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Volume 2 Chapter 31 - Rebecca’sTrue Identity

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Rebecca arrived at the large mansion that was the home of the client of the medicinal herbs collection request and waited in front of the gate for a while just like she would when visiting a normal mansion.

However, after confirming that no one seemed to be coming, she opened the gate with a slightly wry smile, and entered the mansion on her own, just as Allen had told her to do.

She passed through the hall of the mansion just as she did when she was with Allen, and then knocked lightly into the deepest room, waited a little while, and then slowly opened the door.

In this room lined with medicinal instruments and filled with the distinctive smell of medicinal herbs was the elderly, sitting at his desk running a pen on a piece of paper, just as before.

Perhaps reaching a good stopping point, his pen left the paper for a moment and stopped, and at that timing, Rebecca called out to him.

“Ojii-san, good afternoon.” (Rebecca)

“Hm? Oh, if I’m not mistaken, you’re Allen's sister...” (Elder)

“Yes, I'm Rebecca. I'm sorry for coming so suddenly. There are a few things I'd like to tell you, and though impudent, a request I’d like to make of you. Ojii-san, or should I say, the kingdom’s special grade pharmacist, Gideon-sama.” (Rebecca)

“...You, who the hell are you?” (Gideon)

When Rebecca guessed his name by herself, Gideon's good-natured smile disappeared and he turned a sharp gaze to Rebecca.

Upon receiving that, Rebecca's easy-going smile from earlier disappeared, and changed to an emotionally unreadable, yet somehow cold, Noh-like expression.

This was something she had never shown in front of Allen before, and Gideon could smell the unique scent of one with a dark background.

“You’re targeting me, huh... Well, it's not like I can’t think of a reason or two, but you're prepared for it, aren't you? The medicines that special grade pharmacists make aren't just for healing.” (Gideon)

“...” (Rebecca)

Gideon took out two long, narrow glass bottles of red and blue liquid from his own chest and showed them off to Rebecca. Rebecca stared fixedly at that, not saying a word or even opening her mouth.

Seeing that calm demeanor, a bead of sweat trickled down Gideon's temple.

Finally, Gideon couldn't take it anymore and swung the two glass bottles, trying to slam them into the ground.

“Please wait a minute! I'm just a peddler. That just now was just an act, an act. I've never heard of someone using such a dangerous-looking drug!” (Rebecca)

Rebecca’s expression quickly changed and she desperately screamed as she tried to stop Gideon by waving her hands from side to side.

‘So what the hell was that earlier?’ Gideon thought as he saw her panicked state, and managed to stop himself from throwing the glass bottle.

Seeing the glass bottles that remained in Gideon's hands, Rebecca let out a deep breath as she put her hand on her chest. Seeing that, Gideon looked at Rebecca with a suspicious gaze.

“Really, what the hell are you?” (Gideon)

“Like I said, I'm just a worthless peddler. I was just asked to give a message to Gideon-san by a valued client. Just to be clear, the acting earlier is also included.” (Rebecca)

“Message?” (Gideon)

Hearing Rebecca's explanation, Gideon wondered why they would do such a thing.

If you want to convey something to someone, you can just send a letter, and even if you want to do it to the person directly, there's no need for that kind of act.

“Would you understand if I said that it was from an ojii-san with a long white beard?” (Rebecca)

Hearing that expression, the image of a certain person quickly appeared in Gideon's mind. And he quickly realized why that person had done this, and sweat dripped off his face, making his complexion grow even paler.

Seeing him like that, Rebecca was a little hesitant to continue, but ‘Well, you reap what you sow, nothing I can do,’ she thought and decided to simply tell him the words entrusted to her.

“You, you've forgotten about the terms of exchange that we made when I let you escape, haven’t you? It’s you we’re talking about, so I'm sure you're too excited about the research you can finally do on your own for the first time in a while, but if you renege on your promise, I'll send you a real assassin to bring you back next time. That’s the message.” (Rebecca)

“What? No way. I don't want to go back to that place where only my social status is so uselessly high that I can't even make time for my own research!” (Gideon)

“Even if you say that to me.” (Rebecca)

‘I changed my tone, but I can’t see the resemblance myself,’ Rebecca thought as she relayed the message, and Gideon’s reaction to that was dramatic. He was clinging to the desk, shaking his head from side to side as if to show that no amount of leverage could move him.

He was like a child throwing a tantrum, with no hint of the age-appropriate atmosphere he had until earlier.

Rebecca was taken aback when she saw this, and her inner voice came out without thinking, immediately cutting him off.

“In that case, how about we made some excuses to Guide Melchizelem, like, let’s see, we say that we are currently conducting an intensive investigation?” (Gideon)

“Umm, it seems that he had completely seen through Gideon-san's actions, so I don't think he'll be convinced unless there's a concrete report.” (Rebecca)

Seeing how pathetic Gideon was, Rebecca naturally downgraded him from ‘sama’ to ‘san’ as she expressed her thoughts.

Because she was convinced that Gideon doesn't place any importance on such things, based on the fact that he went out of his way to obscure his name and then revealed his real name without paying attention to it, and from his previous attitude of letting people enter the mansion without permission.

As for the downgraded Gideon, he was as she predicted, he didn't seem to care about it and just hung his head in a heavy mood.

“W-well, I guess that’s true.” (Gideon)

Rebecca smiled inwardly at his dejected reaction.

Because, although it was quite a deviation from the plan she had in mind, she felt that, if anything, this had a high possibility of significantly shortening the process.

Rebecca approached Gideon with a happy expression on her face and sat down next to him.

“I have good news for you, Gideon-san. I can solve your problem. I have just the thing, with it, it looks like we can do something about it.” (Rebecca)

“Really?” (Gideon)

As if he had met an angel in hell, Gideon looked at her in reverence peculiar to a person who was saved, and Rebecca replied with a gentle smile like a goddess.

That smile might have looked like the devil's smile to some with a hint of delight in it, but Gideon never noticed it.

“Yes, of course. Of course I don't mean for free. I'm a peddler after all, and I think people who do it this way are more trustworthy than those who do something like that for free.” (Rebecca)

“I see. So, what do you want? All I can give you is money or medicine, you know.” (Gideon)

“Aah, come to think of it. Money is also an option, isn’t it? Gideon-san is rich after all.” (Rebecca)

“Umu. Since you’re a peddler, how about enough money to open a shop? If you really manage to deal with Guide Melchizelem, I’ll give you the money right away.” (Gideon)

That statement made Rebecca not sure if he was manly or unmanly, and this time she started to mull it over.

It was an unbelievably good deal and it would make Rebecca's wish to open her own shop in Lilac come true, so there should be no need to hesitate, but Rebecca couldn't decide immediately.

Rebecca's idea to open her own shop here in Lilac was so she could live with Allen.

After Allen quit his dangerous job as an adventurer, she’ll manage the shop with him, and spend her time enjoying just a little luxury with the money she makes.

It might be even more fun if Eric comes to visit once in a while.

Rebecca had been dreaming like that ever since the day she decided to become a merchant.

She wanted to do everything she could to repay Allen, who had raised her with great care.

Even though that long-held dream of hers was about to come true, Rebecca was unable to make an immediate decision.

After returning to this city, meeting Allen again, and learning about his current situation, she became unsure.

Rebecca pictured a smiling Allen in her head and she made her decision.

Rebecca shook her head at Gideon with a soft smile on her face that came from her heart.

“What I would like to ask Gideon-san is to connect me with the accountant and the person in charge of construction planning who work for Lord-sama. Money is not needed.” (Rebecca)

“Are you okay with that? To me, it's like I haven't done anything at all.” (Gideon)

“For peddlers, just being able to connect with these people is valuable enough.” (Rebecca)

Gideon looked like he wasn’t convinced, and seeing that, Rebecca laughed and said that.

In fact, most of the people working under the Count were lower-class nobles. They would not normally deal with Rebecca, a mere peddler. So the fact that just being able to talk to such people is valuable was not a lie.

Of course, that’s not all of Rebecca's true feelings, and she knew that sometimes people would try to connect with her for unexpected reasons.

(It seems like it’s better for me not to be near Len-nii right now. Well, I'll save up the money until the time comes and pay him back with a bang someday. But I wonder what will make him the most happy.) (Rebecca)

Rebecca was a little excited as she thought that, and she overlooked one thing.

About what kind of personality Gideon had. And what was most important to him.

“But introducing you to each of them will be troublesome. Alright, I’ll introduce you to Naveen, and from there you can just ask him.” (Gideon)

“Eh? Naveen? You’re talking about Lord-sama, right?” (Rebecca)

“Umu. Back in the day, when he was working in the royal capital, I sold him a favor. I was planning to ask him to give me priority on buying dungeon materials when he becomes a Lord in the future, but this is just right.” (Gideon)

“This is not just ‘just right’...” (Rebecca)

“Come on, let's go! Getting troublesome things done as soon as possible is my policy. Well, I haven't given any heads-up, but I'm sure we'll get it done by the end of the day.” (Gideon)

“EEEHHH!!” (Rebecca)

Gideon forcibly dragged a shocked and confused Rebecca along with him and began walking from his mansion to the Lord's manor.

Even as Rebecca was confused by the development that was far beyond her imagination, she began to frantically think about how to make the most of it.

.

.

.

And a few hours after that...

“No, why isn't he here? Or rather, he's not even coming back. Is this going to be another failure?” (Allen)

Allen was standing alone in the mansion in Gideon's absence with the medicinal herbs he was planning to deliver, muttering that in the room where the smell of chemicals still lingered.

Then, he looked around his surroundings, and when he reconfirmed that he couldn't feel any presence at all, he dropped his shoulders in disappointment.

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(T/N: so, Rebecca’s true identity is an errand girl for the court magician? Melchizelem is the court magician right?

Btw, both Melchizelem and Gideon speak in kinda archaic or old man ways, but I don’t know how to sound like that and that’s confusing, so I use standard english.)

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