Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 390: An Enemy Beyond Detection
After selling their freshly prepared food to Alimar’s family, Tauro and his companions had to cook their own portions again.
As Tauro worked, he noticed the villagers and hired guards staring intensely at the food.
The aroma had spread throughout the campsite, and Alimar’s family were praising every bite.
“I’ve never eaten anything this delicious!”
“It’s wonderful! I’ve never tasted food like this!”
“Tauro-san, you could become a chef instead of an adventurer!”
Combined with the hunger of the exhausted escorts, their enthusiastic praise created an almost murderous atmosphere.
“Chief,” Tauro said, “will you pay for your escorts’ meals as well?”
Tauro wasn’t heartless, but neither was he willing to feed the entire procession for free. The simplest solution was for Alimar to cover the expense.
“Hm? What’s with this dreadful atmosphere…?”
The village chief finally noticed everyone staring.
“It can’t be helped. Food expenses were included in our preparations anyway. Very well—I’ll pay. But all of you, the cost is higher than expected, so eat responsibly!”
Alimar spoke grandly despite contributing nothing but money.
“A wise decision,” Tauro murmured.
He drew a large quantity of additional ingredients from [Magic Storage] and began cooking again.
The villagers immediately formed a line. Ragune, Ankh, and Zion were served first, but no one objected.
At the back stood the pair of traveling guards and the lone traveler.
The lone traveler thanked Tauro normally. The pair remained wary, bowed without speaking, accepted their food, and quickly withdrew.
Soon the entire camp was praising Tauro’s cooking.
“Second helpings of rice are one copper coin,” Tauro announced.
The villagers cheered and formed another line.
“Don’t eat so much that you can’t move tomorrow,” Alimar warned—while joining the line himself.
You too?
Tauro smiled wryly and served him.
Once Ragune and the others finished eating, they took over the serving so that Tauro could finally sit down.
“Sorry for eating first, Tauro-sama,” Zion said as she filled his bowl.
“Hahaha. We’re companions. Whoever has a chance to eat should do so, and then we take turns. Don’t worry about it.”
Tauro accepted the rice, then added, “You really don’t have to call me ‘sama,’ Zion… though I suppose telling you that’s pointless.”
“It expresses how I feel about Tauro-sama, so I can’t change it!”
To Zion, Tauro was both her hero and the person who had saved her. She refused firmly.
“I worry that you think too highly of me, but all right. You can change how you address me whenever you feel ready.”
Tauro finished his meal with a wry smile.
Because they had to rise early, most of the procession went to sleep soon afterward, leaving only the assigned guards awake.
Alimar’s family settled inside two tents. Before long, the village chief’s loud snoring echoed through the camp.
Ragune took the first watch while the others rested.
Later in the night, Tauro completed his own watch and woke Zion for the next shift.
“I’m going into the forest for a moment before I sleep,” he told her.
Still rubbing her eyes, Zion nodded.
Tauro entered the trees while using [Presence Detection]. He sensed several monsters in the distance, but nothing nearby.
The creatures were apparently avoiding the large group.
Unless a pack attacks together, the camp should remain safe.
Reassured, Tauro began relieving himself.
At that instant, Pella abruptly abandoned its disguise across the surface of his armor.
The slime swept past Tauro’s cheek and expanded behind him.
Clang!
A sword struck Pella’s body with a metallic crash.
“An enemy?!”
Tauro hurriedly pulled up his trousers and spun around.
Two of the village escorts stood behind him with drawn swords.
Pella stretched between Tauro and the attackers, deflecting another strike.
But I didn’t sense them!
Even more disturbing, the attackers were ordinary villagers.
Tauro considered whether a concealment ability might be involved, but [Anti-Inhibition] should have protected him from such interference.
He drew Shortsword Tauro and studied the two men.
Their eyes were closed. They swayed as they moved, as though still asleep.
“They’re moving like puppets… Is someone controlling them?”
Tauro parried their blades while searching the surrounding forest.
Zion came running at the sound of clashing steel.
“Tauro-sama! Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine. Stay alert—someone must be controlling these men!”
Tauro knocked aside another attack while watching for an enemy that [Presence Detection] couldn’t identify.
Pella returned to the surface of his leather armor, apparently deciding that the immediate danger had passed.
Then two presences Tauro had been sensing among the sleeping camp began moving away.
At first, he assumed they had awakened because of the noise. Instead of approaching, however, the two figures fled in the opposite direction.
“Hm?”
Tauro and Zion restrained the controlled villagers without injuring them.
As the fleeing presences moved farther away, the villagers suddenly stopped resisting. They went limp and began sleeping normally.
Only then did [Presence Detection] register them clearly again.
“Could this be an ability like [Puppeteer]…?”
Tauro had heard of abilities that allowed a user to manipulate people or monsters like lifeless objects after fulfilling certain conditions.
He had never encountered one directly, so he couldn’t be certain. However, it appeared that someone traveling with the procession had controlled the two villagers and attempted to assassinate him.
The reason they targeted me must be…
Tauro had a strong suspicion, but the soft snoring of the restrained villagers interrupted his thoughts. At least the innocent men themselves seemed unharmed.