The Spearmaster and the Black Cat

Chapter 73: Giant Magic Steel Dragonfly

Time to eat.

Stones are piled to stand up two iron bars. A large black pot is hung from the iron bars over the fire.

A wooden bowl is filled with hot water and placed it to the side.

A large onion, green pepper, and fish are put in the hot pot, then I watch the brown juices boil.

It’s making me hungry.

The smell of the steaming vegetables and salt drifts.

I’ll be a little extravagant today.

Taijiki wanted to offer his gratitude and opened his supplies to prepare food.

Everyone eats, drinks, and sips the hot soup.

I can take a fresh meal out of the item box when I want, but that’s not important, everyone is eating happily, so I keep them company and smile.

The red-haired Fran is smiling too.

The invisible hawk is perched on her right shoulder.

She came back from reconnaissance a while ago with the hawk on her shoulder, she may have been able to get in contact.

I appreciate the beautiful smiling woman.

Then,

“…Shuya, you’ve already seen it, but there is more than just goblins and orcs here. From here on out the Giant Magic Steel Dragonfly (Alloy Dragonfly) appears.”

Gomez emphasizes the name of the monster with his beard soaked in soup juices.

Fran’s face has recovered…Ma, as we’re talking we get on topic.

“…What are they?”

“You don’t know? This place is famous. It’s an enormous dragonfly monster. You can acquire magic steel if you defeat one. They’re famous for their magic steel armor.”

Ah, that reminds me, Marquess Chardonnay mentioned them.

“A giant dragonfly? I haven’t seen one.”

“Is that so. Unfortunately, once the marshes increase you’ll see more than your fair share. Also, we’ll probably encounter adventurer clans hunting them.”

Eating a cabbage-like vegetable, Fran joins the conversation.

“…Magic steel armor? I’ve heard rumors that half of Holkerbam’s adventurer clans are employed by trading firms.”

Gomez and Fran seem to know a lot about magic steel.

“It can’t be helped. So many giant dragonflies breed in the marshes regardless of the season, and except Osberia, it’s the main export. Adventurers gather where there is money to be made. Right?”

“Where there is profit there are merchants.”

“So that’s how it is? Gahaha.”

Gomez and Fran repeat their Q&A while laughing.

I leave my seat while they’re talking.

I return to Popobumu with a sauce plate.

I am worried about my prisoner, Misty.

Her hands are tied behind her, sitting on Popobumu’s back she is staring at the Hayme river while behaving herself.

Rollo is sleeping above Misty’s knee on her robe.

Rollo looks extremely attached.

When I approach, Misty looks in my direction and speaks.

“Hey, we’ll be in Holkerbam soon, what are you going to do about me?”

“What to do, should I kill you? Sell you? This is hard~.”

“…I’d appreciate it if you didn’t kill me.”

Her gaze falls on the ground.

She mutters with a distant expression.

Ma, I mentioned killing her, but I have no intention of doing so.

She’s a criminal, but I’ve killed and tortured humans before.

However, I can’t say I’m perfect, I’m a blood-sucking monster after all.

I’m similar to a person, but my existence deviates from standard logic.

Besides, she’s a beautiful woman.

She’s also a skill holder, and I learned interesting things from her.

I’ll probably keep her alive. Ah, that reminds me, I have the permits for a slave trainer that Kuna had.

So, should I enslave Misty?

Speaking of slaves…

The slaves sold in Hector all wore a black collar.

Those should be sold somewhere-

“-Sh*t, hey, say something, don’t just stand there being quiet.”

Misty disturbs my line a thought.

She appeals with desperate eyes.

“Ah, I was thinking about something. Sorry. After all, I won’t kill you.”

“Then you’ll make me a slave?”

Enslavement…

Mmm, talking like this is unreasonable.

I did kill her brother…It doesn’t sit well with me.

I’m particularly worried about enslaving her since she keeps dropping sh*t, sh*t, all the time.

I could release her already. I’ll think about it.

Besides, I keep thinking about how beautiful she is.

Oi, that’s important to me. I’m happy to meet a beautiful woman, but…I guess that’s it.

I’m okay with unquestionably killing someone if they aim for my life.

I could let her go.

“…Depending on the circumstance, I may let you go.”

“So…eh? That, really?”

“Yeah.”

“You’d let me go? It can’t be, you’ve fallen for me? Are you after my body? But isn’t it obvious I would sell for a lot with this seal on my head? This skill is proof that I used to be a noble. If you sold me I would go for at least five white gold coins…”

Misty appears upset.

Her browns eyes are darting back and forth while she talks.

I wouldn’t want to sell her although the price would be high. I guess the appeal is the opposite…

Such a trivial thing, it doesn’t need to be said.

“…Fine white gold coins, that certainly is a lot. I would be right to sell you. However, as of now, I have to say over your life-and-death. So, I can sell or kill you at my own convenience. Moreover, I have money. I don’t need to sell you. Plus, I’m a man, so of course, I’m interested in your body. However, I won’t force myself on you.”

“Uh…weirdo… I can tell from the purple glitter on your grey overcoat that the cloth is extremely high-quality. …You wiped out the thieves group, that spear ax isn’t an ordinary halberd.”

“That’s right. Because of that, I can afford to let you go, but…”

Misty looks at me as what starts to find hope.

“What?”

I meet her eyes, raise a finger and speak.

“First, don’t look for revenge. Second, don’t enter a thief group. Third, you can go to any city aside from Hector. Fourth, do not try to kill me. By the way, next time you attack me I won’t hesitate to kill you.”

“Is that enough?”

“It’s fine. However, can you really stop looking for revenge?”

I focus on Misty’s eyes.

She silently returns my stare until she is forced to look away.

“…What you said might be impossible. I am known as someone from the Gustave House. The nobility from Gustave had everything stripped from us, and we were driven out of Hector… my father and mother died in despair. It’s all because of that older brother. I want to find and kill him. I also want to kill the nobles of Osberia who destroyed the Gustave house. I especially can’t let the Marquess get away…the people living in Hector are horrible…haa, it’s no use, no matter what, I can’t let go of my hate.”

She’s honest about her hate.

“It can’t be forgotten?”

“Oh well…the chains of hatred are coiled around my heart.”

Misty’s brown eyes are burning.

Indeed, deep in her eyes I can see a swirling black chain.

“Honesty. You could have lied though.”

“You spoke kindly about releasing me… I didn’t want to lie to you. I wonder about that?”

“Haha, it’s an extremely admiral feeling.”

“It seems like I’ll become a slave, sh*tty woman, my hobby of listening, letting it escape, I heard something kind after such a long time, the kindness made me waver.”

Misty’s face turned red.

“If you have such feelings, I feel like you can forget vengeance….”

“…Perhaps. There might be other roads.”

It feels like the chains of hate disappeared from her eyes.

Then, even if it’s a lie, isn’t it okay?

Even if 【Osberia Kingdom】 is damaged, I don’t serve this country.

This isn’t definite proof, but I want to believe her.

“That’s right. I believe Misty can find other roads. Like, an adventurer?”

“Adventurer…”

“Ma, it’s an example. I’ll let you go tomorrow when we arrive in 【Holkerbam】.”

“…Thank you. Giving me a chance to restart…I really couldn’t have argued if you killed me.”

“It’s fine. Sleep soon, ah, wait. It’s cooled down but eat this. It’s good.”

I say so and temporarily remove her shackles, then hand her the pot filled with food.

“U-un.”

I decided to free her, besides there’s are a lot of things I don’t understand about slavery. Well, I could have the merchant Taijiki teach me about buying and selling slaves.

I walk away from Misty toward the covered wagon Taikiji is in.

“Taijiki?”

“Hai.”

Taijiki appears from the covered wagon.

“I have a few questions, is now okay?”

“Eh, hai. It’s fine. I’ll come out in a minute. -So, how may I help you?”

Taijiki comes down from the wagon and speaks.

“It’s sudden, but I some questions I’d like to ask.”

“Eh, since it’s Shuya, you can ask anything.”

“…If I were to sell the prisoner I took, what slave merchant would you recommend?”

“A recommendation. That, after all, you should go with a slave merchant from a larger firm. Still, if you’re going to sell…I would like you to sell to my trading firm. After all, my life was saved by Shuya. I can ask the chairman to buy her for a high price.”

Is that so. He can’t recommend a specific firm.

“I see. I’ll remember that when I sell. And then, what are the qualifications of slave dealer?”

“The country provides a license. If you have the qualifications, you can participate in slave auctions, and other transactions with slave traders are possible. They’re first class since you can’t buy or sell slaves at a slave trading firm if you’re a first-time customer.

First-time customers are refused.

I remember playing with an apprentice geisha-san.

“There’s such a store, huh? How does enslavement happen? And then, I would like to hear how one becomes a slave trader.”

Taijiki nods and quickly continues his explanation.

“To directly perform an enslavement you need a document of contract, a collar of subjugation, and the blood of the master and blood of the slave are dropped on the collars. In regards to slave merchants, the subjugation collar, the person, and the documents are held, if you already belong to a trading, you can be considered a slave merchant.”

It’s useless unless there’s a trading firm because they’re professionals.

This is enough from the perspective of a customer.

“…I see, for example, saying I had a slave, could I sell them to a different adventurer without going through a merchant?”

“It’s possible, but the private selling and purchase of a slave isn’t realistic. A new collar of subjugation is needed, and the documentation and collar are expensive if one doesn’t belong to a trading firm. Also, if a slave resides in a city without permission they are penalized by the government.”

“Application? Sounds complicated.”

“It’s alright because when a slave is bought from a merchant who belongs to a trading firm all the government procedures are handled.”

“Ah, it’s like that.”

With the blank subjugation collar, qualification certificate, and required slave documentation, after all, I’ll need to leave it to a slave trader if I don’t enter a firm.

I won’t be able to enslave someone easily.

It’s too much to do myself.

Still, in distant lands, there may be places where the slavery system is different than this.

In the end, I ask about this area.

“…I understand. I heard what I wanted to know. Thank you for taking the time to teach me.”

I politely lower my head to Taijiki-sensei.

“No, no.”

“Well then, see you tomorrow.”

When we arrive at the city tomorrow, I will let Misty go.

I walk away from Taijiki using <Night Vision>.

I walk along the night bank of the Haym river.

Pale and purple flowers dot the green shores.

The evening Haym river… a gentle breeze caresses my cheeks.

A refreshing cold stings my cheeks.

Guess I’ll sit here.

I choose a suitable location where no flowers are blooming.

I take a blanket from a bag, place it on my waste, hug my knees and enjoy the temporary break.

Rollo has come to my side.

She sits beside me quietly.

The chilly evening wind from the Haym river brushes her black fur.

We enjoy a beautiful night sky under the moon together.

The dark blue sky has two moons. The bigger one is missing.

However, because the way the light shines from the fragmented pieces of the moon, it creates a beautiful sight.

The moonlight is reflected on the river surface.

Silver ripples of light flicker.

Rollo watches the silver river expressionlessly with her bright crimson eyes.

Clouds cover the moon, and the river surface darkens.

Once the clouds flow and the moon returns, the river surface glitters silvery again.

Rollo has been watching the scene expressionlessly and now looks around her little head.

Like this, with the moonlight from the Haym river illuminating Rollo, I fall asleep.

In the morning, Rollo and I are woken by the sound and fresh wind blowing over the Haym river.

It’s still dusky.

When the morning sun rises, everyone starts to get up and prepare breakfast.

“It’s simple soup.”

“Roger.”

I eat breakfast and make small talk with Gomez.

Once breakfast is finished, everyone gets their things together and prepares to depart.

Again, we are advancing west.

We are heading down from the kill we camped on last night.

The scenery changes.

Until now the stone statues have been to our right, but now it ultimately becomes a swamp.

The earth is wet like the bank of a salt lake.

As we continue through the marshland, big mushrooms begin appearing.

The giant mushrooms grow in patches.

They seem to be an endemic species that inhabits the part of the swamp.

Large pink and purples mushrooms are mixed in with the rest.

The mushroom umbrellas have purples spots.

…I wonder if they’re okay to eat.

Then, the fog clears and sunlight covers the area.

Just as I look at the bright sky, In front of me, a flock an enormous jellyfish is swimming through the air.

The big jellyfish have tiny ones following them like parent and child.

They gather together and move in a spiral.

There are also giant dragonflies in the sky, some having stopped on top of the large mushrooms.

“That’s a giant dragonfly.”

Foggy marsh, giant mushrooms, jellyfish and dragonflies in the sky.

The whimsical scene is happening in front of me.

I wish I had a portable camera to record this.

A pleasant smell is coming from the mushrooms.

After entering the boggy marsh, the speed of the caravan has decreased, but I prefer it this way.

I move popobumu to the side of the road, closer to the mushrooms, and enjoy myself.

I also reach out to touch the mushroom.

It feels interesting.

A bit similar to a shiitake? Its tenderness is right, and it smells like a shiitake as well.

Then,

“This smell is so goood.”

“Ooh.”

“It really is.”

“Oooh!”

Many shouts are raised-

At that moment, I hear it from a new person riding on a white robot…

With a shout, several dozen people have started running at a giant dragonfly.

The ground is muddy, but they move fast.

Several people fires arrows at the giant dragonfly. There seem to be magic users at the back too.

The magic user starts chanting and aria.

A chain is visible on the back of the arrows. It appears to be a mechanism.

The group of adventurers cooperates smoothly.

“Oh, they’ve started. Those giant dragonflies are the specialty of this area.”

Gomez says.

Of the arrows loosed by the adventurers at the dragonfly, only some have stuck. The giant alloy dragonfly flies away and appears the counter-attack.

It uses its giant flapping wing to hover in the air and fires small thorns at the adventurers from its mouth and tail.

However, they’re experienced, so warriors with large shield stand side-by-side and deflect the needle attack.

“Now, spread out!”

The leader shouts a command from behind the line of shields and several arrows are released dragging a considerable iron net behind it.

The giant dragonfly’s body and wing are entangled in the net sending it crashing into the marsh, but even though it is caught in the net is continue to struggle and shoot needles out of its mouth. It will probably break the net.

-The magic chant now ends, and an icicle missile strikes the entangled giant dragonfly.

“It’s not over yet!! Force, Riot! Vanguard attack! Aim for the head!”

The leader issues instructions.

Two massive warriors with a longsword and an ax step forward and run at the immobilized giant dragonfly and land a single blow at the base of the head.

The giant dragonfly tries to struggle, but the warrior’s skill with the sword and ax is fast.

The giant dragonfly is decapitated by the combined attack of the ax and sword.

The headless body convulses at first but gradually stops twitching.

“Yahoo, we killed it! This is our second successful subjugation today! Collect it quickly!”

The giant dragonfly corpse is dismantled by several people.

A big pipe comes from the alloy dragonfly’s torso? Things like that are removed.

The head, wings, and everything is collected. A significant amount of materials are removed from a single one, and it fills a whole cart.

“Collection is almost finished.”

An elf woman who appears to be the leader of the collection party shouts.

“Fuhaha, haha, is that so! Aside from the collection party, shall we move on to the next?”

“Got it.”

“You guys, get more excited! At the end of today, we’ll bag five of them! -Move out.”

The warrior leader is short.

People who appear to be from the same clan are chatting, they get on small non-thoroughbred horses and walk off while laughing.

“Follow leader.”

“We’re making money!”

The group is excited.

It all happened in a moment…

That was the giant dragonfly Gomez said is hunted.

A little shocked by the hunt, the caravan continues west at a comfortable pace.

I was enjoying touching the mushroom along the way, so I wasn’t bothered, but it seems everyone is upset by this mud.

The muddy road follows the Haym river through a marsh, but the caravan patiently endures.

Popobumu splashes mud as he walks, but his steps feel somehow heavy.

Do you also have the mud? I pat his neck reassuringly.

The mud eventually decreases, and we enter a grassy plain.

The road becomes solid earth, and we advance easily.

-Oh? I see something.

The city walls of Holkerbam are coming into view.

The walls are low. When I see the city walls in the distance, Fran speaks from the back of her magic beast.

“Is this Shuya’s first time seeing the 【Magic Steel City Holkerbam】?”

“Yeah.”

“In that case, would you like me to give a brief introduction?”

Fran says with a radiant smile.

Her transparent hawk is flying low near her.

“Ah, please do.”

“Understood. Holkerbam is situated south of the Haym river, the marsh and forests we passed through are the east-north-east of the city. There is an enormous quarry to the north and to the town of Pernette is to the west, there are farms and graveyards on the road to Rad Pass.

“Quarry?”

I remember Marquess Chardonnay saying something along those lines.

“That’s right. There are requests for adventurers at the quarry and where trees are harvested. Harpies come out of the quarry, goblins in the forests, orcs, Nogu, and other monsters like the Shapushi.”

“Heh, it must be hard to not find a job.”

“Haha, that’s true.”

On the Haym river to my left, I can see a boat advancing.

Groups of armed adventurers and other caravan pass on the other side of the road.

Magic beasts pull wagons filled with farm products.

Flies and insects are swarming around the horses and magic beasts pulling cargo to the point that I feel sorry for them.

Various people are using the road.

There are snails with large gray shells loitering around in the plains and marsh on the right side of the road. There are also adventurers fighting those enormous snails.

Battle cries are audible.

Rollo is also looking at the giant snails, her crimson eyes are dilated, and she is crouching, preparing the go hunting.

It looks like Rollo wants to play.

However, we’re still on guard duty.

“Rollo, hunting selfishly isn’t good? The people fighting aren’t having a hard time.”

“Nya~.”

Rollo responds with her ears folded back.

Those ammonite or snail type monsters.

Still, the nearby people transporting goods don’t seem concerned.

With that many adventurers participating, still…

I can see Holkerbam’s eastern gate.

As we approach the east gate the number of peculiar building increases.

They’re tent-like building.

They resemble Mongolian Yurts.

Domesticated animals are visible as well. It’s a cow. Lungas. Two heads.

It has a lot of breasts.

It seems to be a favorite domestic animal.

In the tents with domestic animals on the grass plains east of Holkerbam, there are also tiger-faced beastkin. (Note: I’m changing beastman to beastkin)

There are merchants wearing fur mantles set up in front of the tents and announcing their wares.

All over, there are tiger beastkin trying to sell their wares to the caravans and travelers entering the city.

Amongst them, I pass in front of a tiger beastman vendor speaking energetically.

“Come! Gaumok Store’s goods, good from far past Hector and 【Fornium Volcano】, from the far eastern country 【Fujiku Commonwealth】and 【Lerwick】. Come and look at Gaumok Store’s goods!”

The Yurt behind this tiger beastkin is noticeably bigger than the others.

It seems like a gathering of merchants and traders.

Instead of entering the city, business can be done here?

We ignore the merchant and continue toward the city gates.

There are blue flags on either side of the gate flapping in the wind.

The flags have a horse, eagle, and dragon drawn on a shield, each one wearing a crown.

There are two guards in blue armor below.

Passing through. The guard sees us, but we don’t make eye contact.

We pass through with the other travelers.

At last, we arrive in Holkerbam.

“We’re here.”

“Everyone, it was a difficult request.”

The merchant Taijiki apologizes.

“Oh, wait for a little while we remove the baggage.”

Gomez’s clan members remove their luggage from Taijiki’s wagon.

“Thank you. Now, someone from my trading firm is coming.”

“Understood. Still, we can just take it down.”

As Gomez works, those from Taijiki’s trading firm gather.

She is wearing a turban around her head.

There are plenty of people, so the cart a quickly unloaded.

Taijiki hands the wooden request board to the person from the trading company who came to assist.

The lady who came to help receive it and lower her head before disappearing into the city.

“Everyone, I am having someone from the firm submit the completion tally to the guild when you return to the guild you can receive your payment. In that case, I am going to deliver the good to the trading firm. Everyone, thank you for your work. Another chance. And then, Shuya-sama, I’ll wait for you to visit Luxor. Then.”

Taijiki connects the covered wagon and cart and leaves.

“That merchant really likes Shuya?”

“Seems like it.”

I don’t intend to go, but I nod.

Then, a member of 【Fist of the War God】 behind Gomez opens his mouth.

“Captain Gomez. It’s only natural. Even we are grateful to Shuya-san, I was waiting at night…”

I splendidly ignore that.

I don’t make eye contact…they didn’t approach, only looking at my crotch making me feel a little scared.

His name is Gio… an existence scarier than any of the monster that has appeared.

“Isn’t Gio passionate? However, Shuya-san wasn’t there…shuddering.”

“Ah, don’t you think? And if a thief is caught at the same time, you’ll probably be killed- Shuya, thank you.”

Gomez and his clan members thank me.

His rough fatherly character comes out, and I can see he is an excellent clan Leader.

Them looking at me is embarrassing.

“Iya, that was just luck.”

Embarrassed, I try to brush it off.

“Hahaha, you’re being modest about that spear handling? You’re a truly a strong person, a man among men…then, we’ll all receive our reward from the guild, everyone okay with that?”

Gomez laughs heartily and looks at his member with a heroic character.

“Agreed.”

“I’ll come.”

“Captain Gomez, I’ll look for an inn.”

“Oh, let’s rendezvous. -Fran and Shuya. We’re going to the guild, let’s meet again.”

“Understood.”

“Alright.”

Gomez and the members of 【Fist of the War God】 leave.

“Is Shuya going to the guild too?”

Fran asks.

“Ah, I want to look around to city a little, so I’ll go later.”

“Is that so…I can show you around?”