Chapter 175

Episode 175:  So This Is the Capital.

Towering stone buildings rose on either side like giants.

Between them, a road paved with pure white marble stretched out, bustling with countless people and carriages coming and going.

“Have a look, dear customer.”

“...Hmm, how about I give you 100 gold for it?”

That wasn’t all. With every few steps, new pavilions appeared—temporary structures filled with all sorts of exotic delicacies and curious trinkets that dazzled the eyes of passersby.

Pavillonia.

A massive citadel that truly lived up to the name of the Empire’s capital.

Right in the middle of it... Hardin’s group was walking.

“Whoa. There are so many people here.”

“Y-Yeah, seriously.”

Gadolph and the servants spoke in awe, their eyes wide.

“Whoa…”

Cobalt and Manton also seemed overwhelmed by the spectacle, their bodies stiffening slightly.

Seeing this, I twitched my lips and crossed my arms.

“What’s with you guys, acting like a bunch of country bumpkins?”

“Well... we are country bumpkins, Young Master.”

When Gadolph blinked in confusion and answered as if wondering what I was talking about, I found myself momentarily speechless.

‘Right. This is their first time here.’

Back when I was still Varlach, I used to visit Pavillonia all the time, so this didn’t faze me.

Whenever my father or eldest brother had business here, I was practically dragged along under the pretense of being an escort.

And at a certain point...

– Oh my. You’re here again, Varlach?

I also started dropping by frequently... to visit someone.

For some reason, a faintly bitter expression crossed my face.

“Hm? What’s wrong, Hardin?”

“It’s nothing. Let’s head that way. I know a decent place to stay.”

“You know a place? How’s that?”

Cobalt tilted his head and asked, and I shrugged in response.

“Well, I did some research ahead of time. Isn’t it obvious that we should be prepared when we’re doing something this important?”

“...”

Everyone suddenly stopped walking and stared at me.

“Why are you all looking at me like that?”

“Ah, it’s nothing... It just doesn’t feel like something the Young Master would do.”

“Hardin, I didn’t know you had such an attentive side.”

“...”

These guys...

I furrowed my brow and let out an exasperated sigh.

“Forget it. Just follow me. If you go to some sketchy place around here, you’re bound to get ripped off.”

“R-Right.”

I turned off the main street and walked into a side alley.

The further we went, the fewer people there were, and the buildings grew sparser.

Compared to earlier, the atmosphere had turned almost eerie.

“...There’s a decent inn here?”

“Wouldn’t it be better to just go back to one of those places on the main street, Hardin?”

Were they simply doubting me because of all this?

Maybe it wasn’t doubt, but rather the unsettling atmosphere of the surroundings that was getting to them.

Everyone wore anxious expressions as they tried to dissuade me.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. We’re almost there.”

And then, just as we turned down one last alley—

An oddly shaped sign revealed itself above a shabby-looking building.

[Poison Toad Inn! Always here to serve you comfortably!]

A picture of a grumpy-looking man, whose appearance matched the name "Poison Toad" perfectly, with his thumb raised in approval.

Seeing it, the corners of my mouth curled up into a smirk.

“Found it.”

So it was still here, after all.

Creeeak!

Grinning, I swung the door open.

“Welcome! This is the Poison Toad Inn!”

A familiar voice greeted us warmly.

A wave of homely air washed over everyone inside.

And then—

“Hey! Boss! One more smoked chicken over here!”

“Coming right up! And here’s a free pint of beer to go with it!”

“Oh ho ho, now that’s the good stuff!”

From the outside, the alley had looked rundown and creepy, but somehow the dining area on the first floor was packed with people.

And everyone there... looked like they were having a genuinely good time.

“Haha, are all these folks staying here? Or just dining?”

“They eat here, and they stay here, too.”

The man, whose face bore a striking resemblance to a toad, chuckled while rubbing his hands together.

Seeing him made the smile on my lips deepen.

‘Looks exactly the same.’

Back when I was Varlach, every time I stopped by this inn, I’d exchange greetings with the old innkeeper. This man looked just like him.

“Hohoho. A fine choice, gentlemen. Is this your first time at our inn?”

“Yeah, it is.”

“Ah, then before I show you to your rooms, allow me to briefly introduce our humble inn.”

“Introduce? That’s really not necessary—”

“Oh, but I promise you’ll enjoy it. Just hear me out.”

As the innkeeper insisted, the guests drinking nearby burst into hearty laughter.

“There he goes again!”

“Cut it out, boss! You’ll make our ears bleed!”

...What in the world was he planning to introduce?

Everyone tilted their heads and followed behind him.

The innkeeper pointed toward a sword hanging above the fireplace and said:

“Do you see that sword there?”

“...Huh?”

My eyes widened in that instant.

There was something oddly familiar about that sword on the wall.

“That sword up there was gifted to my great-grandfather by the Sword Saint, Varlach Daphne, who won the ‘Dawn of Knights’ tournament 90 years ago.”

“...”

I stood there blinking blankly.

“Varlach... Daphne? That sword was given by our great-uncle?”

Cobalt, watching from behind, asked in utter shock.

“Great-uncle...? Um, if you don’t mind me asking, my lord—may I ask which house you belong to...?”

“I am Viscount Cobalt Daphne. And I also happen to be a descendant of the very same Varlach Daphne you just mentioned.”

“Wh-Whhaaaat?”

When Cobalt placed a hand over his chest and spoke, the innkeeper’s face twisted as if he had just seen a ghost.

Thud!

“It’s an—an honor to meet you, sir!”

He suddenly dropped to his knees and bowed deeply in our direction.

“...Huh?”

Both I and Cobalt—

And everyone else in the inn watching this—

Wore matching expressions of confusion and disbelief.

---

Several minutes later, in a corner of the inn’s first floor—

“Here you are! Enjoy your meal! If there’s anything more you’d like, please don’t hesitate to ask!”

“Whoa there, innkeeper. Isn’t this a bit much...?”

“Not at all, sir. I’m simply honoring my grandfather’s dying wish, hoho!”

The table where the Daphne party was seated was so loaded with food that the expression “bending the legs of the table” didn’t feel like an exaggeration at all.

Once the innkeeper found out we were from House Daphne, he completely lost control and insisted on treating us like royalty—and this was the result.

Scratching my head, I asked,

“Hey, innkeeper. Can I ask you something?”

“Yes, of course, anything!”

“So... why did your grandfather want you to treat us so well?”

“He said he received a great deal of help from Lord Varlach. He smashed up some thugs who were causing trouble more than once, and back then, business wasn’t going well... But once Lord Varlach became a regular here, the inn began to thrive.”

“Ah...”

So that was it?

Now that I thought back, it did ring a bell.

Though, if I were to nitpick a little...

‘I just beat up anyone who annoyed me and drank in places where I wouldn’t get noticed...’

Varlach hadn’t done any of it out of kindness or goodwill.

But well, if the outcome was good, that was enough.

“Then please, enjoy your meal! I’ve had the bathwater heated nice and warm, and your rooms—only the best ones we have—are ready for you!”

“Ah, much appreciated.”

With that, the innkeeper shuffled off in quick steps, heading back to tend to the other guests.

Just then, Cobalt leaned in and asked in a low voice,

“Hardin, how did you know this place had a story like that?”

“...Oh, well, um... from Great-Uncle’s Record! There was a passage about this inn in one of the books I read from there.”

“Hmmm...”

Cobalt gave me a suspicious look for a moment, then smiled gently and said,

“I’ll have to read it myself one day when I have the time.”

“Yes, yes, hohoho!”

I scratched my head awkwardly and glanced back at the innkeeper.

“Hahaha, sorry for the wait! Here, have some quail eggs on the house!”

“Tch, I’ll let it slide just this once!”

The innkeeper, wearing that toad-like face of his, smiled cheerfully as he served the guests.

Everyone looked utterly content.

With delicious food, comfortable rooms, and a kind host—there couldn’t be a better inn than this.

As I watched it all, the corners of my mouth twitched as an old memory surfaced.

The corner of the inn—

I remembered being slumped over in this very spot, completely drunk.

– Hey, how long are you planning to keep this place running, innkeeper?

– The inn? Well, I plan to keep it open for life, and pass it down through the family. Lord Varlach, the greatest knight in the world, praised this inn—how could I ever abandon it?

– Hic! You better keep that promise, you hear me?!

Back then, it was just a passing joke. But realizing that promise had been upheld even now—

‘Maybe... being reborn isn’t entirely a bad thing.’

I couldn’t help but feel a strange, faint ache stir in my chest.

---

The next morning, at the crack of dawn—

Cock-a-doodle-dooo!

A rooster’s cry echoed from outside.

“Alright, up and at ‘em! Let’s go!”

“J-Just ten more minutes...”

When Cobalt shook my shoulder roughly, I grumbled with a face worn out by fatigue.

After drinking myself senseless and stuffing my face the night before—and on top of that, still tired from the journey—I had absolutely no energy to get up.

How long had the struggle gone on?

Splash!

“Gah!”

I jolted upright as water hit me like lightning.

“H-Hey! You didn’t have to throw water on me!”

“You weren’t listening to reason. I had no choice.”

Cobalt’s face was firm, resolute.

And to top it off, he was already fully dressed and perfectly presentable.

I let out a heavy sigh and said,

“Ughhh... There’s no need to move this early. You said we weren’t due at the Imperial Palace until late afternoon.”

“There’s a mountain of things to prepare before then.”

“Prepare? What are we preparing for?”

“To enter the Imperial Palace! Now hurry up and come out!”

“Ah... right, yes, sir.”

Seriously, it’s not like we’re heading into some holy ground. We could just show up as we are...

Grumbling, I quickly threw on whatever clothes I could find and roughly fixed my messy hair before stumbling out into the hallway.

And then—

“Young Master, why are you coming out so late?”

“...”

Gadolph and the servants stood in a neat line, staring right at me.

“You’re awake.”

Manton and Jerry were there too, already fully prepped and ready to go.

“W-Wait, you were all up already?”

Feeling a wave of embarrassment, I scratched the back of my head.

Just then, Cobalt handed a note to Gadolph and said with a serious tone,

“Gadolph, purchase everything written here as quickly as possible. They’re part of the gift we’re to present to His Majesty the Emperor, so only bring the best.”

“Understood. I know a place from the contacts we met yesterday—I’ll head straight there.”

“Good. Make haste.”

As Gadolph departed, Cobalt turned his gaze on me next.

“Hardin! The rest of you, follow me!”

“Where are we going now? Didn’t you leave that job to Gadolph?”

“What are you talking about? There’s something we must take care of first!”

“What are you even talking about...?”

I don’t understand a word you’re saying.

My face was already full of irritation and confusion.