Episode 105: The Grand Tournament (4)
"Kugh!"
After Tiger Beetle's laughter ceased, a short groan from Clent echoed through the small room.
From behind the mask, Tiger Beetle laughed and, with a speed Clent couldn't even register, thrust a short blade into the chest of Clent, who sat bound to a chair.
"It didn't hurt, did it? You probably didn't even feel it pierce your flesh."
"I used poison."
"Paralyzing poison, to be exact… Oh, Dragon Fly, that was my line."
Dragon Fly, leaning against the wall in the dimly lit corner of the room, spoke about the poison coating the sword that Tiger Beetle had driven into Clent's heart with a single strike. Startled, Tiger Beetle adjusted the mask on the face and grumbled.
"Then… may you sleep without pain."
Tiger Beetle approached Clent and whispered softly. Then, Tiger Beetle untied the ropes binding Clent's arms, freeing his hands, and guided Clent's hand to grasp the sword lodged in his own chest.
"Haa! One mission complete!"
Tiger Beetle stretched with hands clasped and raised to the sky.
-Clank, clank-
"Now, check it. Isn't that your role?"
When Dragon Fly opened the closed wooden shutter, bright moonlight flooded the room. Waves of sweet fragrance from the surrounding apple trees flowed into the warehouse at the center of the orchard.
The scent of fruit hanging on the apple trees—just shy of harvest before winter—mingled with the cool late-autumn air, slipping through the gaps in the masks of Dragon Fly and Tiger Beetle.
Yet, without a moment to savor the aroma, a small crossbow bolt sliced through the apple-scented night air and flew into the warehouse where the two stood. It embedded itself in the armrest of the chair where Clent sat dead, gripping the sword in his chest with both hands.
"It speaks of the deed being done — the mark is no more. That's what it says."
Tiger Beetle retrieved the small piece of paper wrapped around the bolt and read it aloud under the moonlight.
"Hmm. A shy observer, it seems."
"The handwriting is very cute—look at this."
Tiger Beetle handed the note to Dragon Fly while speaking.
"Let's see. Oh… indeed… it's a woman's handwriting."
"You can tell that?"
"Of course, look at this—"
-Whoosh-
Another bolt flew in, striking the paper Dragon Fly held.
"Ah! What are you doing, observer"
Startled by the bolt, Dragon Fly leaned out the window and shouted. No reply came—only the sound of the night breeze rustling leaves among the orchard's apple trees filled the air.
"There's information about the next target. The reward… it's very good. Twice Clent's."
Tiger Beetle held up two fingers toward Dragon Fly while speaking.
"Twice? Why pay double?"
"Well… it seems this target is a noble protected by guards. It's in Ves-Dinas."
"That's fortunate. No need to travel far."
"Right? It says the target is cautious, so approaching might be difficult."
Tiger Beetle brought the note close to the masked face, squinting at the tiny, sand-like letters.
"No mission is ever easy. Let's head back, Tiger Beetle. Leave Clent's cleanup to the observer lady still watching us."
"Haha! What if it's a bearded, pot-bellied old man?"
"No way."
"By the way, I'm getting hungry. Maybe it's the apple scent?"
Tiger Beetle lifted the chin, deeply inhaling the wafting fragrance.
"Probably. I'm hungry too… But it's nearly winter—haven't they harvested the apples yet?"
"Yeah. They'll probably do it soon. Maybe… or perhaps the orchard owner and workers are all at Ves-Dinas enjoying the Grand Tournament?"
"That could be."
"Right? Hehe."
Another bolt with a note flew in, lodging into the window bar.
"It says, Honglu(紅淚) is harvested very late in autumn, unlike other apples.'"
"In Dwarven script, that's 'Red Tears'?"
"Probably. These apple trees must have come from Dwarven lands."
"Seems so. The name fits the apples well."
Dragon Fly gazed at the apple trees outside the window while speaking.
"Let's hurry to Ves-Dinas. I need good food in my stomach to sleep well."
"Yes. Let's pick a few apples to eat on the way."
"Agreed. Nothing beats them as an appetizer."
The lantern lighting the warehouse flickered out. The shadows of the two vanished into the apple trees' silhouettes beneath the moonlight.
In a secluded part of Ves-Dinas, the streets stood quiet. Not a single cobblestone lay broken, the roads better tended than elsewhere in the city, illuminated by the bright glow of mana stone lamps.
The carriages passing occasionally weren't the common sort seen around town but grand ones with large wheels, often pulled by six or eight horses. The street, wide to accommodate such massive vehicles, felt eerily silent when no carriages rolled by.
The Noble Quarters of Ves-Dinas. Though not strictly reserved for nobles by law, living in the grand mansions—with sprawling gardens of blooming flowers and high walls coated in lime mixed with marble dust and clay—demanded wealth. Naturally, the residents here were either high-ranking nobles or merchants swimming in riches.
The wide streets and vast mansion gardens kept neighbors far apart, and the thick, towering walls made loud noises feel like a breach of some unspoken pact. The silence wasn't just calm—it bordered on loneliness.
Yet, even in this noble district, one building stood out: music from beautiful instruments drifted through the air, and magic stone lamps shone especially bright.
Carriages lined up endlessly, their opulent exteriors matched by the lavish attire of the guests heading inside. Miofra, the noble district's most thriving high-end restaurant.
In one of the banquet rooms—divided for guests seeking quiet dining—sat three unusual companions.
Sallin, seated with a hearty laugh. Leben, exchanging awkward smiles with Miofra's staff waiting at the room's entrance. And Nia, hungry.
The three sat at a massive marble round table with saddles, so large that clinking glasses before the meal was impossible.
"This is Cobalt Crab, caught in the rough seas near the Cobalt Archipelago."
Miofra's staff pointed as Nia, swallowing hard, stared at the dish.
"Such a big crab…"
"Way bigger than Ixtarn's blue crabs…"
From the plate on the huge white table, piled with spice-covered crimson Cobalt Crab, the scent of the sea wafted up.
"And this dish is Paelya, made with rice from southern Tislo, stir-fried with rabbit meat, snails, broad beans, garlic, and onions, then cooked in broth."
"Oh… Paelya. I've had the seafood version before, but rabbit meat and snails? That's a unique twist."
Sallin gazed with a pleased smile at the black plate holding yellowish rice studded with brown meat chunks and seasoned, shell-on snails.
"You know it well. There's a version with mussels, shrimp, and squid, but to avoid clashing with the Cobalt Crab's flavor, we prepared this one with rabbit meat and snails."
"I see. Thanks for the attention to detail."
At Sallin's words, the staff's smile widened, shifting the hand from the Paelya to another dish.
"This is beef from Lensilor's Shale Mountains, thinly sliced and grilled over a fire of chopped Rosanto wood. Its rich flavor shines without seasoning—just the Rosanto aroma is enough."
"Mmm! The smell is amazing!"
Nia, eyes wide, gripped a silver fork, head darting to inspect the plate of thinly grilled beef.
The staff's wine recommendations didn't reach Nia's ears. Nor did mentions of Nielsen cheese for dessert—with its mild spicy scent, pale color, and tiny holes—or that Paelya hailed from northern Tislo's traditions.
Nor the explanation
explanation to Leben that the Cobalt Crab dish used only recently molted, soft-shelled crabs.
Only one phrase reached Nia at that moment, delivered in Sallin's low, calm voice.
"Well then, we've heard enough about our dishes. Let's eat."
"Yes, Sallin. Thank you for inviting me to such a fine restaurant."
"Thank you! Waaah!"
Nia's fork moved swiftly. The leg of the massive Cobalt Crab—over a cubit (50cm) long—snapped with a crunch. White crab flesh emerged from the shell, speared by Nia's fork.
Thinly grilled beef rolled onto the fork, heading for Nia's mouth. Paelya, portioned onto a small plate, was scooped up fully with the spoon in Nia's other hand.
Nia devoured the meal with fierce speed, yet not a crumb fell onto the table, keeping the eating graceful rather than gluttonous.
To Sallin, the rapid, precise movements of Nia's spoon and fork were simply a curious sight.
"By the way, Nia, where were you headed?"
Before Leben, Sallin, and Nia—two people and one hungry Droko—sat at this fine restaurant's round table, Sallin and Leben had been riding a carriage to Miofra. Sallin had proposed celebrating their jousting tournament victories.
From the carriage, Leben spotted Nia walking the street, playing a Droko-exclusive instrument with unfamiliar lyrics.
Thus, Leben introduced Nia to Sallin, and Nia joined as a guest for the small banquet, arriving at Miofra.
"After winning the match, I was heading to the Adventurer's Guild for a quest."
Nia answered Leben's question while snapping the large Cobalt Crab claw with a crunch.
"Oh, right, the dueling tournament started today… Sorry. Had I known sooner, I'd have cheered you on."
"It's fine. It ended fast—probably not much fun to watch."
Nia swallowed the food with a gulp and grinned, teeth fully bared.