C137
"Are those punks laughing at us right now?"
"Forget it. Don't turn your head. They're just drunk."
Tess patted Rian on the leg to calm his down. Brawls between mercenaries in taverns were not uncommon, but given their professions, they rarely ended well.
"They're still not responding. They can't possibly not hear us. We're laughing at you, you idiots."
"Look at that kid's sword. It’s stupidly big, huh? The size of the woman next to him is no joke either. I won't tell where though. Hahaha!”
Rian clenched his fists. He could tolerate being insulted, but he couldn't stand his friends being mocked.
But then Tess grabbed Rian's wrist. If left alone, he looked ready to turn the table over.
While eating noodles, Shirone recalled his memories.
When they came in, there were four mercenaries sitting at the table over there. Three men, one woman. Archers seemed to be included, and the woman was most likely a mage, judging from the fact that she had no weapons.
'An archer and a mage. Quite a solid group.'
The mockery of the mercenaries continued without a break.
"Is that blondie now pretending to eat? Please just look back once. We're ready to throw a bottle. I'm in a really foul mood today. That's why I want to see some blood."
“Aw, stop it. Is it fun to tease kids?"
The woman tried to stop, but she wasn't sincere. It seemed that she preferred to enjoy it this way rather than outright mockery.
"Hey, kids. Don't you have the courage to fight? Aren't you even ashamed in front of women? I be these probably went around bragging about how strong they were.”
"Hello? Can you hear us? Answer us if you listen, or should we like to go there yourself?”
Rian couldn't contain his anger. He knows it's part of the operation, but he doesn't want to put up with this insult.
However, Rian ultimately didn't move. It was because his eyes met with Shirone, who was looking at him with a calm expression.
'Shirone....'
Shirone, who he was bound by knight's oath with, doesn't say anything. If he couldn't endure even this level of humiliation, he would rather disgrace Shirone's face.
'Yes, this is also practice. I'm participating in this trip as an apprentice knight. Rather, it gave me a good opportunity to test myself.'
As soon as he made up his mind, he could bear it as if it was a lie. Rian had another chance to contemplate the futility of words.
After about 10 minutes, the mercenaries prepared to leave. They thought they had won a complete victory. They were the perfect snacks for a drinking party.
"Keke, this is the first time I've seen such cowardly bastards in my life."
"Oh, come on. They were weak kids, so of course they must have been scared. Don't you feel sorry for them?"
"Hey! You guys are lucky. You don't have to get hit. Live your whole life like that. You'll live long.”
The mercenaries paid for the drinks and disappeared. The tavern owner, who had been acting indifferent until then, rushed to the table.
"Are you okay? Those damn bastards. To say abusive words against innocent kids.”
"Do you know them?"
“They come often lately. They get drunk and make a scene, especially against those who don't want to fight like you. I want to tell them not to come, but I don't know what harm will occur if that happens. Anyway, you've held up well. In times like these, patience wins.”
Shirone's eyes lit up. If there wasn't something in the ruins, there was no way a party with a mage would come.
Tess comforted Rian. The straightforward two didn't have the ability to deceive themselves like Shirone. It was literally a situation that I endured with grit.
"You did well, Rian. I was so nervous you might cause a scene."
“It was dangerous. But we will meet again anyway? Didn’t you put up with it for that?”
"Right. Let's get going too."
Shirone stood up and said. When they paid for their drinks and left the tavern, the mercenaries were walking towards the Central Temple.
Instead of following, Shirone and the others chose to watch from a high place. Since most of an archer's Schema builds are of Sensory System, there was a high chance that they would be caught if they tried to close the distance.
Having climbed up to the fourth floor of the temple building, Shirone observed the mercenaries. Surprisingly, they were a young party consisting of individuals not over thirty.
The swordsman with a slim figure seemed to be the leader. The sword worn around his waist was a steel sword with high recognition, enough that Tess could recall the name of the craftsman just by looking at the design.
Beside him was a giant with a blunt weapon, followed by a long-haired man and a woman in a robe.
"Two warriors. One of them a swordsman. An archer and a mage. We can summarize it like this. Even though it's a tourist spot, they're maintaining formation. They seem to be an experienced party. It was a good decision not to follow them."
The mercenaries walked to a stepped altar on the east side of the Central temple. Shirone remembered that place. It was a peculiar place that was guarded by natives, which seemed odd.
Tags:
Infinite Mage (Novel)
