[Vol. 8] Chapter 217: This Place Belongs to My Family
As soon as he finished speaking, he waved his wide sleeve, and the guards quickly and skillfully carried away the man who had been tightly tied up. Aiden himself then gave Rowan a friendly pat on the shoulder and instantly put on a cheerful smile again.
“It’s almost noon anyway. How about I treat Brother Rowan to a meal and we get to know each other better? It’s too crowded here, not a good place to talk.”
“Huh?”
Rowan instinctively glanced at Vera and the other two girls who had already turned and walked away, leaving only their backs in sight. Thinking of the task his master had given him, he started to feel a bit anxious. He was about to refuse and go after them, but just then, a very familiar voice suddenly rang in his ear.
“It’s fine, just say yes.”
The voice was clear and pleasant, with a casual, carefree tone, like someone who didn’t take anything too seriously and feared nothing. It was very recognizable, and Rowan immediately realized who it was. Wasn’t this the voice of Miss Violet speaking to him!?
“?”
But when he instinctively turned to look for the source of the voice, he found that there was no one around him at all. Aside from Aiden from the Eternal Frost Merchant Guild standing right in front of him, there wasn’t a single other person in sight.
Just then, that same voice, clearly belonging to that mysterious priestess, sounded again, impossibly echoing in his ear as if reading his thoughts and intentions.
“Don’t bother looking. It’s me. Just a small trick, nothing to get worked up about. This matter isn’t that simple, go with Aiden and see what he really wants to say.”
…Alright then.
Rowan sighed in his heart. He didn’t know much about this Miss Violet, but he could tell she must have an extraordinary background, probably not any less impressive than his master, the Sword Saint. Since she was with his master and gave him this advice, it was likely his master’s intention too.
Sigh… These two big shots, more and more, he couldn’t figure out what they were thinking. What exactly are they planning, going back and forth like this…?
With that thought, Rowan pulled himself together, looked again at the finely dressed young man waiting for his reply, and gave a small nod.
“Since Brother Aiden is being so generous, it would be rude of me to keep refusing. Let’s go, shall we?”
“Haha! I knew Brother Rowan was a straightforward guy. Please!”
As they spoke, they set off. With Aiden leading the way, the two of them walked through the market side by side and soon arrived at a large hotel in a lively part of town. It seemed word had already been sent ahead, several attendants were already waiting at the entrance. They led the two men inside, up the stairs, and to a private room on the top floor.
Inside, the table was already covered with all kinds of delicious food and drinks. The steaming dishes looked like they had just finished cooking right on time, clearly prepared specifically for their arrival.
This meal… looks expensive.
Coming from a family of merchants, Rowan had a bit of knowledge about such things. With just a glance, he could tell a lot. He and Aiden took their seats. Aiden, who clearly had plenty of experience with this kind of gathering, casually raised his hand to call over the beautifully dressed girls standing by the door to pour drinks.
But when he noticed Rowan’s subtle reaction, he immediately had a flash of understanding.
“Ahem… You! Go, all of you, get back to whatever you were doing. We won’t need your service here!”
After chasing away the group of charming, well-dressed drink girls, and seeing that the young man with the sword on his back and scholar’s uniform visibly relaxed, Aiden suddenly smacked his forehead and gave a slightly awkward laugh.
“Sorry about that, Brother Rowan! I forgot you're an upright man who doesn't like flashy and flirtatious stuff. That was my mistake, let me make it up to you with a toast!”
Looking at the young noble in front of him, clearly skilled in business and social dealings, it was hard to believe this was the same person who had led his men to block and harass women in the street earlier. Watching him drink his wine in one gulp and laugh heartily, Rowan could only shake his head helplessly and say,
“Just to be clear, it’s not like I’m some kind of ascetic who avoids all pleasures. I don’t mind those things, just felt like this wasn’t the right time or place for it.”
“Haha, I get it, I totally get it! No need to explain more, brother. Come on, come on, eat, eat! If there’s anything you want to try, just say the word. This hotel is owned by our Merchant Guild, so anything they have here, we can get for you!”
Aiden gave him a knowing smile and enthusiastically welcomed his new friend. Feeling the sincerity Aiden was giving off, Rowan also began to relax. Then he suddenly remembered what Miss Violet had said earlier, that this matter wasn’t as simple as it looked, and he couldn’t help but feel more curious. So while enjoying the food, he started to casually chat with Aiden.
They talked about everyday things and exchanged some background info. After sharing their ages, they started calling each other “big bro” and “little bro.” For men, building a bond isn’t all that hard. A few drinks and some food is usually enough if the intention is there.
Soon, after several rounds of drinks, both of them leaned back in their chairs sipping fruit wine. Seeing that the time was right, Rowan thought for a moment and finally brought up the real topic.
“Aiden, that incident at the market earlier, surrounding Miss Vera, I’m guessing that was all just a staged act between you and her, right?”
“Oh?”
Hearing that, a sharp glint flashed in Aiden’s eyes. The drunken look in them disappeared instantly like magic. He straightened up, but only responded with a calm, indirect question.
“And why does Big Brother Rowan think that?”
“Well... how should I put it? When you really think about it, there are quite a few things that don’t add up. Although I only just pieced most of it together…”
“I’d love to hear the details~”
Rowan nodded, not seeming to mind revealing something that could be risky to say out loud. He began explaining casually.
“Aiden, you probably don’t know yet, but even though I’m now studying swordsmanship under my master, I actually come from a merchant family. When it comes to things like debt collection, I might not be an expert, but I’ve seen enough to understand the basics.”
“Normally, when people come to collect debts, the goal is to get their money back or reduce their loss, not to lash out and hurt others out of anger. So unless it’s absolutely necessary, they rarely use violence, especially not in broad daylight in the middle of a busy street. In most normal countries, that’s illegal.”
“Not to mention, the person you were targeting wasn’t even the one who owed the debt. It was Miss Vera, who only seems to have some sort of close connection to the debtor, and she herself clearly comes from a powerful background. Plus, she had a nun from the temple with her.”
“So from the beginning, there was no way this situation would really turn violent. Unless you wanted to throw yourself into jail just to collect some money, which knowing how smart you are obviously doesn’t make sense. That’s the first red flag.”
“Haha~ Brother Rowan, you give me too much credit. I’m no genius, just someone who’s been around enough to pick up a few tricks.”
Aiden chuckled and didn’t confirm or deny it. Instead, he asked curiously:
“Is that all? That alone wouldn’t be enough to assume we were putting on a show, would it?”
“Of course not.”