Chapter 82: Loaded

Chapter 82 -082: Loaded

The events of the previous night still seemed strange to Kadre as she headed over to the little house where her newest contractor stayed. The weather on that late November morning was surprisingly, pleasantly warm, a fact the city’s residents clearly appreciated, judging from their loud discussions as they prepared their stalls and arranged their goods for another day.

Shutters rattled open along the street, and somewhere, a vendor was already arguing over the price of something.

Mikael was already outside, sitting on the stairs that led into the house. Time was a luxury he simply did not have; every single moment he spent without unlocking Ragnarok to convert his soul was another step towards his destruction. His expression didn’t change when he noticed her approaching.

“Finally decided?” There was still a tint of disappointment in his voice.

Her fantasies had settled, while the seriousness of the offer was slowly sinking in. She had struck a gold mine.

The promise of that much gold was enough to make her careful rather than greedy. She told herself to stay sharp and remember that nobody paid so much for a walk in the park.

“How dangerous is this job gonna be, Mikael? For you to offer this amount…”

“Unless we encounter Archsage ranks and above, or monsters of that level, it’ll be pretty much a walk in the park, as people say. You just need to help me search for what I desire. I’ll deal with whatever else comes up.” The look in his eyes was unbothered, but the truth in them was unmistakable.

Kadre sighed. “At the first sign of life-threatening danger, I’ll run out on you. That’s my own condition. No matter how much you’ve paid me.”

“I’m very certain it won’t come to that. Now, shall we depart? Where are these ‘rings’ sold?”

“Over at the nobles’ and merchants’ residences.”

“And how do we get there?”

“By walking, perhaps?” she replied, as sarcastically as she could manage.

Mikael looked at her for a moment, unsure whether the sarcasm needed a reply. He let it slide with a shrug.

“So there are no ‘carriages’ that ride up there?” Mikael asked. “That’s surprising.”

In his few months in this world, in what was arguably the biggest civilization of the human race, he had discovered that there was a means of travel that went everywhere, no matter where it was! Not to mention the recent developments in aircraft and trains that were being researched.

“There are carriages… But they cost a pretty—Oh!” The realization of just how loaded the lad, Mikael, actually was hit her again.

“Fine, let’s go get a carriage. One of those really expensive ones, with all the fancy breakfast and stuff. And you are paying, pretty boy.”

And with that, the dark-haired girl led him away.

—

“General Rodain, sir. We’ve finally located the white-haired lad. At least, we’ve obtained visual confirmation of someone matching the description!”

The reporting knight held out a comm ring. The image showed white hair, pale skin, and a lean body frame. The eyes in it were looking straight out, as though at the very same moment the image had been captured, the boy had noticed whoever had taken it.

The knight had read the descriptions again and again, and none of them had done the lad justice. Whoever had taken the image had been noticed, and the boy had looked into it as though daring them to come closer.

General Rodain could swear that kid was the one.

“Where is his current location?”

“Dry Swamp City, sir. Under Duke Antony’s domain.”

“Salem Territory. I believe General Erica is currently stationed there, is she not?” General Rodaine asked, setting the comm ring aside on the table.

“Yes, sir.”

The General thought for a while.

“I also believe Captain Behemoth is with her. Send word to General Erica that her Captain is needed. Once she accepts, prepare a separate letter for the Captain so he can depart immediately, rather than coming here to the capital and leaving again.”

“And if the General refuses? He is her right-hand knight, after all.”

“Tell her I’ll pay for whatever inconvenience arises from his absence. She’s a stubborn one, that Erica. Isn’t she?” He laughed warmly.

“No comment, sir. I’ll be off, then, sir.” The knight saluted, forming a fist over his heart. He picked up the ring and left.

A device to directly push through ranks with little to no effort and without any risks? At such a young age!? the knight mused as he left the General’s presence. Such brilliance comes once in ten generations! No wonder the emperor wants him.

—

The carriage they had rented was long, unusually so, and had cost a hundred gold coins! Just to travel from one part of the city to another!

Mikael had paid without so much as a glance at the number.

Despite the journey beginning on the uneven roads of the middle-class district, the tremors were barely noticeable, as the vehicle’s suspension was quite busy swallowing them all up.

The interior did not fail to meet expectations. Plush brown seats lined the spacious cabin, while polished oak panels trimmed with gold reflected the warm glow of the chandelier embedded in the ceiling. Thick, light brown curtains framed the windows, allowing passengers to enjoy the view while shielding them from curious eyes outside.

At the centre, a small, polished wooden table bore an assortment of chilled wine made from fresh fruits, apparently, along with fresh, warm pastries and well-done steaks that served as breakfast for the duo. They looked through the books, mini-maps, and today’s papers stacked on small shelves beside the seats.

There were two attendants, one female and one male, both with fluffy animal ears. They belonged to a species of humanoid that Mikael had never seen before, although the surprise never got the chance to show on his face before he suppressed it. These impeccably dressed attendants moved every few minutes, refilling glasses and serving another portion of steak to the rather ravenous Kadre, who did not seem to care what others might think of her eating habits.

Mikael watched the attendants move without a sound, their ears flicking at every clink of glass, and filed the sight away alongside everything else the world had shown him in these months.

Though the meals were served hot, the interior remained pleasantly cool and carried the scent of roses. The sound of the outside world was greatly muffled! At some point, Kadre found herself wishing she would never have to get off.

The outside slowly transformed from visibly noisy and bustling to calm and serene as they entered the district of the nobles and the wealthy. The roads were smooth, stable, and paved with marble, leading up to elegant mansions. Flowering trees lined them, filling the view with pleasant scenery, and even the air seemed cleaner here, scented by blossoms instead of the smoke and frying oil of the markets Kadre had grown up among.

Beside the trees, well-dressed individuals carrying parasols walked, unhurried and calm, seemingly without a care in the world, while knights in gleaming armour stood guard at the intersections! Compared to the city’s poorer quarters, this place felt more like a different kingdom than another neighbourhood!

The carriage pulled up at its station a little distance away from the entrance, and Kadre felt extremely reluctant to get off. Her saving grace was that they had been given a return ticket. She was brimming with smiles until they entered the district proper, where a frown slowly crept across her face and furrowed her brows.

They stuck out like sore thumbs, at least she did, dressed in a gloomy cloak. A great miscalculation.

Mikael was better off. He had always looked noble and attractive. And, well, he also contributed to her distress, as ladies stopped to admire him and cast him suggestive side glances barely minutes after their arrival. Not that Mikael seemed to care.

He walked as he always did, unhurried and upright, his gaze fixed on the buildings ahead, as though the stares were no more than weather.

“You are poorly dressed, Kadre,” he pointed out moments later as they continued walking.

“Wow, you’re just noticing that? Quite slow, aren’t we?” The venom in her words was unmistakable.

“Fine. Let’s get you changed before we get down to business. I suggest we get anything else we might need for our journey as well. Time is my enemy.”

He meant it more literally than she could know.

Kadre breathed a sigh of relief. Lucky her that her client was like this: not just wealthy, but generous too! Gullible, maybe.

She also started making a mental note of what they might need to get started on this adventure of a lifetime when Mikael led her into a rather grand boutique, where she was shocked by the prices of ordinary woollen clothes and fabrics!

She stared at a plain wool shirt with a number on its tag that could have fed her for a month, then at Mikael, who had not even blinked.

‘Friggin loaded.’

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