episode_0028

Having experienced various incidents, big and small, in Sungook, everything ultimately ended well.

After a thorough investigation, those involved with the orphanage were punished, and Sungook’s festival ended without any issues.

Furthermore, thanks to Alaina providing supplies in time for their departure from Sungook, the convenience of their journey was greatly improved.

“Wow! This is truly top-notch! I never imagined I would be pulling such a luxurious carriage in my lifetime!”

“It’s best to enjoy it now. You’ll be tired of it soon enough.”

“With a carriage like this, I could drive it thousands of times!”

The carriage provided by Alaina was on a completely different level from the shabby one borrowed in the snow.

It had plush cushions on the seats, and despite being a carriage, there was a separate space for people to sit.

It meant they no longer had to worry about their trade goods getting mixed up.

“These horses are all top-notch breeds, so I’m very pleased!”

“Father seems so happy, as if he has wings sprouting from his back, without a care in the world.”

“Men are always chasing after their dreams. I’ve had my moments of being like that too, so I understand.”

“Has Sir Aaron ever lost his sense of duty?”

“Yes.”

It’s a common trait for men to show passion for things related to their hobbies.

I, too, once had a time when I was obsessed with swords.

Even if they were made of poor materials, as long as they had a unique shape or a beautiful appearance, I would be drawn to them.

“I once got into trouble for showing interest in a sword that belonged to someone else.”

[Owner, you rascal…!]

I don’t understand why showing interest in a sword led to being called a rascal.

From the sword’s perspective, am I seen as a man who flirts with married women and other women?

Judging by Llama’s reaction, I didn’t think I was wrong.

“Looking back, even Father couldn’t take his eyes off a passing horse. It’s all because of men’s dreams, right?”

“Exactly.”

I’m just interested in swords, not a sword thief.

My conversation with Llama reaffirmed that fact.

“Sir Aaron.”

“Yes. It seems noisy up ahead.”

Coming out of the luggage compartment, I looked ahead.

I saw Sungook’s guards and merchants fighting.

They had previously said they wouldn’t collect tolls for a while, so it wasn’t a money issue. I was curious about what they were fighting over.

“We’re doing our best!”

“Have you been saying that for days now?”

“I told you two days ago that we couldn’t handle this situation on our own, didn’t I? We requested support from the capital, but they said they couldn’t help because of a recent incident there.”

“They’re incompetent guards…!”

“If that’s the case, please pass through. However, we won’t take any responsibility for what happens next.”

“Ugh…!”

From what I could gather, the guards were blocking people’s passage for some reason, just like in the north.

It was getting tiresome.

Traveling should be enjoyable when you have some freedom, but they were constantly facing obstacles on their journey.

“Attention, travelers! This road is currently controlled by bandits. I’m sorry, but until the situation is resolved, you must wait in the nearby village or take a detour.”

While the problem in the north was a drake pack, here it was bandits causing trouble.

As the scale of the incident decreased, so did their enthusiasm.

The drake pack was considered a natural disaster by the public, but the bandit trouble was no small matter.

It was one of those issues that would naturally resolve itself as time passed, as it involved some petty thieves who knew how to fight.

“Aaron, what should we do?”

“First, let’s go to the nearby village as the guard suggested. It seems like some time has passed since the incident, so there’s a possibility that it will be resolved soon.”

“Understood.”

This time, I firmly decided not to get involved.

If I step in, it will probably be resolved in no time.

But I’m not a problem solver, and I can’t meddle in everything, right?

If I weren’t the same orphan causing a commotion at the orphanage, I would have ignored and left.

So, I firmly resolved not to intervene in this bandit situation.

“Goodness! Another wasted effort today.”

The merchant who turned away without gaining any advantage from the confrontation with the guard.

Before I could call and grab him, Fabiel spoke first.

“Are you heading back to the village?”

“Hmm? Yes, but?”

“Then, how about going with us?”

“Oh, that would be great!”

“Get on the back.”

“Thank you!”

Even without spending money at the village tavern, you can get information by showing a little kindness.

Fabiel must have seen that fact as a bargaining chip.

He was a merchant with excellent skills who didn’t need separate advice from me.

Anyway, our carriage headed to the village with a valuable source of information on board.

“Oh! I didn’t notice it closely, but you’re driving a very nice horse and carriage!”

“Haha! It’s one of my few pride and joys.”

“I envy you! If I could drive such a carriage, I would be unstoppable.”

“Would you like to take the reins?”

“No, I’ll politely decline. Dreams are only valuable when achieved by my own hands.”

At the time of the confrontation with the guard, he seemed ignorant, but he had his own firm beliefs.

“Oh! I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Bui.”

“I’m Fabiel.”

“Nice to meet you, Fabiel.”

After exchanging names, the two men shook hands coolly.

Their friendliness was something I couldn’t find.

“If you don’t mind, could you also introduce the two people in the luggage compartment?”

“The woman in red is my daughter, Lamai, and the man with black hair is the mercenary, Aaron, who is in charge of security.”

“Hmm? You’re driving such a splendid carriage with only one guard?”

“Yes, he is so skilled that I attach an honorific to his name out of respect.”

“Although I’ve never heard of him, you praise him so much that he must be the legendary recluse master.”

Bui looked at me as if he found me interesting.

His gaze was truly overwhelming.

Once he knows my skills, he might hand me money and ask me to solve the bandit issue.

This time, I should try to stay quiet and not say anything.

“Haha! I don’t know what a recluse master is, but he is a valuable person who makes our journey safe.”

“I can feel the trust.”

After the praise towards me, a meaningless conversation between the two men continued for a while.

When it was about to become boring and tedious, Fabiel smoothly transitioned to the main topic.

“By the way, I heard that the passage has been blocked due to bandits, but when did that start?”

“Don’t even mention it. It’s been 7 days since the passage was blocked!”

“A week has passed, and it’s still not resolved?”

“That’s what I’m saying! Are they planning to resolve this situation or not? At first, we trusted the guard and waited, but now our patience is running out.”

“The bandits must be so powerful that even the guard can’t handle them, right?”

While Bui and I were arguing, the guard said this.

It seems like they don’t think they can handle this situation on their own.

Their words could also be interpreted as the bandits’ resistance being stronger than imagined.

“The Brothers Bandits, who are being pointed out as the cause of this recent disturbance, have been known for their activities in this area for a while. However, the reason they have been left alone without being dealt with so far is because they are ridiculously weak. They are so weak that even with just one C-rank mercenary, they can be handled.”

“If the guards are struggling against such petty criminals, then it must be considered negligence in their duties.”

“Yes, that’s why several merchants, including myself, have complained to the guards, but recently, due to some rumors, the merchants who were in agreement with me have given up and started to leave, causing a difficult situation.”

“What kind of rumor is it?”

“It’s a completely ridiculous rumor that’s not even worth listening to.”

“Still, I’d like to hear it.”

“If you insist, I will tell you. A new leader has taken control of the foolish Brothers Bandits, and the leader’s identity is a young twin girl. They were strong enough to tear apart steel armor with their bare bodies and without any weapons. How absurd is that? Isn’t it truly an unbelievable rumor?”

“Th-that’s true.”

“The guards must have spread this rumor to cover up their own laziness!”

Unfortunately, I couldn’t agree with Byu’s words.

If the guards had spread such a rumor for that purpose, wouldn’t they have made it more believable?

The rumor about the twin girls facing difficulties would only tarnish their reputation.

Yet, the fact that it had spread widely meant that there was a high possibility that the rumor was true.

“Twin girls….”

Just a moment ago, I had doubted whether it could be true, but honestly, it was a story that even I found hard to believe.

However, for some reason, the word ‘twin’ kept lingering in my mind, creating an inexplicable sense of trust.

Surely, it couldn’t be true, right?