Meeting Orlan
For the past month, I had been sneaking out of the castle every three nights to visit Mr. Kernel, bringing along some alcohol.
It was hard to find him at first, but I soon learned he often lingered in the alleys behind popular eateries known for their delicious food.
At first, Mr. Kernel looked annoyed when he saw my face, but his mood improved significantly whenever I presented him with a gift of alcohol.
He then happily shared various pieces of information with me, such as which merchant guilds had the best deals, which restaurants served the tastiest dishes, and which taverns had the prettiest ladies.
Mr. Kernel's stories were always fascinating, and I often stayed with him until nearly dawn.
This past month had left me a bit sleep-deprived, leading to midday naps that occasionally got me caught by my sister, Emilia.
Although she seemed to suspect something, I managed to keep my nighttime excursions a secret.
Tonight, as usual, I sneaked out of the castle and wandered the streets for about an hour before finding Mr. Kernel in the alley behind a famous restaurant.
Carrying a small barrel of alcohol, I sat next to him.
Mr. Kernel noticed me and gave a sly grin.
"Kid, you're here again. Talking to an old vagrant like me won't do you any good."
"I enjoy your stories, Mr. Kernel. It's fun learning about the city."
"Hmph, if it suits you, then fine by me."
Accepting the small barrel I offered, Mr. Kernel grinned widely.
After a while, when the mood had relaxed, I broached a subject of interest.
"There seem to be various crimes in the city, but is the Spider organization still active?"
Hearing my question, Mr. Kernel let out a deep sigh and looked down.
"So that's your aim, huh? You don't seem to be an ordinary kid."
"Why do you say that? Maybe I'm just curious."
"Hmph, you're no ordinary brat. From the way you talk and your little gestures, I can sense a noble's air about you. Don't take me for a fool."
Mr. Kernel's expression turned serious. I paused and tilted my head.
"Do you want to know my true identity?"
"I'll pass. I'd rather not find out that a kitten I thought harmless is actually a tiger. So, what do you want to know?"
"Anything you can tell me about the Spider organization."
"Haah... I only know about the Spider as much as the other roughnecks in the city. What I do know is that those who try to investigate the Spider either disappear or end up dead."
So saying, Mr. Kernel stood up and said, "Follow me," and began to walk down the alley.
Wondering where he was going, I followed after him.
Then we entered the slum district where the poor lived, and Mr. Kernel stopped in front of a ruin.
"This is my den. There are others living here who have no place to go. I will introduce you to someone who knows more about the Spider than I do."
Mr. Kernel said only that, opened the door to the ruin, and entered the building.
Following him in, despite the exterior being a tattered ruin, the interior was surprisingly neat, with the floor torn up and the ceiling peeling, but still orderly.
As we walked up the creaking floor to the second floor, we saw two beds, one of which had a blanket bulging up on top.
Mr. Kernel approached the bed nonchalantly and yanked off the blanket vigorously.
There, a cat-eared girl in a thin shirt and shorts was curled up, breathing softly in her sleep.
Apparently, this girl was Mr. Kernel's roommate.
"Hey Orlan, I brought you a guest. An assassin shouldn't sleep so defenselessly."
At Mr. Kernel's words, I stared at the cat-eared girl in surprise.
A girl that cute is an assassin!?
Hearing Mr. Kernel's words, the girl got up from the bed, rubbing her sleepy eyes.
"I told you there's a guest. Wake up."
"Ugh, you're so mean, Mr. Kernel. I'm sleepy."
Muttering in a small voice, Orlan flopped back onto the bed and fell asleep again.
Perhaps irritated by this, Mr. Kernel grabbed the girl's body and shook her by the shoulders.
"I said wake up!"
"My head is shaking!"
After a while of Mr. Kernel and Orlan's tussle, Orlan finally woke up.
She looked at my face intently and tilted her head cutely.
"Who are you?"
"I told you there's a guest."
It seems Orlan is a rather laid-back girl.
I stepped forward and extended my hand to Orlan, who was sitting on the bed.
"My name is Ian. I'm Mr. Kernel's friend. Nice to meet you."
"Who are you?"
Huh? Is she still half-asleep?
What do you think about this chapter?
