85 – Darville (1)
To the west of the continent.
After traveling far beyond the vast fields that extend from the central part of the continent, there is a city.
It could be considered a remote location, and the surrounding terrain could not be described as flat even in jest, yet the size of the city standing there was considerable.
Indeed, it could overwhelm most cities.
There was a reason why this city, built in such a remote place, prospered greatly.
It was all thanks to the forest not far from the city.
This forest, one of the remote areas passed down on the continent, had not always been there.
In ancient times, instead of the forest, there existed an empire.
Despite being located in such a remote region from the center of the continent, the empire at that time was said to have boasted tremendous power.
With its mighty national strength, wealth, and advanced culture, the empire truly enjoyed a golden age.
However, one day, that empire was destroyed.
The exact cause of its downfall remains unknown.
Numerous scholars have investigated the cause, and many more have debated why the empire fell, but various hypotheses arose, yet no one could uncover the exact reason.
The empire, which boasted such great power that it resonated throughout the continent, perished for reasons unknown to anyone, and over time, lush trees grew in its place, eventually forming a forest.
And that forest, born in this way, garnered immense attention.
It was not solely due to the historical and academic value of the land where the empire once existed and where related relics still abounded, but rather, the main reason the forest attracted attention was more practical.
That reason was the unique environment the forest possessed.
The forest that grew upon the remnants of the empire had formed its own, distinctive environment.
Rare and unique life forms unseen anywhere else on the continent began to inhabit it, and even terrain reminiscent of the Academy’s dungeons was occasionally discovered.
Since it was revealed that the life forms unique to this place held significant scholarly and monetary value, the forest began to receive substantial attention.
The physical distance from the continent’s center to this remote place could not suppress human desires for wealth, naturally leading many to flock to the forest.
Researchers gathered in the forest, where remnants and ruins of the empire were practically abundant.
Mercenaries and adventurers flocked there for their protection or upon their commission.
As people gathered naturally, clusters formed, turning into villages, and villages grew into cities.
Thus, with a special background and erected in a unique location, the city was named Derville.
It was one of the most unique cities on the continent.
***
Derville attracted various kinds of people.
Among them were scholars who gathered to study the empire’s traces or ruins, unique ecosystems in the forest, or its terrain. There were also those who sought to strike it rich by discovering something rare in the forest, and merchants who seized the opportunity to profit greatly from these gatherings.
However, if one were to point out the largest group among Derville’s diverse population, it would likely be mercenaries and adventurers.
Escorting scholars, nobles, or venturing into the forest to seek their fortune, numerous mercenaries and adventurers flocked to Derville.
And in any place, one inevitably follows the dominant trend.
Derville naturally came under the influence of mercenaries and adventurers.
The fact that Derville did not belong to any nation and was naturally formed played a significant role.
In Derville, the citizens themselves took charge of what a country would typically handle, such as security and public order. Given that a considerable portion of Derville’s population, including many mercenaries and adventurers, resided there, it was only natural for them to have a say.
For these reasons, Derville was greatly influenced by mercenaries and adventurers.
It was said that a sense of freedom mingled in the air of Derville, but as with all things in the world, it did not necessarily yield only positive results.
Mercenaries and adventurers were the freest beings on the continent, yet they were also the roughest and most opportunistic.
In Derville, influenced by them, lawlessness veiled in the guise of freedom began to prevail.
Although Derville’s public order was not in shambles, in remote and desolate areas, various crimes began to occur with some frequency.
As time passed, such perceptions spread, and due to the precautions and preparations made by those who came to Derville, the incidents of falling victim to such things gradually decreased, though they did not disappear entirely.
Those who ignored advice, grew complacent, or had unnecessary curiosity often fell prey to the outlaws of Derville.
A typical example was right here.
Under the autumn sunset, a woman with soft, rust-colored hair tied back, reminiscent of swaying reeds, her sparkling green eyes wide open as she swallowed dry saliva.
Whether by appearance or attire, the woman did not seem like someone who belonged in such a place.
She seemed to have taken care to wear seemingly ordinary clothes, but anyone with a keen eye could tell that they were not just cheap items at a glance.
“Ah… I should have listened to Dorothy’s words…”
As she looked at herself, glancing at the faces of the unsavory individuals with a gleam in their eyes, the woman regretted her foolish choice.
Her own bodyguard had even warned her directly.
Derville might seem safe on the surface, but she was advised not to stray from the main roads and venture into the alleys.
Otherwise, she would face great danger.
She was told never to leave her side under any circumstances.
However, she, whether out of her own loyalty… or maybe not, chose to ignore the words of her long-serving bodyguard and deliberately evaded him to plunge into the back alleys of Derville.
There was surely a reason why she went to such lengths.
“Because it’s interesting…!”
From a young age, she was a curious child.
She found interest in many things, and once curiosity struck, she had to confirm it to satisfy her curiosity.
Having grown up looking at only proper and decent things, the rough back alleys of an unfamiliar city were undoubtedly an intriguing place for her.
That’s why she purposely sent her escort, Dorothy, on an errand and then escaped his gaze to dash into the back alleys.
Passing a few alleys from the main road and arriving at the ‘back’ of Derville, she couldn’t help but gasp.
The heavy atmosphere, rundown buildings, dirty streets, and even the thuggish-looking ruffians she heard about in stories!
The sight of the back alleys she had imagined was right before her eyes.
The woman, as usual, began to wander through the alleyway with a sparkle in her eyes.
Once her interest was piqued, nothing could stop her.
…No, actually, she was quickly stopped.
By rough-looking men.
It hadn’t been long since she started wandering the alley with a twinkle in her eyes that she found herself surrounded by the men.
And one of them, a bald man, stepped forward and said,
“Miss, where are you rushing off to so hastily?”
“Wow…!”
“…Huh?”
Although she quickly realized it was not a good situation, she couldn’t help but let out a gasp.
It was inevitable.
‘A scoundrel straight out of a painting…!’
The bald man’s appearance, way of speaking, everything about him was like the scoundrels she had only seen in her dreams.
“…Oh, I’m sorry.”
But even so, she soon began to read the atmosphere and gauge the situation.
The bald man, who had been staring at her with a bewildered look, soon smoothed his expression and spoke again.
“Hmm. Well, you clearly seem like a lady from a fine house. What brings you here of all places?”
The bald man smiled.
“It seems like you’ve come here without knowing how dangerous it is… That won’t do. Alright. Let’s make a bold decision and protect you.”
As if reluctantly uttering the word “protect.”
Although he said protect, even she, a woman, knew that their true intentions were different.
Just by looking at the dangerous emotions reflected in their eyes, she could tell.
‘What should I do…?’
In this situation, the woman pondered.
It was true that she had rushed into the alley without any thought… That’s right.
She had never practiced martial arts since birth, and while she had dabbled in magic, most of the spells she had learned were unrelated to combat.
It wasn’t that she purposely avoided learning that kind of magic. She simply lacked any talent for it.
She had managed to learn a few spells reluctantly, but they were not even close to being usable in a situation like this.
While the opponents might seem like just ordinary scoundrels, this was the city of Dareville, filled with mercenaries and adventurers.
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They were mercenaries or adventurers themselves.
Far superior to the run-of-the-mill scoundrels scattered around the city.
The attack spells she had barely mastered were not up to par for facing these individuals.
“Um… Is there no way you could just let me go?”
She asked, just in case.
“Oh. If someone sees, they might think we’re up to no good. We said we’d protect you, didn’t we?”
Naturally, her plea fell on deaf ears.
In the end, she found herself in a predicament.
What should she do?
How could she escape this situation?
As she pondered all this.
“Come on, come on, trust only us and follow.”
The bald man grabbed her wrist as he pleased.
“P-please let go of me…!”
Despite the woman’s shouting, the man paid no attention.
At that moment, the woman felt fear.
A fear that she might truly be in danger.
And then.
“Can I help?”
A calm voice was heard.
Naturally, her gaze shifted towards the direction of the voice.
There stood a young man.
With ordinary brown hair and eyes.