Volume 3 Chapter 12 Research
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
There’s nothing more awkward than running into an old acquaintance in front of a brōtḥel.
Especially when it’s someone you’d rather avoid.
Kian tried to ignore the young platinum-blonde high elf girl passing by, but to his surprise, she walked past him only to deliberately stop and turn back.
There was no chance of mistaken identity.
Bathed in the orange and red lights of the brōtḥel, the high elf stood before Kian, her sharp green eyes lifting to meet his gaze directly.
”You, we just brushed past each other in front of the gate, didn’t we? You look familiar… Could you be that Kian?”
”Indeed, it’s me, Ms. Vestacia.”
He responded with a polite smile.
The beautiful blonde high elf──Vestacia──narrowed her eyes slightly, tossing her shimmering golden hair back.
Countless necklaces she wore around her neck swayed gently.
They were bright-colored, resembling children’s toys──red, blue, and other vivid hues.
Together with her unadorned white attire, they gave off a distinctly ‘simple forest folk’ vibe typical of elves.
”…Hmm. You look like a completely different person. I’m usually not one to stop for others, yet here I am. Time is limited. Because it is limited, its value is not equal. I shouldn’t waste it on someone as mundane as you, yet you’re giving off a strange aura trying to catch my attention.”
”I’m not trying to catch your attention with this kind of magic power, you know. But I’m glad to see you’re doing well. I won’t bother you any further, so I’ll take my leave.”
”Wait, Kian.”
”…What is it?”
Turning back reluctantly, Kian found Vestacia with her hands on her hips, pointing a finger at him sharply.
”The fact that my feet stopped in front of you means it was fated to happen. Don’t you know where my beloved has disappeared to?”
”Beloved? …Are you talking about Rean?”
”Who else could there be? My heart belongs solely to Rean. It’s because I chased after him that a noble high elf like me finds herself walking in such a filthy back alley. Just look at my feet; it’s like I’m wading through the muck of a rotting swamp. If that’s the case, then I’m like a beautiful lotus blooming in the mud.”
”……”
Under normal circumstances, Vestacia wouldn’t engage Kian in such lengthy dialogue.
Generally, she would ignore him with an air of disinterest.
Or perhaps with silent disdain; during her time with the ‘Lion’s Companion,’ he had been treated more like a handy servant hired for a short-term job.
As a high elf, her ability made everyone else seem like mere insignificant creatures to her.
Constantly claiming, ‘I am a perfect being loved by the gods,’ she was among the most difficult types to deal with, even in a race known for their haughty demeanor.
To be honest, she was someone he could easily ignore and walk away from, but his keen detection ability while wearing the ‘glasses’ was far too high; in the next instant, he had already sensed a magical presence that could only belong to Rean.
It was the opposite of Vestacia’s pure white magical power──a black, sludge-like magic.
Deep within this brōtḥel town’s alleys, standing all alone.
Almost like she was having a conversation with the wall, she was so well-positioned.
”You found him, didn’t you?”
”────”
”You’ve always been good at finding people and things. It must be your high ability to comprehend space. It’s strange, really, that a mere human can possess such talent. We’ve got a cat Beastman scout at our place, so you’re not needed for battles. But──could you please go fetch Rean for me? That alley over there is filthy with waste, and it’s not a fitting road for someone as noble as I to tread.”
”Ms. Vestacia.”
Kian narrowed his eyes behind the ‘glasses’ and replied coldly.
”I’m not your familiar or anything. In fact, we’ve never even exchanged so much as a greeting despite crossing paths in this town. So why should I move out of the goodness of my heart for you?”
”That’s a fair point. ──Then take this and go call Rean for me. I’ll wait here.”
What Vestacia pulled out of her pocket was a single gold coin.
Paying such a large sum for a simple errand like fetching a person… Her sense of money must be completely off.
But, if she’s willing to pay, he can’t complain.
As Kian nodded and took the gold coin, Vestacia simply said, “Thanks,” and slipped away to the corner of the street.
Standing there with an expression that could be described as impatiently disgruntled──she was captivating just by standing there.
If you didn’t know that she was Vestacia, the strongest and most renowned member of the ‘Lion’s Companion’ party from East End, you might even think that some flirtatious guy was trying to chat her up.
(She’s beautiful when she keeps quiet, though…)
’As expected of a High Elf… Elves have always been popular, regardless of their ranking. Generally speaking, they are slender, so young ones aren’t known for being very comfortable to hold.’
(I’ve seen that beautiful blonde woman enough over the past few months to get sick of it.)
While thinking this, he walks into the alley.
’Glasses’ let out a soft chuckle.
’That old woman, the High Elf, and the young princess from Izerland fortress. Yes, I see, to you, that High Elf’s beauty isn’t that impressive.’
”Those 2 aren’t the only ones.”
’Huh?’
Kian continued casually.
”You too, ‘Glasses’. I’ve never seen such a delicate, beautiful blonde girl as you.”
’Oh… S-so…?’
”Yeah.”
Kian said only that before quickly disappearing into the depths of the alley.
He slipped past an Adventurer who was tangled up with a prostitute, deeper and deeper into the darkness.
Soon, a strong, viscous feeling of magic power started to emanate from ahead.
* * *
After turning several corners, he suddenly heard voices arguing.
It was a dark back alley.
A narrow passageway sandwiched between 2 towering brōtḥels.
Above, laundry that had been drying for who knows how long flapped in the wind, strung up on a rope.
Further in, there was a section where the brick wall had collapsed, resembling a pile of rubble.
As he walked deeper, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed man suddenly leaped out.
It was Rean.
Unlike when they parted at the gate hours ago, he had shed his black armor.
Now, he wore a simple white shirt and brown trousers, but around his neck hung the usual Black Onyx Horn Cup.
It must be an expensive accessory, as he could still sense a powerful magic power emanating from it.
”…!”
Rean froze for a moment upon seeing Kian, then quickly tried to slip past, diverting his gaze.
Kian called out.
”Vestacia was looking for you.”
”…What did you say?”
”She sent me to fetch you. I was on my way back, passing by the brōtḥel ‘Night’s Heat’ when I found her waiting.”
”……”
”I don’t know what happened, but leaving a girl hanging in the middle of a date isn’t very impressive.”
As Kian spoke calmly, Rean turned his icy blue gaze towards him.
He approached silently, peering down with a piercing stare.
”It’s none of your business.”
”Indeed it isn’t. But as I’m employed by Vestacia for a quest, if you don’t return, she might demand her payment back. It would be easier for me if you went back now.”
”I was going to return anyway, once my business here was done. I have no desire to linger in this gloomy place.”
”What were you doing here? I heard some sort of argument as I approached.”
”None of your concern.”
”Mind if I take a peek at the empty lot beyond those ruins?”
”Do as you please. Just make sure you’re prepared for what you might find.”
”What, did you kill a man in that argument? Is that his body lying there?”
As Kian asked, a shadowy figure suddenly stepped out from behind the rubble.
It evaded detection by his ‘glasses’ ability.
He hadn’t sensed anyone at all.
Could it be that he’s dealing with a human whose magic power is that weak?
”──Excuse me.”
Rean said this and quickly walked away behind him.
Meanwhile, from the shadows of the back alley, a figure emerged, stepping into the moonlight beyond the rubble.
Kian narrowed his eyes.
”You…”
”Hahaha, it’s been a while.”
The rubble crunched underfoot with a metallic sound.
Standing before Kian was none other than the vendor from whom he had once purchased ‘glasses’ at a street stall.
He had the appearance of an Azraelian, dressed in attire typical of Azrael.
No doubt about it.
Adjusting his stance, he spread his arms wide, revealing a bright smile.
”Stone to iron, lead to gold, Black Onyx to Roses. Good evening, my past customer. I see you still cherish those ‘glasses.’”
”‘Black Onyx to Roses,’ huh?”
”It’s the motto of my guild. Doesn’t mean much, really. ──By the way, you remember me, right?”
”How could I forget?”
Kian kept a wary gaze on the Azraelian merchant as he carefully chose his words.
”You’re the merchant who sold me these ‘glasses’ for a single iron coin. Thank you for that.”
”No, thank you! That was a fine deal. Beneficial for both of us.”
”Having worn them, I can say these ‘glasses’ are worth far more than just one iron coin. They’ve granted me vast knowledge and adventures, and in the end, I even became a beautiful girl.”
”Beautiful girl? …Bwahahaha! You still have a knack for jokes! Is it thanks to those ‘glasses’?”
The merchant, grinning widely, seemed to be reacting genuinely.
The ‘glasses’ had claimed he was just a merchant, so perhaps he truly was an ordinary person unaware of the deeper circumstances.
Yet, he seemed far too suspicious.
(Am I overthinking this? Have my thrilling adventures over the past few months made me overly cautious?)
”…Earlier, an adventurer named Rean from ‘Lion’s Companion’ passed through this street. Merchant, did you notice that?”
”I realized it as soon as I looked at him. It’s the same guy I was just negotiating with.”
”Rean, negotiating a deal? If that’s the case, neither of you seems to be carrying any goods or contracts.”
”There are contracts that require formalities, sure… but there are also consensual agreements based purely on trust. In other words, I was just trying to get him to honor his promise—staking his pride on it.”
”To the point it turned into an argument, huh?”
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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