Chapter 47: Encounter (1)

The protagonist of the Reca Chronicles of the Recaf Sicily Continent, Ephio.

He was originally just a boy who set out on a journey to find his adoptive father, Claire.

But somehow, he ended up obtaining the legendary demonic sword Plebelziam, which entangled him in various troubles.

As he continued his travels, he formed diverse connections and slowly unraveled the threads concerning Claire’s whereabouts and the secrets of this world…

That was the rough plot of Reca Chronicles.

Though the important threads were unraveling nicely until they suddenly snapped in the middle.

Anyway, Ephio is closely related to the important MacGuffins I need to collect in the future, and as befits the original protagonist, his potential is impeccable.

Therefore, he is a talent I must recruit.

Ephio is 4 years younger than me.

But from the moment I possessed this body, he was already wandering the world without any ties.

The main story of the novel begins 5 years from now, and until then, there was no way to precisely track where Ephio was traveling.

However, at this point in time, Ephio has temporarily stopped traveling and is staying long-term in a certain place.

Due to the rather ambiguous description in the original work, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly where, but contextually, it’s definitely somewhere in the central part of the continent.

That’s why I instructed Linia to inquire about sightings of a boy with red hair carrying a strange sword, centered around the Baskaya Knight Empire.

To cut to the conclusion.

There was a harvest.

News came in that a boy matching the characteristics I described was staying in the Siarente territory in the southern part of the Baskaya Knight Empire.

And Siarente is a distance that can be reached from Elanore in a few days.

I can’t miss this opportunity.

For this journey, I brought Chesa and Linia.

There are no separate requests we’re undertaking right now anyway.

In the first place, the only ones properly working in the Blispiel clan right now are the financial managers, including Camilo.

The combatants, including me, are just repeating training instead of earning a living, yet the contents of the treasury keep increasing thanks to Camilo’s skill in accounting—it’s truly amazing.

The three of us are currently riding a carriage rented from Elanore’s city hall, heading to Siarente.

We hired a separate coachman as well.

Chesa said to Linia.

“Linia, ‘that’ please.”

“Here it is, my lady!”

Linia handed Chesa a water bottle containing Processed Yin-Yang Tea (A).

They move in perfect sync.

As I first instructed, Chesa is taking exactly the prescribed amount of Yin-Yang Tea at precisely the scheduled times.

I gently gazed at Linia, who was sitting right next to Chesa.

Lately, she seems to be taking care of Chesa more diligently than me.

Because she’s the future madam or something.

Character Sheet.

<Linia Ro Arieldi>

[Level: 9/43]

[Stamina: 04] [Strength: 03] [Agility: 07]

[Mana: 08] [Spirit: 06] [Sense: 08]

[Divinity: 01]

[Traits: Mid-Rank Spirit Affinity (B), Espionage (B), Elite Secretary (B)]

[Skills: All-Round Support (B), Spirit Step (B), Housework · Special (C), Low-Rank Spirit Arts (C)]

[Description: 24 years old, a half-elf from the Arieldi clan.

The only attendant brought by Foden Stroke’s wife ‘Nebia Lilu Arieldi’ when she left the Great Forest.]

Over the past year, Linia’s attendant-related traits and skills have grown significantly, likely because she handled all sorts of important tasks like espionage and miscellaneous duties while receiving growth buffs from elixirs.

She appeared as a spy in the original work as well, so raising her in this direction rather than as a combatant seems more desirable.

If done well, she might even obtain the standout non-combat 『Ultimate Maid (S+)』 title trait.

“Ah, young master! My lady~! Siarente is visible over there!”

Whether she knew my complicated feelings or not, Linia said while looking out the window.

Following her words, I looked outside, and the cityscape lined with Gothic-style buildings came into view.

Siarente, governed by a count of the Empire.

Somewhere there is the protagonist of Reca Chronicles.

In his very early childhood, Ephio was taken in by a man named Claire and lived under his care.

Their residence was a cabin deep in a dense forest.

“I’m heading out for a bit.”

“Claire! How long this time?”

“This time too, I’ll be back in a few days, Ephio.”

Claire would repeatedly go out of the forest and return as he said.

Young Ephio assumed he was going out to procure food or daily necessities.

Then one day.

Claire, who had greeted Ephio as usual and left the house, never returned to the cabin afterward.

Even until the food stored in the fixed pouch (A) in the house ran out.

The boy, unable to move and conflicted, finally left the familiar cabin to find his adoptive father.

With a strange mix of anticipation and fear toward the outside world…

Thus, Ephio wandered the world without ties, chasing Claire’s whereabouts, until he collapsed in the Siarente territory.

There was no grand reason.

He simply collapsed from prolonged hunger.

The one who extended a hand to him was a group of orphans living in the city’s slums.

Ephio indebted himself to them for a while, but tragically, those friends got entangled in a dispute with a thug organization prowling the city’s underbelly and were killed.

This also becomes the trigger for the original Ephio to despise the lawless groups operating in the city’s underground.

Of course, if I intervene, I can prevent this incident too.

“If we search the slums, there should be a few groups of children banded together.

Ephio is probably affiliated with one of them.”

“As you said, with such distinctive appearance, we should find him quickly.”

As Linia said, wandering various parts of the city and asking about Ephio’s sightings yielded satisfactory answers.

We thus entered deep into the back alleys.

There, several houses made by laying rags over planks were visible.

The orphans living there watched us from a distance.

Their gazes were half curiosity and half wariness.

That was when it happened.

“Who are you?”

“Hmm?”

The one who suddenly appeared and asked me that was a young boy.

Probably early teens, with hair like blazing flames and sharp eyes.

Crucially, he carried an antiquated-style sword on his back.

That must be the one-of-a-kind ‘?’ grade equipment appearing in the work, the Ego Sword – Plebelziam (?).

I asked the boy.

“Are you Ephio?”

“And if I am?”

Ephio showed no sign of being intimidated by my noble attire.

Far from it, he seemed ready to pounce and start a fistfight at any moment.

He had greatly contributed in territorial disputes with other orphans.

Considering his innate talent, this guy is practically an ecosystem disruptor in the back alleys.

He would have confidence befitting that talent.

Showing such a sharp reaction to an outsider’s appearance is partly because he grew up in a unique environment and is ignorant of class differences… but also because recently, kidnappers abducting children in this area to sell into the human trafficking market have been rampant.

I smiled wryly and said.

“Kid.

Look at my attire.

Do I look poor enough to need to catch orphans like you and sell them on the black market?”

“………”

Hearing my words, the boy wore a blank expression.

He must have thought it made sense.

After pondering for a while, Ephio smiled brightly and opened his mouth.

“Now that I think about it, that’s true.

Sorry for suspecting you arbitrarily, rich hyung!”

The way he understood and apologized so quickly.

Chesa and Linia looked at Ephio, lost for words due to the absurdity.

To describe the personality of this guy, the protagonist of Reca Chronicles, in one word: a typical hot-blooded shonen manga protagonist.

Can’t stand injustice, cherishes comrades, puts effort into everything.

However, because his nature is extremely pure and he grew up isolated from human society, he often shows incomprehensible behavior.

Because of this, among readers, he was known as a protagonist with some love-hate divide, called the ‘frustration bomber.’

I slightly shifted my gaze.

<Ephio>

[Level: 10/80]

[Stamina: 12] [Strength: 03] [Agility: 05]

[Mana: 09] [Spirit: 03] [Sense: 03]

[Divinity: 00]

[Traits: Primordial Spark (?), Incarnation (S), Weapon Genius (A), Precise Mana Control (A), Hostility Detection (B) and 2 others]

[Skills: Dragon God Temple Protection Arts (B), Pickpocketing (C)]

[Description: 12 years old (?), the being qualified to wield the ancient demonic sword Plebelziam.

A boy searching for his adoptive father Claire.]

A very familiar status window.

According to the setting book, the reason for the (?) next to the age in the description is that his exact birthday is unknown.

The 12 years old is physical age instead of exact chronological age.

“Ephio! What are you doing!”

As I was admiring the familiar character sheet, a orphan boy who seemed to be Ephio’s friend came running desperately.

The boy soon bowed to me with a face turned pale.

“M-My friend caused trouble! Please forgive him just this once!”

“No need to be so scared.

This hyung doesn’t seem like a bad person.”

Ephio can somewhat detect malice directed at him through the 『Hostility Detection (B)』 trait.

His quick dismissal of suspicion is partly due to judgment from this trait.

“You carry eyes just for decoration…?

Looking at the clothes, he might be a young master from the count’s family.

If he gets upset, our heads could fly off right away.”

The boy whispered that while pressing Ephio’s head down.

Ephio, puzzled by his friend’s attitude, also apologized to me.

“Sorry, hyung.”

“Use honorifics!”

“Sorry.”

I chuckled watching that skit-like scene.

I had called Ephio a protagonist with divided opinions earlier, but I like this guy.

It’s hard to pinpoint the exact reason.

I just immersed myself in Reca Chronicles more than anyone, so I naturally came to like him.

I said to the two.

“He didn’t do anything particularly wrong, so no need to apologize.”

“Th-Thank you.”

The boy wiped cold sweat and stood up.

Suddenly, Ephio scratched his head and asked.

“By the way, rich… no, noble hyung, how did you know my name?”

“E-Ephio…”

The orphan boy sweated coldly at his friend’s uncorrected speech.

But I didn’t mind and answered Ephio.

“Because I came to find you.”

“…Me?”

Detailed talk can’t be done in such an open place.

I handed a gold coin to the orphan boy and said.

“I’ll borrow Ephio for a bit.

Use this to cover food expenses.”

“Y-Yes!”

The boy, receiving the gold coin wrapped in cloth as if it were sacred, glanced at me before whispering something to Ephio like a stern warning.

Then he disappeared deep into the alley.

It was an extremely quiet voice, but thanks to my orbiting [Sense] stat, I faintly heard what he said.

Something about not upsetting me.

“It’s quite an important matter, so standing here talking isn’t great… Shall we have a meal together?”

“Are you buying, hyung?”

“Of course.

And my name is Aiden.

Call me Aiden.”

“Got it, Aiden.”

I took Ephio to a high-end restaurant in the city’s bustling district.

The staff at the counter sent strange looks seeing a boy in ragged clothes accompanying me, but didn’t pry deeply.

We sat at a table in a private room, and soon various luxury dishes were served.

Ephio devoured them greedily.

Just watching him made me feel full.

“This is the first time I’ve eaten something this delicious!”

“I’m glad it suits your taste.”

“So Aiden, what did you want to talk to me about?”

“Hmm… To be precise, it’s more about the sword you have than you, Ephio.

‘The demonic sword Plebelziam'”

Ephio, who had been slurping up the food, froze at those words.

Then he blinked and stared quietly at me.

Soon, the red sword on Ephio’s back shook violently, and a strange voice rang out.

**Damn it, Ephio.

I told you from the beginning it was suspicious!

Why did you follow this shady bastard so obediently!**

The sound wasn’t transmitted through hearing.

It was like a resonance directly piercing into the mind.

Finally, one of the biggest rice cakes in the work has appeared in full force.