Chapter 64

Chapter 64

***

Receiving the request from the Stonemasons' Guild and collecting money from the Merchant Association was an event that imprinted Rickart's presence on all of Ehrenberg. Furthermore, it produced a promotional effect for the Beringen Guild Branch.

People naturally recognized that if they entrusted a request to the Beringen Guild Branch, they definitely got it done, and the Guild Branch could solidify its position within the city at once.

Although not intended, it was also mediating the two great powers of the city, the Stonemasons' Guild and the Merchant Association. The Guild Branch performed that balance point role excellently too.

Moreover, thanks to the efforts of Bolka and his friends, they could become close with surrounding merchants quickly.

They were able to encounter groceries, various travel goods, and combat equipment smoothly, and it was a good thing for the merchants too as a stable business partner was created.

Now to settle down here, only one thing remained. That was exactly time.

As children grow up, loving lovers become a couple, give birth to children and raise them, and watching them get old, naturally the Viola Clan would be assimilated here too.

If Bolka and Delphi marry and give birth to a baby, that baby might hear such a story later when growing up.

'Long ago, there were 5 very bad villains here, and my friend defeated them.'

Ehrenberg had a paved uphill road straight in the middle, and roads branched to both sides like branches.

It was a form where the low Ehren Mountain was cut artificially making land in terrace form, and buildings were built there. The whole mountain was like one complex.

At the top of Ehren Mountain, there was a very small castle built a long time ago. Although it was embarrassing to call it a castle, centered on that, several buildings were around.

From the top of the mountain, the Main River area was looked down upon clearly. Stonemasons' Guild people and their families returned to their livelihood, and Merchant Association ships finally floated on the Main River.

Merchant ships rowed at first, then when the wind was appropriate, spread sails and became distant really in an instant.

At a corner of the Ehren Mountain top, Rickart, without wearing a cloak and wearing only one dagger, saw ships moving slowly, and quickly.

At a point of the river, sunlight broke finely and glittered. And Rickart's hair fluttered in the cool wind blowing from the river.

"Uh? Ricky Oppa is slacking off."

From behind Rickart appreciating the peaceful river scenery, a young voice was heard. Looking back it was grocery store Benny's daughter, Benny-Benny.

Repeating names was mostly done when inheriting a parent's name directly. Then if parents passed away, they took off one and used the name.

The girl, now 6 or 7 years old, loitered around the adventurer building and bothered people pretending to help with worthless work, but everyone adored her. But whoever looked, she was coming to see Ice.

"Not slacking off. Resting for a while."

"My mom said that the time the sun is up is Golden Time. So slacking off is throwing away gold."

"I said I'm not slacking off."

"But other people are working? Uncle Bolka was looking for you?"

"Aish, really."

Rickart avoided Benny-Benny bothering him as usual, and went down to the back path of the mountain.

Though called a back path, actually it was originally a place with no road; just naturally something like a road was created as people went around that side.

The slope was steep and somewhat dangerous, but when going down it was definitely fast.

"You'll get hurt so don't follow."

"Ricky Oppa runs away! Marie Unniiiii!"

From the top of the mountain Benny-Benny shouted. Rickart ignored those words and hid hurriedly in a place where trees were thick. And walked straight along the riverside.

The sound of the waterwheel attached next to the blacksmith shop turning creak creak and bellows blowing was heard. And, the sound of pounding iron too.

Passing that place and turning the mountain entrance, a place where the Stonemasons' Guild worked appeared. One should say half-indoor form, it was such a workspace with only a roof lump and no walls.

There were mainly stone materials there; big and small various sculptures were here and there. Most seemed not made yet or stopped making halfway.

Mason climbing on scaffolding making a marble sculpture the size of a person was seen. Putting a chisel against it, tapping with a hammer significantly, he carved stone carefully.

Although far yet, Rickart stared blankly at the spectacle where something's form is made, and life is blown into stone having no meaning at all.

Mason knew Rickart's presence only after quite a while. He wiped his forehead although he didn't sweat that much and said.

"What? If you came, speak."

"Just was looking. What are you making?"

As Rickart asked, Mason just laughed, 'Hut'.

"Well."

Rickart left him not wanting to disturb work. Since the workspace was quite wide, he walked around slowly looking around unfinished works as if exhibited.

Then at a corner, a shabby book came into his eyes. Wondering if it was something like a blueprint, he looked inadvertently; surprisingly the book title was written in Ancient Characters.

Actually it was unreasonable to call it a book. Because it was a form folding very long parchment into regular size stacking, then tying with string.

It was a method of untying the string and spreading one by one reading; Rickart untied the string without particular hesitation.

Rickart flipped the book roughly from the middle. Somehow an uncomfortable and creepy book. Madness and obsession were felt.

Only, regarding how to jump over that boundary to become Sword Master wasn't described accurately.

The thing the author is convinced of was that one has to cut out something of the human inner side through some kind of religious ceremony.

Have to become a Sword Master doing until so? He couldn't understand.

Still Rickart could obtain one thing through the book. The path to becoming a Sword Master has walking the Righteous Path (Orthodox Path), and like the author of the book, there is an existence of a path saying "I don't know the Righteous Path and just becoming is enough."

"Ricky you can read that?"

Mason passing from behind asked.

"Yes, I have learned Ancient Characters."

"Really? Then you take that."

"Yes? Is it okay?"

"Actually many times money was unpaid. Countless. This time the amount was a bit big so it was a problem. That book, last time we built a chapel at a Baron family and payment was a bit short so I just brought it coming back. But it's hard to sell. Who would buy a book they are unable to read?"

Rickart looked down at the re-folded book blankly. The title looked different now.

Actually this was also a Codex if it is a Codex. Books written in Ancient Times were all called Codex.

The thing read now doesn't contain great knowledge, but it was correct that it conveyed something dangerous yet interesting knowledge.

It wouldn't be useful particularly, but since he was just giving it, Rickart took it first.

"Thank you."

And leaving the workspace he went around the Ehrenberg outskirts straight. Then he climbed the central uphill road only when it became late afternoon.

Coming to the Branch building, now adventurers were frequenting to some extent and merchants bringing groceries or other daily necessities were seen too.

People visiting to entrust requests also, and locals sitting spreading mats outside the building just sharing chat existed too.

As Rickart appeared they pretended to know him from here and there.

"Oi."

"Bolka was looking for you Ricky?"

Since treating comfortably usually except when fighting, everyone treated Rickart comfortably.

Rickart just making a hand gesture and eye greeting entered the building. Inside, adventurers resting sitting in front of tables or the fireplace existed.

"Ricky."

As soon as Rickart entered inside someone called immediately. It was Delphi carrying food.

"Said hire an employee."

"Hey, using people costs money most."

"Just hiring Benny-Benny doesn't work?"

"She is too young. Often cut heads come. Injured people come too."

"Nothing to help?"

"You speak empty words well these days?"

Delphi returned immediately laughing and said. Honestly, Rickart was on the side of slacking off often. Since he didn't listen to class well in the Academy too.

Rickart also just laughing headed to Bolka's private room and office. Anyhow finding me.

"Bolka, you found me?"

Bolka was calculating money looking at documents sitting in front of his desk. Silver coins and copper coins were piled up, and several gold coins were seen too.

Bori-bori and Marie were also helping with document organization or this and that from the side.

"Ai damn, help a bit I said. Doing this only all life I will die."

Counting money isn't difficult work, but work paying and receiving payment accurately here and there, and settlement was work having to check continuously.

"Calculation increases as you do it. You are slow at calculation."

Rickart was excellent at number calculation or quick wit almost to a non-human extent, so if helping honestly he became a big help. But he didn't help well. Because such things are annoying.

"Done, contact came from Uncle Dunkel. Entering negotiation slowly he said."

"What negotiation?"

"End of War negotiation."

Rickart, though heard here is the front line, thought fights would exist frequently, but they didn't. Whether enemies didn't come in the first place fearing Rickart, or enemies also had no extraction for that.

And pushing manpower to whole Siegfinger by one Adventurer Guild was actually not easy too.

Rather than wasting money mutually and people dying, negotiating wasn't bad too. But negotiation was work not taking one or two days, and negotiation was also one of another war.

Only, in that war there was nothing for Rickart to do.

Feeling somewhat deflated exits, but still a fortunate thing. Because the best reward able to give to tired soldiers is the End of War.

"So speaking, you and Bori, Marie have to return to the Academy won't you?"

"Need to go daringly?"

"Must do graduation. That way walk path of Adventurer formally. Minimum procedure roughly. However much operating by rule of thumb."

"Really?"

"Yeah. If fast might come to pick up in early autumn. Return in advance. Suffered, and thanks."

At the word thanks Rickart responded with a smile. While doing so sitting on the bed he asked busy Bori-bori and Marie.

"You guys?"

"Us? Us what? We packed luggage all already?"

Marie said.

Whether busy working, she seemed to have no time to feel regret. Now just settled down and managing.

But since graduation didn't remain much, since they can come here soon it was okay. Maybe indulging in sentiment uselessly alone.

"But what is that?"

Bori-bori asked looking at the Codex held in Rickart's hand.

"Ah, this, received from Uncle Mason. Said just take it."

"Really? Can I see?"

"......Nothing cannot, but a bit uncomfortable book."

"Content is how?"

"Must abandon humanity to become Sword Master, mumbling something like that?"

"Then I won't watch."

At Rickart's word Bori-bori said so not looking back even. Except Ice no kids aiming for Sword Master existed, so Bori-bori seemed to have no lingering attachment particularly.

First Rickart went to his room and packed luggage. Putting the Codex in his bag too, stopped for a while and stared at the old and faded book blankly.

He remembered the goal when entering the Academy. Whether it was worth doing war a hundred years ago, whether the reason of war is really because of the object called Codex, if so what the Codex is on earth was to find out.

Learned Ancient Characters because of that. But, although he didn't see all Codexes, if the content is like this it's a bit disappointing.

But regarding whether it was worth doing war in those old days was difficult to answer. If not war, if not Codex, the Adventurer Academy wouldn't have been built.

Children suffering in that chicken coop-like place for a long time pitiful, but thinking differently if not that chicken coop wouldn't have met current friends.

So, the question regarding indeed whether it was worth doing war, was a question one cannot answer hastily.

Anyway Rickart packed luggage. Staying in the Branch for a few days helping Bolka's work a bit, gave him room.

Around the time Bolka's breath opened a bit at excessive work, Rickart left to the East with Bori-bori, Marie. To the Academy again.

Like cool river wind pushes a sail, returning steps were light.