Episode 43 – Stepping Stones (2)

Stepping Stones (2)

…Elise and I are sitting on opposite ends of different benches in the same park.

In other words, Elise is sitting at the end of the bench next to the one I’m sitting on.

Physically quite far apart, at a distance where no one would ever think we know each other.

“…I don’t see any particular errors.”

I had studied Elise’s script on my smartphone. It was good enough to read.

“It’s obvious you wrote it.”

The writing is decent, but the content is a bit brutal.

There’s a man and a woman. The woman is a noble, and the man is a servant of the noble. The man steals the secrets of the family he served, causing significant damage to the family, and is eventually caught by the female noble. The woman tries to kill the man, but she exhibits superhuman, sensual, and merciful patience and lets him go.

A two-person play dramatizing the dialogue of this process.

Anyone can see that Elise wrote this.

“It’s good.”

I put down my smartphone. Elise chuckled. How dare you judge me? So, you think what I wrote isn’t good? Something like that-

“So, you think what I wrote isn’t good? Don’t even think about judging.”

She says it’s the correct answer.

“…But there are a lot of words to change in the dialogue. For starters, change ‘Dunae’ to ‘Duare’ here. It’s a line that says, ‘I will kill you,’ right?”

At that, Elise frowned in annoyance.

“Dunae is a sophisticated way to say ‘kill.’ You don’t even know-”

“I know. But Duare is the plural form of that Dunae.”

In Latinel, there are sophisticated, intermediate, and low-level words, and within those, they are divided into plural, singular, and neutral forms.

If you kill one person, it’s singular, if you kill more than one, it’s plural, if you kill something that’s not a person, it’s neutral.

In that respect, ‘Duare’ is a sophisticated plural verb used by nobles.

“…You’re really stupid, you know.”

Elise smirked, curling her lips.

“Do you kill the same person twice? Well, if I could kill one person twice, I would want to do that too.”

She glances at me with a sarcastic look. There are many people in the park, so she doesn’t even want to make eye contact. Just in case someone might see.

I calmly retorted.

“Nobles can use the plural form to emphasize their words. Did you forget?”

For colloquial emphasis, the plural form is sometimes used. A sophisticated expression of nobles, like ‘I’m about to explode with emotion.’

It’s a verb conjugation that commoners can’t use.

“That’s…”

Elise rolled her eyes with a puzzled expression and swallowed slightly.

It seems to have occurred to her belatedly.

“Just like what you said earlier, it’s an emphasis like ‘I want to kill you twice.’ Why would you do this if you know it well?”

Latinel is an unnecessarily difficult language, but I don’t find it difficult.

This is because all the contents and applications of the textbook stored in the ‘Notepad’ come up naturally, are assembled, and applied as if breathing.

The Latinel textbook also works as my intuitive ‘database.’

“There are quite a few other words to change, I’ll modify and send them to you.”

“…”

Elise got up from her seat. Without saying a word, she disappeared into the other side of the park.

“What’s with her.”

Anyway, I picked out the words to modify in the script and sent them to Elise.

______________________________________________________________________

Sunday.

I was in good condition from the morning. The growing pains had subsided, and I wasn’t sleepy. It was a day that shouldn’t be wasted.

I quickly went to the lake and practiced Mana Heart breathing training. I learned the ‘Five Basic Forms,’ which was a homework assignment from the Swordsmanship School. I checked the final version of the two-person play that Elise sent last night.

In the midst of spending time so diligently.

[Item Appraisal Complete]

[Appraisal Details: Mandrake 537g, Excellent Condition]

[You have acquired 10,000 Darkweb EXP.]

[Congratulations. Your level has risen to level 13.]

The appraisal of the mandrake was completed. The Darkweb level also rose in an instant.

By the way, I should earn as much experience as possible now. After the Darkweb becomes famous, this experience will become extremely valuable.

[Your top-grade mandrake will be exhibited at the 73rd Bark Auction in 2 days, 21 hours, 9 hours, and 37 minutes.]

‘Bark’ is a wordplay that distinguishes the grades of the auction.

It goes up from Aark, Bark, Cark, Dark, with Dark being the top grade.

Aark is for items under 10,000 Ren, Bark is for 10,000~100,000 Ren, Cark is for 100,000~1,000,000 Ren, and Dark is for items beyond that standard.

“…If this sells, it will accumulate a lot.”

If I add the gift certificate Belingham gave me, the profits from [At Your Service] that came in addition to Layla, and the sales price of the mandrake, I can afford to make an appointment.

I sat on a stone chair I had made near the lake and dialed somewhere. The phone number was familiar to my hand.

Doo-roo-roo… Doo-roo-roo…

After the dial tone rang a few times, a machine voice came on.

—This is Edsilla National University Hospital. For medical appointments, press 1-

I pressed 1 firmly. Soon, a person answered the phone.

—Yes. I will help you with your medical appointment. Have you ever received treatment before?

“I haven’t before…”

Suddenly, I swallowed my words.

Before my regression, I had received treatment at Edsilla National University Hospital. They diagnosed me with Cancer of the Magic’s Core.

‘You have at most 1 year.’

I was desperate, but I couldn’t give up on treatment, and I lived 10 times that 1 year. Of course, the last 3 years—during the terminal stage of Cancer of the Magic’s Core—I was practically dead, but if it wasn’t for that wolf pup, I could have lived another 1~2 months.

—Hello?

“……”

Oh right, that’s not the problem.

While I was receiving outpatient treatment at the National University Hospital for 7~8 years, I saw news about a complete cure for Cancer of the Magic’s Core.

I couldn’t believe it.

They say that the National University Hospital is the fucking best on the continent.

Fortunately or unfortunately, the subject of the complete cure was not a human.

It was a pig.

Even so, I searched for where that hospital was and who the doctor was, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.

The emotion that ran down my spine at that time is still vivid.

Was it a joke of fate, a trick of God, no.

There’s no need for such descriptions.

It was just fucking awful.

“No, I dialed the wrong number.”

I hung up the phone. I took a deep breath, looking up at the sky for a moment. Then, I dialed another hospital.

Beep, beep, beep.

After a few short dial tones, a human voice came through.

—Libra Medical Center. This is Aden Edsilla Hospital.

Libra Medical Center.

A high-end hospital of the highest standard on the continent, run by a family I despise to death.

I bit my lip.

“……Professor Yu Hains. Is it possible to make an appointment?”

—Ah, I’m sorry, but Professor Yu Hains’ outpatient treatment is until the end of next year-

“I suspect it’s Cancer of the Magic’s Core. It’s almost confirmed too.”

—……

The other party’s words were cut off.

Indeed, Cancer of the Magic’s Core is the worst incurable disease on the continent that kills anyone, whether they are ordinary people, knights, mercenaries, supervisors, adversaries, professionals, or endbringers.

I said, as if sighing.

“I know Professor Yu Hains has quite an interest in Cancer of the Magic’s Core. Could you ask him once?”

—……Yes. I will ask and contact you again at the same number later.

“Then…… I’ll wait.”

I put down my smartphone.

______________________________________________________________________

“The dishes are here~!”

At 10 PM, I’m working part-time at a barbecue restaurant. It’s the weekend, so there are a lot of people, but the work is always easy.

I quickly clean the dishes and grill with Perion detergent, and when it’s roughly organized, I go outside the kitchen to throw away the food waste-

“……?”

An alleyway where the food waste bin is placed.

Today, there was an unexpected person there. I could see the back of the head of a train fare evader.

“What are you doing?”

“!”

The fare evader, who was loitering in the alleyway, quickly turned around.

She, who had hidden her noticeable red hair in a beret that only detectives would wear, was, of course, Soliette Arkne.

Soliette looked around and came crunching over here. She pursed her lips as she looked at me.

“What is it? Ask.”

“……Can we talk for a moment.”

“Yeah.”

I opened the lid of the food waste bin. The spreading smell made Soliette’s nose twitch.

“I have a question.”

She asked in a nasal voice. The wrinkles on her face also trembled due to the stench.

“What.”

I dumped the bag full of food waste into the bin.

“Is knight-”

“I know he is.”

Bang-! I closed the food waste bin. Only then did Soliette breathe through her nose.

“……Can you be sure that Knightmare is alive.”

Certainty.

Looking closely at Soliette’s face, her dark circles were quite dark. Has she been worrying without sleeping all this time?

“Yeah. I’m sure.”

I spoke with certainty. Soliette asked in a trembling voice.

“Do you have any evidence?”

“Yes.”

There is clear evidence that Knightmare is alive. It’s evidence that Soliette herself found in the future, almost obsessively.

“That is……”

She, noticeably shaken, took a moment to catch her breath.

“Is that true?”

There was a deep suspicion in her tone.

It was understandable. Probably, until now, everyone in this world would have treated her belief as delusional.

“Yes. There definitely is.”

“……”

Soliette clenched her teeth hard. As if gaining some kind of certainty from that, she handed me her wallet from her inner pocket.

“In that case, I want to hire you.”

I looked at the contents. Ten 1,000 Ren bills, 10,000 Ren in total.

Chasing Knightmare with just this much seemed a bit insufficient.

“Just this?”

“Pardon?”

“Just this, I said.”

“It’s… a monthly salary.”

It didn’t seem like a salary.

“……Hmm.”

Anyway, 10,000 Ren a month. Even for Soliette, that would be quite a large expenditure.

Of course, her personal account probably has millions of Ren, but if she uses that, her family would catch on.

“This is a contract.”

Soliette added a piece of paper.

[Commission Agreement]

The client ‘Soliette Eunice Arkne Ciel’ and the retainer ‘Shion Ascal’ enter into the following commission agreement.

It was a contract.

“I didn’t know your full name, so I put Shion Ascal.”

“Right. That’s all there is. I’m not a noble.”

“Yes. Please read it.”

I skimmed the contents.

Article 1.

The retainer will cooperate with the Knightmare tracking mission proposed by the client.

Article 2.

If the retainer and the client come into contact or meet in public, they will not acknowledge each other.

Article 3.

All conversations between the retainer and the client will only be on official matters. It’s okay to exchange opinions that help with the mission, but unnecessary conversations, such as asking about each other’s past, are forbidden.

Article 4.

The retainer and the client will meet on a predetermined date each week to exchange detailed information related to the commission.

Article 5.

The client will pay the retainer 10,000 Ren as consideration for the contract.

Article 6.

The client and the retainer will keep all information and materials acquired under this contract confidential.

Article 7.

The client and the retainer promise not to betray each other’s trust for any reason during the contract period.

I chuckled softly.

The contract was saying, hire me, but don’t cross the line. Especially Article 3, it probably meant not to ask about the incidents related to Knightmare, that is, the precious people he took away.

“What’s this? The contract just says 10,000 Ren?”

“It’s a typo. It’s 10,000 Ren per month. I’ll correct it.”

Soliette spoke confidently. I narrowed my eyes and waved the contract.

“20,000 Ren.”

“……”

Soliette’s mouth opened slightly.

“And, if I find Knightmare for you.”

I pondered for a moment. How much should I ask for as an incentive?

I stroked my chin and nodded.

“A success fee of 10,000,000 Ren.”

“Are you fucking insane?”

Soliette, taken aback, cursed with a breathless, expressionless face.

It’s her habit. When surprised, her mouth reacts before her actions.

Thump- I flicked the contract with my finger.

“Why. Can’t you afford that much? You could sell one of the swords you have stashed in your family’s armory and make that much. 10,000,000 Ren as a bounty for Knightmare is cheap.”

“……Ha.”

Soliette sighed. As if her head was throbbing, she rubbed her forehead with one hand.

“Do you only chase after money?”

“Of course.”

“……Yes. Rather, it’s good.”

However, she quickly nodded with a relieved face. As if she had been looking for someone like me all this time.

“Then, please give me the evidence first.”

At that, I held out my hand. Soliette asked with wide eyes.

“What for.”

“I need money to get the evidence. Give me a down payment. About 10,000 Ren.”

“……Consider that as the down payment. I’ll give you your salary when you bring the evidence.”

“The salary is 20,000 Ren, right?”

“……Yes.”

Fuck.

Soliette muttered a very small curse, but anyway, 20,000 Ren was reasonable.

I responded with a smile.

“Okay. Contract established. After the college board ends on Monday, come to the lake behind the old building at midnight.”