Chapter 107

“So you knew about White Wagon.”

Idril spoke while deeply dipping bread into his soup.

“I just learned about it. Is that where you belong too, Mr. Idril?”

“Yes, that’s right. White Wagon is the only organization active in this area. Since there are quite a few active people, there are some who know about us.”

Quilbion asked a question while drinking his coffee.

“Traveling around hunting dogmas must cost money.”

“Money—it’s an important issue. Fortunately, we receive donations. We’ve solved many problems with those.”

“Donations?”

Idril’s pupils swept across the ceiling. It must mean the topic was difficult to discuss.

“Where can I meet the White Wagon people? I’d like to meet them soon.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll guide you. They should be gathered near Rim Village around now.”

Idril lifted his bowl. Food disappeared into his mouth—it was like watching a magic trick.

“Since we’re on the topic, should we depart right away?”

“That might be a bit difficult. I also have work to handle.”

“Work? I’ll help you.”

“I was just about to ask. Right now, you can’t be separated from me, Mr. Idril.”

“Can’t be separated—what do you……”

Idril trailed off and smiled bitterly.

“Because of that damn serial killer.”

“I already spoke to the lord. I said I’d watch over you. There won’t be any unjustified detention, so don’t worry.”

“I’ve received help again. Mr. Quil, you really are a good person.”

“Let’s just call it courtesy for the departed gloves.”

At the mention of gloves, Idril laughed out loud.

“The gloves ending up like that turned out well. Since I became friends with Mr. Quil. Our people will all like you too.”

“I guarantee that won’t be the case.”

“Why not? When you’re such a good person.”

Quilbion didn’t respond and drank his coffee.

Selling alcohol and food late into the night, then opening early in the morning to sell coffee too.

Quilbion liked the shop called ‘Starlight.’

“Have this.”

The employee placed a small bowl on the table. Dried fruit was laid out.

“We didn’t order this.”

“It’s something I secretly brought as an apology.”

“Doesn’t that sound strange?”

“Oh come on, just eat it.”

Idril tilted his head before popping the dried fruit into his mouth.

“I don’t know what happened, but service is always pleasant. Mr. Quil, you have some too. This is delicious.”

The employee gave a greeting with her eyes before turning around. She walked toward a customer who’d just entered and said “Welcome” energetically.

Quilbion ate the dried fruit before explaining the ‘favor’ he’d mentioned.

“Deaths with unknown causes. This smells suspicious.”

“The smell of dogmas?”

“Yes. We usually find dogmas through rumors. When inexplicably unlucky things happen, rumors are bound to spread.”

“Were there dogmas at the end of those rumors?”

Idril shook his head.

“No. Most of the time, they’d just really experienced ‘unlucky things.’ But if you keep searching, you eventually encounter truly evil dogmas like that dog.”

“You could end up wandering indefinitely.”

Using rumors as the basis for action.

The height of inefficiency.

“That’s right. Hahaha! But it’s fine. When we arrive at a place following rumors and don’t find a dogma, I’m actually relieved. Ah! I can think that it wasn’t because of that demon—it just happened according to providence.”

“How should I put it, Mr. Idril, you’re really…… kind.”

The words “naive and stupid” almost came out of his mouth.

“Oh, that look just now.”

Idril smiled wickedly. Of course, even making such a smile, the person still looked cheerful.

“I understand. Sometimes I find it funny how I’m living like this too. Nobody even recognizes it. Ah, sometimes problems arise while catching dogmas and I get captured instead. Because ordinary people can’t see the curses dogmas spread.”

Idril began explaining the thousands of unjust situations he’d experienced.

Quilbion enjoyed his coffee while listening to the story.

Listening was more comfortable than talking and suited his personality better. Above all, Idril’s words were both interesting and useful.

They were valuable firsthand accounts soaked with information from every corner of the land.

“The curse-covered doll was rampaging, and the child’s mother screamed!”

Idril, who’d been speaking while mixing in gestures, dropped his shoulders with a long breath.

“I only talked about myself, didn’t I?”

“Well, it’s not without a sense of that, but I like listening, so it doesn’t matter.”

“Mr. Quil, you’re an angel.”

“Suddenly?”

“My seniors tell me to shut up when I talk like this because it’s boring. They’re really…… well, they’re good people, of course.”

Idril swept his gaze across the table. Quilbion also looked at the dining table.

The food that had been piled high was gone.

He was amazed again. When did he eat it all? Idril hadn’t stopped talking once.

“I ate it all, right?”

“Yes. You ate it all alone. I didn’t even touch it.”

“……Should I order more?”

“Order more if you’re hungry. I’ll pay the bill.”

“No! I can’t do that. I received plenty of activity expenses this time, so it’s fine.”

Only after emptying food from three plates did Idril pat his belly with a face full of satisfaction.

On the way out, he glanced at the shop owner’s face—he could feel love in how she looked at Idril’s back.

“My seniors often said my body is inefficient. I’m on the large side, but I shouldn’t need to eat this much, right?”

“You must be born with glutton tendencies. As long as you don’t get an upset stomach, it’s not really a problem.”

“Exactly! My seniors lack that kind of understanding. When you meet the seniors this time, Mr. Quil, please speak reasonably to them. When I stand before them, my mouth gets slightly frozen.”

“I’ll try my best to defend you.”

He walked the streets with Idril.

While walking, Idril began laying out part two of his experiences. While listening and stepping forward, he stopped briefly.

“What’s wrong?”

“Ah, a flower caught my eye.”

Next to the road, in a small drainage channel, a nameless flower was poking up.

Since it was a place where stones were stacked in a lattice, there shouldn’t be space for roots, but mysteriously, the flower was sprouting fresh petals.

“It’s a Little Wing Lotus flower.”

“Little Wing Lotus?”

Idril pointed at the petals.

“The petals are angular like lotus petals, right? Plus, when the wind blows, they flutter like bird wings, so that’s how it got its name.”

“I learned something. But how did you know that?”

“Ah! One of my seniors is very interested in plants. They’re a unique person.”

“You have a lot of people you call senior.”

“Many. There are quite a few non-humans mixed in too.”

Idril stopped in front of the inn.

“I’ll wait inside obediently. I’m confident, but people might feel anxious seeing my face.”

“Only the guards know the killer’s face, so ordinary citizens probably don’t know.”

“Still, you never know. If someone faints looking at me, it’ll be big trouble, so I’ll stay put until we depart.”

“Alright. We’re leaving for the frontier in two days, so we’ll see each other then.”

“Yes.”

Idril waved his hands vigorously, saying see you later. Quilbion also raised his hand slightly.

He was thinking whether he should visit Elcoco again when it happened.

His eyes met with a guard who’d been looking around in the distance. It was one of the guards who’d gone to arrest Idril yesterday.

The guard ran over and stood before him.

“Yesterday was truly rude of us.”

“These things happen when you’re working. More than that, why……”

“The young lord asked me to escort you.”

He headed to the castle with the guard.

Ruki, who’d been standing on the bridge crossing the moat, approached with a smile.

The guard saluted and turned around.

“Lord Quilbion.”

“What business do you have? If it’s the inspection team, we’re departing in two days.”

Instead of answering, Ruki held out an envelope.

“What’s this?”

“The matter you requested.”

“Could this be from the Barara Tribe……”

Ruki nodded.

“It was worth traveling and making contact in the middle of the night. They said they’d make time. They’re not usually easy to meet, but when I conveyed Lord Quilbion’s story, they showed interest.”

“That’s good news. Can I meet them if I bring this?”

He slightly tore the sealing wax and looked inside the envelope. A handful of stiff black fur was inside.

“Fur?”

“It’s theirs. You could see it as proof of the promise.”

“Ah, yes.”

He put it away for now.

“I’d like to meet them as soon as possible.”

“You can visit them right away. Once they sit down, they rarely get up. Since they just finished external schedules and returned, they’ll be at their residence for a while.”

Elcoco, who’d been behind Ruki, smiled and stepped forward. Ah, she was there. Her presence was so faint he only just noticed.

“El will guide you. If you ride horses for about four hours, you’ll reach the residence, so if you depart now, you should arrive before sunset.”

Ruki continued with an apologetic face.

“I wanted to handle the guidance, but an unavoidable situation arose. If you go tomorrow, I’ll guide you.”

“No, it’s fine. I just need to know the location, so I’ll go with Coco.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

Elcoco scurried off somewhere before bringing back two horses. Looking up at the snorting horses, he opened his mouth.

“I’ll run, so only you ride the horse.”

Whether she’d heard about this beforehand, Coco didn’t say anything and grabbed the reins. The remaining horse was led away by a servant.

“Please travel safely.”

He left the village with Ruki’s farewell. As soon as they left the village, Coco mounted the horse and flicked the reins energetically.

“Hiyah!”

He’d thought she was someone who only looked at books and had zero athletic ability, but she rode horses quite well.

Quilbion increased his speed and ran alongside the horse Elcoco rode.

“Wow! It was really true.”

“You didn’t believe what Ruki said.”

“How could I believe it? A person running at the same speed as a horse for several hours. Well, since I saw you use mysterious magic, it’s not that incredibly surprising.”

Quilbion looked at Elcoco smiling brightly while pushing up her glasses.

“You seem to be enjoying yourself.”

“Yes! It’s been a while since I rode a horse. I hate walking, but I like riding horses. It’s just that I don’t have many chances to ride.”

“How about saving some money from buying books to buy a horse? You seem to receive quite a lot of money.”

“No way! How can I give up books?”

Quilbion shrugged his shoulders with a smile.

She had firm tastes.

“Hey!”

Perhaps because of the sound of hoofbeats, Elcoco spoke loudly as if screaming.

“What?”

“Could you teach me magic? That magic for organizing books—I really want to learn it.”

“I can teach you, but you can’t learn it.”

“Is it because of the mental world?”

“No. This is something a proper human can’t learn.”

“Then can I learn it if I’m not proper!?”

“You could see it that way.”

“Then tell me how to become improper! Organizing books is so hard!”

“Then first, try living alone for about 100 years.”

“Huh?”

“Try living alone for about 100 years.”

“How can a person live 100 years! And alone at that!”

“That’s why you can’t do it. Settled?”

“……Lord Quilbion has a nasty personality.”

Very quietly, Elcoco spoke while wiggling her lips. She must have thought he wouldn’t hear.

“Yeah, you judged well.”

“Huh, you heard?”

“I have good ears.”

“I’m sorry!”

“Quick with the apology.”

“Are you going to tell the lord? Will I get scolded terribly? Eek, I don’t want that!”

“I won’t tell. It’s bothersome.”

An unpredictable girl who likes books.

Kuhard wasn’t the type to keep useless things nearby. Though she looks clumsy, she must have talent, which is why he keeps her close and attached her to me.

Could it be an act to seem naive?

Quilbion chuckled and brushed away the thought.

It didn’t matter either way. Give what’s needed and receive what’s needed. As long as the transaction was conducted accurately, everything else could be laughed off.

“Lord Quilbion!”

It was when the sun at the top of his head was touching the mountain ridge. Elcoco shouted.

“That’s it!”

Far in the distance, beside a trail, he could see a single house rising up incongruously.