I was rescued by a Naga and a Centaur after falling ill from the poisonous fruit.
Inside the building, many people were busy working.
“Um… excuse me, I’d like to ask you something.”
“Oh, what’s wrong? Are you in trouble?”
The one who noticed my presence and spoke to me was a kind-looking youth. He had bird-like hands and feet and vibrant tail feathers. However, he had no wings, so he must be a half-breed of a Harpy and something else.
“I’ve lost my companions. Did you see any Centaur or Arachne girls? And a girl like an elf and an insect?”
He would only be troubled if I said something like that out of the blue. In fact, the youth was scratching his head vigorously.
“Um, I guess you’re lost. When and where did you last part ways?”
Uh oh, this is bad. If I told him I was sent flying from Shindo, it would only make things more confusing. Seeing my predicament, he took out some paper and a pencil.
“Here, write down their names and characteristics. You can write, right?”
I wrote down the names and characteristics of the companions I had likely been separated from.
“You have quite a few of them. Well, I’ll look for them. By the way, you look like a tourist, but where is your hotel?”
“Um, well, how should I put it? I got lost in the desert. I’d be happy if there was a good place somewhere.”
“In the desert? Oh dear, that’s a problem. I hope you haven’t entered their territory.”
Their territory? Could it be…?
“Is there something wrong with that?”
“You know, there are some terrible troublemakers in the desert. Did you not meet them? It’s a really big lizard with four arms.”
Ah, I met them. In fact, they saved me, but I didn’t want to draw more suspicious gazes, so I brushed it off. For the time being, I was told about a hotel with available rooms and decided to stay.
I entered my private room and dove onto the bed. It was a small room, but just having this made it perfect. I was truly exhausted, and glad to be alive. I had nearly died several times…
Wait, oh, right. I was in the desert and was helped. And now I’m at a hotel. Glancing out the window, I saw the sun was setting. Could I have slept?! It seemed my exhaustion had reached its limit and I’d just fallen asleep, but my body felt light as a result. But why does my face feel tingly? Has the poison not completely left my system yet?
I looked in the mirror and was surprised. My face was bright red! That’s right, I had walked under that scorching sun without sunscreen. But this was too embarrassing. I covered my face with a towel and went outside. I hoped to find some kind of suitable cloth.
As the sun set and the air cooled, it was more lively than when I arrived. Thanks to that, I quickly found a cloth to cover my face. Looking closely, the people walking through town were also covering their mouths and heads with cloth. Perhaps their hair was being damaged by the sand. My gaze caught sight of the Naga youth who had helped me.
“Um, you’re the one who helped me, right?”
“Hm? Ah, are you alright? Did you find your companions?”
“No, not yet. I am Aris… Hiroaki, my name is Hiroaki.”
I knew he would tilt his head when I said my full name. Then the youth introduced himself as Chamber.
“Ah! That’s right, I remembered. The Naga girl you were talking about. The cute one with pink scales. I might know her.”
“What?! Where?”
I followed him into a back alley. We passed through a narrow path between buildings, and what appeared before us was an old cage. It looked like a place where death matches were held. Spectators were gathered around it in a throng.
“This place is…”
“An arena, well, an illegal one. Anything goes, and races don’t matter, nor does gender. As long as you don’t raise a white flag, you can do anything.”
A bad premonition. Please, please let it not be Nina fighting here.
“Is that pink Naga a ring girl?”
“Ring? No, she’s a gladiator. She’s cute, but strong. She’s always so grumpy and won’t even shake your hand. I wonder if she’ll do it today?”
Ugh, this is the worst. But if she’s strong, it means she’s alive. Then I’ll bring her back immediately. The match was about to begin, and everyone was handing over money one after another. I decided to hand over money along with him.
“Who are today’s fighters?”
“The Princess and the Scorpion. Which one?”
The old man, busy taking bets, replied indifferently. The youth told me which side to bet on, and I decided to place a bet on the Princess’s side. The sun had completely set, and fires were lit around the cage.
“Thank you all for waiting! Now, for today’s first match, the self-willed Naga Princess versus the Executioner of Decapitation, Silver Scissor!”
From amongst the crowd of spectators holding sake, Nina appeared.
