I hate being wed in a fantasy world!

“Wake up.” Something prods me with a staff, and it hurts. Well, everything hurts. I feel a lot of emotions welling up, but at this point, I'm rather good at clubbing them for as long as it takes to ban them into the depths of my subconscious. Is it healthy? Probably not. Will it do for now? Absolutely. “I can't lift my body.” Too bad I can't do the same with the pain, and even if I could, it wouldn't change my physical condition.

Ara-san slowly touches my body all over, she's gentle, but it hurts! Yet she seems to find a spot where she can try to lift me up with the least amount of pain. “Here we go. Now the legs over the rim... can you even stand?”

“Probably. The splints keep everything together. Just hurts like hell.” I wiggle my ass forward until I'm over the edge of the cart. Yes, it hurts, tears are welling up, as it feels like lightning runs through my bones. “Hfff.... hfff....”

“Breathe,” hearing her voice somewhat helps. “We're now here at the inn. What is your plan?”

“Asking for help.”

“...this is unusual.” She doesn't comment on it further, which I'm thankful for, as each word hurts in my throat and on my lips. “Did you hope they will be here?” She points at a camp next to the building. It shows the banner of an axe hacking into a flame.

“...” This certainly crossed my mind. It only made sense that they'd be here, as they traveled on the road, while we cut across the country. I can't see much activity though, so I turn to the inn instead. It's old, but looks clean and well. “Let's head in.” I open the door, limp through the short corridor into the common room. There a bunch of mercenaries are drinking and laughing, most likely trying to get over the misfortunes that befell them recently.

The boss of the mercenaries—Gunsar, the Flamebane—is inside, seemingly enjoying a meal. Of course, he doesn't miss us. “Oh, if it isn't the Red Ranger and his alfr bitch! Where are your other women? ...hey, you don't look good.” While he started with malice, his last words were genuine wonder. “Did you get your ass kicked?”

Flamebane. How fitting, if I consider that my opponent originates from a land that's associated with fire. “Yes. I need your help. We can pay.”

“Oh? You need our help now? I offered you a hand in friendship, you answered with a fist. Because of you, we lost our contract and our reputation. You insulted us, and I didn't hear an apology until now, and while I can't prove that you're responsible for this, after our last encounter several of our provisions were poisoned, causing even more damage. I think this is not your place to ask for help.”

So it comes down to this. This man won't rest until I grovel before his feet, until I humiliate myself. “Help me, Ara-san.” So be it. Ara-san supports me, so I can fall on my knees. It hurts, the burning sensation of sickles running through flesh and bones makes me stop for a moment, as I need to remember what I'm even doing, but finally I'm on my knees. Then I bow down, hitting my forehead on the floor. “I apologize. Please forgive me. Forgive me for insulting you, forgive me for attacking you, forgive me for all the bad things that have happened to you since you met me.”

Something inside me hurts, but to be honest, my legs hurt much, much more. If it gets their help, a large sum and my pride are a small price to pay. Basically a bargain.

Next to me, Ara-san mimics me, seemingly just to make it all much quicker.

Flamebane looks down on us, I can feel his triumph searing from him. He then takes his cup and empties it on me: “No.”

If I were in any other mood, I'd explode. I'd feel ashamed and rejected, but as the wine is running down my hood and armor, I just accept it as it is and I don't want to waste my time with this jerk anymore. “ANYONE!” I scream, each syllable tremors painfully through my body: “I NEED HELP! THEY GOT RINE AND KYOU! THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO! PLEASE!” My words echo through the common room. I see traders and their bodyguards. “400,000 NEWGOLD!” This would be basically everything we earned and then some, but we can sell stuff to make the difference up. “I'LL WORK FOR FREE FOR A YEAR! WHATEVER YOU WANT! JUST HELP ME!”

The only thing that follows is silence. Of course, whatever can put me—a ranger—into this state has to be especially dangerous, and telling them about Gottfried would just scare them more. I'm the prime example of a loser, and it wouldn't surprise me if some of them are thinking about just robbing me, after they heard the sum.

In the end, my plea doesn't change anything. I'm not better or worse off than before. I just have to deal with what I have. Nobody here will help me.

*pat* I feel a warm hand on my shoulder, slowly lifting me up so I can look into an old face, surrounded by gray and white hair, and much of it hidden behind a beard. “Let me help you.” The dirty poncho and the nasty smell is familiar. This is the old man I first met at Goldbrunn and then later at another inn, just before the Redrock Canyon. “Stand up, Red Ranger. The ground is no place for a man.”

With a surprisingly firm grip, he lifts me back to my feet. I look at his blue eyes and it's like something has let go of my heart. “Thanks.” This warm swell of gratitude for even an elderly man is about to make me break into tears again.

“Fill me in on the way. Let's go.”

“Alright.” I slowly turn around, and this makes me want to vomit. I'm already at the limit again. I step out of the inn and point at the cart with the fantasy donkey pulling it. “This one.” I heave myself on the bedding again, and my eyelids feel so heavy. “I... there...” I point in the direction I feel two of my wives. “Give me a moment. Hff... hf...”

While the old man holds the reins and Ara-san sits by my side, I catch my breath again. It almost feels like my skin is crumbling, as if I barely hold together. “Kenta-kun, drink this.” It's just an HP-potion and a painkiller, but I guess it's better than nothing.

I let her feed me, as the shivering of my healthy hand just won't stop. As the painkiller immediately takes effect, I can breathe halfway normally again. “Phew... Thanks. Geezer... I appreciate the offer, but I want to warn you... if things don't work out, we're all going to die.”

“Like always, no? What needs to be done?”

“Just get me to Rine... the blonde girl.” Between Gottfried, Meldorn, and the other two, it’d be much better to have an army on my side, but if the only additional help I get is from one person, I have to go with the insane plan.

“Ah, isn't she a darling? A youngster, doing everything for his beloved one. Can't say I hate that.”

“We're not like that. We're not together, that was just a big lie. Basically, she kidnapped herself and put the blame on me.”

“Kekeke! Seriously!? What is she, a noble?”

“Worse. Royalty.”

“Oho? Not bad. Which country?”

“Feuerberg.”

“Ah, I was there once. Not worth the trouble. So if we spin this story further... someone from her country picked her up, and put you in this state. Will you fight?”

“Not if I can avoid it.”

“Do you have a plan?”

“Something like that.” Ara-san seems to be pleased about this. Ah, we haven't had a proper talk so far, so of course she may have been a bit concerned about what to do. “Just get me to them and I’ll do the rest. *Yawn* Let me rest a bit...”

―○●○―

Kenta-kun is asleep once more. I sure hope he doesn't stay like this, because it's rather boring, and falling asleep unreasonably is my identifying trait in this party. I don't want him to steal it.

However, it's easier to watch him sleep, than to watch him awake. While his spirit has bloomed in ways I couldn't even imagine, I don't like what I feel, how basically his spirit is dominated by pain. Of course, even after this awakening, I may not be able to read his spirit appropriately, given that he's a human.

I’d really like to know how he could develop his spirit in this short amount of time, though. Maybe it's the limitations of his body that forced him to evolve? Maybe he used the plants to move him close to the farmstead? There are still mysteries to solve, and I want to know about Kenta-kun and how much of it is about him being a hero.

However, I need to concentrate on something else: The bearded human. I kinda like him for a human, he seems to be free-spirited and to have some humor. “You still didn't tell me your name.”

“Oh, you're right. The name is Grekk.”

“That Grekk?”

“The same, I guess.”

“Oh, that's assuring.”

“Strange, usually that's the part where you should cry out in terror and try to protect the boy.”

“There are more important things to know. Are you a hero?”

“No.”

“Alright, you immediately lost my interest.”

“...” Ah, this is the human expression for being baffled. I won. “Ka-Kahahaha! Delightful! You're something else.”

I point at my ears: “I know, human eyes become worse with age, but if you're that shortsighted already, then I should take my words back, as you may be unable to tell friend from foe in battle, Grekkun.”

“Grekkun? Did you just gave me a nickname?”

“Momo told me once that nicknames are useful to close the distance between people. As we will work with each other, I may as well skip the tiring get-to-know phase and get right to the comradeship part, but don't take it as an invitation to make a move on me.”

“Oh, how tragic. I was about to fall in love with you.” This is the right reaction, making a joke about it. This shows that if humans are old enough, they will eventually learn how to deal with sex jokes. Though it's rather disappointing, as now I need to look for another kind of joke to trigger him. “Would you mind filling me in while the lad is sleeping?”

“Sure.” Kenta-kun has been a bad conversation partner lately, and Grekkun should know the gist of the situation.

Speaking of which, I should also inform the others.

―○●○―

Finally, after three days, there is a letter. I was worried that Ken and Arako are so deep into things, that they don't even have the time to put a message into the [Inventory], and while I would have liked to write one as well, I don't want to become suspicious the moment my kidnappers believe I'm now on their side to a degree.

Which makes it hard to take out and read said letter, as Meldorn-san seems to notice everything happening in 2 km (1.24 miles) around him. Be it some herbs I can use as spices, be it a rare snake which he plans to skin later, or even the wind changing.

I have no privacy here at all, and it makes sense, as I'm a prisoner. Sorry, Arako, Ken, I can't read your message right now.

I suspect it's just a status report, anyway. They know the direction we are going, they don't know the exact situation, so why should they send me instructions? I'm already doing the best I can, and they will just have to make up a plan themselves, I mean, they act like they're the smartest in the party all the time.

“Oh?” Rine-chan takes out the letter from her backpack. I didn't consider it, of course she would take out the letter out of pure curiosity, and even if she remembered that we're under watch, she's still thinking that she's supposed to return to Feuerberg!

Meldorn-san nudges Gottfried-san, who immediately takes the letter from Rine-chan's hand. “What do we have here... 'By reading this, you're agreeing to--' to what!?” He seems to be very upset... Don't tell me, they send a letter 'knowing' that Gottfried-san will read it and put as many insults into it as possible. “Brave. They are indeed brave.” He folds the paper and puts it into a pocket. “Meldorn, you were right. The elf is also with him.” So Meldorn-san 'knew' Ken is on his way? How!? “Would you please?”

The huntsman nods and heads back down the road. Will he confront Ken and Arako on his own? Why? Because Gottfried-san is the only one capable of fighting back Rine-chan, if she decides to resist?

“What is happening?” A really annoyed Rotfeld-san says. “Would you mind telling the rest of us, Sir Gottfried?”

“Ah, yes. Meldorn told me that the boy is catching up with us, and I decided to let him handle it, if they really intend to engage us again. They sent a... let's call it a challenge.”

“And you didn't tell us before?”

“We're working on a need-to-know basis here. I don't see the need to tell you about everything. We need to stray from the road again, in case Meldorn is not able to stop them, and I-”

“That's not part of the deal!” Rine-chan suddenly flares up, as she stares at her instructor: “I came with you to 'stop' the fighting!”

“Quiet, Kati.”

“Now you're sending the huntsman!?”

Gottfried-san stays calm as he repeats: “I said quiet. I'll uphold my word as well as I can. If Meldorn can't stop them without killing them, none of us can.”

“We can talk! Let me talk to Kenta and Ara!”

“Then what? They're crazy. They are actually heading back for you, despite me being here. Do you believe people like that have any reasoning? Any sound judgment? Any common sense even?”

“DON'T TALK ABO-”

However, her yell is cut by a cold: “Don't talk to me like that, Stupid Disciple #1.”

“...” Rine-chan immediately falls silent, as she starts to look down, submitting to her instructor that she admires and fears at the same time.

“For now, we will leave the road and look for a good place to fight in case they miraculously are able to overcome Meldorn. Because on the off chance that they have a decent plan, I want to lower the risk of damaging the trading routes as much as possible.” This is bad. It sounds like Gottfried-san is ready to reshape another piece of landscape if needed.

I wish I would have been able to read the letter, as I don't know how much they've pissed off Gottfried-san and for what reason. Maybe there was a hidden message in case I see it. Yet for now, I can only hope that Ken and Arako have a great plan to deal with Meldorn-san and even Gottfried-san.

We're doomed, aren't we?