The place Marvin brought me to was the most famous portrait artist in the city.
As expected from someone famous, the line was long, and it seemed like it would take a while for our turn to come.
Seeing me in trouble, Marvin acted quickly.
"We are from the Myers regional army. We are on official business, so please bear with us."
"Oh, yes..."
Even though they were from the Empire's military, they couldn't act arrogantly.
Marvin used the excuse of being on official business to cut in line, but not really.
What a useful free pass.
"Sigh... It's such a busy time..."
As soon as the portrait artist saw us, his expression soured.
Not only did he openly sigh heavily, but his attitude was also quite unfriendly.
It seems that as your fame grows, so does your arrogance.
Ignoring the grumbling artist, Marvin approached him first.
"I want you to draw a wanted poster. I heard you're the best artist in the city?"
"Yes, but as skilled as I am, the price is pretty high. Do you have enough money?"
It was clear he didn't want to draw it.
Marvin didn't seem to catch the hidden meaning in his words and looked at me for a sign.
When I nodded, Marvin turned back to the artist and asked again.
"I will pay the proper price. Please tell me the amount."
"Well... it depends on how detailed the drawing is. The price can vary greatly."
"I need a criminal's face. Naturally, it must resemble the real thing."
"Haha, for that, you'll need to pay 50 gold coins."
"50 coins?! Are you joking? A portrait of someone's face costs no more than 5 gold coins!"
"Oh, come on, I'm not joking. You see all those pictures hanging? If I spend the time drawing a criminal's face, I could easily make 50 gold coins by drawing a few erotic pictures."
Come to think of it, all the pictures hanging were erotic.
In this world, it's probably the only kind of request an artist like this would get.
While I was looking at the pictures, Marvin raised his voice.
"How dare you try to scam the Imperial army! I won't pay more than five gold coins for a portrait!"
"No, scam? Hey, do you know I'm on close terms with the captain of the regional army? Should I ask him? Whether this is a scam or not?"
What gave him the guts to speak like that, I wondered, but it turned out that was the reason.
What a typical portrait artist, boasting about his connection to a captain of a small army.
He probably thought the captain was a big deal, but there are so many captains in the army that it doesn't matter much.
At that moment, Marvin's eyes changed.
"What is the name of that captain?"
"Hah! Why? Are you going to verify if he's really my brother?"
"I will punish the fool who, as a member of the Imperial army, looks at erotic pictures. Tell me his name now."
"Eh...? Punish... me?"
Now the artist seemed to understand the situation.
His eyes darted around.
Well, it was probably clear enough now.
I passed Marvin and walked up to the artist.
"Do you finally get the situation?"
"Ugh?! Ah, Arahan!"
The artist immediately lowered his head and avoided eye contact.
It was probably because of the rumor that if you make eye contact, you die.
He must not have known what was happening in the city because he was too busy drawing erotic pictures.
"You seem a little slow to catch on."
"I've committed a grave sin! Please spare me just this once!"
"Just draw the wanted poster. Whether you live or die depends on the quality of the drawing."
"Yes, yes! I'll get it ready right away!"
"But how much is the drawing?"
"Oh, fifty..."
"50 gold coins? For a single drawing? Really?"
"Oh, no... fifty silver coins..."
"Really? That's cheaper than I thought. You're an honest artist, huh?"
"Haha... One should live honestly. Haha."
I'll give him credit for his quick thinking.
Since 100 silver coins equal one gold coin, I essentially paid half a gold coin for the drawing.
As I shrugged at Marvin, he lowered his head slightly, looking a bit embarrassed.
"J-Just, it's ready."
The artist carefully brought over a brush and paper.
I clearly remembered Lacto's face, but the one I was drawing wasn't Lacto's.
"Black hair with sharp eyes."
"Yes, yes."
"A flat nose and thick lips."
"What about the outfit or body type?"
"You figure that out."
"Yes, sir!"
Anyway, a single portrait wouldn't capture Lacto. He would probably be in disguise.
In fact, even if he got caught, it would be problematic. He was being hunted for treason. If he got caught by the Imperial army, it would be a miracle if they didn't shoot him on the spot.
At that time, no matter the investigator's symbol, Lacto wouldn't be protected.
That's why I had to catch Lacto while deceiving the Imperial army.
To do that, I needed to make Lacto come to me on his own.
This portrait was just a bait.
"It's done. Does it look like the criminal...?"
"Good job. Very well done."
"Hahaha... I'm relieved."
I tossed the artist a gold coin.
While he scrambled to collect the change, I handed the drawing to Marvin and said,
"Can you use copying magic?"
"The wizards at the headquarters can definitely do it."
"Then copy this drawing and post it around Myers city. The bounty is 500 gold coins."
"500...?"
"We need to catch him as soon as possible."
"That's true, but..."
It doesn't matter how much it costs. The face in the drawing isn't the real criminal.
The bigger the bounty, the more people will report.
More traffic means Lacto will be able to approach easily.
That's all I was aiming for.
"Also, write a message on the posters."
Now, we just had to wait after setting the trap.
In Myers, gossip was never-ending.
As soon as the fake bride incident ended, an explosion occurred, and on top of that, a bounty of 500 gold coins was posted for a wanted criminal.
People gathered around the bulletin board, chatting away.
"Wow! How evil must this guy be to get 500 gold coins? With that money, you could rise in status!"
"Do you think it's that easy to become a noble? 500 gold coins aren't nearly enough. Maybe 2,000 would do."
"Someone who can't even make 10 gold coins a year is talking about becoming a noble. I don't care if I can't be a noble, I just wish I could touch that money."
As predicted by Zed, people were paying attention to the large bounty.
Among them, some were rushing to report people who looked similar to the criminal.
"Didn't the informant say to meet at the big tree by the south gate?"
"Oh, that's close from here."
"And what's this? If they don't catch the criminal in three days, they'll search the whole city?"
"And it says they'll block all exits. If you're unlucky, there might be a bloody storm."
Lacto, hiding in the crowd, was checking the bulletin.
He focused on the last name written on the list.
'Zed Arahan...'
It was the Arahan he had met in front of the clothing store.
He must have seen his face, but the wanted poster depicted someone completely different.
Something was very off.
'Did I mistake him for someone else? No, that can't be...'
Lacto shook his head.
Zed Arahan had survived the fake bride incident and the explosion.
Although they hadn't met directly, Lacto could tell Zed wasn't an ordinary person.
Moreover, the boy named Liwu had been searching for a man with a monocle and white hair.
'He knows who I am. The wanted poster was deliberately drawn differently.'
But why?
No answer came to mind, but one thing was certain.
He had no intention of turning him over to the Imperial army.
'If he wanted to turn me in, he wouldn't have posted the bounty.'
From a fugitive's perspective, the bounty was more like a signal to run quickly.
It meant this city wasn't safe.
'Could he have used the soldiers?'
When you think about it, yes.
It would have been impossible to post the posters all over the city alone.
If he used the soldiers to post them everywhere, it meant he wanted me to notice.
'Maybe... he wants to meet me?'
After much thought, Lacto reached a single conclusion.
Zed Arahan wanted to meet him without being caught by the Imperial army.
He didn't know why, but Lacto knew one thing for sure — Zed had no intention of turning him in.
So,
'It wouldn't hurt to meet him...'
As long as his safety was ensured, there was no reason not to meet.
Lacto looked toward the south gate of the city, where people were already gathering to report.
He thought that if he hid in the crowd, he could avoid any unexpected situations.
'What his intentions are, I'll find out when I meet him.'
Lacto made his way toward the south gate.
It was a bold decision for someone who was usually cautious.
But it was made because he was tired of running.
He had no idea how many cities he'd been to by now.
All he had done was hide and breathe for so long.
He was worn out from those years.
And, deep down, he had a thought.
Maybe it was time to end this life.
Even if he had to deceive himself, he wanted to meet Zed.
'I've lived long enough. I have no more regrets.'
Lacto hid among the informants and scanned the surroundings.
He could see the regional soldiers, but Zed was nowhere to be found.
Lacto raised his heels to get a better look.
And then, it happened.
"Your disguise is exceptional."
"?!"
The mysterious voice came from behind.
Lacto froze, startled, and tried to run, but his feet were stuck as more words followed.
"Act natural. If you draw attention, the soldiers will swarm."
"...Who are you?"
"Zed Arahan. It's an honor to finally meet you."
"...Why did you seek me out?"
"Let's move to a quieter place first. Follow me."
Zed was wearing a long cloak with the hood pulled up.
Lacto hesitated for a moment, but since there was no hostility, he decided to follow.
Once they reached an empty area, Zed removed his hood and formally introduced himself.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Zed, the seventh son of the Arahan family."
"..."
"I already know your name. Lacto Cherbille, correct?"
Lacto looked into Zed's red eyes for the first time.
The Cherbille family had never traded with the Arahan family.
Most mages would bow to get their hands on Cherbille's magical tools, but the Arahan family wasn't interested in that.
The Arahan family had always believed that those like them, the top families, should be grateful to use their magical tools.
Even the once-proud Cherbille family resented the Arahan family's attitude and had never made a deal.
'As expected, as the rumors say. Amazing...'
Zed's eyes were filled with mystery.
Just looking into them sparked the forgotten artistic passion of a blacksmith in Lacto's heart. They were both beautiful and overwhelming.
"Why did you seek me out?"
Lacto, staring into his eyes, slowly spoke.
Zed took a step closer and answered politely.
"I would like to hire you as a master craftsman for the Arahan family."
"...What?"
"Horses are born to run, and swords are made to be used. As the only heir of the Cherbille family, what will you live for?"
"But my family..."
"I know about the false charges. I will clear the long-standing accusations against the Cherbille family."
"Ah..."
Clearing the long-standing charges. No longer living as a criminal.
It was a wish Lacto had longed for.
The dream he had buried deep within his heart, too old and worn out to bring back.
"The best craftsman should make magical tools for the best family. That way, the Cherbille family's techniques will be passed down to future generations, and history will continue. I believe that is the mission given to you."
Lacto sighed briefly.
Under the darkening evening sky.
Zed's red eyes glowed brightly.