kscans

Chapter 290 - The Journey to the Fortress

The path to Famu's village had been well-trodden. But the journey toward the fortress was no path at all.

In sunny spots, we had to push through thick underbrush. In the shade, our feet sank into the leaf mold, making walking difficult. We avoided the rocky ridges and walked along the scree slopes at the base of the mountain, but there were no tracks, and it was hard to tell which rocks were loose. It was less about moving your legs and more about using your entire body. The occasional cool breeze on my cheeks was a welcome relief, but the sweat never stopped. As fatigue set in, I found myself staring at the ground, nearly smacking my head on low-hanging branches. Actually, I did smack it a few times.

After catching my breath, I looked ahead.

The two skin-headed dog-eared men leading the way walked with a nimble grace. They were our guides to the fortress where the Crimson Brigade was hiding.

After Famu's village was attacked by the brigade, Lily's village and the others nearby had worked to strengthen their defenses. As part of that, they had established a surveillance route to monitor the brigade's movements. But they couldn't let the enemy know of its existence. They left only small markers, and no footprints remained.

This pair were the gatekeepers from Lily's village. Just like Myra and Aira, they were identical. They were dressed in exactly the same way. Their older brother, Erne, also had a shaved head, but his dark skin made him easy to recognize, and he had a calm, intelligent air about him. The twins' names were apparently Hyattsu and Hattsu.

Famu could tell them apart, but I couldn't.

"Well, the one with the higher, more cheerful voice is Hyattsu, and the one with the low, deep, gravelly voice that sounds intimidating is Hattsu."

"Huh? What did you say?"

"Their eyes are different, too. The one with the vicious-looking eyes is Hyattsu, and the one with the evil-looking eyes is Hattsu."

"You can't expect me to tell them apart with that…" That was her answer when I asked how to distinguish them. She was blinking at me, probably unable to understand why I couldn't see the difference. I looked at the other members of Levante, and they all had grim expressions. That told me my senses were normal, but it bothered me that Myra seemed to be in the same boat as me.

"You and Aira dress alike too, don't you?"

"Not at all! You wouldn't mistake us, would you, Mash?" I did mistake them at first, but that was because I only knew Aira and not Myra at the time.

"But do other people ever get you mixed up?" Mizuki gave a subtle nod at my question.

"Mash, do you think my sister and I look alike?"

"You're similar, but I wouldn't mistake you. The position of your beauty marks is different, and your breasts are bigger, Myra. Aira is a little plumper overall. The texture of your hair and the glow of your skin are different, too."

As I answered, Famu turned around. She nimbly made her way over the rocky scree. Was it youth? An instinct born from growing up in the village? Her light weight? Probably all of the above, I thought.

"My sister and Aira smell a little different, too."

"Smell? What kind of smell?" Instead of answering my question, she blushed slightly and continued on ahead. She stepped on a loose rock and her body swayed, but she regained her balance without falling and started walking again.

"Hair texture… skin glow… smell…" Myra mumbled, her brows furrowed in thought, a hand on her chin. Then she stepped on a loose rock, and her body swayed violently.

"Hyaah!"

Her scream was louder than the clatter of the bouncing rock. I quickly reached out and grabbed her arm, just managing to save her from falling. Hyattsu and Hattsu turned to look at us. At the same time, the tops of their heads glinted.

"Ah!" I exclaimed, and they glared back at me, shouting, "What?!" I turned my face away, avoiding their gaze.

"Mash, what's wrong?" she asked me, the one who had almost fallen.

"I think I figured it out…"

"Eh?" I leaned in and whispered to the surprised-looking girl, explaining the difference in the shine of their scalps—that Hyattsu's bald head was natural, while Hattsu's was a carefully shaved, artificial one.

Myra stared at the tops of their heads as they started walking again, and her eyes widened.

"M-Mash…! You're right! But they're both young, aren't they? They look about Aira's age. And I've never seen Hattsu maintaining it…"

"Myra… you're one of us, aren't you?"

"Mmph! Of course not! My hair texture and skin glow are the same as Aira's! And I don't have a smell!" Myra declared and stomped ahead. I followed after her.

But now, I wouldn't get them mixed up. My steps felt a little lighter.

The sun was beginning to set between the mountains. We decided to make camp in a flat, wooded area.

This place wasn't protected by any anti-monster pillars. It was more tense than camping along a main road. To protect ourselves from monster attacks, it would be better to be in an open area away from the trees, but there was a risk of being spotted by the Crimson Brigade from another ridge. We had accepted that the smoke from our campfire was unavoidable, but we didn't want them to know we were adventurers. We wanted them to mistake us for hunters or gatherers.

Our camping gear and food were in my storage. We didn't need to forage, and if we stored pre-cooked meals, we could even skip that hassle. And with Water Magic, we could have fresh, clean water, and with laundry magic, we could keep ourselves and our clothes clean. Fire Magic meant we didn't need to start a fire, and Earth Magic could create rocks for chairs and a fire pit.

The stars were beginning to twinkle in the sky. It wouldn't rain tonight either.

"We didn't run into the giant today," Hyattsu was the one who spoke. The method of telling them apart I'd devised during the day was harder to use at night. But I was gradually starting to understand the identification method Famu had mentioned.

"We appreciate you guiding us, but is the village okay?"

"Don't worry, our big brother's there. Besides, soldiers from Miglutt are stationed there permanently. Everyone's been trained by them. We're more worried about you lot." That was Hattsu who answered. The soldiers from Miglutt were probably from the One-Land family. They must have been dispatched to protect the village, but they had blended in so well you couldn't tell them from the villagers. It made me worry they'd been absorbed by the village instead.

Hattsu grabbed a skewer of meat he'd been holding over the fire and took a bite. I pulled out a skewer myself and took a bite. We'd bought it in Miglutt, but it was still fresh since it had been in my storage.

"More importantly, are those two okay?" Hyattsu changed the subject, jutting his chin toward Marmi and Nephi. We had set up a two-person watch system. Hyattsu and Hattsu, me and Mizuki, Famu and Myra, and now it was their turn.

"They don't seem to get along."

While she seemed friendly with Mizuki, Nephi still hadn't really settled into Levante. That's why I had tried to pair up with Nephi for the watch, but the other members got angry, and we ended up drawing lots. I thought Marmi had befriended Nephi during the whole blister incident, but she still never initiated a conversation with her, and it had been bothering me.

I sighed, grabbed two skewers for them, and walked over.

"…Something happen?" Nephi asked, but I just silently offered them the skewers. Nephi took one, but Marmi just watched.

"…Still on watch. It's not time for the shift change."

"Don't be so stiff…" I brought the skewer to her mouth, and without taking it from me, she took a bite.

"Such bad manners for a princess!"

"…Mmph, mff, mgh!" She seemed to be trying to say something back, but I couldn't understand a word.

"I'll be sure to tell Patricia all about your behavior when we get back to Miglutt!"

"…Ngh!" Marmi shot up straight. Then, with tears in her eyes, she grabbed the hem of my clothes. Patricia was usually calm, but she was the type to solve problems with her fists if necessary. Mizuki used to resort to violence at first, too, but she'd calmed down now, so Patricia was the only one who hit me. Even though she was her attendant, Marmi seemed to be afraid of her too.

I held out the skewer, and she reached out and took it. It was a little sad, I thought, watching her wolf down the meat. I noticed Nephi watching the scene.

"Should I have had you feed me too, Mash?" Marmi's cheeks puffed out slightly. I looked at the skewer in her hand, but she'd already finished the meat.

"If you want, Nephi, I'll feed you meat mouth-to-mouth."

"I'd prefer my first kiss to be a normal one, if you don't mind…" Nephi shrugged. At the same time, I felt Marmi's grip on my clothes tighten. Nephi's gaze fell on her hand.

"You certainly have a wide range of tastes. What's your type, Mash?" I tilted my head at her question.

"I don't have the right to choose. I fall for any girl who is kind to me or talks to me. Not that that ever happened before I came to this world…"

"Hey, don't say such sad things." Nephi grimaced. Even she seemed to be at a loss for a reply.

"The members of Levante are all over the place, right?" I looked at Nephi's face again. Her expression hadn't changed, but she was trying to figure out my type. That surprised me a little.

"Look at Mo," I said, putting an arm around Marmi's shoulders and pulling her in front of me.

"A beautiful girl with such a perfect, pretty face says she likes me! It drives you crazy, of course you're going to fall for her!" Marmi's cheeks turned bright red. Nephi flinched slightly, her eyebrows twitching.

"R-Right… So, what did you come over here for?" She blatantly changed the subject.

"I was just worried about how the watch was going."

Nephi scratched her cheek at my words.

"Well, I think we're fine. The most worrying time is when you and Mizuki are on duty." She said this and turned her gaze toward the forest. It had been a while since the sun had set. The darkness had deepened, and I couldn't see far into it. A sound, indistinguishable from the chirping of insects or the cry of a bird, came from somewhere.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Mo the elf has good hearing. I'm a demon, so I have good night vision. And the dog-eared folk have good ears and noses."

"So you're saying our guard is weakest when Mizuki and I are on watch…" Maybe it would be better to pair up with either Hyattsu or Hattsu. But from the looks of it, they were both single. I couldn't leave Mizuki alone with another man in the middle of the night. It was a dilemma.

"Well, we've set up ropes so a sound will be made if there are any intruders, so maybe I'm worrying too much. But I just can't picture the two of you taking the watch seriously."

"So that's it! But don't worry. I wouldn't mess around when our lives are on the line." I might grope her breasts a little to stay awake, though, I muttered to myself.

Just then, Marmi's and Nephi's gazes shot into the forest.

"Something's there!" Marmi raised her wand, and her magic illuminated the depths of the forest.