Chapter 100

A few days passed, and as Al was eating dinner at the Red-Faced Sheep Inn as usual, Orson returned. His lips curled up in a broad smile, indicating he was in a very good mood. Upon spotting Al eating, he approached with quick steps.

"Hey, Al, you're here. That's great. The date's been set. It starts the morning after tomorrow at the lord's manor. Are you okay with that?"

It was probably about the reward for the treasure sword he had mentioned before. It seemed that Viscount Eugene had finally arrived. Al had no particular plans for the day after tomorrow. Nodding to indicate he was fine with it, Al saw Orson let out a relieved sigh and sit down across from him at the empty seat.

"Did something good happen?"

Iris approached with a tray in hand. Orson smiled and nodded in response.

"Yeah, Iris. We might make a decent amount of money. When that happens, I'll treat you. Today is a pre-celebration. Bring me some ale and a good meal."

Iris replied happily and returned to the kitchen. The dining room of the Red-Faced Sheep Inn had eight tables, but only two were empty, and the rest were occupied. She and her mother, Laurein, were quite busy serving the food.

"Will Maddock and Nigel be able to make it?"

When Al asked, Orson thought for a moment but then shook his head.

"No, they stopped by here briefly yesterday, but they had to leave again for a guard duty. They won't be back until next week. I guess they said they would be here soon, but they can't leave because it's a long-term contract."

I see, in that case, I should have left it to Orson. I bought two new spells, so I need time to practice. Is it too late to do that now? Al thought to himself. However, since he had already said he was fine with it, he couldn't back out now.

"Quinta says that as a reward this time, they will give each person thirty gold coins, and since Al was the one who found it, they are asking if there's anything else he wants. According to Quinta, if it's something worth around fifty gold coins, it seems we can get it. At first, they talked about a good sword or a horse, but since you're a mage, they're considering what you might want. It's a generous offer, and it's quite enviable."

When mentioning the amount, Orson lowered his voice a bit, perhaps to avoid being overheard. Thirty gold coins per person plus an additional fifty gold coins for Al. Al had indeed found it, and Orson seemed to have explained that properly. It was indeed a good offer. It must have been something quite significant. When Al asked Orson, it turned out that the treasure sword and ring belonged to Henry, the current lord's half-brother and the second son of the former border lord, who had gone missing twenty-five years ago while investigating the situation in the Sipley Mountains. For the border lord's family, the reward was not just for the value of the sword and ring but also for the information about Henry's fate.

"So, Lord Henry came to investigate the barbarians and monsters in the Sipley Mountains and was killed by the Mutsashidora... But for the investigation of the border lord's second son, there didn't seem to be any knight-like corpses around."

"Hmm? Was that so? There were a lot of skeletons, and I didn't really want to get too close. I didn't look around much. Besides, if it was a long journey, he might have been wearing leather armor instead of metal armor. Oh, by the way, this is just between us, but I was asked not to talk too much about where Lord Henry died. According to Quinta, they want to make it a good story because he's the border lord's brother. I think that's probably the case."

I see. That makes sense. Fifty gold coins worth... Could it be the spell book for flight? Al thought and stood up, making a loud noise with his chair.

"Huh? What's up?"

Orson looked surprised at Al, and the other customers were also a bit startled.

"I'm going to see Quinta."

"Is there something you really want? But it's already past the time when the adventurer's guild closes. Why don't you do it tomorrow morning?"

Orson was right. Al sighed and sat back down to continue his meal.

---

The next morning, Al ate the breakfast made by Laurein and arrived at the adventurer's guild before the second bell of the morning. By then, it was already bright, and the guild was bustling with people looking for work. Al spotted Quinta at the counter and hurried over.

"Good morning!"

"Oh, good morning, Al. That's unusual. Did you hear from Orson?"

Al nodded at Quinta, who was sitting at the counter doing paperwork.

"Tomorrow morning, when the third bell rings, we'll meet in front of the lord's manor. I'll be going with you. Please dress nicely. And don't bring any magical items, as it could cause complications."

Ah, we're meeting the viscount, so formal attire is a given. That means I can't bring Gry. Al agreed.

"Hey, I won't get to see Al in his fancy clothes?"

Gry sounded disappointed, but Al ignored her. After all, he couldn't see himself anyway...

"About the reward, could I ask for a spell book for flight?"

Al's request made Quinta look puzzled.

"Flight spells are definitely third-tier spells. While they are popular, wouldn't it be better to take the gold coins as a reward?"

"It's fine. They are currently in short supply and impossible to get."

Al's explanation made Quinta shrug and nod.

"Well, if that's what you want, I'll pass it on. But if they're in short supply, it might not be available in time."

"I understand. But I've heard that the mages in the border lord's knight order have been buying up all the spell books. If they can make an exception, I'd be grateful. I can wait a month or two. If it's not possible, then I'd like telepathy, telekinesis, sleep, or paralysis spells. These are more commonly available, and at the market price, I'd be happy with two of them."

For Al, getting the flight spell book would be the best. The price in regular stores had already risen to forty gold coins due to the shortage, so fifty gold coins seemed reasonable. Besides, it's a reward, so it's not wise to be too greedy.

"Understood, I'll pass it on. By the way, Lord Eric has been appointed as the head mage of the Lester Viscount's family. It seems he made a significant discovery, but he says it was actually your discovery. Do you know what he's talking about?"

It must be about the parameters, not the options. Did Reta succeed? Perhaps she reported it to the mage guild and got some recognition. For Al, it was a relief to know that there were more people who understood him.

"Hmm, I have a vague idea. I'll stop by later."

"That might be a good idea."

Al waved goodbye to Quinta, reminding him to meet a little before the third bell the next day, and left the adventurer's guild.

Thank you for reading.

I plan to post twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays at 10 AM. Thank you for your support.

Thank you for the corrections. I always appreciate them.

I would be very happy to receive likes, evaluation points, and comments. Please feel free to leave them.