Episode 299 – Arthur
“Huh? You know him, Lewin? I didn’t even know the name of the shop, but I did know from my sources that he was running a weapon shop.” (Harold)
“Huh! You were acquainted with Arthur, Lewin?” (Grandma)
“Rather than an acquaintance… When I was clearing the Dungeon, he was sponsoring my party. He gave us a lot of support with weapons, armor, connections, and tips and advice about the Dungeon.” (Lewin)
“If it’s really that Arthur, you sure have some amazing connections. In Grezesta, you know Irene, and in Landaust, you know Arthur. Fufu, how interesting.” (Charlotte)
“No, well, we still don’t know if it’s truly the same Arthur-san that was in a party with you two.” (Lewin)
Inwardly, I was about 80% sure, but in the end, I couldn’t say for certain. I hadn’t ever heard Arthur speak about the grandma or Charlotte after all.
“No, I think that person is Arthur-san… Did he have a black greatsword? It’s a pitch black greatsword, and you can tell at a glance that it’s a truly amazing sword.” (Charlotte)
“Yeah, it was on display at his shop. If I recall correctly, he said it was called ‘Soulgram’.” (Lewin)
The moment I uttered the name of the sword, the grandma jumped to her feet, and Charlotte slammed her glass of whiskey down on the table.
“It really is Arthur-san. There’s only one person in the world who is running a weapons shop and has the sword, Soulgram.” (Harold)
“So Lewin really did know Arthur. I guess the world is really a small place.” (Charlotte)
“It really is a surprise. Anyway, a weapons shop, huh? I kind of can’t imagine it.” (Grandma)
By the looks of it, the Arthur who ran Eagle’s Talon was the same Arthur who had once been in a party with the grandma and Charlotte. Well, he certainly didn’t seem like an ordinary weapons shop owner. He was big and well-built, and he gave off the aura of a powerhouse. Plus, he had many weapons that appeared to be amazing items just from a glance.
And thinking back on the time that I had first visited Eagle’s Talon, I remembered that Arthur gave off a feeling similar to the grandma. Being in the same party as the grandma, he would have gone through the same experiences and trials, so the pieces of the puzzle all fit neatly in place.
“Then if Lewin knows him, that makes things quicker. If you ask him, I think he’ll tell you all the information he knows on the topic.” (Charlotte)
“Grandma, Charlotte-san, thank you. I think I’ll go visit him right away.” (Lewin)
“I didn’t do anything. In the end, the information I had on Arthur was wrong, and it seems you already knew him yourself, so…” (Charlotte)
“That’s not true. If you didn’t help me out, I never would have arrived at the conclusion to go find Arthur-san for help.” (Lewin)
I followed through with Charlotte and thanked her for her help.
“Anyway… what in the world was Arthur doing? If he was there, everything could have ended without anyone being harmed. Did you hear anything about what he was doing, Lewin?” (Grandma)
“I came to Grezesta in a hurry, so I hadn’t seen Arthur after leaving the Dungeon. Is Arthur really that amazing of a guy?” (Lewin)
“Yeah. He was amazing. Irene and I were both confident in our own strength, but Arthur was so strong that he could handle all of the enemies by himself.” (Charlotte)
Arthur was that strong?
If he was really that strong, I couldn’t help but think that Ahmed could have avoided death if he had lended a hand. It was pathetic to think in such a reliant manner, but still…
“Well, that said, that was decades ago, you know? Lewin-kun, you might already know, but he’s already an old man past his prime. I’m not trying to defend him or anything, but I would feel sorry for him if he had to work the way he used to in the old days.” (Harold)
“Certainly, even I can’t move my body the way I used to. I suppose that Arthur must also be feeling the years.” (Grandma)
“Unlike you, I can still move just fine!” (Charlotte)
“Hahahah. Charlotte-san, you’re taking medicine for your back pain, aren’t you?” (Harold)
“Tch, there you go again with your useless information… In the first place, why are you sitting in that chair and mingling in this conversation? Disgusting.” (Charlotte)
“What a terrible thing to say when I’m giving you information for free. I have all kinds of interesting information about you two, you know? Do you want to hear about it, Lewin-san?” (Harold)
“I was just joking. I’ll quietly go back to the counter now. See you later, Lewin-san. When you see Arthur-san, please tell him, ‘Harold is concerned about you’.” (Harold)
“Got it. I’ll let him know.” (Lewin)
Only after the owner of the bar returned to the counter did I finally feel their bloodlust subside.
“…Geez. What a hopeless guy.” (Charlotte)
“That’s why I said that I hate coming here.” (Grandma)
“But we got information out of him, so it’s fine I guess. I thought that if we talked about it here, he’d take the bait. And he really did.” (Charlotte)
“I never would have thought that you knew him though, Lewin. Anyway, it’s already getting dark out, so what do you want to do? If you want to stay here until tomorrow, I’d appreciate it if you could keep me company then.” (Charlotte)
The sun had already begun to set, so I would have to make my journey through the night. I wanted to hear what the grandma and Charlotte would talk about, and the owner of this place, Harold, was a well-informed person. So even though he would butt into their conversation, I didn’t mind it one bit.
But more than that, I really just wanted to gather information as quickly as possible.
“….Sorry. I’m going to return to Landaust. I appreciate your hospitality, but I need to find information as soon as possible.” (Lewin)
“I see. We’ll be fine. Don’t be too tense and take good care of yourself.” (Grandma)
“Thank you, grandma. I’ll be sure to thank you properly after everything is over.” (Lewin)
“It’s fine, you don’t need to thank me. As long as you come back safe and sound. You won’t go and see your teacher?” (Grandma)
“Yes. I haven’t done anything worth showing my face to Kirty-san for.” (Lewin)
“I’m sure she misses you, but I won’t say anything to force you.” (Grandma)
“I’ll definitely come back one day to see Kirty-san and everyone from [Iron Gear].” (Lewin)
“Alright. If you need to know something or require any assistance, you can always count on me. And if you ever feel like you need to take a breather, feel free to come by any time.” (Grandma)
“Yes, I will. Then see you later, grandma.” (Lewin)
“See you.” (Grandma)
“Lewin-kun. Give my regards to Arthur, alright?” (Charlotte)
After saying my farewells to the two of them, I left Binkus by myself. As the town of Grezesta grew darker, I made my way towards Landaust at a brisk pace.