Merchant Noble is out (3/4 chapters for today)
Baron Kreitz’s Territory (3)
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“Arc-sama, I’ve brought him.” (Yulia)
“Thank you.” (Arc)
Arc was waiting in a room borrowed from the association’s building when Yulia arrived with the man. The man was drenched in sweat and had a rather strong odor. However, given Yulia’s background as a gladiator, it was unclear what kind of environments she had endured, but she seemed entirely unbothered by the man’s unpleasant smell.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” (??)
The man was visibly intimidated. Indeed, being suddenly brought into a room like this would make anyone uneasy. Even if one had done nothing wrong, they might still appear suspicious.
“What is your name?” (Arc)
Arc asked in the gentlest tone he could muster to ease the man’s tension.
“My name is Tadont.” (Tadont)
“You finished quite early, didn’t you?” (Arc)
“Y-yes, I was eighth.” (Tadont)
“Hmm. How did you manage to finish so quickly? Forgive me, but looking at your physique, I find it hard to imagine.” (Arc)
Arc spoke honestly, observing Tadont’s physique. Tadont looked like someone who spent his afternoons drinking in a tavern, with a somewhat slovenly body. His belly protruded slightly, and his hips were large.
“I-I didn’t do anything wrong.” (Tadont)
Tadont seemed visibly flustered, as if he had something to hide.
“No one can run faster by paying bribes, so I wasn’t suspecting that.” (Arc)
“I did nothing wrong.” (Tadont)
As Tadont frantically defended himself, Yulia, who had been watching from the side, identified the source of her unease and spoke up.
“Arc-sama, this man is dirty up to his knees.” (Yulia)
“Ah!” (Tadont)
Tadont was visibly startled by the observation.
Did he really have something to hide?
“If you walked along the usual path, your legs would only be dirty up to your feet.” (Arc)
“Did you take a shortcut?” (Yulia)
“It shouldn’t be against the rules. I thought it would be okay.” (Tadont)
“Did you take a shortcut?” (Arc)
“…Yes.” (Tadont)
“But how did you avoid getting lost in those complex mountains by straying off the path?” (Arc)
“Well, somehow… hehehe…” (Tadont)
Tadont gave a dry, forced laugh while subtly protecting the left side of his pants. When Arc signaled with his eyes, Yulia restrained Tadont’s hand and searched his pants pocket.
“Hey, wait a minute…ahhh.” (Tadont)
“Look at what we have here.” (Yulia)
Despite Tadont’s futile resistance, Yulia found a piece of paper and handed it to Arc.
“Is this a map? My goodness…it’s incredibly detailed.” (Arc)
Arc couldn’t hide his amazement. The map he had was simple, indicating territories and routes to the capital, providing only a vague sense of direction. In contrast, this map detailed mountains, river flows, and even individual houses with astonishing precision. Such a map was beyond the possession of nobles, merchants, or even the king.
“Is this a map of this territory? Did you steal it?” (Arc)
“Not at all! I made it myself.” (Tadon)
“You made it? Such an accurate map?” (Arc)
Arc looked back and forth between the map in his hand and the pudgy man before him. It was hard to believe that someone could create a map of such high accuracy.
“Yes, to be precise, my wife made it.” (Tadont)
“How did you manage to make such a detailed map?” (Arc)
Tadont stood up from his chair and spoke with a look of confidence overflowing from his face.
“My steps are always precise.” (Tadont)
He walked from one end of the room to the other.
“This room is 15 steps long and 20 steps wide. That means it’s 12 times smaller than the main hall of the guild building. This is how we do it. I calculate distances and areas accurately, and my wife translates that into a precise map.” (Tadont)
Arc watched Tadont boast with wide-eyed amazement, like a child witnessing magic for the first time. His instincts were indeed correct. Having an accurate map would be invaluable for war, defense, day-to-day governance, and the safety of adventurers. He had stumbled upon an extraordinary talent.
“Where is your wife?” (Arc)
“She’s resting at home.” (Tadont)
Arc stood up energetically from his chair.
“I want to meet her right away. May I visit your home?” (Arc)
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