“They say he can make all sorts of things. I heard he’s been moving down from the north.”
“What kind of nonsense is that? What does he make? Money, gold, food?”
“Exactly!”
“Sounds like a magician.”
“But even magicians can’t do that!”
“Bah, nonsense. You’ve been fooled by another ridiculous rumor.”
The man’s companions waved him off dismissively, but my ears had already perked up.
Something that seemed like magic, but wasn’t—an unusual ability. I knew of such powers well.
‘It sounds like an Awakening.’
“It’s true! I swear, he really can make anything!”
“That makes no sense! Even magicians can’t do that!”
The man kept insisting, but no one believed him. From the sound of it, he had a reputation for spreading dubious gossip.
Their conversation soon returned to hair loss remedies, but my mind remained fixated on the wandering alchemist.
‘Could he be an Awakener?’
In this world, the only Awakeners I knew of were the legendary red-haired woman, Caesar, and Ian.
‘…Ian?’
Ian’s whereabouts had been unknown since he left the duke’s household. There was always a chance he was wandering the empire.
‘No way.’
Even if he was traveling, his abilities weren’t like that.
‘I don’t remember exactly… but it was something related to healing.’
Since the original novel was heavily focused on romance, the parts about Ian using his powers for revenge had been rather vague.
Now that I thought about it, how had he used a healing ability to overthrow the noble faction? I tried to recall the novel, but my memory was hazy.
It wasn’t surprising—I couldn’t possibly remember every single detail of such a long story.
‘…Well, they probably just built public support around his miraculous abilities.’
But if the wandering alchemist wasn’t Ian, that was strange too.
The legendary red-haired woman had been dead for a long time. Caesar hadn’t awakened, and he was in the imperial palace.
‘Another Awakener…?’
I furrowed my brows, then shook my head. Even if I didn’t remember the novel perfectly, one thing was certain:
In the original story, Ian was the only living Awakener.
This could just be an unfounded rumor. Or maybe it was a con artist pretending to be an alchemist to fool people.
“Lady, let’s toast!”
Olche grinned and clinked her mug against mine. She had already drained most of her first drink.
‘…Oh, whatever.’
I followed her lead and gulped down my ale. After all, the next part of my plan would require a little liquid courage.
“My lady! You’re more spirited than I thought!”
Olche beamed, looking more cheerful than ever.
****
After finishing our meal, we stepped into a shop. It was one of the most upscale-looking clothing stores in the market.
“Why are we suddenly shopping for clothes?”
Olche looked baffled. Despite having downed two ales, she appeared completely unfazed.
“I need them.”
I browsed the dresses on display, then picked out one that was excessively flashy. Olche recoiled.
“You’re not seriously going to wear that, are you?”
“I am.”
It wasn’t just gaudy—it looked somewhat cheap as well. It screamed, Look at me! I’m rich!
‘Perfect.’
“I’ll take this one.”
Without hesitation, I bought the dress and a few equally extravagant accessories. A wide-brimmed hat adorned with oversized feathers, a matching decorative fan—it all looked like it would sparkle even from a hundred meters away.
With that, my monthly allowance was gone. But I had no choice—this was part of my plan.
Back at the inn, I put on my new purchases and called Olche to my room.
She hesitated upon seeing me. But I ignored her reaction and announced,
“From now on, I’m going to be a foolish young lady from a rich noble family.”
“…What?”
“And you’ll be her escort knight.”
“Me? Why?”
Ignoring her question, I asked,
“Sir Olche, can you drive a carriage?”
“Huh? Well… I’m not the best, but I can manage.”
“Perfect. If you couldn’t, I’d have to bribe a coachman. Go out now and find us a luxurious carriage. Don’t bring a driver.”
“Wait. Are you telling me I have to drive it?”
“We don’t need a coachman spreading unnecessary information.”
Olche blinked at me, looking completely lost. She obviously had no clue what I was planning. I sighed.
“I’ll explain everything once we’re inside the carriage. Just go find one first.”
“Fine… But what about you? Aren’t you coming?”
“I’ll leave separately, wearing a robe. A noble lady wouldn’t be seen walking out of an inn on her own. Meet me in the alley nearby.”
“Understood…”
I stared at Olche, who still looked skeptical, and reminded her,
“Remember, this is all under His Majesty’s orders. There’s no room for mistakes, got it?”
“Yes, I understand.”
Even as she answered, her eyes lingered on my outfit with clear doubt.
“Then go ahead.”
Once Olche left, I pulled on a black robe and slipped on Katana’s enchanted bracelet to dull my presence.
“Okay…”
Taking a deep breath, I looked into the mirror.
Now, it was time to play my role.
****
Olche and I met in the alleyway and immediately set off for the farmland.
I sat inside the carriage while Olche took the driver’s seat. The ride was rough and uncomfortable, but at least she could drive.
After some time, we arrived at the farming area.
Stretching in all directions was a vast field, where young radish and cabbage leaves were beginning to sprout.
“Sir Olche.”
I whispered toward the driver’s seat, and Olche gave a small nod. The carriage picked up speed briefly before the front wheel suddenly sank into the muddy ground.
“Oh no!”
Olche cried out as if she had been waiting for this moment. It wasn’t long before an old man, likely the owner of the field judging by his worn clothing and the farming tools in his hands, approached us after hearing the commotion.
As soon as he got close enough to see us properly, I threw open the window and yelled.
“Can’t you drive a carriage properly?!”
Unlike before, my voice was high-pitched and sharp. Olche turned to look at me in shock. Her expression was a little too dumbfounded for our plan, but in a way, it made the act even more convincing.
“What are you waiting for? Move already!”
“A-Ah, yes! My apologies….”
Olche stammered, her voice shrinking.
The old farmer stepped closer.
“…Who are you? What’s going on here?”
He eyed us suspiciously.
Instead of answering, I simply shot Olche a glare before slamming the window shut with a loud thud.
Through the window, I could hear Olche rambling.
“Well, um, my lady was traveling here and got lost… She just wanted to take a quick look around, but, uh….”
“A lady?”
The farmer took a few more cautious steps toward the carriage, trying to peek inside. Quickly, I snapped open my fan and covered half of my face.
“Y-Yes… We took a wrong turn and ended up here, and just our luck—the wheel got stuck.”
“Oh dear, what a mess. I’ll help you get it out.”
Thankfully, Olche’s foolish act seemed to be working. The farmer relaxed and started assisting her.
Before long—
“Oh dear, what’s going on here?”
Though her words sounded awkward, Olche spoke the next line she had memorized in advance.
“The wheel is completely broken. What should we do now?”
“What? Then what are you going to do?”
“That’s the problem. We can’t move like this….”
Even though this wasn’t his problem, the farmer looked genuinely concerned. He glanced at the carriage, as if worried that the ill-tempered noble lady inside might start yelling again.
Olche knocked on the carriage door.
“Um… my lady?”
“What?”
Even though I already knew, I snapped sharply. Olche bowed her head.
“I’m terribly sorry, but the wheel is broken….”
“And?”
“We can’t move. The madam is already on her way to fetch us, so… would you like to wait inside the carriage until then?”
“Wait? You expect me to sit inside this cramped carriage the whole time?”
I slammed my fan onto my lap with a loud snap. Olche flinched before turning to the farmer with a pitiful look.
“But there’s nowhere else to rest….”
“Are you insane? How can I stay in such an uncomfortable place for so long?!”
“Um…”
The farmer, who had been listening, hesitantly spoke up.
“If you don’t mind, would you like to come to my house? It’s very close by. Of course, it’s nothing compared to a noble’s mansion, but it’s certainly bigger than this carriage.”
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