Rebirth in a Ruined Nation! The Life of a New Strategist Starting From Now - Chapter 37

Drifting Ship Disturbance (3) – The Movement of the Star

After I declined Zodia’s request, she didn’t press the issue and easily shifted the subject of our conversation.

The lord eventually stood up.

“My apologies, but I need to rest now because I will be busy with festival preparations tomorrow.”

Oh, I didn’t realize how much time had passed. I thanked the lord for his kindness and informed him of our intention to depart town the next morning. The lord exited the room after we exchanged a quick farewell.

Rufa then said, “I’m also sleepy,” and exited the room.

Zodia lifted her glass to me as I was contemplating what I should do now that the two have left.

“Would you two mind accompanying me for a little while longer? I wanted to discuss about my other work with you two from now on.”

Let’s exchange some information, huh.

“Is it fine if I tell her about you?” I questioned Wickharlt.

Wickharlt responded with a nod.

I turned to Zodia with Wickharlt’s permission.

“All right, let’s talk. The price of our information will be information about Gorber Kingdom, particularly information on a specific individual. Please let us know if you have any information on him.”

“I’m okay with that term, but…Roa-sama, you appear to understand the trade rules with a travelling troupe like ours. May I inquire where you learned it?”

I learnt it from a particular traveling troupe with whom I was traveling in the far future…I couldn’t tell her that.

“That information will be very expensive.”

Zodia laughed at my response.

“Such information should undoubtedly come at a high price. I apologize for my impoliteness.”

Well then, let’s get started.

I told her of the battle at Hakusha Plain.

“…I see, and because of that, Wickharlt-sama came to admire you and decided to swear his loyalty to you. That’s a fascinating story. A brave knight who swore his loyalty after being saved. I feel as if I was hearing a fairy tale. But seeing Wickharlt-sama’s attitude toward you, it’s clear that you’re telling the truth. Well then, I wonder if I have information of an equivalent value to that…”

Although her words said she wasn’t confident, but her expression told me otherwise. 

“How about information about Sakuri? Do you know anything about him?”

Zodia froze, her expression unchanged.

“Really, you…Who exactly are you?”

Her smile was considerably more guarded this time. I simply grinned.

“That information will be very expensive.”

We exchanged a smile while silently looking at each other.

Zodia was the first to break the silence.

“To be honest, I was not expecting to hear that name in this country.”

“Does that mean you know something about him?”

“I do, but I believe your information is insufficient to be exchanged with that information.”

As expected. Well, Sakuri was a strategist that the Gorber Kingdom had been attempting to hide. I’d be content with information that could prove his existence, and Zodia appeared to know something about him. I wanted to find out everything I could about him from Zodia.

But I didn’t have anything important enough to pay her for that information. I couldn’t tell her about the canned food project, nor could I tell her about the Empire ship.

Zodia opened her mouth just as I was attempting to think of a solution.

“I’d want to make a request. I will provide you with the information you want if you are able to fulfill my request.”

“Please tell me your request.”

“I want to divine your future. It’s truly rare to see someone with a star like yours.”

I thought she’d given up on that, but I see she hasn’t.

I had to refuse because I was kind of scared of others divining my future, but now that it has become like this, I wouldn’t refuse. I mean, the result of her divination about me was almost certainly going to be boring. At best, she’d tell me I was luckier than others. After all, I had enough luck to flee the burning palace.

“I will accept your request.”

Zodia responded with a beaming smile when I agreed. Was this her objective from the beginning?

Zodia was a better negotiator than I was.

“Then I’ll begin.”

She enthusiastically brought out an octagonal crystal that was swaying as it was linked to a chain as she stated this.

“Roa-sama, please just stay like that.”

Even though she told me just to stay like this, I was still nervous.

Zodia didn’t seem to have noticed my anxiety since she just gazed at the crystal with a serious expression.

“…No way…”

Zodia’s murmuring echoed in the quiet room.

Seeing her response made me anxious.

“Zodia-san…?”

“I apologize. Your fortune is not terrible in any way. It’s just…I’ve never seen something like this before…”

No matter how uninterested I was before, seeing her reaction made me curious.

“What exactly did you see?”

“…I’m not sure how to explain this…It’s the opposite.”

“The opposite?”

“Normally, the star will rotate slowly from right to left. I can divine someone’s fortune and misfortune by observing the light path the star left as it moved, but your star…”

Is rotating from left to right.

“To be more precise, the star that has been rotating in the opposite direction has now slowed down and is attempting to revert to its normal rotation… I apologize. It’s the first time I’ve seen anything like this, so I don’t know a better way to explain it.”

Zodia’s remarks struck a realization within me.

The star that was rotating in the other direction… reflected how I went back in time.

Zodia sighed after looking at her crystal for a little longer.

“I’ve gained valuable experience. Thank you very much. Then it’s time for me to pay.”

T/N: If the star that was rotating in the opposite direction represents how Roa return to the past, then when the star starts turning in the correct direction…does that mean Roa successfully created a new ‘future’?