Chapter 74
*
As I was panicking from Merceja's sudden ambush, Erika came out of her room and scolded me.
She said, "A noble shouldn't raise his voice over every little thing, or others will look down on you."
As someone who is technically a noble, that stung, but what Merceja told me wasn't a "little thing."
After all, that "Kindhearted Barbara" is coming to Hekatai.
I explained all that to Erika after she sat down at the table, but all I got in return was a blank stare.
She even looked kind of disappointed, and for some reason, I felt a completely irrational sense of guilt.
By the way, when I told her a letter had arrived from the Prime Minister, she just replied, "I see," and pushed it to the corner of the table. Poor Prime Minister.
"What's the problem with Shin's mentor coming to Hekatai?"
"He probably just wants to check up on his apprentice in a new land," Erika said, looking like she thought it was something to be happy about.
Even Merceja, an adventurer, had the same expression, like he didn't get what the big deal was.
The two of them stared at me like I was some kind of oddity, clearly not understanding why I was so shocked, but I somehow managed to pull myself together.
It's not like I'm definitely doomed yet. Erika seems to think he's just coming to see me, but anyone who thinks they can understand my mentor's thought process is gravely mistaken.
If it's him, I wouldn't be surprised if he came to Hekatai just because he felt like flattening the forest in the Demonlands on a whim.
I asked, carefully trying not to let my voice tremble.
"Did he say why he's coming to Hekatai?"
Merceja nodded with a face that clearly didn't get it. "Yeah."
"Said it was to check up on his apprentice."
"It's over!" I screamed, and Erika scolded me again.
*
I'm gonna stick around here a bit longer and do some digging before heading back to Faltarl. If you could write a reply to the letter, the Prime Minister would be real happy, so I'd appreciate it.
With that, Merceja took his leave.
I watched his back as he left, like I was seeing something unbelievable.
In the end, I couldn't get either Erika or Merceja to understand that I'm doomed.
I feel unsettled. Deeply unsettled.
Why? Erika I can understand, but Merceja should know better, right? He's an adventurer recognized as Rank 6 in Faltarl—he should know what kind of person my mentor is.
Don't tell me he's abandoning me. Damn it, that's it, isn't it? He knows and he's pretending not to so he can run away!
No, wait. Maybe he's just relieved because he thinks I'm the mentor's only target?
Damn it, I'll remember this.
When I see my mentor, I'm gonna tell him how much you've helped me. May you be "kindhearted" by him too.
"Shin?"
Erika's curious voice from beside me.
"You're wearing a very evil smile. Is something wrong?"
"Nah, it's nothing. I'm just... kind of looking forward to seeing my mentor now."
Erika let out a sigh-like "haah" in response, then changed the subject.
"What shall we do today? If there's nothing in particular, I was thinking I might..."
Maybe write a letter to the Prime Minister?
"I'd like to go hunt some monsters."
"Also to check on my condition," she said, stroking her red hair, which had regained its color.
...Poor Prime Minister.
*
After some discussion, Erika's request to go hunt monsters was postponed to another day.
Not because of her physical condition or anything like that. Though the looming arrival of my mentor is mentally taxing.
At the very least, we should have a bit more time before he reaches Hekatai.
Depending on when Merceja heard that my mentor was heading to Hekatai, but since Merceja got here first, it's unlikely he left just recently.
If he doesn't make any detours, he could get here in under three days. If he's serious, even faster.
Which means, there's even a chance he changed his mind.
Please, let that be the case.
Well, anyway, I shoved the unavoidable crisis aside and tried to forget about it.
I need to restock my equipment.
We—especially I—lost almost all of our gear when we fought Oganight. And we didn't recover any of it.
It's probably turned to dust by now. The monetary loss is no joke.
If Erika hadn't been there, I probably would've stomped the ground while screaming. Actually, I did when she wasn't.
The loss of magic tools adventurers use especially hurts—it hurts a lot.
They're not the kind of magic tools that could build a mansion like the ones big merchant houses use, but adventurer-grade tools are still expensive.
It's a small mercy that the adventurer-use magic tools Erika brought from the Prime Minister are intact, but even just my share is a major loss.
In other words, if I don't replenish my equipment, I might not be able to function as an adventurer.
More importantly, why does money fly out of my hands so easily?
Maybe I've become so frugal that poverty itself has taken a liking to me.