"Beautiful weather, right?"

Just a few weeks ago, Journey would've probably only managed to say something like "Sun, good." Now, she was able to form pretty natural sentences.

Guess it’s true what they say, everyone has their own strengths.

But... is the weather really that nice?

I looked up at the sky for a moment.

"...."

The sky, thick with clouds, greeted me.

The sunlight that should have been blazing down was blocked by the clouds, failing to fulfill its role.

It wasn’t bad weather, but it wasn’t exactly great either—one of those ambiguous days.

"No rain, fresh air, and the sun’s not too hot. Perfect day for a picnic!"

Well, if Miss Positivity Journey says so, then I suppose it is.

Besides, there’s no point in throwing cold water on her enthusiasm. It’s better to think positively than to be a downer, right?

"How is it, good?"

"Yeah."

I tried the chocolate Journey had been raving about.

"This one or this one. Which should I buy?"

"...Both are awful."

I helped her choose weapons.

"Kana! Try this on, won’t you?"

"...No."

"Aww, come on~!"

"..."

"Alright, alright."

I watched as Journey, who had eagerly picked up the clothes, reluctantly put them back down with a dejected expression.

Journey led me all around Riverie, exploring every nook and cranny.

She’d head this way, then that way, and just when I thought she was done, she’d head somewhere else. At times, we even passed through the same alley three times.

There was no way I could call this route efficient; it didn’t seem like she had a plan at all.

"This one’s pretty, that one’s pretty… Which one suits me better? I could just buy both, but you guys don’t care since it’s not your money, right? That’s why you don’t have girlfriends… Or, maybe I shouldn’t say that?"

I watched Journey at a jewelry stall, contemplating seriously.

Then, she looked up just in time to meet my eyes.

"...."

"...."

"Hmm…."

"...?"

Journey, who had been intently staring at a necklace, suddenly shifted her gaze to a bracelet next to it.

...What was that about?

As I puzzled over her actions, a breeze carried a familiar scent to my nose.

"Achoo…!"

I couldn’t hold back a sneeze as my nose tingled.

‘This smell….’

A strange yet familiar scent.

I instinctively scanned the area and soon spotted a restaurant with a red sign.

"It’s the ‘Burning Phoenix.’ Remember the spicy fried rice we had last time? That’s where they sell it."

Journey, who had sidled up beside me, said.

"Last time we got it from a branch, but this is the main location. Since we're a bit hungry, shall we eat there for lunch?"

I shook my head.

I wasn’t up for another tongue-scorching experience.

"You didn’t like it?"

"Not at all."

"Aww… I was hoping to try it again after so long—"

"...Cough, cough! What is this?! You call this food?! Cough!"

A sudden outburst interrupted Journey’s words.

The commotion came from the Burning Phoenix restaurant.

A man with a face as red as the sign was coughing violently, while a waiter fretted and paced beside him. Passersby and other customers watched the scene unfold.

The man, still clutching his throat, swatted away the waiter’s hand.

"Came here because it’s supposed to be famous, and they serve me this garbage. Ruined my day!"

"Sir, you have to pay before you leave…!"

"You expect me to pay for this crap? No way! I refuse!"

"But you have to pay for what you ate!"

"Hah, if anything, you should pay me! I might need to see a healer after this! Give me the money for it!"

So even in Riverie, a haven for mercenaries, there were people like this.

Was it bravery or just sheer audacity?

The man tried to leave, but the waiter blocked his path, leading to a standoff. He looked strong enough to shake off the waiter easily, but instead of escalating things further, he just got increasingly irritated with the waiter’s persistence.

Thwack!

"Eek!"

"Do you know who I am? I’m an Expert-ranked, gold-tier mercenary!"

The man suddenly shoved the waiter aside and brandished a badge from his coat.

The badge gleamed faintly with a golden hue.

"A gold-tier mercenary…!"

"An Expert-ranked one at that?!"

"Let’s just let this go. I won’t hold you responsible, but don’t bother me anymore."

Seeing the reaction from the crowd, the man grinned smugly.

‘Gold-tier….’

…Is that supposed to be impressive?

I tilted my head.

Gold-tier mercenary—so he’s just an Expert, right? Hardly something to brag about or to puff up like that.

Journey here is gold-tier too.

And then it hit me.

‘It’s different from the Apostles.’

Right, I’d forgotten that for regular mercenaries, being an Expert is a pretty high rank.

The man’s fuss had finally drawn out someone from the restaurant who looked like the owner.

"What’s going on here?"

"Ah, boss…."

"Are you the owner? I nearly choked to death—good thing you’re here! Your food nearly paralyzed my tongue! How will you make this right?"

"So that’s what happened. Susan, didn’t I tell you to call me immediately when things like this happen?"

"A-Ah, um… I’m sorry…."

"Don’t apologize. Just lift your head. Now, sir, you said you wanted compensation for damages? We explained everything when you ordered, didn’t we?"

"…Fine, if I should charge you for the medical bill, I’ll just leave without paying for the food!"

"Hmm… Alright, you can go."

The reactions were mixed.

The man grinned, satisfied, while the waiter looked frustrated.

The exchange made it clear enough what the owner meant.

Watching fights really is the best kind of entertainment.

"Oh, now I get it."

As I watched the scene unfold, I stepped forward.

"…Kana?"

"Wait here."

The voice, the face… something about him seemed familiar.

As I moved toward him, he turned, looking puzzled.

"What’s with this kid?"

"Kid…."

"…Oh? That voice…."

The man’s eyes widened.

"Even after all this time, your manners haven’t changed."

"C-C-C-Captain…?!"

"Yup. C-C-C-Captain."

The man, recognizing me, reverted to Grannick instinctively.

Even in this situation, he didn’t add ‘sir’ to my title, which told me exactly what he thought of me.

Not that it was a surprise.

"You recognize me, but don’t salute?"

"Hah! You used to be the captain. Now? Just a ghost from the past!"

"Hmm… You’re right. But you’re the one who called me Captain. I was just playing along."

"Shut up!"

Ah, these kids today. When you hit a nerve, they get mad right away.

I clicked my tongue.

His name was….

…What was it?

He was in the same order as me… The Crimson Flame Knights. I remembered what he did, but his name slipped my mind.

He was a commoner who attached himself to the noble faction, cozying up in the most pathetic ways. I didn’t like him then, and I certainly didn’t like him now.

"What was your name again?"

"How dare you mock me like this!"

"Uh… Sorry?"

It wasn’t a mockery. I genuinely forgot.

Forgetting someone’s name is disrespectful, so I apologized honestly. Still, the man’s face turned even redder.

"Whatever, I’ve got work to do. Move!"

Step.

Step.

His impatience was plain as he tried to walk away. I stepped aside, blocking his path.

His brow twitched.

"…What? Get out of the way—"

"I don’t want to be nosy."

It’s not like I’m some righteous hero with a spotless record.

"So let’s call this just venting."

I was pretty annoyed because of him back then.

I lifted my arm hidden under my cape.

"Are you crazy? You’re gonna fight here?!"

"No."

This isn’t a fight.

I shook my head.

"I’m just giving you some lessons, from one former superior to a subordinate."

It might make your bones ache, but good medicine tastes bitter, right?

I’m sure this’ll be a good experience for you.

If not, too bad.

"If you cause trouble here, you won’t get away with it!"

"You think that’s your line to say?"

"…Yeah! I’ll report you to the Empire! Let’s see how safe you are then!"

"The Empire’s news sure travels slow."

When did they learn of my whereabouts?

Realizing his words weren’t working, the man finally drew his sword, lunging at me with a wild cry.

"Die!"

"Eek!"

"Someone call the guards!"

In an instant, chaos erupted around us.

He might be on edge, but his swordsmanship was still better than your average mercenary’s—

"Yah!"

But his wild swing didn’t scare me one bit.

I grabbed his collar in a flash.

Then I lifted him—

Wham!

Crash!

"...!"

The sound of something breaking echoed as his body hit the ground. His limbs twitched, and his eyes rolled back.

I dusted off my hands, and a memory clicked as I snapped my fingers.

"Right, James."

That was his name.

I remembered now.

He looked pretty resentful as he passed out, but maybe that’s just my imagination.

 

"How long have you been gone, and you’re already back causing trouble?"

"Um… about three hours?"

"I wasn’t really asking."

Aeron sighed and grabbed his head.

"Not my fault."

If anyone’s to blame, it’s Riverie for letting James become a mercenary.

I lifted my chin proudly.

"I get that it’s not your fault. But did you really need to go that far?"

"Wasn’t I being gentle?"

"…Compared to before, yeah. Last time, you made a real mess of him."

"Yep."

"That’s not a compliment, so don’t get smug."

Aeron sighed again.

"You didn’t know?"

"That he was here in Riverie? Of course not. I handle training, not recruitment."

"Couldn’t they at least have given you a heads-up?"

"Don’t know. I don’t remember hearing anything like that."

"Hmm."

There’s no reason for Aeron to lie, so I guess that’s how it is.

Really, it’s not unusual for mercenaries to be a rough bunch.

They don’t call them ‘do-anything-for-money types’ for nothing.

Of course, if they try too much, they won’t get away with it. But it just means some are bad enough to earn that reputation.

James was one of those types.

"Looks like he wandered here after the nobles were gone. He hasn’t caused major trouble, so a warning would usually suffice, but…."

"But?"

"He’s not good for Riverie anyway, so I should probably get rid of him. I don’t have direct authority, but if I speak up, they’ll consider it seriously."

"If you’d done that back then, things would’ve been so much better."

"Indeed."

Aeron and I sighed at the same time.

We both suffered because of James. It’s true that clean water flows from the top, but it doesn’t always mean the bottom is clean too.