Translator: Nox

The Baddest Villainess Is Back

Chapter 44

At the scent of burning drifting past the tip of her nose, she answered a beat late and looked up.

Standing before her was a tired-looking middle-aged man in a worn tunic, with patches of sparse stubble on his face.

The man, biting down on a leaf tobacco pipe, appeared incredibly disheveled at first glance.

His clothes were messy, his belt was loose, and his eyes were languid.

As if cutting his hair was too much trouble, it was gathered into a half-hearted, short ponytail that stuck out in all directions, looking utterly neglected.

He inhaled deeply on the harsh leaf tobacco with a practiced ease that suggested he was a heavy smoker.

Roselyn’s eyes widened ever so slightly. She knew this man.

「Is that so?」

「It seems so.」

Roselyn stiffened her expression, putting strength into her face to ensure her agitation didn't show as she replied.

He glanced down at Roselyn and gave a light wave of his hand.

「Well, that’s a relief then.」

Solid muscles were visible through the gaps in his tunic.

He scratched his head as if everything were a nuisance, gave another casual wave, and strolled past her with one hand shoved in his pocket.

Even as he brushed past, the man’s gaze never left Roselyn.

Rubbing her arms at the subtle chill crawling up her skin, she headed down the stairs.

Only once the man was out of sight did she let her shoulders shudder at the landing.

…The Arsonist.

He was a notorious fugitive whose composite sketch wouldn't even be released until several years after the arson attacks began.

Whether he possessed an Abyss related to fire or not, he always left nothing but acrid piles of ash in his wake.

But even he can die.

Eventually, ‘Labyth’ would track him down and kill him.

‘Labyth’ was a knight order of the shadows that appeared only at the Emperor’s call and operated beyond the reach of any law.

Even Roselyn didn't know exactly who they were.

However, according to what was known, Labyth was composed entirely of individuals who possessed an Abyss.

To put it another way, they were an organization established specifically to deal with Abyss criminals, unlike the regular knight orders.

…Why is he here?

Roselyn took a breath.

Unlike her calm mind, her breath was gradually growing hot.

Roselyn went downstairs to the landlady, who was settling the ledgers at the counter.

「Landlady, if you have any old newspapers saved, could I have all the recent ones?」

At Roselyn’s words, the landlady looked up with a loud, 「Oh my\!」 Her face was quite startled.

「Oh, if it isn't the noble lady. I do have newspapers, but how recent do you mean?」

「I’d like everything you have from the last month or two.」

Roselyn said, pulling a few gold coins from her pocket and placing them on the counter.

She needed the newspapers she hadn't been able to see while she was in Kaluta.

One gold coin was worth about 100,000 Ollang. It was more than enough payment for a few bundles of outdated paper.

Sure enough, the landlady’s face brightened. She nodded and ran off somewhere, returning with a huge stack of papers.

「I’ve used some of them as kindling here and there, so there might be gaps, but this is roughly two months' worth\!」

Roselyn faltered at the mountain of paper, which was taller than she expected.

Should I have brought someone with me?

She pulled out one more gold coin and set it down.

「Landlady, I’m sorry, but could you have these moved to my room? I have somewhere I need to visit briefly.」

「Of course, certainly\! I’m as strong as an ox, so I’m perfect for this kind of work.」

The landlady quickly pocketed the gold coins and nodded enthusiastically with a beaming smile.

Watching the landlady grab the newspapers and stride toward the second floor, Roselyn stepped out of the inn.

She planned to go buy some food to eat while she looked through the papers.

Once outside, she saw the Kalutans gathered together, engaged in conversation.

「Oh? Where are you going, young lady?」

「Just to buy something to eat.」

「Ah~.」

As men who took pride in being craftsmen, their arm muscles were quite thick, and the five of them gathered together created a rather intimidating presence.

They exchanged glances, and two of them stepped toward Roselyn.

「Let’s go.」

「I can go alone.」

「Ah, whose friend do you think you are? Besides, well, don't they say that in the Empire, noble folks always have some guys who can use their fists following them whenever they go anywhere?」

The Kalutan waved his hand dismissively.

Naryan and Batar aren't here.

As if noticing Roselyn’s silent question, one of the Kalutans spoke up.

「Batar and Naryan said they were going to take a nap.」

Roselyn gave a light nod.

It had been a long journey, so they planned to stay in Randarin for a few days to let the horses rest.

However, the atmosphere in Randarin wasn't particularly good.

「Things feel strangely unsettled.」

「I know, right? I heard it’s not just this area, but several villages have been completely burned down overnight lately….」

Hwaaaa—the Kalutan let out a long yawn and chuckled.

「I don't know what kind of bastard it is, but if he gets caught, I’m gonna split him right in half. Fuck, having nothing better to do than pull a shitty stunt like that?」

He muttered savagely.

When Roselyn let out a light, airy laugh at the crude swearing, the man glanced at her.

「Was that too rough for an outsider’s ears?」

「No, I don't mind.」

「Is that so? Ah, I’m Sanja. That guy is Nergui. Well, young lady, feel free to call us as you like.」

「I will.」

Roselyn replied briefly.

「Man, honestly, it’s been a while since I’ve been outside Kaluta territory.」

As if proving Sanja’s words, startled gazes followed them wherever they went.

「Since things are so grim, it might be better to head into the Capital as quickly as possible.」

Nergui, who appeared a bit more serious than Sanja, added his two cents.

「Ah~ since you’re delicate, after all. We don't know when you might just collapse, so it might be better to move to where the Emperor resides as fast as we can.」

Sanja said.

Roselyn gave a light nod, saying she’d think about it, and entered a shop that sold sandwiches.

She bought several items, including sandwiches for a light meal. It was enough to fill two paper bags to the brim.

「Eh, you came all this way just to buy this?」

「Yes, I have something to do in my room, and I tend not to move much once I focus on one thing.」

「You should’ve just sent someone else.」

「I wanted to clear my head. Anyway, thank you for the escort.」

Having finished her short shopping trip, she returned and handed one of the bags she was holding to Sanja.

「You must be hungry, so share this. If you stay out too long you'll catch a cold, so come inside soon.」

Roselyn went into the lodging.

Sanja, who had taken the bag reflexively, stared blankly at the bag full of sandwiches before turning his head to look at Nergui.

「…What’s a 'cold'?」

「There is such a thing. It’s a sickness where you keep coughing if it’s too cold.」

「…She told me to be careful of that? When it’s so damn hot in the Empire?」

Hearing the word for the first time in his life, Sanja scratched his chest vigorously with his nails.

「Ugh, but is the way outsiders talk always this itchy?」

Though he muttered it under his breath, the corners of Sanja’s mouth were subtly twitching upward.

 

「Ah, found you, found you. I wondered where you went…. Young lady.」

The one greeting Roselyn as she returned to the lodging was the man she had bumped into earlier.

Whether he had been eating alone in the first-floor dining area or not, he was waving his hand with a spoon still in his mouth.

When Roselyn faltered, he approached her with a wide, welcoming face, as if he had met an old friend.

「Well, you see. I thought of something I wanted to say to you a bit late.」

The man muttered in a tired, monotonous, languid voice.

「Young lady, I happen to have a pretty good intuition about these things….」

With his hands shoved in his pockets and standing with his weight on one leg, he looked very much like a loafer.

Before she knew it, the man had approached and pulled Roselyn toward the inner part of the empty hallway, then gripped her shoulder and smiled.

「You know me, don't you?」

Bending his upper body down low to press his lips against her ear, the man whispered softly.