Chapter 19 : Fastening the First Button (2)

Chapter 19: Fastening the First Button (2)

“Am I… not getting in your way right now?”

We were strolling down a street specializing in magical engineering goods when,all of a sudden, Lancia Jintia, who had been hesitating and glancing at me, blurted that out.

“…Pardon?”

I was checking over the shopping list and answered a beat late.

Seeing my reaction, she replied in an even more deflated tone.

“N-no… It’s just… earlier I proudly told you to leave the haggling and guiding to me, but in the end, you’ve been doing all of it.”

I could understand her reaction to some degree.

Despite what she had confidently claimed, what she’d actually shown… couldn’t be called skillful at all.

To the point where I had to step in and pull her away mid-conversation from a merchant who was about to rip her off and force a sale on her.

‘Well, she’s always been stiff and principled, so things like that wouldn’t suit her nature.’

She did, in fact, know her way around quite well, probably thanks to her frequent volunteer work, but that was about it.

Choosing items, negotiating, bargaining, fending off pushy hawkers, and finally completing a purchase—

I had taken the lead in all of it, not her.

To be more precise, I only stepped in because I couldn’t stand watching her struggle.

“You really are impressive, junior. Other than Sister, I’ve never seen someone deal with merchants so smoothly.”

“Haha, I just picked up a few things here and there.”

I had spent several years in my past life working as a mercenary, tagging along with trade caravans.

Ironically, the experience and knowledge I gained back then were far more practical and useful than anything I learned while attending the Academy.

‘Let’s see… detector, lightstone, fire charges, specially refined oil, and…’

I double-checked the list of purchases.

The bulky items were ordered for delivery to the dorms, while the small or expensive ones I kept on me.

‘Cost a bit more than I expected.’

I paid with a promissory note.

I had been worried it might get rejected, but fortunately, there was no problem in completing the purchases.

Though, every time I wrote down my second brother’s name, I couldn’t help feeling a little subdued.

‘…It should be fine, right?’

Considering what had happened in my past life, I couldn’t help but act cautiously.

Especially with my second brother, Artiac— even though we were half-siblings, he had treated me like a real younger brother, which made me all the more wary.

“Junior?”

Lancia’s voice pulled me back, and I nodded reflexively.

“Yes, I think we’ve bought everything we need here.”

“Already?”

“Thanks to you, we found the store quickly. Now we just need to buy a weapon.”

I figured it was a good time to boost her confidence a bit.

“So, this time… would you help me out, senior?”

“M-me…?”

“Well, I think a Holy Knight candidate like you probably knows more about weapons than I do.”

At that, a spark returned to her previously dull eyes.

“Yes, leave it to me! I’ll find the perfect weapon for you!”

“I’m counting on you, senior.”

…Though, in truth, the weapons available to someone like me— a Crooks member who wasn’t even a Holy Knight aspirant— were extremely limited.

The Church doctrine strictly forbade anyone who wasn’t a Holy Knight, and who wasn’t facing something evil or heretical, from wielding blades.

The only bladed weapon that could be used without violating doctrine was a dagger.

Realistically, the weapons I could use now were probably blunt ones like maces,

or weighted staves.

‘Honestly, I’m more comfortable with swords or spears…’

Back in my mercenary days, I had used swords, spears, axes, and even bows without hesitation.

Back then, I was already labeled a traitor and excommunicated as a cultist of the Evil God, so adding one more crime to the list didn’t matter.

‘But right now, I can’t afford to do that.’

For now, a blunt weapon would be the safer choice.

While I was thinking that, Lancia suddenly asked,

“Oh, come to think of it, isn’t it about time they announce the elective classes?”

“Not yet, but I imagine they’ll be announced around next week, as you said.”

“Have you thought about which ones you’ll take?”

I nodded.

In my past life, I had only chosen easy classes that were painless to pass.

But this time, I had no such intentions.

“Other than the common classes, I’m planning on taking Professor Windy May’s, Sister Roberta’s, Professor Deiare’s, and Professor Shagas’s courses.”

In order—practical magic, advanced divine power, weapon skills, and ancient history.

Each had a clear purpose: to build connections, improve my abilities, and find traces related to the stigma.

“I’ll fill the remaining credits with Crooks-only cultural classes or simple major subjects.”

“If… if that’s what you’ve decided.”

Lancia cleared her throat with a small cough.

“What do you think about becoming a Holy Knight?”

“A Holy Knight?”

“Well… this is just my opinion, but… I think someone like you—capable, pure in divine power, persistent—would suit the role perfectly. And you’ve got a solid build too.”

She hesitated briefly, then added,

“And honestly, from the way Sister Roberta talks, I think she’d like you to become a Holy Knight as well.”

“Ah.”

Now that she mentioned it, it made sense.

She had subtly taught me Holy Knight doctrine, explained how they operated, and even in sparring, she always used wooden swords, carefully drilling me in the fundamentals of swordsmanship.

I gave her a wry smile.

“Well, my second brother is already a knight, and my father wishes for me to become a theologian or a priest.”

When I added that I wasn’t suited for such a path anyway, Lancia looked a little disappointed.

“Come to think of it, you did say last time… that you came to the Crooks because of your father’s wishes.”

“Yes. Honestly, I’ve never really considered it.”

“Then… what did you want to do?”

It was a light question.

And yet—

For some reason, her words felt like a heavy hand gripping my heart.

What I wanted to do, huh…

Now that I thought about it, I had set broad goals like “save my doomed family” or “escape death’s grasp,” but I had never actually thought about what I truly wanted for myself.

And that realization struck me harder than I expected.

What I wanted to do.

What I wanted to do, huh.

“…Later.”

Only after quite some time did I finally manage to open my mouth.

“I did think… it would be nice to leisurely travel the world.”

“That’s a good dream.”

Hearing my answer, she smiled faintly and nodded quietly.

Before I knew it, we had left the street filled with magical engineering goods and entered one lined with weapons and armor.

“This place is good. Not just me—other seniors and classmates come here for maintenance too, the craftsmanship is excellent.”

Lancia skillfully led me into a shop with an attached forge.

As if she was a regular, the young apprentice tending the shop recognized her.

“Well, if it isn’t Lady Jintia!”

“Hello.”

She replied warmly and glanced around.

“As expected, the selection of weapons for clergy who aren’t Holy Knights is pretty small.”

“If you place an order, I can always do my utmost to prepare it for you. But for now, would you please come this way?”

“One moment.”

Turning to me with a suddenly serious expression, Lancia asked,

“Which type do you prefer, junior? They can mainly be divided into maces and staves. There’s also the flail, which can be swung like a whip thanks to its chain, but that’s a bit tricky for a beginner… I’d recommend picking one of the first two.”

I could handle a flail to some extent, but only just enough to use it.

After a short consideration, I nodded and answered her.

“Either is fine. But if I had to choose, I’d say a mace might be better.”

“Hmm, in that case…”

“Then I’ve got just the thing.”

In the meantime, the young apprentice brought something over.

“This is a quarterstaff mainly used by clergy. Look here—it can be separated and used like a mace. The ends are capped with metal for weight and striking power, and fine grooves are carved so it won’t slip easily from your hand.”

With a series of metallic clicks, he demonstrated the item in front of us.

“It’s made up of three segments. You can remove one and use it alone, or hold two of different lengths—one for offense, one for defense—using both hands.”

“If it’s a modular design, wouldn’t that increase the risk of it breaking? And durability could be an issue.”

“Ah, that’s why we used an expensive alloy for the connecting parts. The locking mechanism is simple, so it won’t break easily. As for the wooden body, it’s made from the oak of Count Talus’s domain, renowned for its hardness. We soaked it three times in solution, dried it, then applied a special finish… Take a look!”

The apprentice grabbed a dagger from somewhere and struck the staff hard.

A dull yet clear sound rang out, like metal against metal.

“It’s sturdy enough to withstand steel strikes, and thanks to the natural flexibility of wood, it’s actually better than most iron weapons.”

“Hmm, then…”

Lancia and the apprentice continued talking for some time, and it was clear she was far more knowledgeable in this area than I was.

“Would you like to try holding it, junior?”

As she suggested, I picked up one of the separated staff segments.

Heavier than I expected.

That was a good thing.

“Pardon me—when you connect it like this…”

“Oh.”

The feel in my hands was even better than I’d anticipated.

Seeing my reaction, Lancia blinked and asked,

“Do you like it? I think it might be better to look around a bit more.”

“No.”

I carefully and slowly twirled the staff, swung it, and thrust it forward.

The grip fit so perfectly that I doubted I could find anything better.

“I’ll take this one.”

“Well, if you’re satisfied…”

The apprentice’s eyes lit up as he asked,

“Would you like it custom-made to your height and arm length, or will you take this one? The former allows for additional specifications, though the price goes up. The latter…”

“I’ll just take this one.”

“In that case, since it was a display piece, I can give you a bit of a discount.”

From there, the process was quick.

In fact, his unexpectedly reasonable price pleased me enough that I paid on the spot.

…Of course, once again, under my second brother’s name.

“Thank you! Please visit us again! If you have any trouble, I’ll help you anytime!”

Leaving his booming farewell behind, we stepped back into the street.

Lancia chuckled softly, seeing me stroke the staff with satisfaction.

“You like it?”

“Yes, thanks to you I’ve got something really good.”

“It would’ve been nice if you’d gotten some armor too…”

“I’m going to stick with the issued gear for now. Armor needs to be made to fit, so it’d be better to set aside a free day for that later.”

She nodded, letting the matter drop.

As we left the street full of clanging metal and smoke and strolled across the plaza,

I suddenly realized that lunchtime had long since passed.

“Would you like to get something simple to eat?”

“Are you hungry? Then how about I buy you something?”

As Lancia said that and rummaged through her clothes to pull out her wallet,

I understood why she had offered.

I gave her a wry smile and replied,

“I appreciate it, but your sentiment is enough, senior.”

“Ah… okay.”

Looking a bit embarrassed, she slipped the wallet back into her pocket.

Perhaps she thought I had no money on me, since I’d sent all the receipts from today’s purchases to my second brother.

“That looks good.”

“Y-yes… it does.”

We each bought a simple skewer and bread stuffed with vegetables and meat.

Thinking we might as well get some drinks and find a place to sit and rest,

we planned to head toward a street with cafés and walked on a bit further.

“Hm?”

Something hazy flickered in front of my eyes.

The moment I saw what it was, I recognized it instantly.

It was none other than the mist bird I had seen yesterday in the library.

Flap! Flap!

The moment it saw me, it began beating its wings furiously again—

just as it had yesterday when it warned me of danger.

I stared at it silently, then let out a faint chuckle.

I appreciate the concern, but you’re a bit late.

“Junior.”

“Yes. I know.”

I gave a small nod at Lancia’s words.

She seemed to have noticed it just as quickly as I had.

…No one.

Even if this was a quiet street,

there was no way it should feel this completely devoid of human presence.

A strange smell.

A sickening, unpleasant aura.

A faintly sticky sensation in the air.

Without a word, Lancia’s hand went to her waist.

“Good thing we didn’t have the items delivered.”

Gripping the staff slung over my shoulder, I murmured quietly.

There was no need to extend my senses to check the surroundings.

Right in front of us stood a figure that anyone would find suspicious—

draped in a black robe, blocking our path.