Chapter 56
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: Aron with a Cold
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Aron with a Cold
Knock, knock, knock.
The sound of knocking woke me, and I headed for the door.
The usual abbot was standing there.
It was quite remarkable of him to visit, even with a face full of fatigue.
“…*Achoo!*”
Just then, I sneezed again.
The abbot looked at me for a moment, then placed his hands on my shoulders and closed his eyes.
A brilliant light entered my body, and while the fatigue washed away, the sneezing remained.
“It’s not healing. Try reading the third chapter of the scriptures. Whenever I catch a cold or feel unwell, I read the third chapter. If that doesn’t work, I read up to the fourth, and by then…”
Ignoring the bullshit that had now become a daily routine, I headed downstairs. The abbot, accustomed to it, followed me, continuing his nonsensical chatter.
“You’re awake, sir!”
In the hall, the trio of suckers was bustling about.
The sun hadn’t even risen yet, but seeing them work made them seem like truly diligent suckers.
I gave a dismissive wave of my hand and headed to the backyard.
My body felt heavy, but I couldn’t afford to rest.
I loosened up.
I swung and thrusted my sword.
With a pain like my muscles were tearing, I collapsed to the ground. Today, I fell forward, planting my face in the mud where rainwater had pooled.
“…I don’t know what makes you so desperate, but sometimes, going slow is how you last longer.”
The abbot, for once, spoke at length about something other than prayers.
“A man who lives by the sword lasts longer the more he swings it.”
I was sure of it.
After all, I was living proof.
A brief silence followed my reply, then the familiar prayers began.
‘Therefore, fear not when the sun is not in sight. For its absence does not mean it does not exist. The light within you…’
Muttering to myself the verse that seemed to regard its believers as solar panels, I got up.
The abbot, who usually vanished as soon as the healing was done, stood there looking down at me.
“…Soup with a lot of pepper is good for a cold.”
The abbot recommended a breakfast menu and disappeared.
Only then did the washing machine and the refrigerator approach, and I extended my hands.
My body was automatically washed, impurities falling to the ground. The refrigerator placed a cold mug of beer in my empty hand.
‘Not bad.’
As I nodded at the thought, my nose tickled.
*Achoo!*
I wiped under my nose with a finger and blew.
The refrigerator and the washing machine were staring at me with expressions of horror.
‘They look like they’ve just seen a robot cough.’
Feeling inexplicably annoyed, I ruffled the refrigerator’s hair and moved on.
The faint light of dawn told me it was time for work.
***
“Morning, Jojang.”
Kel, with dark circles under his eyes, greeted me with a crooked nod.
“Slept well. You, after all that commotion, you were still at it…”
My nose tickled, and I shook my head.
“Don’t you know it helps you sleep better? You can sleep soundly after you get it out. Especially on days when Rosa has clients…”
“Good morning, Jojang!”
“Big bro! Did you get home safe!”
Just as Kel was spouting words that made my head spin just listening, Brick and Jokjebi arrived at the perfect moment.
Jokjebi had also stayed at Hana’s, but since I left earlier, we never commuted together.
‘He comes in later than me, the Jojang?’
Suddenly annoyed, I smacked the sheepishly grinning Jokjebi on the head.
*Ack!* Jokjebi let out a small scream, looked up at me with his round eyes, and swallowed hard.
“…I’m sorry, big bro!”
My eyes narrowed at his sudden apology.
“I didn’t mean to… It’s just…”
He started rambling on with excuses, which suggested he had indeed done something wrong.
Just then, my nose tickled.
*Achoo!*
I let out a hearty sneeze.
Simultaneously, the guys around me stared at me with wide eyes.
Their expressions were strangely similar to those of the washing machine and the refrigerator, which was vaguely unsettling.
“…You get sick too, big bro?”
I waved my hand dismissively at Jokjebi’s genuinely shocked question.
Entering the captain’s office, the captain, his eyes looking particularly dark, gave a slight nod.
“Right, you all worked hard. As for the bodies, they’ll be dealt with today along with the executions, so be aware of that.”
The captain said, pressing his temples with his index fingers as if he had a headache. At a glance, he also looked like he was suppressing his anger.
“Ah… And Jojang Aron, Nova from the inner wall is looking for you. Go there first.”
At the captain’s words, I scratched my cheek, trying to recall anything I might have done wrong.
‘…Nothing comes to mind.’
The captain waved his hand dismissively.
I bowed my head and went outside.
I sent the kids off first and headed to the inner wall.
The stench of filth and rotting corpses mixed into a foul odor, and the hot weather only amplified it, making my head spin just from smelling it.
Two inner wall guards with somewhat dazed expressions greeted me. I’d seen their faces before but couldn’t remember their names.
They seemed to know me and let me pass without question. I walked past them and headed for Nova.
Knock-knock-knock.
“Come in.”
I opened the door to Nova’s still-prickly voice.
Nova was sitting at a desk piled high with papers.
Spotting me, Nova frowned and gestured with her hand.
“Just sit over there for a minute. I’ll finish this up.”
I nodded and headed to a spacious table that seemed to be for guests.
As if space was lacking, papers were piled up on the table and chairs as well. I pushed them aside and sat down.
As I sat on the hard chair, the papers caught my eye.
They detailed the fief’s finances.
It was only a fraction of the whole, but the sums were extraordinary.
‘Even a remote territory is still a castle, huh?’
It was my first time seeing it laid out like this, so I read through it slowly.
By examining these things closely, one could find where money was leaking. Then, you just had to go to that leaking spot, open your mouth wide, and the sweet honey would flow in on its own.
‘Hason, this bastard’s making a lot, huh? How much bread is he baking?’
I knew his bread was popular, but this was beyond imagination.
Getting caught lying about taxes would instantly make you the new mascot of Casedic Castle, so it was rare for anyone to lie unless they were insane.
‘That’s why he flipped out when his son picked up a guitar.’
As I was clicking my tongue, Nova sat down across from me.
“Sorry, there’s just so much to deal with after yesterday’s mess.”
Nova, her face etched with fatigue, said as she tied her messy hair back tightly. She gathered her hair several times to ensure not a single strand was out of place before tying it up.
It revealed her white, slender neck.
‘Tsk, so thin… Looks like it’d snap if you flicked it.’
I clicked my tongue, looking at Nova’s neck, which seemed out of place in the medieval era.
“It’s fine.”
However, seeing her tired face, I swallowed the words that rose to the tip of my tongue and nodded.
“But you know how to read?”
Nova, having tied her hair, asked, her eyes narrowed in a stare.
It was a question that could sound rude, but here, it was a natural reaction. In a world where the illiteracy rate was so high that most signs were just pictures, it was expected.
“Of course.”
I then slowly read aloud the words written on the paper.
Reading was the second thing I learned after coming here, right after swordplay.
“What? You really do know how?”
Nova’s eyes widened, her surprise blatantly obvious.
Her reaction, similar to finding out the unemployed guy next door was actually an Ivy League graduate, made me puff out my chest for no reason.
“Of course.”
“Hmm… I see. You’re more useful than I thought…”
At my answer, Nova’s gaze became strangely burdensome.
I opened my mouth to change the subject.
“So what did you want to talk about? I’m busy.”
“You, busy… Anyway, the Lord is going to grant you a position.”
“A position? Don’t need it, it’ll just be a pain.”
“Even if he’s giving you a position… Just listen. The position the Lord will grant you is Honorary Scribe.”
“Honorary Scribe? What the hell is that supposed to be…”
I scratched my head, having never heard of such a position in my life.
A scribe was a relatively high-ranking position in charge of administration, but it wasn’t the kind of title you could just slap ‘honorary’ onto.
Unlike the religiously tinged Honorary Monk, Honorary Scribe sounded strange from the get-go. It had the same vibe as Honorary Executive Director or Honorary Managing Director.
‘Still, since it has ‘honorary’ attached, it must be a good thing, right?’
Having reaped some sweet benefits as an Honorary Monk, the word ‘honorary’ had a rather nice ring to it.
Honeypot Monk, Honeypot Scribe.
It didn’t sound half bad.
“…Your expression is really weird right now.”
At Nova’s comment, I relaxed my face even more.
The corners of my mouth drooped.
Nova let out a *pfft-* sound, then slapped her own cheek in surprise.
“Crazy orange.”
“Anyway, the original plan was just to grant the title, but since you know how to read… you’ll be of great use in the future.”
Nova’s gaze, like she was looking at a delicious cake, felt burdensome. Just then, my nose started to itch again.
“*Achoo!*”
“What was that?”
Nova’s face contorted at my sneeze.
She looked as if she had been insulted.
“Caught a cold.”
“…You? What are you scheming?”
Nova crossed her arms, her eyes wary. I scratched my cheek.
“I said it’s a cold.”
“You?”
The conversation seemed to be going in circles.
Nova glared at me suspiciously, then took something out of her pocket and handed it to me. It was a small container with a portioned-out potion.
“What!”
When I just watched without taking it, Nova snapped and threw the container at me.
‘Damn, she’s so difficult.’
Seeing her casually hand over a potion, I had a feeling Nova was earning a lot more money than I’d expected.
Drinking a potion wouldn’t cure a cold, but I didn’t bother refusing and quickly downed it. Drinking potions had become such a habit that it felt like taking one of those ginseng sticks.
The way it made you feel warm after drinking it was similar, too.
“Anyway, you’re an Honorary Scribe from now on, so read through these and sort them.”
Nova pointed a finger at me and muttered, “Honorary Scribe,” then pointed at herself and said, “Scribe.”
It was better than patrolling in this heat, so I nodded and looked over the papers.
With a smug, detestable look on her face, Nova returned to her seat.
‘And she calls this organization…’
Clicking my tongue at the primitive medieval organization, which was so poorly categorized it was almost indecipherable, I picked up a quill pen.
I organized the list, comparing it to a very distant and hazy memory.
‘I’ll show you the skills of a genius who got a B+.’
You primitive medieval folks.
Chuckling, I moved the quill pen.
***
“My head hurts. I’m leaving.”
Hearing the voice from beside her, Nova looked up.
Watching the massive back exit, Nova lowered her gaze again.
‘He stayed longer than I expected.’
She had only intended for him to sit and rest a bit… no, to at least pretend to do something, since he’d be receiving a salary as an Honorary Scribe, but he had stayed for quite a while.
‘But what was he writing?’
Nova, whose hands had been itching with curiosity, immediately got up from her seat as soon as the door closed and went to where Aron had been sitting.
‘What is this?’
He had scribbled something on the paper, in a format she had never seen before.
Nova narrowed her eyes.
The elegant handwriting was very unfamiliar, completely at odds with his large frame and personality. And around it were drawn unidentifiable lines.
Looking closer, it seemed he had organized something.
However, the method was one she had never seen before, so it took some time to understand.
‘If I organize it like this, I won’t have trouble finding things. I can even compare them…’
Nova nodded repeatedly as she read on.
‘…This is good. No, why is it good?’
As she nodded and marveled, Nova suddenly realized that this was something Aron had just scribbled down and frowned.
‘This… Aron did this? Why?’
Unable to believe it, Nova muttered, “Aron did this?” as she read on, only to find a strange drawing in the center.
Looking closely, it was an orange with a deep frown.
After staring for a long time to see if there was any connection between the lines and the drawing, Nova finally realized it was just a doodle and seethed with anger.
After fuming for a while, Nova glanced around before tucking the paper with the drawing into her pocket.
‘Aron can read… and his handwriting is elegant… and… he’s smart?’
Nova felt a sudden chill and rubbed her arms.
It occurred to her that Aron might have committed a far greater wrong than she had imagined.
***
When I returned to the Outer Wall Guard headquarters, quite a large number of people had gathered. Judging by the numbers, it seemed everyone except those on checkpoint duty was here.
It looked like they had gathered regarding the body disposal and executions the captain had mentioned earlier.
‘The 5th squad’s leader was Plip. Plip, huh…’
He wasn’t a particularly difficult guy. Nor was he a good guy. He’d get rowdy when he drank, but he was a mild fellow who would quiet down after a few punches.
‘Did I get a beer off that guy once?’
I rubbed my neck for no reason and looked for my kids.
Their colorful armor made them easy to spot.
They were gathered in a corner, with Jokjebi at the center, passionately arguing something.
“I’m telling you! Our big bro needs to take over Casedic Castle! This fucking castle! How long are we going to take this crap! Our big bro is a better fighter than the Lord! He’s got a worse temper! He’s got some loyalty! So of course he should be the one to take over, right!”
The content of his speech was rather alarming.
‘This crazy bastard.’
Startled, I smacked the back of the chattering Jokjebi’s head.
Jokjebi let out a grunt and fell forward.
The request I had made to Dalus, the executioner, had almost come to pass. That guy would surely do his best to grant my request.
“Jojang, you’re here.”
The other guys bowed their heads in greeting.
“If he starts spouting bullshit, shove a fist in his mouth or something. You’re just going to stand there and listen?”
“Ah, but the more I listened, the more it sounded right…”
Brick, with his round face, replied with a small laugh.
The fact that the guys around him were nodding with serious faces felt strangely unsettling.
‘What do these bastards think nobles are?’
Even if Pulpuchu was just a minor baron, behind him was Count Behart, and beyond him, the Empire. It wasn’t just a matter of lopping off Baron Pulpuchu’s head.
Things would surely get bigger, more complicated, and more annoying.
‘…Though it might be fun.’
Just then, the captain came out.
Despite wearing armor, he didn’t complain as he usually did.
“You idiots. I told you to take it easy, but you always have to go and risk your lives. I tell you time and again, be moderate. You get a mere 15 silver, 20 silver, so just do that much. Why do you needlessly risk your lives? It makes a man uneasy.”
The captain shot a reproachful glare at us.
Normally, complaints would have erupted, but the men said nothing and just listened.
“Do you know how much a knight gets? At least 5 gold a month. 5 gold. When you have knights like that, why the hell are you guys risking your necks?”
The captain’s eyes hardened as he glared around, then he snapped, “So take it easy. Take it easy,” and started walking.
‘Doesn’t seem like the captain takes it easy himself.’
Seeing the flesh peeking through the gaps in the captain’s armor, my mouth itched, but I managed to hold back.
“Should we take out the captain first?”
Jokjebi’s eyes gleamed as he stared at the captain’s back.
“Forget it, you guys go on ahead.”
“Huh? Where are you going? If you skip out now, the captain’s in a mood, won’t it be a hassle?”
“It’s fine. I’m an Honorary Scribe now.”
At my reply, the guys gave me the same look they had when I’d sneezed.
A few of them asked what a scribe was.
When someone answered, “It’s Nova! Nova!” Brick’s eyes widened as he asked me, “Jojang, were you a woman?”
Then someone else chimed in with some bullshit, “No wonder! He’s got big boobs!”
It was such nonsense that I didn’t even pretend to hear it.
“…Jojang, you can read?”
Among them, Berman asked, his face a mask of disbelief.
“Of course. You ignorant fools.”
When I nodded, an even greater commotion erupted.
The sight of them tearing their hair out in despair at the fact that I was less ignorant than them was truly pathetic.
‘Where do these ignorant medieval fools think they can compare?’
As I was savoring their reaction, Jokjebi quietly approached and whispered.
“So are we taking out Nova first?”
I extended my fist and silenced him, medieval style.
***
Razvet looked up, feeling a sense of unease.
Sure enough, that man was sitting across from her.
‘He’s here again.’
She should have been used to it by now, but she could never get accustomed to the man’s heavy atmosphere and grim appearance.
Still, she couldn’t show her surprise, so Razvet bit down hard and forced the corners of her mouth up.
The man just sat there across from her, saying nothing, just tapping the table with his finger.
The silent pressure felt heavier than any shouting or threats. Just as Razvet was about to speak first—
“*Achoo!*”
The man sneezed.
The sudden sneeze was devastating to Razvet, who had been so tense her hair was standing on end.
“Kyaaaaaa!”
Razvet shrieked, startled, and stumbled backward, then realized her mistake and clapped a hand over her mouth.
“Ah, I caught a cold.”
The man said lightly, rubbing under his nose with a finger.
Razvet desperately tried to calm her pounding heart and nodded as if nothing had happened.
But having already made a serious fool of herself, she couldn’t stop the heat from rising to her face.
The scar near the man’s mouth seemed to be mocking her.
Razvet bit her lip and took a deep breath.
“…I’ve sent a message to the Pliton Castle branch. I haven’t received a reply, but I’ve confirmed there’s been movement. As you said, I hinted that they are in the city of Karzan.”
“Hmm. Who’s at the Pliton branch?”
“A person named Bermunt, but there’s not much information on him. Considering he’s at the branch farthest from headquarters, he must be an insignificant figure, likely not even on the list.”
Razvet added the extra comment, feeling as if her information network was being underestimated.
It was a reasonably founded deduction. For a mercenary corps with its headquarters at the far western end of the empire, being assigned to a branch at the far eastern end was as good as being demoted.
Just then, the corner of the man’s mouth quirked up.
This time, it was an unmistakable smirk.
“Perhaps.”
“…Do you know him?”
Her pride wounded, she asked, trying to suppress the sharp edge that had crept into her voice.
Normally she would have raised her voice, but facing this man, most of her anger naturally subsided.
“Hmm.”
The man didn’t answer.
“And although I’ve called them to Karzan, I think they might come straight to Casedic Castle.”
Seeing the man just staring without asking, Razvet organized her thoughts and spoke.
“That place has gotten quite famous lately. Honorary Scribe.”
She spoke with a forced smile, thinking her words would surprise him, but the man showed no particular reaction.
“Ah, do you know anything about the people who recently attacked our castle?”
Instead, the man changed the subject with a different question.
From this, Razvet deduced that the man wasn’t particularly pleased with his fame, that he didn’t mind if this ‘Bermunt’ came to Casedic Castle instead of Karzan, and that by calling Casedic Castle ‘our castle,’ he had some affection for the place.
It was an imprecise deduction, but feeling as though she had peeled back a tiny layer of the veil, she gave a small nod.
“Of course I do.”
Slightly relieved at having figured out even a minuscule piece of information about the man, Razvet leaned back in her chair and replied.
The man tilted his head slightly.
A thick scar etched on his neck drew her gaze.
A brief silence followed.
Once again, it was Razvet who spoke first.
“…However, it comes at a price.”
Razvet crossed her arms, pretending to be calm, and wiped her sweaty palms on her clothes.
“A price…”
The man laughed as if it were pathetic.
A shiver went down Razvet’s spine, and though she wanted to blurt everything out, she forced herself to hold back. If she gave in here, she would be endlessly manipulated.
“I’ll let you live.”
At the man’s next words, Razvet’s eyes widened as if they would tear.
With her arms still crossed, Razvet moved her hand and grasped the handle of the weapon hidden over her left breast. Her hand twitched with tension.
“Ah, just kidding. It just came to mind. Of course, I have to pay. How much?”
The man chuckled to himself as if it were truly a joke. Razvet forced an awkward laugh, not letting go of her weapon’s handle.
‘What kind of joke is that…’
It was clear the man was not in his right mind.
“…One gold coin.”
It was information originally worth at least five gold coins, and with a bit of overcharging, she could have gotten ten, but the man’s recent threat had made Razvet strip away all the padding.
“Cheap.”
The man said lightly, then took out two gold coins from his pocket and tossed them. Razvet hastily caught them.
‘…But why two?’
Razvet wondered, looking at the two gold coins in her hand, as she searched in her bag for the paper envelope containing the requested information. She had taken it out recently, so it was easy to find.
The Society was a place that the ‘White Leaf’ was also keeping a close eye on, so the information was quite detailed. After taking out the envelope, Razvet attached a piece of paper with the cipher to decode it and handed it to the man.
The man took it and stood up.
For a moment, his shadow seemed to fill the entire surroundings.
The man looked down at her, and following his gaze, she saw her clothes, which had slipped down as she’d been gripping her weapon.
When she adjusted her clothes and looked up again, the man was gone.
It was a wonder how he could move so stealthily with that large frame.
Razvet massaged her hand, which was numb from the tension, and stared for a moment at the spot where the man had been.
Then, a thought struck her, and she shot up and hurriedly checked the house.
A large hole had been punched through the wall she had just patched up.
‘Why does he always go through the wall…’
Staring blankly at the hole, it occurred to Razvet that the extra gold coin the man had given her might have been for the wall repair.
Just then.
“Ahh, another hard day’s work! For myself! Even though I lost him in the middle…”
A dopey-looking guy entered through the hole in the wall, patting himself on the shoulder. Then he spotted Razvet, his eyes went wide, and he covered his body with his hands.
“Ah, were you waiting for me? Really… you’re making me uncomfortable…”
Razvet looked back and forth between the idiotic guy and the hole in the wall behind him.
She had accepted the offer to help establish a new branch with the promise of a promotion after a year, but looking at this mess, a new thought occurred to her.
‘…Was I demoted?’
Razvet grew depressed.
***
“Vice-Commander, are you really going alone? You should at least take an attendant… or at least tell us your destination…”
Bermunt grimaced at the voice beside him.
‘An attendant…’
When had the people who took pride in making everything with their own hands—the clothes they wore, the food they ate, the weapons they wielded—started looking for attendants?
But he couldn’t scold them.
After all, everything he wore, except for his weapon, was made by others.
“That’s enough.”
“At least your destination… If the First Star happens to look for you, Vice-Commander…”
He couldn’t help but let out a dry laugh at the words that followed.
“That brat, looking for me? The pathetic fool who sent me to the ends of the earth for hearing one harsh word?”
“Vice-Commander, even so…”
“Enough.”
When he spoke firmly, the man took a step back with a long “Eep—”.
Bermunt looked up at the dark night sky and sighed softly.
The sky was filled with unfamiliar stars.
The stars that had been so clear in the desert were not visible here.
Bermunt, who could find his way by reading the stars even in the middle of a desert of endless sand, now couldn’t even see where to take his next step.
‘I should have done this long ago.’
Now that he was completely lost, it didn’t matter where he went.
‘…Just as he said, I really was a stubborn old man.’
For the first time since the kingdom fell, Bermunt smiled.
***
‘Bermunt, huh…’
I fiddled with the envelope in my hand, digging through old memories that reeked of mold and decay.
‘I expected a reaction… but Bermunt.’
Cool nicknames like ‘The Fifth Fallen Star of the West’ and ‘the one who caught a sand dragon with his bare hands’ came to mind, but the first thing I remembered was…
‘Stubborn sand-fucker.’
I smiled bitterly and stroked the hilt of my sword.