Chapter 80
“…Ohh!”
With trembling hands, the Dwarf, Brondin, received the Dragon Orb, tears of gratitude streaming down his face.
I don’t have a hobby of enjoying watching others cry, but seeing a rough-looking Dwarf shedding big, chicken-like tears was quite a sight, making it hard to look away.
Well, considering he had recovered his lost Dragon Orb, it wasn’t surprising that he reacted this way.
The Dwarf, who had been clutching the golden gemstone and sobbing, finally stopped crying after a long while.
“…It’s all thanks to you. Thank you, truly….”
Sniffling as he spoke, Brondin hesitated before continuing.
“I never thought I would find it again. May I ask how you managed to find it? Ah, don’t misunderstand, I’m not doubting you! If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine too.”
It’s just that I’m curious.
At his words, we exchanged glances.
***
A few hours before handing the Dragon Orb to Brondin.
We successfully secured Max from that ragtag group, the Red Claw Mercenary Group.
Yeah, it was “Red Claw.” Such a childish name that I barely remembered it.
Anyway, we succeeded in securing Max from the Red Claw Mercenary Group.
I say “secured” instead of “rescued” because we couldn’t guarantee whether we’d harm him or not.
“What should we do?”
Looking at Max’s face, which had gone so pale that it made me wonder if it was even possible for a person to look that white, I asked Ashié.
“It would be cleaner to kill him.”
His words were as straightforward as his tone.
Shin Da-eun, who had been quietly listening, opened her eyes wide in surprise.
“K-kill him? He’s guilty, but it’s not like he committed a crime that warrants death…”
The punishment laws in this world vary by country, but they are generally harsher than on Earth.
To be exact, they are harsher for certain classes.
For example, it’s legal in this world for a noble passing by to kill a commoner just because they blocked the road with their cart.
Of course, claiming “I killed him because he blocked my cart!” would be embarrassing, so they usually find some other ridiculous crime to justify the execution.
Even in such a world, though, theft alone isn’t enough to be sentenced to death.
I don’t know much about the Dwarves’ laws, but I suspect they aren’t too different from human nations in this regard.
“If it were an ordinary theft, sure.”
“…Theft is theft, how could it be different?”
“This is no ordinary theft. It’s the Dragon Orb…”
Seeing the confused expression on Shin Da-eun’s face, I stopped talking.
…She doesn’t get it.
Judging by her reaction, she probably thinks it’s just some expensive item based on our response.
“Joanie.”
“Yeah?”
I whispered into Shin Da-eun’s ear as she leaned in.
Hearing the price of the Dragon Orb, she gasped and quickly understood.
“Now I understand why you’re saying that…”
“Right?”
Indeed, nothing convinces an adult like money. Shin Da-eun, being an adult herself, understood the situation right away.
You know, it’s like explaining a house to adults. They don’t care about the shape or the structure, but mention the price, and they suddenly become interested.
It’s the same principle.
“Sure, it’s about the money, but I just don’t want to keep someone like him alive.”
“I agree.”
Ashié and I, both being from Grasis, were on the same page.
“Why? Because he’s from the Empire?”
“That’s not the only reason. He may not be as bad as the mercenaries, but he’s still not a good person.”
“Yup, yup.”
“Huh…”
“It’s hard for you to grasp, isn’t it?”
While Ashié and I nodded, Shin Da-eun seemed unable to understand.
Well, it’s not surprising since she’s not used to this sort of thing.
And no, it’s not just because he’s from the Empire.
Sure, I have my issues with the Empire, but that doesn’t mean I want to kill every single Imperial.
That might have been true in the past, but not anymore.
There’s another reason why I agreed with Ashié.
“Do you know why he hired those mercenaries?”
“Um… wasn’t it to ensure his safety while descending the mountain?”
Shin Da-eun’s answer was perfectly reasonable.
Although it varies depending on the type, most mages are able to exert greater power when they’re in a prepared state.
That’s why it’s typical for mages to have a vanguard who can buy time and create a prepared environment for them to act. It’s the usual approach for most mages.
However, in terms of answering Ashié’s question, it was incorrect.
“If that were the case, he would’ve hired people more reliable than these guys.”
Ashié frowned and kicked at one of the corpses lying on the ground.
Oh dear… desecrating the dead, are we?
“He was trying to kill me, knowing I would follow.”
“…Th-that’s absurd.”
“Absurd? If we were weaker, it would be our bodies lying on the ground right now, not theirs. Besides, the way that leader was looking at him, it wouldn’t have ended with just death. No, I’m sure he would’ve faced something worse than death.”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Why do you keep nodding your head like that?”
Why wouldn’t I nod?
“If you don’t believe me, why not ask the person directly?”
Seeing Shin Da-eun’s still uncertain expression, Ashié shrugged.
“Even if that’s true, do you think that guy, Max, would answer properly? I don’t think he’d confess so easily…”
“He will.”
Ashié pointed his finger at me.
“Because he doesn’t want to die at her hands.”
“…Why me?”
I grumbled, annoyed that I was suddenly dragged into the conversation after quietly listening.
Maybe Ashié still thinks that I won’t hit him because I’m clinging to some old sense of glory.
Back then, I endured his advances not because I liked him, but because he was royalty.
“…You call that enduring?”
“Well, I didn’t hit him, did I?”
With a face full of things left unsaid, Ashié turned away.
Max, who had been trembling like a leaf as if he’d seen a monster, sensed Ashié’s gaze and shrank back even more.
Ashié, who had been interrogating him harshly, began sharing the results of the questioning.
- How did you know your master bought the Dragon Orb? A. I overheard him bragging about it when he was drunk.
- What did you plan to do with the Dragon Orb? A. I was going to sell it in another city.
- Why did you hire mercenaries? Was it to kill us? A. Absolutely not. It was just in case I ran into monsters.
- Stop lying and answer honestly. A. …I’m sorry. Please forgive me just this once.
There was more, but this was the gist of their conversation.
After watching the exchange between them, Shin Da-eun realized that Ashié was right and looked quite dejected.
“What do you think?”
“Do as you wish.”
If it were the old me, I would have killed him without hesitation the moment I heard his answer.
Even if he didn’t know who would come after him when he set his plan in motion, in the end, his actions were aimed at killing me.
But this time, I was merely here as someone who came to retrieve the stolen item for Brondin. It made more sense to leave the decision to Ashié, who was more deeply involved than I was.
“Well, he’s still detestable, so…”
I approached Max and extended my hand.
Seeing my empty hand without a weapon, Max recoiled and fell back in fright.
It’s pitiful to see a grown man scared like this.
This is why mages are no good.
Clicking my tongue in disapproval, I spoke in as gentle a voice as I could.
“Hand over everything you have.”
Maybe it wasn’t so gentle after all.
***
Whether or not to tell Brondin the truth.
After a lot of internal conflict, Ashié decided to inform his master without hiding anything.
His reason was that Brondin had the right to know, even if it would hurt him.
“…I see. So, it really was Max…”
As expected, Brondin, who had been betrayed by someone he trusted, looked deeply heartbroken.
“So, what happened to him?”
“….”
“I see. That’s how it ended.”
Ashié remained silent.
Brondin nodded quietly, understanding everything.
“Master, are you alright?”
“Even if I’m not, I have to be. But more importantly, I see a face I’ve never seen before.”
“I’m a mage working at the workshop next to Max’s. I provided a lot of help in finding him this time.”
“…It wasn’t anything that great, as you said. The one who truly did the great work was—”
“?”
The mage, who was conversing with Brondin, glanced in my direction.
Why is he suddenly looking at me?
“It was her.”
“…That young lady?”
“Yes, Master. If it weren’t for her, we wouldn’t have been able to recover the Dragon Orb, let alone make it back here safely.”
“Well, if she possesses such a magical artifact, then it’s entirely possible.”
Brondin stroked his rough beard thoughtfully.
The golden gem that had been nestled inside Max’s coat was now carefully placed in a luxurious box lined with fine fabric.
Brondin gazed at the Dragon Orb with a complicated expression.
“Earlier, you mentioned wanting some leftovers as a reward. Since you helped recover this precious item, I naturally have to compensate you, but as I mentioned before, I’m currently broke. I spent all my money buying this.”
“Hmm, that’s okay. I won’t say it’s not disappointing, but we volunteered to help first—”
“So, I propose this: I’ll make a magical artifact using the Dragon Orb. Would you like to buy it?”
“…Sorry, what?”
“Of course, it won’t be free. I have to earn a living too. But I promise to sell it to you much cheaper than any other magical artifacts.”
“W-wait a second…!”
Shin Da-eun hurriedly relayed Brondin’s words to me.
“…He’s saying he’ll give us a magical artifact made from the Dragon Orb?”
“Yes, but we’d still have to pay for it.”
“That’s to be expected.”
If he had offered it for free, I would have felt too burdened to accept it.
Even if it was something that couldn’t have been recovered without me.
Honestly, offering a magical artifact made from a Dragon Orb at a price lower than other magical artifacts is practically giving it away for free.
“Alright, I’ll take it.”
“…Master. If you’re short on money, I can cover the cost.”
“Nonsense! What kind of talk is that to say to our benefactor! Besides, I didn’t acquire this to make money—I simply wanted to handle it myself! As long as I have enough for some beer, I’m fine. I can make that much money by selling any magical artifact!”
The gloom that had overshadowed Brondin’s face lifted as he burst into hearty laughter.
“What kind of magical artifact do you want? I’ll make it exactly as you wish!”
“I want a magical artifact that can withstand Magi.”
“…Magi?”
Ashié’s eyebrows twitched.
“Why Magi?”
“Because I need it.”
“Do you think I asked because I don’t know that? I’m asking why you need it.”
Ashié asked with an unusual persistence.
I didn’t have an obligation to answer, but I didn’t have a reason to hide it either, so I told him our next destination.
“The Demon Continent, Laxia. That’s where we’re going.”
Watching his usually composed face contort was far more amusing than I expected.
—
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