Chapter 83

The man was visibly in a bad mood. He walked through the center of town with a heavy tread, his brows furrowed and his hands jammed deep into his pockets. He looked so menacing that every passerby gave him a wide berth, terrified.

He had been arrogant yesterday, too, but it was a haughty kind of arrogance that came from a sense of security. The reason his mood had soured into this foul temper was entirely due to a certain young man he had encountered that morning.

“Tch… I can’t believe there’s a knight wandering around who actually knows the real Varna. The stars are misaligned—my luck is just god-awful.”

Bad luck—it meant he had coincidentally been spotted by someone who knew the face of the strongest knight in the country. Anyone familiar with the situation would tilt their head in confusion, thinking, “What kind of idiot is he?” After all, knights in this kingdom were guaranteed to see Varna’s face either at the Imperial Matches or at their workplace, making it harder to find a knight who didn’t know him.

However, for some reason, the man didn’t seem to know that. They say con artists are often highly intelligent criminals, but his plan seemed to have flaws scattered all over it. Primarily, the fact that he hadn’t noticed the town was already crawling with knights, or that he was committing a crime of far greater magnitude than he realized.

Perhaps his irritation had dulled his perception and thinking, for the sloppy, ill-tempered scoundrel didn’t notice the staggering drunkard approaching from the front until they collided. Unable to suppress the thug mentality ingrained in his roots, a curse flew out of his mouth with surprising smoothness.

“Watch where you’re going, you drunken piece of trash!!”

“Hic… you’re breaking this old man’s heart with such cruel words to his senior in life♪ But you know? You’re also at fault for not watching where you’re going, aren’t you? Let’s be gentle with the drunks! Repeat after me!”

“……Are you looking to get killed, huh? Why would I, someone who owns the road, have to care about commoner scum like you…?”

Consumed by irritation and now lashing out with raw hostility, the man grabbed the drunkard’s shoulder. However, contrary to the force he exerted, the drunkard’s shoulder didn’t budge. It was as if he were pushing against a stone wall.

Ignoring the man’s confusion, the drunkard didn’t show a hint of worry. He just grinned, leaned in slowly, and whispered in a clinging, syrupy tone.

“Oh? Does that mean you’re going to hit me? That’s scary… these young punks these days, bullying old folks with violence right away… if you do something that scary, this old man might—just have to draw his steel♪”

Outside of his field of vision, he heard the faint sound of metal clicking against metal.

What was that sound? The man’s gaze dropped to the drunkard’s waist, and he froze in horror as he realized the source.

“A-a sword…!!”

Regardless of whether they were a drunk or not, the only people permitted to carry swords in this country were knights. Once again, the person the man had picked a fight with was a knight. The drunkard grinned.

“What are you going to do, youngster?”

“H-ha! That’s my line, you stumbling drunk! I have a sword, too!! It’s obvious who wins if a wobbly-legged fool fights a sober, ‘strongest’ guy like me, isn’t it!?”

“The… strongest?”

“That’s right! I am the strongest of the Pig-Hunt Knights, the strongest ‘Sword Emperor’ Varna-sama in this entire country!!”

“………”

The drunkard dropped his smirk and fell silent.

It can’t be helped, the man thought, nodding inwardly and feeling relieved.

He hadn’t expected to pick a fight with a knight twice in one day, but he was lucky that his opponent was just a weak-looking, elderly, drunken knight.

Most likely, this man had also threatened others using his status as a knight, but knight-versus-knight, you couldn’t just draw your sword so easily. Private duels between knights were strictly forbidden, and he stood no chance in a fight against this man while stumbling about. He gave up on getting revenge on this irritating drunkard, but he figured he could satisfy his own ego and end the matter peacefully.

“But, you know, I’m a generous guy, so if you just say you’re sorry, I might let you go…”

“Try drawing your sword.”

“Huh?”

“I said, draw it. Let’s see if you can handle the sharpest blade this old man has.”

As if it were nothing—as if he were giving guidance to a junior—the drunkard kept that smug grin and reached for his sword. His flushed, alcohol-soaked face remained the same, but his footing shifted into a solid stance, making his earlier stumbling look like a total lie.

The man didn’t grasp the situation for a second, but then his blood ran cold as he hit upon the worst possible conclusion. If only he had realized sooner, he wouldn’t have picked this fight; he had poked the hornet’s nest.

(No way—has the lie been exposed!? That’s ridiculous! Does this mean people from Varna’s actual order are on vacation in this town!? Are they on a business trip!?)

He didn’t know this either, but since the Royal Foreign Hazardous Species Countermeasures Knights were busy exterminating Orcs all over the country, no one could track their routes and schedules unless they were in the order. It seemed he had only been aware that the knight order had left the Royal Capital.

Furthermore, he had used two forms of address the real Varna would never use. One was the derogatory nickname “Pig-Hunt Knights,” and the other was the title “Sword Emperor,” which Varna himself had rejected, saying it was too cheesy. If the real Varna were watching from the sidelines, he would have covered his face, thinking, “This is too embarrassing to watch.”

Regardless, the man’s response upon reaching that realization was lightning fast.

“Ha! I’m not going to draw my sword against a drunkard like you and risk scratching it! My sword is a top-of-the-line Tatar-brand, imported from overseas! Ah, I’m an idiot for getting tangled up with a booze-smelling geezer. You’re not even worth the effort of me identifying myself!!”

Exclaiming his justifications while firing off excuses for his escape, the man forcibly cut the conversation short, turned on his heel, and stalked away—perhaps a little faster than a walk—leaving the scene.

It was sloppy, but in a way, it was a magnificent escape.

(Damn it, damn it, damn it!! What an unlucky day!! I hope there aren’t any other knights wandering around in plain clothes…! Fine, I’ll head back to the hideout and try again tomorrow!!)

When tomorrow comes, the flow of luck will change.

The key to attracting luck is believing that luck is coming.

At least, that was how he had lived his life until now.

The drunken knight who had watched the scammer leave—his name was Rock—waved happily, intending to reach for the booze in his coat, but thought better of it, saying, “Oops, can’t do that.”

“I went through all the trouble of swiping the ‘source of the scent’ from fake Varna-kun’s pocket, I can’t have the pursuit professionals complaining that I smell like booze later… hm, I’m already drunk, so is it too late?”

With a chuckle, Rock twirled the stolen keys around his finger, tossed them into the air, and caught them as he slid them into his pouch. With this, he had gained a massive advantage: he could have their new secret weapon, the familiar ‘Pro,’ track the scent.

The fake Varna didn’t know yet.

That his precious personal belongings had been secretly stolen.

The fake Varna didn’t know yet.

That even though his options for escape were narrowing, his survival rate was somehow rising.

“Still, between his way of speaking and falling so easily for a threat, he looks nothing like the real deal… And besides, a poor guy like Varna-kun would never own a high-end Tatar-brand sword from overseas.”

Shrugging with a tone full of exasperation, the drunkard walked back toward the motive carriage… or at least, that was the plan, but his heart was more fickle than an autumn sky.

“Oh? I see a Royal Capital-style beauty over there! Haaay, miss, want to grab some tea? I’m a knight, so how about some tea?”

“Ugh, a weird drunkard came up to me!? The intonation is strange and the way he’s hitting on me is so old-fashioned! Where’s this bumpkin from!?”

The city woman screamed and fled, and the drunk, harassing knight chased after her.

It seemed it would be a while yet before he carried that important item back to the motive carriage.

Now that I think about it, the island nation of the Kingdom is quite large.

It’s too small to be called a continent, but it’s quite big for an island.

The Royal Capital alone is the size of a small country, and the other major cities are significant, too.

That was true for Calypso, where we were currently stationed, and even with the knight order and the familiars, it was impossible for us to cover the entire town in less than a day. So, that day, I spent my time grasping the full layout of the town while walking around the stalls with Sedona.

I wasn’t playing around. And this was definitely not a date.

If someone were to tease me that a man and a woman walking around town together is a date, it would be a bit painful to hear, but this was purely an act of efficiency. Incidentally, when it came to paying for the food, I was subtly told, “Va—oh, I mean, it’s fine if Orcus-kun doesn’t pay!” The indirect nature of that was, if anything, more hurtful.

When I said I actually had enough money to pay for the stalls, I was told with brutal honesty, “But your salary is low, right?” It was so blunt that it hurt in a normal, everyday way. Please, for the love of everything, don’t look at the kingdom’s strongest knight being treated to food out of genuine pity by his own classmate. It’s too pathetic.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. Varna-kun is Orcus-kun right now, so it’s Orcus-kun who’s being taken care of, right?”

“No, it’s fine… I feel empty even when you try to follow up like that, and honestly, I’m used to it.”

“You have that same sad face as my papa when he forgave me for breaking his prized glass trophy while playing…”

I think that readiness to forgive is exactly why Sedona’s father is such a doting parent. According to Sedona, he doesn’t get angry when she does something wrong; instead, he looks at her with such sad eyes that it makes the person watching feel miserable, and in the end, she always ends up apologizing herself. In a sense, he’s a terrifying adult.

But I digress. After touring the town, we parted ways to check what information our respective knight orders had gathered before regrouping. The meeting place was a small inn located below the tavern where Koruka-san worked. It seemed the tavern master also ran this place, so we had been given special permission to rent a room.

There were many reasons for choosing this location, but the biggest was the information we’d heard when talking to Koruka-san and the others at the tavern: “The fake Varna keeps returning to the same shops.” There was a risk that he might stop coming if he got suspicious of the knights’ presence, but one couldn’t say the opposite was impossible. Since the content was something we couldn’t discuss in a place where we’d be easily seen, this place was a godsend.

“So, how did the investigation with the Holy Shield Knights go?”

“Yeah. We’ve been checking on people who have been frequently spotted in town lately or those who suddenly started spending money recklessly, but we haven’t found any decisive information yet. However, we are certain he entered this town, so we’re checking the entrances and exits. He’s in a position where he can’t escape the town…”

“I see… We have to ensure he’s secured without alerting those around us.”

“Exactly. It’ll be too late once the opportunity is gone.”

Sedona rested her chin on her fingers, her gaze serious. She, too, was a fine knight who executed the justice of this land. That expression was unimaginable compared to the childlike figure who had been going “Boo!” earlier, despite being a grown adult. Or perhaps, that childlike face was the rarity.

Still, it seemed that even the Holy Shield Knights hadn’t managed to capture the imposter in a single day. However, I have to give them credit for efficiently sealing off the exits. The possibility of him escaping had decreased, but at the same time, the probability of that man being captured publicly had increased, so I couldn’t just be happy. If the Holy Shield Knights captured him first, what awaited the culprit was almost certainly a noose.

“And what about Varna-kun’s side?”

“It seems one of my seniors happened to make contact with the target.”

“Eh!? You already have a lead on his face…”

I assumed she meant his attitude rather than his face, but that wasn’t the important part, so I let it slide.

What was important was that they had managed to swipe his personal belongings during that encounter.

“Our knight order has a wolf familiar—a ‘Pro’—who is an expert at tracking scents. I’m going to let him sniff the key ring I swiped from the target, and we’ll track his location. If all goes well, we should find him by the end of the day.”

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear the petty crime you casually threw in there, but ‘Pro’ is too excellent… Say, this is a consultation, but would your knight order consider lending us one? That’s the exact ability our order is looking for!”

“That depends on the mood of the Professor who provides the familiars. Why don’t you try asking Professor Linda?”

I added that I doubted the eccentric professor, who currently only had Caliban as a disciple, would simply nod and agree, and Sedona puffed out her cheeks, flapping her hands and feet while whining, “That’s not fair! I want one for our knight order too!” Fine, fine. They are the rising stars of our order, after all.

“Ah, man, that’s so nice… Oh, right! Actually, I have one personal favor to ask of Varna-kun!”

“Eh? A favor? Is it related to the mission?”

“Nope, it’s a personal request—since we’re finally on a trip, this is something I absolutely had to do at least once!”

Saying that, Sedona blushed slightly and smiled shyly.

Several minutes later.

“Take that! Hahahaha, too slow!”

“Whoa!? S-Sedona-chan, you’re surprisingly strong!?”

“Man, this really takes me back to my childhood—hmph!? Wait, Orcus-sama!? Could you not aim for the face!?”

“My bad, it’s hard to control…”

What was taking place was—a pillow fight tournament. The participants were me, Sedona, Koruka-san, and the master. Sedona was tossing the inn’s oversized pillows with a look of pure, unadulterated joy.

According to her, this was her first time at an inn. And she’d wanted to try this at least once, even if only with a small group. It was hard to turn her down when she put it like that, so I’d begged the master to let us use the linen room as an ad-hoc battlefield, and with Koruka-san joining in, the all-out brawl began.

“White silk dancing through the air! Strong, noble, and gentle upon impact… a duel that is the most peaceful in the world and hurts no one! That is what a pillow fight is!”

“That is absolutely not the kind of high-minded game it is! Wait, whoa!? I’m being focused!?”

“Orcus-san is too strong! Master, now’s the time!”

“Take this, my finishing move! Aaaaaa—”

“Ah, a perfect counter-pillow to the master’s face!?”

“My bad, my hand slipped again…”

—It’s a secret that since this was my first pillow fight, I got surprisingly carried away, too. I wish I could just throw away my real-world worries along with the pillows, but that sounded so hollow that I stopped thinking about it immediately.