* * *
In the bustling place with countless people, Anakin looked around outside with a leisure he hadn’t had before.
“Enjoy it while you can now. We don’t know when we’ll be able to go out again.”
“Wow, look at that, Hilde.”
Anakin happily walked along, as if he hadn’t heard anything Hilde said.
The merchant alley was bathed in warm sunlight, and the lively laughter of children could be heard.
Various foods like tarts, cakes, puddings, and macarons caught Anakin’s eye.
Hilde, who was following leisurely behind, spoke as he watched Anakin.
“Do you want to eat something?”
“Haha, no, I don’t. I’m not a child…”
As Anakin kept his eyes glued to the food, Hilde quietly looked at the dessert and then spoke to the merchant.
“I’ll take this.”
“Oh my. Distinguished guests… Thank you!”
Anakin looked up at Hilde with a questioning gaze at the sight of him quickly paying the price.
Hilde pressed down on Anakin’s head with his hand and spoke casually.
“You always chose only sweet things during the old classes.”
“…”
Anakin’s ears turned red, and he smiled awkwardly after hearing those words.
“You remember something like that. Thank you. I’ll enjoy it, Hilde.”
Anakin’s clear face, seen through the gap of his slightly slipped-off robe, was illuminated by the sunlight.
As their eyes met and Anakin smiled while blinking his long eyelashes, Hilde frowned and pulled Anakin’s robe over his head.
“Anakin. Don’t smile unless you want to charm me too.”
Anakin replied, as if realizing his mistake at Hilde’s words.
“Understood.”
After circling the shops, Hilde and Anakin headed to the inn.
This was their first and last break outside.
It was natural for them to feel excited and thrilled.
As they entered the lounge with anticipation, familiar faces came into view.
“Hey. So, how much is the reward?”
“They said they’d give 100 gold coins just to move the item. Gilbert, you’re good at things like that.”
“No, I am good at it, but they’re giving that much just to move this one item? It’s not even a big object. Hey. That amount of money can buy a few high-quality horses. If you’re trying to trick me…”
“Ah. Then don’t do it. They said they’d also give a rare magic artifact that will be featured in the next auction.”
Artifact?
Anakin and Hilde leaned in to listen to their conversation.
“No, well. It’s already the nobles’ banquet season, so there are hardly any mercenaries anyway, and a person’s life is more important…”
Anakin and Hilde, who were eavesdropping on their conversation, looked at each other simultaneously.
“Excuse me, Mr. Gilbert!”
“Well, who do we have here? If it isn’t the angel… I mean, Sir Anakin?”
“Haha. I passed the exam for Pasadian.”
“Is that so? This is the first time I’ve personally seen someone who passed the exam for that school. I knew you were extraordinary, but…”
“Ah, my friend Hilde, whom you saw back then, also passed. Do you remember him?”
“Uh… Haha. Of course.”
Gilbert glanced sideways at the expressionless Hilde and forced a smile.
The man in the black hat who was talking with Gilbert looked at Anakin and Hilde and spoke with a surprised expression.
“What, you entered the Pasadian school? It seems both of you are noble children. Then perhaps…”
Gilbert then frowned deeply and stopped the man.
“Stop it. Do you even know who these people are…”
“I’d like to hear more details about the job you just mentioned.”
For a mage, an artifact was close to an irresistible temptation.
They had the habit of wanting to possess it regardless of whether it was a poison or a boon.
And a rare artifact to be featured in the next auction at that.
This was a rare opportunity.
As Anakin’s eyes sparkled, Hilde also nodded.
Gilbert pressed his forehead and sighed.
“Sir Anakin. It seems you’ve already heard everything, but this kind of request doesn’t come easily. If the reward is this high for a simple task of just moving an item, there must be something hidden, and no one knows what danger might be lurking if you go to that place.”
“It’s fine. If it gets dangerous, I can just take Anakin and teleport away.”
“Excuse me? Teleport…”
Teleportation, a spell that even high-ranking mages rarely use.
Hilde could use that?
Even Anakin looked up at him with a surprised expression.
“I can only move a short distance. Let’s hear more about the transport job. Who requested it?”
“…I’m Finn, belonging to the Tria Mercenary Guild. I don’t know the source of the request. Requests with unknown identities are dangerous, so I don’t usually accept them, but they gave a down payment, and the reward is so big… Haha. No one is volunteering to do it. The destination is the capital.”
“The capital? Then it should be possible within a day. I’ll take it.”
“Really? I’d be grateful if you did, but…”
“Wait, even if they’re from Pasadian, they’re kids. Is it okay to entrust it to them?”
“Then why don’t you be the guide.”
Finn looked at Gilbert awkwardly.
“Well…”
Gilbert looked back and forth between Anakin and Hilde, who had already set their minds and were fixing their eyes on Gilbert.
“No, really…?”
Gilbert scratched his head wildly and seemed to be lost in thought for a moment before finally speaking, as if giving up.
“Haa… Then I guess I have no choice. Since I’m the one who caused this job to be taken on, I’ll have to accompany you.”
“We don’t need the money. We only need the rare artifact that is scheduled to be in that auction.”
“…Yes.”
He says he doesn’t need the money.
This society is ultimately driven by money.
As expected, they are no ordinary nobles.
Gilbert nodded, tears welling up in his eyes.
“Then I’ll wait here for now. Please tell me when it’s time to leave. I’ll explain the details downstairs.”
“Let’s do that.”
As Hilde and Anakin went upstairs, Gilbert thought as he watched their backs.
Did I get involved with the wrong distinguished people?
Am I going to end up taking the blame for something?
Gilbert was already seized by an uneasy premonition.
“Did you pack all your luggage?”
Hilde, who came to see Anakin off outside his room, asked him.
“Yeah. I don’t have much. Shall we leave now?”
“Wait, Anakin. There’s something I need to tell you before we go.”
Hilde packed his luggage and then approached Anakin with a serious face.
“What is it?”
When Anakin looked up at Hilde with a puzzled expression, he said.
“You stay here. I’ll go and get the artifact.”
“What are you talking about?”
When Anakin frowned, Hilde answered with an expressionless face.
“No matter how I look at it, it doesn’t seem like an ordinary request. You could die.”
“…Then what about you?”
“Like I said before, I can use Teleportation.”
When Hilde said that casually, Anakin was silent for a while before opening his mouth.
“A moment like this would have come even at Pasadian. It’s an unavoidable fate the moment I step into the world of magic.”
“Anakin.”
“I want to gain experience. I don’t want to hide in a safe place every time.”
Anakin was firm. Hilde stared intently at Anakin, then shook his head, as if he couldn’t win.
“I expected you would say that. This is Anakin.”
Anakin smiled broadly at Hilde’s words and said.
“I’ll try to be as safe as possible.”
Anakin was confident that Hilde would listen to him, but he hadn’t expected him to be convinced this quickly.
Anakin looked up at him quietly.
“If things go wrong, I’ll just take you and run, so stick close.”
“Understood.”
Although the client’s identity was not confirmed, Anakin felt that he had to take this request.
The fact that he was drawn to it so much made it seem like it might be a request related to the original story.
“Shall we leave now?”
“Yes!”
When they finished preparing and went downstairs, they saw Gilbert.
A sturdy leather jacket and a thick belt.
Attached to his belt were useful items for combat, such as a dagger and potions.
“For your information, they asked not to open the item inside this box under any circumstances. It was written in the request details.”
“What could be inside that we shouldn’t open it?”
“I wouldn’t know. Will it explode if we open it?”
Everyone shuddered at those words. If so, wouldn’t the recipient die the moment we deliver it?
“Haha… Just a joke. No way… Ah, also, I bought a one-time Teleport Scroll for a hefty price. I figured you wouldn’t teleport me with you.”
Gilbert glanced at Hilde and said.
“Three people is too risky.”
When Hilde stated confidently, Gilbert laughed and replied.
“True. It’s already unbelievable that you can teleport at that age. That’s understandable.”
Hearing that, Anakin thought that Hilde might be much stronger than he had anticipated.
Perhaps, in terms of skill, he would rank in the top 5 among not only this term’s students but all the apprentices.
He even wondered if Hilde had hidden his true skills during the exam.
Of course, he was strong even then, but… it felt like Hilde had more power hidden away.
Then, he recalled what Kyla had said before.
[Be careful of him. He is… dangerous.]
Anakin shook his head from side to side and resolved.
Stop thinking useless thoughts and focus on the job.
“Shall we really leave now?”
Anakin and Hilde nodded.
Their first ever request.
He was already nervous, but an unknown excitement surged within him.
* * *
