{Chapter 42} Disguise
‘Indeed... I must have forgotten a lot of things, right?’
After that, Anna didn't feel like continuing her shopping.
She bought some small snacks and accessories before parting ways with Helga and Atala and heading home.
Looking at the red hairpin Helga had just bought for her, Anna felt inexplicably uncomfortable.
It wasn't physical discomfort, but rather a mental unease.
Although she didn't sense anything unusual and could still recall Helga's smiling face from their childhood, why did it feel like she had forgotten something very important?
Whenever she tried to recall that memory, her thoughts would drift elsewhere, as if forgetting that memory was "natural."
This feeling of being manipulated made Anna very uncomfortable.
"Ugh, so annoying."
Seeing the armor still on the rack, unmaintained, Anna felt a wave of irritation.
"The cooldown is still ticking..."
"...Whatever, I'll just wash up and sleep."
At this moment, Anna didn't have the patience to maintain the armor.
She was afraid she might snap the skirt armor's plates in frustration halfway through.
A rated melee professional, when angry or in a bad mood, can unconsciously channel a bit of magic into their punches.
With magic enhancement, even a weak woman could lift a millstone.
For a trained knight like Anna, breaking a three-millimeter armor plate with magic enhancement would be effortless.
After her shower, Anna lay in bed and quickly fell asleep.
Today was another dreamless night.
However, sleeping early meant waking up early.
At some unknown hour, Anna woke up.
Seeing the sky outside still dimly lit, the drowsy Anna glanced out the window before lying back down.
[Simulation starting]
Only a fool would go to work early in the morning. Might as well start a simulation and slack off!
...But since Anna hadn't yet investigated the branch head she didn't recognize, and the real-world events were similar to the simulation, she soon saw the same repeated ending.
[Simulation ended, calculating results...]
"...Can't even slack off properly."
Maybe digging out some hidden nighttime reading material would be better?
It's been a while since I last read them, so reading one or two wouldn't hurt...
‘Wait, Anna, what are you doing reading this kind of book early in the morning? Aren't you afraid you'll be distracted by the plot during patrol today?’
Just as her hand reached under the bed, Anna quickly pulled it back.
It wasn't that Anna was overly cautious.
Back in the academy, she had once read nighttime material in the morning and ended up restless during class.
When she returned, she hadn't even put the book away properly, and her roommate teased her about it all day.
‘So what can I do now?’
After lying in bed for a while, Anna suddenly thought of something.
It's probably around five or six in the morning.
Although it's not yet the shift change for the night shift, this is the time when adventurers start to become active.
It would be a good time to gather information about that adventurer branch head... wouldn't it?
Feeling idle, Anna jumped out of bed, no longer concerned about nighttime reading material, and immediately started rummaging through her wardrobe.
Fortunately, her academy uniform was still there.
With a simple makeup touch-up, a change of hairstyle, and a hood, she could easily pass as a mysterious knight academy apprentice out for training.
After spending about ten minutes on her disguise and feeling satisfied with her reflection in the mirror, Anna boldly left her house and headed towards the Adventurer's Guild.
There was only one Adventurer's Guild in town, located in the western part, not too far from Anna's home.
At least, Anna would pass by it on her way to and from work, and she often patrolled near it during her rounds.
Although Anna believed her disguise was nearly perfect, she still felt a bit uneasy.
After glancing at the Adventurer's Guild's entrance a few times, she walked over and pushed open the bar-style shutter door.
...Why a bar door? Because, aside from serving as a place for adventurers to register and accept quests, the Adventurer's Guild often doubled as a tavern.
Many alcoholics specifically came here to drink, as the guild offered higher-proof Baslan liquor.
Dealing with drunkards who caused a scene on the streets after drinking too much at the Adventurer's Guild was one of the headaches for border knights during night patrols.
"Welcome! Are you here for a drink or to register as an adventurer?"
As soon as she entered, a cheerful receptionist in a green uniform greeted her.
A receptionist doubling as a bartender was one of the unique features of the Adventurer's Guild.
"A drink, please. I'll have a water wine."
"Sure thing! Please wait at the bar~"
There weren't many people drinking this early in the morning, but the adventurer counter was quite busy, with a small queue forming.
"Hey, hey! No cutting in line! If anyone tries, I'll whack them with my staff!"
Anna even spotted Helga, holding her "staff" in one hand and a quest slip in the other.
"Your water wine."
A glass of wine that looked almost like water, except for the faint bubbles, was placed in front of Anna.
"Thank you." Anna nodded and took a small sip.
Although it looked like plain water with some bubbles, the distilled water wine had a surprisingly rich flavor.
Its taste would even evolve over time as it was exposed to air, developing more unique notes.
People who came to the tavern to kill time often ordered a glass of water wine, which could last them an hour.
However, water wine was also quite expensive, not just because of its production process and ingredients, but also because not every tavern could tolerate someone sitting there for an hour with just one drink.
After sliding a gold coin across the counter, Anna handed another gold coin as a tip to the receptionist, putting on the airs of a wealthy patron:
"Excuse me, could you tell me the name of the branch head of this town's Adventurer's Guild?"
"The branch head's name?" The receptionist paused for a moment, then smiled.
"Ah, so you're a knight attendant from the capital, right? If you're just here to register your records, you can go to the counter over there."
"No, I'm just here to deliver a letter. Once I'm done, I'll leave. The person who sent me only told me to deliver the letter to the branch head here. They didn't even give me the branch head's name or address..."
"Oh..." The receptionist didn't think much of it, as such requests weren't uncommon.
Besides, the branch head's name and address weren't exactly top-secret information.
"The branch head's name is Alphonso Caolius Vespanius Caolius Vespanius."
...The name Alphonso sounded somewhat familiar to Anna, but the surname's structure... Was this branch head from the royal family?