THE ADVENTURER OF EDEN
2.2 "GATE search begins"

""WHAT?! YOU DECIDED TO RETIRE?!""

Compact screams rang out in Shiki's ears, in his apartment. His fellow Strongest Adventurers in the Guild called the 4 Pillars Adventurers were the ones Shiki believed in hearing the information he was willing to retire early.

After Yui's troubles, Shiki takes Dion, Vira and Warren to her apartment. With Reina and Yui as well, they arrive at Shiki's apartment to party again but on a small scale.

Shiki who cooked for them told the three friends that she had decided to retire as an adventurer.

"really. After my quest with Reina is over." Shiki confirmed that; "You can say the last quest with this Princess of Duke Robert Stardust, she's the one."

"UH!" The three of them were startled again, and Reina bowed politely greeting them.

...

A large serving of spaghetti had already been prepared, plus the two bottles of wine Warren had brought along as well as a barrel of beer from the Guild were also ready. They eat and drink hanging out in Shiki's apartment.

Yui and Reina also followed. They startle Yui from the Haruna clan, and Vira remembers that Shiki once said she was indeed cared for by the Haruna clan.

Shiki also told the story of the development of his last quest. "We've just returned from Star Island, and our next step is to find GATE, an ancient object scattered across Asteria."

"THE GATE... I just heard." replied Dion.

"Of course, laypeople rarely hear the name of the ancient thing. You have to go through history to find out." Vira tell me she's drinking the wine.

"I've heard of GATE, it's an ancient thing and there are 6 scattered in the Asteria Kingdom. It says GATE is a gate, as the name implies, and they are gates that open dimensions to two worlds..."

Vira explains again what he knows about GATE. "Eden and the Abyss."

Shiki nanya again to the purple hair lady. "Then do you know where GATE is? Everything?"

"No, at least two of them were written in the book, namely at Mount Romus in the South Area and the Carnea Forest in the Central Area in the capital." Vira answer that.

"South Area, that means near here." Warren commented, and he remembered Mount Romus; ".and Mount Romus was not a pleasant place."

"Not a fun place?" Reina repeated.

"Yes, there is the headquarters of the 'Blood Sun' bandits who are called the strongest Bandit group in the Kingdom." Warren said that with a serious face, indicating he took into account how dangerous this bandit group called Blood Sun was.

...

The Blood Sun Bandit group was not an arbitrary name. Members of Parliament designate them as 'A' level fugitives who are considered dangerous, but the reason why they are considered dangerous is never spread in the public.

Shiki and the Adventurers Guild had several confrontations with Blood Sun. Shiki had a quest to attack them about 7 months ago, and at that time their name was not known as 'strongest' and just an ordinary bandit group.

Now Shiki wondered why they were called the strongest by the members of Parliament. Although in the end, Blood Sun was still a Bandit group and not a match for the Adventurers Guild.

"Well, I'm sure they're no big deal to our 'Bandit Hunters!" Warren laughed after saying that.

Shiki sighed, not expecting the nickname Bandit Hunter to be heard into the ears of his friends.

They continued the party until night, then talked about many things. Yui and Reina also enjoy the little party and sleep in Shiki's apartment together, and Shiki will sleep at Warren's place tonight.

💠💠💠

The next morning, the journey to Mount Romus begins. Riding on a hired wagon horse, Shiki and Reina and Yui head north for 2 hours on a wagon horse.

Mount Romus is close to a small town called "Gari City". The wagon horseman tells what happened in the city of Gari during this month;

"uh? The city of Gari should not be entered by ordinary citizens?" Shiki repeated that quite surprised.

"Right, that's why I can't get you to the city, Strongest Adventurer. I heard that the royal knight is defending the city from the Blood Sun Bandit attack on Mount Romus."

Shiki blinked hearing that, and the rider told me again.

"The townspeople have already been displaced, although there are some of them who still live in the city and are protected by the royal knights."

"I see, I've never heard of this. Is it possible that the fight against Blood Sun was intentionally hidden?" Shiki. The rider agreed, it was indeed possible to hide so as not to cause unnecessary panic.

In the end Shiki wanted to know how powerful this Blood Sun was until the royal knights were down to stop them. If the Bandit group was small, the Adventurer Guild could take care of it and Shiki was confident that they could take care of Blood Sun if anyone gave a large quest.

Now that Shiki is not alone, she is with Reina, a woman with extraordinary magic and Yui, a younger sister who has high-level fighting abilities.

The confrontation with Blood Sun was inevitable if Shiki were to look for GATE. Although only three, Shiki is still careless because Blood Sun is ultimately just a group of bandits.

***

Arrive in the city of Gari, a small town at the foot of Mount Romus. When Shiki and his two heroes arrive, they are not allowed to enter by some guards.

"You refused us entry, don't you know who this girl is?" Shiki uses Reina, of course, the clearest and most powerful way; "Princess Reina Stardust! Duke Robert Stardust's daughter who disappeared 6 months ago!"

"UH!" The guards were shocked; "Imust be! She's Princess Reina?!"

"It's true he was never seen, and now he's with an adventurer?!"

"Uh, that's right. Shiki-san and I are on a quest. So I'm asking you to let the three of us into town." Reina said that politely.

Reina's courtesy made the guards instantly soften. "Well, but we need you to meet our captain, "Star Knight" eleventh seat, Duma in camp."

"Right, we need to confirm whether she is the real Princess Reina or not..."

"We don't know if Captain Duma ever met you or not, but in the camp there's Princess Alicia, I think you two know each other, right?"

"DOLL?" Shiki and Reina are shocked to hear that, it turns out that Alicia is in this city as well; "..why not tell from earlier?!"

...

Alicia was in this city, since parting ways with Shiki and Reina yesterday, she went to the royal military base, then left for Gari City to look for GATE as well.

"Well, I'm not surprised you're here because this town is closest to Guildtown. Plus, I'm the one who told you to look for GATE." said Alicia.

They were inside a large tent in a camp that became the headquarters of the Asterian royal knights.

"Who else is he, aniki? From her guts, this girl must be another royal noble!" Yui is upset, her first impression of Alicia instantly easily guesses Alicia's identity.

"Who's this brat, Shiki?" The orange-haired girl asked about Yui and called her a wayward boy, irritating Yui and introducing herself as she introduced herself to Reina.

"INCENTIVES!" Alicia was shocked and upset; "You're savage! Indecent! You can make your sister your future wife!"

"Shut up! Can you not directly accuse?! Yui is not my real sister!" Shiki was annoyed, the reaction she always got when she was with Alicia.

Alicia turned her hand in understanding. Yui comes from the Haruna clan, a clan known among nobles with an ugly name.

"Klan Haruna, huh. It's worth my first impression on you that I'm upset, you're from that barbarian clan." said Alicia.

"You..." Yui is upset, she wants to take out a katana to slash Alicia.

The orange-haired girl also pulled out a magic wand to fight back.

Shiki knew it would be troublesome if Yui met Alicia, they would definitely find it difficult to get along because both of them have different backgrounds.

"Why are you angry? Isn't it true that the Haruna clan is a bar-bar clan? You are no different from the bandits, that's why this kingdom is hostile towards you." Alicia's getting into Yui's bed.

"This chick's mouth..." Yui was really annoyed.

"Alicia." Shiki advanced in front of Yui; "I know that the name of the Haruna clan is not good in front of the eyes of nobles like you..."

"...but at least don't talk bad about us in front of Yui. Do you want to pump Yui? Do you just want to show your arrogance?" shiki asked seriously; "Klan Haruna is my savior, I wouldn't hesitate to hurt you if you said more about us than this."

Shiki stared seriously, she was angry at Alicia. The Haruna clan is his family, his savior, and protecting their self-esteem is also important to Shiki.

Yui smiles happily hearing Shiki defend Haruna clan, and it is certainly clear because Shiki is part of this clan.

While Alicia's reaction was silent, both of her cheeks slightly blushed and apologized. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry for not being able to hold myself back, Shiki."

"I'm sorry to you too.She's Shiki. I had only first met a member of the Haruna clan, and of course my impression was like that because that was what was often heralded in the kingdom about you."

Alicia apologized, explained it all. "You're hostile to the Blackmore family, right? They hate you for whatever reason..."

"Yes, they killed my mother too. I hate them. If you were Blackmore, I would've..."

Alicia understood that, she nodded. "I know, but I don't think you know anything about this..."

"What about?" Yui blinked.

"The Blackmore family is gone, they were dead a year ago." Alicia told them that.

Shiki and Yui were shocked to hear that. "What?!"

"This is top secret information known only to the higher-ups in the Kingdom. A year ago, all members of the Blackmore family were killed by the Second Prince of the Asteria Kingdom, "Artha Blackmore", with her own hands!" Alicia told the super secret information with a serious face.

...Chapter 2.2 - "GATE Search begins" - finished...