Chapter 85: Baron Martoin (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 85: Baron Martoin (1)
When I got out of the sewer, I was greeted by a dark sky and two familiar faces.
"Mr. Yandel! You're safe!"
"Shavin? Why are you here?"
"What do you mean? I came because you disappeared without a word for hours! I was worried!"
Hmm, I see. I was kind of grateful that she came personally. "But, the two of you?" If something really had happened to us, wouldn't it have made more sense to send another adventurer in the morning? Not organize a party of an administrative officer and a librarian.
"What? What's that look? Ragna is a very talented wizard, thank you very much!"
It was only then that I looked at the librarian. She definitely looked different from how she usually did at the library. "Hmm." She wore shining robes, had numerous scrolls and potions hanging from her belt, and had an expensive-looking wand in her hand. I didn't know how skilled she was, but this was definitely not equipment that an ordinary librarian could afford with their salary. Maybe she came from a rich family?
"Bjorn, who arrre these people?"
"Shavin Emoor, the administrative employee who entrusted this request to me. And this is... Ragna Litanel Peprok."
"It's Litaniel, not Litanel!"
"Anyway, she's the librarian at my library."
"Ohh, I see," Missha said with a nod.
After giving a brief introduction to everyone else, I offered some cursory words to the librarian. "I'm sorry for making you come all the way here at night."
"No need to apologize."
"Then, thanks. I never thought you'd come."
"...You should thank Shavin. I was just forced into it." After that, the librarian whipped her head around. Why did she seem colder than usual?
I was wondering if I was just being sensitive when Shavin grinned and glued herself to Ragna's side. "Ragna, what do you mean forced? You were super worried too, remember?"
"W-Worried? I was not!"
"Didn't you say that he might have gotten lost because the paths in the sewer system are complicated?"
"Shavin, stop making up lies. I was just speculating on what happened. And I only said that to then say that I was sure it was nothing."
"Hmm, is that so?" Shavin smiled at the annoyed librarian. That alone gave me an idea of what kind of relationship the two of them had. Well, that wasn't important right now.
"Enough chitchat. Here's my report." If I wanted to be able to return to the inn before the day ended and get some sleep, I needed to move quickly.
The results of our sewer patrol were simple: we found and killed one vagrant, and that was all. There was no evidence that we properly completed the quest because the video recorder got smashed, but saving the guy's ID ended up being helpful.
"Hans Marcom. I've heard of him. He's a wanted criminal who was on the run for robbery and murder. Including the commission fee and additional pay, that will be 180,000 stones. If you visit the administrative office tomorrow, I will pay you right away."
"I don't have to pay for breaking the video recorder?"
"That's... I'll explain it to the higher-ups. I'm sure they'll say it's all right since these are rather special circumstances."
"Special circumstances, huh?"
She wasn't wrong, but I hadn't thought she would even take that into consideration. However, rather than assuming the administrative agency was a flexible organization, unlike the guild, it would probably be more accurate for me to say that Shavin just did me a favor.
"May the blessing of the twilight star be with you." After a while, the person Shavin called from the temple arrived. This wasn't an ordinary priest, but a paladin with a terrifying bayonet on his back. The paladin thoroughly inspected the corpse we brought back with us and nodded. "This is the traitor Elisa Behenk. Our sect will not forget this feat."
His voice was kind, without any hint of arrogance, and there was even some respect for us there. But what did he mean by "Will not forget?" Wasn't that a bit vague?
"By feat, do you mean there's reward money?" I asked flat-out, like a barbarian who knew no shame.
The paladin just smiled kindly. "I see there's been a misunderstanding. The bounty will be paid by the Adventurers' Guild."
"Does that mean that if I hand the body over to you guys, I won't receive the money?"
"Haha, I'll send an official letter to the guild as soon as the sun rises tomorrow, so you need not worry about that."
"...I see."
Welp. You could've started with that.
"Hey, Mr. Paladin?" asked Missha. "When we were fighting with that woman earlier, we all lost our memory... Can you check if that's caused any other prrroblems?"
"Of course." After that, the paladin cast Advanced Purification on each of us and left. Apparently, he needed to take the corpse to the temple quickly.
"We'll get going too. There will be a lot to include in the report tomorrow. You should get some rest." Shavin and Ragna followed the paladin's lead. As it was late, they turned around and disappeared as soon as the matter was finished.
Hmm, were we done with the most pressing work, then? "Let's meet again tomorrow to talk about the bounty."
"Ugh, finally going home!"
"I think I smell worse than I did when I came back from the labyrinth! Hahaha!"
We dispersed and headed to our respective inns. It was eleven o'clock at night when I got in. I wanted to sleep right away, but I went into the bathroom and scrubbed my body for a while to wash away the filth. It was only once I was lying in bed that I realized.
This was a tough day.
I didn't know why I was being forced to feel this way by a 150,000-stone quest, but... I made it back alive this time, too.
***
The next morning, everyone gathered and stopped by the guild to accept the bounty. Fortunately, the paladin took care of his side of things quickly, so I was able to receive it simply by presenting my ID.
"Ten million stones, I can't believe it. Hahaha!"
Even when divided by five, it was a huge payout of two million stones each. When we met that morning, smiles bloomed on the faces of those who had previously been complaining about the smell of sewage, which had not yet gone away.
"I see now. Bjorn, you're a lucky charm. For some reason, ever since I met you, it feels like money is just raining down from the sky!"
Yes, I'm sure you feel that way. I was the one who got my brain blown up by that bitch.
Even Brown added his two cents. "...I don't believe in superstitions, but at this point, I have no choice. Bjorn, it is clear that the goddess of fortune is with you on your journey."
I knew that was meant to be a compliment, but it didn't feel that great to hear. Why were the achievements I'd obtained by working like a dog now thanks to a goddess I'd never even met before?
"May the blessing of the twilight star be with you." After a while, the person Shavin called from the temple arrived. This wasn't an ordinary priest, but a paladin with a terrifying bayonet on his back. The paladin thoroughly inspected the corpse we brought back with us and nodded. "This is the traitor Elisa Behenk. Our sect will not forget this feat."
His voice was kind, without any hint of arrogance, and there was even some respect for us there. But what did he mean by "Will not forget?" Wasn't that a bit vague?
"By feat, do you mean there's reward money?" I asked flat-out, like a barbarian who knew no shame.
The paladin just smiled kindly. "I see there's been a misunderstanding. The bounty will be paid by the Adventurers' Guild."
"Does that mean that if I hand the body over to you guys, I won't receive the money?"
"Haha, I'll send an official letter to the guild as soon as the sun rises tomorrow, so you need not worry about that."
"...I see."
Welp. You could've started with that.
"Hey, Mr. Paladin?" asked Missha. "When we were fighting with that woman earlier, we all lost our memory... Can you check if that's caused any other prrroblems?"
"Of course." After that, the paladin cast Advanced Purification on each of us and left. Apparently, he needed to take the corpse to the temple quickly.
"We'll get going too. There will be a lot to include in the report tomorrow. You should get some rest." Shavin and Ragna followed the paladin's lead. As it was late, they turned around and disappeared as soon as the matter was finished.
Hmm, were we done with the most pressing work, then? "Let's meet again tomorrow to talk about the bounty."
"Ugh, finally going home!"
"I think I smell worse than I did when I came back from the labyrinth! Hahaha!"
We dispersed and headed to our respective inns. It was eleven o'clock at night when I got in. I wanted to sleep right away, but I went into the bathroom and scrubbed my body for a while to wash away the filth. It was only once I was lying in bed that I realized.
This was a tough day.
I didn't know why I was being forced to feel this way by a 150,000-stone quest, but... I made it back alive this time, too.
***
The next morning, everyone gathered and stopped by the guild to accept the bounty. Fortunately, the paladin took care of his side of things quickly, so I was able to receive it simply by presenting my ID.
"Ten million stones, I can't believe it. Hahaha!"
Even when divided by five, it was a huge payout of two million stones each. When we met that morning, smiles bloomed on the faces of those who had previously been complaining about the smell of sewage, which had not yet gone away.
"I see now. Bjorn, you're a lucky charm. For some reason, ever since I met you, it feels like money is just raining down from the sky!"
Yes, I'm sure you feel that way. I was the one who got my brain blown up by that bitch.
Even Brown added his two cents. "...I don't believe in superstitions, but at this point, I have no choice. Bjorn, it is clear that the goddess of fortune is with you on your journey."
I knew that was meant to be a compliment, but it didn't feel that great to hear. Why were the achievements I'd obtained by working like a dog now thanks to a goddess I'd never even met before?
"Then I'll be going now," I said.
"Huh? Where are you going? We should have a drink!"
"I have to visit the administrative office too."
"Ah, right. They told you to collect the commission fee. You go do that. We'll be having a drink."
Wow, not even an empty offer of "I'll go with you."
Well, I did get one from Missha. "Bjorn! Want me to go with you?"
"It's fine. After yesterday, you should take a break."
"Mm, okay."
After distributing the bounty, I headed straight for the administrative office, a five-story building reminiscent of the old Seoul Station building. When I climbed the stairs to the facility management department on the third floor, I was able to find Shavin without any trouble.
"Mr. Yandel! You're here!"
As always, she was in uniform. However, because everyone was wearing the same thing, she didn't really stand out. Instead, I was the one who was out of place.
"Ehh, is that Little Balkan?"
"I heard he has a power where he grows super big!"
"What are you all talking about? Oh my gosh, so embarrassing..."
Were there mostly female workers here? As soon as I entered the facility management department, fussy whispering erupted all around me. It was like being a monkey in a cage. I decided to leave right after finishing my job.
"Now all you have to do is sign here to accept the payment. If you do not have a registered signature, you can simply write your name."
"Sure."
Soon after, the money was paid out and the documents were signed. However, just as I was about to leave, Shavin stopped me. "Ah! Right! If you have time, please visit the library."
"Library?"
"Ragna has something prepared for you."
She did? The playful look in her eyes made me suspect I could just ignore her request, but I instead answered, "Okay. I'll stop by if I have time."
"All right! You have to, okay?"
Sensing there was definitely something going on there, I decided I'd have to stop by.
***
After leaving the administrative office, I returned to the pub where my team was. Needless to say, it was a mess. It was still broad daylight, so I thought they'd be a little more low-key.
"No, it's true! Hahahahahaha!"
"Don't lie, you dwarrrf! How can someone's name be Dick Johnson?! Ahahaha!"
Hikurod and Missha were drunkenly chatting. Dwalkie had his head glued to the table and was giggling to himself. "Keke, I am the great wizard Riol Warb Dwalkie..."
Brown sighed at the sight and greeted me like a gentleman. "Ah, you're here? Was there any trouble?"
"It seems like I should be asking you that question. Why are they already like this?"
"They made good money. I'm sure everyone was in a good mood."
"...I see." With that, I approached Missha. After taking the mug of beer she was holding, I grabbed the nape of her neck and lifted her up.
"Ahh! W-Who...?! Bjorrrn? When did you get here?"
"Just now. And stop drinking."
"....Eek! Arrre you my dad?" Missha protested, shooting me an outraged glare. I was about to say something before she could get any more rebellious, but then she burst out laughing. "Ah! Right! My dad doesn't carrre about anything like that! Hahaha!"
This kid was not doing great today. Whew... I thought I would be taking a break here. "Enough. If you're bored, drink this instead."
"Okay."
I couldn't let her get any more drunk, so I ordered tomato juice, shoved it in Missha's face, and sat down next to her. The dwarf wasn't my problem, but if this kid got too drunk to even move, I was the one who was going to have to take her home since I was the only one who lived in that direction.
"Haha! You two are really weird!" Hikurod teased. "There's something! There's something here!"
"Don't be silly and drink some water if you're drunk."
"Kahaha, you're still young too, it seems. Does this look like beer to you? I'm just drinking water! Water!"
"...Do what you want." I decided to pay him no mind and ordered a bunch of dishes to satisfy my hunger. Missha perked up a bit, studying me intently while squirming in her seat. "...Do you have something to say?"
The answer was immediate. "I do!"
That made me a little anxious, but I just nodded for now. "...Say it."
Missha slapped her flushed cheeks twice, took a deep breath, and opened her mouth. "My father wants to see you—"
"Wow! Who's this? If it isn't Bjorn, son of Yandel!"
"Huh? Who is this purrrson?"
The man who had interrupted Missha and called out to me in a loud voice was someone I recognized. "You're..."
"Did you forget my name already? It's Hans! Hans Hodge!"
"...Right." I remembered his name right away, but his place on the list was a bit confusing. Characterized by a scrawny body and freckles, this guy's Hans Code was B. We met at a bar after Ainar left my team. He had even advised me to go to the guild to find a teammate.
But what business does this bastard have with me?
Maybe it was just because I'd encountered a lot of Hanses since then, but as soon as this guy started talking to me, I started to worry. For some reason, it felt like something horrible was about to happen.
"Can I sit down?" Hans asked.
"No, I have nothing to say to you."
"Hmm, still, it's quite a coincidence that we ran into each other like t—"
"I'm getting up soon. So, leave."
"I-I see. I was just happy to see you again..." As I shut him down so as not to get involved with him, Hans B turned around, looking all sullen. I had no basis for this, but for some reason, I felt like I had just dodged a bullet.
Wham!
The door on the first floor opened, and a group of knights with the same family crest engraved on their chests entered the bar.
"It's the Mozlan!"
"Why are they at a rundown bar like this?"
The Mozlan: one of the city's most powerful armed groups that only knights of noble origin could join. They were notorious for leaving nothing but blood and death behind when captured. The moment the Mozlan entered the bar, everyone's attention was drawn to them, and the room suddenly fell completely silent.
"That way." At the commander's order, the knights moved in unison. Unfortunately, it was in the direction I was seated.
Damn it all.
What was it this time? As I looked back on my recent progress to see if I had made any mistakes, I suddenly remembered what the clan's shaman had said while telling me my fortune.
"Be wary of those who harbor resentment for you at any time, anywhere."
I also spotted Hans B on his way back to his original seat, pushed to the wall to make way for the Mozlan.
Wait a minute, someone who's bitter... Could that be referring to Hans?
The truth was I'd never had anything good come from getting involved with those guys, but just when my thoughts reached that conclusion, the group of knights stopped in front of our table.
Click.
They looked at us, and one spoke in a deep and authoritative voice. I froze in place, still holding my fork. "Riol Warb Dwalkie, you are being arrested for contempt of nobility."
Surprisingly, it wasn't me this time.
"Then I'll be going now," I said.
"Huh? Where are you going? We should have a drink!"
"I have to visit the administrative office too."
"Ah, right. They told you to collect the commission fee. You go do that. We'll be having a drink."
Wow, not even an empty offer of "I'll go with you."
Well, I did get one from Missha. "Bjorn! Want me to go with you?"
"It's fine. After yesterday, you should take a break."
"Mm, okay."
After distributing the bounty, I headed straight for the administrative office, a five-story building reminiscent of the old Seoul Station building. When I climbed the stairs to the facility management department on the third floor, I was able to find Shavin without any trouble.
"Mr. Yandel! You're here!"
As always, she was in uniform. However, because everyone was wearing the same thing, she didn't really stand out. Instead, I was the one who was out of place.
"Ehh, is that Little Balkan?"
"I heard he has a power where he grows super big!"
"What are you all talking about? Oh my gosh, so embarrassing..."
Were there mostly female workers here? As soon as I entered the facility management department, fussy whispering erupted all around me. It was like being a monkey in a cage. I decided to leave right after finishing my job.
"Now all you have to do is sign here to accept the payment. If you do not have a registered signature, you can simply write your name."
"Sure."
Soon after, the money was paid out and the documents were signed. However, just as I was about to leave, Shavin stopped me. "Ah! Right! If you have time, please visit the library."
"Library?"
"Ragna has something prepared for you."
She did? The playful look in her eyes made me suspect I could just ignore her request, but I instead answered, "Okay. I'll stop by if I have time."
"All right! You have to, okay?"
Sensing there was definitely something going on there, I decided I'd have to stop by.
***
After leaving the administrative office, I returned to the pub where my team was. Needless to say, it was a mess. It was still broad daylight, so I thought they'd be a little more low-key.
"No, it's true! Hahahahahaha!"
"Don't lie, you dwarrrf! How can someone's name be Dick Johnson?! Ahahaha!"
Hikurod and Missha were drunkenly chatting. Dwalkie had his head glued to the table and was giggling to himself. "Keke, I am the great wizard Riol Warb Dwalkie..."
Brown sighed at the sight and greeted me like a gentleman. "Ah, you're here? Was there any trouble?"
"It seems like I should be asking you that question. Why are they already like this?"
"They made good money. I'm sure everyone was in a good mood."
"...I see." With that, I approached Missha. After taking the mug of beer she was holding, I grabbed the nape of her neck and lifted her up.
"Ahh! W-Who...?! Bjorrrn? When did you get here?"
"Just now. And stop drinking."
"....Eek! Arrre you my dad?" Missha protested, shooting me an outraged glare. I was about to say something before she could get any more rebellious, but then she burst out laughing. "Ah! Right! My dad doesn't carrre about anything like that! Hahaha!"
This kid was not doing great today. Whew... I thought I would be taking a break here. "Enough. If you're bored, drink this instead."
"Okay."
I couldn't let her get any more drunk, so I ordered tomato juice, shoved it in Missha's face, and sat down next to her. The dwarf wasn't my problem, but if this kid got too drunk to even move, I was the one who was going to have to take her home since I was the only one who lived in that direction.
"Haha! You two are really weird!" Hikurod teased. "There's something! There's something here!"
"Don't be silly and drink some water if you're drunk."
"Kahaha, you're still young too, it seems. Does this look like beer to you? I'm just drinking water! Water!"
"...Do what you want." I decided to pay him no mind and ordered a bunch of dishes to satisfy my hunger. Missha perked up a bit, studying me intently while squirming in her seat. "...Do you have something to say?"
The answer was immediate. "I do!"
That made me a little anxious, but I just nodded for now. "...Say it."
Missha slapped her flushed cheeks twice, took a deep breath, and opened her mouth. "My father wants to see you—"
"Wow! Who's this? If it isn't Bjorn, son of Yandel!"
"Huh? Who is this purrrson?"
The man who had interrupted Missha and called out to me in a loud voice was someone I recognized. "You're..."
"Did you forget my name already? It's Hans! Hans Hodge!"
"...Right." I remembered his name right away, but his place on the list was a bit confusing. Characterized by a scrawny body and freckles, this guy's Hans Code was B. We met at a bar after Ainar left my team. He had even advised me to go to the guild to find a teammate.
But what business does this bastard have with me?
Maybe it was just because I'd encountered a lot of Hanses since then, but as soon as this guy started talking to me, I started to worry. For some reason, it felt like something horrible was about to happen.
"Can I sit down?" Hans asked.
"No, I have nothing to say to you."
"Hmm, still, it's quite a coincidence that we ran into each other like t—"
"I'm getting up soon. So, leave."
"I-I see. I was just happy to see you again..." As I shut him down so as not to get involved with him, Hans B turned around, looking all sullen. I had no basis for this, but for some reason, I felt like I had just dodged a bullet.
Wham!
The door on the first floor opened, and a group of knights with the same family crest engraved on their chests entered the bar.
"It's the Mozlan!"
"Why are they at a rundown bar like this?"
The Mozlan: one of the city's most powerful armed groups that only knights of noble origin could join. They were notorious for leaving nothing but blood and death behind when captured. The moment the Mozlan entered the bar, everyone's attention was drawn to them, and the room suddenly fell completely silent.
"That way." At the commander's order, the knights moved in unison. Unfortunately, it was in the direction I was seated.
Damn it all.
What was it this time? As I looked back on my recent progress to see if I had made any mistakes, I suddenly remembered what the clan's shaman had said while telling me my fortune.
"Be wary of those who harbor resentment for you at any time, anywhere."
I also spotted Hans B on his way back to his original seat, pushed to the wall to make way for the Mozlan.
Wait a minute, someone who's bitter... Could that be referring to Hans?
The truth was I'd never had anything good come from getting involved with those guys, but just when my thoughts reached that conclusion, the group of knights stopped in front of our table.
Click.
They looked at us, and one spoke in a deep and authoritative voice. I froze in place, still holding my fork. "Riol Warb Dwalkie, you are being arrested for contempt of nobility."
Surprisingly, it wasn't me this time.