Volume 13 Chapter 5 From Al To Naresh
In the evening, Al visited the Levy merchant guild where Naresh was. It was a big 3-story house with a carriage entrance, and it looked like there were many rooms.
"Long time no see, Sir Naresh... Kane too."
Since there was some time before dinner, Al was taken to Naresh's office. Besides Naresh and Craig, for some reason, Kane, who graduated middle school with them, was also there. It seemed he (Kane) was sent from the Viscount family to support Naresh.
"Well, I heard things have been tough. Don't be too down."
Kane walked over to Al and gently patted his shoulder. Al nodded and glanced at Naresh, who looked at him with a sorry expression, as if saying, "I'm sorry." Kane was likely there trying to cheer Al up, even if it felt forced.
When Patricia was first brought to the border city of Lester, it was Kane who contacted Viscountess Tara, so he knew about Al and Patricia's relationship.
From the way he spoke, it seemed he didn't know that Patricia was alive. Al felt guilty for keeping secrets from a friend, but as Craig said, it seemed necessary. With Kane there, calling Patricia would be impossible. Kane kept his hand on Al's shoulder and continued talking.
"Even if you can't sort out your feelings right now, let's try to be a bit more positive. It's kind of strange to say this, but we have a lot of problems going on here. Sir Naresh and I are really busy. If possible, I would like your help. I think it will help take your mind off things."
Al was unsure how to act in front of his middle school friend he just met, but maybe it was best to go along with Kane's words. He must imagined Al feeling down and tried to act like it, nodding a lot.
"Al, I know you must be shocked after hearing about Lady Patricia from Craig, but just like Kane said, I really hope you can help us if you can."
Naresh joined in, echoing Kane's words. It seemed like Kane had been close to Naresh for a long time, and Naresh trusted him. Maybe it would be okay to talk about Patricia later.
Helping Naresh... He didn't have anything to do back in the border city of Lester, so if there was something he could do here, he definitely wanted to help.
Naresh offered Al and Kane a seat on the sofa and sat down across from them. Al and Kane sat next to each other. Naresh continued speaking.
"Since you're an adventurer, Al, I thought it wouldn't be right to ask you to work for free, but my budget is pretty tight. I would like to ask for help in kind. I'm worried that what I quickly prepared might not be enough, but I hope you can take a look."
Naresh signaled to Craig with his eyes. Craig, who was standing nearby, nodded and placed a tray with several long wooden boxes in front of Al. Al had been curious about these boxes since he entered the room. They were decorated and looked like they could hold spellbooks.
"We're selling art and these items to the Levy merchant guild as payment for food and other supplies from the nobles who took refuge here. Desmond has approved this deal."
There were 4 wooden boxes that probably contained spellbooks. Al's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Huh? Are these really for me?"
'Ally! No acting! Act natural!'
Glee shouted loudly in Al's ear. That's right! Al quickly put on a serious face.
"Good. It seems like you're feeling a bit better. Can you check if these can be your reward? This first volume is a famous spell used by magicians in the Tempest Kingdom to defeat knights. They strictly controlled it so that no spellbooks would leak outside the kingdom."
Naresh smiled brightly and said, "I hope it's okay for you to receive such a valuable spellbook." With his permission, Al picked up the long wooden box on the tray and checked inside. There were four wooden boxes. Three of them had matching decorations, containing 'Detect Magic,' 'Detect Invisible,' and 'Detect Illusion.' The last box, the most decorated, held the spellbook called 'Piercing Spear.' Buying the three detection spells would cost about 50 gold coins, but the last spell wasn't available in the market, so it had no price.
"The Piercing Spear spell... The Tempest Kingdom gave me a spell they banned from other countries?"
"They asked me to keep it a secret from the Sylvester Kingdom. They gave this spellbook to us for protection in exchange. If it became public, who knows what the Tempest Kingdom would say? He had no choice but to offer this to protect his family."
If it weren't for Naresh or Guildmaster Levy, no one would have accepted such a convenient request.
"Al, you would want something like this, right? The 3 detection spells are famous, so Al might already know them, but I thought you wouldn't know about this one."
"A famous spell used to kill knights? I wonder what kind of spell it is."
The spell called "Piercing Spear" was something Al had never heard of before. It was strange that it was only used in the Tempest Kingdom, but what kind of spell could it be?
"I've heard stories about magicians in the Tempest Kingdom who can use magic powerful enough to pierce armor. But I don't have detailed information. They say the only way to deal with it is to rush in before they can cast the spell. If there's another way to handle this spell, I want you to look into it, Al."
"I see. Once I learn it, let's test it out together. The reward for this 4th volume is definitely enough. So, how can I help? I heard from Mr. Desmond that there was a murder case..."
Naresh nodded at Al's words.
"The biggest headache is the murder of Sir John Sanford. Sir (Lord Radyard) and Sigmund are investigating it, but unfortunately, there hasn't been any progress. They should be asking around Alder Tree Street, which you told me about. When they come back, I want you to listen to what they found out. Also, a messenger from the Marquis Taggart family has come to see me, and I want to discuss that too."
Naresh was probably talking about Lord Radyard (a knight serve Viscount Lester). He doesn't know much about the area, but he's willing to help. The Marquis Taggart family is where Patricia's fiancé is. He's not sure what they want to discuss, but maybe they want to hear Patricia's opinion. For now, Al nodded. Next, he wanted to meet Baroness Tabasa if possible, but first, he had something to give.
"Naresh, I have a gift for you. And this too..."
Al put 4 spellbooks into his usual backpack, then took out a nicely made wooden box and a long stick wrapped in cloth, placing them on the table.
"First, here's the spellbook for 'Physical Boost' that you gave me. I've finished learning it, so I don't need it anymore. I'm returning it to you. It's been repaired and is like new. I protected it with the 'Packing' spell, so you don't have to worry about taking care of it. You're 15 like me, right? I thought it was too early for you to give up on learning spells."
Naresh looked surprised.
"You still think I have a chance to learn spells?"
"Yeah. When you have time, I can help you with that. How about trying again?"
Next to them, Kane's eyes lit up.
"Can I join too?"
"Of course, you're welcome to."
Naresh glanced at Craig.
"If you can make sure to get enough sleep, Sir Naresh..."
Craig nodded reluctantly.
"Got it. Then, I'll gratefully take it back for now. If that's the case, I'll prepare a room for Al in this mansion. It'll be easier for me to stay in touch that way."
"Thank you. Well then, I'll take you up on that. And there's one more thing: this. I want you to take a look."
Al points to a long stick. Naresh slowly lifts it, feeling its heavy weight. As the cloth unwraps, a large sword with a simple black leather sheath and no guard appears. It's the bastard sword he found in the ancient ruins.
"Can I... pull it out?"
Seeing Al nod, Naresh stands up from the sofa, grips the rough handle, and slowly draws the sword. The blade shines with a pale silver light. Naresh stares at it intently.
"Wow, it looks so mesmerizing... This sword must be really special."
"I can't say much, but I got two of them from the ancient ruins. I gave one to Lady Patricia's knight, and she fought a wyvern with it, slicing through its tough scales. I think it's protected by 'Packing' and 'Retention' spells, so it shouldn't need much maintenance."
When Al said this, Naresh, Craig, and Kane gasped in surprise. However, Al quickly remembered he had to keep Joanna's fight with the wyvern a secret.
"A wyvern?! Is it that sharp...?"
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned the wyvern. Please keep this between us. I don't know much about swords, but it seems this one can cut that much. I want you to use this sword, Naresh. I would be happy if you see it as a thank you for what you've done for the refugees from Count Senet."
Naresh looked at Al with a puzzled expression.
"You don't need to thank me for that, right? I'm just doing what I think I should do."
"Maybe, but we can't do it alone."
Since Kane was there, Al said "we" in a very quiet voice. He hopes he understood. Naresh continued to stare at Al. There was a pause.
"I see, that makes sense. It feels better to accept it as a thank you. Then, I will take it. But you will help me, right?"
"Of course."
Al answered quickly. By giving this sword to Naresh, he hoped it would ease Patricia's guilt about leaving the Count Senet refugees in Naresh's care. He planned to help with that too. Craig listened to Al and Naresh, nodding, while Kane looked confused.
"Craig, can you arrange to have the sheath and hilt made in the style of the Tempest Kingdom? I think I'll wear it as a keepsake from Princess Patricia."
Al nodded repeatedly at Naresh's words.
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