TERNLF Vol. 2 Chapter 1 Part 1

Full title: The Exiled Reincarnated Noble Lives Freely

Note: If you found any typos/mistakes, pls write them in the comment. Thanks.

Translator: Canon

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◆ Chapter 1 ◆

At sunrise, we left our camp and reached the city before noon. After parting ways with the merchant who had looked after us, we began searching for an inn to rest our travel-worn bodies.

This city of Loch served as a vital hub for commerce in the northern reaches of the kingdom, drawing merchants, travelers, and adventurers from every direction.

Thanks to that, inns were plentiful, and finding one wasn’t difficult as long as we didn’t get too picky.

We still had a decent amount of funds left, courtesy of the travel money Glaas had given us.

With that in mind, I had planned for us to take separate rooms for men and women—

“Don’t waste money on something that extravagant,” Nikka scolded me.

And just like that, we ended up renting only one room.

I’d be lying if the thoughts of “sharing the same bed with two girls” and “how thrilling!” didn’t flash across my mind for a fleeting instant.

But in the end, sleep triumphed over such foolish delusions.

The moment we entered the room, I told Nikka and the others not to wake me and dove headfirst onto the bed, drifting off almost instantly.

◆　◇　◆　◇　◆

“Hey, that’s the ‘treasure’, right?”

“Yeah, no doubt. Matches the drawing we were given, down to the last detail.”

“Matches.”

Amid the lively bustle of Loch’s town square, three men sat together in a tavern overlooking the plaza.

Despite the hour being barely past noon, the table before them was already lined with large tankards, which they emptied one after another in hearty gulps.

“Still, can we really trust such a shady story?”

“What’s the point in thinkin’ about it, huh?”

“Yeah. Pointless.”

The square of Loch, known as the heart of trade routes, hosted one of the largest markets in all of Preasole Kingdom.

The marketplace teemed daily with goods brought from across the world. It was not only a paradise for customers seeking rare finds but also a place where merchants struck major business deals.

“A once-in-a-lifetime ‘treasure’, boys. Don’t screw this up.”

“Don’t worry, we’re all set.”

“Got the sack ready. We’ll bag it fast.”

Their voices were swallowed by the clamor of the market; only they could hear each other.

Had anyone nearby overheard them, the city guards would likely have been called already.

“Oi. The ‘treasure’ is on the move.”

“Finally! Thought I’d die waitin’.”

“Waited long enough.”

As soon as they saw their ‘treasure’ leaving the marketplace for another location, the three men rose from their seats in unison.

“Hey! We’re leavin’ the money right here!” the leader shouted loud enough to cut through the commotion.

“Idiot, you’re too loud.”

“Too loud.”

The two followers hissed from behind, trying to rein him in.

“Relax, our target didn’t hear a thing.”

Ignoring their protests, the leader slapped a few coins down on the table with a heavy clank.

“Let’s move,” he said, striding out of the tavern.

The other two hurried after him, and together they pushed through the throng, tailing their target without hesitation.

“Hold up. Any closer and we’ll be spotted.”

After a short dash, the leader halted, and the three lined up beside one another; they had caught up to their ‘treasure’.

“From here, stick to the plan.”

“Got it.”

“Leave it to me.”

At his signal, the other two split off in separate directions.

“Heh. Lucky us, the target’s headin’ down a quiet alley.”

Ahead of them, the ‘treasure’ turned off the bustling street into a narrow back lane.

The leader followed, keeping his distance as he closed in.

“That guy’s intel was spot-on,” he muttered.

Even in the busiest of cities, there were always blind spots; places just beyond the edges of public sight.

And it was the very moment their ‘treasure’ stepped into such a blind spot that—

“Wh-What are you people!?”

“Quiet.”

“Shut his mouth.”

“Put the sack on.”

The three men seized their ‘treasure’ and disappeared from the alley, leaving no trace behind.

◆　◇　◆　◇　◆

“Mmm... that was a good sleep.”

Judging by the sunlight streaming through the window, I must have slept for quite a while—

the sun was already setting beyond the horizon.

“I guess I haven’t been sleeping well lately.”

Back in the royal capital, I’d been constantly on edge, wary that remnants of Duke Bafel’s faction might strike out in revenge.

Even after leaving the capital, I could never rest easy; whether from the fear of pursuers or monsters, there hadn’t been a single night of truly peaceful sleep.

“Maybe being this far from the capital finally made me lower my guard a bit.”

I climbed out of bed and glanced around the room.

The belongings I’d half-heartedly tossed aside before sleeping were now neatly stacked in the corner together with Nikka and Grassa’s things.

However, neither of the girls were anywhere in sight.

“Where did the two of them go?”

I turned toward the other bed where they had been sleeping, but of course, it was empty.

“I told them not to wander around... they shouldn’t have gone outside.”

A twinge of unease stirred in my chest as I moved toward the door to look for them.

“Hm?”

Just then, as if perfectly timed with my movement, I heard the click of a key turning.

The door opened, and Nikka stepped inside.

“Oh, Toa! You’re awake!”

“Good evening, Nikka. Where have you been?”

At my question, she looked a little uneasy, then took a breath and answered with resolve.

“I was waiting for someone in the lobby.”

“Waiting for someone? You mean... you had plans to meet someone here?”

I hadn’t heard anything from the two of them about meeting anyone in this city.

Could they have arranged something without telling me?

“That’s not it... actually—”

Sensing the suspicion on my face, Nikka hurried to explain the situation.

After I’d fallen asleep, she and Grassa had spent some time tidying their luggage and chatting.

They’d thought that once I woke up, the three of us could go out to have a meal together, but since I showed no signs of waking, they started to worry that I might sleep through the night entirely.

“Toa, you looked really exhausted. So Grassa and I thought, instead of making you go out, maybe we could cook something nice for you right here.”

That was when the problem came up, namely, the inn I’d chosen.

For the sake of security, I’d picked a place that avoided unnecessary visitors, meaning it had no tavern or dining hall attached.

It did, however, have a small kitchen area on the first floor for guests who wanted to cook for themselves.

Unfortunately, we hadn’t stopped by any food stalls or markets on our way here, so we had no ingredients on hand.

And since I’d specifically told the girls not to leave the inn, they couldn’t just go shopping.

While the two girls were discussing what to do in the lobby—

“Is something the matter?” someone asked them.

It turned out to be a young traveler who had just come through the lobby; a boy around their age with a pleasant, almost cute face.

He introduced himself as Cheki.

He had been about to head to the market when he noticed the two girls looking troubled and couldn’t help but approach them to offer help.

“Then how about I go and buy it for you instead?”

That was Cheki’s suggestion.

At first, Grassa and Nikka had planned to refuse.

However, after realizing they truly had no other option, they decided to accept his offer and handed him a shopping list, along with some money.

It might sound reckless, but according to Nikka, Cheki didn’t seem like the kind of person who would do anything suspicious.

Still, he declined to take their money, saying—

“Just tell me your budget. I’ll get whatever I can within that range, and you can pay me back after I return. You’d feel uneasy giving money to a total stranger, right?”

After hearing their approximate budget, Cheki said, “I’ll be back by evening,” and left the inn.

I glanced toward the window.

The sky that had once been dyed by sunset was now fading into darkness.

The promised evening had long since passed…

“So, Cheki hasn’t come back yet?”

“No. Do you think something happened to him?”

“Hard to say. Maybe he’s just having too much fun browsing the market and lost track of time.”

The market in Loch was famous for displaying rare goods that ordinary merchants never carried.

It wasn’t impossible that he got distracted wandering from stall to stall.

“I hope that’s all it is.”

“Something’s bothering you?”

“Not exactly... It’s just, he didn’t seem like the kind of person who’d forget a promise and go off playing.”

Hmm.

I hadn’t met this traveler myself, but if Nikka said that, then she likely had a good read on him.

“He’s probably fine, but if you’re that worried, how about we go look for him?”

“Would you really?”

“Of course. I’d feel guilty if something happened to him after he went out of his way to help us.”

After all, the boy had offered to help because of my meal.

While Loch wasn’t a particularly dangerous city, it was a gathering point for people from both the kingdom and abroad.

There was no guarantee Cheki hadn’t gotten caught up in some kind of trouble.

Nikka and I went down to the lobby, where Grassa was waiting.

“If we’re going to look for him, I’ll need to know what he looks like: how tall he is, what he was wearing, that sort of thing.”

“Hmm, let’s see... He was about my height.”

“His hair was short, about the same length as Grassa’s, and he was wearing a rather unusual hat,” Nikka added.

Dipping her fingertip in water from her flask, she traced the shape of the hat on the table.

It had a small brim and a rounded crown—something that resembled what, in my previous life, would’ve been called a casket cap or a newsboy hat.

“And his clothes?”

“Umm... let me think...”

From what the two described, his outfit went like this:knee-length blue shorts, a white long-sleeved shirt, and an open khaki vest over it.

On his head, a white-and-black checkered casket cap.

It was rather light attire for a traveler in this world, but he had probably changed out of his travel gear after arriving at the inn.

As for his facial features, they said he had a cute, boyish look, with slightly large eyes and fair skin, apparently even lighter than Nikka’s.

Though by now, the streets were dark enough that such details might not help much in finding him.

“Got it. That should be enough to go on. Let’s head out.”

It would’ve saved us the trouble if he had returned while we were still talking, but there was still no sign of him.

I wasn’t sure how late the market stayed open, but it couldn’t possibly run deep into the night.

The streets wouldn’t be pitch black; thanks to magic lamps, the town stayed dimly lit even after sundown.

Still, the plaza where the market was held had only a few streetlights, not nearly enough to illuminate the whole area. Most merchants would have already packed up before dark.

Unlike the world I once knew, this one wasn’t exactly known for its safety.

The city guards patrolled regularly, but even they couldn’t see into every shadow.

Any traveler worth his salt knew that wandering alone after dark was practically suicidal.

And yet, the boy still hadn’t returned. That, without question, was alarming.

“We have to find him before the sun’s completely gone.”

“Agreed.”

“I’m ready.”

And so, as twilight gave way to night, the three of us stepped out into the streets of Loch, searching for a single missing boy.

—

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