Level Eater

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2 chapters are being released today!

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While experiencing their second polar night since arriving in this world, they continued their journey towards Lyadas. There were not many monsters in this area, as they did not encounter them frequently, unlike when they were in the Amneri Great Forest.

Both were initially excited during their first experience of moving through the darkness illuminated only by moonlight, but now…

"It's quite boring, isn't it?" (Ai)

"Yeah, really boring." (Tatsuro)

Without any stimulation, Ai spent hours gazing at the carriage's dark scenery. Currently, she had her head resting on Tatsuro's lap. On the other hand, Tatsuro was having fun poking, stretching, and petting Ai's cheek as she lay there.

They changed positions, with Ai sitting on Tatsuro's lap, facing each other, and engaging in playful gestures. It was as if they were enjoying the idle time so much that you might think, "Are you guys really that bored?" Just as they were engrossed in their activities, Cardina alerted them to be cautious.

{Ai.} (Tatsuro)

{Yeah.} (Ai)

With just the mention of her name, Tatsuro established a telepathic connection. He removed his staff and intervened in Cardina's detection magic to assess the situation. On the other hand, Ai got up from Tatsuro's lap, wielding a whip and a jewel-encrusted sword that gleamed with vivid colors.

"Is someone being chased by others? This could be troublesome." (Ai)

"Jeanne! Move off the road and stop at a distance!" (Tatsuro)

"Neigh!" (Jeanne)

Following Tatsuro's command, Jeanne veered to the left and stopped at a location nearly a hundred meters away from the road. Along the way, Tatsuro set up traps and used dark magic to conceal the carriage and Jeanne, making them practically invisible from a casual glance on the road.

"This time, it might not be monsters, right?" (Ai)

"Yeah, it looks like someone is being chased. If it's troublesome, I'd rather not get involved." (Tatsuro)

"Okay." (Ai)

Speaking in hushed tones, they also instructed Cardina and Jeanne to stay quiet. They waited for about a minute until the individuals in question appeared.

First, they saw a man and two women dressed like adventurers. Following them were about twenty rough-looking, armed individuals who appeared to be pursuing them.

"Judging by their expressions, it doesn't seem like they're chasing criminals or anything." (Ai)

The ones fleeing had desperate expressions, while those giving chase wore lewd smiles. From what they could see, it was a clear situation of victims and aggressors.

"So, we don't want to get on the bad side of these thieves again, but what do you think, Ai?" (Tatsuro)

"I don't want to imagine what will happen to those women if they get caught…" (Ai)

"That's true. We've already earned their ire once; a second or third time won't make much difference." (Tatsuro)

"Yeah, let's help them!" (Ai)

Tatsuro triggered the prepared devices, using detection magic to pinpoint their positions accurately. He activated them at the right moment, releasing compressed fireballs buried in the earth through earth magic at the heart of the group of thieves behind the adventurers. Large fireballs began to appear in the vicinity.

He activated other devices at the most effective times, and the most severely injured among the thieves were engulfed in flames and brought to the brink of death. Showering them with a total of sixteen fireballs, the thieves carried their incapacitated comrades and fled.

After confirming that all the thieves had retreated, Tatsuro relinquished control of the unused fireballs and extinguished them.

"You're intentionally using fire magic against thieves, right?" (Ai)

"Yeah, not killing them means we can extract information from them later. It's better if they think I can only use fire magic; it'll catch them off guard if the need arises." (Tatsuro)

"I was actually thinking about that from the beginning. Should I have hidden either the whip or the gem-encrusted sword?" (Ai)

"No, pulling off a surprise attack by summoning them suddenly from the [Item Box] is possible, but Ai, you have a lot of weapon-dependent skills, so if they see them, they'll catch on quickly. So, don't worry about that, and go ahead and use your weapons." (Tatsuro)

"Is that so?" (Ai)

"Yeah, but one thing—keep the unarmed combat hidden. Let them think it is all about the weapons. Then, surprise them with barehanded fighting after making them think they have disarmed you. It'll create a dramatic situation!" (Tatsuro)

While holding the excited Ai, who seemed ready to burst with enthusiasm, Tatsuro looked at the three people who were still standing there talking, even though the thieves had left.

"When are they going to move on? How long are they going to stand there in the middle of the road?" (Tatsuro)

"Well, they've been running for a while, so let's give them some space for now." (Ai)

"Yeah, but it's a bit strange, isn't it? Thieves just attacked them, and now they are having a casual chat in the middle of the road. They don't seem cautious enough." (Tatsuro)

"Now that you mention it, normally, people would try to get away from the scene as soon as possible." (Ai)

As they grew increasingly suspicious of the carefree adventurers, Tatsuro detected the response of another dispel magic in addition to his own dispel magic. It seemed clear that someone was trying to locate the group who had just driven away the thieves.

(I won't let that happen.) (Tatsuro)

Since it was clear that this magic was of a lower rank than Tatsuro's, he immediately created a wavelength with reverse phase using dispel and fire magic, canceling out that detection magic. He did not want any further involvement, whether as thanks for their help or for any other reason.

However, Tatsuro would soon realize that his actions had backfired. Despite canceling the detection magic, one of the women pointed directly at them and, with both hands raised in a non-hostile gesture, approached while signaling that they meant no harm.

"Ai, stay on guard, just in case." (Tatsuro)

"I understand, but why did they discover our location? Unless they use detection magic—wait, they used that detection magic." (Ai)

"Yeah, I canceled it, but I should have been more careful… Wait, maybe they identified the location where it was canceled." (Tatsuro)

"In that case, it might have been better to quietly move farther away instead of canceling it." (Ai)

Pointing out the logical error, Tatsuro reflected on his mistake. To encourage him, Ai kissed Tatsuro's cheek and stroked his head.

During this time, the three adventurers had approached within ten meters and stopped. Seeing this, Tatsuro, who had lost any desire to flee or hide at this point, decided to store the carriage and Jeanne to conceal his abilities as much as possible. He had Cardina remain vigilant with detection magic in case thieves or monsters approached.

"It's safe to assume that you helped us, right? We want to express our gratitude. Can you show yourselves?"

"No… We do not need any thanks. Just continue on your way and ignore us. Let's go our separate ways without interference." (Tatsuro)

Tatsuro expected they would leave now, assuming they were not excessively stubborn or had ulterior motives solely based on gratitude.

However, the individuals who initiated the conversation kept their hands raised and did not move to leave. An impatient-looking woman stepped forward and addressed them.

"Um, please let us accompany you to a nearby town.

"…Well, here it comes. What should we do? To be honest, I still don't trust these people." (Tatsuro)

"Yeah… but leaving them half-helped and then getting killed later wouldn't be great, would it?" (Ai)

"That's true…" (Tatsuro)

With just the three of them traveling, they might encounter the group that had attacked them earlier if they headed to Lyadas, and there was a high chance that the thieves' comrades were waiting if they went toward the direction from which they had come. Leaving them alone at this point seemed like looking the other way.

However, even though the possibility was low, Tatsuro could not rule out the chance that this was all part of the thieves' act and these three might be their accomplices.

The issue now was how to handle the situation.

"Is it… not possible?"

"Let me think about it a bit more." (Tatsuro)

"Okay!"

The woman responded energetically, realizing that it was not a complete rejection.

"…Should we help them?" (Tatsuro)

"Yeah, we don't have to be best buddies, but if we keep a reasonable distance, it should be fine." (Ai)

"That's true, but if we decide to take the three of them with us, it's either we load them onto our cart, or we all walk to Lyadas. Is that okay?" (Tatsuro)

"I really don't want to walk, but fitting five people into that cart…" (Tatsuro)

They could use the individual compartments, but those were essentially private rooms for the two of them. They preferred not to have others inside. That left the coachman's seat, but entrusting it entirely to someone else made them uneasy. Additionally, Jeanne only followed Tatsuro's instructions, or those given by Ai, when Tatsuro fully trusted her. Therefore, that option was also ruled out.

Walking was not preferable, and seating them in the existing compartments could have been better. With no other choice, there was only one option left.

"Shall we create seats on the roof?" (Tatsuro)

"That's where Cardina's special seat used to be, right?" (Ai)

"Well, we can have them sit on our laps there." (Tatsuro)

"Jeanne might get jealous." (Ai)

"We'll spoil her later." (Tatsuro)

"Sounds good." (Ai)

With the decision made, the next step was to modify the rhino cart. They began by bringing out additional iron ingots and attaching a ladder to access the roof. They installed seats for the three newcomers and added railings around the roof to prevent any accidents.

Next, while checking the ladder's strength as they climbed, they detached Cardina's seat and put it into their [Item Box]. They then connected it to the opening in the roof that led to the private compartments, ensuring it would not open during the journey.

"Is this all right?" (Tatsuro)

"Just to be safe, it might be a good idea to have a bar to hold onto while sitting, don't you think?" (Ai)

"Good idea, let's do that." (Tatsuro)

Incorporating Ai's suggestion, they added a long bar horizontally to the railing, which passengers could grasp while sitting.

"It's perfect." (Tatsuro)

"It sure is." (Ai)

After completing the modifications and ensuring there were no issues using dispel magic to analyze the altered areas, they re-summoned Jeanne and connected her to the cart. Finally, they decided it was time to speak with the three waiting individuals.

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