Chapter 54
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: The Key and the Flower (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I, who had fallen asleep late the night before, woke to the bustling sounds of the campsite stirring at dawn.
I hadn't been able to sleep deeply, troubled by a nightmare of a massive lizard relentlessly chasing me.
Rubbing my tired eyes, I sat up and noticed that Wedin, who should have been sleeping beside me, was nowhere to be seen.
Instead, his voice drifted in from outside.
I peeked through a gap in the tent flap.
"So you're saying I should just hold back after seeing that? I can't do it."
Wedin was angry.
It wasn't all that surprising, but snapping at Grain like this was.
Grain let out a deep sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"That doesn't mean you go knocking people out again. I've told you a hundred times that technique can be dangerous if you mess it up."
"He should deal with the consequences himself."
"Wedin."
Grain's voice dropped to an ominously low tone.
Wedin flinched and took a small step back, though his angry expression didn't fade.
"Fine, then. From now on, I'll take responsibility for treating that man's wounds. You stay away from him, Teacher."
"...Think you can handle it?"
"Somehow."
Grain pondered whether to entrust the healing to Wedin but ultimately couldn't come up with another option.
Evidently, the caravan leader had been rude to Grain again. Wedin, true to form, hadn't been able to hold back.
"All right, let's do that."
Grain finally gave his sighing reply.
"I can't keep forcing treatment on someone who refuses it. But if anything tricky comes up, you tell me right away."
"Yes, got it."
"I'll help too."
Clemence's voice chimed in unexpectedly.
I, who had been tidying my hair and clothes to step out of the tent, peeked out again.
"I'd like to talk to the Hope caravan leader. As a fellow Denan, he won't give me any grief about it."
Clemence spoke calmly to Wedin and Grain, her silver hair neatly cascading down her back.
"Doesn't sound like a great idea."
Wedin scowled.
"He's not exactly pleasant company."
"It's fine, Wedi. I just want to talk to him. See what makes him say those things."
When Clemence smiled and insisted it was okay, both Wedin and I ended up agreeing it was.
Unable to refuse further, Wedin nodded and headed off with her toward the caravan leader's tent.
Only then did I crawl fully out of the tent.
Grain was watching the two of them go toward the caravan leader's tent.
"What did the caravan leader say this time?"
"Lib... It's nothing. Honestly, it's not the first time I've heard it."
His expression soured as he said it, so I didn't press.
He chuckled at my disheveled state and ruffled my hair.
"Best to avoid people like that altogether... But if someone tries to treat you poorly just because you're a Luar, ignoring them is half the answer."
"Half?"
"The other half? Well... honestly, having a friend like Wedin around helps."
Grain grinned.
"I need to check on the other wounded. Keep that last bit secret from Wedin."
He patted my shoulder and walked off in the opposite direction.
The delegation began moving again.
The wagons were cleared for the injured, and the knight squadron's supply carts were loaded with the caravan's entire fortune.
Even the caravan leader, who had been complaining nonstop, climbed aboard a wagon. Lambert and Tasha flanked it on foot, providing escort.
How did a Denan caravan leader who despised other races maintain a contract with two ironclad Arbat mercenaries?
Curious, I deliberately strolled by and realized they never made direct contact with him.
The caravan leader issued most orders to his Denan servants, who relayed them to the mercenaries.
The mercenaries communicated back through the servants as well.
Was that even communication?
In truth, Lambert and Tasha never exchanged words with the caravan leader—and felt no need to.
"He called him 'that thing.'"
Wedin remarked as we rode side by side.
Clemence and Wedin, who had ridden in the wagons up to this point, had given them up to the injured and were now on horseback.
Clemence, calling it a rare chance to ride again, had galloped ahead happily and hadn't returned.
Shuren had chased after her in a panic, and there was no sign of him either.
"That thing? Who?"
We had been discussing the Hope caravan.
Wedin shrugged as if it were obvious.
"The two mercenaries and the caravan leader. That's how they refer to each other. As long as they stick to the contract, they don't seem to care."
"I don't get it..."
"Sigh. I'm done thinking about that fat jerk. Just tires me out."
I giggled at Wedin's sigh.
"Hang in there a bit longer. We'll part ways with the caravan in Beldain."
"Hope we get there soon."
Wedin said it curtly, but with genuine feeling.
By lunchtime, the breeze was cool and the sky clear of clouds.
The delegation was passing through a small forest thick with diverse trees. The air carried the scent of damp moss and fresh earth, hinting at nearby water.
The knights up ahead spotted Beldain atop a distant hill.
The White Guard Knight said we'd reach it before sunset.
In the meantime, we decided to have a simple lunch and rest in a nearby clearing.
After filling our bellies with dry bread, cheese, dried fruit, and jerky, Wedin went to check on the wounded. Shuren was summoned by the Silver Guard Knight and left.
Clemence finished eating quickly and went for a stroll around the clearing with Mia.
She was utterly enchanted by this small, beautiful forest.
Small wild animals like squirrels and rabbits darted about, and there were many trees and flowers I'd never seen before.
Clemence's eyes sparkled especially at the unfamiliar wildflowers; she couldn't hide her excitement.
I looked around for Father.
He had just finished eating with Erner Belliuud by the campfire.
"Father."
"Lib. Eaten lunch?"
"Yes. Can we talk for a moment...?"
Father gave me a puzzled look, then asked Erner to handle cleanup and beckoned me to follow.
A single small tent stood in the modest clearing, reserved for the White Guard Knight and his aides.
With everyone finished eating, the area around it was deserted and quiet.
Father led me behind the tent.
A secluded spot perfect for talking, silent and away from prying eyes.
"So, what's up?"
Father leaned against a large tree and asked.
"Last night, Ash found this."
I pulled the key from my inner pocket.
A small metal key engraved with the emblem of Ragot Althur.
Father examined it but didn't notice anything special about it.
I continued.
"It came from the Black Gatra's corpse. This key... it can dispel barriers."
"Dispel barriers?"
"Exactly what it sounds like. It undid the protective barrier I set up around the campsite yesterday in one go."
"This is a magic tool made by Ragot Althur. Have you ever heard of it?"
As expected, Father shook his head.
"Magic's not my field. Guess I'll have to ask Luwen. We can send a letter to Prion once we reach Beldain."
"Dispelling barriers, though... Even to a layman like me, that sounds like a pretty dangerous tool."
Father's face grew serious. I nodded in agreement.
That was part of why I'd decided to consult him.
"Yeah. Not sure of its full capabilities, but it easily broke a basic kingdom-level barrier."
"Something like this should be stored in Althur Tower. No idea why it's floating around out here."
"You mentioned the Gatras attacking the caravan might have been at someone's orders. Were they after this key?"
"Maybe... Lambert said they didn't have any impressive magic tools, though."
The caravan leader, Lambert, and Tasha all had something off about them.
Logically, as Father said, the caravan having the key made sense... but Lambert had claimed they had no such things.
He'd refused a search of their goods, citing the caravan leader.
"Got it. For now, don't mention the key to anyone else. Better to keep it secret, especially for whatever comes next."
"I'll brief the White and Silver Guard Knights when the time's right."
"If it's the caravan's, shouldn't we return it?"
I asked cautiously. Father thought for a moment before replying.
"Hmm... Doesn't seem like a good idea. Too dangerous for a mere caravan to hold. We'll figure it out once Luwen tells us what it is."
"Sounds good."
Luwen and Claus Sage would surely know about this key.
We could return it to the caravan leader after confirming what it was.
For now... we'd take Lambert at his word that they had no magic tools.
Thinking that, I tried to hand the key to Father.
But he refused, instead closing my hand around it.
"You keep it. I couldn't use it anyway, and you're the delegation's mage."
"...Okay."
I nodded and tucked the key deep into my inner pocket.
Father straightened from the tree with a sigh.
"When we planned this delegation, I thought it'd be straightforward. Things keep getting more complicated, and we haven't even crossed the Lesion border yet."
I nodded silently in agreement.
Rest time remained.
After parting with Father, I wove through the clusters of people resting here and there to check on Rania.
Among the other horses, munching on treats, she wagged her tail when she saw me.
I stroked her glossy, soft brown coat.
"See?! That's not what they want from that part!"
A sudden shout startled both Rania and me.
Calming her as she tensed, I peered beyond and saw the fat man in blue silk robes standing with Lambert and Tasha in a shady corner.
The man in blue silk was the infamous Hope caravan leader. I'd never been introduced, but I knew at a glance.
Startled by his own volume, he whipped his head around, eyes wide.
I ducked behind Rania and averted my gaze.
"Why should we? The contract's only to Beldain. We're the ones owed compensation for mental distress."
Lambert's voice, from behind his back, was icy cold. Come to think of it, this was the first time I'd seen the caravan leader talking directly to the mercenaries.
The leader's face flushed purple-red, and he unleashed a torrent of abuse beyond imagining.
"You...! Rotten, money-grubbing monsters—if you'd just killed off those beasts from the start, none of this would've happened...!"
Clink.
His words halted abruptly as Lambert half-drew his sword from its sheath.
His face drained of color.
Lambert spoke in a sinister tone devoid of humor.
"Tasha, should we just say he got killed by the Gatras?"
"Cut it out. Killing a contract target tanks our rep. Come on, Lambert."
Tasha restrained him and turned her head toward me.
I flinched and looked away just as Mia wandered over, scanning the area. Clemence's maid.
Tasha and Lambert walked off in another direction upon seeing her, while the caravan leader collapsed pallidly onto the ground.
I turned to Mia. Her expression was off.
"Mia? Where's Clemence?"
She brightened at my voice and hurried over.
"Liberic, I can't find Miss Clemence..."