Episode 335
I left the underground library and headed straight for the Small Iron Hall.
The mansion had been empty for a long time, but it was now crowded. That was no surprise; I had seen the same scene before my regression. Servants bowed their heads and greeted me. Every time, I nodded roughly and continued to my room.
I looked at the casual clothes on the bed and nodded. "It is as sharp as always."
I washed up and changed into casual clothes for the first time in a while. As I considered what to do next, hunger set in. I actually hadn't eaten anything all day.
"Home-cooked food is the best," I muttered.
The Small Iron Hall had its own dining room, along with a kitchen and a chef. I headed there with growing expectations.
The man who looked to be the head chef greeted me with an apology. "I'm sorry. I started cooking as soon as I received word of your return, but it isn't ready yet."
"How long will it take?" I asked.
"Two hours should be enough."
Did I hear him correctly?
"Two hours? Not twenty minutes? Are you making some type of stew? Why will it take so long?" I asked.
The chef happily started explaining, but I only half listened. "You heard correctly. I am preparing a dish called smachom. It's a home-cooked dish from the north, your hometown."
I had never been to my mother's hometown in the north, so calling it my hometown felt like a stretch.
"Two hours is a bit long. I'll just eat at the main house," I said.
The man's expression turned oddly tearful for his age, so I added, "Instead, I will come and eat dinner. You can look forward to it, right?"
The chef patted his chest. "Of course! Leave it to me!"
"I'll be waiting for the table legs to break under the weight of the food this time," I remarked.
I left the Small Iron Hall and headed toward the main building. As I walked through the garden of the main estate, I looked around. The scenery was desolate.
"It isn't spring here either," I muttered.
The last time I had come here, it had been the middle of winter. It was spring now, but a cold wind still swept through the Badniker estate. Planting a few bright flowers in the garden and setting up a uselessly large fountain could improve the atmosphere.
Then again, the name of my mansion didn't help. What was a Small Iron Hall? The name alone made it sound so cold and rigid that even the bed could be made of stone.
I grumbled as I crossed the garden and entered the main dining room. It wasn't mealtime, so the room was relatively quiet. Still, someone unexpected was sitting inside.
Coincidentally, she narrowed her eyes slightly when she saw me.
"Huh?"
"You..."
The person sitting at the table with a stern expression was my half-sister, Olivia Badniker.
"Luan Badniker," she muttered.
"Good morning," I said.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"I came to eat. What did you come for?" I replied casually.
Using honorifics with my siblings was too troublesome now. Still, I held back the comment that her question was pointless. I wouldn't have shown the same restraint if Hector had been in front of me.
Olivia was unaware of this and remained silent. Of course, I assumed she meant why I was at the main house, not why I had come to the dining room. In contrast, I wondered why Olivia was here.
The large dining room on the first floor of the main building was usually used by servants. The head chef's skills were still great, but meals were prepared in bulk, so the quality inevitably suffered. More importantly, an arrogant nobleman would consider it disgraceful to eat where servants dined. Naturally, I didn't care about such things, which was why I came.
Olivia glanced at me for a moment, then returned her tableware, idly moving it with one hand as if she had lost interest. With her other hand, she flipped through a strange ledger, and her gaze fixed on a map spread across the dining table.
She let out occasional sighs. With nothing to do while waiting for the food, I couldn't help watching her.
By the way, how old is she now?
Olivia was close to my age, perhaps only a few years or even months apart. Yet, for some reason, she gave off a harsher impression than the second daughter, Nero. Her skin was also slightly darker. It was not due to the Iron-Blooded Lord's bloodline. From what I remembered of her, she hadn't been this tanned, so she had likely acquired it over time.
I couldn't make out the contents of her ledger, so I looked at the large map on the table.
Is it a map of the south?
The southern part of the empire was vast and barren, though in a way entirely different from the north. It was also where, in my previous life, I had struggled like a stray dog until the day I died.
Because of that, I knew the south better than any other region in the empire. My current life was nothing like that of a regressor who could foresee the next ten years, but at least in the south, I could rely on what I knew and pass it off as foresight.
Olivia said she was a mercenary. Now that I look at her again, her outfit is unmistakably familiar.
She wore a turban and scarf to guard against sandstorms, along with loose, flowing clothing. There was something oddly familiar in the sight of her dressed like this, checking her ledger and occasionally marking notes on her map. I had seen this routine countless times in the past.
"Sister Olivia, are you the leader of a mercenary group?" I asked.
Olivia's gaze fell on me again. The look on her face clearly told me to shut my mouth and mind my own business.
Unfortunately for her, I was the type of person who had to pursue whatever caught my curiosity. I got up and sat beside Olivia.
"You—"
"I'm right. This is a map of the southern part of the empire. Wow, isn't this very expensive?" I exclaimed.
Olivia closed her half-open mouth. She frowned and glared at me for a moment before asking, "Why do you think it's expensive?"
"Setting aside the size, it marks the dwarf villages and oases. The roads are also quite detailed," I explained.
Olivia's expression stiffened.
I realized that I had just said something that only those who had been to the desert would know.
"Have you ever been to the desert?" she asked.
"No. I just saw it in a book," I fibbed.
"What book?"
"I don't know. I read it a long time ago, so I don't remember well."
"I see..."
"The mercenary base... Is it Sorun Village? Judging by the lines you drew, I would guess you mainly handle escort missions."
Olivia nodded. "That's right. We are mainly in charge of escorting travelers between Sorun and Airuga."
Airuga was the largest city in the south.
"Recently, the sandstorms have become so severe that they are disrupting missions. Just last month alone, we failed to meet the deadlines for five missions and had to pay compensation," she said bitterly.
"That is unfortunate. Which route?"
"It passes through the Ormoth Ruins."
I hummed in understanding. The Ormoth Ruins lay in a sandstorm-prone area. Even so, travelers could take shelter within the ruins when a storm hit.
I can see what kind of person she is. Olivia was probably safety-oriented. Rather than rushing and risking her team getting lost or failing the mission, she chose the safer route, even if it meant delays.
However, there were times when the sandstorms lasted longer than usual. During those periods, consecutive mission failures were common.
Let me see... After a brief but careful consideration, I asked, "What is the rank and size of your mercenary group?"
"There are fifteen people in total, and we're B-class," she replied.
"How good are the members?"
"I didn't recruit randomly. I'm certain that everyone is quite strong for their rank," she said, a hint of pride in her voice.
That made sense. Fifteen members wasn't a large mercenary group. The fact that they could receive B-class missions meant that they were all skilled enough to have a reputation in the mercenary world.
I pondered it quickly and reached a conclusion. "Then go to Stormbridge."
Olivia paused. "Stormbridge... Is that a dwarf village?"
I nodded. "Yes. It is a mining village. It isn't that far from Sorun Village, right?"
She frowned. "That's right, but why there?"
"There is an unused tunnel there that leads near Airuga."
"This is the first time I'm hearing this," Olivia exclaimed.
"That is because the dwarves keep to themselves, especially with outsiders from the south," I said. "It is a slight detour, so it will take some time. However, when the sandstorms are raging, it will be faster. If you negotiate your deadlines well, you won't have to pay any compensation."
"If this is true, it is priceless information. Still, I'm skeptical about those reclusive dwarves. Even if they no longer use the tunnel, will they allow us to use it?" she asked.
"They will."
"How can you be so sure?"
"They abandoned the tunnel because of monsters such as venomous scorpions and huge earthworms," I answered. "From the dwarves' perspective, cleaning it would benefit them. In fact, they may even reward you if you can prove that you dealt with the monsters."
She paused, then understanding dawned. "So that's why you asked about our skills."
I nodded.
Olivia's expression brightened. "If it's venomous scorpions and earthworms, our mercenary group can handle them."
"I'm glad."
After our conversation, the food was served. I spent this time pretty well and started eating.
As I quietly moved my utensils, I felt a warm sensation on my face, as if someone were staring.
I swallowed a piece of meat. "You aren't done yet?"
"I am, but..." Olivia hesitated. Her expression suggested she still had questions.
"I've been starving for a while. I'll eat first," I said.
"Ah, yes. Do eat as much as you want."
I saw her looking at the ledger again.
Olivia was one of the three children of the Iron-Blooded Lord who had died before reaching adulthood. After our conversation, I could roughly understand how she met her end.
Ludwig's death was a fabrication from the beginning, and I prevented Raizen's death.
We were siblings, but I had no obligation to stay by Olivia's side. It was up to her to use today's conversation as a catalyst for growth and to overcome the threat of death. I also had a few questions about the situation in the desert.
***
After finishing the meal, I stayed seated to digest and started another conversation with Olivia. Honestly, it wasn't unpleasant for me. It reminded me of memories I hadn't revisited in a long time. What annoyed me was that she kept talking even after the meal arrived.
"We can discuss the rest next time, Sister Olivia. I have something to take care of now," I said.
"Ah. I see. Thank you. I will repay you for today's matter later. If you ever happen to be near Sorun, please visit the Black Peony Mercenaries."
"Yes," I answered casually.
Olivia's mercenary group may prove helpful. After all, my next destination is the south.
After the meal, I returned to the Small Iron Hall.
A maid was waiting for me. She bowed as soon as she saw me. "You are here, future family head."
"Do you have anything to tell me?"
"Yes. Sir Assad and Sister Razbet are waiting for you in the reception room."
They must've seen the Iron-Blooded Lord. I nodded and went to meet them.
I asked Verita first. "Did you check it?"
"I did."
"Can you do it?"
"The odds aren't very high, but it is definitely worth a try."
It was a pity that the probability was low, but from Assad's perspective, even this statement had to sound hopeful. After all, none of the previous people who examined the Iron-Blooded Lord dared to say as much.
I pretended to ponder for a moment before saying, "Sir Assad."
"What is it?" he asked.
"I can double, maybe even triple, the odds that Sister Razbet mentioned if you grant permission for one thing," I claimed.
"Permission?" he echoed.
I spoke slowly. "Please free Lise Ladygoth."