The Baddest Villainess Is Back - Chapter 87
As the scent of burning tickled her nose, Roxelyn responded with a delayed answer and lifted her head.
What she saw was a middle-aged man in a worn tunic, looking weary with sparse facial hair.
The man, clenching a tobacco leaf between his lips, seemed utterly unkempt at first glance.
His clothes were disheveled, his belt loose, and his gaze languid.
It appeared he was too lazy to cut his hair; strands stuck out everywhere, gathered carelessly into a short ponytail, exuding a lack of effort.
The skilled way he inhaled the potent tobacco suggested he was a heavy smoker.
Roxelyn’s eyes widened ever so slightly.
She knew this man.
“Really?”
“Yes, really.”
Roxelyn, trying to hide her perturbation, tensed her face to keep her expression stern as she replied.
The man glanced down at Roxelyn and waved his hand lightly.
“Well, that’s good, then.”
Solid muscles were visible beneath the tunic.
He scratched his head as if annoyed, waved his hand casually, and with the other hand shoved in his pocket, he sauntered past her.
Even as he moved away, his gaze did not leave Roxelyn.
She rubbed her arms against the slight chill of goosebumps and continued down the stairs.
Once the man was out of sight, she shivered once on the staircase landing.
‘…The arsonist.’
He was the notorious fugitive, whose composite sketch became known only years after the arson incidents.
Whether he possessed an Abyss related to fire was unclear, but wherever he went, only ashy remains were left.
‘But he dies anyway.’
‘Labyth’ ends up killing him.
‘Labyth’ appears only upon the Emperor’s call, an order of knights untouchable by any law, shrouded in darkness.
Roxelyn didn’t fully know who they were. It was said that the ‘Labyth’ brigade consisted entirely of individuals wielding an Abyss.
In other words, unlike regular knightages, it was an organization established to handle Abyss criminals.
‘…Why is he here?’
Roxelyn inhaled deeply.
Contrary to the calm in her mind, her breath gradually warmed.
She proceeded downstairs towards the innkeeper, who was settling accounts at the counter.
“Innkeeper, if you have newspapers collected, could I have all the recent ones?”
At Roxelyn’s request, the innkeeper exclaimed loudly and looked up, surprised.
“Oh my goodness, a noble lady? Yes! I have newspapers, but how recent are you asking for?”
“Anything from the last month or two that you have.”
Roxelyn took out a few gold coins and placed them on the counter.
She needed the newspapers she hadn’t seen while in Kaluta.
One gold coin was worth about 100,000 Olan, more than enough for a few bundles of outdated papers.
As expected, the innkeeper brightened and nodded vigorously before running off to bring back a heap of papers.
“I might have used some as kindling, so there might be missing ones, but here’s roughly two months’ worth!”
Roxelyn hesitated at the surprisingly large pile of papers.
‘Should I have brought someone with me?’
She took out another gold coin and laid it on the counter.
“Sorry to ask, but could you bring these up to my room? I need to step out for a bit.”
“Of course! I’m strong, so this kind of job is perfect for me.”
The innkeeper pocketed the gold coins swiftly, smiling broadly and nodding eagerly.
She took the newspapers and strode up to the second floor while Roxelyn left the inn, planning to buy some food while reading the papers.