Small Peppers Pack a Punch
I scooped the bow off the ground. It was a short bow, the kind rarely seen in the West where longbows dominated. Less than a meter long. The instant my fingers closed around it, a refreshing chill swept across both feet, like a cool breeze blowing straight through them. I glanced down. Tiny whirlwinds swirled around each ankle. My steps felt weightless, as if I’d kicked off heavy boots. A wild surge of confidence followed—I was certain I could sprint a hundred meters in three seconds flat.
While I marveled at the sensation, Dana approached.
“It activates its magic automatically. No chant required.”
“Does it only work when I’m holding it?”
“Just needs to be close to your body. The effect will stay active even if you carry it on your back.”
A weapon that cast spells without any incantation. In game terms, this was basically a passive skill, right?
“We mages call equipment like this ‘Auto-Spell gear.’”
“Auto-spell. I like it.”
I gave the empty string a light pluck. Even if I never used it as a main weapon, just carrying it for the constant buff seemed worthwhile. I slung the bow across my back. The swiftness enchantment settled over me at once, turning every step light as a feather.
I tested it by jogging a circle around Dana. The effect was so strong that I felt like I was running on air instead of ground. I nearly tripped. Dana caught my swaying body with lightning reflexes. If not for her, I would have crashed straight into her arms.
It looked like I’d need time to get used to the speed buff.
Though we had successfully wiped out the bandits, the journey home was somber. Orlando’s death had crushed the Blue Arrow Unit. No one spoke. They simply trudged along, escorting the spoils and prisoners in heavy silence.
“Orlando! My Ooorlando! Hrrk!”
When we reached the inner castle, the bedridden lord burst out barefoot at the news. His frail body looked barely able to stand, yet he clutched his son’s corpse and wailed in grief. Everyone watched in solemn silence for a long time. The funeral was scheduled to be a grand affair lasting a full week. All of Nobern’s citizens prayed for the deceased.
During the mourning period both the Lion Heart Unit and our mercenary group suspended operations. I attended the funeral only on the first day. After that I shut myself inside the Kether Mercenary Group office and passed the time idly.
“What do you think of this drawing?”
I handed over the sketch I had spent two careful hours on to Kelly, who sat at the next desk. She paused her work—ledgers open, abacus clicking—and studied the paper.
“Um… the drawing itself is well done. But a dragon emblem is a bit…”
She shook her head as if to say absolutely not.
“Dragons are off-limits?”
“Unless you’re royalty or a high-ranking noble, using a dragon as your emblem could cause serious trouble.”
“Hmm…”
I was designing an emblem for the mercenary group’s flag and banner. Unfortunately I had zero talent for design, so the task was proving harder than expected. There were no specialized workshops I could outsource to in this world. I had to do it myself. When my hard work was rejected I scratched the side of my neck with a sour expression.
“What should I use, then? Ugh, this is annoying. Maybe I should just go with the Apple logo…”
I would have liked help from the others, but Pasvachio had gone to the market with his wife Jane and the children. Unia had declared early on that she had no talent for pretty drawings or decorations and had already wandered off to play. Dana had seemed willing to help at first, but she soon slumped over the desk and fell asleep. So the saying was true—beautiful women really were heavy sleepers.
“You should avoid anything the nobles favor,” Kelly advised. “Dragons, eagles, lions, wolves, unicorns, wyverns—that sort of thing.”
“The nobles really did claim all the cool symbols.”
I grumbled and glanced out the window. At the outdoor table in front of the office, Marcus was happily chatting with three neighborhood grandmothers. Having essentially retired, he spent most of his free time with them. Back when he lived with the bandits he had paid no attention to his appearance. Now that he was out in the world meeting women, he had suddenly begun taking great care with his clothes and hair. I had laughed at him at first, thinking it was pointless, but Marcus’s face must have still had its charm. Lately he was quite popular among the grandmothers and often stayed out all night. Love seemed to agree with him—his expression had grown far brighter than the perpetual scowl he wore during his bandit days. These days he carried himself with romance and style, always smiling with easy grace. He looked at peace.
“How about this?” Kelly drew something on a fresh sheet and passed it over. Inside a circle she had written “KT.”
“The initials of Kether?”
“Yes. I thought we could keep it simple.”
The sight of “KT” reminded me of a certain Earth corporation, so I immediately rejected it.
“This one doesn’t feel right.”
“I see…” Kelly’s shoulders drooped. “I thought you would like it…”
Her voice had grown quiet, but it quickly brightened again. “By the way, what are you doing this weekend? The funeral period means we have time off, right?”
“Hmm… I don’t have any particular plans. I was thinking of sparring with Unia and Pasvachio.”
“Then… um…” Kelly’s lips moved hesitantly, excitement flickering across her face. “Would you like to come to my house for dinner on Saturday evening—”
Ding.
The bell on the door chimed.
“Delivery!”
A young man opened the door and stepped inside, carrying a bundle of custom-made clothes I had ordered days earlier. They were the three outfits Adelia had bought me. After sending the deliveryman off, I changed with genuine pleasure and stood before the mirror.
Kelly looked up at my neat appearance and beamed.
“Oh my, you look wonderful!”
“Is it okay?”
“Yes! You look like a noble! When did you buy these?”
“Two weeks ago.”
“Did you pick them out alone?”
“No. I went with the Lion Heart commander.”
“…Pardon?” Kelly’s face crumpled with clear disappointment. “You went shopping for clothes with the Lion Heart commander?”
“Yes.”
“Haha… so she chose them for you, then?”
I almost answered lightly, but something in Kelly’s shadowed expression and the chilly aura rising from her shoulders made me swallow once before correcting myself.
“I chose them.”
“Then why did you go to the clothing shop with the Lion Heart commander? Doesn’t that woman have anything better to do?”
Her voice had grown sharp, laced with resentment. Was she jealous? Well, Kelly and I had that history together, and not long ago we had nearly done it again at her house if Pasvachio hadn’t been there. So her jealousy was understandable. If another man suddenly bought Kelly clothes, I’d probably feel a sting of jealousy myself.
I smiled, trying to reassure her.
“We met for work and ended up at the shop together without thinking much of it. I wanted some advice on choosing clothes.”
“It wasn’t a date, right?”
“…With who?”
Dana’s voice suddenly cut in. I turned to see her sitting up at the desk where she had been sleeping. In a dry, icy tone she asked,
“Where did you get those clothes?”
“Ah, these clothes are…”
I never imagined that a free set of clothes would cause such an uproar. I had simply accepted a gift, yet the way these two women were interrogating me made me feel like a criminal on trial.
“I’ve never seen them before. Did a woman buy them for you?”
“Uh… yeah, I guess so.”
I scratched my neck awkwardly in admission. Kelly bit her lip and scowled. Dana’s face turned frigid, her eyes sinking into a cold, lifeless stare. She immediately began searching for scissors. Declaring that she would rip the clothes to shreds, she ransacked the desk without care, then charged at me with the scissors in hand. It was the first time I had ever seen her look so aggressive.
I snatched the outfit I was wearing and the other two and bolted.
“No! Stop! These are the most expensive clothes I own!”
“In the palace, no concubine ever gifted clothes to Father in front of Mother, the legal wife! This is extremely rude!”
Huh? What was she even saying? My mind was too chaotic to process it. From the other side, Kelly’s voice rang out as well.
“If you throw those away, I’ll buy you new ones! Really expensive ones! So rip them up right now!”
Kelly, I know you don’t have that kind of money. Buying clothes like these would require investing your entire fortune.
I barely managed to dodge their combined efforts to catch me, burst outside with the clothes, and ran for my life. It was a tremendous stroke of luck that Dana had just woken up—her tongue must have tripped when she tried to cast a spell. The sudden little commotion ended just like that.