"What should we do? This feels like it’s going to get complicated."
"We don’t know how long it’ll take, so let’s head back to the meeting place first."
I had no idea how much time Chad would end up taking, but I believed he wouldn’t simply fail to return.
For now, the rest of us had to move on our own. The schedule we’d been given wouldn’t stop just because we put things off.
"Being a knight must be a truly troublesome occupation."
I knew the word "knight," of course, but I knew almost nothing about their lives.
At most, I had an image of someone charging on horseback with a lance, shouting about chivalry.
Even that seemed a little different in this world.
"Since he doesn’t seem to belong anywhere, I imagine there are many nobles who would want to recruit him. I don’t know much myself, but receiving a title from a count’s house probably means he’s quite skilled."
At Ranson’s words, I thought briefly of Chad.
What flashed through my mind was... him stuffing himself all day, then sprawling out to sleep whenever he got the chance.
...Was that really true?
Of course, there had been the sounds I heard that day when he fought the monsters in the village.
And judging from the dismembered monster corpses left behind, he was definitely skilled.
It was just that the image I had of him was still a little... questionable.
"I hope there won’t be any problems."
***
When we returned to the inn we had agreed on, the dining hall was still bustling.
Since it was located right in front of the harbor, it seemed customers never stopped coming.
With it this noisy, I wondered if the rooms were properly soundproofed.
I thought I might need earplugs when I went to bed.
I sat down at an empty seat in the corner of the dining hall and let my body slump loosely.
Not long after, Sailun and Baldik entered the inn.
"Oh, you’re already here. Well, you didn’t find anything good?"
Sailun approached with his usual smile.
Beside him, Baldik shook his head and grumbled.
"Ugh, don’t send me with this guy next time."
"Why? Weren’t you close with Sailun?"
When I asked half-jokingly, Baldik’s face twisted in annoyance as he answered.
"Close? Try listening to this guy chatter beside you all day. See if you still want to get close."
...It seemed he had suffered quite a bit.
Seeing that, I couldn’t help letting out a small laugh.
I had expected as much, but Baldik’s actual reaction after experiencing it was beyond what I’d imagined.
"So, did you find us passage?"
I took a sip of water and asked Sailun.
Since it was the most important problem we had to solve in this city, the question came out naturally.
Sailun nodded once, then answered with a somewhat deflated expression.
"Yes, we found one. A regular merchant ship happens to be going to Kron Island at dawn tomorrow."
"The price?"
"That was... a bit expensive. I guess it’s because it belongs to a merchant company."
"Hmm... is that so?"
Still, they had found one.
Considering the atmosphere and situation in the city, I didn’t really want to stay long, so it was a relief.
Then something suddenly occurred to me, and I asked.
"By any chance, what was the name of the company?"
"The company name? What was it again... Ah. I think they said it was the Kendel Trading Company."
"...Seriously?"
When my voice trailed off from sheer surprise, Sailun looked at me in confusion.
"Why? Is it some strange place?"
I quietly shook my head.
"No, we were planning to visit that place too."
"Really? We were just looking around and went in because it seemed decent..."
It was an absurd coincidence.
We’d spent time and money buying information since morning, yet the information Sailun had found by walking around turned out to be the right answer.
'So this is why scouting should be left to guys with good instincts.'
I almost sighed, but soon laughed instead.
At least we didn’t have to make two trips. I should be grateful for that.
"That’s a relief."
I said it as if it were nothing, but inwardly, I felt a little reassured.
I really didn’t feel like staying in this city for long.
"So, they depart at dawn tomorrow."
Sailun added.
"We should get all our luggage sorted out today and go straight to the docks at dawn."
"...Dawn? Didn’t you say morning?"
"You heard it with me, so why are you acting like this? It was dawn."
Baldik lowered his head deeply and hid his face.
"That’s too much... My body hasn’t even fully recovered yet..."
As he lamented weakly, Sailun said calmly,
"You can sleep all you want on the ship. I won’t wake you."
"If I get seasick, it’s your fault."
At Baldik’s retort, the companions listening nearby burst into laughter all at once.
But something still bothered me.
'Dawn?'
According to the shopkeeper, the departure was the morning after tomorrow.
Had something changed? Or had Sailun misheard something?
Of course, if we could leave sooner, that wasn’t a bad thing.
'...Well, the schedule must have changed.'
I forced myself to shake it off, tore off a piece of bread lying on the table, and put it in my mouth.
Meanwhile, Baldik was still muttering with a face full of dissatisfaction, and Sailun, snickering beside him, would not stop teasing him.
Then Sailun, who had been tapping the table with his spoon, poked his head up and asked,
"By the way, where did he go?"
"He?"
"Ah, Sir Chad. I haven’t seen him for a while."
I slowly set down my cup and said,
"He was summoned to the castle."
"What?! Really? Waaah—"
Sailun opened his mouth as if dumbfounded, then continued with an exclamation mixed with admiration.
"So he really was an amazing person..."
"Well, he is a knight."
I nodded.
"I thought he was just someone who ate and slept all day, then ate and slept some more..."
"That’s true whether he’s a knight or not."
As Sailun added that, Baldik picked up his cup and tossed out a remark.
"For someone traveling with him, there wasn’t a single part of that that was wrong."
At Sailun’s words, I shook my head slightly and took another sip of the water left in my cup.
Baldik chuckled and put his spoon in his mouth, while I recalled the sight of Chad leaving for the castle.
'Come to think of it, he is a pretty complicated person.'
On the outside, he wandered around laughing as if he had no thoughts at all, but when necessary, he was serious and terrifyingly cold-headed.
And... his skill was undeniable.
"Anyway, what do we do if he can’t come by dawn?"
At Sailun’s words, I fell into thought for a moment.
Chad had revealed his status to protect us, and it was also true that we had been able to reach the harbor safely thanks to him.
Leaving someone like that behind felt somehow unpleasant.
"I don’t know. It’d be nice if we could at least contact him, but if people like us went up to the castle gate and said we had a message to deliver, would they even accept it?"
"That’d be hard. We’re just nameless mercenaries."
Sailun lowered his head gloomily, and Baldik still emptied the remaining alcohol into his mouth.
"Still, shouldn’t we at least leave a word? We don’t know when he’ll be back."
Baldik said carefully.
"That’s true."
I nodded.
"We should at least get the time and location of tomorrow dawn’s departure to him. That way, even if Chad returns later, he’ll be able to follow our trail."
"Then we need to choose someone to deliver the message to the castle."
"Well... it’s a bit much for us to go ourselves. It’d be better to ask a soldier or someone who works in the castle."
"If we add a little money, they’ll probably deliver it."
"Yeah, that sounds better."
I nodded, as if I had sorted out my thoughts.
"For now, we’ll prepare for tomorrow. If Chad still hasn’t returned, we’ll check one more time right before boarding the ship."
"And if he really doesn’t come until the very end?"
"...Well, then we’ll just have to leave."
I wasn’t exactly comfortable with it either, but our journey wasn’t some grand mission with a noble cause, and I didn’t think Chad would cling to us that much.
'He’s much stronger than us anyway. There’s no reason for us to hold him back.'
Yes, we would each move in our own way.
"But no matter what anyone says, I can’t wake up at dawn. This is unfair."
"...We’re going to load you into the carriage anyway, you know?"
"Damn it, I know that, but there’s such a thing as how a man feels."
At those words, laughter spread once more, and we continued our peaceful evening for a while like that.
***
At the sound of the castle gate opening, Chad lifted his head indifferently.
On the surface, knights seemed like beings who possessed dignity, but in reality, there were many moments when they felt as though they were kneeling.
Especially at times like this, when anyone could tell he had been "summoned."
"Sir Chad Cavallini, knight-errant, has been brought."
When the soldier announced it loudly, the sound of footsteps beyond the corridor grew a little more orderly.
Even if he was an outsider, calling in a titled knight like this meant it was not a simple courtesy visit.
"Please come in."
When the door opened, a faint fragrance drifted out.
Inside were three men, two women, and a clerk in a gray cloak standing by the wall.
The one who had summoned him was the second son of the city lord’s family, the House of Marquis Credo.
A man named Kernian Credo, who was currently managing this city in the lord’s stead.
It was then.
The clerk in the gray cloak, who had been waiting in one corner of the room, stepped forward.
He knelt and bowed at the waist, then declared in a resounding voice.
"He who governs the waves and sea routes of this land, direct bloodline of the High Lord of Luendel’s western seas, heir of martial merit who rendered distinguished service numerous times during operations of the North Sea Fleet, administrator who led the reconstruction of the Gradlan border outpost, and guardian of Rimen Harbor—"
Grandiose titles continued one after another.
'When exactly is this going to end?'
As if used to it, Chad shifted his gaze slightly toward the wall.
More than anything, he felt bored. Nobles and their games of titles were endless no matter when he heard them.
"...the second son of the House of Marquis Credo, acting head of Rimen, Sir Kernian Credo!"
Chad stepped forward slowly, set his sword down from his waist for a moment, placed his right hand over his chest, and bowed with a concise, clean movement.
He was accustomed to noble etiquette, but he had no intention of offering excessive ceremony.
"Please, sit at ease. It is an honor to meet you, Sir Knight."
He sounded kind on the surface, but his gaze was far too sharp.
No, to be precise, it was fixed on Chad’s helmet.
'This is why I hate coming to places like this.'
Chad sat in the chair and settled into a loose posture, neither fully straightening his back nor slouching entirely.
On the long table before him, wine and fruit had been laid out, and the nobles seated nearby also held their cups while pretending to be indifferent.
For a moment, his throat bobbed, but he knew now was not the time for that.
"I hear Sir Chad received his knighthood from a count’s house."
"Yes. That was a long time ago."
"Then you are now a knight-errant?"
"Yes. I travel with nothing but my body."
It was a lighthearted remark meant to laugh it off, but Kernian’s gaze did not soften.
The noblewoman seated beside him asked slowly,
"And now... without belonging anywhere? Then how do you make a living?"
"I catch monsters, eat, and sleep."
For an instant, the nobles at the side stifled laughter.
But the woman who had asked the question did not laugh. Rather, she narrowed her eyes and said,
"I heard that until recently, you were active with the family Aileen Remed belongs to. There are also people who saw you traveling together. Is that true?"
'Hm?'
He had not expected that name to come up here.
Chad inwardly frowned.
"I don’t know where you heard it, but your information is accurate."
"I did not think that such a young girl would have personally hired someone as strong as you."
Her words had a subtle edge. And within them was clearly an uncomfortable sentiment directed at the "Remed family."
'So there’s something going on.'
Chad did not bother refuting it. He lifted his cup of water and took a sip.
He knew. Among nobles, every piece of information was a weapon.
An answer thrown out carelessly could become someone’s weakness, or even make them a target.
"It is true that the young lady treated me well. That is why I stayed for a while, nothing more and nothing less."
At that, one noble asked,
"Then you are currently moving separately from her?"
Chad looked at him. His tone was probing for something.
"...Yes."
"In that case, do you have any plans to find a new affiliation in the future?"
The tone was polite, but the intent was clear. A recruitment offer.
'So we’re finally getting to the point.'
"I have no plans, but... if there are good terms, I suppose I could consider it."
At those words, Kernian raised the corner of his mouth for the first time.
"The House of Credo, the lordly family that protects this city, has judged you to be a knight worthy of interest. Formal recruitment is still difficult, but how would you feel about staying for a month or two and taking part in defensive duties?"
Chad narrowed his eyes and looked at him.
A trial, was it?
'This may not be simply about evaluating talent.'
And what bothered him even more was the fact that they knew about Aileen.
That was unlikely to be mere information gathering.
Though the Remed family had nearly fallen, he had heard there were still many nobles who coveted its legacy and honor.
"You need not give an answer now. If you are a knight-errant, then your departing steps ought to be free."
At those words, everyone raised their cups.
Chad likewise lifted his cup with a smile in his eyes.
Inwardly, however, he was chewing over only one fact.
'Who are these bastards targeting right now?'
And the reason he had been invited to this seat as well.
It meant they were hiding something.