novelraw Chapter 143 : The Power of Connections
Chapter 143 : The Power of Connections
Chapter 143: The Power of Connections
It did not take long to leave Evendel and return to Valoria.
Since Robin had already achieved all the goals he had in mind, there had been no need to hunt Monsters.
It was not as though one could avoid encountering Monsters simply by wishing to, but Aelin had made it possible.
She was thoroughly familiar with the surrounding terrain and could even tell, by hearing alone, whether enemies were nearby or not.
“Three Copper-Ranked Adventurers. Confirmed.”
The three of them passed safely through Valoria’s gate.
Aelin did not have an adventurer’s token, so Robin had wondered what they would do, but Brandok had given her a spare one.
He had worried what might happen if they were told to remove her helmet, yet nothing of the sort occurred.
The Guard stationed at the gate let them through without being fussy as long as they showed their adventurer tokens.
They had crossed the border with almost anticlimactic ease.
“Let’s stop by the Guild and then head out right away.”
Originally, they had visited Valoria for Raymond’s request.
It was a suspicious request—10 Silver for a simple errand—but since things had gone smoothly, Robin even felt grateful.
Thanks to Brandok and Aelin, they had also gathered plenty of the materials listed in the additional request.
If they returned to Narvik and settled properly, the earnings would be quite decent.
“Wow, there are really a lot of people.”
On the way to the Guild, Aelin looked around busily at everything in sight.
Robin, who was tall even among humans, and Sigbard, whose size could not even be compared to a human’s.
On top of that, a woman in a helmet walked with them, so they naturally drew attention.
Even setting aside the Perception-Lowering Artifact, it had been the same when only Robin and Sigbard walked together, so it was nothing new.
“I really can’t tell what Adventurers are thinking.”
“Shh! They’ll hear you!”
“They’re all eccentrics, I tell you.”
Fortunately, people merely cast glances and did not approach to speak.
Valoria was a city where Adventurers were highly active, and since they generally carried at least one peculiar piece of equipment, people simply assumed as much and moved on.
When they arrived at the Adventurers’ Guild, Matilda, who had welcomed them on their first visit, greeted Robin warmly.
“You’re back again! Did you have a good trip outside?”
“Thanks to you.”
Without preamble, Robin took out the request form.
“I’d like to carry out Raymond’s request. You still have the chest, right?”
“Please wait a moment.”
Matilda disappeared behind the counter and soon returned with a chest.
She set it down with a thud. It looked no different from when they had seen it before.
A sturdy-looking chest whose contents were impossible to guess.
Matilda stamped Robin’s request form and pushed the chest toward him.
While Matilda handled the matter swiftly, Aelin asked,
“Ahem, I heard that the book written by Aelineira was sold. May I receive the sales proceeds?”
At the voice that did not match the rough helmet, Matilda blinked for a moment.
“I’m Aelineira. I wrote the Beginner’s Guide set….”
Judging by how her voice trailed off, she was clearly embarrassed.
When she revealed her real name, Matilda clapped her hands and smiled.
“Ah! You’re the erudite Guardian of the Forest, Lady Aelineira! It’s a pleasure to meet you!”
“Th-that modifier in front… I wrote that when I was immature, so please leave it out….”
Matilda grabbed both of Aelin’s hands and shook them vigorously.
‘Is she that happy?’
After the overly enthusiastic handshake ended, Matilda chattered nonstop.
She said how amazing it was to meet someone she had only heard about, how pretty her voice was, and so on…
Even in the midst of that, Matilda took out Silver Coins and calculated the money due to Aelin.
“Total sales were 30 Copper, and after deducting half as commission, that comes to 15 Copper!”
“This is Imperial Copper…! Robin, how much is 15 Copper worth?”
Aelin spoke as if whispering to Robin, but it was not particularly quiet.
Robin nudged her in the side.
The Elf, who had concealed her identity, fiddled with the Imperial currency she had earned with her own hands for the first time and closed her mouth.
“It’s truly fascinating the more I think about it. The person who purchased Lady Aelineira’s book becoming her companion!”
“It just sort of happened that way.”
“In lawless lands, the only ones you can trust are your companions. I hope the bond between the three of you lasts a long time.”
Their business at the Guild was finished.
Aelin could not take her eyes off the coins, and Sigbard yawned while picking at his ear.
With a smile, Matilda asked,
“Is there anything else you need?”
“There’s one thing I want to ask. Aelin, who was it that entrusted the book to Matilda?”
“My teacher delivered it on my behalf. As you know… I’m not very good in this area.”
Robin stared intently at Matilda’s face.
Perhaps feeling burdened by that steady gaze, Matilda tilted her head.
“Matilda, look me straight in the eye. You know Brandok, so why did you hide it from me?”
“Ah! You were looking for Brandok, not Branddeokhu. That was my mistake.”
“Don’t joke around. Answer me.”
It was not unheard of for people to misinform others due to similar-sounding names.
But when Robin had asked Matilda about Brandok’s whereabouts,
she had already purchased the Beginner’s Guide set written by Aelin.
The set for beginners had been handed to Matilda by Brandok.
And yet she claimed she could not recall the name Brandok?
It was an excuse difficult to believe.
“…May I add one thing?”
“What is it.”
“Making blatant threats inside the Guild is not a wise action.”
He had not released killing intent.
He was not that careless.
It was merely that Robin’s suspicion had spread beyond Matilda to those around them.
‘One, two, three… five. They’re watching this way.’
An administrative clerk organizing documents, an Adventurer waiting his turn, a mid-level manager drinking water on the second floor…
They pretended otherwise, but their nerves were sharpened.
“So, your answer?”
“I was simply curious about what kind of person Robin is.”
“What are you talking about.”
“Please wait a moment.”
With a gentle smile, Matilda brought something from behind the counter.
It was an item Robin and Sigbard had seen once before.
“An Engraving Artifact?”
“Oh, you recognize it.”
Then she held out her hand toward Aelin.
For a moment, Aelin wondered if she was asking for money and clutched her chest with both hands.
“Let me see your adventurer token. I can’t just send off Brandok’s disciple like this.”
Unsure whether to trust those words, Aelin glanced back and forth between Robin and Sigbard.
Sigbard spoke absentmindedly,
“Looks like she’s going to change the name.”
“Correct.”
“Aelin, this is a good opportunity. It’ll be more convenient for you to use your real name from now on.”
Aelin’s adventurer token had been engraved with a completely different name.
Only after Robin nodded did Aelin hand over the token.
Ziiiiiing.
In less than five seconds, she received it back.
Aelin’s eyes widened as she rubbed the token.
“It really changed? How did you do that?”
“This is the power of connections.”
It was true that she had helped, so Aelin awkwardly thanked her.
Matilda raised her eyebrows proudly.
Though she tried to gloss over it, Robin was persistent.
“I still haven’t heard the answer to my question. Why didn’t you tell me Brandok’s whereabouts?”
“I believe I already answered that it was a misunderstanding.”
“So you’re saying you won’t tell me.”
“Everyone makes mistakes.”
‘She has no intention of telling me.’
“Let’s go.”
“This has been Matilda, servant of the Adventurers. Please visit again!”
Leaving her formal farewell behind, they exited the Guild.
The gazes directed at Robin only disappeared once they stepped onto the street.
‘This leaves a bad taste. There really isn’t anyone in this world I can trust.’
Robin reviewed the recent conversation and realized several things.
Matilda seemed to know that Aelin was an Elf.
Without any procedure whatsoever, she had changed the name on the adventurer token with the Engraving Artifact.
‘She’s definitely being friendly, but I have no idea what she’s scheming.’
When Brandok had spoken about Matilda, he had made no particular remarks.
In other words, they had met only a few times for Guild business and did not share a private relationship.
Naturally, he would not have told her that Aelin was an Elf.
And yet, she had shown Aelin kindness without asking anything.
‘She didn’t even check her face.’
Moreover, although Matilda had been flustered by Robin’s question, she had remained composed.
Was that composure something she had learned from dealing with troublesome Adventurers?
Or did she have something to rely on?
For a moment, he even wondered if everything she had shown so far had been an act.
‘That’s going too far.’
He only pondered the kind receptionist of the Adventurers’ Guild for a moment.
Aelin’s excited voice broke his thoughts.
“Before we leave, let’s look around the city a bit.”
“Is there somewhere you want to go?”
“Of course! My teacher recommended that I absolutely try pancakes, but where should we go?”
“There’s a bakery nearby.”
“Great! I’m going to buy some bread and drink apple juice too.”
Seeing her unable to hide her childlike excitement, he let out a small laugh.
“Alright. It’s your first outing, so let’s enjoy it a little.”
“Is there anything you two want to eat? I’ll treat you!”
The innocent Elf proudly displayed the money she had earned herself.
15 Copper.
Her purity, still unaware of how the world worked, was evident.
“Aelin, with the money you have, it would only cover a single meal for me.”
“Wh-what?! H-how is that possible…! It’s the price of a book I worked on for a whole year!”
“Well now. You’re practically reeking of beginner vibes. I’ll teach you a thing or two.”
As the Barbarian explained the value of 15 Copper, the Elf’s shoulders gradually drooped.
With no other choice, Robin took out his wallet.
“Don’t be too disappointed. I’ll buy whatever you want to eat.”
“Really……?”
“How much have I been helped by you? Of course I can afford this much. Choose whatever you like.”
“Thank you, Robin! You’re the best!”
Robin meant what he said.
He was willing to spend even 1 Silver.
He did not bother mentioning that he had purchased the book Aelin had carefully written at a bargain price.
‘We’ll receive 90 Silver just from the additional request anyway.’
Like a child thrilled by a parent’s promise to buy a toy, Aelin ran all over the city.
Robin broke into a sweat trying to stop the endless sightseeing, wondering if she had forgotten their plan to leave early.
In the end, the three of them only left Valoria the following day.
The carriage was piled high with various desserts.
‘She really eats anything without discrimination.’
With the Elf glued to the window and the Barbarian stealthily snatching desserts, the carriage headed toward Narvik.
A desert where an endless sea of sand stretched out.
Under a crimson sky, the sun blazed down as though there were two of them.
The hot wind that shifted the sand dunes was unbearably dry—calling it barren was not enough.
Tatatatatat.
The sound of feet stepping on sand as hot as if it were burning spread in all directions.
In the middle of a desert where it was hard to imagine any living creature existing,
astonishingly, a man was running urgently somewhere.
“Huff… huff……!”
Even breathing was painful, yet the man did not stop.
Perhaps the sprint had not been in vain.
In the distance, he spotted a canyon contrasting with the desert.
“Just a little more……!”
Running with all his might, the man felt the heat thin as he escaped the desert.
A canyon shrouded in thick fog concealed him as if it were a protective barrier.
“Haa… haa… I’m alive…….”
“Isn’t it too early to feel relieved?”
Startled, the man choked.
There had been no one there—where had she come from?
When he turned his head, a woman approached with her sword drawn.
“The Butcher……!”
The man trembled like a leaf, hands shaking in terror.
“Don’t come any closer! If you take one more step, I’ll use a bomb……!”
The man stopped mid-sentence.
The woman who had just been there vanished.
Before he could comprehend what had happened, he heard the sound of air being cut—and that was the end for him.
Slice.
Blood spurted from the cleanly severed neck.
Though she had just killed someone, the woman calmly sat down nearby and leaned back as if accustomed to it.
“As expected, the nickname ‘Butcher’ isn’t wasted on you.”
“If there’s someone else to kill, call me.”
“It’ll be quiet for a while. More importantly, I heard some interesting news—want to hear…….”
“Forget it. What about what I asked for?”
The one rummaging through the beheaded man’s corpse carried a bow.
Despite the woman’s cold response, he answered without offense.
“They departed from Valoria, so we should receive it soon.”
“That’s enough.”
With her business concluded, the woman stopped paying attention to the man.
After rummaging through the body for a while, the man began walking, and the woman followed at a distance.
Perhaps unable to hold his tongue, the man spoke again.
“It would be nice if we could cure the elder, but you shouldn’t expect too much.”
“That’s for me to decide.”
“An elixir isn’t something you can make just because you have the materials. You should prepare yourself mentally—”
“Shut up.”
Though they were ten meters apart, the man felt his whole body tingle from the killing intent emanating from her.
He sighed and continued forward.
‘She used to be cute. I don’t know how she ended up like this.’
“Grandfather is just sleeping.”
“Yeah. You’re right. But this time, it’s really news you’ll like—”
As if refusing to listen any further, the woman strode ahead.
“Hey! You don’t even know the way—you can’t walk ahead of me!”
The man quickened his pace, but she matched his speed.
‘She’s not some adolescent girl. Or maybe she is about that age.’
Traveling through an Uncharted Area without a guide was something only seasoned Adventurers could do.
Though she possessed enough strength at a young age to be called the Butcher, in the man’s eyes she seemed reckless.
“We have to go together!”
“…….”
“Imelda!”
Though the distance between them did not close, the two left the canyon.
Toward their rarely visited hideout.