novelraw Chapter 126 : Suspect
Chapter 126 : Suspect
Chapter 126: Suspect
“Robin, it’s morning.”
Sigbard drew back the curtains and woke Robin.
Unknowingly, fatigue had piled up, so Robin woke after sleeping deeply for the first time in a while.
“Did you sleep well, Sigbard?”
“I slept well. This bed is the best I’ve seen.”
Robin rolled his neck once and tidied up the bedding.
“When did you wake up?”
“I woke up an hour ago.”
The current time was 8 a.m.
‘He woke up pretty early.’
Sigbard wasn’t a lazy person, but Robin had half expected him to oversleep.
‘He was snoring so much.’
He thought he had grown used to the snoring, but last night it had been loud enough to make him slightly worried.
He glanced over, but Sigbard didn’t seem to be in any pain.
With a face showing no trace of fatigue, Sigbard opened the door.
“It’s time to eat.”
“How much are you going to eat?”
“I’ll eat as usual.”
Robin took out 50 Cooper from his wallet and slipped it into his pocket.
On the way down to the first floor, he carefully examined the corner of the second floor.
The staff storage room was no different from yesterday.
He even walked up to the door to see if he could sense any Demonic Energy, but it felt ordinary.
“Is this the place you mentioned?”
“The pig tried to go in here.”
“It doesn’t look particularly suspicious.”
“I know. Let’s go eat.”
‘Something doesn’t sit right.’
He had seen with his own eyes what happened to a human consumed by Demonic Energy.
The captain of the guard in Old Town had been such a case.
They abandoned human morality and lived only to satisfy their own desires.
When one gained power beyond their station, most ended up falling into corruption.
If there was even a Demon Tribe worshipper nearby, he had to eliminate them.
“Did you sleep well?”
The owner greeted the two warmly.
“As usual, ten servings.”
“As expected of a big eater.”
Sigbard lightly jabbed Robin’s side.
Observing the owner, Robin took out coins from his wallet a beat late.
“The payment has already been taken care of.”
“What do you mean?”
“Haven’t you contributed a great deal to the construction costs? From now on, your meals will be provided free of charge.”
“You do know we eat quite a lot, right?”
“It’s already more than enough that you saved Margaret. Please don’t feel burdened and order freely.”
The owner smiled kindly.
“My name is Humphrey. Feel free to call me that.”
“Humpty! You are a splendid innkeeper!”
Overcome with emotion, Sigbard grabbed the owner’s shoulders and shook him vigorously.
It was an expression of goodwill, but slightly excessive.
“It’s Humphrey, not Humpty.”
Only after Robin stopped Sigbard did the owner manage to force a smile again.
“Ha ha… Please continue to use our Oak Tree Inn frequently.”
Leaving behind Sigbard, who kept expressing his gratitude, Humphrey disappeared into the kitchen.
His steps were tinged with both burden and urgency.
Only after sitting down did Sigbard calm his gratitude.
“Robin, when are we heading out on the next expedition?”
Robin checked that the bronze badge Raymond had given him was in proper condition.
There was no longer any problem going in and out.
‘There are a few things bothering me.’
The advice Raymond had given at the rest stop.
Hire a guide.
The deeper one went into uncharted territory, the more the quality of the expedition differed depending on whether one had a guide or not.
Though it had only been the outskirts, he had personally felt what that meant after going there himself.
It wasn’t just about reading a map; it was about devising efficient routes.
‘It’s easier said than done to recruit an experienced adventurer.’
In truth, it wasn’t an urgent matter for Robin, who had only just begun.
For the outskirts, just Robin and Sigbard were more than enough.
‘It would be better to go when the Guild can function properly.’
If it was simply about venturing deep into uncharted territory, it didn’t matter.
No one would stop them from taking risks.
However, it was disadvantageous for earning profit.
If they planned to sell Monster byproducts, the presence or absence of a rest stop changed their range of activity.
They could bring them back to the city and dispose of them there, but it was clearly inefficient.
Even with the same amount of time invested, the earnings would differ.
“Do you want to head out soon, Sigbard?”
“Yes. The road ahead is long.”
Sigbard raised one corner of his mouth and clenched his fist.
In his eyes flickered a competitive spirit that yearned for battle with the strong.
“We won’t be going out for a while.”
“Why not? You’re no different from me.”
Robin suppressed the rising competitive spirit within himself.
Clashing to grow stronger was always welcome.
Just as he was about to mention that there was something suspicious about the Oak Tree Inn,
a man who had nearly finished his meal approached them.
“Nice to meet you. You’re Robin and Sigbard, right?”
A pot-bellied laborer wiped bread crumbs from his beard.
Matthew, the foreman supervising the well construction workers.
Robin nodded in greeting.
“I heard you saved someone. Seeing you in person, you look like men destined for great things.”
“Sigbard here saved Margaret.”
“I see. Just by looking at his build, I can tell he’s a well-trained adventurer!”
For some reason, Matthew burst into laughter.
It wasn’t an unpleasant laugh.
‘He must be in a good mood after taking on a fairly large project.’
The construction cost alone was 10 Gold.
Robin didn’t know how much of that Matthew would take, but he must have pocketed a considerable sum.
Naturally, he couldn’t help but feel pleased.
“Thanks to you, the well is safer than before.”
To prevent the same accident from happening, Matthew had installed footholds inside the well.
Even if someone fell in, they could climb out on their own.
“That’s good to hear. When do you think the construction will be finished?”
“It should be wrapped up by next week.”
The workers rose from their seats and called for Matthew.
It was time to resume construction.
“You did the right thing. You deserve praise!”
“Ah, yes.”
“Let’s meet again if the opportunity arises.”
Matthew went up to the second floor, opposite the direction of the workers.
Not long after, he came down carrying various materials.
Rope, shovel, bucket…….
Before Matthew could head out, Robin stopped him.
“Where did you get those items?”
“These? I got them from the staff storage room on the second floor.”
“Do you have the key to the storage room?”
Matthew pulled out a key from his pocket and showed it.
Robin’s eyes narrowed.
“The owner handed it to me.”
“Do any of the other workers have one as well, by any chance?”
“No, only I received one. You can’t just make unlimited copies of a key, can you?”
Robin’s questions did not end there.
He asked when he had received the key and what was inside the staff storage room.
“I received the key on the day the construction started, and there’s all sorts of things piled up in the storage room. Even I don’t know everything that’s in there.”
“I see…….”
“Young man, you’re quite curious. May I get going now?”
Robin readily let Matthew go.
“What is it. Does he seem like the source of the Demonic Energy you mentioned?”
“I’m not sure. I can’t sense any Demonic Energy at all.”
The biggest reason for postponing their departure to the uncharted territory.
There might be a Demon Tribe worshipper nearby.
Margaret approached carrying ten plates of sandwiches.
‘I barely saved her; I can’t let her fall into danger again.’
“Did you sleep well?”
“Yes. Margaret, you look even better than yesterday.”
“Right? It’s all thanks to that pig. The fatigue that had been weighing on my shoulders completely vanished!”
Before Margaret had even finished setting down the plates, Sigbard grabbed a sandwich and took a big bite.
“What are you two planning to do today?”
“We’re thinking of resting for a while.”
“You mean you don’t have any plans?”
The table was already filled with sandwiches.
Margaret’s eyes sparkled as she spoke.
“If you have time, could you help me a little?”
When Robin asked what she meant, Margaret continued in a flustered manner.
“Adventurers are in a slump these days, and it’s boring just staying in your room, right?”
“What do you need help with?”
“It’s simple. Just cleaning the inn, doing the laundry that’s piled up. And…….”
Margaret hesitated, as if finally getting to the main point.
“Could I see that pig one more time?”
“The Rainbow Pig?”
“Yes! That cute pig!”
Realizing her voice had grown louder, she quickly covered her mouth.
‘She could’ve just asked to see it briefly. Why is she acting like that?’
The question didn’t linger long.
Michael passed by, holding water containers filled to the brim in both hands.
“Margaret! If you have time to slack off, help carry the water!”
“I’m not slacking off!”
Since the well at the Oak Tree Inn could no longer be used, they were bringing in water from outside.
They needed more labor as a result.
Glancing outside, he saw a cart loaded with water containers.
‘They look very busy.’
He understood why Margaret had made such an awkward excuse.
She wanted to see the pig, but it was hard to make time.
And since the collapse of the well was largely her fault, she felt self-conscious about openly taking a break.
“I’m not asking for help for free.”
“Are you going to pay us?”
“Not exactly, but it’s just as good. I’ll treat you to a special dish I make myself!”
Unlike Robin’s lukewarm reaction, Sigbard’s eyes widened.
His intense gaze made Margaret flinch and take a small step back.
“If it’s a special dish, does that mean meat?”
“Y-Yes. We have a lot of leftover ingredients these days. I can make meat dishes too.”
“Robin, let’s help.”
At the mention of meat, Sigbard was instantly persuaded.
‘He was asking when we’d go to the uncharted territory just moments ago…….’
It wasn’t that Robin opposed Sigbard’s easy decision.
If he helped Margaret by her side, he might be able to look around various parts of the inn.
“Alright. I’ll help you out for today.”
“R-Really?”
“After all, it’s partly our responsibility that you’ve become busier.”
Sigbard nodded while chewing his sandwich.
“But instead of Sigbard, I’ll help alone.”
“What are you saying, Robin? I’ll help too.”
Robin stared at Sigbard silently.
‘Who knows what he’ll break this time.’
“Go to the uncharted territory and hunt some Monster.”
“Alone?”
“Yes. Don’t go too deep—just stay near the gate.”
“Aren’t there no strong Monster near the city? I don’t want to deal with small fry.”
Robin formed a circle with his thumb and index finger.
At the gesture for money, Sigbard flinched.
“Sigbard, preparing for expeditions costs money. And do you know how much we have?”
“I’m not sure, but we earned quite a bit this time.”
“55 Silver and 64 Cooper. It’s not a small amount. But we’ll need even more money going forward.”
For now, they could return unharmed relying solely on their strength, but the cost of equipment needed for expeditions would only continue to rise.
“Go earn some money.”
“You’re too much, Robin!”
A piece of sandwich flew from Sigbard’s mouth.
Robin deftly avoided it, but the chewed piece of bread landed squarely on Margaret’s face with a slap.
“…….”
“Margaret, are you okay?”
“I-I’m fine. Ha ha…….”
“I’m sorry, Margaret.”
After gauging the mood, Sigbard stuffed the rest of the sandwich into his mouth in one bite.
“I’ll be back.”
“Don’t overdo it. Just catch a reasonable amount.”
Carrying nothing but a single rod, he headed toward the uncharted territory.
Anyone else might have called it madness and tried to stop him, but Robin wasn’t worried.
He hadn’t seen any Monster in the safe zone that posed a threat to Sigbard.
“Um… should I bring one more sandwich?”
In his fluster, Sigbard had eaten Robin’s portion as well.
Robin shook his head.
“I have some leftover rations. I’ll make do with that. It’s a waste to leave food behind.”
“I-I see?”
“Then let’s get started.”
Robin carried the plates from the table to the kitchen in Margaret’s stead.
The motion of carrying ten plates at once was smooth and swift.
“Ah. I could have done that.”
Having worked as a servant in a noble household, he had done all sorts of tasks.
Cleaning, errands, guiding, hosting, escorting…….
Even compared to Margaret, his movements were natural.
“Tell me what needs to be done on the first floor.”
“It’s mostly preparing for the morning service.”
“Let’s finish quickly. I’ll bring the pig once the work is done.”
Once Robin began helping, Margaret felt a twinge of guilt.
Regardless, Robin quickly worked through the tasks.
“Do you happen to have the key to the second-floor storage room?”
“No. The boss should have it.”
‘Could it be Humphrey?’
The kind innkeeper and the foreman of the well construction.
The key was in the hands of those two.
‘If I investigate, I’ll find out.’
Whether there was a Demon Tribe worshipper or not, he would learn in time.
For the safety of the Oak Tree Inn, Robin sketched out the suspects in his mind.