Edia and Rita (1)
Before meeting Pasvachio's acquaintance, there was something I needed to take care of first. As soon as the leaders' meeting ended, I rode with Pasvachio straight to Nobern. It was to wrap up the task I'd asked Kelly's younger brother, Flavio, to handle—finding us an office.
In the future, to communicate smoothly with Adelia, it seemed wise to secure a separate base in Nobern. When we reached the eastern gate of Nobern, Pasvachio's face was etched with clear tension.
"Is... is it really okay for me to go in like this?"
"Don't worry. We'll pass through safely."
I smiled, reassuring him. The guards' inspections were so strict that a long line of people who couldn't enter the gate stretched out endlessly. After waiting about an hour, it was finally our turn. Pasvachio lowered his head and swallowed hard.
"Didn't I tell you to take off your hood in advance? Pull it back so your face is clearly visible!"
The guard's voice was laced with irritation, no doubt from dealing with so many people. Unlike me, who boldly showed my face, Pasvachio—who had been keeping his hood pulled low—quietly moved to remove it, but I stopped him with my hand. Instead, I pulled out a small rectangular identity plaque, smaller than my palm, from my pocket and held it out to the guard.
"What's this? There's an ID like this?"
"Just read what's written on it."
I shrugged casually in response. The guard tilted his head in confusion as he took the plaque, but his eyes soon widened in shock.
"Y-you're from the Lion Heart Unit? I'm sorry for not recognizing you right away. You must be busy with special missions—please, go right in."
And just like that, we strode confidently through the gate. As we walked down the street lined with stalls, Pasvachio let out a deep sigh of relief, patting his chest.
"Whew, I was so nervous, wondering what I'd do if we got caught again. How did you get something like that, Captain?"
"There are ways."
I grinned and kept walking.
Sinclair entered the office.
"Report: Kang Hyun-woo has passed through the gate."
"He's in the city?"
Adelia, who had been seated at her desk, shot up from her chair and hurried into the inner room. She stripped off her uniform in one swift motion, changed into a far more ornate one, then sat at her vanity and had the maid redo her hair. She even sprayed on perfume—something she never did during regular work hours.
Sinclair watched her actions with puzzled eyes before cautiously approaching.
"May I ask... what you're doing?"
"I need to show him a figure of dignity. As you know, one of the key negotiation strategies is to avoid appearing desperate and instead project strength to gain the upper hand. If we're going to give him what he wants while securing even greater benefits, we must never let him see us as anything less than refined and imposing in both appearance and bearing."
Sinclair broke into a bright smile.
"A most wise decision, my lady."
She had been worried that Adelia might act strangely again upon meeting Kang Hyun-woo, as she always seemed to do. But seeing her focused on her proper duties brought Sinclair genuine relief.
"Shall I go greet him? Just give the order and I'll bring him here myself."
"There's no need to go that far. We mustn't give the impression that we're clinging to him. Let's wait until he comes to us of his own accord. Whether he comes or not, it makes no difference to us."
Sinclair clapped her hands together in admiration.
"Truly impressive. I cannot help but marvel at your brilliant mind, Lady Adelia—how you manipulate others at will. My own thinking was far too shallow."
At Sinclair's praise, Adelia smiled happily while looking in the mirror.
"If I tame him little by little like this, who knows? One day he might even offer me his heart entirely."
Imagining the day she would bend that arrogant man to her will, the corners of Adelia's mouth rose on their own.
The place where my steps finally stopped was in front of the barracks. I didn't go inside. Instead, Pasvachio and I lingered nearby until I spotted a soldier passing by and slipped some coins into his hand.
"I'm looking for a soldier named Flavio. Tell him a friend has come on urgent business."
"Easy enough. Wait here."
It wasn't long before I was able to meet Flavio safely.
"Oh, big brother! It's been a while. You look healthy."
I took the cheerfully waving young man into an alley so we could talk privately.
"Big brother, about the office you asked me to look into last time—I figured something like this might happen, so I already told my sister everything. I have duty all day today and night watch too, so I can't show you around. Go see my sister instead. She'll guide you well."
"Got it. Thanks. And here's some pay for your trouble."
When I showed him a money pouch the size of my fist, Flavio's face naturally broke into a wide grin.
"By the way, big brother—if you're setting up an office, won't you need an accountant or a secretary or something?"
"I will. Why? Got someone to recommend?"
Flavio scratched his head for a moment before nodding.
"It's my sister... she ended up with another bad boss and it's been really hard on her. Couldn't you take her with you this time? It'd save you the time of looking for someone, and it'd be good for everyone. If you say you'll hire her, I guarantee she'll slap that boss across the face and walk right out."
So Kelly had been suffering at her new job. Without a moment's hesitation, I nodded firmly and patted Flavio on the shoulder.
"I'll hire her."
"Whoa!"
After parting with the overjoyed Flavio, I headed straight for Kelly's workplace in the bustling district. Pasvachio said he had a few things to buy now that we were in the city, so he took the horse's reins and went off to the market alone. Having been a blacksmith before he was chased by soldiers, he still couldn't forget the hammer. I guessed he was probably buying tools related to that.
"This must be the place."
When I entered the trading company, there were no employees visible to greet customers, and the second floor was noisy. I quietly walked deeper inside and stopped midway up the stairs leading to the second floor, listening carefully.
"Mr. Fron said he likes you and wants to buy you dinner. Is that really such a difficult thing to do? I've told you a dozen times a day that you have to treat customers well if this company is going to survive! If you're going to keep being stubborn and hold out to the end, just quit and start your own company! If you're going to make a mess of things, go make a mess at your own damn company with your own name on it!"
"I'm sorry..."
When I heard Kelly's exhausted voice, my ears perked up.
"Don't just say you're sorry! Give a clear answer like 'I'll do it' or 'I'll meet him tonight'! Answer me!"
The boss kept pounding his chest in frustration, shouting at Kelly multiple times to serve the customer, but she only kept apologizing in a defeated voice. It didn't seem like she had any intention of doing what he wanted.
"If you're not going to meet Mr. Fron, then just quit! Don't come in starting tomorrow! Get out! I'll find another employee!"
I quickly moved my feet. Gritting my teeth, eyes hardening with resolve. I strode past the second-floor hallway and straight into the open room.
There stood Kelly with her head bowed like a criminal in front of the desk, and a middle-aged man sitting in a chair smoking a pipe. Both of their gazes turned to me at the same time.
The boss jumped in surprise and shouted.
"Who the hell are you?"
"Kelly, let's quit this job."
I grabbed Kelly's wrist without warning and pulled her toward me. She came along weakly, eyes round with shock.
"H-Hyun-woo?"
I wrapped one arm around Kelly's shoulders and shot the boss a displeased look.
"Kelly is quitting as of today, so go find a new employee like you said earlier."
"What? Who do you think you—!"
Before the boss could finish, I pulled out a throwing star from my coat and hurled it. The boss flinched and squeezed his eyes shut. The star flew past his temple by a hair's breadth and embedded itself deep into the wall.
"Huk...!"
The boss froze rigid in his seated position, terrified. The hand holding the pipe trembled violently. I glared at him with sharp eyes.
"Listen carefully to what I'm about to say, boss."
After making it crystal clear that Kelly would no longer be working there, I collected her belongings and the wages she'd earned so far, then left. Kelly followed behind me with a dazed expression, still processing the sudden turn of events. The streets were crowded with people, so we couldn't walk side by side or even talk properly.
Only after we reached her house did we finally have a chance to speak.
"Work at my mercenary group's office."
"Is... is that really okay?"
When I told her we'd be working together from now on, Kelly didn't even ask about what had just happened. She simply beamed with joy and threw her arms around me. She even gave me a loud smack on my right cheek with a passionate kiss.
Seeing how happy she was made me feel good too, so I kissed her cheek in return. After organizing her things, we left the attic and walked down the street lined with stalls. We were both hungry. And since I'd finally come to the city after so long, I felt a strong urge to eat all sorts of delicious food before returning to the mountain stronghold.
I wanted to treat Pasvachio too, but I had no idea where he was wandering off to right now. He'd probably find us when the time came. We'd already agreed beforehand that if he really couldn't find us, he should blow the whistle hanging around his neck.
We ate at an outdoor terrace where people were coming and going, ordering a bottle of liqueur to accompany the meal.
"Ah, it's hot."
"Be careful."
Kelly smiled brightly as she watched me scoop up the cheesy gratin that stretched gooey with every bite. By the time we finished eating, both our cheeks were flushed from the alcohol.
"The mercenary group is still small, so you'll have to work alone in the office for a while. Will that be alright?"
"It's fine. As long as I have work to do, I'm happy anywhere."
"I was worried you'd feel lonely working by yourself."
"Not at all."
Kelly shook her head cheerfully. Maybe because she was a little tipsy, her expression looked excited.
"Actually, working alone might be more comfortable. I won't have to deal with people every day."
"If you feel that way, it puts my mind at ease a little. I'll just need to focus on security and protection."
I smiled and stood up from my seat.
"Now that we've filled our stomachs, shall we go look at the office?"