Chapter 123: Chapter 123

The gathered humans murmured.

"Isn't that a crossbow...?"

"What kind of crossbow is that big?! It's ten times larger than a ballista!"

"Who's going to pull that?"

"It won't reach all the way here... right?"

Though it was hundreds of meters away, some humans instinctively stepped back.

Next to them, the green-robed man explained to me in a smooth, polite tone, "That is the Messenger of Grassmere. A violent envoy for those who refuse to listen to words. To explain more precisely, it's a machine..."

That was when it happened.

[Activating Machine Analysis automatically!]

A massive machine appeared atop the fortress wall. I could see the structure and the operating principle at a glance.

Levers and chain gears turned.

The sound of wood splintering reached all the way to where we stood. A massive iron pillar had been launched, shattering three carts below the fortress wall at once.

The operator was nowhere to be seen, likely inside the machine. The soldiers screamed and tumbled backward. Those closest to the carts covered their faces with their hands and rolled on the ground multiple times.

From the moment of preparation to launch, the stress points became evident, with acceleration and elasticity clearly highlighted.

"That's an inefficient operation..."

It certainly was. The design was excellent, but the way it was being operated had multiple flaws.

"If they keep using it like that, it won't last long."

"What, what did you say?" The green-robed man jumped in shock. "You there! Do you know something about that structure?"

"It's nothing special."

I gave a rough explanation of its operating principles. Though massive, its structure was surprisingly simple, easily analyzed with the sister's Engineering Lv. 3.

Even though I only explained the basics, the man's eyes gleamed with excitement as he let out a deep exclamation.

"Wow, aren't you something? I've never met someone as remarkable as you—a knight who understands machinery!"

Even by intuition, my Engineering skill wasn't at an exceptionally high level. Yet, the man looked as if he'd just witnessed something incredible.

"Is it... that impressive?"

The man eagerly nodded at my question and replied, "Of course, are you kidding me?"

"Ahem... Do you know how rare it is to find someone who can grasp that in an instant? Especially within the Empire?"

"Heck, I doubt even the ones who used that weapon understand it as well as you do. The Free Confederation gave that thing to Grassmere as thanks for teaching them refining techniques."

"Was trade more open in the past?"

"Hmm? In the past..."

The green-robed man began a lengthy explanation about the history between the Empire and the Free Confederation. I half-listened and turned my gaze forward.

Soldiers were withdrawing, leaving the shattered carts behind. A knight on horseback retreated and kept screaming that they'd regret it on the battlefield.

Of course, the Grassmere soldiers scoffed at his nonsense. Considering which side possessed the weapon, their confidence was natural.

I muttered, "He won't stop barking..."

"Uh, me? If you find my explanation a bother, I'll just leave..."

I tilted my chin at the knight that urged his horse along the road.

The green-robed man widened his eyes even further. He remarked quietly, "You can hear that from this distance...?"

I said nothing. His gaze deepened as he hastily reached inside his robe.

The sunlight breaking through the clouds reflected off a golden business card.

"It would be an honor if you accepted this. My name is Yube Jinney. I am the head of the Jinney family."

This time, it was my turn to be surprised.

The man chuckled awkwardly, "Haha."

He had a firm jawline, tight lips, crow's feet, and eyes that shone with intelligence, as if adept with numbers.

The Jinney family was the household that had once sought me as their representative in the Erast Tournament.

I recalled what the slime had told me. "The Jinney family doesn't care about anything except for growing their business. They only see money."

This time, I hadn't accepted the commission to enter the tournament. I suddenly wondered who Lime had appointed instead.

But I couldn't ask. Since this memory belonged to my past life, bringing it up would only earn me suspicious looks. He could suspect I'd been tailing him from the start.

"Do you recognize me?" Yube Jinney asked.

"I've heard rumors here and there. They say the head of the Jinney family is quite the shrewd businessman," I answered. I felt a strange sense of familiarity and continued, “But you travel without an escort.”

The man smiled sheepishly and replied, "I don't hold that high of a position. Besides, some things in this world can only be seen when you blend in."

"You don't mind revealing your identity?"

"I am willing to take that risk for you."

"Because I want to scout you. Ah! Don't get me wrong, it's not that I think this business card is anything special." The man waved his hands as if trying to clear up any misconceptions. "I simply believe that a sincere beginning starts with complete honesty."

At that moment, a voice called out from the distance. "Let's get going already! Hey, Leather Merchant, aren't you coming?"

We both turned to the young man, who had come to Grassmere to buy a knife to gut a Kazuarin.

"Oh! I'm coming! Go ahead first!" Yube Jinney responded, then turned to me. "My hand is going numb. Won't you take it?"

I took the golden business card from his hand. Underneath the card bearing his name, there was another pitch-black card. Flipping it over, I found white lettering etched below a single pentagram.

In a wavering world, secure your steel bed!

I traced my fingers over the card. The bumpy texture felt highly unusual.

"Oh, that's my guild's introduction. It's a gathering of fine merchants who strive to fulfill their customers' wishes, no matter what."

I didn't say anything.

"It'll come in handy for getting expensive, high-quality goods, and even things money can't usually buy. If you ever need transportation, we can help you out with that too. It won't be a bad idea for you to keep it. So yeah, collecting it might not be a bad idea."

"You see the one star on that card? Having one star does nothing, but once you've collected all five stars, you can officially become our customer."

I'd never heard of such an organization or a card system like theirs before. Something suddenly crossed my mind. I looked at him directly and asked, "Do you sell humans? What about murder?"

Yube Jinney let out a bitter smile and shook his head.

"There are plenty of others who are far better at that than we are.. Honestly, I leave most of it to the information guild myself. Everyone has their own area of expertise."

So, it's not connected to Necron.

"Fine, I'll keep it for the time being."

I stuffed the card deep into my pocket. Yube Jinney seemed quite amicable towards me. He had paid the tournament commission fee properly, leaving no trace behind. He didn't seem to be the type of merchant that played mind games, so the card could come in handy someday.

"Then, shall we head down?"

Yube Jinney stuck close to me. As we walked, he kept sneaking glances at me, chatting about how he had come to check out the atmosphere and markets in the nearby cities. He seemed to frequent Grassmere often.

Before long, we arrived at a checkpoint, where guards were conducting inspections. Some of the humans from earlier had been granted entry and entered the fortress. The giant crossbow atop the fortress wall was still poised and ready.

Well, this place certainly feels intense.

"What is your purpose for entry?"

"I'm an architect! I came to purchase high-quality construction tools..."

The burly guard let the chef, the architect, and the traveling merchants through without much formality.

Then, it was my turn.

"Why are you still wearing that here? Take off your helmet."

I revealed my fake face. The guard flipped through the papers in his hand.

"Hmm... Doesn't match any wanted posters... What is your purpose for entry?"

I showed him my nearly broken iron sword, damaged from excessive use of skills.

"I came to buy a replacement for this."

The guard clicked his tongue in disbelief and waved his massive hand dismissively.

"Tch. What the hell were you doing for it to end up like that? Hah. Go on in!"

Yube Jinney, of course, passed through without any trouble as well.

The outer gate closed behind us.

That was the distance to the inner gate. Walking down the narrow path, I felt a vague sense of unease. The inner gate guards conducted more thorough checks.

"Show your identification. Open your bags... Pass."

Several guards inspected each traveler one by one.

I don't have an identification card. This could be a problem.

I considered asking Yube Jinney for help.

I don't want to owe him a favor this soon.

Nevertheless, I had to get inside and meet Rena. If I got held up over my lack of ID, ten minutes would pass in no time, and my Masquerade skill would wear off. Cutting them all down and running away would be pointless, as I wouldn't be able to keep my promise to Rena.

As I stood in line, growing anxious, a man seated at the end of the checkpoint stood up and walked over to the guards.

The guards saluted him.

The inspector said, "Wait a moment. That knight over there—try putting on your helmet."

Huh? Not take it off?

I was confused but saw no reason to refuse. I put my helmet back on.

The inspector nodded and muttered, "Worn-out armor... Body shape also matches... The description and date align. Let this one through! I vouch for him!"

"Ah, yes! Understood!"

The guards nodded and stepped back. I hesitated, not sure what was happening.

The inspector approached me and spoke in a low voice, "There is someone waiting for you at the Far Elf Forest Inn."

"Far... Elf Forest...?"

"This is a map to get there." With a determined look, the inspector handed me a roughly drawn city map. "Follow this road and turn left at the intersection. Do you understand?"

"Haha. That's a relief. I am Inspector Grian."

His tone suggested he wanted me to remember his name. I wanted to ask who was waiting for me, but this wasn't the place for such a conversation.

Who could it be? Rena?

She seemed the most likely, but hearing about it from a guard was odd.

Well, I'll find out when I get there.

For now, I stepped inside.

"Yes, I am a traveling merchant..."

Behind me, I heard Yube Jinney using a false name.

As soon as I entered the city, I found myself momentarily dazed. The sound of hammers striking metal echoed loudly from the entrance. This place seemed far more populated than cities like Yublam or Erast, which were two or three days' travel away.

Some groups were waving at travelers.

"I'm here to pick up my reserved order!"

This place is way livelier...

I was awestruck by the city's scenery. It was a place where human civilization was concentrated.

How overwhelming—so, this is what a city is truly like.

As I observed the sight, Yube Jinney approached me from behind and said, "Haha. I was hoping to gain some favor by helping you out in a difficult situation, but I lost my chance."

That wasn't my intention, but I couldn't fully trust him, so I didn't explain in detail.

He continued, "I plan to stay near the intersection, at the Crowded Cactus. If you ever need anything or just feel like reaching out, stop by and ask for Bato Shima."

Bato Shima was the alias he had given the guards earlier.

I shrugged, letting his alias slip from my mind. Right now, meeting Rena was my priority.

I took a step forward. I needed to think this through. Could this be a trap set for me? Was this some ploy by someone like the marquis to capture and confine me?

However, the likelihood was extremely low. If that were the case, they could have just captured me in the mountains and dragged me away. They'd also have a better chance setting a trap at the checkpoint between the gates.

Am I just being paranoid...?

It seemed that my past life's events had ingrained unnecessary thoughts into my mind.

Should I find Rena first or head to the Far Elf Forest Inn?

Even if I wanted to find Rena, I hadn't decided where we would meet. There were too many inns in the city to search aimlessly.

I turned toward the city's back alleys, the opposite direction of the Far Elf Forest Inn.

Suddenly, a girl who looked to be around fourteen or fifteen sprinted toward me. The pair of daggers strapped to her waist didn't slow her down. Come to think of it, she had been watching me near the city gates the entire time. I had been too preoccupied to pay attention, but now I was sure of it.

"Hey, Sir! You're going the wrong way!" the short-haired girl shouted at me.

She stuffed a letter into my hands, and disappeared back into the alleyway.

She was extraordinarily quick. She could have used that chance to stab me. Most people wouldn't be able to react in time.

I looked at the letter. It contained only one sentence.

Come to the Far Elf Forest Inn!

"Wh-What was that just now?"

Ignoring the murmurs of the crowd, I chased after the girl who had vanished into the alley. I activated the three level-five skills simultaneously.

Sprint. Detection. Stealth.

No matter how quick she was, there was no way she could escape me.

I leaped onto a third-floor balcony, hiding myself in the shadows, and grabbed the girl by the nape of her neck just as she whistled.

If she screamed, things would get messy. Without thinking, I used the Fear skill on her.

[Fear Lv. 1 activated!]

[0.17% of your Health has been consumed]

[Stat difference between you and the target: Overwhelming]

The nimble girl's legs gave out beneath her, and she collapsed on the spot.

Cold sweat poured all over her.

Her face turned completely pale, her lips turning a sickly blue. From her fingertips to her toes, her nerves and muscles trembled violently, as though she was having a seizure.

Oh no... cancel Fear.

If it lasted any longer, I was afraid she'd die from a heart attack.

"Uuh... uh... aah..."

Even after the skill was lifted, she continued shaking for a long time, unable to speak.

Was it always this strong?

I had never tested the power of the Fear skill before.

It's only level one, though.

I held the letter in front of the short-haired girl's face and asked, "Sorry, but did a woman who looks give you this letter?"

I described Rena's appearance, but the girl shut her eyes tightly and refused to answer.

Instead, her teeth chattered violently, and she tried to reach for the daggers on her waist. Of course, she could barely lift a finger.

"You don't have to answer."

I slowly stood up. Her reactions told me everything I needed to know.

I jumped down from the balcony and landed back in the alleyway. Without hesitation, I walked toward the Far Elf Forest Inn.

As I walked through the noisy backstreets of Grassmere, I thought to myself, What on earth is Rena doing here?