By morning, the camp was noticeably emptier, as if many people had left during the night.
Quiet.
Leon wondered if mornings had ever been this quiet while he was at the front.
After getting up, Leon checked the gear he had packed the day before, then looked at the paper folded beside it.
The paper the unfamiliar man had left yesterday.
He picked it up without unfolding it and slipped it into the side pocket of his backpack.
You never know.
“Leon!”
Fel’s voice came from outside.
When Leon carried his things out, Fel was already standing beside the wagon.
“What’s this? You’ve got more luggage now.”
“What?”
Leon pointed to the box newly tied to the back of the wagon.
Fel turned around and answered as if it were nothing.
“Oh, salt.”
“That whole box?”
“The supply company was selling it cheap.”
“You said you were heading north.”
“Exactly. That’s why I’m buying it. It’s more expensive up there.”
Leon looked over the wagon once, then stopped when his gaze reached the wheel.
There was a crack in the rim of the right wheel.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“When you stare at something like that and say it’s nothing, I always get nervous.”
Leon squatted down and pressed the wheel once with his finger.
“It’ll be fine today.”
“Today?”
“Yeah.”
“What about tomorrow?”
“I don’t know either.”
“Don’t say ominous things first thing in the morning.”
Grumbling, Fel inspected the wheel himself.
As Fel had said yesterday, they were headed in the same direction as far as the fork in the road, so Leon planned to travel with him and loaded his own gear onto the back of the wagon.
“But…”
Apparently curious, Fel asked while looking at the wheel.
“What?”
“You didn’t throw away that paper, did you?”
Leon’s hand paused briefly as he remembered the paper in his backpack’s side pocket.
“What paper?”
“The request from yesterday. The one offering two gold coins.”
“Oh.”
“Did you keep it?”
“Yeah.”
Fel smiled as if he had expected that answer.
“You planning to take it?”
“I said I wasn’t.”
“Then why’d you keep it?”
Leon thought for a moment about why he had kept it, but there wasn’t any particular reason.
He probably just hadn’t wanted to leave it where he had sorted his things, or had been too lazy to throw it away.
Since everyone seemed to be finding their own way immediately after the war ended, the area near the exit was fairly chaotic with people.
The mercenaries were carrying their packed belongings or tying them to wagons, while the merchants were frantically loading every last item they had left.
As they slowly made their way through the crowd, Fel poked Leon in the side with his elbow.
“That guy over there.”
Leon turned and saw the man who had come to see him yesterday standing by the roadside, with three horses tied up beside him.
The man raised a hand, apparently having spotted Leon.
He really was waiting for us.
“Good morning.”
When Leon didn’t particularly acknowledge him, the man awkwardly lowered his hand and went straight to the point.
“Have you given it some thought?”
“A little.”
The man’s expression brightened at Leon’s answer, then—
“Well?”
“I haven’t said I’ll do it yet.”
His expression fell again.
Watching the reaction without much thought, Leon took the paper from his backpack.
This was the first time he had unfolded it since yesterday, and the contents were less impressive than he had expected.
Five-day escort period.
Heading south.
Horse and provisions provided.
One person to be escorted.
Payment: two gold coins.
One coin in advance.
The rest paid upon arrival.
“That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
“As for how far we’re going…”
“I’ll tell you when we set out.”
At that, Leon looked up from the paper and stared at him.
“That’s a problem.”
“There are circumstances that make it difficult to tell you the exact destination in advance.”
“Why?”
Leon asked and waited for a moment, but the man remained silent.
Here we go again.
“As I said yesterday.”
Leon folded the paper and handed it back to the man.
“You’re suspicious.”
The man sighed.
“I’ll admit that.”
At least he’s honest.
“So where’s the kid?”
The man’s expression changed slightly.
“Does that mean you’re accepting the job?”
“I need to check first.”
When the man pointed to the opposite side of the exit, Leon saw a child standing behind a wagon.
A brown coat and a small bag.
The child was more ordinary-looking than Leon had expected, tightening the strap of his bag again.
“That kid?”
“Yes.”
“You said he’s thirteen.”
“That’s right.”
“What’s his name?”
“Matthias.”
“His last name?”
The man hesitated, unable to answer, and Leon nodded at once.
“Never mind.”
So it’s that kind of complicated.
“Can I talk to him?”
“Of course.”
Leon walked toward Matthias.
As Leon approached, the boy looked at him first, so Leon didn’t bother looking away.
“Matthias?”
“Yes.”
“I’m Leon.”
“I know.”
Leon raised an eyebrow slightly.
“Who told you?”
“That gentleman.”
Matthias pointed to the man behind him.
“He’s been saying your name over and over since yesterday.”
“Oh.”
Well, if he planned on hiring me, that made sense.
Leon glanced at the boy’s bag.
“That all you’ve got?”
“Yes.”
“Seems like less than I expected.”
“He said carrying too much would get in the way.”
“Who did?”
“That gentleman.”
Matthias pointed to the man again.
At least the basics are covered.
“Can you ride a horse?”
“Yes.”
“Are you any good?”
This time, the boy seemed to think about it, because his answer came a little later.
“I’m not very good.”
“Can you get around on your own?”
“Yes.”
“Then that’s enough.”
He could communicate better than most children his age, and he wasn’t lacking in any major way.
“And…”
“Yes?”
“If I take this job, you follow my orders above all else.”
“What kind of orders?”
Leon thought for a moment.
“If I tell you to rest on the road, you rest.”
“Yes.”
“If I tell you to go, you go.”
“Yes.”
“If I tell you to run, you run.”
“Understood.”
“If I tell you to throw away your belongings, you throw them away.”
This time, Matthias didn’t answer, and Leon’s gaze naturally dropped to the boy’s bag.
The boy’s gaze shifted to it as well.
So that thing the man mentioned yesterday is in there.
Leon figured knowing what it was would only make the job more troublesome, so he didn’t bother asking.
“Is that one difficult?”
Matthias gripped the strap of the bag tightly once.
“It’s an important item.”
“Okay.”
“Would I still have to throw it away?”
“If necessary.”
Matthias looked at Leon for a moment.
“Why?”
“If you die carrying it while you’re running, it won’t matter.”
The boy said nothing, and Leon didn’t press him.
A moment later, Matthias spoke quietly.
“Understood.”
Leon didn’t know whether he would really throw it away when the time came.
But that answer was enough for now.
“I’ll take the job.”
The man looked a little surprised.
“But I’m adding a few conditions.”
The man straightened.
“Go on.”
“I decide the route.”
“As long as we’re heading south, that’s fine.”
“And if I decide it’s too dangerous, we may turn back.”
The man’s expression stiffened slightly.
“Turn back?”
“That’s better than the kid dying.”
“That’s true, but…”
“If you don’t like it, find someone else.”
He looked toward Matthias for a moment, then finally sighed and agreed.
“Fine.”
“And if I decide I can’t do it, I can quit.”
“Even halfway through?”
“That’s possible.”
“That would be a problem.”
“That’s why I’m telling you now. If that doesn’t work, find someone else.”
He looked back and forth between the paper and Leon.
“You’re more difficult than I expected.”
“It pays two gold coins. I have to be careful.”
Apparently Walter had nothing to say to that, because he nodded after a moment.
“Fine.”
“Advance payment.”
Leon held out his hand, and Walter took a gold coin from his pocket and placed it in his palm.
Leon accepted the coin, inspected its edge once, rolled it between his fingers, and bit it.
No problems. Just an ordinary gold coin. He probably isn’t planning to try anything in a situation like this.
Leon slipped the coin into his inner belt pocket.
“So is it settled?”
At Walter’s slightly worried question, Leon glanced at Matthias and answered.
“Yeah.”
Some of the tension left Walter’s face.
It seemed they had originally planned to leave in the afternoon, but Leon decided to set out immediately.
“You’re leaving now?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll need a little time to prepare.”
Leon looked at the two horses that were already ready.
“Looks like you’re all set.”
“Well…”
Apparently there was no major reason, because Walter fell silent.
Leon looked toward the camp’s exit and saw people continuing to stream out.
That explained why the road was already covered in overlapping wheel tracks. At this point, it would be even harder to tell who was who.
“If we’re going, let’s go now.”
Walter thought for a moment, then nodded.
“All right.”
After confirming that Matthias had mounted his horse, Leon took his belongings from Fel’s wagon and tied them behind his saddle.
Before long, they were on the road, traveling alongside Fel’s wagon.
The man who had requested the escort stayed behind at the camp.
“You’re not coming with us?”
Leon had asked one last time, but the man shook his head.
“My part ends here.”
He still seems to be hiding something.
Leon let it go without giving it much thought.
It would all be over in five days anyway.
After that, they probably wouldn’t see each other again.
Fel turned around from the wagon.
“So you took the job after all.”
“Took what?”
“The escort.”
“Yeah, I did.”
Matthias listened to their conversation, then looked at Fel’s wagon.
“Is all of that luggage?”
Fel’s expression brightened, apparently happy to have something to talk about.
“That’s right. Everything I own.”
At that, Matthias looked at Leon.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Leon gave him a sidelong glance after hearing the answer, then looked forward again.
After traveling a little farther, Fel would turn north, and from then on Leon would be alone with Matthias as they headed south.
He was mapping out in his head how they would travel after that.
After they had gone in silence for a while, Matthias asked:
“Is it really five days?”
“What is?”
“To get there.”
“That’s what the paper said.”
“Then what happens after five days?”
Leon answered without much thought.
“I’ll keep heading south.”
“Where?”
“I haven’t decided yet.”
“You don’t have a specific destination?”
“I have a goal.”
“What is it?”
Leon thought for a moment.
“A mill.”
Matthias looked at Leon, apparently surprised.
“A mill?”
“Yeah.”
“I heard you used to be a mercenary.”
“I’m not anymore.”
“Have you ever worked at a mill?”
“No.”
“Then how will you run one?”
Leon started to answer, then closed his mouth.
Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t really considered that part yet.
Buy a mill.
And after that?
Take in wheat, grind it, and get paid. Wasn’t that how it worked?
Probably.
“I’ll learn.”
Matthias thought for a moment after hearing the answer.
“I see.”
“Why?”
“Nothing.”
“What?”
“It’s just a little unexpected.”
“What is?”
“I thought you had a specific plan.”
When Leon looked at the boy, Matthias didn’t appear to be teasing him.
“I’ve been busy with other things for fifteen years.”
“Like what?”
“Staying alive.”
Matthias’s mouth fell silent at the answer.
Leon wondered if he had been too blunt, but survival was ultimately what mattered in a situation like this, so he decided it couldn’t be helped.