“Noah, how’s it going?”
We returned to the place where we had bumped into earlier after leaving the blacksmith.
Of course, I had settled the payments properly.
…Though Rubia took care of it for me.
Once I get the money back… I’ll have to pay it back with interest.
“Hmm… there are just too many people with money.”
I widened my perception a bit to check out the people.
But… there were a ton of people carrying cash.
No, they were just all holding cash.
I grumbled inwardly about why everyone was carrying cash… but it was meaningless grumbling.
There are no debit cards around here, so of course, everyone’s carrying cash…
But!
The important part is!
I can’t tell the difference between gold and silver!
They’re all the same coins… no way to distinguish them…
Moreover, the coins in my pocket were shaking around, so I couldn’t even count them properly…
“That makes sense… but don’t overdo it. If you get hurt like last time… I won’t buy you jelly again. Or snacks, either.”
“Um… if I can’t find the money… I’ll go hungry…?”
“No, it’s not about starving. You just have to be careful and take it easy.”
“But still…”
It’s 27 gold.
A whopping 27 gold!!
I’ve worked tirelessly for two months to gather this.
That’s including the advance for Rubia’s renowned request!
My entire fortune!!!
“But still, it’s not okay. The money… uh, I can deal with the money issue, so let’s just look for it within reasonable limits.”
“Okay… understood.”
I reluctantly nodded at Rubia’s words.
If I forcefully widen my perception and end up bleeding again… I might really have to starve…
“Ah, by any chance… if I tell you what I’m wearing, will that help?”
“Clothes? Hmm… I might not know the details, but I might get a general feel.”
Like the robe Rubia is wearing, the armor Heinzel has on, or the coat that Luchi is draped in, etc.
I might not know the designs, but I can tell roughly what kind of clothes they are.
If there’s a big feature, I might find it quickly!
“So please tell me. Was there anything special about it…?”
“Let me think. The face… um, about 185cm tall, a slim build about 60kg. I was wearing a regular long-sleeve tunic up top, and the pants were… regular pants.”
“Hmm… what about accessories?”
“I wouldn’t say there were any special accessories… Oh, but it looked like there were steel plates in the shoes. You know, the kind adventurers often wear.”
Steel plates?
“Ah…! Could that mean they were, a, adventurer…?”
Among the shoes commonly worn by adventurers, there’s a safety shoe that looks similar to those often worn on construction sites on Earth.
Shoes that are reinforced with steel plates from the tip to the top of the foot.
I can’t wear those since none fit me… but most say they wear them for sure.
I wanted to try them on too, since they looked cool…
“Yeah, that could be it. Want to look for them now? Can you do it?”
I immediately nodded and began piecing together the information in my head.
“Ugh, hmm… there’s nobody within 20 meters around here.”
“I see. Then let’s keep moving. It would be good to head in the direction the man was going.”
“Yes…!”
I followed Rubia, running continuously around the village.
In the meantime.
“Hey, it’s Uncle Luchi and Uncle Heinzel…!”
I was able to spot Luchi and Heinzel, caught in my perception.
“Um, excuse me, but I’ll go ask for help. Where are you two?”
“Uh, just follow me.”
I took Rubia’s hand and dashed towards the two.
There were moments when Rubia seemed to stumble, but she seemed to follow well, so I kept running.
“NOAH! SLOW DOWN…!”
“Just a little more! We’re almost there—Ah, L-Luchi Uncle! H-Heinzel…!”
“Oh, are you done with the repairs and here to spar?”
“KIDDO! You should join us for this meat!”
Luchi and Heinzel were sitting at an outdoor table, tearing into slab steaks.
Their appearance, devouring the meat with both hands, looked rather barbaric.
“It’s not a spar… I’ve lost some money. But… there’s a… situation…”
“Whoa, Noah. Let me explain.”
Rubia, looking extremely exhausted, stepped forward.
“We were looking for Noah’s lost money, but it seems a pickpocket stole it, and we’re trying to find it. But you’re eating right now.”
“How much did you lose to be in such a fuss?”
“Uh, um… 27 gold… M-my entire… entire fortune…”
“27 gold is… well, not just a small amount…”
Luchi nodded and set the meat he had been eating down.
Then he forcibly took some of Heinzel’s meat and placed it on his plate.
“Heinzel. Are you just going to keep eating?”
“Hmm, I was just about to get up. I feel like I need one more bite for strength.”
“Yeah, eat well. I’m getting up.”
“HA HA HA HA! Just kidding! You think I’d do that!”
As Luchi stood up, Heinzel followed suit, both of them wiping the grease from their hands onto their clothes.
Ugh… gross…
“What’s the description?”
“Oh, about 185cm tall and slim at 60kg… wearing shoes that adventurers wear. And the hair is dark brown and has dark circles under the eyes, round eyes, thin nostrils, and thick lips. Oh, and there was a scar that stretched from the corner of the mouth to the ear.”
Rubia began to explain the man’s appearance in detail.
Well… since I can’t see, it wouldn’t be very meaningful even if she described it like that.
I felt that Rubia was being quite considerate of me, but it was also quite…
Bitter.
“Hmm, I can roughly imagine how he looks!”
Heinzel nodded as he packed up his things.
Luchi, for some reason, was just standing there with his fist tightly clenched.
After a while of being silent, Luchi spoke in a heavily subdued tone.
“Shaman girl. Are you sure about the appearance?”
“Yes, I’m sure. However… I can’t guarantee that the person stole the money. It’s just likely, but not certain…”
“We won’t know unless we catch him! I excel at this kind of request. Just trust me!”
Heinzel spoke while thumping his chest.
However, unlike the excessively cheerful Heinzel, Luchi still maintained a heavy mood.
Is he that averse to thieves…?
“I’ll take a look first. How will we signal each other if we find him?”
“I’ll shout really loudly. So everyone can hear!”
Yeah, if it’s Heinzel, that’s probably within the realm of possibility.
Even if he’s quite far away… I think I would hear him.
“Then you two stick together, and I’ll… shoot this.”
A small stick emerged from Luchi’s pocket.
“Is that a light magic artifact?”
“Yeah. I’m going to shoot this into the sky. Then you just need to come running over.”
If it’s a light magic artifact… hmm…
Ah! It’s the thing I used in games as a substitute for fireworks!
Oh! Seeing it again makes me really happy!
“D-Do you happen to have another one of those…?”
It’s an item full of nostalgia, so I want to have one!
“I do have one, but it’s quite a pricey artifact, Noah. Do you have any money?”
“Uh, n-no… not a single penny…”
Right… I don’t have any money…
And if it’s expensive, there’s no way I could afford it…
I couldn’t help but hang my head in disappointment.
At that moment, something bumped against my head lightly.
“Huh…?”
“Here. Don’t shoot it at night, don’t shoot it at people, and don’t shoot it at your own face. Make sure to carry it carefully in your bag so it doesn’t go off.”
When I looked up, Luchi was offering me the firework.
“R-Really?! But… I don’t have any money…”
“Just take it. I have plenty lying around.”
“Is it really okay…?”
I looked over at Rubia.
Rubia slightly nodded her head.
“Then… thank you… heh heh…”
Receiving the nostalgic item made me smile widely.
What’s more, this item is filled with so many memories!
Since I had no friends and was always playing solo.
Whenever I wanted to celebrate things like birthdays or finding cool items, it was so nice to shoot them off into the sky.
When I felt a bit down, launching a firework into the dark sky felt like the whole world was celebrating me and gave me so much comfort.
The time I gathered ten of them and launched them all at once… it was truly magical… I even shed a few tears.
“Hehehe, Rubia, do you want to try launching it later? These are surprisingly bright and go really far! The sound is quite majestic too! If you gather a few together to launch, it looks beautiful! And then… um…”
As I enthusiastically reminisced, Luchi looked at me in disbelief.
“Losing your entire fortune and then being thrilled over a stick… you really are pure. Thanks to you, I feel a bit better now.”
“Eek… that’s right… my money…”
My mind, which had been wandering far away, snapped back to reality.
“Hehe… how cute. It can happen. Sure, Noah. Let’s definitely use it together later. I’m looking forward to launching several at once.”
Rubia smiled gently and ruffled my hair.
But still, my feelings… didn’t improve that much.
Reality… hurts too much…
“Alright! Let’s move out!”
Heinzel shouted loudly.
Luchi quietly nodded and made his way towards the nearest alley, while Rubia and I also adjusted our plans and moved.
However, one thing.
The last words Luchi uttered quietly lingered in my mind.
“As long as we find the money, that’s all that matters.”
It sounded like he was going to kill the thief once he found him.
That thought kept circling in my mind.
“Does Uncle Luchi… really hate thieves that much…?”
“Well… I feel like there might be some other reason, but let’s just focus on finding him.”
“Okay…!”
I suppressed the gradually blooming ominous feelings and hurried my steps.
*
“Noah, is there no one else?”
“Yes… This is everyone we’ve looked for.”
How long had it been since then?
It felt like we’d wandered around for three hours.
Every time I spotted someone wearing safety shoes that had steel plates… um… what was the name again…?
Whenever I found an adventurer wearing them, I rushed over to show Rubia their face.
But… the person we were looking for was nowhere to be found.
I didn’t hear Heinzel’s voice, nor did I see Luchi’s signal…
“It’s alright… let’s keep looking. They should still be in this village. It’s quite dangerous to leave the village at this hour, you know. They didn’t seem that strong.”
Rubia’s words were right.
Adventurers like Luchi or Heinzel wouldn’t think twice about it.
But it would be a death wish for a pickpocket to pass through ruins or plains at night.
I tightly gripped Rubia’s hand and nodded.
“Are you feeling hungry, Noah? You haven’t eaten much since that little bit earlier.”
“Yeah… I’m not really in the mood to eat. How about you, Rubia?”
“Same here. I’m not really feeling it, either. Huh…”
She sighed, sounding strangely exhausted.
Rubia, who was probably a bit drained physically, had every right to be tired.
We hadn’t stopped to rest this whole time…
“Thank you, Rubia… for going through this because of me…”
“Oh my, so you’re not saying sorry anymore? It’s all good. It’s kind of thrilling in its own way.”
“I, I don’t particularly find it thrilling…”
“Hehe… don’t worry too much. We’ll find it somehow. Shall we move again?”
Rubia’s gentle voice began to ease my worries a little.
“Yeah… let’s head south this time…!”
“Alright. But Noah, even if we can’t find it, please don’t be too disappointed—”
Bang-!
Intervening and cutting off Rubia’s words, a bright light shot into the sky from behind us.
It was Luchi’s firework.
The turmoil in my heart vanished completely and was filled with anticipation.
As always, that firework has been a source of comfort to me!
“Rubia…!”
“Let’s go right away.”
Rubia and I sprinted toward the place where the firework shot up into the sky.
On the way, we encountered Heinzel running at us with a wide grin…
“Hahaha! Kiddo! Aren’t you glad? That pitiful expression from earlier has completely disappeared!”
I ignored him, feeling embarrassed, and kept running.
Everyone was looking at me…!
“Uh, yes… That’s right.”
I’m clenching my teeth and ignoring him, but Heinzel still came over and acknowledged me… I was a bit annoyed.
Having given a vague reply, we arrived at the place where the firework had launched, and I saw a man standing facing Luchi.
I focused my perception and confirmed that the man had exactly 27 coins in his pocket.
Finally found you!
“L-Luchi Uncle—!”
“Wait a moment, Noah. The atmosphere feels a bit…”
“Huh? You’re right… something feels off.”
Rubia grabbed my hand and we halted.
Then Heinzel quietly pulled out his halberd.
What’s going on? What’s happening?
Where’s my money?
As I was confused, Heinzel approached Luchi cautiously.
“Luchi… um, something seems off.”
Heinzel’s usual boisterous voice had calmed down to a whisper.
“R-Rubia… what’s going on?”
“Who knows… But Luchi’s expression looks really bad…”
I looked closely at Luchi.
His hand that was gripping the sword trembled, and his jaw was so tightly clenched that it looked like his muscles would burst.
I carefully examined the man who had stolen my money.
27 coins in his pocket.
A strange necklace hanging around his neck.
Eight daggers sheathed against each thigh.
Twelve hidden daggers below his long sleeves.
And in his right hand, a horn.
A horn…?
I’ve seen that somewhere before…
“Just as I thought. You’re still… still alive. Thank goodness. Really, thank goodness.”
Luchi’s voice was filled with killing intent.
That suffocating aura erased all my thoughts.
“You’re the one-eyed Luchi…? Do you know who I am?”
“Haha… Heh heh heh… Of course I do.”
Quietly saying that, Luchi walked toward the man and drew his sword.
“W-What… What are you doing…?”
“Thirty years ago. Do you remember the village you stayed in?”
“Thirty years? How could I possibly remember that…? Please put that sword away. Why, what are you doing to me?”
“…You don’t even remember, do you? Fine. It’s better to die knowing than to die not knowing.”
Luchi’s steps were heavy.
His voice was heavy.
The weight of the sword he held.
The weight of the life he carried.
I felt it all.
“Thirty years ago. Because of your villainous greed, it was destroyed.”
A deadly magical power was emanating from Luchi’s body.
His voice dripped with intense malice.
“Do you remember my hometown, ‘Hablon Village’?”
