A day after we accepted the request of Noel-nee-san.
I, after quite a long time, was moving alone, without Elk accompanying me.
That’s because of things under the pretext of ‘Isn’t it fine to at least rest for 1 day’, so no going to danger areas or dungeons for today; hence she is secluded in her room and is resting.
Elk must be tired after solo defeating a Little Beast yesterday.
Though it looked like she defeated it easily –In fact, it was easy- but she might have mental fatigue piled up, or so I think.
However in the morning, I remembered that today was the scheduled date for the arrival of shuriken and other stuff which I ordered at sister’s place.
It’s not like that today is the arrival date, so it’s needed to go there for getting my stuff, but I can get rid of this habit from my previous world, there unless I went to take the stuff I mail-ordered, I would never be able to settle down.
However, a man should never go back on his words.
So, I let Elk rest, and decided to go alone.
At that time, there was my shortcoming of『Poor sense of Direction』kicking in, so Elk even asked『Should I go with you』, but I refused.
Malras Association is a place I have gone to many times, though with Elk. I ain’t some damn kindergartener, I won’t get lost after all this time.
Though I have poor sense of direction, but it’s on the level that I’m fine with a familiar road, this I confirmed recently. However to a place I’ve never been to, I would be not fine even if given a map.
Like that, without losing my way, and without the situation turning like sorry I got lost, I was able to reach sister’s association and take my stuff.
However, I was not able to sense troubles other than getting lost.
「……Hm?」
On the way back to inn,
It was at the time I was thinking that recently not many people have been troubling me, like just after the case with『Exceed Subspecies』, at that I was called by many people and had to deal with them.
The moment I got out on the main street, my nose caught a scent different from usual.
Smell of an animal.
Although I say that, it’s not a rare thing for this sort of scent to be in the city. The domestic animals is a given, even the materials of demons give that smell, sometimes the domestic animals themselves are demons. There are also cases about demons being raised and reared for their meat or for dairy farms.
However a case with screams of lots of people, accompanied with the stomping sounds of hoof, is something that is not present in my all-too-well memory.
And, right now I just saw a cloud of dust in the front, along with crowds of people seeming like onlookers.
A moment later, they all made great haste and ran towards the sides of main road, then did I see the origin of all this noise.
There was a quite big ox-shaped demon. It looked completely agitated; it was running wildly across the main street, making the people looking from sidelines feel fear. Ah, indeed, that is scary.
Judging from the collar on its neck, and the chain which extends from there and has the end torn would only mean……It ran away from an animal farm and is on rampage.
Moreover, I do think Elk said this before……isn’t that an E Rank demon called as『Ox』?
Its movements are not slow but are simple, if one fights it in spacious open plains, which happens to be its habitat, while taking advantages of gaps while fighting, even a novice adventurer would win without much injuries, but looks like it’s not going to be like that in this road filled with people.
Moreover, the ox is in a panic and is running here and there in zigzag manner; it ain’t something you damned people need to watch with thrill. Who knows when someone is going to be run over by it.
At that time, again for some reason it changed it direction towards an old man and old woman, who couldn’t move due to shock, Yikes, it’s a direct hit course.
They wouldn’t live much long even if save them (Sorry to be rude), but because I was a grandparent-loving child in previous world, so I want people like them to live as their whole span of life.
At that moment,
In this world without any Buddhism……a single girl stood before the ox and the old couple, while muttering something as if singing in chorus, for praying.
Her movements seemed very natural, so I didn’t feel much uncomfortable.
But thinking very well, Hey hey ain’t that girl too in damn fucking danger, by the time I reached this thought, I noticed the sword hanging on her waist.
Maybe she is an adventurer or something……the second I thought that,
「――!!」
For a second, I didn’t understand what exactly happened, but immediately after realized the identity of this mysterious feeling which came crashing into me almost too abruptly.
It was bloodlust.
To the strong bloodlust emitted from that girl……something cold runs along my spine and my body stiffened.
And maybe the rampaging ox also sensed that, before hitting the girl, it suddenly changed it direction. Whoa, great. Now that old couple and the girl too are safe.
The ox didn’t even scratch the skin of that girl, and changed its trajectory to here……here?
「——Holy shit, this ain’t good!」
This time, with the force from before, the rampaging ox came towards me.
I can’t possibly evade it, behind me, there are children and other old people, and it might not be a great thing to let it keep on rampaging.
「! Ah crap! Hey you over there it’s dangerous……」
Now only did the miss who made the ox change its way with bloodlust, realized that though the old couple was safe but the direction it was now going into was not safe, so she called out to me like that, but I purposely ignore her and lower my waist.
Immediately after the miss showed an expression of bafflement,
「Hakkeyoi!!」[1]
I thuddingly strike the ox coming at me like a sumo wrestler, for now hurting its horns, then firmly grabbed it and stopped its rush.
Because the force it rushed at me was quite strong, I was pushed back two or three meters, but somehow stopped at that point.
Then, it would be troublesome to let it run somewhere else now, so I grabbed the chain extending from the collar around the neck of ox. Alrighty, everything’s fine now.
Then, after some seconds, WOW, shouts of joy rose from the surroundings. Along with voice between the lines of『Holy freak!』『Way to go Bruh』『Eh, is that Black Lion?』.
Fuck, in the end I stood out. And they might completely know that I’m『Black Lion』from this sort of attire of mine……aw nooo shiiit, recently finally people coming to me were getting less.
The rescue currently is, this agitated ox by my side, so the curious onlookers aren’t coming close to me. They can only mumble from a far at most……as for my mood, that mumbling alone is enough to destroy it.
Just when I thought that……a single brave person came near me without being afraid.
Woot quite brave, hey don’t you come here; these two types of feelings were within my heart when I look at the person coming to me……isn’t this the miss from before.
「Hmm……quite unlike your appearance you’re strong, to be able to stop its rush with just pure strength」
Saying that the miss came near me without having any signs of fear of ox, seeing the courageous miss once again, I noticed her characteristic appearance.
Having red hair reaching her waist, and dark brown skin. Her figure was quite glamorous and charming as a woman……maybe she equals to mom. Covering her body was a red dress, somewhere between a qipao and one-piece dress. The exposure parts were quite more.
A leather belt fastened at the waist. And there, as before, a single sword was present. The golden ornaments are good, and it looks wonderful. Well I won’t know if it’s a practical sword unless I see the blade.
And the last characteristic thing would be……her ears, which are long and pointed, like the so-called『Elf ears』.
And the miss with great appearance which anyone would say『Cute』or『Beautiful』, was appraising me while smiling.
Let it be sword, this type of stare, and even the bloodlust from before……is she also an adventurer?
「Hmm……though you look so weak. Is it the so-called don’t judge a person by their looks? Are you also an adventurer?」
「Ah, Yes, more or less」
「As expected. Oh the surrounding seems to be in uproar……are you famous? I just came to this city, so don’t know much about others」
Ah, I see. Then this miss might not know the name『Black Lion』too. Well, I’ve struck it with luck.
As well as, maybe because I’ve been refusing to meet everyone except Elk and Tanya-chan.