Chapter 47 The Walking Shrine Maiden (Part Two)
At that moment, the guild door swung open forcefully, and a bloodied woman entered. All eyes turned to her. She took a few steps before collapsing.
"What's going on?"
"Are you okay?"
Adventurers who weren't too drunk yet gathered around her. Michael, Geese, and I were among them. The bloodied woman, despite looking pained, managed to sit up.
"H-Help us..."
I rushed to her and helped her sit up.
"Hey, are you okay? Pull yourself together!"
As I called out to her, she looked at me with feverish eyes.
"My friends... were attacked by a horde of monsters..."
(Monster horde?)
If she mentioned monsters, they were probably remnants of the monsters that attacked this town. Even if orcs and lizardmen were wiped out, other monsters had survived. Perhaps they judged it difficult to attack the town and temporarily retreated, only to be attacked by monsters on their way.
"Where were you attacked?"
She answered my question with a pained expression.
"The Cave Temple of the Black Forest..."
"Cave Temple of the Black Forest?"
I asked in surprise. It was the next landmark instructed by The Witch of the Valley.
"The Cave Temple of the Black Forest, are your friends there?"
She nodded with a pained expression.
...The path will naturally reveal itself...
The words spoken by The Witch of the Valley resurfaced in my mind.
(There's no other choice but to go)
"How do we get to that Cave Temple?"
I asked her.
"Beyond the black swamp... deep into the forest..."
She answered with a pained voice.
"Does anyone know a specific location?"
I asked the adventurers around me. But they all shook their heads.
"What are you talking about?"
"The other side of the black swamp is off-limits, not many people go there"
"Come to think of it, I heard there used to be an old temple beyond the black swamp"
(Is this a place that adventurers in this town don't know?)
I was surprised, and she sat up.
"I... will guide you..."
She said resolutely.
"It's reckless. With that body!"
I said, and she glared back.
"If I don't go... my friends will surely... be annihilated."
"What kind of people are your friends, anyway?"
In the first place, in the midst of being attacked by monsters, what does it mean to send a single woman?
"She's definitely a 'walking shrine maiden.'"
Michael said from behind.
"A walking shrine maiden?"
I asked, and Michael continued to explain.
"They don't belong to specific temples or churches, and they travel the world, performing prayers and divinations with the power of the god they believe in."
"If they're a group of shrine maidens, are they all women?"
"Yeah. In the case of men, they're called 'wandering priests' or 'traveling priests.'"
"Either way, if her comrades are in crisis, we can't just overlook it. Isn't there anyone who can guide us?"
I said that and looked around everyone again. However, Michael and everyone had difficult expressions. Michael opened his mouth again.
"Akito, I don't think there are any adventurers here who agree with that."
"Why not?"
"First of all, the area beyond the Black Swamp has become off-limits. No one in this town wants to go there, although the reason is unknown."
"Is that all? Lives are at stake here."
"Secondly, no one knows the location of the Cave Temple of the Black Forest. Even if they did, adventurers wouldn't go to a place where a group of monsters are known to gather, especially on a night like this. It's like throwing away one's life. Besides, there's a high possibility of monsters appearing around the town in the future. We have to deal with that."
I bit my lower lip. Michael was right. This town was just attacked during the day. There are probably still a large number of monsters in the area. Therefore, for a while, adventurers will have to focus on defending the town. Additionally, we need to exterminate the monsters in the surrounding area. Escorting those leaving the town will also be necessary. As a town and guild, we can't afford to allocate valuable resources for a wandering shrine maiden who is an outsider.
But I felt my clothes being grabbed. When I looked, she was desperately holding onto my clothes. However, her eyes were not looking at me. She must understand that it's an impossible request. But if we don't do anything, her friends will be killed. That internal struggle unconsciously made her grab onto my clothes.
(But I have a reason to go to the Cave Temple too. The Witch of the Valley said that's where we should go next.)
"Understood. I can't ask everyone to do the impossible."
Michael's face seemed relieved. But I immediately continued with the next words.
"But I can't just leave her friends behind. I'll go to the Cave Temple alone."
Michael's expression changed. Not just him, but Geese and most of the adventurers present showed expressions of surprise.
"Weren't you listening to what I said, Akito? There are still many monsters lurking around. Going there alone, especially at night, to a place where it seems monsters are gathering... that's a suicide mission!"
"I know, Michael. But I think I have to go. It's not for her. It's for me."
Michael spread his hands and shook his head from side to side.
"I don't get it. You don't even know her, right? Akito didn't even know the walking shrine maiden. Why would it be for Akito?"
"Because The Witch of the Valley told me. 'The next place to go is the Cave Temple of the Black Forest,' she said. And since this person has come, I think I have to go here."
"The Witch of the Valley told you?"
At those words, Michael also made a thoughtful face. But then he leaked out a bitter expression and said, "But still…" Geese then spoke up.
"Not bad. If Akito says he's going, then it's good. I like guys with that kind of spirit."
"It's not like I'm going for manliness or anything."
I chuckled, and Geese patted his chest.
"Even if I can't accompany you all the way to the Cave Temple, I can at least clear the way part of the journey. I'll take care of that; it's a way to repay a favor a bit."
"How far do you intend to accompany him as a guide, Geese?"
Michael asked, as Geese scratched his chin in thought.
"Well... I reckon I could go as far as the black swamp she mentioned, right?"
"To the black swamp...?"
Geese informed the pensive Michael.
"Up to the black swamp, there are folks from the town who go there often, right? If I think of it as clearing out monsters around the town's outskirts, it's not such a strange idea. It would also justify the town and the guild. The only difference is whether I do it during the day or at night."
Still, Michael's expression remained stern.
"Indeed, that's true... but what about beyond that? Are you really going to let Akito go alone into the dark forest at night, especially with monsters roaming, and you don't even know the location of the Cave Temple?"
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