Chapter 275

Translator: Kell | Editor: Weasalopes

Not the Typical Old-Timer

Doriachi immediately granted Hikaru’s request, and the next morning Hikaru was able to meet the elder . The one guiding them to their place was none other than Duinkler .

「Are you sure about this? Don’t clan leaders have other things to do?」Hikaru asked .

「I guide His Majesty’s savior . There is nothing more important than this . 」

Apparently, they went drinking late into the night, and after that he had to take care of paperwork that had piled up while he was gone . He didn’t get much sleep as a result .

I guess that means we’re that important, Hikaru thought .

Hikaru, Lavia (Drake on her neck), and Paula got on a carriage pulled by what seemed like a donkey with six legs, a monster the locals called a Posidonkey . Duinkler, who didn’t bring a translator, also rode with them . While the carriage wasn’t as huge as the one Katy created, it was big enough to carry four people without any problem .

「Horse is important . 」Duinkler said . 「So we catch and use wild Posidonkeys . 」

There didn’t seem to be any place in the city to breed cattle .

「The elder we are going to see . My relative . 」

「I see . 」

「Other leaders volunteered to be guide, but I was selected because of that . 」

This was the first time Hikaru learned that the other leaders wanted to be their guide too, not just Duinkler . Then again, he didn’t really mind whoever took the job . They were all just a bunch of older men and women anyway, save for the young and lean Grucel .

「What did you talk about with His Majesty last night?」

「Oh, curious, are we? What do you think we talked about?」

Duinkler nodded, seemingly enjoying this quiz . 「You talked about traitor, perhaps?」

Duinkler went straight to the point . Caught by surprise, Hikaru blinked repeatedly . Even with his mask on, the other party could see his reaction .

「Hahaha . You seem to not be very good at hiding things . People can read you that way . 」

「I just didn’t expect you to guess it right away…」

Duinkler laughed .

What did he just say? Hikaru thought . Lavia wore a look that said “Really?” Wait, wait . What does he mean, traitor? Where’d this come from?

Hikaru decided he should gather whatever information he could . Duinkler made a wrong guess, which turned out to be convenient for Hikaru .

「For the record, the king didn’t give me any specific names . 」

「Yes, of course . His Majesty is a wise man . He would not say anything that will cause trouble later on . But he wanted to hear stories from an outsider like you . Also about the technology you used in killing the Yamamaneki . Am I wrong?」

「I can’t tell anyone about that tech . 」

「I understand . Powerful people don’t show their trump card . 」

Hikaru put his brains in full power as they talked about completely different things . Duinkler was thinking there were traitors in Dream Maker .

I see . The Yamamaneki doesn’t show up there normally . That’s why the garrison wasn’t really prepared .

「Where does the Yamamaneki appear usually?」Hikaru asked to confirm his suspicion .

「In the mountains way north . Far from here . The one that attacked was weakened by the barrier . 」

「Barrier?」

「I can’t say any more than this . Of course, it is information about our technology, so if you can provide something as valuable, I can tell you . 」

Duinkler clearly wanted to know more about the revolver, but Hikaru wasn’t about to tell him about his weapon just for a mere barrier .

「That’s unfortunate . I thought it was strange how there were no guns in the city when you have plenty on your ships . So it was all the traitor’s fault . 」

For a moment, Duinkler appeared sad, realizing that Hikaru wasn’t going to share information . An older man showing that kind of face didn’t really affect him in any way .

「It is just as you said . We have to take down the traitor . For His Majesty . 」

For the king and not for Dream Maker, huh? That sounds like something he would say, all right . Traitors, huh? If they have access to the barrier, it’s gotta be one of the clan leaders, or even more .

However when Doriachi was cured, they all looked happy and deeply moved .

No, they were probably just faking it . There’s someone wearing a “mask”, just like me . But what they’re doing is too risky . A Yamamaneki could destroy the whole city . What’s the point in ruling a nation in ruins?

The carriage rode on, rocking on the road . Hikaru couldn’t seem to wrap his head around the matter .

The elder lived on the second floor of a simple five-story apartment complex shaped like a rectangle . The interior design had a black and white motif . At first glance, one would find it hard to believe that an old person lived there .

「I thought we’d be shown to an old house, or a treehouse, or a cave . 」Lavia muttered .

I know, right? Hikaru thought as they climbed to the second floor .

「Oh, welcome . Come in . 」

They were greeted by a plain-spoken elderly who talked in a language Hikaru could understand . He wore what seemed like light summer clothes . His once long, silver hair had turned gray, and was tied in a bun, although it was hard to tell the difference between the colors .

With his beard dangling all the way down to his chest, he clearly looked like an old person, but he moved in a spry fashion that belied his apparent age . However, he seemed smaller compared to the rest of the taller citizens in Dream Maker .

「Surprised? The secret to my fitness is this: a special sauce made by fermenting blue papaya underground!」he said as he showed a jar swarming with flies .

Now he acts like a real old man, Hikaru thought as he politely asked him to put the jar back .

「So you are guests from Vireocean . 」

「You knew?」

「Why, of course . My grandfather was born and raised in Vireocean and settled here . 」

「What…?」

He knows someone who lived five hundred years ago?

「My grandfather was a Man Gnome . My name is Wakamaru, a name I inherited from him . 」

Man Gnomes had life spans three times that of humans’ . It was normal for them to live for over two hundred years . As such, his grandfather being there five centuries ago was nothing strange .

Now that I think about it, Kaglai seemed a bit too obsessed about this case . I guess to him, five hundred years isn’t that long .

Hikaru and the others were offered seats in one room with a beautiful table cut from a large tree .

「I’m Silver Face . This is Star Face and Flower Face . 」

「Oh, those are fascinating aliases . What about that creature?」

「………」

Hikaru didn’t think Drake, disguised as a scarf, would be exposed . But now that the old man knew, there was no point in hiding him .

「His name is Drake . 」

Called on by his name, Drake lifted his head, as though asking if he was allowed to move . Duinkler and the guard were startled .

「I see . Drake . A young dragon?」

「No, a drakon . Young White Drakon is what he’s called, apparently . 」

「A drakon…」

Wakamaru stared at Drake with bright eyes . After a while, he nodded .

「You want to hear about old tales, yes? There are drakons in them as well . 」

The old walking encyclopedia began talking .