Chapter 46

Eugene was truly delighted to meet Noah again.

Noah, whom he met again at the magic guild, welcomed Eugene with his unchanged smile.

Seeing Noah safe and sound reassured Eugene, and the fact that he could work under Noah again made him happier than anything else.

There were so many things Eugene wanted to tell Noah.

How worried he and Noah’s acquaintances had been when they heard from a bard that Noah had been injured.

What the guild had been like after Noah’s disappearance.

How Musse and Marie were doing. Oh, and how he wanted to tell Noah about how Emma, the head of the department, had resigned to get married and returned to her hometown.

Seeing Eugene, who was struggling to put his many things to say into words, Noah smiled wryly and calmed him down.

Eugene liked Noah’s smile, which seemed a bit troubled.

He could work under Noah again.

He had come all the way to the capital. There would be plenty of time to talk.

For now, he would try his best to be of use to Noah, thinking of it as his mission.

Eugene steeled himself and gazed at Noah’s profile as he talked with Rava about the future.

Eugene had met Noah when he had suffered a major injury to his leg, losing his lifeline as an adventurer.

His hometown friends, who had included him in their party out of pity, had kicked him out and abandoned him when he could no longer move despite his skills.

Generally, both parties had to agree to remove a member, but Eugene had not resisted.

He had been included in the party out of pity from the beginning.

Since he had become a burden, it was inevitable, and Eugene had resigned himself to it.

The village where Eugene was born was poor, and it was common for young people to go to big cities to work.

Eugene had no strength. He had no money, so he could not afford proper equipment, and he could not use elemental magic.

However, being an adventurer was Eugene’s dream.

It could be said to be the dream of all the young people in the village.

He understood that it was high-risk, high-reward.

Still, Eugene had believed that being an adventurer was the only way for him to earn money.

The only thing the timid Eugene had was the skill to detect danger.

In the end, Eugene suffered a major injury to his leg without fully utilizing his skill.

Living in the city of Albus required money.

He could not receive proper treatment or find a decent job.

Eugene had been barely getting by by picking up scraps from the garbage dump and selling them to suspicious stalls for a little money.

Such a life, as expected, did not last long.

Abandoned by his comrades, unable to return to his village, and with his money running out, Eugene’s untreated leg condition worsened, and he was on the verge of dying on the streets.

The day Eugene met Noah, he had made a decision.

The pendant he had always carried with him.

It had a rare stone embedded in it.

There was a small crack in the gem. It had appeared at some point, and Eugene was very disappointed.

This pendant was a charm given to Eugene by his grandmother.

Eugene’s beloved grandmother, who had always been kind to him.

When Eugene said he wanted to be an adventurer and was laughed at by his family, only his grandmother had not laughed and had supported him, giving him this charm.

He had never intended to sell it, but there was no other choice now.

He would sell the pendant and return to his village in shame.

Eugene decided to go to the guild’s item appraisal office one last time.

He had considered selling it at a stall or to a gem merchant, but he would be underpaid either way.

He wanted someone who could determine its true value to look at it, even if just once.

The person who looked at the pendant at the guild was Noah.

Noah seemed to remember Eugene, a guild user.

He had been worried about Eugene, who had not been seen for a while.

Eugene’s pendant was a magic item and had some value.

“I think this pendant must have saved your life.”

Noah said that the crack in the gem was proof that it had protected its owner.

Eugene cried, thinking of his grandmother.

He did not want to sell the pendant. What should he do?

While Eugene stood there with a troubled look, Noah nodded.

“I’ll buy this pendant for two silver coins.”

Eugene involuntarily looked up.

Two silver coins would allow him to live comfortably for three months. Tempted by the money, his resolve to not sell it wavered.

“I’ll keep it for a while. If you want to buy it back, you can do so for the same amount, two silver coins. You’re looking for work, right?”

“Eh, eh...?”

Confused, Eugene listened as Noah, with a troubled but kind smile, continued slowly.

“I happen to be looking for an assistant. Would you like to work with me at the item appraisal office?”

He added that Eugene would not be a full-time employee right away but would be paid.

“Yes, um, please...!”

Eugene nodded, feeling a sense of relief for some reason, though he did not fully understand what was happening.

His intuition told him that this person was safe and would not do anything bad.

Eugene’s judgment was correct.

Noah took care of Eugene for the time being.

He paid for Eugene’s leg treatment and even became his sponsor when they signed a temporary contract at the guild.

Eugene worked as Noah’s assistant, performing various tasks and learning at the item appraisal office with Musse and Marie.

After six months, Eugene had saved two silver coins.

Noah returned the pendant to Eugene without taking any interest.

“Noah, this way, you’re not getting anything out of it.”

“You’re a great assistant, and I’m paying you a low salary, so it’s fine, isn’t it?”

Eugene did not mind being taken advantage of, but he could not accept it.

When Eugene persisted, Noah said,

“Then, if I ever have to go somewhere dangerous, will you lend me your pendant?”

“Of course! Whenever you need it!”

Noah had lifted him up despite thinking of himself as clumsy, timid, and useless.

If the pendant protected its owner again, the gem would break and lose its magic power.

But Eugene thought it would be worth it for Noah.

After Noah left for the capital,

Eugene finally obtained the appraiser skill and was living a fulfilling life.

When the bard brought the bad news, Eugene was deeply shaken.

Noah, who was a relative of the Lion King and treated everyone, regardless of race or profession, as human beings, was well-known in Albus for good reasons.

Since many beast people lived in Albus, Eugene had heard them talking about Noah and found out what had happened to him.

The bards were singing about Noah as a hero from town to town.

Eugene regretted not giving Noah the pendant.

When the guild received a request from the capital, Eugene jumped at the opportunity without hesitation.

When he arrived in the capital and heard the explanation about Noah’s special skill, Eugene accepted it without resistance.

It made sense that Noah would have such abilities. In fact, he was convinced.

He was here thanks to those abilities.

Eugene quietly watched Noah converse with the gathered appraisers.

He could not afford to lose. He would be of more use to Noah than anyone else here.

And if something happened, he would give Noah the pendant this time.

Noah turned to Eugene again.

“Eugene, it’s good to have you.”

“Of course! Please teach me many things again.”

Eugene gripped Noah’s hand tightly, filled with determination.

2015/01/12 Revised