fear a little bit, so I suppose it’s a good thing?
From the pouch at my waist, I took out a bunch of human-shaped paper dolls and scattered them around. They turned into phantoms looking exactly like me and rose up… just like in that old ninja manga I read before.
I took a deep breath, desperately quieting my heart, which feels like it is about to burst at any moment.
Oh, right! I’m a hero from a manga too! This much is nothing for a hero, I’m not scared at all!
“Come at me, you lowlifes! Ninja Grandmaster Hayato-sama is going to kick all of your asses!!”
It didn’t matter if it was a bluff or not, I yelled, desperately, to inspire myself.
APM - Translation 