“What on earth are you talking about now?”
Yujin frowned at Emilia’s words. Surely, this railroad had been running every year without fail, there was no way they neglected regular maintenance.
“Has the railroad been cut off? Why can’t the train go any further?”
So, you’re telling us to get off and walk all the way to the Imperial border? Even by train, it takes a full 24 hours to reach the next station. If we walk, it’d take almost a week to get to the border.
“They say the railroad isn’t broken.”
“Strange?”
There’s no reason to stop the train like that. They must have stocked enough fuel to keep it running. The fact that the railroad itself wasn’t severed only made the situation more frustrating.
“Well…”
Emilia’s face showed a hint of embarrassment, as if my irritation was too obvious.
“They said a carnivorous plant called ‘Abnormal Flora’ has spread too much, making travel dangerous.”
“What?”
I raised my eyebrows at the unexpected name. It was a name I’d heard before during a dream-like flashback. Normally, the Abnormal Flora wouldn’t spread this far.
“Abnormal Flora is a monster found near the Great Forest, around the Enderdev Belt. Why would it be here?”
“I don’t know that part…”
Emilia just scratched her head, unable to provide a clear explanation. Well, even those who’ve fought monsters more than anyone else don’t understand this, so there’s no way this teenage girl could give a definitive answer.
Clack!
Turning my head, I saw Silvia open the passenger car door and come in. Had she gone outside for a moment and just returned? Come to think of it, where did the other kids disappear to? Even Bane left without telling anyone.
“Oh, sir, you’re awake?”
Silvia nodded briefly upon seeing me. She was still somewhat prickly in personality, but now we’d grown somewhat accustomed to each other.
“Right, you said the train stopped?”
“Yes, I just heard the reason from the villagers.”
She was probably the most meticulous person in our party. If only her personality were a bit softer, she’d be a great comrade. Hoping she brought a meaningful explanation, I asked,
“They say the Abnormal Flora spread near the village? But those things usually don’t grow this far.”
Normally, monsters like the Abnormal Flora cluster near the Great Forest and the adjacent Enderdev Belt. The unique energy emitted from the Demon Realm activates monster growth. The boundary of this influence ends at the Enderdev Belt, which lies beyond the Great Forest near the Empire’s limits.
“It’s better now than before.”
During the Demon King’s era a hundred years ago, the influence covered half the continent. Now, it’s limited to the Demon Realm and its subordinate cities, showing just how significant the hero’s defeat of the Demon King was for humanity.
“You sound like an expert just now.”
“Yeah, like a professor?”
“Those idiots…”
Silvia and Emilia were babbling nonsense, so I cut them off.
“Enough admiration. Explain the current situation, okay?”
“Oh, I will!”
Clearing her throat, Silvia began explaining the circumstances.
“The reason the Abnormal Flora has spread this far is this.
Because the Great Forest is so close to the Demon Realm, this area falls under the Demon Realm’s influence, causing frequent monster-related incidents. Due to that, they have to burn the Abnormal Flora growing near the tracks.
“But the work is dangerous, requiring lots of manpower and resources.
There have always been disputes with this village over cost-sharing.” It’s not like dealing with monsters is cheap. If even one worker dies during the process, compensation becomes a nightmare. Until now, since the Abnormal Flora was concentrated near the Enderdev Belt, this village refused to cooperate.
“But for some reason, this time, the Enderdev Belt side didn’t perform the burning work and left it unattended…”
“What idiots.”
Ah.
The reason was so trivial I couldn’t help but curse. In simple terms, they went on strike because of money. No matter how important money is in people’s lives,
“Did they really leave it neglected to the point the train can’t run?”
The villagers here are really something. If they’d cooperated sooner, this wouldn’t have happened. Everyone trying to protect their own interests has ended up dooming all of them.
“Ugh, pathetic…”
Clicking my tongue, I asked Silvia one more thing.
“So, since the train can’t move, is there any definite plan?”
No matter the situation here, we have our own schedule to keep. Especially since the Royal Academy set a specific adventure period.
“For now, they’ve contacted both the Enderdev Belt and the southern city from the village hall.”
“Well, then we just have to wait for help to arrive.”
The railroad leading to the Demon Realm is important even to the Empire. Because they use the same path to transport relics excavated from the Demon Realm to Hwangdo. The fact that the Abnormal Flora has spread this far means it’s already thickly spread along the border road.
“They’ll probably send people as fast as possible to manage traffic.”
Until then, do we have to stay stuck in this village? It’s still better than staying inside the train the whole time. Given the circumstances, I should at least try going outside a bit.
“Heh.”
“Oh? You’re going out?”
Emilia stood up along with me. She had been hanging around nearby earlier, like a clingy little shadow, which was a bit much.
“You don’t have to follow. Go play with your friends.”
With Silvia and Budika here, why the fuss?
“Hehe, well, we have to go out together anyway.”
Emilia grinned, reaching out and wrapping her arm around mine, pulling herself close. At that moment, I felt a sharp gaze from behind—definitely Silvia.
[At least I have more conscience than someone else.]
“Shut up.”
Why say such unpleasant things to Illu? It basically means a grown man is seducing an innocent teenage girl. I don’t even have the intention, it’s Emilia acting on her own.
[Then you deal with her yourself. She wouldn’t be like that if you didn’t accept it.]
“Do you think I could slap a smiling face?”
How can I be cruel to a harmless kid? Especially when she’s almost my great-granddaughter’s age—turning cold just because she’s bothersome is ridiculous.
[You… hitting kids whenever you want… makes sense?]
“Th-That’s discipline!”
There’s an old saying about beating kids so they listen. If they don’t understand words, you hit them. At least that’s how I was raised.
[Maybe your childhood was the weird one.]
“Shut up.”
Now is not the time for pointless arguments.
“You’re way too close.”
Still, I don’t want her glued to me like that.
“Oh, sorry.”
Emilia loosened her grip at that hint. Though she still stayed close. Looking back, Silvia followed with a watchful eye.
“They all have it out for me.”
Accompanied by the two girls, I got off the train. Outside, the village bustled with students and mercenaries who had already disembarked. Villages near the Demon Realm were more rundown than the Empire’s core, so the villagers were in a festive mood.
“Hey, mister! Try some beer from my house! I’ll give it cheap!”
“Hey, students! Come see some hairpins here!”
“Spin it, spin it! Who’s gonna win money this time~!”
It wasn’t just a festival atmosphere—it was a full-on festival. There were even makeshift bars, jewelry shops, and gambling tables. But aren’t bars and gambling dens off-limits for students?
‘Could Lian or Emily be in places like that?’
If so, I’d be ready to tear the place apart. Though the streets were crowded with students and mercenaries, this was nothing new to me after searching for people countless times. Emilia tilted her head at the scene.
“What are you looking for?”
Silvia answered her.
“Don’t know exactly where they went?”
“Just looking for Lian or Emily, I guess. Those two were taken somewhere by Mr. Bane.”
Why did Bane take those two? Having Lian among the taken worries me. Come to think of it, where did Budika disappear to?
“Budika?”
Silvia shrugged.
“No idea. She vanished halfway while walking with me.”
“What?”
Budika’s whereabouts lost in this crowd? Not just Lian and Emily, but Budika alone missing was more worrying. Still, Silvia didn’t look worried at all.
“Aren’t you worried if a friend’s gone?”
“For her, it doesn’t feel like she’d get hurt by anyone.”
The silver-haired nun replied with an expressionless face. Was that trust in her friend or indifference? Maybe both, I thought.
“We still have to find all the kids.”
So I asked Silvia.
“Do you know what Budika’s interested in usually?”
“Interests? Why?”
“If she vanished while walking, maybe something caught her attention and she took a different path.”
“Oh.”
Silvia let out an insincere ‘oh’ before speaking.
“You’re sharper than I thought.”
“Your tone’s a bit…”
It sounded like she was surprised that a dimwit actually used her brain. I’m a seasoned veteran with years of experience, thank you very much. Silvia pretended not to understand what I meant.
“What? I’m genuinely praising you.”
“Right…”
If you say so. I didn’t want to argue with a kid over trivial things. Anyway, Silvia answered my previous question.
“Recently, she said she wanted to try using weapons other than axes.”
“Hmm.”
Hearing that, I stopped a passerby who looked like a villager.
“Excuse me.”
“Y-Yes?”
The villager jumped, stammering in surprise. Maybe scared that a foreign mercenary was blocking the way. I calmed him down and handed over a coin.
“Oh, thank you.”
Money makes everyone calm. After waiting for the villager to pocket the coin, I finally asked the question I originally intended.
“Is there a blacksmith nearby?”
There’s usually a blacksmith in these rural villages. Most metalwork is for farming tools or kitchenware, so no specialized weapon shops exist. People just order or repair weapons through the village blacksmith.
“There’s one blacksmith over there!”
“Thanks.”
I followed the direction the villager pointed. The blacksmith’s shop was isolated from the festival mood in the village, so the smith probably preferred little contact with people.
‘A bit of a craftsman’s spirit, huh?’
Those types tend to hide away from noise and focus on creating masterpieces. And since this blacksmith is near the Demon Realm, this visit might be lucky. We might get some weapons effective against demons.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Familiar metallic sounds rang out ahead. Hammering on heated metal—classic forging. I was curious what kind of person the blacksmith was. As I approached, the smithy came into view, and the sound grew louder.
Hiss…! Hiss…!
The sound of bellows blowing air came next. Soon, I saw a forge, an anvil, and a small hut, and an old man hammering a metal lump on the anvil.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Sparks flew from the anvil with each strike.
“Oh.”
The old man was small in stature, but his limbs were thick with muscle, like pillars. His beard was so full it covered his mouth and then some. The beard’s color was almost pure white, making him look very old.
“Diancha…!”
Despite his age, his shout was loud and spirited. His eyebrows were thick, and his gaze sharp and lively. That vigor reflected the stubbornness of a true craftsman.
“To think I’d see someone here.”
The blacksmith was a dwarf.