PDCOO Chapter 16

"They just made the fence into a stone wall to look impressive. Objectively speaking, it's a genuinely peaceful small town. Isn't that right, Bertram?"

Bertram nodded.

"I agree. Due to the regular market, this administrative district serves as the only city in the region, but its actual scale fits the concept commonly called countryside. Those human traffickers were also criminals who fled to the outskirts after being wanted in the city."

"Exactly. Even after running away, a thief's still a thief—they tried to kidnap naive country girls and send them back to the city. But Anna, listen."

"Yes?"

"I don't care how angry you were, you don't just attack human traffickers like that. What would've happened without Bertram? Hmm?"

"...I'm sorry."

"You and Lara could've been sold together! Of course. Not that you did anything wrong, but just be careful, okay? Hmm?"

Even while scolding her, the chief smiled inwardly.

On market days, village residents being deceived and kidnapped by sweet words had happened often even when the chief was young. Reporting to the guards sometimes earned responses like didn't they just run away because they hated country life?

How satisfying it had been to catch human traffickers and give them a proper beating today.

"Well, Bertram, we owe you big time. When are you heading home? If you're not leaving tonight, eat dinner with us. My treat."

"I plan to stay in this village... no. City for the time being."

"You're not planning to sneak after us again, are you? Karlah will have my head."

"..."

"...So that was your plan."

"...Let's start with dinner. Sir, do you have a restaurant to recommend?"

The chief practically flew through the alleyways to a particular establishment. They entered an ordinary restaurant frequented by common folk. But Lara tensed up, clinging to Anna.

"Sis, this is my first time in a restaurant! It's so weird to pay money for food. What a waste."

"Then our place isn't a restaurant?"

"That's more like a food house, isn't it? Wow, they write down what they can make on paper here. We don't have to eat everything, right?"

"Please ask me quietly instead!"

Anna looked like she wanted to crawl into a mousehole. Customers at nearby tables cast curious glances at Lara and Anna, though they quickly turned away after meeting Bertram's stone-like face.

The chief paid no attention and gulped down his beer.

"Ahhhh—! Now that's what I'm talking about. Want one?"

"No, thank you."

"Tsk. Drinking's only fun with company."

Lara's eyes lit up before Anna grabbed her cheek. The chief pretended not to notice and continued:

"So. Where's your hometown?"

"Schleisen."

Even the chief, who'd suspected Bertram came from a good family, raised his eyebrows at that. Schleisen was the nation's capital. An officer from Schleisen meant... at minimum, this man was nobility, a wealthy merchant's son, or the child of someone in high office.

The chief simplified his assessment to a single question.

"Long way from home. Got money to get back? You can't walk that far."

"I don't. Could you lend me some?"

"Don't give me that transparent line! You're just gonna use repaying that debt as an excuse to come back to our village!"

"..."

"If you can't lie, at least admit it honestly! Either way it's just as frustrating!"

That's when Lara pointed to a poster on the restaurant wall.

"If you don't have money, how about that?"

「CHALLENGE! THE WILD BOAR FEAST!

Held during the village festival.

Avoid the wild boars and reach the goal first to win 5 Golders and the fattest boar!」

"The festival's tomorrow too. Sis, how much does a pig cost?"

"Depends on the weight, but around 8 to 10 Golders per animal?"

"Is that cheap or expensive?"

"Let's start with teaching you basic economics."

The chief shook his head as if he lacked even the energy to chuckle.

"Don't get involved in pointless... wait. Why are you looking at the poster!"

"I'm confirming the time and location."

"To enter? Look, even if you win, where are you gonna go dragging a full-grown pig? You'll just be stuck here. You can't even make travel money selling it! Hell, if all the butchers here band together and offer exactly 1 Golder, what then?"

"In that case—"

"Don't even say you'll bring it to share with our village."

"What if we skewer the entire pig and roast it whole in the village square?"

Anna and Lara's eyes sparkled simultaneously.

Only the chief cried out alone:

"Don't do it!"

But his mouth was already watering too.

While Bertram declared his grand ambitions, the guards at the city gate were also discussing him.

"That bear of a guy who came back today. I heard he caught human traffickers."

"What? That oaf had the sense for that?"

"Apparently there was a sharp woman among the country folk who came with him. Remember that short one with the big eyes?"

"How am I supposed to remember every person who passes through? Unless they're huge and weird like Bear Boy."

"Fair point."

Not long ago, that pitch-black man had marched straight to the city's only bookshop upon entering, claiming he'd come to repay a debt. He'd borrowed books during the war and used them for kindling.

Since he couldn't return burnt books, he asked what book would make good repayment—but the bookshop owner had already died of lingering illness after the war ended. The son and daughter-in-law were about to throw out the books to use the space for a different business. At this point, receiving books held no more meaning than firewood.

"How'd that end? Did the bookshop scam him?"

"Yeah. They claimed it was a truly precious book they couldn't accept money for, spouted nonsense until Bear Boy handed over the horse he rode in on. It was a really good horse too. And then Bear Boy just walks away."

"Right. I was sure he'd cross the wilderness and get eaten by wolves. But somehow he shows up in the village chief's cart."

"The bookshop folks must be chewing their nails."

The guards snickered.

But their leisure time was interrupted by a commanding voice.

"Is there a stranger causing unrest in the city?"

The guards turned their heads.

A handsome blond youth sat atop a horse, looking down at them. Behind him rode four armed men.

As the guards unconsciously straightened to attention—

The youth, clearly a knight, asked in a cold voice:

"I am Franz Gerhardt, a knight from the capital. I seek someone by His Majesty's command. Tell me more about what you just discussed."

It was effectively an order.

Franz Gerhardt.

The most beautiful and reputedly strongest of the 12th Duke Gerhardt's children—the third son. Also the man who, at barely mid-teens, became the escort knight to the nation's prince, Bertram Hertz Wächter.

Though his appointment surely benefited from past friendship with Bertram, none questioned his skill. Now at twenty-six, fewer than five people in the kingdom could last three exchanges against Franz in a sword match.

...A life that should have continued as brilliantly as such a past promised.

"Bertram, you bastard, what the hell are you doing wandering around in this backwater!"

One of the soldiers following Franz waved his hands.

"Don't call it a backwater. If you call it a 'city,' the soldiers will cooperate better."

"If having stone walls makes something a city, then the Gerhardt estate would be the kingdom's third city. And there's no one here to hear anyway."

The guards had led them to a corner of the city watch station, where 'the one causing unrest' was imprisoned.

The crouching traffickers flinched. The meaning behind Franz's blade-sharp voice was obvious.

He didn't intend to treat human traffickers as human.

Franz peered at them with a smile-less face.

"A huge black-haired man built like a bear interrogated you?"

"Y-yes. We told him everything we knew! We cooperated!"

"That's not my concern. You only need to tell me what I want to know. What was the name of the man who questioned you?"

The men exchanged glances.

That tiny woman had said something, they thought. It was an unnecessarily long name, and the situation had been too urgent—nobody remembered.

But when Franz's hand moved to his sword, they had to squeeze out something.

"L-Lam! He was called Lam!"

"Is that his full name?"

"I think they said something longer..."

Franz smiled brightly at the men.

Before his beautiful features, the traffickers first lost themselves, then grew confused. Why was he smiling?

Franz had his reasons, of course.

If Bertram had interrogated these traffickers, they'd already tasted that expressionless face risen from hell. Making scary faces at such men would only be laughable.

Meanwhile, before a smile that could melt most women's hearts—having given up wondering why he smiled—the traffickers simultaneously thought the same thing.

'Handsome. Wonder what he'd sell for...'

"...You just had an improper thought, didn't you?"

"No! How could I, before your lordship—urghk!"

A sword pressed against the man's throat.

"I don't repeat myself three times. Tell me everything you know about that man."

"H-he was huge and really strong!"

"I already said that. Next."

"And... he was traveling with two country women."

"Next."

"He seemed to know the guards..."

"A bit more detail."

"The guards said 'that big guy who talks weird did something,' like they'd spoken to him before."

Franz and the soldiers simultaneously looked at each other and nodded.