Our actual duo of protagonists get to hear the desert's situation, and get ready for adventure?
Enjoy!
The woman slowly came out from the back, replying awkwardly.
“As you can see, we’re closed.”
“Closed...? Could you tell us why?”
“We’re understaffed... my husband was kidnapped by an evil spirit...”
Leina’s eyes shone when she heard those words.
“We came to exterminate that evil spirit.”
The blonde resolutely claimed, looking the woman in the eye.
In contrast with the fully motivated blonde, Fio had a troubled expression on his face.
Evil spirit extermination might be training for Leina, but it was a battle that had no relationship with The Queen’s Blade. If she got injured fighting in some battle unrelated to her goal of defeating the Queen, she wouldn’t be able to participate in the main fight.
If she really wanted to concentrate on Queen’s Blade, she had to focus on the preliminary battles.
“Exterminate the evil spirit...”
The woman’s gaze rested on Leina’s feet. From the hem of the mantle acting as sunshade, the silver legplates shone brilliantly.
“Why go through with this?”
Fio asked the warrior, loud enough for the other woman to hear.
“If you get injured in a battle here, it’ll be pointless.”
The woman nodded, a hint of loneliness.
“It’s like the young lady says. Evil spirit extermination isn’t related to Queen’s Blade... Still, would you do it?”
“I don’t mind. Any fight is a chance for training.”
The Vance girl answered proudly, making Fio hang his head in disappointment.
‘How many times has this been?’, he sighed, feeling like they’d be working for free yet again.
“May I ask for your name?”
“I’m Leina, the Exiled Warrior.”
“I’ve heard the rumors. A warrior who wields her sword not for money or honor, but for the sake of those in need... So you’re that Leina.”
The sudden praise made her feel a bit uneasy.
“I guess I am, but who's spreading those kinds of rumors?”
“You know what they say: ‘Anyone can start a rumor, but no one can stop one’.”
“We heard your name, Lady Leina, from Lady Echidna, who came here the other day.”
The blonde’s eyebrows twitched when that name came up.
[She’s two steps ahead, once again. Is she planning something, or is it a coincidence?]
“I tried to hire her as a mercenary, to rescue the men...”
“And she declined?”
“Yes. We don’t have enough money to hire her...”
*Poke poke*
Fio prodded at Leina’s side.
“Seems we can’t expect any reward.”
“This isn’t about money. It’s a matter of principles.”
She replied to the boy, then asked the woman about what had happened in detail.
“Maybe it was half a year ago...?”
She began telling them about what the oasis had been through.
Due to the carriage having a fixed line there, this particular oasis in the desert was a wealthy and vibrant land.
It was in this land—dotted with oasis, but lacking any strong nation—where something strange started happening around six months ago: people disappeared every night.
And they weren’t random disappearances, either. Cooks, tailors, waterworks architects; all skilled men had been spirited away.
By the time they realized it was an organized kidnapping, it was too late. It was an evil spirit that normal weapons couldn’t stop, and there were no countries nearby to mobilize armies to protect the oasis.
As they feared the monster every night, the remaining women could only bate their breath and hope the kidnapped men would come back one day...
“My husband Sitaara, who was a masseur, was kidnapped a month ago, so I just can’t keep on carrying on the business...”
The woman looked at the partition in a corner of the inn with a somber look.
“Sitaara. ‘God Fingers’ Sitaara!”
Fio gave an excited voice.
“Do you know her husband?”
“How couldn’t I? He’s a top-notch masseur. I hear he never leaves the desert area except to obtain oil for the massages... so this is where he was.”
Having wandered around the countries with his troupe of itinerant entertainers, Fio knew more about each land than Leina.
“Madam, now that we’re here, you can rest easy. We will rescue your husband by all means.”
“Thank you very much. But still...”
“If you’re worried about the reward...”
“Our reward will be one year’s worth of massages from Sitaara!”
The boy interjected before Leina could insist on doing it for free.
“Fio?”
“Isn’t it fine? We’re not taking any money. Plus, that way you don’t get a reward if you don’t actually save him.”
The warrior pouted, but kept quiet.
“If my husband comes home safely, I'd pay any reward.”
“See, she's agreeing.”
“I understand. Then, my reward will be a massage from your husband.”
“Thanks in advance, Lady Leina.”
“Drop the ‘Lady’, Leina is fine, Miss... err...”
The moment she tried to call the other’s name, the blonde realized she had never heard it.
“It’s Lala, they call me Lala of the Rouse Oasis.”
The woman bowed.
“Okay, Miss Lala, can you tell me more about this evil spirit? I need to work out a tactic.”
***
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