Chapter 205

Chapter 205

***

Whether they drank all night, people were dead drunk and collapsed randomly on the street, the smell of alcohol, smell of urine, and a messy street. The city landscape after the festival was like that.

However the festival wasn't over yet. Festivals usually lasted at least three days, typically a week, and sometimes up to a month if long.

Although not fixed, a festival like a victory commemoration lasted about a month, and celebrating a Princess's birth was a week.

Though everyone seemed joyful, there were bound to be people who disliked festivals, and people who didn't care much.

The two boys walking side by side early in the morning didn't seem to care much about the festival.

One was blond with blue eyes and wearing a cloak, and the other had reddish-brown hair, brown eyes, and was in an academy uniform. They were Vilter and Rudy.

Looking only at their outward appearances the two boys seemed like sons of somewhat well-to-did families, but the reality was they had no money and nothing to eat.

In a festival where everyone played, ate, and drank, strangely these two boys having nothing to eat seemed like a not even funny joke.

However, if alone the sorrow would have doubled, but now for some reason even starving was fine.

Still having to fill their hungry stomachs, the two boys lingered around the place where the free soup kitchen provided for the poor was.

Watching from afar, it seemed eating here was impossible.

Because looking at them they clearly weren't poor, so getting food there felt like an atmosphere where they would get hit. The glares of the poor were the proof. From the beginning it wasn't a place the two boys should be.

In the world there was something called class. The poor people knew at a glance that the two boys weren't their class. But how dare they covet our things?

"Let's go, Billy."

"Yeah. But you know, isn't that person a bit strange?"

"Who?"

"That person giving out soup over there."

Vilter said pointing his chin at the person giving out soup to the poor. As Rudy looked around, he wasn't even paying attention to this side.

"What's strange?"

"He's not looking at us, but all his nerves are directed to our side."

"How do you know that?"

"I don't know. Just feels like it."

"Did you not sleep well yesterday?"

"Really?"

Vilter tilted his head. Anyway before the atmosphere of the poor got worse, the two boys left the place.

"How long does it take to Kalitz Academy?"

Vilter asked while leaving the poor district.

"If we go at a normal pace while resting properly, two days? If we walk quickly without resting from dawn we can arrive around evening."

"Then arriving within today is impossible."

"Right...... but wouldn't going with the resolution of starving for two days be a method too?"

"That would work too."

"Ah, but you know, I......"

"Yeah, why?"

"I don't have the tuition for this semester."

"Really? Then shall we try finding a job?"

Rudy brought up the story with difficulty but Vilter spoke lightly precisely as if it was nothing.

"......Do you have anyone you know?"

"No. It's my first time in this city."

Rudy stared at Vilter with a look seemingly saying what kind of kid was this. Being a native here if he was a native, even himself as a native had no answer so how would an outsider find a job.

Wherever you go, basically you needed someone's recommendation to find a job. Simply wanting to work blindly was rarely accepted.

To Rudy's untrusting gaze, exactly as if knowing what he was thinking, Vilter smiled smiling faintly and said.

"There's the Adventurer's Guild right. If we find work as general adventurers we can get food and earn money too."

"We're still young. Of course we can do it even being young, but who will guarantee our identity?"

Then Vilter pointed at Rudy without a word.

"You're wearing a uniform, Rudy."

Rudy looked down at his attire. Definitely, if wearing an academy uniform passing identity verification was simple. But was this okay? Shouldn't I at least graduate?

"If we hesitate we will only get more hungry. Let's go."

There was no hesitation in Vilter's steps.

However as they arrived near the Adventurer's Guild building, the surrounding atmosphere was already different. It was a place where fierce-looking armed people, whether thugs or criminals, prowled around.

The two boys drew attention because they were young. However, no one paid much attention.

Rudy shrank back but whether Vilter couldn't grasp the atmosphere he strode toward the entrance. Then the person guarding the entrance stopped them.

"Hey, what is it? If you don't want to get beaten up for nothing just go."

"I was wondering if there are requests."

"What did you say?"

Vilter pointed at Rudy's uniform and said.

"We are Kalitz Academy students. We need to earn tuition so we're looking for an appropriate job."

"......This is ridiculous."

Rudy who was watching Vilter speak boldly from behind, thought inwardly yes it doesn't work after all. But it wasn't.

"I won't know even if you die. I definitely said so."

The gatekeeper gestured with his head signaling they could go inside. Vilter entered the building exactly as if it was natural, but Rudy's eyes went wide.

Anyway he hurriedly followed Vilter inside.

The inside scenery of the Adventurer's Guild building was like a pub. However not knowing if it was because it was morning, the atmosphere wasn't recklessly drinking heavily.

Playing cards quietly, nodding off sitting by the fire, whispering among their group, or just lying face down on the table feeling bored. It was a quiet atmosphere overall.

These people too, were people unsuited for the festival.

Wanted posters were plastered thickly on the walls, and the bulletin board was full of messy traces of notices written and erased with chalk. It was impossible to recognize what was what.

"Did you lose your mom?"

A woman's voice was heard from a certain table. As Vilter and Rudy looked around this time the man sharing the table with the woman said.

"We aren't people who take care of lost children."

"Not that, we are looking for a job."

"What?"

"Because we need tuition."

Vilter this time too signaled with his eyes pointing at Rudy's uniform and said. Whether the effect was definitely good, the man and woman seemed reluctant but somewhat convinced.

Rudy uselessly touched his uniform awkwardly. A thought saying this doesn't seem right entered his mind.

"Is there anything suitable for kids to do?"

The woman asked the man.

"Well, shouldn't we just give it a try and if not let it be."

"It's tiring if the academy says something."

"They walked in on their own feet right."

"That's true. Mmm...... what would be good......"

The woman seemed to think for a moment. Then having quickly thought of something appropriate, gestured for Vilter and Rudy to come closer.

As the two approached she spoke in a small voice.

"There's a bastard called 'Baby Bear' Legli. In his 20s, tall and has curly black hair. The place he mainly roams is the Red Light District near the North Gate. He beats prostitutes every single day, and recently made a prostitute named Sonia half-crippled. Thugs tried to beat the crap out of that one bastard a few times, but apparently he's a bit good at fighting. So they washed their hands of it. In the end the prostitutes gathered money and made a request. Make him half-crippled just identically. Even better if you can kill him."

At the bloody story Rudy felt exactly like breaking into a cold sweat. The thought that this didn't seem right gradually changed into certainty more and more.

However Vilter asked back precisely as if it was nothing.

"How much is it? The reward?"

"Ten silver coins."

"How much is your tuition?"

Vilter asked turning back to Rudy.

"......Uh, huh? Uh, th, two gold coins."

One gold coin was roughly about twenty to twenty-four silver coins. Bountifully calculating it meant having to did work similar to this about four times.

Vilter thought for a moment then asked the woman.

"Aren't there any requests coming down from the Federation?"

"What?"

"The Master's Federation."

"Are you joking?"

"Why?"

"Requests like that you have to go to a big city to have them. And, it's not something to entrust to kids like you. I don't know where you picked that up, but do you think the Federation is your mom? Speaking carelessly like that. If you're going to dip your feet in this kind of work even for a moment at least you have to know to fear the Federation. It's not something to speak of carelessly."

In the early days of establishment the Master's Federation took charge of all work themselves, but since Marie became Emperor they couldn't cover the entire Empire so it became a state of an administrative organization of sorts.

Meaning what this was, over the entire Empire they put the Adventurer's Guild at the front and the Master's Federation surveilled, managed them, and depending on the time intervened in work directly, meaning the operation method had been slightly transformed from the Adventurer's Guild of the Helauman era.

Because randomly scattering adventurers meant not knowing what those wearing swords might did, punishing corrupt or fallen ones and carrying out politically sensitive or high-difficulty missions was the work the Master's Federation did.

As for the Council of Six almost no one knew who the members were and how they made decisions.

While also not stepping up to the front much, it was because a bizarre rumor circulated. A rumor that everywhere, anytime, the Council of Six saw and heard everything.

When directives came down from the Council of Six they had to be followed unconditionally, but actually there were almost no directives coming down in the name of the Council of Six. Most directives came down in the name of the Master's Federation.

In other words, Adventurer's Guilds in small to medium cities like this originally didn't have much business intertwining with the Master's Federation, and even less with the Council of Six. The woman getting angry was because they were an uncomfortable and fearsome existence.

"It can't be helped. Have to do this, Rudy."

"Wh, what? Wait a minute. She said even the thugs washed their hands of it. How can we against such a person......"

"Are you not going to the Academy then? Didn't you say you need tuition."

"E, even so, other work......"

"There's not much time left until the semester starts right. We don't have time. This is the only high-profit in a short period. Don't fear failure. I'm doing it together too right. At least I won't leave you alone."

"......You're strange...... Billy......"

"Hearing that sometimes I tell you. Then we're doing it?"

"It would be fortunate if nothing breaks anywhere......"

Vilter took that word as meaning consent and held out his hand towards the woman.

"What?"

"Advance payment."

"......Believing in what will I give you an advance payment?"

"If we scam the money contact the Academy. You must give the advance payment."

The woman blinked her eyes at Vilter's bold words. And making eye contact with the man her colleague, handed over one silver coin exactly as if acting bewilderedly.

Vilter received the silver coin exactly like snatching it whoosh, and reached his hand out again.

"What now?"

"The request form. Need to meet the client once right. And we have to get a signature when we finish the work right?"

"......"

At this point the woman and man felt a feeling that the kid was a bit weird. Because he knew the procedure too well.

Actually in places like this there were many cases of just handling work roughly on rule of thumb, and mostly it just flowed well like that. Still anyway what Vilter requested was right.

The woman handed over the request form with an expression seemingly saying was this right. Receiving and checking it Vilter confirmed, the woman hadn't lied.

The matter suffered by the prostitute named Sonia working at a place called was written in detail.

It was a matter too terrible to convey in words, and Rudy who was watching from the side read halfway then turned his head and clamped his eyes shut.

However Vilter read it solidly to the end in detail. And folding the request form stored it in his bosom.

"I will be back."

After saying that Vilter stepped out of the Adventurer's Guild building. Caring and scared, Rudy followed his newly made friend to the end.

Vilter first bought grilled skewers, bread, and milk to resolve the meal. Then exactly five copper coins remained.

Having solidly filled their stomachs, they immediately headed to the Red Light District said to be near the North Gate. There was no such thing as mental preparation, or hesitation.

Arriving at the Red Light District, prostitutes scratching their tangled hair scratch scratch while walking around, pimps, and guests who woke up late were roaming around. Because it was morning it wasn't business hours.

Vilter looked along the signboards, but since the signboards were all made of pictures he couldn't know where the shop called 'Iolin's Purity' was. So he just asked and found the shop.

The shop in question was an obsolete building. There was no one like a gatekeeper, and just stepping inside it was a place partitioned with thick cloth. No particular moans were heard. The smell was just a bit nauseating.

It was a place unsuited for Vilter's neat yet radiant appearance.

Vilter called a passing prostitute.

"Look here."

The prostitute stared with an expression not knowing why some kid was here. Sometimes, there were kids who came looking for their moms though.

"I came from the Guild. The request form here."

"......"

Vilter took out the request form from his bosom and showed it. The prostitute was illiterate, but recognized the Guild's emblem. Shield, Sword, Axe.

"From the Guild? You? For what business?"

"You requested right. I want to meet the victim."

"......?"

The prostitute couldn't understand at all, but wondered if the Adventurer's Guild was doing an additional investigation or something. If kids came it would be for light errands or something like that.

Anyway since the request form was clear she gestured to follow. There was no need to walk, and drawing back the nearby cloth they entered there. Vilter and Rudy followed inside as well.

In an unsanitary and obsolete place a woman with bandages wrapped around her face was lying down. Whether she felt the presence she opened her eyes weakly, but didn't seem to have any hope for life in them at all.

"They say they came from the Guild?"

"Is it true that Baby Bear, Legli did such a thing to you?"

"......"

The prostitute named Sonia didn't even answer, nor did she nod her head.

"How do you want him to end up?"

"......Identically."

"Understood. Then does Baby Bear come here around evening?"

The prostitute who guided Vilter answered.

"Even if not this shop, he comes. To this street. Since it's festival period now he might come late at night, or maybe come early evening from the start. It's one of the two."

"Understood. Let me know if he comes. I'll be by the city wall."

"What? You?"

Vilter nodded his head and went outside. He didn't throw any words of comfort to Sonia.

Since it was morning time there was nowhere to particularly go, and Vilter climbed the city wall. Since it wasn't wartime there were no guards on the city wall, and there were just a few nearby residents coming out for some fresh air.

Vilter leaned against the watchtower on the city wall and looked at the scenery outside the city.

What on earth was he looking at, what was he thinking, he didn't seem bored, didn't seem excited, nor did he seem angry.

"Are you really going to do it?"

Rudy who was frantically following Vilter now finally asked while catching his breath.

"Yeah. Are you scared?"

"I don't know me. But doing such a thing just for tuition......"

"What are you going to do when you graduate?"

"Uh?"

"I asked what are you going to do when you graduate the Academy."

"Well, if I study hard couldn't I enter the Benicio Merchant Guild. I hope so but it's not easy."

"Why?"

"Uh? What is?"

"Why do you want to enter the Benicio Merchant Guild."

"Well, because the wages are good."

"If the wages are good?"

"I could earn a lot of money right?"

"If you earn a lot of money?"

"At least I wouldn't have to beg to eat."

"Then you earn money because you hate begging to eat?"

"Why do you keep asking? Are you joking right now or being serious it's a bit confusing."

"I'm not joking. I didn't have the intention of offending you. Just curious. What Rudy you want to do. What you're going to live doing."

"......Should have said so early on. Earning money because I don't want to beg looks a bit uncool right."

Vilter smiled gently. This time Rudy asked oppositely.

"Then what do you want to live doing?"

"For me it's decided. I have to succeed the family. But I don't think that's the end. After succeeding the family what I do is for me to decide right. I just want to learn that."

"Family...... yeah, because Billy is a noble. Nobles seem to have their destinies decided from birth. You could live without thinking but you hate that?"

"Right."

"Good. Then I'll help you. Starting with going to the Academy first."

"Thank you."

"Didn't you say friends don't have gratefulness?"

"Sorry. I'm a bit forgetful."

"Hahaha......"

Right after saying there's no sorriness either. Rudy laughed lightly. Vilter laughed too, and the two laughed looking at each other.

However at that time, a tearing scream was heard from the Red Light District side.

"Kyaaaaaaaaaak!"

Vilter and Rudy automatically turned their heads. It was in front of Iolin's Purity.

Some people were gathered, and upon hearing the scream people came out of various shops in the Red Light District and surrounded a certain place. And they all made terrified expressions.

Vilter and Rudy hurriedly descended the city wall, and headed to Iolin's Purity again.

Squeezing through the crowd, a corpse sprawled in front of the shop was seen. It was a tall man with curly black hair. He was sliced all over his face and body, and was castrated.

"Heueeeek!"

At the terrible sight Rudy's hair stood on end and he almost fell backward, but Vilter quickly caught him.

People were looking at the wall of the building buzzing murmuring. Vilter looked too. There was a piece of paper fixed with a nail there, and it was written like this.