But introducing themselves now would be funny. Thinking back, there had been plenty of opportunities during their conversation for him to reveal who he was. It seemed he deliberately avoided mentioning his identity, likely to prevent any discomfort that might arise from knowing his status. Yuda appreciated the consideration, but it made it harder to deduce who he was.
He wanted to use the 〈Status Window〉 function to see the other’s name, abilities, titles, true name, traits, and skills, but that required knowing their name first. A surname wasn’t necessary. A pseudonym would be enough. Yuda needed to hear or recall the person’s name, or they had to state it themselves, for this frustratingly unhelpful system to reveal their information.
‘But to try to figure it out from his appearance alone…’
His outfit was just too ordinary. The chained monocle was a common accessory among nobles, and his suit was typical, though made of finer material. That alone wasn’t enough to distinguish him. His hands were folded over the top of his gem-encrusted staff, so no rings were visible as well. He wasn’t wearing a distinctive pendant like the blue lance knight either… sigh.
‘Since I feel this sense of déjà vu, could he be an important NPC I know? Damn it, if I at least knew his name, I might remember.’
Unable to voice his thoughts and struggling internally, Yuda kept a smile on his face while conversing, though it gave him a headache. Since he couldn’t recall immediately, he figured the man wasn’t that important and gave up, chatting idly to pass the time. Before long, they arrived at Dempa. After getting off the carriage, they said their farewells to the coachman and entered the castle together.
“Thank you. Thanks to you, the journey was comfortable.”
“No worries. Are you now off to meet your daughter?”
Yuda asked, recalling their conversation in the carriage. The man had mentioned he was meeting his runaway daughter in Dempa. Though Yuda had been distracted by his thoughts, he hadn’t ignored the conversation.
“I should. There’s still some time before our meeting, but knowing her, she’s probably already waiting. Want to come along? It’s not much of a repayment, but I’d like to treat you to a meal.”
A meal offered by a noble would surely be at an expensive, delicious place, but Yuda politely declined. After days of riding in a carriage, he was exhausted despite doing nothing and wanted to wash up and rest. Glancing at Jeanne, her expressionless face suggested she wasn’t keen either.
“It’s a shame, but could we postpone that? We plan to rest a bit and head straight to Aslan.”
“Oh, right, you mentioned having someone to visit. Then I suppose there’s no helping it. Still, I feel bad just parting like this… Do you ever plan to visit 〈Urun〉?”
“Urun… Yes, I have reasons to go there. Even without a reason, it’s a country I’d like to visit.”
Urun was famous for its natural scenery and vibrant culture. It was also home to a fragment holder, but even without that, it was a country worth visiting at least once. His mention of Urun suggested he was likely a noble from there, not Philoria.
Yuda had vaguely suspected as much since he mentioned his daughter ran away to join the Green Flag tournament. He looked at the man with renewed curiosity. Traveling alone in a foreign land without any escorts seemed bold, but if he was confident in his abilities, it made sense. Unaware of Yuda’s thoughts, the man smiled warmly.
“Great. If you visit Urun later, come to the 〈House of Count Lava〉 in the capital.”
“The House of Count Lava?”
Suddenly, Jeanne tilted her head and muttered. As if recalling something, her eyes widened, and she let out a foolish “Ah, ah!” before grabbing Yuda’s sleeve. It was the first time he had seen her so flustered.
“What’s wrong?”
Yuda glanced at her, confused and unable to speak, then turned to the noble. He was looking at Jeanne, holding a finger to his lips as if to say, “Be quiet.”
“Y-Yuda, that man… no, this person is!”
“Ah hold on. I’ll introduce myself. It’s a bit late, but I’m 〈Zanuer de Lava〉, Count of the Urun Kingdom.”
He extended his right hand for a handshake. Yuda instinctively reached out but hesitated.
‘Zanuer?’
Yuda’s gaze fell on his right hand. The man slightly turned his hand, revealing a ring with an antique design emitting a strange red glow. The sight hit Yuda like a blow to the head with a blunt object. Like a lie, memories he couldn’t recall until now flooded back.
Count Zanuer.
The name of the man who possessed the glorious fifth fragment, Valentine. He had risen to the rank of archmage at the relatively young age of thirty-five thanks to the ring’s power and was infamous for turning many who coveted it into charcoal.
‘He’s so different from in the game.’
In the game, his artwork depicted a stubborn-eyed, greedy nobleman, but the count before him was a refined middle-aged man with an entirely different aura. Yuda even had no idea he had a daughter aspiring to be a knight who joined the Green Flag tournament. Because of this, he hadn’t suspected he was Count Zanuer at all. The count chuckled at Yuda’s stunned expression.
“What’s with the shock? This is why I didn’t want to say anything… Are you going to embarrass me by refusing a handshake? Don’t worry. Unlike the rumors, I don’t turn just anyone into charcoal. I promise, as long as you don’t intend to harm me, I’ll never use magic against you.”
“Oh, my apologies.”
Realizing his rudeness, Yuda took his hand.
Zing!
But the moment their hands touched, both flinched and quickly pulled away. As they shook hands, Yuda’s hand brushed against the Valentine ring, which suddenly vibrated. The reaction, as if resonating with something, startled them both.
‘Could it be the fragments resonating with each other?’
Fortunately, Carpe Diem on Yuda’s left index finger showed no reaction. Only the count’s ring exhibited the strange behavior. The vibration stopped quickly, but the count’s eyes kept trembling. Looking back and forth between his ring and Yuda, he couldn’t hide his bewilderment.
“This hasn’t happened once in the past ten years…”
He muttered softly, but Yuda heard it clearly. It seemed this was a first for him too.
“Sorry, but could you let me try that again?”
At his request, Yuda willingly extended his hand again. The fifth fragment reacted the same way upon contact. The count fell silent for a moment, then let out a small sigh.
“…I don’t understand why it’s doing this. Anyway, if you come to the Urun Kingdom, be sure to visit the House of Count Lava. I’ll definitely remember you. If you come, I’ll treat you generously.”
“I look forward to it. I won’t forget to visit.”
“Sorry for holding you up. If fate allows, we’ll meet again in Aslan. Until then, safe travels.”
The count bid farewell to Yuda and Jeanne and walked away. Watching his retreating figure, Yuda nodded. It all made sense now. His daughter running away to join the Green Flag wasn’t a lie. However, a noble traveling alone in Philoria without escorts seemed odd, but if he was the holder of Valentine, it was understandable.
Before obtaining the fragment, he had traveled widely as an adventurer to revive his declining family. Yuda recalled that he was already a renowned white-silve badge adventurer before the fragment and became a platinum badge holder in one leap after obtaining it. With over a decade of adventuring experience, traveling alone was no big deal. It might even have brought back nostalgic feelings. Before long, he disappeared from sight.
‘Come to think of it, I didn’t even consider taking the fragment.’
Even if he had tried, he couldn’t have taken it. With his current abilities, he wouldn’t be able to break through the count’s barrier. Finally calming down, Jeanne let go of Yuda’s sleeve.
“Yuda.”
“Yes?”
“How could you be so nonchalant? He had a fragment! One of only twenty four in this world!”
I have a fragment too, Yuda thought, giving a wry smile at Jeanne’s excited reaction. Her excitement was understandable. They’d met someone who possessed one of only twenty-four fragments across two continents. In the original world, it was like bumping into Bill Gates, helping him, and then declining his dinner invitation. Seeing her drained expression, as if exhausted without doing anything, Yuda chuckled.
“Why so disappointed? Were you thinking of taking the fragment from him?”
“N-No, not at all.”
Jeanne stammered, as if caught off guard.
“If you had tried, you’d have been turned to charcoal. With our skills, we can’t do anything. Holding onto vain hopes or expectations is foolish. Maybe if you were a Spirit Sword Bearer… there might be a chance.”
“…True.”
“Look, we’ve earned a favor from Count January, haven’t we? When we visit the Urun Kingdom later, we’ll meet him again. Then, you can ask him anything you’re curious about. It’ll be quite an experience.”
She stared at Yuda blankly.
“What?”
“No, it’s just… Hmm. You’re definitely mature, Yuda.”
“I hear that a lot. Come on, let’s find a place to stay. We need to get to Aslan soon.”
Yuda gave a small smile and started walking. Though they were in Dempa, there was no business to attend to, so he planned to rest well and head straight to Aslan. He walked with Jeanne, looking for an inn.
“By the way, Yuda.”
“Yes.”
“Didn’t you explain why you recruited me as a companion back at the ruins?”
“I did.”
“Didn’t you say you wanted to travel and see various countries?”
At her question, Yuda slowly nodded while scanning the nearby signs. He hadn’t told her he was collecting fragments, only that he wanted to travel across the continent. Wondering why she brought this up, he looked at her and saw her eyes sparkling with interest.
“Then what you said in the carriage earlier contradicts that.”
“A contradiction?”
“Yes! Didn’t you say we weren’t going sightseeing?”
Oh, right. He’d said that carelessly.
“Of course. To be blunt, aside from the martial arts tournament and castles, Philoria doesn’t have much to see. But nothing is more important than sightseeing for experiencing a country’s culture and life. So, I have a suggestion.”
“…?”
Suddenly, she stopped and looked down an alley. From where Yuda stood, he couldn’t see it clearly, so he walked to her side and followed her gaze. There was a market.
“There’s no better place than a market to experience another country. So, I strongly suggest we explore it tonight or tomorrow!”
* * *
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#Setting 3. 「The 5th Fragment – Valentine of Glory」
Among those aware of Ferlnern’s fragments scattered across the Middle Realm, many covet the ring known as 〈Valentine〉. Its antique appearance alone suggests immense value, but more importantly, whoever possesses this ring will find their fate irrevocably changed.
For extraordinary beings like Ferlnern, it merely increases mana capacity and enhances magical talent and casting speed. But for those below a certain level, the ring grants wealth, fame, and considerable magical talent.
If a talented individual obtains the ring, they can aim for even greater heights.
But if luck is poor, even with the ring, one might remain mediocre or die before achieving success. Rest assured so far, every person who has possessed the ring has not only risen to a high position, but also gained fame through adventure and won a partner blessed with both beauty and talent.
However, no matter how successful their lives, the fates of those who wore the ring were often tragically grim. Among the many fragments, the 5th fragment changes hands most frequently.
It is said that the current owner is Count Zanuer of the Urun Kingdom, though no one knows for certain. It’s only speculated because immense luck allowed him to revive a declining count’s house overnight, marry a stunningly beautiful wife, and become an archmage at the young age of thirty-five.
For the record, he continues to thrive even now.
Many who prefer a short, brilliant life over a long, modest one have coveted the ring and attacked Count Zanuer, only to be turned to charcoal by his fire magic.
So, are you ready to challenge him and take the fragment?
Fail, and you’ll be charcoal. Succeed, and your life might become a path of silk.
If you don’t value your life, giving it a try wouldn’t be a bad idea.
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