CH 182

Words : 1098 Updated : Sep 21st, 2025

A Different Merchant Arrived “…He would usually have arrived by now… I wonder if something happened…?” I was in the living room, and some time had already passed since we ate lunch. Usually the merchant who sold the grapes would have arrived in the village already, but he had yet to be seen. “Was he ever late in the past?” “There were times when he was delayed a little…but not this long…” In fact, the sun would probably start to set soon. Even if he was going to be behind schedule a little, it seemed too late. Perhaps something had happened on the road…? “Chief! The merchant is here!” “Ah, I see. So it looks like it was nothing after all.” As we sat there worrying, Rai started shouting from outside. Apparently, the merchant had arrived safely. …But what was the reason for the delay? “But chief it doesn’t seem to be the usual merchant. Though, he still came with the grapes…” “What do you mean, Rai?” “I don’t know. But father went out to meet him at the village entrance.” “So it’s someone who you have never seen before?” “No, I’ve seen him just once before. But it’s not the usual man.” Rai and his parents lived in the house that was the closest to the entrance. And so they often managed who came in and left. In any case, he had noted that it wasn’t the merchant who usually visited. …But it was someone he had seen before… “Mr. Hannes. Could it be…” “…Yes, it may be the merchant who brought the glass sphere. As I am quite sure that Rai would have seen him that time…” Mr. Hannes moved closer to me and we whispered to each other secretively. According to Rai, this merchant had been here just once before… Children often have good memory… And so it was our suspicion that this was the merchant who brought the sphere. However… Why had he returned…? Had he brought a new sphere? Or did he want to confirm that the disease had been spread…? In any case, there was no point in staying here and thinking. We had to go and find out. “Mr. Hannes. While I said that I wanted to meet the merchant… Things have changed, and so I will conceal myself instead. After all, if it is who we think it is, he might get suspicious.” “I understand. Then I will go out and deal with him.” “Please pretend that you are ignorant about the sphere and the illness.” “…Very well.” After discussing it with Mr. Hannes, we left the house. I wanted to sneak close enough to them in order to hear their conversation while still being out of sight. Otherwise, he might become tight-lipped. And so I separated from Mr. Hannes along the way and went around the houses of the village so that I could head to the entrance from a different direction. “From this position, I should be able to hear them…” In the shadows of Rai’s house, I hid and looked at the entrance. Thankfully, the sun was starting to set, and the area had become dim. It was unlikely that I would be caught. …It wasn’t quite a stealth mission, but it reminded me of some games I used to play. Only I was an amateur, and so it wasn’t perfect. “Ah, that’s right… I can use that.” I took some herbs that I had made out of my bag. In the Fenrir Forest, I had the others eat it. A herb that made your senses sharper. With this, it would be easier to listen to their conversations, even if they were far away. “…Hmm… It really does taste bad… But my hearing has improved.” The effect could be felt immediately. Things that I couldn’t hear before, like distant footsteps and horses. Even the sounds of a creaking carriage. I should be able to hear Mr. Hannes and the others as well then. “…What does…? But I definitely…but…” I heard a man muttering near the entrance. While he had only muttered it quietly, due to my sharpened senses, I was able to catch some of it. This must be the merchant’s voice. He sounded baffled by something. While the area was becoming dark, thanks to the herbs, I could see just fine. And though the village entrance was too far to make out clearly, there were a few people standing there. “That must be Rai’s parents…and the man who is a short distance away is the one who muttered.” The man and women who stood in the village would be Rai’s parents. And the man outside seemed to be explaining to them why he was delayed. But there was another man standing a few steps away from him. He was probably the one I had heard. He wasn’t talking with the others, and looked like he was just observing the village. But I could not see his expression or get an idea of what he was thinking. And further behind him, where the horses were kept, I could see a few wagons. A covered wagon..? It wasn’t like the carriages that I rode with Ms. Claire, but a wagon that was covered by a large tarp. It was likely filled with the grapes that were to be sold. “Still, something feels wrong…” If only Leo was here with me. She had much sharper senses, and could probably tell me something… But she was not here. I had asked her to go to Sebastian, which was also very important. “…Sorry to keep you waiting.” As I thought of such things, Mr. Hannes slowly walked towards them. While I had been running, Mr. Hannes had moved slowly in order to give me time to get into position. Mr. Hannes then glanced briefly in my direction. Uh, please don’t do that. They might see me. “I’m sorry. We took longer than expected… You see, one of the wagon wheels got stuck in the mud…” “Ah, how very unfortunate…” Now that Mr. Hannes had arrived, the man who stood at a distance now joined the others. He then told Mr. Hannes what the other man had been explaining to Rai’s parents. Apparently, they were late because their wagon got stuck in the mud. And since the load was so heavy, it had been difficult to free it again. Well, if what the man said was true, then it would explain why they were late.

CH 182

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