GalaxyTL
Leaving the room, Gil-san headed straight for the town. He said in a low voice, “Bear with me for a little longer,” so I nodded in agreement.
Gil-san walked briskly, his long legs eating up the ground. The people we passed would glance at him and make dubious faces. Well… his face was practically invisible, and he was dressed in all black, after all.
But it seemed there were also people who knew Gil-san.
“That guy in black… from Ortus…!”
“I heard it’s rare to see him in a crowded place like this…?”
“Whoa… what a sight! I wonder why he hides his face? Is he hideous or something?”
“Hey, shut up and stop prying. …You want to disappear?”
I thought I heard some unsettling words, but… yeah. Must have been my imagination. I didn’t hear anything.
Despite the reactions from those around us, which he couldn’t have missed, Gil-san walked through town without a care, unhesitatingly. I guess this was normal for him. I could sense his nonchalance from the way he carried himself. Imagine the rumors if he were to show his face. With Gil-san being so handsome, women, especially, wouldn’t leave him alone.
…Wait, could that be why he’s hiding his face? Gil-san must be aware of how attractive he is. I see, that’s why he hides his face. His work, involving espionage and all, wouldn’t allow him to be easily remembered, either.
Though, depending on the situation, he might use his looks to gather information. If he whispered to me from point-blank range with that face, I’d probably spill everything without a second thought… No, no, stop it, these thoughts are getting dangerous. It’s a good thing I’m concealed, or my huge grin would be on full display.
While I was off in my own little world, Gil-san stopped by a shop that appeared to be a general store and bought a large piece of cloth and a large basket. What was he planning to use them for, I wonder? …No, I should stop prying. Those guys in town did warn me!
After his quick shopping spree, Gil-san once again walked briskly out of town without hesitation. He moved so effortlessly, as if he wasn’t even carrying me. That’s a pretty amazing skill. He’s strong!
“Alright, we should be safe here. …You’ve been very well-behaved, Meg.”
We’d been walking for a while, away from town, and the entrance to a forest came into view. Gil-san finally spoke, stroking my head. Was he rushing because he thought I was being patient?
“…It would’ve been fine to walk a little shlower, you know? You’ll get tiwed, Gil-shaan…”
As soon as I said that, Gil-san gave me the softest smile yet. Handsome men and their unfair advantages. It was a treat, I must say.
“Well, I’m not a fan of crowds anyway, so it works out. Thank you.”
Oh, good. As long as he wasn’t forcing himself. Taking a slight breath, I decided to ask something that had been on my mind.
“Say, Gil-shan. Earlier, they said ‘additional reward’… why additional? Why not just a ‘reward’?”
“Ah… The original request was simply to investigate why the dungeon’s functions had ceased, but it was resolved along the way. It was stated from the beginning in the request form that an additional reward would be paid in such cases.”
I see… It wasn’t really that important. I was just curious. But I was glad I’d asked.
So there were quite a lot of guilds, and apparently, they were ranked. Judging from what I’d gathered, they’d probably put out requests to other guilds as well. So did they submit the same request to multiple places? In that case, it’s a first-come, first-served kind of thing? What were the rules? And were there times when a client specifically requested a certain guild?
Speaking of which, I didn’t even know what a guild was in the first place. I was going to need their help, so I wanted to learn as much as I could, little by little.
Because I didn’t know if I’d ever return to being Hasegawa Megu, or to my original world. I couldn’t afford to despair. To survive, I needed to find some way to earn a living in this world. Even in this form!
As we chatted, Gil-san continued deeper into the forest. It was getting dark… I was starting to get nervous and gripped Gil-san’s clothes tightly.
Perhaps he noticed because he said, “This should do,” and finally stopped, gently lowering me to the ground. It was my first time touching solid ground in a while.
“Now then, let’s get back to the guild. Ortus’s base is in the country next to this one.”
Gil-san announced this as he placed the cloth and basket he’d bought on the ground. Eh, the neighboring country!? That’s awfully far… When I asked him about it, he said that if we used a carriage or something similar, it would take about five days to cross the border.
Speaking from the perspective of someone from modern-day Japan, it wasn’t five days, it was five whole days!
“That’s if we travel normally. Naturally, we won’t be traveling normally.”
“Not a ‘normal’… way of traveling…?”
That sounded a little ominous. The confident smirk that played on Gil-san’s lips only served to amplify my unease.
“I’d love to get going, but first, I need to tell you a little more about myself. About my race.”
Race? As in, not human…? …Well, this was an isekai. I needed to throw out my common sense, or my jaw would be permanently attached to the floor. I gave a small nod, prompting him to continue.
“I’m a Shadow Eagle demi-human. Shadow Eagle, ever heard of it?”
I shook my head. Not only did “Shadow Eagle” need explaining, but so did “demi-human.” It did have ‘eagle’ in the name, so was it a bird then…? And normal humans couldn’t see it?
“Shadow Eagles are large, black eagles, about three times my current height. As their name suggests, they excel at magic that utilizes shadows. They can traverse subspace through shadows. There are many ways to use it, but simply put, they can store luggage in shadows, making it easy to carry around.”
Whoa, peak isekai right here! Magic was so profound and mysterious, I was certain I’d never fully grasp it! For now, I’d just accept that it allowed you to do amazing and incredibly convenient things? …Are you okay, me?
“So, as I was saying, we’re at our strongest when using shadows, but not right now. While I’m currently in human form, I’m going to assume my Shadow Eagle form now. We’re going to fly back to the guild.”
He can fly? …Well, yeah, it made sense. An eagle, flying. …So Shadow Eagles were magical, large, black eagles that could assume human form. I wouldn’t be surprised anymore!
But wait, what about me? I can’t fly… As soon as this thought crossed my mind, my eyes fell on the basket and cloth. …Don’t tell me…
“Meg, get in the basket. I’ll wrap it with this cloth and carry you while I fly.”
As I thought! Eek, flying!? In a basket, wrapped in cloth, how quaint, like a stork!? This is scary! Terrifying!!
“…Everyone who’s never flown before reacts the same way.”
Seeing my fear, Gil-san gave a wry smile. If you know, then do something about it… I glared at him pleadingly, but…
“Of course, the alternative is carrying you on my back… but do you think your grip and leg muscles will hold out until we reach the guild?”
“They won’t!!!!”
I imagined it, and my muscles were already cramping! As I cried out, Gil-san chuckled. Now’s not the time to be laughing!
In the end, I reluctantly agreed. He said if we didn’t fly, it would take us half a month to reach the guild with me in tow and that he’d cast a spell to ensure I wouldn’t fall out and the wind wouldn’t affect me.
And so, with a heavy heart, I climbed aboard… the basket!