The Town of Mikhan (1)

After a trip filled with various things happening, we finally made it to the next town: Mikhan.

It wasnt to the point of Tsuias, but it did have a relatively big wall surrounding the town.

It also appeared to be surrounded by pastures filled with shepherds and their sheep.

It was so long I thought Id fall asleep in the coach but it was unexpectedly busy, eh.

There were a good number of monsters on the way, after all. I was expecting a few thieves too, but I guess there werent any up for a fight.

Setting aside the monsters that would naturally want to attack us, there werent many thieves confident enough to attack a coach with an aristocratic crest on it.

I mean, well, thatd be them making enemies of an entire family of wealthy individuals.

I figured wed at least be able to lure at least some out since we only had a single coach and no guards.

You wanted them to attack?

Thieves are great. Whether you kill them or capture them, you get money from them.

Watarus been tainted by this world down to his depths, huh Theres no way hed be able to make it in Japan anymore.

By the way, wed camped out on the way here, but like wouldnt there normally be some small village for that or something? Like an inn town.

Gozoh answered when he voiced his question.

An inn town? Yeah theres a few of em, theyre always wherever theres no monsters and great security. Theyd get gobbled up if not.

Wasnt there a village near Tsuia?

The area around Tsuias already opened for development. In a sense, its like the frontier. Besides, with an inn town so near like that theres less escort requests and more adventurers.

So thats how it was?

I couldnt get any good sleep since we camped out and slept in shifts, so that topics a sore spot in travelling for me. Yep wait, huh? Come to think of it, I hired Wataru to do it I couldve just left it all to him

Eh. Well, at least the coachman was good at sharing stories during that, so lets call it even. Like how while there were weeds for the horses to eat at that point, there was a rivalry between whether it was best to use [Call Fodder] or [Grow Weed] to feed your horses when there werent, or like how youd call even non-horses horses if they pull your coach. Really, they were just a ton of inconsequential stories.

Heeey, cmon, lets hurry up and head into town. I wanna eat~

Dont gon bother Kehma, Ichika. Well, itll go nice and quick if we use the aristocrat-only entrance Right, Roppu and I should be officially B-Ranks soon, so we can do that stuff soon too.

Ah, but the aristocrats gate toll is expensive. Setting aside this time, ordinary commissions wont waive the fee so wed be takin the other gate normally.

Being able to make the choice is the upside to being a Ventulier. You could even leave in the middle of the night.

Ichika was hungry, so we decided to hurry up and enter through the aristocrats gate.

The inspection went without a hitch and we were able to enter the town as smoothly as Maidence said we would.

Compared to Tsuia, Mikhan felt a lot more like a peaceful farming village.

The outer walls and buildings themselves werent much different, but I guess it was the spacing between everything?

Wait, isnt this all even closer together than the capital?Noticing that along with the population density made me want to tilt my head. Err, theres a ton of buildings here?

Most of the area is needed for livestock, so theres relatively less people. Tsuia has more in terms of population, yeah? Also, at the time this town was founded, parchment was a popular export and there were way more people, but once the Hero Studio started developing paper of its own, most of the artisans moved to other towns Nowadays, the demand for paper can be satisfied even by just using restoration magic on the parchment and not even produce it.

I see. So thats why theres a huge plot of land here with so little people?

Guess we should be headin to the adventurer guild first. Coachman, please.

Ah, theres a veggie roll stand! One of Mikhans staples!

Veggie roll? Whats that?

Its where ya lightly cook some flour and roll strips of vegetables and grilled lamb in it!

That did sound pretty good. Like a spring roll, no, maybe more like a vegetable crepe? No, wait, Ive heard of a type of shish kebab like that I wonder if its another trace from Hero Ishidaka?

Im feeling hungry, too. Lets get some, Kehma. Ill pay!

Ah, if thats the case, Ill go too. Leave the shopping to me.

Id like to try some of the lamb skewers.

Oh yeeeah, Meat-senpais the type that loves meat skewers huh! But they have vegetables too?

Yeah, we can, but later. After we go to the guild though. We could get into hassles if we do all that in a coach with this crest on it.

Besides, I wanted to hurry up and get to an inn. After camping out for four days with the women in the coach and men outside in a tent well, I want to sleep in a room.

I had to share a tent with Wataru, Gozoh, and the coachman, so there wasnt even enough room for me to use my futon. Im going to use my futon tonight, dammit! My body pillowMeat too.

Wataru. Lets stay here for two days. I want to catch up on sleep.

I was planning on us staying here that long to replenish our supplies, anyway.

Thats good, then. Lets not leave the inn tomorrow.

Like that, we reached the adventurer guild as we talked. It was crowded.

There are a ton of monsters that want to eat the livestock, so theres also a ton of adventurers here that want to take on subjugation commissions.

Oh, so thats why.

Alright then, well deal with checking the coach in, so well leave reporting our arrival to you, Kehma-san. Oh, and heres the luggage I got with my delivery commission.

Sure hey, hold on. Wheres Rokuko and Ichika?

By the time I realized it, neither of them were there. Theres no way they got lost even after we made it this far in the coach, right?

They went to a nearby stall to buy something. They should be back soon.

Well, I guess itll be fine since Ichikas with her. Alright Meat, could you help me out with this luggage?

I handed some of the luggage Id got from Wataru to Wataru and entered the guild with her.

I felt gazes fall on us as we entered the guild.

Lets see, wheres the counter for turning in commissions? I have luggage here for a delivery commission.

Oh, its over here. Welcome to the Mikhan branch.

A person that looked to be a receptionist called us over to the counter.

Alright, then heres this, and this. Is that it?

Yes!? E-e-eeeehWatar nnn! Yes, that is everything. Would you prefer for the compensation to be evenly distributed to all cooperators?

Yeah, please.

Wataru had entered the guild midway through our conversation and sat down as he waited for me.

Huh? What, youre safe?

Safe? Did you think Id manage to get into trouble from something like this?

Oh, no. I mean, the first time I came to this guild they told me [Ill help ya for a small fee]. I wonder if its just that Japanese have child faces Right, Borl-san?

Th-That was incredibly rude of me, Hero-sama, I wasnt aware! Please excuse my transgression!

Called out by Wataru in good humor, the adventurer averted his face in embarrassment.

Hed thought Wataru was some sheep, but he turned out to be an S-Rank adventurer, and a hero at that I guess it just speaks for how gentle Wataru is, seeing how often he gets mixed up in stuff like that.

Looks like hes already repented if things turned out this way. I guess you told him to keep an eye out for adventurers with black hair or something yeah? Guess I was able to make it through without anything happening thanks to that.

That so? Man, Borl-san, its a good thing you didnt try anything with him. Ive challenged this guy a few times now and I havent even won once.

Huh!? Hes stronger than you!?

Now that I think about it, I did win against him in that loaded gamble and that handicapped mock fight, but I dont think that makes me stronger than him?

Not to mention how he challenged a flame dragon the other day and came out uninjured. Just him and the girl next to him.

He brought a child to a natural disasteran A-Ranked monster!?

Well, I guess I did? It was just a farce since that flame dragonIgni was Ontentoos daughter, though.

Hey, cut it out Wataru. You know I dont like making a fuss.

Isnt it fine if its just now and then? I mean, its not everyday you leave Golen.

Has Wataru been a bit overly conscious of calling me by name, saying Im from Golen, and spreading information about me since a bit ago?

Meat looked happy though. Her tail was wagging at ninety miles an hour.

By the way, this girl heres even stronger than me~

G-G