Episode 41 The Wizard and the Barbarian (1)
“Oh, no! Just once! Just give me one chance!”
“What are you all doing? Why don’t you drag those two out and put them in jail?”
First, after removing the begging investigator and the unconscious explorer from their seats.
The compensation process was carried out quickly.
As soon as I signed the agreement not to mention this incident, I was given a total of 6 million stones in cash, including a separate ‘compensation’.
Well, that wasn’t the end of it.
“All items of personal belongings with your name on them.”
“How is it? Mr. Yandel, check it out carefully.”
The wizard spoke with a strange look as he looked at the barbarian who was rummaging through his recovered backpack.
“Is there anything missing?”
“… Missing item?”
The barbarian flinched for a moment, then smiled as if he understood.
“Now that I look at it, it seems like something is missing?”
“Oh my, is there anything missing?”
“It’s not an item… It’s just about 1 million stones in cash that’s gone missing.”
A conversation in a voice that is clearly an acting tone to anyone who sees it.
The branch manager, who had been listening quietly, had his eyes go blank due to his blood pressure rising so high.
What kind of people are these?
“What are you talking about! An explorer who just came out of a labyrinth would be carrying around such a large sum of money—!”
“So you’re saying we’re lying?”
The branch manager instinctively flinched at the wizard’s cold voice.
“That, that, that’s obvious—”
“What about the evidence?”
“There’s no way that could be—”
“Oh my, you’re accusing us of being frauds without any evidence? Mr. Yandel, now that I think about it, I think you should put this branch manager on the punishment list too.”
“That’s true. To accuse a strict barbarian and a wizard of being a liar, it’s clear that you didn’t receive proper upbringing—”
“Stop it.”
The local chief, unable to stand watching, sighed and stepped forward.
“… I will also compensate you for the lost money.”
“It’s a reward that should be given, so I won’t say anything special about my gratitude.”
If I didn’t have a knife, how is this any different from a robbery?
It was so shameless it was shocking, but there was nothing the branch manager could do.
All I can do is just watch what’s happening in front of me.
“Here are 1 million stones.”
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“Wow, it seems like the Explorer’s Guild really has a lot of money, just like they say. They just say the word and it comes out of their pockets.”
“… I think I’ve shown enough respect for the Magic Tower so far. Don’t cross the line any further.”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“Then, will you give me the crystal ball now?”
“No. I think it would be better to give it to you after I’ve verified that the punishment has been properly administered. Of course, I promise not to show it to anyone in the meantime.”
“… That promise must be kept.”
“Of course. Don’t worry. Anyway, we’re going to go now. Those of you who are gathered outside, please take care of it yourselves.”
With those words, the barbarian and the wizard left.
And a heavy silence fell over the room, as if a storm had passed by.
“… … .”
“… … .”
As a result, the guild lost another million stones, and even then, they didn’t get the crystal ball back right away.
There is also the task of dealing with the crowd gathered in front of the guild, as well as those involved in this matter.
The local chief, who had been forcing a smile in front of the two men, is now as cold as eternal snow.
The branch manager opened his mouth with difficulty, feeling a suffocating chill.
“Um… Mr. J, Chief… … ? Bang, thank you for just now… … .”
“thanks?”
“Th, th… Didn’t you go along with those guys’ stubbornness by saying you would protect me?”
“Well, you are my person after all.”
“Ugh! Don’t forget what happened today and work hard for the rest of your life—”
“Even if there is something I have to do, I have to do it.”
The branch manager, who had been pledging his loyalty with a moved face, made a dumbfounded expression.
“… Yes? What on earth are you talking about… … .”
“Now that I look at it, you’re quite naive. Did you think you’d be okay after making things like this?”
“Ha, but I really—”
“Okay, I’ll take care of everything from now on, so if you want to save your life, be careful about even breathing until your gaze becomes still. Whether you take off your clothes or that guy dies suddenly somewhere, it has to be completely unrelated to this incident.”
Without even being able to say anything, the district chief turned around and stared at his daughter.
“Daughter, you will hear later why you came here today.”
“… Yes, Father.”
“Then let’s go now.”
The office was empty in an instant.
The branch manager, left alone inside, thought.
“Ha, hahaha… … .”
That it was all a dream.
***
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A black spire soaring high into the sky.
It’s on the 31st floor of that building.
“How is it? How do you feel about your first visit to Matap?”
“It must be stuffy because there are no windows.”
“Uh… Well, that’s true… But if it weren’t for those conditions, we wouldn’t have been able to build such a high-rise building within the city.”
The place where I am currently is the personal laboratory of Arua Raven, a wizard belonging to the ‘Artemion’ school.
“Okay, please sit here.”
As I sat down, clearing away the pile of documents haphazardly placed on the chair, she brought me something to drink.
Put it in a Erlenmeyer flask.
“Oh, I don’t have a cup.”
I took a moment to carefully examine the drink she offered me.
And I came to a conclusion.
“… It’s water.”
“Yes, but? Would you like me to give you Basilisk Aegis?”
“No, this is enough.”
Of course I didn’t drink.
I know that the contents are actually water, but I feel uneasy eating it on its own.
Until recently, there would have been things like colorful solutions and monster organ samples in here.
I got to the point.
“So why did you bring me here?”
“I have something important to tell you. You promised to grant me a favor later, right?”
That must be why.
At the time, I was in a hurry so I said I would just do it, but now that I’m here, I regret it.
You wouldn’t be doing something like a biological experiment, would you?
“I said it then, but within the limits of possibility.”
“Okay. That’s about it.”
“So what is it you want to ask?”
“I want to conduct exclusive research on the essence that Mr. Yandel absorbed. It will definitely be helpful to Mr. Yandel. Since it is unprecedented, who knows if something unusual will be discovered?”
As the conversation continued, the look in her eyes changed.
In the calculating gaze he had when dealing with the regional leader, in the same scholarly gaze he had seen in the cracks of the past.
Well, it’s not that I don’t understand.
Aside from the mutant crack we experienced this time, there were no cracks in the entire floor where vampires appeared as guardians.
“But what does exclusive research mean?”
“Oh, that? In simple terms, it means that you are providing the sample only to me. I want to submit it to the academic world as a paper under my name.”
Are the wizards of this world like graduate students?
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It’s a motive that I don’t understand at all, but… … .
I heard that scholars are the ones with the strongest desire for honor.
Oh, no, wait a minute.
“Could it be that this was the reason you asked me to erase all records related to vampires earlier?”
When I was writing the consent form at the guild, she was the first to come forward and ask that the fact that I had consumed vampire essence not be recorded.
Of course, I didn’t expect that alone to be enough to keep it a complete secret…
I agreed, thinking it would be better than just giving up.
‘There’s a saying that 70% of one’s ability is hidden.’
Honestly, I felt grateful when I saw that he personally took care of even these detailed parts… … .
She scratched her cheek awkwardly.
“Uh, um, well… it’s not like that… … .”
It’s the negation of negation, so it means it’s true.
Soon Raven changed the subject of conversation.
“Ahem! Anyway, I don’t expect much, but I think it would be fine if you could come once a week and help me out for about three hours.”
Three hours a week… … .
“How long is the total period?”
“Well, I think half a year would be enough… … .”
“Let’s make it 3 months.”
“Okay. So you’ll grant my request?”
“I guess so.”
With the first agenda item thus concluded, Raven immediately brought up the next agenda item.
“Then let’s come back and… finish the calculations?”
calculate?
Is there still something like that?
When I looked at her with a look that seemed to say, “What the heck are you talking about?”, she also changed her mood.
Just like when I was fighting with the local leader earlier.
“Not only did you survive thanks to me, but you also got a total of 6 million stones for free. I don’t think it’s strange for me to claim my share.”
Haha, I see.
Now I know a little bit about the wizard clan.
If I was just a simple efficiency freak, these guys were extreme profit freaks.
So I decided to change my mindset.
“When you ask for money, you tell a rather interesting story.”
Like when you break a goblin’s head.
***
The argument continues.
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In a voice that was even more agitated than before.
“That would have been the same for any other wizard, not just you.”
“Well, if it were someone else, I think they would have sold the crystal ball as soon as the district chief suggested it.”
“But you must have already received payment for that from the local leader? A whopping 1 million stones.”
Rather, it was thanks to me that I earned that much, so if anyone is to claim a share, I swear to Behel that it must be me.
“… Then at least give me the 1 million stones I earned with my backpack at the end. That’s something I got thanks to my advice.”
Didn’t you say you wanted to become friends earlier?
I decided to take that back.
Do the Barbarians look like fools?
“It’s a rejection.”
“Okay. Since you agreed to help me with my research, I won’t ask you to give me everything. Just give me half, 500,000 stones.”
“It’s a rejection.”
“Well, then even 250,000 stones—”
“It’s a rejection without even a word.”
I didn’t compromise even a little bit.
He will do that, and all the things that want to get a bone loss are all chew.
And I do not negotiate with the chew.
If I had accepted it, I would have accepted it.
“This story ends here.”
“What? Do you know how much I lost because of you in the crack?”
Finally, I made up my mind.
‘I guess I should kill his spirit before he looks down on me any more.’
To be honest, I’m not saying I wasn’t grateful for this incident.
But apart from that, in order to have a long-term and friendly relationship, I need to show them what kind of guy I am.
Because a kid who laughs and laughs no matter what you do in front of him is not a good guy, he’s just an idiot.
‘In the first place, the reason he was so persistent was probably not because he really needed money, but rather because he wanted to kill my spirit.’
“Okay, let’s move on to the next calculation.”
“Next calculation?”
She tilted her head as if she had no clue what was going on.
I spoke directly, like a Barbarian.
“You have to give me five million stones.”
“Oh, five million stones? Why me?”
“That’s because you fed me the essence of a corpse golem without my consent.”
“What, what?”
She screamed as if she was not praying.
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“Huh, really! You gave away the essence that everyone wanted for free, and now you’re asking for money in return? Does that make any sense?”
It works.
It’s not just a simple excuse.
I don’t know why everyone lacks imagination, but if you look at it point by point, it’s all true.
“Why do you think it doesn’t make sense? You forced me to eat that essence without my consent in order to survive.”
“Don’t you think I was trying to save you?”
“Well, I don’t know, and I didn’t want to. So pay me ten million stones. I heard it takes that much to erase the essence from the temple—”
“Why are you deleting that precious thing, you crazy barbarian!”
“Because you weren’t the person I wanted. You caused me serious harm.”
Unlike earlier when she was playing the price negotiation game, her face turned red.
It sounds like a stretch to anyone, but it also sounds like a valid argument, which is frustrating.
After letting out heavy breathing sounds like ‘whoosh, whoosh’ for a while, she regained her composure.
“… I heard that explorers can’t get the essence because it’s not there. So this doesn’t make sense. Instead, I should be getting paid!”
“Isn’t that your prejudice as a wizard? You can ask other explorers. What would they think if they were to have their essence consumed by someone else without their consent?”
“Ha! You say that because you think I don’t know any explorers? Just wait a minute. I’ll check right away.”
Soon, she took out the crystal ball from the desk in a state of great excitement. She manipulated it as if she were dialing a phone number, and soon a connection was made.
“Oh, is that you, Mr. Patsran?”
[Who are you?]
“Hello. My name is Arua Raven from the Artemion School. I met you last time, Master, right?”
[Ah! Miss Raven! I remember. But what brings you here out of the blue… …?]
“I have a question for you. What would you think if someone were to feed Partran-san some unplanned essence without his consent?”
[Hahaha! I don’t know why you’re asking such a weird question, but if I were to answer it… I think I’d be really angry.]
“…Huh? You’re angry? Even if it’s a 7th-grade essence. Even if it’s a very rare essence that can only be obtained from a rift?”
[Even so, it’s the same. An unplanned essence means an essence that only has a negative effect on me. I don’t know about Miss Raven, but if you just pick up any essence and eat it, you’ll never be able to go upstairs.]
As soon as the connection was established, he briefly appeared in high spirits.
After hearing the explorer’s kind answer, she began to look at me with a pale face.
“Well, well, well, of course. Assuming that something like that happened… … . How should we compensate you?”
[If it were me, I would demand compensation in cash first.]
“How much would that be… … ?”
[One hundred and fifteen million stones would be appropriate.]
“That, that, that much?”
[The more times you erase something, the more expensive it becomes. How can these god-like authors be so obsessed with money? Tsk tsk… … .]
“Ah, ah, I see… … .”
Soon, the strength in her hands gave out, and the communication device fell from her hand and rolled away.
I picked it up for her and put it back in her hand.
“Isn’t there one more thing I want to ask?”
As I whispered in her ear, a blonde girl with the appearance of being in her mid to late teens asked in a trembling voice.
“… Ma, Ma, if you can’t compensate with money, then what will you do, Mr. Patsuran?”
[Well, well? If something like that happened and the person involved was right in front of me… … .]
The man on the other side of the communication port answered cheerfully.
[I guess I’ll just snap his neck to the side and kill him. Hahaha!]
