Chapter 214

Chapter 214

***

"......"

The wind blew above the inn's roof. Rickart's blonde hair fluttered in the wind.

Rickart was on the side of reading text quickly since he was young. So if he skimmed it quickly, to others' eyes it sometimes just looked like he was turning the pages meaninglessly.

Examining the Codex this time was like that too. However upon reaching the final page, especially upon seeing the author of the Codex, it was hard to take his eyes off it like a dewdrop formed on the tip of a leaf at dawn.

Caldebert, Caldebert, Caldebert...... He was his first friend. He was a friend who recognized Rickart's true worth much earlier than Bori, and was the first person to say Ricky was like a poet.

Even though the difference in status was as big as heaven and earth, he was a being who had never looked down on Rickart even once, and looked at him exactly as he was.

A person so delicate that armor didn't suit him, an impression appearing closer to a scholar than a knight, however a person braver than anyone who set an example as a commander, a genius of strategy, a master of tactics.

Rickart might have been strongly influenced by him without even knowing it himself. Seeing actions like treating commoners completely unreservedly for instance.

Anyway a sword dwelling with forgiveness, it probably meant sparring the 'Meat Cleaver' Besprim. Rickart didn't attach great meaning to that action, but Caldebert didn't seem to be.

When he applied for discharge saying he would leave now, his complicated expression still flickered before his eyes even though a long time had passed.

Caldebert saw hope in me. But the action I did returning to my hometown was......

For some unknown reason Rickart felt ashamed of himself and dropped his head. How disappointed Caldebert returning belatedly from the expeditionary land must have been when he heard the news about me.

"E-excuse me......"

Lena said to Rickart who dropped his head. Even so it was difficult for Rickart to pull out from his thoughts, but he still realized reality.

Handing the Codex back over, he said.

"Fortunately it's not a dangerous item. But you won't understand even if you read it."

The main text of the Codex written by Caldebert was a prose format entirely dotted with similes and metaphors, so honestly even Rickart had a hard time understanding it perfectly.

However, Rickart, who used to write books as he pleased whether the reader understood it or not, got the answer here.

Caldebert thought of Rickart as a poet in the first place, so he actively utilized poetic expressions. Since it was entirely a Codex written receiving inspiration from Ricky of 100 years ago.

By doing so he could effectively imply the contents, and could not blur the essence. In Rickart's view it was like that.

In the cases of Bori or Ice, and Marie, they didn't highly evaluate the books Rickart wrote, but Caldebert seemed to understand Rickart the best. Rather he was ahead in expressing it.

Perhaps due to the symbolism the Codex held, or because their desires were projected onto it, Lena and Ravenna, Graf were solely absorbed in examining the contents of the Codex without any other thoughts.

However just as Rickart had said, they seemed not to know what meaning it was even reading it. Because it was in the style of saying what about mountains and rivers, trees and forests, and what about water and fire.

"Let's get out of here first. There's nothing good coming from staying for long."

Rickart said. Then the three people came to their senses and gathered the Codex first, then followed Rickart again.

Rickart bounded between buildings and buildings. To reduce construction costs any city built buildings right next to each other or the distance was near so there was no problem crossing them.

However, not all roof conditions were good and the incline was on the quite steep side so it was indeed dangerous if you misstepped.

Rickart leaped lightly across such roofs and roofs, and the three people awkwardly followed so their speed was slow.

Then Rickart stopped at a part connected to the attic of a certain building. He opened the cover from above and went down. As the three people belatedly followed Rickart and looked, the corresponding building was precisely a brothel.

Moans that sounded like panting or suffering like beasts could be heard here and there from the rooms.

Still due to the nature of a brothel all sorts of people came and went, so it was truly good that no one considered the four people who suddenly appeared strange.

So although somewhat embarrassing they nonchalantly went downstairs calmly without receiving anyone's restriction and left the building. Towards the inn where Sawtooth Azad was, a noisy sound could be heard from afar.

Many people flocked there to watch so the streets were quiet. They could finally take a breather.

"What are you going to do from now on?"

Rickart asked while taking his cloak back from the young man named Graf.

"......As you advised we aren't planning to visit the guild. Thinking about it the client seems suspicious so......"

Lena said. Rickart put his cloak around himself again and said.

"Could have already been discovered. Or maybe not. If you want to finish it cleanly intentionally visiting the guild is also good. Since you can lay the premise that the client will definitely come find you. Then you can prepare in advance and counterattack too."

Rickart gave tactical advice, and the three people understood the words but the problem was whether they had the guts and skill to execute it.

Although they couldn't know how amazing the client was, considering they scattered Backroom requests everywhere it was certain they were not an ordinary fellow.

"Then what do we do about the pay?"

"What pay?"

"We hired you."

"Think I was hired on the condition of briefly looking at the Codex though."

"Then......"

"This is as far as I go."

If the Codex itself wasn't a dangerous item it wasn't Rickart's concern even if adventurers killed each other snatching and stealing from each other. Eventually it'll find an owner, was his thought.

However, the unexpected part was that the Codex in question was nobody else's but a work of Caldebert. Personally he felt somewhat sad, ashamed, and sentimental, but it didn't mean it was his.

Especially the Codex Caldebert wrote felt excessively like walking the righteous path. In Rickart's eyes it was like that. There wasn't a single shortcut, and it was closer to a mind and body training method for monks.

So no matter whose hands it entered the Codex itself wouldn't cause problems.

"Then we will hire you again."

Lena said to Rickart who only had footsteps of leaving remaining now. But what would they hire him with this time? He didn't really seem to need money, nor did he seem to have lingering attachments to the Codex.

Rickart looked back at the red-haired young woman with a gaze half apathetic and half disinterested.

In her large cat-like eyes, there was something called the ambition peculiar to youths that even Rickart had lost by now.

"We will include you as a founding member of the clan we will make from now on."

Hearing those words Rickart ended up bursting into a chuckle. It was an entirely unexpected remark, and at least his apathetic mood flew away. She had succeeded in drawing at least a tiny bit of interest.

"What do you plan to make the clan name?"

"First we plan to take after our academy's name and make it the Kalitz Clan. If by any chance you want something else we could discuss it too."

"Let's say the name is like that, and after making the clan? Is entering the Federation the goal?"

"No. My personal goal is that, but not the clan."

"Really? Then what is it. The goal of the clan."

"A clan for true adventurers, not swordsmen or fixers."

"......True adventurers?"

"Need to adventure to be an adventurer right. But look, what the people called adventurers are all doing. Escorting merchant groups, or chasing after goblin tails, doing trivial errands, scuffling and sword fighting with wanted criminals is most of it. What the Three Great Prestigious Houses do is just act arrogantly, and randomly catching ordinary adventurers to interrogate their crimes and kill them is all. But true adventurers are exploring the unknown world and making new discoveries right? Telling you we will make a clan that does such things."

Unexpectedly it was a thought faithful to the basics. And it was something Rickart hadn't thought of. Because no matter what an adventurer was he himself had just lived as a swordsman, a king, and a father.

Strangely the thoughts of a young adventurer from Kalitz Academy pulled at Rickart.

If others heard they'd say it's an absurd sound, but that was also a sound Rickart himself heard from long ago. Of course the difference from Lena was that he proved it with skills and results.

Punished the Ehrenberg 5, led the guild war to victory, tore down the Cult of Condemnation and Helauman, circled the world once to save kingdoms from war, and now he was governing the civil security of the entire Empire.

Each was a single goal and dream, and when he said he would did it the only ones who took his side and supported him were his friends.

Lena would probably be like that too. What the heck kind of clan for true adventurers? Were adventurers in a position to be picky about cold rice or hot rice?

Rickart despised belittling and mocking others' dreams like that. Conversely he wanted to support them.

"Adventurers for adventure. Yeah, that is correct."

"Then have you decided?"

"Well, it's not that. I first have a place I must go to. I must stop by Nibelungen and also stop by the Adelorn Kingdom once. I might lightly stop by Stormhearts or somewhere else for a bit. If the paths we walk overlap, consider it as accompaniment and displaying a traveler's virtue I'll help with what I can help."

Lena looked back at her two friends. Whether they were considerably close and trusted each other, meaning seemed to be conveyed and accepted just by their gazes.

"Good. We'll follow you."

"Then let's go to the guild first. After informing them that you fulfilled the request, receive the pay and let's resupply with that. If we leisurely rest a day and hit the road we'll be able to know if there's someone tailing us, or someone watching us. If we clobber that bastard or track them conversely we can figure out who the client is. As I said earlier if the client talks nonsense I will perfectly kill them, but if that person belongs to some organization or something they can harbor a grudge even against you guys. I won't take responsibility for this."

"......"

Earning a grudge from someone, or an organization was a significantly uncomfortable thing. But Rickart looked incredibly used to such things. So he was dangerous, and also reliable.

"What are you going to do?"

"Yes?"

"Since you decided to include me as a clan founding member shouldn't we at least discuss it. Asking what you think."

Rickart didn't did it like bossing subordinates around, but truly treated the three people on an equal footing. Like when he was with his friends in the past, and also now.

"Wouldn't Mister's opinion probably be correct?"

"Still use your thoughts a bit."

"Anyway what about the Codex? Since it entered our hands we should learn it for now."

"Take a long time to learn it. A magic-like thing won't happen just because you read some writing. Maybe you'll have to learn it your whole life. Because eventually the answer is what each person finds for themselves. Interpret the meanings chewing over them one by one. And as time passes create meaning too. That's how you'll be able to learn it."

"......Have you perhaps already learned another Codex, Mister? How do you know so well?"

He had no choice but to know well. Because it's a document written taking inspiration from me.

Anyway Caldebert's own martial arts skills weren't outstanding, but it was surprising how he came to create such a Codex.

"Just, it only felt like a letter from an old friend. So it read a bit easily for me."

"Yes?"

"Let's go for now. If you have anything curious ask slowly. Don't know if it'll be of help though."

Rickart finally started to take his steps. The place they headed first was the Neuschafen Adventurer's Guild.

Three youths followed those footsteps, and long-past ties were also buried in every step. Youths dreaming new dreams, and a friend who dreamed a dream of hope in the distant past.

Did he achieve it? Was he achieving it? What? Thirty-year-old Rickart walked forward exactly like retracing the past.

Chapter 43 - Letter from an old friend. End.