Chapter 32: The Tin Knight and The Mysterious Underground Labyrinth (1)
At the peak of noon, with the sun soaring overhead.
Eight carriages were moving in a line under the warm sunlight.
Inside the most luxurious carriage, designed purely for passenger transport unlike the other cargo wagons, a middle-aged man named Lorentz Halder was lost in thought.
It seems like just yesterday that I left my hometown with a single bundle, and now I am, riding a noble’s carriage, managing people. You never know how things will turn out in this world.
Lorentz was a merchant.
But not just any merchant, he was a veteran among veterans who had traversed the continent for over 20 years.
In this harsh world, the fact that he had survived for so long amidst ever-changing weather, treacherous natural environments, wild beasts and rare magic beasts, bandits who’d rather gut someone than work honestly, rural residents who viewed outsiders as potential thieves, and nobles who treated merchants like golden goblins, proved Lorentz’s tremendous ability and fortune.
While marveling at how far he had come, Lorentz couldn’t help but feel a tinge of bitterness at the same time.
Although the Halder Company he led was quite well-known in the southeastern part of the Empire, compared to giant conglomerates that sat at such lofty heights, his accomplishments seemed pale in comparison.
If he hadn’t started from nothing.
If he had had more initial capital and backing, couldn’t he have climbed higher?
Seeing the white hair that had started to grow stealthily, Lorentz couldn’t help but harbor such sentiments.
“Father. I heard this area was underdeveloped without a clear ruling power, yet the road is wider and sturdier than expected.”
Lorentz awoke from his reverie at the sound of his son’s voice from the opposite seat.
He smiled and replied, “It’s a road made by the kingdom long, long ago.”
“Which kingdom do you mean?”
“The Kingdom of Ionia.”
At Lorentz’s answer, his son’s expression subtly changed.
“...That backwater nation? No, how could a nation at the far eastern end make roads here in the first place?”
“Well. I’ve only heard rumors here and there, but they say the kingdom in its heyday was an even more powerful nation than the current Empire. They say this area was originally their territory too.”
“Hoh. To think such a prosperous nation has come to that state now.”
“That’s how the world works. When there’s a time to rise high, there’s also a time to fall. You should always be mindful of your footing too.”
“Yes. I’ll keep that in mind.”
Despite being at an age where parental nagging might be grating, his son nodded obediently without showing any particular displeasure. Lorentz felt a sense of pride swelling in a corner of his heart.
His intelligent and diligent son, Micks, was Lorentz’s pride.
For a merchant’s son, he might have been a bit too gentle and naive, but that too would improve with experience.
Yes, I started with nothing, but this child will be different.
Thinking this way, even the hardships of his younger days didn’t seem all bad.
After all, he could pass on to his son the wisdom gained from starting at the bottom—things that the wealthy, born into comfort, would never experience.
Accumulating as diverse experiences as possible from a young age would allow one to deal with unexpected situations without panicking later.
That’s right.
For example, unusual experiences like the girl running alongside the cargo wagon visible through that window right now—experiences such as thes...?
“Huh?”
Lorentz rubbed his eyes for a moment.
He hadn’t thought this health was failing, but it seemed he had developed presbyopia without realizing it.
When Lorentz opened his eyes again, he saw the same image—a girl running alongside a cargo wagon.
Moreover, perhaps because the distance had shortened compared to earlier, he could now discern even the finer details he had missed before.
For instance, the fact that the horses pulling that cargo wagon were galloping at a speed two to three times faster than normal cargo wagons, that they were running through bumpy and obstacle-filled plains while ignoring the smooth road, that a knight in full armor from head to toe was sitting in the coachman’s seat, that the girl running beside it had bright golden hair, and that she was even holding what appeared to be an iron sword in her hand.
...Huh? Huh huh?
Lorentz’s confusion deepened further.
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“Father, those people are coming this way?”
“Huh? Ah, um.”
Lorentz snapped back to his senses at his son Micks’ words.
Micks was right.
The mysterious wagon and the carriages of the Halder Company led by Lorentz were getting closer and closer.
An unidentified group approaching during a trade journey was inherently a risk factor.
Underestimating them because the other party only had one wagon would be the height of foolishness.
When Lorentz tugged a rope attached to the top of the carriage, a bell installed outside the carriage jingled.
Confirming this, the coachman seat sent some sort of signal to the back, and the company’s carriages all stopped at once, assuming defensive positions.
The captain of the company’s direct guard stepped forward and shouted, “Halt that wagon for a moment!”
And the wagon that had put the Halder Company on edge...
Whoosh!
...simply ignored them and continued straight ahead, disregarding the road as before. The girl running diligently beside it was a bonus.
“...”
A long silence hung in the air.
The face of the guard captain, who had been about to draw his sword dramatically, turned red, and the other guards who had been ready to spring out of the cargo wagons also wore blank expressions.
As bewilderment and awkwardness, or something in between, heavily pressed down on the air, at that moment.
“T-the wagon is coming back!”
The mysterious wagon, which had sped past them, suddenly made a U-turn and approached the Halder Company carriages again.
Fortunately, this time the wagon stopped without passing by, and the guard captain and the knight in plate armor made eye contact.
The guard captain involuntarily gulped at the extraordinary aura emanating from the knight, but the knight didn’t say a word.
Instead, he just slightly turned his head towards the panting girl.
“Haah, hah, yes? Huff, me? Huff.”
The girl, sweating profusely enough to make onlookers feel sorry for her, soon caught her breath a few times and cautiously stepped forward.
The entire guard’s gaze focused on the iron sword in the girl’s hand.
The girl was momentarily dazed, but soon seemed to realize the meaning and hurriedly sheathed the sword in embarrassment.
“I-I’m sorry! I was holding it unconsciously because I was training with it, um, I absolutely didn’t have any strange thoughts!”
Training?
That thing of running beside a moving wagon while holding a weapon?
Although the questions multiplied, at least it didn’t seem like they were about to attack right away.
The guard captain asked, “What is your purpose?”
“Pardon?”
The girl tilted her head.
The guard captain was also puzzled.
“Uh, that. Didn’t you tell us to stop? Sir Knight said he would pass by but then turned back because it seemed like you had some business with us?”
With an expression that was hard to describe, the guard captain clamped his mouth shut.
The girl, on the other hand, just blinked her eyes as if she didn’t understand the situation.
It was Lorentz, the company head, who broke the awkward standoff.
“Ahem, it seems there was a misunderstanding. We believed that you were charging towards our company and asked you to stop, but we didn’t actually have any business with you.”
“Ah.”
The girl nodded as if she finally understood the situation.
Her large violet eyes sparkled in the sunlight, making her a truly cute and bright sight.
Huh? Violet?
A fleeting sense of incongruity flashed through Lorentz’s mind for a moment.
It felt like he was on the verge of recalling something important.
“Then, we’ll be on our—ah, just a moment.”
The girl, who was about to say something, suddenly turned her gaze towards the knight.
While Lorentz and the others merely saw the knight silently standing, the girl nodded as if she had understood something.
“Um, excuse me, do you happen to know which way the Taros Labyrinth is? We know the general direction, but it would be better if we knew the exact location.”
Some of the company staff flinched.
This was because the Halder Company’s current trade destination was none other than the Taros Labyrinth.
The cargo wagons they were leading were packed with herbs useful for adventurers, spare weapons, lodging equipment, and the like.
Lorentz’s eyes narrowed, and he mentally noted the list of those who had just reacted.
While it could be excused for inexperienced newcomers, it was hard to tolerate seasoned veterans so easily revealing their intentions.
It was important not to give away even trivial information about one’s side when the identity and clear purpose of the other party were unknown.
“Oh, that’s great! We’re also headed that way. Care to join us?”
...Son, what are you saying?
Lorentz barely managed to suppress the words that nearly escaped his throat.
Lorentz saw it.
His son, who was trying to act nonchalantly in his own way, was unable to hide his flushed face.
The way he couldn’t look straight at the girl and kept shifting his gaze around, and the way he fidgeted—it was the behavior typical of a pubescent boy.
Unaware of the newly added preparations against honey traps curriculum in his successor training course, Micks earnestly invited the girl to join them.
“I heard this area has a lot of magic beasts and the public safety is poor. Many people fall victim to bandits too.”
“Is that so? It does sound dangerous.”
The girl’s words meant that it would be dangerous “for the bandits”, but Micks understood it as the girl agreeing with his words.
Micks said with a brighter face, “Yes, so it would be safer if you came with us!”
The gazes of the company staff became lukewarm.
How could they resist when an episode that could be used to tease the young master endlessly when he grew old enough to drink alcohol was being broadcast live before their very eyes?
The girl’s gaze turned towards the knight again.
The knight gave a silent nod, and the girl dashed to the cargo compartment of the wagon and hopped inside with a light jump.
There was a faint sound of voices, suggesting she was talking to someone inside the cargo compartment.
A moment later, when the girl emerged from the cargo compartment, her hands were full of what looked like bundles of dried herbs.
“Um, our head says it’s okay to go together, but she doesn’t want to slow down, so feed this to the horses. She said if you’re not going to feed it, let’s just pretend we never discussed this.”
Lorentz let out a hollow laugh.
Even though things had improved compared to ancient times due to technological advancements, horses were still valuable means of transportation and expensive assets in themselves.
To say they wouldn’t go together unless these suspicious herbs were fed to such horses was a proposal not even worth discussing.
To begin with, they were travelers moving with just one wagon. On the other hand, while they might not dominate the continent, this side was a company with a considerable reputation in the southeastern part of the Empire.
It was they who would benefit from traveling together, not this side.
One might think they could slaughter a bandit group attacking alone, or that they had gold bars piled up in their wagon. Such arrogance.
Perhaps feeling that it wouldn’t be right to decide this matter on his own, Micks stealthily glanced at Lorentz.
It was fortunate that he hadn’t completely lost his sense of judgment. If he had tried to accept even this, Lorentz would have had a hard time suppressing his anger, no matter how much he cherished his son.
Lorentz stepped forward.
Although he was thoroughly displeased by the other party’s attitude, the girl in front of him had only relayed the words of her companions, and his son seemed to feel goodwill towards her, so he intended to decline politely.
Lorentz looked down at the girl looking up at him with calm eyes.
Bright golden hair and violet eyes.
Indeed, she has a cute appearance enough to captivate my son—wait a moment.
Golden hair, violet eyes?
Lorentz’s body stiffened like a wooden block.
The suspicion that he had failed to recall once and passed over now struck his mind with full force.
“...Might I ask your name?”
The girl answered without showing any particular sign of hesitation, “I’m Adelaide von Lennart.”
A moment of silence fell.
Those who hadn’t grasped the situation were puzzled by the company head’s sudden change to formal speech, while those who had understood the situation turned pale just like Lorentz.
Lorentz’s gaze sharply turned towards the cargo compartment of the wagon.
Someone who would make a descendant of the Lion Duke run alongside a wagon like it was nothing, and even use her like a servant, must surely reside in there.
Lorentz spoke, feigning calmness, “Please give us the herbs. We will gratefully accept your kindness.”
Footnotes
1. ED Note: farsightedness caused by loss of elasticity of the lens of the eye, occurring typically in middle and old age.