Chapter 25 /// In the City of Ogres ///
The dragon species is exceptionally strong among demons.
Wyverns are said to be the weakest of all flying dragons, but even so, they can only be defeated by a B-rank party or higher that capable of long-range attacks.
Their skins and wings are usually bought at a high price, as they are useful for processing weapons.
“However, even if it’s just thrown out there, it’s still …… I’m going to have to check the condition of it, so can I do this at a later date?”
“Yes, that’s fine”
“Let’s start with the High Dodo then”
When all the staff members examined them, they were all judged to be in the best condition, S rank, and the purchase price was 500,000 Gowns each. Since there were six of them, Shion and Haku obtained three million Gowns in total.
As he was about to pick up his coins and leave, he was still bombarded with enthusiastic invitations to parties.
“Shion, please, even if it’s just once!”
“I was wondering if you could help me out next time”
“I’m working as a bandit exterminator. Let’s make the world peaceful!”
The last invitation was the only one that made him feel a little uncomfortable, but he declined and went outside.
As it was the first day, they walked around sightseeing to find a place for Haku to stay. On the way, he couldn’t help but notice something.
“Why do you think they’re destroying it?”
‘I’m curious too. Is he drunk?’
“He must have shot it with some strong magic”
Some of the walls of the buildings and the cobblestone ground were caved in as if they had been subjected to a strong impact.
The basic rule in the city is that no attack magic is allowed in the city. If you break the rule, you can be charged with a serious crime, so few people do it just for the sake of mischief.
They found a safe place to stay and had dinner without any problems. Both Shion and Haku were overjoyed when salmon meuniere was served. This dish is made with flour and butter, also known as beef dairy, and is rarely eaten or expensive in other countries.
This was not the kind of food you would expect to find at a mid-range inn.
“That’s how popular fish cuisine is”
‘I think I’m going to switch from being a meat person to a fish person”
“I thought foxes were omnivores? In another country, you’d be a vegetable person then, haha!”
‘Mou… Please don’t laugh at me!’
Pleasant conversation flowed. The inn’s guests, both man and beast, were of a soft disposition, and Shion was satisfied that he had found a good place. He told the owner of the inn about it honestly.
The fact that there is so little discrimination between beastmen and humans is admirable in itself.
“Yes, Rotra is a wonderful country where man and beast go hand in hand. …… However, it is also true that discrimination seems started to be born these days”
“Is there a problem?”
“Hey, don’t ask about that here”
Apparently, it’s hard to talk about it in front of beastly customers. Sion was about to go back to his room, but the shopkeeper cautioned him not to get into it.
“Sir, we do not recommend you to go out at night for a while. There have been many disturbing incidents”
“Thank you for the heads up”
When he returned to his room and combed Haku’s hair with a coarse comb, he fell completely asleep with a “……zzz”. Shion smiled and went to bed.
About an hour passed after dark, but he couldn’t fall asleep.
Maybe I’m just excited to be in a new town.
He moves from the room to the outside of the building using [Black Swimming]. Because of his Dark Attribute, he’s much more powerful at night, and so he didn’t mind walking at night.
The shopkeeper warned me before, but even if bad people really came, Shion would be able to handle them with ease.
In fact, he couldn’t be a hero if he couldn’t handle that much.
“Fog? No, it’s more like a miasma”
The scenery was eerily blurred from the daytime, which made Shion a little more cautious. He tapped his sword on his hip once, and then went on his way. He took in the night breeze and planned to stop at a nice tavern if he could find one.
However, after walking for ten minutes, he still finds it strange. He didn’t pass with anyone.
Although it was night, it was only ten o’clock, so normally there would be a few more people around.
As he walked toward the gate, he encountered five or six guards patrolling in a tight group.
“Hey, you’re a traveler?”
“Yeah, I just got here today”
“Please do not walk alone at night. Did you know that there have been a lot of ogre incidents in Rotra recently?”
“The Ogre Incident …… What’s that?”
“It started just a few months ago. This miasma-like substance began to cover the town at night, and those who came into contact with it for a certain period of time would be— {GYAAAAAAAAAA -} What the hell?!”
The sudden scream came from near the doorway gate. The guards told Shion to go back to the inn, but he shook his head and ran off to follow them himself.
Right next to the gate, there was an evil presence spewing out a low but loud roar.
A demon with a dark purple, muscular body.
It showed off its drooling fangs. Its eyes glinted red in the darkness, and it caught the rabbit-eared woman beside it.
He raised his wild arm and was about to crush her into a flat piece, so the guards started to panic, rushing to save the woman.
However, it was too late to start moving and there was no way to get there in time.
“No, no, no, no! Stop please!”
A huge demon’s fist rains down on the head of the woman in distress—
If it hadn’t been for Shion’s black swim, he wouldn’t have been able to catch it. The Ogre’s fist collides with the blade making a creaking sound.
A new species? I’ve never seen an ogre with this color before.
There are lower, middle, and higher levels of ogre, but purple skin is not any of them, nor is it a mutant.
The guards surrounded him and tried to poke him with spears, but it only made him angry and didn’t seem to have any effect.
“Cut it’s horns first! It will reduce the hardness of their skin, and then cut his neck or stab it’s heart!”
That’s what he advised. It’s not a problem if you have the destructive power to pierce the horn without cutting it, but they can’t.
If possible, he would like them to stay back, but they seemed to have a huge pride and won’t back down. They’re doing it right, so Shion decided to support them as much as he could.
Seeing an opening for the ogre to attack them, he slashes it in the back first. Red blood flowed and wounds were made ……, but they are rapidly closing up.
“Super recovery, huh?”
This is a trait that is possessed by higher species levels.
It’s clear that it’s not just a normal ogre.
The other side seems to have understood who it is that needs to be crushed the most, and thrusts a fist full force into Shion’s face.
With a tap, Shion jumped lightly onto his fist, walked his arm about three steps, and easily cut off the corner.
“UUAAAAGGH……! KI…KIRINAA…AA”
“Kirina? Okay then”
While the opponent was on his knees, Shion tried to pierce his heart with his sword……
However, he was a little surprised to hear a scream from behind him.
“Don’t do it! Don’t kill him!”
“…… him?”
“AAAAAGHHHH!”
When Shion was distracted for a moment, the Ogre tried to hit him with a back fist. Of course, it would not hit him. He is not weakened enough to be hit by a wounded demon.
If he wanted to kill an ogre that was trying to escape out of the gate with its back to him, Shion could do it a hundred times.
But for now, the first priority was to have a conversation with the woman who had just been attacked.
“What do you mean, “him”?”
“Uuu… He’s…He was my… lover…”
The guards pat her on her lack of words as she tearfully tells us.
“A beastman becomes an ogre…… So that’s what happened……”
While looking at the drifting miasma, Shion quietly pondered.