Chapter 337 - 337: Escort and Analysis

There was no heat of one making a vow, yet no air of withdrawing either.

An assertion of only placing the result.

"Talk is cheap—"

"Then I'll show sincerity. First I'll take the men to the village."

""…Eh?""

It was not only Irina from whom surprise leaked.

The men opened their eyes wide.

They had been let out of the cage and even had recovery magic applied.

They had been feeling it was already more than enough.

"The geography around here is in my head so we won't get lost. There's a carriage for the time being. Not everyone can ride, but I can have one or two tired ones ride."

He said it as if obvious.

Neither pushing kindness nor putting on airs of a favor.

Only doing it because he could.

That flatness conversely had a sense of reality.

The next instant the men's faces blossomed all at once.

Cheeks loosened, shoulders dropped, breath finally went outside.

The outline of the word they could return home had finally taken shape in their heads.

"You'll see us off!? I don't even know where this is… I thought even returning to the village would be hard work."

"Goods were stolen too… If at least we can return with our lives…!"

Words overflowed, voices overlapped, someone became a tearful laugh.

In contrast the adventurer girls could not laugh.

The weight of the collars swallowed joy whole.

"I'll hear talk on the way back. Who from which village was attacked when. Where the bandits procured weapons. It'll be useful for the future, and easier to deal with leftover remnants if any."

"Understood!"

"We'll tell you anything!"

The men answered immediately.

Irina clenched her teeth.

Self-respect that was only keeping shape with anger was barely holding its ground.

"…The worst. Information gathering pretending to help. In the end it's for yourself."

"That's right. But as a result of me moving for myself the men can return to the village, and you lot will be released from the collars."

"…Can you promise?"

For the first time weakness seeped from the depths of boldness.

She wanted to believe.

But she did not want to believe.

Those two trembled in the same place.

"I promise. I don't tell lies."

Rigel asserted.

The voice was low, without decoration.

Neither the heat of a vow nor the sweetness of comfort.

Only the way of speaking of one who had no need to lie.

Everyone left the cave.

The outside light was dazzling and all narrowed their eyes.

There was the smell of freedom, yet only the weight at their necks did not vanish.

Miena exhaled small.

"Master… If there's something I can help with…"

"You too are still at full capacity with your own affairs. Don't force it, sit on the cargo bed. I'll put sleep-type magic on you so rest slowly."

The reins sounded.

The horse neighed, and the carriage turned toward the forest road.

The traveling merchants began walking with bodies whose wounds had healed, and the adventurer girls followed late.

The collars without chains of collars continued asserting their existence without sound.

—-

The day after Rigel attacked and destroyed the bandit hideout.

"Ooh! That's my village!"

"To be able to return this easily…!"

The woodcutter men pointed ahead and shouted.

On those backs there was none of the fear of until yesterday.

Heat that only those who had found a place to return to possessed dwelled.

Rigel who had gathered information from them had calculated the village's position from approximate geography and guided them this far without getting lost.

Because the carriage's capacity had a limit, other than Rigel and Miena they were basically on foot.

Even so just advancing the shortest path accurately was plenty to be grateful for.

Above all it was immediately after being attacked by bandits.

Having an absolute strong one called Rigel nearby. With that alone their hearts were considerably saved.

"Thank you! We'll never forget this favor!"

"You can forget it. I don't need thanks from guys."

Rigel put his true feeling in his mouth as is.

To him the center of this matter was Irina.

He had interest in her who had a collar of subordination attached.

He was in the middle of playing various small tricks to pleasantly rape her.

There was not even a scrap of goodwill toward the men.

There was no sentiment there, still less did he seek grounds to be thanked.

But the woodcutters took that as hiding embarrassment on their own.

"Haha, the master's shy!"

"If we meet somewhere again, treat us to drink next time!"

Waving cheerfully they ran toward the village.

Even almost falling they did not care and went down the slope calling someone's name.

The village side seemed to have noticed this way as well, and human shadows began moving in a fluster in the distance.

Cheers resembling crying voices reached faintly on the wind.

But Rigel and the others would not join that circle of reunion.

There was still a long way ahead.

What they had protected from the bandits was three adventurer girls and ten men.

Now only two men had been delivered to the village.

There were still many remaining.

"Now then…"

"What."

When Rigel muttered Irina immediately glared back.

The speed of that reaction was almost a conditioned reflex.

In her pupils the color of suspicion was stronger than gratitude.

"With this one step forward. Besides, analysis of the collars is progressing along the way."

"…Hmph?"

Naturally Irina did not believe it honestly.

On the condition of having the collar of subordination removed eventually she had decided to accompany Rigel.

But she was not so foolish as to trust him completely because of that.

Right after escaping a predicament people were more likely to err in judgment.

As an adventurer she had seen such scenes more than she wanted.

That was why Irina was deliberately pouring cold water on her own feelings.

This man was an unknown quantity.

Strong.

Capable.

She acknowledged that.

But whether she could feel at ease was separate.

"You, get on the carriage. I'll test the analysis results."

"No."

"You want to be released from the collar soon too, right? Just continuing analysis in my head makes progress slow. Let me actually test it."

"Impossible. I can't trust you."

Irina declared it sharply.

The man who had rescued her from the bandits.

He was not particularly demanding compensation, and was even seeing them to their respective villages like this.

Looking only at actions he was rather the trustworthy type.

Even so. An adventurer's intuition was ringing an alarm.

Was it only that her wariness had become excessive from being captured by bandits.

Or was she sensing some other something.

"I get it, I get it. Irina's a coward."

"Wha!?"

"From the look of it I thought you were the leader type of a three-person party… You seem to have quite little sense of responsibility."

"Don't you dare!!"

Irina's voice jumped up and her face grew red in a blink.

Even from the side it was clear that anger and humiliation had erupted all at once.

But Rigel shrugged with a cool face.

An attitude as if he did not feel the opponent's anger even as much as a breeze.

"What about the other two? Won't you cooperate? I spoke to Irina first intending to set up the leader, but if you'll cooperate anyone is fine."

Saying that he turned his gaze, and after one girl hesitated slightly she timidly raised her hand.

As if confirming whether it was really all right for her she looked toward Irina once.

In that gaze there was awkwardness.

But at the same time hope that the collar might be removable certainly dwelled.

Her expression was still stiff.

But she did not seem to hold as much ill feeling toward Rigel as Irina.

To be exact she might only lack the room to hold ill feeling.

"Thank you. I appreciate your devotion. You who take on the risk are far more suited to be leader than Irina."

"Wha…!!"

With force enough to drown out the volunteering girl's shrinking voice Irina snapped.

Force as if a blue vein might float on her forehead.

But Rigel completely ignored her and turned back to the volunteering girl.

"If it goes well you can become the first to be released from the collar. I'll work hard too."

Rigel smiled unnaturally kindly.

The girl who had that smile turned on her nodded small while stiffening her cheeks a little.

Hope that she might be saved made people obey as much as fear.

Seeing that state Irina bit her lip unable to swallow irritation and impatience.