ICTFF - Chapter 190

100m before meeting you (2)

The carriage we rode in was a vegetable cart for the rear. Even though it was covered to keep it from freezing in the cold, the smell of grass permeated the air.

There were a few other people in the carriage beside us. They were all looking at me as if they knew each other.

Surely you don't recognize me?

I know that it can't be, but I still feel nervous. Among them, a warm-looking lady spoke to me.

"You came here to look for work with your brother?"

"Yes, I heard there's a shortage of manpower in the rear."

"Wouldn't it be too hard? You look at me and I can tell you've never done anything difficult before."

Her eyes lingered on my cloak and then dropped.

"The rear is not an easy place. Especially since the human resources manager, there is not an easy person. He won't give work to just anyone."

"But I have to try. I have to earn money."

"Oh my, what happened to the young lady... Anyway, money is the enemy."

The old woman clicked her tongue and handed me a piece of candy.

"Eat it."

"Thank you."

I felt pity in the way she looked at me. It seemed as if she regarded me as some fallen nobleman who had come to the battlefield.

I had thought of a line to say if someone asked me, and it came to mind.

As I lowered my head, holding the candy, wondering if anyone would ask more questions, Baba naturally put his arm around my shoulder.

"It's still a long way to go. Get some sleep."

"Yeah, brother."

The carriage that had been rattling for more than two hours finally stopped. Thank goodness I was feeling motion sick.

"Have you arrived?"

The woman smiled and shook her head.

"No, it takes another hour."

"Then here..."

Then fully armed soldiers surrounded the carriage.

They smell like a strong oil smell.

Surely they aren't going to leave us locked in the carriage and burn us to death?

"There will be a security check. Please put your hands out the carriage window one by one."

The soldiers' mood was tense. They seemed ready to attack at any moment, but the people's reactions were calm.

"Next."

I was the last in line. I held out my hand without knowing what was going on, and the soldier placed a device that looked like a seal on the back of my hand.

Are you going to stamp your seal of approval?

At that moment of wondering, a clicking sound came along with a tingling pain on the back of my hand.

I looked at the back of my hand in surprise, and sure enough, there was a red drop of blood there.

'What's this?'

The soldier handed me a bandage as I was panicking.

"Check is complete. Do not remove the bandage until you are outside."

As the surrounding soldiers retreated, the carriage departed as if nothing had happened.

The old lady smiled and spoke to me and my eyes widened.

"I guess you were very surprised."

"What the heck... what did you just do?"

"They say that monsters can disguise themselves as humans and hide. That's why we check like this. If they're monsters, their blood will be black."

The encryption system is not very effective in the rear where outsiders often come and go. So it seems that they distinguish monsters through small wounds.

"If black blood comes out of the back of your hand..."

"Did you see the cans the soldiers had earlier? That's oil. They must have burned down the carriage with it."

"The person riding with you might not be a monster."

"If you're scared, you shouldn't go to the rear. This is a battlefield, young lady. You have to risk your life."

After that, the carriage, which had been rattling for about an hour, gradually slowed down.

"Adina, we've arrived."

"Really?"

I turned my gaze out the window at Baba's whisper.

A huge rear base was spread out before our eyes.

After arriving at the rear, I headed to the open space with a few people. There, a man with fierce eyes was waiting for us. 

"This is Mr. Smith, who manages the personnel here. First of all, you have to look good in front of him."

While the lady was explaining, everyone dispersed to their respective tasks. Now it was my turn.

"Imperial? From Blackwood?"

"Yes."

"Show me the back of your hand."

I took off the bandage and held out the back of my hand.

He, who had been looking at my hands carefully, glanced at my attire again. His gray eyebrows rose in displeasure.

"You are a nobleman."

"Not now. This cloak is a keepsake my mother left me."

"What are you good at? Embroidery? Conversational? Those kinds of talents aren't needed here."

"I will do whatever you tell me to do."

Knock, knock. 

Smith, with his arms crossed, tapped his forearm and opened his mouth. At first glance, it seemed like he didn't like me.

"There just so happens to be a vacancy for one of the commanders' maids. She is a quiet and reserved person, so it won't be difficult to serve him."

"Yes?"

"Why is your expression like that? Do you want to make money but don't want to take care of other people?"

"Oh, no. I will try my best."

"We'll see if that promise holds up. Go ahead."

"Thank you."

I was a little taken aback. I thought it would take a lot of persuasion and hanging on, but it passed so easily.

Judging from the fact that Baba was assigned to work at the restaurant right away, it seems that Smith wasn't as picky as the old woman warned.

On the way back, Baba whispered softly.

"From here on out, you have to act on your own. Be as quiet as possible as if you were there but not there. Understood?"

"Don't worry."

"See you later tonight."

I changed into the uniform I was given and headed to the barracks. In the middle of the road, soldiers were pulling a cart loaded with large oak barrels.

"This way! There's a wheel missing there!"

"This is more expensive than your bodies! Move it carefully!"

The carts seemed to be having trouble moving because the ground was frozen. The soldiers' cries could be heard here and there.

'The smell of oil.'

It's not the harsh, toxic smell is smelled a little while ago during the inspection, it's the smell of high-quality oil.

It was oil to be loaded onto a converted ship.

Then there must be a dock on the side the cart is headed towards. After checking the directions, I entered the barracks.

Someone was sitting at the desk.

That person is the one I should be serving. I stood near the entrance and bowed my head calmly.

"Hello. I am Adina to serving you, Commander. Please take good care of me."

The other person didn't say anything.

In this case, should I wait for the employer to respond? I thought for a moment and then slowly raised my gaze.

'It was Anton?!'

The man sitting at the desk, racking his brain, was Anton.

You've lost a lot of weight. Ah, no, this isn't the time for this.

I had to pretend to be dead as much as possible before I could get to Whitefield, and then I ran into someone who knew me.

Is it okay for the first gate to be this difficult?

Anton scratched his head and then lifted it. Then he met my eyes and opened them wide.

"Who, who are you?"

"..."

Look at this? You really don't recognize me. I feel a little more confident.

"I made a noise, but you didn't seem to hear me because you were so focused. From today, I have been ordered to serve you, Commander."

"I... I didn't hear anything...?"

Anton muttered with a puzzled look on his face.

He still couldn't meet my gaze properly. Even though he had lost weight and looked outstanding, I wondered if his personality had changed.

"I, I can't work anymore when someone is around. I, I'm sorry, but go back and ask for something else to do."

"...Excuse me, but can I ask you something?"

"What, what is it?"

"Did you reject anyone else besides me?"

"That's true, but..."

Now I think I understand why Smith gave me the job so easily.

If I give up right here, he'll kick me out of the rear. He said he doesn't need someone who can't even do such an easy job.

'It was a trap.'

If you want to get to Whitefield, you'll have to get on a ship from the rear somehow...

To do that, I had to stick close to Anton. Luckily, I knew what Anton was weak at.

I immediately knelt down.

"I will try my best not to cause any inconvenience. Please do not throw me out."

"Ah, no, why are you going that far..."

"If the Commander refuses, I must go back. But I have nowhere to go."

"Oh, I get it, so stand up! Hurry up!"

Anton let out a deep sigh as he stood up quietly. He still had a look of displeasure on his face, but he didn't tell me to leave.

As expected, Anton was weak towards desperate people. He was like that himself.

But it is still too early to rest easy.

Anton is quiet now, but he can go to Smith and ask him to get rid of the maid at any time.

'I have to please Anton.'

I quickly looked around the barracks. A cupboard on one side containing tea and alcohol caught my eye.

I went over there and examined the tea leaves. They were all new, untouched and unopened.

Boil the water and steep the tea leaves.

As the fragrant scent of tea spread through the barracks that had previously smelled of ink, Anton watched me silently.

I quickly put the finished tea down on the desk, making sure it didn't touch the blueprint I sent.

Anton hesitated and picked up his teacup as he stepped back without even asking me to drink. His expression slowly relaxed as he carefully drank the tea.

"These are my favorite tea leaves... They were here too. I didn't know."

I already knew that it was his favorite tea because I often saw him drinking it at summits.

Anton glanced at me.

"Um... Hey, can I have one more drink?"

"Of course, Commander."

"I'd like to drink it later in the evening too..."

"I will prepare."

Anton's complexion improved as he faced his second cup of tea. He took a sip, smiled, and put the cup down.

"You can call me Anton. That... that's my name. Anton."

"Understood, Anton."

Phew, that's it.

So I became Anton's temporary maid.

Previous                Next

Support Novellate!