The Lazy Swordmaster

Chapter 73: Shortcut (Part 2)

It seemed Riley finished his conversation with Andal.

He was walking toward the carriage to get on it.

‘Oh, right…’

Nainiae, who was sitting in the driver’s seat with a blank stare, was concerned that Riley might notice the black blood on top of her hand. She hurriedly cleaned it up and pretended everything was in order.

“Are you ready?”

Riley got on the carriage. Andal, who came to the front of the carriage after Riley, asked if the two people were ready.

“Yeah.”

Riley, who just got on the carriage, said as he poked his thumb outside the window,

“Andal, when we are coming back, I’ll be asking for your help again, all right?”

“Stop talking bull crap.”

Andal cringed big time, snapped right back at Riley, and turned around.

Andal, who just looked at Nainiae sitting in the driver’s seat, still had slightly crumpled face.

It was because he noticed a little bit of blood stain that Nainiae did not manage to wipe off.

“Ready?”

“…”

Nainiae, who had the area around her mouth hidden behind her right arm, nodded in response. Having heard it,

“…Teleport.”

Andal moved his mana and cast Teleport, a Seven Circles magic.

He didn’t recite any spell. A large magic circle was generated below the carriage just from Andal murmuring the name of the magic spell. Nainiae’s eyes were wide open.

‘Incredible… How is he able to do it?’

If Nainiae was going to cast Teleport, she would have first closed her eyes to focus on the coordinates and then recited the spell for a long while. Only then the magic circle would have appeared and activated the magic.

‘I don’t think it is a normal method. It is definitely different from how us humans use magic.’

The magic circle that Andal generated was at a whole another level from the Teleport that Astroa had been using.

It was not for just moving within a city. Andal’s magic was for teleporting a great distance to a different city. It was perhaps obvious that the size of the magic circle would be larger. However… Nainiae was still impressed.

‘Could I be able to do it?’

It was obvious why Nainiae would wonder about such a thing.

After all, she was a mage as well.

“Buy me a gift there and bring it to me.”

“If I remember.”

“You rascal. You gross me out.”

As Riley and Andal’s conversation continued, the silver light exuding from the magic circle underneath the carriage was starting to intensify.

Soon, when the light was completely extinguished, let alone the carriage, there was no trace of Riley or Nainiae.

***

Tsuwaaaaaa….

‘Is that the sound of rain?’

Because of Andal’s Teleport magic, Nainiae’s vision was blurry at the moment.

Nainiae, who blinked several times while sitting in her seat, could hear the sound of screams.

“…Kuuuurrr!!”

‘What…is this sound?’

“Gosh. Of all places to send me, why did he send us here?”

Soon, she could hear Riley’s voice.

It was a voice mixed with a full dose of frustration.

“Uuwarrr! Kuurr!”

As if it was in response to Riley’s voice, the roar could be heard again.

The roar was incredibly loud and fearsome. It was enough that Nainiae wondered if its breath could be felt on her face. Nainiae scrunched up her face and narrowed her eye.

It was to regain her sight somehow.

‘Just what is going on…’

Sururung…

While Nainiae still didn’t have her vision recovered, she could hear a sharp noise through the roar.

Having been taught swordsmanship from Sera, Nainiae was well aware of what the ‘Sururung’ sound she just heard was.

It was the sound of a sword being drawn.

“…Young master?”

Stomp!

Stomp!

Nainiae felt the seat…no…the entire carriage being shaken.

A large something was shaking the ground.

The shaking was growing stronger, and the roar was getting closer. They were telling Nainiae that there was something rushing toward them.

“You still can’t see, can’t you?”

Riley asked Nainiae.

Nainiae, ashamed, responded to him,

“Yes… I still can’t…”

“Gosh… That bastard Andal… He was going to send us to a crappy place like this, yet he wants a gift? What a nonsense. Really.”

Kiiiik

The sound of the carriage door opening could be heard, and…

Step Step

Sounds of someone coming down from the carriage by stepping on its stairs could be also heard.

It was most likely Riley who was in the carriage.

“Wait quietly for a while. Keep your ears open.”

“Okay.”

Nainiae had no idea what was happening at the moment. However, Nainiae had made up her mind back in Solia that she will follow Riley unconditionally.

So, Nainiae simply nodded and sat there quietly in waiting for Riley’s next order.

“Kuuurrr!”

Stomp!

The sounds of steps that shook the ground stopped.

Nainiae could feel a chill above her head.

She figured that a giant existence must have come all the way to the front of the carriage.

Despite that, Nainiae waited quietly.

“From the distance, I thought it was just a stick, but I see you are carrying an entire piece of tree plucked right out of the ground. You are pretty strong? Uh?”

Riley’s voice could be heard.

The voice was somehow saturated with frustration.

“There will be blood splatter to the carriage, so have a protective layer cast.”

Nainiae immediately used a barrier.

Surrounding the carriage, a round semi-transparent layer was created.

“Kuuarrr! Uuur?”

Tsuwaaaaa…

Now that Nainiae listened to it more carefully, she realized it was not the sound of rain.

It was the sound of leaves shaking in the wind.

“…Kuuur?!”

In midst of the sounds of the leaves shaking, there was a very small sound.

Nainiae had heard that sound before.

It was the same sound she heard when Riley swung his sword back in Solia.

“Kuuuurrrr!”

After hearing a beastly roar…

Pat

Pat

Something was dripping onto her barrier.

It was not rain. It was something sticky.

She could guess that it must be blood.

‘Finally…my eye is slowly…’

Nainiae opened her eyes.

Her vision, which was blurry, gradually returned. She was finally able to observe her surroundings.

The carriage was in the middle of a forest.

“Ah?”

With her vision back to normal, the first thing besides the scenery that she noticed was a giant monster that had one of its arms cleanly cut off. The monster was taking steps back.

It had yellowish peach colored skin. It had a huge stomach like a glutton.

Despite that, its face and arms were wrapped in tough muscles. It gave off terrifying aura. The creature was…

‘Ogre!’

It was about five times the height of an adult human and had an ugly face with fangs poking out from the lower lip. It even had strange tattoos pasted on its face. Everything about the ogre was a match to what Nainiae had seen in a book.

Resting on his shoulder was the sword that he just swung. Having confirmed that Nainiae could see now, Riley turned around and asked about the identity of the monster,

“This is an ogre, right?”

“Yes. I believe it is.”

“Look at this. Andal dropped us in a place with a monster. That lunatic bastard.”

Riley, with an annoyed look on his face, tapped his shoulder with his blade to massage his shoulder. He turned his head again and looked at the ogre that had an arm cut off by Riley.

“Kuuuuurrrrr!!”

“It’s so noisy. Nainiae.”

“Ah, yes.”

Nainiae nodded and used silence magic.

The loud beastly roar coming out of ogre’s mouth was blocked, and the forest became quiet as if it regained its peace.

“That Andal, rascal… No matter how I think about it, I think he sent us here on purpose.”

“Young master. This ogre… If you don’t finish it off quickly, it will go berserk.”

Although the sound was blocked, it was still screaming with its mouth wide open. Nainiae noticed the ogre’s eyes were gradually getting saturated in bloody red. She prepared a magic and asked for her young master’s permission.

“Berserk?”

“Yes.”

Running berserk was an innate ability of ogres.

It activated when an ogre’s eyes turned completely red. When activated, ogre used all of its might.

“If you do not mind it, shall I finish it?”

“No. There is no need.”

“Pardon?”

“Actually, I was in middle of testing it, so…”

“Testing it?”

“Well, it is actually working pretty well.”

Riley turned his body and shrugged his shoulder.

When he did, the ogre, which had its eyes turned completely red and entered the berserker mode, charged toward Riley with its mouth drooling to below the chin.

“Young master! It’s dangero…”

Nainiae was going to shout that it was dangerous to stand there.

However, Nainiae stopped before finishing the words.

It was because the drop of drool falling from the ogre’s mouth was gradually falling slower.

“I tried using the time magic, and…”

The ogre’s drool drop fell from its chin first.

Following suit after it with a bit of time delay, the ogre’s head slid off of the neck and fell.

Perhaps it was because Nainiae’s silence magic was still in effect, but the silent scene was somehow eerie to watch.

“Ah…”

It started with the ogre’s drool, then there was the head, and now, the head was faltering and tilting because the neck was cut. The scene was quite disturbing.

“Since I can do this much, will it be all right if we got started on the next step?”

Thump!

There was no sound from the impact because of Nainiae’s silence magic, but the ground shook quite violently from the impact of the ogre’s body falling.

“Y-Yes.”

Nainiae looked at the ogre’s shoulder and neck which were cut off clean, and then she looked at Riley’s sword.

‘As I expected, young master…’

There was so much blood splashed on the barrier that Nainiae had cast. On the other hand, there was not even a drop of blood on Riley’s sword.

“What are you staring at so hard?”

Impressed, Nainiae was at a loss for words. Having heard Riley’s voice, she woke up from her shock.

“I was thinking you are simply amazing.”

“Are you trying to flatter me? So? What did you think of my time magic?”

After she came to the Iphelleta mansion from Solia, Nainiae had become Riley’s servant before long. However, when it came to magic, she was pretty strict.

It was to make sure Riley didn’t struggle in the future because of having learned faulty magic.

However, in this instance, Nainiae had no choice but to give him a great score.

“100 points… If I could give you more, I would. It was perfect.”

“All right.”

Riley murmured satisfied. He put the sword back in the sheath and approached Nainiae.

“Where are we now?”

“Please wait a moment.”

Because of Andal’s Teleport spell, they should be at the forest near Rainfield.

When Riley asked, Nainiae used Astroa’s leather bracelet and brought out the map that was stored inside.

“I think we are near this area. However… There isn’t any definite landmark around us. So, making a hasty decision about which way to go is…”

With her finger on the map, Nainiae double-checked the direction and path leading to Rainfield.

“…Ha!”

Finding all this to be ridiculous, Riley made a hollow laugh.

Instead of Rainfield City, they were teleported to a forest near Rainfield for a reason. It was to avoid unnecessary chaos or bothersome consequences.

“Avoid bothersome stuff? Do dogs have horns…”

Riley ground his teeth for Andal’s not so considerate consideration. He scratched his head hard. Meanwhile, Nainiae said,

“Young master.”

“What?”

“I used the Search magic just in case, and I think there are a few carriages parked in a place that’s not far from here. I think they are headed to Rainfield… Should we join them?”

Riley was concerned that they might have to wonder around aimlessly. So, what Nainiae just told him was definitely a good news.

“Is that so?”

Riley could not think of any other option.

It was summer, and it was hot. Riley didn’t want to stay in a forest in this weather any longer. He walked toward the inside of the carriage with a scrunched up face and said,

“All right. Let’s join them. It’s not like we have any other option, right?”

“That’s right.”

Having confirmed that Riley lied down inside the carriage, Nainiae removed the Barrier that she had cast around the carriage and started to drive the carriage.

“…”

It was after Riley left the scene.

Perhaps several tens of minutes have passed.

Ogre’s dead body started to show strange symptoms.

“…!”

Twitch!

It moved. The dead body started to move and twist in all sorts of disturbing directions. Along with a sound of bones snapping…

“Kuuoooo……”

The ogre, which was dead, opened its eyes wide.

Its eyes were completely black like black pearls.