Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: The Northern Merchant
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"Please take good care of her."
"Uuugh... when are we going home..."
Eloise was slurring incomprehensible words, dead drunk from the alcohol, shaking her head side to side.
Carrying her on his back, Arsen walked the dark path from the tower to the estate lord's residence.
When they reached the main gate of the estate hall, two torches illuminated the entrance, with two guards stationed behind them.
Spotting something flashing eyes in the darkness approaching, the two guards flinched and raised their weapons slightly before relaxing upon recognizing the face, loosening their grip on their spears.
"Sir Arsen."
"You've had a long night. We're heading in."
"Understood. And behind you...?"
"The lady."
Hearing Arsen's words, the two guards involuntarily flinched and took a step back.
It was only for a moment before one guard bowed politely to Arsen.
"Sir Arsen, we offer our respects for the valor you showed in the recent battle. And please convey to the lady our admiration as mere soldiers."
"Did you fight in the southern battle?"
"My brother did. He talked nonstop about how the lady's magic saved his life. Of course, he mentioned how you took down the enemy commander too."
"What's your brother's name?"
"Rajin."
"Ah, Squire Rajin. I think I've seen him a few times in passing."
The face of the squire with an unusually heavy sprinkling of freckles, whom he'd occasionally run into during the expedition, flashed in his mind.
Now that he thought about it, the soldier's features looked like that squire's face aged a few years.
"To be honest, I used to have a poor opinion of mages, but I've deeply reflected on that."
"Good to hear. I'll pass it on to the lady."
".
Arsen nodded in return to the soldier's salute before entering the estate hall.
In the corridor lit by soft lights suited to the night, he climbed a few stairs and arrived at Eloise's room, then knocked.
"Mrs. Iba."
The door opened, revealing a middle-aged woman with particularly sharp eyes.
The younger sister of Knight Namer and Eloise's wet nurse who had raised her since childhood, she was one of the few people respected even among the knights due to her special position.
"Sir Arsen? The lady is..."
"Right here. Shall I put her on the bed?"
"Yes."
Arsen carefully lowered Eloise from his back onto the bed.
The stench of alcohol was so strong that Mrs. Iba wrinkled her nose and pinched it.
"What on earth? How could you let the lady drink this much without stopping her?"
"She had a few glasses and claimed she wasn't drunk at all, then chugged straight from the bottle. There was no chance to stop her."
"Ha..."
It was the classic behavior of someone drinking for the first time, leaving Mrs. Iba speechless as she clutched her forehead.
"...Please be more careful next time. The lady is still young, so if she's acting this carelessly, you need to stop her."
"Understood."
Mrs. Iba wiped Eloise's face with a cloth and straightened her appearance.
Arsen was inwardly impressed by how she showed no outward sign of disgust.
It must have been possible because she had devoted herself to raising the young lady like her own daughter over many years, building that inner fortitude.
At that moment, Mrs. Iba whipped her head around to look at Arsen with a swish.
"Are you planning to stay there forever?"
"Ah, could you tell the lady that I'll meet her at the tower after lunch bell tomorrow? We made a promise, but I'm not sure she'll remember."
"Of course."
Truth be told, he doubted she'd even get up properly tomorrow in that state, but he kept the thought to himself.
Arsen bowed politely in farewell before leaving the room.
Anticipating any contingencies, one of the guards who had been standing watch behind quietly followed.
* * *
By the time the sun had passed its zenith, Arsen had come down to the village market district with Eloise.
He carried a single sword just in case, but wore no other armor and dressed in casual clothes.
Of course, anyone over 2 meters tall carrying a massive jet-black sword could only be a knight, so passersby all bowed their heads in respect whenever they saw Arsen.
Though they hurried to back away at the sight of Eloise beside him.
Eloise had long been immune to such reactions, but today she ignored them more than usual.
To be precise, she wasn't in a state to care about others' reactions.
Her face, pale as a sheet from last night's aftermath, looked almost painted with powder, pitiful to behold, and her sunken eyes lacked any vitality.
With a black robe pulled over her head, only her pallid face peeking out below, she looked every bit the suspicious witch.
"Wouldn't it be better to rest and come later?"
"I don't know when we'll leave, so what if they pack up and go?"
Impressed by her remarkable determination, Arsen decided to respect Eloise's will.
The place they arrived at was the roadside stall of the northern merchants they had seen on the way back yesterday.
Fortunately, they hadn't left; they were still vigorously calling out to customers today.
"Come one, come all, almost sold out! Heading back north soon! Mysterious goods from the distant north! We take coin, or trade for your southern curiosities! Don't miss out!"
The merchant Arsen had mentally dubbed 'Gold Tooth' from yesterday was shouting loudly.
Several burly-looking men were positioned around the wares, guarding the spot.
Naturally, merchants traveling from other territories needed to tough it out against bandits, so it made sense.
The hawker himself had a solidly muscled build that spoke of serious training.
A crowd had gathered around the stall to gawk at the exotic items, but as the two approached, the onlookers quickly parted left and right, clearing a path.
Whether out of respect for the knight or fear of the mage, Arsen couldn't tell, but it worked in their favor, so he strode forward, widening the way.
The hawker had naturally spotted them too and hopped down from the pile of goods, bowing deeply.
"Oh, Sir Knight. To what do we owe the honor?"
"Just browsing your wares."
"Ah, take a look! But the one beside you...?"
At the man's attitude—clearly uncomfortable yet intrigued—Arsen frowned slightly and tapped the hilt of his sword for emphasis.
Startled by the gesture, the merchant flinched and bowed lower.
"Don't mind what's unnecessary. The goods."
"S-Sorry! Please, look here. Take this mirror, for instance..."
The items he showed were truly foreign oddities unseen in these parts.
Unlike Belluan's primitive mirrors, this one gleamed smoothly like it was made with real sand and mercury; a stone that lit up with a few taps; fabric so sleek it evoked silk.
There were even products made from byproducts of magic beasts unknown in the region.
"Wow, Sen! Look at this, it shows my face perfectly!"
"Yeah? Let me see."
Arsen leaned down to peer into the mirror Eloise held.
He'd seen plenty like it in the modern world, but born in this one, it was his first truly clear mirror, so it fascinated him.
Belluans could only glimpse their faces in bronze mirrors or water reflections, so even Arsen was seeing his own clearly for the first time.
A handsome young man in his late teens with blond hair and purple eyes stared back.
Below him, Eloise blinked.
"Truly amazing."
"Right? Oh, I didn't notice this blemish on my face."
Arsen chuckled and patted her back as she pouted, pointing at her cheek.
The merchant watched them with a dazed expression for a moment before grinning boldly.
"Pretty mirror, isn't it? I had an even bigger one, but it shattered on the way. Here's another."
The next item the merchant showed was far more wondrous than the mirror, drawing a genuine gasp even from Arsen.
It was a cloth that turned transparent when draped over the body.
Not large—just enough to cover a hand—but when placed over one, the hand vanished as if gone.
Eloise took the cloth and draped it over her hand, then poked Arsen's side.
The poke felt real, yet nothing was visible—a bizarre sensation.
"This is even cooler. How does it work?"
"No kidding. If it were bigger, you could hide inside it completely. Hey, got anything like that?"
"Regrettably, no. Even this size is rare... There's a legend in our lands about a bigger one—the Cloak of Invisibility. Pure legend, though; no one knows if it's real."
Arsen felt a twinge of disappointment at the merchant's words, but Eloise was thrilled regardless.
The difference between Arsen, who weighed practicality, and Eloise, who simply enjoyed the novelty.
Just moments ago, she looked half-dead from hangover, yet now she brimmed with energy again, leaving Arsen inwardly shaking his head in admiration as he played along.
As they excitedly examined more items and chattered, the merchant cleared his throat and called to Arsen.
"Ah, Sir Knight?"
"What?"
"I've got something special fit for a noble guest, but since it's valuable, I'm keeping it safe at the inn to avoid thieves. Care to see?"
"Didn't bring enough coin for anything extravagant."
Arsen had earned a hefty salary over years as a knight, and with Eloise's jewelry gifts from the estate lord, they were well-off.
But they hadn't come planning to buy anything pricey, so they only carried a few gold coins—not insignificant, but not enough for 'special' items for honored guests.
"No worries! Just take a look first. Pay later, or tell your fellow knights—whatever works."
"What do you think, Eli?"
"Seems fine?"
Seeing Eloise's eyes sparkle with curiosity, Arsen scanned the surroundings.
Gold Tooth and his burly companions looked trained but no knights.
With his favored sword at hand, he could escape even if surrounded by hundreds of armed soldiers.
And this wasn't their home turf—just an inn they were staying at; no way it'd be rigged with traps.
Figuring it safe, Arsen nodded readily.
"Alright, let's take a look."
"My sincere thanks! Nahim! Mind the stall for me!"
"Got it, boss."
Gold Tooth handed sales to one of the burly men, rubbing his hands and bowing.
"Come to think of it, poor manners on my part. Name's Azure. I run a caravan from up north in Mitea Territory."
"You're the caravan master?"
Arsen had pegged him as a mere hawker or guard from the loud sales pitch, so he looked at him anew, surprised.
Merchants weren't high-status in Belluan, but leading a large-scale caravan across territories at his age warranted respect.
Not someone to bully like a servant or threaten with sword taps.
"Guess I was rude without realizing."
"Oh, no need to worry! How dare a wandering peddler like me stand equal to guardians of the land? I should've introduced myself first."
His politeness seemed almost sarcastic at first, but Azure's face showed none of that.
Whether genuine deference or flattery, Arsen sized him up briefly before shrugging it off.
"Fine then. Lead on to your goods, caravan master."
"Right this way!"
Arsen and Eloise followed the caravan master.