kscans

CHAPTER 7 CHALLENGE TO THE LABYRINTH – Episode 5 – The Silver Wolf (Part 2)

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‘Now, how should we proceed from here? Since we must cross the Ova, there are two choices. We can either head north and cross from Himaya, or head south and cross from Linz. The distance is probably not much different either way.’

Bard decided to head for Linz. One reason was that he wanted to see the face of the Count of Linz. And the other was that he wanted to go to the Moonfish Creek.

When Bard was staying in the capital of Parzam, he had one thought about the taste of fish. He had thoroughly enjoyed Kamler’s cooking in the capital. The dishes were unimaginably wonderful. However, there was one dissatisfaction regarding fish dishes. While the cooking was excellent, the freshness of the ingredients was lacking. The delicious umami of fresh fish. This was something that could not be obtained in the capital. The rivers were flowing, but they were used to sustain the massive population. There were wells everywhere, but even so, water was often scarce. The great rivers where delicious fish could be caught were a bit too far away. The representative of that delicious fresh fish that he had repeatedly recalled was the moonfish. He had greatly enjoyed it as a rare delicacy at the time. But later, he had often reflected that it might be the pinnacle of the deliciousness of fresh fish. Of course, the fish in Fyuzarion was fresh and delicious. But the taste of the moonfish was truly exceptional. The Moonfish Creek was at the southern edge of the domain of the Great Lord of Egzera. Bard and his companions headed towards the village where the Moonfish Creek was located, avoiding human settlements.

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When Bard and his companions arrived at the village, they first went to the sake shop. They wanted to buy some refined Pran sake. The shopkeeper recognized Bard and Godon.

“Ah, dear mister*. Welcome back. It’s been seven or eight years since you last came, hasn’t it? It’s good to see you well.” (t/n: the shopkeeer call them danna-san)

Bard greeted him back, and asked how the mistress of the creek shop was doing.

“She passed away, it’s been about five years now.”

“Oh no, that’s too bad. I was looking forward to hearing her pleasant talk,” Godon lamented. Bard was also surprised. The mistress had seemed so full of life, it was hard to believe she had already passed away. But the lifespan of a person is unpredictable. She was probably now happily reunited with her late husband. But if the mistress had died, then who was taking care of the moonfish now?

“The thing is, a merchant named Hojata has stationed a guard there. He says the creek will be ruined if we go up, and he’s been rough with us. The village chief sold the rights to that creek to Hojata, you see.”

Bard and his companions visited the village chief’s house.

“Welcome, lord knights. Sir Bard, Sir Godon, I’m truly grateful for your help back then. Please, have some rough tea.”

“Haha, the chief seems to be doing well too. Ah, this tea is delicious. Now then, chief, I hear this Hojata fellow is running the creek now. Can we no longer eat the moonfish?”

“Ah yes, Godon. He’s a real scoundrel of a merchant. We had some gratitude towards him for honoring the late mistress, so we allowed him to harvest the toga. At that time, we made an agreement that the mistress and her husband would sell the toga to this village. But the merchant has not been delivering the toga to this village. He’s been packing it into barrels and taking it far away to sell. When we complain, he says he never promised to do it the same way as before, even though that’s the obvious thing to do.”

Bard asked if they could appeal to this Hojata to let them eat the moonfish.

“No, it’s impossible. He says anyone going near the creek will pollute the water and trample the toga roots, so he won’t let anyone approach. Hojata himself comes by horse and carriage every two or three months to fill up many barrels with toga. He has a guard living at the creek, and this guard is an absolute brute. He just shoves away anyone who tries to get close, and there’s no reasoning with him at all. Goodness, the toga is certainly excellent, but I wonder what on earth he’s doing, taking away so much of it.”

Bard asked what happened to the other families that used to live by the creek.

“They were driven out, given a small amount of money and made to leave.”

The toga that grows in this mountain creek has an exceptionally vivid and delicious flavor. Bard remembered it well from before. Toga is an aromatic herb that can only grow in pristine, cool climates with abundant clean water. It’s a frontier spice, so to speak. And while toga is a refreshing, pungent seasoning when eaten in the frontier, its value is not much different from a wild herb. But when transported to the center of the continent, this exotic spice can skyrocket in price a thousandfold. Bard had encountered many spices in the capital of Parzam, and upon inquiry, found that most of them were brought from distant foreign lands, and were extremely expensive. The noble lords of the capital used these costly spices without restraint. The toga, despite being a rather unremarkable product, was being sold at a terrifying price. Bard was greatly surprised by this difference in perceived value. If they took this village’s toga across the Ova and sold it, it would likely fetch an astronomical price. If he told the village chief that, the chief would probably faint in shock.

“Chief! Chief, where are you? A demonic beast has appeared!”

A clamorous commotion arose. Something must have happened.

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And who should come striding in without permission but the merchant Hojata himself. Hojata noisily barged into the house, and upon noticing Bard and the others, immediately shifted his arrogant gaze to a servile one.

“Ah, the knights. I did not realize you had come, my apologies for the rudeness. Please forgive me. Hehe, I’m terribly sorry, but I must borrow the chief for a moment. It’s a matter of utmost urgency, you see. Chief, come with me.”

He then led the chief outside. Bard and the others’ horses were parked outside, but Hojata hadn’t noticed them when he came in. For a merchant, his observational skills seemed rather lacking. And taking the chief away while not even checking the others’ reaction was not a very skillful move. The shift from arrogant to servile behavior also reeked of a petty personality. In short, he was not much of a merchant, but more like a ruffian. But even such types can be troublesome at times.

Outside, Hojata was talking with the chief. The volume is so loud that the contents can be heard clearly. The merchant is only shouting to have the lord immediately send troops because a demonic beast appeared, but the village chief replied that without understanding the circumstances, that cannot be done, and went to hear the details.

Hojata left the wagon at the entrance to the mountain and went up the ravine, as the wagon could not pass through the mountain road. The party consisted of Hojata, one swordsman guard, and two porters. They loaded two empty barrels onto the two horses and went. There was a watchman at the ravine who welcomed the group. Just as they were about to harvest the Toga, a giant wolf demonic beast appeared. The demonic beast let out a roar and attacked. While the guard held it off, Hojata fled by jumping onto a horse.

“I’ve heard the story!” shouted Godon Zarkos as he opened the door.

“If it’s true that a demonic beast appeared, it’s a serious matter. This village may be attacked soon too. It would be best to send a messenger to the lord immediately, but that alone may not be enough. It’s a stroke of luck that I’m here now. Let’s go to the ravine ourselves.”

As usual, Godon is rushing ahead. He seems to have calmed down with age, but he hasn’t changed in this regard. But this is a good thing. If it really is a demonic beast, the country lord’s troops may suffer heavy casualties. Moreover, now that they know the nature of the demonic beast, he want to try to make it no longer a demonic beast without killing it. It seems possible with this ancient sword. First, Bard must go to the site and determine the true nature of this “demonic beast”, and then try it out.

“Oh, if you would do that for us, we would be most grateful. How kind of you, noble warrior*.” (t/n: 武家様 -> samurai social class, bukeyo-sama)

As Hojata began to bow to Godon, Bard asked if it was indeed a demonic beast, and if its eyes were glowing red. Hojata replied that it was undoubtedly a demonic beast, with eyes glowing red, a terrifyingly large wolf that could only be a demonic beast.

While Godon and Bard were talking to the merchant Hojata, Taranka was conversing with the village chief. The chief said he would ride to the lord’s mansion in the town. Bard’s party, with Hojata following, headed on horseback towards the entrance to the ravine. Hojata seemed uneasy being away from his property.