“I think we should be fine at this point.”
I hear Chita’s voice behind me, and stop Hipota.
Hipota is breathing heavily after all this, but I’m more worried about Hilda’s Nokoshika.
I stop my riding beast, and Hilda quickly jumps from hers and starts checking it. Her hands are quick, but gentle too.
“How is it looking, Hilda?”
“Thanks for your effort, Nokoshika. Reny, Nokoshika just needs to rest.”
She returns Nokoshika, and I breathe a sigh of relief too.
“That’s good to hear. We really pushed them a lot.”
“Yes, but we had no choice.
I thank Hipota too and return it. We’re walking from here.
“Lady, there is light over there.”
While we take care of our riding beasts, Pentacles looks around.
Once she says that, I notice a light on the wall of the underground waterway dungeon, that looks old and is flickering.
“This is a transmuted item. Its quality isn’t all that good, but its build was thorough.”
“Chita, do you know anything about this?”
“Sorry, Lady Renystar. All I know is that this is an old dungeon. But there are signs of people coming and going. And relatively recently as well.”
She says as she crouches and looks at the ground.
“Reny, should I investigate with one of my transmuted beasts?”
“No. If it’s someone who can use alchemy, they might take that as a sign of hostility. Let’s wait and…”
I’m suddenly interrupted by a voice.
“Good grief. I heard all that noise, and it turns out I have guests.”
Everyone turns in the direction of the voice, with weapons in hand.
“Hey hey, what violence. I’m talking to you because you didn’t look like bandits to me… But are you actually bandits?”
“…Excuse us. My name is Renystar Struna Hartnicks. I’m the daughter of Rust Struna Hartnicks, and Ahri Forth Hartnicks. I am one who wields the spear.
We were heading west when we were chased here by monsters.”
I say while I bow, with my spear in my hand. The man wearing the tattered hood takes it off, as if responding to my greeting.
He seems a little past middle aged, and his mustache that curls near the mouth immediately draws my attention.
He bows back slowly, and contrary to his tattered clothes, his movements seem very refined.
“Sorry about being so careful. My name is Yaed, and I’m a hermit who abandoned my family name. Oh, right, you’re the daughter of that alchemist that was famous and the best at his job around that time, right?”
“You know my father?”
“No, I have never seen him. But there was a time when I was involved with the alchemist association, so I heard some rumors.”
“I see… Did you make this transmuted item?”
“Yes. Learned by watching.”
Yaed then looks at the four of us in turn.
“I’ve got myself a room near here. Things are still looking bad to the west, right? Before you head there, you can have some tea and rest if you want. You sure look tired.”
I look at Hilda and the others, and no one really opposes that idea.
Judging by how he handles himself, I’d say he can fight, but I could probably handle him by myself.
Not to mention Hilda’s poison transmuted items and transmuted beasts.
“We accept your offer…”
“This way then.”
Yaed then starts walking, and the four of us follow him.
