Chapter 58 - Chapter 57: Returning to the Dormitory a Week Late
Mika looked up at the sky.
A clear, pleasant morning.
Mika was finally released and stretched widely in front of the Leventein Marquis's mansion.
Freedom after ten days.
In his head, the standard scene played out: a paper with "Victory" written in large letters running towards him.
During the private meeting with the Marquis yesterday, Mika had relayed the thieves' conversations that had not been disclosed at the Viscount Allkosa's mansion.
It was his way of showing gratitude to the Marquis, who decided to release Mika despite noticing the possibility that Mika had killed the thieves.
The information Mika relayed again was:
1. Regarding the thieves who carried out the kidnapping
・They seemed to make a living from kidnappings in Shaksara
・The reward was fifty gold coins
・If kidnapped without injury, the reward would be doubled
・They thought they could treat it as "without injury" if they healed wounds on the face with the recovery potion [Potion]
2. Information provided by the client to the thieves
・Bogeiza could easily be recruited
・There is a secret path to the slums
・Even if the gates are blocked, one can escape the city
3. The killing of Bogeiza
・The location of the killing scene
・Bogeiza's body was hidden in a wooden crate and placed inside a carriage
・A man with a large scar under his eye cut Bogeiza from behind
・The man who cut Bogeiza seemed to be a knight of the Leventein family
When these were told to the Marquis, the Marquis's rage became terrible.
Honestly, Mika panicked, wondering if he had spoken too soon.
The Marquis thanked Mika for the information, sent Mika back to his room, and said he would summon knights and officials again to hold a meeting.
It seemed he would re-plan the search based on the new information.
When Mika returned to his room, there was a visitor.
A girl named Cleiria, whom Mika had saved, had come saying she absolutely had to express her gratitude.
Apparently, the Marquis had not permitted it until now, but having decided to release Mika, he allowed it for a short time.
Cleiria was a beautiful girl with long, well-groomed honey-blonde hair and large blue eyes tinged with purple.
She wore a hair ornament with a gemstone close to the color of her eyes and was dressed in a beautiful dress.
"I absolutely had to say thank you, so I suddenly barged in."
Saying that, Cleiria smiled shyly.
The image of Cleiria that Mika had seen was exhausted and tattered, so the thought "Ah, so this is the kind of girl she really is" floated up.
Mika also recognized the pink-haired female knight standing behind Cleiria.
Probably, this was the female knight Cleiria had clung to and cried over in Yaunasun.
"Has your hearing recovered yet?"
Cleiria asked with concern.
Come to think of it, at that time, his tinnitus was severe, and he couldn't converse.
It seemed she had been worried about that for a long time.
When Mika answered, "It's fine now," she smiled with relief.
"Thanks to you saving me, I was able to return safely like this. Thank you very much."
Cleiria bowed politely.
Every movement of hers was so beautiful that Mika couldn't help but think, "So this is what a true upper-class person is like."
The politeness was so extreme that Mika himself felt embarrassed.
"I heard from your father that you are a student at the Academy. You are the same age as me, entering your second year this year."
It seemed Cleiria was the same age as well.
"I am also blessed with magic power and am currently training at home. Unfortunately, I was not allowed to attend the Academy..."
"Is that so?"
This girl also seemed to be blessed with magic power and was a candidate for the Magic Academy.
Then, why isn't she attending the Academy?
Is the noble class exempt from the so-called obligation to attend the Academy?
"But, next year I will also attend the Academy in the Royal Capital. I look forward to the day when I can walk the same halls as you and sit at desks side by side."
Cleiria's spirited, strong eyes looked straight at Mika.
"Let's meet again in the Royal Capital."
"Yes."
When Mika nodded firmly to Cleiria's words, Cleiria broke into a beaming smile.
She had an adult-like atmosphere, but when she smiled, she was just an ordinary girl her age.
The female knight whispered something, and Cleiria, reluctant to leave, exited Mika's room.
(As I thought, I'm glad I was able to help her.)
Mika usually does reckless things, but this time, he had to admit he was too reckless even for himself.
Still, seeing Cleiria's smile made him feel it was worth it.
Mika was simply not learning his lesson.
■■■■■■
"I'm hooooome!"
When Mika arrived at the dormitory, he greeted energetically.
Today was the Sun day of the 2nd week of the 1st Moon of Water.
It was exactly a week late for returning to the dormitory.
"Mika-kun!"
Rimliche, who was coming down the stairs, ran towards Mika.
Cecilia and Charl also seemed to be coming down the stairs, and the three of them seemed to have plans to go somewhere.
"Are you okay? The Academy started, but you haven't come back at all, so I was worried."
"Aha ha ha... sorry. Lots of things happened."
Mika scratched his head.
The Marquis had told him not to speak of this matter to anyone.
The Academy had also been contacted by the Marquis so that unnecessary inquiries would not be made.
He had said he would report the details to his superiors, but it seemed nothing would be made public.
(His superiors... does that mean the King...?)
He didn't know the detailed hierarchy of titles and positions, but the Marquis was likely the top of this region.
Above that "top of the region" was the position that controlled all regions.
The King, or a Minister-level official. Or both.
(It seems they will keep my things secret, but how reliable can I expect them to be...)
The report the Marquis conveyed basically followed the "Mika's Scenario" that Mika had told the Viscount Allkosa.
The other information Mika disclosed seemed to be reported as newly discovered facts during the investigation after the incident.
As for Mika, he could only hope for the Marquis's skills.
"For now, I'm fine. Don't worry so much."
He smiled at Rimliche, whose eyes looked like a puppy shivering in the rain.
"I'm glad, Rimliche. Mika is back. You were worried for so long."
Cecilia came over with a smirk.
Don't come over, Cecilia!
You only say unnecessary things!
"Come on, Mika! You're not attentive. You should use a hot embrace to celebrate the joy of a moving reunion----."
"A solemn funeral service? I don't know such words! And anyway, let me into the room. I want to put down my luggage."
He waved Cecilia away with his hand.
They were completely fighting friends.
Is this okay for me?
Treating girls like this.
Cecilia clicked her tongue and kicked the sand at her feet.
"Oma!? Sand got on you, didn't it!"
"Mika's idiot! Let's go, Rimliche. Charl too."
Cecilia took Rimliche's hand and started walking towards the Academy's main gate.
Rimliche kept looking back at Mika while being led away by Cecilia.
(...Idiot, you... You know some amazing words, hey.)
As Mika stood there staring blankly at Rimliche's back, Charl came right next to him.
"...Welcome back..."
Charl, whose eyes were still hidden by her bangs, muttered softly.
"Y-yeah... I'm home."
When Mika returned the greeting, Charl relaxed her mouth into a grin and ran after Cecilia and the others.
(Scary~. As I thought, scary~.)
Watching his three female classmates leave, Mika realized he had returned to his daily life.
■■■■■■
Sun day of the 5th week of the 1st Moon of Water.
Mika crossed the forest where he usually collected Karemiso and arrived at the rocky area beyond it.
When he returned to his hometown, he gave almost all the money he had to his family, so recently he had been troubled by a lack of funds.
He carefully examined the list of fixed-fee quests to see if there was a way to earn more than collecting Karemiso or Sou-Labi fur.
Then, he noticed a quest that was a bit far away but, if done well, had the possibility of earning more than before.
In the past, if he could defeat many Sou-Labi and collect them, it was quite a profit.
However, whether he encountered a Sou-Labi depended on luck.
Since he needed to bring back even one if he encountered one, he could only hope for the luck of encountering multiple Sou-Labi by chance.
But in this rocky area, it wasn't left to luck; there was a possibility of earning a decent amount every time.
"Wow... being able to earn for sure is a relief, but this..."
What spread before Mika's eyes was a bright red rocky area.
The rocks themselves were ordinary, but countless red dots stood out, giving the impression of a completely red rocky area.
These countless red dots were the collection targets.
Red Lizard Stone.
It seemed Red Lizards existed in ancient times.
And Red Lizards ate rocks, apparently.
He didn't know if this red rocky area was their nest or feeding ground, but now it was a point where countless fossils could be collected.
This fossil was called Red Lizard Stone, and the Guild would buy it for two Rats per piece.
If he collected one hundred pieces, it would be twenty thousand Rats.
It was quite a delicious collection.
But this collection wasn't very popular.
Why?
The reason was simple. It was a bit far from the town.
Almost no one used [Physical Enhancement] like Mika to not mind the travel.
If considering a round trip in one day, normally one would want to collect as close as possible.
Like Mika used to.
Cutting through the forest would allow a faster round trip, but the forest had magic beasts.
There were other adventurers like Mika who only did fixed-fee quests, but those people basically did not fight magic beasts.
It was because ordinary people without the means to fight registered as adventurers to earn daily wages by collecting.
A weirdo who only hunted the magic beasts they encountered to rank up... Mika was an excellent adventurer.
For that reason, this rocky area was currently being somewhat neglected.
If you want to earn, it's now or never.
Soon, capitalists would invest funds, build a simple base, and start collecting all at once.
They would hire people to collect, prepare pack horses, and transport large quantities to the town.
If that happened, a price collapse was inevitable.
Once it was all taken, this fixed-fee quest would disappear.
"Alright, first, let's collect quickly."
The immediate goal was one hundred and fifty pieces. Thirty thousand Rats.
From a distance, they looked so red they were scattered everywhere.
The collection itself was simple.
He finished collecting one hundred and sixty pieces, exceeding the goal in less than an hour.
Honestly, he wondered if it was okay for it to be this easy.
Well, the travel time took quite a while.
The collection time was short, but it was probably past noon by now.
Since there was no point in being greedy, he decided to wrap it up quickly.
"Taking these back..."
Mika sighed at his bulging canvas bag.
Thinking about taking back a canvas bag full of one hundred and sixty Red Lizard Stones made him feel a bit down.
Or rather, wasn't the canvas bag going to break from the weight?
He would think about the transport method by next time, but for today, he had no choice but to take it back as is.
He sighed again, slung the bag over his shoulder, and started walking back to Sarbengeal.
After exchanging the Red Lizard Stones at the Guild, Mika strolled through the back streets.
With the arrival of the Water Moon, people were overflowing on the main streets again.
Mika had started using the back streets as his main mode of travel.
Well, the back streets weren't that deep; they were just one or two streets off the main road.
Walking like that, he noticed a shop where adventurers were coming and going a little ahead.
"Was there a shop in a place like that?"
He didn't remember.
He sometimes passed this road, but he couldn't imagine there being a shop here.
When Mika went to the front of the shop, there was no signboard.
Then he thought, a slightly dirty signboard was propped up at his feet.
The wood where it was hung had rotted, and it seemed they were just putting the signboard on the ground and using it without repair.
"...Am I the only one who feels like this is dangerous?"
But there was also himself getting excited about such a desolate shop.
In so-called town Chinese restaurants or other desolate shops, they unexpectedly served delicious lunches or sets.
It was that feeling of excitement when encountering such a shop.
"Should I just peek in for a moment...?"
In the first place, Mika didn't even know what kind of shop it was.
There was something like a signboard placed, but it was too old to make out the picture.
A little nervously, Mika pulled the door.
Inside the shop was a bit dim, creating an atmosphere that made him increasingly uneasy.
Immediately upon entering, there was a counter, and an old man sat there, looking worn out.
Behind him, shelves lined the walls, with small items, books, and unidentifiable things arranged tightly.
There were individual customers scattered in the shop.
They were clearly all customers who looked like adventurers, but no one was there in a party.
(I came in, but I still don't know what kind of shop this is. What is this place?)
For now, Mika looked at the items lined up on the shelves in order.
Crystal, skull-sized to the palm, candles, pocket watches, old books, small bottles containing some liquid or candy-like things, and so on.
There were mountains of other things, and the variety was too great to grasp at all.
As familiar items, Recovery Potions [Potion] were also placed there.
Was it a tool shop?
Looking behind the counter, cloth bags of the type with belts to wrap around the waist were hanging on the wall.
As he looked at them wondering what they were, Mika was startled.
He almost let out a sound.
The price of that cloth bag was one gold coin. One million Rats.
(Haaah!? Expensive!? What is that!? One gold coin for that!?)
As Mika looked at the bag with a surprised face, the old man at the counter spoke to him.
"Ho ho ho, it seems you don't know what that is, boy."
The kind-looking old man happily watched Mika frozen in surprise.
"That is called a [Magic Bag]. It can hold much more than it looks. It is a necessity for a full-fledged adventurer."
He felt like Ninetiana had told him about it before.
She had said that with that, no matter how many days travel took, he wouldn't need to worry about changing clothes.
"So that's what that is..."
"Oh? Have you heard of it before?"
Mika nodded.
"It might be too early for you to have one, but you will need it someday. When that time comes, please patronize us."
Saying that, the old man smiled.
(If I have that, I can take Red Lizard Stones as much as I want... To break even... Red Lizard Stones, five thousand...)
Mika clicked his abacus in his head and realized the height of the wall of reality.
■■■■■■
[Leventein Rubalwarus Perspective]
While Mika was clicking his abacus in front of the Magic Bag, Rubalwarus was writing a report to the King in his office.
Normally, he went to the Royal Capital around spring to report directly, but this year, he hadn't even established a schedule to go to the Royal Capital yet.
The Cleiria Kidnapping Incident.
The "secret path" used by the thieves who carried out the kidnapping had not yet been found.
He had already sent officials to report the details of the incident, but if the crucial "secret path" cannot be found, the incident cannot be said to be resolved.
Above all, this incident struck the vital point of the Leventein Marquis family, the shield of the Kingdom.
It was not about Cleiria.
It was Bogeiza's betrayal.
Bogeiza's family had served the Leventein Marquis family for generations.
The betrayal of that hereditary retainer gave Rubalwarus a shock like shattering the pillars supporting the Leventein Marquis family into pieces.
If considering only Bogeiza, he was not particularly important.
He was a young man who had only entered the Leventein Marquis family a few years ago.
But the fact that a betrayal came from a hereditary retainer was very heavy.
So heavy that it could shake the Leventein Marquis family.
If this kidnapping was commissioned by someone, the mastermind behind the client was undoubtedly the Gronoir Empire.
Driving a wedge into the unity of the Kingdom of Ektrem, the shield guarding the border, was the greatest purpose.
The kidnapping of Cleiria should be considered a means to that end.
Rubalwarus had placed full trust in his hereditary retainers.
That was how the Leventein Marquis domain had been maintained.
There must not be even a scratch, not even the size of a fingernail, there.
But this incident could become that "scratch."
This alone did not mean something would happen immediately.
Once the "secret path" was found, this incident would be resolved to some extent.
But in important situations in the future, this "scratch" could spread.
Slowly, bit by bit, it would eat away at Rubalwarus's heart.
Things that could previously be answered with a single word, "Leave it to me," could now breed doubts like, "Will this one betray me?"
The seed of that doubt had been planted by this "scratch."
Rubalwarus put down his pen and leaned back against the chair.
He exhaled deeply.
Along with the shadow of distrust within himself.
"What foolish things..."
Even in the most excellent families, fools are born.
Rubalwarus believed in the character he had seen himself.
He did not trust only by bloodline.
He should fiercely reflect on his own ignorance for having seen Bogeiza as "young but promising."
"Promising, huh."
Indeed, how was that boy?
The boy who saved Cleiria from the despicable thieves.
He never dreamed that by overlooking the "escape from the Academy," he would be able to save Cleiria from danger.
Rubalwarus went to the cabinet, poured distilled liquor into a glass, and drank it in one gulp.
The heat passed through his throat and fell into his stomach.
Phew... he exhaled hot breath.
The boy had used some [God's Miracle] to kill seven thieves.
That itself was not something to be questioned as a crime.
A passing adventurer noticed the kidnapping, killed the thieves, and saved the Marquis's daughter.
Rather, it could be called a beautiful tale, a hero's legend.
But the method was too abnormal.
Six had their heads blown off, and one was burned all over.
This would be impossible unless a skilled veteran caught them completely off guard.
Did a child who had attended the Academy for only about a year do that?
No one would believe such a story.
Even Rubalwarus would have dismissed it as nonsense if it weren't the answer he had deduced himself.
But this was undoubtedly the "truth."
He had not confirmed it with the boy, but those eyes spoke eloquently.
(Those eyes could only be formed by experience fighting through with considerable resolve.)
Those eyes that said he didn't want to give up.
He jumped into a burning factory and saved the villagers.
He faced seven thieves alone and saved Cleiria.
Where in that small body was such courage and resolve packed?
Rubalwarus returned to his desk and closed his eyes.
During the interview with the boy, he had tentatively brought up the topic of a reward.
But the boy refused with an immediate answer.
"I didn't save you for such things."
When he told him it was fifty gold coins,
"N-no, I don't need it."
He turned away.
Rubalwarus understood that the boy was being stubborn, but he felt favorably towards that stubbornness.
Rubalwarus recalled that moment and couldn't help but smile.
He did not lack some concern about the boy's power, which was far too large for his age, but he wanted him to proceed straight on.
Knock knock.
The office door was knocked on.
"Enter."
Rubalwarus tightened his expression and allowed the person knocking to enter.
Entering the room was Haiden Leventein.
The eldest son of the Leventein family, a man in his early twenties who served as Captain in the knight corps.
Haiden came to the front of the desk and performed a perfect salute.
"Father, I apologize for interrupting your work."
"What is it?"
"It has come out."
Haiden said only that with a stern face.
Rubalwarus had ordered Haiden to search for the "secret path."
Since Haiden had come out with that, there was no need to ask what had come out.
"Where?"
"District 17. They used a garbage mountain slightly away from the city wall as the entrance. The disguise was perfect."
If they blocked the entrance with boards and piled up garbage, they would hardly be discovered.
"Where did it lead?"
"To Barrack Town."
The wrinkles between Rubalwarus's eyebrows deepened.
The fist he clenched hard on the desk trembled.
Rubalwarus was aware that outside the city walls of Sarbengeal, there was a settlement called Barrack Town where refugees gathered.
Although he thought it was not a good thing, Rubalwarus had turned a blind eye to those who had no choice but to become refugees for various reasons, feeling pity for them.
But if they took advantage of that blind eye and drilled holes into Sarbengeal, he would show no mercy.
"Barrack Town, was it... there were five?"
"There are five large ones, but there are likely small ones that no one knows about."
Rubalwarus inhaled deeply and slowly, then exhaled.
He calmed the anger rising within himself.
"Eliminate everything. Everything. Order the headquarters to immediately consider a sweeping operation. We will hold a meeting tomorrow. Once the outside is cleaned, we will do the inside immediately."
Haiden saluted and immediately left the office.
Rubalwarus crushed the report to the King he had been writing.
With the discovery of the "secret path," the report had to be rewritten from scratch.
Even so, he felt somewhat better than writing excuses for not finding it.
"I want to finish the cleaning by next month and pay my respects to His Majesty."
Rubalwarus muttered that, prepared a new sheet of paper, and began writing the report.