Ch. 160
Was it this alley?
Or that one?
I was just here earlier—why couldn’t I remember?
As I wandered in circles, Rai sighed heavily and nudged my back with his forehead.
[This way.]
“Oh, really?”
The alley he led me to was just next to the one where Lox had been beaten up earlier.
At the very end, a beggar was huddled on the ground. Though he was wrapped in rags, his body was suspiciously clean.
“Spare some change.”
When I stopped in front of him, the beggar bowed and held out a chipped bowl—but everything about him was off.
His hands were too pale, and on the inside of the bowl was the rat symbol of the information guild.
“Good work.”
I tossed a gold coin into the bowl. The beggar looked up, his eyes glinting from beneath the rags, revealing plump cheeks and sharp eyes—proof that his disguise was just that.
“Thank you. Were you satisfied with the service?”
“They didn’t even know who I was. ‘I’ was the one who ordered the job.”
It was supposed to be a rescue, not an escort mission! You take money, you do the job right!
Grumbling, I planted my hand on my hip and stood with my weight on one leg as the beggar scrambled upright, bowing deeply.
“My apologies, dear customer.”
“What kind of half-assed job was that?!”
“There must have been a communication issue. Our policy is to keep the employer’s identity anonymous… I must have been unclear in the instructions. I only told the boys to scare the guy a little…”
“And yet! I said ‘lightly’ but they beat him so hard his leg’s busted and his glasses are broken! What are you gonna do about it?! I feel bad for no reason now!”
Yes, I ‘did’ orchestrate the whole thing, but still!
“‘Lightly’ doesn’t sell the act. We’ve done this more than a few times, you know. Please understand—it’s not believable unless we go in a little hard. Still, you saw the dramatic payoff, didn’t you?”
“…That’s true.”
I tossed another gold coin into the bowl and stroked my chin.
If Lox ever found out about this, he’d probably try to kill me—but he couldn’t.
“Thank you for your continued patronage. If there’s ‘anything’ else—whatever it is—we’ll complete it flawlessly.”
“As long as I pay?”
“Absolutely. The Information Guild is built on trust and reliability. We also collect unpaid debts on the side. Oh, and we offer overnight line-waiting services for limited-edition sales.”
“Wow. That sounds pathetic.”
“We just mean we’ll do anything.”
Information guilds existed in every city. While they mainly dealt in secrets, they were perfect for odd jobs too.
As long as I had money, they were extremely useful to me.
And I’d have plenty of use for them going forward. I flipped another coin at him.
“What about the thing I asked you to look into?”
“That one will take time. The sister of the Blood Wing boss is infamous for being untraceable. She’s probably out stealing something right now… Did I mention she’s a famous thief?”
“Ugh.”
“Just give us a bit more time, and we’ll track her down.”
I pulled out another coin and waved it in front of the disguised guild member.
My pockets were bottomless.
“Someone else just came to mind.”
“We’re always happy to take more requests.”
“His name’s Kenta. He was a front-line member of the Shavel Mercenary Corps about ten years ago. Should be in his late 30s now. Hometown… I think it was called Nechatoru or something like that.”
“That’ll be an easy one. We’ll find him quickly.”
“I want to know where he lives, what he’s doing now, if he’s married—the more detail, the better.”
“I have a feeling you’ll be one of our regulars.”
Obviously.
I shrugged with a grin, like I was in a really good mood.
“You might want to treat me like a VIP.”
“For a big spender like you? Of course.”
“Oh, and one more thing—”
“Another request?”
“Not really. Just a warning: if I see a guild member tailing me again, I’ll kill them. Don’t send anyone. I know that’s part of your ‘operating style,’ but give up on trying to confirm who I am. You’ll just waste your people. Consider this your warning. If I spot anyone following me… I’ll kill them. All of them.”
Don’t underestimate me—just because I’m a ‘Water Spirit Mage.’
My lips smiled, but my eyes didn’t. The beggar flinched and sank back down like a wilted plant.
I’m a nice person—as long as no one pisses me off.
“Oh, and the guy who was tailing me in the plaza? I dumped him over the wall. You better go find him before he dies. Bye now!”
…Was there something else I meant to say?
I paused to think, then turned away feeling refreshed.
Now to the market—to buy some tea leaves for Master, perfume for Mia and Iruze…
And I’d better pick up some medicine for poor Lox, too.
This is what they mean by “give the poison, then the cure.”
—
At the crack of dawn, I sat up in my now-familiar bed at the inn.
Rubbing my eyes, I looked around to shake off the sleep.
One side of my bed faced the window, the other faced Rai’s bed and a divider covered with fabric, making it feel cramped.
But I’d gotten used to the view.
Still half-asleep, I changed clothes in the chilly morning air, then stepped past the divider to glance at the still-sleeping Lox and Chad—and the empty bed where Ash had slept.
Only I and Ash ever woke up this early. He was always up before me, that diligent guy.
Outside, I took a deep breath of cold morning air and stretched as I looked up at the dark indigo sky.
There were no stars, but it wasn’t pitch black anymore. Dawn was coming.
Before too much time passed, I headed for the small clearing near the inn where Ash might be.
[Master!]
Rai followed me like a shadow, just as he had from bed to the door.
There was a well along the way. I scooped up some icy water, took a sip, and washed my face. My hair got a bit wet, but not enough to call Undine for help.
The cold water against my cheek, chilled further by the breeze, felt surprisingly nice. I walked with a spring in my step.
Ash came into view. His sword sliced through the clearing, cutting through space itself and into my vision.
His swordsmanship was pure knight’s technique.
Form textbook-perfect, weight distribution flawless, his movements radiated quiet strength.
His blade wasn’t heavy or light, but it always stopped exactly where it needed to.
He didn’t have the vicious edge Rovenin did.
To me, Ash’s sword wasn’t meant to kill or win—it was strength forged to protect.
It felt foreign. How could someone fight like that? Completely opposite from how I thought.
Rai once said my Spirit Magic was strong because I think in simple, direct terms.
That I radiate killing intent and aggression so clearly that it makes it easier for spirits to read my commands.
Like a loud, unmistakable signal to attack. But… could a signal like that ‘be’ weak?
I crossed my arms and walked closer until I called out to him.
“Ash.”
But my voice came out too soft. I opened my mouth to call again, but before I could, Ash halted mid-swing like he’d heard me perfectly, and turned.
He lowered his sword and looked at me with calm eyes—hard to believe he’d been slashing just a second ago.
“Geenie.”
After a few days of nagging, he finally dropped the “Miss.” Though he was still halfway formal.
“Up early. Training already?”
“I don’t sleep much.”
“When do you finish?”
“Usually I go for another hour or two.”
“Not today. Come with me somewhere.”
I invited him abruptly, not even telling him where we were going, just smiling up at his sweat-dampened face.
Most people call that expression “sly.” But Ash simply nodded.
“…Alright.”
“You’re not even going to ask where?”
I liked that peaceful look on his face. Would he still look that composed without the enchanted necklace?
It made me want to reach out and touch him again.
Ugh, he even wears it while training. He never takes it off, even to sleep.
“I’ll find out once we get there, right?”
“It’s a good place.”
“Okay. Can I wash up first?”
“There’s a well over there.”
I led him to the well where I’d just washed. The early streets were still ours alone.
—
It was still dark when I led Ash through the city.
We were heading toward the eastern wall, where the fields stretched out.
That area wasn’t near any gates or monster routes, so there were no guards. Completely secluded.
When we reached the empty, forgotten stretch of wall, Ash looked around at the bleak surroundings, then glanced at me with a worried face.
“Don’t tell me… you brought me here to duel?”
“Duel?”
“If not, why else bring me here this early…”
“What the hell?! You think I’m Rovenin Fedri or something?!”
He really thought I was some battle maniac!
I nearly screamed in protest, but when I thought about it objectively… it ‘was’ a bit suspicious.
Coming all the way out to a remote city wall at dawn usually meant a duel… or a secret rendezvous.
“Then why ‘did’ we come here?”
“Okay, listen. I was scouting for mana training spots yesterday, right? But the festival’s made it impossible to find any quiet places.”
“True.”
“And while wandering around, I found somewhere amazing!”
“And…?”
“I wanted to show you!”
Something amazing… Ash glanced between the barren ground and scattered rocks, then looked at me with a face that said, ‘“Your taste is weird.”’
He didn’t say it out loud, though—just gave me a pitying look.
“Not here! Well, technically here, but not ‘this’ spot—’up there!’”
I pointed to the top of the wall, and Ash’s expression turned to total confusion.