Volume 9 Chapter 9 Reward Of The Sword
The next morning, Al, Orson, and Quinta all visited the lord's mansion.
After waiting for a while, the three of them were led into a small hall in the mansion. There, sitting in the front chairs, was a tall man in his late twenties with long black hair and a fancy white outfit, along with a woman around Al's age. Al recognized the woman; she was Serena, the third daughter of Margrave Rain. She wore a shiny light blue dress, and her rich golden curls moved just like they did back in school. Since she was sitting next to the man, he was probably Viscount Eugene.
Standing beside them were several knights and what seemed to be the Internal Affairs Minister, but Al didn't recognize any of their faces. They were likely connected to the Margrave or Viscount Eugene's family.
Al and the others knelt before the two and bowed their heads. Al was in the middle, with Orson and Quinta on either side. This was normal since Al had reported the most achievements, but Orson also said he didn't have the confidence to talk to nobles. Plus, Al's outfit looked better than Orson's (at least from a noble's perspective).
"Good work. You are Alfred Channing, the third son of the Knight Channing family, along with adventurer Orson and the vice guild master of the Lester branch of the Adventurer's Guild, Quinta, right?"
A middle-aged man standing next to Viscount Eugene asked.
"Yes. I am Alfred Channing."
"Here is Viscount Eugene, and this is Lady Serena, the third daughter of the Margrave Rain family."
"It is a great honor to see your esteemed face."
Without raising his head, Al replied like this, and Viscount Eugene smiled warmly.
"Hmm, I heard you are still young, but it seems you understand some manners. I have heard a bit from Quinta, but I want to ask again about the place and situation where you got Sir Henry's sword and ring."
"Yes..."
Al began to speak while staying in the same position. He didn't mention that Raindrop was a way to make money, but he explained everything else clearly. At one point, Orson looked tired of keeping his head down and tried to lift his face, but Quinta quickly stopped him.
"Oh, the Six-Legged Tiger... was it quite large?"
As the conversation shifted to when they found the Six-Legged Tiger hiding in the bushes, Viscount Eugene asked this. It seemed he thought of something.
"Yes, it was a huge creature over 6m (≈ 19.7 ft) long."
"6m (≈ 19.7 ft)... did you take its fur and fangs?"
"Ah... yes. But I have already sold them."
When Al answered this, Viscount Eugene seemed to think for a moment, and there was a brief pause.
"Joseph, check where it was sold later."
"Yes, sir."
The middle-aged man standing right next to Viscount Eugene replied shortly. His name was probably Joseph.
"Please continue."
Al talked about the battle with the Six-Legged Tiger because Viscount Eugene asked him to. He also mentioned finding many bones near the bushes where the tiger was hiding and how he tried to comfort them with holy water. In the process, he discovered a treasure sword and a ring.
"I see. How far is that place from here?"
Al thought about the question for a moment. If he revealed the location, it would be harder for Raindrop to go there later. But he couldn't ignore the question. Al glanced at Orson. Orson seemed to feel the same way. He frowned but nodded reluctantly.
"It's a path that can't be traveled by horse. If the weather is good and you're used to mountain paths, you could reach it on foot in about 3 days."
They had made it in 2 days, but it was safer to say a longer time.
"I would like to recover Sir Henry's bones if possible. There are 2 weeks until the Mushroom Festival. Alfred, can I count on your help?"
"Yes."
It depended on the weather, but that was the only answer he could give. Al kept his head down and nodded again.
"Hmm... Lady Serena, do you have any words to share?"
Viscount Eugene seemed to have run out of questions and turned to Serena.
"Alfred, it's been a while. I'm happy to see someone from the same middle school doing well. Keep it up!"
Al bowed his head again. He didn't remember talking to her, but it seemed she remembered him.
"Oh, Alfred was in the same grade as Lady Serena?"
"Yes. Naresh was in the same grade too. There were a few others from this city as well."
This is a big deal. Al thought it would be okay, but now that Serena knows about him, and she mentioned that there are a few classmates in this city, it seems like there's no mistake about the reward this time. He's really grateful.
"As Lady Serena said, please keep doing your best from now on. As a reward for this, I will give Alfred and his friends the items 'Fly' and 'Telepathy,' along with 2 volumes of the spellbook and 120 gold coins. I will also donate 30 gold coins to the Adventurers Guild, Lester branch, for this matter. For the reward for recovering Sir Henry's remains, please talk to Joseph separately. Quinta, please help Joseph with the Six-Legged Tiger's skin and fangs."
"Thank you very much."
Al, Orson, and Quinta bowed again.
"Leave."
At Joseph's words, the 3 of them stood up again and decided to leave the room. Serena waved her hand lightly at Al.
* * *
After leaving the small hall, they were taken to a small waiting room. Al and the others let out a big sigh of relief.
"Phew, that was good. It's finally over."
"It's over now."
While they talked, a middle-aged man named Joseph came in with two men. Both were carrying trays. One man had a tray with gold coins, a leather pouch, and what looked like a spellbook. The other man's tray had two sheets of parchment, an ink pot, and a feather pen.
"Thank you for your hard work, everyone. I'm Joseph, the butler for the Viscount Eugene family. These are my assistants, Brook and Conrad."
The man with the tray of gold coins is Brook. He looks to be in his thirties, has short silver hair, is over 6ft (180 cm) tall, and is very fit. Conrad is probably in his late twenties, wears glasses, and doesn't look as muscular.
"The gold coins are here, so please count them carefully before putting them in the bag. After that, Mr. Alfred and Lady Quinta will need to sign the receipt. Also, the spellbook for 'Fly' has been ordered from the capital, so it will be delivered later, probably in about a week. Please check the receipt for this information."
Joseph explained this to the 3 of them. Maybe the spellbook couldn't be given right away, so he wrapped it up in 2 parts. Was he being considerate, or did he have some other plan?
"Thank you very much."
For now, Al and the others split up to count the gold coins and put them in leather bags. He gratefully received the 'Telepathy' spellbook and, along with Orson, checked the receipt before signing it.
"Well then, Mr. Alfred, I would like you to discuss the recovery of Sir Henry's remains with Brook. Also, Lady Quinta, Viscount Eugene wishes to obtain the skin and fangs of the Six-Legged Tiger. As the Adventurers' Guild, we would like to ask for your cooperation. Is that possible?"
Quinta glanced at Orson. Orson nodded lightly.
"Understood. I believe Orson knows where to sell them, so we will cooperate."
Joseph nodded lightly at Quinta's response.
"Then I'll leave it to you. Since it seems like it will be a purchase, Conrad, you will accompany Lady Quinta as the negotiator."
Joseph collected the trays from Brook and Conrad and then left the room. It seems he will decide on Al's request fee after discussing how long it will take with Brook.
"Alright then, let's split up and get to work, Al. Also, can you talk to Brook about that? Don't push yourself too hard. If you run into any trouble, make sure to ask for help right away. Got it?"
Al thought it was impressive that Quinta spoke so confidently in front of Brook and Conrad. Would they leave soon? He wanted to see the 'Telepathy' spellbook, even if just a little.
“For now, Brook, I'll explain the journey. Is this room okay?”
Brook nodded, his face blank. Feeling awkward, Al started to explain briefly. Quinta and Orson watched as they left the room with Conrad.
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