Chapter 5: Gastan
Gastan was a land famous for its granaries.
The harvested grains were exported to other regions, making it a major supplier to neighboring countries.
It was these grains from Gastan that were being targeted by the Demon King’s army.
As soon as I arrived, I went to negotiate with the village chief, who had requested our help.
The chief’s house was only slightly more impressive than those of the other villagers, with a modest thatched roof. The chair and table I sat on showed considerable age. This indicated that life here was not easy.
“Knights or adventurers, none can stand against them. With that reward amount, no one will take on the request, right? If you increase it tenfold, we’ll defeat the monsters for you. What do you say?”
The Demon King’s invasion hadn’t yet reached Gastan. But seeing it as an important food source, they were likely attacking the transport routes from Gastan.
As expected of the demons. They do exactly what humans hate.
“However, this village doesn’t have that much money now. The harvested grains are bought cheaply and used as food for the battlefields. We have no leeway.”
The village chief… looked no different from any other old man. His hands and face bore the deep wrinkles characteristic of someone who had worked hard for many years. His words likely held no lies.
If told “We’re fighting for humanity!”, this village would have no choice but to sell their grains at a low price. It’s a common story. With a grand cause, such things are allowed to happen.
But in reality, if the human side loses the war and the Demon King’s army pushes this far, the fields of this village would likely be burned to the ground.
“I’ll take the reward in grains, so there’s no problem. I have connections with merchants. They’ll buy it at a much higher price than the country would.”
“But then we might not be able to secure enough to supply the country.”
He’s an honest old man. Probably an ideal farmer in the eyes of the nobles.
“It’s simple. Just say the monsters got to it during transport. I’ll take that portion. Is that not okay?”
“You’re telling us to divert the goods!?”
The simple village chief looked up to the sky with an expression of disbelief.
“Either way, if I don’t escort it, it’ll just fall to the monsters. Choose whether you want to keep getting attacked or turn a blind eye to some diversion.”
The village chief held his head in his hands.
This makes it seem like I’m the one doing something wrong. It hurts my heart.
“Listen, village chief. Think about it. If you refuse my offer, the grains here will keep getting attacked during transport. No one will be happy. Except for the monsters eating the stolen grains. Moreover, the monsters might eventually get tired of waiting for carts that come at unpredictable times.”
“…What do you mean?”
The village chief’s eyes darkened.
“I’m saying the monsters might start attacking Gastan directly. The soldiers fighting the monsters will get hungry and sluggish if their supplies are disrupted. If that happens, the Demon King’s army will have free rein. Instead of targeting carts one by one, they might decide to ‘burn the fields’. That’s what I’d do. You would too, right?”
“That’s…”
The village chief had no words to deny my grim prediction.
After a moment of silence, the exhausted old man accepted my proposal.
That night, the Prophet appeared again in the room where I was staying.
No matter how many times I drive the prophet away, that thing keeps coming back. such persistence.
[Why do you demand unfair compensation?]
The Prophet doesn’t usually put much emotion into words, but the tone seemed angry.
“It’s not unfair. It’s fair compensation. If you have a problem with it, why don’t you do it yourself? For free. The village chief would be happy. The people of this country would be happy too. The only ones who’d be unhappy are you and the monsters. Humans would benefit from non-humans fighting each other.”
[…I don’t have such power.]
“What? You’re telling us to do something you can’t do yourself, and for cheap pay? Is your main job being a priest who gives gratitude-inducing, cheap sermons or something?”
[I can’t become a priest. I don’t have the qualifications.]
Those words had a slight tremor.
“You’re all excuses. It’s not about whether you can or can’t do it, just try doing it yourself first. Say your high-and-mighty things after that. Who would trust someone who’s all talk?”
[…A Prophet’s role is to guide the hero. They can’t do anything else.]
The Prophet’s voice gradually became quieter.
“Don’t be so quick to decide. Don’t deny your own possibilities. You look like a ghost, but if you try hard enough, you might even become human, you know?”
I shrugged. I wanted to end this fruitless conversation quickly and go to sleep.
“After that, if you become an adventurer and gather companions, you might even be able to go defeat the Demon King. It’s a short-lived life that I can’t recommend, but isn’t that your ideal?”
[I’m not a ghost. I’m human, just like you. It’s too late for me to become an adventurer now. I can’t do anything.]
The Prophet seemed to be taking my jokes seriously and getting worked up.
Human? The Prophet was human? I became a bit interested.
“What are you talking about? If you can project illusions to places like this, aren’t you some amazing magician or something? Surely there are other things you can do?”
[I can’t do anything else. This is all I can do.]
“Are you serious!? Is a Prophet’s job just to show illusions to people and make them into heroes? Let me tell you, I’m not going to become a hero. You’ve completely chosen the wrong person. Does that mean humanity is doomed? You should take your job more seriously. You’re human too, right?”
It seems this Prophet is the real deal. If this were someone I should be wary of, this person wouldn’t say things like this.
However, either way, I don’t have the power to defeat the Demon King. I’m over thirty, and I know my strength won’t grow any further. I never had the qualifications to be a hero in the first place.
[I am taking it seriously! I’ve been repeating this over and over!]
Shouting that, the Prophet disappeared.
For now, it seems I’m allowed to sleep. But what does it mean by “repeating over and over”
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The next day, we were hiding in one of the carts that had departed from Gastan.
It felt like we were cattle being shipped out. Though our destination wasn’t a slaughterhouse, but a hell where monsters were waiting, which is pretty much the same thing.
“Was it necessary to hide?”
Efsei, who usually doesn’t talk much, spoke up in an exasperated voice. It’s a shabby cart meant for transporting grains. I understand the feeling of not wanting to stay here long.
“It’s just a precaution. Even monsters would want to attack carts that are easy to take down. If skilled fighters like us were obviously guarding it, they might get scared and not attack, right?”
“Leonard, you’re surprisingly serious about weird things. You really will do anything for money.”
Sophia doesn’t seem to like the cart ride much either.
“I’ll do anything for money. Without money, you can’t do anything. The world runs on money. Sophia, wouldn’t you prefer a wealthy partner if you were to get married? Don’t tell me you’d choose based on kindness? You’re not at that dreamy age anymore.”
“Even if someone has money, it’s meaningless if they’re wasteful with it.”
Sophia teased me.
That’s my weak point. Indeed, my spending habits aren’t praiseworthy.
“I would choose based on the person’s heart,”
Nina rarely joined the conversation. She’s usually quiet, but she might have particular preferences for a marriage partner.
“Then I’d be perfect for you. I probably have the purest heart among us.”
“What part of you is pure?”
Efsei laughed wryly.
“If your heart was pure, there would be no impurity in this world,”
Sophia snorted.
“Well…”
Only Nina had a serious face.
“I think Leonard is probably a pure person. Unfortunately, he won’t be my marriage partner.”
Nina’s smiling face as she said this was as innocent and cute as a young girl’s. Even though her actual age is over thirty.
Caught off guard, I couldn’t say anything, but then the cart suddenly stopped.
“Is there a visitor? “
Efsei grabbed the spear he had placed on the cart’s floor.
“Let’s go,”
I kicked away the cargo we had used for disguise and stepped outside.
The cart had stopped on a road in the middle of a forest. Well, most places where humans don’t live are either forests or wastelands. About ten carts loaded with similar cargo were lined up nearby. It seems we hadn’t been attacked by monsters.
Looking towards the lead cart, I saw that the road ahead was blocked by fallen trees. Probably the work of the Demon King’s army. It’s a common tactic, but effective.
The cart drivers were panicking.
“Scary monsters are coming! They’re after the cargo in the carts. You’d better run away quick! We have no intention of protecting you guys.”
There was no lie in those words. Fighting while protecting people is inefficient and makes it harder to secure victory. Our goal is to defeat the monsters, not to protect the cargo or the drivers.
Hearing my voice, the drivers one by one got off their carts and fled in a panic.
“Sophia, I need you to scout the surroundings.”
I called out to the bespectacled magician who had finally gotten off the cargo bed.
“I’m already on it!”
It seems Sophia was already using detection magic. It’s helpful when things move quickly.
“I’m getting reactions from the forest ahead. About twenty to thirty in number. It looks like they’re planning to pincer us from the left and right.”
Sophia quickly reported after finishing her detection.
While waiting for next chapter , I implore you dear readers to read other masterpiece novels that also written by the same author :
- Monster Meat Led Me to the Throne
- The Wicked Princess and 12 Eyes – The Strongest Squires and the Legendary Evil Woman, the Second Time in Her Life
- The Suspects of Necromancy
- The Exiled Merchant Saves the World with the Power of Gold (translated by my friend meerkat)
Also check out my friend Localizermeerkat for more LN translations!
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