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Chapter : 5
“What are you so into gossip for?”
“You’re curious too! They said she’s a really high-ranking noble lady. Someone extremely important.”
“Then why would someone like that…?”
The red-haired mercenary, who had been bickering with the rough-looking mercenary, suddenly began the story. Then, with a frightening expression, he drew his hand across his neck and made a cutting sound.
“They say she ordered the assassination of a saintess.”
“He must be insane.”
“Even for the captain to say something like that…”
“The imperial family somehow kept him alive. They probably tried to execute him and erase him.”
The three men laughed heartily as they finished their meals, while I, who had been cleaning up the aftermath of the earlier incident beside them, was sweating coldly.
…But still, that’s a noble issue, right? It shouldn’t have anything to do with me right now. So…
“There are many people who worship the saintess. If a commoner gets involved, they’ll probably be killed.”
“Maybe even stoned.”
“Haha, maybe there’s even a bounty for capturing them?”
…So they won’t find out even if I die.
I didn’t realize it had gone that far. My life was like that of an insect. I was hanging off a cliff’s edge.
This romance fantasy novel seemed to have already decided on a brutal ending for villains.
Yeah, of course! But I didn’t do anything!
After realizing I had been cooped up in my room since possession and lacked information about the world, I cautiously tried to get some information from the three men.
“You seem like regulars here, but you’re eating in a hurry. Where are you going?”
“Well, we’re heading out for a monster subjugation after this. Over that way.”
“……”
I paused for a moment.
“There are monsters here…?”
“…You haven’t been here long, lady?”
Yes, I was just taken in on the spot by an old lady.
I’m currently running an inn by divine revelation.
“Well… something like that.”
“This place is close to monster habitats. Probably most of the guests here are guys like us.”
“Excuse me?”
“Better be careful. Haha! That’s why this inn is cheap and good, I guess… though other inns seem to have more customers.”
“Jack. That’s rude.”
The black-haired man, who had been silently eating all along, finally spoke.
Talking with these three turned out to be unexpectedly enjoyable, so I pulled up a chair and joined their conversation.
“We’re from a mercenary group called ‘Scorpion.’ I’m the leader, Hardy. Recently, monster activity has been increasing strangely, so we’re here on a request to deal with it.”
“I’m Jack~ That big guy over there is Heath. We’ll be coming here often, so remember us. No one takes jobs in this area, so it pays well.”
“W-why does no one take them?”
“Because this place is dangerous.”
“Oh… then why did you three come?”
After blinking blankly and asking, the man called “leader” hesitated for a while, swallowed the bread in his mouth, and said:
“…We’re out of money.”
“……”
…Yeah, that’s important too.
The awkward atmosphere was quickly softened by the red-haired man, Jack, laughing loudly.
Jack laughed and said that this was just the life of a mercenary.
“The ‘Scorpion’ is a low-popularity mercenary group. We don’t have many members, and our leader is way too honest. Of course we’re broke!”
“…That’s not really—”
“Then why is it called ‘Scorpion’?”
“The leader is a Scorpio.”
…What, is that some horoscope-loving high school girl reason?
I looked at the leader strangely, and he cleared his throat several times before offering me a handshake.
“I thought I should introduce myself since we’ll likely meet often.”
“…Are you embarrassed?”
“……”
Unable to hold back my laughter, I burst out laughing.
Then I went to the kitchen, packed simple sandwiches made of bread and bacon, and handed them to the three.
“You’re my first normal customers. It’s on the house!”
“Normal customers?”
“…Thank you.”
Jack tilted his head in confusion, while the leader, now slightly red-faced, accepted the sandwich.
“Wow! Thanks! We can eat this during subjugation. People this kind are rare in Havel!”
“People living near dungeons aren’t exactly kind… ah, sorry.”
“No worries! People in Havel are just like tha—”
…Havel?
Havel?
I froze mid-wave, my hand still in the air.
While I stood still, they cheerfully packed the sandwiches into their bags and walked away, joking among themselves.
Even as their somewhat cute figures disappeared into the distance, only one word remained carved into my mind.
“Havel.”
…If it’s Havel,
Isn’t that the base of the illegal information guild?
I stood frozen, still holding the pose as if I were handing over the sandwich.
I remembered this from reading the novel.
If I hadn’t noticed, I might have stayed peaceful—but my cursed memory wouldn’t let me be comfortable.
“Havel…? That Havel?!”
I muttered the town’s name repeatedly like an idiot.
What was it again? What was written about it?
If I had known nothing, ignorance would have been bliss. But half-remembering things was more dangerous than not knowing at all.
So I tried to think harder.
…Just moments ago I remembered it clearly, but now the details slipped away.
I hit my head repeatedly.
The pain was clear—but I can do it, I can do it!
I am a reincarnated person in a romance fantasy novel. I should be able to remember the original story. Everyone else can do it, right? If you’re a transmigrator, you can do this!
Think!
……
…………
I remembered it!
As expected, romance fantasy novels are amazing.
Like a proper transmigrator, I recalled the story.
“The crown prince hears news that monsters are gradually overflowing and runs around searching for the cause, but cannot find it. He eventually realizes that the fastest source of information is the illegal information guild in Havel, and attempts to make a deal with them. He goes to the place disguised as a tavern with a black brick building and yellow sign.
The guild master, who enjoys the fact that a noble of such high status has come to kneel before someone at the bottom, demands that the crown prince kneel. Despite this, the crown prince willingly complies and says:
‘My saintess wishes to save everyone.’”
“…What nonsense is this.”
Suppressing my anger for a moment, I continued recalling the rest.
The Havel information guild was infamous for handling dirty work and possessing the most information, so it appeared frequently in the story.
“‘I wonder why the Northern Duke has come here. Ah, is it that curse?’
‘If you know anything, give me information…’
‘I don’t move unless it’s interesting. What will you give me?’
‘…Forest, artifact. Is it you?’
‘Great Tower Master. I truly know nothing…’
‘…Rubbish.’”
…In other words, the Havel information guild was entangled with all the main characters.
The Northern Duke, the Tower Master—everyone ends up connected through this place and falls for the heroine.
And that all happens here in Havel.
Moreover, if it’s a black brick building with a yellow sign…
I cautiously stepped outside and looked around.
“…It’s next door?”
God damn it.
I slapped my forehead with a loud smack and froze there for a long while.
I bit my lip while keeping my eyes closed, then lowered my hand with a sigh.
“Let’s just pretend we don’t know.”
For someone like me, an extra, ignorance was the best survival strategy.
I had already earned enough achievements like <Expelled from the Imperial Palace♡> and <Slapped by the Saintess♡> as an innkeeper. I didn’t need any more achievements.
If I started acting suspicious by trying to avoid things, I’d only trigger more flags. I didn’t want to be the heroine.
The heroine of this novel even seduced the illegal information guild.
With lines like:
“You’re different from other women…”
She caught the guild master’s interest and got free information from him.
Through him, she naturally connects with the Northern Duke and the Tower Master.
And all of them fall for her. OK, romance fantasy.
But if they wanted a “meeting spot♡”, they could’ve chosen a nice café in the capital. Why meet in a rural place like this?
…Still, this is romance fantasy. The more dramatic the meeting, the deeper the feelings.
But understanding it logically didn’t make my heart accept it.
“I’m going to die, I swear.”
Suppressing my rising anxiety, I stepped into the building—
Crash—!
“This it? The information guild!”
“…Ha.”
The life of a romance fantasy innkeeper.
It didn’t give me time to think about life.
