Chapter 62

Chapter 62

***

Having a river beside a village or city has the advantage of easily securing a water source, but above all, it was good because the river wind was cool.

Compared to other inland cities, Ehrenberg had almost no stench to a marvelous extent, and the people's appearances were also neat.

It was a truly good place to live. But even in this good place to live, troubles existed.

Trouble was bound to naturally occur if people gathered. If there was a society without a single trouble, it would probably be a seriously sick society.

So there was no need to become disillusioned with people themselves just because of social issues.

Just that, wherever one goes, there are good people and bad bastards too. Just that.

"I told you last time, right? The kid who killed Mad Dog Steiner is my friend. Ta-da! Brought him! This kid is Ricky whom I mentioned. Amazing, right? Don't believe it? But it's true. I was there too at that time. If you look down on him, your neck might be cut. I've seen dozens of such people until now. Hehehe."

Bori-bori said, looking at a sturdy adult male wearing a bandana on his head. He was exactly Mason, the Guild Master and leader of the Stonemasons' Guild.

At Bori-bori's frivolous words, Mason crossed his arms and stared blankly at the boy wearing a red cloak.

Actually, it was difficult to believe just listening to what Bori-bori said, but he also knew the fact that the famous Red Cloak had come here.

By the way, Rickart's gaze was directed beyond Mason, towards the dock.

At the dock, several ships unable to depart for several days were anchored, and about 50 Stonemasons' Guild people and their families were sitting on mats living there.

Women brought large cauldrons, groaning, lit fires on the spot, and were cooking food and eating with their families. Because their livelihood had recently become difficult, they made food and ate all together.

In the cauldrons, whole fish caught from the river were floating in whitish porridge. The smell of food carried on the wind wasn't that good.

"So, what do you intend to do?"

Mason asked Bori-bori. Somehow it was a blunt tone that made people intimidated.

But Bori-bori didn't care at all, whether confident, lively, or thoughtless, and just spoke in his own way.

Wearing the Ghost Sword on his waist, opening his eyes roundly and speaking while lifting a finger, it seemed like he was doing business hard in his own way.

"We are adventurers, you know? If there is troublesome work, dealing with that instead is our job. Of course, we need a slight reward, but... So, we can collect that unpaid money. How is it? Isn't it reliable?"

Actually, looking outwardly, it was far from reliable. Because Bori-bori's height was barely about 160 cm now, and Rickart's height was as big as an adult's but his face looked clearly young.

Even if they had piled up a tremendous reputation, if the living world was different, it might not resonate.

But here was Ehrenberg. Although they wandered several regions so they didn't exist here always, even if nominal, it was the base of the past Ehrenberg 5.

People here knew best what terrible people they were. And the boy had killed them.

And rumors heard already knew. Red Cloak boy, Five Body Dismemberment Bori-bori, Nameless X. They said the Heroes of Siegfinger executed the Ehrenberg 5.

The stonemason wearing a bandana on his head stared at Rickart blankly. But Rickart's gaze had gone to where people were dining.

As Mason turned his head following that gaze, the appearance of over ten people sticking to each of the three huge cauldrons and scraping them was seen. The fish porridge bottomed out in an instant.

Mason turned his head again and spoke to Rickart.

"As you see, our situation is like this. We have no money to request to the Adventurer Guild."

Rickart's red cloak fluttered. Wondering what he was thinking, Rickart just watched the appearance of people eating porridge.

The appearance of women feeding babies first, the appearance of a young child holding one piece of meat barely sticking in the gap of brothers eating, the appearance of an old aged elder saying he has no appetite and yielding to children.

Putting such appearances in his eyes, Rickart asked looking at Mason.

"Regarding the request fee, we can add interest to the unpaid money and take that interest. Before that, can I know how it happened? The person called Marconis said he paid the construction payment."

Then Mason took Rickart and Bori-bori somewhere. It was a place where wooden boxes were piled up near the dock; there he took out a contract and showed it.

The man pointed at a certain clause with his hand in the contract.

Stonemasons' Guild didn't simply mean ones cutting stone and handling stone material.

'Stonemason' refers to a person doing work cutting and trimming stone right, but the Mason 'Guild' had a bit of a different meaning. It meant people taking responsibility for the whole construction and completing it.

Design, measurement, material procurement, transport, construction, they literally did everything regarding construction. Even securing the labor force by hiring laborers locally.

The reason the Ehrenberg Stonemasons' Guild was famous was because they built everything, not covering from ordinary homes to the Lord's castle, castle walls, temples, etc.

They were a tremendous technology group, but unexpectedly weren't treated socially.

Even if they took charge of big construction and astronomical money entered building all, if excluding labor costs and material costs, the money falling to the Stonemasons' Guild really wasn't much.

Their skill was a form transmitted and developed from generation to generation, and not something able to be learned in educational institutions or so separately.

So if these people collapsed once, that skill couldn't be recovered.

"Mm, so you received all the construction payment but the additional money is the problem. It is written in the contract clearly, why did they say they won't give it?"

Rickart asked, wondering. Actually, there was nothing to wonder about. Just looking, it seemed like the Merchant Association was bullying them and not giving it. Still, he asked once.

"They asked how they would know if material entered additionally although construction was already completed."

Literally, they were finding fault. No matter how finely a contract is written, when doing work, mutual trust had to exist. But one couldn't know if the Merchant Association had none of that, or was doing it intentionally.

"But curious thing, even if they said additional material is needed, if not present shouldn't you build as much as receiving money as is?"

Or stopping construction first and making a contract newly. Rickart wondered if a need existed to complete construction solely on private expense daringly.

By the way, Mason, who is the leader of the Masons, looked at Rickart blankly, and asked abruptly like this.

"Why do you swing a sword?"

"Yes?"

"Like the Ehrenberg 5, drunk on power and just swinging?"

"No."

"To us, a thing called tradition and principle exists. 'When building a building, must do with the thought of leaving it forever.' It is a phrase coming down to us generation to generation from very far old days. We built houses, piled up castles, constructed cities. That owner might be different each, but things accomplished were all done with our hands. Look at this city. Look at this dock. Look at that castle wall over there. All my father, grandfather, and ancestors built."

It was a speech where confident pride was felt.

Rickart, following his words, looked back from the dock existing nearest, to the city's houses existing far over there, and the castle wall. It looked differently anew. Right, they probably built all those with human hands.

From short few years, to tens of years, even hundreds of years old buildings stood firmly still. Our nest also probably these people built.

"You probably kill people easily and earn money easily too. So we will look foolish. But to us, a value more important than eating and living exists. To keep that, we endure starving too."

"You don't look foolish."

"......"

"Cool though? If it was a rude question, I will apologize. Just curious so I asked."

Rickart, smiling, apologized coolly like the river wind. Apologizing to such a person was not shy at all, and not humiliating either.

Whether such Rickart was marvelous, Mason stared as if unexpected. Because he thought he would be arrogant but wasn't so.

Actually, Rickart's method of treating people was different for every person. So when arrogant, he was on the arrogant side again, but as Mason was a cool person, he wanted to respect him.

"Let's make the contract gradually; first, do you agree to us receiving the unpaid money?"

"......If just receiving, for us it's thankful."

"Good. Let's go, Bori."

"Uh, uh? Where?"

"Where? We have to go to receive the money."

Rickart, carrying his sword on one shoulder, moved away from the dock. The place he was heading was the mansion he had stopped by for banquet attendance the previous day.

Bori-bori following urgently asked.

"Can we do immediately like this even not writing a contract?"

"Just looking, I know. If they are a decent person, or a guy like a bully. The Merchant Association side guys are repulsive. Anyway, if settling down in this city, shouldn't we look at the long term? Then I think it's good to judge by seeing the person rather than the money."

"No, I'm asking if it works not writing a contract."

"A Noble keeps the word they have spoken, risking their life. Rather, a person thinking writing a contract is an insult exists too."

"Eng...... Rickart, since when did you act like a Noble?"

"This brat."

Rickart stroked Bori-bori's head roughly. Bori-bori is fourteen years old now so an adult next year, but his physique was smaller than Rickart, who was two years younger.

"Anyway, how will you receive the money back?"

"How? Execution of skill."

It wasn't an era where trials didn't exist, but it was an era where solving problems with the execution of skill rather than trials was overwhelmingly common.

Trials take a long time too, and above all, if the Lord doesn't supervise directly, the effect is also not much. Moreover, even if winning in a trial, if the loser says so-called 'cut belly' (sue me), there is no method.

Of course kinds of trial varied, among them if doing Trial by Combat, problem solution was neat. And all Orthodox Nobles had the right to do Trial by Combat.

Rickart had a corner believing honestly as the person himself is an Orthodox Noble. If unavoidable, doing Trial by Combat works.

Above all, to receive unpaid money, a method except the execution of skill exactly didn't exist either.

Rickart reaching the mansion main gate he visited the previous day, said to the Gatekeeper.

"You saw me yesterday right? Please open the door a bit."

The Gatekeeper, seeing Rickart through that gap beyond the beautifully carved main gate, opened the door obediently. Remembering as he came wearing shabby clothes.

"What work? Noble Young Master."

"Came to receive unpaid money."

"......Yes?"

The Gatekeeper, not knowing what sound he was making, made a puzzled expression.

Whether he did or not, Rickart opening the main gate widely entered the courtyard. And loitering around the mansion scanning, ended up heading to the stable.

"Bori, you also grab a rein."

"Uh, intent to do what?"

"Selling a horse, let's cover the unpaid money."

"Eoeong?"

Horse prices were really expensive. Unless it was a packhorse, however cheap a horse was, one could receive several gold coins. The expensive ones were expensive endlessly to an extent transcending imagination.

The stable was quite big and built well; entering inside, there were five big horses.

Rickart chose the horse whose gloss flowed on its hair and whose body type was best among them. Just looking, it was a horse managed very hard usually.

"Wh, who?"

The stable keeper, sweeping the floor, as people he saw for the first time entered, surprised, asked. Whether he was surprised or not, Rickart holding a harness came and covered the horse with brown hair and white spots—impressive.

"Wh, who are you? Don't touch."

"Don't come close. Might kill."

Rickart pulling out a dagger threateningly said. Virtually the same as a robber almost, but it was forced execution according to the contract.

As the sharp dagger flashed sharpness, the surprised Stable keeper, freaking out, ran away as it is to inform the master.

In that interval, Rickart putting the harness all on and dragging it to outside, got on top. Having learned horseback riding at home, he rode quite well.

Bori-bori, as he didn't know how to ride a horse, grabbing the rein came out quickly.

In that interval Rickart getting on the horse, going out to the courtyard, waited for Bori-bori.

Clop. Clop. Clop.

Changing direction here and there, he trampled the lawn like his own house.

If a person rides a horse, that presence is extraordinary and rules overwhelming the surroundings; employees living in the mansion all surprised stared.

"Open the main gate! If not, will trample!"

Rickart pulling out his sword pointing at the Gatekeeper shouted. Facing the huge horse and blue blade sword, majesty dwelling in the shout, and glaring eyes, the Gatekeeper surprised opened the main gate wide unconsciously.

In that interval Bori-bori escaped hurriedly, and Marconis, coming out from the mansion with an absurd and surprised face, shouted.

"Th, this is what act!"

Rickart looked down at him from the horse and sneered.

"Came to receive unpaid money. Indeed, you should have paid the money in time. If insufficient with the horse price too, I will come to receive it again next time. Bye. Giddy up!"

And adding spur shamelessly ran out of the mansion. At the rough horse hoof, blurry dust rose.

Clop! Clop! Clop! Clop!

Blond hair fluttered in the wind, and the red cloak fluttered.

Employees of the mansion couldn't detach their eyes from the picture-like boy's appearance. Indeed, the thing proving bloodline seemed not outer appearance but bold action and confident attitude.

On the other hand, horse owner Marconis, too absurd, stared at Rickart becoming far blankly.

Because the horse taken just now was a horse expensive much more than that unpaid money.