Chapter 89: The Tin Knight and The City of Struggle (8)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 89: The Tin Knight and The City of Struggle (8)
The mood of Lorentz Halder, the head of the Halder Company, was on a rollercoaster of ups and downs.
“What? A messenger bird arrived saying they were spotted at the Thracus branch? Hah. How did they get all the way there so quickly? Bring me the letter at once.”
He had been all smiles when he first heard news of Dorothea’s party.
“…What the fuck is this?”
But after reading the letter’s contents, he couldn’t stop the vulgar language he had tried so hard to avoid since becoming the company head from spewing out.
Lorentz reviewed the letter’s contents one by one with his trusted subordinate.
“So, let me get this straight. They modified the elixir recipe without my permission and fed something meant for a horse to a person? In the process, they freely used the witch’s name? And when the party demanded payment for the treasure they sold, not only did they refuse, but they drugged them with a paralytic and even used thugs to assault them? My brother-in-law, no, that son of a bitch Joseph, what kind of crazy shit has he been pulling!?”
His head spun, and the back of his neck grew stiff.
While he was over here trying his best to win the witch’s favor, even gifting her a top-of-the-line carriage, his brother-in-law was not only sabotaging his plans but dragging his name through the mud. It was impossible for his blood pressure not to skyrocket.
As Lorentz raged, his right-hand man cautiously raised a question.
“Sir, isn’t this… a little strange?”
“Strange? What is?”
“Well, the person who sent this letter is the one who caused all the trouble, isn’t he?”
There’s a saying about confessing to find leniency, but even that has its limits.
For a man who so boldly ignored his superior’s orders and acted on his own to suddenly send a report-slash-apology letter saying, ‘I have committed these wrongs. I repent from the bottom of my heart’? It was far too unnatural.
“Well, the letter does mention it. It says he realized his sins after being reprimanded by Lady Dorothea.”
“But sir, he’s not a child. He’s a grown man. Would someone who commits acts like these really change after a single scolding?”
“Hmm.”
They couldn’t possibly imagine that vengeful spirits were now clinging to Joseph and his men, serving them a full course of paranormal phenomena and nightmares whenever they tried to cut corners or conceal their misdeeds.
Lorentz’s decision was swift.
“I’ll have to go and assess the situation myself. As soon as today’s schedule is over… no, cancel everything. Prepare to leave for Thracus immediately.”
“R-Right now? And you’re going yourself, sir?”
“They’re an elusive group, who knows when they’ll leave for another city! If they depart with a bad impression of our company, it will become a major problem down the line. I have to step in before that happens. Hurry!”
*
Though a single, thin letter had turned the Halder Company upside down, Dorothea, the cause of it all, didn’t hold much of a grudge. To be more precise, she didn’t even recognize that she had caused a major incident.
Some guys I didn’t like the look of came at me, so I hit them back. That was the extent of her feelings on the matter.
However, not everyone in her party was so nonchalant.
Adel, specifically, was not.
Having been drugged and sprawled on the floor for the entirety of Dorothea and the Tin Knight’s rampage, she shivered as she recalled the blade that had flashed past her head.
“I never thought they’d use a drug on us right after we met.”
Dorothea chided her, dumbfounded.
“And you just happily accepted a drink from people selling such suspicious potions.”
“Ugh.”
Adel hung her head, unable to offer a rebuttal, as if ashamed of her own actions.
Seeing her ears turn bright red, Dorothea decided not to press her further and changed her target.
“She’s always been clueless, so that’s one thing, but why were you drinking it right next to her?”
Sophia answered nonchalantly.
“Hm, I was thirsty?”
“…If you’re thirsty, would you drink poison?”
“It doesn’t really matter to me. I’m numb to pain, and my body resets things like illness or paralysis after a few regenerations. Besides, I was a little curious. With that kind of paralytic poison, if the effect is too fast, those who haven’t had a drink yet will notice. Conversely, if it’s too slow, it’s meaningless. The idea of having someone ingest a specific drug first, then dispersing another poison as a smoke screen to create a combination, wasn’t half bad.”
“More importantly,” Sophia added.
“When Sir Tin is around, such schemes are pretty much pointless, aren’t they?”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ puffs out his chest, saying he is indeed quite reliable!]
“Forget it. What am I even saying to you two?”
Dorothea shook her head.
“Anyway, we’ve gathered most of the consumables, and the carriage is on order, so we can pick it up tomorrow. Next is—”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ says to start the bet quickly!]
[The ‘Tin Knight’ insists they must find the champion soon!]
Dorothea cleanly ignored the Tin Knight.
“—Adel. You said you needed new equipment, right? Shall we go there?”
“Oh, yes.”
“Ah, in that case, I’ll split off here for a bit. I’m going to investigate the martial arts tournament, the champion, and the general situation nearby.”
At Sophia’s words, Dorothea asked back.
“It’s easier for me if you handle it, but will you be okay alone? I can lend you the tin can if you need him.”
“No, I think it would be best for you two to stick together in this city. Instead, I plan to go with him.”
As she spoke, Sophia pointed to a corner where Hindler was trying to hypnotize himself, muttering, “I heard nothing, I heard nothing…!”
Dorothea asked curtly.
“He’s so frail. Will he be of any help?”
“In information gathering, physical strength is nice to have, but it’s not the most important ability. Having more numbers is more useful.”
“I suppose most situations can be solved by overwhelming them with numbers.”
Dorothea was instantly convinced. It was an interpretation truly befitting a necromancer.
Sophia picked up the general-purpose worker Hindler (Skill: Summon Backup) and departed, while the remaining three headed to a blacksmith to get Adel’s equipment sorted out.
Befitting its title as the City of Struggle, Thracus had a great number of blacksmiths and weapon shops.
It was almost comparable to the doll workshop street in Tik-Tok.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ points out that people are only flocking to a few specific shops!]
“You’re right. There are plenty of other shops right next to them, so why are there long lines for just those few?”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ says that if you don’t know something, you should ask someone!]
[The ‘Tin Knight’ imparts his knowledge that if you buy something from a suitable shop and ask a question, they’ll rarely be cold enough to say they don’t know!]
“I see… But what should we buy?”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ suggests the grilled skewers over there!]
Adel nodded.
She ordered some food from the skewer stand and, while waiting, asked why people were crowding certain shops.
As she packed the skewers, the middle-aged woman answered kindly.
“Ah, that’s because of the mark.”
“A mark?”
“Look closely at the signs of those shops over there. See how some have a separate mark next to them, and some don’t?”
At the woman’s words, the three of them carefully examined the shop signs.
And they saw it.
The shops swarming with people all had the same emblem of a winged monkey, painted in gold.
Dorothea’s eyes hardened.
Gold, wings, monkey.
It was highly unlikely for those three words to be combined by chance.
“I don’t know the details myself, but I hear alchemy skills are essential for making good weapons. So there’s a big difference between the shops sponsored by the Witch of the West, a master of alchemy, and those that aren’t.”
“So, all the shops with crowds are connected to the Witch of the West?”
“That’s right. Here you go. Enjoy your meal.”
“Ah, thank you. We will.”
Adel took the paper bag, casually pulled out a skewer, and took a bite.
She showed not the slightest hesitation about eating while standing on the street.
Dorothea briefly wondered if that was appropriate for a noble lady, but she quickly dismissed the thought.
Compared to the things they hunted and ate while camping, this was practically fine dining.
“Aren’t you having any, Lady Dorothea?”
“I’m fine. More importantly, what do you want to do? Wait in line for a skilled shop, or just go into any random one?”
Adel blinked, surprised.
“Oh, is it okay to go to one of the Witch of the West’s shops?”
“It’s not like the witch herself is running it, so what does it matter?”
Dorothea gestured slightly at the Tin Knight with her staff and continued.
“Besides, it’s one thing if you’re like this guy and just use whatever, but for you, it’s better to have a good weapon, isn’t it?”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ proudly states that a master does not blame his tools!]
[The ‘Tin Knight’ insists that he’d still like to try an epic item if one shows up!]
[The ‘Tin Knight’ asks if there’s anything like a sword among the eight sacred treasures!]
“There isn’t, so give up. More importantly, your answer?”
At Dorothea’s question, Adel nodded.
As long as Dorothea didn’t mind, Adel also wanted to get a good weapon if possible.
“Alright, so we’ll go to a place with the mark… but which one should we choose?”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ says his intuition is pointing to that shop over there!]
“I have very little faith in that intuition of yours.”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ claims his prophecy accuracy rate is as high as 24%!]
“What’s with that subtle/ambiguous number?”
“Haha… Since we don’t have any other criteria, let’s just go where Sir Knight suggests.”
Among the several shops bearing the golden-winged monkey emblem, the party headed for the one the Tin Knight had chosen.
Contrary to their expectations, the wait wasn’t very long.
This was because the customers ahead of them were leaving the shop in a hurry.
That in itself was a good thing, but the problem was the expressions on the customers’ faces.
Displeasure? Anger? In any case, it was not a positive reaction.
—All flash and no substance. Weapons only some noble lord would like.
—The owner has a cranky personality. He doesn’t even listen to the customer’s opinion and just forces you to buy the equipment he recommends.
Overhearing the customers’ complaints, Dorothea stared intently at the Tin Knight.
The Tin Knight averted his gaze.
Adel gave a strained smile.
“W-Well, since we’re here, let’s at least go inside. Yes.”
As the party reached the shop door, a shout came from within.
“Hey, I’m telling you! I’ll take this one, so what’s the problem!?”
“What’s the problem? Your judgment, your intellect, and your dignity. They’re all problems. How many times do I have to tell you that the right equipment for you isn’t that, but this?”
“Hah, forget it! Dammit. What a waste of time!”
With a rough movement, a man with a bandana tied around his forehead stormed out of the shop.
The man, whose body was pure muscle, saw Dorothea’s party waiting by the door and said.
“You’d be better off not going in there. The shop owner is a crazy woman.”
Dorothea just shrugged in response, and the man, apparently having no intention of saying more, left.
Amidst the strange atmosphere, the party opened the door and stepped inside.
Just as splendid as its exterior, which was particularly flashy even among the other shops, the interior was the very definition of ostentatious.
Every piece of equipment gleamed, boasting an elegant flair, and quite a few were decorated with jewels and the like.
Unlike a typical shop, a woman sat behind a counter deep inside, her face full of dissatisfaction. Even her chair was a high-end piece that looked like it belonged in the drawing-room of a noble’s mansion.
The woman’s attire was incredibly extravagant.
She looked as if she should be at a ball somewhere, not minding a shop like this.
Her voluminous twin-tails seemed to shift between blonde and silver depending on the angle of the light.
Her face was elegant, yet arrogant and sharp.
A sense of déjà vu flashed through the party’s minds.
The moment her blood-red eyes met theirs, it seemed the other party felt the same.
She muttered blankly.
“What… are you… doing here?”
The disciple of the Witch of the West.
Franka Aglaia was there.