Savaged Silvergreen, Savaging Lightwind
"Kept you waiting, huh?"
"Were you cursed to repeat that every time?
Well, maybe I was.
"I found out where these guys are staying. Thankfully, they actually reported it…"
"Perhaps we should do the same… But let us go."
Daniela stood up from the bench. I grabbed the handle of the trolley and pulled it while we walked. It was a little difficult to do so while carrying the hollow bag, and so Daniela carried it for me. We were headed for the "Lizard"s Tail." It was both an inn and an ale house. Kind of like that place we stayed at in the mining town of Alessa. They were often cheap, but had great value. But we had been looking specifically for a standalone inn, as we meant to stay here for a while, but we might have found an inn sooner if we had been less particular… This was the Adventure City, after all. There were probably a lot of exciting, slightly dangerous places.
Pulling a wheeled cart of ice tended to draw attention on the larger streets, and so we entered a back alley. I just thought it would be cruel to display them like this to the world. Well, there were still people in the back alleys, and so drunken Adventurers still pointed and laughed. But at least Daniela could stop them dead with a glare.
The Lizard"s Tail was mercifully close to the park. The night seemed to just be getting started there, as boisterous laughter echoed from inside. I wasn"t sure how anyone would be able to sleep in there, but then again, Gardo and Ness looked drunk enough to be a.s.sured a deep sleep until the morning.
"I"ll go and call someone."
"I leave it to you."
I didn"t think she would go even if I asked her, and so I went up and put my hand on the door…tripped, and fell through. There was a large bang and everyone"s eyes focused on me. I was startled for a second but refused to allow it to show on my face. Still, it wasn"t as if I didn"t care at all, and so I shot them a quick glance. They seemed to be mostly Adventurers.
When I reached the bar counter, the bartender gave me a look that clearly suggested he was not amused by my entrance. But I had business here, so I took a seat at the counter.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Mister, this is a bar. Aren"t you going to buy a drink?"
"Oh, I"m not a customer."
"Eh!?"
He-hey, relax now… I"m not a customer, but I do have business here.
"The thing is, I got two of your customers and-"
"You…"
"And I…"
I was about to say that I wanted him to take them away, but the sounds of chairs screeching over the floor stopped me. I looked behind me to see the other customers staring at me.
"Uh, what…"
"Ahh, I was just thinking about how Gardo and Ness are late."
"Yes, and so…"
"You b.a.s.t.a.r.d…what did you do to them?"
"What? I just had dinner with both…of them…"
"You strangled both of them? You…!"
The threatening face on him was intimidating, and he wasn"t listening to what I was saying. Wait, did he just say strangle?
"Get him! We must avenge them!!"
"Wha!?"
The others stood up, unsheathed their swords and took a step forward. Are you kidding!? I stood up frantically, but there was nowhere to move. Daniela still had the hollow bag. My only option to resist was… I felt a chill run down my back, and I threw myself to the side without thinking. The crash of splintering wood sounded behind me then, and I looked to see the bartender"s fist had gone through the counter. What kind of bra.s.s knuckles… Even the others seemed to stop with surprise at this. This was my chance!
I flattened my palms on the floor and allowed my magic to flow into the floor. Everything from the entrance to the stairs in the back was under my control, and I froze it in an instant. Just like that time in the mines with the kobolds. Now that I think of it, I hadn"t given a name to this trick yet. I"ll go with Ice Binder. It"s simple.
I pulled my hands off of the floor and exhaled a pale white breath. Everyone in the bar had ice crawling up to their boots, and they were fixed to the floor.
"d.a.m.n, what is…"
"It-it"s cold…!
"What kind of magic!?"
"Who are you! Where did you come from!?"
I can"t answer so many questions at once! d.a.m.n it, this is why hate drunkards. They were always a pain when I worked the night shift. Ah…just thinking about it was annoying me.
"Alright, I"ve had enough! I"m the one who brought Gardo and Ness here. And yet you pull out your swords on me without listening! I"ll tear you up!"
"Oh? They"re alive?"
"But didn"t you say that you abducted them?"
"Ah…I thought that you…"
They were finally starting to understand, and they sighed in relief. And maybe it was because they were relieved, that one of them pointed an accusing finger at me.
"Hey, you! Then why didn"t you tell us sooner!"
"Huh!? I would have if you didn"t try and attack me! Screw you!"
I shouted, and they fell silent.
It seemed safe enough now, and so I deactivated the magic, and the ice immediately cracked and disappeared. And the room returned to its original temperature. d.a.m.n it. Talk about a little excitement and danger.
"Anyway, if you can just take the two drunkards off my hands?"
"Ah…yes, of course. Pardon."
Even the bartender looked apologetic with his slanted eyebrows and lowered face. This was all starting to feel very comical, but I was so tired and just wanted to get some sleep.
"Hey, Daniela."
I called to Daniela, who was supposed to be waiting by the trolley. But there was no answer.
"Daniela?"
Worried, I went outside to see what had happened. Daniela was sitting on the side of the trolley and talking with someone. Though, I could not actually see anyone there.