episode_0164

The first morning in Gordburg was bustling.

It wasn’t just us; everyone else was busy too. Farmers going to work and merchants loading goods mixed together, creating utter chaos.

Lost in the crowd, I barely managed to find a restaurant. While ordering food, I asked the owner,

“How many general stores are there here?”

“About five or six.”

I thought that if Fosao were doing any business here, he would have opened a general store, just like before.

He seemed confident in his business acumen, if nothing else.

“Which general store opened most recently?”

My calculation was that by gradually narrowing down the targets this way, I would quickly find ‘Fosao’s shop’.

“Most recently? I don’t know. All of them are old shops.”

“Old, you say?”

“I’ve lived here for 20 years, and those shops have been here since then. They’ve been passed down through generations, so everyone knows them. I haven’t heard of any new shops opening. Besides, their positions are so solid that no fool would bother trying to squeeze in and open a shop.”

“…”

Ruyef, who had been listening, also looked troubled.

I asked other questions as well. I considered the possibility that he might have engaged in a different business than a general store. In Deseo, he had dealt in hardware rather than general goods, so it was possible his merchandise had changed.

But the owner replied that he didn’t know much.

“Gordburg is a place where hundreds of merchants come and go every day. How could I possibly know all of that? If you’re really curious, go ask at the Merchant’s Guild.”

So, I went to find the Merchant’s Guild.

Ruyef pointed to the three-story wooden building in front of us and explained.

“I heard it’s used for obtaining business licenses by paying money to the lord. I was told that anyone wishing to conduct commercial activities in Gordburg must register here.”

“Then Fosao must have registered his name here. Let’s go in.”

Obtaining information was easier than I thought.

Ruyef and I pretended to be merchants from a distant land and expressed our desire to learn about the registered shops here. We were given a large book containing the names of merchants.

Flip. Flip.

By starting from the last page, I could see the most recently registered people. I quickly scanned the list, searching for Fosao’s name.

However, even going back to January of this year, I couldn’t find the name ‘Fosao’.

Ruyef asked,

“Is his name not here?”

“No.”

“He might have used a different name.”

“…”

He was right.

Fosao had already used his name extensively in Deseo. If the political situation there was complicated, there was a high possibility he wouldn’t use the name Fosao for safety.

If he had truly gone to such lengths… I wouldn’t be able to find him this way.

Thud.

I closed the book and went to find the administrator.

“I’m looking for someone.”

“This isn’t the place for that.”

“No. It would be impossible not to know him. He’s in his 40s, very large and obese, and stutters severely.”

“…!”

As I listed such distinct features, the administrator looked up at us with a ‘knowing gaze’.

This wasn’t my plan from the start. I had no intention of openly announcing that we were pursuing Fosao.

It was a dangerous gamble; if this administrator was close to Fosao, we would be exposed immediately.

But now, we were completely in the dark.

At least to find a clue, I had to roll the dice this much.

And… the gamble succeeded.

“Ah, ‘that pig’?”

As expected, the administrator knew him.

No matter how many people there were in Gordburg, there wouldn’t be anyone even remotely resembling him in this world.

“Do you know him?”

“Of course I do. The East Gate was very noisy because of that pig about a month or two ago. It’s quiet now, so nothing special seems to be happening. Well, maybe it’s because it’s a busy time.”

“Could you tell me a bit more in detail?”

“Go near the East Gate. I heard he lives there.”

“Thank you.”

Fortunately, our efforts so far hadn’t been in vain.

I didn’t know if Fosao had changed his name, but his appearance remained the same, making him easy to identify even in Gordburg.

If even the Merchant’s Guild administrator knew him… it seemed he had definitely made an impression, for better or worse. Being moderately famous made it easier to extract information.

Ruyef and I moved towards the East Gate.

I later learned that the gate we first entered was the South Gate, which was frequented by wandering merchants and therefore not a street for people ‘residing’ in Gordburg.

It seemed that most people who truly resided in the territory lived concentrated in the east. Indeed, the closer we got to the East Gate, the more private homes we saw.

Thump. Thump.

I thought I wouldn’t feel much emotion.

But at the thought of meeting Tia soon, my heart began to pound as if it would burst out of my chest.

“Ritsu. Put on your hood now.”

“Okay.”

With trembling hands, I pulled the hood down deep.

We couldn’t risk Tia or Fosao accidentally running into us.

Children ran around giggling. All the men had left for work, and only the women remained at home.

From early morning, they seemed to have no leisure, either going to do laundry or looking after babies.

It was when I was moving, hiding myself in an alley between private homes to avoid suspicious gazes.

“Ahahaha—!”

I heard a little girl’s laughter from somewhere.

I instantly snapped my head up.

Was it Tia?

It sounded too much like Tia’s laughter. Instinctively, I found myself running towards it.

My heart felt like it would burst.

“Look at this—! I made it.”

“Oh, hohoho!”

I hid behind the shadows. Ruyef followed and stayed close by my side.

I cautiously poked my head out towards where the voices were coming from.

“…”

A girl and a woman were talking.

But… it wasn’t her.

It was ordinary brown hair, not bright red. She looked much younger than Tia, so I knew from afar that it wasn’t her.

I let out a deep sigh, calming my pounding chest. Ruyef asked,

“Was it Tia?”

“No.”

“It’s dangerous to stay here long. Can’t you see any memory visions yet?”

We had come near the East Gate, but it was still difficult to find any trace of Tia. To see ‘memory visions’, contact with a place or object was needed, but I didn’t see even anything similar.

I suggested to Ruyef,

“Let’s go to any shop. There might be clues left behind.”

“If it’s around here… I saw a general store. I’ll guide you.”

We exited the alley and headed towards the general store. Conveniently, there was no one around, so we walked straight in without much concern.

Clunk.

It was a clean shop. In my life, the only ‘general store’ I had known was Fosao’s dirty, smelly one. This place felt like it was run by someone decent.

The owner, with sturdy forearms, greeted us.

“Welcome.”

“We came to look at some goods.”

“Feel free to look around.”

I looked at the items hanging on the walls and the goods on the display shelves. I walked around, scanning each one, but there were no memory visions left.

No luck here either, then.

Just as I was about to turn away, disappointed.

“…!”

I saw a sword leaning in the corner.

A red blade reflected in the light streaming from the window. Its sharp edge shone brilliantly, as if imbued with sunlight.

I couldn’t believe it.

That sword was not something that should be leaning shabbily here.

Ruyef followed my gaze and then bit his lip tightly.

“His sword… why is it here?”

The shop owner came forward, beaming.

“Looking for a longsword? Ah – this one?! It’s an excellent practice sword! It’s light but quite sturdy, so it’s perfect for beginners just learning the sword. If you have a young son who wants to be a knight, it would make a great birthday gift. What do you say, interested? Want to give it a try?”

I extended my hand. It wasn’t to ask the owner for the sword.

It was something I was meant to grasp.

Thud.

The familiar sensation of something filling my hand.

Had I finally grasped this sword again… after such a long half-year?

Clink.

I gently laid the sword on my hand, tilting it horizontally to examine it carefully.

Rose Sabre.

The Rose Sabre seemed to have been waiting here all along, just to meet me.

To tell me all that had happened since it left its former owner’s hand and came to lean against the wall of some nameless general store.

To answer this sword’s waiting, I closed my eyes.

Tell me. Rose Sabre.

As if responding to my call, memories unfolded one by one.

Of this sword’s original owner.

Tia’s past.

***

Finally, the two people arrived in Gordburg.

The house Fosao had supposedly bought in advance was a mansion with a small garden. It was slightly larger than Tia’s old home, and smaller than Fosao’s general store.

Still, compared to the houses around, it was a good mansion, enough to make people say they ‘lived well’.

Tia looked up at the house, her face flushed with excitement.

“Is this… the house we’ll live in from now on?”

“Y-yeah. It’s ‘our house’. I even g-got the key.”

Jingle.

Fosao showed her the key and grinned.

The fleeing was over now. A truly new home and a new life were right before them.

“It’s a beautiful house.”

Perhaps remembering the hardships they had endured, Tia wiped away tears.

They entered their new house. They decided to use the furniture left by the former owner and personally organize the clothes and important stolen goods they had brought with them.

Since there was nothing in the house from the beginning, their settling into their new home finished earlier than expected.

“It still doesn’t feel real.”

Tia collapsed onto the bed to rest her tired body. Fosao lay down beside her and asked,

“Wh-what doesn’t?”

“The words ‘our home’. Everything feels a bit awkward. And I don’t even know where the rooms are… It feels like I’ve secretly broken into someone else’s house.”

“Hee-hee. It’s o-okay, Tia. You’ll get used to it soon.”

Their eyes met.

“Ah, shall I give you a massage?”

“…”

Slide.

Fosao’s clammy palm moved up onto Tia’s chest. The girl unfastened her clothes, allowing Fosao’s hand to crawl freely without resistance.

A new home. Everything was an unfamiliar sight. When her heart trembled, a little scared of how different everything was.

To Tia, Fosao was the ‘only companion’ she could rely on, and his touch was the most familiar thing.

“Haa…”

It was as her budding breasts slowly rose under his soft touch.

Thump thump thump!

Suddenly, someone knocked on the main gate.

Startled, Tia hastily straightened her clothes and rushed to the door.

“Who is it…?”

When she opened the door and peeked her head out, about ten people were gathered in the garden.

A woman, who seemed to be their representative, greeted her.

“You’re the new resident, aren’t you? Oh my! It’s a young lady!”

The people gaped in astonishment. Her beautiful red hair flowed over her shoulders, and her ruby eyes were so lovely they didn’t even evoke jealousy.

It was surprising enough that the new resident was a ‘girl’, but when she revealed a face as beautiful as a goddess descended to earth, they seemed quite shocked.

The woman explained,

“I’m Rodya, living right across from here. We came to greet you because we heard new neighbors moved in.”

It was a warm welcome from the neighbors. It seemed they had been very curious about who would become the owner of this house for a long time.

“Oh… yes! Nice to meet you! I’m Tia.”

“Tia-yang! Hoho! Nice to meet you. But—you didn’t come alone, did you?”

Not only could a girl not migrate alone, but it was also unlikely for a woman to own such a mansion by herself.

Tia seemed too young to be married, so they naturally assumed she had come with her family.

Just as Tia was briefly wondering how to explain,

“Hee-hee. N-nice to meet you.”

Suddenly, Fosao revealed his face from above Tia’s head.

People’s eyes turned towards him.

…And they were ‘horrified’.