CH 14

“Welcome! See as much as you want!!”

The man of the desert tribe, who was responding, had earrings and bracelets dangling from his ears and wrists.

Is it made of metal? It was nice to hear that it collided with each movement and made a clicking sound, just like the sound of a wind chime.

“Wow, these earrings and necklaces are made of really pretty colored stones.”

“It is not a stone.”

“What? Really?”

Leonhard hesitated to answer my question with a slightly troubled face.

“It’s a monster’s bone.”

Well, that’s right.

I was able to not be surprised because I prepared my mind in advance. However, I couldn’t hide my strange mind, so I picked up a fresh light green round pendant.

“Is this also a monster bone?”

“Rather than bones…I don’t know for sure, but monster by-products are probably right. Seeing that I can feel the unique energy of monsters.”

“You can feel the energy?”

“It doesn’t mean that it has a negative effect on people. The rose I gave you the other day smelled of fragrance. It feels like that.”

“I see… Aren’t you tired when you feel that way?”

“It’s okay because I’m used to it.”

Leonhard couldn’t adapt to the capital city, but he adapted to the monster’s bones… Indeed, it was like the Marquis of Ajas, who shouldered the duty of protecting the border.

“Guest, your eyes are good. that’s precious Hard to find.”

“Oh, really? How hard is it to find?”

“One per year.”

If you get one a year, does that mean you get a lot? Not sure if my interpretation was correct, I turned around and Leonhard asked if he had noticed my meaning. in the desert language.

“Cerreta Petrum, Takimanta?”

“Oh, Tef Cantata? Orcamo Taka!”

It sounded rough to my ears, who did not know the desert language at all.

As if they were excited to meet someone who could speak the language, the desert tribesman grabbed Leonhard and started talking excitedly.

Leonhard looked back at me after exchanging a few more words with him.

“This is not a bone, but it is said to be made from the seeds of a giant carnivorous plant. It is said that it grows to such an enormous size that even an adult man can swallow it in one bite.”

“If I plant it in the ground, it won’t grow, right?”

“You don’t have to worry because it’s a processed item.”

Leonhardt smiled briefly and explained that the people of the desert tribes were good at processing monster bones, skins, cores, and blood into accessories and weapons.

“The reason why Ajas interacts with the Desert tribe is to learn their skills.”

“To make weapons from the bones of the monsters you hunted?”

“Yes. The more weapons, the better.”

After the explanation, Leonhard exchanged several more conversations with the desert tribesman, then took out three gold coins and handed them to him. Then he put the necklace around my neck.

“Oh, did you buy this?”

“Yes. Because you seem to like it. Is there anything else you like more?”

“hmm.”

I quickly glanced at the items on the shelf. None had the fine light green color of the one hanging from my neck. Although there were a few red and black ones.

“As expected, this is the prettiest. I’ll go with this one. Thank you for the gift, Leon.”

“you’re welcome. I had a good time thanks to you too.”

“Did you really enjoy it? I’ll give you one as a gift in return, so choose the one you like.”

“There is no specific gift I want…”

“I’m giving it to you because I want to give it to you, so don’t hesitate. Ah, Leon must be more interested in weapons than these things, right?”

I took Leonhard and headed towards the tent selling weapons, not accessories.

Certainly, there were fewer customers here than in other places, but most of them were men.

‘It’s rare for a woman to hold a sword here.’

In this land, if men are born with strength, women are born with magic power. So just as the ratio of men among knights was high, the ratio of women among wizards was high, so male wizards were as rare as female knights. I’ve only seen one.

‘No, are they two now?’

Leonhard’s aide, who greeted us lightly when we got off the carriage, and then fell back with Helen. He also was a wizard. The reason I know this, of course, is because I saw it in a book.

Even after Leonhard left the frontier, he remained in Ajas Castle and worked for Noah. Until he takes the curse Lily puts on Noah to his body, and he dies.

“Come to think of it, I can’t see the aide and our Helen. Is it okay not to worry?”

“Yes. You don’t have to worry, it looks like they are behind me.”

“Are you feeling it like monster energy? Or did you get a signal from something?”

“Yes. Because my aide is a wizard.”

Leonhard showed me his right little finger. A black jewel was embedded in the center of the thick silver ring, which flashed quickly several short times and long times.

“What does this mean?”

“Looks like he heard what I was talking about. I ask him to come this way”

“How can he hear? there were so many people… Ah, you used wind magic!”

As if answering yes, the ring shines again. Knowing it wasn’t a communication tool, I spoke as if I were talking to the ring.

“Aide, take good care of Helen. She’s never seen camels and elephants, so it’s better if you show her up close.”

“It sounds like she already did. She even gave the elephant an apple.”

“Oh, when did she do that?”

I thought Helen was doing everything she had to do, so I giggled. With a more relaxed mind, I led Leonhard to the weapons stand.

“Choose one. I don’t know much about weapons, so I can’t recommend them, but is there anything that looks good to you, Leon?”

“Well. I only care about durability when it comes to weapons.”

It was the same with Noah in the book. It was said that Ajas, which manifested the pattern, would have power several times that of an ordinary person.

If he even expresses power here, the weapon will be powdered with just one swing.

The only exception was Layenbert, a huge sword that has been handed down as an heirloom in the Ajas family.

“Leon, how about this dagger here? The blade is not thick, so it looks good to slice fruit.”

“Maybe it’s too small for me.”

The dagger, which was slightly longer than my two hands put together, looked like a toy once it was in Leonhard’s hand.

Taking the dagger out of the leather sword and checking the blade with his fingertips, he called the owner and asked something. in the desert language.

‘Cottat Ferretta… I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

I did some foreign language study, but I’ve never encountered a desert language, so I can’t even guess what they’re talking about. As I listened to their conversation, which was going on longer than expected, I found a pile of cactus pots in a nearby tent.

“Wow, that’s really big.”

On Capital, they sold small things, but the cactus here was huge. As tall as a 7 or 8-year-old child?

It was big, so even if there were flowers on the head of the cactus, it didn’t sound particularly pretty. No, it just seems a little bit scary.

‘How the hell did they bring this here?’

I was just watching with a curious mind when I heard a voice mixed with an exclamation right next to me.

“Wow! Pretty!”

Well, after all, people’s tastes are different.

“Duke! Look at this. It’s just like a duke who’s brave as a thorn will pierce the sky!”

‘What…?’

“The color of this flower is blue, just like my eyes. I’ll buy it… Oh my god, sorry.”

I tried to avoid it when I saw her approaching, but the woman who moved first bumped into me.

Fortunately, neither of us fell, but the frightened woman stepped back and the hood she was wearing fell backward.

I recognized her identity right away from her blonde hair and blue eyes stained with a surprised light. And it seemed to be the same for her.

“Lady Howard…?”

When she recognized me, I replied innocently, pretending not to know her.

“Do you know me?”

“Sure! How can I… ah!”

Then, Lady Norman, who was about to reply, took a step back with a wary face. At the same time, she opened her arms wide to block the man wearing the same robe and hood.

“I won’t hand over Duke Khalid!”

“What? I am not…”

I hesitated for a moment, thinking about what to say, but a look of determination flashed in Lady Norman’s eyes as she looked at me. I feel that she says, no matter what you do, I will never give up on this person.

“Lady, you are here.”

“Leon.”

Looking back at the call I heard at that time, I thought I was very happy with his beauty, which made me admire him again even though I had been looking at him all day today.

I whisper to Leon.

“Leon, please hold on a moment.”

“yes?”

A look of doubt spread over Leonhard’s face. But I don’t have time to explain in detail, so I put my arms around his arm. Then, leaning my head on his hard shoulder, I smiled at Lady Norman.

“It’s the same as me. I’m not going to hand him over to anyone either.”

* * *

“Huft…”

This is already the fifth time. Helen moved cautiously, looking at Raenel, who sat in front of the table, resting her chin on her hands and sighing with a gloomy face.

“My lady, are you not going to eat pudding?”

“Pudding?”

Raenel’s gaze turned to the pudding bowl and spoon on the table, as if she remembered it only then. She forgot about the existence of pudding when it looked like this. This is serious.

“If you don’t eat, I’ll clean it up.”

“No, leave it. I will eat it now.”

When Helen brought her hand to the pudding bowl, Raenel quickly picked up the pudding bowl and spoon. Her face was still serious, but her hands didn’t stop, taking a bite or two of pudding and leaving it in her mouth.

Still, it didn’t seem to be a very serious problem. Helen had something to say so she spoke carefully, thinking that this could be solved in good faith.

“My lady, what happened earlier?”

After eating with Leonhard, the atmosphere between the two was good until they walked around the capital square. That is until she encounters the Duke of Khalid and Lady Norman.

Helen, who was watching from a distance, did not know what Raenel was talking to them.

However, it was easy to guess that something had happened just by looking at the expression on Raenel’s face, who had returned home immediately after encounters with them.