Sevens

Volume 2, Chapter 24 – Close Friend

Translated by: Reiji

──Inside the cramped hut where Lyle and the others were staying.

Aria and Sophia, whose pain hadn’t gotten better in the slightest even after noon had passed, were lying down on their futon.

Novem and Zephy went outside and right now there was only the two of them.

Novem had ground down some wild grass which were said to be effective for pain and smeared it on their bodies. The two of them were looking up to the ceiling of the small room that was filled with the slightly strong smell of the wild grass.

The silence continued for a while, but Aria opened her mouth.

「Hey」

「……What is it? Hih! Auuuu……」

Sophia immediately tried to look at Aria, but the pain of her body made her scream a bit. Because they had forced themselves to use the Arts that they had only just manifested, their bodies were worn out.

Aria moved her neck to look at Sophia’s cringing face but──

「Afuyah!」

Pain ran through her whole body. Sophia laughed slightly hearing that voice. Because of that her stomach muscle felt pain and she writhed again. She endured that and asked Aria.

「Uuu, wha, what is it? You had something you wanted to ask just now?」

「Tha, that’s right! You, why did you say that kind of harsh thing to Lyle? Be a little bit more considerate to him.」

Sophia had also heard about Lyle’s circumstances from Novem. Sophia argued with Aria even knowing that.

「Certainly there are parts that I ought to sympathize with. But, so what about it? Acting strict will be for the sake of Lyle-dono too.」

「You──tsu! Uuuu……」

Pain ran through her again when she spontaneously raised her voice. Aria waited for her cold sweat to recede somehow.

The two would be pained if they moved their bodies even if only slightly. Sometimes voices of 「Afuu」「Ah!」 and the like that could even sound coquettish by mistake filled the room.

According to Novem their bodies were trying to change into an optimal state for the sake of using their Arts. There was a need to optimize the body to be dedicated for the manifested Art in order to use it, she said.

That was the first time the two heard about that.

The two of them calmed down their breathing once more before resuming their talk. The two of them were drenched in sweat even though they were sleeping.

Sophia said to Aria.

「……It won’t be for the good of the person to keep spoiling him forever.」

「I think it’s also problematic to suddenly act harshly towards him though.」

In response to Aria’s swift answer, Sophia replied 「Perhaps that is so」 with a small voice. But, it seemed she had no intention to alter her attitude.

She said a bit sadly.

「I don’t really understand how to be kind. At my house, my grandfather was really strict, he would raise his hand right away. There were even times when I thought that was normal.」

Aria recalled her own father.

(When I was little, Otou-sama was kind and never hit me, didn’t he.)

Thinking that, Aria became unable to blame Sophia. Sophia continued her words.

「Grandfather was overprotective, or should I say he had an outdated way of thinking. Because of that I spent most of my time in the mansion’s garden. Sometimes Otou-sama would take me outside, but then grandfather would yell at Otou-sama. I didn’t want to see that. When I realized, I almost never even talked with someone around my age. Grandfather kept saying it’s because I’m a daughter who would marry into another house.」

Apparently not everything around her was strict. But, even then Sophia’s life was still in a strict category.

「I thought that you are strangely stiff, so it’s because of that.」

When Aria said that, Sophia fell silent for a while before murmuring.

「Honestly, I’m envious of you.」

「Why’s that?」

Aria felt puzzled hearing Sophia was envying her. She was the daughter of the ruined Lockwarde House. Her father cooperated with a bandit group and he was punished for it.

Aria herself was sold as a prostitute although it was only on the surface.

「……Weren’t you get saved even though you were kidnapped by a bandit group? That’s enviable.」

When Sophia said that shyly, Aria was taken aback with a gasp, however the next moment she let out a laugh.

「Aha, ahahaha……biguuu!!」

Her stomach felt painful from laughing. Her body moved because of that pain and her whole body felt pain. While Aria screamed and writhed, Sophia who thought she was laughed at got angry.

「Wha, what is so funn──hahyaaaa!!」

The two of them waited for the pain to recede before resuming their talk. The two of them were breathing roughly.

Aria was tearful from her body’s pain while,

「I, I was saved but, Lyle isn’t really conscious of me, our relation isn’t like what you think, you know……」

It was hard to even talk. Sophia reacted to that.

「The, the result is the same. Be, besides……you were even pro, proposed for marriage. You were approached by multiple males, that’s e, enviable……ouch……」

Sophia was also shedding tears from her body’s pain.

Then Aria spoke.

「It’s not like I’m happy of that. It looks like Dale-san has another person he likes after all.」

「Is that so?」

「That so. I think, it’s that Paola-san perhaps? Dale-san sometimes would watch her with a conflicted look on his face. Someone like me is only approached because he is aiming at my bloodline that can use magic. He is stupid. Even though something like the Lockwarde’s bloodline has no more worth.」

Hearing the name Lockwarde, Sophia recalled Aria’s circumstance and fell silent. And then, she apologized after a while.

「I’m sorry. I thoughtlessly spoke about envying you without considering your circumstance……」

Aria answered.

「It’s fine. Right now I can work as an adventurer like this thanks to Lyle. That’s why, I wanted to thank him but……I, cannot be of any use. So, at least, I want to be kind to him.」

Sophia also talked about the inside of her heart to Aria.

「Honestly, I’m always thinking that perhaps, I’m just using Lyle-dono like this. Far from repaying my debt, I am holding him back and even make him take care of me. It’s pathetic, so if it’s like this, I thought that I should at least do what I can and can only act strictly towards him……」

When the two of them understood that they thought the same thing as each other, they started laughing. However, they immediately writhed again due to the pain──

.

I am standing still outside the hut with my hand holding a bucket filled with water.

It’s because the ancestors told me to not enter right now.

「……I wonder if it’s alright for me to enter now?」

The Second gave me permission even while feeling slightly exasperated. However, he also told me to enter after waiting for a bit more.

『Lyle, if you enter at this timing, they will think that you were listening to their talk.』

「No, I actually have been listening in fact.」

Yes, their conversation could be heard until outside the hut. The conversation that was mixed with strange voices in between was talking about me.

The Fourth warned me.

『Lyle, be careful to not say something like you were listening to their talk. Do you understand?』

「……Yes.」

I’m used to having people speak ill about me behind my back, so it doesn’t matter even if they were talking about me. But, this time I felt this strange embarrassment.

It felt like they were treasuring me from the way they talked. Until now the retainers and servants in the mansion would spread malicious gossip behind my back in the mansion routinely. Within their talk they would always compare me to Celes, and I gradually got used even to that. No, perhaps they were intentionally doing it so I could hear. After all, they were purposefully talking at the place that I was passing through.

While I was waiting, I could hear the First getting moved to tears. Perhaps this person is unexpectedly easily moved to tears.

『Aria-chan……so you are thinking about Lyle until that far.』

The Third was exasperated at the First.

『You don’t need to be crying like that because of this. More importantly Lyle……it’s great isn’t it?』

I tilted my head at that.

「What is?」

The Fifth sighed.

『It’s how you have girls around you who, although awkward, are good girls. I won’t tell you to marry them but, treat them with care.』

Then the First objected to the Fifth.

『No, tell him to marry them there! They are really good girls like this!』

The Sixth spoke with a troubled voice.

『No, well……but, the problem lies in Lyle. He doesn’t have the resolve, or should I say that this isn’t the stage to have that kind of talk……』

Certainly, from the eyes of the ancestors I must be someone unreliable.

Perhaps they were uneasy because of that.

「Well, I don’t know if I can make even Novem alone happy. ……Ah, it had become quiet so I’ll come in.」

I entered inside the hut.

The two of them might be tired from talking or from their writhing. They were sleeping soundly.

.

Around the fourth day since we came to the village.

Aria-san and Sophia-san had recovered, so we are going to try fighting monsters in the nearby forest.

However, this was Dale-san’s territory. We went to him to ask for the permission to hunt, but…….

「No way. The material and magic stones belong to the village. I’ll have you hand over 80% of the gain to us.」

When we went to the feudal lord’s mansion and talked to Dale-san, Zappa-san who was the leader of the youth in the village came. He brushed aside Dale-san who was talking with Zelphy-san and butt in at the talk regarding the sharing of the materials and magic stones.

Dale-san was also troubled.

「Zappa, they will be the ones defeating the monsters. It’s fine to take only half isn’t it? I think if they receive the magic stones, with the materials given to us……」

Zappa-san yelled.

「How can you have a weak attitude like that! The soldiers of the Baron were the same. Those guys, they brought back all the magic stones and materials the monsters dropped. You were taken lightly because of your weak attitude like that!」

Dale-san couldn’t say anything back at Zappa-san’s words. I touched the Jewel.

Then the First talked with a displeased voice.

『Asking for half when you don’t even defeat the monsters yourself, don’t screw around! That’s what I’ll tell him. I totally hate this kind of guy!』

The Second ignored the First’s grievance.

『This place is Dale’s territory. The right to decide lies with Dale. But……I’ve been thinking it since before but, he doesn’t have any decent higher-ups with him huh.』

The Fourth explained to me.

『Lyle, the higher-ups are people who are indispensable for managing a village. Look, among the villagers there are people who have surnames, right? Like the village mayor or peacemaker……let’s see, they are people like this Zappa who act as the leader of the village’s youths.』

The Third continued the explanation with a sleepy voice. He didn’t seem interested.

『The higher-ups of the village are the people who practically manage the village, if the higher-ups worked properly then the feudal lord will have it easy. In fact, there are higher-ups who are more capable than their feudal lord. The feudal lord who has that kind of personnel has it really easy in their work. I’m jealous.』

The Fifth spat out with a chilly tone.

『Dale is at fault for making this guy a higher-up. This talk is over with that.』

I recalled the higher-ups of this village. Paola-san and Zappa-san……they are young and unreliable. They are unreliable not because they are young,but rather, they are really unreliable for a reason that is unrelated to their age. Though it’s not something that someone like me can talk about.

Zelphy-san was irritated, but she said to Dale-san.

「I understand. This is also to teach these four people here anyway. Our reward will be 20% of the whole. We ask our share to be the only the magic stones because they are easy to carry.」

Dale-san looked apologetic, and then, Zappa-san made a triumphant face.

Seeing that the Second spoke with a low voice. It sounded like he wasn’t talking about Zappa-san, but Dale-san.

『……Idiot.』

It seemed Zappa-san was older than Dale-san, and he was like a big brother to him. Because of that, Dale-san also couldn’t talk back to him. Was that the case?

This reception, could it be this also included payback to me?

I don’t know about that but, it seemed the ancestors were irritated with the way he was being considerate to Zappa-san.

.

We walked until near the forest. We were wearing lighter equipment than usual. It was easy to move.

The forest was located a slight distance away from the village.

Near us, there was also the wagon that was loaded with our baggage. We didn’t leave behind our possessions in the village.

Zelphy-san carried a shield with her left hand and a sword with her right hand that she placed on her shoulder. She wore leather armor and looked around before explaining to us.

「Listen, in the case we are going to a faraway place, or using a settlement or village──fortress as base, there will be times when we have to prepare a camp site. In both cases, you absolutely have to manage your own luggage. In case you have to leave somewhere, you should bring your luggage with you or leave behind a guard.」

Sophia-san slightly looked down.

「Well, it’s sad but people with sticky fingers can be found anywhere.」

Zelphy-san nodded.

「This is for each other’s sake. In case there is theft, because an adventurer’s tool is expensive. Depending on the situation a harsh punishment will be given. In order to prevent that kind of loss, so that you won’t be stolen from, manage your own luggage. Sometimes there will also be a bunch that act excessively kind and tell you to entrust your luggage to them or something, be careful towards those kind of people. Oops, they came out.」

While we were talking near the forest, an insect type monster came out from the bush. Its size was around 60 centimeters and it looked like a moth.

It was fluttering around and drool was trickling from its mouth. It looked like it would snap at us even now.

Zelphy-san used her one-handed sword not to cut it but to knock it down. The sword’s flat side made *bashi-!* sound.

It was like she was just striking a fly.

「See. It’s effective to hit it down like this. It’s better than stabbing it and causing the fluid to scatter everywhere. Besides, when it comes in large number it will be troublesome if you have to pull out your weapon every time after stabbing it.」

Zelphy-san skillfully wore her gloves and plucked off the wings from the monster as material, and took out a red magic stone from inside the body.

「Next……I don’t think you will do it but, absolutely don’t use fire or lightning element magic inside a forest. Sometimes there will be an idiot who tried to burn a monster along with the forest. The monsters living inside the forest will run away to the surroundings, turning it into a disaster.」

If the forest burned, the monsters living there would rush to the surroundings and cause damage. It seemed the number of monsters lurking in a place like a forest was relatively many.

It seemed sometimes there would also be atrocious monsters among them and it would go around destroying the surrounding villages. Novem looked around and she seemed to notice something.

「Come to think of it, there is no elf in this forest. The forest is growing abundantly and is hard to enter.」

Elves──even among the demi-humans, they had a beautiful appearance. They were famous as a demi-human race that didn’t occupy a permanent settlement. Elves could largely be divided into two categories. The hunter elves, that lived inside forests, and the traveling performer elves that traveled everywhere.

Both types lived without settling down in one place fitting for an elf. The type that didn’t live in the forest could often be seen in everyday life, and were strongly perceived as performers who displayed song and dance.

Zelphy-san finished taking the magic stone and materials while speaking.

「The number of monster will be extremely few if there were elves living here, and the forest will feel more managed. Well, it will also be really troublesome if there were elves here though.」

Aria tilted her head.

「But, demi-humans are fundamentally friendly towards human, right……no, isn’t it? Is there any problem with them?」

Aria-san altered her tone to be more polite towards Zelphy-san who was in working mode.

「……There is no problem with the performer elves but, a lot of the elves inside the forest are hot blooded. Well, they will be friendly if you don’t do anything strange, so it’s alright. But you see……they will try to ask various things about the outside situation, so if they caught you, it will be really hard to get away from them.」

Novem chuckled.

「Elves love songs and tales after all. I heard that the elves inside the forest are starving for that kind of topic.」

Sophia-san muttered.

「……They feel troublesome somehow.」

Zelphy-san nodded while taking off her gloves.

「They’re troublesome. They also have stamina, and the inside of the forest is an elf’s garden so you won’t be able to escape. If they thought that you have an interesting story, you will be confined for a few days. Well, they will judge the person so they won’t approach dangerous people.」

We listened to the unexpected story about elves while entering the forest.

Aria-san and Sophia-san immediately moved forward.

「Leave this to me. I was no good until now but, I have manifested my Art so I’ll show my usefulness from now!」

「I finally can repay my debt. ……I’m going!」

The two charged into the forest.

Novem called out to their backs, but they didn’t seem to listen.

「Err, we should move as a group……they’re gone.」

A vein appeared on Zelphy-san’s forehead.

「I’ll give them a punch when I bring them back.」

In the end we went to search for the two. Aria-san used her Art inside the forest and she was dangling from a branch swayingly. She was fainting from getting hit on the head. Sophia-san was struggling to pull out her battle axe that hit deeply into a tree.

The evaluation that the Second gave the two of them was,

『……Idiot.』

That.

.

We collected the two and left the forest.

Leaving aside the two who were scolded by Zelphy-san, I entered the forest alone.

Novem was standing by outside the forest. My role is to lure out monsters.

The tactic was for me to gather monsters, and when coming outside Novem would blow them all in one go with magic.

I walked inside the forest swinging the hatchet I prepared. The blade was square at the tip. The handle was a bit curved. It was easy to handle to brush away the obstructing branch and grass while advancing rather than using a dagger.

Then, the Second seemed happy.

『How is it, Lyle! A hatchet is easy to use right?』

「Yeah. I think it’s better than a dagger for this kind of situation.」

Certainly, it was easier to use than a dagger if it was for advancing through this kind of place.

I advanced while confirming the surrounding terrain with the Fifth’s Art, Map, and searched the enemy’s location using the Sixth’s Art, Search.

When I found an enemy reaction like that, I listened to the Second’s instruction.

『Don’t make any sound. Can you see the enemy?』

I slowly moved towards the enemy’s direction. I checked the ground under me while advancing without making any sound as much as possible. I arrived until the position where I could see the enemy with my naked eye.

Over there, was a rabbit that was as big as a medium-sized dog. No, rather than rabbit……there was various ways to call it. It was a monster that was called killer rabbit, one horned rabbit, or horn rabbit.

A distinctive cone shaped horn grew from its forehead. Its red eyes were sharp and looked aggressive. It was eating grass, but its front tooth was sharp and the other teeth also looked like a carnivore’s.

The monster had white fur and looked fluffy. It would attack if a human approached, but it was said that it would be alright if they weren’t approached.

When I switched from the hatchet to a saber, the Second raised a surprised voice 『Eh!?』, but I ignored him and approached. He must be surprised that I didn’t use the hatchet.

Then, the Fifth spoke in a bit of panic.

『O, oi. This guy really isn’t a problem if you don’t approach him. Le, let’s just overlook it.』

Then the Sixth spoke to the Fifth in exasperation.

『Fifth……you still have that sickness.』

『Don’t call it sickness! Look at how pitiful it is!』

Calling a monster pitiful……. I never even imagined that the Fifth would say something like that. Normally he was composed and didn’t talk much. The Fifth felt the most lacking in human kindness to me.

Then the ancestors from the First until even the Third were enraged.

『PITIFUL YOU SAYYYY!? There is nothing but hatred welling up inside me when I see these things! I want to crush it into pieces right this instant!』

『It’s irritating when I see that fur. I want to shoot it with an arrow right at this instant and skin it.』

『It’s the Walt House’s style to kill it the instant you discover them. Search and destroy!』

Even the Third who was usually carefree sounded seriously angry.

Perhaps noticing the uproar inside the Jewel──the monster sensed me.

「It noticed!? Don’t tell me the voice inside is──」

I thought that it could hear the conversation inside the Jewel, but the First gave me advice.

『Lyle, these things are beasts. He smelled you. Pay attention to the wind’s direction. Look, it’s coming at you!』

The First sounded like he was having fun.

The horned rabbit moved towards me in a straight line. It was going to stab me with the horn on its forehead. It was heading towards me and took a deep forward step to leap toward me──

『Now. Move to the side and cut it with your saber!』

I dodged to the left just as the First said. The jumping horned rabbit lost its target while it was in midair. The moment it passed by me, I cut it with saber and blood scattered to the surroundings. The trees and green leaves were dyed red.

That color was displayed vividly among the forest’s greenery. The scent of the tree was overwritten by the smell of blood.

When the horned rabbit fell to the ground and rolled over,

『NOOOOOO!!』

The Fifth’s scream came from inside the Jewel.

「Please wait. Don’t yell seriously like that……it decreases my mana.」

It will be dangerous if I collapse inside the forest. When I asked the Fifth to be quiet, I could hear the voices of three people rejoicing.

『Fuh, the annoying monster that devastated the farms has vanished.』

『How refreshing.』

『It’s the enemy of farms after all. These guys, even though they don’t really need to eat, it ravaged the farms greatly. Besides……』

The Third didn’t continue his sentence. The Fifth objected.

『There is no need to kill it! It’s fine as long as you don’t approach it!』

『Fifth, please be quiet already.』

The Sixth admonished the Fifth which was unusual. Even so, why was the Fifth covering up for a monster until this far?

「What’s up with the Fifth? Or rather, you didn’t say anything when I defeated other monsters.」

The Sixth spoke with a fed-up voice.

『It’s that. The Fifth loves animals. Especially the fluffy and cute ones.』

That’s unexpected. Even though he looked like a person that wasn’t interested in anything.

The Fifth unusually objected emotionally.

『Is it wrong? Are you saying it’s wrong!?』

The Sixth laughed.

『It’s obviously wrong. After all it’s mistaken to love your pets more than your own children.』

「……Eh? What does that mean?」

Both the Fifth and the Sixth fell silent looking like they didn’t want to talk. It seemed that even the Sixth who was usually idolizing the Fifth was holding some kind of parent and child problem.

The Second talked apathetically.

『It became a source of Growth for Lyle. It’s good like that. Look, the next one came, the next.』

The Growth occurred faster by defeating monsters. I was trying to put it into practice, but there wasn’t any sign at all that my Growth would come.

When I approached the horned rabbit, the First taught me the way to process it.

『First drain its blood.』

「In this place?」

『When other monsters gathered to the smell of blood, you can just take along the corpse with you and go outside. Come on, do it swiftly.』

Previously I couldn’t do something like this, but I got used to it since becoming an adventurer and doing various things. Because the meat of a horned rabbit can be eaten, it’s treated as material. It mustn’t get dirtied, so I stabbed my saber to the ground and took out a clean knife. Like that I began draining its blood.

When I checked the movement of the surrounding enemies using Art, certainly they were moving towards the scent of blood.

「I’ll go outside like this.」

I carried the horned rabbit with one hand while storing the saber into its sheath. I took out the hatchet and began moving. I adjusted the distance so that the enemy would converge on me while aiming to go outside the forest.

While running inside the forest, my feet got caught in quagmire several times.

When I got out from inside the gloomy forest to the bright outside, Novem who was on standby readied her heirloom staff and began preparing her magic.

As I yelled at Novem, the figures of Aria-san and Sophia-san who were made to kneel on the ground entered my sight.

「There are seven! They are moving fast. Burn them all at once!」

Fire element magic couldn’t be used inside the forest. But, we were outside. Besides, magic control was simple for Novem. It was easy for her to make it so the forest wouldn’t catch fire.

Novem lifted her staff and chanted.

「……Fire Storm.」

When I passed beside Novem, the swarm of moths coming out from the forest aimed at Novem. And then, wind was whirling with the seven moths at the center and flames manifested.

The seven monsters were neatly caught inside the storm of flame. The storm became a fire pillar and they burned.

The surrounding temperature increased drastically. I threw the hatchet to the ground and covered my face with my right hand. It seemed there was no monster escaping to outside the magic range.

「As expected.」

Novem lightly bowed at my praise.

「Lyle-sama too, good work.」

Zelphy-san approached us while applauding.

「Splendid. The material was burned but no problem. It’s not our business after all. Look, both of you, collect the magic stones from the monster cinders!」

The two who were made to kneel stood up. It seemed their legs were paralyzed, they were using their spear and battle axe as canes and walked to collect the magic stones.

「……Even though I did my best.」

「How vexing.」

Well, it’s good that they did their best but, it’s troubling that they suddenly entered the forest, used their Arts, and became unable to move. I showed the horned rabbit I collected to Zelphy-san.

「Ah, I defeated this midway.」

「The blood draining……is finished eh. Got it. Let’s have those two dismantle it.」

Aria-san and Sophia-san twitched and their shoulders trembled. The two of them usually only faced slimes. This would be their first time skinning a horned rabbit.

As expected they still had reluctance to dismantle a monster this big.

Novem put her hand on her mouth──

「Well, this punishment is just right for them.」

──And said that.

The Second sighed while looking at the two who were tearfully reluctant to dismantle materials from the horned rabbit and said.

『……These idiots.』

The First was defending only Aria-san.

『Stu, stupid idiot! Isn’t that cute! The teary Aria-chan is cute! But, is it alright for her to rapidly become able to do anything like this? Now I’m worried in a different sense though? It’s also no good if she becomes too sturdy. Even though right now she is cute.』

When I imagined Aria-san who had become sturdy, for some reason I could easily picture it in my mind.

However, I completely cannot say it to the person herself who is currently dismantling the horned rabbit tearfully, so I decided to keep it a secret.