I Was in Charge of Scouting for the Hero’s Party

22. The dog barks but the carriage runs

We stayed up late to give Depal a new name, but only woke up in the early lunch hour.

Today is the day to meet the lord of Cologne and talk about the request Robin received.

After dressing up neatly and having lunch at a restaurant near the inn, we took the armor Luna used and the broken spear and immediately moved toward the castle where the lord is staying.

“Oh… Austin… Is it really okay…?”

“Ah, even if there is no problem. Tie your worries tight.”

“But…”

Naturally, Luna, who was the target of her request, couldn’t hide her anxiety at the fact that she had to head to the lord’s castle.

“Are you okay? When you stand in front of the lord, just stay calm. Still, since Robin has a one-on-one relationship with the lord… Robin and I will try our best to look around.”

“Ugh…”

Since the new inn we picked up this time wasn’t too far from the center of Cologne, we were able to walk for about 30 minutes to reach the castle.

As we approached the huge gate admiring the majestic appearance of the castle, a guard standing guard stopped us.

“Stop it. Only those who have been identified…”

“I have come to receive a reward for her request nominated by the lord. Here is the request.”

The guard, who glanced at us alternately with the request form handed over from Robin, soon brought a wax seal from the barracks and stamped it, then returned the request form to Robin.

“You were the lord’s guest. Welcome. You may come in.”

“Yes. Good job.”

As I passed through the open gate, I saw people busy carrying weapons and wielding weapons while training.

I heard that Argyle’s 7th Corps, which had come right in front of Cologne’s nose, scratched away adventurers and mercenaries, and there were definitely faces I had seen several times in the guild.

“You look busy. No, what the hell is the hero doing? Isn’t this dereliction of duty?”

“…What you would like to say is…”

“Hey dude. I came here for a reason.”

As we walked past the lord’s soldiers and workers who were busy and sweaty, we saw a knight waiting for us.

“This is Rain, a senior knight. The lord is waiting for you in the drawing room. Please follow me.”

After a brief introduction, Lane silently guided us to the drawing room with his mouth shut, probably because he was reticent.

After going through a lot of complicated procedures and finally arriving in front of the parlor, Lane knocked on the parlor door.

“Albion Count. A guest has arrived.”

– You may come in.

As the door slid open from the inside, I could see Count Albion, the lord of Cologne, drinking tea.

The Count of Albion, wearing blond hair that looked like a pretty malignant curl and thick glasses like a magnifying glass, saw us and welcomed us with a friendly smile.

“Welcome! I’ve been waiting for you all, sleeping and waking up! Now. Come on, take a seat.”

If you brush your yaburi well here, you can go straight to Mettelheim.

Earl of Albion, I will roast and boil you with my tongue.

* * *

At that time, after hearing from Gracie that Austin had unloaded his luggage from the inn where he originally stayed, the hero and his companions were enveloped in a gloomy atmosphere.

“Yeah… As expected… Austin doesn’t want to see anything like me anymore…”

Looking at the figure of the warrior holding his knees with tears in her eyes, Gracie opened her mouth with a meaningful smile.

“Hmm… Although Austin played a shallow trick, don’t worry too much.”

“…Is there any way?”

Adrienne, who had become sensitive because of receiving the hero’s whining all night, she fired off a stinging tone without realizing it.

Normally, he would have pointed out Adrienne’s attitude, but Gracie just continued his words with the corner of his mouth slightly raised.

“Ever since, he is the captain of the Royal Guard. It’s a bit sneaky, but… Last night, I messed with the lord a little bit.”

As Gracie spoke in a triumphant manner, Maya also questioned Gracie, expressing her doubts.

“Hands. Are you writing…?”

“Well… I can’t tell you everything, but this one thing is for sure.”

Hmmm- said Gracie, clearing her throat for a moment, looking her focused eyes at her.

“Austin can’t get out of Cologne unless he comes back to our party.”

In a situation where everyone was dumbfounded by her remarks, only Maya knew one thing.

‘…f*cked up… That’s it.’

Perhaps reconciliation with Austin will be a distant future.

* * *

“Ah… Count Albion. What do you mean by that…”

When I asked again in a trembling voice, Count Albion looked puzzled and raised his finger to adjust his glasses.

“Heh heh… That’s… I know that Austin-sama came out of the hero’s party, but that would put me in a bit of trouble. I can give you a reward for defeating Depal, but you won’t be able to get out of Cologne for the time being.”

“…Ah, back bone.”

I can give you a reward for defeating the Defal, but I can’t move in Cologne for the time being. What kind of dog sh*t is this?

Boiled and boiled with thin tongue. It seemed to me that my blood pressure would rise before that.

“The reward I want is for Count Albion to allow me to use the gate that leads directly to Mettelheim.”

“That’s a bit embarrassing… But, if there’s any other reward you want, I’ll do my best to arrange it… Right! By any chance, are you interested in monetary compensation…”

As I grabbed the back of my neck and rolled my eyes, Count Albion hurriedly continued his words, sweating profusely.

“Ha… But! Even if Austin wants to leave the hero’s party, it’s not his will. You have to get the consent of the hero, and at least you have to have the identity guarantee of another person whose identity has been confirmed…”

With Count Albion staring at me hesitantly, I managed to calm my boiling blood pressure and manage to open my mouth.

“Whoa… I see. I’ll give up the gate, so could you prepare just one wagon?”

“That… What are you going to use the wagon for?”

“Of course, to take a carriage to Mettelheim. Are you asking because you don’t know?”

As I opened my axe eye and answered with a sharp tone, I heard Count Albion gasp.

Why are you mumbling, it seems like you still have something to say… No way…

“Sir Austin… No, Sir Austin…?”

“Yes. Please speak.”

“Chemm… As I said, you shouldn’t be moving from Cologne to other areas for the time being. I am…”

– Bang!!

Before I had even listened to Count Albion’s words, I, who had guessed the story behind it, kicked the table, and Count Albion and Lane, who were standing behind him, stiffened stiffly.

Damn it, at least you shouldn’t let us use the wagon.

When the table, which had been pushed all the way to the window sill, made another loud noise as it hit the wall, Count Albion flinched as if in surprise, and quickly continued his words.

“I… I! In the meantime, we will take steps to make your stay at our castle comfortable! Please let go of my anger…”

…You bastard, the strangely restless attitude from earlier bothers me.

If it’s a situation where you can’t help it with your own strength, you don’t have to apologize to me this much.

“…I see. I understand Count Albion’s words very well, so you don’t have to talk more like a parrot.”

As I nodded my head in an uncharacteristic calm manner, Count Albion sighed in a visibly relieved manner.

“Haa… Thank you… Thank you so much! To be able to understand my situation, Sir Austen, as I have heard, is full of justice and good-natured…”

“More than that, Count Albion.”

I interrupted Count Albion, who took out a handkerchief and wiped his sweat, and asked a question about something that had bothered me from earlier.

“How do you know that I left the warrior party…?”

At my question, Count Albion looked at me with visibly taken aback and startled eyes.

Yes. Something has been on my mind since before, but now I think I know what it is.

How the hell does this bastard know I left the warrior party?

Of course, it could be an unfounded suspicion, but judging from the attitude of Count Albion, who opened his bunny eyes right in front of me and hardened right now, it seems like he hit the point.

“That… That is…”

“Sweet… Maybe it’s because I haven’t been able to cut a person’s head lately… My shortsword is whining for some blood, so I can’t sleep lately.”

“…Hiccup!”

“If you don’t want to talk… can I moisten my shortsword?”

“Don’t… I’ll tell you! Calm down for now!”

Seeing the shortsword slightly pulled out of the scabbard hanging from my waist, Count Albion hurriedly stopped me and sat me down.

“Please tell me.”

“Fah… Actually… Last night, Captain Gracie…”

“Okay, that’s it.”

That’s right.

What the procedure was like, that it would be difficult for me to leave the party without permission, and that I needed an identity document were all bullsh*t.

Gracy. This crazy b*tch was secretly threatening the lord by using his status to cut off my ankle.

“I understand the circumstances of Count Albion very well.”

When I spoke softly with a gentle smile, Count Albion stretched his body.

“Go… Thanks…”

“Then… Count Albion didn’t see me today.”

“Yes… Yes? What is that…”

Ordinary people would run straight to Gracie and ejaculate or suck their fingers and wait, but I’m different.

Gracy. If you want to come out like that, I have a way.

How a carriage runs even when a dog barks.

“Albion Count. After all, I’ll have to get paid in a carriage.”

* * *

The second largest post office in the Maetel Kingdom, located in the central district of Cologne.

Ayla, the lowest-ranking employee at the post station, who is the first-class contributor who made Cologne, a small town on the outskirts, jump into a commercial city at once, yawned at the same boring routine today as well.

“Haa… Boring… I shouldn’t have opened a restaurant…”

Sophie, who lives next door, heard that the restaurant is overcrowded with adventurers and mercenaries rushing in during the war.

I had to feed the horses and manage the carriage tickets while wearing plain work clothes.

“I also want to meet a wonderful Seobangi and improve my life…”

As usual, he was filling out a carriage ticket and imagining a prince on a white horse who would come pick him up one day when the door to the post office opened with a loud noise.

– Bang!!!!!!

“What?! What’s the matter?”

“Kyaaak! What is this sound?!”

With the door shattered, flying to the far wall and getting stuck, a group of people soon appeared beyond the shattered door in a stunned situation.

“What… What are those…?”

The station manager, who hurriedly ran at the loud noise, stared blankly at them and uttered a word. Ayla squinted to examine them in the thick dust.

Five people all wrapped up in brown robes and wore masks large enough to cover their entire faces.

The assailant, who stood at the front and looked around the inside of the post office, shouted while aiming a crossbow at the people inside the post office.

“Stop moving!!! You b*tches, get down if you don’t want to be left behind!!!”

Now, it was a spectacular debut for Austin, the wagon thief.