Chapter 77: Wrong conclusion
1653 Words
Arriving at the Malie seaport’s adventuring guild. Before entering, I turned my glance at the siblings.
“We've been talking for quite some time now… I still don’t know your name.”
“The name is Ron. I’m going to be a great fisherman in the future and this is my little sister Ran.”
“I’m Hanayuki… Hanayuki travel.”
“I know you presented me with your identification card earlier.”
This boy should have lots of work to do on his attitude. Glad that I finally know their names.
I pushed the wooden door and went inside the guild.
I was in immediate surprise. The inside of the supposed to be crowded place was empty. There is no receptionist or waitress at the guild bar. The dust is already piling on the table and cobwebs on the ceiling.
“How long wasn't this place clean?”
“I’m sorry that we can’t clean… There are lots of problems we should handle that’s better than cleaning this empty place.”
The voice is coming from a woman with her head down on the table.
I didn’t notice her because she was wearing a black outfit and she was in the corner of the hall. She is camouflaged in the shadows.
I didn’t even sense her presence. She is exceptional. Is she using magic? A skill? Ability?
“Sorry I did scare you three kids… This place is not a haunted house where you can play your games. Go home before the evil Kraken extends its tentacles and eats you alive.”
The woman said.
“Big Brother, let's go home!”
Ran said with tears.
“Don’t go scaring Ran, old hag!”
“Who are you calling, old hag?! You stupid boy!”
Rom was sent flying by wind magic. Walking close to us, I finally could see the face of the woman.
The woman is a blonde-haired girl with big melons on her chest. Her ears are pointy. An inhumane beauty.
Meaning…
“You’re a demon.”
“The first impression is supposed to be an elf.”
She corrected me.
“... Let me introduce myself… My name is Leafa, I’m the guild master of Malie seaport city. I have never seen your face around this city. Are you perhaps a visitor?”
“Yeah, I’m Hanayuki… I’m a traveler. I visited this place to take down the king of the sea.”
“Are you for real?”
I’m for real, please believe me.
“Old ha… Ahem… Miss Leafa, you might not believe it, but this girl is an S-class adventurer. She’s not joking about what she’s saying. I saw her defeat Mountain wolves in a flash.”
“I felt like I wanted to blast you again with magic… If you’re telling the truth, then this girl is our savior we have been praying for three months.”
She invited me to sit down and talk. I was offered a golden brown liquid in a glass.
“Sorry, but I’m not drinking.”
“Don’t worry, that’s not alcohol… That’s Iced tea. Is there anything you wanted to ask?”
“Well… I wanted to know what kind of monster this Kerka is.”
“ tentacles a giant squid so big he can extend its tentacles roaming around the city. Its size, I believe, is the same as the whole city or maybe more. The Kraken always demands food. If we’re unable to do what he wasted. His taking a person's life. It's horrible, as the mayor and guild master of this city, I can’t do anything. I feel very shameful I can’t defeat the monster.”
As she spoke I could see how she resisted her tears from falling. If it does, she wipes it out immediately.
“To offer food to the Kraken, we went on an expedition to hunt monsters in the Giant forest. The monster in the Giant forest was so strong. The level gap is just too high. I rarely even scratch them. We’re lucky if we could hunt down one or two edible monsters in one day. But that wasn’t enough to share with all the residents and the biggest portion, with the evil Kraken.”
The city is trapped in the middle of two dangers. Monsters on the land and the Kraken in the sea.
Ron told me that the usual route they used to travel to another country and city was by using a ship.
“The main livelihood was fishing… But with the Kraken in the sea. We can’t do our work. The city is done. Many people have already lost their lives trying to fight monsters. The strongest adventurers we have died fighting the monsters. I’m one of the adventurers who fought the Kraken…”
“Do you have any insight on how to defeat the Kraken?”
“Insights… My wind magic does not affect its skin. A sword barely did any damage. Its body was soft and hard at the same time. It has high magical resistance and physical resistance. The most terrible part was the fact that it was in the water. Fighting and riding a boat is unfair. Hard to aim or move forward.”
“Was it invincible?”
“I won’t say that… Nothing is invincible. Everyone has his weakness. After showing it with various attacks, we heard it making a sound as if it was hurt. The Kraken resistance has its limits. When we tried to attack it again. The Kraken thrashes all of the thrashes on the boat and drags them down to a deep abyss. I made a bubble so that I could breathe underwater. I play dead and the Kraken let me go. I tried saving my comrades but I couldn’t see them because of the darkness under the sea. Three days later, they are all floating in the port, already dead. I was the only survivor because of my wind magic.”
That was a horrible experience. I can’t imagine myself being drowned to death.
This monster already causes too much trouble for the people in this city. I can’t let this go on.
“I’ll defeat the Kraken.”
I said as I stood up from my chair.
“I’m impressed with your bravery, but maybe it's better to give up…”
“What are you talking about? I can’t just give up…” I pointed my index finger to the elf’s forehead and pushed it into her. “Many people are living in this city… Including Ron and Ran. Kids that have dreams and bright futures… You should not be ashamed because you can’t fight a monster. You should be ashamed because you gave up on those people who believed in you,” I said.
My words are blunt. And I think I went too far.
But being blunt is the only way to make sense to her. I don’t want to give her a thoughtful response. I have to make some sense to her.
So that she would move forward.
She looks aggravated, curling her fist.
“You’re so confident… I see because you’re an S-class adventurer with strength that can easily kill that monster. You travel using the route from the Giant forest. That means you defeated some giant monsters and you even killed giant earthworms in the death desert… I know you’re powerful and maybe our only hope… I know that… I know that! I know that!”
She stood up, slamming the table. With tears falling in her eyes. She continues.
“... Don’t say I have given up on my people easily! All the people who died in the battle with Kraken, the people who died in hunting the monsters… The woman who sacrificed herself to be eaten by that monster… I all remember them… An outsider like you didn’t know how I feel… Don’t be ahead of yourself… I reported the monster in the capital and contacted the nearby guilds. I wanted a backup. If I was given the manpower, that monster would be defeated. I could have been waiting for months now… But still, I was hoping that we could take care of that monster in a sure kill plan. I’m simply thinking you’re safe.”
She pushed me and angrily she walked to the wooden door.
Before she left, she turned her glaring glance on me.
“... I’m sorry I snapped out. Every day was just stressful.”
She said and left.
Sure, I did go far in saying that she had given up.
I didn’t let her finish her sentence. I concluded and shamed her. Based on what I believe she did.
Ron was a little angry with me, including Ran. They are assuming that the guild master would explain everything to me. But, since we got into fighting, that probably won’t happen.
Ron told me the whole story.
Overpowering was the only way to defeat the monster. She is waiting for people to respond to her request. If there is an army of adventurers or knights coming here. She was sure that the Kraken would be killed.
That way, no one is going to be sacrificed in battle.
To feed the monsters, she goes to the forest to hunt down edible monsters and she even hunts down monsters to feed her people. The human sacrifice only happened in the first month. And the following days, the guild master, the only remaining strong adventurer, went hunting only every day.
She said the truth… She didn’t give up.
She is the one working so hard.
“I apologize… I became arrogant… It wasn’t on purpose. Please don’t think badly of me.”
I said and went out of the guild.
Before sunset, I would destroy the Kraken and go back to Springwood city.
My fist goes zapping.
I have to finish the job.
- Writer
