The next morning.
When we arrived at the omnibus stop heading to the next town, we encountered a girl who looked familiar.
She was a girl with sky-blue hair and similarly colored, strangely deep eyes.
“…Huh? …Um, have we met somewhere before?”
The girl also tilted her head, looking at us.
I thought about where we had met and replied to her.
“Yesterday. In front of the clothing store that was selling Santa costumes.”
“Ah, that time! I remember now! You were looking at the costumes with a serious expression next to me. …Did you end up buying any?”
“Yeah, I bought some. Four of them.”
“Wow, what a big spender! Um, but… weren’t those women’s designs? Are you going to wear them? And wearing them four times…”
“No, I’m not going to wear them. They’re for my wives.”
“Wives…?”
The girl blinked innocently and peeked at the girls standing behind me.
Miina, Elen, and Seraphina replied to the girl, “For my wife,” “She’s my wife~,” and “She is indeed my wife.”
Hearing that, the girl’s face showed a look of surprise.
“Eh…? Aren’t those your daughters…?”
“Well, given their age, it’s understandable to think so, but all three are my companions. …Besides, even if they were my daughters, wouldn’t you think they’d be the ones wearing them, not me?”
“Ah, that’s true! I made a huge blunder!”
The girl tapped her own forehead.
She was a rather simple and elusive girl, somehow.
As we were talking, the omnibus arrived, so we got on.
The girl also boarded the omnibus.
Seeing that there were no other passengers, the omnibus departed from the stop.
Inside the rattling omnibus, the girl, introducing herself as Biner, spoke to us in a friendly manner.
“What a coincidence, meeting again like this. Are you all traveling?”
“Yeah. An aimless journey, but also for training.”
“Training, huh…”
The girl—Biner—glanced at the Holy Axe Lombardia in my hand. Her eyes then moved to Elen’s sword, Miina’s dagger, and Seraphina’s staff.
Meanwhile, I also took notice of Biner’s attire.
She was dressed in light travel clothes, but she was equipped with a well-crafted bow and a quiver containing dozens of arrows.
After confirming our appearances, Biner spoke again.
“Are you all adventurers, then?”
“Yeah. Are you an adventurer too, Biner? Even so, it must be dangerous for a lone woman to travel, so you must be skilled, right?”
“Well… yes. I don’t think I’d lose to just anyone.”
Her words seemed to carry a hidden meaning. Elen interjected from the side.
“You said ‘just anyone.’ —Then, who do you think is stronger, me or you? Surely you’re not stronger than Douglas, though?”
“…Since you say so, does that mean Douglas is quite strong?”
Biner’s eyes narrowed sharply. The small, animal-like cuteness disappeared, replaced by the sharp aura of a raptor.
“Yeah, he’s strong. And I mean, not just ‘not just anyone’ strong. I wouldn’t be exaggerating to say he’s the strongest in the world. He drew with my master, but that was also a handicapped match where Douglas didn’t use Demon God Transformation.”
“…Hmm. ‘Strongest in the world,’ you say. That’s quite a bold claim. But then…”
Hearing Elen’s reply, Biner brought her hand to her mouth, lost in thought. What was she thinking about?
Miina, sensing something in Biner’s demeanor, chimed in.
“Are you interested in strong adventurers, Biner? If you have any trouble, my husband might be able to help. Right, Douglas?”
“Ah. Whether I can help depends on the situation, but since we’ve met, I’ll listen if you have something you want to discuss.”
I replied to Biner, as prompted by Miina. If she was interested in strong adventurers, she might be involved in some trouble that required combat power, and I wouldn’t mind helping her. However, my offer wasn’t purely altruistic; a degree of self-interest was mixed in.
In the final match of the Fighting Tournament held in the Commercial City Belford the other day, I had effectively lost to Elen’s master, the Female Swordsman Tifereth, who called herself one of the Ten Dragons Divine Artifact Generals. While I hadn’t used Demon God Transformation, it certainly couldn’t be called a victory. I had a premonition that I would encounter Tifereth again somewhere, although we hadn’t made a pact to meet. Tifereth had told me that the next time we met, we would undoubtedly fight to the death.
On the other hand, I wanted to overpower that bloodthirsty Female Swordsman by force the next time we met. I admit it’s a violent thought, but it’s an impulse that arises naturally from the depths of my heart. No matter how benevolent I try to act, it’s my instinct as a male, my true feelings. Whether I affirm that impulse or not, what’s certain is that I want to become strong enough to force that woman into submission.
And when I asked Lombardia how to get stronger, the answer was “continuously fight strong enemies.” By battling strong enemies with Lombardia and defeating them, I could draw out more of this holy axe’s fearsome power. By the way, after defeating the Ancient Dragon to save the Elves, I gained the ability to use four new skills. It seems that fighting strong enemies is indeed the most effective way to become stronger. Therefore, getting involved in a story that smells of strong enemies would also benefit me.
…It was with such calculations in mind that I became interested in Biner’s situation.
Biner, on the other hand, had a somber expression. As if troubled by something.
“Douglas and the others seem like good people. So… but if I let them drink the blood of strong individuals, it will require fewer people… meaning fewer humans will have to be sacrificed… But either way, when the Queen revives…”
“…Huh? What are you talking about?”
“Ah…! N-no, it’s nothing! Just talking to myself!”
Biner waved her hands as if to dismiss it and gave a forced laugh. While I felt something was off, I hesitated to press further.
—Just then.
With a jolt, the omnibus suddenly stopped.
“…? What is it? It’s too early to arrive at the next town.”
Seraphina tilted her head.
From outside the omnibus, we could hear the panicked voice of the driver and the arrogant voice of someone else.
“Wh-who are you people?!”
“Heh heh heh, can’t you tell? It means a new toll road has been established. Don’t worry, we’re not asking for everything you own. Just a little something. For example, if there’s a beautiful woman on board, just leave her behind quietly. We’re kind, you know?”
After the man’s voice, numerous rough, male laughter could be heard.
…Great. It seems we’ve run into some trouble. I addressed my wives.
“It seems we have unwelcome guests. I’ll get out of the carriage and check things out, but what about you all?”
“I’m going too. There’s no point waiting inside.”
Elen replied, and Miina and Seraphina nodded in agreement. Furthermore—
“I’ll go too. —This kind of person is just what I need (・・・・・・).”
Biner said, grabbing her bow.
Then, we opened the carriage door and leaped outside.
