Chapter 17
“Then why did you tell me not to inform the officers?”
“Oh, they’ll just suffer for a bit and it’ll be fine. They aren’t the kind of people who overflow with divine power that they need to be pushed to operate at their limits.”
“Still, those who aren’t sick are more helpful to the force.”
“However, the sick soldiers can provide a good excuse.”
“Excuse me?”
“Were you planning to stay longer than scheduled without giving a reason?”
Ah, well, Mia had indeed suggested that she should stay longer in Glen. Etienne was willing to listen to her wishes.
However, as someone who merely had to issue a command, he couldn’t find a reason to make excuses about such matters. Anyway, it was better to have a justification.
Even knowing he shouldn’t ask, Etienne couldn’t suppress his curiosity.
“By the way, how did you know the wine was toxic?”
“I experimented.”
The immediate reply was astonishing. Who did he experiment on? It seemed too risky to find out just how far that knowledge went.
“Did you satisfy your curiosity?”
“Yeah, more or less…”
“Then let’s go. Change into something less conspicuous.”
Etienne nodded without further comment. Given the late hour, the number of establishments still open would be limited. Moreover, considering they had just talked about the wine, it was obvious what they were going to investigate.
“We’re going to run into Léonard on the way.”
“Okay.”
“And in situations like this, call me Eli.”
“Eli?”
“It’s my middle name. Originally, it’s Élise, but… Eli is a nickname. It sounds more romantic, doesn’t it?”
“Ah, understood. Then please call me Max.”
The quick exchange made it easier to communicate. After all, Etienne had always been perceptive since their previous life. Mia nodded readily. Ignoring the faint smile in Etienne’s voice, they continued.
***
Clink.
With the faint sound of a bell, the tavern door swung open. No one paid attention to the three people in shabby clothes as they entered.
A woman wearing a hood led the way and claimed a corner table.
Boldly, she ordered “the strongest thing in the house” from the owner who rushed to greet her, but she didn’t touch the strong drink at all, instead gazing out the window.
The two men sitting across from her seemed completely oblivious to why they were there. One of them appeared particularly disgruntled about sharing a table.
The atmosphere around them was lively.
The topics of conversation among the commoners in the tavern were similar everywhere, mostly gossip from the territory. Discussions revolved around job opportunities or where to find quick riches…
These were not subjects that the two young noblemen, already well-off, could easily relate to.
They sat quietly, staring blankly into space, listening to the buzzing conversations that surrounded them. Despite their attire being similar to those around them, the scene felt strangely out of place.
***
“No, I mean, why aren’t you accepting the money I’m offering!”
“I told you, we don’t take payment like that! Why can’t you understand?”
Crash.
The sound of breaking items mixed with the man’s shout drew the attention of others. Mia gazed at the source of the commotion. By their attire, it seemed the troublemaker was a soldier from Etalon.
“I told you not to draw attention… Tsk.”
A disgruntled murmur came from beside her. Mia turned her head toward the sound.
“Max.”
“Yes?”
“Do you have any silver coins?”
“…Why would I have those?”
“If you don’t, we might end up in that mess over there.”
Mia whispered softly. Only then did the commander, who had been slightly tipsy from a few sips of alcohol, seem to understand the implication of her question.
“Silver coins… Do you really use those?”
“I assumed you would know.”
“Oh.”
The excuse continued that gold and silver coins were mixed in the borderlands. Well, that wasn’t entirely incorrect; it just wasn’t true for Glen.
It was rare for someone like Etienne to make such a basic mistake. However, he was more fatigued than usual from the banquet, had many tasks to attend to, and had been suddenly pulled out by Mia, so he had no time to check what money he had in his pocket.
“Don’t you have any silver coins?”
“How could I carry that?”
In her previous life, she was also in a position where she couldn’t touch military assets. It would lead to a decline in discipline if a strategic officer, who wasn’t helpful in real combat, recklessly managed the budget.
It was a transparently absurd argument, but it was an imperial command, so she had no choice but to follow it.
Wasn’t it different now? Although she had become Etienne’s “lover,” her standing was still not better than it had been in her previous life, considering she had never devised any effective strategies.
Nevertheless, setting aside their lack of preparation, it was indeed strange. The borderlands, including Glen, had relatively recently been incorporated into Veridian territory, making it common to see a mix of Etalon currency.
Unless the tavern was operated by Veridian people, it definitely seemed excessive for soldiers to act so aggressively.
Mia sipped her drink while observing the chaos. Behind her impassive gaze, enormous calculations were taking place.
Thud.
The action was sudden. Mia kicked the leg of Léonard’s chair from under the table. It wasn’t a strong blow, but he visibly staggered. His reaction didn’t reflect his will, which made his actions seem oddly unnatural.
“W-what the hell!”
Léonard, drunk, shouted in surprise. As he raised his voice, the eyes that had been on the soldiers shifted to him.
As he flailed his arms and approached through the crowd, Léonard managed to regain his balance but soon threw a punch at the nearest man, only to fall to the ground.
In the drunken frenzy of the crowd, only two people noticed the faint red light that wrapped around his ankle.
“Your Excellency, it seems you also have a taste for the grotesque.”
Etienne whispered. It didn’t sound much like a reprimand, so Mia replied nonchalantly.
“It’s more about punishing troublesome soldiers.”
“I don’t recall seeing this method of punishment in military law.”
“Isn’t this level of discretion possible at the commander’s judgment?”
“Hmm… That’s true.”
A voice tinged with laughter responded. The commander was clearly pretending to be troubled.
Mia smiled back at him. However, her demeanor felt anything but playful, and her smile seemed rather ominous.
It wasn’t a trivial act of revenge. If anything, it might be the starting point of a grand plan. And from Mia’s next words, Etienne realized his guess was correct.
“You have a remarkable talent for attracting attention.”
“Excuse me?”
Left in confusion by the sudden compliment, Etienne looked at Mia as she continued.
“Soon, there will be a loud noise coming from the warehouse.”
“…?”
“Even though no one is heading that way.”
Etienne sighed inwardly. Even though it wasn’t particularly difficult, being put in this position made him feel like complaining.
“It seems you only assign the difficult tasks to me.”
“We each perform the roles we are best suited for.”
Leaving a somewhat rude remark for a superior, Mia disappeared behind the counter into the storage area.
Given Mia’s tone, as if this was some grand secret between them, Etienne had no way to refuse.
***
Strangely, a sound that shouldn’t have been made echoed, and the warehouse was darker than usual.
The anxious gaze of the tavern owner wandered briefly through the empty space, perhaps searching for the source of the unease or realizing that all the lamps had been extinguished.
In either case, it didn’t matter much. Before he could identify the problem, a voice as cold as ice came from behind him.
“Where is Shaten?”
Shaten, or the “originless wine,” was a drink exclusively distributed in this tavern.
In fact, there was something dubious about calling that beverage wine. Since the manufacturing process was unknown, there was no way to know if it was made in the same manner as regular wine. Those who distributed the drink, as well as those who sought it, never treated Shaten as actual alcohol.
Mia speculated that Shaten wasn’t a type of alcohol with some added ingredients, but rather poison in itself. It served as a convenient excuse for the powerful, masquerading as a drink. Having nearly become a victim of that poison, Mia had more than enough justification.
To waltz in boldly without an appointment, searching for something unknown even to the locals, one couldn’t see that as a benevolent visit.
The owner, his face pale, spoke to the woman.
“Who are you?”
“Don’t you recognize me?”
Mia boldly countered. As the tavern owner seemed about to scold her for not knowing, she quietly murmured,
“When the glory of the goddess shines brightly.”
—
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