In the Land of Leadale Vol. 5 Read online

  With the main roads now safe, this merchant caravan conducted business with local villages along the coast and stocked up on fish. Many were greatly relieved to see their livelihoods stabilize.

  The adventurers protecting them, on the other hand, looked pale. Their benefactors might begin to question the safety of the roads, so they did their best to hide their unease. Besides, this return to business was a long-awaited light at the end of the tunnel. Vowing to defend the caravan from danger, the guards upped their vigilance.

  “Any other weird changes?”

  “Not yet.”

  The leaders of each adventurer party exchanged questioning glances. The merchants didn’t notice anything amiss, but the three leaders knew full well there was something strange up ahead.

  “The sky was all distorted.”

  “Yeah. I’ve been adventuring for years and never seen anything like it.”

  “I dunno about distorted. It was more like light beams shooting through part of the sky.”

  “““What the heck was that thing…?”””

  The phenomenon was inexplicable even to these three veterans. Nowhere else could someone watch the sky momentarily shake as light projected as if through a window. One might achieve the same effect by standing inside one of those glass conservatories afforded only to nobles while violent winds rattled outside.

  “Also…our scout is taking a while.”

  One of the leaders tightly crossed their arms as if to clear their concerns—as if to convince them that they were just imagining things.

  After a round of discussion, the leaders decided to have their strongest member go check things out. “I’ll take care of it!” the chosen adventurer said easily before departing. With his cheer now gone, his companions’ mood darkened further.

  “He’ll be fine, right?”

  “…Yeah.”

  “Then quit actin’ so depressed. Once he gets back—”

  Just as one leader was trying to raise the others’ spirits, they sensed a bone-chilling presence coming from the forest the scout had just gone to investigate. Their eyes narrowed, and they faced the woods with weapons at the ready. Their pulses pounded in their ears like alarm bells; everyone broke into a damp, uncomfortable sweat. The source was still far-off, but they could clearly hear something approaching, trees snapping under its weight.

  The roar of the falling trees told the adventurers the incoming creature was enormous—possibly a horned bear or similarly ferocious beast. One guard finally came to their senses and raced toward the caravan. The merchants had only just begun setting up camp, but evacuating everyone took priority.

  Two of the adventurer parties fell back to help the merchants to safety, while the third raced into the forest to contend with the threat. They had to keep their back line fortified on the off chance the enemy might surround them. The three parties were following the established rotation, but the third one’s leader nonetheless sighed at the lousy timing.

  “Sorry, guys…,” the leader told his party.

  “Hey, it’s not your fault. We all signed up for this.”

  “That’s right. You’ve got nothin’ to apologize for, so let’s hurry and take this thing down.”

  “Sure, we’re one man short, but we’ve still got a job to do.”

  His comrades’ excess optimism in the face of adversity brought a strained smile to the leader’s face. Courage welled up within the adventurers as they sensed the beast growing closer, violently ripping through the forest toward them. With a surge of adrenaline and fearsome war cries, the group sprang into battle. From that moment forward, they were ready to crush the enemy with their indomitable spirit. Perhaps they were overdoing it, considering they hadn’t even seen the enemy yet, but that passion was what made them model adventurers.

  …If only their opponent hadn’t been an absolute nightmare.

  When the forest-splitting, tree-smashing creature came into view, the adventurers realized it was much larger than they’d ever expected. Its head towered above them, and two legs as thick as tree trunks carried its weight. It was covered in tough, glossy scales like a dragoid, and a massive tail kept the creature balanced. A human hand dangled limply from its sharp teeth. Its vertical reptilian pupils contracted as it lorded over the puny adventurers.

  This was enough to shatter the group’s resolve. One adventurer dropped their weapon, and another collapsed in shock. They never could have imagined such a monster in a million years and were utterly overwhelmed.

  The caravan attempting to escape with their belongings fared no better.

  Another such beast appeared. And another. Similar monsters continued to emerge from the depths of the forest unabated. Hysteria broke out among merchants and adventurers alike at the nightmarish scene. Some merchants ditched their wares and fled into the dark of night, while others jumped into unhitched carriages and started cracking their whips furiously. Most of the adventurers shirked their duties and even left their comrades behind.

  But they all shivered in terror when they heard the horrid screams coming from the darkness. Roars and growls soon followed from the same direction—it was clear that many fearsome beasts were lurking within the abyss.

  Before long, the monsters had the camp surrounded.

  Naming: the act of bestowing a name to a newborn infant. Also, the corresponding ceremony. A christening.

  “Gaaah…”

  Cayna gripped her head and flopped onto the dining room table—the only place in her house suitable for holding a family meeting. She had a living room, but that was strictly for getting comfy and vegging out. Such spaces were tailored by and for each player; add a bulky character like a dragoid into the mix, and the furnishings could get fairly eclectic.

  Sitting across from Cayna and Luka was Roxilius, who hung his head gloomily. He clearly hadn’t forgiven himself for falling victim to Contract Magic while house-sitting. Even Roxine didn’t interrogate him and simply served tea in silence with a morose look on her face.

  “Mommy Cayna…are you…thinking?”

  “Hrrmm…”

  Everyone felt a wave of concern as Cayna hemmed and hawed over the letter (if you could even call it a letter), despite having spent the entire night reviewing it. Roxine refused to let Cayna’s ambiguous answer slide.

  “Well then, Lady Cayna. Might I ask what is being named?”

  There was no reason to hide the short letter, so Cayna had shared it with Roxine and Luka. Roxine wanted to know what kind of naming made Roxilius feel this guilty; Luka just knew the letter had upset Roxilius, someone who was usually so eloquent and good-natured.

  The subject of said naming was visible to Cayna, and Cayna alone: Li’l Fairy, who was currently perched happily atop the rim of Cayna’s teacup.

  “She’s right here…,” Cayna said, circling the air with her finger to indicate the fairy. Roxine and Luka stared at the gestured spot before looking back at Cayna.

  “Do you mean the fairy? I’m afraid I don’t notice a thing.”

  “Yeah… I don’t…see her.”

  If a level-550 werecat couldn’t sense Li’l Fairy’s presence, then Cayna was the only who could. She had no idea how to name the fairy into existence. Even if she knew Li’l Fairy was there, convincing other people would be an uphill battle.

  Certain the fairy was somehow connected to Opus, Cayna had intended to safeguard her. However, the letter stated this was the wrong move. Instead, she was supposed to name the fairy and “adopt” her, in a sense.

  “I can’t believe he thought I’d just leave her in some nameless, default mode…”

  “Perhaps he never expected you would simply call her ‘Fairy.’”

  This certain someone was keeping close tabs on Cayna, apparently. Annoyed Cayna still hadn’t given the fairy a proper name, he sent her a letter through the most roundabout fashion.

  She had no idea why he was going to such lengths to stay in the shadows. Unless he had something to hide, he could show himself at any time.

  Still, she didn’t think he was the type to appear out of nowhere with a casual Hey, long time no see. Lurking somewhere in wait like an arrogant demon lord was more his style.

  “…So what will you do?”

  “…Right. Great question.”

  Cayna now understood Opus’s stance on Li’l Fairy but nonetheless fell back into despair.

  Her biggest stumbling block was extremely basic. Naming was a common part of any gaming experience, but some folks found it agonizing.

  Cayna was one such person. She was terrible at picking names.

  “Why are you so distressed, Lady Cayna? You gave me, Roxilius, and your children the most wonderful names, no?”

  “…Yeah, I guess so.”

  Roxine proudly struck her chest, but Cayna was less than confident. She couldn’t exactly blurt out that she’d named Roxine and Roxilius after her date of birth while her three kids’ names were just different words for snail. Cayna dodged the question.

  A name, a name… I need a name… Can’t I just leave it as Li’l Fairy?

  “That is up to you, Cayna. But if you insist on keeping it and run into him again, he will torment you over it for the rest of your life.”

  Gwagh?!

  Kee was warning her not to be careless. Cayna could easily imagine Opus loftily condemning her for the rest of her days, so she soon abandoned the idea of taking the easy way out.

  “Mommy Cayna…?”

  “Ah, Lady Luka, I believe Lady Cayna is conferring with a Divine Spirit.”

  “Divine…Spirit…?”

  Luka stared worriedly at Cayna, sitting in silence as her expression shifted seemingly by the second. Roxine then mentioned she was consulting her personal adviser, a Divine Spirit. Roxine didn’t qui
te understand how Kee functioned, so she could only assume Cayna was conferring with some sort of holy being whenever she caught her master wordlessly nodding to herself.

  In this world, a Divine Spirit was believed to be a force that led people down the right path—something that guided heroes and saints like in fairy tales, hence the mythical associations. Cayna’s children and the two werecats believed she was guided by a Divine Spirit, though they also thought it was a little sad that she of all people was deemed noble enough for such an honor.

  Upon Roxine’s explanation, Luka gazed up at Cayna in wide-eyed admiration as if she’d appeared straight from a fairy tale.

  Spot? Fluffy…? Princess? Princess Dream…?

  “You cannot be serious.”

  Meanwhile, Cayna was internally testing a number of cutesy names one might give a dog or cat, all of which Kee shot down without hesitation.

  “This is a fantasy world. I suggest you give the matter more thought.”

  I feel like you’re expecting too much here, Kee.

  Completely out of ideas, Cayna sipped her now-lukewarm tea. Li’l Fairy was convinced she was finally about to get a name, but the moment that seemed unlikely, she glumly fiddled with the ends of Cayna’s hair.

  “Why don’t you consider what she means to you personally?”

  Kee was being much more proactive about the naming process than Cayna, who then muttered the first thing that popped into her head: “She’s kind of like my guardian.” That’s when it hit her.

  “She’s also kind of like your little sister, Kee. I’ll name her Kuu.”

  “…What?” said Roxine.

  “Little…sister…?” said Luka.

  Inspiration struck, and Cayna suddenly clapped her hands. Roxine and Luka, who had been enjoying the silence, looked over at her in confusion. The fairy had been absentmindedly twirling Cayna’s hair until Cayna scooped her up out of nowhere.

  “Your name is Kuu. Yay, Kuu!”

  “!”

  The being formerly known as Li’l Fairy was overcome with joy at the sound of her own name. A smile spread across her face as she twirled high into the air and a noise escaped her mouth.

  “Huh?”

  “Oh…”

  “…?”

  A brilliant cluster of light particles appeared out of thin air before taking the shape of a fairy. It was truly a mystical sight. The awestruck eyewitnesses—Roxilius, Roxine, and Luka—stared at the strange phenomenon unfolding before them.

  “Kuu! Kuu!” the fairy chimed sweetly as she flitted about, repeating her name over and over, clearly thrilled.

  Kuu hummed a happy ditty. Her wings left phosphorescent trails in their wake that dissolved at Luka’s touch.

  “Nice,” said Cayna. “Now you’re with us for real, Kuu.”

  “I do not have a younger sister…”

  “Maybe you shoulda thought of a name, then. She’s like a little sister figure.”

  “She certainly is not.”

  Kee was not amused in the least but said no more, seemingly uninterested in pressing the issue. After finishing up her happy dance, Kuu floated over to Cayna’s shoulder and started rubbing her cheek against her hair affectionately. She was certainly quick to react.

  “Lady Cayna, is this the fairy you mentioned?” Roxine asked.

  “Yep. Her name is Kuu. No teasing her.”

  “I would never. What exactly do you take me for…?”

  Offended, Roxine took the teapot and returned to the kitchen. Cayna noticed Luka staring up at Kuu, her mouth gaping like a fish’s. She gently prodded Kuu to turn her attention to Luka.

  “You probably know by now, but this is Luka. Play nice, okay?”

  “Luka! Luka!”

  Kuu planted a kiss on one of Luka’s extended fingers, then grabbed her middle finger with both hands and shook it up and down like a sort of handshake.

  “Wooow…,” Luka murmured, her eyes sparkling.

  “Kuu has a name now. Rox, no need to beat yourself up.”

  “Ngh. My deepest apologies, Lady Cayna…”

  Roxilius clenched both fists and bowed his head. Cayna walked over and patted him on the shoulder.

  “It’s okay, Roxilius. Really. I’ll make that guy pay a thousand times over.”

  Roxilius sensed an unpleasant, bloodthirsty aura and looked up to find a terrifying smile on Cayna’s face. She was ready for action, and he yelped at her humorless gaze.

  “The second I find that jerk, I’m gonna pound him into mincemeat and cook him into the grossest shape possible! He better say his prayers!”

  Cayna let out a shrill laugh of “Oh-hoh-hoh-hoh!” as a large wave crashed against the shore that appeared behind Cayna (courtesy of Oscar—Roses Scatter with Beauty). Chills ran down Roxilius’s spine. Luka, on the other hand, stood there confused by the sudden stage backdrop. Kuu flew beside Cayna and copied her, though the fairy’s “Oh-hoh-hoh-hoh” sounded more like an owl hooting.

  When Roxine returned with a fresh pot of tea, she couldn’t help but notice the drastic shift that had occurred in the brief time she was away. She rubbed her temple, feeling a headache coming on.

  At any rate, the unwanted, unsigned letter gave no further details, so Cayna moved on to the next order of business: Roxilius’s report on the merchant caravan that had arrived from Sakaiya while she was out of town.

  “So they delivered…ten barrels of beer and five of whiskey?” she said.

  “One barrel of beer is four silver coins, and one whiskey barrel is twelve. The total price is one hundred silver coins.”

  “A whole gold coin?! That’s insane! Am I supposed to charge highway robbery for a single drink or something?!”

  “The taste testers claimed you’ll more than break even.”

  “…Is my alcohol that good, or is the stuff in this world just terrible?”

  “Perhaps both.”

  He then passed her a receipt. It was a bill for ten silver coins.

  “What’s this?”

  “The transport fee for the wheat—two carriages’ worth.”

  “Huh?”

  Cayna visibly withered. This was only the transport fee; it didn’t even include the cost of the actual wheat. Roxilius found this strange as well and had inquired about it, but the merchants offered vague claims about how this was customary.

  “I have a feeling this isn’t going to be as profitable as I thought…,” Cayna said when she saw her stocked barrels dwindle while her storehouse was full to the brim with bags of wheat. Roxilius offered his input.

  “You can either get Lux’s help with the wheat or go to Felskeilo and purchase it yourself. Both are viable options.”

  “Maybe if I go through Lux, I can add a handling charge. Did you find out when the caravan will be back for their next pickup?”

  “In approximately one month, although that can vary with demand. Lux will keep us apprised.”

  “Huh, I guess Lux has some item that lets him communicate with Sakaiya.”

  “It would seem so.”

  Cayna decided the refining process could be done in their spare time and told Roxilius they’d call it a day. She was sure he’d pull an all-nighter out of guilt otherwise. He spent the entire evening sulking until Cayna put herself to bed, stifling a yawn.

  “All right. Time for a few questions…”

  Once breakfast was finished, Cayna clapped her hands, ready to ask Kuu everything she wanted to know. Roxine cleared the table, and Roxilius prepared to head out with Luka. Cayna was often out of town, so she didn’t remember the details of their morning routine. Roxilius simply replied, “Oh, you must have forgotten. We’re off to clean the bathhouse.”

  The children had been assigned bathhouse-cleaning duty as punishment for leaving the village without permission.

  Their punishment had since ended, leaving Roxilius to handle the task himself. After discussing the matter, the villagers decided that doing odd jobs, patrolling the village, and maintaining the bathhouse was too much for one butler, so they had the children help him with the latter duty going forward.

  Lytt couldn’t lend a hand in the mornings or evenings since that was when the inn was at its busiest. With that in mind, it was decided the kids would start roughly before noon.

  Lux Contracting’s main source of revenue came from the sale of various Sakaiya products and Lux’s own custom furniture. Latem was in training but not yet an apprentice, so his parents were fine with people putting him to work out of the blue.