Goblin Knight - Chapter 303



Only Noblemtl

EP.303 Tin Heart (11)

If there was one thing I noticed as I rode the carriage across the undulating land, it was that I couldn’t even believe my own eyes here.

It wasn’t just the explosives or the transparent tin man that sprang from nowhere in the ground.

A more direct reason was that, as I was making my way along the road, I crossed a certain boundary and suddenly a seemingly plausible fortress appeared on the empty plain where only a moment ago there had been nothing but a crackling ripple.

It was never a problem that they missed it because it was night. In the first place, Blanc, Ella, and Trasha were all members with good night vision.

“I still can’t believe it even after experiencing it firsthand… It’s just like those damn hallucinations I’ve had before.”

“Everyone says that. To me, the pumpkin carriage is much more amazing.”

“That’s the price?”

“Because it’s something that can easily crush two or three laws of the world. It distorts space, but what about the law of conservation of mass, and why is internal time frozen?”

“uh…….”

“In the eyes of a merchant, that one seed is worth more than all the mysteries that lie dormant in this land. If I had been able to handle it, I would have paid you any amount to obtain it.”

Gilan got out of the carriage, giggling in a mocking tone.

Blanc shrugged his shoulders as he carefully picked up Annelie, who was still snoring as she fell asleep.

“Money? Well… Even if that were the case, the result would have been the same. This is the reward for my journey and relationships. No matter how much money it was, I wouldn’t have sold it for money.”

“Oh, you’re mistaken. There’s nothing in this world that money can’t buy.”

“No way. The connections with those who pass by, the unbreakable tenacity, and the heart… There are so many that come to mind right now?”

“That’s why you’re mistaken. Fate, perseverance, heart… there’s nothing in this world that money can’t buy. Everything in this world has an invisible price tag. If you can’t buy it… it just doesn’t meet the price.”

“… … Is that the merchant’s belief? I can never agree with it, but it is quite interesting.”

“Uh… Sir, I think this suspicious merchant is just a bit too twisted… … .”

“Haha, that’s true!”

Gilan laughed and walked towards the base.

As he stood before the strangely smooth black metal barrier, a dry voice rang out, “Access granted,” and the wall slid down to either side.

If I hadn’t seen it in person, I probably wouldn’t have even known it was a door.

The interior of the forward base that was spread out like that… was actually not much different from the military camps that Blanc was used to seeing.

Between the smooth walls and floors of unknown material, there are tents set up and people who are either mercenaries or private soldiers of a nearby noble family are resting.

It was unexpected, but there was nothing I couldn’t understand. The land was just special, so it wasn’t like the people inside had changed. However, it was a bit disappointing because it felt like I had gone to another world and suddenly returned to reality…

“You look disappointed?”

“……any.”

“Haha, there’s nothing we can do about it. Even though it’s called a forward base, we’ve only gained some control over this rippling land, so it has no function as a stronghold other than defensive capabilities. In reality, we’re still struggling to secure supplies from nearby cities.”

“Hmm.”

“Anyway, this way.”

Blanc followed Gilan’s lead, feeling the gazes of the mercenaries inside the base.

The place they finally arrived at was a black, square building made of a mysterious material.

The barracks, which looked cold and dreary from the outside, were decorated like any other guild office when you went inside. It was probably used as Gilan’s personal barracks. I don’t know if I should call it a barracks.

“Before we get to the main point… First of all, was it Miss Annelie? How is her condition? Does it seem like she got better since you came?”

“… … No. I don’t think the fever will go down.”

“Is that so? Then, let’s put Miss Annelie on this bed for a while and give her some urgent potions… No, taking potions while you have a fever can be dangerous… … .”

Gilan rummaged through a box in a corner of the room, took out a small vial, and handed it to Blanc.

“It’s a fever reducer. It’s not going to be enough, but it’s the best we can do here right now.”

“… …Thank you for your kindness. Sincerely.”

“It is my pleasure.”

Blanc opened the vial and carefully poured the medicine between Annelies lips.

Although he still looked like he was having a hard time bearing it, his face seemed to have relaxed a little, perhaps because of his mood.

As Blanc let out a sigh of relief, Gilan, who had arranged the chairs according to the number of people (in Trasha’s case, they were soft cushions), continued speaking with a big smile on his face.

“But as I said, this is only a temporary measure. For Ms. Annelie to fully improve, she will need to receive treatment from a therapist in a nearby city.

But don’t worry too much! I happen to know a therapist there.

I also get back pain whenever I do something because I’m old, but every time I go to the doctor, it gets better. I’ll introduce you to him myself. I’ll even pay for the treatment.

However, given the circumstances of Sir Blanc being pursued by the Federation, it seems my assistance will be essential to shake them off and safely reach the city.

“Even though the mission to develop the rippling lands that came directly from the imperial family is short on time… I guess I’m willing to accept this amount of time loss in order to continue my friendship with Kyung-gyeong?”

It’s heavy… so heavy.

Could inexplicable kindness be this scary?

Could the phrase ‘doing something for someone’ ever be considered so harsh?

As Gilan continued to speak, he felt an invisible weight weighing down his heart, so Blanc could only maintain a stiff face and silence.

Trasha, who didn’t know much about him, only then noticed Gilan’s suspicious behavior and wagged her tail, and as for Ella, she just seemed to want to quickly cut off this old man’s head and call him the ’12 o’clock girl’.

However, Gilan finished speaking in a light voice, not caring about such a sharp atmosphere.

“You don’t have to worry about owing me too much! As I said, this is just a favor for the sake of friendship!”

“… … .”

“Well, if you feel like my favor is burdensome and you want to return the favor even a little bit… Actually, there is one thing I would like to ask of you.”

“I guess so.”

Blanc muttered in a half-hearted tone.

I had a feeling things would turn out like this eventually… but I didn’t know it would be this one-sided.

It’s so scary to be in debt to a merchant.

Blanc prepared to listen, along with the valuable lesson that if he ever had to borrow money from a loan shark in the future, he would rather have another round of life and death with Chilgum.

Whatever the intention, it was still ‘a reward for those who helped Blanc and Annelie out of pure kindness.’

“How can I help?”

“Don’t worry if this is too much of a request. It will in no way go against your beliefs.”

“That’s really fortunate. If that hadn’t been the case, I would have… been in a lot of trouble.”

“Haha, even if I make a name for myself, I’m still just a merchant! If I don’t want to risk my life, how can I mess with the knight’s beliefs?”

Perhaps with the intention of relieving the tense tension, Gilan smiled cheerfully and spoke in a quiet voice.

“Rather, this is just my guess… If I have correctly understood your actions, Sir Blanc will be pleased with my request.”

“What? Why?”

“Because it involves some of Sir Blanc’s favorite values: nobility, good deeds… and love!”

The tin man, Nicola Tincanheart, who had been standing silently next to Gilan, looked at Gilan with a shiver.

“Wait a minute, Gilan. This is-”

“Hey, what’s there to hide? It’s a good story. Any knight would love it.”

“No, I’m embarrassed! Don’t you even know the word privacy? You uncivilized protein-based life form!”

“As always, I can’t understand half of what you say, and you always say you don’t care, so what are you ashamed of? There was no clause in the contract that specifically forbids disclosure, so I’ll do whatever I want.”

“You little punk-”

“Lock the vocal function.”

Nicola’s tin tongue… tongue? Anyway, his vocal cords became stiff and he couldn’t make any sound.

I’ve always wondered what would happen to their relationship, but Gilan has an overwhelming advantage.

Gilan lowered his head toward Blanc, against the backdrop of the rare scene of the Tin Man letting out a silent scream.

“This is a secret.”

“… … .”

One lesson that never goes unlearned is never to believe a trader’s promise to keep a secret.

It was refreshing to be so blatant.

“Have you ever wondered why Mr. Nicola, the tin man, is on my side and helping to develop the shimmering lands?”

“I was curious about that, though.”

“The reason is… … .”

Whisper in a hushed voice.

“It’s because Mr. Nicola has fallen in love with a pretty woman from a nearby village and wants to confess his love to her.”

“──! ───!!”

… … Honestly, I couldn’t see any connection between those words and the reason I was cooperating with Gilan.

But it was a sentence that was enough to catch Blanc’s attention, just as Gilan had promised.

The love of a tin man who fell in love with a human… … .

“Tell me more.”

“You should come out like that.”

Gilan continued speaking with a sly smile.