Back To the Beginning
Information from Noland

"So, what are you carrying now? Besides the things in your hand."

"Food? Wanna?"

"..."

"..."

Noland and I were looking at the same table I had been at before.

He one by one traced the things he obtained, I noticed them at a glance.

"Noland, I've been waiting for you here for a long time and you had a great time visiting the townspeople and finally getting all these things?"

"Well... I was too late in the conversation, so they gave me this as a gift, because they were listening to them" explained Noland.

"You're not leaking information about us, are you?" my many.

"Relax Arthur, everyone is awake" Noland said confidently.

"OK, well even if you tell Milin our purpose..."

"Heh? ... Oho! Emm, sorry Arthur, I thought it would be fine" Noland said in a regretful tone.

"Well, it's okay."

"Ah, yes! Arthur, I have something unique for you!" noland said as he searched for the thing he meant among the items on the table.

He looked like a collector of antiques at the moment.

"Here we go! Small clock!" noland exclaimed showing what he meant.

The object is small in a round shape with a small chain that binds the object, which consequently makes the object can be grasped with one hand.

"That's... Clock watch..." My words involuntarily came out of my mouth.

"Wow Arthur, why do you know his name? I forgot his name, too."

"Zero! Where did you find that?!" I asked while pointing at the watch clock held by Noland.

"You're so excited about Arthur, this thing called emm... Ar... Arlogi?... The watch! I found it downtown!"

"It was sold there?" ask me to ask for confirmation.

"Yes!" answer me briefly Noland.

So the old-fashioned timepiece is already sold freely now huh? It was so amazing, this kind of thing would definitely be widely used in the future. Do I have to tell Mr. Meinhard?

"Now, Arthur." said Noland, sticking his hand toward me.

"Hm?"

On Noland's palm, an ancient, shiny gold watch ticking every second revealed the meaning of precious time.

Time passes, never waiting for anyone, leaving behind memories of the past, and making new ones.

Although time is relative, existence is important.

Noland sighed, then started saying again.

"This is for you."

He gave me the watch.

"really? Isn't that expensive?"

If only recently watch watches are sold then most likely the price is very expensive.

Well, Noland is this good.

"Ah this... I was given this by a merchant there. He said the watch had not sold for a long time and probably did not work properly."

"... So, you're giving me something that's broken?"

"It's not broken! Just doesn't work well anymore! Can't you learn the inside and fix it? and also you can give that information to Mr. Meinhard," explains Noland.

He's been dating Mr.Meimhard.

"Huh... Yasudah, I'll take ya."

I grabbed the watch from Noland's hand.

I faintly felt a small vibration coming from the clock ticking of the watch every second.

I took it and put it in my pocket.

"Let's get to the core of our problem" I told Noland.

At the moment Grandma and Milin were not around us, Milin took a nap in his room and his Grandma accompanied him. I was asked to help keep this inn for a while, of course I'm okay.

"I hope there is important information from you" I continued to hope to Noland.

"Arthur, actually I have good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?"

Huhhhhh... This kind of situation I often see in movies!

"Bad news" I answered briefly.

"Okay, I'll tell you, so be prepared..."

"I'm ready."

"We are not allowed to register to become a royal workforce" Noland said briefly.

"I don't know in detail, but in essence... They don't trust outsiders."

Not trusting outsiders? Is this because there are reports of spies infiltrating the kingdom? And also because of the current state of war?

Damnit damnit! Time I had to change my plan.

"But Arthur, if we really want it, they tell us to come tomorrow morning."

"For what?"

"Not knowing."

"Hm... Okay, let's just try it. So, what's the good news?"

"Damn! Arthur, I have very important information! this information covers from the kingdom to the entire city!"

"What's that?" my many.

"Hehe! The information I got was about the Royal Princess who was referred to as the Titian Goddess of Prosperity!"

"I already know."

"... Heh?" Noland seemed to be in disbelief.

I nodded lightly to confirm.

"Kok you know?" noland asked very curiously.

"From Grandma and Milin. Try me stacking... It's about the Royal Princess, the drop of the Goddess of Prosperity. The royal princess who suddenly summoned the entire town to give a funeral that was initially considered impossible by the entire population, they considered it just a dream of broad daylight, but some days the dream turned out to be real. The Princess saved the city by providing prosperity, it made the population nicknamed her the Goddess of Prosperity..."

"And do you know, it turns out that the idea to build the basement where we rested yesterday is the idea of the Princess," continued my words trying to draw conclusions.

Noland fell silent, was he surprised I got the information first before he told me.

I waited for his comment, but Noland never spoke again, he was distraught.

"What's up, Noland?" I was worried about his attitude.

Noland who had been pensively looked at me slowly with a serious face.

"... Arthur, it's not like that..."

"Huh? Meanin?

"Everything is different than what I heard. The princess of the kingdom nicknamed the Goddess of Prosperity is actually solely a satire. The Princess traded the life, soul, and even body of soldiers, servants, and royal slaves for other countries and at worst the Princess even gave them away for free, it was all done to be able to establish cooperation, because the cooperation that had been successfully established finally made the city of Breithorn seen by the world. And about the second... It is said that this inn, was actually there to lure lay people from other regions to work in the kingdom."

?!

Huh... What's?! Huh uh??

I was silent, unable to say. I tried to process both of those information in my mind.

I felt the feeling that Noland felt.

"So... There is information inequality yes." said Noland in a low tone.

If the information Noland said is correct, then yes... Grandma and Milin were trying to influence me to be sure of working in the kingdom.

And what did Milin say in that kitchen, he was trying to warn me?

I placed my forehead on top of both hands clenched on the table.

Ughhhh! I need to calm down.

"Noland, from now on we have to increase our vigilance." I said slowly to Noland.

"... because it's possible, we were in the crocodile's mouth from the beginning" I continued.

Noland did not respond, because he already understood.

"What's our attitude toward Milin and Grandma next?" tanyakanya.

I raised my face.

"Effort to be as you always are."

"OK."

After that, Noland and I talked about the strange things he was carrying, discussing them.

In the midst of my conversation with Noland, the door of the room where Grandma and Milin had entered before was open.

And one by one the people inside came out, it was Milin and then Grandma.

"ah! Mr. Noland is back!" millin exclaimed with passion.

Milin remained as vigorous as ever, even though he had just woken up.

"Well, it looks like you found something unique, yeah," Grandma said.

Milin walked quickly towards our table with curiosity about the objects that Noland was carrying. So did his grandmother behind him.

"Hehe yes, I bought some interesting things!" noland replied.

"Noland really likes to shop," I said along enliven the atmosphere.

Milin had already taken a sitting position to the left of Noland to take a look, and Grandma was standing on the side of the table to my right.

Grandma, Milin... You're both...

Although Noland gave bad news with good news, but in the end everything was bad news for us.