Episode 361

I looked at Ludwig in bewilderment for a moment. Was he lying, or was he joking? He wasn't the type to speak carelessly about something like this, especially now. He wasn't lacking awareness, so I was at a loss for words.

He grew more serious and asked, his expression tinged with confusion, "What did Father say?"

"He said that I look like his brother."

"Did he really say that?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Maybe he wasn't talking about a relative. It could be an older acquaintance, not a blood relative," he reasoned.

At that, I recalled the Iron-Blooded Lord's exact words.

"You really don't look like me. You look a lot more like Brother than me."

"I don't think so. The flow of the conversation itself didn't feel like that."

There was talk about resemblance, so it was highly likely that it was actually his older brother.

Ludwig frowned, his confusion deepening, as if the mystery had only deepened. After a moment, he raised his hands in surrender. "Let's stop. There's no point in speculating like this. The possibilities are too broad. If we guess wrong, we may end up completely off track."

I nodded.

He added, "If you are really curious, we can ask Father again when he arrives."

"Alright."

We both nodded and decided to camp here.

As Ludwig unrolled his sleeping bag, he suddenly paused. "Now that I think about it, is it really safe to camp this close to Sandstorm Hill? Sandworms are known to lurk here."

"This ground here is rocky, so it's fine. Sandworms avoid places like this," I replied.

"Ah, that makes sense. They are burrowers." Ludwig was convinced, then he looked at me again with a hint of skepticism. "By the way, how do you know this?"

"I read it in a book."

"Is that so?" Though he still sounded doubtful, Ludwig spread out his sleeping bag and lit a fire. We cooked the remaining dried jerky over the flames.

After a simple meal, we sat on a rock and stared up at the sky. Strangely, I couldn't sleep, so I spent a while watching the stars. I traced the night sky as thoughts of the future filled my mind.

The peaceful time slipped by before I realized it.

At some point, I felt as if the world had accelerated. The darkness receded toward one corner of the sky, while a stream of violet light emerged from the opposite side.

Dawn had arrived.

By then, Delac still hadn't returned.

***

In this barren land, the southern city of Airuga was the only place prosperous enough to qualify as a true commercial district. For most southerners, it was the first place that came to mind when they thought of a major city. As a key transportation hub, it served as a central point from which one could reach nearly anywhere in the south with relative ease, including my destination, the Rahild Labor Camp.

In the end, Ludwig and I arrived without finding Delac. We had searched around Sandstorm Hill for a day or two but found nothing. After all, if he had truly set his mind on hiding, few people could hope to track him down.

If there are no traces then it means nothing has happened.

If by some chance something had occurred, such as a fight with an unknown opponent that left him seriously injured, there would have been traces scattered throughout the area. In other words, he had voluntarily broken away from our group.

I didn't know his intentions, so I was a bit frustrated. He wasn't the type to fall into danger on his own, so we had no choice but to follow our original plan. Thus, Ludwig and I reached Airuga after five days.

Airuga was the city where I had spent most of my time before my regression. It was large, and prices were extremely high, but compared to other places in the south, it felt like a place where people actually lived. It maintained a basic economy and a minimum level of public security. The fact that it was the only place in the south with a branch of the De Marlin Refreshments store said enough.

Of course, before my regression, I lacked both the means and skills to stay in such a large city. The Luan Badniker of the past had been mostly penniless here.

The newly disguised Ludwig whistled at the sight of Airuga and remarked, "Is this Airuga? It is more prosperous than I thought."

At present, Ludwig was disguised as Sir James, a member of the Iron-Blooded Knights under the Badnikers. This temporary identity had been arranged to send Luzard, who had defied the Iron-Blooded Lord's will, to the labor camp.

Delac's sudden departure made the situation unavoidable, but Ludwig seemed rather disappointed that he could no longer play the role of Abel. I didn't understand why, but if it was his preference, then I would respect it.

Hmm...I wonder if it still exists today. I recalled the inn where I had stayed before my regression and naturally took the lead.

Because of the city's scale, it took some time to reach it. Along the way, I looked at the southern streets, which were somewhat different from what I remembered.

Despite its size, the roads weren't properly paved. Humans, dwarves, and various other races walked along the yellowish streets. Although those races were common, I occasionally saw beastfolk, giants, and even fairies. Most shared the same traits: scars, grim expressions, and a heavy, burdened gait.

They looked ridiculous, but that couldn't be helped. Mercenary groups made their living with their name and reputation. They couldn't show weakness, even in minor quarrels, especially before those in the same trade. Therefore, the southern streets were often filled with petty arguments and fights.

"You brat, this is it for you today."

"Who are you saying that to, you bastard!"

A dwarf and a fairy were trading blows in the middle of the street. Onlookers whistled as they watched, and some even placed bets on the outcome.

The moment I placed a silent wager on the dwarf, a guard who looked to be part of the city's security forces approached. His uniform hung loosely on him, and he yawned when he noticed the fight. Without a second glance, he simply walked past.

Nothing has changed. This was normal in the south. Unless someone drew a weapon, most disturbances were ignored. It was understandable. The city had long since outgrown any realistic level of control. Any attempt to forcibly rein in hot-tempered mercenaries could easily escalate into something worse.

Bam!

"Cough!"

Meanwhile, the dwarf won. He grinned fiercely while spitting out blood. "Hah! You weakling!"

A few nearby observers nodded and jotted notes. They were brokers, the ones who assessed mercenary groups and recommended suitable options to clients. At first glance, they resembled petty middlemen skimming fees, but their work was far from simple. Information in the mercenary industry shifted constantly.

It wasn't unusual for a mercenary group with an excellent reputation one night to be wiped out the next day. Even these trivial quarrels that took place on the streets served as a way to gauge a mercenary group's strength.

"Move aside, you bugs!"

"You bastard. What are you staring at? Do you want me to pluck out your eyes?"

They strode down the wide street as if it were their private hall.

A faint thrill stirred in me. Those well-built mercenaries wore equipment far more luxurious than most, and each set of armor bore the emblem of one eye. They belonged to Cyclops, the most famous and powerful mercenary group in the south.

They stopped directly in front of me. They advanced in a loose formation that closed off the street, so a collision was unavoidable.

"What are you?"

"Look at this guy. It is a strange-looking lizard."

"Yes. I've never seen black scales before."

"Kukuk. Should we catch him and sell him to a circus? I bet he would fetch a good price."

The mercenaries laughed as they traded crude remarks. Despite their tone, their eyes remained cold as they scanned me, trying to determine to which mercenary group I belonged.

Of course, I had no mercenary emblem. Luzard's official status was that of a free mercenary.

The moment the Cyclops mercenaries realized this, sarcasm flashed across their faces.

"What are you looking at?"

I didn't speak.

"Don't glare at me. Get lost, monster."

Naturally, monster was a derogatory term for the lesser races. The Cyclops mercenaries claimed to uphold bloodline purity, so they were particularly hostile toward them.

"Apologies." I nodded politely and stepped aside.

One mercenary snorted and slammed his shoulder into mine as he passed.

I nearly lost my temper. You should consider yourself lucky. If it were Luan, he would've caused a scene here. However, Luzard, the lone lizardman, possesses a heart as vast as the ocean and doesn't get caught up in petty arguments.

In any case, we reached our destination without any further incidents. For me, this inn held many memories. It was where I had my last glass of wine.

I opened the door and stepped inside. The interior was so quiet that the noisy southern streets felt like a different world. Like most southern inns, it also functioned as a tavern, so the first floor wasn't empty. However, most of the patrons were drinking in silence.

It made sense. Most of the patrons weren't the type to tolerate commotion.

A few glanced at me as I entered, but their attention quickly faded.

I nodded. "This place..."

Those who had looked my way were orcs, lizardmen, and goblins. In other words, they were all from lesser races. That was not unusual. This inn was known to attract them.

The man behind the counter, the owner of this tavern, didn't quite fit this setting. His refined appearance could easily pass for nobility if not for his clothes, and he hadn't changed much from what I remembered.

I smiled and looked at the owner, Bacchus.

"What would you like?" Bacchus asked curtly while wiping his glass.

"Anything will do. It just needs to be mainly meat. We also need a room."

"How long will you stay?" he asked.

"Just one day."

"Then three silver coins."

The cost for a one-night stay with a meal was ridiculously high, but it was relatively reasonable by Airuga's standards.

I looked at Ludwig, and he took out the money and handed it over.

"Can we have the meals in our room?" I asked.

"It's not an issue, but you'll have to carry the food yourself."

I nodded at Bacchus' reply.

After waiting for a while for the food, we carried it up to the second floor.

The room contained only a hard stone bed and a shabby table. There were no chairs. One of us would have to sleep on the floor, but it didn't matter. Perhaps because lizardmen had tails, sleeping on the floor felt more comfortable than using a bed.

Only after the door closed did Ludwig speak. "What a strange place. There are only members of lesser races here, yet the owner is human. He's quite handsome, but his tone is rude, and he looks pretty strong. What kind of person is he?"

"I don't know either. Still, he must be extraordinary," I said. "The fact that he let me in suggests he doesn't limit his business to lesser races."

The assessment was accurate. In the past, I had stayed at this inn for a long time because of its relatively low prices. Bacchus had taken good care of me despite pretending otherwise. Even when I couldn't pay for the room for a day or two, he would wait. If a mission went poorly and left me starving, he would bring me leftover food.

At the time, I still clung to my stubborn pride and often insulted Bacchus. However, he never seemed particularly upset by my immature behavior. In short, Bacchus could be called my benefactor. I was greatly indebted to him before my regression.

Something feels off about him. Seeing Bacchus now, through eyes so different from those of the loser Luan of my past, stirred an odd sensation. Beyond the unusual traits Ludwig had mentioned, something didn't quite align.

Is it incongruity, or something closer to déjà vu? The feeling remained vague, and I couldn't be certain. It was entirely possible that I was mistaken.

Ludwig finished his meal and spoke again. "I will take a look around the labor camp for a while. What are you going to do?"

"I'll stay here for a while."

"Okay. I'll be back before sunset," Ludwig said and left.

I went down to the first floor, ordered a few drinks and snacks, and ate alone, savoring a rare moment of nostalgia.

The tavern air was thick with smoke and humidity. I sampled a steamed scorpion dish I once never imagined eating and kept an eye on the mercenaries passing by the window.

At one point, I overheard a lizardman murmur after noticing me, "Is he one of us...?"

"No. Look at the markings on his face. He is an exile."

"I see."

This was also my intention. To avoid getting entangled with the lizardmen and being exposed, I bore the markings of an exile that they shunned.

After that modest but satisfying time, Ludwig returned.

I took a sip of my remaining beer and asked, "Did it work out?"

"Shall we go up for now?" His expression seemed slightly stiff. Still, knowing Ludwig, who was adept at hiding his feelings, this could not mean anything.

Before long, we returned to the room.

Ludwig spoke only after drawing the curtains, checking the adjacent room, and surveying the area above and below. "I knew the south was corrupt, but this is beyond anything I imagined."

"What do you mean?"

"I need a bribe to contact the labor camp manager."

I blinked in surprise. "A bribe?"

"Yes."

"What kind of bribe?" I asked.

"I don't know the details. From what I heard, I don't see Rahild as a labor camp for prisoners and debtors. Rather..." Ludwig paused. "It's more like an arena that only vetted individuals can enter? Or a place full of gold? Something along those lines."

He paused again. "I'm not sure, so let's wait for now."

"Wait for who?"

"The intelligence guild. Their information is accurate and, above all, fast. The drawback is that they're difficult to contact and expensive," Ludwig replied.

"So you must've spent quite a bit of money," I remarked.

Ludwig shook his head. "I expected that, but not this time. They treated me fairly well once they realized I belonged to the Badnikers' Iron-Blooded Knights. They said they had a few questions for me."

"Questions?" I echoed.

"This is the interesting part. They seemed curious about Luan Badniker."

I blinked and almost asked on reflex, "Me?"

Ludwig chuckled. "Why are you surprised? Information about Golden Fairy Luan is currently very valuable. After all, you're one of the empire's most prominent young heroes, and there are even rumors that you're the de facto heir of the Badnikers. That is mouthwatering for the intelligence guild."

"I see." It was hard to accept, but I didn't want to dwell on it, so I just nodded. Then I looked at Ludwig and asked, "Waiting? Are they coming here?"

"That's right. They said they would be here soon after sorting it out—"

At this moment, a perfectly timed knock sounded on the door.

"Come in."

The door opened at Ludwig's permission. Soon, a figure wearing a mask and a robe that covered their entire body appeared.

Wow. It was exactly how I imagined a member of an information guild would look.

"Are you Sir James?"

Unexpectedly, this voice was familiar.

Ludwig nodded. "Yes."

"I've brought the information you requested."

"It's good that you're fast." Ludwig nodded with satisfaction, but that strange feeling returned.

I squinted slightly as I scrutinized the guild member and asked, "What is your name?"

The guild member glanced at Ludwig, then fixed their gaze on me. "I should have introduced myself sooner. I am Shi-Hyeon, the master of the information guild, Bastard."