C20: Truth and Consequences

 

I left the factory and the ruins. I breathed in the air and exhaled as much as I could.

“~~~~~ haaa~~~~”

It was bright outside, and a fresh breeze brought the scent of greenery. The sky is blue and the clouds are white. If I look back, I can see the ancient ruins of an android production factory. The people who were my friends betrayed me and almost took all my money, but……Brunnhilde saved me.

“Brunnhilde, about Wade and the others…….”

“Possible retaliatory action. Next time we encounter hostile intent, we will kill them.”

“………”I couldn’t say no to that. It’s true that I was almost killed, and that Wade and the others wanted to rob me. But it’s also true that they took care of me and taught me the ropes of being an adventurer.

Besides, as Brunnhilde said, it’s not like there’s no possibility of retaliation. I think we should leave the Ledar town as soon as possible. However, there was something that really bothered me.

The suspicion that maybe it was a set-up from the beginning.

◇◇◇◇◇◇

A little nervous, I went to the entrance of Ledar town. But there was no sign of any trouble. The gate guards were stretched out, and it was peaceful. So I greeted them lightly and went into the town. Then I went to the inn without stopping. I entered the room and locked the door.

“Okay, you can leave.”

As I say this, a metal owl appears on my shoulder. This is “stealth camouflage,” one of the functions of the AI-powered reconnaissance aircraft “Holacty. There are more special functions, but I’d rather ask it to do its job. I opened the window and ordered the owl on my shoulder.

“Just go to the…”

When I gave the order, Holacty activated its stealth camouflage and took off without a sound. I sat on my bed and watched the images from Holacty coming through the band on my right wrist.

Brünnhilde stood by the wall and asked a question.

“Sensei, where are you scouting?”

“That’s obvious…….”

I manipulated Holacty and gathered information.

◇◇◇◇◇◇

It’s been two days since I’ve been operating Holacty. I’ve gathered quite a bit of information in those two days. I mean……this robotic owl has a tremendous capacity. As I operated it, I learned that it has various functions, and I operated the band’s 3D video touch panel while experimenting.

I apologize to Brunnhilde, but I didn’t go out at all for the past two days and ate only in the cafeteria on the first floor.

Now, let’s take a look at some of the functions of the robotic owl “Holacty”.

First, energy. It uses the same sunlight as Brunnhilde, absorbing and converting it into heat energy. The maintenance is done by the nano-unit inside the body, which automatically cleans itself, so the operating time is practically infinite. And the band-shaped controller on my right wrist also absorbs a small amount of my body heat and converts it into energy.

It’s a crazy technology, but according to Brunnhilde, solar energy used to be the norm. Solar power is awesome.

Holacty feature 1: the camera.

This allows the user to share the Holacty view. Well, it’s like viewing the camera image on the drone on your smartphone. Of course, it can record as well.

Function 2: stealth camouflage.

This is simple, it allows Holacty to become invisible.

Function 3: the sound collection.

According to the manual, it can pick up audio within a 20 km radius. It also has a recording function.

Function 4: Multi-tool.

A cord-like object extends from the mouth of the Holacty, and by plugging it into an android soldier’s memory, data can be sucked out…….can’t be used in this day and age.

This multi-tool is so versatile that it can pick locks and even cause electric shocks like a stun gun, apparently to destroy the memory of android soldiers in an emergency.

Well, that’s it for now. This will be useful for gathering information in the future. Besides, it seems that there are still some hidden functions.

In the past two days, I’ve gotten used to the controls, and gathered the information I want.

I told Brünnhilde, who has been standing by the wall for the past two days without letting out a single complaint.

“Brünnhilde, our departure is in two days, tomorrow we will go buy the necessary tools for our journey.”

“Yes, Sensei.”

Now let’s get to the truth.

◇◇◇◇◇◇

The next day I finished preparing for my trip.

I packed a tent, food that would last for a long time, a large backpack for a change of clothes, various small items to wear, cooking tools, seasonings, and other necessary items. These items were also prepared with the knowledge of adventurers that I had learned from Wade and the others.

I tried to buy a horse because I had more luggage, but it was 100 gold coins, so I decided not to. I put all my stuff in a backpack and had Brunnhilde carry it on her back as I walked.

I tried to carry it on my back, but it was so heavy that I couldn’t even stand up after putting it on but Brunnhilde easily carried it. Damn it, I feel pathetic.

“Brünnhilde, we’re leaving tomorrow, but we have to make a quick stop.”

“Yes, Sensei.”

I said so and decided to take a good night’s rest.

The next day, after breakfast, we left the inn that had taken care of us. Brünnhilde and I headed for a certain place.

“Hello………..?”

“Hello.”

I went to an armor shop. The owner of the armor shop looked at me and his expression tightened. Yes, I understood just from this expression. The culprit who instigated Wade and the others is……this person.

◇◇◇◇◇◇

I looked straight at the owner of the armor shop.

“You know why I’m here, don’t you?”

“………!”

“On the outskirts of Ledar town, I found the bodies of Wade and the others……all dead, eaten by monsters.”

“………”

Wade and the others were saying things like, “We’ve been targeted from the beginning,” and, “We have to pay up.” The reason I came to this town and got so much money was because I cashed in my military uniform at this armor shop. In other words, this is the only person who knows about it, except for me and Brunnhilde.

Maybe he’s been connected to Wade and the others all along. They’re making money off of the new adventurers. For example, he could go into the backyard to pick up the money for the uniforms and tell Wade and the others who were waiting for him about me.

Thinking about it, it was unnatural from the beginning.

After I got a lot of money, I told this guy that I was going to be an adventurer. But the first thing he said to me was, “You’re going to have to take requests with the senior adventurers. I didn’t have any weapons or armor, just a shirt and pants, and he didn’t even recommend armor from his store.”

“The armor I sold you is worth a thousand gold coins. You thought I didn’t know anything about it, so you bought it cheaply, and you planned to ask Wade and the others behind my back to get the gold back from me, didn’t you? Besides, even if you paid Wade and the others, you’d still be making profit.”

I had Holacty look up the prices of materials and information about magic by listening to the conversations of adventurers and going around the town to Western clothing stores.

I learned that the cloth that had been subjected to the “flexible” spell was a super-luxury cloth that could be sold for 800 gold coins, and that blue sheep’s hair and sterling silver buttons, which were high-grade materials, were also worth about 200 gold coins.

In the process, I also investigated the whereabouts of Wade and his friends……and learned that they were attacked by monsters and died without ever returning to the town.

After escaping from the ruins, Wade and his friends decided to rest in the forest near Ledar town to tend to their wounds. However, they were attacked by a wolf-like monster that smelled blood, and died in an instant.

Wade and his friends were caught on the radar of Holacty, and when I surveyed the forest, I found them dead. I burst into tears when I found this. Even though I was duped, I vowed to bury the corpses of the people who had been so good to me and Brunnhilde……when we left town.

The owner of the armor shop snorted then grabbed a cigarette and lit it.

“Oh dear, I have no idea what you’re talking about. I mean, who the hell are you? Did you ask me to buy it from you? I don’t remember that.”

“You don’t remember………?”

“I don’t even know you! I’ve never even heard of an adventurer named Wade.”

“…………”

“You’re an adventurer, aren’t you? Then buy some armor from us. Equipment is important.”

“…………Excuse me.”

I bowed my head and left the armor shop.

◇◇◇◇◇◇

After leaving the Ledar town, we decided to head further east to the Magical Kingdom. But first, we had something to do. We’re going to bury Wade and the others, who are in a pitiful state in the forest a few kilometers away from the town.

Brünnhilde, who is carrying a huge backpack, says as she walks leisurely along the street.

“Sensei, are you sure this is what you want?”

“Hmm?”

“If I interrogate him, he’s going to reveal the truth about everything.”

“No, thanks. Besides, if he’s that much of a prick, I can do it without reservation.”

“Are you going to sanction him?”

“Yeah, I’m already doing it.”

“What?”

Brünnhilde tilted her head coyly. She looked so cute that I laughed at her.

“Brünnhilde, remember this.”

“Yes, sir.”

“There is nothing wrong with fighting to protect what is important. Both men and women have an important line that they cannot compromise. People have a tendency to show no mercy to those who cross that line. There are many ways to get into a fight or harass someone. Brünnhilde……do you have anything important to you?”

“Yes, the most important thing I have to protect is you, Sensei.”

“Thank you.”

“Yes.”

I’ve learned a lot this time. Betrayal in this world is a deadly risk. If it weren’t for Brünnhilde, I would have died. But it’s true that Wade and the others taught me many things, and I’m grateful to them for teaching me the beauty of friends, even if it was a lie.

Wade and the others died in the forest near Ledar town. The direct cause is me and Brunnhilde. The reason we are burying them is because I feel guilty, and I want them to rest in peace. However, it was also the fault of that armorer for deceiving me in the first place.

And yet, he continues to operate his armor shop without receiving any punishment. He might even cheat a new adventurer like me. I couldn’t allow that to happen.

” Sensei.”

“Hmm?”

I turned around as I was walking in front of Brunnhilde. With an expressionless face that was mechanical to any degree, she said.

“Where did Holacty go?”

◇◇◇◇◇◇

The owner of the armor shop was puffing on a cigarette and taking pleasure in it. The “flexible” clothes he had taken from the dull man had already been sold through back channels, and went into the owner’s pocket for a sum of 1200 gold coins, far more than the original price of 1000 gold coins.

He had planned to hire an adventurer to retrieve the 200 gold coins and take care of the problem by making it look like an accident, but he didn’t expect the adventurer himself to die in the accident. In the end, the 200 gold coins were not returned, but the owner of the armor shop was satisfied.

He was surprised when the dull man barged into the store, but he didn’t storm out, told the truth in a simple story, and left without doing anything. The owner of the armor shop had stepped into the shop without any problem even if the dull man had stormed in. This was a store facing the main street, and if he made a scene, he would be noticed immediately. He thought that the dull man knew that and that’s why he couldn’t do anything about it.

“A thousand gold coins minus the profit. This is why new adventurers are so easy to dupe.”

As he pushed his cigarette into the ashtray and was enjoying himself, he noticed that there was a lot of noise outside the store. Then, the door of the store was opened with great force.

“Oh, hey, armorer! What the hell are you doing?”

“What is happening………?”

“You’re……finished!”

“What?”

The armorer went outside as the weapon smith told him to. And when he was taken out near the center of the town, he noticed that it was overflowing with townspeople and adventurers……He couldn’t believe his eyes.

All eyes were on the Adventurer’s Guild building. To be precise, the wide brick walls of the Adventurer’s Guild. There……

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

“Look at this one, it’s a first-class piece of “flexible” magic. I tricked a stupid new adventurer into getting it.”

“Ha-ha-ha! Good news. The adventurer I hired is dead. Yeah, I paid him 200 gold pieces to get rid of the Stretchable Cloth seller.”

“I’ve got 1200 gold coins! This is why I can’t stop duping new adventurers!”

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

A loud, high-definition video of a conversation between the armorer and someone.

It was shown to the public from the building across from the Adventurer’s Guild using Holacty’s camera. After only a few days of recording, I was able to capture an impressive amount of the armorer’s misdeeds.

The armorer was stunned. Adventurers who had bought armor in his store or had been tricked by him surrounded him.

“What the f*ck is going on?”

“Tell me what’s going on!”

“You lied to me!”

“Hey, say something!”

“I’ll blow your f*cking head off!”

“F*ck you!”

The owner of the armor shop was beaten up by several adventurers before he had a chance to excuse himself. The video ended before they knew it, and without anyone helping the armor shop owner, he was finally left completely naked.

After this day, his armor shop was never visited by anyone. What happened to him, Seiji and Brunnhilde will never know.

Holacty, who was in the building across from the Adventurer’s Guild, quietly flew away.

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