Volume 9 Chapter 7 Cheerful Orson
A few days passed, and as Al was having dinner at the (Red-Faced Sheep) tavern, Orson came back. His lips were curling up in a smile, and he seemed really happy. When he spotted Al eating, he walked over quickly.
"Hey, Al, there you are. Good to see you. The date is set. It starts the day after tomorrow. At the lord's mansion. Are you good with that?"
It must be about the reward for the sword he mentioned before. It seems that Viscount Eugene has finally arrived. Al didn't have any plans for the day after tomorrow, so he nodded that it was fine. Orson let out a big sigh of relief and sat down in the empty seat across from Al.
"Did something good happen, Mr. Orson?"
Iris came over with a tray in her hand. Orson smiled and nodded back at her.
"Yeah, Iri (Iris-chan). I might be getting a good amount of money. If that happens, I'll treat you all. Today is a pre-celebration. Bring me some ale and delicious food."
Iris happily said she understood and went back to the kitchen. The dining hall of the (Red-Faced Sheep) tavern had 8 tables, but only 2 seats were empty; the rest were filled. She and her mother, Louren, looked quite busy serving food.
"Will Madoc and Najira make it in time?"
When Al asked, Orson thought for a moment but quickly shook his head.
"No, those 2 stopped by here for a bit yesterday, but they went out again for their guard duty. They said they wouldn't be back until next week. I told them to come soon, but it seems they can't leave because of their long-term contract."
Then I should have just left it to Orson, Al thought. Now he bought 2 new magic spells, so it's going to take time to practice. He wonders if he can still do that now. But since he said he'd be fine, he can't back out now.
"Quinta said they're offering 30 gold coins each for this reward. Since Al did the most, they're asking if he wants something extra, maybe worth up to 50 gold coins. They initially thought about a nice sword or a horse, but changed it since Al is a magician. It's a generous offer, and I'm really envious."
Orson lowered his voice so no one else could hear the amount. 30 gold coins for each person plus an extra 50 for Al. Al did find it, and Orson made sure to point that out. It's a good deal, but is it really that amazing? When Al asked, Orson explained that the special items were a treasure sword and ring belonging to Henry, the second son of Margrave and the current Margrave's half-brother, who went missing 25 years ago while exploring the Sipree Mountains. For the Margrave family, the reward is more about discovering what happened to him than the value of the sword and ring.
"So, Sir Henry came to investigate the Barbarians and magic beasts in the Sipree Mountains and was taken out by a Six-Legged Tiger... But for the Margrave's second son, I didn't see any knight-like corpses around."
"Hmm? Is that so? I didn't get too close because there were lots of skeletons. I didn't really look around much. Plus, if it was a long journey, wouldn't you wear leather armor instead of metal armor? By the way, just between us, they asked me not to talk too much about where Sir Henry died. Since he's the Margrave's half-brother, they probably want to keep it a nice story, or so Quinta says. I think so too."
I see. Well, that sounds possible. 50 gold coins worth... maybe the 'Fly' spellbook... Al thought of this and stood up. The chair made a loud noise as it moved.
"Huh? What's wrong?"
Orson looked at Al with a surprised face. The other customers around them were a bit surprised too.
"I'm just going to see Ms. Quinta."
"Is there something you really want? But, you know, the Adventurers' Guild has already closed for the day. You should wait until tomorrow morning."
Orson was right. Al gave up and sat back down to continue his meal.
* * *
The next morning, Al ate the breakfast made by Louren and arrived at the Adventurers' Guild before the second bell rang. However, it was already bright outside, and the Adventurers' Guild was crowded with people looking for work. When Al spotted Quinta at the counter, he hurried over.
"Good morning!"
"Oh, good morning, Al. It's rare to see you. Did you hear about it from Orson?"
Al nodded at Quinta, who was sitting at the counter doing paperwork.
"Tomorrow morning, around the time the third bell rings, in front of the lord's mansion. I'm supposed to go with you, so please wear your best clothes. I think you understand, but if you bring a magic tool, it could get complicated, so don't bring one."
Ah, since he's meeting a viscount, formal attire is a given. That means Glee has to stay at the inn. Al replies that he understands.
'Eh? I can't see Ally looking cool?'
Glee says this with a dissatisfied tone, but he ignores it. After all, she can't see his appearance anyway...
"So, about the reward, could I ask for a 'Fly' spellbook or something?"
At Al's question, Quinta looks puzzled.
"'Fly' is definitely a 3rd tier spell, right? It's popular, but wouldn't it be better to just get gold coins as a reward instead?"
"It's fine. Right now, they're in short supply and hard to get."
Quinta shrugs lightly at Al's explanation and nods.
"Well, if that's what you want, then fine. I'll let them know. But if they're in short supply, it might not be ready in time."
"Yeah, but I've heard the shortage is because a magician from the Margrave's knight order bought up all the spellbooks. I would really appreciate your help. I can wait a month or two. If that's not possible, I'd like the 'Telepathy,' 'Telekinesis,' 'Sleep,' or 'Paralysis' spell. Those are usually available here, and I'd be happy to get two of them."
For Al, the 'Fly' spell would be the best. At the official shop, they said the price is already 40 gold coins due to the shortage and might go even higher. If it's around 50 gold coins, that seems reasonable. Plus, it's just a reward. Being too greedy can cause problems.
"Got it, I'll let you know. By the way, Mr. Eric has been hired as the head magician for the Viscount Lester family. I heard it's because of some amazing discovery he made, but Mr. Eric says it's not his discovery, it's yours, Al. Do you know what he's talking about?"
It must be about the options, or maybe the parameters. Did Leda succeed? Maybe he reported it to the magician guild and got recognized for something. For Al, if there are even a few more people who understand, that's enough to make him happy.
"Well, I have a bit of an idea. I'll stop by after this."
"That might be a good idea."
Al waved to Quinta and left the adventurer guild, reminding him to meet again tomorrow, a little before the third bell.
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