Chapter 57

The next morning, Al, who had been reading the *Book of Spells* until nearly dawn, excited by new discoveries, was woken by Iris's hesitant knock.

"Good morning. Mr. Al, you have a visitor. It's a lady named Barbara."

Still half-asleep, Al slowly got up from the linen bed. Although straw beds were still common, and he had used one in the countryside, he was grateful that this inn had linen sheets. He yawned widely, gradually waking up.

"Mr. Al, are you awake? It's a visitor. It's not good to keep them waiting, is it?"

The knocking sound grew a bit louder when Al didn't respond.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Iris. Can you tell her I'll be right down?"

Al hurriedly stood up and put on his clothes. He tied his long, unkempt blonde hair back with a string. He turned off the light that had been left on and carefully rolled up the *Book of Spells* that was spread out on the nearby table, then put it away in a secret place. He glanced around the room to make sure everything was in order before rushing downstairs.

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"Good morning, Barbara."

When Al came down, Barbara was eating the inn's stew for guests.

"Good morning, Al. The food here is quite delicious. I had breakfast earlier, but the smell was so good that I asked them to prepare some more."

She smiled brightly. Given the angle of the sun, it was probably just after the second morning bell had rung. It had only been about an hour since dawn. I wonder what time she started working in the morning.

"Did you come because of yesterday's talk?"

"Yep, I was at the guild office for the morning check when I was called by the guildmaster Revi. It seems I've become your liaison."

Al asked Iris to bring his breakfast and sat across from Barbara at the table.

"According to the guildmaster Revi, you're supposed to visit Lord Radyard at the lord's mansion around the time of the third morning bell the day after tomorrow. You'll be acting as a temporary servant and bodyguard for Lord Nalish, who is a temporary hire. Lord Radyard is Lord Nalish's guardian and a knight who has served the Viscount Lester for a long time."

A servant is different from a retainer who fights with a bow or sword; it's more like a personal attendant. He would probably be working inside the mansion.

"What about the pay?"

"Ten silver coins per day. The guildmaster Revi was disappointed that he couldn't negotiate a higher rate, but I think it's a pretty good amount. As a servant, the risk to your life should be relatively low."

Previously, an apprentice magician's pay was thirty silver coins for two weeks, which included meals, so it wasn't exactly cheap. Considering the low risk, it was even better. Compared to the reward of one silver coin per goblin in the capital, which he had been doing for about half a year, this was quite high. If Orson, who was currently recovering, returned, they might be able to earn even more...

"However, Lord Nalish is supposed to join the knightly expedition to fight the barbarians in a week, which is a concern. If you accompany him, you might get involved in the battle. But that's also a chance to earn more. Lord Revi expects Lord Nalish to achieve something significant. Try to help him as much as you can. If you do, you'll probably get a good reward from Lord Revi."

Al thought for a moment but nodded, thinking it would be fine. Accumulating such achievements would be good for living here.

"Understood. Please tell Lord Revi that I'll go."

Barbara smiled and took out a wax-sealed parchment and a leather pouch, handing them to Al.

"One is a letter of introduction from Lord Revi. The wax seal is from the Revi Guild, so it should serve as proof. You're supposed to deliver it to Lord Radyard without opening it. The other is the reward for escorting Lady Patricia. It's ten gold coins. It seems you did a good job."

Ten gold coins! Al was grateful as he took the leather pouch, but he felt a bit puzzled. He thought he had succeeded in delivering her safely, but he sensed a different nuance from Barbara's expression.

"It's about Lady Patricia. She seems to be quite taken with you. But be careful."

No, no, that's not it. Al hurriedly denied it, but Barbara just grinned. He thought Patricia was beautiful, but she lived in a different world. He might have been liked, but he didn't know what to do about it.

"Really? No, I think it's smart to act this way... There are men like that. They're thin and have long hair. Are you sure you're not a woman?"

Barbara was reluctant to believe him, but she eventually seemed to accept about half of what Al said.

"If that's the case, let me give you a warning. Men with no ambition, like you, should stay away from her. The Kingdom of Tempest has lost a lot of power due to internal strife. In a few years, some of the surrounding countries will likely try to take over the Kingdom of Tempest. Her being a princess of the Tempest royal family is a big flag. I think there will be someone who will try to claim the throne of Tempest by getting her. The guildmaster Revi is relaxed, but Lord Nalish might also consider it a possibility."

Al shrugged. He didn't know if there would be men trying to claim the throne, but she definitely had significant political power. When he thought about it, he remembered Patricia's smile, saying that it was the guidance of the Lady of Tempest as she looked at him happily. Her deep, clear green eyes had always been fixed on him. Her gaze made him a bit nervous, but it wasn't unpleasant...

Al shook his head and forced a smile.

"I've received the reward. Please thank Lord Revi for me. I'll deliver the letter of introduction to Lord Radyard the day after tomorrow."

"Got it. I'll tell Lord Revi. Lord Radyard is strict about time, so don't oversleep the day after tomorrow."

Barbara stood up and said it was delicious to Iris, who had just brought Al's breakfast, before leaving. Al silently accepted his breakfast, feeling something nagging at him as he started to eat the black bread.

"Mr. Al, is something bothering you?"

Iris, noticing Al's state, spoke up. By now, Al was the only one left eating in the dining room.

"Huh? No, nothing. I just got a new job. It looks like I'll be working at the lord's mansion starting the day after tomorrow."

Hearing about the lord's mansion, Iris's eyes widened. She seemed to think that working there was a significant promotion.

"Wait, are you quitting as an adventurer? Are you leaving here?"

Al hurriedly shook his head. They had just talked about free lodging in exchange for light spells yesterday.

"I'll hear more details from someone named Lord Radyard the day after tomorrow. It's just a temporary job."

Iris seemed relieved by Al's explanation.

"By the way, while you were out, a man named Marcus came. When I told him you wouldn't be back for a while, he just said, 'I see,' and left."

Marcus? When Al asked what he looked like, Iris described a man slightly taller than Al, wearing a black robe. The black robe reminded Al of an apprentice magician from Eric's place. He had forgotten about it, but he was supposed to see the *Book of Spells* at Eric's place. He hadn't completely forgotten, but he had prioritized learning some new spells.

"I should go there too..."

From yesterday's situation, it seemed Orson wouldn't be working today. Al decided to go to Eric's place and started eating the remaining breakfast quickly.

August 23, 2024: I mistakenly wrote Marcus and Lucas as twins. I will correct this.

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