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Chapter : 45
“Ha, 2.3 times… that’s a bit disappointing.”
Counting the money, Milena felt the disappointment grow. Kaisa let out a quiet laugh and lightly rested his hand on her head.
“If it weren’t for you, I would have accepted only half the price. Wherever you are, I have nothing to worry about.”
She glanced up at Kaisa. He really was smiling pleasantly. That was reassuring, at least. But that merchant would surely use Kaisa’s name to sell the land for even more.
‘A house where the Swordmaster lived… To become a Swordmaster, start from here?’
Such advertisements might appear. What she had gained was the value of Kaisa’s name, which made her want to push the price even higher.
“Well, if Kaisa says so… now, let’s go to the mercenary group. We need to secure a spot.”
Kaisa nodded.
It was a route they had taken daily before. Memories of walking to work together made her chest feel warm. Back then, everything seemed bleak. Now, those days had become memories.
The Red Rose Mercenary Group was in its usual spot.
Most of Siern’s mercenary offices were near the harbor, so many had been damaged by the Bardanos. The Red Rose seemed to have avoided the worst.
A large sign caught their eyes. Inside, rough-looking men were gathered around tables, and a familiar employee was at the counter.
“Milena! Well, well! Didn’t expect to see you again.”
The woman’s gaze shifted toward Kaisa. Being a mercenary, she was surely knowledgeable. Her eyes showed she already recognized him. Milena drew Kaisa a little closer.
“Well, you never know. Remember what we talked about before?”
“Hmm… the smuggling ship?”
Her voice lowered, almost secretive. She nodded. The woman scratched her chin in embarrassment, waved to another mercenary, handed over the counter, and stepped aside.
“Follow me. This isn’t the place to talk.”
Milena and Kaisa followed. Kaisa asked in Luikaronese:
“Is there a problem?”
“I don’t know. Previously, they were supposed to sell the spot, but we need to hear what she has to say first.”
Kaisa nodded. The woman led them to the innermost room and brought drinks from the cabinet.
“Drink up.”
She shrugged. It didn’t matter what they drank.
“So, what’s the matter?”
“There are two issues. First, the arrival of the smuggling ship is uncertain. Normally, news like this spreads quickly among mercenaries and pirates. The Bardanos have invaded the coastline, and rumors say there’s no guarantee the ship will come.”
What?
No, that can’t be. Kaisa is here. Kaisa will handle everything, right? Wherever Kaisa is, it’s safe. Bardanos? He could cut them down in one strike.
“So, it might not come at all?”
“That’s highly likely. But money talks, so who knows?”
“Are there no rumors that the Swordmaster is in Siern?”
“Those rumors exist. But there are crazy ones who follow the endlessly invading monsters south? They’d sell their souls for money.”
Milena swallowed hard.
“Ha. Then what’s the second problem?”
The woman’s gaze shifted to Kaisa.
“…There’s an imperial edict: anyone attempting to smuggle him out will be tried for treason. I don’t know which lunatic will risk their life to come.”
Milena’s body stiffened. Her blood ran cold. Damn it… they’re already moving that fast? She held her head in frustration.
She had expected that Kaisa would be targeted in Siern, but not that they would act this quickly.
No shred of conscience at all.
“So, no. No matter what, the spot can’t be sold.”
She let out a hollow laugh. It wasn’t hopeless. If they couldn’t go, they could force someone to come for them. It was the emperor’s international problem, not theirs.
“Alright. Then, can we send word back to Luikaron?”
“…I’ll manage somehow.”
She placed bills on the table.
Where should the message go? The Grand Duke’s house? Albertan? Or Roela?
Thinking of Albertan made her stomach churn. People who were both family and not family… she wondered if it might be better if she disappeared. After all, she was a product of injustice.
The Lorensia Grand Duke’s house was also an option. But even in the original story, they were entangled in politics. Depending on Giberta’s moves, the letter might never be delivered. So, Lorensia was excluded.
That left only one option.
“I want to contact a friend.”
“A friend?”
She nodded. If it was Roela, maybe she would come to save them. Perhaps even bring a huge ship to rescue them. Milena wrote the letter, packing in all her hope.
Kaisa lightly tapped Milena’s shoulder.
“Aren’t you hungry? Let’s get lunch.”
They had been spending time in the plaza, where people were busy repairing and reclaiming their lives. None of them suspected Siern’s destruction. Everyone was excited about the Swordmaster.
You could hear stories about Kaisa wherever you went.
“It’s already lunchtime.”
She looked up at the clock tower; it was just past noon.
Time had slipped by unnoticed. They needed to get closer to Luikaron little by little, but it felt like they were drifting further away. It wasn’t Kaisa’s fault, nor hers. The circumstances were simply pushing them.
The emperor of Siern was ruthless, but he too wanted to survive. He wanted to save the empire and its people.
Then what about Reivan? Just exemplary responsibility. Sigh, there wasn’t a single truly villainous person. Maybe not each other’s villain, but no one was truly evil.
Kaisa held out his hand.
“That place looked nice. You like seafood, right?”
“Yes, I do.”
She took his hand, standing up. He smiled at her, and all her worries seemed to vanish. Even leaving the mercenary group, Kaisa comforted her.
“Milena, when things don’t go your way, I’ll make the situation work. Trust me. Don’t just use me as a puppet; see what I can really do.”
Was this his way of comforting her? Despite not knowing the language, Kaisa squinted and smiled at her puzzled expression. What was he thinking?
They entered a restaurant, sitting by the window with a view of the harbor.
“It says they recommend the seafood risotto and grilled fish.”
“Then let’s order both.”
She nodded at his suggestion, called the waiter, and placed the order. Over lunch, they exchanged everyday conversation. Life might be exhausting, but they were alive, and hope of returning remained. Those who dream hope never tire. That was her.
She believed that once Roela received the message, a reply would come.
She thought, perhaps they should have done this from the start.
Maybe they had already known, subconsciously, about the Kraken attack in the Monster Sea. Zone 3—protected by Poseidon. The accident that day had been strange.
Step by step, she would understand it all. For now, delicious food improved her mood.
Seagulls flew outside. The sky was clear and blue. With Kaisa, she felt that somehow, everything would work out. They had come this far; what else could stop them?
