Chapter 103
Chapter 103
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 103
Chapter Title: Chapter 3. Flag Tournament.
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Judah entered the room and quickly scanned it. Since he had only dropped off Jeanne and Arhil's luggage before heading out, he wasn't sure which of the three beds to claim. It looked like the center one was Jeanne's, and the right was for Arhil. He tossed his coat and shirt onto the left bed pressed tight against the wall, then threw himself onto it.
"Expensive places really are different."
The bed caught him softly with the spring's rebound. Its near-lack of motion made it the most comfortable he'd ever slept on.
'No, Grandpa's mansion was pretty great too.'
He hadn't stayed often at Caseun's mansion, but even one night there made him dread going home. A body at ease meant fatigue melted away that much faster. As he lay there facedown, blinking, someone knocked on the door.
"I've brought the packaged food. May I come in?"
"It's open!"
"Pardon the intrusion."
The server entered, neatly repackaged the leftovers into fresh containers, and set them on the table. Judah watched him bow and leave, then closed his eyes. The instant he did, the face of a man wearing a monocle surfaced in his mind.
'Count Jenner de Lava...'
Judah slowly recalled what he knew about him.
He had revived a declining baronial house and wielded influence in the Urun Empire rivaling that of ducal families—one of the great nobles. Power, strength, wealth, a beautiful wife, handsome features... he had it all, renowned as one of the most perfect men alive. But his rise from the brink to success stemmed from his talents and efforts, amplified by the power of the fifth fragment: Valentine's.
...Whatever the case, his status as one of Urun's most influential men was undisputed. Befriending such a figure would be a massive opportunity. But that was a problem for Judah.
'I can't let myself get attached.'
Since the man held a fragment, Judah would eventually have to kill him and take it. To gather all twenty-four fragments, there was no choice. Ideally, he'd hand it over willingly, but who in their right mind would give up such a treasure? If anyone did, it'd be like with Artemia—either clueless or unowned.
His mind grew tangled, and Judah sighed. He knew he shouldn't get attached, but repeated meetings with Count Jenner would naturally build rapport. Unlike with Cain, keeping distance wasn't feasible. Worrying over a future that hadn't even arrived yet was a real headache.
'...I'll think about it later.'
No point dwelling now; he couldn't decide anything. As he lay there facedown with eyes shut, he sensed someone climbing to the second floor. With his eyes closed, his hearing sharpened for no reason. There were two sets of footsteps, and though he couldn't make out words, their conversation drifted in. The faint voices sounded like Jeanne and Arhil. The doorknob turned smoothly and silently, and as expected, Jeanne and Arhil entered.
"Were you sleeping, Judah?"
"No, not sleeping."
Arhil smiled softly.
"For someone who wasn't sleeping, you've got wrinkles on your forehead..."
"I was facedown, but I didn't sleep. Really."
"Come on. Saying you didn't sleep, but those forehead marks are crystal clear?"
Judah rubbed his forehead but couldn't check it himself. She giggled, saying see, you were sleeping. He hadn't, though. Feeling a touch indignant, he watched quietly as they took off their outer coats. Jeanne hung her coat on the rack and belatedly noticed the feast laid out on the table.
"What's this, Judah? Did you eat without us?"
"Ah, that's mean. Let's eat together! We skipped everything to eat with you!"
Arhil puffed her cheeks and plopped down at the table.
"It's from Count Jenner, so eat if you're hungry."
"Count Jenner? Him? Wait, he was here?"
Jeanne spun around, as if food was beside the point. Arhil, either uninterested or unaware, grabbed utensils, peeled back the coverings, and dug in without a care. She chewed appreciatively—even cold, it was delicious—and tried offering some to Jeanne. But Jeanne had already perched on the center bed, staring at Judah.
"Yeah, ran into him by chance. We talked and ate."
Under her piercing gaze, Judah couldn't stay lying down. He sat up against the wall and answered. He did feel a bit tired, probably from nearly dozing off earlier.
"They said they saved good seats, so tomorrow we can just go with the count."
Jeanne's face lit up, and Arhil, munching away, exclaimed in admiration.
"Oh. But who's this count that's being so nice to us? Jeanne and I went to the market hoping to snag seats for the games starting the day after tomorrow, but they were sold out. I was debating camping out for free spots at dawn tomorrow... Lucky break."
Scalpers had tickets, but way too pricey, she added. Guess this world had them too. Judah started to explain about Count Jenner, but Jeanne beat him to it. She got up from the bed, walked to the table, and gave a quick rundown. Arhil glanced between Judah and Jeanne.
"So. You're going to kill him and take the fragment?"
Her bluntness startled Judah; Jeanne's eyes widened mid-fork to food. Realizing too late, Arhil muttered oh no. Dropping a bomb and then oh no. Judah pressed on as evenly as he could.
"...That's something you shouldn't say so casually where someone might hear, Arhil."
Shadow Deployment had confirmed no eavesdroppers, but in a place like this, caution was key with such talk. Daytalk for birds, nighttalk for rats—who knew who might overhear by chance. Arhil eyed him nervously, utensil in mouth, as he withdrew his mana.
"S-Sorry."
"It's fine. That's the normal reaction. Just didn't expect a priestess to toss out 'killing someone' so easily."
Arhil reached for more food and tilted her head.
"Hmm—well, I'm a bit odd that way. Other priests say we must protect and cherish all under the Holy King, human or intelligent being. I don't see it that way. I think we only need to protect the powerless weak. The strong have already killed plenty to secure their positions. Why feel bad about killing them? If they killed others, they should've been ready to die themselves."
Judah and Jeanne stared blankly at this unexpected side of her.
"Am I wrong?"
They shook their heads at her innocent, tilted-head gaze. Fair enough—priests' talk of cherishing life fit the modern world, not this one of rampant assassinations where killing to survive was routine. Her difference from other priests actually appealed more. Judah shrugged.
"Of course not. But try to be careful or use euphemisms when talking about killing. No telling who might hear here. And with our current skills, killing him is impossible. We'd get shredded by magic before we even swung a sword."
"...I see."
At least for now, it was 'I see?' not 'Got it!' Later, for early-game balance, Count Jenner gets abandoned by the fragment, nerfed to just above player level without full magic. Then the player, with Cain and other magic-resistant allies, strikes him down—like every Valentine owner in nearly 200 years—ending in惨 death. But Cain doesn't get the fragment; Judah swoops in from nowhere to claim it. That's the setup. Point is, Jenner still has the fragment's favor now—not abandoned.
Awkward silence fell, broken only by eating sounds, until Arhil changed the subject.
"Ah! Right. Have you been to the market yet, Judah?"
"Nope?"
"Then tomorrow, all three of us go together! The tournament doesn't start till the day after, right?"
Jeanne chimed in approvingly.
"Good idea. This time, let's hit the spots we missed. What do you say, Judah?"
Market sightseeing... sounded fun. When Judah agreed readily, they chattered happily about what they'd seen and done that day. And so the day ended. At dawn, Judah, Jeanne, and Arhil left the inn as the market opened.
They headed out nearly every morning and returned evenings, touring Aslan until the Green Flag Tournament. Aslan looked carved from mountains into a fortress, but the actual areas were all flat. Like a giant building. Stairs linked gates between levels, but otherwise, it was all level ground.
With tournament crowds, markets overflowed with wares; visiting merchants hawked goods too. They unintentionally enjoyed the shopping. Watching people live brought huge joy—just wandering and eating bumped Jeanne and Arhil's favor slightly.
It was delightful. Lucky them, they even entered the Hall of Fame tower housing statues, portraits, and gear of Black Flag winners. Pricey entry kept out adventurers and mercenaries; it was mostly foreign nobles.
Knights in full armor stood rigid as golems every three meters inside, unmoving sentinels. The winners' treasures warranted it.
The constant gazes might've unnerved some, but no one complained. Arhil grew bored, but Jeanne was deeply impressed, and Judah marveled while checking item info.
Mostly unique-grade items, some ancient-grade, and legend-grade at the top. Reading descriptions was joy enough. They toured Aslan like true sightseers, thoroughly rewarded.
They ate delicious food, enjoyed spectacles, laughed and chatted date-like with two beauties. No shortages, thanks to gold from Jinmu Count.
And finally, the Green Flag Tournament arrived.