BBYW Vol. 4 Chapter 19 (WN)
Chapter 19 – Old Strangers, Familiar Quirks*
The following day as well, I progressed as quickly as possible.
I used the bracelet’s powers to boost my horse’s speed and stamina, advancing west without rest.
There were too many eyes close to the capital, so I had to use the sparsely travelled roads, away from the main routes, so I arrived slightly later than expected.
Even so, by the evening I had reached the checkpoint at the border between the central and western provinces.
“Hmm…I thought I’d arrive earlier.”
I deactivated the bracelet’s boost and slowed down my pace, looking up at the checkpoint gate from my horse.
The gates closed as the sun set, so I could not enter anymore that day.
In the clearing around the gate, other travelers who also missed their chance set up tents for the night. Here and there, spirals of smoke rose from the fires they started to cook dinner.
“I’ve got to sleep outside today too…damn, I really should have brought a tent.”
I planned to pass the checkpoint before sunset and spend the night at a nearby town.
The conversation with Benamis Saverne I had the night before, however, did not let me sleep well enough, causing me to wake up later than scheduled.
“You, the traveler over there…are you on your own, by any chance?”
“Hm?”
The voice came from a white-haired old man, setting up camp not far from me.
He was holding an iron frying pan over the fire, where a thick slab of meat sizzled and emanated a very appetizing aroma.
“It’s rare for people to travel west at this time of the year. Are you a mercenary, perhaps?”
“Something like that.”
I shrugged and replied. I wasn’t hired by anyone, but it was true that I was going to battle.
“All the people waiting here are the same. The head of house Sphinx is offering pretty hefty rewards, or so I hear. People who lost their jobs or former adventurers have been gathering like flies to honey.”
“Really…does that include you too, old man?”
“Me? Haha! I’m just worried about my daughter’s family, who lives out west. I hope they’re safe…”
“Right…”
I listened to the old man’s speech, while looking intently at the hand holding the frying pan.
In comparison to his other features, his arm looked rather robust.
I could see calluses on his palm, clearly caused by the frequent swinging of a sword.
“You’re a lot younger than you look, aren’t you. Who are you really, old man?”
“Haha! What a sharp eye we have here!”
I inquired with a serious tone in my voice, and the man answered briskly.
He cut the meat on the frying pan with a knife and placed the slices on two plates. He sprinkled minced herbs on the meat, then pointed at the tent behind him with his chin.
“Why don’t we continue our chat inside? We might have…much to talk about, good sir.”
“….!”
I swallowed my breath, then smiled wryly.
“Right. I’m all ears, old man.”
I followed the man inside the tent. It was more spacious than the outside appearance suggested: there was enough room for two adult men to lie down comfortably.
The old man sat down in front of me, put down the plates, then touched his beard.
“Phew! It’s so tiring to use disguises!”
The old man removed the beard from his face, taking off the wrinkled skin too with it, revealing a much younger appearance. The white hair too was a wig, and under it was a head of black hair, the same color as Sakuya.
The old man had thus transformed into a familiar face, so I addressed him appropriately.
“It’s been a while, Oboro. You look well.”
“Indeed, it has been a long time, young master! I am overjoyed to see you safe and sound!”
The “former” old man was Oboro, next leader of the Fangs of Steel, a squad of spies at my command, and also Sakuya’s older brother.
(TL Note: the quirks referred in the title of chapter 19 are speech quirks that Oboro uses, unfortunately impossible to translate. He uses a relatively old formal way to talk.)