0p0 #218 - I need someone like you.
#218 - I need someone like you.
Chapter 218 I... I Need Someone Like You
Because he had to participate in the Royal Selection, Reinhardt took Zunzun and Felt to live in the Sword Saint's mansion in the royal capital, waiting for the Council's summons at any moment.
Therefore, it would take about a day and a night to travel from the royal capital to the border.
"I'm sorry, I can't go with you."
"I understand. The collar, right?"
"...Yes."
Zunzun pointed to his neck. Reinhardt was slightly stunned when he saw it, then gave a helpless wry smile.
As early as 4 or 5 months ago, Sword Saint Reinhardt signed a non-aggression treaty with the Empire on behalf of the Kingdom.
This was also a last resort.
The Kingdom was currently in turmoil. Without determining the next person in charge of the Royal Selection, the Kingdom had to guard against the Empire's invasion. Fortunately, a relatively serious rebellion occurred within the Empire at that time, indirectly contributing to the success of the treaty.
The price of the treaty's success was that Reinhardt was fitted with a collar, and he was not allowed to leave the Kingdom thereafter.
Meilias Territory was on the border of the Kingdom. If a humanoid self-propelled nuclear weapon like Reinhardt ran to the border, not to mention the people on the Empire's side would be uneasy, even the Kingdom would have to weigh its intentions.
The chain reaction he would cause was enormous. Therefore, in order to prevent those with ulterior motives from being afraid, he could only stay in the royal capital temporarily.
To some extent, Reinhardt and Felt were both caged birds, only the former's cage was a little bigger.
"Then the people going with me..."
"Please leave it to the head butler, Grimm."
Grimm Remedios was the head butler of the Sword Saint family, the grandfather of the twin maids, and a close friend of Reinhardt's grandfather, Wilhelm.
With a head of short white hair, a distinct jawline, white whiskers, and sharp eyes, he had a white scar on his throat left over from the demi-human war, so he could only make a hoarse voice and usually communicated in writing.
Honestly, I really don't understand whether Reinhardt has any intention of participating in the Royal Selection. The talents he has recruited so far are only the old butler and the young twin maids, only three people.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that they are old, weak, sick, and disabled.
Admittedly, I understand that Reinhardt can stand alone. He can completely stand on the Council and shout loudly to everyone present: You are all trash!
But the selection of the Royal Selection does not consider martial power, but whether it can lead the Kingdom to a new height.
However, Sword Saint-sama also has his own difficulties. Zunzun deeply sympathized, but did not understand.
Soon Reinhardt helped him prepare the carriage. The old butler Grimm sat in the driver's seat waiting to depart, and the maid sister, Furam, was also waiting.
"I don't think we should encounter any danger. Just in case, let Furam follow along."
"...I understand."
Zunzun did not refuse his kindness.
In fact, Furam is not very strong. Taking Natsuki Subaru as the unit of measurement, she only has the strength of 15 Kurukki, which is much weaker than Zunzun and Grimm.
But she has the blessing of Thought Communication. No matter how far away, she can talk to her sister, Gracis, only once a day.
"If you encounter danger, Zunzun, please rely on Furam. I will arrive in 5 minutes."
"5 minutes... anywhere in the Kingdom?"
"Anywhere."
"Even the border?"
"Even the border."
Reinhardt opened his mouth with incomparable confidence, as if arriving in 5 minutes was not the border of the Kingdom, but his own toilet.
Zunzun refused to talk to the cheater.
In the end, Felt did not come to see him off, and I don't know if she was sulking or concentrating on studying.
Hopefully it's the latter.
In short, after arranging everything, Zunzun embarked on the road to the Roswaal Territory.
The carriage swayed.
Although it was a bit bumpy, Zunzun could still endure it. Speaking of which, don't the Earth Dragons all have the blessing of wind, so they can run faster and more stably? Why is it still so shaky?
The old butler Grimm could not talk because of his injured throat and driving the carriage, so Zunzun could only chat with Furam.
But it was not so boring.
Furam was two years younger than Zunzun, but she knew magic like the back of her hand.
In this other world, magic attributes are divided into four basic attributes: fire, water, wind, and earth, plus yin and yang, for a total of six. Among them, fire is mainly magic power related to heat, so it includes the ice magic used by Puck and Emilia, while water magic is often related to healing.
Yin and yang attributes are relatively rare. Among them, yin attributes are mostly magic that obscures the opponent's vision and abnormal states, while yang attributes are the opposite, enhancement magic.
Although the magic system is somewhat differentiated, it has no impact on Zunzun. It is nothing more than classifying ice magic into heat.
And the biggest difference between the two worlds is the spirit mages and spirits.
Spirit mages use magic by borrowing magic power from the atmosphere. They absorb magic power from the outside through the 'gate', and then use the magic power accumulated in the body through the 'gate', so the magic power is entrusted to external custody, and the strength is not distinguished by the size and number of individual 'gates'.
Spirit mages cannot use spirit arts without making a contract with a spirit, and the content of the contract depends on the spirit.
Zunzun really wanted to know if he had the potential to become a spirit mage.
Of course, he also asked Reinhardt, but the Sword Saint-sama, who was loved by the spirits, said that he did not know how to judge, so he could only find a professional.
...After going to the Roswaal Mansion, I'll ask Emilia.
Evening.
Zunzun and the others arrived at a post station.
Although they could still persevere, the Earth Dragon was already tired. In addition, it was dangerous to travel at night, and they were not in a hurry, so they chose to rest here.
The three of them had dinner at the post station.
The post station's more important role is to provide a place to stay, so the food is not delicious, and even very unpalatable. Furam hurriedly apologized for not improving it, but Zunzun didn't care much, after all, he was not a pampered noble son.
After that, the old butler Grimm went to feed the Earth Dragon fodder and prepare for departure tomorrow morning. Zunzun also returned to the room under Furam's lead.
...It should have been like this.
Just as Zunzun was about to leave his seat, a burst of loud laughter suddenly erupted from a corner of the post station behind him.
A group of people sat around there drinking heavily, their cheeks flushed, apparently in a slightly drunk state. Those people's clothes should all be passing merchants. What caught Zunzun's attention was the object they were making fun of.
A head of fluffy gray hair, his expression a little embarrassed because he was being teased.
Wearing a green top with a waist pouch, and a dark green cloak adorned with a red bow. The green hat is shaped like a beanie, decorated with white feathers on the side.
Slightly hunched over, giving people an atmosphere of being easy to bully.
The newest novels are all at Liu Jiu Shu Ba!
More importantly, his name.
"Wahahaha! Otto, you idiot, you actually chose to buy oil with all your wealth. This kind of thing is not a hot commodity. If you lose everything, I won't care about you!"
"N-Nonsense! My judgment will definitely not be wrong! The royal capital is now in urgent need of a large amount of supplies, and oil, as a key material, will definitely be needed, so I will buy a lot! I will definitely... definitely make a fortune!"
"You say that every time, but you only make a little bit each time, isn't it just a waste of effort?"
"How can a merchant's affairs be called a waste of effort!"
The gray-haired boy... no, Otto, who was being teased, flushed with anger and shouted obscure and difficult-to-understand words such as trading, profit and loss are normal, and unavoidable. The post station was filled with a lively atmosphere.
Otto really wanted to defend himself.
But as they said, he only made a little bit each time, and sometimes he even lost money.
Transporting fragile goods and encountering bad weather, taking shortcuts and being attacked by bandits, he was the only one who lost things when traveling with merchants, his luck was so bad it exploded. But he was born with a talent for business, so he rarely lost bets or suffered serious losses in transactions.
This time, he must make a fortune and impress these people!
At the same time, Otto couldn't help but sigh.
He had been unlucky for 4 years. When will he be lucky once? I really hope that a big shot will appear and say in front of these guys who are laughing at him: I see your talent for business, come and be my subordinate!... Then he would slap these people in the face.
No, no, no, how could this kind of thing happen?
Otto shook his head.
Throwing this unrealistic idea out of his mind.
But at this time, he found that his companions were no longer laughing. Their expressions were astonished and their mouths were wide open, which was very comical, and their gazes were all staying on him... or rather, behind him.
"What new way are you guys trying to make fun of me..."
Otto slowly turned his head, and when he saw the person standing behind him, his voice became smaller and smaller.
"Good evening, sorry to bother you. Are you Otto?"
A noble wearing gorgeous clothes, accompanied by a pink side-swept bangs maid, greeted him.
"I'm Zunzun, can I talk to you?"
"Is...?"
Otto was completely speechless, looking at the person behind him like a fool.
Zunzun was a little puzzled.
"Hmm... I think my way of greeting is already very polite, could it be that I was still abrupt?"
"That's not the case. Zunzun-sama is already very noble and educated. On the contrary, it should be said that the person in front of you has no education."
Furam said respectfully.
Otto also deeply agreed. Although he was also frightened, it was not because of the abruptness, but because of being greeted by a noble.
Although merchants can talk to nobles, most nobles look down on profit-seeking merchants, so they disdain to talk to them.
"Is that so? I'm sorry if I scared you."
The person in front of him bowed slightly to apologize. This is absolutely impossible among nobles, and—
"Excuse me for asking, are you planning to buy a large amount of oil and send it to the royal capital?"
"Y-Yes..."
"I see, so that's how it is."
Otto could see that the person in front of him, a playful look flashed in those scarlet eyes, as if he had foreseen his tragic future.
"Oh, my, excuse me."
Just when Otto thought that the noble in front of him was like his companions, coming to make fun of him, he suddenly saw the other party reaching out to him, and at the same time said:
"I'll get straight to the point, I value your talent, come and be my subordinate."
"...Eh?"
Otto was shocked again.
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PS: The update is late, I'm very sorry. Because I made a mistake in Otto's settings, I urgently modified a part.