Chapter 8

Chapter 8

8. Louiswell (4)

“Oh, you’ve only been peddling for a year now?”

“Yes, haha. Please give me much guidance, senior.”

“Since we met like this it’s fate, of course I should!”

Former thief guild member Marcus, no, Marcus reborn as a peddler, bowed his head deeply to the merchant in front of him with a good-natured smile.

“Wow, this reminds me of the old days. Did you say you’re twenty? I just three years ago ran out of the village like you.”

A guy named Marcel whom he happened to get acquainted with while stopping by the Works Merchant Guild Louiswell branch, it seemed he decided to act separately from here due to friction problems with the existing companions.

Since he was looking for a companion to go with, he decided to join.

He who stopped by out of curiosity after hearing the story that Louiswell had become quite active, but because in a village that had just begun to stir there was nothing a beginner peddler like him could gain.

“Come to think of it, I heard a strange rumor on the way. Beyond those Golden Mountains there is a village that catches expensive magical beasts and uses the byproducts as daily necessities···.”

At that Marcel’s eyes shone and he lowered his voice.

“···Actually I just came from that village.”

“Huk···! Is that true? It wasn’t a rumor?”

When Marcus exaggeratedly pretended to be surprised, Marcel cleared his throat with a proud expression.

“Yes, that is not a rumor. If fate connects someday I’ll include you in next year’s trade trip. As you know, if you don’t catch the timing well on the Golden Mountains it’s hard to cross even accompanying a high-level mercenary group.”

“I-is that true, senior? Thank you, thank you!”

“I obtained very high-quality star dust there this time. The amount is small, but I pride myself that the purity is the highest among what I’ve seen.”

The proud him started spilling stories that weren’t even asked. Mainly about the attacks during the trade trip or the various byproducts seen in the village.

‘Bastard kid.’

These kinds of dull guys often stimulated the gloomy instincts that Marcus had painstakingly buried.

He was a pickpocket professionally raised in the thief guild. Different from the ordinary pickpockets roaming the streets.

Because the main job was picking the pockets of the rich who accompanied escorts. No matter how skilled the escort, there weren’t many who could follow his movements.

He was also supported with expectations that he would become the descendant of the legendary pickpocket Edgar who stole the Ironblood Duke’s brooch.

However, a few years ago he unluckily failed and lost three fingers, and fell to being a peddler.

‘Damn me, how did it come to···.’

The guild members who praised him cut him off in one stroke like a lizard cutting its own tail and said. Consider it fortunate that it ended with three fingers and live as if dead.

However, just by losing those three, Marcus became unable to make a living of the work he had learned his whole life.

To the extent that even picking the pocket of such a stupid merchant required pouring in effort and skill.

Thinking about it, yesterday he was lucky.

Marcus recalled the time he first set foot in this village.

He had unconsciously picked the pocket of some beggar kid!

That itself was not a problem. The problem was that next to that beggar kid there was a mercenary guy exuding a dangerous atmosphere.

In the past, the atmosphere exactly like the mercenary guy who cut his fingers, a guy who knows how to use mana.

‘Fortunate that I wasn’t caught.’

Is it because what he learned his whole life is stealing, there are times when the hand habitually goes out first, and yesterday was exactly that.

Even now thinking of that time the heart sank.

At the same time he felt a bit of self-loathing.

He who only picked the pockets of rich people with lots of money.

‘Now to the point of even a beggar kid’s pouch···.’

The consolation was that that beggar was not an ordinary beggar. He had a gold coin no less.

Thanks to that Marcus’s trade trip became much more comfortable.

‘I have to fix this habit too.’

Now he has to live as a peddler not a pickpocket. After picking the pocket of the stupid merchant in front of him as the last one.

‘It was a star dust merchant.’

Star dust has good demand at the Magic Tower. The volume is not that large, and it’s just right to pick. Rather because of that it seems they feel relieved.

“By the way, can I give the payment now?”

It was talk about the money to pay the low-level mercenary group.

“Hmm? Didn’t I already give the advance? The rest can be given after arriving in the city.”

“It’s money that has to be given anyway.”

‘It’s also money that will come back to me anyway.’

As Marcus nodded and sorted out silver coins to hand over, Marcel’s smile deepened.

‘Unlike the blurry impression, a friend with big guts.’

Marcus’s refreshingly clear personality unfittingly suited his heart perfectly.

“By the way, you heard that the departure is right tomorrow?”

“Yes, senior.”

Marcel chattering heroic tales again.

When he was appropriately responding, the door beyond his shoulder opened. Marcus’s gaze naturally turned that way.

What entered was some kid.

Seeing the clean clothes and appearance, it seemed like a page employed by a merchant group with some money.

But somehow familiar.

‘Where did I see him?’

Marcus who was tilting his head soon shook his head. How could that be, he arrived in this village yesterday, and the child he met is only the beggar kid.

It was completely different from that child who at a glance looks like a child of a wealthy house.

‘Well, at that age kids’ appearances are all similar.’

Marcus passed it over as nothing.

The child who came in quietly and swept the surroundings once approached the guide and asked.

“Hello, I’m looking for a person.”

“Hmm? Did you come on an errand?”

“Yes.”

At the young voice Marcel’s gaze also turned to him.

“Benrik?”

He called the child. ‘Do they know each other?’ When Marcus was thinking.

The child turned his head and looked at him.

“Mr. Marcel?”

“It is Benrik!”

Marcel approached the child.

Separately from the mercenary group falling out of his favor, he had goodwill toward the child. As expected, hadn’t he owed his life several times.

“What brings you here? Mr. Oswald should be at the inn.”

Benrik glanced briefly at Marcus standing behind him, then shook his head.

“No, I came looking for Mr. Marcel.”

“Me?”

He blinked his eyes with a puzzled expression.

“Yes, because Mr. Johansson’s treatment is finished and he said to convey that we’ll leave the day after tomorrow.”

At the child’s words Marcel scratched his head as if troubled.

“Hmm, is that so. Unfortunately I decided to depart tomorrow. From now on we’ll go separately.”

“I see. Then shall I convey it that way to the others?”

“Yes, please.”

Marcel made a conflicted expression for a moment then took out three copper coins from his bosom and handed them.

“Buy some snacks. Take care.”

Benrik, who blankly looked at him and received them, bowed his head.

“Thank you. Mr. Marcel take care too.”

The child who brushed past the two people exited the guild.

“Did you cherish him specially?”

It was unexpected that he who tried to cut the money to give to the mercenaries and the guild fee in copper coin units gave pocket money.

At Marcus’s words Marcel chuckled.

“Ah, because I owed my life.”

“To the child?”

“Haha yes to the child.”

I don’t know what is what but···.

‘That is a cheap life.’

Marcus thought while counting the number of yellow copper coins handed to the child’s hand.

***

Leaving the guild, Benrik checked the heavy pouch.

From the gold coin heavily stained with soot that Jenkinson gave to a not small number of silver coins were inside.

‘Simple.’

When coming out it seemed he didn’t even notice.

‘Hmm, but. What is it.’

Whether the pickpocket is disguising as a merchant, or doing both.

After thinking for a moment he withdrew interest. It was not Benrik’s business.

‘As long as I found my money it’s fine. Anyway I won’t have business with him anymore.’

When Benrik returned to the inn with light steps, the scattered mercenaries were all gathered and holding a drinking party.

“Oh, Benrik! My lucky fairy!”

The leader was Matthew who had made a big haul at the gambling den.

Seeing the food and liquor bottles set so that the table legs would break, Benrik’s eyes widened.

“What is all this?”

“Matthew is buying? He said he hit the jackpot with the money you lent.”

Matthew who literally hit the jackpot repaid the money borrowed from Benrik double and still earned enough money to cover 50 percent of the original loss.

Strictly speaking, since he recovered half the loss, in result it’s not a gain but a loss but···.

In the brain of the gambler who fully tasted the dopamine, such number games did not remain.

What is important is that he won.

“Ah yes I did.”

Benrik answered naturally and joined the table.

Hodge, who glanced at him sitting by pulling out a chair, advised firmly.

“Don’t lend next time. It becomes a bad habit.”

Benrik calmly nodded his head. This time he lent because there was entanglement, but he had no thought of doing so again.

“Yes, I’ll be careful.”

“What? What habit becomes bad! The vice-captain is too rigid! No fun!”

The quite drunk Matthew flared up.

“···All for you and our mercenary group to do well─”

“Even without nagging our mercenary group will do well! Because that guy brings luck! Because he’s a lucky fairy! Kahaha come here, lucky fairy!”

“Don’t feed alcohol to a kid not even twelve years old. ···Don’t you receive and drink either.”

Matthew clicked his tongue shortly.

“···Tch, Benrik!”

“Yes?”

“Order everything you want to eat.”

“Really?”

“I don’t say two things with one mouth. I’ve thought from before, you are too small, you have to eat heartily to grow like hyung!”

Then a mercenary member muttered.

“···Telling Benrik to eat everything he wants? Seeing he can’t distinguish right from wrong, that bastard seems drunk?”

“Anyway even if money remains he’ll lose it to gambling, better for one person to be happy. Don’t be like that and let’s order more too.”

Laughing and chatting noisily and eating and drinking for a while.

Around the time empty plates piled up not only on the table but on the floor, Benrik realized something strange.

“Come to think of it, Jenkinson is not visible? Where did he go?”

It’s not a personality to miss such a place but he was nowhere to be seen.

“Ah.”

Hodge, who was concentrating on documents without wavering amid the chaos, let out a small sigh.

“He’ll be training in the backyard. Go see.”

Training.

One of Jenkinson’s daily routines that continued from when coming down the mountain range. Unless there was something special, every night he would do that training far from the campsite and return.

At that time he heard the advice that since the temper and senses become sensitive it’s better not to disturb for one’s own good, and lost interest, but.

“Can I go?”

“Yes. He said when you return feed him dinner and send him, but I forgot.”

“Yes.”

Interest arose.

Since it was clearly related to mana.

‘Because he swung the sword whether others saw or not.’

Benrik stuffed a large chunk of meat into his mouth last and stood up from his seat.

***

Those who handle mana are largely divided into two kinds.

Mana users who make mana dwell in the body to raise strength, stamina, and senses overall, and knights and mages who externalize mana and exercise miracles.

If one makes mana dwell in the sword it is an aura user, if one grants attributes to mana and emits it it is a mage, that sort of thing.

The method to distinguish mana users and knights, mages was simple.

Whether one can visualize mana or not.

And Benrik thought that Jenkinson was at the level of a mana user.

Because in the urgent dawn attack Jenkinson’s sword did not shine.

But it was not.

Like a firefly drawn to something,

Like a star-gazer absorbing starlight,

Arriving at the backyard, Benrik could not take his eyes off the blue light cluster gathering to the giant sword.

© Burrito#1y0o9