Chapter 23: Professionals And Amateurs


TL: Scaramochi


***


On the way to Cambium, the Royal capital, I saw an old letter by the side of the road.


The sun was just rounding the mid-sky.


I slowed my steps. 


The traffic around me was increasing, and the danger of a surprise attack had decreased considerably.


Well, even if I walked slowly, it would be possible to enter the Royal Capital before the gates closed.


I was indeed quite tired.


Tonight, I decided to stay at a proper inn.


The inn in the capital would have private rooms, and my identity wouldn't be so alarming. The price would be higher than the inn in the village, but I would just have to let it go as a necessary expense.


I felt that my body wouldn't be able to take it if I didn't lie down and sleep properly soon.


I received an inspection at the castle gate, but when I told them I was delivering something to the Marc Chamber, they readily allowed me to enter.


I took several turns along the streets radiating from the castle and intersecting it, looking for the Marc Chamber.


I have been here several times, but it is still as complicated as ever.


Finally, I arrived at the Marc Chamber and went inside.


I told them what I wanted and was shown to a small room.


I am used to this area.


I checked out the small room. There were no peepholes.


Well, just in case, after confirming that everything is fine, I take off my boots, which I have been wearing all this time.


I wrinkle my nose because I've been wearing them all summer, even though it's not summer time.


I reached inside and peeled off the insoles.


I takes out five gold coins along with the stuffing. I took the same out of the other boot. A total of 10 coins. They may smell a little stinky, but gold coins are gold coins.


I soaked a cloth in the sake I carry to keep my mind off the smell and wiped it off.


It was a little better.


I put on my boots as before, leave the small room, and place the 10 gold coins on the counter.


After exchanging them for the receipt, the mission is complete.


When you are in the Marc Chamber, you don't really need a receipt. The bill has been properly settled.


Well, it is a proof that I have done my job, but it is not fatal even if I lose it. It will take some time to make an inquiry, but I'm sure that Marc Chamber would recognize that I delivered the money.


Trust comes first, so I will not be stingy with a mere 10 gold coins.


The shopkeeper also amiably asked me if I had a place to stay after I had relaxed. This kind of thoughtfulness is the Marc Chamber's.


He introduces me to an inn where I can relax on a clean bed. The price is six coppers for an overnight stay with no meal, but breakfast is included if you are introduced by the Marc Chamber. He gave me a small piece of pottery as a letter of introduction, so I visited the inn.


I get a mug of ale at the tavern below the inn and celebrate alone. I really wanted to burst out laughing, but I kept my smile on one side of my face. This is what amateurs are like. Why should I keep 10 gold coins in my pocket?


Well, I had played a trick on him, so it was inevitable that he would be fooled.


I put the fake gold coins in a leather bag.


When that Zeigt guy suspected me, I got impatient. I guess he's must have heard about it too. It's a really good fake, looks and weighs almost the same as the real thing.


Well, if you strike the gold coins against each other, someone who knows would be able to tell, but he probably didn't have time to do that in the middle of a robbery, and he probably didn't think there was a fake to begin with.


It is a felony to use counterfeit money. Depending on the amount, you can be hanged.


I had obtained it for a certain reason, but I realized late that the fact that a poor person like me had a lot of gold coins stirred up suspicion, so I couldn't use it.


There is a story that because some idiot spent it in a flashy way, the king even heard about it and an investigation is being conducted.


I had no intention of using it to pay the price because it was dangerous. In that sense, I am not lying to Zeigt. Only the thin surface was gold, so it was useful that I had saved it with the impatient thought of melting it down or scraping it off.


There were exactly ten sheets.


As a person with a scar, I would have been in a very difficult position if I had been caught, but now I was able to get rid of them. This is what people called by kill two birds with one stone.


At any rate, the crisis was over, but I had to make sure he paid for it. However, if the other two are warriors and mage, I have no chance of winning if I fight them head-on.


The question is how much of that trio is in on it, and even two of them can't do it, but if Zack and Comba, or whatever they're called, are in on it, it's very dangerous.


If I fight them out in the open, I have no chance, and even if I go after them in the dark, I can't just kill them in the middle of town. Although the number of guards has been decreasing recently, they will investigate desperately if someone has been killed. If the murder was perfect, they will narrow down the list of suspects, judging from their own method, and as the result, I or Dennis must be suspected.


I frowned at the thought of Dennis' face, which I didn't want to remember.


He is an adventurer based in the town of Norn, ostensibly a scout. In short, he is my colleague. And his personality is quite twisted.


Well, a well-behaved thief is like a black swan, but even so, he's a bad guy. Compared to him, I can at least call myself the Saint.


He is aware that he is disliked and in a bad position in society, so he is very forceful with those whom he can be forceful with. Once he has a weakness, he will sucker-punch it to the hilt. He uses his special skills to obtain secret letters and extort money from them, then lends them the money he has obtained and aggressively collects from them.


He is the snub of the town of Norn, but he is hard to keep his tail between his legs. To make matters more troublesome, he was very competitive with me.


It was bad enough that I distanced myself from Dennis when his bad reputation was about to spread to me.


Since then, my name must be on the top of his revenge list.


Now that I'm out exploring with either Auris or Shinove's party, if an incident were to occur under these circumstances, I'd be the culprit for sure.


It would be nice if Zoe and the others could go into the dungeon together with Dennis to get rid of the poisoned stigma and be wiped out.


But that's not going to work out so well, is it?


I can't do it. I can't think straight. I getting drunk too fast today.


Well, I'll think of a way to deal with it before return to Norn.


I'm feeling tired, so I'm going to give up soon.


I fell asleep. I really thankful to be able to lie down and sleep for the first time in a while.



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