Published: August 10, 2026
The man turned around at the sound of my voice.
Ah, I knew it!
"—H-Hadwell?!"
Lord Cyrus rushed over. I nodded vigorously.
Right, Lord Cyrus had only heard rumors about Hadwell's features; they had never met in person.
As for me, I had only met him once as well, but even so, I could never forget that appearance. Not just his hair or build—this man's face was striking too. To put it bluntly, it was terrifying. Thick black eyebrows, golden eyes, and lips pressed together in a way that made him look perpetually ill-tempered, as though a ferocious beast might bare its fangs at any moment...
Ah, but more importantly, why?
Why would the Oracle merchant be here, in the royal capital's Central Market... and in a children's toy shop of all places, browsing the shelves?
I was so confused I couldn't even speak, and Hadwell remained silent as well. Lord Cyrus stepped between us.
"You're Hadwell, then. A pleasure to meet you. My name is Cyrus Granado. I am the master of granado trading company."
Lord Cyrus was also very tall. Standing side by side, the two of them looked like two beasts on the verge of a fight. I could only tremble and back away.
Hadwell did not respond to Lord Cyrus's greeting. He only stared at him in silence.
Lord Cyrus's irritation showed plainly.
"What, nothing to say? I heard you had plenty to say to Marie while I was away. And to Thomas as well... I'm not asking whether meeting you here is coincidence or fate. What I want to know is something more important. I'll pry it out of you if I have to."
His voice was quiet, but so low it seemed to crawl across the floor. Thick veins stood out on his clenched fist.
Scary. I knew Lord Cyrus was strong, but seeing Hadwell's build, I couldn't relax. And if a fight broke out in a place like this...
A place like this—yes, a toy shop for children—what on earth was the jewel merchant Hadwell doing here?
In the heavy silence, Hadwell's lips parted slightly. From that mouth, with its surprisingly neat, white teeth, came a sound like the gate of hell opening—Hadwell's voice.
"...Me... words, no understand."
"Eh?"
"...Listen, understand. Little only. Slowly, you, okay?"
............
Oh, I see. Come to think of it, he had brought a translator named Yan. Hadwell wasn't good with dilz language; he could manage to understand it somewhat, but speaking was nearly impossible for him.
Lord Cyrus still didn't seem to fully grasp the situation, and with a stern expression he pressed on.
"Where's your interpreter? If you really can't speak dilz language, there's no way you'd be wandering around alone."
"Yan... small. My eyes, high. Don't enter eyes. ...Gone."
"You were together at first, but got separated while walking through the crowd at the market?"
When I asked, Hadwell nodded silently. Somehow, he actually looked a little happy.
"Inn, far. Without Yan, impossible. What should I do?"
I-I see?
So he was lost all by himself in a foreign land where he didn't understand the language, and had no idea what to do.
It seemed he had been completely stuck, and when he saw my face—his supposed enemy's face—he actually looked relieved.
"You, Oracle language, can? If yes, I happy."
"Eh... ah... s-sorry. I can only read and write..."
"...I too... little only."
Lord Cyrus also said, sounding somewhat apologetic.
"............I see..."
Hadwell lifted his head and gazed off into the distance.
Though of course, given how tall he was, the toy shop ceiling was right in front of his face anyway.
"...What should I do?"
What could he do? In this situation, there was nothing to be done, and yet it would feel awkward to simply part ways. There was the matter of business enmity, yes, but on a personal level, I couldn't bear to leave this giant lost child alone.
For now, I asked the shop owner for some paper and a pen. I could manage simple writing. Maybe we could communicate in Oracle language by writing notes.
I wrote, "What are you doing here?"
When I handed him the note, Hadwell seemed to understand immediately and wrote back.
"Waiting for Yan"