Chapter 5
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: The Miraculous Silver Coin
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The Miraculous Silver Coin
Armor that shone paradoxically despite being black. At his waist hung a rapier with a beautifully decorated black hilt.
[When facing a guy with a pointy sword, you have to watch their legs.]
I naturally checked the man's feet. Seeing that even his boots were reinforced with steel, it seemed the rumors of House Penell's wealth were true.
Next, I checked his gaze. Deep, clear eyes. Behind a friendly look, I could see a glimmer of confidence. The man's eyes were also scanning me over. He wasn't some nobody, but a proper knight, one whose hands were soaked in blood.
‘This will be tough.’
I habitually assessed the fight, but it was hard to predict my chances of winning. In cases like this, you have to actually fight to know, but it didn't seem like it would end well.
“Thank you.”
I bowed my head in thanks. The man was a knight, a semi-noble. There was no need to be stiff-necked.
‘Why is a knight from House Penell here?’
I recalled the story I heard from Hana, but if a knight from House Penell had entered the castle, there was no way I wouldn't have known.
“No need to be so formal. Your swordsmanship was so clean, I clapped without thinking.”
“Sir Ben, what are you doing here! What am I supposed to do if my escort knight leaves me behind!”
“Lady Vivian is right!”
Just then, two women appeared next to the man. My gaze was momentarily stolen by the woman with voluminous blonde hair wearing a brown hood. Her fair skin was free of grime, her expression vibrant, her features as if drawn from a painting. The woman seemed to draw everything around her in.
It was a face no one staying in Casedic Castle could fail to recognize.
‘Vivian? Why is the lord's daughter here?’
As soon as I identified her, I dropped to one knee. The wet mud was unpleasant, but it was bearable.
“Yawn... See, I told you it's hard for me to be out and about this early in the morning.”
“But this is the only time we can, before Father wakes up! And you promised! You even overslept by thirty minutes! Huh? Who is this?”
“I was just passing by and saw his excellent swordsmanship, so I was watching. But isn't this your lady's castle?”
The man asked with a laugh, his voice full of mischief.
“J-just because it's my castle doesn't mean I know everyone! Of course, I'm trying to learn...”
Listening to their conversation, it seemed that man was the young lady's escort knight.
‘Why is a knight of House Penell her escort?’
Knights were extremely valuable beings. A knight who could wield Aura, though human, was a being who had surpassed human limits. They were called the swords of humanity, capable of standing against devils, and their worth was hard to quantify. There was even a saying that a knight's only enemy was another knight.
‘Of course, they die if you cut their throat before they can draw their Aura.’
There were two such precious knights in Casedic Castle, and four in House Penell. To assign one of them as an escort... It could be seen as a huge investment from House Penell in this young lady.
“Aron, Squad Leader of the 4th Squad, Outer Wall Guard.”
“Ah, so you are Sir Aron! Training before the sun even rises... It is thanks to your efforts that Casedic Castle remains safe. On behalf of House Pulpuchu, I express my gratitude.”
Vivian, who had been pouting just a moment ago, suddenly hardened her expression and bowed her head deeply.
Stunned for a moment by her action, something I never imagined a noble would do, I quickly dropped to my other knee as well. Now my center of gravity was more or less balanced.
“Ahaha! Won't you be putting him on the spot by saying that, my lady? What a mischievous prank!”
“Th-that's not it... I'm genuinely grateful...! Ah! You may rise! The ground is all muddy...!”
“My lady! You'll get your clothes dirty. Sir Ben! Stop teasing her!”
The man finally burst into loud laughter, and Vivian blushed and pouted. The woman in light armor glared at the man, then brushed the dirt off Vivian's clothes.
“If we delay any longer, the lord will be waking up. Shouldn't we get going?”
“Aah! That's right! We haven't even stopped by Mr. Haessun's bakery yet!”
The brief, noisy atmosphere passed, and Vivian turned to leave first. The woman in pauldrons stuck close to her side, scanning their surroundings with sharp eyes.
“...I was sure he was a knight.”
With the man's murmur, filled with a subtle emotion, the area grew quiet.
I only got up from my spot long after the sound of their voices had faded.
Seeing the sky gradually lighten, I knew it was time for my shift.
***
“Haaah... I'm so sleepy, sir.”
Quarter muttered, his eyes half-closed, as he scratched his chin vigorously.
I didn't bother to correct him. It wasn't like pointing it out would change anything, and it was true we'd been too busy lately. For Quarter, who was sensitive about his sleep, it must have been a living hell.
“Next.”
With a light gesture, a cart pulled by two horses slowly approached. Around the cart stood two armed men with annoyed expressions.
“Aigoo~ You're working hard, Sir Aron.”
A familiar man sitting in the driver's seat took off his hat and gave a slight bow. It was Jon the carter. He was a man who supplied goods between castles, but this time, his visit was sooner than usual.
“Hasn't it been a short while since your last visit?”
“I heard a rumor that people are flocking to Casedic Castle. So I pushed myself a bit and changed my destination. I've brought a hefty load.”
“...Hmm, we have had a lot of visitors recently. Show me your goods.”
“Yep, hehe.”
Jon jumped down from the driver's seat and, with a jaunty walk, went to the back and lifted the cloth covering the cart. It was mostly foodstuffs like milk and flour. When I nodded, Jon covered it again.
I subtly signaled Quarter with my chin. Quarter sighed softly and stepped forward.
“Yaawn... Squad Leader. Just in case, shouldn't we check under the cart too? I hear some people smuggle things under their carts.”
Quarter's reluctance was plain on his face, but he still acted his part convincingly. It was an obvious pretext.
Even when checking goods entering the castle, we didn't go as far as tearing apart the bottom of a cart. If we used inspections as an excuse to rip apart and ruin the bottoms of every cart and carriage coming into the castle, how many people would want to come to this frontier castle?
Of course, the merchants would find a solution for that, too.
“Hmm... Is that so. Well, things have been unsettling in the castle lately. I know Jon isn't the type to do that, but...”
“Aigoo! Of course! You absolutely should check! But my heart feels too heavy to add such a bother to our guards, who work day and night for the castle.”
As expected of a carter who slickly navigated various castles, he caught on immediately and carefully slipped something into my pocket. It was a shiny silver coin.
“Right? You're Jon the carter, famous for being trustworthy! I'll trust you! After all, they say among faith, hope, and murder, faith is the most important.”
“Hehe. I won't let you down!”
I laughed, Jon laughed, and Quarter gave a slight laugh too. To think a single silver coin could foster such a strong bond. Truly, silver coins were worthy of being called the bones of the gods.
“Who are these fellows?”
“Ah, they're mercenaries I hired from Byzant Castle. There have been some nasty rumors going around lately, so I stretched my budget to hire them. They're hard-working lads, registered with the Mercenary Guild.”
“Nasty rumors?”
“Well... there have been a few cart robberies around Byzant Castle. Since it was just commoner carts like mine that disappeared, House Charlotte didn't really investigate, so I had no choice but to hire them with my own money. There are even rumors it's the work of a devil...”
Jon whispered, glancing around nervously. Well, it was a world where all sorts of things happened. Nobles wouldn't care about a few missing commoner carts.
“I see. Hey! You two! Lighten up. Your faces are already rough enough to be bandits, don't you think you'll scare people if you scowl like that? Give us a smile.”
As I jeered, the two men bit their lips and glared at me, but they soon relaxed their expressions and smiled. They were leashed mercenaries who wouldn't cause much trouble if let in.
“Right, our castle's been on edge lately too, so watch yourselves. Now that I look closely, you have smiling faces. Keep smiling brightly! Pass!”
I waved my hand and stepped aside. Jon bowed his head, climbed into the driver's seat, and slowly drove the cart forward. The mercenaries beside him followed, forcing smiles.
After that, the tedious work at the castle gate continued. Perhaps because of the relentless rain over the past few days, the inside of my leather armor was filled with sweat from the humid air.
Letting Hans go was a wise move. If I had to stand here for half a day in this weather while smelling a foul corpse, I would've surely passed out.
Sadly, after Jon, none of the people I inspected were generous visitors. Most were gaunt tenant farmers, and the rest were women who had been delivering meals to those farmers.
‘I heard the guys from the 3rd Day Squad made a decent haul, but my luck has been terrible lately.’
For the Outer Wall Guard, receiving pocket money from carters while on gate duty was an unwritten rule among the guards, and a way of survival.
It was a natural, gentlemanly, and sacred act, much like giving a tip to a waiter, and it was the secret to surviving on a guard's meager salary.
According to a rumor, some madman at another castle failed to recognize a noble crest and tried to solicit a bribe from a noble's carriage, and got his eyes gouged out.
Since then, the crests of noble families have been crudely drawn on one side of the guardhouse. That was how I was able to recognize the crest of House Penell.
I don't know how much time passed, but just as Quarter started snoring in earnest while leaning against the side, a large carriage approached. I hurriedly jabbed him in the ribs to wake him up. Quarter shot up, hastily wiping the drool from his mouth.
It was quite a large carriage for an individual to operate, so I checked it over. On the right side, where a pipe was attached, was a drawing of a goblin holding a silver coin. It was the mark of the Mozak Merchant Guild.
In the driver's seat sat a man with a portly build, as if he could open a bakery. However, he wasn't anyone I knew from the Mozak Merchant Guild.
“Good day.”
The man, who had slowly stopped the carriage, took off a fine fedora and gave a friendly smile.
His friendly eyes, long, drooping cheeks, half-bald head, and polite demeanor. He had a warm, reassuring impression and a gentle manner, but looking at him made my mouth feel gritty as if I'd chewed on sand, and I felt uneasy.
“Ah, Dornua. You're back again soon.”
Quarter, who had been dozing off, for some reason opened his eyes more than halfway and greeted him first. It was a strange sight. The guy wouldn't even open his eyes for a beautiful woman, yet here he was initiating a greeting.
“Yes. I had to go all that way back to get the things I forgot to bring last time. I must be getting old, my memory is failing me. Hoho. And who is this handsome gentleman?”
The man replied gently in a warm voice that matched his appearance, and looked at me.
‘He's a good guy.’
I hadn't slept much lately, so I must have misjudged him out of fatigue. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, and there was no way someone with such fine windows could be a bad person.
“Ah, this is our Squad Leader, Sir Aron. Squad Leader, this is Dornua, who's been assigned to the Casedic branch of the Mozak Merchant Guild. I met him a few days ago during inspection duty.”
“So you're the Squad Leader! Aigoo, you work so hard. It's thanks to diligent people like you that merchants like us can travel in peace.”
The man smiled warmly again and offered a handshake. I didn't particularly want to shake his hand, but seeing the faint outline of a pouch in his palm, I quickly grasped it.
‘He's a good guy.’
The pouch I received was as plump as the man's cheeks. My face instantly broke into a wide grin.
“Ahaha! So you're my little brother Dornua! You must be working so hard... your shoulders are all tight!”
I grinned and kneaded the man's shoulders. He seemed flustered by my sudden change in attitude and tried to pull back, but his body was so fat that I caught him easily. His flesh was so soft, I suspected it might be the high-quality pork that nobles eat.
“Haha... you really don't have to...”
“Stay still! How could I see my tired little brother Dornua and just walk by!”
‘A tattoo?’
As I massaged the man's shoulders, his clothes, which looked luxurious at a glance, shifted slightly, revealing a tattoo between his nape and shoulder. It was a strange tattoo, looking like a spider or maybe a snake.
Tattoos were common enough that some mercenaries were covered in them, but this man's tattoo had something that drew the eye. It was like looking into a dark cave...
“Aigoo! How could I dare receive a massage from my elder brother!”
Just then, the man skillfully took my hands and pulled them down, making a pained face. As he did, he stealthily handed me another pouch. He was truly the little brother of my dreams.
I studied his face carefully, meticulously looking for any resemblance to myself. I didn't know this body's parents, but seeing such an excellent character, he could have been one of the five survivors out of ten children born. Or maybe a half-brother.
‘Are our lip colors a bit similar?’
A little ambiguous.
“So this is where the little brother I've been searching for has been all this time!”
I wanted to give him a hug, but even for a little brother, a handshake was the most I could manage. I took my little brother's chubby hand and shook it several times.
Just as the wrinkles by my little brother's eyes deepened, Quarter stopped me. It seemed to be my brother's first time receiving such a warm welcome, as he looked quite bewildered.
“By any chance, do you have that thing you gave me last time?”
“...Ah, you mean that. It should be around here somewhere.”
Snapped back to his senses by Quarter's question, my little brother gave his usual friendly smile and rummaged inside his coat. The sight of him wearing a suit while driving a carriage was ridiculous, but I managed my expression to respect my brother's tastes.
A moment later, what my brother pulled out was a small, transparent glass bottle containing something that looked like candy.
“Oh, thank goodness. After taking this, I slept so soundly without dreaming. It was like the next day came as soon as I closed my eyes. How much is it?”
“Haha, what's money between us? Besides, it's almost worthless, so please take it without feeling burdened.”
The man adamantly refused to let Quarter pay. He stopped him so desperately that I thought he might be under a curse where he'd die if he accepted money.
In the end, Quarter took the glass bottle without paying. That was the first time I had ever seen Quarter smile so brightly.
Seeing the resemblance in our lip color, I was sure he was my little brother, but I still had to make a show of it, so I opened the carriage door. The overpowering stench that wafted out forced me to cover my nose.
The large carriage was filled with goat carcasses, their tongues lolling out. It seemed they hadn't even been skinned or bled, as the floor of the carriage was soaked with blood.
“Ugh, the smell... Little brother, if you haul them around like this, the meat and the carriage will both be ruined. You should use a separate cart or something.”
“Ah, well... a butcher I know was recently kicked by a horse he thought was dead and can't get up... I couldn't just let the meat spoil, so I loaded it up in a hurry.”
After a moment's hesitation, my little brother explained with his usual friendly smile. A butcher kicked to death by a dead horse... it was a story that would get you cursed at even in a tavern.
“Anyway, get inside and take care of this as quickly as possible. At this rate, that nasty smell will seep into my sophisticated little brother's body. Women are so sensitive to smells, and if a foul stench comes from that fat body of yours... how horrible.”
“Fat...? Y-yes, I understand.”
His expression turning strange, my little brother nodded and drove the carriage slowly inside.
A short while later, the guys from the other squad came to relieve us, their faces full of annoyance. My mood suddenly improved, so I offered them a few words of encouragement.
“Agh! Just go already! How is it that you never just leave!”
Satisfied by the sight of the guy's face turning red as he sputtered, I turned away.
“Well then, have fun suffering.”
As expected, the moment the shift changed was the most enjoyable.