Free Web NovelChapter 124: Itsumetsu’s Tavern
"Alright. Guess I’ll do another patrol today~"
Rigel was walking alone through the town of Itsumetsu.
It wasn’t really his hobby or anything.
"So that things stay fine even after I’m gone, I need to kill off any suspicious bastards."
This town contained secret mansions where key figures from the former Valenstein Kingdom resided.
To protect that secret, Itsumetsu’s public order had to be kept in good condition.
The number of days he could remain in this town was running short.
Soon, an occupation force would be dispatched from the Wistaria Kingdom.
Then, swapping places with them, Rigel would head to the royal capital of the Wistaria Kingdom to report to the Wistaria King about this matter.
"...Hm? That’s..."
Rigel spotted a certain shop.
It had the appearance of a tavern.
"... Hmm. When it comes to gathering information, taverns are the place. I’ll stop by for a bit."
Muttering to himself, Rigel opened the shop’s door.
The interior was unexpectedly spacious and filled with many customers.
"Is there an open seat?"
"Welcome! ...Oh? Fufu, what a cute customer we have here."
Rigel called out to a woman who appeared to be a staff member.
She smiled at him, apparently mistaking him for a commoner’s child.
That was understandable, though.
Rigel was still only in the middle of his twelfth year.
While the thing between his legs was ferocious, he was of course wearing pants right now.
To avoid being identified as nobility, he had deliberately dressed like a commoner.
Despite possessing overwhelming combat ability thanks to his cheat skill [Rape], his physique and facial features were those of a perfectly ordinary boy.
He wasn’t the kind of person a female staff member would treat with special courtesy.
"Umm, you don’t really look like you have much money on you, kiddo. This is a place for drinking alcohol. I can take your order for some cheap juice though. How about it?"
"...Yeah, that’s fine. Just pick something suitable for me."
Rigel almost bristled at the belittling words, but he endured it.
He had come here to gather information.
He couldn’t afford to snap just because someone said he didn’t look like he had money.
"Got it. Wait just a moment."
Following Rigel’s words, the woman headed toward the counter, where she seemed to be preparing something.
"–Yeah, this should be about right. Here you go. Sorry to keep you waiting."
"Yeah."
Rigel accepted the drink from the woman and took a sip.
"...Isn’t this a bit weak?"
"Can’t be helped. With the kind of money a kid like you seems to have, that’s about all you can get."
"I see... Well, it’s fine."
Rigel sighed.
As the heir to the Marquis Goussel family and the main culprit behind the destruction of the Valenstein Kingdom, he actually carried plenty of money.
However, flaunting his wealth would increase the risk of his identity being exposed.
Even if he was being looked down on, this was a situation where he needed to be patient.
"...By the way, has anything unusual happened around here lately?"
Rigel immediately asked the female staff member.
"...Unusual things, huh. Why do you want to know?"
"Well, I have my reasons. Could you tell me?"
"Hmm..."
The woman made a difficult expression.
It didn’t seem like she knew nothing.
"...Kid, where are you from? I haven’t seen your face around here before..."
"Me? I... was born and raised in the town of Mimetsu."
In truth, he had been born and raised in the Goussel Marquis territory of the Wistaria Kingdom.
But he couldn’t honestly say that.
"Mimetsu!? I heard that town suffered major damage in the recent invasion... Don’t tell me you’re a survivor!?"
"Y-yeah... That’s right. My whole family died. With nowhere else to go, I came to this village that didn’t suffer any damage."
"H-heh... That must have been really hard... I’m sorry... I asked something weird, didn’t I..."
"No, it’s fine. More importantly, if you know anything, please tell me. Even the smallest detail is okay."
The moment he mentioned being from Mimetsu, the woman’s attitude softened.
She probably sympathized with him after hearing he was a war victim.
Of course, the claim that Rigel had suffered any damage was a complete lie...
In the first place, there had been almost no resistance in the face of the overwhelming military power of the Goussel Marquis army led by Rigel, so the town itself had suffered very little damage.
It seemed that incorrect information had reached this town of Itsumetsu.
(Tch! What a troublesome woman. Hurry up and spill it already!!)
While internally clicking his tongue, Rigel maintained a gloomy atmosphere.
At first glance, he could easily pass for a tragic boy who had lost his entire family in the war.
"Well... I wonder if it’s okay to say this..."
"Hey, don’t hold back. Hurry up and tell me."
"A-ahaha. Don’t get mad. Well, you seem like a pitiful kid, so I do want to tell you, but... Hmm..." freeweɓnøvel.com
The woman hesitated.
Rigel wanted to press her further, but being too persistent would only make her suspicious.
After waiting a little while, another male customer approached.
"Hey, Miranda. I overheard the conversation. Why not tell the kid too?"
"W-wait! Eavesdropping isn’t nice!"
"Hahaha! Sorry about that! I just happened to catch it! Forgive me, kid!!"
Seeing the man laugh heartily, Rigel furrowed his brow.
The reason was that the man had a tough-looking face covered in scars all over his body.
(...Who is this guy? He doesn’t seem like an ordinary townsman...?)
Continuing to observe him warily, Rigel noticed a sword hanging at the man’s waist.
He was probably an adventurer or a mercenary.
"Isn’t it bad to do things on your own like that?"
"It’s fine! I’ll report it to the leader myself!!"
"I-if that’s the case, then okay..."
The woman—called Miranda—seemed convinced.
Then the man spoke to Rigel.
"That’s how it is, kid! You’ve got the qualifications!!"
"Qualifications...?"
"Yeah. I’ll tell you the details tonight! Come back here again this evening!!"
"...Understood. I’ll definitely come."
Rigel accepted the man’s proposal.
And so, Rigel ended up attending a mysterious gathering.
