CHAPTER 45
The day we left Nox and came to the surface.
Finally, I had gathered all the money to buy the elixir from the Named Merchant. On top of that, I earned a hefty amount of living expenses to last for a while.
“Let’s go to the 2nd World.”
“Hmm.”
Therefore, Babiyen’s proposal was incredibly annoying to me.
“The Regular Army’s sweep of criminals is over. Since the whole world needs resources from the 2nd World, other adventurers are scrambling to enter the 2nd World. Safety is sufficient.”
“Hmmmmm.”
“Ah, seriously! Only you guys made money! This girl is destitute right now and has to scrape by day to day!”
It seems Babiyen’s financial sense, which was ruined as a noble, has returned a little.
“So, what was the meal you had today?”
Two days have passed since we returned from Nox.
Baby Babiyen could stay with us, but the fully grown Babiyen had to be independent.
That’s why Babiyen came to the inn room we were staying in today and was appealing like this.
“It was hard bread ordered from the inn.”
She shook her head as if it were terrible.
“It wasn’t even a restaurant, so it wasn’t a proper meal.”
Still a long way to go.
To discuss 'scraping by' while still being at the level of buying bread from an inn.
I’m sorry, but compared to ordinary bread sold in the market, inn bread is on the expensive side.
Instead, because of the convenience, adventurers with money buy and eat it.
But those without money go to the market to buy bread.
Diligence was the only way to escape poverty.
Babiyen was grumbling that she lacked money without knowing that fact.
Typical daughter of a former noble.
She doesn’t know the life of the true bottom.
Looking at Babiyen arouses a sense of sadism.
A desire to bully her for no reason kept springing up.
Is it because the first button was buttoned wrong?
“Harua, I want to go too.”
Then, Aranseol, who had been listening quietly, chimed in.
Well, Aranseol was originally interested in the 2nd World too.
But she couldn’t go because she was bedridden due to the elixir.
“Really? Then, shall we go?”
“...Excuse me. Harua, isn’t the treatment of this girl and Aranseol too different?”
“You and Aranseol are different people.”
Since you are different people in the first place, treating you the same would be stranger.
“...That is true, isn’t it?”
“See.”
Since it wasn’t a wrong statement, Babiyen could only mumble with her lips and couldn’t refute.
Still, although it was due to Aranseol, the goal of going to the 2nd World was achieved.
She looked like she decided to take comfort in that.
It is the point where the Regular Army has just swept away the criminals of the 2nd World.
Timing-wise, the Regular Army would be at its sharpest.
There won't be a time as safe as this to enter the 2nd World.
If an incident occurs this time too, it’s something beyond just bad luck.
There is still time until the Named Merchant arrives.
I decided to go to the 2nd World to earn money for elixirs to grow as a Holy Mage, as originally planned.
“I should ask Horizon too.”
I had heard the name of the inn where Horizon was staying.
So we were able to head there without any problems.
The room Horizon was staying in was a place far from the center.
It might seem like a remote area for a single woman to stay, but considering her background, anywhere was probably a sunny spot for her.
But a remote area is a remote area.
As we entered the street, the frequency of people glancing this way increased.
Both Aranseol and Babiyen have conspicuous appearances.
Even if they hated it, it was their fate to stand out.
Still, no one picked a fight first.
It was thanks to the subtle pressure of power flowing from the two, giving off the aura of the strong.
In my case, there’s just nothing.
I’m just a Holy Mage with a bit of resurrection magic.
After a while, we arrived at the inn where Horizon said she was staying.
The inside of the inn was full of middle-aged men drinking since daytime.
Inns have slightly expensive food, but the alcohol is cheap.
So everyone gathered at the inn to drink.
“Oh, Brother, you’re walking around with a bunch of pretty women. Why don’t you give me just one!”
Perhaps that’s why, there was a drunkard sexually harassing us while intoxicated.
“Even if you’re drunk, you know what’s pretty.”
Babiyen swept back her side hair and acted smug.
“But if you blabber carelessly, you won’t see a good end.”
However, when flames bloomed from the fingers that swept her hair, the drunkards shut their mouths.
Mages were threatening existences wherever they went.
“Acting tough.”
“Hmph, this girl is originally strong.”
“Baby Babiyen was weak.”
“S-Stop teasing me with that!”
I miss Baby Babiyen so much.
“Scary women.”
“Are they the same type as that Milk Cow woman? Let’s not step in shit for no reason.”
At that moment, the grumbling voices of the drunkards reached my ears.
Milk Cow woman.
As soon as I heard those words, I realized who it was.
It’s about Horizon.
It was obvious that the drunkards here would have sexually harassed Horizon.
They didn’t hesitate with Aranseol and Babiyen, so there was no way they would leave Horizon alone.
Thud—
At that moment, a door opened on the second floor, and the sound of heels was heard.
Then, a sense of tension was felt throughout the inn.
While the drunkards shut their mouths one by one and just glanced at each other.
A man walked down.
Then the reaction of the drunkards changed instantly.
“It’s not that Milk Cow.”
“Phew, once I finish the payments I’ve racked up, I should move inns or something.”
“Endure it, there aren’t many places cheaper than here.”
I watched them blankly, then approached quietly.
“You’ve been talking about a Milk Cow since earlier; may I ask what that’s about?”
When I approached, they glanced this way.
“Brother, you’re interested in a Milk Cow while walking around with women like that?”
“Greedy guy.”
Anyway, you can’t communicate with drunkards.
“Don’t be like that; I’ll buy this round, so please tell me.”
“Well, this is a generous Brother!”
“Hahaha, he deserves to have two women like that!”
As soon as I put money on the table, their reaction flipped.
As expected, money is right.
“Mm, actually, it’s nothing much. There’s a woman with breasts as big as a milk cow called ‘Milk Cow.’
There were guys who had been eyeing her since the first day she came here.”
As expected, it’s Horizon.
“Since the security here isn’t exactly good, things like that happen often, right? Eventually, an incident occurred.”
The drunkard shuddered as if recalling that day.
“What happened?”
“A group of men who tried to attack the Milk Cow were all sprawled out in the corner of an alleyway.
And their faces were smashed so badly they were unrecognizable. The Milk Cow was standing in front of them.”
Dark night street.
A gang of men smashed to pieces.
In front of them, Horizon was apologizing repeatedly.
However, her hands were merciless.
She ruthlessly struck the men’s faces with the scabbard she held in her hand.
As the events of that day came to mind through the drunkard’s vivid explanation, Horizon’s timid face came to mind.
“That kid too. Honestly, she isn’t normal.”
When I returned after finishing the talk with the drunkards, Babiyen spoke insinuatingly.
“The kid is kind.”
In the first place, it was stranger for a kid who survived in Nox to have normal thinking.
“Well, she’s comparable to Harua.”
“What does that mean? I am perfectly normal.”
“Normal?”
Even Aranseol made an expression that she couldn’t accept that. My treatment is so harsh; it’s sad.
“Ah, Mr. Harua!”
Just then, Horizon’s voice was heard.
The drunkards froze in unison again.
Among them, the drunkards I talked to had exceptionally stiff faces.
Those guys probably won’t come to this inn anymore. It was a punishment they had to accept sweetly for treating a person like a milk cow.
“Horizon, how is the atmosphere of this inn?”
“Uh, h-huh? Everyone is a nice person.”
Horizon smiled timidly looking at the people.
On the other hand, the drunkards were busy avoiding eye contact with Horizon.
Horizon reigned as a symbol of fear here.
Before ruining the atmosphere further, I moved outside with Horizon. Her reputation seemed to end at the inn, as there were no particular problems on the street.
“Horizon, Babiyen spent money recklessly and said we have to go to the 2nd World.”
“Whose fault is that.”
Babiyen mumbled from behind, but I didn’t listen closely.
“So we’re thinking of going to the 2nd World, what do you think?”
It’s not too late to enter the 2nd World yet.
If we go right away, we could make decent earnings.
Above all, we had barely consumed the things we purchased back then.
Even if we go to the 2nd World right now, it was a problem-free situation.
“I-I’d love to go! I studied the 2nd World even harder in the meantime!”
Horizon’s scout performance has increased from before.
To treat such a diligent kid like a milk cow and be scared of her.
The people at the inn are definitely in the wrong.

"Alright, let's go without delay."
As a 2nd World Pioneer, I have my pride.
Unlike last time, I wanted to properly finish this trip to the 2nd World and return.
Heading to the Pioneer Guild Hall, I thought of Bulldog.
There was still no detailed information.
Madame Karuang said she'd pass it on through Horizon, so all I could do now was wait.
For that reason, it seemed best to earn a hefty sum of money in preparation.
I owed Bulldog quite a bit, so if he was in any trouble, it was my duty to repay him.
The Pioneer Guild Hall was bustling with various pioneers today as well.
They were pioneers like us, aiming for the afternoon entry.
"I heard a bunch of those 'Avenger' guys were caught along with some criminals."
"Those guys were dangerous too, so that's a relief."
"Still, it looks like a few are left. We'd better be careful."
As expected of pioneers, they were well-versed in the events of the 2nd World. Thanks to that, I could gather a lot of information just by listening in.
I didn't see Vandal or any other members of Callen's team. That was to be expected.
"Yes, we've received your application."
To enter the 2nd World, you have to submit an application at the Pioneer Guild Hall.
Otherwise, it would be difficult to track the number of people entering and to conduct rescue operations, so it was a matter of course.
"Still the Moss Flower Cave?"
"Yes, that's right. However, the Regular Army has already cleared out the inside of the cave, so if you plan on pioneering, we recommend moving outside the cave."
"Thank you."
The clerk was exceptionally kind.
Back when I was a porter, they were blunt no matter what I asked, but my treatment changed this drastically just by being a Holy Mage.

After the clerk's kind explanation, I returned to my table to find, of all things…
"Why don't you join our team? I can give you much better treatment than you're getting now."
A Transferee wearing a Japanese school uniform was trying to persuade the three of them to switch teams.

This fucking bastard.