novelraw Chapter 119 : The Well
Chapter 119 : The Well
Chapter 119: The Well
John’s proposal was as follows.
Having been active in Narvik for five years, John had many guards he was on familiar terms with.
Even without issuing an adventurer’s badge, as long as one showed one’s face, there would be no problem when returning.
In other words, personal connections would substitute for proof of identity.
“I’ll introduce you to someone, so help me out.”
The request John had received was the capture of a rare monster.
A rainbow pig raised as an ornamental pet by a wealthy noble.
“If a rainbow pig doesn’t eat a specific feed, it dies.”
Rainbow pigs lived only in unexplored regions, and their diet was just as finicky.
A rainbow flower that absolutely had to be fed once a month.
Rainbow flowers could also only be harvested in unexplored regions.
“I think we can both benefit. What do you say.”
“If John guarantees it, then the identity issue can definitely be resolved.”
“Right! Shall we work out a concrete schedule.”
“But.”
Robin cut John off sharply.
“I still want to do my first expedition with my own companions.”
“Hmm… if that’s the case, it can’t be helped.”
Despite his enthusiastic attitude, John backed down easily.
“I had a time like yours once. My youth, filled with romance about adventure.”
John lifted his head and gazed at the sky as if reminiscing about the past.
His eyes grew faintly wistful.
Watching him, Robin swallowed his true thoughts.
‘It’s because I can’t trust you.’
He did not bother correcting John’s misunderstanding.
Forming an antagonistic relationship in a city he might not stay in long was not wise.
“If you change your mind, come find me at the Muddy Hoof Inn.”
“Alright. Take care, John.”
John turned on his heel without regret.
Walking in the opposite direction from Robin, John disappeared in an instant.
“I should talk it over with Sigbard.”
Trust in John was not sufficient, but he did not seem like a bad person.
All the more so because he had not persisted stubbornly.
‘Let’s think of this as a connection too.’
Perhaps it would be of help someday later.
Compared to a novice like Robin, John, who had been active for five years, was practically a veteran.
It was a shame that the guild was closed, but Robin thought positively.
Satisfied with having met a new adventurer, he returned to the inn.
Behind the Oak Tree Inn, there was an old well.
Clean and clear, it was the well that supplied the inn’s water.
It was no exaggeration to say it had been there with the inn’s history itself.
That well had become blocked.
More precisely, it would be correct to say it had collapsed.
“…This is because of Sigbard?”
“That’s right. I’m sorry.”
Sigbard apologized quickly.
His voice was at a loss, sincerely remorseful.
The stone wall surrounding the well had sunk deep, and the surrounding ground had slightly caved in.
The innkeeper exchanged words with the architect with serious expressions.
The waitress who had been beside Sigbard looked distressed.
“I’m sorry. It’s because of me. While trying to save me…….”
The sobbing waitress finally burst into tears.
A male employee beside her patted her back and comforted her.
“It’s not your fault, Margaret.”
“Michael… but if I hadn’t stupidly fallen in…….”
Roughly, what had happened could be pictured.
The waitress called Margaret was soaked as if she had fallen into water.
It seemed that Sigbard had tried to save Margaret after she fell into the well, and trouble had ensued.
“Michael!”
At the innkeeper’s call, Michael ran over.
After hearing several instructions, he nodded.
The innkeeper, the architect, and Michael walked over slowly.
Robin tensed, wondering what words would come from their mouths.
The innkeeper smiled faintly and began to speak.
“Don’t worry. You don’t have to compensate us.”
Robin let out a sigh of relief.
He was not destitute, but neither was he wealthy enough to spend a large sum.
Expenses had been heavy from buying potions and other supplies.
After subtracting a week’s living expenses, the remaining amount was 1 gold and 80 silver.
It was a comfortable amount for two people to live on with Sigbard.
“Boss, even so, the construction cost is 10 gold. Is that really alright?”
‘10 gold……!’
Robin sucked in a pointless breath.
If responsibility had been pinned on Sigbard, it would have been awkward.
Michael glanced at Robin and Sigbard.
An expression that suggested they bore responsibility.
“It’s right to demand at least partial compensation.”
“They were trying to save one of our own. How could we have the gall to do that.”
“But we can’t go bankrupt either.”
The conversation between the two gradually flowed in an uncontrollable direction.
“The inn’s financial situation is precarious.”
“I’ll restore it even if I have to dip into my own funds, so don’t worry.”
“Where would you even get that kind of money, Boss!”
The innkeeper brushed off Michael’s remonstration.
“I’m the owner of the Oak Tree Inn. I’ve saved up that much.”
The architect who had been watching spoke obliquely.
“If you don’t restore the well and just fill it in, it would be much cheaper.”
“It’s the very history of our inn. We can’t do that. We also can’t lose our nearest water source.”
Listening to the exchange happening right in front of him, Robin felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles.
He poked Sigbard in the side.
“Tell me exactly what happened, without leaving out a single thing.”
If only to resolve this uncomfortable feeling, he needed to know.
Whose fault it was that the well had collapsed.
After Robin left the inn, Sigbard sprawled on the bed for a long while.
The bed was large enough for five people to stay.
He went further and pushed two beds together.
The size doubled.
“Human inventions are great.”
As he laughed merrily and enjoyed the softness—
A scream was heard from beyond the window.
Following the short, sharp scream, there was a splash, and someone fell into water.
Sigbard immediately stuck his head out the window.
“Oh dear, what should we do!”
Michael stamped his feet and peered down into the well.
While drawing water, Margaret had fallen in.
“Wait! I’m coming!”
Holding a rod, Sigbard leapt from the fifth floor and landed near the well in one bound.
Boom!
With the heavy impact, the ground lurched.
Michael, startled, widened his eyes and stared.
Seeing the hulking man who had appeared out of nowhere, he could not close his mouth.
Up until that moment, the well had not collapsed.
“Human! Are you alright!”
After splashing about, Margaret surfaced above the water.
Fortunately, Margaret knew how to swim.
“I’m fine!”
“Hold on just a little! I’ll get you out right away!”
When Sigbard tried to enter the well, Michael stopped him.
“Calm down! I’ll bring a ladder!”
“It’s dangerous for a human!”
“The ground feels strange. It’s softened, and it feels like it might collapse…….”
“Then shouldn’t we rescue her even faster!”
He brushed aside Michael’s restraint and went into the well.
With a diameter of about two meters, he spread both legs wide and descended slowly.
“Margaret is a good swimmer! Putting more weight on the well right now is even more dangerous, so it would be better to wait just a little…….”
Gurgle.
Margaret, who had been floating on the surface, swallowed water and sank.
Sigbard increased his speed of descent.
“Margaret? What’s wrong! You’re good at swimming!”
Michael and Sigbard could not understand why Margaret was acting that way.
But Margaret had seen it.
Between Sigbard’s thighs.
Dangling.
It was not easy to find pants that fit Sigbard’s massive build.
So he covered his lower body like a skirt.
It was cool and comfortable.
And now, with his legs spread.
Margaret, who had been looking up at the sky to breathe, ended up facing that thing.
Startled, her body tensed up instinctively, and she sank.
“Human! Grab my rod!”
Before Margaret sank any deeper, Sigbard extended the rod.
‘What? Grab what?!’
In the urgency of the moment, Margaret misunderstood the meaning and ended up inhaling.
The price of inhaling underwater was steep.
A large amount of water rushed in, stinging her nose and causing pain.
Splash.
Sigbard, having descended to the surface, inserted the rod.
Fortunately, it reached the bottom.
Like scooping up a fish with a net, he hauled Margaret up.
“Cough! Hack! Hack!”
“It’s a relief I wasn’t too late. I’ll pull you up now.”
“W-wait a moment…….”
Margaret, hooked onto the rod like laundry hung on a clothesline, shot up out of the well.
“Aaaah! Huh……?”
Once outside, Margaret did not have a single injury.
The only impact was landing on her backside in place.
Sigbard’s control of his strength had been precise.
Now all that remained was for him to get out himself.
Crack—crack.
The stones supporting the well began to fall one by one.
Thud. Thud.
Stones as big as a human head fell around the well.
“Kyaaah! Are you alright!”
“Chit! Margaret, get back!”
Michael pulled Margaret away as she tried to look into the well.
At the same moment they retreated about three meters, the well collapsed.
Rumble.
Margaret froze like a stone statue.
Sigbard was still trapped inside.
Just as Michael was about to call for help—
Kwah-gwang!
As if a volcano had erupted, stones burst outward in all directions.
Where had gravel smaller than a fist come from?
The question did not last long.
Thud.
Through the thick dust, Sigbard revealed himself.
He had shattered the stones with brute, almost foolish strength.
He was completely fine, without a single wound.
Margaret calmed her pounding heart and shed a few tears.
Looking back at the collapsed well, Sigbard scratched his head.
“The well was weak.”
“…….”
Robin’s expression hardened after hearing the full story.
‘He caused trouble, then fixed it.’
Sigbard’s intention deserved praise, but the result was not good.
Michael muttered with a voice tinged with dissatisfaction.
“If the guest hadn’t jumped down, the well wouldn’t have collapsed.”
“Michael! What are you saying!”
At the innkeeper’s shout, Michael shut his mouth.
In truth, it was difficult to clearly assign blame.
If Sigbard had not intervened, the well might have been fine.
It also might have collapsed anyway. If that had happened, Margaret would have died.
“I’m sorry. If it hadn’t been for me, this wouldn’t have happened…….”
Margaret bowed her head repeatedly in apology.
The innkeeper gently soothed her, saying it was alright.
Robin asked Margaret one question.
“Did you fall into the well simply because of carelessness.”
“Well… I’m sorry…….”
“You’ve apologized enough. More than that, calmly think back—how did you end up falling into the well.”
Margaret closed her eyes and furrowed her brows.
After steadying her breath, she opened her mouth.
“It might sound strange.”
“It’s fine, go ahead.”
“…It felt like something pushed my back, and I toppled over.”
The innkeeper widened his eyes and pressed her.
“Is that true? Did someone push you on purpose?”
“No. There was no one behind me. I must have just imagined it. Right, Michael?”
Michael nodded.
“I was standing opposite Margaret, and there was no one around but us.”
“Thank you for telling me.”
This was awkward.
It was hard to completely deny responsibility on their side.
Since the innkeeper had been generous and said it was fine, they could pretend not to know…….
‘But if I just keep my mouth shut here, I’d be a real jerk.’
He hated the type who caused trouble and then ran away pretending nothing happened.
He did not want to become that kind of person.
Sigbard quietly asked Robin.
“Robin, how much money do we have left.”
“1 gold and 80 silver.”
“I want to contribute at least a little to the construction cost.”
Even the person directly involved felt uneasy.
“I promise. I’ll definitely pay it back later.”
While the two whispered, Michael complained.
“Boss, I’d understand if my pay gets cut for a while.”
“Michael…….”
“It’s better to tighten our belts than to lose our jobs.”
Margaret’s expression darkened as well.
The innkeeper smiled bitterly and did not refuse Michael’s suggestion.
Robin broke into a cold sweat.
Ten gold was a large sum for a commoner to bear.
Clink.
Robin opened his wallet.
He could not hide the trembling in his hands and voice.
“It’s not much, but… at least this…….”
Michael beamed and clasped Robin’s hand tightly.
He did not even give the innkeeper a chance to stop him.
“Thank you, sir. This will be a great help.”
After refusing several times, the innkeeper finally accepted it.
‘Yes. This is the right thing to do.’
The weight of the wallet had decreased, but his heart felt lighter.
Robin had done the right thing.
‘Which inn was it that John said he was staying at…….’
The remaining money was 10 silver.
He might burn through his living expenses before even registering with the guild.
“Thank you for granting such an unreasonable request, Robin.”
“It’s nothing. We’re a community of shared fate, after all.”
The two trudged back to their room.