Chapter 37
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: Business Trip to the City
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I gestured to the soldiers standing around dumbly.
They scowled in response, but when I narrowed my eyes, they hurried over to Brick’s side.
Just as I thought. Beat them once, and things get a whole lot easier.
“Brick, I’m running an errand.”
“Yes, sir. Take your time.”
After speaking to Brick, I walked over to Shaun, who was waiting.
As I approached, Shaun quickened his pace and led the way.
When I moved to walk beside him, he flinched and edged away.
“Heard this one was a fixer for the Lone Wolves.”
I asked nonchalantly, pointing to my handiwork among the mascots in his hands.
“Ah, yes. That’s right. He’s quite famous in our city, so I remember his face clearly. I don’t know why he ended up in this state in a place like this, but…”
The man puffed out his cheeks as if fighting back bile, then swallowed hard.
“Who are the Lone Wolves?”
I asked casually. He glanced up at me, scratched behind his ear with a finger, and began to speak.
“Well… they’re a vicious bunch. Of the three major organizations in Karzan, they’re the ones who stir up the most trouble, making them a real headache for us.”
He was surprisingly forthcoming, as if he had a loose tongue.
No, it was more like he’d been waiting for someone to ask. He continued his story.
“They cause every kind of trouble imaginable… but the city guard seems to be in on it, since they never lock them up properly. There are rumors that Count Behardt is backing them… In the end, it’s the citizens who suffer.”
He sighed heavily, apparently holding a lot of resentment toward the Lone Wolves.
*Count Behardt, huh…*
In most cities, the central districts were under the Empire's control, while the surrounding areas were divided among local nobles or the church.
“Anyway, it’s a relief that at least this one was caught. They say his skills are ghostly, so they call him the ‘Wolf Ghost.’ How did you catch him? Was it the Knight?”
*Wolf Ghost. What a lame nickname.*
I glanced at the maggot-infested face and nodded.
Usually, with bounties, no one asked who made the catch when you brought in the head.
It was a measure to prevent retaliation.
“I knew it! We have a few Knights in Karzan, too, but…”
I could guess the rest without him having to say it.
If the Empire or the Count had mobilized their Knights to subjugate them, the Lone Wolves would have been wiped out long ago.
The fact that they were still around meant there was a reason for it.
“Ah, here we are. Thank you. I have a particularly weak stomach…”
The carriage he’d arrived in was inside the inner walls.
He placed the head in a large, thick wooden box in the back of the carriage, then brought out a heavy-duty lock and secured it.
After locking it, he rapped his knuckles on the wooden box and muttered quietly, “Serves you right, you bastards.”
“Phew… Could I possibly ask for one more favor?”
For a 3rd-grade administrator, a fairly high position, his posture was remarkably humble.
“What is it?”
He continued as I nodded.
“Do you know the most delicious restaurant in Cathsedic Castle? It’s a hobby of mine to find good eateries whenever I visit a new place.”
As he wiped the sweat from his brow and spoke, Masha momentarily came to mind, but I pushed the thought away.
“Hesen’s Bakery in District 3 is the most famous.”
Usually, in a castle, a master baker under the lord’s authority ran a large bakery.
Commoners would bring their flour there to have it baked into bread.
Hesen had been one of those bakers before opening his own small shop.
It was expensive, so I couldn’t go often, but I had visited a few times.
“Ah! I see. Hesen in District 3… Hesen… Thank you. I’ll be sure to visit.”
He muttered the name as if memorizing it, then bowed his head deeply.
“Want to go together? I happen to have some time.”
“Oh, I’d be grateful. But aren’t you on duty…?”
“Let’s go. It’s not far from here.”
I gave a light push to the back of the man, who was tilting his head in confusion.
***
The door to Hesen’s Bakery was unusually small, so you had to stoop to enter.
“Well, if it isn’t Aron.”
Hesen, his hands caked in flour, asked with wide eyes.
With his large build and bushy beard, he looked more like a bandit than a baker.
“It’s Aron? You say it like I’m some kind of animal.”
“No, it’s just that I haven’t seen you in months. Been well? You look like you have. And who’s this? Never seen him before. He's barely half your size. Needs to eat his bread more faithfully.”
Hesen, speaking rapidly in a way that didn’t match his deep voice, pointed at Shaun and chuckled.
I worried Shaun, a man of relatively high station even if not a noble, might be offended, but he simply bowed his head respectfully in greeting.
*He must be an administrator from a commoner background.*
Shaun’s ingrained humility gave me a rough idea of his origins.
“My name is Shaun.”
“A very polite young man. Don’t hang around Aron too much. His ignorance might rub off on you.”
As Hesen cackled, the white flour clinging to his mouth sprayed into the air.
“You’ve gotten bigger. Stop snacking on the flour while you work. You'd fit in better with the guards than as a baker these days.”
“No matter how much I snack, I couldn’t get as big as you.”
“Enough of that. Hesen, bring us your best. I've got an important guest with me.”
“I never imagined some madman would utter such a line in a bakery, but thinking it’s Aron, it somehow fits.”
“What? Don’t have a best?”
“Of course, all my bread is my best. Why else would my wife have fallen for my baking skills and married me? Aron, my wife was known as the most beautiful woman in Cathsedic Castle…”
“I know, I know. I’ve heard it a hundred times.”
Hesen chuckled again and told us to sit at the table in front of the bakery before heading inside.
I was worried the flimsy-looking chair might collapse, but it held up.
“The atmosphere in Cathsedic Castle is better than I expected.”
“Hm?”
“Ah, I heard there have been a lot of incidents in Cathsedic Castle recently. I was so anxious on my way here… But my superiors told me to come alone, saying there were no guards available…”
*There has been a lot going on lately. Is the castle cursed?*
Then again, with twelve human heads hanging on the castle gate, any passing demon would surely stop by, thinking a festival was underway.
*Honestly, these ignorant medieval fools.*
Clicking my tongue, I dipped a finger into the pale sauce on the table and tasted it. It was sweet with a bitter note, perfect for dipping bread in. The kind of taste that kept you coming back for more.
“Karzan has been on edge lately because the Lone Wolves keep stirring things up. They used to toe the line, but something must have happened recently, because they’ve been acting aggressively… The city guard, who had been ignoring them, is feeling the pressure and starting to make a move…”
He spilled the story without me even asking.
He seemed to be a naturally talkative person.
I listened to him while dipping my finger in the sauce.
According to him, there were three organizations in the city of Karzan: the ‘Lone Wolves,’ the ‘Chilling Dagger,’ and the ‘Cute Rabbits.’
*The Cute Rabbits? What kind of name for an organization is that?*
I wondered if they were in their right minds, but Shaun explained that it was less of an organization and more of a citizens' guild formed by Karzan natives.
The Chilling Dagger was a long-established gangster family in Karzan, while the Lone Wolves were up-and-coming thugs who had rolled in a decade ago and grown rapidly.
*These thugs sure lead complicated lives.*
I scraped the bottom of the already empty sauce dish with my finger.
“What kind of man is the leader of the Lone Wolves?”
“Umm…”
At my question, he craned his neck and looked around, as if worried someone might overhear.
“Well… a man named Philip. Rumor has it he’s the illegitimate son of a noble. They say he tried to poison the heir, failed, and was cast out…”
He launched into another long story.
Philip had arrived in Karzan ten years ago with three followers. True to the rumors of his noble birth, he used his excellent social skills to build connections, and once he gained momentum, he revealed his true colors and expanded his organization exponentially… or so the story went.
“And the relationship between the organizations wasn't as bad as it is now, but because of Philip’s… that man’s possessiveness… Ah! Thank you!”
“Ah, you don’t have to get up. You, on the other hand, should stand up. You’re blocking the entire storefront.”
Just then, Hesen arrived with a flat cake served on a hard, plate-like piece of bread.
Hesen playfully patted my shoulder, and I sucked in a breath, puffing out my chest.
Now I was completely blocking the bakery entrance.
Hesen cackled, and I shrugged.
“Here, this is the cheesecake I’m most proud of.”
The flat cake looked far from fluffy, but it smelled wonderful.
“Wow—it smells amazing.”
“Of course, it does. It’s my cake, after all. Even my wife, the famed beauty of Cathsedic Castle, fell for this one cake…”
“Alright, alright, now go bake some bread.”
“I have to watch you take a bite. That’s my pleasure.”
Under his expectant gaze, I tore off a piece of the cake with my hand and popped it into my mouth.
*Delicious. And somehow familiar.*
I nodded, but Hesen didn’t leave. He waited until he heard me say, “It’s delicious,” out loud before smiling in satisfaction.
Hesen picked up the empty sauce dish. “Hmm? I just filled this up this morning. Did someone steal it?” he muttered as he went back inside.
“This is good enough to be sold in the city.”
“You think so?”
“Yes! Everyone thinks the city has the best of everything, but it’s not that different, just more people.”
“So, about this Philip’s possessiveness?”
I asked, picking up where he had left off.
“Ah! His possessiveness! So, some guys from the Chilling Dagger went to a tavern owned by Philip… and as a prank, they stole a sword that was on display. It was a cheap, decorative sword, so it should have been passed off as a joke… But Philip, saying they had taken what was his, turned the city upside down the next day. He supposedly got the sword back. They’ve been in a cold war ever since…”
*Possessiveness… Does he think the mini-fridge is his?*
Otherwise, there was no reason to deploy a fixer.
*A wolf-like bastard.*
I had seen his type a few times before.
The kind of man with the temperament of a wolf that, once it bites, never lets go until its last breath.
That starving predator’s venom might have gotten him to where he was, but the end for such wolves was usually the same.
*They bite down on the wrong thing and die with their teeth ripped out.*
It seemed I would have to make a business trip.
It was uncertain whether he would give up or keep clinging, but waiting around wasn’t my style.
Besides, offense is always easier than defense.
“Um… are you not having any more?”
While I was lost in thought, Shaun, who had already eaten exactly half, asked with sparkling eyes.
I gestured with my hand, and with a respectful nod, he devoured the rest of the cake in an instant.
*Should take about three days.*
Travel time there and back, plus some time for a ruckus in between. Giving it a generous estimate, that should be about right.
Besides, I couldn’t stay long in a city with so many eyes.
I could probably badger the Captain into giving me three days.
“Ah—it’s just so delicious. I should get some to-go for Miss Nova when I leave tomorrow. Miss Nova is beautiful, but she’s so difficult to approach…”
“Nova?”
“Yes. I heard that Miss Nova, who is in charge this time, will be accompanying me. It’s a relief. I was so lonely on the way here, but at least the trip back will be less boring…”
I could guarantee that if he prattled on like that in front of Nova, he’d get a slap across the face.
*So, I’m going with Nova…*
If things went well, I might be able to take a comfortable business trip without having to pester the Captain. I could even pocket some travel expenses.
I felt a gaze on me from the side and turned my head to see the Inquisitor looking down at me.
I glanced down and saw a cake in her hand.
*No wonder the cake tasted familiar.*
It seemed she had bought the cake she gave me before from here.
Just then, my eyes met the Inquisitor’s.
The Inquisitor, with her usual expressionless face, lifted the corners of her mouth slightly and nodded.
*…What’s with her?*
The Inquisitor approached me again without warning and placed a hand on my forehead.
After a short blessing, she nodded once more and walked away.
“I had too much work last week, so I couldn’t make it to the assembly…”
Shaun, who had been trembling, let out a sigh of relief and muttered.
Everywhere I went, it was full of weirdos.
***
“That stupid mayor. I’m busy as hell, who does he think he is, summoning people left and right?”
Rummaging through a mountain of paper, Nova spat out the curses that rose in her throat without hesitation.
The heir of the Pener family. Cleaning up the neighborhood. The sudden appearance of the abbot. On top of the rapidly accumulating workload, the mayor of Karzan had just added another hefty spoonful.
But she couldn’t refuse.
Knowing this, Nova cursed under her breath as she hurried to process the work.
*I need to hire someone, but no one knows how to write.*
Nova clicked her tongue and sorted the papers.
Important and less important. Things she would never look at again and things she might look at someday. Then, another wave of irritation washed over her, and she crumpled a paper from the ‘never look at again’ pile.
*Alright, let’s just think of it as a short vacation.*
She tried to think positively, as her mother often said, but a curse immediately followed the thought.
Just then,
*Knock-knock—knock.*
*Why does that idiot always knock so strangely?*
That peculiar knock was unmistakable.
Aron, the mad dog of Cathsedic Castle.
Nova quickly recalled the recent incidents.
Among them, the ones that could be Aron’s doing were…
*Too many to count.*
However, when considering the perpetrator was Aron, they all seemed trivial.
And in Cathsedic Castle, Aron’s ‘trivial mad-dog antics’ were mostly tolerated.
This was due to Aron’s very peculiar standing in Cathsedic Castle.
Outwardly, Aron was just an Outer Wall Guard Jojang, but the residents of Cathsedic Castle relied on him more than they did the Knights or the Lord.
The noble Lord and his Knights never cared for the well-being of the common folk, but Aron, despite his grumbling, was always at the forefront whenever a problem arose, making him feel like a kind of fortress wall.
It was Aron who had driven out the thugs who had taken root in Cathsedic Castle, and it was Aron who stood at the front lines whenever a crisis befell the castle.
Thanks to him, Cathsedic Castle had remarkably fewer incidents than other places.
Compared to Aron’s achievements, his usual behavior was truly ‘trivial,’ which was why it was called ‘trivial mad-dog antics.’
However, because of his undeniable mad-dog behavior and his peculiar personality, the people couldn’t quite hero-worship him, creating a strange situation.
They had offered Aron the position of Guard Captain, and even higher posts, but Aron had refused with the cryptic words, “Guard Jojang is just the right level.”
Nova didn’t know why a man of his abilities insisted on being a Guard Jojang in a place like this, but she instinctively sensed that trying to pin him down would only make him slip away.
So, she didn’t try to dig deeper and treated him like everyone else.
Sometimes she would scold him, sometimes she would look out for him without him noticing, all in the simple hope that the mad dog Aron would stay in Cathsedic Castle for a long time.
Though Nova repeatedly resolved to ‘be nice to Aron,’ the moment she saw his shameless face, her tone would inevitably sharpen.
“Come in.”
Nova cleared her throat slightly before speaking.
“Ah, good day to you, Orange.”
The door opened cautiously, and a massive figure stepped through, offering a greeting.
*He’s really something else. Truly.*
Between the shameless ‘Orange’ comment and the persistently bizarre outfit, Nova had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing out loud.
For some reason, laughing in front of him felt like losing.
“…What is it?”
“Ah, I heard you were exporting oranges.”
Nova racked her brain to decipher the meaning hidden in his orange remark.
*Orange is me, but exporting?*
Ah, he was talking about the trip to Karzan.
“Karzan?”
“That’s right. A quick-witted orange, as expected.”
“So what? You want me to buy you a souvenir?”
“There are plenty of souvenirs here, why would I need one from there?”
*Does Cathsedic Castle even have souvenirs?*
She thought hard, but nothing came to mind.
“I’m going with you.”
Aron’s words were so unexpected that Nova narrowed her eyes and observed him.
She didn’t bother asking for a reason.
Whatever she heard would surely just make her angry, so Nova simply weighed her options.
*I can have the Pener family’s soldiers cover the Outer Wall Guard, but having them cover the inner wall is too risky… So if I take Aron as an escort instead of the Inner Wall Guard, I can have the soldiers cover the outer wall.*
Going with Aron was more efficient.
And more importantly…
*It’s more comfortable than being with those guys who try to act all cool and hit on me.*
All things considered, it was a logical choice.
“Fine. We leave tomorrow morning. I’ll speak to the Outer Wall Guard Captain.”
“A decisive orange, as expected.”
At the mention of ‘orange’ every time he opened his mouth, Nova had to duck her head and pretend to work to hide her rising smile.
“A gifted orange who can even write.”
“…Get out.”
After Aron left, Nova let out a small smile, then startled and slapped her own cheek.
***
I woke up and immediately reached for my sword.
Then, as usual, I went out to the backyard and moved my body.
My muscles screamed, but I was stronger than yesterday.
I told Dylan to watch the kids while I was gone for a few days, then headed to the meeting spot.
It seemed we were taking the carriage from Karzan, as it was already prepared.
“Ah, you’re here!”
Shaun, who had been pacing anxiously in front of the carriage, greeted me.
I waved a hand and boarded the carriage.
Inside, Nova was surrounded by stacks of paper, her quill pen moving furiously.
*Eek—*
Seeing Nova, Shaun let out a small gasp.
*Looks like he got an earful for being cheeky.*
I could roughly picture what had happened.
“You’re late.”
“I make it a point to always eat breakfast.”
“Whatever. Let’s just get going.”
“Yes… Yes! We’re leaving! Let’s go!”
At Nova’s low command, Shaun answered loudly, then shouted to the coachman like a sailor.
The carriage began to move slowly.
Shaun, sitting next to me, whimpered like a puppy that needed to relieve itself.
*Did he actually get slapped?*
The sound of the rolling wheels mixed with the scratching of Nova’s quill pen.
I watched Nova for a moment before noticing her attire was different from usual.
She normally wore baggy trousers and a tucked-in shirt like a man, but today she was in a form-fitting dress.
A change in wrapping made the orange look as luxurious as a premium hallabong.
“An export-quality orange, all dressed up for the city.”
At my mutter, Shaun let out a strange ‘Heek—’ from beside me.
“I’m busy. Go play with him.”
Nova didn’t look up from her documents.
However, my words must have hit their mark, because a pinkish hue spread across Nova’s pale cheeks—the complexion of an indoor NPC who never saw the sun.
“The orange has turned into a peach.”
Nova narrowed her eyes and pointed the tip of her quill at me.
It seemed I’d get stabbed if I kept talking, so I looked away.
“Tell me a bit about the city of Karzan.”
“Yes? Is… is that alright…?”
Shaun glanced at Nova, mumbling.
*Looks like she told him to shut up.*
The situation was becoming clearer.
When I nodded, Shaun took a deep breath and slowly began to talk about this and that.
“My favorite restaurant is ‘The Pig That Choked to Death.’ Their pork foreleg is truly a delicacy. I always recommend it to visitors from other places.”
“Oh yeah? Sounds delicious.”
“Let’s go together! It’s absolutely fantastic!”
“Sounds good. Will the peach be joining us?”
At that, Shaun made another strange ‘Heek—’ sound.
Nova, without looking up from her papers, gave a slight nod.
Shaun continued his stories, and his uniquely thin voice and incessant chatter were as good as any ASMR. Thanks to him, I slept like a log.
When I woke up sometime later, we had arrived at a post station.
When Nova stepped out for a moment, I casually asked Shaun what had happened that morning.
“Ah… well… Sir Aron called her an orange, so I thought I’d try to be friendly and called her an orange, too… I got an earful for it.”
Shaun answered, looking around nervously, just as tense as when he spoke of the gang leader, Philip. It seemed Nova was as fearsome to him as the thug boss.
“Ah, that’s because your pronunciation was off. Listen closely. You have to say it like, *O-range*.”
“Re… really? *O-range*. Like this?”
“That’s right.”
Just then, Nova returned, and I pushed his back slightly, suppressing a laugh.
He cautiously approached Nova and said loudly, “*O-range*.”
Nova said something to him, and Shaun returned with slumped shoulders, glaring at me.
“Did you do it right? It’s not *O--range*, it’s *O-range*.”
“…I’m not an idiot. I’m a 3rd-grade administrator! 3rd-grade!”
I couldn’t hold back my laughter at the sight of him fuming.
***
*I fell for it again!*
Shaun trembled with embarrassment.
Deceived by Aron’s strangely comforting words, which contrasted with his rough appearance, he had once again called her ‘*O-range*.’
Now, Nova wouldn’t even look at him, simply ignoring him.
For the first time, Shaun realized that indifference was more terrifying than being scolded. He covered his reddened cheeks with his hands.
*…Am I really an idiot?*
It was the fifth time he had fallen for Aron’s tricks.
Whether it was because of his size or his uniquely low voice, Aron’s words had a strange persuasiveness every time, and Shaun fell for it again and again.
It was a relief that they had finally arrived in the city.
The sun was tilting to the left when they reached Karzan. The carriage naturally bypassed the long line of people waiting in front of the city.
The sight of the hulking Aron pressed against the carriage window, waving at the glaring people outside, was so absurd that Shaun forgot all about being sulky and burst out laughing.
Upon entering the city, someone from the city council came to meet them.
“This isn’t Cathsedic, so don’t cause any trouble.”
Nova shot Aron a sharp look.
Next to him, Shaun flinched for no reason.
“I’m not a child… What trouble would I cause?”
“The walls here are thicker than in Cathsedic, so be sure to use the doors. If you go around smashing through them like you did back home, you’ll end up breaking more than just the wall.”
“I will. I learned how to open doors from an orange, after all. Ah, do I open the city gate the same way?”
“Pfft… Anyway, I’ll see you for lunch tomorrow at that restaurant he mentioned. I should be done with my work by then.”
Nova let out a small laugh, then quickly composed her expression and shot him another glare before disappearing with the council member.
*Miss Nova can make a face like that…*
Shaun had met Nova a few times for work, but he had never seen her smile before.
She was always frowning, so he had thought she had facial paralysis…
*She was always beautiful, but she’s stunning when she smiles.*
Shaun replayed their conversation in his head, trying to figure out what Aron had said to make her laugh. It definitely wasn’t *O-range*!
Then, he realized something important.
*Didn't Aron avoid answering when she told him not to cause trouble?*
Nah, it must be my imagination. Shaun shook his head lightly, dismissing the thought.
“Shaw, my friend.”
At Aron’s call, he looked up.
The scarred face that made him jump every time he saw it was right in front of him.
“Yes? It’s Shaun…”
“Right, whatever. Do you have anything to do right now?”
At Aron’s question, Shaun thought for a moment before shaking his head. The timing was awkward, so there was no need to return to the city hall.
“Then give me a tour of the city. You’re a native, aren’t you?”
The upward curl of Aron’s lips was strangely unsettling, but Shaun nodded.
*Did I tell him I was a native?*
The sudden question made Shaun tilt his head in confusion before following Aron, who was already walking ahead.
“Ah, you there. Are you a good runner?”
At Aron’s out-of-the-blue question, Shaun nodded.
“Good. It’s going to be a very long night.”
Aron’s thick hand patted his back, and the force of it made Shaun stagger.
Among the densely packed buildings and the throng of people, Aron, who stood tall due to his height, turned to look back at Shaun with a wicked grin.
The smile was deeply menacing, yet something hidden beneath it made Shaun think of a child who had just been given a new toy.
Staring blankly, Shaun wondered if he should mention the fact that he was a very heavy sleeper.