No sooner had she finished speaking than the fairy, who had been perched on her head, took off with a flutter of her wings, soaring upwards.
Sylvia, who was locking the front door, watched the ascending fairy with a bemused look. She sighed softly as she watched the turquoise fairy fly away without even looking back, disappearing quickly beyond her call.
“There are some things you just can’t say.”
After watching the tiny figure disappear into the distance, Sylvia moved on.
She planned to go to the third city gate today.
“I heard from the Croban mercenary group last time that they also frequent that area, right?”
Having frequented the second city gate quite a bit, she thought about changing her selling spot for a while to attract new customers. The third city gate was closer to her house, so her steps were more relaxed.
The third city gate seemed to have many new mercenary groups. It appeared that some groups exclusively used the second gate, while others preferred the third.
“Here you are. If you return the lunchbox washed, I’ll give you a service. Today, I’ll give you a taste for free, so please come again next time.”
Sylvia exchanged bright greetings and checked the remaining number of lunchboxes in her subspace. Seeing that there were only a few left, she turned to the other waiting customers.
“I only have seven left now. How many did you say you wanted?”
“I wanted to buy ten, but… can’t be helped. Just give me those.”
“Yes, please hand me your subspace bag then.”
She handed over all the remaining lunchboxes and received the payment. Sylvia generously put some pears into the mercenary’s bag and squinted one eye slightly as she spoke.
“This is because I feel sorry, so please don’t tell others. And as you might have heard, if you bring back the empty lunchboxes washed, I’ll give you some fruit as a service. You got that?”
The blue-haired swordsman blushed at her wink and replied.
“I, I will. Thanks for the meal.”
“Enjoy your meal. Catch a lot of monsters!”
The blue-haired swordsman nodded in response to her cheering with clenched fists. It wasn’t clear whether this place was still not well-known or what, but thanks to the remaining ginger tree tea, Sylvia took one out and drank it heartily.
“That’s refreshing.”
Even if there’s no humidity, summer is still summer, and it can get very hot when the wind suddenly stops. A man with green hair hurriedly blocked her way as she was about to leave with her backpack.
Breathless, possibly from running and drenched in sweat, he asked.
“Is, is it over?”
Thinking he was a customer who came to buy a lunchbox, Sylvia replied with a regretful expression.
“I’m sorry, they’ve all been sold out.”
The man sighed deeply, looking dejected upon hearing her answer.
Then he began to complain as if he felt wronged.
“Why did you sell at the third gate today! I’ve been waiting at the second gate since early morning!”
Facing a difficult customer for the first time in a while, Sylvia put down her backpack and offered him ginger tree tea.
“Here, take this first and take a breather.”
The ginger tree tea, full of ice, was very refreshing. The man, who took a long sip of the slightly bitter but savory tea, widened his eyes in surprise.
“What’s this?”
“This is called ginger tree tea. I’m sorry, but all the lunchboxes are sold out. I’ll be here again tomorrow, so please calm your heart and make sure to come by. I’ll prepare something special for you as a service.”
Even if a customer is being difficult, one cannot simply be rude. Maintaining the mindset that ‘the customer is king’ was essential. However, if the customer continues to be unreasonable, there’s not much that can be done.
Watching her apologize, the man seemed to be deep in thought, blocking her way with his arms crossed, making it difficult for Sylvia to leave first. She sighed inwardly, waiting for his response.
The man turned out to be a servant on an errand from the Visconti Ducal family. Despite being a servant, he was a noble in his own right, dressed in fine clothing that Sylvia had noticed.
The thought that he might be a noble made her want to avoid him even more. The owner of the chicken shop, who had become a regular customer, had once advised her:
“Avoiding nobles is the way to extend your lifespan.”
As the man remained silent for a long while, Sylvia spoke up. Suddenly, he snapped his head up and grabbed her wrist.
“Why are you doing this?”
She tried to shake off his grip in surprise, but his fingers were stronger than they looked.
“Sorry, but you’ll have to come with me. It’s partly your fault for not showing up at the second gate from the start. Let’s go.”
“Where to?”
As she asked, she felt her body lift into the air. Sylvia quickly grabbed her backpack. The emerald ring on the green-haired man’s finger was glowing. After rising a bit, the man answered her.
“To the Visconti Ducal family.”
What?
Sylvia’s body stopped flailing in the air as if she were underwater.
The Visconti Ducal family.
That was a name she couldn’t help but recognize. Just a few days ago, she had seen the ducal family’s grand order of knights, not to mention the Visconti family’s ancient and storied history mentioned in Corporal’s history books.
“What did you say!”
Her resolve to never get involved with nobility shattered. The green-haired man, rising high, held her wrist tightly and flew swiftly.
The wind magic Sylvia used was nothing compared to the incredible speed at which they moved, and she screamed inwardly.
★★26. Duke of Visconti★★
After finishing his breakfast, Duke Lucino leisurely proceeded to his office to attend to his duties. He frequently reviewed transactions within the castle and closely monitored various mercenary groups, especially focusing on their skills and achievements.
Four aides were always present in his office, each immersed in paperwork, with only the rustling of pages filling the quiet room. Duke Lucino, who preferred silence, ensured his aides and butler were always cautious and attentive.
“Hmm, the Croban Mercenary Group… A small group of only ten, but quite skilled.”
The essence of the monsters they captured was comparable to what typically took around eighty mercenaries. Recently, records showed their rare visits to the city.
“Hmm.”
He wasn’t particularly interested, but a report caught his eye, prompting him to examine it closely. Suddenly, a loud scream echoed from afar, with a rather melodious tone.
“Kyaaaaaaah!”
“What on earth! Is this your first time riding the wind?”
Sylvia’s screams were met with an outcry from the green-haired servant as they landed.
“Haa, haa.”
Feeling the solid ground beneath her feet, Sylvia collapsed, her body trembling.
‘Jerk, what a nuisance.’
Muttering curses under her breath, she wiped away her tears. The fear had been so intense, it brought tears to her eyes.
‘I didn’t know I had a fear of heights…’
The view of the village below had been dizzying. She could even see the market she visited daily. For the first time since awakening in the Carpasinus Castle, she had seen everything from above.
“Hic.”
Clutching her leather backpack, Sylvia burst into tears. Alarmed by her screams, Aaron rushed out and was speechless at the scene before him. The green-haired servant approached him with a bright smile.
“Butler, we’re back.”
Aaron’s attention was fixed on Sylvia, though his ears heard the servant’s words.
“Who exactly is she?”
It wasn’t a proper question, but the servant understood and explained.
“Well, she was selling lunch boxes at the Third Gate today. When she didn’t show up, I asked around and learned she was there. By the time I arrived, she had sold them all. So, I brought her here.”
The servant looked at Aaron, expecting approval. His actions weren’t entirely wrong. After all, the Duke had been waiting for a lunch box, and it was their job to respond promptly.
However, such a noisy visit was not what he had wished for. Recalling the loud scream that must have reached the office as well, Aaron was overwhelmed, clutching his head in disbelief.
Just then, Sylvia, who had been sobbing on the ground, suddenly lifted her head. With tears streaming down her face, she rushed towards Aaron, who seemed to be the highest authority present.
“Was I not supposed to sell lunchboxes in front of the city gate? If that’s the case, I won’t sell them anymore. I didn’t know. No one told me it wasn’t allowed! Oh dear.”
Fearing that her newfound source of income might be cut off just as it was starting to pay off, Sylvia continued to cry as she pleaded.
“I won’t do it again! Please, just let me go. I admit my mistake!”
Admitting her mistake, she begged to be released.
Her pleading, accompanied by tears and a bowed head, seemed quite pitiful. Her pale face and delicate features made her look quite adorable.
No, she was incredibly adorable.
And with her slender frame fluttering like a sheet of paper in the wind, the green-haired page who had dragged such a woman here seemed rather remarkable.
Though not in a good way.
As Aaron pondered what to do amidst this chaos, a calm and gentle voice came from behind him.
“What’s all this commotion about? Did someone bring lunch?”
Lucino, who had been observing from the office window, couldn’t contain his curiosity and came down personally, especially intrigued by the sight of a woman in tears.
Swiftly approaching Sylvia, Aaron bowed and informed him.
“Your Grace, the page brought the person selling the lunchboxes directly here.”
“Ah, I see.”
The tall and robust duke looked down at her and spoke. Sylvia, hearing Aaron refer to him as ‘Your Grace,’ was shocked and could only blink in astonishment.
Her tears stopped in their tracks, and she was too startled to even speak.
With tears still clinging to her face, which had gone blank with shock, Sylvia looked up at Luquino with her mouth slightly agape.
‘Your Grace… Your Grace… Oh, shoot.’
Encountering a noble for the first time in this place, Sylvia struggled to maintain her composure. If Eryngium were here, perhaps she could have received some guidance, but with no knowledge of proper etiquette, she was at a loss.
So, she simply greeted him with a loud voice.
“Hellooo!”
Clutching her leather backpack tightly and without looking up or opening her eyes, she greeted him. When she finally dared to open her eyes, Lucino responded with a hearty laugh.
“Your energy is quite impressive. Your voice is so robust it reverberates resoundingly. Are you a merchant selling lunchboxes?”
“Yes, yes. That’s correct.”
“Hmm, I asked for lunchboxes to be bought, but seeing that the servant brought you here… does that mean all the lunchboxes have been sold?”
Lucino, who had a keen interest in food, had tried every conceivable dish to the extent that there was nothing left for him to try. It was said that he had even tried more exotic and rare foods than the Imperial Crown Prince.
“Excuse me? Yes, that’s correct.”
Sylvia answered, shaking her head vigorously. Lucino felt disappointed to hear that all had been sold. Remembering that it would soon be lunchtime, he then said:
“Then, would you be willing to make some lunchboxes if I offer the kitchen of the Ducal household?”
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