Chapter 82: The Impoverished Viscount’s Second Son Searches for Eyes 4
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“You’re Shin Longdagger-san, right?”
The one who said that was Ezz, the Scrap Hunter adventurer I met yesterday.
Without waiting for my reply, Ezz started talking.
He said that since the carriage repairs were taking longer than expected, they took a quest they could handle themselves and were heading to the next town.
Unsurprisingly, it seemed they secured passage by joining the carriage escort.
Since the next town was my destination too, I wasn’t really in a position to comment, but I couldn’t help thinking they didn’t need such a grand merchant caravan just for the next town. However, it seemed one of the escort adventurers was an acquaintance of his.
Still, taking on a new quest the day after nearly dying… he’s quite the adventurer. As expected of a Scrap Hunter, their guts are on a different level.
“An acquaintance, Ezz?”
The one who asked was the bearded John.
Ah, so John was Ezz’s acquaintance. Sensing from their tone that they knew each other, I took half a step back to give Ezz and John some space.
“Yes, John-san. He saved me when I almost died yesterday.”
Incidentally, calling someone you just met yesterday an acquaintance is a rather common sentiment among adventurers.
It probably stems from the fact that they sometimes entrust their lives to people they’ve just met.
To Ezz, who thanked me for yesterday, I gave a vague gesture in return.
John, who had shown reluctance about adding me to the escort, now seemed to be thinking, ‘Well, if he’s Ezz’s acquaintance…’
But if I were to declare here that I am not Shin Longdagger, things would get complicated.
I cannot affirm that I am who I am.
If I did that, Erica might end up bearing the stigma of being a woman whose husband didn’t even give her a ring.
I doubt many people have the time to deduce that much just from seeing me acting alone, but the mere possibility arising is unacceptable.
But still, my passage to the next town… And besides, why did Ezz identify me, the Mask, as Shin Longdagger?
Aah, whatever, fine. Let things play out as they will.
Worst case, I’ll just run to the next town.
“Ezz-kun.”
“Yes?”
“I am not Shin Longdagger.”
“Huh?”
Ezz tilted his head quizzically, while John frowned, wondering what was going on.
“I am Jin Goldendagger.”
When I said it with utmost seriousness, Ezz burst out laughing.
Why?
“Oi, are you alright, Ezz?”
Ignoring what exactly John meant by ‘alright’, he asked Ezz, who was laughing so hard tears welled up in his eyes.
“No, John-san, I’m fine. I don’t really get the circumstances, but this person is Shin Longdagger-san. You probably don’t know him, John-san, but he’s the most famous adventurer in this town right now.”
“No, I’m Jin Goldendagger.”
Ezz roared with laughter at my words.
I don’t get what you find so funny.
Clutching his stomach, he gasped out something about me being ‘so obviously a Longdagger’. What on earth did that mean?
As I eyed the laughing Ezz suspiciously, John, perhaps finding it troublesome, spoke up with a hint of exasperation.
“Well, whatever. If you want to join the escort, first show me your Guild Certific—”
As John said that, for some reason, his mouth fell open, and he stared intently at my face.
What’s this? Is this that thing? Should I lightly provoke him, adventurer-style, saying something like ‘I don’t have a hobby of staring contests with other men, even through a mask’?
“Longdagger!”
Just as I was thinking that, John shouted.
I told you, I’m Goldendagger.
Incidentally, the alias isn’t a lie. It really isn’t.
Watching John stare at me in astonishment for some reason, that’s what I thought.