Текст книги "Overlord - The Men in the Kingdom - Part 1"

Автор книги: Maruyama Kugane

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Текущая страница: 4 (всего у книги 15 страниц)

There was no way that was true. Just how could it? It was the ugly jealousy of a man who could only think in those terms.

“I do not think that that is the case.”

“Fufufufufu. As expected, it seems you don’t see her as a monster. Is it because you are blind? Or perhaps she’s being clever? … Shouldn’t I be suspicious?”

“Not at all. I firmly believe that Renner-sama is the Kingdom’s treasure.”

Because he was the one who watched her the closest, he was assured that everything she did was righteous.

“Really, that’s interesting. Then can you deliver a message to that monster for me? … Although your brother only thinks of you as a political tool, if you cooperate with me, I can rid you of your right of succession and grant you territory.”

Climb felt his displeasure rising.

“... Jokes should be kept in moderation. I did not expect for you to say such words. I will pretend that I never heard them.”

“Fufufufufufu. A pity. Let’s go, Marquis Raeven.”

The man who was searchingly watching the two in silence nodded his head.

Not much was known about Marquis Raeven. Although he had drawn a clear line between Climb and himself, his eyes were slightly different than the other nobles. Renner also did not give any specific instructions on how to treat Raeven.

“Ah, I almost forgot. Marquis Raeven also shares my opinion and thinks of her as a monster. No, you could say that we are in complete agreement on this matter.”

“—Your Highness.”

“Just one more word, Marquis Raeven. Listen, Climb. If you were a bigot then I wouldn’t have even bothered to say anything. But… I’m giving you a warning since she could be tricking you. She’s a monster.”

“Your Highness, though it may be presumptuous of me, allow me a question. What part of Renner-sama do you feel that she is a monster? There is no one else who cares more about the Kingdom and its people.”

“… Almost all of her efforts end up as nothing. Her actions are too pointless. At the beginning, I thought that maybe it was because her preparations were lacking. Then, the idea came up during a conversation with the Marquis here. What if everything was calculated? That would tie all of the loose ends together. If that were true… it would mean that a girl who lives half her life inside a palace and has almost no connections to the nobles is controlling them as she sees fit. … What do you call that if not a monster?”

“It’s a simple misunderstanding. Renner-sama is not that type of person.”

Climb was certain.

Those tears were not lies. That girl called Renner was selfless and kind. He, whose life was saved by her, knew this for a fact.

But his words did not reach the prince. He showed a bitter smile and walked away from Climb, with Marquis Raeven following behind him.

Climb muttered in the empty hallway.

“Renner-sama is the most benevolent person in the world. My existence is proof. If…”

He swallowed those last words. Even so, they continued in his heart.

If Renner-sama ruled the Kingdom, it would become a great nation that stood by its people.

Of course, considering the line of succession, it was an impossible wish.

Regardless, Climb could not give it up.

Lower Fire Month (9th Month), Day 3, 8:11

At last, Climb arrived in front of the room in the palace that he frequented the most often.

Having checked his surroundings several times over, he boldly turned the doorknob.

Not knocking was absurd, but this was what his master wished for. She refused to listen no matter how much Climb opposed it.

In the end, Climb was the one who relented. It couldn’t be helped that a girl’s tears put him at a disadvantage. Although with that said, he managed to establish a few conditions. No matter what she said, he could not enter without knocking in the presence of the King.

It was also true that entering without knocking was a source of great stress for Climb. Needless to say, every time he opened the door, Climb felt that there was no way that something like this would be permitted.

As he was about to fling the door open, his hands stopped at the sound of a heated discussion that was flowing through the small crack.

He heard two voices, both female.

The reason he stopped was because one of the voices sounded so absorbed in the discussion that it failed to notice Climb’s presence, albeit he was outside of the room. He did not want to throw cold water over their enthusiasm. Climb stood still and focused his ears on the voices in the room. Although he felt guilty about eavesdropping, he would feel even more guilty if he interrupted such a heated talk.

“—say it before? Humans only focus on the profits that are in front of them.”

“Mmmm…”

“…Renner, your plan about harvesting different crops on rotation… although I don’t really think that would improve the yield… how long would people have to wait for the results to show?”

“By my calculations, at the least, it should take around six years.”

“Then what’s the projected loss of profits for those six years when we cultivate different crops?”

“It depends on the crop… but if we’re at a hundred now then we’ll be around eighty percent. So we may have a twenty percent loss.  But after six years we’ll be looking at a steady thirty percent increase in harvest. If we cultivate pastures and put us on track to raise more livestock then we can expect even more.”

“…If it was just that last part then everyone would jump on it. But will people agree to the constant twenty percent hit for those six years?”

“…The Kingdom loans out the twenty percent without interest or collateral, set up a method of payment when people start to turn a profit. If the harvest doesn’t improve… don’t collect and if the harvest does increase, according to the plan, people will be able to pay everything back in four years.

“It would be difficult.”

“Why?”

“I told you. People only care about profits that are in front of them – there’s more who prefer stability. Even if you can guarantee a thirty percent increase after six years, there’s obviously going to be people who are hesitant.”

“I… don’t understand. The results from the field I tested were favorable…”

“Even if the test goes well it still isn’t absolute.”

“…Well I didn’t test it under every possible condition, so I guess it isn’t. Accounting for every geological feature of the land or climates would require a large scale experiment.”

“Then it’s going to be hard. Even not knowing if the future thirty percent increase is the maximum or an average is going to kill your argument. This means you have to be able to promise a significant profit along with profits in the short term.”

“What if we provide the twenty percent free of charge for those six years?”

“The rival nobility faction will be happy since the King will be losing power.”

“But if we can secure as much goods as we give after six years, the national power will see an increase…”

“Then the rival nobility’s power will increase as well while the King’s power falls by twenty percent. The nobles in the King’s faction will never agree to it.”

“Then we ask the merchants and…”

“You’re talking about the Great Merchants right? They have their own conflicts. Carelessly lending their strength to the King’s faction can affect their ability to conduct business properly with the other faction.”

“This is too hard… Lakyus.”

“…You can’t get much advance work done so your policies end up with a ton of weak spots. Well… I can understand that two massive factions make it incredibly difficult. …How about working just on the issues in the palace?”

“I don’t think my brothers will allow it.”

“Ah, those idi… people who left their honor in their mother’s womb just for you.”

“We don’t even share the same mother.”

“My, so from the King’s side then. Anyways, to think that even the royal family isn’t close, so frustrating…”

As the room became quiet, she realized that the discussion was finished.

“Ah, it’s okay to come in now. Right, Renner?”

“What?”

That voice made Climb’s heart thump loudly in his chest. He was astonished that she already knew he was here and at the same time, felt that it was to be expected. Climb slowly opened the door.

“—Excuse me.”

A familiar sight entered Climb’s eyes.

Luxurious but not gaudy– in the room, two blond ladies sat around a table by the windowsill.

One of them was obviously the master of the room, Renner.

And the girl opposite to her, with green pupils and pink lips that showed a healthy gleam. Her beauty fell short of Renner but overflowed with a different charm. If Renner was the brilliance of a jewel, then she was the brilliance of life.

Lakyus Alvein Dale Aindra.

Although you would not think it from her light pink dress, she was the leader of one of only two adamantium rank adventurer teams in the Kingdom, as well as Renner’s closest friend.

At nineteen years old, what allowed her to achieve the countless achievements necessary to rise to such a difficult position was her overflowing talent. Climb felt the tiniest traces of envy ooze out of his heart.

“I hope you are well, Renner-sama, Aindra-sama.”

“Hello, Climb.”

“Hello.”

As Climb finished his greeting and was about to move to his designated spot – to Renner’s right, just behind her – he was interrupted.

“Climb, not there, over here.”

The place Renner was pointing at was the chair to her right.

Climb thought it odd. There were five chairs placed around the circular table, the same as always. But there were three teacups laid out in total.

One in front of Renner, Lakyus, and next to Lakyus– a seat different from where Renner was pointing. He looked around but could not find the third person anywhere.

Even as he thought it was strange, he turned his eyes to the chair.

The discourtesy of sharing a table with his master, royalty at that, the order to enter the room without knocking – or in Renner’s words, a request – almost all of Renner’s orders placed a burden on his conscience.

“But…”

Climb turned his eyes to the other girl, seeking help. His wordless plea to the other companion to please spare him was immediately shot down.

“I don’t mind.”

“Th-that’s… Aindra-sama…”

“Like I’ve told you already, call me Lakyus.”

Lakyus slightly peered over at Renner and continued.

“Climb is special after all.”

“…Angry.”

Renner smiled as she spoke. The sweet tone of Lakyus’ words seemed to end in a heart mark. Rather, it was difficult to call her expression a smile, where only her lips moved while her eyes were serious.

“Aindra-sama, you should stop with the jokes.”

“Alright, alright. Climb really is stubborn. How about trying to learn from her?”

“Huh? A joke?”

Seeing Renner surprised, Lakyus stopped abruptly and heaved a large sigh.

“Isn’t it obvious? It’s true that Climb is special, but only because he’s ‘yours’.”

Renner blushed slightly and covered both her cheeks with her hands. Climb awkwardly looked away from her and his eyes immediately opened wide.

“What?!”

Shocked, Climb lowered his body, grabbed the sword fastened to his waist and moved to protect Renner. Lakyus let out another sigh.

“Climb got surprised because you’re like that.”

Her calm voice did not contain any caution or sense of crisis. Having understood what it meant, Climb felt the tension leave his shoulders.

“Understood, boss.”

The girl sitting in the shadows hopped up in a single breath.

“Ah, Climb, you don’t know her. This is our team member—“

“– Tina-san.”

Renner finished Lakyus’ sentence.

As far as Climb knew, the adamantium ranked adventurer team ‘Blue Rose’ was composed of five women: the leader, faith based magic caster Lakyus, warrior Gagaran, magic caster Evileye, and Tia and Tina who were trained in thief skills.

Climb already met Lakyus, Gagaran, and Evileye but was unacquainted with the last two.

This person is… I see. She really is like the rumors say.

With slender limbs and appearance covered by the clothes that wrapped tightly around her body, she really did look like someone who would train in thief skills.

“… I apologize for my rudeness. Nice to meet you, my name is Climb.”

Climb bowed his head low to Tina.

“Hmm? Don’t worry about it.”

She answered Climb’s apology with a wave of her hand and, completely silent, like a wild animal, approached the table with smooth movements. She sat in the chair that was next to Lakyus, so the teacup from before must have been hers.

Even while the number of teacups on the table meant that it was impossible, Climb looked around the room once more, carefully checking for the other girl who he wasn’t acquainted with.

Lakyus saw what Climb was doing and opened her mouth, as if she immediately understood him.

“Tia didn’t come. Gagaran and Evileye both said that they hate formal stuff. This isn’t even that formal though. I dressed up just in case, but it’s not like I pushed the others to dress up too.”

Despite what Lakyus said, her type of attire was the correct etiquette when appearing before the princess, but Climb had no intention of telling this to a person who was both Renner’s friend and a distinguished noble.

“It seems that’s the case. But I’m grateful to meet the famous Tina-sama. I look forward to your guidance.”

“Why don’t you continue your talk after you sit, Climb?”

Renner drew out a new cup and poured tea as she spoke. The tea from the magic item ‘Warm Bottle’ gave off steam like it was just freshly brewed. It was one of Renner’s prized possessions that had the effect of maintaining the temperature and quality of the beverage inside for one hour. She used it quite liberally when receiving a particularly important guest and rarely brought it out otherwise.

With no way to refuse, Climb resigned himself and sat in his seat, drinking a sip of the tea.

“It’s delicious, Renner-sama.”

Renner smiled sweetly, but honestly speaking, Climb had no clue as to whether or not it was good; only that something brewed by Renner could only be delicious.

That was when, suddenly, he heard a flat, emotionless voice.

“—Tia should be collecting information today. The three of us was supposed to visit the palace today, but our evil boss suddenly ordered a job. Everything is the evil boss’ fault.”

Needless to say, it was Tina’s voice. Climb averted his eyes away from Lakyus’ frightening smile and asked.

“I see… Should there be an opportunity, next time, I would like to meet her at least once.”

“Climb, Tina-san and Tia-san are twins; even the length of their hair is similar.”

“So if you just see one then there’s no problem.”

Although whether or not there would be a problem wasn’t the issue, Climb showed that he understood.

Nevertheless, Climb felt embarrassed by Tina’s merciless gaze. As he was about to ignore it, the thought that she could have spotted something that he lacked prompted him to ready himself and ask.

“What is it?”

“Too big.”

“…What?”

He didn’t know what she was talking about. As countless question marks floated above Climb’s head, Lakyus apologetically intervened.

“It’s nothing. She’s just talking to herself. Don’t worry about it, Climb. No, really, don’t worry about it. I’m serious.”

“Yes…”

“…What is she talking about, Lakyus?”

Although Climb was forcing himself to agree, a confused Renner interfered. Lakyus watched Renner with a sour expression.

“Really, you, whenever it’s about Climb…”

“Ah, I meant—“

“—Shut up, Tina. The reason I didn’t bring Tia was because she was going to say something strange to Renner. Can you understand that and stop talking?”

“Got it~ evil boss.”

“…Lakyus, what was she going to tell me?”

Lakyus’ face turned stiff at Renner’s interrogation. She even looked like she was suffering.

As Climb thought about whether to intervene, Lakyus quickly turned her eyes.

“Huh… Climb, you’re using that armor.”

“Yes, it’s an incredible armor. Thank you.”

Although it was a forced change of topic, as to not embarrass the guest, Climb responded and moved his hand to the white full plate armor that he received from Renner. Forged with a great amount of mithril – with a bit of orichalcum – the armor had various magical enchants on it that made it surprisingly light, tough, and easy to move in.

The mithril for forging the splendid armor was provided by the members of Blue Rose. No matter how much he gave his thanks, it wouldn’t be enough.

As Climb was about to bow his head, Lakyus stopped him.

“You don’t have to worry about it. We just gave you the leftovers from when we made our own mithril armor.”

Even if it were just leftovers, mithril was a very expensive material. One would be able to afford a mithril full plate armor once they reach orichalcum rank. A mithril rank might be able to afford a mithril weapon. Only a person in the adamantium rank would be able to just give it away.

“I just can’t say no to Renner, after all.”

“—You didn’t accept payment back then. I saved up my allowance…”

“… Isn’t it odd for a princess to call it an allowance?”

“Funds from the demesne are counted separately. I wanted to make Climb’s armor with my own money.”

“Of course you did~. It’s Climb’s so I’m sure you wanted to pay for it~.”

“… If you knew then you didn’t have to give it to him for free. Stupid Lakyus.”

“Stupid? Why you…”

The sulking Renner and grinning Lakyus, the two bantered playfully.

Seeing such a scene, Climb concentrated so that his expressionless face would not crumble.

Even the fact that he was able to witness such a kind, gentle scene was all thanks to the master who accepted him under her wing. However, he could not allow his feelings to show.

Although a feeling of gratitude was fine, he could not show what lay beyond it, his strong feelings for Renner.

His love.

He grabbed his feelings and suppressed it. Instead, he said the words that he had repeated countless time before.

“Thank you. Renner-sama.”

His message was clear. There was a firm line drawn between them – the position of master and servant – ever so slightly, Climb saw it– because he had watched over her for so long, the smallest trace of sadness in Renner’s smile.

“Not at all. Anyhow, we’ve digressed. Shall we return to the main topic?”

“It’s about the Eight Fingers. I stopped at the part where we broke into three of their villages for growing drugs and set fire to the fields, right?”

Hearing that name, Climb’s expressionless face frowned slightly.

‘Eight Fingers’, a criminal organization that operated in the dark side of the Kingdom.

His esteemed master was acting in order to do something about that group.

As for the fields that were burned, one could only imagine the worst case scenario for the villages that depended on growing the drug for a living. However, the lives of those villagers were a necessary sacrifice in order to eradicate the drug that was eating away at the Kingdom.

If she possessed absolute authority, then any measure could be taken. But even as the princess, she had no backing. The only option was to make the cold-hearted decision of saving whoever she could save and to cut away the rest.

Supposing she petitioned her father, the King, then it may be possible for her to attack with military or political might. But as long as it was certain that Eight Fingers had ties to the nobility, there was no doubt that the information would be leaked and the evidence erased in advance.

That was why Renner chose to personally request Lakyus and her party.

Climb knew well that this was a dangerous move. Normally, an adventurer accepted requests through the guild and did not acknowledge personal requests. To do so was a violation of the rules.

Of course, the guild could not impose punishment or expel the highest ranked adamantium class adventurers . Nevertheless, their reputation within the guild would suffer and there would be negative consequences in the future. The reason that her request was accepted despite all of this was because Blue Rose loved the Kingdom and considered Renner their friend.

Climb felt his gratitude toward Lakyus rise, the one who accepted the job even at her own risk.

Lakyus decided that it was about time to bring up a certain topic. She opened the bag Tina had brought and pulled out a single parchment.

It was a writing that the Blue Rose members, including Lakyus, could not decipher. But if it was Renner, the best brains out of everyone that Lakyus knew, then perhaps something could be done about it.

“We found this when we were burning the village’s drugs. It seemed to be some kind of written orders so we brought it back… do you know what it is?”

The open parchment contained symbols that were not part of any country’s written language.

Renner glanced at it and replied immediately.

“…It’s a substitution cipher.”

A substitution cipher was a type of code where a word or several words together was switched for a different word or symbol. If ‘1’ indicated ‘a’ and ‘2’ was ‘b’, then ‘11221’ became ‘aabba’.

“That’s what I think too. We looked hard for a substitution chart but couldn’t find one unfortunately. There’s a chance that it was memorized so we captured someone who looked to be in charge. Our option here should be to ask the captive with charm magic, but as you already know, charm magic loses its effectiveness when repeatedly cast by the same person on the same target. The first time has to count. I didn’t want to go ahead with it without consulting you first.”

“I see… the reason this message was left behind… a trap… or is it for a different reason? Then they wouldn’t have made it too difficult. Yes, I think I can crack this code pretty easily.”

Lakyus’ eyes went wide at Renner’s words. In spite of herself, her eyes met with Tina who sat next to her.

She couldn’t believe it. But on the other hand, she felt that it was to be expected.

“Let’s see. The first letter of the Kingdom’s alphabet is either the male article or female article; it should be one of the syllables so… wait one moment.”

Renner muttered as she stood with the parchment in hand and returned with a pen and paper.

She began to write.

“This code switches out one letter per symbol so it’s easy. And thank goodness that it uses the Kingdom’s alphabet. If it used the empire’s or if we needed to translate it first then it would’ve been almost impossible. This is… first, if you figure out just one letter then you can just fill out the rest. Anybody could do it if they tried.”

“No no, you just make it sound easy. Wouldn’t it be impossible without knowing tens of thousands of words?”

“But this is an order written in code. The instructions wouldn’t be hidden behind a metaphor and the chance of them using difficult words is very small. The messages are probably written clearly so that even children can understand it. That’s why their scale is so large.”

Lakyus inwardly broke out in cold sweats.

Although her friend called it simple, that was absolutely not the case.

If it’s her then it’s possible… really, her ability is ridiculous.

Every time they met, every time they spoke, she was surprised. Lakyus didn’t know anyone who better fit the term ‘genius.’

In contrast to Lakyus who was trembling on the inside, Renner lightly held out the paper in her hand.

“I’m finished. It wasn’t orders though.”

Various locations outside the Kingdom were listed on the paper. Seven were within the Kingdom’s lands.

“Could these be where they store the drugs? Important bases maybe?”

“Such important information wouldn’t be written down and just left in a production facility. Isn’t this bait?”

“A bait? You mean it’s a trap?”

“Mmm… No, I don’t think so. Even though Eight Fingers is one organization, isn’t it more like the eight groups that make it up are cooperating with one another?”

Lakyus nodded her head.

“Then this is probably about the other seven groups. The organization that’s in charge of drugs leaked this information on purpose so they could spin it into an advantage.”

“So they prepared information on all the organizations besides their own… I knew that they weren’t close, but to think that it was this bad…”

As an adventurer, the thought of betraying one’s allies filled her with aversion.

“As I thought, it’ll be bad if we don’t move quickly.”

To her friend who was nodding her head, Lakyus repeated her question.

“Then what should we do about the brothel? It’s a very vile place so supposedly you can experience anything there.”

Even when she said so herself, Lakyus felt her insides boil in anger.

Damn it. Trash that only thinks about their lust can all die!

Remembering the information she received about the brothel, separate from the daughter of a noble, her adventurer side that endured all kinds of hardships raged inside of her. There was no need to ponder what ‘anything’ implied. No doubt that countless people– regardless of gender– were murdered there for entertainment.

In the past when the slave trade still existed, brothels like that had been plentiful in the underworld, but thanks to the active role of her friend in front of her, the slave trade was outlawed and those days were long gone. This was probably the last such brothel remaining in the capital, perhaps in the Kingdom.

That was why removing it wasn’t so simple. No doubt that they would be met with strong opposition. It was the last depraved paradise for those with fetishes so vulgar, they could never tell other people about them.

“Say, Renner. Since we can’t rely on the government to investigate, how about we break in there by force and raze it? There’s no problem as long as we find evidence, no? If the slave trade is running the brothel, destroying it will be huge. And depending on the evidence we find, we could deal a big blow to the nobles who are involved.”

“You might be right, Lakyus. But if we do that, it’ll hurt your family’s, the Alvein name. That’s why it’s difficult. It’ll be the same if we used the Blue Rose members... though with that said, it’s impossible for Climb to take care of it by himself.”

“I apologize for my lack of ability.”

As he bowed his head, Renner stretched out her hand and grabbed Climb’s hand with a gentle smile.

“I’m sorry, Climb. That’s not what I meant. It’s the last underworld brothel in the Kingdom. It’s impossible for anyone to do it alone. Listen Climb, whom I trust the most. I know how hard you work for me, but don’t do anything reckless. This is an order and not a request, understand? If anything were to happen to you…”

Watching from the side, even to Lakyus, who was the same gender, there was something in the eyes of the beauty welling with tears that moved the heart. Then what about Climb?

Although he desperately tried to keep his face still, the bright red cheeks said everything that needed to be said.

If a bard were to give it a title, it would be The Princess and the Knight. In the face of such an emotional scene, Lakyus felt a tiny sliver of terror. Although it was impossible, if Renner’s actions were all calculated, just how much of a master schemer was—.

Just what am I thinking about my good friend? It’s obvious she doesn’t have such a bad personality by looking at everything she’s done so far. She’s worked to help others. If I can’t believe in someone who’s earned the nickname of Golden, just who can I trust?

As if she was trying to rid herself of these terrible thoughts, Lakyus shook her head and spoke.

“Now that I remember, Tina and her friends managed to uncover the names of a number of nobles involved with Cocodoll– the leader of the slave trade. But we don’t know whether or not the information is accurate so acting on it would be jumping to conclusions.”

As Lakyus went through the names one by one, both Renner and Climb reacted to one name in particular.

“That noble’s daughter is working as my maid.”

“What? I doubt that he planted her as a spy to watch you but... I guess there’s no guarantee that she’s just working as a maid for the experience either.”

“Right. I should be more careful with how I handle information. You keep it in mind as well, Climb.”

“Then shall we discuss how to deal with the locations from the cipher? And Renner, do you think I could borrow Climb? I want him to tell Gagaran and the others to be ready to move immediately.”

Part 2

Lower Fire Month (9th Month), Day 3, 9:49

Climb walked down the Kingdom’s main street. With nothing noticeable about his outer appearance, Climb completely blended into the crowd.

Needless to say, he was not wearing his eye-catching full plate armor. Using a special alchemy item would allow him to change the color of the armor, but he didn’t feel the need to go so far just to have it on with him.

That was why his gear was light; a chain mail beneath his clothes and a longsword at his waist to set him apart from the average citizen.

His current equipment was similar to those of patrolmen and mercenaries, the kind one could find anywhere. It was somewhat enough for others to keep a respectable distance, but not so heavily armed that the crowd would part before him.

A person who was heavily armed would no doubt be an adventurer. They armed themselves to be noticeable rather than out of necessity. Adventurers who wore gear that made them stand out were not uncommon. It served as a form of advertisement for their services. There were those among them who went for an especially novel appearance so that they would leave a strong impression and spread rumors to sell their name. It was the trademark of an adventurer.

But the people that Climb was on his way to meet had no need for such antics. The members of Blue Rose spread rumors simply by walking down the street.

Eventually, an inn for adventurers could be seen by the side of the main street. The place had lodgings, a stable, and a yard large enough to swing a sword in. Behind its splendid outward appearance was an equally beautiful, decorated interior. The rooms were even fitted with windows made of clear glass.

As the highest class inn in the Kingdom, it was a place where adventurers who were confident in their skill and could afford the expensive lodging costs gathered.

Climb ignored the guard standing at the side and opened the door to the inn.

The first floor doubled as a pub and a restaurant. Compared to the large parlour, there were only a few adventurers. High class adventurers were as rare to see as they were skilled.

The faint chatter in the room died down for an instant and eyes filled with curiosity focused on him. Climb ignored them and looked around.