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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
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Thankfully, the carriage didn’t follow.
Whether it was a genuine courtesy or not, the result was satisfactory.
It meant I could enter Zikmel’s shop without drawing attention.
His cover as an information broker was important, and I didn’t want to compromise it.
“Welcome! The item you ordered has arrived, and the manager has been expecting you!”
As I entered, an employee greeted me with a completely fabricated story, delivered with practiced ease.
“…Ah, has it been prepared already?”
He’d even gone so far as to prepare a script, instructing the employee to announce my arrival as if I were an expected customer.
Was this really the Zikmel I knew? It was impressive.
Playing along, I made my way inside, where Zikmel greeted me from behind an even larger pile of documents than usual.
“I’ve always thought so, but your efficiency is truly remarkable, Eldmia.”
“I wanted to thank you and also see your reaction.”
“The former is appreciated, but the latter is a bit much, don’t you think?”
Despite his words, he seemed rather pleased, a relaxed smile playing on his lips.
“Well, thanks to you, my work has become a bit easier.”
“Did you have some sort of problem with Envelde?”
Zikmel shrugged, gesturing to the increased volume of paperwork.
“It seems one of my competitors had a close relationship with Count Bosha. I suspected it, but now one of them has disappeared.”
This was an unexpected bonus.
It made sense, though.
A man running a slave trading operation would likely have an information broker on his payroll.
Or maybe not?
My perspective was limited, having found Zikmel by chance.
“I’ve been carefully vetting my clients to avoid such entanglements, yet this still happened. I can only be grateful. So, is the matter settled?”
“Who knows?”
“…Excuse me?”
“How would I know? I just dealt with the immediate problem. Whether the fire is out or has spread elsewhere, only time will tell.”
Envelde’s death had untangled a mess years in the making, and I was relieved.
However, I couldn’t say it was completely “settled.”
Envelde might have had allies, people he’d helped, who might seek revenge, just as I had.
“Still, I did remove one obstacle from my path.”
“…You have a surprisingly long-term perspective, considering your impulsive actions.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
He wasn’t wrong, so I just laughed it off.
It probably did seem that way to others.
“Anyway, I just came to say thanks. If things stay quiet, I doubt I’ll need your services again.”
“What? You’ll probably need me more than ever! You caused quite a stir, but once things calm down, the royal family will be clamoring to give you a title!”
“A title?”
“…Eldmia, did you have any idea who Count Bosha was before you attacked him?”
“Of course I did. He messed with me.”
“…Huh. How did you survive…? Or should I be asking how strong you are?”
Zikmel looked bewildered, muttering to himself.
I almost gave him a flick on the forehead, but then I remembered something Envelde had said.
“You mean the whole ‘earned his title on the battlefield’ thing?”
“That’s one way to put it, I suppose. He earned it fighting demons, not people.”
“He did say something like that himself…”
“He was a respected knight, both by his men and on the battlefield. Promotions came quickly during wartime, but he earned his through merit. The story about him retiring due to injuries was a lie, of course. He’d been planning his rebellion all along, so assuming his skills hadn’t deteriorated, he was likely among the top tier of Aura Experts.”
No wonder he was so skilled.
His ability to weave feints into his attacks was exceptional.
My swordsmanship was outmatched solely because of that.
“He was stronger than the current Hero.”
It was just a statement of fact, but Zikmel looked at me with a mixture of awe and disbelief.
“What do you eat to become so strong?”
“Resentment…?”
“…Not rage or something like that?”
“I’ve heard that’s the usual fuel, but for me, it was resentment.”
He muttered something about me probably being quite familiar with causing resentment, so I flicked him on the forehead.
“So, you’re saying that since a fifteen-year-old killed someone that powerful, the nobles will be trying to recruit me, and that will inevitably lead to me interacting with you, the information expert?”
“Precisely.”
“I’ve considered that, but it will take a few years at least. I’ll receive my wandering knight title next year and head to the front lines.”
“After all this, you think you’ll actually receive a title?”
Of course I would.
They wouldn’t pass up the chance to neutralize a loose cannon without lifting a finger.
They’d hail it as a perfect opportunity to guide me towards the path of true knighthood and welcome me with open arms.
They’d probably want me gone even if I didn’t want to go.
Those who remained neutral would see it as a chance to quell negative public opinion, provide me with a reason for my actions, and assess my abilities.
They wouldn’t object.
The only ones who might be genuinely supportive were Lagnis and Sir Ekaf.
“So, if things stay quiet until then, we’ll go our separate ways, at least for a while.”
Zikmel looked like he had more to say, but he simply nodded.
Since I owed him a debt, I planned to visit again before leaving.
I said my usual goodbyes and left the shop.
After walking for about ten minutes…
“Oh? Eldmia?”
“Oh?”
I ran into Rellie, who was carrying several bags filled with various items.
Talk about perfect timing!
It was almost like a scene from the Truman Show.
As I marveled at the coincidence, Rellie approached with a smile.
“The capital isn’t as big as I thought. Did everything work out alright?”
“Yes, it seems so. You made it back safely as well, I see.”
“It was a nightmare. That damned guild master and a few city officials had really messed things up. I was dragged around giving testimony for ages and just finally got back.”
She’d probably made a decent profit, but it sounded like a hassle.
Rellie shook her head.
“Actually, the reward I received was thanks to you, so I was going to suggest a celebratory dinner. What do you think? I’d like to invite Asirye as well.”
“I’m in, but I’ll have to ask my sister. Do you know where you’re staying? I’ll visit once things are settled.”
“Do you know the Drunken Squirrel Inn? We’re all staying there at the moment.”
I had absolutely no idea.
I’d been in the capital for almost two years, and I still didn’t know my way around.
I thought I’d explored quite a bit.
“Tell you what, you seem to have your hands full. I’ll carry some of that for you.”
“Ha! What a polite way to ask for directions.”
She didn’t seem to mind, though, handing me one of the baskets she was carrying. She still had several more, though. Just what had she bought?
“Are you planning to cook something at the inn? That’s quite a haul.”
“These are ingredients for making reagents. They need time to mature, so I have to make a large batch to keep my supply up.”
“You know alchemy?”
“Enough to save money on potions.”
She made it sound trivial, but I was impressed. Using herbs for first aid was one thing, but brewing reagents was a completely different level of expertise. If done incorrectly, the side effects could be disastrous.
“That’s amazing. Are you self-taught?”
“No way, that’s too risky. I learned in Luvril.”
“Luvril… that’s…”
“Yes, Yekaterina’s hometown. I met her there and ended up traveling with her.”
Luvril was far to the north, beyond Itsiel, the Empire, and the Severed Plains, nestled in the Northern Mountains.
They must have a long history together.
“Rellie, I heard a story about a ‘Dragonblood Clan’ in Luvril. Have you ever heard of them?”
Gish had mentioned them.
Even if Rellie wasn’t from Luvril herself, she’d learned alchemy there, so I figured she might know something.
She rolled her eyes, as if searching her memory, before answering.
“Vaguely. Weren’t they a family connected to some Luvril legend?”
“A legend?”
“A typical origin story. Mixed blood with a dragon. Dragonblood, because they inherited the dragon’s blood. The family grew into a clan. Hence, the Dragonblood Clan. Why do you ask?”
“I was talking about Yekaterina a few days ago, and she asked me if I’d met any of the Dragonblood Clan.”
“Huh. Why didn’t you ask her?”
“I tried, but she started swinging her sword, so I didn’t get a chance.”
“…???”
Rellie stared at me, a look of disbelief on her face, as if I’d just told her the earth was flat.
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[Eldmia really thinks he can just live a nomral life after everything that he has done… lmao]
I wouldn’t say he’s trying to live a NORMAL life, just a planned one. He knows the world won’t let him rest, even post revenge
I almost forgot who Rellie was lol, thanks for the chapter