Chapter 14: Tasan of the Ring ⓪

My name’s Gauro.
My job? City guard. Age? Well… let’s just say I’m not a young man anymore.

Right now, I’m assigned as a gatekeeper for the town’s dungeon.
I used to be an adventurer once, but I quit after I got this scar on my face.

Even when the dungeon’s closed, the gatekeeping doesn’t stop.
We work in shifts, guarding the entrance day and night.

There are always fools trying to sneak in, even when it’s shut down, so patrols are a must.
And once a day, we have to replace the barrier stone stuck on the stairs leading to the second floor.

We also refill the oil for the lamps lighting up the dungeon’s first floor.
And there’s the garbage pit patrol, too. Sometimes a stray monster spawns near the entrance, and we’ve got to take care of that.

So even if the dungeon’s closed, there’s no shortage of work.

It’s tough, sure — but it’s got its rewards.
Especially me — I don’t mind working around kids.

The brats scraping a living in the garbage pit must have it rough, but they’re trying their best.

I can’t help but root for them. A lot of them dream of becoming adventurers one day.

That part… is complicated for me. My scar stings whenever I think about it.
But I’ve got no lingering regrets about giving up the adventurer’s life.

All I can do now is hope those kids don’t end up like me.
Being an adventurer might pay well, but it’s the most dangerous job out there. It’s the closest path to death.

Sure, if you hit it big, your whole life changes. You’ll live like a king compared to scraping by.
Your world shifts, and so do you.

But I’ve learned something:
Money’s not everything. That alone isn’t true happiness.

I realized that.
And I hope those kids realize it too — but that’s not something anyone can teach them.

It’s something they’ve got to figure out on their own.
So all I can do is pray for their safety.

Speaking of which — there’s this kid named Wof.
That kid’s… odd. Even among the usual bunch of brats, he stands out.

Most kids who scavenge at the garbage pit have that wild, desperate look in their eyes.
Can’t blame them — the 300 Ouro entrance fee is steep, and they’re hunting for scraps just to survive.

But Wof was different.
He only came about once every three days or so, but he always greeted us, and even made small talk.

And somehow, he seemed… like he was having fun.
I’m sure he had his own struggles, but he never looked beaten down, and he had this strange air of composure. His clothes weren’t shabby either.

When the dungeon was shut down, he said he got hired by some adventurers as a helper.
I was relieved to hear he hadn’t been scammed by that bastard Coon Hunt. Well, Wof isn’t the type to fall for that.

Still, when he told me he was heading into the dungeon, I couldn’t help but worry.
Helpers usually don’t get treated well.

After that, I didn’t see him for a while.

And then — out of nowhere — he popped back up.
And he handed me a ring, said he found it in the dungeon.

Told me to sell it and use the money to feed the kids. Cheeky little punk.
Well, I scolded him for it, but… food money, huh? Guess I’ll gratefully accept.

I took it straight to Arifa after work to get it appraised.

But then… she said this ring would take some time to identify.
I don’t know much about these things, so I figured it must be valuable.

If it was worth enough, I could feed the orphanage kids till they were stuffed.
Maybe even get approval for another soup kitchen run. That’d be great.

A few days passed, and then I got summoned.

“Huh? The Borre Count’s villa? Me? Being summoned?”

I had no idea what was going on. Apparently, a carriage would be sent to pick me up.
The villa was located in the noble district, right in the heart of the city.

First time I’d ever stepped foot in that fancy part of town.

I rode the carriage all the way to the villa.
When I arrived, they took me straight to the second floor.

They told me to wait in what looked like a guest room.

“…Did I do something wrong?”

The longer I waited, the more nervous I got.
I couldn’t think of a single thing I’d done. All I’d been doing was my job.

Even on my days off, I was helping at the orphanage, cleaning gutters, picking up trash, or helping out at the soup kitchen.
Nowadays they’d call that ‘volunteering,’ I guess. Tough work, but honestly, I found those days pretty fulfilling.

Still, had I screwed up somewhere?
The only mishap I could think of was accidentally messing up the seasoning when helping with meal prep.

But something felt off.

If I’d done something wrong, they wouldn’t summon me to a noble’s villa. They’d arrest me on the spot, throw me in a cell, and explain the charges during interrogation.

Why would I be summoned here, to the second floor of a villa, waiting in a room this fancy?
Didn’t feel like the sort of setup for a scolding.

I couldn’t make sense of it.

Then the door opened.

A maid — of course, this is a noble’s house — walked in.
She was a wolf-kin girl, looked about the same age as Wof, maybe even younger.

“Um, sorry to keep you waiting, sir. They’re ready to see you now.”

“S-See me? You mean… Count Borre?”

“Ah, no. Not the Count.”

“…Not the Count?”

“Yes. This way, please.”

So it wasn’t the Count. Then who?

With a head full of questions, I followed the quiet, polite wolf-kin maid.

Even when she saw my scarred face, she didn’t flinch. Guess that’s to be expected from someone working for nobles.

She led me to a corner room, and knocked on the door.

“Excuse me, Deputy Acting Lord. I’ve brought the guest. I’ll let him in.”

“Ah, yes, send him in.”

“…Huh?”

The maid opened the door.

Inside were two beautiful women.

One stood by the window, framed by red curtains, a dark wooden desk between us.
She had long silver hair and sharp, pointed ears — a dark-skinned woman.

Her perfectly tailored white suit didn’t have a single wrinkle.
Her left eye was green, and a monocle perched on it. Pointed ears — an elf, probably.
Even for an elf, known for their beauty, she was breathtaking — like ice, sharp and clear.

The other woman sat on the sofa.

Short, messy blonde hair streaked with bright red highlights.
Black horns, sharp blue eyes, and a petite, strikingly beautiful face.
Her ears were pierced three times on each side.

She wore a red-and-black shirt and tattered pants — looked like they’d been torn on purpose.
Chains were wrapped around her waist.

She sat with her legs crossed, her boots kicked up on the table, completely at ease.

The vibe she gave off? A thug’s bodyguard.
Two swords leaned against the sofa — a longsword and a saber. One double-edged, the other single-edged.
Not a common pairing.

Most likely her weapons.

The silver-haired elf suddenly looked at me and spoke.

She looked… familiar somehow. Like I’d seen her before, but I couldn’t place it.

“Well then, I’ll leave you now,” the wolf-kin maid said, bowing politely before slipping out and closing the door behind her.

“Ah, yeah. Just relax and have a seat on the sofa.”

“…Did I do something wrong?”

“That’s not the case.”

“Stop whining and just sit your ass down already!”

The rough-looking beauty slammed her heel against the table with a loud thud.

In an instant, the silver-haired elven beauty shot her a sharp glare.

“Shesh, mind your manners.”

“Tch. Sit down, old man.”

“…Alright.”

I quietly sat down on the sofa.

These two are stunning beyond words. Who the hell are they, really?

“Ah, yeah. Let me introduce myself first. I’m Dova — Dova Tasan. And this ill-mannered one here is my sister, Shesh Tasan, also my bodyguard.”

“Pfft… yeah, that’s me.”

“Tasan!? As in the Tasan Marquis family…!? I’m Gauro, a city guard, stationed at the dungeon gate.”

The Tasan name… one of the top three houses in the entire country. I couldn’t help but hold my breath.

“Ah, yeah. I’ve come to Hydrangea as a representative of the Tasan Marquis House.”

“The Tasan Marquis family… What business could you possibly have with a commoner like me…?”

Seriously, what do they want with me?

“It’s about the ring.”

“The ring…?”

“That bronze ring. You don’t remember it?”

“Oh — that one? What about it?”

“That ring is a very important heirloom to the Tasan family.”

“That thing… really? I see…”

So that’s why Arifa was taking so long to appraise it. Must’ve contacted them somehow. Figures.

“Ah, yeah. So, Shesh, please hand it over to him.”

“Yeah, yeah. Here you go.”

The rough beauty, Shesh, tossed a pure white silk pouch onto the table.

It landed with a heavy thump. That sound alone gave me pause.

“Shesh, really now. Your manners are appalling.”

“Tch, shut it. Hey, old man, take it.”

“…What’s this?”

“Payment for the ring.”

“…This much?”

The silk felt fine and delicate, but the weight was something else. How much was in there?

“Feel free to check the contents if you like.”

“…No way… This is insane…”

Gold coins… even some royal-grade coins mixed in.

“Ah, yeah. That’s how much the ring is worth to the Tasan family.”

“Tch, pretty crazy amount, huh? So, old man — what do you plan on doing with all that money?”

“…Huh?”

Shesh asked, a nasty grin spreading across her face.

Dova quickly cut in, her voice calm.

“Just to be clear — that money is already yours. You’re free to use it however you like. Shesh was just being nosy.”

“Tch, calling me nosy… Whatever. So, Scarface, what’s the plan? What’re you gonna do with it?”

“…With this much, I can renovate the orphanage.”

“…Huh? The orphanage?”

“Ah, yeah. Easily. And before that, I can feed the kids until their bellies are full. Maybe even organize a big soup kitchen.”

Plenty of meat, lots of vegetables too. The kids would be over the moon. Just thinking about it got me excited.

Suddenly, Shesh slammed her heel against the table again. Jeez, seriously?

“…You better not be making this crap up.”

“Shesh, what would be the point of lying to a noble? That’d be perjury, you know.”

That glare could cut steel. And these two — they sure don’t act like your typical nobles. More like… mafia. Not that there’s much difference.

They probably don’t trust me. Can’t blame them, really. With a mug like mine, even little kids burst into tears just looking at me. But still.

“I’m not lying. I used to be an orphan myself. I only got lucky, that’s the only reason I’ve managed to live a normal life.”

“Ha! With a face like that, you call yourself lucky?”

“Shesh!”

“Yeah. Because I’m still alive, aren’t I? But there are plenty of kids who don’t make it. Some die while still kids, some turn to crime, some just hit rock bottom and never recover. It’s not just one or two — there are loads of them. I just… want to help as many as I can, even if it’s only one. The orphanage gets some government support, sure, but it’s barely enough. The city doesn’t have enough hands for sanitation, and the soup kitchens can’t meet demand. Even if this place is better off than other cities, there are still people who die sleeping on the streets. Even here, in Hydrangea. I know nobles have that whole ‘noblesse oblige’ thing going on. And, hey, I can respect the sentiment. But you people don’t really know the reality.”

“…You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that. Talking back to nobles like this.”

Shesh glared at me even harder.

Yeah, I figured this would happen. But so what?

Seriously though — if you’re nobles, act like it. Talking to you feels more like chatting with street thugs from the slums.

Dova let out a sigh.

“Shesh, that’s enough. What exactly do you plan on doing with him?”

“Tch, I ain’t gonna do anything. Hey, old man, what’s your name?”

“I already told you, didn’t I?”

“Huh? I didn’t hear it.”

“…It’s Gauro.”

“Hmm. Gauro, huh. You like kids?”

“What? Why are you even asking me that?”

“Huh? Shut up. No reason. Just asking!”

She snapped at me. What the hell is her deal?

Dova gave a strained little smile.

“Ah, yeah. Actually, there’s one thing I want to ask.”

“What is it?”

“Where did you find that ring?”

“I didn’t find it. Someone gave it to me. Some odd little brat — told me to sell it and use the money to feed the kids.”

“A brat, huh?”

“Ah, yeah. I’ll keep going. His name’s Wof. Apparently, he worked as a hireling during a dungeon expedition. Said he found it back then.”

“A kid hireling, huh…”

“I see. That answers everything. Thank you for your time, Gauro. Do you have any questions for us?”

“…You’re not planning to do anything to Wof, are you?”

“Ah, yeah. Don’t worry. Just like with you, we’ll talk to him, hear the full story, and properly thank him. That’s all.”

“See? Nothing to worry about.”

“…Alright. That’s all I wanted to know.”

“Very well, then. Thank you for your cooperation, Gauro. You’re free to go. Please use the carriage on your way home as well.”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

I gave them a nod, picked up the money, and left the room.

On the way back, the same young wolfkin maid guided me.

Man… this turned into something big.

Once the door closed behind Gauro, Dova turned and glared at Shesh.

“Shesh, why did you ask him all that? You already knew about him from the preliminary investigation. That’s why we offered him that much money.”

“Huh? No real reason. I just felt like asking, so I asked.”

“Shesh, you’re my bodyguard. You need to be more mindful of your behavior.”

“Tch, yeah yeah, I know.”

“Ah, yeah. Still, it’s unusual. You don’t usually bother asking for someone’s name.”

“Huh? Shut up. What’s it matter if I did?”

“Is it because you like kids? You’ve always been fond of them.”

“What the hell are you going on about… tch.”

Shesh glared at Dova and clicked her tongue.

This rough, thug-like little sister of hers…

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