Chapter Twenty-One: The Deal
Creak, creak, creak—
That was clearly the sound of an old wooden bed shaking violently, the sharp and piercing noises coming from the neighboring room were unmistakably mixed with the sounds of a woman’s heavy breathing and moaning, along with a man’s playful banter and low growls.
Huh?
I sat up in bed, rubbed my sore neck a bit, and listened for a while. The sounds became increasingly intense, the movements growing more frantic, as if both were about to reach their climax. I stared blankly out the window, rubbing my tired eyes while taking in the night colors.
The sky was completely dark now, two crescent moons hiding behind the clouds, scattering faint light across the city. The stars blinked above, and lights flickered to life down in the streets. The bustling sounds outside grew louder under the illumination, but that liveliness seemed to come from far away, while my immediate surroundings felt oddly deserted. The road below was cold and empty, and I couldn’t see a single soul.
What time is it…?
Have they really started doing that already?
The quiet surroundings made the noises from next door even more jarring, the bed creaking going from “creak, creak” to “bang, bang,” as if it was about to topple the room over. I felt a slight annoyance rise within me and was about to knock on the wall to give them a hint when suddenly, I heard a woman’s long, satisfied m*an followed by an even bigger ruckus. But the next moment, the bed-shaking sounds abruptly stopped.
…Oh.
They finished…
Momentarily stunned, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes and was too lazy to get the flint to light the candle on the cabinet, so I just flopped back down onto the bed.
The room was dim, illuminated only by the faint glow from outside. I lay there wide awake, staring through the floating dust particles in the light, at the ceiling covered in spider webs and wooden beams. Suddenly, I thought, what if a spider drops down from up there while I’m sleeping tonight? Just thinking about it made me feel a bit bored—so what if a spider falls? Besides, I had slept for so long during the day; now I felt wide awake, and it would probably be hard to get to sleep tonight.
What to do…
I was actually a bit reluctant to stay in this city any longer.
…But I still needed to find out Barry’s whereabouts.
If he was still here, I’d like to take a look and confirm his condition before leaving. However, he was most likely long gone. The Third Knights Order no longer existed, and the few hundred survivors were probably scattered by Angel and assigned to other places, possibly ending up in different knights’ orders altogether.
Anyway, after the threat of heretics was completely eliminated, they shouldn’t have any reason to stick around here.
…I remember that Barry had a girl with him back then?
She seemed a bit older than him… his girlfriend?
That girl was a noble from the city… the city lord’s daughter? I think she was indeed the lord’s daughter… I hadn’t interacted with her much, so I couldn’t recall her name… But that girl should still be in the city, right?
Surely she didn’t elope with Barry…
The noble fortress in the city center?
Should I check that place out tonight…
If I can find her, I’d just ask about Barry. She’d definitely know—this should be the simplest and most convenient way…
As I pondered these things, I could still hear the ongoing commotion from the neighboring room. Those two seemed to have wrapped things up, but they continued to joke around for a while before finally getting out of bed. Their low and risqué chatter mixed with the sounds of getting dressed, during which it seemed the woman accidentally kicked something like a cabinet, resulting in a loud yelp. The man quickly began to comfort her, and soon after, they made it to the door, opening it, and their voices became clearer.
“Hey, what happened to the 50 copper coins we agreed on? This is only 29… are you incapable of counting…?”
“I’m a bit strapped for cash lately, just a bit strapped… hehehe… I’ll make it up to you next time…”
“If this keeps up, there won’t be a next time!”
“Got it… you always say that, and every time you obediently jump into my arms…”
“If it weren’t for your looks and that Warhammer Army physique… I’d never extend credit to anyone.”
“Yeah, yeah…”
“d*mn it, I covered your drinking money today!”
“Hehehe…”
The woman’s impatient tone had a hint of charm as she walked further away, while the man seemed to be heading back into the room. Just then, new footsteps sounded from the staircase, accompanied by a surprised “hey” from the woman. The newcomer seemed to be a familiar man, and I heard him ask, “Where’s that guy?”
“Upstairs, upstairs… Hey, wanna play with me?”
“Get lost.”
“Aww, if you don’t want to play, you don’t need to be rude… Did you pay off the money he owes me?”
“Get out, now.”
“…You really have no sense of fun.”
The “thump, thump” of footsteps grew closer as the ‘no-fun’ man walked over. The guy who just finished his business and owed money to a lady warmly welcomed me at the door: “Westerlo! Haha, you actually came back…”
“Don’t shout out my name here, you fool.”
“Got it, got it… anyway, no one’s around…”
“Let’s go inside and talk.”
With a creak, their footsteps headed into the neighboring room, and then the door slammed shut, their voices dropping in volume but still clear enough for me to hear.
“Sit, sit down… want a drink?”
“Where are you getting the money for booze?”
“That woman bought it, hehehe…”
“I don’t drink a wh*re’s alcohol.”
“What’s the difference? It’ll still get you drunk…”
They seemed to have settled down somewhere, followed by the sounds of cups clinking, with someone taking a swig. Although I wasn’t particularly interested in their business, I couldn’t help but feel bored, so I quietly packed my belongings, throwing my cloak over my shoulders while keeping an ear out.
“Let’s talk about that thing from earlier.”
“Why the rush…?”
“You know my wife and daughter are waiting for me at home.”
“But you probably won’t have time to go back tonight…”
“…Why do you say that?”
“Come closer, I’ll tell you…”
Their voices grew quieter, and if the people living next door were just regular citizens, they probably wouldn’t be able to hear what those two were discussing right now. However, I could still hear every word clearly.
“I’m asking you… back in the middle of last year, after the First Knights Order left, do you know anything about the Third Knights Order… that mutiny in the northern camp?”
…Hmm?
Just as I was tying my belongings around my waist, ready to step outside near the castle in the city to catch some fresh air, I suddenly froze at the mention of “Third Knights Order.”
“Are you talking about those surviving knights from the battlefield?”
“Yes…”
“Weren’t they unable to resist the temptation of demons later on…? Someone used heretic powers or something like that… resulted in a mutiny in the camp… and ultimately got their heads chopped off by the Second Knights Order outside the city… The leader’s head was hung at the city gate for all to see—not taken down until early this year…”
!
What…
“Nobody talks about these things; even the ordinary folks in the city don’t want to mention them, fearing trouble for themselves. Even the church later prohibited speaking of it… So, does your deal have something to do with all this?”
“…Well, naturally it does.”
