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Chapter 58: Risk and Return
Come to think of it... this is my first time entering the royal capital with people other than the Brigade.
While waiting in the seemingly endless line, the thought suddenly crossed my mind. Beside me were Aria, excitedly taking in the sight of the outside of the capital for the first time, and Eula, who was trying to calm her down.
Of the three of us, I was probably the most familiar with the capital. Even so, I was still a newcomer myself, having arrived less than two months ago. Although I had entered and left the city several times during that short period, this was the first time I was doing so for personal reasons.
Up until now, I had always been accompanied by members of the Brigade who had lived in the capital for years, so waiting in a long line like this had never bothered me. But now that I was the most experienced one here—effectively the person responsible—the scene felt a little different.
“Whoa, that's a Blue Ogre.”
Е̃nú m̀а̌
“A giant race monster, huh? Did they go west or something? You don't see those around the capital.”
The adventurers waiting in line suddenly became noisy. A massive wagon rolled past the queue where we were standing. Its enormous wooden wheels rattled across the ground, sending faint vibrations through the earth. Beneath the cloudless sky, a huge shadow stretched over us. As the wagon passed beside me, I could see a blue-skinned giant, preserved within a thin layer of ice, being carried.
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“I don't recognize those faces… are they newcomers?”
An adventurer from the capital standing ahead of me muttered as he watched the group transporting the monster known as a Blue Ogre.
Newcomers?
As a fellow adventurer, I couldn't help but be curious.
Еń u m̊а̃
“Hmm. A blue giant, is it...”
No longer focused on the capital's defensive wall, Aria gazed at the Blue Ogre as it passed.
“Are giants rare for elves?”
Keeping my voice low enough that nobody else could hear, I asked her, but Aria shook her head.
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“No. There are giants in the Gadja Forest as well. But their skin is black. I was merely surprised that the human lands have blue-skinned giants.”
“A black giant, huh...”
È ňũ m̄а
If one followed the naming convention, it would probably be called a Black Ogre.
“So are giants really that strong?”
“Not particularly. Giants are large creatures in general, so they are easy targets for magic. But when fighting them with swords or spears... that's a different matter.”
Hearing Aria's explanation, I looked more closely at the wagon. Every adventurer escorting the Blue Ogre carried weapons such as swords and spears. A few had bows slung across their backs, but none appeared to be mages.
Perhaps because of that, the Blue Ogre's frozen body was covered in countless wounds from repeated slashes. The damage was horrific. In fact, it was harder to find uninjured skin than wounded skin. There were cuts, stab wounds, bruises caused by heavy impacts, and even areas where the flesh seemed melted, as though acid had been used.
“...Even if defeating a powerful foe brings fame to an adventurer, it amounts to nothing if one suffers life-threatening injuries in the process.”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
It wasn't hard to imagine the intensity of the battle. Just by looking at the monster's corpse and the adventurers walking beside it, the story was obvious.
Like the heavily wounded Blue Ogre, nearly all of the adventurers had blood-stained bandages wrapped around various parts of their bodies. Their eyes were dull with exhaustion. Their steps were heavy. Some had been injured so badly they could no longer walk and had to be supported by their companions. The losses they had suffered were clearly severe. Among them was even one adventurer whose arm ended at the elbow.
“I guess they may have gained fame, but looking at this, they're probably operating at a loss.”
Even if they sold every material harvested from the giant and collected the quest reward, it was questionable whether the proceeds would cover the medical expenses for everyone involved. On top of that, their equipment had likely been damaged. Some of their comrades might even have died during the battle.
Considering all that, even if they had earned a reputation from the victory, it hardly felt like an achievement worthy of celebration.
