Chapter 109
cold winter (4)
1:41 am.
Instead of the locked Winterer gate, the side door opened slightly, and Theo walked out.
“It’s getting cold.”
Theo pulled up the fox scarf Cecilia had prepared for him and covered his mouth.
The first winter night wind I felt after returning was that cold.
“Oh, you’re here at last. Our youngest.”
There were people who were waiting for such Theo.
Shelford and Arryn.
These two were the shooters that Julius had offered to attach.
‘Didn’t Evelynn say she’s distracted by the Yongmun Prosecutor’s promotion test?’
I felt a bit regretful, but I hoped for a good outcome for her.
Even against Wolfgang, he did well and caught the attention of many masters, so it didn’t seem too difficult to get promoted.
“Have you been waiting long? Sorry for the delay.”
“No, no no no. We also arrived a little while ago. And you came 10 minutes earlier than your appointment time too, right? What are you sorry about?”
At Theo’s apology, Selford shook his hand lightly and asked softly.
“But the destination is the floating county self-governing territory? What kind of mission are you entrusted with?”
“Well? Didn’t you hear anything from the captain?”
“I heard you kicked my ass recklessly, saying that I just had to follow you.”
“… … .”
That’s why Arin didn’t say anything and had a face full of heartache.
Theo sighed lightly.
“I’ll tell you the details as we move.”
“great.”
Whoops!
Shelford whistled lightly.
Two drakes flew from the sky with their backs to the moon.
* * *
Theo and his party moved to the northwestern region over several days.
The coniferous forests unique to the north disappeared, plains appeared, and by the time we passed several mountains, I felt the days getting hotter little by little.
‘No. To be precise, are winters in the north particularly cold?’
While Theo was thinking about this and that, a lowland area appeared in the distance.
and beyond. The horizon of blue waves came into view at a glance.
For a moment, it felt like my heart was exploding.
“Big! It’s good to see you for the first time in years.”
Shelford burst into admiration at the blue view of the sea, then turned to Theo.
“Oh, come to think of it, Theo, isn’t this your first time seeing the sea?”
“Um, yes, what is it?”
“Eh. But no response? Others are either surprised, saying, ‘Wow, how is that much water possible?’ or frightened, saying, ‘Where is that end?’”
Although there are several huge lakes in the north, most of them are full of plains and forests, so there were many northerners who died without seeing the sea for the rest of their lives.
So, he seemed to have expected such a reaction from Theo, but
‘I once lived near the sea, so what.’
This wasn’t much of a surprise to Theo, who had memories of his previous life.
Thanks to that, Selford’s face had cooled down.
“Do you think everyone in the world makes a fuss like you?”
Shelford suddenly smirked at Arin’s snort.
“I have a friend who suddenly said that he needed to go to the bathroom as soon as he saw the sea for the first time? none?”
“… … Will you shut up?”
“there is?”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about?”
“none?”
“Let you die.”
Knock!
As Arin drew his sword, he drove his partner to catch up with Selford.
“Pahahahahaha!”
“bastard! Don’t stand there!”
nettle liquid-
While the two people’s aerial chase proceeds with the laughter of Selford,
Theo looked at the blue sea with calm waves.
I saw the port city of ‘Nobaje’ heading to the floating archipelago.
Numerous large and small ships were anchored in the harbor, and various water basins were directing a chaotic atmosphere as they came and went.
Workers unloading goods at the loading dock, auctioneers shouting and participating in the auction, fishermen rejoicing that the boat is full, merchants sorting and collecting fish, street vendors lining up stalls, the sound of a ship announcing departure. etc.
There was a fierce atmosphere of a completely different meaning from the northern region, where people live fiercely to survive in a barren environment.
‘It’s been a while here.’
A soft smile crept onto Theo’s lips.
in a past life. It reminded me of the time when I came here to start a business after leaving Winterer while almost running away from Ragnar.
‘I wonder if they are living well too?’
By the time they remembered their past life, when they were just children, the party was able to arrive near Novage before they knew it.
Before entering the city, the party either hid or put all the Wyverns on standby, and changed into clothes prepared separately.
“As this mission is a secret mission, you must thoroughly conceal your identity. We will move as secretly as possible. So, for the time being, I plan to change my status to Wandering Knight. Here is your identity card.”
Theo handed out separate identification cards to Shelford and Arin.
Shelford looked around at his ID card with a puzzled look on his face.
“When did you prepare something like this?”
“It was provided by the black snow.”
“I heard you received a certificate of innocence, was it real?”
“Have there been rumors like that?”
“How important is that, will rumors circulate?”
“then… … ?”
“How did you know?”
“Yes.”
“just.”
“… … ?”
“Did you just hear me?”
“… … ??”
The contents of the silent proof plaque were known only to Theo, the Black Dragon, and Julius.
But where do you hear it spontaneously when you’re still?
Arin let out a deep sigh and shook his head.
“Even if it’s hard to understand what this guy is saying, just assume that’s the case and pass it on. It’s because there are so many things that I pick up while shooting here and there like a rat.”
“Ugh! What a rat! There is a very nice word called hosaga!”
“Isn’t it a luxury to find out the number of spoons and forks at Theo’s house? Are you a stalker?”
“… … ???”
Theo still couldn’t follow their conversation.
“So just skip it. If you try to understand this guy from one to ten, there will be no end.”
“… … Ah yes.”
Theo entered Novage with the two of them while nodding his head with a confused expression.
“Then where should we go now? Can we get the ship going to Venota right away?”
“Nope. I have a place to listen before that.”
“where?”
“I will be back soon.”
“Eh? what?”
This time, Selford tilts his head, not knowing why.
Took!
Suddenly, one of the passers-by accidentally bumped into Theo.
“Sorry… … Aagh!”
Shelford and Arin were dumbfounded for a moment.
Apparently, the passer-by’s hand was stuck in Theo’s back pocket and he was screaming.
Theo had caught something he was trying to pickpocket on the way.
“Are you Spinola?”
“W-what are you talking about! let go of this! Why don’t you let go?”
“I want to meet you guys, what should I do?”
Theo smirked, not paying attention to the pickpocket’s screams.
“This bastard is real!”
The pickpocket flushed red and took out a dagger from his pocket and swung it at Theo.
But,
Quadruped!
The captured guy’s right arm turns in the opposite direction,
“aaagh!”
Theo didn’t blink an eye and kicked the guy in the stomach.
In the first place, he had no intention of caring for criminals.
wooong-
Degurur!
The pickpocket floated up in the air and landed on the stall of the street vendor on the other side.
-Kyaaa!
– It’s a fight!
– Guard! Call the guards!
As the surroundings become chaotic,
Theo gently stepped on the scruff of the pickpocket’s neck as he was about to jump up and put him back down.
“Ouch! neck! Moo Ok… … !”
He smiled coldly as he looked down at the man who was gasping for breath.
“You guys hideouts, where are you?”
“neck! from the neck… … !”
“Tell me where you are.”
Theo’s feet got stronger.
The pickpocket pointed his hand at a bar not far away, feeling threatened that he might suffocate or break his neck at this rate.
“I-over there… … !”
“Are you sure?”
“That’s right, please… … !”
Theo then took a step back.
Khehehe!
The pickpocket barely managed to catch his breath,
“Then should I take the lead?”
“Muh, what!”
He was dragged into the bar with Theo’s hand holding him by the back of his neck, still reckless.
“Sa-sa-save me! If you are dragged away like this, I, I will die!”
“You’re dying, I’m not dying, are you?”
“Oh no, you bastard!”
I got into trouble when I tried to rob the back pockets of knights who seemed out of touch with the world, especially the young master.
No matter how he tried to resist, Theo had already thrown him into the bar.
Quaang!
The pickpocket broke the door and rolled inside for a while.
It seemed that the limp thing had already passed out.
-what!
– What a bastard!
Customers and clerks all turned their eyes to the dusty entrance at the sudden uproar.
Sureureung!
“Is this the Spinola branch?”
Theo stepped inside, lowering Drake’s blades.
* * *
All the fuss had already subsided when Shelford and Arin followed Theo into the bar.
All sorts of broken weapons were lying on the floor, and screaming screams from what looked like back alley criminals at first sight, their limbs twisted in bizarre ways.
Theo was sitting at one of the tables looking down at them, feeling refreshed from moving for the first time in a long time.
“… … Didn’t you say that this operation was being operated as secretly as possible? Can I make a fuss like this?”
Shelford gave Theo a chorus with an absurd expression.
Moreover, the name ＜Spinola＞ that Theo was looking for was far from a ‘secret operation’.
The capital of the Fufu County Autonomous Territory.
A free city where the headquarters of the Shipping Federation and the General Federation of Banks are located.
Benota.
Since ancient times, this place has had an oligarchy system in which three families take turns holding the office of the Prime Minister.
– Shipping 3-ga.
It was commonly called that.
Spinola is one of them, originating from a criminal organization that brought together illegal immigrants and refugees to deal with the illicit interests created by the shipping trade.
Now, Yangjiro is also carrying out various business interests, but it was still a subject of fear to many people.
Of course, even so, it was only a very small force compared to Ragnar.
Still, it is the money you touch while riding on the back of the Shipping Federation, and the influence it has on all parts of the world cannot be ignored.
So, if the pickpocket organization I just touched was really a branch of Spinola, it was like I was just making a big fuss.
But,
“On the contrary, this is a very good way to move in secret.”
“What are you talking about? Please explain in detail.」
“The city of Venota is easy to look like a lawless area on the outside. But rather, it is also a city that is thoroughly monitored. There are eyes and ears of Haeun 3-ga everywhere.”
Shelford could vaguely understand what Theo was trying to say.
“So we’ll be easy to be watched too?”
“Yes. If, as Black Seol speculates, the Black Skull is one of the swords hidden by Benotta, it will be even more difficult to investigate. It would be easy to get suspicious.”
“So you’d rather stick to the spinola side?”
“If you’re going to be suspicious anyway, it’s better to just be suspicious.”
Theo’s explanation continued.
“Spinola is a kind of mafia family. If there are skilled swordsmen like us, they will naturally become interested in it.”
「If you buy her favor, it will be much easier to get into the center of Venotta, right?」
“Yes. That’s it.”
her!
Selford unknowingly burst out laughing.
I thought Theo’s plan was very thorough.
‘But isn’t this a completely black snow mission method?’
I heard that the black dragon was so frantic to take Theo away.
It seemed that he was very talented.
‘I’ll just do what Theo tells me to do. It’ll end on its own if you just follow me around.’
While Arin was belatedly listening to Selford’s explanation, he burst into admiration.
Awesome!
jerk, jerk-
Someone was coming down the broken stairs to the second floor.
It was an old man carrying a cane.
Theo and the others’ eyes also naturally turned to that direction.
“this. It seems that the reception of guests was not done properly.”
“Are you the dog of Spinola who manages this place? Like a group of criminals, the lower ones are equally ugly.”
Theo, having hit the jackpot, decided to stick to his arrogant and arrogant demeanor for the duration of this operation.
However, that look went so well with the cool features that even Shelford and Arin, who were watching from the side, flinched.
‘That guy, Theo, probably doesn’t have that kind of personality… … ?’
‘As expected, Theodore was Ragnar.’
Recalling the fact that Ragnar was only doing Ragnar, it was understandable (?) that he was acting like that at first glance, so the two of them quietly nodded their heads in agreement.
“… … ?”
Theo, not knowing why, just tilted his head.