"It's an honor to meet you, Count."
"Rejected. You know why I don't want to be called that here."
"What should I call you then?"
"...Shadow, call me that."
The lord of the merchant nation of Marcade, who introduced himself as such, looked at Lizel and Gil with a piercing gaze.
They had been brought to a dimly lit restaurant, a cave-like establishment that was not the kind of upscale restaurant a count would frequent.
Shadow, dressed in ordinary merchant clothes, blended seamlessly into the surroundings.
The way he drank wine before the meal that had been served made him look like a high-ranking merchant, and he showed no intention of claiming to be a lord.
He was probably around the same age as Ray. He had dark hair that seemed to absorb light, the complete opposite of Ray's, and deep, dark circles under his sharp, red eyes.
His face wasn't exactly pleasant, but his features were strikingly beautiful.
His face possessed a certain charm unique to his age; if Ray was a cheerful, handsome man who made a good impression on both men and women, Shadow's cold beauty would captivate the gaze of women of all ages.
"Do handsome people attract other handsome people?" Lizel thought to himself, recalling his former student.
"Is that Gil, 'The Single-Stroke'?"
His sharp gaze remained unchanged as he turned to Gil, who was sitting next to Lizel.
Gil simply narrowed his eyes in response and also took a sip of wine.
His already intimidating face became even more fearsome, but Shadow didn't flinch in the slightest.
"I heard you formed a party, but it seems your personality hasn't softened."
"Impressive, your information is quick."
"Rejected. I don't need compliments."
"He's quite a difficult person," Lizel thought with a wry smile, reaching for the food in front of him with his fork. The beautifully presented pasta indicated that this establishment was more than just an ordinary restaurant.
When twirled around a fork and brought to the mouth, the pasta offered an impressive combination of aromatic herbs and a moderately spicy sauce.
It seemed to be a restaurant that offered excellent food, albeit at a slightly higher price.
I had heard that he even handled the permits for the restaurant locations himself, so I expected this, but he truly seemed to have a grasp of the geography of this country, Marcade, and even the specific locations of the restaurants.
The fact that he came straight here without hesitation after being dragged along by Lizel was proof of that.
This was the best possible location for Shadow and Lizel, given their current appearance. Despite his annoyed expression, he seemed to genuinely feel apologetic.
"Gil, this meunière is delicious. Make it for me sometime."
"Impossible. Hey, another bottle of this!"
Seeing this, Lizel began to happily devour the dishes placed before him.
Gil, sensing this, was busy ordering more drinks. No matter how much money they had, being treated to a meal by someone else was always a welcome treat.
Even though they were receiving murderous glares from the nobleman across the table, the two didn't seem to care.
"...Get to the point quickly. What's the main topic?"
"This could be the main topic, you know."
"Rejected."
Laughing at Shadow's heavily furrowed brow, Lizel handed him a letter.
Shadow didn't take it, instead glaring at the envelope and looking at Lizel as if to ask what it was.
With a slow smile, he turned the letter over, revealing the red wax seal. Shadow's eyebrows furrowed at the sight of the sealed envelope, but he finally took it.
"How did you manage to get in with him?"
"I accepted a request to deliver a labyrinth artifact, and when I delivered it, I wrapped it perfectly, and he seemed to be quite pleased."
"That guy is a real idiot..."
Shadow subtly raised an eyebrow at Lizel, who didn't deny the implication of "getting in with him" in the slightest.
Shadow and Ray were old acquaintances (though Shadow would vehemently deny it). He knew that Ray was hiding his name and giving out requests for labyrinth artifacts to adventurers, and he also knew that Ray wasn't foolish enough to easily let just anyone who tried to curry favor get close to him.
Why wouldn't Lizel deny it, given that Ray had given him a letter and allowed him to make contact?
One possibility was that Lizel had cleverly concealed his intention to curry favor from Ray.
Ray, despite his personality, was a man who survived in the aristocratic society of the capital city; he had a keen nose for falsehoods and malice.
If Lizel could deceive him, he must be exceptionally skilled at playing mind games.
Another possibility was that Ray had noticed Lizel's intention to curry favor but tolerated it. Perhaps he judged that Lizel was a valuable asset worth bringing in, even knowing his intentions.
In either case, the common point was that Lizel was "absolutely exceptional."
"(So the letter's contents mean I should bring him in too... Honestly, what a nuisance.)"
"Hey, is that wine for sale? I'll take a bottle."
"Isn't that a pretty good one? Oh, and I'll have one of those marinades, please."
"It's fine, it's on me anyway."
Shadow involuntarily tightened his grip on the envelope.
All he knew about the rumored "Single-Stroke" and Lizel in front of him was that they were both incredibly brazen.
Shadow glanced at the wine Gil had ordered. The clearly vintage wine would cost tens of gold coins if opened. Even though he was almost killed, he ultimately handled the situation without any real danger, so the honest truth is that he should show some restraint.
He clicked his tongue in annoyance, took out the letter, and unfolded it.
"Don't make an enemy of him."
Only one sentence was written.
Usually, the letter would be filled with boasts about labyrinth artifacts, followed by the main topic, but this time, only that one sentence was written in the middle of the letter.
The handwriting was definitely Ray's. It was precisely because he was so certain that Shadow couldn't believe it.
Not to bring him in, but simply not to make an enemy of him.
Does that mean it's dangerous to bring him inside, or is the opponent so powerful that even that is impossible?
From the information Shadow had gathered, Lizel was an adventurer. Certainly, his appearance and demeanor were full of elegance, which is why he was mistaken for a noble and attacked.
However, Lizel was definitely not a noble from any country, and his only status was that of an E-rank adventurer.
If he were a noble from some country, Ray would have dealt with him long ago.
"What's wrong?"
"How did you know I was the lord?"
Unable to reveal the contents of the letter, Shadow quietly put it back in the envelope and asked the question he had intended to ask anyway. Only his closest retainers knew that Shadow was the lord.
This was to suppress the influence that had grown too large since the time of his great-great-grandfather, and to prevent troublesome matters related to business and money from being concealed.
"One reason is your appearance; there's a book that mentions your great-great-grandfather."
Lizel took out a book.
The book, titled "The Rise of Marcade," detailed the great achievements of his great-great-grandfather and how Marcade became a country. The book written by one of the people who actually witnessed the event is probably exaggerated, but it should be based on fact.
"'He appeared with lustrous jet-black hair and eyes like fresh blood, and a strikingly handsome face, transforming the business transaction into a completely different space—'"
"That's enough."
Gil stopped Lizel, who was trying to quote a passage without even opening the book.
He knew that if he didn't stop him, he would continue talking until he finished, and then even delve into a critique of the book.
Incidentally, Gil always escapes the moment he tries to engage in such a discussion, so Lizel is always starved for conversation.
Looking sideways at Gil, who was silently consuming his drink at an unchanging pace, Lizel reluctantly put the book away.
"Rejected. Knowing only his appearance won't help you find me."
"It's still a significant clue."
Shadow's words were correct. There aren't many people with black hair and red eyes, but they aren't nonexistent.
It's unknown how many people have read "The Rise of Marcade," but it's unlikely that none of those readers have ever crossed paths with Shadow.
Despite receiving a stern, questioning gaze, Lizel's smile remained unchanged.
"Another thing is probably the situation, isn't it?"
"The situation?"
"The commotion earlier. At first, you were watching from a distance, but the moment it became clear that I was mistaken for the lord, you came forward, didn't you?"
Lizel explained that he had kept an eye on several people whose appearances matched, thinking that the lord might show his face during a disturbance in his territory. Gil was utterly astonished.
Who would be looking for the lord in a situation where they were almost killed?
Because Gil was used to it, he only felt astonishment, but Shadow looked at Lizel with a hint of wariness. Shadow, who happened to be nearby, was observing the situation from a distance to understand the cause of the commotion.
Although he couldn't hear the conversation from his vantage point away from the center of the disturbance, he learned from the surrounding gossip that a man was acting erratically, seeking revenge on the lord, and approached to investigate.
At that time, he confirmed that Lizel had firmly denied being the lord, ruling out the possibility of someone impersonating him, and understood that it was a complete misunderstanding on the man's part.
Of course, he also saw Lizel rallying the people around him, provoking the man, and drawing the man's attention to himself, taking the brunt of the attack.
He felt sorry for Lizel at the time, thinking he was being reckless despite trying to resolve the situation quickly.
"You were the only one looking at me, not the one causing the commotion,"
Shadow clicked his tongue sharply at the smiling remark.
Indeed, he had no intention of listening to the man's nonsensical claims, and was more concerned about Lizel, who was being harassed.
Lizel, with his aristocratic demeanor, was completely unfamiliar to Shadow, who hadn't received any notice of his visit, and his composure despite being harassed was unusual.
Now that he knew Lizel was an adventurer (though he didn't look like one), he understood that Lizel was confident in his abilities, and with "Single-Stroke" by his side, there was no need to worry, but at the time, he never imagined that Lizel was the rumored eccentric adventurer.
"And then you observed my reactions during the conversation?"
"Rejected. I don't recall making any obvious reactions."
"I'm good at noticing those things. You even came forward because you were worried about me, right?"
"Rejected. Don't make assumptions."
The lord wouldn't deliberately approach danger just because the topic of conversation involved him.
Rather, it would have been quicker for the lord to call the military police immediately, yet Shadow approached the center of the commotion. That's why Lizel was quite confident, but since the person in question denied it, he kept his mouth shut.
"All I had to do was talk to you and confirm it."
"Rejected. I didn't say anything."
"Don't nobles have a unique aura about them?"
An adventurer wouldn't know about that unique aura.
Shadow was starting to feel frustrated by Lizel, who wouldn't reveal his true intentions at all.
It went without saying that Lizel's true identity was unknown, and come to think of it, he didn't even know Lizel's purpose for approaching him.
He had judged that Lizel wasn't just some man trying to easily ingratiate himself, which made it all the more frustrating.
The more you talk to someone, the more you understand their character, but with Lizel, it was the opposite. The more he talked to him, the less he understood.
"So, what was your purpose in talking to me?"
"Well... one reason is that letter. I was given it to use if necessary, but it feels wrong to hold onto something entrusted to me indefinitely, doesn't it?"
Upon hearing that, Gil glared at him, thinking it was a flimsy excuse.
Even if Lizel hadn't had that letter when he tried to contact the lord, he would have found a way to make contact anyway.
Gil was certain that Lizel could do it, even though adventurers usually have no opportunity to meet nobles.
This time, the letter wasn't particularly necessary. Whether Lizel consciously avoided incurring a debt, or whether he had another purpose, was unknown.
So then...
Was the letter sent to disarm Shadow's suspicions, or the opposite?
"So, what's your real purpose?"
Shadow seemed to have thought the same thing, judging that the previous stated purpose wasn't the main one.
"It was a perfectly valid reason, though," Lizel said with a wry smile, setting down his fork.
Gil glanced at him, then gulped down the last of his wine. It was a rather undignified way to drink such expensive wine.
"I'll be staying in Marcade for three days, and I'm planning to spend that time sightseeing."
"Rejected. What does that have to do with anything?"
Lizel smiled sweetly at the look that clearly said, "Don't make me go to unnecessary trouble."
"Since it's my first day here, I wanted to have a delicious dinner, you know?"
"Thank you for the meal," Lizel said, bowing his head, and then left with Gil.
All that remained was a stunned Shadow and the glass of vintage wine that Lizel had received from Gil and placed in front of Shadow.
He slowly reached for the wine and, like Gil, took a gulp.
The intensely rich flavor seemed to slowly melt his brain.
In short, Lizel had made Shadow act as a tour guide.
A restaurant recommended by the person most knowledgeable about this country—it would undoubtedly serve wonderful food.
He had contacted Shadow, a lord and a nobleman, for the sole reason of wanting a delicious dinner.
He wanted to rage at the absurdity of it all. But Shadow couldn't.
At that moment, he suddenly understood the true meaning of Ray's letter.
"...Rejected. I have no intention of making an enemy of him, even without being told."
He wondered what he was saying to a mere adventurer.
In a fight, Gil would be far more of a threat. He wanted to scoff at what Lizel alone could possibly do. Even with that understanding, my subconscious is completely wary of Lizel.
I even think Ray is incredibly bold to try and forge a friendship with him. It's something I could never do.
Especially since I felt a sense of dread at the far-off, superior gaze he showed as he left.
Shadow's beautiful face contorted into a dangerous expression as he pondered Lizel's true identity.
Since he couldn't imagine Lizel being the kind of person to deliberately try to ingratiate himself with Ray, they needed to know his reasons for contacting them.
Shadow wondered how much information they could gather, even in Marcade, a hub of information.
They didn't intend to make an enemy of him, but he wasn't someone they should leave unchecked either.
"May I clear the plates?"
"And the bill."
The fact that he crumpled the bill brought by the waiter with a murderous grip is another story entirely.
"You were being quite provocative. Is there something going on?"
"If you want to make an impression on someone you're meeting for the first time, impact is key, isn't it?"
"You'd leave an impression without doing something like that."
"Really?"
An adventurer who acts like a nobleman. Gil knew adventurers who imitated nobility, but Lizel forced him to understand that he wasn't imitating; he was a nobleman at his core.
Incidentally, Lizel was unaware of this, as he thought he was doing a fine job as an adventurer.
He only thought that his manners were perhaps a little too refined for an adventurer.
"Don't you think it's dangerous for a lord to wander around alone, even if his face isn't known?"
"Someone was with him."
"Huh? I didn't notice. Were they strong?"
"Probably moderately so."
The two walked leisurely along the road to the inn.
Despite it being nighttime, the main street was brightly lit, and the flow of people seemed endless. However, the clientele had completely changed, and the street vendors had transformed from stout women to those dressed in smart, light formal wear—the kind of vendors you'd find at so-called "adult establishments."
The number of food stalls had decreased, while the number of souvenir stalls had increased.
"I don't understand what Gil means by 'decently strong.'"
"He's weaker than me, but he wouldn't lose to just anyone around here."
"Hmm."
If he were stronger than Gil, Lizel would have shown interest, but that didn't seem to be the case this time.
His interest had already shifted to the surrounding stalls, and despite having just eaten, he was gazing at a warm-looking soup.
"Hey, you guys have such handsome faces. How about it? Our sisters would be happy if you came over."
Since the area was managed by Shadow, there probably weren't any establishments that significantly violated public morals.
Nevertheless, a rather suspicious-sounding vendor called out to them.
Gil completely ignored him, but Lizel watched the vendor while happily eating the soup he had bought and the fried vegetables that went with it.
Despite the suspicious demeanor, the fact that they were wearing nice clothes suggested it was a legitimate establishment after all.
"Gil, you can go if you want."
"Huh?"
"I'll just wander around a bit and then head back."
Lizel had heard about Gil's life before they met from Studd.
Since Gil himself didn't deny Lizel's question about whether he had trouble with women, it seemed he occasionally indulged in womanizing, though not excessively.
Since he hadn't seemed to go out at night since meeting Lizel, Lizel wondered if he might be wanting to have some fun. If Gil went out without a trace, Lizel probably wouldn't notice at all, so perhaps he was already secretly having some fun as a way to unwind.
Dipping the vegetables into the steaming soup, Lizel looked at Gil inquiringly. In response, Gil looked at Lizel, who was gnawing on a vegetable with a thoroughly disgusted expression.
Who would be in the mood for "womanizing" when told to do so by someone with such a seemingly virtuous face?
Besides, Gil wasn't the type to enjoy drinking while being fawned over by women. He preferred to drink in peace.
He wouldn't mind spending a night with a professional woman standing on the street waiting for customers, but he had no interest in drinking mediocre alcohol while being chattered at incessantly, and then paying an exorbitant price for it.
"It's not my hobby."
"Is that so?"
The touts calling out "Come on over again!" were nothing short of persistent.
Lizel finished his soup, returned the bowl to the stall, and started walking again.
Lizel occasionally stopped to look at the old books sold at the stalls, but they arrived at the inn at a reasonably early hour.
The inn was visible after walking a short distance down an alley, and several people were standing in front of its door.
"Ah, Lizel!"
The voice, slightly subdued because it was nighttime, and the tall figure running towards them, were undoubtedly Judge.
Why was Judge, whom they had parted ways with that morning, here? Looking behind him, they saw men in familiar military police uniforms approaching them.
Lizel nodded understandingly.
"Oh, I forgot about them."
"Ah, from when we were accosted?"
He remembered being stopped by the military police who had rushed to the scene when they were accosted earlier.
He had said something vague like "Next time," and left the scene, but it seemed they hadn't let him off the hook.
"Um, I heard you were suddenly attacked, are you alright...?"
"I'm fine. Why are you here, Judge?"
"I heard that someone who looked like a noble was attacked, and I was worried. Then the military police came to my place asking if I knew where you and Lizel were... Since we entered the country together, I thought I'd come here."
"I'm sorry to interrupt your family time."
Lizel gave a wry smile, and Judge shook his head vigorously in denial.
For Judge, it was a godsend, as he had been debating whether or not to go and check on them out of worry.
He believed they weren't injured, but seeing them safe and sound, he let out a sigh of relief.
He patted their arms and thanked them, then Lizel turned to face the military police who were observing them.
"You've been searching for us so late at night, was there some kind of problem?"
"...No, we just need to confirm the facts from both sides."
Lizel gave a wry smile at Gil's muttered "What a pain."
Indeed, there was nothing new that Lizel and the others could say. Many people had witnessed the entire incident from beginning to end, so it should be clear that Lizel and Gil were not at fault.
Well, it's probably not just that, thought Lizel, and he took out his guild card again.
"I'm Lizel, an adventurer. I was mistakenly attacked because I was mistaken for a lord, but that's all."
"Is that so... No, we apologize for the trouble."
One of the two military police officers slumped his shoulders, looking relieved.
In short, they had been suspicious. They wondered if Lizel was truly a lord whose appearance was unknown to the public.
The need for fact-checking wasn't a lie, but if Lizel really was a lord, they needed to confirm it quickly to show they were doing their job properly.
The military police had arrived slightly late to the incident, so they wanted to redeem themselves.
"I understand the circumstances, but I don't think it's appropriate to be dragging Judge around at this late hour."
"L-Lizel... I, I'm not..."
"Shut up."
"If you had investigated normally, wouldn't you have arrived at this inn by tomorrow morning?"
Lizel glanced at Judge, whose head was being held down by Gil, and then returned his gaze to the military police officer.
Judge wouldn't want his reunion with his beloved grandfather, which had only lasted a few days, to be interrupted. Even though they didn't know, he didn't think it was right to drag him around for their own convenience.
If it had been something related to Lizel, he wouldn't have had any complaints about Judge's involvement.
"It was unavoidable due to the need for immediate action."
"Immediate action for a disturbance where all the circumstances have already been clarified?"
"That is..."
The military police officer faltered.
It's basic procedure to hear both sides of a dispute, but it's not absolute.
In cases where responsibility is clear without needing to hear both sides, it's normal to only detain the perpetrator and question them.
Even though there was a knife incident this time, there were no injuries, so it wasn't a situation that required forcing Lizel and the others to give their statements.
Especially since they were completely caught up in it. In fact, Lizel and Gil had every right to want to know the circumstances themselves.
Judge blinked, looking at Lizel with a surprised expression as he tried to corner the other party.
Lizel wasn't just criticizing for the sake of criticizing. He had intended to say something about Judge's situation.
The reason was one thing: the other military police officer standing behind the one who was currently trying to explain himself to Lizel.
"...You were just being protected. Don't act so high and mighty with your complaints."
"Hey!"
The younger military police officer's outburst caused the other officer, who had been trying to explain himself, to speak up anxiously. The young man who had been staring intently at Lizel for some time was now receiving a reprimand from his superior officer, a military policeman, his gaze unchanged.
"What's with that guy?"
"He's a fan of Gil's. He's very popular."
The young man had been staring at Lizel, but he subtly glanced at Gil, his eyes filled with admiration.
Lizel suspected he was one of those people who frequently bothered him since he started teaming up with Gil.
It didn't seem like he had any ulterior motives, like wanting to team up with Gil to gain an advantage in quests; he simply seemed to admire his strength.
"He's so young, getting so worked up just from a little provocation," Lizel thought, then stopped the military policeman who was still scolding the young man.
"So, is that all you wanted to ask?"
"Ah, yes, we just needed confirmation. Just to be sure, you're not injured, are you?"
"No, I'm fine."
"With 'Single-Stroke' around, there's no way he'd be injured."
The military policeman's face twitched, a vein bulging in his temple, at the young man's muttered remark.
"He's a difficult young man to educate," Lizel thought, and subtly shook his head, not bothering to comment further.
He waved and smiled.
But then, he glanced at the young man who was still glaring at him from behind.
"Gil dislikes people who let personal feelings interfere with their official duties."
"!"
At Lizel's teasing remark, the young man flinched and looked at Gil.
Gil didn't return his gaze. Looking bored, he playfully tightened his grip on Judge's head, making him almost cry.
It was unclear what the young man, who was watching blankly, was thinking, but this would hopefully make him change his attitude a little.
He tilted his head in response to the grateful look from the military police officer.
"Come on, Gil, don't tease Judge so much."
"Lizel-san...!"
Judge, freed from Gil's grasp, came closer, and he stroked his head to comfort him.
Judge accepted the comforting touch, and then glanced at the young man who was still glaring at Lizel (or so it seemed) for having reprimanded Gil.
Perhaps because of Lizel's earlier words, he didn't voice any complaints, but his eyes were still full of hostility.
While basking in the gentle, comforting feeling of Lizel's hand in his fluffy hair, Judge slowly opened his mouth.
Even the gentle Judge could harbor feelings of dislike towards someone, especially if they weren't a customer or someone he was doing business with.
"If you try to do anything to Lizel-san, I won't forgive you."
The atmosphere froze.
The two military police officers knew what kind of family Judge came from when they went to pick him up.
A major trading company representing Marcade. That was the title held by Judge's grandfather. Judge's statement, coming from someone with such a grandfather, would likely be the decisive factor in determining the future of the military police stationed in Marcade.
Even if he was a grown man who still enjoyed having his head patted.
Even if he was a grown man who almost burst into tears just from having his head grabbed.
"Judge, you shouldn't say things like that."
"...Yes."
As the hand that had been patting his head withdrew, Judge noticed the surrounding gazes focused on him and blushed, looking down.
The reason for the stares wasn't what he thought it was, but he probably didn't realize that.
Incidentally, Lizel thought it was a joke, but Judge was completely serious.
As proof, the two military police officers remained frozen, and Gil was seriously thinking that Judge had become quite capable of making strong statements.
Why didn't Lizel notice? Because he wanted the honest, shy, and cute younger boy to remain just that—honest, shy, and cute.
"Well then, please make sure you see Judge home safely."
"Um, good night. Lizel, Gil."
"Yes, good night."
"Okay."
The three, exchanging farewells so casually, didn't notice.
They didn't see the pleading gazes of the military police officers, who were left alone with Judge immediately after his statement.
The military police officers were afraid of a young man who only seemed timid; they lacked any semblance of authority as military police.
After seeing off the two men with their dark clouds hanging over them and Judge waving goodbye, Lizel and Gil finally entered the inn.
Afterward, the young man apparently became completely dedicated to his duties, but few knew the reason why.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Author Misaki Note:
Lizel is showing proper respect to Shadow-san (again).
Since he figured he wouldn't accept his respect straightforwardly, he tried a more unconventional approach, but of course, it led to a misunderstanding.
Perhaps he thought it was better to be misunderstood than to be forgettable and have a weak impression.