SWY 80

“What do you want to talk about?”

Once the two of them were alone, Yuel moved to Lestel’s side with a faint smile tugging at the corners of his eyes.

“That brooch… it’s related to the young lady’s family, isn’t it?”

“If that’s all you wanted to say, I don’t think I needed to stay behind.”

“Hmph. You don’t have to answer. Just your attitude tells me that the brooch and the young lady are connected. The only one who could make a boring merchant snap like that has to be the Red Wolves’ flower.”

“I doubt you stopped me just to talk about Sharhan. Just say it.”

Lowering his voice even though no one was around, Yuel asked quietly.

“The moving corpses… they’re connected to the Luhas domain, aren’t they? I’m guessing it’s because of the Rascul in the Paphun tea. Am I right? If you found out anything while you were in Luhas, spill it. Ah, you did go to Luhas, right? I know you and the young lady left for Luhas together.”

“Yes, we went all the way to Luhas. Ha, we went looking for the antidote and ended up seeing hell. And just as you guessed, it’s because of the Rascul. I brought back the tea leaves from Luhas… they should be in my bag… anyway, I brought them, so if we analyze them, maybe we can find an antidote or–”

Before Lestel could even finish, Yuel was already shaking his head, his expression dark.

“Why do you think I called them corpses? Because they’re dead. The people who drank Paphun tea and got addicted… maybe there was hope before their hearts stopped beating and they turned into moving corpses, but now it’s too late. How do you revive the dead? I’m no god. Knowing that the tea’s main ingredient was Rascul, which is cultivated with monster blood, I had a bad feeling… and sure enough, the addicts died and came back to attack people. It was only a matter of time. There’s no way the ancient empire’s nobles drank such a dangerous tea casually. Lord Luhas must have done something to it.”

“You’re right. Apparently, he turned the Paphun toxic and spread it through the empire to avenge his daughter.”

“He’s completely insane. What happened to Lord Luhas?”

“He’s dead. After offering the entire empire as a sacrifice. What kind of person is Elieas?”

“She’s responsible. She had big ambitions, wanted to succeed her father as city lord of Verden. Are you wondering if she can convince Simon?”

“Simon wouldn’t hand over his people to just anyone.”

They were planning to take Simon to Serman, but he wasn’t the kind of man to abandon the survivors he’d gathered without a plan.

“She’s a good woman. Capable and ambitious. You saw it yesterday, she doesn’t hide behind others, and she’s strong enough to take the lead in battle. She’s got strong will, too. Rebuilding Verden was the late city lord’s dream. He went to try and persuade that bastard Delos and got killed. I think he believed that once he dealt with the toughest nut to crack, Delos, the rest would be easy. That was his mistake. Elieas and her aides tried to stop him, but he was stubborn. And just as expected, that bastard cut off the city lord’s head and sent it to Elieas. She’s the one who calmly took control when the survivors in the City Hall almost scattered in fear after seeing it.”

“She must have wanted revenge, but she held back for a long time.”

“Yeah. She’s patient and knows how to prioritize the greater good. I’m just a gambling den owner, an informant, and an apothecary, but a ruined world rubs me the wrong way. If Elieas can rebuild even ten percent of the old Verden, lending a hand doesn’t sound too bad. Things were getting boring anyway. Watching Verden come back to life while helping from the sidelines might be fun.”

“Sounds like the city lord raised his daughter right to be his successor.”

When they had decided to establish a branch here, he had met the him, a man of great skill and ambition. He was also the one who had turned the insignificant Verden into a city of pleasure.

“Right. More than anything, she really cherishes Verden.”

“Prepare food and water. Weapons for me too. I’d prefer an axe or a hammer. I’ll pay with the gold and jewels in the mansion.”

“Yes, customer. I’ll get everything ready, just as you asked. Oh, and from what I’ve heard from the survivors, our clever merchant here was hiding quite the trump card?”

Yuel glanced at Lestel’s earring and smacked his lips. He clearly wanted it.

“Because a trump card should be hidden properly.”

The magic sword had helped many times.

“What’s even more surprising is the mage. Who would’ve thought one still existed… Are you sure you don’t want to hand them over to me? They’d be a huge help in rebuilding Verden. Whatever you want, food, clothes, weapons, you name it. I’ll provide it.”

“Derry is a person, not an object.”

“So you’re saying no? Can’t you at least ask their opinion? I’m offended I didn’t even know there was a mage. Some informant I am.”

Yuel clung to Lestel’s back as he walked toward the door.

“No. Derry is a precious and reliable companion. I can’t do without him.”

Yuel, who loved pretty and strange things just as much as he loved decorating himself, especially things that were one of a kind coveted Derry, but Lestel refused him flatly. Not only did he not have the right to decide Derry’s fate, but Derry, who followed Sharhan like a mother hen, would never choose to stay behind. More importantly, now that Derry had become fairly adept at magic, losing him would be a problem.

Lestel opened the door, ignoring Yuel’s pout, and saw Derry waiting outside.

“Lord Sharhan told me to come check if you were finished talking.”

“We’re done.”

“Then I’ll go tell him. After all, I’m Lord Lestel’s precious companion!”

Derry’s excitement was obvious as he ran off, clearly having overheard the whole conversation.

***

Sharhan’s group quickly finished their preparations. Injured Abel and Ras would stay behind to recover, while Renel and Kamil planned to leave immediately. In a world where you couldn’t predict even the next day, it made sense to move while the roads were clear and their bodies were in good shape.

Yuel and his men remained at Delos’ mansion. The place held a stockpile of food and weapons gathered by that bastard, and there were still survivors, so someone needed to guard it. Besides, there was always the chance that Delos might return.

“Take care, Abel. Say goodbye to Ras for me too.”

“Sure. If fate allows… let’s meet again.”

“Yes. We will meet again. And I hope you get to reunite with your family.”

“You too.”

Though they smiled and treated it like a short farewell, both sensed that this might be the last time they’d ever see each other. Sharhan lightly tapped Abel’s shoulder twice with his fist, the Red Wolves’ customary goodbye.

As they stepped into the garden, the banquet hall came into view. Black smoke was seeping out through the crack of a tightly closed door, accompanied by a foul stench. Yuel explained as Sharhan wrinkled his brow.

“The moving corpses won’t get out unless someone opens the door on purpose, but there’s no reason to leave a risk behind, right? We’ll be living here for a while, and it would make my skin crawl. So I poured oil in this morning and set it on fire. Cremated the bodies all at once. It stinks now, but it’ll pass soon.”

Sharhan nodded. It wasn’t a bad decision. If Delos or one of his people secretly opened the passage to the basement with malicious intent, the corpses would come up and attack the survivors.

“Thanks for the supplies. We’ll put them to good use.”

They were headed for Lestel’s mansion, and if nothing went wrong, they’d arrive by the end of the day. Just in case, they’d packed food and water, courtesy of Yuel.

“Free of charge…”

“I know it’s not free.”

It had been a short time, but enough to pick up on Yuel’s quirks. With a laugh, Lestel replied, and Yuel clicked his tongue in mock annoyance. Even with all his dazzling jewelry and flashy clothes, he didn’t seem annoying anymore.

“See you again, Yuel.”

“Definitely, handsome merchant. I’ll send someone to inform you once that Delos bastard turns up. It won’t take long. I am Yuel, after all.”

After exchanging a short and dry goodbye with the ever-boastful Yuel, the departing group now numbered seven: Sharhan’s group, Elieas and her aide, and the two Red Wolves. Renel and Kamil split off midway. After giving Sharhan a double tap on the shoulder, their farewell, he briefly watched their backs as they headed toward the western gate before turning away and heading for Lestel’s mansion.

The journey was fairly smooth. They occasionally ran into moving corpses, but Elieas and her aide dealt with them.

“Verden is my city. I’ll handle it. If they get too numerous for the two of us, then you can help.”

Whether they were trying to prove their skills or simply felt it was their responsibility, Sharhan saw no reason to object. It made things easier.

Watching Derry, who seemed unusually cheerful, Sharhan spoke as they walked behind Elieas and her aide, who led the way like escorts.

“Derry looks like he’s in a really good mood today.”

Derry kept poking the air with the lever Sharhan had given him, a wide grin on his face.

“Because I’m your reliable companion!”

His expression looked like he’d be wagging his tail if he had one. His gaze was fixed on Lestel. Eventually, even Lestel, who had been expressionless the whole time, cracked a smile and replied.

“Yeah. You’re a reliable companion. You’ve been doing more than your share.”

Blushing happily, Derry giggled. As Sharhan looked back and forth between Lestel and Derry, sensing that something had happened between them, Elieas spoke.

“We’ve arrived.”

At her words, several sharp spears shot out from between the crowded carriages, wagons, stakes, tables, and chairs surrounding a familiar grand mansion. The tips aimed menacingly at the group, ready to strike at the slightest provocation.

“Halt!”