Chapter 31
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: That's Animal Poop (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
All the trainees had been desperately trying to avoid number one.
But then, out of nowhere, a volunteer stepped up to take it.
Roin. He was the one who shocked everyone.
Of course, the assistant instructors did their best to hide their surprise.
There were plenty of easy paths available.
They couldn't understand why Roin would choose the hardest one.
Bermin, who was handling mission assignments alongside Barton, asked Roin.
"Roin, trainee. You do understand how this mission works, right?"
"I know it well."
Easy or hard.
That wasn't something Roin needed to worry about.
Seeing Roin looking like he had some ulterior motive, Bermin pressed him further.
"Why did you pick number one?"
"I chose it so I could finish quick and rest first."
The instructors and trainees were left dumbfounded.
Just for that?
No, that couldn't be it.
Bermin tried every way to figure out the real reason.
But Barton spoke first.
"Put Roin down for number one."
At Barton's order, Bermin had to shelve his curiosity.
"Alright, only one spot left now. Anyone else itching for the spotlight, raise your hand anytime."
Barton continued his not-quite-taunting taunt.
Who would raise their hand first?
Everyone just eyed each other warily.
Remina, lost in thought, slowly started to raise her hand.
Even if the mission was tough, with Roin there, maybe they could pull it off.
That's what she believed.
But someone beat her to it.
"Jerka Tayla. I volunteer for number one."
"!!"
"Je-Jerka, sir?"
"Weren't you doing number five? Why number one all of a sudden."
Some trainees had already planned to join Jerka on number five.
But Jerka changed his mind midway.
Barton confirmed his intent again as Jerka shot his hand up.
"Number one. You sure?"
"Yes."
"Can't be helped then. Bermin, put Jerka in the last spot."
Roin and Jerka.
Now the two rivals were teamed up on the same mission.
Naturally, everyone's attention zeroed in on number one.
Roin was one thing.
"But why did Jerka volunteer for number one?"
"Anyone hear anything?"
"Of course not!"
Jerka's followers were in total chaos.
Even asking him directly didn't yield a clear answer.
He just said,
"I changed my mind suddenly."
For them, Jerka's word was second only to Kern'sabsolute.
Don't ask for more reasons, he said.
That only fueled more suspicion.
As soon as assignments ended, Remina approached Roin.
"Why'd you pick number one?"
"I told you. To wrap it up fast and rest."
"Liar. There's gotta be some other reason this time too."
Remina thought the same as Bermin.
Others might see Roin as moody and impulsive, but not her.
Roin moved according to the goals he set for himself.
The problem was he focused so intensely on them that everyone else seemed invisible.
This time too, he had a clear objective.
The reason for picking number one.
She was curious.
But her chance to hear it flew out the window thanks to Jerka.
"Roin."
At Jerka's call, both turned their heads.
"Since we're on the same mission, let's do our best together."
That's what he wanted to say to Roin.
Yet Roin responded blankly.
"Yeah. Sure."
That was it.
Mard and the other trainees ground their teeth at Roin's oblivious reaction.
But Jerka didn't show any displeasure.
He knew by now that this was just how Roin was.
Ever since they challenged the apprentice knight exam together, Roin had always been indifferent to anything not his own business.
Thanks to that, Jerka had learned a tiny bit about Roin.
But it was still just the tip of the iceberg.
For the mission, Roin and Jerka loaded their pre-packed gear onto their horses.
The Oupf transport mission they'd been assigned came from a civilian merchant group requestone of the fifteen missions, but the farthest distance.
Not to mention, bandits targeting Oupf could strike anytime, anywhere.
People were scarier than monsters.
That's why the trainees dreaded Oupf transport duty.
Before departure, Barton personally saw the two off.
"I pray you complete the mission safely."
"Yes!"
With that, the trainees rode out of the Loud Swordsmanship Academy.
Noonce outside the school, they were no longer trainees.
They were full-fledged junior knights.
Watching the two boys recede into the distance, Barton felt a twinge of doubt.
I wonder.
'If those two can really get along.'
Head north from Endla, and you'd eventually hit the city of Inot.
A bustling port city thriving on commerce and trade, with branches of various merchant groups.
The one that commissioned the Loud Swordsmanship Academy: Griffner.
Roin and Jerka headed to Griffner's warehouse in Inot.
Merchants hustled, hauling cargo nonstop.
Jerka raised his voice to them.
"We're from the Loud Swordsmanship Academy. We were told to escort a shipment of Oupf. Where's the person in charge?"
At the mention of academy trainees, the merchants paused.
Trainees or not, Jerka and Roin were nobles.
No matter how busy, they couldn't ignore nobility.
"Please wait a moment. I'll fetch the person in charge right away."
One merchant hurried off.
In the meantime, Jerka spoke to Roin, who was scowling fiercely from horseback.
"Let's rest till he gets here."
Roin nodded without a word.
Right now, Roin was in a foul mood.
And there was a reason for it.
Sea breeze and intense UV sunlight.
Those two culprits.
'All the skin-damaging suspects are gathered in one spot.'
He could already feel his face getting sticky from the sea breeze.
Watching Roin, Jerka cautiously voiced one long-held suspicion.
"You don't seem to like port cities much. So why volunteer for this mission?"
It was what everyone wondered but no one knew.
Roin pointed to a pile of white lumps in the corner.
"That."
"What's that?"
"Oupf. What we have to transport."
"Oh, so that's Oupf."
Honestly, Jerka had never seen it before.
He'd tried researching, but info was scarce.
Jerka stood and approached the Oupf pile.
He poked a white lump with his bare hand.
"Feels like a rock?"
Pretty hard and heavy.
Roin warned him.
"Better not touch it if you can help it."
"Worried it'll get scratched since it's valuable? Don't fret. I'm being careful."
"No, not for that reason."
Roin changed the subject with a question.
"Ever heard of the dooranab animal?"
"Of course."
A massive mammal living deep in the ocean.
A mischievous smile tugged at Roin's lips.
"Oupf means dooranab shit."
"."
Jerka froze like he'd been hit by an ice spell.
The thing he'd been curiously poking moments ago was animal poop?
He never imagined.
Powder from the Oupf's surface clung to Jerka's hand.
In simple terms......
"That's poop dust."
Jerka's face drained of color again at Roin's giggling words.
A short while later.
The supervisor for their Oupf transport appeared.
"Whoa, sorry for the delay. Had to check inventory...... Name's Gibner."
"Junior Knight Jerka Tayla here. The guy fanning himself over there is Roin Leyden. He's the other junior knight teaming up with me for this Oupf transport."
"Haha, got it. With the young master of House Tayla here, we feel so much safer. Please take good care of us."
"Likewise. By the way, where's the washbasin?"
"Washbasin......?"
"I touched something I shouldn't have."
"?"
Gibner had no clue what Jerka meant.
"Restroom's down that path, right-side corner. Washbasin too, so help yourself."
Jerka nodded, said he'd wash up quick, and left.
He scrubbed his hands furiously before returning to Gibner.
In that time, Gibner learned from Roin why Jerka beelined for the washbasin.
"Shocked to hear it's animal poop, eh? Haha!"
"Not shocked......"
Jerka shot Roin a glance.
Laced with a hint of resentment.
But Roin wasn't fazed by the look.
He approached Gibner instead.
"Mister merchant. That's all we need to take, right?"
"Huh? Oh, yes."
"Could you set aside a few for me to buy?"
Jerka and Gibner both looked at him like he'd lost his mind.
Jerka raised his voice.
"What nonsense is this, Roin? You think we're here to shop?"
"There's tons. A little can't hurt. And when did I say free? I'll pay. Wholesale price. Okay?"
"You're really......"
Roin's attitude left him speechless.
Gibner just gave an awkward smile.
But Roin was dead serious.
"I'm not joking."
"Lord Roin, do you know what Oupf is used for?"
"Of course. That's why I picked this mission."
The reason Roin chose number one was thisanimal poop, Oupf.
"It's an ingredient for perfume and all sorts of cosmetics, right? Hard to get too."
"Animal poop in perfume?"
Jerka couldn't believe it.
"Not all poop smells bad by default. Don't believe me? Sniff it."
For a split second, Jerka thought, 'Should I?'
But he shook his head.
"Nah, pass."
He was from a prestigious house.
A noble sniffing animal shit?
Utter humiliation.
"Or smell your hand, Jerka. That's fine, right?"
"Drop it already."
That incident was already etched as one of Jerka's greatest embarrassments.