Volume 7 Chapter 6 As Expected Noro
"By the way, how was the 'job'?"
After dinner.
The dishes were washed, the bath was taken, and Ram was put to sleep, so all that was left was to sleep.
Cirrul, who was combing her hair with a comb, said as if she remembered something.
Or rather, she might have been too polite to ask during dinner.
"Hmm...it was okay, I guess"
I lowered my voice and checked the atmosphere outside the room. This wasn't a conversation I wanted the neighbors to hear. The "job" which Cirrul probably referred to... was collecting "cursed equipment", I suppose.
"Didn't it go well?"
"No, the collection of cursed equipment went smoothly"
'But, as usual, the rank was pretty low'
"No, an S-rank is good enough"
It's 2 ranks lower than the highest rank, but it exceeds the limit of normal equipment.
And yet...it's true that the rank of cursed equipment in this town is low.
Today, I got an S-rank, but all the ones I've seen in this town so far were F to D-rank.
Of course, low-rank cursed equipment is cute and all, and it's nice to have a relaxed relationship without any tension, but...in terms of practicality, it's undeniable that it's inferior to the cursed equipment I've had so far.
On the other hand, the cost is lower, and my collection has increased, so it's still a good thing.
"I think high-rank ones are prioritized for disposal in this Holy Kingdom (here), so only low-rank ones are left"
'It's like, even if we're here, we can only get low-rank ones that are neither poisonFnor medicine'
"But, Sir Noroa, collecting cursed equipment isn't the only goal, right?"
Of course, that's one of the main goals.
This town, Ravenyard, has a disposal site for cursed equipment, so there are many of them. If I'm in this town, I can collect them easily.
But, there's another goal.
To begin with, if I'm just collecting stuff, there's no need to do it in a country with strict regulations like the Holy Kingdom, right?
So, what's the main purpose of all this, you ask?
――Do you know about 'her'?
――Will you teach me about the great sinner?
――Will you come to my place?
――Will you teach me everything about you?
――Won't you come and talk to me?
――Will you die if you don't come?
――Is it fun, fun, fun, ■■, will you finish it?
The other day, I received a mysterious letter at my place.
According to the letter, if I don't meet the sender, "Doll Master", I'll die... but even now that I'm in the Holy Kingdom, I haven't been able to find any leads on that person.
There's a possibility that it's just a weird prank letter, but the fact that they seem to know my situation is unsettling, and I can't just ignore it.
So, I'm currently searching for information about Doll Master... sort of.
Mostly, I'm focused on collecting cursed equipment, though.
"Ah... ah, that's right "
Cirrul's voice brightens up a notch.
She probably tried to change the gloomy atmosphere.
"Sir Noroa, have you heard the rumor about the "Phantom"?
"Eh... ah..."
"Recently, there's been a rumor going around town about a mysterious hero They wear a black mantle like the night, and a pale blue crow mask, and defeat the evil 'Cursed Ones' It's amazing!"
"Ah, yeah"
I hadn't told Cirrul about it, though.
It's just... really embarrassing.
"In town, Phantom goods are all the rage! There's Phantom manjuu, Phantom cookies, Phantom juice! Even kids are obsessed with Phantom cosplay..."
"Yeah, that's right. So, about that Phantom..."
"They're super athletic Super intelligent And supposedly, under that mask is a face that's said to be the most handsome in the world!"
"Ah, yeah. That's amazing"
Stop... the hurdle to tell her is getting higher and higher, stop...
"Whoa, that's so cool I wanna see it once!"
Cirrul's eyes sparkled like a kid's.
I felt sorry for crushing a child's dream, but... I couldn't help but tell her the truth.
"... Maybe Cirrul's already seen it, huh?"
"What? No way!"
"That's exactly what I mean."
"Is it that butcher shop owner, Aunt Hanna (46)?!"
"Ah, yeah. Sorry, I was wrong."
"Huh? But Aunt Hanna (46) is rumored to sneak out at night, wearing a mask, to the entertainment district..."
"What's with the 46 years old?"
I couldn't help but slump my shoulders.
"...Anyway, the Phantom is me, you know."
"Huh?"
Cirrul looked like she genuinely didn't know, and her face went blank.
"So... is that what's going on in the city?"
I didn't want to hear it. I was getting this weird sweat, and...
I was trying to keep a low profile, but...
"But, Sir Noroa is a hero, isn't he? As expected Noro (Sasu-Noro)!"
"What's with 'Sasu Noro'?"
Is that Juju's influence? Well, that's fine, I guess.
"No, I'm not a hero or anything."
I'm only moving for my own self-interest. If people happen to get helped by my actions, that's just a coincidence. I'm not thinking about saving this unknown town or anything.
"It's annoying when people have weird expectations. I don't want to stand out."
'I've got an idea! Let's sell Noroa's autograph at a high price'
"Ah And if we include a handshake event ticket, that's a set!"
'That's it'
"...You guys are really close, aren't you?"
Anyway, standing out is a no-go.
In this country, if you have cursed equipment, it's either death or death (Dead or Dead).
I won't get killed by an inquisitor, but I still don't want to be wanted with my face exposed.
At the very least, it'll be hard to move around in this country. No matter how strong I am, if I can't enter the city, I'll struggle to live. I won't be able to gather information anymore.
"I'll avoid being found out at all costs..."
'Is that pretending?'
"No, it's not."
I shook my head, then let out a big yawn.
"It's about time to sleep. I've got an early start tomorrow..."
My active hours aren't just at night.
During the day, I've got a different job to attend to.
If I'm late, I'll get a good scolding from 'Senior Rikka'.
I wrapped myself in a blanket, leaning my back against the wall as I sat down.
Maybe it's because I'm an adventurer, but sitting down feels more relaxing than lying down.
I closed my eyes, slowed down my breathing, and before I knew it, sleepiness started to creep in...
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