Never touch Eldmia Egga - Episode 337
Contrary to the belief that he would be treated as an unidentified madman who suddenly appeared, the lord of Kelvast was a person who was more communicative than expected..
Of course, that does not mean that Margrave Kelvast is a kind, understanding, and knowledgeable person who knows how to be considerate of others. Here, 'communicating' is closer to meaning knowing how to wait patiently to weigh the pros and cons..
The only reason they would treat me well, who is nothing but a bigot who makes nonsense, is the ax that I stole from Kakula. If I were suddenly caught up in a gate opened by monsters and found a guy who said he had flown in from another country at the end, I would start to look at him with suspicion..
He probably came to this conclusion after weighing the dead knight and me on the balance beam. I don't know how that conclusion will affect him, but I decided to accept it since it was a very unpleasant treatment for me, who was in a far away place that I knew nothing about..
Anyway, the only effort I put in was explaining the situation verbally, and since I was an adventurer, there was no need to have aristocratic manners and formalities, so there was nothing bad about it..
"So... just an adventurer.?"
To be quite honest, I couldn't ignore the fun of picking on this guy..
"I once served as a butler for a noble family for a while, but now I am. Oh, and I also work as an assistant at the Ethisel Royal Academy.."
"Uhm... I see.."
Just the question being asked was predictable. If I were a noble or a knight, or at least a member of a certain family, he would definitely have tried to get the ax of Kakula back through negotiations with the Itisel royal family..
I don't know how they attempted it and succeeded, but this Oak Gate is close to a natural disaster. In this world, monsters tend to be treated as natural disasters, and in such a situation, it is very difficult for the Itisel royal family to protest against the Western Kingdom, including Kelvast Fortress City, but to receive complete compensation. After going through various aristocratic speeches, the only thing I can do is receive gifts as a consolation prize and apology. And it is clear that the amount is far from compensation..
This guy knew that too, so he seemed like he wanted the ax back instead of showing favor by paying more..
If you listen to the story, it is said that it is only an weapon that an orc slayer named Sir Dubert received from the dwarves in recognition of his exploits, so it does not have much symbolism outside of Kelvast. Depending on the amount he calls, he receives an unconditional response from the royal family of Itisel. There was a high possibility that it would have led to.
And if the situation had reached that point, no matter how much I wanted Axe, if I had been in a position where I had to be loyal to the country, I would have had to spit it out and receive other compensation. That's what responsibility comes with power. No matter how many achievements I have made, I may have had to give up here in exchange for many other rewards..
But now I am just an adventurer. That means that now that you have no power, you have no responsibility..
You could say I was just venting my anger, but I couldn't bear to think that if I had gone out here to hunt orcs, there would have been at least one less orc I had to deal with. I killed some orcs for free on the way here, so I think it's okay to do this..
If he had been commissioned and killed, he would have had an extra gold coin in his pocket..
Lord Kelvast, who had already shown his will by killing a knight and was unable to ask him outright, naturally asked various questions during the carriage ride to the castle, trying to find a reason, but in the end he did not achieve much. Without getting it, he guided me to a separate room..
"I'll assign someone soon. You're probably tired, so take a rest today and we'll talk in detail tomorrow.."
Even from the first meeting, he was a truly informal man to be said to be the owner of Kelvast. I heard that this place is like a kingdom that is not inferior to most large cities, but I never imagined that a person who takes such initiative would be the lord..
"Even the people around me follow me very well...."
In a world where there are quite a few crazy people who treat their masters poorly because they don't feel the authority and dignity that nobles should have, it would be correct to see them as super nobles who are in the top 5% even if they can't do that much..
"Well, I might be leaving tomorrow, so it's not something I care about.."
We've only just returned to the realm of civilization, but there's still a long way to go..
With the help of a maid assigned by Margrave Kelvast, I checked the equipment and checked what I had while washing the clothes. Fortunately, based on my previous experience in the Empire, I always carried a first-aid pouch with me, so I wasn't too inconvenienced while crossing the plains, but since my purse is not a four-dimensional pocket, I don't have enough travel expenses to return home..
"Should I sell the potion given by Shadow Foot?."
Even if I sell just one, I'm sure I won't run out of it, assuming I use it sparingly... It's not an easy item to get, and I didn't feel like it since I got it as a gift..
"I'll think about this again when I'm really in a hurry...."
The money I have is two gold coins, a dozen silver coins, and some copper coins. If you think about the financial situation with all the equipment, it is very abundant, but from the perspective of a long-distance traveler who has to buy all the winter equipment from the beginning and stay until the end, it is very tight. And that too in the middle of winter.
Just one strong horse for a long-distance trip costs one gold coin, and the cloaks and sleeping bags captured while wandering through the Orc settlements were literally just an assortment, so if possible, you had to sell them used and then get new ones, which cost you money again..
If I had known this would happen, I would have looked for something that would make money and picked it up, but I also felt regret, but it wasn't that I didn't bring it, it was that I couldn't bring it because I couldn't afford it, so it was just a complaint rather than a sincere regret..
Valuables were ultimately baggage on the journey to a city whose arrival date was unknown while avoiding the pursuit of orcs from all directions. If I had some jewels or something, I would have been eager to get them, but unfortunately, the guys I robbed weren't that interested in such things..
"What a terrible financial situation.."
As a result of purchasing the items I needed right away to a minimum but not sparing on things that cost money, such as horses and maps, I expected that at best, I would only have twenty silver coins..
Even if you use the gate for the shortest distance, even the gate fee is tight. It was calculated based on the price of Etisel, which has been at war for several years, so if the price here was low, it would be a little better, but it was not very hopeful..
It would be nice if the margrave gave me money for killing a lot of orcs on the way, but expecting something like that from the perspective of a knight who won't even give me an ax for killing a knight would be beyond luxury and a burning happiness circuit..
"...I really should have kept that bastard alive and received a ransom.."
I lied down on a luxurious bed for the first time in a long time, vowing that if a similar guy showed up again, I would extort him for ransom..
The civilization I tasted properly after almost a week was so sweet that I felt a little better..
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The subjugation operation, which began in earnest when Eldmia did not return and the Orcs' movements were disrupted and the command system was disrupted, was finally concluded after more than a week..
The Kakula that Asilier remembered was not visible. She couldn't have chosen to run away just because her proud orcs were at a disadvantage, so something must have happened during her encounter with Eldmia and caused her gate to go backwards..
Perhaps that is why Eldmia was not found either. When not only the body but also the equipment was not visible, most people said that he had made a noble sacrifice and destroyed the passage on the other side of the gate, and that the subjugation was successfully concluded, but Asilier did not care about such an atmosphere. I just sighed without writing anything..
'It's not like the gate can only be destroyed from one side... humans have a strong tendency to be too absorbed in legends and heroic stories..'
I'm sure it's alive. That has already been confirmed through conversations with Leica..
Although Laika could not speak, she could understand. It was clearly a magic sword connected to its owner, and when asked if Eldmia was alive, she nodded vigorously in the affirmative. Perhaps because there was no master to supply him with magical power, it soon began to spend most of the day sleeping..
"In fact, if LD sees a gate, doesn't he first go inside and take a look?...?"
If the person in question had heard it, she would have protested that it was unfair, but Catherine and Ragnis, who were standing next to her, added that it was quite a possibility and added their impeachment..
From the moment they found out that Eldmia was not dead, they had no worries about Eldmia's life or death. In most cases, I would worry about just one case....
Eldmia had done too many strange things to do that now, and the skills she had shown were too solid, so I wasn't worried at all. Rather, I just get angry at that recklessness. While the three women were once again criticizing Eldmia for her recklessness, Radnelbandes, who had been inspecting the gate with wizards dispatched from the royal family, approached and spoke quietly to Ragnis..
"I think restarting will be difficult. There are signs that the door was forced open through witchcraft, and because of that, its temperament has changed significantly. Even if the wizards prepare properly and open the door, it will take several months.."
The fact that such a conclusion was reached even though Seneran, who suddenly lost the subject of the study, started a game and clung to it, was like saying that there was no chance of the evaluation being overturned even if someone else came and looked. The wrinkles between Asilier's eyebrows increased at the not-so-good news..
Since there was Kakula, it was clear that it connected to the Western Kingdom, so I was not worried about that, but the road back to Itisel from there was long and difficult, which was a problem. Besides, it's winter.
'Should I get Esmueh's help?.'
Since she had to know anyway, she had to send a letter to talk about it, and the contact method for doing so had been mutually agreed upon and shared when she visited the empire. If you ask her for help, she will provide you with lots of indirect support, but she was a little reluctant to accept help even though Eldmia's life was not in danger..
"......"
When I thought about it, I didn't really feel like it..
No matter how good a relationship they have with each other, they are only eyeing one man, and it hurts his pride to unilaterally rely on her abilities. She would have asked without hesitation if she didn't have the means or means, but that wasn't the case this time..
"...Ha, I didn't know we would contact each other like this.."
Asilier came out alone, leaving behind additional people exploring the cave where the gate was located, and headed toward the forest to avoid the crowds clearing away the bodies of the orcs. And she leaned her forehead against a random tree and called to her spirit.
"Forest child, I want you to do your friend a favor. Enderinia, Asili of the Blue Vine, will ask you a favor.."
The forest spirit is very picky and exacts a certain amount in return for the transaction, so after asking for this kind of request, I wanted to do a lot of things, so I tried to avoid it as much as possible, but now was not the time to worry about such things..
"Please pass this on to the Blue Vine family. Find your pet's earring that fell alone in the prairie, and please take it to Asilier.."
I was already sighing, anticipating the nagging that would rain down on me for suddenly asking such a favor after not having had any contact with him for decades since I was killed by slave hunters, but that wasn't important right now either..
Now was the time for my wife to cheer up..
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