Volume 2 Chapter 27: Noil and His Quirky Companions, Part III

I keep the carriage moving, continuously. The only thing on my mind is fishing.

Right now, that’s all I want to think about.

I’ve run away—escaped from everything. I wanted to break free from all constraints and live as a free-spirited angler.

My destination is the sea. It’s quite far from the capital, and even with this carriage, it’ll take a few days. But I stocked up on mana bottles, so getting there won’t be a problem. I don’t have to worry about the return trip, either.

After all, I don’t plan on going back to White Road.

Once I reach the sea, I’ll settle in a coastal town and live a quiet life with Mar-chan.

Am I a terrible person?

There’s Noel, who was concerned about me, and even Fiona, who, surprisingly, seems to have some fondness for me. And then there’s the manager… well, never mind.

Leaving without saying goodbye, abandoning everything, and running away… it probably makes me a lousy person.

But this time, it’s unavoidable.

I never expected things to turn out as they did after Fiona returned. Or rather, what was that? Hell?

Leaving Fiona aside, I never imagined Noel would react like that… I’m not sure what went wrong, but it’s probably my fault. And the manager… yeah.

So, I decided to disappear. Maybe it’s irresponsible, but if my absence means peace, I’ll gladly vanish. Besides, I can’t handle it anymore. I’m a weak-hearted person.

“The sea… is calling us,” muttered a demon youth, sitting cross-legged on top of the carriage, gazing dramatically at the sun.

With his short, spiked, dull-gray hair and youthful, dark-brown eyes sparkling with excitement, he’s already wearing a fishing vest, though it’s a bit early for that.

“Hmm.”

Beside him, a cool, black-haired feline beastman—a striking figure—crosses his arms and nods with dignified air.

With piercing, deep-green eyes and shiny black fur, he’s dressed sharply in a tuxedo with a mini-hat perched on his head. He’s very stylish.

They’re my fishing buddies whom I met while living in the capital.

The demon youth is Rett Kreister.

He’s a miner with the Spirit Wind party. His rank is an impressive B—almost the top, since A is practically the highest rank. So he’s quite talented.

Apparently, his rank rose mainly thanks to his party’s accomplishments, so his individual strength might be around C.

Still, considering he’s only sixteen, he’s accomplished. Miners’ ranks range from S to F, and most only reach D. Rising higher requires both talent and luck.

When I suddenly visited him in the middle of the night to invite him sea fishing, he was initially shocked. But when I said, “Let’s go sea fishing!” he instantly replied, “I’ve been waiting for those words…!” without hesitation.

He’d recently finished exploring a mining site and was relatively free. Without notifying his party members, he left a note at home and eagerly joined me. He’s a great guy, though I don’t take responsibility if he gets scolded later.

The reason I invited him was because this might be the last time we’d fish together, and I wanted someone for protection along the way. There’s always bandits and monsters to worry about.

Also, since I’m practically penniless after running away, I might borrow some money. Asking a younger person feels awkward, but I have no choice. It’s just for the fare to the sea.

The cool feline beastman, our fishing master, is simply known as Master.

Master is… well, just Master. I don’t know his name, age, where he lives, or even what he does for a living. He’s a mysterious, dashing figure.

All I know is he’s great at fishing and incredibly cool, so Rett and I call him Master.

I don’t know where Master usually is, nor did we invite him, but when Rett and I were heading toward the capital’s gates, he was already there.

With his luggage on his back, without looking at us, he simply said, “You’re going… aren’t you?”

How cool. Rett and I exchanged knowing smiles without saying anything further and left the capital with Master.

Now, with the best companions, I’m heading to the sea.

Thanks to pushing the carriage non-stop since midnight, we’re already quite far from the capital. Our slightly sleep-deprived excitement keeps us going.

Today, we’ll travel as far as we can.

“By the way, Noil. It’s a bit late to ask, but what’s all this about?”

Rett finally asks, though rather late. “Noil” is his nickname for me, a quirk of the demon race that I don’t mind.

“Is a reason necessary?”

“Heh, maybe not.”

“Hmph…”

I respond with a hint of a smug grin, and Rett rubs his nose with a satisfied smile while Master gives a cool smile. Words aren’t necessary among friends.

“Well, actually, I ran away because I’m thinking of quitting my job.”

Since this might be the last time, I briefly explain the situation. Also, I need money.

“What, you’re finally quitting that odd-jobs place?”

“So that’s your decision… Noil.”

Rett sounds surprised, and Master speaks knowingly. Even Master calls me Noil.

“Yeah, something like that.”

“Did something happen? What about that monster woman?”

“Resignation, huh.”

Of course, when Rett mentions “monster woman,” he’s referring to the manager.

One time, while the three of us were fishing, the manager showed up and had a little spat with Rett. She ruined our fishing, and he got irritated. In the end, she thrashed him, dragged me off to White Road, and Master just continued fishing, unbothered.

Since then, Rett calls her the monster woman. Fair enough, I think.

“Fiona came back last night, but…”

“Oh… she came back, huh.”

When I say that, Rett looks slightly uncomfortable. I didn’t think he had a particularly negative impression of Fiona, so I’m a bit curious.

“Something wrong?”

“Oh, no, it’s… well…” Rett awkwardly scratches his cheek and then reveals a shocking truth.

“I hadn’t mentioned this, but she actually came to the Miner’s Guild before leaving on her trip.”

“Eh, for what?”

“To pick a fight?”

I clutch my head.

“She said, ‘From now on, please only explore the excavation sites quietly.’”

“What…?”

“‘All the requests coming to the capital will be handled by White Road; there’s no need for you to interfere.’ She said it with a smile and left.”

What was she thinking?

How disrespectful to the professionals in that field. And what? White Road will handle all requests?

That’s impossible. Back then, there were only three employees.

Even now, it’s just four people. Oh, wait, now it’s three again since I left. Not that it matters.

“Were they angry…?”

I ask nervously.

“Yeah, some were pretty pissed. But most just looked baffled or like they’d seen something strange. Our boss calmed the angry ones, so it didn’t turn into a big issue.”

“Thanks… and sorry.”

Thank you, Rett’s party leader, whoever you are. Not that I care to know more.

“Don’t worry about it. So what’s your plan now that crazy woman’s back?”

In Rett’s mind, Fiona is now among the “crazy ones” too.

Given her actions, it’s understandable. Apparently, there’s no one sane in White Road. Well, maybe Noel is. But being too rational may have caused this mess. A sad reality.

“I got into a bit of a fight with the new girl working at White Road.”

“Is she… a woman?”

“Yes.”

“Oh… I see.”

“A love triangle, huh…”

They both nodded, seemingly satisfied with the conclusion they’d reached. It was helpful that they understood so much from that short exchange.

“So, it’s Noil’s fault, isn’t it?”

“Well… I suppose so.”

To be precise, it had all started over a debate about who had the right to enter my room.

Thinking back, it seemed utterly trivial. Why had Fiona and Noel gotten so fixated on something so pointless? As long as it wasn’t outright trespassing, anyone could come and go freely. They probably just got caught up in the argument and couldn’t back down.

“So, you ran away because it became uncomfortable.”

“Yeah… that, and… no, forget it.”

“Come on, Noil, now you’ve got me curious.”

“…I don’t want to say.”

To be honest, the biggest reason I ran was the manager’s kiss.

I don’t know what came over her… but because of that, I understand her even less now.

It’s awkward to even look her in the face, yet admitting that outright feels petty, so I try not to dwell on it. Though the fact that I’m even thinking about it shows it’s still on my mind.

I slapped both my cheeks to shake off the weird feelings and cool down my warming cheeks.

“Oh, uh… what was that all about?” Rett sounded startled by my sudden action, while Master murmured calmly.

“Sometimes, it’s just like that.”

Rett, sounding exasperated, lay back with his hands behind his head.

“Doesn’t your party have these kinds of issues, Rett?”

“Nope, we don’t. And I couldn’t care less. So hey, Noil, since you quit, why don’t you join Spirit Wind? Together, we could find the ultimate fishing spot in the mining sites!”

“I don’t plan on going back to the capital, so…”

I turned down Rett’s offer. He often tried to recruit me to his party, but I’m not a miner, nor do I want to be. I want no part in venturing into dangerous mining sites.

Sure, I’m curious about the fishing spots there, but I’d probably end up catching monsters instead of fish. And while I don’t mind monster fishing, dealing with them afterward is troublesome and dangerous, so I tend to avoid it.

Rett is a bit eccentric, having become a miner solely in search of new fishing spots.

“Huh?! You’re leaving the capital, Noil?”

“Yeah… I mean, I ran away.”

“A journey… is it?”

Rett sat up, and Master lowered his gaze. It seems they’d assumed I was just heading to the sea to blow off some steam and would eventually return to the capital.

“If I stay in the capital, I’ll get dragged back to White Road.”

Actually, maybe not. After everything that’s happened, Noel and Fiona are probably fed up with me, and the manager will likely lose interest if I’m gone for a while.

It’s a bit lonely, but that’s just how it is for someone like me. All the same, staying away from the capital is probably for the best.

“If that’s the case, I’ll hide you! C’mon, think it over. It’s gonna be lonely without you!”

“Rett…”

“Our friendship is eternal.”

“Master…”

Their passionate words made my eyes well up.

And then—

“—Incoming.”

“Huh? What is it, Master?”

Master muttered something cryptic as he looked toward the back of the carriage. Rett squinted in the same direction, noticing something as he stood up.

From where I was, I couldn’t see what was going on.

“What’s up?”

“Noil, can you go any faster?”

“Uh, no, I can’t.”

The carriage was already at full speed, so I couldn’t make it go any faster.

“Contact unavoidable, then.”

“Alright, I’ll shoot it down!”

“Wait, something’s coming?”

This was starting to feel scary.

Rett raised his left hand with his thumb up and his index and middle fingers pointed skyward, forming a finger gun. With a smirk, he shouted with confidence.

“Take this—Flame Bullet!”

At his command, a small flame appeared at his fingertips and shot out at high speed. It’s a spell Rett favors, one that burrows into the enemy’s body and burns them from the inside—a pretty brutal spell. But after firing it, Rett’s eyes widened in shock.

“No way!? It dodged!”

After all that bravado…

It seems the target easily evaded his attack. What on earth is following us? Whatever it is, if it can dodge Rett’s attack, that’s genuinely terrifying. Though, I remember how the manager swatted his attacks aside without even yawning.

“Damn it…! Alright, then how about this!”

Supporting his left hand with his right, Rett fired a rapid series of Flame Bullets. It was like a rain of fire.

“Take that, take that, take that! …What the heck!? None of them are hitting!”

Despite his enthusiastic barrage, it didn’t seem to have any effect on the enemy. Eventually, he stopped, stomping his foot in frustration.

“Damn… is it just too far? Then—”

“Hold on.”

Master put a hand on Rett’s shoulder to stop him as he was about to try something else.

“Huh? What is it, Master? Whatever that thing is, if we don’t deal with it soon, it’ll catch up.”

“Indeed, there’s a strong presence, but it’s not an enemy. Look closely.”

“Huh…?”

At Master’s words, Rett shaded his eyes and squinted. Really, Rett, shouldn’t you stop attacking when you don’t even know what it is? He’s a bit too hot-blooded.

“Wait… could it be…?”

“Yes.”

“Uh, could someone tell me what’s coming?”

I would appreciate it if they could stop leaving me out of the loop. At my question, Master and Rett slowly turned to me.

“Stop the carriage.”

“Uh… alright.”

When Master gave the order, I complied without a second thought. After all, he’s just too cool to question.

As the carriage came to a stop, for some reason, both of them picked up their bags. Rett scratched his cheek awkwardly.

“Uh… Noil?”

“Yes?”

“Sorry, but this is a bit much for us.”

“What?”

“Well then—see you around!”

With a resounding voice, Master shouted his farewell, and Rett quickly jumped on his back. In the blink of an eye, the two of them leapt off the carriage and sprinted across the plain, with Rett offering an apologetic prayer from Master’s back.

They moved so swiftly that I didn’t even have time to stop them. In mere moments, their figures shrank to the size of grains of rice in the distance.

And then, as I sat alone and bewildered on the driver’s seat, left behind—

A gust of wind accompanied the arrival of a single woman from the sky.

With her familiar sky-blue braided half-up hair, she wore clothes that emphasized her well-proportioned figure without being overly revealing. Behind her, her silver wings—her magical weapon—shone brightly.

As she gracefully landed, she removed her hefty goggles, revealing her beautiful sky-blue eyes, a refined face, and a radiant, blooming smile.

“I’ve come to pick you up, Noil-senpai.”

Watching my junior, Fiona Mabel, standing before me, I couldn’t help but think—

Friendship sure is fleeting…