kscans

t/n: before you read this, take a deep breath and relax yourself. prepare some coffee, grab some biscuits, go to the toilet and lay down comfortably. it’s a massive chapter, with almost 30 minutes reading time expected.

1

It seems that Bard has given the ancient sword the name “Stavros”. When called by that name, the ancient sword reacts, emitting a bluish-green light and showing incredible sharpness. He feels that he knows why. Lately, whenever something happens, he touchs the sword sheath hanging from his left waist. It’s a sheath made from the skin of his late horse, Stavros. He feels like he’s touching his beloved horse and his heart calms down. When he was fighting against demonic beasts, he might have touched the sheath and called out the name Stavros. Of course, he must have held this ancient sword in his right hand at that time. The ancient sword accepted the name given to it as its own.

In other words, the name Stavros has become a spell that draws out the power of this ancient sword. Moreover, it is only effective when Bard himself holds the sword. He tried to give the sword to Godon Zarkos to test it out, but the ancient sword was just an ordinary sword in his hands. Of course, he cannot say for sure that it is a sword that only Bard can use, just because he tested it with Godon. But he has a feeling that as long as Bard is alive, only he can use it. There is no clear evidence, but that’s how he feel.

The ancient sword showed a terrifying sharpness when fighting against demonic beasts, but when there were no demonic beasts around, the light was weak and the sharpness was not so great. It must have been a sword born to fight against demonic beasts.

However, there is one thing that bothers Bard. After the ancient sword exerted great power, he felt extremely tired. The first time, he was so tired that he could barely stand. The second time was the same. This time, he had a headache and dizziness.

“Perhaps this sword sucks the life force out of the user in order to exert its power. It might not be a power that can be used lightly.”

Even if it were just a cleaver-like sword, the weight and length are very comfortable for Bard right now. It is also incredibly sturdy. When he struck Godon’s wall sword with all his might, it didn’t even leave a scratch. It is the perfect weapon to carry for self-defense.

For now, he decided not to give this sword to the Tercia family. He also did not plan to report the existence of the “Blue Stone” that controls demonic beasts, which he heard from the hero Yemite of Jameen, to the Tercia family in a hurry. There is no way to obtain the “Blue Stone” at the moment, and it is pointless to report it until he knows more. There is no way to report it except to go there himself.

A year ago, Bard would not have thought this way. His way of looking at things and thinking has become much more relaxed. That’s fine with him. It’s not a year to be in a hurry, and it’s not a journey to be in a hurry either.

2

They arrived at the city of Krausk. It is close to the northern end of the Grand Lord of Egzera’s direct territory. It is a large city. In the end, they went around the outskirts of the eastern side without stopping at the Grand Lord of Egzera direct territory. (t/n: not sure Egzera or Exela is better)

Surprisingly, there was a checkpoint at the entrance of the city, and they were charged a toll. It was 20 gales. They were given a ticket with a string attached. Without the ticket, they could not buy or sell anything in the city, nor could they stay at an inn. When they leave the city, they could exchange the ticket for 10 gales. There were free tickets for residents, and long-term tickets for people who come and go frequently. They had heard that in the central countries of the continent, people were checked every time they entered and left the city, but they did not expect to see it in such a remote area, not even in the Grand Lord of Egzera’s direct territory.

When they entered the city, they were even more surprised. It was as lively as the city of Linz. A wide road runs through the center of the city, and shops are lined up along the street. They thought there were a lot of people at the checkpoint, but the number of people and the liveliness here were overwhelming. Travelers are not allowed to ride horses in the city, which makes sense.

First, they found an inn. They were happy to find a large bath, so Bard and Godon took turns watching their luggage and went in. They had their meals brought to their room. It was a soup made of meat and vegetables, grilled Tsaruga, and rice cooked with water and the Pran (whole grain). In the Grand Lord of Egzera’s direct territory, they do not eat much bread. Perhaps it is because wheat does not grow well in this area. Instead, they eat a lot of Pran. They cook the whole grain with water without grinding it into flour. Bard and Godon had eaten boiled Pran on their way to Krausk.

Bard doesn’t like Pran very much. It has no taste, it’s slimy, and it quickly becomes hard and tiring for the jaw. But the sake made from Pran is wonderful.

Tsaruga is a long, blue-backed fish. He had never seen it around Pakula. He had eaten it in Linz, but he had heard that it could only be caught in a large river. Is there a big river nearby, even though it is far from the Ova River?

The freshly grilled Tsaruga, sizzling and making noise, was brought to them. It had a burnt crust. The shop worker said that Tsaruga has the best fat at this time of year, and indeed it did. The lightly sprinkled salt and the sweet and savory sauce made from fermented grains go very well together.

But that’s not all. Bard discovered something else on this day. The roasted and boiled Tsaruga and Pran go very well together. Put a slice of Tsaruga on top of Pran and eat them together. Both are delicious on their own, but when mixed with the umami and sauce oozing from the Tsaruga, the Pran becomes incredibly tasty. Plus, it also goes well with Pran sake.

This combination can be said to have magical powers. He wanted to savor it slowly, but his hands kept bringing more and more food to his mouth. Before he knew it, he had eaten three servings of the boiled Pran that he was supposed to hate.

The boiled Pran in Krausk is plump, juicy, sweet, and delicious. It’s not brown, but white and shiny. When he told this to the shop worker, they said, ‘Of course. The lord has made it a specialty product and had it made by the villagers in nearby villages. I’ve heard that he gives them various instructions.’

He learned that the lord of Krausk was originally a Count of Zalban country. When Zalban was destroyed by the Parzam Kingdom twenty years ago, he refused to submit to the Parzam king and fled to the east of Ova. Many of his subjects followed him because they admired the count. The Grand Lord of Egzera welcomed the Count with open arm, allowing him to settle and develop the northern part of his territory and providing him with support. Since then, Krausk has grown into a large city that attracts people from all over Egzera gather. The Count’s grandson is the current lord, but the Count is still alive.

3

Bard was told of a shop that deals with leather armor. Surprisingly, it was a large shop with many weapons and leather armors on display. He called over a shop worker and showed him the monster fur, saying that he wanted to have armor made from it. The store clerk looked at the fur for a while and then called over an senior staff. The senior shop worker looked at the fur with a troubled expression and said, ‘We’ll take care of it for you,’ and took it to the back. After a while, Bard and Godon were led to the back of the shop and introduced to the owner.

“I am the owner of this establishment, and my name is Mariganen. This is the fur of a river bear monster, isn’t it?” he asked, and Bard answered in the affirmative.

“This is a very fine piece of item. As you know, monster fur is very difficult to work with. Unfortunately, we don’t have any craftsmen who can make it here. However, we do have a skilled craftsman who has a relationship with our establishment, and we believe he can be of service to you. If you have it made here, we will charge a processing fee. It’s quite a hassle, but we suggest that you bring the fur directly to the craftsman’s place.”

Bard was impressed by the merchant’s logical argument, so he agreed. They even guided them to the craftsman’s house. The guide, however, seemed to have a bad look in his eyes and didn’t seem like a respectable person. He had a violent aura. Perhaps he was a staff who specialized in rough work.

The craftsman’s house was located quite far off from the main road, and they wouldn’t have been able to find it without a guide. The guide left them in front of the house. When they knocked on the door, a young girl came out. She was probably about twenty years old. Bard explained the purpose of their visit.

“Oh, you want leather armor made? Thank you very much! Big brother, big brother! There’s a customer!”

The girl called out to the craftsman, but there was no answer. Suspecting that something was wrong, they entered the house, and found the man was working. This man must be the leather armor craftsman, Polpo. A large piece of leather was attached to a large workbench. Bard guessed it was cowhide. It had few scratches and had a refined color. The important parts were fixed with nails. While holding it down with his left hand, he cut the leather with a blade in his right hand, creating flowing curves.

Bard stopped the girl from talking to Polpo. Now was not the time to disturb him. For a while, Bard and Godon were mesmerized by Polpo’s handiwork. As if by magic, the leather was cut and shaped into boots. When the work was finished, Polpo straightened his back, wiped his sweat, took a deep breath, and exhaled. Bard and Godon also exhaled.

Then, Polpo turned around and shouted, “What the hell are you guys doing? You can’t just barge into someone’s house like that. Staring at me like that. This isn’t a sideshow.”

“He’s a customer. He brought in some fur and wants a full set of armor made,” the craftsman’s sister said happily, but the craftsman remained as grumpy as ever.

“You brought it in, huh? As usual…” Polpo swallowed his words and looked at the fur Bard was carrying.

“No way…”

He got up from his chair, grabbed the fur, and looked at it closely. He turned it over and pulled it, examining it.

“Wow, this is amazing. This must be the river bear’s demonic beast. There’s only one vertical cut on its belly. What an incredibly beautiful fur. Not a single scratch on it. Amazing.”

However, this fur had not been plucked or tanned, and although it had been washed, it had become rough. When Bard apologized for this, Polpo scolded him, saying, “You fool! I won’t let an amateur touch it. If some clumsy fur plucker get his hands on it, this gem-like fur will be ruined. This is good enough, this is it.”

After that, Polpo carefully examined every inch of the fur, occasionally talking to it and saying things like “Well done, you were very brave to come out unscathed”. Then he bombarded Bard with questions. What kind of weapons did he use? Did he use a shield? What kind of enemies had he fought? Bard was even made to wield a sword.

“All right. It’ll take a month. Come back in a month, old man. It will take a month to take remove the fur, prepare it, and tan it. We won’t know how much it will shrink until we try it. After a month, we’ll measure it and decide how to tailor it.”

4

Bard and Godon gave Polpo’s sister some money for their preparations and returned to their lodgings. They were to stay for a month, or forty-two days, but they had no complaints. They could enjoy the delicious food of the city of Krausk. However, they needed some military funds. They would have to pay a considerable amount of money for the tailoring of the leather armor, and they had already spent a considerable amount of money on the reward for the Zarkos family’s horse. With the future in mind, they felt a little uneasy with the amount of money they had.

Just then, Jurchaga arrived. He had managed to find Bard’s whereabouts. He brought a message from the Count of Linz. The first was that Julelan had gone to the Parzam Kingdom. The Duke and the Count had come to fetch him. The second was that Caldos Gwendell had been summoned by the King of Parzam. The official reason was to celebrate his appointment as a great lord, to swear allegiance, and to reward him for his achievements. Of course, if he went, he would be accused of creating a fake prince. The third was that Jog Ward had escaped. They didn’t know where he had gone. The fourth was that if they didn’t have enough money, they should tell Jurchaga.

Jurchaga told them all of this orally, not in a letter. Despite being a well-known thief, the Count of Linz trusted him a great deal.

Bard thought to himself, “He hasn’t learned his lesson, even though he was almost killed by his adopted son not long ago.” Then he reconsidered, “No, that’s not it. There’s no one you can trust completely. That Oswald, the adopted son, must have had some good qualities. Perhaps his unfortunate upbringing made him twisted. Despite his warped nature, the Count of Linz trusted him. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have grown as a person.”

“This man, Jurchaga. Maybe he won’t go back to being a thief.”

Bard wrote a letter with his seal, asking the Count of Linz to give him only this much money from the money he had entrusted to him, and gave it to Jurchaga.

5

“Grandpa, your body is huge,” Polpo said as he took measurements. It seemed like he was not only surprised by his size, but also impressed by his strong muscles and bones. Occasionally, he would put his hand on his chin and think about something. Other times, he would touch different parts of Bard’s body to feel the texture.

On the workbench lay a beautifully polished fur of river bear demonic beast. It was so well crafted that it was hard to believe at first that it was a demonic beast’s fur. The color was also slightly bluish. Bard wondered how they managed to dye a demonic beast fur. But soon, he witnessed an even more incredible sight.

While he was taking measurements and marking the leather with charcoal, Polpo took a cutting knife and plunged it into the demonic beast leather. Bard’s eyes widened. He knew how tough demonic beast skin was and how difficult it was to cut through it. Yet, the leather was sliced through as if it were horse or cowhide. Slowly, but steadily and unwaveringly, it was cut into a gentle curve. Finally, the pattern was cut out.

At this point, Polpo let out a sigh of relief. Bard also breathed a sigh, as did Godon and Jurchaga. Everyone was so engrossed in the work that they forgot to breathe.

Polpo took a break and resumed his work. Then he then cut a hole in the middle of the leather. When he was done, he placed the cut leather over Bard’s head, fitting it perfectly from his back to his stomach.

“Normally, leather armor is made in severel pieces. It makes for a stronger armor. It’s harder to tear and easier to move in. If a big part is damaged, you can just replace that part. But when you use this demonic beast fur, it’s better not to break it into small pieces. It’s already stronger than metal armor, and even if a hole is made, it won’t become a weak point. Besides, you can’t get any repair materials that are as good as this. It might hinder your movement a bit, but it shouldn’t be a problem for your fighting style, Grandpa. Compared to metal armor, it’s much more flexible, and the more you use it, the easier it becomes to move in. Most swords won’t even leave a scratch on it. As for the chest…”

While drawing a round mark on Bard’s chest with his finger, Polpo continued his explanation.

“To increase its strength, we use three pieces of leather of slightly different sizes. Each piece comes from a different part. We also stitch in the leather from the stomach area between the three pieces. This makes it impervious to any impact. Well, the stitching is ridiculously difficult, though.”

“Stitching?!” Bard exclaimed.

Demonic beast skin required a great deal of effort just to make a single cut. It seemed impossible to sew with a needle. But Polpo took Bard’s surprise in a another way.

“Exactly. If you make a bad stitch, the leather will be ruined. Use this.”

Polpo took the lid off a jar he had placed in the corner of the room. Inside was a black, muddy liquid with a horrible smell.

“This is the thread of a Chatora spider. Forty-eight strands are twisted together. It’s incredibly strong. This thread is the only thing that can sew the demonic beast fur. We boil down the extract from the demonic beast fur and soak the thread in it. The thread that’s been soaked like this blends well with the fur. It won’t damage the leather, and the leather won’t damage it. After soaking it overnight, we dry it and apply wax to make it smooth.”

The thread taken from a Chatora spider is extremely beautiful and light. It’s the finest material for clothing. According to Polpo, the twisted Chatora thread is so strong that it can’t even be cut with an iron, and its resistance to pulling force is unparalleled. The Chatora thread soaked in the demonic beast extract is said to be as tough as the demonic beast leather itself.

After taking a long time to make the pattern, Bard and the others were told to come back in three days to pick up the finished product and were kicked out.

6

“Hey, wasn’t that Mana Deet (Holy Hard Silver)?” Jurchaga said on the way back from Polpo’s workshop. Bard stopped in surprise and stared at Jurchaga. Mana Deet. It was the metal that was considered the main material for the magic sword El Guodla. It is the hardest substance in the world. It can be said to be the pinnacle of human wisdom.

“What do you mean by ‘that’?” Bard asked.

“Oh no, everything there is. The cutting knife, the carving knife, and the stopper nails. I bet even the sewing needle is included in that. It’s amazing, it’s a fortune. Oh, except for the tanning knife, it looked like ordinary steel. But the father of that craftsman was a famous leather armor craftsman in the Zalban Kingdom, as expected.”

Holy Hard Silver is not something you can just buy. Not only is it rare and incredibly expensive, but the metallurgists who know the manufacturing process are all employed by the nobles of the central part of the continent. Polpo’s father must’ve come to this frontier with the fallen Count and founded the city of Krausk. It’s understandable that Holy Hard Silver can cut through monster leather. However, the fact that it could be cut so cleanly with just one blow is a testament to Polpo’s incredible skill. Moreover, he was able to cut it into complex shape just by drawing a simple sign and visualizing it in his mind. It was an impressive technique. Bard was so impressed that he was completely captivated by the simple act of cutting leather, feeling a sense of euphoria similar to that of drinking the finest sake.

“Oh, this is it, this is it. Mister Bard, Mister Godon. We’re having dinner here tonight.”

Jurchaga returned exactly thirty days later. It took him fifteen days to get to Linz. His leg strength was still unbelievable. After giving Bard and Godon the money he had received from the Count of Linz, he urged them to move into a cheap inn in the back alley. Bard wondered what kind of deals he had made when they left the horses at the stop station for the officials. Jurchaga took them to a different restaurant for each meal, so they wouldn’t know where to find them. The restaurants were all cheap and served incredibly delicious food. Bard was impressed with Jurchaga’s ability to handle things and entrusted him with a large sum of money and told him to take care of the bill. They spent less money than when it was just Bard and Godon, and the food was even better. Moreover, although Jurchaga had never been to Krausk before, he acted as a their guide and they never got lost. Jurchaga was an incredibly useful man.

As they approached the restaurant, the delicious smell of grilled meat wafted toward them. It looked like they were grilling chicken.

“This is the place. They serve Colcordur here. Hey, old man! Three new customers here. Give us the full course with meat, skin, and organs. And also, a barrel of Pran sake, too.”

The owner of the restaurant was grilling meat in the midst of a thick smoke. Customers sat on wooden crates that served as chairs and tables, drinking and chatting under the blue sky. Jurchaga quickly arranged three seats in a quiet spot. The waiter came over and placed a large plate in the middle of the wooden box, along with a barrel of sake and three bowls. With natural movements as if he had been coming here for years, Jurchaga poured sake into the bowls and handed them to the two men, taking one for himself.

“Cheers, misters.”

“Cheers,” Bard said as he raised his bowl, and the other two joined him. They drank the white sake in one gulp. It was delicious. Why is the first sip always so good? There are two types of Pran sake: muddy sake with white grains of Pran left and clear sake that has been filtered. This white sake is probably a kind of muddy sake, but the grains are very fine, like milk. The throat is also smooth. The waiter brought the meat and placed it on the plate.

“Wow, it looks delicious.”

It really did look delicious. Bard took a piece and put it in his mouth. The smell of burnt wood and chicken skin mixed together to create an indescribable aroma. It was tender, juicy, and had a satisfying amount of meat. Even though it was the first time he had eaten chicken, there was something nostalgic about it.

“In the lands beyond Ova, everyone eat Colcordur. It might become more popular in the frontier from now on,” Jurchaga said, showing off his usual knowledge.

Next came the organs, which were crispy.

“What is this?”

“Oh, Mister Godon, do you like it? It’s the stomach lining.”

“Oh, it’s so rich.”

“That’s the heart.”

Then came the skin, which had a good smell of burnt fat.

“Oh, I’ll give you this. Just sprinkle it on top.”

Jurchaga had bought some Eibo fruit from a fruit vendor earlier and handed it to the two men. The refreshing citrus scent was pleasant to the nose. When they squeezed the Eibo and put it on the meat, it became even more delicious. It was too delicious. Then, the meat from the legs, liver, spleen, and intestines came out one after another, but the combination of the roughly sprinkled salt and Eibo was unbeatable, and they never got tired of eating it. The three of them ate an incredible amount of chicken. Finally, the manager thanked them for eating so much and served them chicken soup and boiled Pran with eggs as a complimentary service. The white soup was sweet and soaked into the depths of their organs. When Godon tried to put the egg in the soup, Jurchaga scolded him.

“What are you doing, Mister Godon? That’s not it. This is for the boiled Pran. Mix it well first.”

Following Jurchaga’s example, Bard and Godon mixed the eggs well. Then they poured it over the steaming white boiled Pran and mixed it again.

“Listen. You shouldn’t think of boiled Pran mixed with raw eggs as food. It’s a drink,” Jurchaga said as he quickly ate the egg-topped Pran. Bard and Godon followed suit. Especially Godon was especially interested in the large and delicious-looking Colcordur eggs.

“These are quite large and look delicious.”

“Not just look delicious, they are delicious. The taste of the eggs changes depending on what they are feed. Female Colcordurs lay six of these eggs every ten days.”

“Wow! What a smooth and delicious taste! It’s so good. It feels great,” Godon exclaimed. Bard felt the same way. Nearby, the shopkeeper snorted proudly while he was busy grilling birds.

At that moment, the conversation between other customers caught the attention of the three. It was said that the leather armor craftsman, Polpo, had been arrested for murder.

7

Polpo’s house was sealed off, and his sister wept outside. There were no officials, but there were onlookers. Jurchaga watched the grieving sister with a stern expression, and whispered to Godon’s ear,

“I want to investigate something. Mister Godon. I’m sorry, but can you get everyone’s attention for a while?”

Godon replied, “Okay,” but he didn’t know what to do. Then, a small child bumped into a man passing by, and the man started yelling at the child. Godon thought this was his chance, so he approached the man and shouted,

“Hey! What are you doing, bullying a little kid like that?”

Godon already had a loud voice, but when he put more force into it, his voice became incredibly loud. While everyone was paying attention to him, Jurchaga skillfully climbed onto the roof and slipped inside by moving the roof tiles. Godon lectured the man on proper behavior.

Jurchaga soon came out after, and said, “Be careful from now on!” and released the man.

Afterwards, Bard and the others talked to Polpo’s sister, listened to the situation, and encouraged her to stay strong before parting ways.

8

This is what happened. Polpo’s sister worked as a live-in employee at a fruit shop a short distance away, and came to deliver Polpo’s breakfast. When she opened the door with the key, she found a dead body inside. Polpo was sleeping next to his workbench, which seemed normal. She screamed in surprise, and her brother woke up and the neighbors came over. Officials also arrived. The dead man was a horse gear craftsman named Toma, who often drank and fought with Polpo. Polpo’s tanning knife was stuck in Toma’s chest. The blood that flowed out had dyed the workbench completely red.

The officials said that Toma probably came to argue with Polpo after drinking somewhere, and Polpo got angry and stabbed him to death. Polpo’s sister argued that Polpo would never do anything like smearing blood on his tools and workbench, but her plea was ignored. Jurchaga said he had something to investigate, and went somewhere, returning in a moment.

“The fact that the door was locked is one thing. That shop belonged to Mariganen. He’s the owner of a large armor shop who introduced them to Polpo’s shop. He might have a spare key. I found out in which shop Toma was drinking at that night. The person he was drinking with was a criminal-looking guy who worked in Mariganen’s shop.”

“Jurchaga. What were you doing when you went to Polpo’s house?”

“Oh, Mister Godon. Thanks for earlier. I was able to find the holy hard silver tools. But the demon beast fur was gone. Now we can see the whole picture.”

“No, I still don’t understand. What’s going on?”

“Oh, I forgot to mention two important things. Mariganen has two sons. The oldest will inherit the shop, but the second son is a leather armor craftsman. Also, according to the law in this town, murderers are branded as Dylan (criminal) and cannot own property. So all their property is sold off. The money goes to the lord, but the time until their release is shortened. I bet Mariganen will buy Polpo and his property. That way, he can get the tools, and steal all the knowledge and techniques.”

After hearing this, Bard could see the plot. Mariganen wanted the holy hard silver tools for his son, and Polpo’s knowledge and techniques were also attractive. But there was one thing he didn’t understand. What happened to the demon beast fur?

“Huh? What are you talking about, Mister Bard? It’s monster fur. Moreover, it was prepared by a skilled craftsman. I’m sure Mariganen stole amidst the chaos. I think he was willing to kill people to get his hands on it”.

“It is true that demon beast fur is hard to come by. But, it’s difficult to process and hard to use. I don’t think it’s worth much”.

When Bard said that, Jurchaga opened his eyes and mouth wide and was dumbfounded for a while.

“No, no, no, you don’t know anything. Mister Godon. Say something”.

“No. It’s not something worth killing for,” Godon replied.

“Wow…This person too. This is bad. They don’t even know the common sense of the world.　You know,　even if it’s just for sale, that thing is worth at least 500,000 gales. No, it’s not about the price.　Every nobleman would want it, and if a shop could handled it, it would enhance their reputation.　Well, in this case, we can’t show it publicly, but there are plenty of people who want it behind the scenes.　It’s perfect for bribes.　It’s really amazing.　It’s a really great thing*. In Pakula, you can get a lot of demonic beast fur, right?　What do you do with them?” (t/n: * Jurchaga said “Tsukasa” in hiragana. he probably means kingdom official or something along that lines).

In the Tercia family, even in a bad year, they defeat at least ten demonic beasts, and in a good year, they defeat over twenty. The fights are always intense, so the furs are often damaged, but they still manage to collect a decent number of them. They are stored in the warehouse and any knight can use them for free. Since they are difficult to work with, they are usually tied over regular leather armor or glued inside. While demonic beast fur are certainly tough, they cannot be used to make armor that covers the entire body, so metal armor is more useful.

“Something is terribly wrong here.　Listen, mister.　I think you could buy a full-body metal armor with just two or three scraps of that material.　A really high-quality one.　Jean Dessa Law! (Unbelievable!) Not knowing about this is a sin at this point. Yeah.　I guess you can’t do without me, misters”.

Murmuring to himself, Jurchaga spoke up in a loud voice.

“It seems that the interrogation of those involved has been scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. Mister, what are we going to do?”

Bard closed his eyes and thought. Then he came to a conclusion. There might be some bad people in this town, but on the whole there was something clear and straightforward about it. He thought that this reflected the temperament of the lord. From that, he concluded that the officials here could be trusted.

“We will go through the proper channels. Let’s go to the government office now.”

Godon and Jurchaga nodded in agreement.

9

“I see.　So, three employees of your shop and the deceased man went to Polpo’s house and drank, and the three employees went home first.”

“Y-yes. Polpo is a skilled craftsman, but he can be a bit short-tempered. I never thought it would come to this. It must have been a moment of weakness. Please, I ask for your leniency.”

The one who answered the interrogator’s questions is the owner of the armor shop, Mariganen. He pretends to defend Polpo, but in reality he is setting him up. He even prepared false witnesses, making him a despicable person. Bard, who overhears the conversation in the next room, is appalled.

“If he’s found guilty, his property will be sold off, but as a craftsman, he probably doesn’t have much property.”

“That is an inevitable result. The used tools and such are only worth a pittance, but we plan to take them all off your hands at a premium.”

“How commendable of you.”

The interrogator is dragging out the questioning as planned. Bard’s companions should be back soon. He hears the door open. The interrogator reports to the investigator.

“I see. Understood. Mariganen, the owner of the armor shop, there is someone who needs to see you. Bard Rowen, the lord. Please come in.”

As instructed, Bard enters the next room. The owner’s expression doesn’t change even when he sees Bard’s face. He’s quite cunning.

“This Bard Rowen entrusted Polpo with the demonic beast fur. We received a report and searched Polpo’s shop, but it was nowhere to be found. Shop owner, do you know anything about this?”

“This gentleman did indeed have the demonic beast fur. We introduced him to Polpo, who we thought could make something out of it. It’s quite suspicious that the furs are not in Polpo’s possession. I have no idea about this.”

“Are you sure you have no idea? Your shop must have a lot of leather armor in the works. Is there anything similar mixed in?”

“N-no, there is absolutely nothing like that. Those are pure demonic beast fur, and it’s from a river bear no less. We’ve been in this business for years, and we’ve never seen anything like it. There’s nothing like it in my shop.”

“I see. There’s no way there could be. Then what is this?”

The door opens, and the investigator and Jurchaga enter. Jurchaga is holding the unstitched demonic beast leather. The investigator speaks.

“We found the demonic beast leather. It was in the hidden storage room in the back of the owner’s room. We also found a spare key to Polpo’s house. Jurchaga, who was hired by Rowen, is an excellent searcher.”

The owner’s face is now pale. Another officer enters the room.

“As instructed, we arrested and interrogated the clerk. He confessed to the murder, but claimed it was an accident. He said he was ordered by his boss to take Toma to Polpo’s shop and stab him with a knife. He would have escaped if it weren’t for Lord Zarkos’ cooperation during the struggle.”

“Shopkeeper, there’s something I want to hear again. There’s no point in hiding any more lies.”

Mariaganen slumped down in disappointment.

10

The shop worker who killed Toma was sentenced to twenty lashes and ten years of hard labor as a convict. It was a harsh punishment. If he was whipped twenty times, he could die if he wasn’t careful. The pain would last for years. Mariaganen was fined a considerable amount of money. In addition, he was found to have cheated polpo out of his wages, so the shortfall was collected and given to Polpo.

The incident did not end there. Mariaganen’s eldest son and his henchmen attacked Bard and his companions. The fifteen or so bandits who attacked were severely punished by Godon. This behavior disregarded the decision of the authorities and Mariaganen was charged with a serious crime, and was fined a huge amount of money. Finally, unable to pay the two fines, Mariaganen was stripped of all his possessions and expelled from the city with his family.

Bard and his companions were praised by the officials for their role in solving the case, and were thanked by Polpo and his sister. Polpo used his skills to make a wonderful suit of armor. It was supposed to take three days, but it took seven days. Polpo insisted that he didn’t need a fee, so Bard gave his sister an appropriate amount of money.

The day after they received the armor, Bard and his companions wanted to leave, but an unexpected person came to their inn. It was the former lord of Krausk, Count Huddle Zoruars. He was a genius who had built such a city in one generation, but he had no pretensions. According to what Bard later heard from Jurchaga, he was 84 or 85 years old this year. He was thin and small. His complexion was good, and his skin was shiny, though it was wrinkled. There was no hair on the top of his head, but a lot of white hair grew on the sides. His mouth and chin were covered with white beards. It was like snow.

“I heard that the Knight of the Wall Sword and the Knight of the People are staying in this city. I heard that you were leaving this morning. I just had to see you. Please forgive me”.

He said with a smile, his voice so friendly that it could be described as soft. Bard was impressed that he had never smelled such a stench of lifelessness from a human being before. He felt a refreshing breeze blowing. It was the wind that blew from his personality. Only those who have lived while severely cutting off the arrogance and self-righteousness that come with aging can have such an atmosphere. The two accompanying knights were both skilled, but they showed no killing intent or intimidation, and simply stood quietly behind him.

After chatting for a while, the former lord said, “Please accept this as a small farewell gift. Have a safe journey,” and gave each of them a cloak. However, Jurchaga was not present, so Bard took Jurchaga’s cloak. Jurchaga had been able to report to the Count of Linz, and had left for Linz on the day when Polpo’s innocence was confirmed. The cloaks were not flashy, but they were of good quality and sturdy. Bard felt strange.

“Well, it’s a bit too much. Besides, Godon is a lord, I am a wandering knight without a territory, and Jurchaga is just a servant. All three of us have the same high quality cloak.”

If you add this question to another one, you can make a guess. The other question is why Mariaganen’s misdeeds and the behavior of that gangster store clerk were overlooked until now, and why Polpo was arrested as the culprit in this case. The former lord must have felt suspicious when he heard the outcome of this matter. There was a small official who had been snooped on by Mariaganen. It took some time to investigate and decide on the punishment. He probably wanted to meet Bard and Godon, but he also wanted to show his gratitude and respect. That’s enough, but giving the same thing to the three of them is a meaningful gesture.

“I see, this is his character.”

Bard thought. In other words, “Thanks to you, we were able to avoid accusing an innocent craftsman. We were able to punish the dishonest merchant and the corrupt officials. Thank you. There were some mistakes, but don’t hate this town.” However, he couldn’t say it in a way that would clearly indicate that the current lord’s rule was flawed. That’s why he gave them cloaks. Now that he understood that, how should he react? As Bard thought hard, his neighbor Godon said with a smile.

“Well, to be honest, I used to hate the boiled Pran that’s often eaten around here. But the one I had in this town was delicious. Especially when eaten with the fatty Tsaruga, it was incredibly tasty”.

Count Zoruars replied with a smile, “Oh! I’m glad you liked it.”

“Absolutely. And the texture of the egg mixed into the boiled Pran after eating lots of grilled Colcordur was just amazing!”

“I see.”

“Count, did you know that mixing boiled Pran with eggs is not considered food, but rather a drink?”

“What! I had no idea. But that’s a clever way of putting it. Hahaha. The Pran and the Colcordur are two things this town is particularly proud of. I’m glad you were able to enjoy them to the fullest. It’s delightful, delightful.”

Everyone laughed heartily, even the accompanying knights.

A long time ago, the Mito and Iekota, two of the “First People,” came here in search of land suitable for growing Pran. Though both families have since disappeared, the cultivation of Pran has become widespread, and eventually the Egzera Lordship was established. The Lordship has inherited the oral tradition for growing high-quality Pran, but it is said that no village has ever fully implemented it due to its complexity and laboriousness. Count Zoruars learned of this tradition from the Lordship and spent many years providing assistance and guidance to the surrounding villages, finally achieving the production of truly delicious Pran.

Before coming to the Egzera Lordship, Bard had never heard of Pran or any other grain. Naturally, he had no idea what it tasted like. In the Egzera Lordship, cooked Pran was more common than wheat bread, so he ended up eating it wherever he went. It was brown and had a strange taste and texture that Bard didn’t particularly like. However, the boiled Pran he had in Krausk was wonderfully delicious. It went well with fish and meat, introducing Bard to a whole new pleasure. He was glad to have come here. There were still many unknown delicacies waiting for him on his journey. Eating was essential for survival. Eating was living. Even on a journey to die, one could not stop eating. Bard thought that he would like to keep searching for delicious food until the very end.

*Author’s note: This story is a work of fiction. Egg over rice is not a drink.