The Rising of the Scythe Hero

"So, what did you say you're planning to do in Zeltoble?"

The road was calm, almost too calm — to the point I started feeling a bit bored. What made it bearable were little chats like this, usually started by Remus Pelgue — the merchant I'd met along the way.

"Hm…" I hesitated, wondering if I should mention the coliseum plans. "I'm hoping to find a blacksmithing teacher and join the mercenary ranks."

"Blacksmithing? That's an interesting choice." He paused for a moment, eyeing me thoughtfully. "So you haven't considered entering the arena fights?"

"…Your intuition never fails to surprise me," I said, shaking my head. "Yeah, the tournaments in Zeltoble are way too tempting for me to pass up."

"Hm…" Now it was Pelgue's turn to fall into thought, once again giving me that sharp, analyzing stare. "What's your opinion on the betting scene there? If I trust my gut, I'd say you have all the makings of a dark horse."

Merchants really are terrifying. Especially the seasoned ones, like Pelgue. Through our talks, I'd learned — indirectly, since he never outright said it — that he and his family weren't just big players in Zeltoble, but in the entire trade world.

Ideally, I should probably stay on good terms with him… but I've never been the type to kiss up. I can fake a functional relationship when needed — but that's about as far as I go.

"Who knows…"

And just like that, the conversation fizzled out — and I was bored again.

We actually got attacked once on the way. I thought, Finally, here's my chance. I even started reaching for the Battle Scythe, but…

Didn't even have time to blink before the poor raiders were already flattened by the hired guards.

And just like that, another fantasy trope snapped in two.

So, yeah — we made it to Zeltoble without any serious incidents. We even got through the border without the slightest hassle, all thanks to my new acquaintance's influence. The guards didn't even glance our way, standing stiffly at attention as the entire caravan passed through.

"What irresponsibility…" Wyndia muttered her own take on the situation.

"No. That's called not wanting to create problems for yourself."

"Huh?" The girl once again poked her head out from behind my shoulder.

"Wasting the time of people with that much influence can cost you dearly — especially if they're not in the mood. No one wants to risk their job over it."

"Influential?" She sounded genuinely confused.

Ah. Right. I keep forgetting — Wyndia's still a kid. Or well, a teenager, to be more accurate. One who spent nearly her entire life in a cave with a dragon. Of course stuff like this wouldn't even cross her mind.

"Pelgue," I began, "judging by all his slips and hints, is a pretty influential figure in the world of trade. I might be overestimating him — but I might just as easily be underestimating him. So be careful what you say to him. Better not to burn that bridge."

"O… O-okay. Got it…"

I could vaguely sense her embarrassment. She definitely got flustered when she misread things or made a mistake. Yep — total teenager.

"Well then," Pelgue spoke up as soon as we passed through the city gates, "I suppose this is where we part ways, Mister Nott?"

"Looks like it," I nodded.

"Forgive me for being forward, but what do you plan to do first? I'm still very interested in seeing you participate in the tournaments."

He smells money from betting, huh? Can't blame him — I'd probably be thinking the same thing in his place.

"First, I need to find a place to stay. If I end up liking Zeltoble, I might even buy a house here. After that, I can start thinking about the coliseums."

"Ohoho… In that case, I may be able to help." Pelgue rummaged through his pockets. "Here, take this." A moment later, he handed me something that looked like a business card. "This has the address of my family's main estate, and a seal that'll get you in right away. Once you've settled in, do come by. I'd be more than happy to assist with some of your endeavors. And I'd gladly become your part— ahem, sponsor in any coliseum!"

"I'll keep that in mind," I said, nodding as I took the card.

"Well then, I hope to see you again soon, Nott-san!"

With that, Pelgue gave the signal to move out, and his procession quickly disappeared around the bends in the road.

"So…"

"What do we do now?" Wyndia asked, curiously taking in the unfamiliar surroundings.

"We'll deal with things as they come. Let's go."

Honestly, that was a bit of a blunder on my part. I probably could've asked Pelgue for tips on where to find temporary lodging. Now I'd have to dig for that info from random strangers. Ugh…

I didn't even have anywhere to teleport back to, really. Melromarc was basically off-limits — except maybe for the blacksmith uncle's shop. Too many potential surprises waiting to blow up in my face there. And I hadn't stayed long enough anywhere else to register a new location...

After asking around a bit, I finally managed to find something like a tavern that also offered rooms. But the prices there… yeah, no. That was rough.

So I ended up wandering around town until almost evening, looking for a more reasonable option. And I actually did find one — thanks to a guy I ran into just as I was about to give up completely.

After hearing my situation, he just chuckled good-naturedly and gave me very detailed directions to a regular old tavern with a decent little inn attached.

Turns out the whole problem was that I'd been searching in the city center — where, of course, the prices were insane. Should've figured that out myself…

"Ugh… I'm sooo tired…" Wyndia flopped straight onto the bed the moment we stepped into our rented room. "Wait, why are there two beds?"

"Because Night only sleeps with her master," came the deadpan response from the bird, who walked in right after me.

"Eh?! B–but that's… indecent!"

Not that my emotionless bird gave a damn about social norms. Or anything at all, really.

She just calmly curled up next to me the moment I sat on the bed, reading through the last few pages of my ice magic book. It was mostly theory at this point, but still worth going through.

"S–such… depravity…" Wyndia whispered, clearly scandalized by the "scene." Seriously though, how does someone who grew up in a cave with a dragon even know a word like that?

Not that any of it stopped the whole gang from passing out soon after. Unsurprisingly, I was the last one to fall asleep — just as I finished the final page. Though honestly, I wasn't even tired. I was just dozing off for the vibe. Of course, I didn't pass up the chance to give Night some scritches — she'd wrapped herself around me like a koala again.

Though, gotta admit… this whole cuddling thing is starting to have a cumulative effect. I used to lie next to her without a second thought, but lately, it's been stirring up some very specific thoughts. I should probably figure this out soon.

And now there's Wyndia, too — who, with some level grinding, could probably grow up into a pretty attractive girl… one who belongs entirely to me.

Realizing my thoughts were headed way off track, I finally let Morpheus do his thing and drifted off into a dreamless sleep. For whatever reason, all my dreams had been like that lately.

...

"I'm guessing this is… the place, yeah?" I said, looking up at the monstrously large mansion — complete with an equally monstrous estate filled with greenhouses, gardens, terraces, and all kinds of little fancy corners.

"Are we… really going in there?" Wyndia asked offhandedly.

"We need to find the actual entrance first… But yeah. We are. Pelgue could help solve a bunch of our problems. And he'd speed up our reputation-building in Zeltoble — help us reach the right people a lot faster."

The girl lowered her ears and said nothing. That's something I really liked about her. She could express disapproval, confusion, or even frustration. She might argue — but she never resisted outright. In the end, she'd either agree or, like now, just stay quiet.

That kept her from feeling like some blank slate who'd just given in to being a slave. She still came across as her own person.

Though somehow, Night managed to pull all that off without saying a word. Not that surprising, really — Night is perfect.

It took us about fifteen minutes to circle around to the right part of the property. There, by the gate, stood a man who looked exactly like you'd expect a butler to look. Black vest, crisp white shirt, straight posture — the whole package.

"Excuse me," he said, perking up the moment he spotted us. "Would you happen to be Lord Nott? And your companion… s?" He paused, clearly thrown off by the sight of Night next to me. Remus probably only accounted for Wyndia — Night had stayed in her filolial form the entire time he knew us.

"That's right."

"Master Remus has been expecting your arrival. Please, come this way."

Well then. Am I really that predictable? Or did Remus just have this poor guy standing out here all day — maybe even multiple days? Who knows with rich people.

Money sure talks. The whole walk up to the mansion, Wyndia was spinning her head in every direction, totally mesmerized by the scenery. Beyond the greenhouses and terraces, there were also carefully sculpted bushes trimmed into the shapes of animals, monsters, abstract swirls, and more.

I even saw a damn fountain.

"Oho! Nott-san, I've been waiting for you," Remus greeted us from the sitting room — already seated at a table with… four cups of tea. So he did account for Night?

Or maybe he only just got the memo.

"I won't say no." I nodded and took a seat. Wyndia sat down a moment later, clearly unsure if she should. Night, as usual, didn't give a single feather.

"Now then," Remus began, "let me start by saying I've found several skilled masters who might be a good fit to teach you blacksmithing. What are your thoughts?"

His eyes held nothing but polite interest and curiosity.

"Before that, I'd like to ask you one question."

"Yes, yes? I'm all ears, Nott-san."

"Why are you doing all this?" I finally voiced the thing that had been bugging me — and dropped the whole formal speech pattern while I was at it. It had started to make me feel a little sick. "I could believe in the kindness of a peasant. I could even believe in the goodwill of a noble whose life I saved. But never in my life will I believe a merchant offers help to a near-stranger for free."

"Ho-ho." The man chuckled cheerfully, his mustache twitching. "I can't give you a reason right now — but trust me, there is one." He took a sip of his tea, let a small pause hang in the air, and continued. "Let's just say, esteemed Scythe Hero, there are people in this world who want to support you in any way they can. Not everyone is a blind fool incapable of recognizing the value of what Heroes bring. But I didn't say that."

…That was unexpected. I didn't even want to think about how many indirect routes or connections he used to figure out who I was. At this point, I was seriously starting to doubt our meeting had been coincidental. Though I suppose it's possible that luck simply aligned with some larger plan already in motion.

"You should understand one thing — I won't consider myself in your debt just for accepting your help. If you want something from me, say it up front. I've got no issue building a business relationship." I shrugged.

"No, no," the merchant waved his head quickly. "Personally, I want nothing from you. Think of this as… a small fraction of what the people of our world truly owe you. And, if I may add — don't think too harshly of the one reaching out a hand to help. She's currently very busy, and to be frank, things aren't going well for her. So please, try to understand."

Wait. Is he talking about… the queen? It has to be her, right? Unexpected. I didn't think she'd make any moves before returning herself. That's… really interesting. And even more interesting are the connections she clearly has.

So it turns out I didn't bet on the wrong horse. Mirellia really could be a powerful ally. More than that — working together might benefit both of us, and I'm sure she understands that. She's definitely got more brains than her dear husband in his current condition.

"Well then… I'm open to cooperation. Where do we start?"

"Well then, Lord Nott," Remus said, setting his cup down and folding his hands together in front of him, "here's my plan…"

And from the sly, eager look on his face, I could tell one thing for sure — the time before the next Wave was going to be very interesting.