One Who Dreams of the Future (1)

The one-eyed man turned pale in an instant at my words.

It was only natural—he had messed with someone carrying the imperial royalty’s seal.

[But are you sure it’s okay to reveal it so recklessly? If he thinks it’s all over anyway, he might just go all in and act desperately.]

‘The odds of him taking a gamble that could erase the guild itself are low. Besides…’

I stared at the one-eyed man.

‘He’s not even in a position to make such a decision.’

He just looked a bit scary, that was all.

It was not like he had put all his strength into it, nor had we even properly crossed swords, but it wasn’t difficult to gauge his skill.

It was hard to believe he was someone who could make decisions that would decide the fate of the guild.

‘Well, even if trouble arises, it might be hard to knock them all down, but just getting myself out of here wouldn’t be difficult.’

No matter how many skilled people the Thieves’ Guild had, if I deliberately escaped using Meteor Step, unless a Swordmaster showed up, it would be impossible for them to catch me.

I interlaced my fingers and slowly placed my hands on my knees.

“So?”

“Pardon?”

“So, when is the real guildmaster coming? Do you really want the guild to be erased along with this kingdom?”

“N-no. I’ll go get him right away. P-please wait here for just a moment.”

“Still here?”

“……!”

So shocked—he let out a faint gasp.

Even the assassins who had been monitoring us from behind the walls of the room started to disappear one by one.

“…… I could tell you had something up your sleeve from your composure, but I never imagined you’d carry such a weapon.”

Maria stared quietly at the back of my hand, sounding incredulous.

“I got it from an acquaintance.”

“Do you mean Her Highness, the princess?”

“You know?”

“There have been rumors spreading since the Founding Festival.”

At her words, I nodded.

I was aware of the rumors recently spreading in Shioten, the kingdom’s capital.

Namely, that I was the lover of Riya Asktalin, Princess of the Empire.

Since the rumors had reached even as far as the distant Vanhart territory, it was only natural that Maria would have heard them too.

Most seemed to think it was nonsense, though.

“Sir Vanhart, I sincerely apologize.”

After a short while, the door opened and more than ten people entered the room.

Upon seeing the person at their front, I was inwardly surprised.

‘Why is he so young?’

The guildmaster of the Thieves’ Guild was a young man about my own age.

What’s more, his appearance was so common that it was hard to pick out any features.

Only his brilliantly shining eyes made it clear that he was not an ordinary person.

“I have committed a grave sin by failing to recognize someone with the authority of imperial royalty. Please, forgive our foolish selves.”

At his words, the Thieves’ Guild executives who had come in with him all knelt at once.

I looked on calmly and thought,

‘This should be enough.’

If I pushed any harder here, it would only earn their resentment.

Even if I carried the seal of the imperial royalty, this was undoubtedly their domain.

Just as Grancesia had said, if they decided to go for broke, things would get troublesome.

“You may raise your head.”

At my words, the young man at the front lifted his head.

Not a hint of agitation could be seen in his expression.

‘As expected of a guildmaster.’

From his profile and abilities, it was clear he was superior to others—he wasn’t a guildmaster for nothing.

The only thing ordinary about him was his face.

“You’re the real guildmaster, then. What’s your name?”

“I am called Jade.”

“All right, let’s talk. Please have a seat.”

I gestured at the empty chair across from me.

Jade looked me over with his green eyes, then stood and sat in the empty chair.

After a pause, he spoke.

“The rumors have been downplayed, then.”

“What do you mean?”

“I never thought you’d catch our deception at a glance. And your swordsmanship… it’s clearly improved since the Founding Festival.”

At that, I responded with indifference.

“That’s not important. Do you know why I’m here?”

“I can’t be certain, but I have a guess.”

“A guess?”

“Yes. Recently, there’s been talk that the Timmons merchant guild is searching for a certain woman.”

I nodded. If he already knew, the conversation would be quicker.

“That’s right. We’re looking for a woman now. Do you know where she is?”

“I do.”

“Where?”

When I quietly asked, the guildmaster took a piece of paper from his breast. It was a map showing the whole of Eintban.

“She’s in Lintrea, a city west of Nabez, known as the resting place of the winter spirit.”

Winter spirit.

The moment I heard those words, my eyes narrowed. No wonder—the “calamity of dreams” was actually the winter spirit.

* * *

In the very center of Nabez stood a massive royal castle.

Its beautiful exterior, as if carved from ice, was itself a work of art.

This was the Crystal Palace, considered the most beautiful palace in the world.

“Your Majesty, lately there’s been an increase in people suddenly falling asleep in Nabez.”

At his vassal’s words, Rashir Eintban, king of Eintban, wore a deeply troubled expression. It wasn’t the first time he’d heard this report.

“I know. Once a person falls asleep, nothing can wake them for half a day or so, correct?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Rashir stroked his white beard with his palm, pondering the bizarre incidents of late.

Recently, citizens of Nabez had begun collapsing and falling asleep at random.

Fortunately, most would awaken after some time, but as this strange situation continued to repeat, Rashir couldn’t help but feel concerned.

‘At first, I’m sure it was much less frequent…’

The frequency had certainly begun to rise over time.

Not only that, but the affected area was growing broader.

Whereas previously it had occurred in just a single ward, it was now troubling nearly a third of Nabez.

‘Is it a contagious disease? No, something about it seems different.’

He’d heard that an epidemic had almost broken out at the Empire’s Founding Festival.

So Rashir first wondered if it might be something similar, but somehow this didn’t feel the same.

“For now, we should continue to monitor the situation.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Keep making your reports directly to me.”

“It will be as you command.”

Watching the vassal bow and depart, the king walked to the window and gazed outside.

The gently falling white snow, the ever-lovely sight of Eintban, this time felt unusually cold and sharp.

“What kind of calamity is this…?”

Just as Rashir murmured this, he caught sight of something strange.

A blue light flickered and disappeared from an ancient ruin near the Crystal Palace.

“What was that?”

The light was there for but a moment.

It was so brief it could have been a mere illusion. But Rashir instinctively knew what he’d seen was no illusion.

‘In those ruins…’

Ruins that only royalty of Eintban could enter.

As far as he knew, they had never shown any reaction for a very long time.

Clang!

“Your Majesty! Where are you going so suddenly?!”

He hurried out of the audience chamber, with waiting nobles and guards trailing after him.

“I will go to see the sword at once.”

“Pardon?”

Sword?

The knowledge that a special sword was hidden in those ruins, accessible only to Eintban royalty, had been passed down through the ages, so the others could make no sense of his intentions.

“I have a bad feeling.”

When Rashir reached the ruins at a hurried pace, he found nothing left there.

* * *

Lintrea was a city reachable by traveling about two days west from Nabez—home to countless adventurers and mercenaries.

“It’s actually more famous than Nabez, the capital. After all, it’s the hometown of Sehenz, the so-called King of Mercenaries.”

Maria quickly offered further explanation.

I knew Sehenz very well myself.

[Who’s that?]

‘One of the Seven Heroes. His influence reaches all the mercenary bands of the continent.’

He wasn’t called King of Mercenaries for nothing.

Of course, Sehenz had left Eintban long ago to take up residence elsewhere, but the fact that it was his hometown remained unchanged.

‘Because of Sehenz’s influence, mercenaries had flocked to Eintban.’

For that reason, Lintrea boasted more mercenary guilds than anywhere else in Eintban, and as proof of the local guilds’ excellence, delegations from all over the continent would visit for their services.

“It’s practically the most open place in Eintban. Some even regard it as separate from Eintban.”

“It doesn’t really fit with Eintban’s closed-off image, either.”

I clicked my tongue at the line of people extending from the city’s entrance.

So many people really did come to seek out Eintban’s mercenaries.

“But in return, Lintrea is dominated by mercenaries, so public security isn’t great.”

“The marquis pretty much leaves it alone, so there’s no helping it.”

Lintrea was under the marquis Hein, a noble of Eintban.

But Marquis Hein, not wanting to provoke the mercenaries unnecessarily, basically left Lintrea alone.

“Since most of the profits generated in Lintrea end up in his pockets anyway, there’s no need for him to stir up trouble.”

“I understand, but still…”

Maria pulled her hood lower as we entered the city. Even though her face wasn’t visible, I could feel several mercenaries’ gazes on her.

“This really isn’t a pleasant place. Now I understand why my elder brother told me never to come here, after he returned.”

There weren’t many women in Lintrea. Even those few usually had several guards with them.

That alone told you all you needed to know about the security here.

‘If Rutia managed to survive here for so long, there’s no need to question her skills.’

The fact that she had spent nearly a year alone in a mercenary corps as a woman proved it well enough.

‘Is it really okay to meet her now, though…?’

If the Thieves’ Guild’s information was correct, the mercenary corps to which Rutia Timmons belonged was currently staying here.

Unless the information was wrong, I would soon come face to face with her.

But there was one thing bothering me.

‘Fabian met her a bit later in the original timeline…’

Up to now, I’d continued to change the established events of the novel, but each time, I couldn’t help but worry.

It was impossible to predict what impact the future I had changed might bring.

Well, it wasn’t as if I could turn back now, so Rutia and I kept on moving.

“According to the Thieves’ Guild’s map… ah, over there.”

The streets were quite complicated, but thanks to the detailed map provided by the Thieves’ Guild, we didn’t get lost.

We managed to reach our destination without difficulty.

“This is where your mother is staying?”

“If the information is correct.”

At the entrance to the building was a black skull with a sword stuck in its head.

It was obviously a menacing symbol, and this building was indeed the headquarters of the mercenary corps Black Skull, which Rutia belonged to.

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