24 - Testimony Of A Certain Prostitute

What, another one who has come to hear my story?

My name is… well, it doesn’t matter.

Ah, but let me tell you first—I’ve already told the guards everything I knew and everything that happened to us.

There isn’t any new information.

If that’s fine with you… well, you’re generous with the coin, so what do you want to hear?

Ah, about that monster?

I don’t really know anything… I just happened to see it up close, that’s all.

You want everything I saw?

Well, we were in the middle of being kidnapped by the “Ashen Coffin,” so we didn’t exactly have the luxury of looking carefully.

So even if I tell you everything I saw, it might not be worth that silver coin, you know?

Still, I figured you’d say that… but digging into monsters won’t do you any good.

All right, all right, where should I start?

This might take a bit, you sure?

Fine then, I’ll give you your silver’s worth.

First of all, I wasn’t from this town—I lived in a place called Glenda, northwest of here.

It used to prosper from its mines, but the silver dried up before I was born, and people kept leaving.

It was my hometown, so I couldn’t just abandon it so easily.

By the time I kept dragging things out, I was already this age.

Sure, I could still work, but I knew things wouldn’t last like that.

That was when someone approached me.

“Why don’t you work in Lecole?” they said.

For me, it was like a gift from the heavens.

We settled the conditions and a few of us went together… and that was the mistake.

It’s not like we skimped on guards, but they were wiped out.

No, no—that’s wrong.

The guards themselves were the kidnappers.

I told you earlier—the “Ashen Coffin.” What, you don’t know?

They’re a slave-trading outfit that suddenly grew big about ten years ago.

So in short, we were caught by slavers.

The guards later said we’d been set up, and they were right—the fat merchant-looking man who brought us the job offer was in on it.

Poor girls… they went through hell.

And here’s where your “new type of monster” shows up.

We were inside the carriage, so we didn’t see much, but… it was clear it was one-sided.

That man who tricked us was called out with a big crossbow in his hands—but his voice fell silent quickly.

Yes, they were all wiped out.

Some tried to run at first, but everyone there died.

We huddled together in silence, holding our breath.

We prayed desperately, “Please just pass us by!” but it was no good.

Hah… maybe prayers didn’t work if you were not devout every day, huh?

That thing showed itself by peering into the carriage.

When its hand gripped the carriage, I stepped forward without thinking… even now, I can’t believe I managed to move.

It stared at me, then looked over the whole carriage.

The other girls said it looked at them too—maybe it saw human women that way, like goblins do.

But in the end, it didn’t touch us, and we were spared.

Why did it attack then?

That’s what I want to know.

Still, thanks to it, we weren’t enslaved and made it safely to Lecole, so I guess I owed it at least some gratitude.

Hold on, the story’s not over yet.

It didn’t leave empty-handed.

It dug through the cargo and drank the liquor right there.

Yeah, liquor.

Downed it real good.

Well, with that size, a single bottle would vanish fast.

Satisfied, it walked off… or so we thought, until it came back.

One of the girls, relieved, let out a scream—but it ignored us this time and passed by… only to circle behind the carriage again.

Just when I thought it was safe to peek out, it passed right in front of me, and this time I screamed!

But then I saw it.

That monster was carrying a huge pack.

I didn’t know what was inside, but I glimpsed something like blue cloth rolled up like a rod… hey, what are you doing!?

Don’t shake me like that!

I may not be as big as you, but I’ve got something of my own, and this is my livelihood—so treat my tools with care!

Anyway… it was only for a moment, so I can’t say what it really carried.

Ah, but—don’t shake me, I’m talking!

That “blue cloth-like thing” I mentioned—and also a shovel and an iron plate.

Why? …How should I know?

A magic sword?

Well, I thought it was holding something, but I didn’t see clearly what it was.

Wait, don’t go yet.

There’s a bit more.

And maybe this part’s useful to you.

All right, all right—I’ll talk, so let go of me.

So, after all that, we were left with an intact carriage.

Of course we tried to flee.

But the horse wouldn’t move.

None of us had ever driven a carriage, so it took us ages.

When we finally got it going and were crawling along, that monster came and roared.

It felt like it was urging us to leave—as if our staying there was a problem.

Why did I think that?

Because it stopped chasing as soon as we got moving.

So maybe there was something around that place, don’t you think?

This part?

Ah, I didn’t tell the guards.

Hah, it’s not the kind of thing I’d give away for free.

Anyway, since a new type of monster showed up, they’ll probably investigate the area. If they don’t, you could always check yourself.

The place? …Oh, you already know.

Then that’s all I can tell you.

Well, it happened quite a while ago—about thirty days back.

Leaving already?

Don’t push yourself. Even I’d think it a waste if a beauty like you died.

And if you’re tired of mercenary work, come to me—you’d make a fortune.

I’ll vouch for you.