Chapter 267: You Are Like Sand (8)

Dawn broke.

Is this my first time making it to Grassmere within a single day?

The enormous double-layered walls loomed ahead.

ACCESS DENIED.

The gate was firmly shut. There was no way I’d be able to jump over that in one go.

[Skill: Suction Lv. 5 activated.]

I latched onto the outer wall and then slipped over with ease. I could’ve just climbed using force shields layered through the air, but this way was not flashy and far more stable and efficient.

I briefly glanced toward the massive inner fortress. Beneath it lay the tomb of the sorcerer who once ruled half the empire.

I shook my skull and looked away. I’d sworn not to go back down there, because I wasn’t here for that. My goal was the merchant. I headed toward Yube Jinney’s Grassmere branch, known as The Crowded Cactus. This time around, he hadn’t used his alias, Bato Shima, nor asked me to visit. So, this was a one-sided visit.

Detect.

He was already up, sorting ledgers.

Thud.

I dropped a heavy sack full of silver bars onto the vintage desk. Startled, Yube Jinney hugged his ledger to his chest and took two quick steps back.

"Protecting the ledger first,

huh

," I commented.

"Who are you?" Yube asked.

I’ve got to give credit where it’s due. He didn’t stammer.

"Check the bag first."

"Silver bars, is it? About 4,000 roti, I guess. That’s quite a hefty transaction for a humble merchant like me, but..."

Yeah, that sounds about right.

He’d pegged the value from the sound alone. Not bad.

Yube directly asked me, "What would you like to purchase?"

Straight to business.

He probably realized that someone who could appear silently could kill just as easily. Therefore, he did not put up a pointless resistance. He made a wise choice.

"You know about the power struggle over the title in Erast?"

Yube looked almost relieved. Maybe he’d feared something worse.

He nodded. "Yes, I’m aware."

No need to drag it out.

"Good. Then I want you to back Rubia Ray. Support her completely. Do everything money can buy."

When it came to manipulating human currency, Yube Jinney was far more capable than Rubia or me.

Yube raised an eyebrow. "We don’t even know each other. You’re placing a lot of trust in me."

"You dislike it?"

"Not at all. There’s nothing more welcome to a merchant than generous credit." He reached into the sack and took half. "This is my fee for a first-time client."

Fair enough.

I didn’t need to nitpick his rates.

As I collected the sack, I asked, "Any mercenaries nearby?"

I wanted some additional muscle for Rubia’s safety. Even if Yube was on the job, a little backup wouldn’t hurt.

Yube hesitated. "There are, but... the Empire’s mercs are mostly second-rate. The real talent, 70% of them, is in neutral Embermere, and 30% in the Confederation. Shall I look into the capital for you?"

"That bad,

huh

?"

"Anyone with real skill here usually aims to become a hero."

"Fine. Just tell me the nearest location."

I had two weeks until the marquis arrived. Recruiting from the capital would be too late. I only needed someone strong enough to neutralize the thugs around Rubia’s uncle, Kirk Ray.

"Here."

Yube spread out a map and pointed to a location between Erast, the imperial border, and the southern coast. It wasn’t far, but it was still unfamiliar territory.

Honestly, my hopes weren’t high. Still, I figured I’d check it out.

As I turned to leave, Yube stopped me. "Wait! May I at least ask your name? How will I report the results?"

"You don’t need to."

He offered me another black merchant guild card. "Then at least take this..." When I accepted it without hesitation, he flinched. "You... already knew?"

"Yeah. The more, the better."

Seeing him gape, I briefly considered asking him about the guild’s motives.

Why is the merchant guild so eager to gather powerful people through goodwill? Doesn't that conflict with the Empire's interests, especially with how deeply entrenched the imperial family is in secrecy and control?

Maybe the guild could be an ally, but I held back. I’d heard that people would need to collect five cards before the guild would even entertain the idea of sharing their offer. Even Chandler’s father, a former lord of Grassmere, had only received the proposal after acquiring a full membership and proving his merit.

Right now, I wasn’t even a proper member. No amount of coercion would get them to open up. It was best not to spook Yube or ruin our budding rapport.

Whoosh!

I took off toward the mercenary guild location he’d marked. It looked like it wasn’t in the town proper, but rather set up like that orphanage Lime had operated in the past. However, this one was in the mountains, not the plains.

The trail was still muddy from yesterday’s rain. Still far from the marked spot, I caught a faint presence.

Carefully, I closed the distance.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The sounds grew louder, like someone training in the wilderness.

Shwing!

Even from the wind alone, I could tell.

Not bad.

Then came the battle cry. "

Hiiiyaah!

"

I rushed through the trees toward the source.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

"So this is where you ended up..." I murmured.

Standing near a swollen ravine, I saw a lone person training there. It was a muscular, bare-shouldered woman alternating between martial drills and cleansing herself beneath a waterfall.

The image of her trampled, mud-covered, and scarred severed head flashed through my mind. There was no need to go all the way to the guild now. Here stood someone I could trust.

I don’t know about ghosts or assassins yet, but Kirk’s goons? Christina could pulverize them easily.

Christina glanced down at her chest, then at her armor, sighed deeply, and went right back to training.

"

Haaah...

"

She has a fine physique. What could she be so dissatisfied with?

Most likely, her swordsmanship troubled her.

Tap

.

I casually approached her with the two swords I had obtained from the old blacksmith. The moment I made my presence known, she turned to face me, raising her greatsword. Despite the simple steel blade, it was well-maintained. Christina clearly respected her weapon.

"Don’t come any closer."

The image of her back in Grassmere came to mind, and how she sharpened her technique with each passing day.

I offered to assist. "You look like someone in need of help."

"Help? What are you talking about?" Christina barked.

I tossed one of the swords toward her.

Clang.

Forged by Yublam’s blacksmith, the blade landed precisely one step in front of Christina, well within arm’s reach.

She flinched. "What are you doing, tossing a fine sword around like that?"

"I’ve got plenty of swords." I shrugged. "Take it if you want. Use that, or keep swinging that oversized hunk of iron. Your choice."

"What’s this about, all of a sudden?"

She looked back and forth between her greatsword and the longsword lying in the dirt, clearly rattled.

"If someone draws a sword on you, worry about why after. I’m coming."

Whoosh!

I immediately thrust at her head, torso, and leg. She barely managed to parry with the flat of her greatsword, and the impact knocked her two steps back.

Christina asked in frustration, "What did I do wrong?"

"That question’s the problem," I replied.

Even when confronted by an armed stranger attacking her in the mountains, her first thought was to blame herself. That mindset was what she needed to overcome to grow as a swordswoman.

I closed the distance again and went for her neck. She deflected the blow, but her grip faltered. After a few more exchanges, she lost her footing and slipped into the swollen stream. Her sword flew through the air and landed tip-down in the mud beneath the waterfall.

"Who... are you? I concede..."

I pulled the sword from the earth and held it out to her.

"Again."

***

Blood burst from Christina’s palm. The steel greatsword she cherished more than her own appearance was now chipped and dulled.

I swung once more, aiming for a vital point.

Clang!

It wasn’t a harmless attack. Had she failed to react or muster her strength, it could have easily ended her. I wanted her to awaken and to feel what it meant to fight as if her life were truly at stake.

Thud!

My boot struck her wrist hard, sending her blade clattering to the ground.

"You’ve died five times already."

I pressed the flat of my blade against her neck. Christina clenched her teeth. Then, she deliberately tilted her clavicle into the blade’s edge. Beads of blood welled up on her skin.

"

Hmph

?"

Christina didn’t wait for me to hand the sword back. "Again... Let’s go again."

Rolling to the side, she picked it up herself and launched into an attack. There was no more hesitation. She no longer hunched forward in an attempt to shield her chest.

***

Has it been one day? Two? Three?

Time blurred as we pushed each other to the edge.

Thud.

Christina collapsed onto the muddy ground, thin cuts covering her. Not even her breath could be heard as water from the falls splashed across her motionless form.

"

Puh-ha!

" Just as I thought she might really be dead, she rolled to her side and gasped for breath. "

Haa... haa... haa...

"

"..."

Has something changed?

"Kill me."

"Kill you? Me?"

Christina closed and opened her eyes, as if nodding from where she lay in the dirt.

"This... is the greatest moment of my life. Please... end it here."

What nonsense. I hadn’t trained her for days just so she could die with a smile.

She’s come a long way. Far more than when she was in Grassmere.

Of all the humans I’d seen, her potential was among the highest. If only she’d met a proper teacher from the start, she would’ve excelled.

I tossed a silver bar onto the ground. "For travel expenses. Get yourself some decent gear and head to Erast."

"Erast?"

"There’s a woman named Rubia Ray. Help her."

That would suffice. I sheathed my sword and turned away.

"At least your name! Tell me your name!"

I said nothing and descended the mountain. Christina was the type who only needed someone to pledge herself to. She had both the character and the talent. Rubia had good judgment, so she’d recognize Christina’s worth. I hoped she’d take her on as a personal guard. Regardless, that wasn’t guaranteed.

Back at the inner keep, I returned to Rubia’s room and placed the remaining silver bars by the bedside. I scrawled a note on a piece of parchment.

The silver is a gift. I’m sending you a knight. Treat her well.

Below that, I scribbled more.

From an old connection.

Then I quietly left the room.

From the nearby conference hall, I could hear Rubia’s composed voice leading a discussion. She was doing well. I felt a little lighter. With this, I’d done all I could for now in terms of support, protection, and information. However, the most important piece was still missing.

𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

I decided it was time to figure out how to bring Marquis Leandro to Rubia’s side. I turned my gaze northward to the capital, toward Rena's location.