Episode 43 – A Deal Proposal.

*

The day was growing dark.

I really wanted to avoid it, but without knowing Banata’s whereabouts, the inevitable time was approaching.

Tonight, I have to go meet my teacher again.

My teacher, and the former Knight Commander of this empire, Deborah Leclaire.

I wonder if that man she took with her that day knew something.

Frankly, I don’t expect much.

However, right now, I was so desperate for any information that could help me find Banata, I wanted to shake out even a speck of dust.

That was for Mena, who was next to me, staring intently at the documents as if she could devour them.

As Banata’s mother, she was pouring all her energy into selecting a mansion that I had requested.

Mena must be going through the saddest and most difficult time, worrying about her daughter, but perhaps to shake off those emotions, she even went on site visits herself to select mansion candidates.

She was so engrossed in her work that Mena toured all twenty-odd mansion candidates, comparing every little detail, and narrowed them down to ten, and then to five, in just two days.

I told her that she had plenty of time and didn’t need to work so hard, but she just shook her head while looking at the documents.

No matter how much she clung to work, she could only endure it with a clear mind because she firmly believed that I would find Banata.

Mena was still frowning and reviewing documents until almost midnight.

I cautiously approached her and spoke.

,It’s almost midnight, why don’t you go to bed now?”

,I’ll finish organizing this and go to bed,.”

,Aren’t you overdoing it too much?”

,It’s alright,.”

Mena didn’t take her eyes off the documents even while talking to me.

An awkward and heavy atmosphere hung in the room.

In fact, it wasn’t just today.

It had been two days since we returned from the mansion, and the atmosphere in my room had been strangely heavy during these two days.

Not only Mena, who was silently engrossed in her work, but also Lara and Lily were acting strangely for some reason.

Lara had been acting weird ever since her confession, so I figured that was it, but Lily also seemed awkward around me ever since our conversation on the night we returned from the mansion.

On top of that, there was a subtle feeling that the relationship between the two mother and daughter had become strained.

I shook my head and cleared my thoughts.

Now was not the time to worry about unnecessary things.

I approached Mena and organized the documents she had spread out on the desk.

Only then did Mena look up at me.

I gathered the documents, tapped them on the desk to organize them, and then opened my mouth.

,… Mena,”

,Yes, Baron-nim.”

,… I’ll find her, I promise. Go to bed now.”

,… Yes,.”

Mena got up from her chair, bowed her head, and went into the bedroom.

I looked out the window, holding a mask that covered my entire face in my hand.

I had promised to meet my teacher at the same time as last time, so there were about three hours left until the appointed time.

But I was wondering if I should just go out now and catch criminals in the back alleys to find information.

Since even a speck of information was urgent for me now, breaking the fingers of even one more of Os Gravy’s trash wouldn’t be a waste of time.

However, if I kept causing a commotion every night, it could make them more wary, so I needed to be careful.

If my teacher’s information isn’t decisive today, I’ll have to break all the fingers of the bastards who know something from tomorrow.

I finished my thoughts with that conclusion.

At that moment, someone hugged me from behind and spoke.

,… Are you getting ready to go out?”

The owner of the voice was Lara.

I grabbed Lara’s hand that wrapped around my chest and said.

,Lara, aren’t you tired?”

,I’m still okay. I usually go to bed later anyway because I’m talking to you.”

,You always hold out until you can’t stand being sleepy anymore. Just go to sleep.”

,I want to reduce the time you’re awake alone, even a little bit.”

,If you spend months not sleeping, you’ll learn to enjoy solitude, so don’t worry.”

,Liar, every morning when we say hello, you make a face like a puppy meeting its owner after a year.”

,… Wow, I make that kind of face?”

,Heehee, didn’t you know?”

Lara turned my body around to face each other.

She stared at my face and smiled brightly.

,Why are you smiling?”

,Because you’re like a puppy?”

,You damn elf.”

,Don’t you know any other insults? You have no creativity,”

,I can, I’m just being considerate because I’m afraid you’ll get hurt.”

,Considerate… then while you’re being considerate, can you do me a favor?”

,What is it?”

,Are you going to do it? Or not?”

,Ever since I was tricked into joining a criminal organization at the age of 10, I decided not to make the mistake of signing a contract without hearing the terms.”

,Tch, would you die if you did me a favor? You can’t die anyway.”

,Hey, this elf is trying to cross the line again.”

,Hehe, Ed.”

,What?”

,Can I have a kiss?”

,… Don’t cross the line.”

,Okay, okay, don’t make such a scary face.”

Lara stepped away from me with a disappointed expression.

Ever since I rejected her confession, her expressions of affection had subsided, but they seemed to be getting more and more intense in the past two days.

I said in a serious voice.

,You know I can’t accept you.”

,… Because it’s not Mella?”

,It’s not that,”

,But why do you still have such a hard time whenever you meet Mella?”

,… Lara.”

Lara seemed to stiffen her face for a moment, but soon relaxed her expression and smiled.

,I know, I’m not qualified.”

,… You’re being self-deprecating again.”

,But, Ed. What about when the revenge is over? Will I still not be an option then?”

,… I don’t know, I think I’ll have to see when the time comes.”

,… Okay,.”

She moved away from me and spun around twice.

Is she crazy?

Lara stopped spinning and went into the bedroom, then stopped abruptly and turned to look at me.

,Then what about Lily?”

,What?”

,What about Lily?”

,What about what.”

,… It’s nothing. You idiot.”

She slammed the door shut and went inside.

Even though I have a body that can’t feel pain, my head is throbbing.

This damn room.

It seemed better to just go out now.

Maybe get some fresh air somewhere high.

I thought so and opened the window wide.

[E, Ed… are you going to do that again?]

[Kihik, good luck, Holy Power Warehouse]

[Ugh, Ed, I told you last time, this kind of self-harm doesn’t help Ed at all,]

,Shut up, I’m doing it because it’s the most efficient way.”

[Of course, of course,]

[You stay still. Seriously.]

[Kihikihik]

,Can you both stay still?”

I put on my mask and threw myself out the window.

*

After spending some time, as the appointed time approached, I moved my steps to the sewer alley of Os Gravy.

Piercing through the familiar stench, I entered the bar I had gone to before, and the bartender and customers gasped and froze when they saw me.

I slowly looked around the bar with my mask on.

The bar, which was already a mess, was even more of a disaster than last time.

Most of the wooden barrels that were placed instead of tables were broken in places, and there were traces of holes in the wall being patched up with boards here and there.

Several of the customers drinking had bandages on, all traces of my visit last time.

As if my actions looked like someone looking for prey, the customers were just staring at their drinks, trying not to make eye contact.

I slowly pushed through them to give them a sense of intimidation and approached the bartender.

With each step I took, the bartender sweated and gasped like a flounder out of water.

Finally, when I stood in front of the bartender’s table, he trembled and spoke to me.

,… Pl, please, we don’t know anything anymore. If you’ve come to fuck this place up again today,”

,Shh,”

,Ugh,”

In this den of criminals who avoid the law and keep violence close, it’s usually necessary to trample on these guys properly once in a while, but looking at their condition, it seems that my actions last time were excessively effective.

I lowered my voice and continued speaking threateningly, putting on weight.

,Don’t worry. Bartender, if you’ve learned something from my visit last time, you’ll remember two things.”

,…”

,First, you must answer my questions, and second, when you want to do some bullshit to me, you must think carefully enough, right?”

The bartender shook his chin and nodded.

I told him the password I had heard last time.

,I came to exchange Edward commemorative coins.”

,… What do you want to ask?”

,Do you know anything about the kidnapping of a woman named Banata, and where is the person I promised to meet here?”

Unfortunately, the bartender’s information was only what I already knew.

And he said that my teacher was waiting for me upstairs in the same room as last time.

I handed him ten gold coins.

The bartender widened his eyes and picked up the gold coins.

,With this much, you can fix the walls and get a real table instead of those wooden barrels.”

,… Th, that’s right. It is.”

,See? If you treat me kindly, you’ll get lucky like this even in your sleep, right?”

I threw another gold coin and pointed to a table in the corner of the bar.

The man my fingertip pointed to was trembling all over and slightly moving his body to avoid my finger.

It was the man who had his pinky broken by me last time, the one who pointed out the guy who kidnapped Banata.

I chuckled and said.

,Pay for that guy’s drinks today with that.”

I went upstairs and knocked on the door of room 203, where I had met my teacher last time.

,You’re not late? Come in.”

When I opened the door and went inside, my teacher, wearing a mask and turban as usual, was sitting in a chair next to the bed, just like last time.

However, her attire was not the dark leather armor from last time, but shiny plate armor.

Seeing her in full battle gear makes me uneasy.

Even if she’s wearing armor, her sharp movements won’t slow down.

The bloodstains and other traces scattered by the corpse that was lying near the bed last time had disappeared without a trace.

,Whoever cleaned up must have had a hard time.”

,Ahahaha, I guess so.”

The blanket on the bed was bulging.

It seemed like someone was lying down.

I asked Deborah.

,Who’s lying there?”

,A corpse.”

,… Ugh, you’ve done it again today.”

,You could say that.”

Good heavens, could she, who was once the Knight Commander, have become a professional assassin?

She was definitely a sadist with a nasty hobby of tormenting others, but she was definitely an exemplary person who was respected by people.

I thought I had fully realized how much the world could change in 20 years, but seeing her fall, I felt it again anew.

You never know what will happen in the world.

I scratched my head and said.

,Well, it’s none of my business, I just need to hear the information I need to hear. So, did you find out anything from that guy?”

,Unfortunately, I couldn’t find out where your acquaintance was taken or who took her. That guy really didn’t know.”

,Ha, disappointing, I was hoping for a little bit.”

,But I found out who the client was.”

,Really? Who is it?”

,Before I tell you that,”

,Before…?”

,That client is someone who my employer and I are hostile to, a pretty big shot. Of course, since he kidnapped your friend, he’s probably your enemy too.”

,So?”

,So, I wanted to suggest that you join hands with my employer.”

,Join hands?”

I tilted my head.

,You have someone with your skills, why me?”

,No matter how strong I am, I only have one body. There are physical limitations. Besides, my employer has very few people he trusts.”

,How do you trust me?”

,Well, I guess my employer will judge that. I’m just trying to give you a kind of interview opportunity.”

My teacher’s employer?

Who on earth could tame her?

I don’t know who it is, but it feels dangerous.

Besides, there was no reason for me to get close to that monster-like woman, so I changed the subject.

,I should hear who the client is first and then decide.”

,Sure, you don’t have a choice anyway.”

,… What does that mean?”

,Hehe, I’ll tell you first,”

,…?”

,The client who ordered the kidnapping of your friend is a nobleman named Piadu de Valguir.”

Ah, so it’s that bastard.

That brat who was Rose’s fiancé.

I smiled.

I was convinced that Banata must be at Robin’s mansion.

.