Chapter 200 – Pursuer
After finishing the day’s work, I took a bath at the inn, and then ate the dinner that I had bought.
A private bath and soft bed.
While it was a cheap inn that Adventurers used, I had chosen one of the better, costlier rooms as a reward for all of my hard work.
I had some money saved up after working as a Royal Magician, so this much luxury should be allowed.
That being said, I still had the mind of a poor person, and so the food I had bought for dinner was all items that were fifty percent off.
(I feel guilty whenever I use money. It’s as if I am doing something wrong.)
It was probably because we grew up so poor that sometimes I had to eat grass off the ground.
And so just being able to eat until I was full made me feel sincerely fortunate and happy.
As I was enjoying my little party of discounted food, a thought suddenly occurred to me.
What was he doing right now?
I could not even imagine.
Just thinking about it was pointless.
Still, I could not help but hope.
…Please. No suffering…
◆ ◆ ◆
“Noelle Springfield has entered the inn. The rest of her actions today are as I reported earlier.”
In a nearby room, a man was using a dungeon relic to speak to someone.
This relic used special, advanced technology, which compressed encrypted information through magic particle waves.
The man was holding a notebook, where Noelle’s actions had been recorded.
Where had she gone? What had she bought?
Every little detail was noted without fail.
‘Did the target really buy all of these things?’
“Yes.”
‘But in terms of food. This is not an amount that any normal person would eat.’
“However, I am certain that she bought them.”
The man replied calmly.
Even he knew that it was odd.
However, his job was to still tell the truth.
‘Well, nevermind then. There is no doubt that she is pursuing him. But there is only so much that she can do alone. It should be impossible for her to get close to us.’
Came the voice from the communication device.
‘Continue to tail her.’
The man disconnected and let out a deep sigh.
It was a simple job.
The target was an amateur, and no threat to the Order.
(It is good to take things easy.)
He lit a cigar, and the smoke filled the room.
After confirming that there were no magic eavesdropping devices in the room, Noelle took out her instruments from her bag.
A test tube and powdered magic stones for simple magical experiments.
She placed them on the table and then pulled out the three tubes she had hidden in her chest pocket.
They contained water from the river.
As she had cleaned it, the water was now clearer than it had been before.
With trained hands, she quickly mixed it with the powders.
And then she inspected the reaction carefully.
The color began to change.
This proved that the river water contained more mana than was usual.
The reason for this was likely the super grade relics that the Order possessed.
Noelle made a fist.
She was getting closer.
This was something concrete.
◇ ◇ ◇
Three days after that, I finished thirteen quests for cleaning.
Though it had taken me five hours on the first day, I now knew how to do it efficiently, and I was able to finish six quests on the final day alone.
“You finished that quest in one day!?”
That was how the receptionist reacted at first. But on the final day…
“Six today… You really are…a strange one…”
She looked like she was scared of me.
“You are no normal person, that is for sure. How in the world did you manage it?”
“Uh, I am normal. I just used some acceleration magic in order to work faster.”
“You should not be doing F-Rank quests…”
She said with a pale face.
“I would have liked to promote you to B-Rank or at least C-Rank, but I don’t have the authority. After all, you have completed fifteen F-Rank quests…”
She said with a troubled expression.
“I’m sorry, here is the E-Rank card. I know it doesn’t make any sense… I am sorry. Really, I am sorry.”
I could tell that she rated me highly, and so I smiled.
“No, I am grateful. The reward was higher than I expected. And you have been very kind to me.”
“You also have a nice personality…!?”
She took a step back.
“Well, thank you for accepting the quests that no one else wanted to. The clients were also very happy at your work. I do not know how to thank you.”
“No, no. It really was nothing.”
“But it was something. Most youngsters these days just quit before they have done much. The clients get angry, and the Adventurer never even returns…”
The receptionist said tiredly.
(She’s like my coworker back at the Magic Artificer Guild.)
And so I was suddenly concerned.
“You really shouldn’t push yourself too hard. Your health is far more important than your work.”
“You…really are kind… An angel…”
She said tearfully.
She really was exhausted.
“I want to accept this quest today…”
“The final cleaning quest. Thank you. I will process it at once…”
She suddenly paused.
Her eyes widened as she looked at something behind me.
I turned around and saw that a man was standing right there.
(When had he…)
I had not sensed anything.
But even as I gulped, he paid me no mind.
“Central Supervisory Bureau. I need you to disable a certain individual’s guild card.”
He approached the desk and handed over his identification.
She inspected it and said,
“I understand. Which guild card do you need suspended?”
“This person’s.”
He handed her a piece of paper.
I glanced it through the corner of my eye and clicked my tongue.
(So that’s how they’re going to play.)
It had my name on it.
I could no longer work at the Adventurers Guild.
However, I was quick to react to change.
I left the guild and returned immediately to my inn.
The enemy was wary of my movements.
I didn’t know what the official reason for suspending my license was, but it was likely some made up offense.
Protesting the decision would only serve to give them the upper hand.
I had to remember my priorities.
What was important right now, was to find a way to get close to Luke.
Thankfully, in three days, I had checked the water in twenty-nine different locations, and had an idea of which places had the thickest mana concentration.
And so I was closer to the enemy’s throat than they realized.
That was why I could not miss this opportunity.
I returned to my room and closed the door.
With my hand still on the doorknob, I paused and sighed.
Then I perked up my ears.
Time seemed to pass slowly.
I could feel the droplets of sweat running down my neck.
The sounds of approaching footsteps.
It sounded like an ordinary person. But that also seemed deliberate to me.
Just at the right time, I swung open the door and ran into the hallway.
I recognized the surprised man.
I grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the wall.
And then I pressed an anesthetic-soaked handkerchief to his mouth.
“I realized you were tailing me on the second day. And I could tell that you were skilled. However, there are limits when you are alone, and have to follow someone for a long time.”
The man became unconscious.
I carried him into the room and tied his hands and feet before gagging him.
I felt a little bad, but I had no other choice right now.
And so I packed my experiment equipment back into my bag, and took out the paper I had hidden under my bed, and put it in my pocket.
It was a map of the city.
The results of my experiments testing the water.
The flow of water that connected to the place that Luke was held.
With quick steps, I headed towards the spot that I had marked.