Absolutely Do Not Touch ELdmia Egga – Chapter 143

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
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About an hour after Mongsoon’s departure, I was informed of a visitor.

Curious, I went to greet them, only to be met by a complete stranger.

He wasn’t dressed like an adventurer, nor did he resemble a servant or noble attendant.

Yet, despite our first encounter, he reacted as if he knew me.

“Greetings, Sir Egga. I have the item you requested,” he announced, reaching inside his coat.

Reflexively, I channeled mana, anticipating an ambush.

An unknown individual presenting an unrequested item was cause for alarm, especially given my recent activities.

However, when his hand reemerged, holding a scroll, understanding dawned.

I forced a bright smile, dispelling the guards’ rising suspicion, and opened my arms in greeting.

“Prepared sooner than expected. I thought it would take until tomorrow”

I said.

Unfazed by my sudden, almost theatrical welcome, the man smiled and handed me the scroll.

“We were fortunate. It’s a relief to deliver it on schedule.”

The scroll, clearly made of high-quality parchment, lacked any seal.

It was the flight permit promised by Duke Lesrom.

Understandable, given his inability to openly send a representative or attach his name.

I couldn’t help but feel a flicker of gratitude for his attention to discretion, even amidst my lingering distrust.

“It’s good to have it”

I acknowledged, dismissing the man with a brief farewell.

Back inside the mansion, I examined the scroll.

Densely written in official script, it certainly looked the part, but having never seen a genuine flight permit, I couldn’t verify its authenticity.

That was Gies’s task anyway.

I held it up to the light, scrutinized the handwriting, killing time until Lagnis and the others returned from the courthouse, looking considerably less drained than the previous night.

A successful trial, it seemed.

The atmosphere was light, and we enjoyed a rare, relaxed dinner together.

“A noble trial… utterly draining. I felt my life force ebbing away”

Gies admitted, dark circles under his eyes despite the celebratory mood.

Fortunately, his role as a witness was complete.

“You should have seen the Noble faction’s faces when Gies appeared as a witness”

Cheryl said, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

“Especially Baron Etabil. The look on his face will sustain me through any future hardship.”

Baron Etabil, one of Bosha’s close associates, had apparently orchestrated Gies’s predicament, posing as a sympathetic creditor in the trial, only to be exposed by Gies’s testimony.

“That bastard has ruined countless lives with his predatory lending practices. Even some adventurers have fallen prey to his schemes”

Gies added.

“Makes me want to stab him”

I muttered.

“Eldmia, please don’t say such things so casually. You’ll frighten me”

Cheryl pleaded, her tone deadly serious.

“I’m not a madman. I wouldn’t just…”

“You wouldn’t, would you?”

Why did no one trust me?

Even Gies looked skeptical.

I glared at him, feeling betrayed, until he coughed, changing the subject.

“Ahem! Regardless, today was incredibly satisfying. So, Eldmia, you mentioned having somewhere to go tomorrow? How far must we fly?”

“Not too far. Oh, and could you verify this? It’s supposed to be a flight permit.”

I handed him the scroll, smoothly transitioning the conversation.

Lagnis, however, looked puzzled.

“Somewhere to go? A flight permit?”

“I was planning to share this delightful tale with everyone later”

I announced.

Good deeds deserved recognition, especially when they involved dismantling Bosha’s operations.

I recounted the events of the past few days, emphasizing the more entertaining aspects, while sparing them the tedious details.

Lagnis, perhaps accustomed to my… unconventional methods, simply massaged her temples, muttering.

“How do you manage to cram a week’s worth of chaos into a few days? It’s baffling.”

Even Cheryl looked dumbfounded, while Gies seemed to doubt his own sanity.

“What kind of life are you living?”

He asked, bewildered.

“A life true to myself?”

I offered.

“If you’re true to yourself twice more, the kingdom might collapse.”

“Oh, I doubt that.”

After all, this was my second life, and the kingdom was still intact.

Gies, understandably, remained confused.

He simply confirmed the flight permit’s authenticity.

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Riding a horse at dawn was arduous.

With winter’s approach, the cold was biting, a constant reminder of mortality.

Flying on a wyvern in this weather, without proper preparation, was a recipe for hypothermia.

“I’ve noticed this before… but you seem strangely accustomed to flying, Eldmia”

Gies observed, eyeing my attire.

Bundled in layers of clothing and a thick cloak, I was impervious to the cold.

Asirye, similarly attired, looked surprised by my preparedness.

“It’s only your second time on a wyvern, isn’t it?”

She asked.

“It’s common sense. Even riding a horse in this weather is freezing. I figured a wyvern would be worse”

I explained.

“Most people underestimate the temperature drop at higher altitudes. Considering your… aerial acrobatics last time, perhaps you’re a natural wyvern rider?”

Gies suggested.

“Even if I were, what good would it do? I can’t fly without royal permission, and feeding this beast is expensive.”

Wyverns were undeniably appealing, but the restrictions on their use dampened my enthusiasm.

If I could own one without bureaucratic hurdles, I’d gladly adopt one as a pet and mode of transport.

“Anyway, our target is a mercenary group on the move. Their exact location is unknown, which complicates things. However, they reportedly don’t use horses.”

I unfolded the crude map obtained from Zikmel and handed it to Gies.

He scanned it briefly, then nodded confidently.

“They’re heading towards Riviel. The roads in that region are well-maintained, so without horses, they’ll be spending most of their time on the main thoroughfares. The marked locations are likely their predicted campsites.”

“You can tell all that from that rudimentary map? Do you have the entire kingdom’s topography memorized?”

“Occupational hazard. I spend more time in the air than on the ground. I might get lost in a city, but I can navigate terrain with ease.”

His matter-of-fact tone left me with little to argue with.

I simply accepted his expertise.

“You remember how to ride with two people, right?”

He asked.

“Of course.”

The wyvern saddle, designed for two, required a specific arrangement for three riders.

The pilot needed maximum freedom of movement, while the passengers huddled together in the back.

Wyvern piloting involved full-body maneuvering, and any imbalance could send a passenger plummeting.

We mounted the wyvern, assuming our positions.

Asirye, seated in front of me, spoke with a hint of excitement.

“This is… rather thrilling.”

“Riding a wyvern?”

“No. Riding with you. When we were younger, I always sat behind you. I’ve always wanted to ride like this, side-by-side, perhaps on horseback. I never imagined it would be on a wyvern.”

Her innocent enthusiasm was disarming.

I briefly entertained the notion of obtaining a wyvern piloting license, just to fulfill her childhood fantasy.

“We’re off!”

Gies announced, his voice echoing across the deserted Ogatorf training grounds.

The wyvern spread its wings, and we ascended into the pre-dawn sky.

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[Egga is just being true to his self… a murderer]