37
Chapter 37
I let out a shallow sigh.
"Understood... I will follow you."
Running away wouldn't solve anything anyway.
The Priest bowed his head and stepped beside me.
Eileen looked at me with worried eyes.
"Can I... go with you?"
"We will protect the lady separately."
At the Priest's words, Eileen hesitated before finally nodding.
I waved my hand once and headed toward the Cathedral.
The Cathedral was a building that distinctly stood out even in the center of the City. White bricks, silver Patterns, and a spire that seemed to pierce the sky.
The closer I got, the more intimidating it felt. A Guard holding a spear stood in front of the door, but I was able to enter naturally with the Priest's guidance.
The interior was even more overwhelming. An endlessly continuing Hallway, candles lined up on the ceiling, and white statues carved into every wall.
Footsteps echoed faintly over the marble floor. That sound seemingly intensified the tension within me for no reason.
'It seems the power of the Order is greater than I thought.'
The Priest walked silently in the lead. He stopped when we arrived at the end of the Hallway, in front of a decorated door.
"Lady Luna is waiting inside."
The door opened slowly. Inside, a familiar blue-haired woman stood by the window.
She looked at me and smiled softly.
"You've arrived, Lord Riv."
Her voice was as calm as always.
I quietly approached and stood still.
"...Why did you call me."
Luna walked toward the desk and continued speaking.
"You don't need to be tense. It's because of a request."
"A request... What kind?"
"I needed someone to handle a request outside the Order."
She pulled out a sealed Document from a stack on the desk and handed it to me.
"......Why me of all people?"
"Because you have no affiliation."
Luna's answer was simple yet clear. I pondered those words for a moment.
"It is a difficult task to entrust to the internal personnel of the Order. There are many who watch from within as well. I needed someone like you, Riv, who is unaffiliated and capable of using force."
...This is terribly suspicious.
Was there really no unaffiliated person in this City with better skills than me?
It felt uncomfortable, as if she had specifically pointed me out on purpose.
I feel like there's some hidden intention behind this.
Furthermore, surveillance within the Order.
Even if such a thing existed, why confide that in an outsider like me?
This...... is a much more twisted matter than I thought.
I carefully received the Document.
The texture I felt with my fingertips seemed strangely heavy.
It was just a single Paper Document, but it felt like I was carrying an entire burden.
"What is the request."
"You just need to go to Riverton, a small Village on the western Frontier, and deliver this Letter to the Head Priest there."
"Is that... everything?"
"It might be everything, or it might not."
Her words left a lingering impression. I looked at the Document and asked again.
"Why does it have to be delivered in person."
"...Long-distance communication methods are monitored. However, direct delivery can avoid their eyes."
That meant this Document was just that dangerous.
What on earth could it be for her to act like this?
"...What about the compensation."
"I will provide an appropriate amount. Including hazard pay."
Luna smiled. However, that smile didn't look lighthearted.
"If I refuse-"
"I trust you won't refuse."
A bitter smile escaped me for a moment at that answer.
Seeing no change in her expression as she said this, she really seemed to believe it.
"When I return... we'll talk then."
I tucked the Document into my coat. Luna looked at me, paused for a moment, and opened her mouth again.
"Lord Riv."
"What is it."
"...I will trust you."
Her eyes were filled with sincerity. Perhaps because of that, I felt even more uneasy.
What on earth was she trusting me with?
"Understood. In exchange, I have a favor to ask as well."
"A favor?"
"Could you help me find someone? I will depart as soon as I find him."
Luna nodded. I explained the man's features in as much detail as possible.
As soon as she heard the explanation, a thought seemed to cross Luna's mind, and she immediately spoke up.
"Black hair, blunt... Could it be Lord Karn?"
"Pardon? Do you know him?"
"I don't know him well. However, based on the features you mentioned, only the Branch Manager of the Mercenary Guild comes to mind."
Karn. The Branch Manager of the Mondak branch of the Mercenary Guild.
If he's the person we're looking for... he would definitely be a tremendous help.
It was the first piece of good news I had heard since coming here.
I quietly turned around, opened the door, and walked out. The long Hallway stretched out once again. The candlelight cast long shadows on the walls.
I stopped walking for a moment and quietly let out a sigh.
'I'm getting dragged around again.'
Ever since coming to this world, I felt like I was constantly being swept away by a massive, unknown current.
It would be nice if that current flowed in my favor, but the problem was that it rarely did.
Strangely enough, my ominous premonitions had never once been wrong.
Leaving the Cathedral, I looked up at the sky.
Gray clouds hung low in the sky, which had grown dark in the meantime.
'What should I tell Eileen.'
I slowly turned my steps. I needed to return to the inn and talk to Eileen.
This request was absolutely not simple.
Holding the Document close to my chest, I threw myself back into the noise of the City.
Upon arriving at the inn, Eileen approached me with worried eyes.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. But there's something I need to tell you."
"...Did you accept a request?"
She must have roughly figured it out just by looking at my expression.
I nodded my head.
"They said it's a request outside the Order. We have to go to the western Frontier."
Eileen's face stiffened.
"Is it dangerous?"
"I'm not sure yet, but judging from their attitude when giving the request... we should be careful."
Eileen bit her lip tightly.
"Can I... go with you too."
"Eileen..."
Her eyes were resolute.
I hesitated for a moment before nodding.
"Alright. Let's go together. But don't push yourself too hard."
"Yes. I will definitely be of help."
Eileen bowed her head deeply.
Since I had accepted her request anyway, it was better to travel together.
I took the Document out of my coat again and stared at it.
A Letter tightly sealed with red Wax. We might end up never knowing what was inside it.
...I kind of just want to rip it open. Would I be burned at the stake if I get caught?
"Still, I got a clue about the person we're looking for. Let's head out right away."
Eileen started packing her things with a highly tense expression.
I also packed the necessary items into my small Backpack.
The evening sky visible through the window. The last rays of light were disappearing between the gray clouds.
***
"You're looking for the Branch Manager? May I ask your name?"
The Receptionist of the Mercenary Guild, whom we visited late in the evening, asked us in return.
Then, he looked us over with suspicious eyes.
He seemed to have dealt with this kind of nuisance many times before.
For a moment, I was at a loss for words.
How should I explain this.
At that moment, Eileen quietly stepped forward.
She took out a small wooden token from her pocket and held it out to the Receptionist.
It was an old wooden token showing signs of age, with a small sword and Shield carved into it.
The Receptionist tilted his head for a moment, took it, and disappeared inside.
Not long after, the Receptionist came running back in a flurry and stopped in front of us.
"Um, the Branch Manager says to come inside."
I glanced sideways at Eileen.
"You had something like that?"
She shrugged her shoulders with a look that said it was nothing.
...If you had it, you should have told me sooner.
We followed the path guided by the Receptionist and went inside.
The Guild was much more spacious than it looked from the outside.
Old swords, broken Shields, and worn-out Flags hung on the walls of the Hallway.
Every time I passed each one, it felt as if old, weighty stories were brushing past me.
"This way."
The Receptionist stopped and knocked on the door.
A low, thick voice came from inside.
"Send them in."
The door opened.
Inside the room, a man was leaning against a desk.
Deep black hair, deeply set eyes, and indifferent gray pupils.
He was a perfect match for Eileen's description.
He glanced at us and slowly lowered his head.
"......I heard you were looking for me."
His voice was tinged with exhaustion.
Eileen, perhaps overwhelmed by the atmosphere, took a brief breath and slowly nodded.
"You are Karn, right?"
The corners of Karn's mouth contorted ever so slightly into a smile devoid of amusement.
"Yeah... What business do you have with me?"
My throat suddenly went bone dry.
But I couldn't back down now.
"...We need help."
As I spoke, he raised his head again.
And then he gestured, as if he was fully prepared to listen to our story for a long time.
"Tell me."
Eileen stepped forward and explained the entire situation.
Karn listened to the whole story without any expression, then remained silent for a moment.
After a short silence, he sluggishly tilted his head.
"That guy Chad dumped a troublesome task on you."
Karn let out a sigh and casually pushed aside a Document on his desk.
"I can't step up personally. My current situation isn't that free."
My heart sank slightly at Karn's words.
However, he continued speaking.
"Instead, I'll attach a person to you. Someone who fits your situation."
He turned his head toward the outside of the room and gave a brief instruction to someone waiting.
A moment later, the door opened and a man walked in.
Cropped silver hair, sharp eyes, and a sturdy physique wearing well-fitted Light Armor.
Leaning against the doorway, the man stared at us indifferently.
Karn pointed at him with his chin.
"This is Kane. He's the most likely candidate for the Gold Token in the next evaluation."
His gray eyes turned toward me again.
"For today. I'm entrusting your request to this guy."
Just one day... That wasn't bad. I didn't have the time to drag this out anyway.
Kane uncrossed his arms and approached us.
His gaze held a mix of wariness and curiosity.
We quietly bowed our heads to Karn.
"Thank you."
Karn gave a curt nod.
"Good luck."
His indifferent voice brushed past our backs.
We stepped out the door again.
As we came out into the Hallway, Kane looked at me sideways and asked.
"...I suppose there's no need for introductions. What is it that we're doing?"
"Um, do you know of the Black Hand?"
He chuckled at my question.
"Ha, interesting. Where are you going to start?"
Did he immediately catch on even though I only mentioned the Black Hand?
As expected from the leading candidate for the Gold Token, his intuition was sharp.
I took a short breath and looked at him.
"First... I'm planning to check out their Hideout."
"Alright."
Kane shrugged his shoulders.
"Then let's go right away. We don't have the luxury to waste time, do we? Are you okay with that, Young Lady?"
When Eileen nodded, Kane took the lead with brisk steps, and we followed behind him out of the streets.
Eventually, he stopped in front of an old building on the outskirts of the City.
We didn't approach immediately, but kept an eye on the building while hiding at the entrance of the Alley.
"This is it."
"This is..."
The building looked like an old inn. The walls were faded as if washed by time, and there were cracks here and there.
A few windows were broken, and bricks and Stone Fragments were scattered around.
It looked like an Abandoned Building on the outside, but Kane instantly recognized it as the Black Hand's Hideout.
"No one would suspect it just by looking at the exterior. It used to be a place used by the Garrison."
Kane said in a low voice.
"But now... it's become the perfect place for them to hide."
He looked around one more time before quietly heading toward the entrance.
"It might look like a ruin on the outside, but there will still be movement inside."
Kane easily picked the Lock.
Is Lockpicking a passive skill for a veteran Mercenary?
The door opened with a creak, and the musty smell of dust flowed out from inside.
"Let's go in quietly."
Kane said in a hushed tone and stepped inside.
Eileen and I followed behind him.
Inside the building, a narrow Hallway and small rooms connected to one another.
Old stains and scratches remained on the walls built of bricks and wood.
An old Bed, a broken Chair, and a shattered Lamp were scattered here and there.
We muffled our footsteps and headed toward the center.
"To think a place like this is their Hideout..."
Eileen muttered quietly.
Kane pointed forward with his finger.
On one side of the wall he pointed at, there was a clean and solid door, unlike the rest of the place.
It looked strangely out of place, as if it had been recently replaced.
"It's in there."
Kane whispered softly.
We slowly stepped into the darkness toward the door.