Chapter 72

"Apparently, you had a terrible experience the other day."

In the guild's reception room, Reda returned Mirette's wry smile with one of her own. The scandalous events that occurred at the inn the other day, involving the merchant Munsar's disgraceful behavior and his shocking act of cursing the lord's sister Valerie, had quickly spread throughout the town.

"Munsar has been transferred to the capital, it seems."

"Huh? Wasn't Lady Tida going to judge him?"

"Yes, given the nature of the crime. Cursing the lord's family is already a terrible act, but he also set fire to a noble's mansion. Moreover, he confessed to quite a few other crimes."

"He really did as he pleased, didn't he?"

"It seems so. He was also involved in quite a bit of mischief in the capital, and I hear they will judge him for all of it together."

"What will happen to him, then?"

"Most likely, he will be sentenced to death. There's no other possibility, I think."

Hearing about the death penalty makes me feel uneasy.

Of course, I don't sympathize with Munsar or feel sorry for him.

I just think it's too simple to end it all with death.

"Well, he set fire to a noble's mansion and severely burned Lady Valerie. That alone is a serious crime."

"For the nobles, it's an unforgivable act. They will likely execute him immediately after the verdict to set an example. His property will probably be confiscated, and his relatives will also face some form of punishment."

"He really did something that can't be undone. I hope he regrets it."

Perhaps, if he had been judged by Tida in Amrus, he might have survived.

But I don't sympathize with someone who has committed such evil deeds. He brought it upon himself.

"Indeed. Even in this small town, it has caused quite a stir."

"Really?"

"Yes. No one wants to be noticed by the lord, so no one goes near Munsar's shop."

"…I don't think Lady Tida would do anything just because someone used Munsar's shop."

"Of course, the residents know that. Since you're new to the town, you might not know, but before Lady Valerie went into seclusion, she often interacted with the residents. Sadly, there are orphans in this town, and many people liked Lady Valerie for taking care of them. That's why they can't forgive Munsar. They don't want to go near his shop, either."

"Lady Valerie was well-loved, then."

"Absolutely! A year ago, there were plans to build an orphanage, but the talks broke down. We were surprised, but we didn't know she was so troubled."

The residents' ill feelings toward Munsar, who targeted the beloved Lady Valerie, are quite strong.

Regardless of his status as a noble, no one sympathizes with Munsar for causing severe burns and suffering to a young woman.

"By the way, what are the employees doing now that the shop is deserted?"

"Those who were close to Munsar and benefited from his misdeeds will be punished in turn. Some have already fled, and the guild is offering a bounty to catch them."

"I see."

"I think the Commercial Union will help the innocent ones find new jobs."

"That's good to hear."

The Commercial Union is like a guild for merchants.

It's more about information sharing, hiring employees, and transporting goods in collaboration with the guild.

Merchants generally belong to the Commercial Union.

"Anyway, I apologize for the long introduction, but a person who can appraise the dragon has finally arrived, and I was planning to introduce you to them."

"Oh, finally! It took longer than I expected."

"I apologize for the wait. We had been urging the capital, but it seems that merchants who wanted to not only appraise but also buy the dragon started competing for the job… In the end, we decided to appoint a trustworthy person from our guild."

A living dragon is feared as a disaster, but a dead one is nothing but a treasure.

If you can sell it to a collector, it will bring a considerable fortune.

It's no wonder the merchants are getting excited.

"I understand the merchants' feelings, but we have already begun interacting with the elves, and I felt it would be unfair to keep them waiting."

"Right, I remember Klaus met Lady Tida as the representative of the elves."

"Yes. I also had the chance to greet them, and I was excited to see the elves for the first time. They are much more like us than I imagined."

"That's how it is."

Klaus greeted the town when he arrived.

He brought his wife and son and planned to stay for a while.

Riggs and Tex have also agreed to have a drink with him, but recent events have prevented them from fulfilling the promise.

(…I'm worried that Hildegarde will be coming soon.)

It's nice that an elf warrior who seems to like me is coming to the town.

I genuinely want humans and elves to get along, and I wanted to talk more since we parted in a hurry last time.

However, I'm worried because she seems to be coming to marry me.

Reda, who was recognized as a friend by the elves, found out she was Hildegarde's husband.

(It will definitely lead to conflict. No doubt about it. Yes, it will definitely lead to conflict.)

Without specifying who, Reda could picture the moment when the elf's bow and her two knives clashed in her mind.

(…Well, it will be fine. Yes, it will be fine.)

For now, Reda decided to focus on the present rather than worry about the future.

Incidentally, this is called avoidance.