Volume 5 Chapter 24 It's A Laughing Matter, But...
The nouveau riche pig and the googly-eyed men leave the shop. As I casually glanced around, not just us but other customers too were eyeing the pig, and somehow, everyone seemed to be wearing grim expressions.
Before long, a burly man approached us.
"The boss wants to meet you now."
"Is that so? Alright, shall we go then?"
After downing the remaining drink in his cup, Reed stood up. Following suit, we left our seats and headed back to the VIP room.
One of the guards blocking the entrance glared at Reed.
"...Make sure you don't disrespect the boss."
"Yeah yeah, onwards and upwards."
"Don't just brush it off like that!"
This exchange feels exactly like the gatekeeper from before. How untrustworthy can this guy be? Is he really treated as a client? I hope we won't be attacked as soon as we step inside.
As a storm of tsukkomi rages in my mind, the man opens the door.
With Reed leading the way, seeming like he's about to skip, we stepped inside.
True to its name as a VIP room, the interior was more luxurious than the tavern downstairs. Although there were scattered customers, they somehow seemed to have a higher class appearance than those downstairs.
And at the backmost seat, sitting on what was clearly the most high-quality sofa compared to the others, was a man flanked by beautiful women on both sides. Despite being called middle-aged, he looked young, with a stern appearance and slicked-back hair.
"Looks like it's a busy day today. What brings you here, Reed? I can't relax and have a drink when you're around. And who are these guys behind you..."
"Don't be so dismissive, Boss. Look, I brought some reinforcements today."
With Reed's casual tone stretching on endlessly, the slicked-back man clicked his tongue and glared at us. From Reed's words, it seems like this man is the head of the Jingin Family—someone who runs the underworld of Eubarest.
"...So, you've got this Silver Flash, the 2nd-ranked mercenary, and the former princess. Then there's talk among mercenaries about this Black Blade and also a woman who's apparently the top pr**titute in the royal capital."
Before we could even introduce ourselves, he hits the nail on the head, and we were stunned. The boss smirked sarcastically as he watched our reaction.
"No surprise there. This place sees a lot of traffic from both inside and outside the country. Naturally, that means a lot of information flows in too. There's only one guy crazy enough to be wielding a spear in this country. And with that, comes a whole lot of other info about your entourage."
"...Even so, the fact that Aina was a former princess should've been off the record, at least."
I can't recall anyone mentioning it since Aina left the royal castle.
"They say loose lips sink ships, right? Plus, there are a few nobles in the royal capital I'm acquainted with. It's not too difficult to do some digging."
Even though it sounded modest, it was far from it. The rumor about Aina descending into the commoners' world should only be known by an extremely small fraction of the nobility.
"Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet. Reed over there might have already told you, but it's just proper manners. I'm Nikyou Jingin. I'm the head of the Jingin Family, the boss."
Just listening to the conversation, he might come off as friendly, but even with this short exchange, it's impossible not to recognize him as someone not to be underestimated.
'And this Nikyou guy... seems like he's been through some serious battles. Did he just give you the side-eye and try to buddy up?'
2nd-rank mercenaries, maybe even on par with 1st-rank ones in terms of strength. Right now, I don't feel confident enough to win even if I stood on my head.
'At least, even you're no match for him when he's not sober, partner. Better not pick a fight recklessly.'
He talks like he's some kind of martial artist who's stronger when drunk. Weird, isn't it?
"So, Reed. What's the deal with bringing in some hotshot newcomer out of the blue? What's the plan with the reinforcements? I heard rumors about them coming to Eubarest, but――"
"It's just as it sounds. With the upcoming clash with the Kahlua Family, it's only natural to think about strengthening our forces."
"But these guys are from the 'legitimate' side. From what I've heard, they're not the type to willingly stick their necks out for us."
"But surprisingly, they're already knee-deep in this matter."
Reed explained to Nikyou the whole story of how we ended up here, from pulling out the Holy Sword (laughs) to tossing around head-shaking man away, everything.
At first, Nikyou seemed skeptical, but as he listened to Reed's tale, his expression turned from puzzled to downright dumbfounded by the end.
"Hahaha, hahahaha! What the heck is that all about? Is that guy an idiot!?"
Nikyou pounded his knee while bursting into laughter. It seemed like the idea of that idiot being right in front of him was blowing his mind. ――But wait, who's the real idiot here?
'Take a good look. That's the typical reaction from the general public of you.'
Gram calmly interjected, as sharp as ever.
"Yeah, so these guys are basically dealing with the 'Kahlua' head-on."
"Ah, I see now. I think I've got the gist of it... Hahaha! Oh man, this is bad, I'm laughing so hard it hurts. This might just be the funniest thing I've heard in a while."
As the laughter subsided, Reed spoke up. Nikyou occasionally shook his shoulders, wiping away tears from the corners of his eyes.
"Wow, you really got me laughing out loud. Thanks for that."
"Oh no, there's no need for thanks... I mean, seriously, thanking me for this!? If anything, it'd be rude to thank me, wouldn't it? Seriously!"
Glancing over at Aina and the others, I saw that Mikage had a stern expression, but aside from that, there wasn't much of a reaction. It was almost as if Nikyou's laughter was met with silent understanding.
"...Should I kill him?"
"Wait, you've been making a fuss for a while now, you know that!? Are you alright!? I'm starting to worry about your mental state!!"
I frantically gestured to stop Mikage from reaching for her katana.
"Hahaha! What's with these guys!? I've never seen such weirdos even in my family. Oh man, here we go again, I can't stop laughing ――hahahaha!!"
"Wait, is that the kind of character you are!?"
As Nikyou burst into laughter again, I couldn't help but let out a bewildered tsukkomi.
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