A Stuffed Cheonma in my Head - Chapter 208
Only Noblemtl
Episode 208. Escort Request
After defeating the Hydra army, we rested for a while.
Because rest is just as important as training.
Since there were no major injuries, I shook off Linda, who clung to me and offered to treat me, and just rested.
With just that, all the minor wounds were completely healed.
Because I have incredible resilience that I inherited from Cheonma.
[The more pure and deep your internal energy becomes, the better your body’s recovery ability becomes.]
“Oh, really?”
[It is only natural that the energy that circulates through the vessel called the body has become thicker and clearer.]
Well… that’s right.
In any case, this means that the resilience has improved compared to before.
I began to think that, even though he already had incredible resilience, he had now become virtually immortal.
I heard Cheonma snort. I guess that wasn’t it.
Anyway, while we were resting like that, the next destination was decided.
Milgad, the capital of the Kingdom of Maia.
The objective is to capture former Sherwood mercenaries.
The identity of that former mercenary was none other than the talkative Dauphin.
Everyone who knows him calls him the talking dauphin.
Because for an assassin who walks the night, he’s quite talkative.
He is said to be a successful assassin, and the man who preached the peculiar theory that the more you talk, the more skilled you are as an assassin is none other than Dauphin.
That eccentric Dauphin has his own special tactic, which is to give notice and then steal things.
[… … ? Why would you do that?]
“I don’t know either.”
What kind of idiot would do something like that, but that’s why he’s a thief.
A phantom thief is someone who easily commits outrageous acts that other people would never think of.
Like the guy walking next to me with his backpack on and bouncing around.
“… … .”
The phantom thief Shushuruta looked at me as if he sensed my gaze.
“What are you looking at?”
Since I had nothing to say, I just pushed his face with the palm of my hand.
Shushuruta hits my arm with a slap, then walks away slightly.
Anyway, back to the talking Dauphin.
He wanders around pretending to be a thief, usually committing two or three planned crimes, turning the area upside down, and then getting away before his tail gets caught.
I don’t know why they do such things. They say it’s a hobby or something. It’s hard to understand the thoughts of crazy people.
[That’s not for you to say.]
If that place is the capital, there’s a lot to plunder, so they’ll commit at least three and then leave.
There was a disturbance in Milgad, the capital of the Kingdom of Maia, so it is estimated that there are now two more crimes left.
Usually there is a gap between two or three announced crimes until things calm down a bit.
So, I have some leeway because I have a bad habit of waiting until the commotion dies down and things get quiet again before I explode again.
So I decided to just accept the platinum level evaluation results and leave for the capital.
So currently, I’m wandering the streets like a vagabond in broad daylight while waiting for the results of the examination.
Shushuruta followed her, saying he was bored, and Linda was lying in bed, sick from alcoholism. Mary was taking care of Linda.
… … Oh my. I drank all that poison, but I didn’t get poisoned, but instead got alcoholism?
Anyway, he’s a funny guy.
I was wandering the streets like a free-spirited bum without any particular purpose… Suddenly, I became curious and asked Shushuruta.
It was about the Eight Swords.
“Come to think of it, is there a Palgeomju here in Maia too?”
Shushuruta answered as if it was a given.
“Okay. One is for sure, maybe two.”
I stared blankly at Shushuruta.
“Didn’t you say before that you knew all of the nine great swords of Oposis and their owners?”
Shushuruta replied with a shameless face.
“They say they’ll catch him, so I have to convince them somehow. Is the truth that important? The truth can bend and warp at times.”
“… … You’re great.”
Anyway, it means that one person knows for sure.
“So, who are you?”
“I have heard that the Grand Duke of the North is the wielder of the sixth sword of Ophiuchus, the Azure Sword.”
[Hmm. The owner of the Azure Sword.]
It wasn’t someone I didn’t know.
Because it’s so famous.
I’ve seen it once.
… … I didn’t know he was the Eight Swordsman.
“Hmm. That gentleman?”
“Have you seen it?”
“Once from afar.”
When winter came and the monster wave came.
I had seen him from a distance as a commander when I went to participate in a punitive and defensive battle.
What can I say, he was a man like a white lion.
I didn’t really get to see them fight.
At that time, I was busy trying to find a way to survive against the endless stream of demons that rushed at me.
Instead, I know a little bit about it through rumors.
I heard that he was as strong as a general.
[Hoo.]
‘From what I understand…the two of you are pretty close?’
Scratched the ball.
I’m not sure. I think it’s one-sided.
“And one more thing?”
“The nine famous swords. The first of them all, the first famous sword created by Oposis, the Jet Black Sword.”
“… …Pitch-black sword?”
“It is also called the Black Iron Sword. I heard that it flowed into Maia, but… … I am not sure.”
Why is this not certain?
When asked, Shushuruta continued his explanation.
“This is the first famous sword. There are many fakes.”
“aha.”
“As there are many fakes going around, there are also many false rumors.”
So what I meant was that there is a lot of information, but it is difficult to find reliable information.
This means that rumors about the Black Sword have spread so widely that it is now impossible to know what is true.
“Information has become so widespread that it is now impossible to even know what the sword looks like. Some say it is a two-handed sword, some say it is an ordinary longsword, some say it is a dagger, and some say it is a greatsword.”
“hmm.”
“Other swords all have unique colors, but there are a lot of black swords. The environment where fakes are easy to proliferate may have also played a role.”
I thought for a moment and then asked.
“Is there a white sword among the nine great swords?”
“Yes. White Sword. Also called Pure White Sword.”
“Then there must be a lot of fakes out there?”
Shushuruta shook his head firmly.
“No, that’s not it.”
“Why?”
“Because the warrior of the Holy Empire Hilka is the clear owner of the White Sword.”
“oh…….”
Shushuruta looked at me with a bewildered expression.
“Didn’t you know?”
“I’m not really interested.”
Shushuruta clicked his tongue.
“Well done.”
“… … .”
I felt annoyed for some reason, so I hit him once and ran away.
“Ugh! Stand right there!”
“Will you stand?”
He ran away, the wind blowing.
I am a man who does his best even when running away.
“Profit! Why is it faster!”
“Because I have discovered the secret of the wind.”
As a result, he was caught by Shushuruta.
I felt relieved to be caught after running away for quite some time.
Padadak!
Of course, I had to give my shoulder to the guy’s sharp paws for a while.
* * *
When I came back from my walk with the stray cat, Mary came up to me.
“Uncle Ashvan. Sister Hud is coming up.”
“why?”
“I don’t know for sure. I think it’s because of work. A customer came while you were out.”
“Hmm. To tell the captain to go.”
Shushuruta tapped me on the shoulder and went up the stairs.
“Get up there quickly before Hudmilla scolds you.”
“… … .”
I stared blankly at the back of Shushuruta and asked Mary.
“I’m the captain, right?”
“Maybe?”
Treating the captain like… … .
I said, looking at the door where Linda was lying, groaning.
“What about Linda?”
“I mixed some things in a glass of water and drank it, then fell asleep right away.”
“Suicide?”
“Take a deep breath.”
I said, clicking my tongue.
“I think it would be better to watch him and if he doesn’t breathe, I should hit him in the face to wake him up.”
“Your cheek?”
“Yeah. I mean, beat him up mercilessly. So much so that he makes a “slap” sound.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“And don’t be too surprised if you don’t see a pulse for a while. It will come back to life after a while.”
“yes.”
After giving Mary some instructions, he went upstairs and began to knock rhythmically on Hudmilla’s office.
A voice came from inside.
―… … Ashvan. Come in.
I entered the guy’s office, slightly surprised.
“No, how did you know?”
“It’s noisy. Come here and sit down.”
Because the atmosphere was somehow serious, I followed the instructions without saying anything.
Bonnie Schmidt was also called in.
I sat across from her and asked.
“what’s the matter?”
Hudmilla said, holding on to the weight.
“I got a request.”
I replied, watching the red lizards and fluttering butterflies scurrying across her desk.
“however?”
“It’s the Saluki upper class. Have you heard of it?”
“hmm.”
If I know it, there are fewer people who don’t know it.
It was one of the largest merchant houses in the Kingdom of Maya.
“A big thing came in.”
I was sitting next to Hurd, and a deer came up to me without notice and poked its head in, so I gently pushed it away and responded.
“I’m listening.”
“This is a request for a carriage escort. I want you to escort me to the capital.”
“hmm.”
“You were going to go to Milgard to find that guy anyway, right?”
I replied, gently stroking the squirrel that had dug into my arms without me noticing.
“That human? The leader of our Gillentine Squad.”
Hurd snorted.
“What about the chief? Don’t you know that guy colluded with the captain and got a few glasses of Gillentine without us?”
“What? When?”
“You didn’t know? The ugly truth was revealed while you were falling off the cliff. That’s why we had another big fight, I guess.”
“… … Somehow, there never seems to be a day when the operation is successful.”
Even here, intrigues and tricks were rampant behind the shadows.
I never dreamed of it.
I muttered, shaking my fist.
“I guess I missed quite a bit of news while I was away.”
“As for the rest, find that person and ask him.”
“That’s right. I’ll have to beat him up a few times and make him talk. The price for deceiving me is high.”
“You can figure that out. So, what do you think?”
Hurd looked at me, his hands clasped on the desk.
“It’s been a bit scary lately. There’s been a lot of news about large demons appearing here and there, and there are even rumors of crazy guys turning into demons. It seems like the Saluki upper class is trying to play it safe.”
“How much is the deposit? Is it salty?”
“It’s salty. It’s the top of a saluki.”
Hurd said, moving his hand holding the quill pen as if organizing things.
“There are three people to be dispatched from the Sherwood Mercenaries. You and Schmitt, and the other one is up to you to decide.”
A sortie for two platinum plates?
The transport volume above appears to be larger than expected.
Or maybe it’s transporting valuable items.
“hmm.”
I looked at Schmidt, who was sitting quietly next to me.
Schmidt also looked at me with his bright golden eyes.
Hurd continued speaking.
“The convoy is longer than I thought. It’s impossible for just three people to manage the size of the convoy in detail, so I’m thinking of hiring other mercenaries to form a team. You’ll have to lead the convoy while giving them various orders. Do you understand what I mean?”
“In general.”
“So, what do you think?”
Lead the procession… … .
It would be simpler and better to just beat up demons or demon-like people with ease.
I thought for a moment and then answered.
“I don’t like things that are complicated.”
To the somewhat timid answer, Hurd said as if he had expected that.
“No, I have to. I already accepted the request.”
“… … If that’s the case, why did you ask?”
Hurd glared at me.
“Would it be better if I just said it was okay?”
I looked at Schmidt sitting next to me.
“No, why am I getting cursed at?”
Schmidt patted my shoulder without saying a word.
Hurd told me.
“I told Boris to pick out some useful mercenaries, so you go and take a look tomorrow. They are the ones you will be leading.”
I looked at Hurd for a moment and muttered in a new tone.
“… … A managerial role. I’ve never been given such a big role before.”
It was true.
All I did was follow someone’s instructions, and I never gave any specific instructions after looking at the overall picture.
Hurd answered in a firm voice.
“I have to take care of it. I am now the owner of the platinum medal.”
Hurd’s purple eyes glowed with earnestness.
“The weight of the platinum shield is by no means light. If you wear the crown, you must bear the weight appropriate to it.”
“… … Shit.”
I learned that platinum isn’t necessarily a good thing.
* * *
The next day.
I headed to the guild to see the mercenaries who would be boarding the same ship.
“Hey, Ashvan!”
And there, I met a familiar face.
It was a man with one eye covered by a black blindfold.