Chapter 60
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: Rumor (1)
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"I'm not entirely sure. Monster habits might differ a bit. But as a starting point for the investigation, it doesn't seem like a bad choice, right? If there had been another one of those beasts, it wouldn't have been easy to cover it up without anyone noticing."
"You're right. That's definitely worth considering. In that case, I'll check out the government office. Maybe some soldiers were mobilized, or reinforcements were sent... I'll dig up whatever clues I can."
Karim's voice was resolute.
"While you're at it, why don't we spread the word about the new port in our village? Same goes for the academy. We need a cover for our real objective anyway..."
"We'll be digging a ditch and catching crayfish at the same time."
"I have a favor to ask of you too, Anton."
"What is it?"
"Pretend you're going to auction off those shells you brought and check the market prices. And see if anything similar has come up before. Smart people wouldn't leave obvious traces, but you might catch something."
He was using a portion of his own centipede shells as bait to uncover leads, just in case.
"I'll gather info from the mercenary guild."
"Ah, no."
Ian offered his own suggestion, but Dominic shook his head.
"Sir Knight, let's start with the exchange and me."
"The exchange?"
Ian questioned it because if the mate of the beast they'd slain in the Great Mountains had shown up, the auction house—where Anton was headed—would be far more promising for clues than the market exchange. It was a waste of time, he meant.
"There are two ways to conduct an investigation."
"......"
"One is hunting for evidence. That's what Karim and Anton will do."
Ian sometimes felt like Dominic was trying to teach him, but he didn't object. Despite the slightly arrogant tone, Dominic's advice had proven quite valuable to him. This time would be no different.
"What's the other way?"
"Suspecting people."
"What?"
"Divide those who lose out from this incident and those who gain. Then suspect the one who stands to gain the most and tail them from there. Simple, right?"
"Not a method I care for."
"That's why you and I should pair up, Sir Knight. I'll handle the suspecting, and you handle the not-suspecting. That keeps things balanced."
Dominic shrugged.
"From now on, I'll be suspecting every merchant group tied to the northern nobles. From one to ten, all of them."
His declaration-like words put Ian, Karim, and even Anton on edge.
"Hold on, Dominic! Did you just say you're suspecting the northern nobles? Of our empire?"
"Yeah."
"If you're going to suspect someone, shouldn't it be the desert nobles or the sultan?"
"What would they gain from the hassle?"
"...Pardon?"
Anton was dumbfounded, like he'd swallowed honey.
Karim, who had already considered it somewhat, nodded quietly, while Ian maintained an inscrutable expression.
"If I were a desert noble, I wouldn't release desert monsters. It's too obvious who'd get suspected."
It's like childish provocation. Way too blatant.
This was where Dominic's suspicions began.
"But couldn't they be counting on that? Using the prejudice that 'desert folk wouldn't use desert monsters' to their advantage..."
"Why go to such lengths?"
"......"
"See? No motive. Whether it's killing southern soldiers or stirring up unrest, the desert gains nothing. It'd just cut trade volumes for no reason."
"Then..."
"But the capital nobles are different."
Dominic's face turned cynical.
"Even if things go wrong, it's desert monsters, so it has nothing to do with us. If the south's military weakens or rumors spread, it distracts from their constant clashes with the noble faction—good for them. And if they use this to suspect the desert and reduce trade, the central merchants under capital noble influence profit big time. Above all..."
He paused to sip his cold tea, and Ian finished for him.
"...they get to laugh at the south's misfortune. How entertaining."
"...Good lord."
Anton's jaw dropped.
"Even if the capital nobles and the south don't get along, they're still subjects of the imperial family, same empire..."
"The capital's vultures don't see it that way."
Karim shuddered, having suffered enough at the hands of those capital nobles already.
"Anyway, that's why I'll check with you, Sir Knight, what the merchant groups under capital nobles have been up to in the desert. Any objections?"
The mood in everyone's eyes seemed to settle a bit.
'But is Sir Knight from the capital?'
Dominic wondered, reading the emotion in his eyes during the capital nobles talk. It was unmistakably anger.
"I wonder if they're doing alright."
Worry slipped from the Old Lord's mouth.
The desert expedition team—made up of his prized disciple Ian, merchant Dominic, the unfortunate genius administrator Karim, and the rising young merchant—looked solid on paper, but their youth might trip them up due to lack of experience. That was his concern.
"Theo, what are you fretting over? They'll handle it fine."
"Hoho, you think so?"
"The guy who turned a tiny village into this? No way he's worse than some geezer with a few extra decades."
The dwarf across from him chuckled, adding, 'Experience between humans who barely live a century? Please.' It was his idea of a joke.
"So why'd you drag me all the way out here? You know how busy I am!"
"Worried you'd ruin your health. Your disciples say you hardly sleep."
"Can't waste time on sleep when I've found something fun."
"How's the experiment going?"
"If it were that easy, I wouldn't be bothering."
Apparently, making pottery from beast bones wasn't simple. Stonehammer talked big but looked deflated.
"That's why I called you. Sometimes you need a break when you're stuck."
"Oho! Advice from a swordmaster? I'll take it!"
"Heh, such a lightweight."
Stonehammer, holed up five days a week in a kiln he'd built at the mountain base near the village for pottery firing and endless experiments, looked worrying even to strangers. His hair and beard were a dusty, clay-caked mess. Dark circles under sunken eyes, sclera burst from high-heat kiln work. Malnourished and sleep-deprived, his face was ashen—due for a collapse anytime.
"If we're eating, better be somewhere with big meats."
"Plenty of meat here too."
"Theo, I have eyes. Two of these three humans are eating noodles. I don't like noodles. Meat and beer are best! The finest human invention! Mmm!"
The dwarf hyped himself up alone.
The Old Lord burst out laughing at his old friend's antics and beckoned the hesitant server, ordering freely.
"Hey! I wanna see too!"
"Ordered all your favorites. Just wait. If it's not enough, we order more."
"Fine, but the beer?"
"Coming."
"Then I'll wait."
Soon, dishes began arriving at the Old Lord and dwarf's table.
"Whoa!"
The dwarf's mouth gaped wider with each large bowl.
"My go-to spot lately. New, but the owner learned recipes from Dominic and it's already famous."
The place the Old Lord brought his longtime friend was Uncle Kallon's new restaurant.
[Y-You're teaching me all this? For real? Dominic?]
[You're opening a restaurant, right? Might as well do it right. Can't make a business on just black bean noodles.]
The day he first made black bean noodles, Kallon had mustered courage to ask for help with his third act of life. Dominic gladly shared multiple recipes.
[But you must use my black bean paste!]
[Of course, kid! Break that, and I'd disown you! ...You didn't skimp on the ingredients, right?]
[What do you take me for?!]
Some bickering, but they settled on a mutually satisfying price. Dominic taught over a dozen recipes not just because Kallon was like family and the village's benefactor who welcomed him.
'Chinese food takes effort. Teach him right, then come mooch whenever.'
The dishes spread under Kallon's sign "Southern Mercenary Eatery" instead of "Chinese Cuisine."
"You tried Dominic's black bean noodles before, right?"
"Yeah. Sweet and tasty."
Stonehammer, who'd sampled black bean noodles, fried rice, and tteokbokki at Dominic's kitchen using the sauce, wasn't fazed by the black-sauced bowl.
But the sweet black bean noodles, while good, weren't his favorite.
Still, the Old Lord's face brimmed with confidence.
"Your pre-ordered Dongpo pork."
The dark lidded pot brimmed with thick-cut pork chunks.
The near-black thick sauce wafted sweet-savory aroma, distinct from black bean sauce's sweetness. Beside the reduced sauce, green veggies added color; sides were white buns coiled like rolls.
"Mix with rice, or wrap in the buns."
Then chili shrimp in red sauce, square-cut chicken stir-fried with spicy peppers—Kung Pao chicken—and juicy potstickers followed. But Stonehammer's eyes bored into the Dongpo pork.
Gulp-
Quick to spot beer-friendly food, he pulled his chair, short legs kicking excitedly.
"What's this? Dongpo pork? Whoa! Gone! The meat vanished!"
Unable to hold back, he sliced a hunk, popped it in, chewed a few times, then slammed the table in excitement.
"What is this?! How?!"
Not just tender braised pork texture.
Skin first hit crisp like fried, then chewy fat yielded with slight pressure, salty meat melted on tongue before proper chew!
"No idea how many fails to perfect it, haha!"
Kallon emerged personally, having heard the Old Lord and dwarf were there.
"Learned the recipe from Dominic, but mastering it myself was another story."
"Lots of practice, I see."
"Yes. Didn't want to embarrass myself when Dominic returns."
Kallon's face lit up with a smile.
"Tweaked temperatures, times, ingredient ratios from what Dominic taught."
"Oh?"
"Realizing now, his ovens and measures differ from mine."
That was why Kallon wrestled recipes all winter.
Imperial standards for weights and measures existed, but makers varied capacities and sizes arbitrarily.
"...Different measures?"
"Yes, elder. Even the weights for scales are all over. Haha! Had to remake everything to match Dominic's merchant group gear. Doubled the cost."
"Aha! That was the issue!"
"Pardon?"
"Thanks for the hint, baldy! Good guys have shiny heads! Visit my forge next—free kitchen knife. Sharp enough for orc skulls in one swing!"
"...Pardon?"
"Theo, I'm off! Send Dongpo pork to the kiln every evening! Hahaha! Found the cause! Genius dwarf here! Hahaha!"
Clatter-crash, the dwarf cheered and bolted.
Old Lord and Kallon stared blankly toward his exit, then burst into laughter.