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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
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Clatter!
Clatter!
“…”
My regular pub.
I rarely came to this tavern at this time of day.
I usually had a light brunch and a hearty dinner.
So why was I, someone who didn’t usually bother with lunch, in here at lunchtime…?
“Mmph! Mmph!”
“…! …!”
It was because of the young man practically inhaling his food, his nose almost touching the plate, and the young woman, though not to the same extent, was still eating with desperate fervor.
I rested my chin on my hand and watched them… they were eating so well that I hesitated to interrupt.
I was afraid they might choke.
Finally, as the plates and main dishes in front of them began to empty, the two, having regained some composure, elegantly wiped their mouths with napkins and straightened their posture.
“Should I order another round?”
“…C-cough. No. Thanks to you, we’ve had plenty.”
Foreman, an employee of the ‘Running Bear’ Trading Company.
And Jonah Button, who claimed to be the trading company owner’s daughter.
Now that their hunger was sated, they seemed to feel embarrassed.
Foreman cleared his throat and tucked the napkin he used into his sleeve.
Well… if I met someone like this after parting ways last night with promises of repayment, I’d be embarrassed too.
So, how did this happen?
After an awkward reunion with the two at the bank, I heard their story after they were practically kicked out.
It turned out they were completely broke, unable to afford even a meal, let alone lodging, and had resorted to sleeping on the streets.
Even though Tillasden was relatively safe, sleeping on the streets?
Good heavens.
As we were about to delve into their story, Foreman’s stomach growled loudly, followed by Jonah’s.
Unable to simply ignore them, I brought them to the pub and had them fill their bellies.
After the waiter cleared the table, a heavy silence fell between us.
The two kept their mouths shut, and I couldn’t figure out what to say either.
The first to break the silence was Foreman, the young man I had carried yesterday.
“First, I’d like to express my gratitude. I was unconscious, so I didn’t see it myself, but I heard from the young lady that you, Mr. Iyer, saved us when we were on the verge of death.”
“It was nothing much, really.”
“Even so, there’s no denying that you saved our lives, or rather, the young lady’s life. Please accept my gratitude, Mr. Iyer.”
Saying this, Foreman bowed his head politely.
When he looked up, his face was quite haggard.
The fact that he, who looked like a well-trained administrator, had eaten without any regard for decorum earlier meant he had been incredibly hungry.
Well, it was unlikely that two potatoes would completely satisfy someone who had been starving for days, even after regaining consciousness.
Foreman exchanged glances with Jonah and continued his story with a small sigh.
“I’m Foreman, an employee of the ‘Running Bear’ Trading Company. People around here may not be familiar with it, but it’s a trading company actively operating in the west.”
“…”
“And this is Miss Jonah. She’s the only daughter of Benjamin Button, the founder and owner of the ‘Running Bear’ Trading Company. I work closely with Miss Jonah as her escort and attendant.”
“How did you two, from a western trading company, end up in Tillasden?”
“It’s a bit of a long story…”
Foreman, with a look that clearly said, “We have a story to tell,” let out a deep sigh.
I wasn’t surprised, as I had already anticipated some sort of trouble.
However, if this trouble was related to the trading company owner’s daughter, it was a different story.
“We were heading east to expand the Running Bear Trading Company’s business. We set out on our journey with our specialty products, hoping to establish trade routes with major cities in the east and even establish a branch.”
But then…
Foreman’s gaze drifted into the distance, as if recalling a distant past.
His story went like this:
Foreman and Jonah were traveling with wagons loaded with specialty products for trade, aiming to expand their business.
Originally, they had a much larger entourage, including numerous attendants, mercenaries for protection, and servants.
It was quite a large trading caravan.
However, they were unexpectedly attacked during their journey, and Foreman escaped with Jonah, hiding in the mountains.
That’s how they ended up stranded in the Tillasden Forest.
‘The trading company owner’s daughter personally leading a trading caravan, and that large caravan being attacked?’
The story seemed a bit odd.
I instinctively felt there was something more to it than what he was saying.
Though I had no way of knowing unless they told me themselves…
“We’ve lost our way to our destination. We no longer need to go there since we lost the wagons carrying our specialty products, but…”
“…”
“As far as I know, there’s a main branch of a trading company affiliated with the ‘Running Bear’ Trading Company in Las Pallas. They’ll recognize Miss Jonah there, so we can ask for help.”
‘Las Pallas,’ huh?
It was a city about five days away from Tillasden on horseback.
Since there was frequent travel between Tillasden and Las Pallas, the roads were well-maintained, and there were many people along the way, so they wouldn’t experience a mishap like being stranded in the Tillasden Forest.
However, the problem was…
These people were completely broke.
They were starving because they didn’t even have money for food, let alone enough to rent horses…
“It’ll take five days to reach Las Pallas even on horseback. You’re not planning to walk, are you?”
Foreman, with a gloomy expression, replied in a dejected voice,
“As you can see… we tried to get a promissory note from the bank using the company’s name, but it seems the Running Bear Trading Company isn’t well-known in Tillasden…”
Yeah, I figured as much.
If they had any other options, they would have used them already.
Just as I was thinking this, Foreman pleaded with Jonah with a desperate expression.
“Miss Jonah. As Mr. Iyer said, we have no other options. Please consider what I suggested…”
“…But Foreman.”
“Mr. Benjamin will surely understand. This is an emergency.”
Contrary to my expectations, it seemed they did have some sort of plan.
But Jonah’s expression didn’t look pleased.
What other options could she have, with no bag or anything to carry money?
Only one thing came to mind.
‘She must have some valuables.’
If she had valuables she could carry, she could sell them here and raise some quick cash.
That way, they could find a way to get to Las Pallas.
Actually, wasn’t that the only option?
But Jonah’s expression still looked troubled.
Was it a valuable she couldn’t sell even in this situation?
As I was thinking this, something flashed through my mind.
‘Hmm? Speaking of Las Pallas…’
I discreetly checked the request form I had received from the guild before going to the bank, keeping it under the table.
A letter delivery request.
A simple request to deliver a letter to an ailing sibling.
It seemed like a request from someone who missed the weekly courier.
That wasn’t the issue.
Written in the destination section was clearly ‘Las Pallas.’
“Hmm…”
My gaze shifted from Jonah to the request form, and back again.
Foreman was still trying to persuade Jonah.
He was saying they should focus on contacting the trading company first.
Jonah remained silent, but she looked disheartened by the reality of Foreman’s words.
Her messy golden bob, which must have been neatly styled in the past, and her glasses had a cracked lens.
Despite her current disheveled state, her fair skin suggested she had been raised like a flower in a greenhouse.
I felt a bit of admiration for her resilience, having endured a caravan attack, being stranded in the forest, and even having to sleep on the streets without a penny to her name.
‘And if she really is the trading company owner’s daughter, an opportunity to create a debt like this isn’t common.’
Listening quietly to their conversation, I suddenly made an offer.
“If it’s Las Pallas, I can take you there.”
“Huh?”
Jonah’s head shot up, her gloomy expression instantly brightening.
“I-is that possible?!”
I nodded, and Jonah’s eyes welled up with tears.
“To be honest, I don’t completely believe the story about you being the trading company owner’s daughter or the attack… but if it’s just getting to Las Pallas, I’ll help you.”
“M-Mr. Iyer…!”
“There’s nothing more difficult than being stranded in a foreign land.”
‘Miss Jonah, please don’t look so touched.’
Actually, I believed their story about being from the ‘Running Bear’ Trading Company to some extent.
I just pretended not to know to show off a bit.
That expression makes me feel guilty.
It was half self-interest, half kindness.
A spoonful of intention to create a debt with Jonah Button, and a spoonful of wanting to provide aftercare since I had already helped them.
“Waa…”
Jonah’s body trembled slightly as she lowered her head.
Oh dear… It seemed I made her cry.
I was starting to feel pangs of conscience.
I rummaged through my pocket.
The pouch, which had been heavy with coins, was now almost empty after depositing most of it at the bank.
It was the money I had set aside for expenses.
Still, this should be enough for a day’s lodging and meals, right?
I emptied my pocket and pushed all the money towards Jonah.
“You’ll need to rest before heading to Las Pallas. Use this money to get a room at an inn and rest. We’ll leave tomorrow.”
“Mr. Iyer… giving us all the money you have…”
To be precise, it was the money I had left after depositing most of it at the bank.
But what did it matter?
It wasn’t wrong to say it was all the money I had ‘now.’
“I’ll come to this pub tomorrow at noon.”
“Yes, yes! See you tomorrow!”
“Get some rest.”
I stood up, leaving a gentlemanly parting remark.
I could feel Jonah and Foreman’s gaze on my back.
Hmm, I might have been a bit cooler than usual.
Feeling satisfied, I leisurely left the pub.
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Wow.
If you are looking to make money, I highly recommend a horse ranch.
With just ten horses, you’ll surely become rich within a year.
Why was it so expensive to rent just three horses?
Anyone would think I was buying them.
I wondered if I was being ripped off, but no one would dare overcharge someone as well-known as me among the citizens of Tillasden. Or so I wanted to believe…
Sighing deeply after paying, I requested the three horses be delivered to the pub and left the ranch.
“…Oh, I need to rent a carriage.”
Damn it.
I was supposed to be blind.
Cursing inwardly, I went back to the ranch.
Surprisingly, the price of renting one horse and a carriage was the same as renting three horses.
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