Chapter 74
*
As I was panicking from rceja's sudden ambush, Erika ca out of her room and scolded .
She said, "A noble shouldn't raise his voice over every little thing, or others will look down on you."
As soone who is technically a noble, that stung, but what rceja told wasn't a "little thing."
After all, that "Kindhearted Barbara" is coming to Hekatai.
I explained all that to Erika after she sat down at the table, but all I got in return was a blank stare.
She even looked kind of disappointed, and for so reason, I felt a completely irrational sense of guilt.
By the way, when I told her a letter had arrived from the Pri Minister, she just replied, "I see," and pushed it to the corner of the table. Poor Pri Minister.
"What's the problem with Shin's ntor coming to Hekatai?"
"He probably just wants to check up on his apprentice in a new land," Erika said, looking like she thought it was sothing to be happy about.
Even rceja, an adventurer, had the sa expression, like he didn't get what the big deal was.
The two of them stared at like I was so kind of oddity, clearly not understanding why I was so shocked, but I sohow managed to pull myself together.
It's not like I'm definitely dood yet. Erika seems to think he's just coming to see , but anyone who thinks they can understand my ntor's thought process is gravely mistaken.
If it's him, I wouldn't be surprised if he ca to Hekatai just because he felt like flattening the forest in the Demonlands on a whim.
I asked, carefully trying not to let my voice tremble.
"Did he say why he's coming to Hekatai?"
rceja nodded with a face that clearly didn't get it. "Yeah."
"Said it was to check up on his apprentice."
"It's over!" I scread, and Erika scolded again.
*
I'm gonna stick around here a bit longer and do so digging before heading back to Faltarl. If you could write a reply to the letter, the Pri Minister would be real happy, so I'd appreciate it.
With that, rceja took his leave.
I watched his back as he left, like I was seeing sothing unbelievable.
In the end, I couldn't get either Erika or rceja to understand that I'm dood.
I feel unsettled. Deeply unsettled.
Why? Erika I can understand, but rceja should know better, right? He's an adventurer recognized as Rank 6 in Faltarl—he should know what kind of person my ntor is.
Don't tell he's abandoning . Damn it, that's it, isn't it? He knows and he's pretending not to so he can run away!
No, wait. Maybe he's just relieved because he thinks I'm the ntor's only target?
Damn it, I'll rember this.
When I see my ntor, I'm gonna tell him how much you've helped . May you be "kindhearted" by him too.
"Shin?"
Erika's curious voice from beside .
"You're wearing a very evil smile. Is sothing wrong?"
"Nah, it's nothing. I'm just... kind of looking forward to seeing my ntor now."
Erika let out a sigh-like "haah" in response, then changed the subject.
"What shall we do today? If there's nothing in particular, I was thinking I might..."
Maybe write a letter to the Pri Minister?
"I'd like to go hunt so monsters."
"Also to check on my condition," she said, stroking her red hair, which had regained its color.
...Poor Pri Minister.
*
After so discussion, Erika's request to go hunt monsters was postponed to another day.
Not because of her physical condition or anything like that. Though the looming arrival of my ntor is ntally taxing.
At the very least, we should have a bit more ti before he reaches Hekatai.
Depending on when rceja heard that my ntor was heading to Hekatai, but since rceja got here first, it's unlikely he left just recently.
If he doesn't make any detours, he could get here in under three days. If he's serious, even faster.
Which ans, there's even a chance he changed his mind.
Please, let that be the case.
Well, anyway, I shoved the unavoidable crisis aside and tried to forget about it.
I need to restock my equipnt.
We—especially I—lost almost all of our gear when we fought Oganight. And we didn't recover any of it.
It's probably turned to dust by now. The monetary loss is no joke.
If Erika hadn't been there, I probably would've stomped the ground while screaming. Actually, I did when she wasn't.
The loss of magic tools adventurers use especially hurts—it hurts a lot.
They're not the kind of magic tools that could build a mansion like the ones big rchant houses use, but adventurer-grade tools are still expensive.
It's a small rcy that the adventurer-use magic tools Erika brought from the Pri Minister are intact, but even just my share is a major loss.
In other words, if I don't replenish my equipnt, I might not be able to function as an adventurer.
More importantly, why does money fly out of my hands so easily?
Maybe I've beco so frugal that poverty itself has taken a liking to .
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