149 - 24 Hearts

# Chapter 4: The Land of Indulgence and Culture, Urun Upon hearing Judah's confident response, Rokhin couldn't help but let out a hollow laugh. He wondered where such unfounded confidence was coming from and felt tempted to peek inside Judah’s head by cutting it open. After finishing his statement, Judah started to meticulously examine a map. "Hmm. It's quite detailed." "Of course it is. You know who analyzed it, right?" Rokhin wore a proud expression as Judah nodded in satisfaction. Though he doubted if Judah even knew how to read a map, it appears he does, as he proceeded to scrutinize others too. He didn't seem to need much assistance in this regard. Judah, seemingly unaware, had one of his player privileges, the "Map," constantly updated. Every note scribbled with colorful pens on the map was being recorded, eliminating the need to carry it around once the updates were complete. "I have something for you." "What is it?" "It's a gift." Rokhin tossed something from his pocket. Upon catching it, Judah saw it was a sixteen-sided object with holes that allowed him to see a mana stone inside. "Try channeling your mana into it." As Judah did what Rokhin suggested, the mana stone absorbed his energy and started glowing a vivid red. Rokhin handed him goggles, and once he wore them, he could see beams of light shooting straight out from the object's holes like lasers. "Wow." Judah couldn't help but be impressed. It resembled the kind of detectors lavish vaults in movies employ to guard invaluable treasures. "It's a basic detector primarily used by Urun's nobles. If there's a mana stone emitting a red light in a garden, it means it's active. Even if you evade the patrolling guards, such mana stones are scattered all over if you try to enter through unconventional means." "Hmm..." Judah thought he could probably discern these without the goggles if he activated his magical eyes. Not wanting to divulge too much to the Shadow Kingdom, he took off the goggles and expressed his gratitude to Rokhin. Besides this, Rokhin started sharing with Judah methods to dismantle the spells installed in the mansion where Judah was. As he gradually revealed these secrets, dawn was already breaking. Although winter meant late sunrises, staying any longer would make it challenging to leave unnoticed once the sun was up. "As dawn approaches, I must take my leave." "Oh, you're leaving?" Judah asked as Rokhin headed toward the window. "I have to. I only snuck in because it was dawn; no guts to linger till morning in Earl Zenuer's mansion." "That's true. Then, take this with you." "What? Huh?" Rokhin was handed three maps, turning around to meet Judah's eyes. What was the point of asking for them if he would just give them back anyway? "……." For a moment, he didn't quite grasp the situation. Observing him, Judah smiled gently. "I've noted all the important locations. You can take them back. I won't need them after this venture anyway. And it might be beneficial elsewhere, even if they're only copies." "Oh... right. They probably will be." Rokhin took the maps somewhat awkwardly. Just as he was about to ask if Judah had really memorized everything, Judah spoke again without pause. "And I'm sure you've set the Shadow Kingdom's butterflies on me, right?" In the Shadow Kingdom, "butterflies" referred to the lowest-ranked operatives, acknowledged for their skills with the emblem of a black butterfly. 'So he knew?' Judah tapped the table with his left index finger, pretending not to notice Rokhin’s stiff reaction as he diverted his gaze. It was a silent acknowledgment. "Please, don't make them wait around the mansion for me to come out. Hmm... Alright. I'll pick the Neuve family mansion as my first target, so just have them around there by tonight. But if I rescue the elves, how should I hand them over to you?" "We'll handle the retrieval. You won't need to worry about that. Just focus on rescuing the elves. Of course, we won’t be able to help if things turn dangerous, so proceed cautiously." His comment made Judah chuckle. "Got it. Now, hurry up and leave. You’ve been saying you'd leave for a while now, but don't seem to be in any rush." You're the one holding me back! Rokhin held back his urge to shout as he was gently nudged out. Before exiting through the window, Rokhin turned back to take one last look at Judah, heaving a small sigh. "It's not too late. Think it through." "You're worrying unnecessarily." Judah bid Rokhin farewell. Left alone in the room, he slipped Valentina onto his hand and started planning his night movements through the "Map." 'From murder to gambling, now onto theft.' It wasn't just simple thievery. In legal terms, breaking into someone’s residence at night with a weapon constituted armed burglary, right? He wasn't sure. The laws from his previous world had resurfaced, useless as they might be. Nonetheless, it felt like he was committing every taboo in the book. "Sigh." With a soft sigh, Judah refocused on the map. As the morning sun rose, he shared a rare, even leisurely breakfast with Jeanne and Arhil. 'But who is sitting next to them...?' However, there was one unknown figure beside Jeanne. A stern-looking elderly man, seated upright with dignified movements, silently partook in the meal. 'He somewhat reminds me of the sergeant-major.’ The mention of a particularly difficult officer from his military days came to Judah's mind. Unable to contain his curiosity, Judah gave Jeanne a questioning look as their meal was nearing its end. When their eyes met, she gave a troubled smile and glanced sideways. The man seated next to her had finished his meal and was now sitting silently with his lips pressed tightly together. "Mr. Wolfram." "Hmm?" "This young boy in front of you is traveling with me." "Oh, is that so? Nice to meet you." He spoke as if he had just now noticed Judah. Although his words seemed friendly, his tone was strikingly hostile, like meeting a girlfriend's father for the first time. He extended a hand as if to shake hands, and Judah, caught off guard, extended his own. As soon as their hands met, he felt Wolfram’s firm grip tightening around his. Judah, meeting the pressure properly, saw a flash of surprise in Wolfram's eyes. "Hmm, I quite like you." Though it was barely audible, Judah caught what Wolfram muttered. Then, Wolfram released his grip with slightly more force, resulting in a light shake. The handshake ended soon after. "Oh, I already know your name. Jeanne told me about you yesterday. I'm Wolfram Nio, a Senior Blue Spear Knight. I'm Jeanne Atroire's instructor here." He showed a conical spear pendant hanging around his neck, a symbol of the Blue Spear Knights, the same kind Jeanne always donned. However, Judah was more concerned with the significance of this man's presence. 'Why is Wolfram here?' Wolfram was a former NPC from the Byron Empire, known as a specialized instructor for trainee Blue Spear Knights. He was someone you would encounter if you visited the Byron Empire upon recruiting a Blue Spear Knight comrade. When Jeanne Atroire reached a certain level, speaking to him allowed her to be promoted from a trainee to an intermediate level, offering new skills and gear. Yet, here he was, in Urun, dining in Earl Zenuer’s mansion. Judah momentarily hesitated on how to respond before deciding to speak. "An instructor... you say?" "Yes." Did I do something wrong? Wolfram’s gaze was stiff and unyielding. "I heard that Jeanne owed you a great deal." "Uh, yes, that's correct." He must be referring to the time he saved her during the battle with the Baekje warriors. In return, Jeanne agreed to accompany him. This memory surfaced, but Wolfram didn’t permit Judah to indulge in nostalgia. "You asked to be her comrade for a year, traveling the world together?" "That's right." Judah responded with his most amiable smile, trying not to be rude despite meeting Wolfram for the first time. Moreover, he was an acquaintance of Jeanne’s, and an elder at that. Satisfied with Judah's prompt response, Wolfram nodded subtly. "Did you make that request knowing she was a Blue Spear Knight?" "Eh? Ah… yes." "That's all you asked for? If it wasn't against her principles or disloyal to the emperor, she would have granted any request." "Is it not permissible?" "No! What I meant is, why did you request something so modest?" A test of some sort? Judah pondered over what response would best appeal to Wolfram, but nothing suitable came to mind. Instead, he simply reiterated the reason he had given Jeanne at that time. "That's because it was what I needed most—a trustworthy comrade." "Oh! So you trust the Blue Spear Knights?” "Well, I figured if someone was going to betray, it should be me, not her. She exhibited a strong pride in being a Blue Spear Knight, and she showed her chivalrous side to me multiple times." Wolfram chuckled heartily, evidently pleased. "An answer I adore; indeed! Nobody is more dependable than a Blue Spear Knight. You're quite different from my first impression—someone I quite like." "Thank you." Judah bowed slightly as he replied. "…Ssssk—hmm. But, I'm really sorry to ask, but could I request something from you?" "Wolfram! You said you wouldn't mention that…!" Jeanne, sitting by his side, opened her eyes wide as Wolfram spoke. He showed her his palm to stop her from speaking further. Jeanne sealed her lips but glared with apparent dissatisfaction, her teeth biting down on them slightly as if harboring a bad premonition. Wolfram turned to Judah with a more earnest gaze than before. "Please, go on. Hearing what it is comes first, after all." "I wish for you to allow Jeanne some time." Upon hearing him, Judah's eye twitched involuntarily. "Could I ask what exactly you mean by that?" "Of course. I am requesting that you temporarily defer the year of companionship you asked from Jeanne." --- End of Chapter Thoughts --- Recently, it feels as though all topics are sensitive, leaving little material for an end note. Wishing you a pleasant day!