kscans

1

The treatment at the Linz mansion was so good that it was bewildering. The Count of Linz welcomed Bard, who was a hero and savior of his life, as an honored guest. The servants also served him with all their hearts as their master’s savior.

The important officials of the Linz territory came and went with gifts. They brought not only high-quality weapons and clothes, jewels, but also large furniture that made Bard wonder where to put them. He gratefully accepted the armor and cloak, which were plain but useful. However, some of the swords he received were too magnificent. The old, worn-out sword he had was enough for his travel companion who was about to die. He asked the Count of Linz to give the items he could not carry to the Tercia family. The Count of Linz kindly accepted his request.

One day, when Bard’s condition had completely recovered, the Count of Linz, Simon Epivares, changed his clothes and greeted Bard with a formal greeting.

“Sir Bard Rowen, I express my heartfelt gratitude for your achievement this time. I took you as my adopted son, thinking you were a capable man, but you turned out to be a lion in sheep’s clothing. I am truly sorry for involving you and Lord Julelan in danger due to my ignorance. It was thanks to your remarkable bravery that we were able to survive the life-threatening situation without a scratch. This is my eldest son and heir, Werner. And this is his wife, Helena. They also express their gratitude. The Epivares family will never forget our gratitude and friendship towards you. Our door is always open to you. If there is anything we can do to help you, please do not hesitate to ask. This is just a token of our gratitude for now. Please accept it.”

Together with his son and daughter-in-law, he bowed his head towards the piled-up gold coins wrapped in fine cloth and placed on a tray. One large gold coin was equivalent to ten gold coins. There were about a hundred large gold coins in front of Bard. He accepted their gratitude and promised his friendship, but refused the gold coins. After all, the attack this time was not only aimed at the Count of Linz but also at Bard and Julelan by the Gwendell family. It could be said that the water that poured on Bard and Julelan also hit the Count of Linz. However, the Count of Linz insisted, “No, that’s not the case. I found out from the survivors that Oswald had been colluding with the Gwendell family for a long time to take over my family. If we had been attacked when you were not here, we would not have survived. Thanks to the conspiracy you two faced while you were here, we were saved. I owe my life to you. Besides, I can’t take back the gift I’ve already given you.” So Bard asked him to give it to the Tercia family.

“Hmm. You are selfless and loyal to your lord. However, Sir Rowen, if you give this gold to the Tercia family, people will think that the Count of Linz has given a large sum of money to the Tercia family. Even if you keep it a secret, such things will eventually be known. I am seen as a merchant rather than a knight. Merchants do not give large sums of money for free. The Tercia family may become suspicious for no reason. Sir Rowen, I will repay the Tercia family in a different way. Please keep this gold.”

Bard had no choice but to nod. However, he couldn’t carry such a large amount of gold with him, so he decided to take 100,000 gales and will receive the rest when he need them.

“Well then, that’s fine. In that case, you may send a representative if you cannot come in person. It is better to decide how to confirm that the person is your messenger.”

Bard asked for ink and paper. The paper he was given was a very high-quality parchment. It was extremely white, thin, and smooth. It didn’t have the unpleasant smell that usually comes with parchment. Bard didn’t know what kind of animal skin it was made of. When the ink arrived, he dipped his right index finger in it and rubbed it against his left index finger. Then he pressed both index fingers onto the paper. When he released his fingers, there were two finger marks left.

“The pattern of a person’s fingers is unique to each individual. In the central countries of the continent, they call the act of dipping their fingers in red or black ink and pressing them on paper instead of using a seal, a fingerprint. Since there are no two identical fingerprints, this is a good way to identify a person. If someone with the same fingerprint as this fingerprint comes to see you, please give them the item I entrusted to you. I may lose a finger in battle, but if I leave the fingerprints of both index fingers like this, it should be okay.”

Count of Linz looked at him curiously, and Bard explained the fingerprinting method to him.

Count of Linz was impressed and compared the fingerprints of himself and his retainers, saying, “I see. Each one is different. Hmm, so the ‘People’s Knight’ is also smart.”

He learned this knowledge from Idora in the sunny garden. Idora had acquired some rare knowledge during her year-long stay with the Gwendell family, and Bard was also surprised by it. Remembering this, Bard suddenly realized that the “double swirls” that Gienzala had mentioned referred to fingerprints.

He told Count of Linz about it, and the count said, “Hmm, I see. So someone left a fingerprint in the shape of a double swirl, and searching for a person or a document with that fingerprint is the clue. Or perhaps they are searching for a certificate or oath with that fingerprint on it. That’s probably it.” Bard said that from the way Gienzala spoke, he didn’t seem to know about fingerprints.

Count of Linz replied, “That’s certainly possible. He was asking what the double swirls were. So someone who is not from the Gwendell family is searching for a person or document with that fingerprint as a clue. And Gwendell is probably trying to get ahead of them.”

Bard understood that much, but he couldn’t think of anything else. He wasn’t good at thinking about details. He was a little concerned that the ruffians were interested in Idora’s letter, but she was probably already dead. Besides, Bard knew how Idora thought about her things. “If Princess Idora knew something important, she wouldn’t write it in a letter to me. It’s too indirect, takes too much time, and is too dangerous. She would have consulted her brother, or perhaps Julelan-sama or Cedermont. My letter should have contained something that only I would understand.” He guessed that, so he wasn’t worried about the letter anymore.

Besides, how did Idora, who hadn’t left the castle since returning from Gwendell, know anything? There were many wise men in Tercia who were beyond Bard’s understanding. He didn’t think he had a role to play.

2

(Bard POV)

I went around looking at the food stalls for the first time in a while. I didn’t just look, I bought and ate various unusual foods here and there. At the Linz mansion, there were plenty of delicacies served at night, and healthy and easy-to-eat dishes were served in the morning. Although there was no shortage of food, these food stalls were different. Since I came all the way to Linz, I planned to eat as much as I could.

“Hey, boss. You look good,” a man called out to me from behind.

I remember the presence of the man who called out to me from behind. Jurchaga, “Rotten Flesh Hunter”.

“Can you treat me to something?” he said, so I bought a dish called “sandwiched grilled food” for two people at the next stall and gave him one. Since it seemed difficult to eat while walking, we sat down by the waterway. Jurchaga sat next to me.

“Ouch, this is delicious,” he said.

It was the first time I had ever eaten this dish. It was made by mixing wheat flour with water, thinly baking it into a round shape, and folding it in half. Inside it was fresh seafood that was quickly seared and then coated with miso, sugar, and spices. The smell of the heated miso was really appetizing. It was served on a large leaf. The leaf seemed to be just a substitute for a plate, but its soft and juicy aroma added a stylish flavor.

Bard boldly took a bite, imitating Jurchaga, and exclaimed, “Oh, it’s delicious!” Naturally, he smiled.

“I’ll buy you some sweet sake. Give me some money,” Jurchaga said, taking the change and gobbling up the remaining sandwiched grilled food. Then he jumped onto the embankment and disappeared into the crowd.

By the time Bard finished eating the sandwiched grilled food, Jurchaga had returned with a bowl of hot sweet sake in a bamboo cup.

“Here you go,” he said, handing one to Bard and taking out something else from his pocket. It was wrapped in a rag and emitted a steamy and delicious smell.

“I boiled various vegetables like potatoes and mashed them roughly. I made them into long strips like this, quickly grilled them, and sprinkled salt on them. It’s just that, but it’s delicious,” he said, placing it between Bard and himself. The two of them nibbled on it while sipping sweet sake.

“You didn’t think I would jump off the cliff, did you?”

“No, I didn’t,” Bard replied.

“You thought it was amazing that I could jump off the cliff, right?” said Jurchaga.

“Yes, I did,” Bard replied.

“Hey, am I a genius? I’m in trouble if you praise me too much. But actually, I was really scared. While thinking, ‘Can I do it? Is it impossible? Will I die?’ I told myself, ‘No, I can do it.’ I managed to do it and thought I was amazing,” Jurchaga said.

“That’s right. Knightly battles are the same,” Bard said.

Jurchaga looked a little surprised and then said, “I see. What I do and what the knightly masters do are the same, huh?”

There seemed to be a hidden flavor in the sweet sake, and it had a unique stimulation that warmed the body. There were various boats passing by on the waterway. The waves caused by the boats were incessant.

“Kyaaaaaaaa” a scream echoed suddenly.

Looking over, I saw a small child rolling down the embankment on the opposite bank. The scream was from a woman who seemed to be the child’s mother. The child fell into the water with a splash and struggled while sinking.

Bard stood up and ran towards the river. But Jurchaga had already jumped in and swam towards the child with great speed. Jurchaga quickly grabbed the child, and they floated up to the surface, almost close to the opposite bank.

A boat loaded with luggage approached them. The boatman had changed the course of the boat towards the shore after seeing the child fall into the water. Jurchaga and the child floated up to the surface on the changed course. Jurchaga tried desperately to avoid the boat. However, since the child was struggling, he could only move slowly. The bow of the boat was getting closer and closer to Jurchaga. Jurchaga closed his eyes while holding the child.

However, the impact of the collision did not come. Bard had pushed a thick piece of wood against the bow of the boat from the side, forcibly changing its course. The sound of water splashing mixed with the creaking of wood. The boat was pushed aside, screaming. The boat quickly changed course towards the shore. Bard released a thick log from the bow of the boat and offered it to Jurchaga.

“Grab onto it,” he said.

Jurchaga held onto the log while still holding the child. Together, they pulled the log towards the shore. They were quickly lifted up onto the bank. A motherly woman took the child from Jurchaga’s arms and tearfully thanked them. Jurchaga then asked Bard, who had saved them from danger, “Why are you on the other side, mister?”

Bard replied that he had left the task of jumping into the water to the agile Jurchaga and had crossed over to the other side by jumping from boat to boat. He had then pulled out a log that was stuck in the shore and had changed the dangerous course of the boat.

Jurchaga listened to his explanation and stared at the log. Bard said, “We should put it back where it was.” He then plunged the log into the water. It was a boat mooring post that was used to tie the boat to prevent it from being carried away by the current. Jurchaga was amazed at Bard’s strength and agility. He laughed out loud and then sneezed, wiping his nose. He laughed again.

A kind merchant gathered old wood and started a fire. The people around them gathered sticks and other things that could be used as firewood. Jurchaga shamelessly stripped down to dry his clothes and warm up by the fire. The woman who had taken the child was indeed the child’s mother. She took off the child’s clothes and wiped their body with her own jacket, wrapping the child up in it. The child’s head was the only part sticking out, and they warmed up by the fire. The child snuggled up to his mother and soon fell asleep.

People gathered around the fire, celebrating the child’s safety and talking about Jurchaga and Bard’s heroism. Merchants selling tea, alcohol, and food approached them and made a quick profit.

3

As Bard were heading back to the Linz mansion, Jurchaga followed him. There were guards at the main gate who saluted them.

Jurchaga raised his hand and casually walked past them, greeting them with a “Yo.”

When Bard introduced him to the guest house attendants, saying he was a rare guest, they said, “A rare guest indeed”.

Jurchaga responded, “Yes, he is a rare guest, isn’t he?”

The chamberlain, knowingly, agreed and arranged dinner and a room for the night. Count Linz was the only guest that day. He didn’t seem surprised by Jurchaga’s shabby appearance, and when it came time to make the toast, he asked, “May I ask the name of your guest?”

Jurchaga introduced himself as a thief, and Count Linz calmly raised his glass to toast his arrival.

“Well then, I would like to make a toast to the arrival of Mister Jurchaga,” Count Linz said. Count Linz made the toast without hesitation.

The next toast was led by Bard, our guest, who wished for the prosperity of the Linz territory and the health of all those connected to the Linz family. The third toast was led by Jurchaga. “Here’s to the safety and peace of the estate.” said Jurchaga while shaking his cup.

After the toasts, the dishes were served, and Count Linz asked with a serious look on his face, “Speaking of Mister Jurchaga, is he the famous bandit known as the Gora Caesara(Rotten Thief Hunter)?”

Bard mentioned that Simon had already met him. “Oh? I should have tried to avoid meeting him as much as possible.”

Jurchaga revealed that he was the man who had stolen the letter and jumped off the cliff to escape. For the first time, Count Linz looked surprised “Oh, that guy who was like a monkey.”, he said.

“Umm. A first-rate thief indeed! Following Sir Rowen, we were able to welcome another first-class man to our home,” he added, saying it loudly and laughing loudly. Bard laughed along, and Jurchaga smiled quietly.

4

“At that time, I was caught and taken away while being tied up. I ran into a group led by someone named Gienzala. One of their companions knew who I was and threatened me, but ended up taking me with them. If they had taken me as is, I would have been hanged for sure. They told me to work off the price of my life by disguising myself as a soldier and stealing a letter and seal from Bard Rowen. When I heard that, my vision went dark for a moment, but a man is finished once he loses his spirit to challenge. So, I waited patiently for my chance.”

“You were shaking like a leaf, weren’t you?”

“Well, that was just an act to make the Count of Linz let his guard down. Really. Our allies were on the brink of destruction, so I only took the letter. But, where was the seal?”

“Hahaha. What made you come looking for that? You’re an interesting one. Neither Julelan nor Bard Rowen seem to know anything about this ‘seal’.”

“What? You don’t know about seal, Bard?”

“Nope,” Bard replied.

“Oh man. So there was no treasure from the beginning. That’s why amateurs are no good. Their research was too sloppy.”

“Jurchaga. Why does the Gwendell family want that letter in the first place? Where did the stories about the swirls and seal come from?”

“Oh, right. It seems that a messenger from the Marquis of Gadusha said something like that to Barkla. The messenger said that the swirls and seal would confirm the identity of the person without a doubt, so there was no need to worry. That’s what I heard.”

“Gadusha Marquis, huh? Come to think of it, the Gwendell family has some influence with the Marquis of Gadusha, don’t they? Through Caldos’ mother, they became relatives.”

“Gadusha Frontier Territory, located in the eastern region of the Parzam Kingdom, including the trading village of Padellia. The lord, Mardos Archaeos, is a knight of the Parzam Kingdom and one of the powerful military commanders.”

“And Barkla, huh? Barkla Meganon? Did he come too?”

“Barkla Meganon is one of the important vassals of the Dorba territory. Jurchaga, did you give the letter to Barkla?”

“Yeah, that’s right. Oh, sorry, Bard. It was a letter from Princess Tercia to her husband. Barkla’s old man. He opened and read it, but got angry and said, ‘What is this? There’s nothing important written here.’ I thought, ‘It’s your fault for telling me to steal it.’ But I didn’t say it out loud.”

“Smart move. But why do they want a letter written by Princess Idora? What does it have to do with the swirls and seal?”

“I don’t know. Even Barkla’s old man didn’t seem to know much about it. He was complaining to Gienzala, saying that Lord Caldos is too secretive. He asked for details about the incident and said that everything will be settled once they get the seal that Bard has. He must know about the swirls too, and there should be clues in the letter.”

“Hmm… There are a lot of things I don’t understand. That’s right, Lord Bard. It seems that Lord Julelan didn’t tell you about it so as not to cause unnecessary worry, but there was something strange that happened. After Lord Bard left the Pakula territory, a messenger from the Gwendell family came and offered to take Lady Idora and Lord Julelan to their family. It’s a strange offer after neglecting them for almost thirty years. It seemed like they were trying to recruit the excellent knight, Lord Julelan, and if that failed, they would spread distrust towards him within the Tercia family. Of course, the Tercia family refused this. However, after several repeated offers from the Gwendell family, they sent a maid to take care of Lady Idora. She turned out to be a good-natured and competent worker, and Lady Idora was pleased with her. The maid sent letters to the Gwendell family, but she showed the contents to Lord Julelan before sending them. It seems she knew what he thought of her. The letters only contained information about Lady Idora’s health and the contents of her room, and there was nothing suspicious. After Lady Idora’s funeral, she returned to the Dorba territory. Looking at it now, that maid was probably investigating the items around Lady Idora.”

After a long conversation, Count Linz drank from his cup.

“By the way, Jurchaga. If you came back to find the seal, as I said earlier, it’s not here. Lord Bard has no idea either. It was a wasted trip.”

“Oh, no, no. That’s not it. I stole the letter and got rid of the debt. I parted ways with Mr. Barkla on the spot. He’s not a fun person to be around anyway.”

“Why did you come back to this town then? You’re one of the two knights who attempted assassination on Count Linz and the Tercia territory. Even without that, there’s a warrant out for your arrest. Your life is in danger if you’re found.”

“Well, well. Don’t say such harsh things. After all, I came all the way to Linz and haven’t had any delicious street food yet. I can’t just leave like that.”

“Haha. Is the street food here worth risking your life for? You’re an interesting person.”

“Yeah! There is. But I don’t have any money. I was thinking of finding a job somewhere when I saw Lord Bard.”

“Oh? You saw him and then what?”

“I asked him to treat me to something.”

“What did he say? Is he bold or foolish? I can’t tell.”

“He treated me.”

Count Linz looked at Bard for a while. Bard quietly sipped his drink. Jurchaga then told Count Linz the details of what happened next.

“By the way, Lord Bard. You treated me, so I have to return the favor. Is there anything you want me to do?”

Bard asked if Barkla had returned to the Dorba territory.

“Yes, he said he caught up with the envoy and guided them to a villa by the lake.”

Bard thought for a moment and asked if it was possible to contact the envoy without being noticed by the people at the villa.

“Of course,” Jurchaga replied, closing one eye.

Count Linz poured Jurchaga another cup of wine himself. He seemed to have taken a liking to Jurchaga. He praised him for not being a thief, and said that someone who is skilled and proud in any field is good. He also asked for tips on how to avoid being robbed.

That day, the dining room of Count Linz’s guesthouse was lively until late at night.

T/N: Last post for the week. Dont forget to click the button below if you like my effort.