Chapter 70: The Tin Knight and The City of Clockwork — Act 4 (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 70: The Tin Knight and The City of Clockwork — Act 4 (4)
The journey of the Tin Knight and his party had been so swift that any onlooker would have been left speechless.
The time it took for the Tin Knight to arrive in the City of Pleasure and take the heads of the Colombo bandit group's second-in-command and leader, one after another: one day.
The time it took for Dorothea, after being ambushed, to launch a counterattack that very night, force Franka into submission, and forge a contract: one day.
The time it took for the party, angered by the condescending guild staff, to conquer the labyrinth to its deepest level and snatch the choicest treasures: one day.
The largest portion of the group’s journey was spent on travel (along with Dorothea’s catalyst preparations and Adel’s training). The actual time spent confronting and resolving problems amounted to less than a tenth of their entire trip.
The reason was simple.
Both Dorothea and the Tin Knight were masters of taking swift action.
However, their specific approaches differed slightly. To put it simply:
If, to challenge a core objective 'A', it was necessary to complete three out of ten sub-objectives, Dorothea was the type to charge straight for the core objective the moment she hit [3/10 Complete].
The Tin Knight, on the other hand, was the type to meticulously complete all objectives, even if they weren't essential, only challenging the core objective after achieving a clean [10/10 Complete].
And because of this clash of philosophies, the two were engaged in a fierce debate (which, to an outsider, looked like Dorothea talking to herself).
“What was our purpose for coming here in the first place? To strengthen you, right? And that’s done. We even got Adel’s token while we were at it. So we should be heading to our next destination!”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ insists that the minigame of clearing the dojo’s missions with Adel is still left!]
[The ‘Tin Knight’ argues that since they somehow passed the 6th-level tests, the 7th-level is just around the corner!]
[The ‘Tin Knight’ passionately proclaims that he cannot let Adel’s blood, sweat, and tears go to waste!]
Adel, who was listening from the side, timidly interjected, “No, I’m fine with letting it all go to waste. In fact, I’d rather you did….” but the Tin Knight wasn’t listening.
“Ha.”
Dorothea scoffed.
With her arms crossed and chin slightly raised, the gesture, combined with her unique fashion sense, made her look every bit the part of an evil executive.
“To hell with the 7th-level tests. Is it really necessary? We’ve already taken over the dojo, so we can just fudge it and say we passed. All it takes is scribbling a few lines on some papers. What’s so hard about that?”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ says he cannot forgive such corner-cutting!]
[The ‘Tin Knight’ criticizes her, asking why play the game if you’re just going to cheat!]
“What nonsense. As if there’s any fairness or sportsmanship in this world. It’s only natural to use what you can.”
It was a truly absurd statement coming from a necromancer who stubbornly refused to use her available necromancy and loathed corpse armies, all because she was conscious of her reputation. Seeing her thorough double standards, it was clear she had all the makings of a witch.
Realizing that this line of reasoning wouldn't persuade her, the Tin Knight tried a flanking maneuver.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ argues that they must settle their affairs with the Adventurers Guild!]
“Didn't Sophia solve that by sweet-talking some old geezer?”
Dorothea continued, not hesitating to use expressions that others might misunderstand.
“The guy who orchestrated it is dead, and the pursuit team won't be coming after us anymore. Isn't that the end of it?”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ argues that villains who die so suddenly like this are usually just minions!]
[The ‘Tin Knight’ expresses his view that there must be a true mastermind’s plot behind it all!]
“Haaah.”
Dorothea shook her head and said.
“Like I care?”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ is so shocked his non-existent mouth hangs agape!]
“The world is full of conspiracies, schemes, and secrets anyway. It’s foolish to dig up every single one. How is that any different from scooping a ladle of water from a lake, staring into it, and declaring, ‘I’ve uncovered the truth!’? What do you gain from it? Self-satisfaction?”
Listening from the side, Sophia spoke with a rare, wounded expression, “That sounds like a sponsor asking why they should fund research with no immediate profit….” but Dorothea wasn’t listening.
It seemed the master and servant were both experts at ignoring what others had to say.
“Let’s say there is a grand conspiracy. Let’s say we go all the way back down south and grill the soul of that branch manager or whatever. What if he doesn't know anything worthwhile? And even if he does, what if it involves someone so high up they’re a pain to deal with? Have you ever considered how much tedious prep work it would take to crush that bastard?”
Dorothea only said it would be a pain, not that she couldn't do it.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ says that even setting that aside, the promise with Peter remains!]
[The ‘Tin Knight’ insists that the request is only over once the payment is made!]
“That's just an excuse. You're just hoping you'll get to fight that gold-rank adventurer if Sophia's identity as a vampire is revealed, aren't you?”
Dorothea stared intently at the Tin Knight, who flinched.
He slowly turned his head and began to feign ignorance.
Dorothea spoke with a sullen face.
“I’ll pay the fee properly. A contract is a contract, even if Sophia acted on her own. As long as we deliver the information, whether by letter or memo, we’re not stiffing him on the payment, are we?”
Of course, that was hardly the end of it.
Even if they didn't meet face-to-face, the fact remained that they had to give Peter information about the vampire (that is, Sophia).
The thought of getting entangled with the man known as the pinnacle of adventurers gave Dorothea a headache, but she didn't blame Sophia.
After all, it was true that the Adventurers Guild matter had been settled thanks to Sophia’s plan, and Dorothea herself had entrusted Sophia with the task. She was not one to evade responsibility. (Though she did occasionally evade the Tin Knight’s rampages.)
Leaving the Tin Knight to sulk in a corner, the witch, the lion, and the scarecrow began to plan their next move.
Sophia spoke first.
“Miss Dorothea. Have you already decided which sacred treasure you’ll be looking for?”
“I’m mulling over a few candidates. Why do you ask?”
“There’s something I’d like to confirm.”
Sophia examined the map spread out on the table, then pointed to a specific location with her finger.
“‘The City of Struggle,’ Thracus. While it’s technically an Imperial city, its distance from the capital and its proximity to the Magic State and the Federation have resulted in a complex mix of cultures.”
“And?”
“This place is famous for a tournament where martial artists from all over the continent gather to test their skills. It seems the current champion of the arena possesses a rather interesting item.”
Like a bard, Sophia spoke in a lyrical tone.
“It is a belt that holds the valor of a lion. Imbued with a light like a blazing flame, it grants its master the strength to face a hundred warriors. Who would dare challenge it, save for the great duke of legend?”
“Hmm.”
Dorothea’s eyes gleamed.
The Tin Knight, who had been in the corner, had also perked up at the words ‘arena’ and ‘champion’ and was now listening with rapt attention.
“Miss Dorothea, you know about the appearance and abilities of the eight sacred treasures, don’t you?”
“I was given an explanation when I first received the compass. The records in the kingdom are sparse, so the description was a bit lacking, but yes. A belt. It enhances physical abilities, you say?”
Dorothea recalled the directions the animal compasses had taken during the several times she had summoned them.
Remembering which way the orange-colored lion had moved, a smile formed on her lips.
“‘The Belt of Amaryllis.’ A sacred treasure that greatly boosts the user’s physical abilities without any separate mana enhancement. Nice. The possibility is certainly high.”
“I’m glad I could be of help. However, there are still a few months until the next tournament, so if we go now, there’s a high chance the champion will be away.”
“Then we can just stop by somewhere else before we go.”
This time, instead of Sophia, Dorothea pointed to a part of the map.
If one were to draw a line connecting Tik-Tok and Thracus, it was a spot slightly north of the center.
The vast forest region situated between the Empire and the Magic State.
“‘The Garden.’ A place where the concentration of mana in nature is particularly high, even for the continent. Which means it’s also full of materials that can serve as powerful catalysts. There will be plenty of materials there that can’t be bought with money, so securing them will be a great boost to our strength.”
Dorothea picked up a pen and began drawing arrows on the map.
“First, we’ll stop by the Garden and secure powerful catalysts. There were a few animals that headed toward the Garden, but whether a sacred treasure is inside it or beyond it is impossible to confirm right now, so we’ll just consider it a bonus. Once we’ve secured the catalysts, we’ll head straight for Thracus. We’ll get the belt, whether by negotiating with the champion or by other means.”
“And then,” Dorothea added.
“With that momentum, we’ll strike the Wicked Witch of the West's stronghold.”
Adel jumped in surprise.
“But she’s an incredibly powerful mage! Didn’t you say you’d deal with her later?”
“Were you not listening? I said we’ll attack after securing catalysts and retrieving the belt. And that’s on top of strengthening this guy here in Tik-Tok. That’s three stages of preparation. If we’re still whining that we can’t beat her after all that, we might as well give up and admit it was impossible from the start.”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
The Tin Knight patted Adel’s slumped shoulders.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ encourages her not to worry, saying they can do it!]
[The ‘Tin Knight’ confidently declares that he will crush them all!]
A stark contrast to his sulking moments ago, the Tin Knight looked incredibly excited.
With the names of powerful foes being mentioned one after another, his motivation seemed to be soaring in anticipation of new battles.
He had an air about him that seemed to say, ‘Peter? Who’s that? Oh, some adventurer riffraff. Is he stronger than a witch?’
“Sir Knight, the encouragement is nice, but it hurts, it hurts! I get it, so please stop!”
Even between ordinary people, a pat on the back or shoulder can be painful if done with too much force.
So when a body made of metal was thwacking her shoulder, Adel was on the verge of tears.
Seeing the Tin Knight so carried away that he couldn't even control his strength, Dorothea wore a look of disbelief.
“Honestly, he just can’t get enough of fighting. Anyway, no more complaints, right? We’re leaving immediately?”
“Uh, no, but shouldn’t we at least say goodbye before we go? To the Geppetto siblings, the lord, and Kumara’s party.”
Adelaide was a lone voice crying out for common social decency, but no one else agreed with her.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ argues that one shouldn't look back on past connections!]
“It's a pain. Too much trouble. We can just leave a letter for that last group and go. That Gale woman disappeared without a word at some point, didn’t she?”
“If we're to slip away, night would be best. The security in this city is laughably lax, after all.”
Is this… right? Is this really okay? It’s not like we’re fugitives fleeing in the dead of night.
Various questions flashed through Adel’s mind, but in the end, she nodded.
“Ah, then I’ll just run to the store for a moment! It’s hard to find candy like this outside of a big city!”
For better or worse, Adel had been thoroughly influenced by the group.
*
“We’re from the Halder Company! Are a Miss Dorothea and her party staying here? What? They’ve already checked out?”
“I’m here to find Representative Instructor Adelaide. A woman named Giselle contacted me asking about her… What? She left in the middle of the night?”
“Hahahaha! I have arrived! Now! Where is that young lady, Sophia? I’m here to collect the reward for the— Huh? Gone? You say I should check with three brats?”
*
“So this is… Tik-Tok. A city with quite the exotic scenery.”
A girl with striking, snow-white hair scanned the streets of Tik-Tok.
She was surrounded by dozens of soldiers and mages who radiated an aura of elite skill.
One of them addressed the girl.
“The target appears to be staying at an inn on the main street. Shall we retrieve them?”
The girl shook her head.
“I was told the one protecting the target is the apprentice of the Witch of the East. Even if we must become adversaries, it is only polite to offer a greeting first. Lead the way.”
“As you command.”
The girl, Algind Goodwitch, and her followers headed for the inn.
The people around them began to murmur at the sight of the group and their clearly unusual aura, but they walked on with confident strides, as if long accustomed to such attention.
And finally.
The door to the inn opened.
“Oh, come on! Are you sure you don’t know where Miss Dorothea went? If I go back empty-handed, the company head will have my hide! Please, just give me a hint, anything!”
“I told you, I really don’t know! They checked out at night and were gone in a flash before I could even say a word!”
“Master! How could you disappear without a single word! What are we disciples to do! Sob sob!”
“Tsk, will you all be quiet! You lot are supposed to be teaching the other disciples as my assistants, yet you’re acting so weak.”
“What in the world is going on! What about my reward? My legendary adventure!?”
“S-Senior, please calm down. There’s a letter here, please read it! We haven’t touched the contents!”
The inn door closed.
“…? ?? ?????”
The apprentice of the Witch of the South.
Countless question marks swirled above the heads of Algind Goodwitch and her subordinates.