Chapter 13

Chapter 13

13. Bromwood (4)

Benrik walked the main road together with Jenkinson.

In case the same misfortune as in Louiswell occurred, he also paid attention to maintaining a safe distance from passersby.

Unlike Louiswell the roads were well paved and the width was wide so avoiding was not that difficult.

‘Certainly because it’s big it’s good.’

He did divide the money and store it in different places in the pouches, but one never knew. Whether there would be another person with a stealing technique beyond recognition like himself.

Jenkinson seeing such Benrik chuckled.

Sometimes he acts like an old child but at times like this he looks his age, so it’s amazing.

“They say there is no guy who will pick our pockets here.” “There’s nothing bad about being careful.” “That’s true.”

He who readily acknowledged suddenly asked as if remembering.

“How did you get it right yesterday? Why at the shell game.” “I was lucky.”

Half was thanks to the privilege and half was really luck.

After making Jenkinson’s pouch thick he remained in place for a while and tested the privilege, and it showed a hit rate of about 60 percent.

If he tried five times about three of them were correct.

He didn’t say it out loud like the first time.

Those who witnessed the previous big board requested Benrik to guess the cups one after another, but it couldn’t be helped.

It could cause misunderstanding of being in cahoots with the shell game operator, and it could get involved in unnecessary fights.

“Didn’t they say gambling is momentum?”

Saying as if nothing and imitating last night’s Jenkinson, he giggles. Benrik also followed and laughed and said.

“It’s a joke, my eyes are a bit good.”

If Demian’s Crisis Sense is a privilege that makes one feel some kind of intuition then Marcel’s Appraisal Eye was literally a privilege that allows one to ‘see’ the value of objects with the eyes.

When concentrating eye power and looking at the target, the outline faintly stands out whitely, and if one chooses that it was mostly correct.

He wanted to test more, but from some moment the stomach also became nauseous, and a headache as if the eyeballs would fall out occurred.

‘It means even privileges cannot be used unlimitedly.’

While walking immersed in thought, he brushed past a man coming from the opposite side precariously.

‘Huh!’

In an instant the heart sank.

‘···This is uneasy so it won’t do.’

This is all because he has a lot of money in hand.

Benrik currently had on his body the first gold coin received from Jenkinson and the second gold coin received as contract fee, plus the money borrowed to Matthew and returned and the copper coins the merchants slightly handed before leaving, a large sum corresponding to a lump sum even for an adult.

According to Hodge fortunately in Bromwood there seems to be a bank with branches across the entire empire, so he should go.

“Jenkinson, before going to the office can we stop by the bank? It’s uneasy.”

“Bank? Where is that attached?” “···How would I know that?”

“Ah, that would be so.” He who muttered softly soon waved his hand as if annoying.

“Later take Hodge and go.” “You live here how don’t you know that? Don’t you deposit money?” “Where do I have money to deposit?”

He was a human who rolls it at the gambling board if he has money, really.

It was when Benrik was understanding. Something refreshing fragrance pierced the nose. It was a cool fragrance to the extent of even giving the illusion of purifying the inside of the lungs.

The gaze naturally turned to the source.

In front of a stall that looked like a fruit shop, a woman carrying a slender bow was seen. No is it a woman? Seeing the tall height and thick lines it also seemed like a man.

The distinction of gender is ambiguous.

Anyway it was unmistakably a level of beauty he was seeing for the first time since being born in this world.

Benrik opened his mouth he- and admired.

The silver hair that received the sunlight sparkled like the ripples of a stream. Looking closely pointed ears protruded from the gaps of the hair that waved with good texture.

‘Fairy?’

He had heard the story that beauty is a racial characteristic, but seeing directly the sentiment was extraordinary. There is not much sense of reality. It is an appearance that would suit being drawn in some illustration.

‘Surely is that why they were kidnapped?’

It has a point. Even an ordinary fairy is that much, how beautiful would a high-ranking fairy be.

Consciousness flowed idly.

‘Come to think of it that mercenary yesterday also said he had fairy blood mixed.’

He heard one of the spectators clearly say quarter-elf. It was dark so not certain, but thinking about it the hair seemed to be silver.

“By the way who was that person wearing the eyepatch yesterday? Is it someone you know well?”

Jenkinson who was walking side by side pursed his lips. Having stayed this much the expression was roughly readable. It meant he was displeased.

“Why that guy?” “It seems like a quarter-elf is it real?” “That bastard’s grandfather is a fairy they said.” “It is real. But why are you on such bad terms?” “If I say two words my mouth hurts. A tiresome bastard.”

This human, unexpectedly has many enemies. Unexpectedly picky too.

“So why? Did he steal money or something?”

He who pondered for a moment opened his mouth.

“The calculating side is also unpleasant to see, and if I try to give some advice he sneers saying it’s straightforward words which I don’t like. Also the fact that he boasts while pulling a bow from a safe place, unlucky.”

He thought it ended but after taking a breath once, he says with the most bitter expression among those he had seen.

“Above all the appearance is unlucky. The body is thin like a bone a dog licked and left, doesn’t he change women every day. Tsk···.”

I see. It was an inferiority complex.

“Cheer up, Jenkinson.” “···? Why am I feeling bad?”

Walking while sightseeing people, sightseeing buildings like that.

At some moment the atmosphere of the street changed.

First the attire of the passersby going back and forth on the street changed, five out of ten or more were wearing armor. And like a set they each possessed one weapon.

“It’s the adventurer street.”

Jenkinson said.

A street where various armor shops and general stores, blacksmiths, workshops etc. shops and the mercenary guild gathered.

Hearing that, certainly people of similar impression to Jenkinson were seen a lot.

‘Oh, there are quite a few fairies too.’

Jenkinson led Benrik who was shining his eyes as if amazed toward a giant wooden building.

“And this is our, Jenkinson mercenary group office.”

The building he introduced triumphantly was as many as 4 floors.

This, it is worth being triumphant.

‘4 floors.’

Even looking around there were not many buildings this tall.

On the way it seemed a similar level to the adventurer guild seen near the square.

Seeing that they own such a building outright in such a large city, separately from the individual members’ pocket situations the mercenary group itself seemed to have a solid foundation.

‘It would be Hodge’s skill?’

Because he was the one in charge of the mercenary group’s finances and handling various complicated matters.

“Do you feel a bit like formally joining?”

Jenkinson who early on grasped Benrik’s materialistic nature asked slightly.

“It’s not even my building.”

He dismissed but

······Honestly he was a bit entranced.

***

Hodge who returned from the adventurer guild made an unexpected suggestion.

“Armor?” “Yes. Even a light one is good so I was thinking of preparing one.”

While examining the request list received from the adventurer guild with his eyes he adds.

“Even if you don’t step forward to the front line of battle it is right to prepare. Work doesn’t only go as planned.” “That’s true.”

He didn’t think of that.

The Crimson Bear fur clothes disposed of in Louiswell were tough enough to withstand the bite of ordinary wild beasts by themselves, but what Benrik was wearing now was a thin thin tunic.

As for weapons there is the sword Gerik gave when leaving the village, and the dagger secretly hidden, but certainly preparing one set of armor was right.

However the worrying thing is.

“···It will be expensive right?”

At Benrik’s question Jenkinson who was sipping beer like coffee at one side of the office rebuked.

“Huh, are you going to leave the money and boil stew with it?” “Other things aside it is good not to spare money on armor, Benrik. If you want I will introduce a decent tanner.”

As he said it is no different from a spare life so it cannot be done roughly. Because Crisis Sense does not solve everything.

“I understand.”

Come to think of it there should be the magical beast leather he brought when leaving the village. Thinking he rummaged through the luggage.

Jenkinson who was quietly watching the amount he was doing opened his eyes round.

“That surely, is it Ash-Gray Great Horn leather?”

Benrik looked at Jenkinson as if unexpected.

The Ash-Gray Great Horn is a unique species inhabiting the White Lake north of the Golden Mountains.

It extremely rarely comes out of the lake so it was a rare magical beast that even Benrik had seen only once since birth.

‘I broke a sweat secretly skimming it behind Gerik’s back.’

But,

“You recognize it right away?” “Because leather of that color is not common.”

Ah I see. The Ash-Gray Great Horn’s leather when properly tanned takes on a subtle silver-white color depending on the angle of light.

“Surely you’re not thinking of making armor with that?”

“Can’t I?”

At that Jenkinson pressed his forehead and shook his head.

“Don’t. If you go around wearing such a thing it’s perfect to get stabbed. Until it becomes enough to protect your body store it well somewhere.” “I also think that side is better. Since you are also in the peak growth period, if you fit it to the current physique you will soon be unable to wear it.”

Even Hodge stepped forward to dissuade. It can’t be helped.

“Then the two of you choose appropriately.” “Yes, let’s go together around tomorrow.”

***

The next day, Benrik left the office early with Hodge.

He thought they were going straight to fit armor, but the place he led the child out to was a spacious vacant lot behind the office.

On the outskirts there were iron structures of a form he was seeing for the first time stretched out and the shape was somehow not unfamiliar.

Though a primitive form it was clearly a bench press and dumbbells. There were parallel bars and a pull-up bar, and even a rope long lowered for climbing.

“···Gym?”

When Benrik muttered as if absurd, Hodge received the words.

“Gym?” “No, no. But why here···.” “From today every morning we will do physical training here. It is good to form the habit from your age.”

He could not refuse.

Even otherwise he was feeling that the body was not the same as before due to the reduced amount of exercise from no longer following magical beast hunting.

“···I understand.” “An excellent attitude.”

Hodge smiled satisfactorily, and Benrik sweated until the sun rose high.

***

Jenkinson who woke up late gulped strong liquor as a palate cleanser and opened the window.

While enjoying the leisure for once and receiving the pouring sunlight, Benrik walking out from behind the office was seen.

The hair was thoroughly soaked with sweat, and the arms and legs stepping while flailing were trembling like a newly born calf.

‘He got the wrong one.’

It was Hodge who terribly thinks of health and stamina even usually. Since the child with good stamina followed better than expected he seems to have rolled him hard excitedly.

Jenkinson giggled and took out the request form Hodge recommended last night.

‘Let’s see···.’

One was a case distributed as payment from the adventurer guild, a request to search for the culprit of the high fairy kidnapping incident and the kidnapped fairy,

The other was a request to track and subjugate an unqualified grade magical beast witnessed in the southern forest.

‘Hmm.’

Jenkinson who scanned the two papers chose one without much consideration.

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