Novel Name:
chapter: 187
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes.
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Infiltration
We are at the tail end of the line of wagons lined up. Little by little, they were moving forward but the wagons came one after another behind them and the overall length of the line was not shrinking at all. Peddler boys and girls scamper between waiting wagons with food and flowers.
「Boy, can I have that one?」
I approached one of them wearing a hat. Give five copper coins and receive three fruits that look like tangerines.
Camillo told me that the going rate for what these kids sell is one copper coin for a piece of fruit. So, since three is three copper coins, two extra coins were given.
「Thank you very much.」
The kid bowed his head and I waved my hand in the air.
「But I'm a girl.」
I looked at him and saw that the boy had taken off his hat. She is indeed a pretty girl with short hair and cliquey eyes.
「I'm sorry.」
I laughed and took another copper coin out of my pocket and tossed it to the girl.
「Thank you, sir.」
When the girl received it with her hat, she put the hat back on and went to the other wagons.
I give the tangerine-like fruit I bought to Gosha-san (TN:I will be mentioning coachman as Gosha from now) and Camillo. The fruit tasted more like oranges and had a lot of acidity but it was good enough to be consider as such.
I glanced at Camillo and he looked stunned for a moment but then gently nodded. He will keep them stocked if he found them.
Eventually, we reach the city gates. When a gate guard in armour approaches with a short spear, Camillo pulls out his peddler's permit and presents it to the gate guard.
「What about you?」
「I'm a blacksmith who followed his master. I'm also making something for him to sell. 」
When I answered his question, he looked at me with a wry smile. Well, no matter how you look at it, he has the appearance of a 30-year-old (but inside he is over 40) old man.
「Go on through.」
For a few seconds the gate guard urges the passage with his hand. The three of us bailed and walked past.
「I guess we're through the first hurdle.」
Talk to Camillo in a not so loud voice.
「Once we're in, we need to mingle 」
I looked at the outer wall and gate. There may be guards in the city but certainly, in a city of this size, it is unlikely that one or two people moving stealthily would be spotted and put in a tight spot. Moreover, he is just a peddler and a human being who has been following him.
The fact that they let a peddler from the kingdom, who related to Helen pass without much checking suggests that they have not received any notice, as expected.
Of course, I can't rule out the possibility that it was an act to avoid the realization that I was being cautious but I'd just be unlucky if I was hit by someone who could do that.
「We'll need to start gathering information as soon as possible.」
I lightly wave to Camillo about the future.
「The best time to do that is today. It's easy to make the excuse that I'm asking them this or that to do business.」
「What about after tomorrow?」
「Once we've backed that up, it's time to implement it. I think we'll get a good idea of what to look for today. The other side must have been in a hurry and the cover-up is not perfect. Well, let's settle down at the inn for now. 」
「Okay.」
I watch the city from the top of the wagon. It is vibrant with all kinds of species hanging around.
This is a commercial city, so people from all walks of life come here from all sorts of places which is probably why it's this vibrant but I wonder what it's like in a normal town or village. Could it be that the atmosphere is more depressed?
There is no doubt that the first thing to concentrate on is the rescue of Helen. I'll probably only be useful on the end, but I can't let down even here. Let's brace ourselves.
With such a little determination in my heart, the wagon headed toward the centre of town.
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