novelraw Chapter 58 : Negotiation
Chapter 58 : Negotiation
Chapter 58: Negotiation
At the savory scent of bread, her nose flared reflexively.
The plush softness supporting her back tempted her to lie there just a little longer.
When she brushed the messy hair out of her mouth and opened her eyes, what she saw was the ceiling.
“Mm, the bread here tastes good.”
“The jam is sweet and tasty too. It’s just right for a young lady’s palate, isn’t it?”
“Sniff, sniff. It’s my first time eating peach jam, but it’s good.”
“Right? Maybe it’s because this area is near Bellaruka—there’s nothing lacking for a city of this size.”
Ceiling, bed, Imelda, Robin, bread.
‘An inn.’
Having quickly grasped the situation, Serena pushed herself up.
Her body lacked strength as if she had starved for three days, but there were no injuries.
Robin and Imelda turned their heads toward Serena at the same time.
“You’re awake?”
“Serena, are you feeling okay?”
“I’m a bit weak, but it’s within expectations. More importantly, where is this?”
Imelda placed a piece of golden-brown toast in front of Serena.
According to Robin’s explanation, it went like this.
Serena had dropped Nelson to the ground and lost consciousness.
Fearing pursuit, Robin and Imelda had headed toward Bellaruka, discovered a nearby city along the way, and entered an inn.
Around the bed placed in the center of the double room, luggage was strewn about messily.
Seeing the bloodstained laundry made it easy to imagine Robin’s desperate struggle.
She had seen Robin herself before he shook off the knights, but she had not realized it had been this severe.
She raised her hand to fill her stomach, but the sleeves, longer than her arms, drooped down limply.
‘Come to think of it, these clothes feel loose.’
When she looked down, they were not the clothes Serena had been wearing.
Robin resolved the doubt.
“My blood got on Serena’s clothes because of me. I dressed you in my clothes for the time being. Serena, you didn’t have any luggage, did you?”
“Don’t misunderstand! I dressed her instead of Robin! I washed Serena’s clothes properly.”
“It’s fine. I don’t get upset over things like that.”
Imelda, who had been rambling with extra explanations, stared as if asking what that was supposed to mean.
Serena rolled up her sleeves and answered while putting toast into her mouth.
“To commune more deeply with nature, it’s better not to wear clothes. I lived that way when I was alone too.”
“W-what……?”
“Have you ever seen spirits wearing clothes? In front of the pure will of nature, clothes are nothing but a hindrance.”
At the overly calm reply, Robin and Imelda were left speechless.
Serena’s half-lidded eyes finally closed completely as she just chewed on her toast.
Unable to hold back his curiosity, Robin asked.
“Then the reason Serena has no luggage is……?”
“I usually have no need to wear clothes, and as for food, I can provide for myself. With the help of spirits, there’s nothing I can’t do.”
“Waa…….”
Imelda exclaimed in admiration.
Robin also revised his assessment of Serena.
Truthfully, he had thought she was lacking in some way, but there had been reasons.
Carrying unnecessary luggage alone consumed energy.
She was confident in her own power and pursued efficiency through rational judgment.
Still, there was one thought he could not erase.
No matter if no one was around to see her walking around barely clothed…….
‘She seems like a pervert.’
It was an irreverent thought to harbor toward a benefactor who had saved his life, so he quickly changed his mindset.
Seeing her nod off while eating toast, she looked like she might fall asleep again at any moment.
He hurriedly brought up what he needed to say.
“You might already know, but the city we’re in is close to Bellaruka. It takes less than a day on horseback. Serena has fulfilled her role. From here on, the young lady and I will go find it ourselves.”
“So the deal is over.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
Robin and Imelda bowed their heads in greeting.
Serena opened her small mouth wide to yawn and opened her eyes.
She wanted to fall asleep immediately, but she forced herself to endure and looked at Robin.
“What would you have done if I hadn’t shown up back then?”
“What else could we have done. We would’ve died.”
“You don’t regret it?”
“No.”
The answer came instantly, without even a second of hesitation.
With curious eyes, Serena continued.
“I’m the one who took on the escort job. You don’t resent me?”
“You saved my life. Why would I resent you?”
“If I had stepped in instead of you, we could have bought time.”
“It was more likely to succeed if I stepped in. A knight’s aura would have been threatening even to Serena.”
‘Likelihood, huh.’
She had not told Robin or Imelda, but the reason she had been able to bury the knight was because she had overexerted herself beyond her usual limits.
She had borrowed power from the spirits who followed her, on the condition that she would give them more Ether later.
Because of that, she had become unable to handle spirits for the time being.
Even at this very moment, as soon as Ether recovered, it was being drained away.
‘Rational. Or does he simply not know how precious his own life is.’
The black-haired boy in front of her had blocked the knight with a resolve incomparable to Serena’s overexertion.
A resolve that risked death.
Suddenly, a man came to mind.
‘What is that old man doing, and where?’
She closed her eyes briefly and sank into memories.
She missed that rough yet warm touch.
“Serena? Are you asleep?”
“I’m not.”
“Then we’ll leave this evening. We’ve already paid the lodging fee for two days in advance.”
“We’re not done talking yet.”
Robin and Imelda swallowed hard, trying to hide their tension.
So it had finally come.
It had seemed like things would slide by smoothly, but that was not the case.
Robin could guess what kind of words would come out of Serena’s mouth.
What would she demand in exchange for not spreading Imelda’s identity around?
“I’m hurt.”
“Is it a lingering aftereffect from pushing yourself too hard?”
“That’s right. I can’t use spirits anymore.”
It was a bigger problem than expected.
A spirit mage unable to handle spirits.
He was about to say that he was willing to compensate up to 1 Gold, but what came from Serena’s mouth was an unexpected statement.
“Take care of me until I recover.”
“…How long do you think recovery will take?”
“Who knows. I think I’ll be perfectly fine in a week.”
“Is that all?”
“Is there anything else you can do for me?”
Robin asked if he could discuss it with Imelda.
Seeing Serena nod slightly, he turned his back and whispered to Imelda.
“What do you think, young lady?”
“A week should be okay, right? She’s hurt, so it feels wrong to just leave her behind.”
“We can’t forget our situation. We don’t know when wanted notices might go up across the Empire.”
“Then what should we do…….”
“Let’s find a caregiver in the city and assign them to her. A week is too long.”
Imelda looked back and forth between Serena and Robin, and in the end agreed with Robin.
She felt both apologetic and grateful toward Serena, but staying with them might bring even greater danger upon her.
Just as Imelda was struggling to open her mouth, Serena spoke first.
“If a week is hard, then five days.”
“Huh?”
“I saved Robin’s life. Is even that too hard?”
Imelda blinked her large eyes.
She had not expected the girl with the aloof impression to change the number of days as if haggling.
Robin brightened his gaze and cleared his throat.
“We want to stay by Serena’s side too, but you know, our circumstances are quite pitiful.”
“Four days.”
“Imperial troops could storm in at any time.”
“Three days. Any more than that won’t work.”
“Alright.”
Robin smiled and held out his hand.
Serena clasped Robin’s hand with her characteristically cool expression.
It looked just like merchants sealing a deal.
“I’m tired, so I’ll sleep now. Wake me when it’s time for dinner.”
“Please rest comfortably.”
As soon as the business was concluded, Serena fell asleep softly.
Robin spoke quietly so as not to wake her.
“Then let’s prepare during these three days.”
“Prepare for what?”
“Both the young lady and Serena are wearing my clothes, so we need to buy clothes, restock supplies needed for travel, and it’d be good to sell the knight’s belongings and turn them into cash.”
As Robin skillfully listed what needed to be done, Imelda nodded and listened attentively.
“Then I’ll see you in the evening.”
“Yeah.”
The two left the inn room and split up to walk around the city.
It was called a city, but its total population didn’t seem like it would reach even 300.
It hadn’t been long since it was established under the name of a Bellaruka expansion city, so there were few people.
For a small village, the infrastructure was well laid out, making it not bad for staying a few days, and the fact that no knight order was stationed there put him at ease.
Crunch, crunch, crunch.
Robin walked through the grassy fields outside the city, filling a basket with armfuls of yellow flowers.
Golden Ivy.
A vine plant with golden leaves; when it bloomed, a soft honey-like fragrance spread.
Not many people knew it, but juice extracted from Golden Ivy flowers was a natural dye.
He was pulling out every one he could see to change hair color.
“O great Empire built upon this land, your glory shall remain unchanged even beyond a thousand years. This land, cultivated by the blood and sweat of our ancestors, shall now shine forever like a brilliant star.”
An elderly man with graying long hair fluttering behind him muttered as if reciting a prayer while following behind Robin.
He had been following ever since Robin came out of the city.
Robin had asked several times if he had business, but the old man remained silent.
With his face tightly covered, Robin had initially been wary, thinking the man might have recognized his identity, but soon stopped.
The old man looked as if he wasn’t fully in his right mind, perhaps suffering from dementia.
“Just as a lofty mountain pierces the sky and a deep sea embraces the world’s end, your majesty encompasses all existence and shall stand against any trial. Oh, great Empire, your descendants shall exalt your name and praise you eternally.”
He didn’t look like a priest, but his clear pronunciation and voice suggested he wasn’t a vagabond either.
His attire also looked refined.
That made the old man’s identity even more curious.
After gathering enough Golden Ivy to dye even Imelda’s hair, Robin turned around and spoke.
“Elder. My business here is finished. If you have something to say to me, say it now.”
“…….”
“If you have nothing to say, then I’ll be on my way.”
As Robin turned his body toward the city, the old man struck his cane against the ground.
With a sharp sound, the old man opened his mouth.
“Brodnika.”
At the unfamiliar name, Robin tilted his head toward the old man.
The old man gave a bitter smile and spoke.
“This city. No, its original name.”
“Ah, yes……. Have you lived here for a long time?”
“No. I simply stop by around this time each year to console the souls.”
“If you’re consoling souls, then something must have happened here?”
“A terrible… a truly terrible thing happened…….”
Ten years ago.
Brodnika was a village that served as a link on the road leading to Bellaruka.
The village, which had prospered day by day, expanded in scale and developed rapidly.
Until an epidemic broke out.
As the plague spread uncontrollably, cities including Bellaruka cut off exchanges, and countless people died.
The old man’s voice was calm, but the content was anything but light.
‘They say there’s only a fine line between a sage and a madman. That saying fits this elder perfectly.’
After listening to the old man to the end, a question arose in Robin’s mind.
He had said he came to console souls, but there were no memorial stones or cemeteries to be found.
When he voiced his doubt, the old man’s answer was cryptic.
“That’s only natural. It’s a history that people don’t want to record, don’t want to be discovered.”
“You mean honoring those who died from the epidemic?”
“What awaits those who defy His will is nothing but death.”
Muttering incomprehensible words, the old man closed his mouth.
He went from a venerable sage brimming with insight to an old man spouting nonsense.
Thinking that the man might not even be able to find his way if left alone, Robin extended his hand.
“Elder, I’ll take you home. Where should we go?”
“A wandering seeker has no home.”
“Please don’t say that. Come this way. Your family must be worried.”
“…….”
In one hand was the basket filled with Golden Ivy.
With the other, he held the old man’s hand and returned to the city.
Despite roaming the spacious city for its population, trying to find his home was futile.
With no other choice, he entrusted the man to the guard unit and headed to the inn.
‘Even the guards looked troubled. Will it be alright?’
Shaking off the uneasy feeling, Robin stopped by a general store and bought a small mortar.
It was a modest size meant for grinding Golden Ivy.
Placing it on one side of the basket, he arrived in front of the inn, where Imelda greeted him.
Like Robin, her face was tightly covered, but that only made her stand out more.
Imelda waved her hand in greeting.
“Robin, good work. You gathered quite a lot.”
“Nothing unusual happened, right?”
“Yeah. Serena woke up too. Dinner’s all ready.”
“I was hungry, so that’s perfect.”
“But, you know. Who is that person over there?”
“Huh? Who……?”
When he turned around, the old man he had met during the day was standing there, leaning on his cane.
The old man walked closer step by step and came to stand beside Robin.
‘What are the guards doing.’
Before he could say that the man wasn’t in his right mind—
The old man looked straight at Imelda and said,
“H-ha, old hag…….”
“Excuse me? Who are you?”
“Old hag, it’s me… why did you only come now…….”
“Old hag? I’m sixteen…….”
“Old hag, make me some food. I’m hungry.”
“…….”
At a loss, Imelda looked at Robin.
With the old man’s continued whining, passersby glanced over one by one.
She backed away, avoiding the old man’s eyes, but he was persistent.
Drawing any more attention would be bad.
Robin sighed and signaled to Imelda with his eyes.
As Imelda tried to enter the inn, the old man followed closely behind her.
A senile old man had latched onto them.