Chapter 27 – Hablon

“Noah, how’s it going?”

We left the blacksmith and returned to the spot where I had bumped into the thief.

Of course, we made sure to settle the payment first.

…Though Rubia handled that for me.

I’ll definitely pay her back… with interest, once I find my money.

“Hmm… There are just too many people carrying money around.”

I expanded my senses to scan the people nearby.

But… it turned out tons of people were carrying cash.

Actually, everyone was carrying cash.

I grumbled to myself about why everyone had so much cash, but it was pointless.

There’s no such thing as debit cards here, so of course, they’d be carrying coins.

But!

The real problem is…

I can’t tell gold from silver!

All the coins are the same… so I can’t distinguish them at all.

And the coins in people’s pockets keep moving around, making it impossible to count them.

“That’s true… But don’t push yourself too hard trying to widen your senses. If your nose starts bleeding like last time, I’ll never buy you jelly again. Same for other snacks.”

“Huh, wh-what… If I can’t find my money… I’ll starve…?”

“No, I didn’t say that… Just pace yourself. You don’t need to overdo it.”

“But still…”

It’s 27 gold.

A whole 27 gold!!

I saved and saved for two months to collect that amount.

Even including the advance payment for Rubia’s escort quest!

That’s… my entire fortune!!!

“Even so, it’s not worth risking yourself. The money… well, I can handle that. Let’s just search within reason, alright?”

“Yes… okay.”

Reluctantly, I nodded at Rubia’s words.

If I overextended my senses, started bleeding, and still couldn’t find the money… I might really starve…

“Oh, maybe… if you describe the clothes, can you track them down that way?”

“The clothes? Hmm… I can’t be too specific, but I might get a rough sense.”

Like the robe Rubia’s wearing now, Heinzel’s armor, or Luchi’s coat.

I can’t tell the exact design, but I can usually identify the type of clothing.

If there’s something distinctive, I might be able to find them quickly!

“Alright then, tell me. Was there anything special about their outfit?”

“I’ll try. He was about 185cm tall, and thin, maybe around 60kg. He was wearing a plain long-sleeve tunic, and his pants… were just normal pants.”

“Hmm… How about accessories?”

“No noticeable accessories… Oh, but his shoes had metal plates in them. You know, like the kind adventurers often wear.”

Metal plates?

“Oh…! Then, was he an adventurer…?”

Adventurers often wear shoes similar to safety boots back on Earth—like the ones used on construction sites.

They have metal plates built into the toe and across the top of the foot.

I can’t wear them because they don’t make my size, but most adventurers say they’re a must-have.

The design looked cool, so I wanted to try them myself…

“Yeah, he probably was. Can you try to track him now? Think you can do it?”

I nodded immediately and began filtering through the information in my head, one detail at a time.

“Hm… No one like that within 20 meters of us.”

“I see. Then, let’s keep moving. We should head in the direction he was going.”

“Okay…!”

I followed Rubia as we scoured the village non-stop.

While we were searching…

“Oh! It’s Luchi and Heinzel!”

I sensed Luchi and Heinzel nearby.

“Ah, well… excuse me for a moment. I’ll go ask them for help. Where are they?”

“Hmm… Follow me.”

Grabbing Rubia’s hand, I dashed toward where I sensed them.

Rubia’s feet stumbled a few times, but since she was keeping up, I kept running.

“No-Noah! You’re too… fast!”

“Just hang in there! We’re almost—Ah, Lu… Luchi! Heinzel!”

“Oh, finished with repairs and looking for a spar?”

“Hey, kid! Come over and try some of this meat!”

Luchi and Heinzel were sitting at an outdoor table, tearing into slabs of steak.

The way they gnawed at the meat with their hands… They looked like savages.

“N-no, I’m not here to spar… I lost my money… and uh…”

“Huff… Noah. Let me explain.”

Rubia, who looked thoroughly exhausted, stepped forward.

“Noah lost her money, and it seems likely a pickpocket took it. We’re searching for the culprit… though it seems you’re in the middle of a meal.”

“How much did you lose to be making such a fuss about it?”

“Uh… 27 gold… my-my entire… sniff… my entire fortune…”

“27 gold, huh… That’s no small sum.”

Luchi nodded, setting down his half-eaten steak.

Then, he forcibly took Heinzel’s steak from him and set it on the plate.

“Heinzel. Are you just going to keep eating?”

“Hm, I was just about to get up. But one more bite will give me the energy I need.”

“Go ahead. Eat your fill. I’m getting up now.”

“Kahahaha! Just kidding! As if I’d do that!”

Once Luchi stood up, Heinzel followed suit.

He wiped the grease from his hands on his clothes.

Ugh… gross…

“What did the thief look like?”

“He was about 185cm tall and weighed around 60kg, very slim. He wore adventurer’s shoes with metal plates. His hair was dark brown, and he had dark circles under his eyes, round eyes, a thin nose, and thick lips. Also, there was a scar running from the corner of his mouth to his ear.”

Rubia provided a detailed description of the thief’s appearance.

I guess… even if she described him like that, it wouldn’t mean much to me since I can’t see.

As I realized how much Rubia was taking care of me, a pang of bitterness hit me.

“Hm, I think I have a rough idea what he looks like.”

Heinzel nodded, gathering his belongings.

Luchi… for some reason, was just standing there, clenching his fist.

After standing silently for a long time, Luchi spoke in a voice heavy with tension.

“Priestess, are you sure about that description?”

“Yes, I’m sure. However… I can’t say for certain that he’s the one who stole the money. There’s just a high possibility. I’m not claiming he absolutely did it…”

“We’ll know once we catch him! I’m excellent at these kinds of jobs. Trust me!”

Heinzel beat his chest proudly as he spoke.

Unlike the excited Heinzel, Luchi remained grim and quiet.

Does he really hate thieves that much…?

“I’ll search as well. How should I signal you if I find him?”

“I’ll shout loudly enough for everyone to hear!”

Yeah… with Heinzel, that’s totally possible.

Even if he’s far away, we’ll probably hear him.

“Then, since you two will be sticking together, I’ll use this.”

Luchi pulled out a small stick from his pocket.

“A light magic artifact?”

“That’s right. I’ll shoot it into the sky. Then, just head toward it.”

A light magic artifact… Hmm…

Oh! It’s just like the fireworks I used in the game!

Wow, this brings back memories!

“Uh… d-do you have another one of those…?”

I wanted to have one of those nostalgic items…!

“I do, but it’s a bit expensive. Noah, do you even have money?”

“I… don’t have… any… not a single coin…”

Oh, right… I don’t have money…

And if it’s expensive… there’s no way I can afford it…

I hung my head, feeling utterly defeated.

Then, something lightly tapped the top of my head.

“Huh…?”

“Here. Don’t fire it at night, don’t shoot it at people, and don’t aim it at your own face. Be careful not to let it explode in your bag.”

Looking up, I saw Luchi holding out a firework.

“Wh-wha… Really?! But… I don’t have any money…”

“Just take it. I’ve got plenty of them.”

“Is it really okay…?”

I looked over at Rubia.

She nodded gently.

“Then… thank you so much… Hehe…”

Holding the nostalgic item filled me with a goofy grin.

It was an item packed with memories!

Since I didn’t have any friends, I used to play solo all the time.

Whenever I wanted to celebrate something, like my birthday or a rare drop, I’d fire it into the sky and watch the show.

When I was feeling a little down, I’d shoot it into the dark sky, and it felt like the whole world was cheering me up.

I saved up 10 of them once and shot them all at once… It was so amazing, I even shed a few tears.

“Hehe, Rubia, do you want to fire one later? It’s super bright and goes really far! The sound is pretty loud, too! If you shoot a bunch at once, it’s so beautiful! Also, um…”

As I rambled on, lost in memories, Luchi cut in with a bemused tone.

“Losing your entire fortune, but you cheer up just from a little firework… You’re surprisingly pure. Thanks for brightening the mood.”

“Eek… Oh right…my money…”

My mind, which had drifted far off, snapped back to reality.

“Huhu… You’re cute, Noah. It’s okay, that kind of thing happens. And yes, I’d love to try it with you later. I’m looking forward to firing them together.”

Rubia smiled softly, patting my head.

But still… I couldn’t shake my disappointment.

Reality… hurts too much…

“Alright! Let’s head out!”

Heinzel shouted energetically.

Luchi nodded silently and headed toward a nearby alley, while Rubia and I moved to check the other side of town.

But there was one thing…

The words Luchi muttered quietly at the end stuck with me.

“As long as I find the money, that’s all that matters.”

His tone felt like… he was ready to kill the thief when he found him.

That unsettling thought kept swirling around in my head.

“Does Luchi hate thieves that much…?”

“I don’t know… I feel like there might be another reason. Let’s just try to find the thief ourselves.”

“Okay…!”

Suppressing the growing sense of unease, I quickened my pace.

***

“Noah, any more leads?”

“No… We’ve checked all the possible people.”

I don’t know how much time had passed.

It felt like we’d been searching for around three hours.

Every time we spotted an adventurer wearing those shoes with metal plates… What were they called again…?

Oh right, safety boots!

We ran over and had Rubia check their faces.

But none of them were the thief we were looking for.

We hadn’t heard Heinzel’s voice, and Luchi hadn’t fired his signal yet either…

“It’s okay… Let’s keep looking. He must still be in the village. Leaving the village at night would be really dangerous. He didn’t look that strong.”

Rubia’s right.

Someone like Luchi or Heinzel wouldn’t have any trouble.

But for a thief, trying to cross a wasteland or ruins at night would be suicide.

I squeezed Rubia’s hand and nodded.

“Noah, aren’t you hungry? You haven’t eaten since earlier.”

“I’m fine… I don’t have much of an appetite. How about you?”

“I’m not that hungry either. Sigh…”

Her sigh sounded tired, worn out.

Given her low stamina, it made sense that she’d be exhausted.

We’ve been running non-stop up until now…

“Thanks, Rubia… I’m sorry for all this trouble because of me…”

“Oh my, you’re not apologizing anymore? It’s fine. I’m finding this whole situation quite thrilling.”

“I… I don’t find it thrilling at all…”

“Pfft… Don’t worry too much. We’ll find it somehow. Shall we keep moving?”

Rubia’s kind voice helped ease my anxiety bit by bit.

“Yes… Let’s try heading south this time!”

“Sounds good. But Noah, even if we can’t find—”

Boom!

Rubia’s words were cut off as a bright light shot up into the sky from behind us.

Luchi’s firework.

All the anxiety I’d been feeling disappeared, replaced by excitement.

As always, those fireworks were like a comfort to me!

“Rubia…!”

“Let’s go.”

Rubia and I immediately ran toward where the firework had been fired.

On the way, we ran into Heinzel, who was laughing loudly as he ran toward us.

“Hahaha! Kid! Isn’t this great? That sad face you had earlier is completely gone!”

Embarrassed, I pretended not to hear him and kept running.

Everyone’s staring…!

“Ugh… y-yeah, I guess.”

I tried my best to ignore him, but Heinzel kept coming up to me, acting all friendly. It was a bit annoying.

I gave half-hearted answers and finally arrived at the spot where the firework had gone off. There, I saw Luchi standing face-to-face with a man.

Focusing my senses, I could confirm that the man had 27 coins in his pocket.

We found him!

“L-Luchi—!”

“Wait a moment, Noah. The mood seems a bit… off.”

“Huh? You’re right… Something feels strange.”

Rubia held my hand and we stopped in our tracks.

Heinzel quietly pulled out his halberd.

What’s going on? What is it?

While I was still trying to figure things out, Heinzel cautiously approached Luchi.

“Luchi… Seems like something’s up.”

The boisterous tone Heinzel had been using moments earlier disappeared, replaced by a calm, serious one.

“Ru-Rubia… What’s going on?”

“I’m not sure… but Luchi doesn’t look happy.”

I focused on Luchi.

His hand, gripping his sword, was trembling. His jaw muscles were so clenched they looked like they might burst.

Then I focused on the man who had stolen my money.

He had 27 coins in his pocket.

He was wearing a strange necklace around his neck.

He had eight daggers strapped to his thighs.

Twelve knives hidden under his sleeves.

And in his right hand… a horn?

A horn…?

It looks familiar…

“As I thought… You’re still alive… Good. I’m glad. Really glad.”

Luchi’s voice was filled with an ominous rage.

That suffocating fury wiped away all my stray thoughts.

“You… You’re the one-eyed Luchi…? Do you know me?”

“Haha… Hahaha… I know you very well.”

Luchi slowly walked toward the man, drawing his sword.

“W-what… What are you…?”

“Thirty years ago. Do you remember the village where you stayed?”

“Thirty years? How could I remember something from that long ago…? And please, put your sword away. Why… Why are you doing this to me?!”

“You don’t even remember, huh? Fine. Better to die knowing than die ignorant.”

Luchi’s steps were heavy.

His voice was heavy.

The weight of the sword he was holding.

The weight of the life he had carried up until now.

I could feel it.

“Thirty years ago. The village that crumbled because of your vile greed.”

Dark, sinister magic began to rise from Luchi’s body.

His voice, dripping with deep resentment, echoed in the air.

“My hometown. Do you remember ‘Hablon Village’?”