Chapter 26
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Two in One Day
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Fleta Lulu, the second daughter of the Fleta Merchant Guild leader.
The Fleta Merchant Guild, which uses a squirrel tail as its emblem.
Seeing her tail made it obvious at a glance that she was from Fleta.
'Of course, all the direct descendants of the Fleta Merchant Guild are squirrel beastkin...'
I extended my hand to the girl staring intently up at my face from below.
And flashed a light smile.
"Hello. I'm Anderson, and I'll be staying next door for a while. I just stopped by to say hi."
Lulu gave me a quick once-over, then gently took my hand.
I could feel the soft texture of her hand.
Her hand was so small it couldn't even wrap around three of my fingers.
"Ah... Sure. Call me Shasha. But... are you a soldier?"
Lulu glanced at my uniform, looking quite tense.
I could feel a faint tremble in her hand.
And every time our eyes met, she'd look away.
Plus, using a fake name... yeah, she's definitely Lulu.
The precious second daughter of the guild leader.
The Fleta Merchant Guild wasn't some rundown operation—it was the second largest in the Empire.
So it didn't make sense for her to be holed up in a dump like this.
But due to her circumstances, she was hiding out here at the inn.
"Yes, I'll be staying in Room 103 for about three months. Since we'll be seeing each other often, I thought I'd drop by. Hope I'm not intruding."
"...N-no, not at all."
I released her hand as I spoke.
At the mention of three months, Lulu's shoulders twitched, and her face grew paler by the second.
She was probably thinking all sorts of things.
I've confirmed everything I needed to, so time to go.
"Well, I'll come by again sometime."
"Y-yes..."
The moment the greeting ended, Lulu slammed the door shut.
The rundown inn, the fake name, the tension around the soldier...
Everything matched the Lulu I knew.
I turned and opened the door to Room 103 right next door.
- Creeeak...
The rusty hinges let out a chilling screech.
No maintenance whatsoever, as expected.
Even the tutorial village huts didn't creak like this.
Dust billowed into the air as I opened the door.
A sparse room with just a bed, desk, and chair.
Still beats sleeping on a hard wooden floor like back in the village.
I plopped down on the bed and opened my status window.
[Quest Info Activated: Fleta Lulu]
[Objective: 'Western Day 5' - Refuse entry to Fleta Merchant Guild.]
[Upon completion: 'Quest: Fleta Lulu' begins.]
A random merchant guild quest that triggers on Days 5-6 in the game.
It's tricky without info since you have to block an entire guild's access.
The two giant guilds that split the Empire: Fleta and Stella.
In the game, one of the leader's daughters—either 'Lucy' or 'Lulu'—randomly appears in Room 102.
And depending on who it is, the strategy and rewards change completely.
'Lulu... that means the downfall route...'
True to medieval fashion, the sisters were in a brutal fight over succession.
It wouldn't end until one of them died.
I'd tried every way to save both in the game, but it was impossible.
One had to die for it to resolve.
The moment I realized Lulu was in 102, I decided to make her the next leader of Fleta.
That's the big flow of this quest.
No choice if I want the rewards.
And I knew what happened if either sister took over.
Lulu... wasn't cut out for leadership compared to Lucy.
She was actually pretty awful at it.
'Because she's an absolute disaster with directions.'
In the game, her poor sense of direction wrecked the guild multiple times.
Aside from getting lost, Lulu was superior to Lucy in every way: item selection, networking, accounting, clerical work...
But if the guild leader mixes up supply routes, bankruptcy is inevitable.
As a major guild, one mistake wouldn't doom them, but repeated blunders led to Fleta's collapse under her leadership.
'Which means I'd have to side with Stella later...'
I'd think about guild stuff later.
No rush there.
Focus on now.
I opened a status window I hadn't checked in ages.
Negotiation success rate.
Not super flashy at the end, but key for this quest.
Since it's tied to slave liberation.
I closed the status window.
Then left the dusty room and headed outside.
Even though I hadn't been inside long, stepping out felt refreshing.
How badly neglected is this place?
The sun was still high in the sky.
Nothing to do, so might as well go check on that terrorist's face.
...
I easily found the soldier who'd offered to escort me to the interrogation room last time.
He was chatting with Hans at the supply base, so I pulled him away midway.
Now, following his lead, I'd arrived at the prison.
It wasn't far from the supply base—about a 10-minute walk.
A small, gray prison surrounded by tall iron bars.
We descended to the basement and reached the cells.
A long corridor with criminals locked one per cell behind bars on both sides.
I'd passed out before my shift ended yesterday, so no interrogation then.
A day later than planned, but whatever.
"Here he is."
Deep inside following the soldier, I spotted the guy easily.
A tiny single cell without even a toilet—just a pile of stiff straw on the floor.
And there he was, sprawled out on it.
But his condition...
Normally he'd react to someone right in front of him, but nothing.
"...He's asleep?"
"We found him dead this morning. I was just reporting it to Sir Hans."
I stood there blankly at the soldier's words.
Dead after just one day?
"Looks like strangulation."
I stared at the man's neck as the soldier explained.
A vivid red mark was indeed there.
This wasn't in the plan...
He seemed to know another meaning behind the rune the Hero carved.
I knew its function from the girls, but he knew the rune itself—what it signified.
He'd specifically said "that side."
Looked like one of Mel's underlings too.
I'd planned to interrogate him on that, but things got messy.
"Hah... No signs of intruders, so probably happened at dawn."
The soldier sighed in frustration.
I hadn't dreamed he'd commit suicide.
I can't interrogate a corpse, unless I'm some necromancer or medium.
No point sticking around, so I turned to leave.
- Bang! Bang! Bang!
Suddenly, bars rattled loudly nearby.
Like a gorilla trapped in a zoo shaking the cage.
"Hey, soldier! You the Gatekeeper? Answer me!"
The bars shook as a man's gruff voice boomed.
Only one Gatekeeper here—me—so probably calling me.
I walked slowly toward the source with the soldier.
There was Logan, crammed halfway into his cell.
It had seemed spacious for a criminal cell with the other guy, but tiny with Logan in it.
"Oh, you again. Sir Logan."
"Gatekeeper, why didn't you tell me she was the Saintess?"
"I did tell you."
I definitely explained she was the Saintess.
He crossed the line after that.
"Bullshit. Never heard that. Explain why the Saintess was in the gatehouse."
"No obligation to explain."
I smirked.
Just like in the game.
Brutish, whiny kid when outmatched.
No matter what, he insulted the Saintess—that doesn't change.
Logan's face grew redder with fury.
"You little Gatekeeper... You know what happens when I get out?"
"You're detained, Sir Logan. Mind your words."
"..."
The soldier beside me responded instead.
Lots of ears in these cells besides us.
Talking more just hurts Logan.
Rumors spread fast in a tight prison like this.
Or already too late?
The prisoners and guards listening had all heard.
Logan realized it too and went quiet.
I waited, wondering what he'd say next.
"Quit staring. Get that trash face out of here. Makes my blood boil."
"...S-sorry."
Random insult, out of nowhere.
Told him no threats, so he goes personal?
Logan was grasping for anything to curse at.
Throwing a tantrum like a kid when things don't go his way.
Hard to believe this married man.
How'd he end up with a woman like Eri?
"Am I funny? Your pathetic Gatekeeper life in the West is funnier."
"Khk, no."
I swallowed a laugh, shoulders shaking slightly.
Probably thought I was mocking him.
But I wasn't laughing at him.
Okay, the cramped pose was funny.
His beet-red face alone was hilarious.
His pointless insults were ridiculous too.
But from the start, I hadn't even registered Logan.
No interest in playing with his childish tantrums.
[Quest Info Collected: Logan]
[Objective: Body Search Eri once before Logan's release]
[Reward: 'Quest: Logan' begins.]
Of course... how could I hold back a laugh at this?