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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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“Hey! Stop right there!”
“No way!”
The loudest sounds in any alley are the shouts of children, even in the midst of a battlefield. But this place was far too peaceful to be a battlefield.
“How much for this?”
“10 copper coins.”
A coup had taken place within the royal palace, but life outside seemed undisturbed. Everyone was going about their daily routines.
“This is strange.”
Yuseora spoke first, though even such a remark could be considered dangerous here.
“Yuseora.”
I gave her a warning glance, and she fell silent. We were already attracting attention. We needed to be careful.
‘Especially Yuseora.’
Elsie and I were disguised with black hair, but our facial features weren’t Sakian. Yuseora, however, had the typical features of a Sakian beauty, attracting attention wherever she went.
“Let’s find an inn first.”
Traveling with Yuseora would be difficult. It would be best for her to stay at the inn until the decisive battle. And…
‘Fortunately, there are no signs of surveillance.’
We were attracting curious glances, but no one was actively following us. We could focus on the mission without any pretense of hunting Chaos Beasts.
“Elsie, can you find an inn?”
Due to the three-year isolationist policy, most inns had closed. Only one, affiliated with the church, remained open.
“I’m not sure.”
That was understandable. She had mostly lived within the palace walls. She wouldn’t have had time to learn the city’s layout during her escape.
“Then we’ll have to ask around.”
I started asking for directions. People were wary of outsiders, but they still pointed us in the right direction. We reached the inn without any problems. The problem came after.
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“One silver coin per night.”
The price was exorbitant. One silver coin was a month’s worth of living expenses in my hometown of Basil. Of course, prices in the Lodreim Kingdom would be different, but this was still too much.
‘Inflation?’
I had noticed it on the streets as well. Prices in the Lodreim Kingdom were abnormally high. It seemed the coup leaders had injected a lot of money into the economy to appease the public.
‘And this inn practically has a monopoly on lodging for outsiders…’
The high price was understandable, but three rooms would cost three silver coins per night. We had about a week until Nameless Day, the start of our operation. Twenty-one silver coins was a significant expense.
‘We’ve already spent a lot on potions, equipment, and travel expenses…’
As I was pondering this, Elsie spoke.
“Wouldn’t two rooms be enough? The two of us can share.”
I’d considered that, but individual rooms would be better for rest. That’s why I was thinking of getting three rooms, despite the cost. But Elsie was fine with sharing, so Yuseora’s opinion mattered.
“Yuseora, are you okay with that?”
She seemed to be thinking it over. Even for women, sharing a bed…
“Wouldn’t one room be enough?”
Yuseora’s unexpected suggestion surprised even Elsie.
“W-what do you mean?”
Even the usually unflappable Elsie was taken aback. I, too, was surprised.
“One room?”
Yuseora, with a calm expression, said,
“We’re comrades. There are no strange feelings between us. Isn’t it fine to share a room?”
That should be the case. No, it shouldn’t be the case. Even among comrades, things could get complicated between men and women. Elsie and I knew that all too well.
“But it’s still inappropriate for men and women to share a room.”
The irony was lost on Yuseora, since Elsie herself was the most “inappropriate” one.
“Are you looking at Seo Yoo-rang with impure thoughts?”
“That’s… not what I meant.”
Elsie turned to me.
“But wouldn’t Seo Yoo-rang prefer a private room? Don’t you need a place to rest alone…?”
Her eyes glinted. She emphasized “private room” and “rest alone.” This look…
‘If I have a private room, it would separate me from Yuseora.’
She was the most “inappropriate” one, indeed. And Yuseora’s following words hit the mark.
“That’s for him to decide.”
The decision was mine. One room or two…
‘What should I do?’
Sharing a room was, as Elsie said, inappropriate. But Elsie was the bigger problem. I wasn’t confident I could handle her if we had separate rooms.
‘And this is reality, not the Trial.’
I wanted to wait until my stamina increased before “handling” Elsie in reality. My life might depend on it. I asked the innkeeper,
“Do you have a spare bed?”
“Seo Yoo-rang?”
Elsie gave me a pleading look, but it was no use.
“Yes, we can provide a spare bed for 10 copper coins.”
“Then we’ll take one room and a spare bed.”
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“Elsie.”
“Yes?”
Despite the inn incident, Elsie didn’t seem disappointed.
“Are you alright sharing a room?”
“It can’t be helped. It was the most logical decision.”
I’d worried she might be upset, but I’d misjudged her.
“It’s a little disappointing, though.”
I had anticipated this, so I’d left Yuseora at the inn and gone out with Elsie, ostensibly to buy food.
“By the way…”
Elsie spoke, her face still calm. But I could tell it was a facade. It was impossible for her to be truly at peace while looking at these streets.
“It’s so peaceful here.”
Contrary to her feelings, the Lodreim Kingdom was peaceful. I agreed. Compared to Basil, infested with bandits, and Sak, overrun with thugs and vagrants, the Lodreim Kingdom was a haven of peace.
‘But…’
We overheard a conversation from a nearby tavern.
“The King! I’m telling you, he’s dead!”
Elsie stopped walking.
“I was so worried because of him. Seeing how peaceful things are now, it’s more believable that he’s dead and the Knight Commander is in charge.”
Elsie’s carefully maintained composure cracked. The man’s casual words were true. Elsie’s father, the King, wasn’t a good ruler. He was known as the “Drinking King” for his love of alcohol and revelry.
“Elsie.”
But that didn’t matter now. She couldn’t be fooled by this false peace. When I called her name, she seemed to understand and composed herself, resuming our walk.
We eventually reached the square, dominated by a life-sized statue. Stalls were being set up around it.
“Are they preparing for Nameless Day?”
“Yes, it’s only a week away. And the festivities begin three days prior to the main event.”
“I see.”
As we looked around the stalls, Elsie and I were drawn to the statue in the center of the square. It depicted a woman kneeling in prayer, hands clasped together. But the statue had no face.
“It has no face.”
“It’s a statue of the Nameless King.”
“The Nameless King?”
“Don’t you know?”
Elsie sounded surprised. I’d seemed like a know-it-all until now. But I couldn’t help it if something wasn’t in Seo Yoo-rang’s knowledge.
“Then I should give you a brief explanation.”
She began recounting the story of the Nameless King from 500 years ago. How she prayed and ultimately sacrificed herself to protect the Lodreim Kingdom. As I listened, I realized something.
‘Perhaps Libero’s trigger, the promise with his ancestor…’
…was a promise with the Nameless King. That thought made my chest tighten. Elsie, a descendant of the Nameless King, seemed to feel it too.
“She sacrificed herself for the Lodreim Kingdom. No one remembers her face or name. That’s why she’s called the Nameless King, and why her statues have no face.”
But there was something that didn’t add up.
“But I saw some statues with faces. Are those also the Nameless King?”
Those statues were also in a praying posture.
“Yes, technically. Many people find faceless statues unsettling.”
That made sense. But those various faces lacked consistency. And none of them resembled Elsie.
‘I thought they would resemble her since she’s a descendant…’
Then, Elsie suddenly tugged on my sleeve.
“Hm?”
“Look…”
She pointed at a stall where an elderly woman sat, carving a small wooden figure.
“That figure. We saved some money on the room, so could you buy me one?”
Of course. The prices in the Lodreim Kingdom, combined with the usual markup on souvenirs, were a concern, but if it was under a silver coin, it wasn’t a problem. And…
‘That’s the only faceless figure I’ve seen so far.’
If it could cheer Elsie up, it was worth it.
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