Volume 2 Chapter 14 At The Fortress Of The Sun
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”There is one thing I should mention before we head deeper into the training grounds.”
As Aisha spoke while climbing the narrow slope made of wood and stone, she led the way.
On either side of the narrow path, soldiers armed with spears stood, some offering a nod to Aisha, but more than half ignored her.
”What is it?”
”Not everyone in this training ground belongs to Sir Oswald’s faction. There are other knights as well, so please make sure to stay close to me or Sir Oswald. It… might get a bit complicated.”
”Understood. I won’t act recklessly in an unfamiliar fortress, so it’s all good.”
”I’m glad to hear that. …This way, please.”
* * *
They emerged from the narrow passage into a square built of stone.
The morning sun shone down once more.
At the far end of the square stood the man with the distinctive shaved head Kian had seen yesterday.
He seemed to be overlooking a circular arena located below the stone square.
It appeared that the training space for the ‘Knights of the Sun’ was indeed that circular arena.
”Sir Oswald.”
Amid the loud voices of the knights coming from the arena, Aisha raised her voice to match them.
”────Ah, good work, Aisha.”
The man with blonde hair and a shaved side──Oswald──turned to face them.
He was wearing a silver cloth armor over his chainmail, likely part of the knight’s formal attire.
The earrings shaped like the sun that had been worn yesterday sparkled as they reflected the sunlight.
”Kian! It’s great to see you! It’s been since yesterday.”
Oswald spread his arms wide, wearing a beaming smile.
The parchment he held in his right hand fluttered in the wind.
”Good morning.”
”Good morning. I’m sorry for summoning you so suddenly, but I really wanted to see you.”
”It’s an honor.”
”Sir Oswald, about that letter…?”
Aisha squinted beside Kian.
The young man with the blonde undercut turned his face toward her.
”It’s the usual──requesting a loan.”
”…Again? No matter how much of a princess she is, they can’t repay more than this even with interest.”
”Aisha.”
Oswald briefly glanced at Kian and interjected.
”We’ll talk about that later. …Anyway, I need assistance. Please arrange it.”
”No, Sir Oswald. The one writing this is not Her Excellency Maribel, but the stewards and female magicians around her. They must be secretly lining their own pockets by hitting you up for money. You should stop providing any more support.”
”That’s no good. Being reluctant to spend money is not wise. You understand the economic situation over there, right? We must at least maintain a minimum level of propriety; otherwise, trouble will arise. What do you plan to do if the princess and her direct retainers start appearing at the noble’s banquet like beggars because they are starving?”
”────”
”Hmm… I’m sorry. That wasn’t a conversation suitable for the presence of guests.”
Oswald deliberately cleared his throat and pressed the parchment against Aisha, then turned to Kian with a smile again.
Only now did he notice that there were several expensive rings adorning his fingers that held the paper.
These were not merely decorative items; some emitted a powerful magic energy.
(Oswald of Ramsey. A noble lord residing in the capital of the Margrave Izerland territory. Furthermore, if he also runs a bank, he must possess considerable wealth.)
’Kian, if this fellow is a banker, he might be able to exchange the ancient coins you possess.’
(Ms. Aliona suggested that it would be better to show them to a scholar.)
”Aisha, arrange the gold. We will talk later. ──Kian, come here. It is a messy place, but please bear with it. My home inside the fortress is undergoing a complete renovation. It is expected to be finished soon, but for now, it is not in a condition to receive guests.”
”No…”
Oswald wrapped an arm around him and guided him toward a square building at the back of the stone plaza.
It seemed that room was designated as a simple waiting area for the commander.
”Please come in. Now.”
The door was opened, and they were led inside.
Inside, there was a spacious room made of stone, with a table set for strategic meetings in the center.
On the floor lay a red carpet adorned with a sun pattern.
The walls were decorated with seemingly expensive swords, axes, and shields as part of the interior.
”We only have iced tea, but would that be alright? We’re not allowed to drink wine during training. Even if we have to drink wine, such as when a distinguished guest visits, we’re supposed to drink something that has had the alcohol evaporated.”
”Thank you, I’ll enjoy it.”
”Please just take a seat over there.”
”Alright. And then──”
As Kian sat in the luxurious chair, he watched Oswald pouring tea into a glass.
”I heard you have a personal request for me, but what kind of request is it?”
”Hahaha, the request is just an excuse to call you here. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have come at all, would you?”
”No, not at all. I would never think of that.”
”Stop with the formalities. If you’re going to be my subordinate, then it’s fine if you want to keep using them.”
”Mr. Oswald. I don’t understand why someone like you would go out of your way to help someone like me, a mere adventurer──I just can’t get it.”
As Kian said this, Oswald chuckled softly and offered him the glass filled with tea.
It looked like an expensive herbal tea.
Slices of citrus fruit were attached to the rim of the glass.
”I told you, I’m interested in you, for instance, about what happened the other day at the ‘Labyrinth of Roses’.”
”May I ask what you mean by that?”
Oswald took a seat at an angle next to Kian and brought the glass of tea to his lips.
”According to the records, it is said that the ‘Thorn Magician’ defeated the vampire that had appeared.”
”Thorn…? Ah, you mean Ms. Aliona. Yes, she primarily fought and also nullified that monster’s immortality.”
In fact, if she hadn’t stopped her attacks with the divine sword halfway through, the vampire would have been easily eradicated.
It was because Aliona let her guard down at the very end that Kian found himself in a position to deliver the finishing blow.
”But it was you who destroyed the vampire, wasn’t it? How on earth did you kill an advanced-rank vampire?”
His golden eyes cast a probing gaze at Kian.
He grabbed an apple from the plate of fruit on the table.
As he toyed with it in his hand, Oswald continued.
”Even if it was weakened against ordinary humans, killing a vampire is impossible. You must have had some decisive means to bring about their death, didn’t you?”
”────”
What Oswald is talking about is probably Kian’s ‘Absorb Essence.’
Kian had dealt the final blow to the vampire by using ‘Absorb Essence’ at the end.
”Ah, I’m sorry. If you can’t say it, that’s fine. It might be your trade secret, so it’s understandable to hesitate to share that information for free.”
Oswald, gazing intently at Kian’s face, said this with a smile only at the corners of his mouth.
”We must also offer something in return. It could be nurturing a friendship between us over time, or perhaps a large sum of money. There’s no need for you to rush.”
”Hmm.”
”I mentioned earlier that the personal request was just an excuse to lure you out, but that wasn’t entirely false. As you can see, we have a decent amount of money, and we are using the pocket money to indulge in a hobby of researching vampires.”
”Vampire research.”
”Yeah.”
Oswald placed the apple he had in front of Kian.
”A powerful clan of the night known only through legends. They were said to have ruled the nights of this world in ancient times. Their formidable bodies were immune to disease, resistant to curses and magic, and capable of wielding powerful magic. They had infinite lifespans, and the more powerful individuals reigned over this world as Demons, dominating all living beings… Have you ever wondered why they disappeared from this world?”
”No.”
”We are studying this as part of our leisure activities. We gather legends from various places, scour old texts, and collect information related to vampires. Occasionally, we write papers and send them off to the academy in the royal capital. Well, it’s just a hobby, after all. Our main profession is being a knight for Her Excellency Maribel, the lord of Ramsey, and a money-grubbing banker.”
”That said, the lord’s duties are mostly passed on to the local deputies.” he murmured, elegantly tilting his glass.
The sun pendant swayed gently.
To put it simply, he wanted to know what happened in ‘Labyrinth of Roses’ in detail.
If possible, he would like someone to explain it to him on-site.
He also wanted to personally investigate the mansion located in the center of the labyrinth.
”That means”
”It’s a quest.”
Oswald said briefly.
He placed his glass on the table and leaned forward.
”I would like to request that Rank 8 adventurer Kian accompany me on an individual mission to investigate ‘Labyrinth of Roses’ and serve as my bodyguard. How does that sound?”
”I am an adventurer. I have no reason to decline. …Hmm, Rank 8?”
”Do you not know? You passed the exam. I wrote a letter to Friedrich yesterday. I will not forgive him if he fails you. The result is already decided.”
”That’s just absurd.”
”I thought it was not good for a man who might become my subordinate in the future to be disqualified for some incomprehensible reason. Do not worry about it.”
”……”
(This person is completely unreasonable…)
’It seems he is quite taken with you.’
”Returning to the topic, you will accept my request for the investigation of ‘Labyrinth of Roses’ and to serve as my bodyguard, correct?”
”Of course. However… I have an acquaintance who also wants to go to ‘Labyrinth of Roses’ and has asked me to serve as her bodyguard.”
”If we shift the date, there should be no problem.”
”No, if possible, I was wondering if we could also take her along.”
”Who is this ‘her’ you are talking about?”
”She is the daughter of the tavern called Esther Pigfoot.”
”Just an ordinary person. I don’t mind. As long as she doesn’t cause any weird interruptions, what she does on the side is not a problem.”
”Thank you. I’ll let her know. As long as the date aligns with Mr. Oswald, I believe Esther will be fine with it. She said she can make time anytime.”
”After you get promoted to Rank 8 and have your adventurer’s license reissued, you’ll request a job from the Guild. Since there will be procedures tomorrow, we can do it the day after. I’ll place a request for you then.”
”Are you really going through the Guild? The fees will double, you know.”
When Kian said that, Oswald smiled wryly.
”How much do you intend to demand as your reward? It doesn’t matter if it’s the same or double. More importantly, isn’t it better for you to earn Guild contribution points? You don’t plan to spend your life at a lower rank, do you? If that’s the case, I can have Aisha bring the contract right now. I’ll hire you on the spot, even if it means disregarding your free will.”
It was hard to tell if he was joking or serious, but at least Oswald’s eyes were not smiling at all.
He leaned back in his chair and continued.
”Is there anything you wish for from me? Depending on the conditions, I might even add a valuable special reward. I mean, if you’re an adventurer, you should negotiate for more money.”
”No, I don’t…”
”It’s not good to just accept the asking price. For now, I’m considering a reward of 50 silver coins.”
”Wha?! That’s way too much!”
”Haha, just kidding. In reality, it is ten silver coins. Depending on your response, I might add another 5.”
”Even ten seems like too much… Ah, instead of negotiating my reward, I have a request for cash exchange. Would that be alright?”
”Oh? Cash exchange. From where is the gold? Azrael? Or perhaps from the great eastern nation, Shin?”
”No, it is copper coins from around 300 years ago. A bag full of them.”
Kian said this.
It was the leftover from what he had paid Aliona before, hidden along with the equipment obtained from ‘Labyrinth of Roses.’
It was quite heavy and was currently hidden under the bed at ‘The Boar’s Trot Inn.’
He had also instructed Esther to ensure the employees did not touch it.
Oswald raised an eyebrow.
”Hmm… I cannot understand that without seeing the actual coins. However, they certainly cannot be used in modern times, so depending on the coins, I might have to buy them at a low price. I will have to rely on your goodwill, but please do not sell them to scholars.”
”I do not have any acquaintances among scholars.”
”I see. Then I will invite you to my home in the fortress next time. Show me the ancient copper coins then. After appraisal, I will try to buy them from you at the highest price possible.”
”Thank you very much.”
Oswald laughed heartily, saying, “Good, good.”
Then he took out a piece of parchment from his pocket.
”Here, please take a look at this if you can.”
”What is it?”
When he received the paper and opened it, it turned out to be a contract to become a squire in the Ramsey territory.
Conditions such as salary and social benefits were detailed in fine print.
By the way, the salary seemed to be an amount that would surely be higher than what he currently earned if he worked diligently for a year.
It was believed that after working for 5 years, he would likely be able to buy a house in the countryside (Ramsey).
”Now, let me guide you to the training grounds of the ‘Knights of the Sun’. I’ll also explain a simple timetable of what the members of the order experience in a day.”
He said as he stood up.
”Um, no, I’m just an adventurer and…”
”Well, sure. You may be a lower-rank adventurer, but is that assessment truly accurate? Compare how you’re treated by the Adventurers’ Guild to how you’ll be treated in the ‘Knights of the Sun’. Oh, I’m not trying to lure you to betray the Guild and come to me; I just want you to know the reality.”
Oswald said with a smile, patting Kian on the shoulder.
Finally, he caressed the shoulder muscle with his fingertips and softly muttered, “Good muscles.”
As Kian, slightly creeped out, was about to retort──
Suddenly, the door to the room swung open.
Kian and Oswald looked toward the doorway.
There stood a man in knight’s armor wearing glasses.
Beside him was a muscle-bound giant nearly 3 meters (“9’8) tall.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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