Chapter 133
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 133
Chapter Title: Empire's Merit Rewards
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With Liliane's help, Alice got to her feet and regained some composure.
She fetched a bucket of water from the tavern staff and dumped it over Roman, who lay sprawled on the floor in an unseemly heap.
Splash!
"Puha-!! Ugh..."
Alice kicked the rear of her dazed party member, who lifted his head with vomit still clinging to it, too stunned to grasp the situation.
Smack!
"Kuhk!"
Even without full strength, Alice's power far surpassed that of an ordinary person. Her casual, anger-fueled kick landed with the force of a solid club, snapping Roman back to reality.
"Ro... you idiot! You moron!"
She started to call his name instinctively while scolding him, but hesitated unconsciously. Swallowing "Roman," she vented her fury another way, just in case.
"Euk..."
If he'd just checked for Church members as instructed and come straight back up, none of this near-disastrous mess would have happened!
The Roman she'd just encountered was worlds apart from this one. Recalling the terror from that other namesake adventurer still made her legs tremble.
One wrong twist in that other "Roman's" mood, and both of them could have ended up half-dead or worse right there.
Roman, clutching his bruised backside and groaning, finally glanced down and saw the state of his beloved sword.
"Huh?! My sword!!"
"You bragged it was the priciest name-brand blade in Edelmann... but looks like you just got scammed."
"No! Th-this was from my father... it definitely was...!"
Alice eyed Roman's despair as he stared at his weapon—now reduced to dagger-length scraps rolling on the floor—and harbored reasonable doubts.
No matter what wrecked it, a famed sword wouldn't shatter so ridiculously.
She tossed a bucket and mop at Roman, who froze gripping the shattered metal, and drilled into his head the perfectly logical reason he needed to clean the tavern. Then she walked off.
......
'Even if waking him up is all I do, better safe than sorry.'
Alice approached the pair still seated at the table.
She'd seen the absent adventurer named Roman rise from that very spot and approach her.
Whatever his connection to these people, her instincts told her to offer thanks here.
"...Th-thank you for earlier."
"No need. You reminded me of a little sister somewhere... I wondered if I was meddling too much."
Using polite speech with total strangers—fellow adventurers, no less—was a rarity for Alice. Being addressed politely herself was equally uncommon.
Especially as a young, petite female adventurer like her.
To avoid being seen as easy prey by others, she'd endured twice the hardship. Years of tense standoffs with roughneck adventurers had made her ditch politeness consciously, toughen up, and act bold and boisterous.
Still, situations like this called for propriety.
She thanked the pink-haired beauty and the bearish man again for their help. They responded with warm smiles and invited her to sit in the now-empty spot.
With her party member still cleaning the tavern and her schedule suddenly free, she accepted. Curiosity about the absent man played a part too.
"Looks like the young lady's settled down a bit now."
The man, introducing himself as Rak—a gold-rank adventurer—laughed heartily and handed her a side plate for food.
She thanked him with a nod and took it, letting the conversation flow naturally.
"Having a party member with the same name as Roman... bad luck or good that it blew over? At least no one got seriously hurt."
"If you came from out of town, it'd be excusable. Only a handful in the capital have the guts to pick a fight with that fool."
Alice knew the name Roman was common enough.
So, steeling herself, she lowered her voice and broached the crucial question carefully.
"Um... I know it's rude to ask about personal details... b-but was that Roman who was just here the platinum-ra—?"
Liliane's awkward smile and nod hit Alice like an avalanche crashing down on her future.
'W-we're screwed!!'
A slip of the tongue had painted her in a bad light with a platinum-rank? For a knight, it'd be like earning the ire of one of the Empire's Five Knights.
Just when she was gearing up to make it in the capital, she might have to flee back to Edelmann to survive.
Liliane patted the stunned Alice, whose mouth hung open like her soul was slipping out, and consoled her.
"No need to worry, though. He's not the type to hold grudges... and despite appearances, Roman's weak to pretty girls. This could be your chance to get on good terms."
"Eh...?"
Alice uttered a dumbfounded sound at the absurd claim, but Rak nodded in vigorous agreement, chuckling.
"Beauty is that fool's notorious weakness. No secret—every seasoned adventurer in the capital knows it. Next time you see him, just approach casually and greet him. He won't chase you off. Men are dangerous, though."
"......"
"No idea what Edelmann's like, but capital adventurers thrive on shamelessness."
'Shamelessness...'
Silence hung as Alice struggled for a reply. Liliane smoothly shifted topics with a calm voice.
"But you seem more at ease than usual... no exaggeration in your actions or tone. Feels like something's changed, for the better. Don't you think?"
Bam!
Rak slammed the table palm-down like he'd been waiting, expressing fervent agreement.
"Right?! I held back from saying it, but you're not alone. Between not seeing him, that guy Roman... I wondered if he'd finally found a girl he actually likes. When a man's sudden change hits, it's always a woman, right?"
Alice, who'd stayed silent amid their chat, freaked out again.
'That's an improvement?!'
If she had to describe the platinum adventurer she'd unexpectedly encountered—pure gut feeling, beyond human?
No real monster she'd faced measured up.
His primal, savage aura transcended humanity, crushing her unique senses with overwhelming pressure.
'Even if he found a girl he likes... with that vibe, doesn't he treat women super roughly too...?'
His presence screamed brutality—no tender lover image came to mind.
Sure, imperial men were like that often, and platinum-ranks were bound to be eccentric.
But setting aside their irrelevant gossip.
To chase success as a capital adventurer, she needed this now.
Every scrap of info from this table was priceless for survival. Alice leaned in, ears wide open.
They say good is good, right?
Even in a fantasy world, I'm not one to buy into absurd folklore or superstitions passed down orally.
But when the entanglement shifts from me to my woman, I definitely avoid the sticky stuff.
Forgiving a drunkard swinging a blade? Mad compassion!
A feat so touching even a goddess would tear up. Meeting Eclair afterward, I figure holding back was smart.
He approached with his facial muscles melting into a goofy grin the moment we met.
"Kitty~!"
"Roman... I'm on duty right now."
I hugged Eclair, who'd been waiting alone by the reception table with a box emblazoned with the imperial crest.
She smiled faintly, lips curving up, but kept her tone businesslike.
After a light kiss, I sank into the plush sofa, pulling her onto my lap.
She leaned back comfortably, no resistance, stroking and tidying my bangs with one hand while continuing her work.
"Holy water and potions come in many types and volumes, so I left them at the Adventurer's Guild under your name."
"How'd you haul so much?"
"The knights who always follow me moved the wagon goods. A captain like me doing menial labor in public view would be taboo."
"Good thing. I wouldn't want my woman stuck with tedious chores like carrying loads."
"Always so smooth-talking. What a wicked mouth."
Pleased by my lip service, she poked and tugged my cheek with slender fingers, letting out a soft laugh.
Intense, clingy intimacy was great, but these playful little gestures held their own charm.
"I'll grab the potions on my way out. Need any special brews, Kitty? Take 'em all if you want."
"I'm fine. I keep a stock on hand."
As her words ended, her gaze shifted to the ornate wooden box on the table.
It radiated "gift" vibes; my gut said the box itself was a special magic tool.
I had guesses about the contents but rubbed her waist and asked to confirm.
"So, what's this box?"
"This is the most important item."
"Oho!! As expected?"
Still smiling, she rose from my lap and gathered mana in her fingertip, feeding it into the box like bait.
The sealed wooden case reacted to the mana and popped open automatically.
Click!
"It's an elixir."