“How is it?”
Hamal’s eyes sparkled. His gaze was a mixture of confidence and anticipation as if he wanted a certain reaction from me.
I didn’t need to pretend.
“It’s great?”
The sword I held in my hand was satisfying. It felt comfortable in my palm, without any discomfort.
The sword made by the dwarf excelled in balance, strength, and predictability.
Even though it was my first time holding the sword, it felt very familiar, as if I had been using it for a long time.
Perhaps my reaction didn’t excite Hamal as much as he expected because he pouted his lips.
“Is that all? Ugh, I worked hard to make it…”
It was a half-playful tantrum, but there seemed to be some sincerity mixed in it. I replied with a faint smile.“It’s perfect.”
“You should have said that from the beginning. Now you’re just flattering me.”
I was slightly taken aback by the harmless teasing. I refrained from saying too much due to my gaming experiences.
The dwarves I had encountered didn’t like flowery compliments and preferred objective evaluations.
The weapon was excellent, but it couldn’t be compared to a renowned famous sword.
It seemed that Hamal had become a bit more human than I initially thought.
“He’s always been reserved in his expressions.”
“Such people are truly skilled.”
Phiri’s words led to an immediate change in Hamal’s demeanor, and he playfully agreed. I barely held back my laughter.
Afterward, I tried holding a dagger and a short sword before moving on to equipment.
Hamal spread out the equipment on the desk. I didn’t have high expectations, anyway.
Since the main focus was the weapon, I considered the rest as supplementary items.
The basic clothes and cape coat looked ordinary. Many mercenaries and adventurers wore them.
However, the saddle next to them seemed a bit out of place.
“There’s nothing special about the clothes you wear underneath. The material is better than what you can find outside, and it helps maintain body temperature well.”
Hamal said as he casually tapped the clothes with his thick palm, showing little interest.
It seemed that he didn’t make the clothes himself.
“However, these two are a bit special. I made them myself.”
“Stop showing off.”
As expected, Phiri couldn’t resist throwing a jab. Hamal frowned and grumbled.
“Why are you like this in front of him? You know that what I made is of good quality.”
“Who said that? It’s just embarrassing. If you give it to him without saying anything, he’ll probably say, ‘Wow, it’s so nice!’ without a word.”
“That’s because I don’t meet many people. What do you expect? I’m stuck in a small room all the time.”
Hamal let out a deep sigh with a resentful expression.
It seemed like Phiri’s attempt to evoke sympathy backfired as I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Why? Should I move you to a place other than Lagritte? Somewhere with more people?”
“Never mind.”
It was time to intervene, so I pretended to be interested and picked up the cape coat.
“What’s different about this one?”
Hamal approached me again, his eyes shining with excitement.
“This cape coat has more storage space inside compared to what you see on the outside.”
True to his words, the opened coat had compartments where various weapons and tools could be stored.
“Even if you move vigorously, it won’t be too uncomfortable. I took great care in designing it. Try putting it on.”
I followed Hamal’s instructions and put on the cape coat, moving around as he suggested. Just as he said, it felt fine.
“See, it’s okay?”
“Yes, it’s fine.”
“The important thing is this.”
Hamal pointed to the small strings hanging inside my sleeve.
“You don’t need to reach inside the coat. For example, when using a smoke bomb, you can do it like this…”
As Hamal pulled the string, there was a soft sound, and a hidden compartment inside the cape coat loosened.
“This way, you can drop what you want right where you need it. It’s all about how you use it.”
Several methods quickly crossed my mind. Depending on the situation, I could use it without arousing any suspicion.
Perhaps it could also serve as a role for distracting adversaries.
“And if you move your left arm like this…”
“Wow.”
In an instant, the cape coat sharply fluttered backward.
Considering the material, it could be considered an attack from behind. I liked this feature as well.
Satisfied with my surprised expression, Hamal showed a contented smile.
He gave me some other explanations, but I knew I would need some practice time later to get used to everything.
Finally, Hamal turned his attention to the saddle.
“This one is a bit unique, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
I hadn’t been able to imagine the saddle at all.
“It’s not much different from the cape coat. You can use similar techniques to utilize the items inside.”
The saddle was designed to allow items to be thrown during a ride.
“The important thing is this.”
Hamal pointed to a button next to the saddle. He explained that it was a bomb.
* * *
Phiri had paid for the luxurious hot spring reservation, but we decided to leave Lagritte.
The main reason was Phiri’s boredom, and I also thought it was best to get quickly involved in a new mission.
We could train anywhere; wasting time on rest wasn’t worth it when we could prove our worth.
Besides, we might receive missions related to the future, just like before.
After a week of performing observation missions, we arrived at the Imperial capital, Chenarus.
‘It was quite a boring mission.’
It was all I found out about indigo. (+)[1]TLN: Right now, I don’t know exactly what 남색 (indigo) exactly means. Perhaps it’s a codename for something. I’m not sure. But if you guys know what 남색 means in this sentence: 남색을 한다는 사실을 알아낸 게 전부였다. Let me know, please.
In this world, such information could be used as a weapon and be beneficial to Haisen.
We headed straight to meet with the leader, to report what we had done and receive new missions.
Personally, I felt somewhat uneasy.
He was a devil worshipper and the intelligence leader of the Haisen’s Imperial Intelligence branch, a person of great ability. I sensed his sharpness from our first encounter.
‘He quickly caught my momentary surprise.’
I worried that even the slightest trace of my emotions might leak out. He could easily see through my attempts to remain calm.
So, I tried my best to calm my mind.
“Well done.”
Sitting behind a desk piled with documents, the leader spoke with a tone that lacked warmth.
“Not at all.”
“No need to be humble. It’s not in your nature anyway. The duke is also very satisfied. Well, you know that better than anyone.”
“Haha…”
Phiri laughed coolly, while I maintained my inner composure.
The leader’s gaze occasionally turned towards me. Then, he shifted his attention to me.
“Carlyn has been very active, right?”
“Yes. He saved Toun Zaha and planned the events in Tumak.”
The leader nodded slowly.
“I had high expectations, but I didn’t expect this level of achievement.”
Though his tone was calm, his gaze was cold and sharp. Perhaps the events at the Kahalin Mountains made him uncomfortable?
Well, that was just my perception; it was hard to say for sure. I just smiled.
“Should I thank you for choosing the Empire?”
“No need. It’s because of that choice that I feel I’ve grown a lot.”
The leader let out a bitter chuckle.
“It’s frightening to think how much more you might grow.”
Superficially, Phiri seemed to take his words as praise. The leader tapped the desk.
“How about it? Are you willing to take separate missions and leave Phiri’s side?”
Huh?
It was a sudden proposal, or was it an offer? Either way, I personally wanted to refuse.
It was too early. I needed to stick with Phiri a bit longer. But it wasn’t the right time for me to speak up.
“You’ve done so well that it won’t matter much. However, there’s a need to take you further along while training.”
The leader turned his arrow-like gaze toward me.
“Carlyn, do you think the same?”
“Yes, I am learning a lot under the vice leader.”
The leader put his index finger on his chin and took a deep breath.
“Still, it should be okay to be apart for a while, right?”
“Do you have another mission for me?”
“Yes, you need to move alone for a bit. We’ll discuss the details later.”
“Okay.”
It would be fine to handle one mission. I let out a relieved sigh inwardly.
“During that time, Carlyn, I will give you a new mission as well.”
“Yes.”
This was a bit concerning.
Apart from being separated from Phiri, there was also the aspect of knowing the future.
Of course, it could be an excessive sense of anxiety. We couldn’t continue to stay together forever, after all.
If Phiri had to go through it, I would too.
“Don’t worry too much. The Chief of Intelligence is showing interest in the Northern region, which includes the Empire. We won’t act recklessly.”
I regained my composure as I thought about it calmly.
Meanwhile, the Leader took out a small box from under the desk.
“And this is your reward for successfully completing the mission.”
“Huh? What is it? I don’t have anything like that.”
Phiri also showed interest when I asked curiously.
“It’s an elixir. There’s one for you too, so don’t act so surprised. It’s not that great, so don’t expect too much.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
Phiri smiled contentedly. Even someone as strong as Phiri couldn’t resist the temptation of elixirs. I could understand that.
Anything to get a little stronger.
“Carlyn, wait outside for a moment.”
“Okay.”
I stepped out into the corridor and waited. I couldn’t hear any sound from inside.
It seemed like magic was in play.
About five minutes passed like that.
Phiri opened the door, walked toward me, and put the paper in her pocket. I couldn’t read her expression.
I asked cautiously,
“Is something serious?”
Phiri stared at me for a moment. I felt like I shouldn’t have asked.
It was common sense not to ask about things that weren’t shared, and I had been doing that.
Even if she concluded that everything was fine, I still had lingering concerns.
“It’s nothing serious. After we take the elixirs and rest for two days, we will depart.”
“Where are we going?”
“We have to go back the way we came. It’s in the southeast of the Empire. We’ll join other agents there. We’ll discuss the details later.”
I nodded.
“Don’t worry too much about being apart from me. You’re capable.”
“I’m not worried.”
In response, Phiri was looking at me playfully.
It wasn’t that kind of worry though…
“Just do as you’ve been doing.”
I nodded. After all, it was my first mission as an Inquisitor.
I wouldn’t take on the role of the one in charge, but I had to do well.
I needed to show that I could excel even in Phiri’s absence.
There was a chance that people might misunderstand and think that Phiri had taken care of me.
“Give me the box you received earlier. Let’s see what’s inside.”
In less than five seconds after handing her the box, I saw a hint of disappointment in Phiri’s eyes.
“Ugh, what is this?”
“He told us it’s not anything great.”
“Still, I thought they would show some appreciation for what we did. Anyway, this is so underwhelming.”
I tried to hold back a grin as I teased Phiri.
“Where did you receive yours?”
“Well, about that…”
Two days passed quickly. We made efforts to recover from fatigue and absorb the effects of the elixirs.
Since Phiri couldn’t tell me where she was going, we decided to part ways at the plaza.
At the last moment, I struggled and finally spoke.
“Phiri, be careful, okay?”
“Huh?”
Phiri looked at me for a second and then burst into laughter.
“You’re worried about me? You should be careful since you’ll be away from me.”
I chuckled awkwardly. The chances were low, but I still had lingering concerns.
“Just take care of yourself.”
Phiri’s words weren’t wrong. I didn’t know what would happen, but I had to do well on this mission.
After all, that’s what Haisen had failed to do in the game.
- 1. TLN: Right now, I don’t know exactly what 남색 (indigo) exactly means. Perhaps it’s a codename for something. I’m not sure. But if you guys know what 남색 means in this sentence: 남색을 한다는 사실을 알아낸 게 전부였다. Let me know, please.
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