Chapter 3

As Nares and Al, along with one of his guards, returned to the carriage, the battle between the first band of thieves and the guards had already ended. Most of the thieves were lying on the ground or had surrendered, and about five of the caravan's guards were about to head over to assist Nares.

"Lord Nares, are you all right?"

A man in his early thirties, armed with a sword, noticed Nares, who was injured, and ran over. He was over two meters tall, with a sturdy build. He wore leather armor reinforced with metal, and his short brown hair was slightly visible from under his metal helmet. Upon hearing him call Nares "Lord Nares," Al regretted a little for calling Nares "Nares-kun" as he used to in school.

"Lord Desmon, ah, I let my guard down a bit. When a healer is free, please have them attend to me. The other side has already been dealt with thanks to Alfred's help."

Nares answered while gripping the shoulder of the guard.

"I apologize for not being strong enough. Please return to the carriage for a moment... Hey, tell Barbara to bring a skilled healer over immediately."

Desmon, who was called by that name, gave instructions to his subordinates and guided Nares back to the carriage he had been in. Al was left behind. Desmon looked at the remaining Al intently.

"Um, you said your name is Alfred, right? Are you a classmate of Lord Nares?"

Desmon asked, looking puzzled. He seemed unsure of how to address Al due to his unclear status.

"My name is Alfred. My father is a knight, and I was able to attend middle school, but as the third son, I'm not the heir. I'm just an adventurer now. My fellow adventurers simply call me Al. I'd appreciate it if you could talk to me normally."

Desmon's expression softened a bit upon hearing this.

"Ah, I see. Then I'll talk to you normally. I'm Desmon, an adventurer hired by the Revi Trading Company. Let's be at ease with each other."

Al nodded with a smile.

"I happened to notice the thieves attacking the carriage on my way to the border city of Lester. I didn't know Lord Nares was here until just now."

"Hmm, from your appearance, it seems you have some experience as an adventurer, but you don't seem to be a warrior. More like a scout, perhaps?"

"That's right. In the capital, I worked as a scout for the Adventurer's Guild. Also, I'm still in training, but I can use magic."

Desmon nodded slightly, probably thinking that Alfred had helped with his magic.

"Got it. How was the other side?"

When Desmon asked, Al explained that while he was using magic to keep the thieves at bay, Nares and his group had taken down the leader. Upon hearing the name of the Bloodthirsty Thieves, Desmon was greatly surprised. He knew that the thieves' base was hard to locate and that the guards were having a hard time dealing with them.

"That's impressive. I believe there was a bounty on the leader. We'll have to hear the story from Lord Nares and his guards later, but you should get a share of the reward. Still, to be able to use multiple spells, including magic arrows, at your age is quite remarkable."

Desmon nodded in admiration. At that moment, several men and women approached.

"Alfred, thank you. Lord Nares told me you did a great job."

A young, lively woman with long chestnut hair that reached her waist and a light purple dress spoke to Al. Her name was Luella, a classmate of Nares from middle school. She was the eldest daughter of the Revi Trading Company, a well-known trading firm in the border city of Lester. Beside her stood another classmate, a young man named Kain. He was short, wore glasses, and had slightly wavy red hair, giving him a rather shy appearance. His father, as far as Al knew, served as an internal affairs official in Lester. It seemed that the three classmates from Lester were traveling in the same carriage.

"Alfred, you've changed so much since we graduated from school a month ago."

Kain, who was scratching his slightly wavy red hair, nodded repeatedly. He seemed quite excited, as if he wasn't used to such situations.

"Maybe it's because I registered with the Adventurer's Guild in the capital and worked there while still in school. I've dealt with thieves and goblins before..."

Al fidgeted with his hair, which was tied back, looking a bit embarrassed.

"You did a great job. Lord Nares told me a bit about it. The knight was amazed at such a use of magic."

A middle-aged man in elegant clothing, who was standing beside the women, spoke to Al. Al had never seen him before, but he shared some similarities with Luella, such as hair color. Al bowed politely to him. The man nodded in a practiced manner.

"I am Revi, Luella's father and the leader of this caravan."

As Luella's father, he was the head of the Revi Trading Company, a well-known figure even to an adventurer like Al, who had heard of his achievements in building the company into one of the wealthiest in the border city of Lester.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Alfred. Is Lord Nares' injury okay now?"

Revi nodded in response to Al's question.

"Yes, the wound has been checked, and healing magic has been used, so he's fine. He lost some blood, so he's taking medicine and resting. The healer was surprised that he could move with such a severe injury. According to the guards, he was under a lot of stress because the band of thieves was larger than expected."

"That's right. The leader of the thieves suddenly cast a spell. It would have been difficult for anyone to defend against it..."

Revi narrowed his eyes slightly, looking impressed by Al's words.

"I've heard the same. Lord Viscount is not the type to worry about such things, and Lord Nares has repeatedly emphasized this, so there's no need to worry. You, of course, and we and the knight guards will not be held responsible."

Nares is the second son of a viscount. If he had been seriously injured, his father, the viscount, might have held the guard knights and the caravan leader, Revi, responsible. However, Revi clearly denied this, indicating his close relationship with Nares and his father.

"I've heard the situation from the knight. According to him, you not only informed everyone about the Bloodthirsty Thieves but also used magic to defeat the leader who tried to kill Lord Nares and created an illusion to make them flee. Is that correct?"

Al thought for a moment. He believed that Nares could have handled it on his own and that the part about trying to kill him was exaggerated, but in general, it was accurate. Desmon, who had heard a different story earlier, tilted his head slightly, but Revi waved him off.

"Understood. Since you're here, you must be heading to Lester. Do you have a place to stay?"

Al, who was going to Lester for the first time, had not yet decided on a place to stay. Revi nodded upon hearing this.

"I'm very pleased to have met you today. If you plan to stay in Lester for a while, please get to know Lord Nares and Luella. I would like to ask you to travel with the caravan, but the carriage was damaged in the attack, and it will take some time to set off. I want to properly thank you, but given the situation, please take this and visit us in Lester. I'll inform the shop. Of course, I'll also report your bravery to the guards."

Revi said this, took a small leather bag from a servant standing behind him, and handed it to Al. The bag made a jingling sound, so it probably contained coins.

"Thank you."

The bag felt a bit heavy. The reward was significant, but for a third son of a poor lord from a rural village, being remembered by a prominent merchant like Revi was even more meaningful. Al's face lit up, and he bowed deeply. Revi, seeing this, seemed to have an idea and looked around.

"Alfred, I have a small favor to ask of you as an adventurer. Would you be willing to help?"

Al nodded eagerly.

"I would like you to investigate the thieves, if possible. I might be overthinking, but I'm a cautious person. However, I don't have enough hands to conduct the investigation. From what I've heard, you seem quite skilled. Would you be willing to help?"

"I think the number of thieves who fled is quite large. I don't think I can be of much help."

Revi chuckled slightly and nodded at Al's firm response.

"You seem to lack confidence in combat and have limited experience as an adventurer. But please have more confidence. I'm only asking for your help with the investigation, not to defeat all of them. You can make judgments on the spot and act within a safe range. I'll make it clear that you shouldn't be forced into anything. How about it?"

"Understood. I'll accept."

"Thank you. I'll make the arrangements, so please talk with Luella and Kain until then."

Revi said this and left the scene immediately.

Thank you for reading.

Thank you for the corrections. I always appreciate your help.

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2023.1.10 Rain-born → Lester-born Border City Rain → Border City Lester

2023.4.14 Added line breaks and formatted the text.