The Afterlife of the Good Person (3)

"The butcher at the intersection sold out all the good-quality pork and beef. What's left are the parts people don't usually buy, so they're cheap. The baker bought the leftover meat at a low price and made meat pies to sell."

"They say 'Golden Droplets' is selling new candies. Plum-flavoured… does that count as information?"

"I carried the goods for a cart headed to Rilke, but it was all just wheat and firewood. Oh, and some blankets too."

"Recently, when I went to work and was polishing a copper basin, the servants from the manor came and bought candles and silver polish."

I asked a few follow-up questions.

"Of course, plum candy counts as information. But servants from the manor?"

"Yeah. From Baron Roald's estate."

I hadn't expected much, but the results were bigger than I thought. A smile slipped out. One of the kids asked.

"Is this really useful?" 

The kids looked skeptical.

I nodded enthusiastically. 

"Of course. Even today, there's been a lot of progress."

Then, after a moment of silence, Vittorio asked. 

"Where exactly is the progress?"

"First of all, we found out that an important guest is arriving at the Baron's estate soon."

The kids looked confused. I began explaining calmly. 

"When you think of the butcher at the intersection, what comes to mind?"

"Uh… It's big. It's the biggest butcher in all of Sinistra, they say."

"Right. The biggest and most famous in Sinistra, right? So, the fact that all the expensive cuts of meat were sold out means a big-spending customer showed up. When someone buys up all the expensive meat, it's usually a noble. And the servants from the manor bought candles and silver polish, right?"

I tapped the table, continuing. 

"Meat is a common dish for tired travelers to have on their tables. The fact that they bought extra candles means they need more for the guest rooms. The silver polish is likely to buff the silverware or candleholders to make the manor look even more splendid. Do you understand what this means?"

"So… the Baron is expecting an important guest?" 

One of the kids asked cautiously.

"Seeing how the Baron is preparing so carefully, this person must be someone important. It could even be a relative. Keep all possibilities open."

In fact, I had already gotten a hint beforehand. It was mentioned briefly in the scenario notes.

Take 3. Sinistra Plaza (Day/Outside).

Leonardo is working day and night to strengthen his weak body. At that moment, a rich carriage speeds toward a street child. 

Leonardo rushes forward and throws himself into the path of the carriage. His body, weak and unfamiliar, can't handle the impact of the stunt and he gets injured. The noble scolds the child.

Noble: (Arrogantly and rudely) "This is why commoners are such a hassle!"

Leonardo brings the injured street child, Vittorio, to the tavern.

See, the nobleman scolded the kid, right? So I just gave it a shot. I sat nonchalantly, but the kids blinked in curiosity and then asked.

"So, what about the plum candy? Is that important too?"

"Ah, that one. The quality of the plums from Rilke was poor, which means they were sold cheaply in bulk. Plums aren't sweet, but they extract colour well, so the candy shop… Golden Droplets, bought those cheap plums and then added honey or sugar to make a new product."

"Wow."

"So, what about the wheat and firewood in the cart heading to Rilke?"

"Those are relief supplies. Rilke has been hit hard by the rainy season, so the harvest isn't good, and wet firewood won't catch fire easily. With all the rain and the likely changes in the mountain terrain, gathering firewood in the forest is going to be difficult too. For the time being, wheat and firewood will be as valuable as gold in Rilke."

The kids were fascinated. It wasn't a difficult deduction, and at this stage, with no way to verify it, it was just an educated guess—still, the probability of being wrong wasn't high.

After that, we chatted about various odds and ends, and I gathered the basket I had prepared. Vittorio said, "We can carry it ourselves."

I pulled my hand away from the basket, stopping him. 

"It's heavy. What you can carry is over there."

I gestured toward the separate portions of bread, potatoes, and jerky. The kids, perhaps having shaken off their wariness, exchanged a few casual words among themselves and headed off without eyeing me suspiciously. It didn't take long for them to return to their usual shady alley, their makeshift home.

"Keep it in a shady spot so it doesn't spoil. You can store it in an empty barrel too. If you crush mint leaves and place them around the food, the rats won't touch it. Rodents are sensitive to the smell of mint, so remember that."

I added a few more pieces of advice, then wondered if I had said too much. Shrugging it off, I left the alley. On my way back to the inn, I stopped by Golden Droplets and bought a bundle of plum candy. I figured I should set some out at the inn as snacks. Maybe I'll give some to the kids next time they come by.

When I opened the door to the inn, Leonardo was tidying the bedding and just starting breakfast. I waved my hand.

"You're up early."

Leonardo paused and asked,

"…You really don't sleep, do you?"

I had been busy working. Honestly, I was still on high alert, and even though I wanted to close my eyes, my body wasn't cooperating. But I smiled, pretending everything was fine.

"Let's eat."

"….."

I decided to make a hearty breakfast today. After all, a person's heart lies in their stomach, doesn't it? The menu included fluffy mashed potatoes mixed with butter and seasoned just right, a rich beef stew simmered with mushrooms for added flavour, roasted eggs, and crispy sausages.

I wondered if Leonardo could cook, so I had him try his hand at a few things. His knife skills were excellent, and he could easily handle heavy tools, but as a cook, he wasn't particularly exceptional. Regardless, today's meal was substantial enough to keep him well-fed, taking into account his appetite. I soaked a piece of hard rye bread in the stew and asked Leonardo,

"Are you sore? You must have pushed yourself hard with things you've never done before."

He responded without hesitation, cutting into his meal.

"Muscles tearing and healing is part of the training process."

Leonardo scooped up a spoonful of mashed potatoes with determination and answered nonchalantly. His words sounded like something a very methodical personal trainer would say, but with sausages and mashed potatoes stacked high on his plate, trying to sound serious didn't seem all that impressive.

"Oh dear. Did you work so hard your muscles are tearing? I'm suddenly feeling sorry for you."

"Not quite…"

Just as Leonardo was about to say that it wasn't that bad, he paused for a moment with a blank expression, then hesitated and asked.

"…Are you teasing me?"

"Yep. But still, it's a lot easier to run the inn with you around. You're the wild second son, but you're pulling your weight, right? If you get completely kicked out of your house, you can come to Sinistra. I'll take you in."

"Enough."

"Don't be modest, okay?"

I poked at the grumpy Leonardo a few more times before stopping.

"Today, all you need to do is take care of the food delivery. You've got free time until noon."

"Got it. By the way, is it okay if I use the leftover potato sacks for strength training?"

"Potatoes go bad in the sunlight. You can use the pickled cabbage barrels instead. They're probably about the same weight."

"Understood."

"Then I'll go off to work. Oh, here's dessert."

I tossed the plum candies to Leonardo. He stared at the oil paper-wrapped sweets, looking puzzled, and I headed out.

***

Today's task was this: who, exactly, is the 'noble guest' that's supposed to be arriving in Sinistra?

Ugh. Being an information broker isn't easy.

Anyway, I knew roughly when the visit would happen since they'd bought meat for the occasion. Considering the freshness of the meat, it would likely arrive within the next three to four days.

If someone were arriving soon by carriage from out of town, the guards at the gates would have been informed ahead of time. I lazily made my way toward the city gate.

The section of the city wall I was heading for was on the northern side of Sinistra, while the guard posts and checkpoints were located on the southwest side. This area seemed to be part of the scenario region, as there were no strange fogs or gaps like the ones you usually find in scenario spaces. Instead, there were broad plains and small scattered villages.

A group of guards patrolled the city gate at regular intervals. I used the insight of the innkeeper to get a feel for them.

[Viewing information.]

Rank – Extra (Scenario weight: 0.02%)

Role – Guard #72 of Sinistra

Script – [Chat with the person next to them.], [Guard the gates of Sinistra.]

Dialogue – None[Viewing information.]

Rank – Minor Character (Scenario weight: 0.05%)

Role – Guard #13 of Sinistra

Script – [Guard the gates of Sinistra.]

Dialogue – "All clear during duty!"[Viewing information.]

Rank – Minor Character (Scenario weight: 0.15%)

Role – Sinistra's Guard Captain Antonio

Script – [Guard the gates of Sinistra.]

[Train the soldiers.]

Dialogue – "Identity check complete. Welcome to Sinistra. Welcome, Lord Lopez!"

My eyes widened instinctively.

…An unexpected harvest. The visitor from out of town was a nobleman. Ah, Lopez, to be specific.

I immediately went to find the people I had met at the market yesterday. The merchant, who traveled between regions for business, remembered me as the person who had bought a hand full of food yesterday and greeted me with a smile. As I casually browsed his stall, I asked:

"You've traveled to many regions, so you must have seen and heard quite a lot."

"Of course, of course. People tend to tell a lot more to outsiders who are leaving soon than you might think."

"Your goods are quite varied and of excellent quality. Do the lord or the noble ladies ever ask about them?"

"Of course! Since Sinistra is such a well-maintained city, it's not uncommon to see outsiders and strangers. Usually, when someone from a distant land arrives, people gather to see them. As you mentioned, there have been occasional opportunities to see noble ladies and lords as well."

Impressed by the merchant's words, I asked further.

"You've actually seen nobles? Then, have you ever seen Count Ertinez?"

The chances of that were probably slim. A count would be a high-ranking noble, and a common merchant would rarely have a chance to meet him. As expected, the merchant cleared his throat awkwardly and tried to cover up.

"Well, I haven't met Count Ertinez and his family yet."

"Oh, that's a shame."

I feigned disappointment, then asked again.

"Well then, have you ever met Lord Lopez?"

Meeting someone of his title might be possible. Thankfully, it seemed that the merchant had indeed met him before, as his expression brightened immediately.

"Oh! Lord Lopez, you say. Of course, I have!"

Lucky me. As I showed my interest, the merchant, seemingly eager to shake off the earlier awkwardness, began to share the story enthusiastically.

"There's an interesting story related to him. Did you know that Lord Lopez' family name used to be Bermont when he was young?"