Chapter 142

#142 Episode: The Tin Knight and the City of Scales (2)

After arriving in Justitia, Dorothea announced to the group.

“Three days. During that time, I won’t make you do anything, so just rest. We’ll start our serious activities afterward.”

Now that was truly unusual.

It was typically go-go-go. Like living out the phrase “swift as the wind,” most of the journey had been sheer chaos.

It wasn’t that there was no free time, but it was more like, “There’s an event A in a week, so until then, hang tight,” leaving a nagging tension in the back of everyone’s minds.

Investing a few days solely for relaxation without any constraints or prerequisites was a first for them.

[“What’s up with the Tin Knight?” one might wonder!]

“It’s not like there’s some grand reason. We’ve accomplished quite a bit, so I think this little indulgence is justified, don’t you?”

Dorothea answered nonchalantly.

It wasn’t some half-hearted excuse; she was being straightforward, and it felt authentic.

It also signified how significant the battle with the West Witch was for her.

Proving her own words, as soon as the protective barriers in their lodging were up, Dorothea declared she needed to get some sleep, retreating to her room.

It was still daylight outside.

“That’s unusual behavior for Dorothea. She hasn’t been one to sleep much even in the past.”

[“It’s a well-known fact that one of the best ways to rest is to sleep!” the Tin Knight says!]

“Well, it makes sense. After the fight with the witch, she hardly had any time to recuperate. How about you, Adel? Maybe you should take a nap too?”

“No, I’m fine!”

It wasn’t just bravado; Adel genuinely didn’t feel overly tired.

She was naturally one to recover quickly, and after competing in the martial arts tournament, that tendency had only grown stronger.

Initially, she thought it was due to wearing “Amaryllis’s belt,” but recently, other suspicions had arisen.

“…You are different. You were already blessed with nearly all abilities, but recently, it seems even those have been enhanced further. Truly remarkable, and fascinating.”

Those were the words left behind by the West Witch.

With her death, there was no way to confirm or refute the truth, but she couldn’t imagine someone with such incredible abilities spouting nonsense.

After the battle with the witch, she consulted with the team, but everyone else seemed equally in the dark.

The only clue right now was Franka’s comment about keeping an eye out for anything plausible while dealing with the witch’s legacy.

[“If you don’t want to rest, how about eating instead?” the Tin Knight asks!]

At the Knight’s suggestion, Adel and Sophia nodded in agreement.

Justitia, located in the southwestern part of the continent and near its edge, was an incredibly vibrant city.

The harbor was bustling with numerous ships docking and setting sail, and the clothing of people passing by felt incredibly different from what the group had seen before.

Adel watched in fascination as brown-skinned women revealed their navels and shoulders, and men donned unique hats that looked like bundles of white cloth. She suddenly glanced at the faces of her two companions.

Sophia wore a nostalgic expression as if recalling something.

Given that her hometown was similar in location to the current Locria Federation, perhaps she had stumbled upon something to remind her of the past.

In contrast, the Tin Knight exhibited a surprisingly unperturbed demeanor.

His facial expression was literally like a metal plate, making it impossible to change, and even his gaze didn’t seem to show any interest in the foreign culture, as if he had grown accustomed to it and found nothing new to see.

‘Now that I think about it, I haven’t heard anything about others’ pasts at all.’

This was also one of the pitfalls of having such a busy journey.

Every free moment had been devoted to training, leaving little time for leisurely discussions. During wagon rides, Adel had primarily run on foot, further limiting opportunities for conversation.

[“I think that shop looks nice!” the Tin Knight suggests!]

[“Normally, you should eat seafood at the seaside!” the Tin Knight insists!]

“The inland areas make it harder to find fresh seafood, you know? Adel, have you ever tried it?”

“I’ve had dried fish a few times, but I’ve never really indulged in the full experience.”

Although they had briefly stopped at the harbor city on their way to the West Witch’s island, they’d been in such a rush to resolve matters that they hadn’t had the opportunity to enjoy the local culinary delights.

Honestly, Adel couldn’t even recall the name of that city they had visited back then.

The shop pointed out by the Tin Knight was a towering restaurant with over five stories, looking quite upscale.

As they entered the shop, a staff member bowed and greeted them.

“Welcome, sir! What sort of dish are you looking for?”

Seeing the mix of obsequiousness and friendliness in the staff’s demeanor along with the large mole on his face, the Tin Knight tilted his head, puzzled.

[“It feels like the genre’s changed!” the Tin Knight remarks!]

Adel, too, had a question mark floating above her head, but without further explanation, she didn’t press for answers. To travel with the Tin Knight, one needed the skill to switch off and ignore the nonsense.

It was Sophia who spoke up instead of the two priests.

“What’s good here?”

“Everything is delicious, but the specialties are rice dishes made with squid ink, and pickled cod and fried sardines. Pairing it with clam stew and wine is also a great choice.”

“Then I’ll have that, please.”

“Certainly, please follow me!”

The group was escorted to a window seat on the third floor.

“They seem to be giving us decent treatment.”

“Really?”

“Usually, a seaside restaurant will offer the best views, so getting a good table without a reservation is quite a favor.”

‘Maybe I know the reason,’ Sophia indicated by pointing between her eyes and hair.

Adel quickly grasped the meaning.

“It’s because of my eye and hair color, isn’t it?”

“In this city, there’s the Lenart Dojo, right? The influence of the Lion Duke’s Bloodline is likely stronger here than in other places.”

At Sophia’s words, Adel felt a swirl of complex emotions.

Having heard the secret of the blood running through her veins from the West Witch made it even more complicated.

“I wonder if my family back home knows…?”

“Who knows? Whether they do or not, it’s best not to talk too much about it. It’s not exactly positive news.”

“True enough.”

Not only was it doubtful whether they would even believe Adel, but even if they did, that would only lead to more problems.

Sure, her comrades shrugged off the matter of her being a homunculus as no big deal, but that didn’t mean the whole world would react the same way.

In fact, it was almost a certainty that the response would be negative.

“Your meal is served. Enjoy your time!”

As spectacular as the building was, the food’s quality was excellent too.

Despite being a completely unfamiliar taste, it was pleasantly enjoyable without any strong aversions.

As Adel savored the squid and rice, she suddenly felt a peculiar unease.

Normally, the Tin Knight would shout out various ways to eat, providing all sorts of commentary, but now he was eerily quiet.

“Knight?”

[“The Tin Knight wonders why he’s so quiet!”]

“No, it’s just… your silence is concerning.”

[“The Tin Knight confesses he doesn’t have anything to comment on since it’s a taste he’s not familiar with!”]

[“He asks if it suits your tastes!”]

“Um, yes. It’s good.”

“The ingredients seem fresh, and the cooking technique is great. This is a good place.”

[“The Tin Knight is confident in his judgment!”]

Finally, the Tin Knight seemed happy and began chatting away, and both Adel and Sophia joined in the conversation.

“However, does that mean visiting the Lenart Dojo or anything like that is strictly off-limits?”

“Hmm, I don’t think Dorothea would object if you insisted, but since it’s a rare chance for some free time, I’d prefer to suggest something else. Opportunities like this don’t come often.”

“Something else… What are you planning to do, Sophia?”

“I want to read books, of course. Ideally, I’d want to have physical copies, but if they take up too much space, I’m sure Dorothea would get mad. I plan to keep as much as I can in my head.”

“And you, Knight?”

[“The Tin Knight confidently claims that having no plans is a plan itself!”]

Adel couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly.

The Tin Knight’s remark echoed her thoughts exactly.

‘If this were the old days, it wouldn’t be like this.’

Back when her father, older brother, and mother were all healthy and her mother wasn’t in a coma.

If she had heard the phrase “free time” back then, Adel would have been immensely joyful. There would have been no end to the things she had to do and wanted to do.

But not now. Instead of joy, embarrassment took precedence, and instead of leisure, she felt anxiety.

After having been so busy running around, it felt as though she had caught some sort of disorder that made her uneasy unless she was constantly busy.

“Then, Knight, could you guide me in some training? I still feel like I’m not utilizing the belt’s power properly.”

That was the right thought, Adel believed.

She still had to grow more and put in more effort.

Though Dorothea’s consideration was appreciated, she wanted to build her skills ahead of the next dojo test instead of wasting time idly.

Moreover, her master had mentioned he had nothing to do, so it felt like a perfect fit.

[“The Tin Knight declines!”]

Perhaps that was why.

Adel was so surprised by the unexpected answer from the Tin Knight that she instinctively gasped, “Huh?”

“W-why not?”

[“The Tin Knight asserts that a growing child should eat well and sleep well!”]

“Eh? W-what?!”

Adel raised her voice in protest.

It was true she was still growing, but that was merely due to the unique late aging of the Lion Duke’s Bloodline, and she was definitely not at an age where she could be called a child.

Above all, it was just wrong for someone who used to roll them hard during training without so much as a proper meal to say something like that.

“Ha, ha, ha.”

“S-Sophia! This isn’t funny!”

“Haha, I’m sorry! Your conversation is just too cute.”

Sophia, who had been grinning, continued in a gentle tone.

“However, I think it’s necessary to take a short break from training. There may be injuries or fatigue piling up without you realizing, and it’s not just physical; it can be mental too.”

[“When the Tin Knight tells one person to rest, if another doesn’t rest, they’ll both be dragged into it!”]

[“If Adel were to wander around the dojo or swing her sword while not resting, Dorothea might get pulled back into work!”]

“Hmm.”

With both Sophia and the Tin Knight chiming in like that, Adel found it hard to persist any longer.

“If you absolutely need to, how about writing a letter to Friedel Territory?”

“That won’t do. If I show a weak side, the people in the territory will see me as a mere child who needs protecting.”

“Sending greetings to family and friends waiting at home isn’t seen as ‘weakness’. Surely you have a lot to write about?”

“Hmm.”

Adel closed her mouth.

Indeed, she had plenty to write about. She wanted to boast to Roni and her mother about all the remarkable things she had experienced.

It had been quite a while since leaving the territory, so perhaps her mother had regained consciousness by now.

“Leisure isn’t anything special. If you think ‘I want to do this’ or ‘I think it might be okay,’ that’s enough. The same goes for you, Tin Knight. If you don’t have anything special to do, it’d be nice if you could share some stories.”

[“The Tin Knight claims he doesn’t like self-introduction times!”]

“It doesn’t have to be about you. It could be about a book you’ve read in the past, a play you’ve seen, or information you’ve heard about others.”

The Tin Knight fell silent for a moment, then nodded.

Sophia, having succeeded in persuading the two priests, smiled.

Just as a rare peaceful moment was about to settle in…

Crash!!

Suddenly, the ceiling above the group collapsed.

“Gah!”

It wasn’t a sound made by any of the group members.

A groan escaped the mouth of a young man who fell through the shattered ceiling.

The remnants of food that had once adorned the table smashed against his back as he met his end.

And as if that wasn’t enough, the sound of knives clashing began to echo throughout the restaurant.

Silence fell among the group.

It was as if their tranquility had been interrupted at just the wrong time, suggesting that perhaps serenity was still too far off.

The Tin Knight lamented aloud.

[“The Tin Knight had a hunch something was off when he saw the waiter!”]

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