Not a barbarian warrior.

A massive and thick city wall surrounded the fortress city of Carlisle. It boasted a scale incomparable to the wooden palisade erected in Daisy’s village.

The enormity of the wall, built solely by piling solid stones, displayed its grandeur to the extent of making Eugene, who was quite large himself, look like a dwarf.

Eugene walked slowly, pulling his cart under the huge city wall.

As he passed over the drawbridge above the deeply dug moat, the wooden wheels made a clattering sound.

Those passing by near the entrance of the fortress glanced briefly at Eugene, who was dragging his cart while wearing a robe, but soon turned their attention away and went about their business.

When Eugene reached the entrance of the fortress after crossing the drawbridge, a guard standing sentry near the entrance stopped him.

“Halt. Take off your robe and show your face. You don’t seem to be a resident living around here, are you a peddler? What’s loaded on your cart? I need to inspect it.”

The guards, who had been in charge of security in the fortress city of Carlisle for nearly ten years, looked at him with curious eyes in his unfamiliar attire.

For a peddler, there wasn’t much luggage loaded on the cart, and he was pulling it alone without any escorts…?

Moreover, when they rummaged through the luggage on the cart, all that came out were various odds and ends, wolf hides, animal horns, clothing, and weapons like swords, spears, and axes.

“…Weapons?”

When weapons suddenly appeared, the guards turned their heads to check the face of the one who had brought the cart.

Black hair and eyes, eyes reminiscent of a predator, and distinctive facial features. Without further inspection, he was clearly a barbarian warrior from the North.

While the guards were startled upon seeing Eugene’s face, Eugene was pondering how to resolve this awkward situation.

This was because the amount of luggage loaded on the cart was ambiguously large.

‘If the guards conclude that I’m a peddler like this, I’ll have to pay not only the passage fee but also the protection fee…!’

The protection fee was a kind of tariff collected from merchants trying to trade goods in the market.

Although the luggage Eugene had loaded on his cart wasn’t that much, so the tariff wouldn’t be too high, it was still a much larger amount compared to the few copper coins he would have to pay as a passage fee.

‘I might even have to pay my precious silver coins…!’

Considering what hardships he had gone through to get here, he couldn’t waste even a single silver coin in a place like this. Eugene had to appeal somehow that he wasn’t a merchant.

“I am…”

Just as he was about to open his mouth calmly to persuade the guards, it happened.

“Ah, we made a mistake. You just need to pay the passage fee. Three copper coins.”

“…I’m not a peddl…”

“How could we not know you’re not a merchant just by looking at your face? You’re clearly a barbarian warrior. Don’t cause any trouble inside the city. We work around the clock.”

“I’m not a barbarian warr…”

Eugene had complex thoughts in his mind for a moment, but then he closed his eyes tightly and continued speaking.

“…That’s right. I’ve come from far away in the northern continent…”

“We know, so hurry up and pay the passage fee and go through. I’ll say it again, remember that we won’t let it slide if you draw your weapon carelessly in the city.”

Eugene nodded obediently to the guards who were looking at him with wary eyes and took out copper coins to hand over. They let Eugene in without further ado.

Eugene put on the robe he had taken off again to hide his face. Under the shadow inside the robe, his face showed a complicated expression.

As soon as Eugene entered inside the walls of Carlisle, he grabbed people passing by on the street and asked:

“I heard there’s a craftsman named Malika here, do you know where he is?”

“Ah, if you keep walking that way along the street and come to a crossroads, turn left…”

Thanks to wearing the robe deeply, they seemed to think Eugene was just a peddler who had come from afar and readily told him.

After asking directions from a few people like that and entering a wide alley, passing a few buildings, a shop caught Eugene’s eye.

Various instruments made from bones of beasts and monsters, as well as wood, were lined up on the display stand in front of the shop.

As Eugene stopped his cart and examined the displayed items for a moment, an old man with a hunched back appeared from inside the shop. Eugene guessed he was Malika as soon as he saw his eyes.

The look in his eyes, filled with the stubbornness characteristic of a skilled craftsman, was very impressive.

Eugene politely asked this old man, who was much older than himself:

“Hello. Is your name perhaps Malika, sir?”

The old man had a rather displeased expression. He felt quite uncomfortable that Eugene was asking his name right away without even taking off his robe. Judging by his large build and appearance, he was clearly not a customer coming to buy instruments.

“That’s right. I’m Malika. What brings you here?”

Eugene first took out the lurehorn’s horns from the backpack loaded on the cart and held them out to Malika. He, who had been looking at Eugene with wary eyes, widened his eyes as soon as he saw the horns.

“…My goodness! I’ve seen many lurehorn horns in my over thirty years of making instruments, but it’s been a really long time since I’ve seen one of such good quality. The thickness, hardness, and even the elegant shape… It’s a very good material…”

He forgot about the suspicious man standing in front of him and stroked the lurehorn’s horns with sparkling eyes.

After exclaiming in admiration and fondling the material for a while, he finally came to his senses and raised his head.

“Oh my, I behaved improperly for a moment. I’m sorry. I’ll give you a generous price. How about this much?”

Malika, who had already preciously hugged the horns Eugene had handed over to his chest, stretched out his left hand. Five fingers, meaning fifty silver coins.

‘Marlon certainly guaranteed that he would give sixty silver coins…’

Eugene, trying hard to hide his disappointed expression, calmly asked:

“Marlon definitely said I could get sixty silver coins, is that price really correct?”

“Hm? You, were you a companion traveling with Marlon? I see, I was wondering how you knew to come here… I did say that to that fellow when I entrusted him with the request. It can’t be helped. I should keep my promise. Wait a moment.”

Without waiting for Eugene’s answer, Malika went into the shop while hugging the horns to his chest, and soon came out holding a pouch full of silver coins and held it out to Eugene.

“Here are sixty silver coins. Check them.”

Eugene politely received the pouch with both hands and examined its contents. The number of silver coins was exactly right, and even the coins were all clean without any wear.

Malika quietly watched Eugene and tilted his head. He was sure there hadn’t been such a person when Marlon had visited before… His manner of speaking and the behavior he had just shown were too polite.

Out of pure curiosity, he asked:

“You, did you come here with Marlon last time? Take off your robe. I couldn’t possibly not remember such a polite person.”

Only then did Eugene take off his robe to reveal his face. Malika was startled when he saw Eugene’s face but soon managed his expression and carefully asked:

“Are you perhaps… Marlon’s new companion…?”

“No, I’m not.”

“…Where is Marlon?”

“He’s dead. The two who were traveling with him are the same.”

Malika’s face turned pale at Eugene’s answer.

“Is, is what I have now st-stolen goods…?”

“Ah, there’s a misunderstanding. It’s not stolen goods. It was originally mine.”

“I, I see… That must be it… I, I don’t know anything. I don’t know anything…”

“…”

He could have just passed by without clearing up the misunderstanding, but this was the fortress city of Carlisle.

If Malika were to report this to the guards, it could become troublesome, so Eugene started to explain with a gloomy face.

Fortunately, there was an item suitable for clearing up old man Malika’s misunderstanding.

The debt document signed by the elders of Daisy’s village. It had the content ‘We will repay Eugene fifteen silver coins that we couldn’t pay as a reward for catching the lurehorn after one year’ along with their fingerprints.

In addition, Eugene showed the wounds he had received from being attacked by Marlon and explained what had happened. Only then did Malika withdraw his misunderstanding.

“I see… I believe everything you’ve said. These damned bastards…! No wonder those fellows’ eyes looked somewhat unpleasant. Tsk tsk… They had good skills, but… Wicked fellows…”

Malika got angry as if he had suffered such a thing himself, then looked at Eugene as if pitying him.

“It must have been hard coming all the way here from far away and suffering such an ordeal. It seems you’re traveling alone. Is that right?”

“Yes, it is, sir.”

“Oh my… You should try to find some companions who suit you, even now. How can you wander around alone without any comrades? No matter how skilled you are, there’s no winning against numbers.”

Eugene smiled bitterly at the old man’s worried advice.

“You’re right. But it’s not easy to meet such people.”

Malika silently looked at Eugene’s face, then cleared his throat.

“…Ahem, there are people everywhere, surely there must be one or two… Come to think of it, I seem to have said something unnecessary. I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright. I know you said that out of concern for me.”

“I’m grateful if you think so. Anyway, did you come all the way here from that village to sell this?”

“That’s right. I’ve earned a lot of money, so I plan to stay here for a while to rest from my journey.”

“Is that so? That’s good. If you need a place to stay, I have a recommendation. The rooms are fairly clean, and the prices are reasonable.”

“I would be grateful if you could tell me.”

Eugene thought while listening to Malika’s kind explanation. Indeed, showing a polite attitude to elders was the best way to deal with people.

After telling him the location of the inn, he added just in case:

“By the way, if they rudely refuse to accept barbarians, tell them I introduced you. I know the innkeeper there, so you don’t need to worry unnecessarily.”

“Thank you for your consideration, sir.”

“It’s nothing. Well then, take care.”

Eugene bowed his head deeply to Malika, leaving the best impression possible before departing.

He felt good, thinking he had made a good connection as soon as he arrived in the city.

Pulling his cart onto the main street and turning through alleys, the inn Malika had told him about appeared.

The exterior looked old and shabby, but when he opened the door and went inside, a clean and well-organized interior revealed itself.

‘The first floor seems to be a restaurant, and accommodation starts from the second floor.’

A waitress who had been wiping tables belatedly approached Eugene, realizing a customer had come.

“Welcome! Did you come for a me…al…? Or, or, or, wa, wa, water… No, no, acc-accommodation…”

“…? Ah.”

At the waitress’s stammering reaction, Eugene realized he had his hood off.

Just then, the innkeeper, who was coming down from the second floor after changing bedding, saw Eugene. As soon as he saw Eugene’s face, he hurried over with small steps and bowed politely.

“I’m sorry. We don’t have any vacant rooms at the moment, so accommodation is not possible. My daughter is still inexperienced in her work, so she must have guided you incorrectly. I apologize once again.”

“…”

Usually, when someone spoke this politely, Eugene would turn away without lingering to find another inn that would accept him.

However, Eugene really liked this inn. For a building that was quite old, wasn’t it too well-maintained?

The inns that accepted him were all mostly unsanitary places with bedbugs or fleas.

He couldn’t suppress his desire to sleep in such a clean place for once in a long time. He felt this even more after camping out on the roadside all the way to Carlisle. Moreover, hadn’t he come here on Malika’s recommendation?

Eugene, filled with expectation that he could finally sleep in a good place, said to the innkeeper:

“I came here on old man Malika’s recommendation. He praised this place so much, saying there’s no inn with cleaner rooms and more delicious food than here. Are you sure there really are no vacant rooms?”

Making up words that the old man hadn’t said, Eugene showed his determination to stay at this inn.

The innkeeper listened quietly to Eugene’s words, pondered for a moment, then asked Eugene:

“…I’m sorry, but are you really sure you came on the old man’s recommendation?”

When Eugene nodded and said yes, the innkeeper tilted his head.

“That can’t be… Strange…”

“Is there a problem?”

“There’s no way the old man would have praised our food as delicious…”

“Hmm… Thinking about it again, I think he said ‘decent’ rather than ‘delicious’.”

“That can’t be…”

“…?”

“Although I’m the owner here, our food is a bit…”

At the innkeeper’s words, his daughter standing beside him made a gloomy expression.

Eugene hurriedly spoke up to cover up the lie he had told:

“He definitely said it was decent. I was feeling hungry anyway, so this is perfect. What food do you sell here?”

At Eugene’s words, the waitress, as if she had never been upset, confidently recommended the stew she had made.

As Eugene sat at the table after being guided, a steaming hot plate of stew soon appeared.

The stew with a proper amount of vegetables and meat smelled quite good.

Eugene thought this was more than sufficient cooking and confidently took a spoonful to put in his mouth.

“…!”

And as soon as the stew touched his tongue, he reflexively spat out everything in his mouth.

Eugene, who had spat out the food without even having time to think, couldn’t hide his surprise.

‘To think food could be ruined… No, messed up this badly…!’

Meanwhile, the two people who saw Eugene spit out the food as soon as he put it in his mouth fell silent.

While Eugene was calming his surprised heart, the waitress slowly approached Eugene and asked:

“Was… Was it that bad…?”

Eugene raised his head to look at the waitress. Telling the truth to her, who was on the verge of tears, was too cruel, but he couldn’t lie since he had already spat out the food.

Unable to face her directly, he lowered his head and apologized:

“…I’m sorry.”

“Hic…!”

The waitress ran away to the second floor, sobbing as if trying to escape from a terrible reality.

The innkeeper just watched her leave with an expression that seemed accustomed to this.

Eugene stood up from his seat and bowed politely, apologizing to the innkeeper as well.

“I’m sorry for lying. Actually, the old man only said it was cheap and clean.”

“…”

The innkeeper gave a bitter smile and quietly provided him with a vacant room.