novelxo
Chapter 157: Hero (2)
Some days after the public announcement aboard the spirit flying ship, Mira felt like she was attracting a lot more attention. But she just shrugged it off, assuming it was only momentary while people recalled her public appearance that day. But according to Ulysses, there was an even bigger reason for that.
Mira could understand the reasoning behind it, but she still felt bothered.
「Oh right, I was supposed to give you this too. I’m really sorry, I think my age is finally catching up to me.」
Ulysses turned around, as if suddenly remembering something, and picked up a decently sized envelope from his desk. He turned back to face Mira and handed the envelope to her with a serious look.
「No worries, no worries.」
Mira was there running that small errand, so she answered with a smile and took the envelope.
(Hmm, so this is the file Solomon mentioned. Somehow this feels more important than he made it seem though.)
She looked at it and noticed the envelope was sealed securely. There were three different wax seals, each with a different pattern. The other side of the envelope had Roseline’s national emblem printed in gold.
「Well, I’ll make sure to deliver it then.」
After taking a quick look at it, and thinking that it was a rather tacky envelope, she placed it inside her Item Box. That was all Solomon had asked her to do, so she got ready to leave as soon as she could.
「Ah, wait. Could you please sign this before you leave?」
Ulysses hurriedly took out a square white sheet from his desk and ran to cut Mira’s path off, handing it to her together with a pen.
「Ohh, right, I almost forgot. Sorry sorry.」
Since Solomon was involved with this, the contents of the envelope were likely very important. That meant the messenger had to leave his signature. Mira took the pen and muttered 「I have picked it up」 as she wrote her signature in the center of the sheet.
「And your fingerprint too, please.」
Ulysses checked the signature, then offered her a piece of cotton soaked in ink.
「Okay, is this a good place?」
Mira nodded and put some ink on her thumb, then pointed at a spot next to her signature. She waited until Ulysses nodded, and firmly pressed her thumb onto the sheet.
「Is that all?」
「Yes, that’s all. Sorry for holding you up.」
The sheet was signed and her small fingerprint was on it. Ulysses gave Mira a piece of cloth to wipe off the excess ink from her thumb, then looked at the signed sheet with a sparkle in his eyes, then looked more serious as he once again turned to look at Mira.
「Well, I’ll go deliver it then.」
Mira said as Ulysses took back the cloth with ink, shook Mira’s hand firmly, and said, 「Thank you again,」 with a quick bow.
That concluded the transferral of the documents. Now that her short errand was complete, Mira went out of the room, dreaming of the feast awaiting her in the castle. Ulysses remained in the room, hastily framing the signed sheet of paper, as well as the piece of cloth Mira used to wipe the ink off her thumb.
「The successor of the legendary hero. I’m sure she’ll become someone important one day, and this will become very valuable then. I have to celebrate!」
Ulysses went to another room annexed to the first, approaching a large shelf there while hugging the framed signature and smiling like a child. The shelf housed autographs of many famous adventurers, and well-known military generals. All packed snuggly on the shelf.
「I’m not washing my hands again today either!」
As Ulysses placed what had essentially become Mira’s autograph on the shelf, he recalled the feeling of Mira’s hand and decided to not let go of it for as long as he could. His eyes showed he did not mean that as a joke, but that he was dead serious.
Ulysses Teles Eabates had always wished to be a hero, like all those he admired. He always lived honestly and with a firm resolution, never showing any leniency towards crimes or injustice. That unwavering conviction was what pulled him and Solomon together.
Sometimes his admiration could become an obsession though, and he would make other merchants undergo complicated plans to acquire those autographs. This time the target of his admiration had visited him herself though, so he was able to obtain the autograph with little effort.
Mira was done with Solomon’s task in that place, so after leaving the chairman’s residence she summoned Garuda and climbed into the wagon. Then just as she was about to take off…
「…ra… Mira… Miiiraaaa!!」
Mira felt like someone was calling her name from far away.
「What’s happening?」
Mira stepped out wondering what that was, and saw a man running towards her with all his might, his face pale from the effort of carrying a large bag that hung from his shoulder, and a bundle on his back.
「Was that…」
Mira recoiled back into the wagon’s safety by instinct, but then she realized she had spoken with that man before.
「Hahh… Huff… I’m glad I made it on time…I think…」
His hair, breath, and clothes were disheveled. He was Lenoce, Ulysses’ grandson.
「It’s… been a while. Or well, more like a week, I guess.」
Lenoce struggled to catch his breath as he forced a smile and spoke to Mira.
「You helped me and Sasori back then, yes? What do you need from me?」
「Well, I’m sorry. This is something really selfish and non-consequential…」
When Mira asked that, Lenoce began apologizing, but quickly unloaded his bag and opened it with excitement.
Lenoce had brought a drawing board that barely fit in his arms. Usually they held paintings, but this one was empty, which Mira found rather curious. He held it forward to Mira, lowering his head as he loudly exclaimed, 「Could you give me your autograph?」
「…Ah, ahh. That’s what you wanted.」 Mira was left speechless for a moment, but then remembered what Sasori had told her about Lenoce before. He was enamored with the idea of heroes.1
The hottest topic in both Sentopolly and Roseline was the destruction of the evil organization Chimera Clauzen. Mira was a key member that allowed that to happen, so her name was catching on as well. She had become far more popular than she had realized.
Not to mention that as Ulysses had mentioned earlier, some even believed she was the successor of a legendary hero. Lenoce would definitely follow someone with such growing fame.
「This is pretty big… where should I write it?」
Mira was not really opposed to the idea of giving an autograph, so she took the pen Lenoce offered. He pointed at the center and said 「Here please」 after which Mira happily wrote her signature.
「Thank you very much! I’ll make sure to treasure it!」
She had wroten ‘Mira’ in the fanciest cursive letters she could draw. He thanked her profusely while promising to take care of it, then opened the bundle on his back.
「Umm… could I take a picture of you as well?!」
The bundle turned out to be a camera, of around the same size as his head. His eyes sparkled like those of a fan that met an idol or pop-star, his enthusiasm showing no signs of stopping. contemporary romance
「A picture… hmm, alright.」
Mira was getting in a good mood being showered with so much admiration, so she struck a pose while making sure that her wagon and Garuda were visible behind her.
「Thank you very much! You really are the best, Mira!」
Lenoce quickly prepared the camera while thanking Mira more, taking pictures from various angles. Hearing him made Mira feel even better, taking a more cocky attitude and saying things like, 「This will be the only time I do this though.」
And that was how Mira’s pictures in extravagant poses were captured in needlessly high resolution by Lenoce’s camera and added to his collection.
Silva: Like grandfather, like grandson eh?