I’ve heard that the demon army has been carelessly attacking human nations, and now the northern human nations and the demon army’s vanguard are stuck in a stalemate, unable to defeat or retreat from each other.
That means the soldiers and mercenaries here in this country include those who’ve already gone to the frontlines and fought, those who’ve returned from the frontlines after experiencing battle, and those who are gathering information to prepare thoroughly for the situation. The people I’m looking for this time are the ones preparing.
The taverns where such people gather are naturally in areas with poor security.
“Work hard, drink hard!” types of roughnecks gather in cheap taverns, but the one I’ve set my sights on is the Night Sky Tavern, run by a commercial guild that caters to mercenaries, with multiple stalls gathered together.
To put it simply, it’s like an outdoor food court with lots of stalls.
Let’s be careful not to get caught up in the smell of alcohol and cause a scene…
But they don’t just serve cheap, strong alcohol that could blind you, so it seems like a relatively decent crowd of mercenaries has gathered here.
Hehe… this looks pretty fun.
There are people making shady deals, and I can sense the presence of spies from other countries.
Oops, I accidentally pointed my finger at some suspicious-looking people, and they shivered.
But people whose souls are on the verge of falling aren’t very tasty. They’re fine for a light snack when I’m a bit hungry, but their souls are hollow and lack flavor… but let’s not get into food complaints.
The Night Sky Tavern is quite large, and judging by the stalls, the front ones are cheaper, while the ones further back are more expensive, so let’s head to the tent with a roof at the very back.
“Hey, miss, wait up.”
The moment I stepped into that area, a burly man at a nearby table called out to me.
Is this it?
“Kids shouldn’t be in places like this!” or “Go drink some milk!”—is that what this is?
This mix of malice, disdain, a hint of kindness, and a subtle undercurrent of guilt—is this that famous scene from stories?
I’m… being picked on! (Joy)
“Yes, what is it?”
With that expectation and hope in mind, I pulled back the hood hiding my face and turned around with a flower-like smile. The man’s mouth fell open, his face turned red, and he dropped the wooden mug he was holding.
“Um… you dropped that?”
“……Oh, uh, ah… sorry. It’s nothing, forget about it…”
“Ah, okay.”
Huh…? Why’d you back off? Come on, look at my face! I’m just a kid! Aren’t you supposed to say something when you see someone like me in a place like this?
Come on, say something, you guys next to him!
“Gwah!”
For some reason, the guy next to him, who had been staring with his mouth open, snorted his drink through his nose and started choking, while the woman next to him stared at me with teary eyes and chewed up a wooden fork she wasn’t even using.
Looking around, everyone at the tables near where I revealed my face seemed to be in a similar state.
What in the world is happening? I only came here to take a quick peek!
“Master, shall we pretend this never happened?”
Stop it! Both Noah and Nia have their hands on their swords—what are you planning to do?
What is this situation, and how am I supposed to handle it?! Just as I was thinking that, someone approached from the back.
“…What are you all doing?”
“Ah, sir…”
At those words, spoken with a hint of confusion, the first man turned around. There stood a man in his early thirties, dressed so impeccably that it was hard to believe he was a mercenary.
What a shame—he’s still so young!
“Excuse me. Are you with these people?”
“This is, well…”
As I smiled softly, embodying the demeanor of a young lady, the man’s eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly nodded as if he understood.
“I see… No, my apologies, miss. Indeed, these are my companions, and I must apologize for their rudeness. They’ve only ever admired nameless flowers by the roadside and were not ‘prepared’ to appreciate a gem like you.”
“My, my…”
What does he mean by “prepared”? Do you need to be mentally ready just to look at me for the first time? Even the old man who had a heart attack managed to recover just fine!
“You’re quite the charmer, aren’t you?”
I’m not sure if that’s a compliment.
“Then, miss, as a small token of apology, would you care to join me for a meal and some drinks in the back? I’m sure we can have an interesting conversation.”
“Thank you. I’ll accept your offer.”
I gently place my hand on the one he offers.
It seems I’ve hit the jackpot right from the start. From the very beginning, his attention was solely on me. Despite Noah and Nia, the older twins, being by my side, he had already decided that I was the one to negotiate with.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
“Allow me to introduce myself again. I’m Elmer, the leader of the Hawk-Eye Mercenary Group from Terthed. Is this your first time here, miss? We have a variety of things available, so please feel free to request anything you’d like.”
The back of the Night Sky Tavern was not only covered with a canopy but also had carpets laid out. It was likely used for secret meetings, as the seats were spaced apart and separated by curtains.
I was led to a relatively small table that could seat eight. As I took my seat, Elmer sat across from me, his smile prompting a faint smile in return.
“Could I have something light to eat and drink?”
“Then, I’ll have some pastries and warm drinks prepared. Did you come here for something other than a meal?”
“Yes. I’m here for a bit of shopping.”
“I see.”
Elmer, with a gentle smile, ordered pastries and what appeared to be tea from the waiter before turning back to me, his gaze slightly different from before.
“Then, would I be a suitable companion for your shopping?”
“Yes, please. You may call me Lucia.”
…This is it!
This is the kind of probing conversation I was looking for!
Elmer is quite impressive, though. His flawless actions and the fact that he’s the leader of a mercenary group at such a young age suggest he might have been a second or third son of a high-ranking noble, forced to hone his skills in a challenging environment.
Young and composed. You wouldn’t get this kind of refinement from someone who just climbed the ranks.
Elmer seems to fully understand that I’m a noble lady here to buy information.
Just then, the waiter brought over some baked goods and a clear, dark tea.
“This tea is a local specialty, known for its smooth taste, which is popular among women. It’s becoming harder to obtain as the war drags on…”
First, a light jab from Elmer.
I see… Whether he’s trying to gauge my trustworthiness or assumes I’ll be a valuable client, he’s not raising the price for each piece of information but rather testing how much I’m willing to pay for his insights.
“It must be difficult to obtain local specialties when the conflict with the demons drags on. How is the situation here?”
“A stalemate, if we’re being polite, but according to an old mercenary group I know, it’s more like a war of attrition with small demon forces appearing sporadically.”
“My, my…”
That’s tough. I recall…
“The demon army’s scouts made a move, which led to the invasion being discovered early, right?”
“Yes. Honestly, if the main demon army had launched a surprise attack, some of the northern nations might have fallen. After that, part of the demon army suddenly vanished… There are rumors about it, and some suspect there’s a plot behind it.”
Well, it’s unlikely that part of the demon army just disappeared by coincidence.
But if that’s the case, it seems safe to leave Vio and the knight escorts in this country for now. If it becomes too dangerous, I’ll have to consider sending them back first.
“By the way, Lucia, have you heard about the ‘Hero’?”
…Huh? Just as I was feeling relieved after hearing the minimum of what I wanted to know, Elmer suddenly dropped a bombshell.
“Are you referring to the one who visited this country?”
“No, not the ‘Esteemed Hero of the Holy Kingdom’ who stopped by this country. I’m talking about the self-proclaimed ‘Hero’s party’ that appeared here before.”
Elmer, who had referred to Noel with the honorific “Esteemed,” brought up the topic with a wry smile.
“Could you elaborate?”
“According to the rumors, it was a party of five: a self-proclaimed hero, an elf who used holy magic, a female warrior, and two female mages. They caused quite a bit of trouble before heading off to the demon lands to defeat the Demon Lord.”
…That’s my sisters.
Wait, what? Why didn’t they return to the Sigres Kingdom? When I last saw them at Duke Capel’s place, they had disappeared without a trace. I instinctively knew their souls hadn’t returned to the cycle of reincarnation, so I reported to Father that they were fine. But why would they willingly head into such danger?
And what’s this about causing trouble? What did they do this time, sisters?!
TLNOTE:
Hopefully the English publisher won’t ask me to stop translating this series!
Otherwise check the internet archive
Also check out my friend Localizermeerkat for more LN translations!
BUY THE SOURCE MATERIAL TO SUPPORT THE AUTHOR !!!
Kindly click on the green button above and contribute to filling the green bar if you’re interested in having another LN from the request page translated. Also, every donation is being used to purchase the source material and to fund more English translations.
Please consider joining my Ko-Fi membership. By becoming a member, you’ll also gain access to 2-10 additional chapters of all of the novels from this site translated into English. Last but not least your support will also assist me in upholding the translation quality and speed. For more information, please follow the link.
Donation for faster release is always welcome
Additionally, I am now accepting translation requests.
