episode_0039

I brought Pesto from the Labyrinth to the Golden Shield Inn.

A woman sitting on a chair in front of the inn stood up abruptly and rushed towards us.

“Pesto?! Where are the others… And who is this person next to you… Oh! An Evoniak!?”

Her reaction was cute.

She had slightly taller stature with her blonde hair tied back and was dressed in fine attire.

“Is she your maid?”

“Yes. Calm down for now, Lianne. I am unharmed. The person next to me is a benefactor.”

“A benefactor…?”

“Shall we discuss the details inside? I’d like to freshen up a bit.”

I gestured towards the inn.

I wanted to go home just like this, but it was important to explain the situation to this maid first.

Above all, I needed to receive proper compensation for using the top-grade potion. Even for someone like me, using a top-grade potion comes at a high cost.

“Oh, um, yes. Please come in. But…”

The woman called Lianne hesitated.

Perhaps she was reluctant to bring a disheveled adventurer into such a high-class inn.

Of course, from a standpoint of assistance, it could be impressive, but nobles in this world live and die by their dignity and reputation.

It matters to them.

“It’s fine. We are acquainted with the innkeeper here.”

“W-We are? Acquainted…?”

“You there.”

I addressed the guard standing in front of the inn.

“You know me, right?”

“Isn’t it Mr. Rashwood? Guests, there’s no need to worry. The innkeeper and Mr. Rashwood are indeed acquainted. Well, they are acquainted… In this neighborhood, everyone knows each other, after all.”

“Oh, I see. I apologize. I lack experience…”

Lianne bowed her head apologetically.

“It’s alright. You might be preoccupied with worrying about the young master. Anyway, let’s go inside.”

We entered the Golden Shield Inn.

It was quite late, so there were hardly any people in the inn’s hall.

A few high-ranking adventurers in casual attire were drinking.

“Oh, it’s Rashwood. What brings you here at this hour?”

One of the adventurers raised his hand towards me.

It was Gelly, the leader of the Red Lake team, one grade below the top-tier Orichalcum-ranked adventurers.

Beside him were his companions.

“I had some business in the Labyrinth. How about you guys?”

“We usually have a drink here before bed. Would you like to join us, Rashwood?”

“I’m good. I’ll go home, wash my feet, and sleep.”

“Wash your feet…?”

“Phew…”

“Huh?”

Gelly made a slightly puzzled expression at the mention of washing feet.

But Pesto, understanding the remark, chuckled, and Lianne, who seemed to comprehend as well, looked surprised.

Steria must have said something similar.

For a woman, she was quite bold compared to most men.

“So… you mean you’re going to bed? It’s late, so it can’t be helped. There were many things I wanted to discuss, but please come back when you have time.”

“Sure.”

I shook hands with Gelly.

“Anyway, where is your room?”

“What? Oh, follow me.”

We followed Lianne to a second-floor room at the Golden Shield Inn.

…

The Golden Shield Inn was, of course, a high-class establishment.

Frequented by nobles, prosperous merchants, and high-ranking adventurers, there were distinct hierarchies even among them.

Even among high-ranking adventurers and wealthy individuals, there were distinctions in floors: commoners stayed on the 1st or 2nd floor, while nobles occupied the 3rd or 4th floor.

Even if it wasn’t the Golden Shield, it was an implicit rule in upscale inns in the Labyrinth City.

Yet Pesto was staying on the 2nd floor.

Could it be… that he was short on money?

No, Pesto is the eldest son of Kapsella, a renowned knight from the Kingdom of Loreldia, known as the Knight’s Country.

Even for the sake of the family’s honor, one should never stay on the same floor as commoners in such an inn.

“…Please come in. I will prepare the bathwater.”

Lianne headed towards the bathroom, leaving Pesto and me alone.

“First, please sit wherever you feel comfortable. You can take a bath shortly,” said Festo.

“Yeah… but you know,” I replied.

“Yes?”

“Usually, nobles sit first, right? Isn’t that the norm?”

“Well, yes, but… Mr. Rasiud is also a benefactor…”

“And why are you staying on the second floor?”

“I wanted to save money.”

“Even so, it’s not good for the family if the eldest son of the Capasella family stays on the second floor. Are you really that short on money?”

“Well…”

“Well, if you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to. It’s just a concern.”

“…Actually, I have somewhere else to spend the money.”

“Where?”

“On a statue…”

“A statue?”

“Yes. I happened to see a truly magnificent statue of a knight. I wanted to send it back to my hometown as a birthday gift for my younger brother.”

“Ah…”

The Festo family was renowned for their martial prowess. While one might typically think of swords or armor as birthday gifts, they probably already had such items. So, a knight statue would indeed make a fine present.

“It must be quite expensive?”

“Yes. It is costly, but the craftsman did not intend to sell it.”

“The eldest son of the Capasella family coveting a knight statue… It must be quite extraordinary.”

“Indeed. Such statues of that caliber were rare even in my hometown. It’s hard to describe, but it exuded a sense of nobility and valor… lonely yet resolute.”

“Was it made by a sculptor in this city?”

“Yes.”

“Then maybe I can help. I have some connections.”

“Really? Thank you very much, but… why?”

“Because you told me about Steria. I was genuinely relieved to hear that he was safe after a hundred years of silence… truly.”

When I heard that Sangcheol had died…

Now, there are only six of us left, including myself.

After living together for 300 years, now there are only six of us from the same clan.

“Yeah. I was genuinely overjoyed. So, I can do this much at least. Oh, but the top-grade potion is a separate matter.”

“I am aware of that. I will write a letter to my father tomorrow morning, so you need not worry.”

“Alright then. But who made the statue?”

“Well… actually, the craftsman who made the sculpture has passed away, and his sons are carrying on the legacy.”

“Huh?”

“The artisan who made the statue was named Boget… ”

“What?”

“Boget. His sons are named Olli and Branko…”

“Wait a minute. Are you talking about that carpentry shop outside the village?”

“Yes. You know about it!”

“If it’s a statue, then that… you mean the one with the cloak draped over its shoulders and the diamond-shaped helmet?”

“You even know about that? It was indeed a famous piece.”

“Oh…”

That… unexpected…

That image is from 20 years ago.

When I went to Boget’s carpentry shop, I saw that he had made my statue without permission.

I told him not to sell it out of embarrassment…

Now, with better equipment, hardly anyone would recognize that the statue is me, but it still feels embarrassing.

It’s like revealing a dark secret.

What should I do?

I just promised to help.

Festo… his eyes sparkled with anticipation.

Oh, really…

“Uh, that statue… well, I guess… it’s fine.”

After all, it’s an image of me from 20 years ago, and now, no one would recognize it. Maybe someone in this town might, but at least it’s going to Loreldia, where I don’t know anyone… probably?

A little later, Lianne returned and said the bath was ready.

“I’ll wait, so you go ahead and bathe,” I told Festo.

“Um, would you like to bathe together?” Festo asked.

“What?”

“Master?!”

“Mr. Lashwood, you are a benefactor of life. Despite the need to rest at home, you have come this far.”

“But still, you are a noble…”

“In the Capasella family, there is a custom that those who have received great favors on the battlefield bathe together regardless of status, forming a strong bond in secrecy, so it’s fine.”

“Uh…”

The Capasella family is a prestigious knightly lineage.

In the battlefield, the barrier between nobles and commoners sometimes becomes thin.

Is that really the case…

“Well then, it doesn’t matter to me. I wanted to wash up quickly anyway.”

“W-Well, but… um, that’s…”

Lianne hesitated, fidgeting with her feet.

“It’s okay, Lianne. It’s my first time too, a little nervous, but Mr. Lashwood is a good person, so nothing will happen.”

“I might end up drowning. You’re the one cleaning the armor, right?”

I took off my armor and placed it on the ground.

I want to take off my sweat-soaked undergarments too, but I have to put them back on later, so I can’t help it.

“Don’t worry. There’s nothing to worry about.”

Festo followed behind me, waving to Lianne.

***

I took off all my clothes and placed them in the basket.

“Ah, now I can breathe a bit.”

While my armor has a spell that keeps the interior comfortable, it doesn’t have a function to remove dripping sweat.

It feels refreshing to take off the damp clothes.

“…”

Festo was staring intently at my body.

“Um, is this… a bit unpleasant to look at?”

My body is covered with various scars.

It’s not just my body; for adventurers, it’s common, and for high-level adventurers, it’s almost inevitable to have several scars.

Even superior potions tend to leave scars after healing wounds.

To put it bluntly, Misty’s body is smooth.

When I was learning from Misty and bathing together, I didn’t see any noticeable scars on her body.

Elves have a peculiar regenerative ability, so their wounds heal a bit faster than humans, but resting in the forest for a while can make scars disappear quite a bit.

“Oh, no. I think it’s… impressive.”

“Really? Well, as the eldest son of the Muga family, you should have a few scars at some point. It would be embarrassing if you didn’t.”

“Yes… but my father always used superior potions whenever I got injured…”

“Is that so?”

Quite peculiar.

No, didn’t Festo’s father, Brashika Magnol Capasella, say he still couldn’t forget his deceased former wife?

So, it wouldn’t be strange for him to be overprotective of his eldest son.

“Oh, then when you came here, did he make sure to pack plenty of superior potions for you too?”

“That… I didn’t use them with the intention of… getting scars…”

Festo blushed.

“Hahaha! What’s that supposed to mean?! Quite a funny lad. Anyway, I’ll go in first.”

I completely undressed and entered the bathroom.

The bath at the Golden Shield Inn isn’t bad.

Warm steam rises gently, filling the air with warmth and humidity.

And… is that scented candles?

A lovely floral scent.

“You… you’ve been waiting.”

Festo’s voice came from behind me.

“Waiting for what? Just… oh?”