Chapter 85: The Second Son of the Impoverished Viscount Household Searches for the Eye 7
If we’re talking about the largest city in the Margraviate of Makikomarkrow, then Noel Jeun could be called the Margrave’s primary city.
It’s the base for exporting the vast amounts of Magic Stones and Monster materials produced in Hecate to other territories and countries.
This means there are two huge consumer cities just two days away by carriage, but Margrave Makikomarkrow-dono seems to be managing things well, as there was no sense of gloom in the city.
Being protected by two walls—the city walls and a Barrier—makes you think it’s truly a city close to the Demon Realm, but unlike Hecate, the main players in this city are the Merchants.
Even though it was almost evening, the noisy sounds of business negotiations happening everywhere were loud but not unpleasant.
It painted over the loneliness I felt after being away from the party for so long.
While having my Magicka drained as an entrance fee, I searched for a place to stay tonight.
Being alone, the fact that Erika wasn’t here hit me hard.
I even felt despair, wondering what kind of luxury I had grown accustomed to.
Or rather, it was genuine despair.
A calm part of me surfaced, thinking things like, “The promise was only to be near her for one year anyway, so there was never any hope to begin with, right?”
But I wanted to tell that calm me, “Your face is a mess with tears and snot!”
I thrashed around on the bed of the cheap inn for a while, suppressing the urge to run back to the City of Hecate.
Calm down. Remember Erika’s profile.
I took a deep breath and pictured Erika’s face.
…Damn it, even Erika’s profile in my memory is already super close.
While trembling in fear that even my memories had become luxurious, I fell asleep immediately after thinking of Erika’s face.
As expected, Erika solves everything.
Do you know what Merchants and adventurers have in common?
The answer is that they are early risers.
While eating breakfast in the West Gate plaza, crowded with Merchants and the adventurers guarding them, I soaked in the nostalgic atmosphere.
The sky, before the sun had fully risen, was a dark blue, and the air maintained its tranquility, regardless of the surrounding clamor.
It was a quiet, intense time, like sinking your body down low before making a big leap, before things truly started moving.
A time when adventurers smile at acquaintances and say this:
“If we can meet again, let’s meet again.”
Adventurers don’t just accept parting by saying, “If that’s how it has to be.”
If you live in a world of Iniquity and violence, parting is inevitable.
That’s why adventurers don’t say goodbye, nor do they pray for the other person’s Divine Protection.
They simply convey, in their own way, that they hope there will be a next meeting.
In other words, this is the time when adventurers place their own lives on the scales.
Maybe that’s why I like it.
After eating a hearty breakfast, I spread out the map I had copied at the Adventurers Guild in Hecate in front of the West Gate.
This was the backup plan I had prepared even before finding out there were no Designated Subjugation Targets at the Guild that paid better than the Forest Dragon.
If I’m going to prepare a ring worthy of Erika, then a half-baked amount of money won’t be enough.
But alas, the one sending it is me.
Due to my impoverished nature, I had saved up money, but all the money I saved is still deposited at the Adventurers Guild in Faltar.
I considered going back at full speed to retrieve it, but the amount deposited isn’t that large.
I don’t know if there will be well-paying requests or Designated Subjugation Targets, and yet, the money deposited in Faltar isn’t enough.
So, what I thought was, “Well then, why not just get the materials myself?”
“Just you wait, Jewelhead.”
I muttered under my Mask.