Chapter 36 : No passage!

The defeated must offer tribute to the victor. This was a truth proven by countless RPGs where you get money for winning monster-catching games or farm items by killing monsters. It was also a familiar task for Lena, who’d survived in the Great Forest by killing monsters for meat and stocking up on blood. No, it wouldn’t be wrong to call her an expert. Thus, Lena’s hands moved without hesitation. Rummaging through pockets for loose change—identity tags? Better keep those just in case—other than that… Ugh, why do they have so little?

Looting humans yielded much less than monsters. Would I skin them? Butcher their meat? All she could do was pick up what they carried, and even that was close to nothing. Must be because they’re bandits. People become bandits because they have no money and nothing to eat. If their pockets were full, they wouldn’t be bandits. Sigh, I’ll cut them some slack.

“Mister, I’m selling this stuff. Give me a price.”
“Sell… uh, wh-what?”
“Huh? What’s wrong? Are you hurt somewhere?” He looks fine on the outside?

Morutun was trembling. It was Lena who was acting strangely, casually striking up a conversation after pulverizing people and showering in their blood—especially from Morutun’s perspective, who’d misunderstood her as a noble’s illegitimate child. The contrast was bound to be shocking.

“Anyway, I want to sell their clothes and weapons. I know things are tough, and since it’s a direct deal, I’ll be generous. You can give me ten percent less.” Food, clothing, supplies—everything costs money. Lena herself wore leather clothes she’d tailored. The bandits’ clothes were ruined from the fight, but cloth was cloth—they could be washed and reused. The weapons could be sold for scrap metal value. Since it was extra income anyway, Lena didn’t mind taking less profit. If anything, she could consider it payment for being his conversation partner all this time.

“Okay, twenty percent off. No more than that. The boss has gone crazy! Or is it because some of your goods got damaged? You said you’d take responsibility for that, so tough luck—I can’t compensate you.”
“Ughh…”
“Ah, come to think of it, Big Sis has a share in this too, but I made the decision alone. Wow, merchants really are different. Did you calculate all that in the meantime?”
“Uh…”

“Lena.” While Lena marveled at the merchant’s meticulous sense, Celine approached. Her face was quite serious. “Let’s talk for a moment.”

“Wow.”
Lena’s face went blank—the reaction of someone witnessing something truly marvelous, or perhaps a country bumpkin experiencing the wonders of the city for the first time. Laughter spread around them. Her unguarded expression, revealing her inner thoughts so clearly, was quite endearing.
My own daughter used to be like that.
Now that she’s grown up a bit, all she does is talk back.
That’s because you can’t maintain discipline at home.
What did you say, you punk?

Amidst the warm atmosphere, only one group couldn’t laugh: the people of the Cassadine Merchant Caravan. They knew Lena’s true nature—a monster who smashed human heads with her fists, caved in chests with kicks, and licked blood. No matter how much her appearance resembled an innocent girl her age, their bodies instinctively reacted with revulsion.

“Yes, it’s quite surprising the first time you see it,” Morutun said, the only one treating Lena relatively normally. This is why you can’t ignore age and experience. However, the slight twitching of his lips was a small flaw—but this much could be overlooked.

“This is Carvalon Castle, the frontline barrier protecting against the Great Forest.” Why Morutun, who wasn’t even a resident, sounded so proud was unclear. Anyway, it was an impressive castle. High walls, a flowing moat, guards checking people at the gate, archers watching from the watchtowers—yes, it was a castle. Morutun, possessed by the spirit of a tour guide, chattered beside her about how high the walls were and how they were built, but Lena wasn’t listening. A castle is just a castle.

What surprised Lena was the very existence of a castle. Trying to impress her with Carvalon Castle’s grandeur was like preaching to the choir. After all, from the perspective of the people here, wasn’t Lena a time traveler from the future? Compared to a city filled with skyscrapers taller than clouds—Hmm, is it really something to get that excited about? Still, like a polite young person, Lena pretended to listen attentively to Elder Morutun’s explanation.

“Well then, we’ll be leaving here,” Celine said, cutting off Morutun’s endless spiel.
Gasp, did my boredom show on my face? Fortunately, that wasn’t it.
“Members of the knight order have a dedicated passage.”

The line for the main gate was long, resembling security check lines when traveling abroad. That’s how travel between territories worked—even within the same country, people weren’t just waved through; their identities and purposes were checked. The Cassadine Caravan naturally had to go through this procedure. It’d be a waste to wait in the same line as everyone else when you’ve bought a Magic Pass. One might wonder if it feels bad to skip the line while acquaintances wait, but if they’re jealous, they should buy their own Magic Pass. Morutun didn’t seem jealous either.

“Ah, you mentioned you belonged to the Red Rose Knights, Knight.”
“Yes, although I’m just a newcomer.”

After the bandits and mercenaries were wiped out, Morutun’s misunderstanding had cleared. It was revealed then that Celine wasn’t an escort knight but a member of the Red Rose Knights, and Lena wasn’t a noble’s illegitimate child but someone rescued from the Great Forest. Rescued? With those skills? That must mean the Great Forest is incredibly dangerous… Morutun accepted it without much difficulty.

“Even a newcomer knight is still a knight. I heard the Red Rose Knights haven’t been doing so well lately, but knowing there’s someone as skilled as you, Knight, I can do business with peace of mind.”
“Oh.”

Lena let out an impressed sound—similar to the exclamation friends make when their awkward buddy successfully picks someone up. I thought he was just a talkative guy, but he can flatter so naturally? Is this what merchants are like in this era? Celine, the target of the flattery, looked unfazed, like she was used to accepting such obvious compliments—a stark contrast to the awkward image she projected whenever Lena got close. Well, being a knight is a significant status, generally a profession for the children of nobility. Does that mean Celine is a noble? She does have a refined look.

Just as Lena was about to get lost in thought, Morutun, having finished his flattery asking for favorable treatment, approached.
“Lena.”
“Yes, Mister.”
“Thank you. Thanks to you, the journey wasn’t boring.”

His voice was serious. Where there are meetings, there are partings. Lena wondered why he had to be so solemn about just going their separate ways, but she quickly understood. Right—there’s no internet or cell phones here. In this era, parting could mean never seeing someone again if fate didn’t intervene.

“And thank you for taking care of the bandits and traitors.” He deliberately used “bandits”—not because he’d picked up Lena’s way of speaking, but as a precaution. George’s Crew apparently ruled the underworld of Carvalon Castle. Their influence was considerable, to the point that even the knight order hesitated to confront them directly. So, basically, organized crime. Organized crime is dangerous. The Yakuza, Triads, Mafia, etc., wielded enough power to challenge authorities even back in Lena’s homeland. They’d dealt with such people. Though they’d disguised it as a monster attack (Badugi had taken care of that), it couldn’t hurt to be careful.

“We plan to stay in the castle for about half a month, so if there’s anything I can help you with, call for me. I’ll be coming back for trade a few more times later, so the same applies then. As long as it’s not a major loss for the caravan, I’ll help you.”

It was an unsuitable remark for a merchant—pursuing profit, not accepting losses. But Morutun was that kind of person. He could’ve been ruthless in making money if he’d wanted to. His business gradually declined because he followed the righteous path. Yet, from a caravan leader’s perspective, it was an exquisite move. In this harsh world, a connection with a skilled individual was a priceless intangible asset, hard to buy even with money. There was no doubt about Lena’s skills. And perhaps due to her youth, she seemed pure despite her abilities and lacked great ambitions. What help could a lone individual ask from a caravan? At most, food, snacks, treats, or preferred goods in the barren castle. If he could buy Lena’s favor with just that, it was more profitable for him—a frightening calculation.

Even so, this was all Celine’s thinking as she watched from the side, filtered through her experiences, even if she hadn’t quite fit into noble society. Morutun, the fledgling boss of a caravan on the brink of ruin, knew nothing of such calculations—he was genuinely speaking out of gratitude.

“Okay, no taking it back later.” Lena, also unaware, took his words at face value. Why refuse someone offering to repay a kindness out of gratitude? Though she’d adapted well so far, she was fundamentally an outsider. The more acquaintances who could help, the better.

“Goodbye!”
“Yes! Stay healthy!”

And so, the group parted ways. Lena’s heart pounded. Finally! A land where people live! Civilization! How I’ve missed it! The wild life was over now. It wasn’t that it didn’t suit her aptitude, but people should live among other people. Camping can just be a hobby. Hehe, they’re all screwed. Who was screwed was unclear, but anyway, I am free!

“Passage denied!”
“Huh?”
She couldn’t enter.