108.Incident

Editing/Standardisation: Medicine Melancholy
Original Translation: Medicine Melancholy

Iris

“Then, I’ll have the proposed improvements for the requested sword ready by tomorrow. Feel free to come back if you have time.”

“Thank you very much. We’ll bring Reiji-san with us tomorrow.”

“Oh, that youngster. Looking forward to it.”

With those words, Master Nephilim bid us farewell amicably. Apparently, he enjoyed discussing swords and swordsmanship with fellow swordsmen.

“As for the armor, I’ll start making it after this.”

“I’m sorry… for asking something so troublesome during the festival.”

“It’s fine, this is also for my sake.”

Beside me, Ouka-san was bidding farewell to Nii-sama in the same way.

“More importantly… you two should be a bit more careful in the city, okay?”

In the midst of that, she suddenly turned serious and spoke. Her eyes, now with a serious hue, turned towards me.

“I heard this from someone I met here… but it seems like the group that approaches former players are actively sticking to some famous individuals.”

“Yeah… if they find out you’re here, Princess, you’ll definitely become a target, so be careful.”

“…Yes, I will.”

Adding to what Ouka-san conveyed, Kirsche-san drove the point home.

Smiling wryly at the two of them, I accepted their warning sincerely and left the cave where the workshop was located.

“Things went smoothly, didn’t they?”

“Honestly, I was expecting it to take a few days at least… Since we weren’t planning to stay here long, the sooner it’s done, the better. We have those sisters to thank for mediating.”

“Yes, truly…”

We’ll probably only be in this city for about two weeks at most. I was prepared that we might have to come back later depending on the circumstances, so it was really helpful that the request was accepted on the first day.

It’s a shame Reiji-san couldn’t come along, but it was the right decision to go out to the town… Thinking that, I suddenly remembered.

“…By the way, how’s Reiji-san doing, I wonder?”

“Well, don’t worry about him too much. It’s probably just seasickness, and he already took some medicine. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s already out and about by now.”

“I hope so…”

“Either way, we got some valuable information, and it’s a good start. Hopefully, everything will continue smoothly from here.”

“Yes… as long as nothing goes wrong.”

As dusk approached and the hustle and bustle of people increased in the city, I murmured so absentmindedly.

Reiji

“Uegh… I’m still feeling like crap…”

After taking the medicine Aini-san gave me, the nausea had subsided considerably. So, despite still feeling a bit unsteady on my feet, I ventured out into the city…

“Well, I guess meeting up was too much to hope for… But where on earth did those two go?”

Having already made a thorough round of the main island and briefly checked inside shops where they might have stopped, I still couldn’t find them.

I had lightly dismissed the idea of them standing out too much… but it seemed I had underestimated the situation, sighing deeply as I looked out over the bustling crowds and stalls.

…Then, at that moment, an unmistakable sound reached my ears.

“Was that… a scream?”

A faint scream, barely audible from a distance. Soon, the direction it came from grew increasingly noisy.

It seemed like something serious was happening. I hoped those two weren’t involved… Fueled by such worries, I turned back towards the commotion.

Near a tavern just off the central square, where the disturbance seemed to be centered, a crowd had already gathered.

“Hey, what happened?”

I asked some bystanders nearby.

“Someone got stabbed, it seems.”

“This island tends to attract the rougher type for the arena, so stuff like this is pretty common.”

“Still, with all the tight security, you’d think it’d be safe, huh?”

Despite their fearful words, the residents seemed somewhat detached from the situation.

While inwardly cursing the fact that someone had been injured, I pushed through the crowd, curious to see what was happening at the center.

Collapsed on the ground was a young man… probably around my age. Beside him lay a short sword, stained with blood up to its hilt. Given the large red patch around the young man’s waist, it seemed the sword had been plunged there.

Furthermore, the young man’s face was pale, and he seemed to be convulsing, foaming at the mouth.

His condition was clearly serious, and I moved to rush over… but when I finally reached the spot through the throng of people, the guards were already administering first aid to the injured person and giving instructions to transport him to the nearest church.

Since this Ares isle was home to an arena, there were many churches doubling as treatment centers, with healing mages always on standby.

According to what I’d heard beforehand, there were even a few of the Church’s “Saints” dispatched during this time, so if we left it to them, it should be fine.

As I took a breath of relief, at that moment…

“Hey, isn’t that guy a contestant in the tournament?”

“Yeah, I saw him at registration… No, he actually took part in one of the general matches I saw.”

“Right, wasn’t he making a bit of a name for himself lately?”

Voices drifted from the surrounding hubbub.

Though the Great Martial Arts Festival wasn’t taking place at the moment, I had heard that there were other exhibition matches going on, and it seemed the stabbed man was one of the current contenders.

Indeed, the man lying there wasn’t wearing armor, but like me, he wore a gambeson underneath, and he had a sword that seemed well-used. Both his sword and belt pouch looked undisturbed, suggesting it wasn’t a mugging.

A participant in the martial arts tournament would presumably have some confidence in his skills. To stab him from behind without being noticed…?

As I pondered this question, a realization struck me…

It was only by chance that I noticed him.

He stood at the very edge of the circle of onlookers.

There’s nothing wrong with him, he was just a plain and skinny middle-aged man. Judging by his clothes, he looked like an ordinary citizen.

But… in this situation, he suddenly turned away from the gruesome scene and started walking in a direction where no one was around.

“It’s that guy…!”

It was just a gut feeling… but I’m certain that he’s the culprit.

“Excuse me, step aside!”

Pushing through the crowd, I followed after him.

Ahead of my gaze, the man hurriedly turned a corner and disappeared from sight, seemingly fleeing from the city center.

“You won’t escape, asshole…!”

Originally, this was just a matter of an unrelated man being stabbed, and apprehending the culprit wasn’t my job; I should leave it to the guards.

But… from the aura emanating from the fleeing man, there was something deeply unsettling about him.

It felt like I’d encountered him somewhere before. And whatever it was, it didn’t bode well for us.

Driven by that sense, I accelerated.

Then, around a few corners, the other guy picked up his pace. He probably noticed that I was tailing him.

Well, there was no need to sneak around anymore. It was just a matter of speed now. And that was my forte.       

…I won’t let him get away!

With that determination, I fixed my gaze on the man ahead and sprinted forward, kicking off the cobblestones with all my might.

At the moment, Reiji’s mind was completely focused on chasing after someone who seemed to be a bad guy.

Therefore, he didn’t notice that someone else had noticed him, and started following him in return.

After chasing for a while… Eventually, beneath the large bridge leading to another island on the outskirts facing the sea, the fleeing man leaned against the wall, panting heavily.

Was he exhausted from running for so long? …No.

“Hey, you! Sorry, but you need to come with me-”

“…Shaaaaah!”

“Tch… You!”

Feeling a chilling sensation on my neck, I instinctively recoiled.

The man suddenly turned around, the gleaming dagger in his hand barely missing me—no, I dodged it with considerable ease.

Without a moment’s delay, I evaded the dagger thrown at me, aimed at where I had just moved to.

The man, who moments ago seemed exhausted, was sweating profusely… It was indeed an act.

“Tch… I thought you were just a greenhorn, but I hate brats like you who can sniff out trouble…”

“So you’re still insisting you’re not the culprit?”

“You’re already convinced, aren’t you? If there’s no way to talk my way out of this, then so be it… Brat, you’ll disappear here!”

“Hah… if you think you can, then come at me!!”

Since I left my swords with Iris and the others, I drew the metal baton I borrowed for self-defense from my waist.

Unknowingly, the intoxication from seasickness had vanished—no, it had been replaced by another intoxication. An intoxication of tense anticipation, a sense of impending danger, and a premonition of life and death.

That dagger he was holding. My instincts warned me that I can’t afford to be wounded by it.

That single-edged dagger, about the size of two fists, is the same one that was lying next to the injured man just moments ago.

Normally, it’s not a good idea to pull out a weapon that has been stabbed into a wound before hemostasis is complete, as it increases bleeding.

However, if the guards of this city, who are supposed to be accustomed to rough work, deliberately pulled it out from the wound, there must have been a reason why it had to be pulled out at that moment.

Probably… poison.

It’s not something as lethal as to make the seasoned guards panic, but it’s not something trivial enough to be ignored either—it’s likely to be fast-acting.

With such unfavorable conditions—no slight injuries allowed, no equipment, and not in the best physical condition—I still remained composed… I had that much composure.

“I’ve been dealing with people like you for a while now, old man…!”

I glanced at the city I’d just moved in.

“What’s wrong? Suddenly afraid for your life?”

“No? I have no need to hear that from you, asshole…!”

I kicked off the ground and jumped mid-sentence.

At the same time, he also readied his dagger… but his stance is full of openings compared to the people who trained me recently—utterly amateurish.

That’s when I was sure.

“Hah… the arrogance of thinking you can handle everything with your own power alone, you’re truly a greenhorn…!”

The moment the man, who showed a defensive stance, twisted his mouth, a new person appeared from above his head behind him, diving straight into my position.

Completely caught off guard, there’s no longer any time to completely dodge attacks from both directions, and I’m left without any means to resist, only to become prey to the poison… is what he’s thinking, but.

“…As if I hadn’t seen it coming already!”

Ignoring the newcomer behind me, I put all my energy into my legs, stepping forward forcefully enough to crack the pavement, closing in on the man in front of me even more. At the same time…

“…ORAAAA!!”

An eardrum-shattering shout echoed from under the bridge.

The next moment, a shadow suddenly jumped in from even further behind the enemy on my back, and with a flying kick loaded with tremendous force, sent him flying without even giving him time to scream.

Confirming that with a sidelong glance, I swiftly closed in on the other enemy, sweeping his torso with the baton I had in my hand.

“…Gah?! Urk…”

Struck hard in the vulnerable abdomen, the man collapses to the ground, spitting blood.

Almost simultaneously… the sound of the black-clad man who had attacked me from behind being slammed onto the ground and restrained reached my ears.

With no other enemies around, I released the tension and slung the baton over my shoulder.

“Hah, getting complacent just because you had hidden reinforcements, I’ll throw your words right back at you.”

I spat those words at the man lying flat on the ground… but he probably couldn’t hear anymore.

As for the other guy… well, it was about what I expected.

Turning around, the figure clad in black, undoubtedly an assassin-like character, was being subdued on the ground by the person who had leaped in later, with both arms pinned down, groaning in pain.

“Heh… Hahahahaha…! I just jumped in here for a whim, but you would be boned if it weren’t for me, weren’t you?! You owe me one, Sword Saint!”

The person restraining the black-clad figure called out to me with a loud laugh and a triumphant look.

…Man, I really want to punch this guy.

I thought as I looked at his smug face, but I held back. I knew all too well from my gaming days that doing that would only play into his hands.

“Dumbass, I already knew from the beginning that you were going to stick your neck in there, so I owe you nothing.”

Although I realized it only after arriving here, keeping quiet about it was better than being mocked.

“…Of course you would show up in this city, you battle maniac. It’s been a while, King of Fighters.”

“Yeah, good to see you again in one piece, Sword Saint.”

He flashed me an amicable smile as he said that.

He had flashy golden hair standing up in a ridiculous style, and wore leather-padded pants, with only a short jacket on his bare upper body.

His body was not particularly large, but not thin either, and while he looked slim at first glance, he was covered in muscular bulges as if carved from steel.

It’s like… an athlete who has been stripped of all unnecessary fat and optimized for lightweight performance.

Player name “Seiten”.

Fighting using his own body and qi manipulation… this battle maniac was the owner of the Monk grouping’s unique class “King of Fighters”.

A total musclehead, if I may add.

Well, in reality, he’s not dumb per se, but he’s a single-minded idiot who has allocated almost all of his brain capacity to combat.

Despite being that kind of person, for some reason, he saw me as his rival and constantly insisted on engaging in PvP battles, which I found a bit troublesome.

…And somehow, he’s arguably the most famous player in “Worldgate Online” just before we were all sent to this world.

Because he was the very first player… to reach reincarnation and earned his tertiary class, and went on to publicly announce its existence to everyone else.