Chapter 125 - Spirit of the Guardian Tree (4)

"How long are you going to keep me standing here?"

Her internal conflict was clearly visible on her face. She couldn't turn away someone invited by her master, but she didn't want to let me in either.

If I demanded a grand dinner as a guest, she'd probably come at me with a kitchen knife.

She reluctantly let me in.

"...Come in."

I entered the mansion and looked around. Though luxurious, being located in central Rigbed meant it lacked the spacious feel of a countryside mansion. Strangely, there was hardly any furniture. Despite the exterior suggesting there should be classical paintings and decorations, the interior was eerily empty as if uninhabited.

She led me down the hallway with her hands behind her back.

"Why did you bring a sword?"

She asked again, perhaps hoping I expected to fight her. Unfortunately, I was a person of sound judgment.

"For self-defense."

She lit candles and seated me at a six-person dining table. No carpet, no plants, no chandelier, no decorations at all. Not even a single servant. It felt like squatting in an empty house after the owner moved out.

"..."

"..."

We fell silent, not knowing what to do. This awkwardness—how should I handle it? I was still reeling from being thoroughly played by the Sword Master.

"Have you had dinner?"

She answered coldly, "...I'm about to."

Though she clearly hated it, her manner suggested she had no choice but to serve her master's guest. The very situation of receiving me seemed to wound her pride.

She went to the next room and returned with a large basket, placing it on the table.

The basket was full of identical loaves of bread. The same rock-hard rye bread Sion always ate in the dormitory hall.

No cheese or stew as expected, but not even milk or water. Just looking at it made my throat feel blocked.

Right, I hadn't expected anything.

Sion sat across from me, took a piece of bread, and said, "Eat."

"..."

She took a big bite first, her cheek puffing out like a squirrel as she chewed. Even while doing so, she didn't forget to watch me warily with sharp eyes.

I reluctantly took a piece of bread and tore off a small piece. Then lifted my mask slightly and put it in my mouth.

This silence and this terribly bland taste. It reminded me of eating oat porridge at the orphanage. It was almost enough to bring tears to my eyes.

Did she have no joy in life? After suffering such humiliation from seniors, all she did was sit in silence at home stuffing tasteless bread in her mouth.

When I put down the bread and sighed, she glared at me like dealing with a picky child.

"Why aren't you eating?"

"I have no appetite."

"...Must have grown up in a noble house? Such a delicate palate."

Sion might get full marks in swordsmanship, but she failed at everything else. Though I wasn’t particularly sociable either, I wasn’t as severe as this girl.

I wanted to tell her just how humble my origins were, but since it wasn't something to be proud of, I held back.

Now I fully understood why her master sent me here. They must have felt uneasy leaving such an inadequate disciple alone. Probably similar to how I felt leaving Trisha alone at home.

With no other students capable of handling Sion, he picked me.

This was essentially an indirect request. Anyone with common sense could see what he wanted to entrust.

I stood up from the table. Having received such a large sum, I couldn't just let it slide.

Sion paused eating and looked up at me.

"What are you doing?"

"Leaving."

"Goodbye."

She didn't even think to see me out, just taking another bite of bread while remaining seated.

"No, you're coming too."

"...Why should I?"

"You have a responsibility to properly entertain your master's personally invited guest. Would you treat other guests this poorly too?"

Sion spoke with displeasure, "...If it were other guests, I wouldn't have let them in at all."

"..."

I pondered for a while what she meant.

Since she wouldn't have even given bread to others, did this mean offering rock-hard bread and sharing a table counts as special treatment from Sion?

"I think I know why the Sword Master invited me, so come along."

"...How can you be so sure?"

"Then do you know?"

"..."

Sion seemed at a loss for words, thinking for a moment before reluctantly standing up.

She spoke as if ready to judge how well I'd do, "Lead the way. I'll see how well you understand Master's true intentions."

The first thing we did was exchange the bills for gold coins at the exchange office. The clerk swallowed hard as he pushed forward a container full of gold coins. It was an excessive amount for just one evening's dinner.

My goal was to spend it all today. Since it wasn't meant to be saved, I had no intention of using it for personal gain.

After collecting the gold coins and stepping outside, Sion greeted me with a gloomy face.

"Why did we come here?"

"Don't worry, it's not a debt."

I led Sion out of Rigbed plaza.

I was looking for a restaurant. High-end restaurants strictly checked credentials like social circles, so someone suspicious-looking like me couldn't enter.

The first goal was to take her somewhere travelers and merchants could get decent meals.

Though it wouldn't be nearly enough to spend all the gold coins, I'd think about the next step while filling our stomachs.

Sion followed behind me, unable to hide her suspicious expression.

She suddenly stopped and said, "Where are we going?”

"Somewhere good."

"This won't do."

"...?"

"Just fight me. Then we're done. That's what Master would want."

Does everything lead to sword fights with this woman? This won't do. I can't just leave this battle-obsessed woman alone.

"Fine, let's say you won the fight. Now stop talking nonsense and just follow me."

"...!"

Sion's eyes widened like coins as if wondering how I could say such things so easily.

When young, some children wouldn't carelessly touch or throw away even chess piece-sized statues if they bore Akates' goddess form. Though strictly speaking it had nothing to do with the goddess and was just an object, they attributed meaning to it.

Sion seemed to attribute similar sacred meaning to “duels” as those children did to goddess statues.

Right, she couldn't have reached her position without such a personality.

"If you don't believe me, I'll write you a certificate, but let's go for now."

***

We took seats at an inn that doubled as a restaurant. Around us, dock workers, sailors, merchants, and travelers downed beer and chatted loudly after finishing their day's work.

All they talked about was the famous fortune teller who'd come to Rigbed.

"Even the idiot eldest son of House Dalton rushed over for a reading."

"All just wasting money."

"Damn fools. Give me the money and I'll make up even more plausible stories."

Though some occasionally glanced our way, there was no malice in their looks so I wasn't too concerned. I'd heard incidents involving Eternia students rarely occurred in Rigbed.

Sion sat stiffly across from me with her hands on her knees.

"What are we doing?"

"Can't you tell? Having dinner."

"You're just going to eat without knowing what might be in the food?"

Where did she grow up? Did she spend her whole life struggling in an area where crime was as common as breathing?

"Have you only ever been victimized? How did you eat the bread then?"

"The ingredients are transparent. Water, salt, fermented sourdough. That's all. And I hate crowded places."

Soon our ordered food arrived on the table. Roasted duck, beef stew, boiled potatoes, fresh fruit juice, and steamed fish. Her suspicious gaze softened at the sight of the food.

I pushed the expensive dishes toward Sion. The mask made eating quite troublesome for me.

"I can hold out without eating, so eat. Even if it's drugged, I can protect you."

"..."

Seemingly convinced by my words, Sion began taking small bites.

I watched her as she ate. Her body remained tense, wary of others' gazes. She was like a wild animal with extremely developed survival instincts.

Fortunately, she ate well. Though I was a bit hungry, seeing someone who usually only ate bread crusts and jerky eating so well made me somewhat proud. Truth be told, I had been worried about her since the welcome ceremony.

Curious, I asked, "Is this your first time at a place like this?"

"No. I just don't come because I can't trust them."

"For someone so cautious, you had no problem stealing others' jerky during practice?"

"I can identify medicinal ingredients in jerky by smell."

"..."

Seems she had a keen sense of smell too. She’s really no different from a wild beast.

She ate enthusiastically alone without even offering me a bite out of courtesy.

***

After dinner, we walked along the riverbank beside the dock.

When Sion said she'd go home now that it was over, I held her back while hurriedly looking for ways to spend money.

There were still too many gold coins left.

"What's your purpose in keeping me here...?"

She went straight to suspicion without even thanking me for the meal. Fortunately, she seemed less wary of me than before.

"Just follow me."

I led her into a nearby jewelry shop but fled after seeing the prices.

Due to professional habits, I couldn't stand the inflated prices of crafted items.

We entered another jewelry shop where I looked for accessories to buy for Sion.

I carefully examined the material combinations and finished using the shop's magnifying glass.

She looked at me strangely.

"What... are you doing?"

"Wait and see."

I held a necklace lightly against her neck.

"I don't know what you're up to, but I'll wear enchanted artifacts for necklaces later. And buying me these things won't—"

"Oh really?"

I cut off her words and immediately switched from the necklace to a bracelet.

"Bracelets interfere with sword swinging."

"..."

While girls her age naturally invest in grooming themselves, what kind of beliefs did she live by to be like this?

I held up round silver earrings like full moons and examined them through the magnifying glass for a long time.

Holding them up to her face, the decoration appropriately neutralized her cold, aloof impression by dispersing attention.

"Hmm."

"...???"

Though the inflated price was quite unsatisfying, unable to find anything more suitable, I finally bought those earrings.

Coming out of the shop, the evening sunset was already burning red.

I handed the earring box to Sion. She took it and asked me, "What are you doing?"

"They're yours."

She frowned and shot me a suspicious look.

"Why are you doing this to me?"

"Try them on."

"No. I'll never wear them, even if I die."

"That's too bad."

I hadn't expected that firmly closed heart to melt in a day. Maybe she just disliked me.

The Sword Master's request to me was to earnestly play with Sion, and I was simply carrying out that mission to the best of my ability. Even if my method was clumsy, I'd done my best and that was enough.

I turned sharply and started walking.

Though I didn't tell her to follow this time, Sion trailed behind me.

"..."

"..."

There were still plenty of coins left, and the evening wasn't over. The next destination wasn't decided. Perhaps ending now wouldn't be a bad choice.

But something felt lacking. Like an unfinished feeling.

Then, suddenly a thought occurred to me and I spoke, "Do you believe in fate?"

***

But the spontaneous plan that started like that didn't work out as intended.

"Where do we make reservations?"

"There's no such thing. Just wait earnestly."

Word was that the “Stone Prophet” fortune teller only gave readings at night, and hundreds of people sat waiting in Rigbed Plaza for the sun to set.

By rough estimate, over half the people seemed willing to pay more than what I had.

"That money won't get you anywhere near. If money could buy readings, why would all those distinguished people be waiting at the door?"

There were too many people waiting.

Small-time fortune tellers had set up shop around Rigbed's central plaza, hoping to catch overflow from the gathered customers.

"Seed readings provide deeper insight!"

"No fortune teller surpasses me in matters of marriage!"

"The predictive power of phrenology is scientifically proven!"

It was complete chaos.

Realizing we'd achieve nothing, I began to regret wasting time trying to get a reading.

Moreover, when we returned after asking around, Sion was arguing with a fortune teller who had set up a stall.