The flavor of autumn, tempura.
The customers were different from usual. Shinobu noticed this as soon as she put up the noren.
It was hard to put into words, but they were a little rougher than usual. The guard duo and the company commander hadn’t shown their faces, either.
Holger, looking as if it were the most natural thing in the world, occupied a corner of the counter, eating yakisoba and drinking beer. In Holger’s hand was the amulet he had received from Ingrid a few days earlier.
Nobuyuki had suggested that they have someone look at it to see what kind of history it had. However, they didn’t know who to ask. The amulet was beautifully decorated, so Holger was the one chosen.
“Sorry, but I have no idea. Only someone in that field would know. Like a curse-caster, or even a witch.”
It certainly made sense when he put it that way, but Shinobu didn’t know any curse-casters or witches.
The closest person she could think of was Ingrid, the pharmacist, but she couldn’t very well ask her to appraise something she had given them.
“Speaking of which, Holger-san, is something going on today?”
Shinobu asked, looking around the noisier-than-usual interior.
“Ah, it was news even to the council, but it seems the Archbishop is here. He’ll be staying here for a while, they say.”
When she heard the word “Archbishop,” Eva looked surprised. Hermina seemed to know, as she looked a little troubled. Shinobu only had a vague impression of him as someone important in the church.
“With such a big shot coming, the guards are fully mobilized. The council, caught off guard by the sudden news, kicked all the unsavory characters out of the main street.”
Perhaps reacting to the words “unsavory characters,” a group of drunken customers at a table glared sharply at Holger. However, he didn’t seem to mind.
So, that’s it. The less respectable customers who had been chased off the main street were taking refuge on Coachman’s Lodge Alley.
Shinobu was disheartened to hear that the Archbishop would be staying for a while.
It meant that these kinds of customers wouldn’t just be strutting around Coachman’s Lodge Alley today.
“So, why is Deacon Edwin here?”
Suddenly addressed, Edwin, at the counter, choked.
He thanked Hermina, who hurriedly rubbed his back, but he seemed intent on remaining silent about why he was drinking hot sake with vinegared octopus as a snack at a tavern when his superiors from the church were present. Most likely, he either didn’t like the Archbishop, or had been kicked out for being a nuisance, or something like that.
As she was carrying the ordered grilled sardines to another customer, a shriek came from the table area.
It was Hermina.
“Hey! What do you think you’re doing!”
When Shinobu raised her voice, the thug who had grabbed Hermina’s wrist formed a lewd smile with only his mouth.
“The drinks and snacks are excellent, but I thought the serving was a bit too cold. I was being kind enough to teach this young lady how to pour drinks.”
“Don’t be ridiculous! This isn’t that kind of establishment!”
“Oh, scary, scary. So, what kind of establishment is it? Is a run-down tavern on Coachman’s Lodge Alley such a grand place?”
With a glance, Shinobu saw that Nobuyuki was already coming out from behind the counter with the thickest rolling pin. Holger had also stood up at some point and was rolling up his sleeves.
It was a truly explosive atmosphere.
“Hold on a minute.”
But the voice came from an unexpected place. It was a young man who had been drinking quietly at the far end of the table area.
His blond hair was tied back like a horse’s tail, and he even had stubble on his face. By all appearances, he looked like a playboy.
Translator’s Note
Clearly the author means a ponytail but it was written exactly as such so I’m leaving it literal in case it’s relevant later.
“What, kid? You wanna go?”
“You should drink a little more quietly. Don’t you think?”
With that, the young man twisted the thug’s arm and, without much effort, threw him to the ground. It was a quick move, as if he were used to it.
He moved to protect Hermina by placing himself between her and the ruffian, and then he let out a small whistle.
“Bastard, you’re looking down on us!”
The thug’s companions rose from the table.
But the blond young man remained calm. He looked as if he were about to start humming a tune.
“Drop dead! You bastard!”
“Not ‘you bastard.’ Even a good-for-nothing like me has a name, Arnoux, given to me by my parents. I’d appreciate it if you could call me that.”
“Don’t mess with us!”
However, the thug who had tried to punch Arnoux suddenly fell to the floor.
Shinobu could see that Arnoux had used the opponent’s momentum to make him fall.
It was closer to Aikido than Judo.
Shinobu covered Eva’s head, thinking there would be a brawl, but it didn’t seem like that would happen.
The difference in skill between the thugs and Arnoux was vast.
Moreover, behind the hesitant thugs, Holger, cracking his knuckles with a smile, and Nobuyuki, quietly seething with anger, were waiting.
“D-damn it! You’ll pay for this!”
“I thought he was a third-rate thug, but even his escape line is third-rate. I wish he had at least one redeeming quality.”
Hermina bowed deeply to Arnoux, who was dusting off his pants.
“Um, thank you very much.”
“No, no. I just did what anyone would have done.”
Arnoux’s sweet voice and gestures were theatrical, but each one was beautiful.
He wasn’t Shinobu’s type, but Eva seemed to be fascinated.
“Anyway, thank you for your help. Um, it was Arnoux-san, right?”
“No, was it Shinobu-san? I wish I could have settled things more peacefully, but I’m sorry for causing a disturbance.”
“As a token of our gratitude, the drinks are on the house today.”
“Oh no, I’ll just take your kind thoughts. Despite my appearance, I’m capable of earning my own keep.”
When he said that, there was nothing more she could say.
She looked at Nobuyuki, who just shrugged slightly.
Hermina was also at a loss for words.
In the midst of this, Eva quietly took the amulet from Holger’s seat.
“Taisho, how about giving this to Arnoux-san as a gift?”
“An amulet? But I wonder if he’ll accept it.”
“My grandpa used to say that playboys like to be superstitious, so they like amulets and charms.”
“Huh, is that so?”
Narrowing his eyes for a moment at the amulet handed to him by Eva, Nobuyuki carefully presented it to Arnoux.
“One of our shop girls says so, would you mind accepting it?”
“If that’s the case, I’d be delighted to.”
Arnoux accepted the amulet with the politeness of a well-bred young master, and bowed to Eva, Hermina, and Shinobu.
“In the north, they say there are three goddesses of fortune. An amulet given by a goddess must be very effective.”
It was a pretentious line, but when this man said it, it had a strange charm.
However, Holger and Edwin had quickly returned to their drinks.
“Well, let’s put that matter to rest. Someone at another table was eating it earlier, but I’d like to try the ‘tempura’?”
“Yes, right away!”
Before Shinobu could finish her reply, Nobuyuki had already started cooking.