We left at night fall. Prime time for bandits. But their schedule was quite important, apparently. I had my peace and quiet, but that didn't last for long. The first bandit scout appeared 3 hours after we left, and I sniped him down with my new and improved archery skills. Another appeared 20 minutes later, and I sniped him down too.
We had a full on attack a half hour later. All the adventurers came out to fight them off. Magic was flying everywhere, but I stayed on the roof and observed and had to dispel an attack that was heading toward the idol wagon.
Giana was trying to stop Noelle, who also wanted to fight the bandits.
The fight was extremely sloppy, but the adventurers won in the end. The caravan commenced and complaints rolled in about me not helping.
They got ignored as I didn’t care.
A gaze fell on me, making me uncomfortable. I’m not doing anything, why is she looking at me? I suddenly found myself inside their wagon before I managed to break away from the gaze.
“Succes!”
I should have seen this coming, so what are you going to do when those adventurers turn green with envy?
Giana giggled, leaned in to whisper something in Noelle’s ear and then leaned forward, making eye contact. “I don’t care! So why are you called Silver Torrent? They don’t know about your hair, do they?”
It’s my ultimate technique.
“Hmm, what does it look like?”
Like… a silver torrent. Let’s hope you never get to see it.
Something to the west drew my attention, and Giana followed my gaze. “Did you see something?”
Hmm, yeah, I just hope it’s just more bandits. And what’s with Noelle? She is quiet all of a sudden, what is she plotting?
“Don’t worry about her, so ehhm, have you heard any of our songs?”
Oh, I did, quite recently actually, you’re the lead singer right, man you can sing! I don’t think anyone can compete with that; the musician is also excellent.
“Aww, thanks! I’m the songwriter and singer, Noelle is the composer and musician.”
Oh right, I have something called [Boss music] and…
I noticed something to the west again.
We were following the west Aquini mountain range south to get to the opening where we could enter Hjuva. But there was a lot of strange activity in that mountain range.
“What’s the matter?”
Hmm, hard to explain, oh do you know what Ourasyn is?
“Ourasyn?” Giana said as she cocked her head. Damn, she’s hot.
I shook my head and tried to drive ‘Raishin thoughts’ away.
Ignore my strange behavior. Copy my movement, you need 2 tails.
We took the pose and I pushed my palms and tails into hers. Noelle had an annoying smile on her face making me regret this instantly.
“Oh, that is strange, where have you learned this technique?”
We did another Ourasyn, so I could answer her question and convey where I picked this up.
“I see, it seems I need to step up my game.”
Not sure what that’s supposed to mean, anyway we might have to send the adventurers home. I will tell them.
Giana stopped me as I was about to get up. “No wait, I will tell them later.”
Uhh ok.
Another bandit attack. They were quite active, or rather, someone was sending them at us. I just sat in the wagon with the idols and observed.
“So, what did you want to say before you interrupted yourself?”
Well, I have something called [Boss music] and… for fuck's sake what are those guys doing!
I climbed out of the wagon to the roof and shot a [Fireball] down with my own. The [Fireball] was coming from the mountains and not the bandits. Nobody had noticed for some reason.
An adventurer pointed at me. “Hey what are you doing in the wagon of the idols and not helping us!?”
Making sure to stop these big attacks that you guys missed!
“What are you talking about? Which attacks?” I pointed at the volley pf [Fireballs] flying at us.
“And what are you pointing at?”
You can’t see those?
I deactivated my Elgards eyes, but I could still see the [Fireballs], something was off with them though.
Spirit magic? But humans are supposed to see it… change of plans! Everyone go home!
“Absolutely not! We won’t let you spend all the time alone with the idols” The adventurers started to become annoying and complaining, they were even booing me.
“What’s going on? Oh!” Giana blocked some [Fireballs] with a [Water Wall].
Hey, Noelle, can you see those!?
Noelle squinted her eyes. “Those what? What are you pointing at?”
“Let me link you up, Noelle.”
I assume Giana linked Noelle to her Elgards eyes. I’m glad that I’m not the only one who does this.
“Oh, that’s strange, where are those [Fireballs] coming from?”
A pain in the ass. It’s spirit magic. At least that eliminates one of my concerns and shifts it to another. Either way these adventurers are under equipped and screwed if they stay here.
I jumped back on the roof of a wagon, took out Windamber… Windbark… what were these things called again? Windglass! I bet it was that! I created a frost bow and shot [Frost Arrows] with Windglass tips at the origin of the attacks. It froze some ice patches on the mountain, which absorbed the energy of whatever was shooting these. These aren’t some regular bandits if they can use spirit magic.
Noelle tried to convince the adventurers, but they wouldn’t listen. The bandits got defeated, and we were back on the move. The adventurers had kidnapped me, and I was in their wagon. It was crowded and they smelled funny.
“What is your relationship with those Idols!”
They’re my clients.
“Lies! You get along too friendly with them!”
They’re friendly clients!
“Spit it out! The idols belong to everyone!”
Have you tried telling them that?
“Don’t think you can do whatever you want because you’re famous!”
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
Don’t worry I did that before I was famous so that’s not a concern.
“Can we beat him up now?”
Sure, go for it, I won’t resist, but what would the idols think of that?
“We can just tell them you got hurt in that last attack!”
I knew that wasn’t going to work because I felt Giana’s gaze on me. They are so screwed if they beat me up now.
I flashed a malicious smile. Well then get to it, then I won’t resist.
“Hehe it’s because you asked for it.” A fire infused fist flew at me, and I was suddenly in the idol wagon again.
“Haha nice one! I can see how half of the adventurers are pissed off by you!” It seems Noelle was watching too through Giana.
“Hmm, it’s quite concerning that they think that.” Giana said, but I detected deception. It’s clear that she doesn't care what they think.
Well as I said, it won’t end well for either of us if you, a celebrity, hook up with me, so I’d recommend to give up.
Giana got closer, too close. “Is that so, so you’re not against it?”
Is this chick deaf? Did she just hear what she wanted to hear? At least I appreciate that she isn’t overly aggressive, maybe in a different world I would accept. I’m too busy, and she is too, probably.
A day went by with nothing happening, except the adventurers got more and more annoyed with me. It reached its peak on day 3. “Hey, can you stop hanging out with them so much?”
Trust me, I’m trying, but they won’t let me.
Someone towered over us as we were sitting on the ground. “Hey, are you bullying my little brother again!”
Noelle, I’m not your little brother…
“Wait the Silver Torrent is your little brother?” The adventurers looked at me and compared me to Noelle.
“We grew up in the same hometown, so he might as well be!”
The adventurers stared at me. “Why didn’t you say so? You do give off little brother energy.”
Hey, what the fuck is that supposed to mean?! Do you want me to kick your ass?! And don’t you guys have eyes? We look nothing alike!
I pointed at Noelle who had way darker skin than me and had golden brown hair while I had black hair.
“So, a family with an idol and a strong fighter, eh?”
Guys, she is not my big sister…
Giana sat down next to me. “They will continue harassing you if you deny it.”
Somehow this feels like a 9t trap.
“Maybe it is.” I felt like I got struck by lightning when she smiled. This chick is dangerous. She is just a client, just a client.
So now that you guys don’t hate me, will you listen?
“The idol’s little brother is our little brother!” The adventurers thought they were funny and started chanting that.
Hourai have mercy on my soul… So, we are kinda surrounded and this is going to be quite hard, maybe even impossible for you guys to handle so I would kindly ask you to flee because you will probably end up dead in a day or so.
Noelle shook her head. “That’s a strange little brother joke.”
I’m not your little brother… I only have 2 older sisters…
The adventurers flocked around Noelle in curiosity. “Oh, Noelle you have a sister?”
I facepalmed and wanted to go home.
“Wait, if he’s Noelle's younger brother then he must also be a crystal wolf!” They tried to look for my ears and tails, but I was still disguised as a human.
Look what you’ve done Noelle...
“I don’t care!”
“Hey Agnis, what do you mean we’re surrounded?”
Thank you, Giana! Finally, someone who asks the important question. Well, we are close to where we can cross the border, but there seems to be a barrier there, we can only continue going south to Denga. The mountains are full of strange bandits, and the east has them too.
A burly man stood up and pointed his mace at the sky. “Don’t worry! We will protect the idols and their little brother, right guys?”
“Yeah!” The adventurers cheered and I facepalmed again.
“So even the Silver Torrent has someone he looks up to, eh?” These adventurers just won’t shut up…
Guys… do you want me to kick your ass?
“Now now, let’s keep a nice ambience, how about I sing and dance?” Giana got up and the adventurers cheered.
She made graceful movements and her voice was crystal clear yet powerful.
Noelle sat down next to me. “She is pretty, eh?”
Yeah, wait Noelle! Stop ambushing me with those questions!
“So, what is the reason you’re not giving it a shot?”
I’m busy, there are probably better candidates and I’m likely to kick the bucket between now and several years. Not worth it for her.
“And what do you think she wants?”
How am I supposed to know that?
“Well, you don’t! That’s why I’m telling you! She has had a crush on you since Hourai you know?” She pushed her finger into my chest.
Huh? So long? How is her memory that good?
‘Well, you don’t remember this but we got in trouble by getting into a swamp, we got stuck because we didn’t listen, but you got yourself into trouble by saying you pushed us in putting us in the clear. And well, that vixen there gets attracted to toxic traits like deception and the kind so that’s the origin. It seems you’ve kept what she was attracted to, and here we are.”
Right… I heard about that, quite troublesome because getting her to not like me is probably going to make this worse…
“Yup so just give up!”
Maybe another time. I’m here to get you guys to safety first.
“I see, how is Raishin doing?”
He is figuring out the role of a 6t with Greg, they’re off looking around the border of Yzs.
Noelle crossed her arms and exuded elder sister energy. “Wait, don’t tell me its disappearance was your doing!”
No! We brought it back!
Noelle relaxed and grinned. “Ooh a hero, eh? Giana is going to like that!”
Give me a break… but I guess I could use some help in 9t issues…
“Oh, you say 9t, that’s indeed easier and shorter! I’m going to use that too!”
I see another great mind!
“I’m sorry for not taking you serious earlier, so we are surrounded, right? How bad is it?”
Well, nothing a [Meteor] or 2 can’t fix but humans are… squishy.
“[Meteors] eh, I guess you weren’t responsible for that meteor shower 2 years ago.”
Uhh, that was me yeah…
“Troublesome little brother, even more troublesome than Giana.”
Racial trait, can’t do anything about it. So can you tell her to stop throwing charm magic around like that?
“Nope, just fall for her.”
Not very helpful for someone claiming to be a big sister!
“So, you have accepted the role! That’s a good step!”
You are impossible.
It was strange but talking to people from Hourai just feels different. More friendly, calm and relaxing. Too bad that some assholes in the distance were planning to ruin the mood.