Another World Reincarnation Chronicle

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The phenomenon of refugees turning into bandits is quite common.

At least, that’s what my knowledge suggests.

The group that just ambushed this merchant caravan likely shares such a past.

When I regained my senses, I found myself staring at a man rolling on the floor.

My sword was stained with blood, and the fallen man’s throat leaked crimson liquid.

That was all there was to it.

In my first murder, there was no time to feel anything in this frantic moment.

Even now, the attacks against me persisted.

A man charged at me, yelling as if he were shaking off fear.

He swung a scythe caked with dirt.

Though his movements lacked professional training, the power behind them and the reach afforded by his long arms felt extremely threatening.

I hastily stepped back.

The man did not stop attacking. With ragged breaths, he kept swinging the scythe at empty spaces.

This indiscriminate assault drained my strength easily.

He was tiring, while I remained in good condition.

By the time the warm blood began to congeal in the cold winter breeze,

I took a big step forward and swung my sword.

I had only two styles of swordsmanship that I could employ at any moment.

A downward slash and a thrust.

For an attack that takes advantage of an opponent’s openings, a thrust was the best choice.

From below to above, I drove my sword upward as if the fallen moonlight were ascending back into the sky.

The sensation traveled through my hand gripping the sword vividly.

Immediately after, blood gushed forth.

“Haah…”

Covered in hot blood, I surveyed my surroundings.

Those who had taken stances to charge at me began to slowly retreat.

Their wavering gazes were filled with fear as they looked at me.

My breath was extremely ragged.

Not due to physical fatigue, but because my excitement made it uneven.

As I began to calm my rough breathing, my narrowed vision gradually expanded.

At a glance, it was clear that the number of fallen corpses exceeded ten.

Especially in the area where Agul had passed through, bodies splintered like firewood lay scattered, and no bandit dared to approach.

A brief lull followed.

The bandits holding weapons no longer charged in.

The sight of their comrades falling to a few slashes seemed to have crushed their morale.

“Waaah!!!”

When Agul let out another mighty roar, the remaining bandits began to flee.

The adventurers did not chase after the fleeing bandits.

Even though the bandits had run off, the adventurers did not lower their weapons.

They expelled harsh breaths as if to calm their excitement.

Suddenly looking down, I realized that my hand gripping the sword was trembling uncontrollably.

I had grasped too tightly. I tried to relax my hand to drop the sword, but it wouldn’t move properly.

I settled down in an appropriate spot and waited until my grip loosened.

After some time, the merchant staff, who had hidden inside the carriage, revealed themselves.

They moved about busily, as if accustomed to such situations, handing warm damp cloths or water to the adventurers.

The adventurers collected the weapons of the bandits they had dealt with.

Though the weapons were merely farming tools.

The adventurers were not laughing or chatting like before; they seemed unable to easily shake off their excitement rather than feeling guilt over the killings.

Especially Agul, who was repeatedly gulping down water, showing off his massively bulging upper body muscles.

No one approached Agul’s side.

Verde, the head of this merchant caravan, handed a bottle of alcohol to every adventurer that day.

The gentle scent of fruit wafting up hinted at a rather expensive drink.

The adventurers accepted it as a matter of course and began drinking right there, as if to cover their excitement from the murders with another thrill.

Though the spirit of a man from the modern era scolded the young girl for drinking, Seris hesitated for a moment before downing the alcohol.

The effects of the drink hit quickly, and the body of a 13-year-old girl was quite susceptible to intoxication.

I regained consciousness the next morning.

*

The adventurers tended to view me somewhat condescendingly.

Even though I held a bronze badge, and Verde, the head of the merchant caravan, acknowledged my employment.

But that gaze and attitude vanished after the bandit attack.

I too realized that I could pull my weight; that my sword could take their lives.

Afterward, nothing particularly special happened.

I stood watch at night, trained in swordsmanship, and slept on the wagon.

Whenever I stumbled upon a frozen pond, I would break the ice and boil it for bathing water.

Time passed quickly.

*

As the sense of time blurred after a long journey,

I noticed that the wind had grown colder.

It wasn’t just a simple change in climate. The air carried the salty scent unique to sea breezes.

We had arrived at the Port City Hafen.

The end of a lengthy 30-day journey was approaching.

As soon as the dawn’s breath caravan entered Hafen, the promised payment was made to the adventurers.

And they made an additional proposal to the adventurers.

“If anyone is willing to extend their commission, please stay here.”

Three adventurers agreed to Verde’s proposal.

He subtly seemed to hope that Agul would stay, but Agul disappeared into the city as soon as he received his payment.

I too had no further business. The adventurers’ encounters were light, and their farewells were also light.

They didn’t feel the need to exchange goodbyes. Such is the life of adventurers.

Once I was alone again, I began to explore the city.

I wandered through the streets frequented by sailors and enjoyed the view of the many ships docked at the port.

As I toured the city all day, night soon fell.

I found a suitable inn and booked a room.

Naturally, the majority of dishes served at the inn were fish dishes.

It was the first time for the 13-year-old girl, Seris, to eat fresh fish.

The meal was quite delicious.

The next morning,

I awoke leisurely, enjoying a rare moment of comfort.

There was no one in the city looking for me. It meant I didn’t have to skulk around like a sinner hiding my face.

The psychological pressure that had been bearing down on me for quite some time had vanished.

With a pleasant smile, I exited the inn.

There was so much to see in the Port City.

The exotic items brought across by ships and the wondrous magical tools were a feast for the eyes, and the occasional brawls among sailors were the best entertainment.

*

On the third morning in the port city,

I went out to the beach to collect seashells.

I thought of making a souvenir to remember the traces I had left behind.

While collecting beautifully shaped shells,

Someone approached as I stepped on the firmly frozen beach sand.

The light footsteps carried an inexplicable confidence.

“Tourist?”

At that voice, I slightly turned my head to assess the other person.

A sturdy boy with a slightly youthful face.

He had a tanned complexion and was dressed in sailors’ clothing.

The emotions reflected in his gaze were so familiar they felt clichéd.

I almost chased him away.

It would be better to have a slave to help me rather than digging up seashells in silence.

Not to mention, he was a sailor traveling by ship.

He must have seen, heard, and experienced a lot, so he probably knows more than I do.

After finishing a brief mental calculation, I nodded.

The boy began rambling on without me inquiring.

He exaggerated his gestures in hopes of gaining my favor and interest, and when I chuckled at his antics, his cheeks flushed red.

I immediately wiped the smile off my face.

The unnamed boy shared some quite interesting stories.

He mentioned that this winter was particularly harsh and that it would last longer than usual.

“Winter getting longer?”

“Yeah, seems you haven’t heard the rumor. The empire awakened a dragon named Kashpa, slumbering in the snowy mountains.”

“Dragon…?”

The boy nodded at my words and explained the enormity of dragons.

Kashpa’s cold wrath hastened winter and rebuked humanity’s foolishness with brutal cold.

When he flaps his wings, fierce snowstorms blow, and when his massive tail strikes the ground, earthquakes and avalanches follow.

The dragon Kashpa, as described by the boy, appeared to be a mythical being.

“And thus, the empire is trying to calm Kashpa’s rage…”

I brushed off the sand stuck to my hands and stood up.

I had collected all the seashells I needed.

Now, it was just a matter of returning to the inn to clean the shells and turn them into a necklace.

While the story about dragon Kashpa was indeed fascinating, I didn’t see the need to linger with the boy any longer.

“Uh, where are you going?”

I heard the boy’s voice behind me, but I did not stop.

He followed after me, looking disappointed, but once I placed my hand on the sword strapped to my back, he jumped back in fear.

*

On the fifth morning in the port city,

I stepped out of the inn while checking my thinning purse.

There was a guild for adventurers in the port city as well.

Though it was smaller compared to the capital city.

“Here to request a mission?”

As soon as I entered the guild, the receptionist greeted me.

Perhaps she found it hard to associate my small stature with the profession of adventurer?

I shook my head and pulled out the bronze badge I had kept snugly in my pocket.

“Oh…”

The receptionist looked quite surprised.

She examined the bronze badge, turning her head this way and that.

“My apologies.”

Like other adventurer guilds, this one also limited the missions available based on rank.

While scanning the bulletin board, I tore off a seemingly fitting request form and headed for the reception desk.

I wished to take on multiple requests at once, but there weren’t many posted.

“Hmm… what is this…?”

The receptionist made a complicated expression as she looked at the request form I handed her.

Was there a problem with it?

Seeing my puzzled head tilt, the receptionist explained.

“The client has quite a peculiar personality, so you might get refused. Is that alright?”

“The client can refuse?”

“Everyone who’s gone to take on the request until now has been turned away.”

“What kind of person would be like that…”

In any case, I would still go check it out.

I received a note from the receptionist and exited the adventurer guild.

The place I found was a luxurious inn.

It was more than twice as expensive as the inn I usually stayed at.

“Hrng…”

I sniffled as I headed to the room mentioned in the note.

What emerged from inside was a woman wearing a large witch’s hat.