Chapter 49

When Riccardo returned to Emilia's workshop, Bernardo and Emilia were chatting. Riccardo asked the two if they knew anything about the Merzario Guild, and they informed him that it was a disreputable merchant who dealt in magical items. "You should be careful with Merzario. I've heard he's quite a tricky one," Bernardo said, frowning at the mention of Merzario's name, suggesting that he was involved in some rather shady business. "Could it be related to the theft of the motorized scooter?" Emilia asked Riccardo. "I think it probably is, but we don't have any evidence," Riccardo replied. After some deep thought, Bernardo spoke up. "If he deals in magical items, I think he might own one or two magical workshops." Emilia, the owner of a magical workshop, agreed. Emilia's workshop is independent, but many workshops are affiliated with guilds. "If the motorized scooter was brought in, it would likely be to one of those workshops," Emilia predicted. Hearing this, Bernardo said, "I'll investigate. With a bit of research, I can quickly find out which workshops are connected to the Merzario Guild." "Thank you," Riccardo said, grateful to Bernardo, and began to consider what to do if they found it. "Maybe it's best to leave it to General Samuele," Emilia suggested, naming one of their backers, General Samuele. "But if we're wrong, it could be awkward," Riccardo replied.

The next day, after Antonio received the healing magic, Riccardo left home. Antonio's body seemed to be recovering and would likely be back to normal after a day's rest. Today, Riccardo was not wearing a mage's robe but dressed like an ordinary child. However, the difference was the presence of Monta in his shoulder bag. Riccardo went to the Merzario Guild and investigated the area, looking for a suitable spot for surveillance. Across from the Merzario Guild was a tea house, a shop that served tea and pastries, similar to a café.

Riccardo entered the tea house, sat by the window, and ordered tea. The female server looked at him strangely for a child ordering tea alone, but she didn't kick him out because his clothes were quite expensive. Riccardo ordered three cups of tea and spent about two hours surveilling the Merzario Guild. By this time, he was starting to regret his decision to stake out. Maybe it would have been better to leave it to the guard.

"Hey, is that the guild master Merzario?" A well-dressed middle-aged man came out of the Merzario Guild, and the staff seemed to be seeing him off, so he was likely the guild master. Riccardo left the tea house and started to tail Merzario. The man entered a noble's mansion near the Veyzel Castle. The crest on the gate belonged to the Duke of Melvis. "So the guild master has a connection with the Duke of Melvis. This is going to be tricky," Riccardo thought.

In the Kingdom of Romanus, it is said that there are three kings. Of course, the first is King Althibard. However, the power of the royal family, which has passed its prime, has declined, making it difficult for the king to issue orders to the nobles who hold territories. The second is the Duke of Melvis, who holds vast territories in the east. He has a military force comparable to the capital's army and exercises great control over the eastern nobles, earning him the title of the Queen of the East. The third is the Duke of Octavius, who holds vast territories in the north. Known as the King of Northern Trade, the Duke of Octavius has strong ties with the neighboring Republic of Tridore and conducts large-scale trade, amassing vast wealth.

Given that the Merzario Guild, which has a connection with the Duke of Melvis, who rivals the king in power, is involved, Riccardo needs to proceed with caution. "There's no choice. I'll have to ask General Samuele," Riccardo thought, becoming more cautious due to the unexpected big catch.

Meanwhile, Merzario, who entered the Duke of Melvis's mansion, met with Alberto, the duke's mage. Although Merzario had no prior acquaintance with the duke, he had once worked with Alberto and was an old acquaintance. Merzario was led to the reception room, sat on a sofa covered in beast fur, and faced Alberto, one of the senior mages. "What brings you here?" Alberto, a slender mage in his late thirties, asked with a gentle expression. "Actually, I accidentally obtained a magical item and had it investigated by one of our subcontracted workshops. However, the core component had a protective measure, and the investigation stalled," Merzario explained. Alberto smiled faintly. "I see, so you want me to remove the protective measure?" "Yes, Alberto, you are an expert in factor letters. Could you help me with this?" Alberto had successfully investigated and restored several ancient magical items excavated from the magic realm. Knowing this, Merzario had previously asked him to remove a protective measure on a magical item. "Hmm, what kind of magical item is it?" Merzario hesitated. "Will you take the job? If not, I can't tell you." Alberto frowned and glared at Merzario. "If you don't trust me, then leave." "No, I do trust you," Merzario replied hastily, then thought for a moment. "The magical item I obtained is called a motorized scooter." Alberto looked surprised for a moment. "So, you have the motorized scooter that was stolen?" The senior mage's eyes turned sharp. "I assure you, I did not steal it. It was entrusted to me by a noble." Although Merzario was not trustworthy, Alberto, who was interested in the motorized scooter, accepted the job.

Riccardo, while chatting with Monta, was keeping an eye on the duke's mansion. As time passed and Merzario did not come out, he decided to return home. "Surveillance is a tough job," he said. "Mokukyu, Kyukyukya" (Monta: Shall I go in and check?) "I was going to ask you to check if Merzario went to the workshop, but there are too many guards here," Riccardo replied. "Kyukya" (I see).

After walking for about five minutes, Riccardo saw a crowd ahead. Approaching to see what was happening, he found a group of rough-looking men fighting. In the capital, fights involving weapons are cracked down on by the guard, so most fights are fistfights. About six men were fighting. Riccardo noticed that none of them used kicks, only body checks and throws. "Maybe kicks would be effective," Riccardo thought, considering teaching Antonio some kicking techniques to make him stronger.

When Riccardo returned home, Serge came running up and hugged him like a tackle. "Riccardo, a messenger from Bernardo came. He wants you to go to the shop." "I see. I'll go later," Riccardo replied. First, he needed to eat as he was hungry. His mother, Julia, was selling Chinese buns, and Beata, who worked with her, was preparing lunch for everyone. As the Chinese bun business grew, the participating housewives found it difficult to prepare meals for their families. They discussed and decided to take turns preparing meals, so everyone would eat the same thing for lunch.

"Beata, what's for lunch today?" "Oh, Riccardo, you're back. Today we have duck meat and vegetable stew with boiled beans." In this country, many farmers raise ducks rather than chickens, making duck meat more affordable.

After lunch, Riccardo went to Bernardo's shop. Bernardo was waiting and greeted him with a smile. "I found out where Merzario's workshop is." "Where is it?" "He owns two workshops, but the one near the port and the market seems suspicious." The other workshop, located near the market, was in a busy area, so it was ruled out. After hearing the details from Bernardo, Riccardo headed to the workshop.

The target workshop was in an area with many small workshops. It was slightly larger and more dilapidated than the others, surrounded by a two-meter-high wall, making it impossible to see inside. Riccardo looked around to make sure no one was around, then spoke to Monta in his shoulder bag. "Monta, go in and check if the motorized scooter is there." "Kyukya" (Understood). Monta jumped onto the wall and then onto the roof. Finding a small window near the ceiling with a broken grille, Monta entered. He moved along the beams between the pillars and peered down into the room. Two men were discussing the motorized scooter. "Damn, I can't figure it out. I understand the basic mechanism, but I can't figure out the role of the device connected to the left lever or the power source." They had disassembled the wooden parts and spent time investigating, but there were still parts they couldn't understand. "Even the master can't figure out some magical items. Emilia's workshop is amazing," the two men, a master and his apprentice, said. Monta, having confirmed the presence of the motorized scooter, was about to leave when the dust on the beam he moved fell onto the master's head. "What's this?" The master looked up and saw Monta. "Whoa, it's a big rat." "Kyukya" (I'm not a rat). Monta, angry, fled. Outside, Monta clung to Riccardo and complained. "Kyukye, Kyukye" (They called me a rat). Riccardo, not knowing what had happened, comforted Monta and asked about the inside. "Kyukya, Kyukya" (I found it. It was inside). Knowing that the motorized scooter was inside, Riccardo decided to inform General Samuele and have the guard take action.

The next day, the guard raided Merzario's workshop, arresting the master, the apprentice, Merzario, and Alberto. With the motorized scooter as evidence, they couldn't deny their involvement. The two mages, under questioning by the guard, admitted that the motorized scooter was brought in by the second son of the Donadelle Duke, Fargo. General Samuele moved to arrest Fargo, but he had disappeared from the Donadelle Duke's mansion. The general called Riccardo and explained the situation from Merzario's arrest to the escape of Fargo. "If the guard had acted faster, we could have caught Fargo, but it seems he fled to his territory." "What will happen to Merzario and the others?" "Their property will be confiscated, and they will be exiled from the capital. However, Alberto, the mage, was released as it seemed he was just coincidentally there." The royal family, not wanting to worsen relations with the Duke of Melvis, immediately released Alberto.

Meanwhile, Fargo, who narrowly escaped the guard, was drinking in a bar in the lower town near the First South Gate. His companions were the four ruffians who had attacked Antonio. "Damn, how did this happen?" Fargo didn't understand the concept of self-inflicted consequences. "It seems the inventor of the magical item asked General Samuele to have the guard take action." "What? Just a mage?" Fargo started cursing Riccardo. One of the ruffians, Boys, asked, "What will you do now, Fargo?" "My father ordered me to stay in the territory until things cool down." "So, you're going back to the territory?" "No, I can't just go back. I need to get back at that brat Riccardo." "But he's a mage." "So am I." "That's right." "Yes, you can help me. My father gave me plenty of travel money, so the reward will be good." "Sounds good." That night, Fargo, drunk on cheap alcohol, continued to cause a disturbance in the bar.

The day after, Riccardo was heading to the breeding grounds through the Second South Gate. As he turned towards the sea, he noticed five men lying in wait. The situation was exactly the same as when Antonio was attacked, so he knew who was behind it. He glared at the man dressed like a mage. "Are you Fargo?" "Yes, you figured it out." "What do you want?" "It's obvious. I need to get back at you." "What are you talking about? Your group injured my brother first." "So what? It's just a commoner." Hearing this, Riccardo's anger flared. "Stop this nonsense." "Nonsense? You little brat... I need to make you pay. I'll kill you and burn down your house." Riccardo thought of Serge, Pamela, and Julia, and felt a burning rage. His eyes turned those of a vengeful person.

Fargo, with a thin smile, ordered his men. "Take him down, but don't kill him. I want to finish him off." The four ruffians, without drawing their swords, surrounded Riccardo with clubs. Riccardo drew the Death Oprode from his back. As he channeled magic into the Death Oprode, which had beautiful snow patterns, it began to vibrate. "What's that?" Fargo squinted at the Death Oprode. Riccardo, without answering, struck the ruffian behind him. The ruffian tried to block with his club, but the powerful rod shattered it and embedded itself in his head, destroying his brain and killing him.

"You did it." The ruffians attacked one after another. Riccardo dodged and swung the Death Oprode. The rod's power was extraordinary. When it hit the ruffians, their flesh exploded and large chunks were torn out. The last remaining ruffian, Boys, called for help. "Fargo, what are you doing? Use your magic!" Fargo, panicking, drew a magic rod. Boys, discarding his club, drew his sword. Riccardo, looking at Boys with cold eyes, drew his magic gun from its holster and slowly aimed it at Boys, pulling the trigger. The shockwave from the magic gun hit Boys' chest, shredding his heart. Boys fell to the ground, bleeding from his mouth, like a rotten log.

Fargo, pale and on the verge of tears, was trying to draw a catalyst but his hands were shaking, making it difficult. "You said you would burn down my house." Riccardo's voice was cold, sending shivers down the spine of anyone who heard it. "Ahh!" Terrified, Fargo, unable to think clearly, tried to hit Riccardo with his magic rod. Riccardo pulled the trigger of his magic gun again. The shockwave hit Fargo's head, scrambling his brain. Fargo fell to the ground, eyes rolled back, and blood streaming from his nose.