Episode 1244. Are you a human?
Pneuma stagecoach waiting room.
While Elio’s party, which had now grown to six, was waiting for the stagecoach, nine travelers gathered in front of the waiting room.
Judging from their armed state, they seemed to be either mercenaries or adventurers.
The nine passengers watched Elio and his party in the waiting room and lingered outside.
It would be frustrating if they all went inside, so they just waited outside.
The capacity of the quadruped carriage is six.
Since the wagons were different anyway, Elio and his party did not show any interest in the travelers outside.
But the travelers outside were different.
Louis, the vice-captain of the Stan Mercenary Corps, glanced at the waiting room and whispered to Angus, the leader.
“Looking at the small number, they seem like adventurers going to the Abyss.”
“It seem to be like that.”
It was clear that he was an adventurer or a mercenary on a stagecoach going from Pneuma to Adria.
However, since he had a calm impression for a mercenary, there was a high probability that he was an adventurer.
Because mercenaries have a fierce look in their eyes.
“It’s a mix of women and the elderly, isn’t it? If you want to get a quote while accompanying us, we will start working right away. Even if I play with that woman and sell it, it will be money.”
“Hmm, it’s not a small number, so keep an eye on it. In particular, you must check whether there is a wizard.”
This side is nine, but that side is also six.
In any case, if there were wizards on the other side, they were the ones who would see the blood.
“Don’t worry. Where do you do business once or twice? There are no wizards. Is there no one with a cane?”
“Your eyesight has improved a lot. Be aware of what level you are at. If you have a strong one, you might need sleeping pills.”
“Is there any use of sleeping pills against such a hodgepodge?”
At first glance, the adventurers in the waiting room seemed to be babbling.
In the case of adventurers of different clothes, age, and gender, there were many cases where they gathered for safety.
From the point of view of vice-captain Louis, the adventurers in the waiting room were exactly like that.
Louis, who was glancing around in the waiting room, grinned as he met eyes with the slender-looking young man.
It was to express that there was no hostility against him, but the young man stared at it with a kind expression.
‘Is there such a son of a bitch?’
For a moment, Louis was in tears, but since it wasn’t the time yet, he suppressed his anger.
After a while, two six-man wagons, a four-man wagon, and two wagons stopped in front of the waiting room.
Elio’s party, now numbering six, got on the six-seater carriage in the lead.
The nine Stan mercenaries headed for the two wagons in the back.
After all the passengers in the waiting room had finished, the five wagons ran south in a row.
Around sundown, the five wagons arrived at Torrens, the southernmost tip of the Duchy of Tofla.
Elio let out a deep sigh at the horrendous scenery of the city seen through the window.
Half of the buildings in the city were in a state of partial destruction.
The further south we went, the more buildings collapsed, as if they had been hit with a hammer the size of a house.
Even in the midst of that, the stagecoach ran through the broken buildings with familiarity.
After turning around the road a few times, the wagon stopped in front of a broken building.
When Elio and the others hesitated whether to get off or not, the coachman shouted back.
“I have arrived at the accommodation! Get off!”
Only then did Elio and his party get off the wagon.
Passengers poured out of the two carriages at the back.
Transport Director Rein Hyde trudged into the half-destroyed building without hesitation.
After a while, he came out again and gestured to the 15 passengers.
“Fortunately, it works. Come in.”
After speaking, he went back into the building.
Surprised to see the ruined city, Elio and his party silently followed him.
As soon as he sat down, Fabian pointed to one of the demolished walls and said,
“This is the first tavern that can be seen outside.”
Baron Howard Solon, who was sitting at the table next to him, nodded.
“They said they were at war, and it really felt real. It seems that the wires are not far. Seeing that the magic cannon flew all the way here.”
Then the clerk who came to take the order said.
“Still, don’t worry, we don’t fire magic cannons at night. During the day, here and there, ‘Boom! pop!’ I can hear the sound of magic cannons firing.”
Fabian, who had served in the Northern Kingdom Army for a long time, asked sneakily.
“Can you hear me? Aren’t magic bullets flying?”
“It doesn’t fly over here. Then I can’t do business.”
“You’re not flying? What’s that gaping wall over there? Did all the buildings in the city collapse alone due to poor construction?”
Fabian pointed with his finger at the collapsed wall – overlooking the street.
“Ah, that happened when the southern kingdom army approached the city. Now, our imperial army has driven it far away again. I heard they are fighting on the Mild Plain, about 10 kilometers away from here.”
Baron Howard Solon asked curiously.
“At this rate, I think we should evacuate further north? Are there any guests in this war?”
“Don’t you have guests like you going down to the southern kingdoms?”
At the clerk’s words, Baron Howard Solon said, “Ah!” and let out a short exclamation.
The clerk wrote down each customer’s order on a piece of paper and disappeared toward the kitchen.
Said Transport Director Rein Hyde as the passengers glanced anxiously out of the collapsed wall.
“You don’t have to worry about the shelling. As the clerk said, they don’t fire when the sun goes down. Besides, the front line has already gone down to the south, so magic bullets don’t fly all the way here. If the lives of the passengers were in danger, the Empire would not have granted permission to transport them. Trust the Empire and the Stagecoach Transport Society and rest in peace tonight.”
At that time, the mercenaries said something among themselves and said, ‘Wow!’ and burst into laughter.
Fabian glanced at the mercenaries and muttered,
“As expected, they are mercenaries. It’s not like magic bullets are evading just because they’re mercenaries.”
Elio asked Fabian.
“Didn’t mercenaries also say they could enter the Abyss?”
“yes. Mercenaries and adventurers only. Oh porters are an exception. Mercenaries and porters hired by adventurers can enter the Abyss.”
“Mr. Solon, we are not going to hire a porter, so are you going to hire one?”
“If you permit me, I would like to hire a few people. I heard that there are no accommodations or restaurants inside the Abyss. If that is true, there is a lot of baggage to carry.”
“Either way. By the way, we will not be hiring.”
“What are you going to do with the luggage…”
“You don’t have to worry about our work because we’ll take care of it. You know what I mean?”
“Yes, I understand.”
Baron Howard Solon’s face was full of regret.
It would be nice if it was a proper company, but I knew that only ‘accompanying’ was allowed.
What’s so good is that the mercenaries once again ‘Waaaa!’ burst out laughing
The half-destroyed tavern and the laughter of the mercenaries blended strangely.
next day.
By the time breakfast was over, ‘Pong! pop!’ Then there was the sound of magic cannon firing.
Fabian muttered as if talking to himself.
“It’s a bit strange to fire magic cannons at people rather than monsters.”
Then Count Larva Omar laughed and said:
“That’s because you’re not from the war generation. The Imperial War broke out when I was a little younger than you, and at that time, the sound of magic cannons was loud in the morning and evening.”
“I feel so strange. If Lord Lagoa hadn’t protected the north, there wouldn’t have been a war, right?”
“If so, the southern kingdom would have fought the demons with the artifacts of the sorcery era.”
“This is like making porridge and giving it to a dog. Lord Lagoa, isn’t it?”
Suddenly, a bitter smile spread across Elio’s lips.
Suddenly, I wondered what Mana Phthras and Shastra Parakti would think of humans.
In order to prevent the chaos of the continent, even the humans of the lower world were brought in, but the people were fighting a war to break out among themselves.
“Life is just like that. Even in the world, there are people who earn and people who spend.”
“Do you think that is the right metaphor?”
“You know what I mean?”
“Yes, but the parable of Lord Lagoa is…”
“Shut up. What more do you want?”
“Ah yes.”
Fabian knew that Elio was not from this world, so he did not dig deeper.
Then I remembered and asked.
“Sir Lagoa, do you still get help from artifacts when you talk these days?”
“I don’t know. Now, I don’t know if I understand and talk or if I can have a conversation because he interprets it.”
“Take off the ring.”
“no.”
“why? Aren’t you curious about what condition Lord Lagoa is in? Perhaps you have mastered the common language of the continent in the meantime.”
“My hair isn’t that good. I don’t know if it’s my wife. I am not.”
“Is Lord Lagoa’s wife smart?”
“Is it good? My sister never forgets what she has heard or seen once. I don’t know, but you must be wiser than the gods?”
“Is there anyone wiser than the gods?”
For a moment, not only Earl Omar of Larva but also Baron Howard Solon and his party paid attention to Elio.
A man wiser than the gods! What a crazy word this is.
However, since it was the words of the Grand Master, Count Helio Lagoa, I couldn’t help but believe it.
“It was like that. I didn’t even think that such a person existed until I met my sister.”
“Are you sure you are human?”
Fabian’s question was not meant to make fun of him.
In this world, incarnated divine beings such as Kama Devias (Cheongjama) and Ushas Undra (Golden Thread) existed.
So it was no surprise that the wife of Count Elio Lagoa was such a being.
“You’re right.”
“Can a man be greater than God?”
“Can’t you see Kama Debias and me?”
“ah! I’ve asked a stupid question. But why does Lord Lagoa still use artifacts?”
Fabian did not understand that Count Elio Lagoa, who had defeated the sun god, relied on an interpreter ring.
“I would have told you. I’m not that smart.”
“How can someone like that be… Grand Hum-Hum Master at that age?”
Conscious of the mercenaries in the tavern, Fabian lowered the volume of ‘Master’ as much as possible.
“It exploded when luck and talent met.”
Elio remembered the Gucheon Hyeonnyeogyeong he found in a storage room when he was a child.
If it wasn’t for that mirror, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
Just in time, from afar, ‘Pong!’ The sound of a magic cannon was heard.
At the sound of a well-timed explosion, Crea, who was in the midst of it, shouted ‘Foot!’ and burst into laughter.
This is when the passengers who have finished eating are sitting quietly.
Transportation manager Rein Hyde, who had gone out, returned and told the passengers.
“If you have something to do, come see me now. Now, when you get into the wagon, it will run non-stop to the border checkpoint. It’s unlikely, but even if one of the wagons gets hit by a magic cannon, the other wagons won’t stop.”
One of the mercenaries asked with a surprised face.
“You mean you might get hit by a magic cannon?”
“That is what it means. Neither the Empire nor the southern kingdoms are hostile to adventurers and mercenaries. Of course, blind magic bullets can fly by chance. So far, no wagon has been hit by magic bullets.”
It was true.
The Empire and Southern Kingdoms did not fire magic cannons towards the road leading to the checkpoint.
Because both sides needed adventurers and mercenaries.
As the passengers’ expressions became heavy, Reinhide clapping his hands to refresh the atmosphere.
“now! It’s time to get into the carriage! Just cross the border and that’s it. Even in the Southern Kingdom, the farther away from the borders, the more peaceful it is.”
The mercenaries who had been laughing and talking a while ago rose from their seats with uneasy faces.