Chapter 12

"You've improved without me noticing, brat."

While listening to Grandpa Richard's voice, I washed my face in the quietened tavern. The customers had left, and only those staying in private rooms and those sprawled on tables and the floor remained.

Naturally, I was one of the latter.

"It's not like that. I didn't win in the end, did I?"

Enduring the small, piercing pain, I carefully removed the fragments of the blade embedded in my face. Whenever blades clashed in battle, such wounds were inevitable. They were called scars, weren't they? This time, it was especially bad because the knife broke right in front of me.

"A draw is still good. Even though she's just an apprentice, that girl is a knight. And while the Bardonic family name isn't great, her skills are said to be quite formidable. Not bad at all."

The match ended in a draw. My knife was at Celia Bardonic's throat, and her longsword was at my shoulder, when the signal to stop was given. If it had continued, who knows what would have happened.

I might have just torn the skin, or I might have had my shoulder crushed before that. Both possibilities were very real. But Celia Bardonic seemed to accept the outcome, with a strange smile on her face, saying, "Let's leave it at that," and she walked out of the tavern with a confident stride. Perhaps, in her own way, she found the draw acceptable. If so, it was more than a satisfactory result for me.

However, what welled up inside me was more a sense of unease and strangeness than the excitement of the match.

"Ah, wonderful. Even without parents, children grow up. You've been improving without me noticing."

I turned my gaze to Grandpa Richard, who was oddly praising me.

It was hard to believe that this ruthless old man would praise someone without an ulterior motive. There was definitely something behind it. In fact, he seemed to be trying to make me realize it. If he was really up to no good and trying to deceive me, I was probably already in a trap without realizing it.

"...Grandpa, you're still active, aren't you? I think it's not good to rely too much on others."

After washing my face, I took the initiative and responded. Grandpa's body had aged, his beard and hair had turned white, and his physique might not be as impressive as when he was in his prime. But his well-built muscles and hawk-like eyes gave him an indescribable presence. I didn't know much about his past, but I had heard that he was once a famous adventurer and even involved in national affairs. Of course, I only heard these stories in the tavern.

Hearing my words, Grandpa Richard grinned, showing his teeth, and patted my back.

"You're starting to understand, Louis... But don't worry, it's not a strange job. Besides, I'm not sure if you're really ready for it yet."

My eyebrows twitched at his words.

"Does that mean if you decide I'm ready, you'll give me better jobs, Grandpa?"

"Really, you're getting sharper. You're a completely different brat from before."

Narrowing his eyes cunningly and showing his teeth, he looked every bit the ruthless man. He didn't look like a good person at all. Normally, I wouldn't trust someone like him.

But if I wanted to aim higher, I had to learn from this man. I believed that Grandpa Richard was the best choice.

"So, what do I need to do? I'm determined to become a successful adventurer. I'm willing to cross dangerous bridges to be recognized."

Grandpa Richard stroked his chin lightly and distorted his eyes for a moment, as if sizing me up or pondering something. After a brief pause, he said in a still sharp voice, despite his age.

"It's a simple job. If you succeed, I'll talk to the guild master. Let me explain the details—"

*

I left the capital, already starting to doubt whether I should trust that old man.

"Hey, are you done yet? I'm bored. Tell me something interesting."

"Should I tell you that the woman next to me is arrogant?"

I dodged the backhand that came flying at me by turning my head. This woman's behavior hasn't changed, and it probably never will. The low voice of the driver saying, "Please don't move, sir," echoed.

The job itself was indeed simple. Deliver a sealed letter and supplies to the Coriden Fort in the western border. I wasn't supposed to look at the contents or investigate them. Just deliver them.

Indeed, it could be a good job to test my trustworthiness. Honestly, I had never had the chance to handle a sealed letter before, so I felt a strange sense of excitement. The conditions were also good. The guild was even paying for the carriage. In a sense, I could complete the job just by being shaken around. I had some concerns, but I had never encountered such an easy job.

The only complaint was one point. Why was this woman—Celia Bardonic—accompanying me? She was a knight, after all. Why was she involved in a guild job?

"There's a reason, but I can't tell you. Generally, the knights have the right to intervene in guild jobs, so there's no reason to complain—well, it's a boring job, but I'm on probation, so think of me as a supervisor. If you make any mistakes, I'll report them."

I glanced at Celia Bardonic, who was grinning with a raised cheek, and looked at the sealed letter.

In this country, only nobles or those of equivalent status can seal letters. This means the letter is an order or instruction from a higher authority to the Coriden Fort. Indeed, it wouldn't be strange for one or two supervisors to be present for such a job. However, the selection of personnel was a bit difficult to understand.

However, such tasks are usually handled by official messengers or fast horses. There must be a reason why this isn't the case. While it's all speculation, it might be related to her presence.

Narrowing my eyes, I yawned lightly and took a fruit from the cargo. It was a red, juicy fruit. It would probably be quite expensive if bought at the market. When I bit into it, the red juice spread in my mouth.

On one hand, I suspected there might be something significant about this request, but on the other hand, I wondered if it was nothing important. After all, the one who accepted the job was a novice adventurer, and the supervisor was a probationary knight.

I didn't think such an important letter would be entrusted to me. At most, it was probably just a routine dispatch.

I let the letter flutter in my hand, staring at the seal as if trying to guess the true purpose of the request, without getting bored.