Erika: My Friend Is Obsessed with Me
Chapter 13
Chapter 13
Clatter!
A new plate of food was set down on the table. Erica jerked her head up.
“Huh? We didn’t order this.”
“It’s on the house for mercenaries who came to hunt wyverns.”
“Whoa! Guess you overheard us talking earlier. We took down about a hundred today, hehe.”
“A hun…?”
The apron-wearing innkeeper gave her a dubious look.
How could anyone take down a hundred wyverns?
“Well…”
“Aww. You don’t believe me, do you?”
“Ahem, well, regardless of how many, you must’ve worked hard! I’ll fry up some more, so just hold on a minute.”
Whether they believed it or not, the people of Lygis suffered constantly from wyverns, so inns and shops alike were always welcoming to mercenaries.
Smack.
Erica reached for the complimentary plate of dried fish.
Slouching in her chair and chewing on the bar snack, she looked every inch a mercenary.
“Was a hundred too much of an exaggeration?”
“We’re hunting tomorrow too, so it’s not that big of a stretch.”
“True. You’re pretty smart, huh? Is this your first time hearing that you’re smart, too?”
“I’ve been called a genius plenty since I was a kid.”
“So obnoxious.”
Erica had been called a genius plenty in the guild herself, but she pouted out of spite anyway.
She clinked her glass against Chaud’s.
Clink!
Gulping down the beer in one go, she let out an ahh and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
Earlier, right after arriving at the inn, she had washed up and come downstairs for a drink, only to find Chaud there.
Since she didn’t know how to turn down free booze, they ended up sharing a table.
Erica figured it was better than drinking alone. After all, alcohol was blameless.
“Hey, are you really eighteen?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re not lying again, are you?”
“When did I ever lie? I don’t do that.”
Chaud chuckled in disbelief.
Though they had already shared their ages over their first drink, Erica asked again just in case.
“You’re not actually seventeen and bullshitting me just because you don’t want to lose on age, right?”
“…Is that what you usually do?”
“…”
Damn, I’ve got nothing to say to that.
Erica chugged her beer.
‘I wish I were at least a year older.’
The mercenary world was a terrifying place governed by strict hierarchy!
If there had been even a single year’s difference, she would have established seniority right then and there. Unfortunately, they were the exact same age.
In the end, her plan to bluff about a rule in the southern Empire where one must speak formally to elders fell flat.
“Aren’t you drinking that like water?”
“Heh, this? It is water.”
Beer was practically water to a mercenary!
Snickering, Erica put on her usual swagger.
Then, with a flushed face, she gulped down one draft of beer after another.
“Mmm, tastes good.”
If she had kept living at the Count’s manor in the Imperial Capital, she wouldn’t have been allowed to drink until she was twenty, right? She would’ve missed out on so much in life.
There was no prohibition in the provincial territories. Minor rules were left entirely to the discretion of parents.
And Erica, who had no parents?
Naturally, following the educational philosophy of the heavy drinker Pechenik, she had grown up learning the taste of alcohol from an early age.
From what she heard, Chaud sitting across from her wasn’t from the Imperial Capital either.
Maybe that was why he could hold his liquor so well! Look at him—his complexion hadn’t changed in the slightest.
“Raud.”
“Who the hell is Raud? How many times do I have to tell you it’s Chaud?”
“Oh, right.”
“I seriously want to flick you on the forehead.”
“Hmph, you think I’d just sit still and take it?”
“What’s my name?”
“Ra… Chaud.”
Damn it, his name is so confusing.
Erica had never heard a name like that in the south.
She wanted to rename him Raud, but she decided to be nice to the guy buying the drinks.
“How long are you staying in Lygis?”
“Who knows.”
Resting his chin on his hand atop the table, he stared intently at Erica.
“I originally planned to stay for just a day, but it’s more fun than I expected, so I’m thinking of sticking around a bit longer.”
“Right? Hunting wyverns is fun, isn’t it?”
“Well… yeah.”
“The thrill is no joke.”
Erica was inwardly thrilled. Aside from herself, this was the first person she had ever met who described wyvern subjugation requests as fun.
From way back, Pechenik had allowed every request his disciple enjoyed, but aerial combat was the sole thing he adamantly opposed as too dangerous.
“I was always disappointed that our guildmaster didn’t get how fun it is. All he ever did was nag about how dangerous it was.”
“You must be close with your guildmaster.”
“Of course. He’s my master.”
“Turns out you’re the real power behind the Southern Mercenary Guild.”
“The real power? Me?”
Erica shook her head as if that were utterly absurd.
For her to even pretend to be the guild’s powerhouse, the so-called guildmaster had been neglecting his disciple far too much lately.
Neglect.
Come to think of it, wasn’t this child abuse?
By all rights, a master had the duty to look after their disciple. Neglecting one who still needed guidance was clearly a grave offense.
This wouldn’t do. When he got back, she was going to shower him with nagging.
‘…I wonder when he’ll come back.’
She suddenly found herself counting how many days Pechenik had been away from his post.
Should she file a missing person report? At this point, it was a serious lack of contact.
Why did he even go explore those Ancient Ruins? Unbelievable, really.
Erica’s thoughts trailed on endlessly.
Yet there wasn’t a single shred of worry among them.
That was how strong Pechenik was.
At least in the greater southern region of the Empire, no one could defeat him.
Who would worry about someone hailing from Tenearha who had claimed the seat of Southern Guildmaster by sheer martial prowess?
Erica smiled contently and popped almonds into her mouth. Crunch, crunch.
“You said you’re from the Western Guild, right? Is your guildmaster strong? I bet our guildmaster is stronger, though.”
“…”
Chaud stared silently at her. An endless quiet settled between them.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I’m from the Eastern Guild, not the West. And I told you I passed through the Central Satellite City on my way here.”
“Huh, did you?”
“You told me to introduce myself earlier, so I told you everything.”
“Huh.”
“When someone speaks, try to remember it. No matter how drunk you are—”
“What? Me, drunk?!”
Smack, smack! She slammed her palms against the table.
“That’s seriously rude! I’ve never been drunk a single time in my entire life!”
“…”
Chaud ended up making a face between laughing and crying.
Of course, his lips were holding back laughter, but he covered it by rubbing his face with his hands so it wasn’t obvious.
Regardless, Erica quickly changed the subject.
“Hey, I’m curious about something.”
“What is it now?”
“In the Western Guild, is there any other eighteen-year-old S-rank mercenary besides you?”
“…It’s not the West. You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”
“Doing what?”
“…Never mind. Fine. Just say whatever you want.”
“Come on~! You get mad every time I ask something~! How am I supposed to say anything when you’re so scary~!”
“When did I get mad?”
“I’m saying, you shouldn’t do that.”
Erica pointed her finger at him, her upper body swaying.
To steady her drunkenly wobbling head, she cupped her chin in both hands.
Blowing a raspberry through her lips, she mumbled.
“I just… it’s the first time I’ve seen an S-rank mercenary as young as me… so it’s fascinating.”
“…”
A young S-rank mercenary?
“Are we young?”
Chaud asked back, crossing his arms at an angle.
“Zzzz…”
“…”
At Erica, whose eyes rolled back in drunkenness, Chaud tossed almonds—flick, flick!
Yet her reflexes were astounding; she snatched the almonds right out of the air—snatch, snatch—and popped them straight into her mouth.
She looked like a sleek, muscular squirrel. Despite her glazed, alcohol-soaked face, she was inherently as swift as a flying squirrel.
“I asked if we’re young.”
“’Course we’re young… You think we’re adults? We’re not even twenty yet.”
Erica protested, but Chaud remained indifferent.
“Hmm.”
It was true that by Imperial law, they were still minors.
Yet in skill, they were practically adults. In fact, they were far superior to most adults in every aspect.
Was there anyone else who held an S-rank mercenary plaque at the age of eighteen besides the two sitting opposite each other right here?
Then again.
“It’s my first time seeing one too.”
It was the same for Chaud; he had never met an S-rank mercenary the same age as him either.
Though he had wandered the continent and ventured across the wide world, the spectacle he had witnessed up in the sky today had been nothing short of pure shock.
