Chapter 22 – The True Identity of Sly Fox (1/2)

Well, after coming from School I overslept and started TL’ing around late night. I’m changing the previous Part 1 of Chapter 22 to this new one. I’m posting the chapter till where I got it done and will post Part 2 in some hours. (Sigh need to stay awake in night for TL’ing. *depress*). This part alone is more than 4010 words. (My ranting not included)

Yo. My name is Durrendal and I will be joining the Maken team as an Editor. I really like summoning/reborn in a fantasy setting LN/WNs.

Th-this is my first time…so p-pl-please be gentle with me~( first time Editing, you kerplats)

Durr Out!

That was a self-intro by Durr, who didn’t get his screentime(?) before.-ET

Chapter 22 – The True Identity of Sly Fox

Some days after the day of big-serpent’s death,

We were invited to come to the building of the『Malras Association』.

As though, she took our circumstances into consideration, Okami-san, no I mean Noel-san, prepared a carriage for us.

Seeing it standing outside the inn, it seemed more flashy than anything, but all doubts about getting in, disappeared, when I found out that the carriage is fast and nobody would stop it.

Inside the carriage, I had free time, so I tried to talk to Elk about something that I suddenly remembered.

「Now that I think about it, I forgot to ask you」

「What?」

「Elk, why did you have the debt for? You are economist and won’t do something harsh as that, or so I heard from Tanya-chan」

I only asked her due to my curiousity, if she had doesn’t want to say, I won’t ask.

Then, Elk after hesitating a bit……

「……I will tell. It’s not something that needs to be kept as secret……」

I have already heard, Elk’s mom, was an adventurer in past.

Even though, she was only a normal adventurer, not like some legendary hero or something like that which only happens in Web Novels.

And her mom, was the so-called single mother.

Elk doesn’t know why she didn’t have her father.

[ET: Father got his energy sucked by Minato’s mom.(lol)]

[AK: that is a little too sneaky, isn’t it]

After giving birth to Elk, her mom retired from being an adventurer and raised her by being a staff member at the guild.

In the case of an somewhat famous adventurer changing jobs to Staff member of the Guild, then they can keep on getting the benefits of the Guild Card. Elk’s mom chose this route.

Like that, the mom and daughter lived a modest yet happy life.

However, some years ago, her mom left the world because of a disease.

Recovering from grief, Elk was using the knowledge and skills needed for adventurers and so decided to become an adventurer herself.

But, during the time she lived with her mom, there was a time when their livelihood was in danger, at that time her mom sold her favorite high-class equipment she used in her adventurer days, and somehow pulled through the dilemma.

Its name is『Crystal Dagger』. It’s an dagger, with its blade made of hard crystal.

Elk, found it some days ago in the shop.

It’s quality had fallen quite a bit, but its price was not that high too, even though, that price was something Elk, a rookie adventurer, can never get easily.

Even so, she wanted to get back the only memento of her mother, she desperately tried everything, like paying in installments or bargaining.

Her desperation was quite showing, and it attracted them to her.

After getting the memento of her mother she felt relief, but now she fell in a situation she would lose everything, not only the dagger.

Agitated, she took a loan, without even checking the contract, and successfully fell in the trap of the shopkeeper and the moneylender.

「Geez, saying it’s for mom and what not, even mom might be laughing at that」

While speaking in a masochistic tone, Elk takes out something from her bag.

In her hand, is the dagger which just came up in the talk before.

It’s haft and scabbard are of old metal, it gives out the complete feel of an old-fashioned thing.

Elk, while looking at it with distant eyes filled with nostalgia,

「I just wanted to get this dagger which mom used back in her younger days. It’s not like mom is going to come back or anything is going to change……I can’t explain it clearly. It’s result, this, isn’t it laughable」

「Hee~……」

「Right now, even the price upon this dagger seems suspicious to me. That shop seemed like it deals with stolen goods too. I’m really an idiot」

Told me that in a strange way.

……Err, Can I ask you to stop for a bit?

That dagger, kind of is piquing my interest.

「……Hey, Elk」

「? What, Minato?」

「Can you show me that? Especially the blade part」

「? I don’t really mind……but why?」

Elk gives me the dagger while having a『?』floating above her head.

After taking it, I took out the blade from scabbard.

The thing that appeared, is an opaque crystal blade with little shine.

Indeed, like this it’s not strange for it to be of low price.

At the very least, on its appearance, it won’t look something valuable.

……That’s why they didn’t knew it.

Neither the corrupt merchant, neither the shopkeeper and nor Elk.

They didn’t knew that it’s not only some normal crystal dagger.

「Elk, how much did you pay for it?」

「……I don’t want to recall, but 1 gold coin. Thinking on it now, it was a rip-off」

I see, 1 gold coin. So it means 1 million Japanese Yen.

「You did some good shopping there, Elk」

「……It’s the first time you said something sarcastic. But you don’t have the right to complain」

「No, I’m not being sarcastic. Or rather, was your mom, during her adventurer days, a really famous adventurer?」

「? What do you mean?」

I see, You don’t know about it.

You don’t know what this……crystal dagger is.

But, I know.

That this ain’t some damned normal dagger, it’s the『Magic Item』which mom told me about before.

Moreover……it’s one of the weapons that mom classified as『Rarely found in dungeons only』. It’s appearance and real matter don’t match up, it’s a fucking great thing.

The moment I thought to tell her, the carriage stopped with a shake.

A second later, a voice comes from outside.

「Thank you for coming. You’re Minato-sama and Elk-sama, right? I have been informed by Irene-sama already, please head this way」

Outside the carriage, a butler-like-middle-aged-man said as such while bowing.

Oh……I’ll tell her later, for the time being let’s get out.

☆☆☆

「Sorry for the wait. Thank you for coming here today, Elk-han and Minato-han please have fun」

Noel-san, came into the drawing room, bows, and sits on the sofa in the position as though she is interviewing us.

She is holding various documents for today’s agenda in her hands, which is the reason for our visit, the『Procedures』.

However, when I thought it will just end like this, at that exact moment, a person came inside from the door, that I was thought to be closed.

He is a man who has the atmosphere different from that of an merchant, wearing some sort of uniform-like clothes.

Although he is thin, but has solid body build and has a saber hanging from his waist.

His grizzled hair and moustache bringing out a dandyism feeling, a perfect match.

「You’re Elk Caucus-dono and Minato Quadrille-dono, right. I’m Lando, the secretary of the garrison headquarters in Volka. I’m the Vice-Captain’s Assistant」

He too, tried to sit on the sofa like Noel-san quickly, but only after introducing himself to us.

Hearing the words Garrison Headquarters -The lower branch of Army, something like Police in this world- , Elk got startled, but soon enough straighten her back and face Lando-san by herself.

The scene easily tells her resolution.

As though she confirmed it, Noel-san opens her mouth.

「Well, let’s get started. Lando-han, I leave the records and documents to you.」

☆☆☆

Briefly put, the reason Elk has come here today is to complete the detailed procedures so as to not have future troubles with the debt incurred due to those damned moneylenders and to tell everything she knows about the kidnappers.

As for former, it looks like she learnt from her mistakes. She read the documents prepared by Noel-san from top to bottom without leaving any word. Honestly, it took a lot of time.

But when we started our work after that, it got faster. Elk and Noel-san signed and stamped on many documents, and Noel-san put them in an envelope after checking them.

According to Elk, from hereon there won’t be any troubles related to this anymore. I see, though I didn’t understand a bit, but it looks like the procedures are all complete without any problems.

Next, the 2nd work, the information.

Lando-san, the so-called『Secretary』has come here to clearly record the information.

He keeps on writing Elk’s each and every word, without any mistakes.

After writing everything, he groaned for a bit『Erm』, but it ended up with nothing, just like what happened with Noel-san a few days ago.

Though they would use her testimony, but due to lack of evidence it ended up as being non-prosecuted.

It’s not decided right here and now, but it’s the most reasonable thing that might happen. Just like Noel-san said, due to their work being busy, they won’t cut up personnel and time for just『Attempted Crimes』.

The moment the conclusion was made, Lando-san left.

With this, finally, this time truly, this uproar is dealt with.

However, both me and Elk are waiting without going back.

It’s because the thing Noel-san said before『Some Personal Business』, I don’t even know the contents of it.

She isn’t showing any hostility, so it’s not like there is a trap or something dangerous, but it isn’t good to be not on guard.

After all, the time we first met……I was in my combat stance, with even more enhanced sensing abilities than normal, but let alone her approach, I couldn’t even sense her spectating us from far.

「Well then, now is the talk with Minato-han」

「Sigh. What might the business be? Isn’t that time our first meeting? If I’m called for something else, then I can’t seem to find anything.」

「Yeah, don’t worry, it’s nothing troublesome. Just, I have something to talk about and hand over something to you」

Saying that Noel-san puts her hand inside the sleeve of kimono, and moves as though she is searching something

And, the thing in her hand which came out some seconds after was,

「Yes, take it as a sign of friendship. Take it?」

(……Commuter Pass Case)

……something like that I know.

It’s something like the commuter case container that is used in automatic turnstiles of a station, or rather it is something that really looks like it.

It’s painted in black and silver, though it’s thin and small, but it looks sturdy and profound.

But, even so, I can’t come up for what am I going to use it in this world with no magnetic cards or automatic turnstiles ……Hm? Card?

「Is it something, you put the guild card inside?」

「Good Insight~. However, not any card can be put in it. This case itself has lot of special privileges, so you won’t have to take out the card at guild every time.」

「「Privileges?」」