-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: The Secret Code
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The young man unleashed a torrent of nasty words at the elderly woman, who was old enough to be his mother.
It was an attitude that made even the onlookers uncomfortable.
But Rima's nerves were entirely focused on the humiliation she'd suffered at the general store.
"Sh...!"
As if annoyed by the interruption to her thoughts, she muttered roughly under her breath and squeezed her eyes shut.
'This is different from what I knew. I didn't write it like that!'
The general store clerk's pitiful look as he stared at her reciting the code.
The blank stares of the other customers, watching like it was someone else's business.
Growing anxious, Rima endlessly clenched and unclenched her cold hands.
'Why isn't there an informant at the general store? This isn't right...!'
This was the world inside her novel.
A definite future.
Unerring information.
These two things were her qualification to be loved by everyone and clear proof that her future would be a string of triumphs.
Besides, it was a novel she'd written herself. So it had to follow the creator's will without deviation.
'It has to...!'
Overwhelmed by uncontrollable anxiety, she began gnawing at her nails.
Before she knew it, her body was trembling as if chilled to the bone.
"Dear."
"......"
"Dearie."
"......"
"Rima."
Only then did Rima finally snap back to reality.
She looked up to see the old woman and the clerk gazing at her.
The old woman asked,
"Are you all right? Are you feeling ill?"
"I'm fine. Don't worry about me."
Rima replied in a sharp, sensitive voice.
The old woman's eyes were kind, yet for some reason, they overlapped with the unpleasant stares from the general store.
"For now, this clerk wants to hear your story."
The old woman stepped slightly aside, and the clerk stood before Rima.
He looked at her with an expression that gave nothing away.
"You say you know the code?"
Rima nodded eagerly at his words.
"Yes! Yes! I do!"
Like someone being chased, Rima hurriedly rattled off the code she'd memorized.
"Please give me five old wooden staffs! One of them is made from oak, and the tips of the other four are wearing black socks!"
Just in case, she explained the code's meaning too.
"The five wooden staffs represent the two rules that every informant must absolutely keep, right?"
Informants must root themselves deeply wherever they are and spread their branches wide to gather information. That's why there's oak.
But they must hide their breathing, footsteps, rustling clothes, and very presence from everyone. The four black socks symbolize that.
"I know it all!"
"Who taught you?"
the clerk asked.
Rima, regaining a bit of her confidence, lifted the corner of her mouth slightly.
Then she shook her head with a rather charming expression.
"That's a secret."
"Hmm..."
The clerk rubbed his chin, looking troubled.
For a brief moment, the clerk's eyes met the old woman's.
The old woman just smiled silently.
"Well then, I'll be on my way."
Only after the old woman left did the clerk speak.
"That's the code to meet the boss of the informants. But even so, I can't just let you see him easily. You need to prove your identity to some extent..."
"Doesn't Lord Dellak have time right now?"
"......"
"His sister's sick at the moment."
"How do you kno...!"
Rima had now fully regained her confidence.
'Finally, things are moving just as I wrote!'
The incident at the general store must have been an 'error.'
'Come to think of it, I've really possessed a book world, so minor errors are possible.'
Besides, Rima had a rough guess about what that error was.
To confirm it, she needed to build a connection with Dellak, the head of the informants.
"...Follow me."
The clerk led Rima somewhere.
He opened the door to the rearmost room—a dilapidated wooden door unfit even for a storeroom—and a spacious, luxurious reception room appeared.
A young man sat in the seat of honor on the parlor sofa.
The moment Rima saw him, she was certain.
'Dellak...!'
The head of the informants, who would become her reliable supporter.
"Daddy! Daddy!"
Whenever Nibelria came back from kindergarten, she always made sure to teach the adults what she'd learned.
"Ask Nini what she learned today!"
"What did you learn at kindergarten?"
"I learned a nursery rhyme. About plants growing tall!"
"That's cool! Did you learn it too, Arep?"
"Yes. We danced and sang together."
"If you sing this, plants grow tall! You'll grow as big as Nini!"
Nibelria stood on tiptoe and stretched both arms high.
"You too, Arep!"
At the leader's command, Arep also went on tiptoe and reached for the sky.
"Stretch! Stretch! Toward the sunlight, stretch!"
"St-stretch..."
Nibelria led with vigor, while Arep followed in a timid voice.
"Hahaha! You two are so good!"
Kaleo, who'd enjoyed the performance, made a suggestion.
"Then how about today's chore is singing that nursery rhyme in front of the herbs in the garden? Dether, you keep a good eye on them."
"Understood."
The children headed straight to the garden.
After partnering with Azel, a section of the Dayamor estate had been dedicated solely to medicinal plants.
The children's labor had gone into it too.
Proof was the bold entry 'Herb Garden Creation' in their paybooks.
On the way, Nibelria suggested,
"Arep, next time shall we work in the stables?"
"Yes!"
Arep was thrilled.
"A-and ride horses too!"
"Great! Want me to let you ride Venti? Venti's a bit cheeky, but he obeys me. He's Nini's subordinate."
Azel was already in the garden when they arrived.
"Azel!"
Nibelria ran over like a little chick.
"Miss. Young Master."
Azel, wearing dirt-covered gloves, greeted them happily.
"Back from kindergarten?"
"We learned the plant-growing-tall song today, so we're gonna sing it here. Then they'll grow super tall!"
The small garden was planted with various herbs.
Thanks to Azel's abilities, the herbs had sprouted in just a few days. Some plants even had round buds swelling.
"Ready for the dance!"
At Nibelria's command, Arep assumed the position.
Legs shoulder-width apart, arms at the waist.
"Azel too!"
"M-me too?"
"Gotta do it together for extra growth!"
"But I don't know the dance or the song well..."
"Do it!"
Unable to resist the cute bossiness, Azel awkwardly took position.
"Dun dun! Jang jang!"
Nibelria clapped the beat energetically.
"We plant a teeny tiny seed!"
Stretch! Stretch!
Soon, the trio's stage began.
"Piercing the dark darkness! Sprout stretch!"
The moves didn't match at all, and the song soon turned into Nibelria's solo.
"Stretch! Stretch! Toward the sunlight, stretch!"
"Stretch...!"
"Stretch!"
Dether, watching the three dance and sing in front of the little herb patch, thought,
'It looks like a cult ritual.'
But could there be a cuter, more lovable ritual?
Dether clapped along to cheer them on.
Nibelria was now practically hopping, Arep danced through his shyness to the end, and Azel looked utterly bewildered.
But they all ended laughing and having fun.
"Waaah!"
Dether cheered with applause.
"That was amazing. Such a wonderful show."
"Heehee! Cool? Super cool?"
"Super cool. Now, may I have your paybooks?"
Today's chore was recorded as 'Herb Tending.'
Nibelria and Arep smiled proudly at the steadily accumulating entries as they got their books back.
Azel, watching, let out a soft "Wow."
"You work this much? And you're a noble young lady?"
"Nobles have to sweat too."
Nibelria lifted her chin proudly.
"Nobles need to know how hard work is. Nini's gonna be a cool adult who earns lots of money!"
"I'm going to be a knight."
Arep slipped in his own dream.
"You both have wonderful aspirations."
"What's an aspiration?"
"What you want to do when you grow up. Like pharmacist or teacher. Or eat lots of cake."
"Nini wants chocolate cookies!"
But after the hot performance right after returning home, Nibelria went down for a nap to recharge.
Meanwhile, Arep had sword training in the annex.
He'd only recently reached a weight close to average.
Today, Ardores allowed Arep to hold a wooden sword for the first time.
"...!"
Arep's eyes went wide.
It felt different from the toy wooden sword Solles had given him.
The toy had been fairly heavy, but this training bokken was even heavier.
"Heavy, right?"
Ardores asked, as if reading his mind.
Arep admitted honestly.
"Yes. It's heavy."
"That's because your stamina's still lacking. You've gained weight, but compared to kids your age, you're still far behind."
"I eat a lot, though..."
"Now it's time to exercise as much as you eat. Once you build muscle, this bokken will feel lighter than a feather."
It seemed heavier than a feather, but Arep nodded without complaint.
"Lord Ardores."
"Yes."
Arep asked something Solles had mentioned before.
"Why is the young miss afraid of swords?"
"Solles told you?"
"Yes."
"Hmm, it's complicated to explain to you right now."
"Did she get badly hurt?"
"Something like that happened."
A sad expression crossed Arep's face.
"Getting hurt is painful and hard..."
