Chapter 73.1
CHAPTER 73 PART 1
Trantor’s Corner: To make releases more regr I’m going to be splitting chapters into two parts since they’re so long . Small chapters will still be normal though . I’ll see how this goes before making a finaly decision .
Giant Magic Steel Dragonfly
Time to eat .
Stones are piled to stand up two iron bars . Arge ck pot is hung from the iron bars over the fire .
A wooden bowl is filled with hot water and ced it to the side .
Arge onion, green pepper, and fish are put in the hot pot, then I watch the brown juices boil .
It’s making me hungry .
The smell of the steaming vegetables and salt drifts .
I’ll be a little extravagant today .
Taijiki wanted to offer his gratitude and opened his supplies to prepare food .
Everyone eats, drinks, and sips the hot soup .
I can take a fresh meal out of the item box when I want, but that’s not important, everyone is eating happily, so I keep thempany and smile .
The red-haired Fran is smiling too .
The invisible hawk is perched on her right shoulder .
She came back from reconnaissance a while ago with the hawk on her shoulder, she may have been able to get in contact .
I appreciate the beautiful smiling woman .
Then,
“…Shuya, you’ve already seen it, but there is more than just goblins and orcs here . From here on out the Giant Magic Steel Dragonfly (Alloy Dragonfly) appears . ”
Gomez emphasizes the name of the monster with his beard soaked in soup juices .
Fran’s face has recovered…Ma, as we’re talking we get on topic .
“…What are they?”
“You don’t know? This ce is famous . It’s an enormous dragonfly monster . You can acquire magic steel if you defeat one . They’re famous for their magic steel armor . ”
Ah, that reminds me, Marquess Chardonnay mentioned them .
“A giant dragonfly? I haven’t seen one . ”
“Is that so . Unfortunately, once the marshes increase you’ll see more than your fair share . Also, we’ll probably encounter adventurer ns hunting them . ”
Eating a cabbage-like vegetable, Fran joins the conversation .
“…Magic steel armor? I’ve heard rumors that half of Holkerbam’s adventurer ns are employed by trading firms . ”
Gomez and Fran seem to know a lot about magic steel .
“It can’t be helped . So many giant dragonflies breed in the marshes regardless of the season, and except Osberia, it’s the main export . Adventurers gather where there is money to be made . Right?”
“Where there is profit there are merchants . ”
“So that’s how it is? Gahaha . ”
Gomez and Fran repeat their Q&A whileughing .
I leave my seat while they’re talking .
I return to Popobumu with a sauce te .
I am worried about my prisoner, Misty .
Her hands are tied behind her, sitting on Popobumu’s back she is staring at the Hayme river while behaving herself .
Rollo is sleeping above Misty’s knee on her robe .
Rollo looks extremely attached .
When I approach, Misty looks in my direction and speaks .
“Hey, we’ll be in Holkerbam soon, what are you going to do about me?”
“What to do, should I kill you? Sell you? This is hard~ . ”
“…I’d appreciate it if you didn’t kill me . ”
Her gaze falls on the ground .
She mutters with a distant expression .
Ma, I mentioned killing her, but I have no intention of doing so .
She’s a criminal, but I’ve killed and tortured humans before .
However, I can’t say I’m perfect, I’m a blood-sucking monster after all .
I’m simr to a person, but my existence deviates from standard logic .
Besides, she’s a beautiful woman . (TL: There’s the Shuya we know and love!)
She’s also a skill holder, and I learned interesting things from her .
I’ll probably keep her alive . Ah, that reminds me, I have the permits for a ve trainer that Kuna had .
So, should I enve Misty?
Speaking of ves…
The ves sold in Hector all wore a ck cor .
Those should be sold somewhere-
“-Shit, hey, say something, don’t just stand there being quiet . ”
Misty disturbs my line a thought .
She appeals with desperate eyes .
“Ah, I was thinking about something . Sorry . After all, I won’t kill you . ”
“Then you’ll make me a ve?”
Envement…
Mmm, talking like this is unreasonable .
I did kill her brother…It doesn’t sit well with me .
I’m particrly worried about enving her since she keeps dropping shit, shit, all the time .
I could release her already . I’ll think about it .
Besides, I keep thinking about how beautiful she is . (TL: Shuya, EXPLODE!)
Oi, that’s important to me . (TL: Uh, sorry . ) I’m happy to meet a beautiful woman, but…I guess that’s it .
I’m okay with unquestionably killing someone if they aim for my life .
I could let her go .
“…Depending on the circumstance, I may let you go . ”
“So…eh? That, really?”
“Yeah . ”
“You’d let me go? It can’t be, you’ve fallen for me? Are you after my body? But isn’t it obvious I would sell for a lot with this seal on my head? This skill is proof that I used to be a noble . If you sold me I would go for at least five white gold coins…”
Misty appears upset .
Her browns eyes are darting back and forth while she talks .
I wouldn’t want to sell her although the price would be high . I guess the appeal is the opposite…
Such a trivial thing, it doesn’t need to be said .
“…Fine white gold coins, that certainly is a lot . I would be right to sell you . However, as of now, I have to say over your life-and-death . So, I can sell or kill you at my own convenience . Moreover, I have money . I don’t need to sell you . Plus, I’m a man, so of course, I’m interested in your body . However, I won’t force myself on you . ”
“Uh…weirdo… I can tell from the purple glitter on your grey overcoat that the cloth is extremely high-quality . …You wiped out the thieves group, that spear ax isn’t an ordinary halberd . ”
“That’s right . Because of that, I can afford to let you go, but…”
Misty looks at me as what starts to find hope .
“What?”
I meet her eyes, raise a finger and speak .
“First, don’t look for revenge . Second, don’t enter a thief group . Third, you can go to any city aside from Hector . Fourth, do not try to kill me . By the way, next time you attack me I won’t hesitate to kill you . ”
“Is that enough?”
“It’s fine . However, can you really stop looking for revenge?”
I focus on Misty’s eyes .
She silently returns my stare until she is forced to look away .
“…What you said might be impossible . I am known as someone from the Gustave House . The nobility from Gustave had everything stripped from us, and we were driven out of Hector… my father and mother died in despair . It’s all because of that older brother . I want to find and kill him . I also want to kill the nobles of Osberia who destroyed the Gustave house . I especially can’t let the Marquess get away…the people living in Hector are horrible…haa, it’s no use, no matter what, I can’t let go of my hate . ”
She’s honest about her hate .
“It can’t be forgotten?”
“Oh well…the chains of hatred are coiled around my heart . ”
Misty’s brown eyes are burning .
Indeed, deep in her eyes I can see a swirling ck chain .
“Honesty . You could have lied though . ”
“You spoke kindly about releasing me… I didn’t want to lie to you . I wonder about that?”
“Haha, it’s an extremely admiral feeling . ”
“It seems like I’ll be a ve, shitty woman, my hobby of listening, letting it escape, I heard something kind after such a long time, the kindness made me waver . ”
Misty’s face turned red .
“If you have such feelings, I feel like you can forget vengeance… . ”
“…Perhaps . There might be other roads . ”
It feels like the chains of hate disappeared from her eyes .
Then, even if it’s a lie, isn’t it okay?
Even if 【Osberia Kingdom】 is damaged, I don’t serve this country .
This isn’t definite proof, but I want to believe her .
“That’s right . I believe Misty can find other roads . Like, an adventurer?”
“Adventurer…”
“Ma, it’s an example . I’ll let you go tomorrow when we arrive in 【Holkerbam】 . ”
“…Thank you . Giving me a chance to restart…I really couldn’t have argued if you killed me . ”
“It’s fine . Sleep soon, ah, wait . It’s cooled down but eat this . It’s good . ”
I say so and temporarily remove her shackles, then hand her the pot filled with food .
“U-un . ”
I decided to free her, besides there’s are a lot of things I don’t understand about very . Well, I could have the merchant Taijiki teach me about buying and selling ves .
I walk away from Misty toward the covered wagon Taikiji is in .
“Taijiki?”
“Hai . ”
Taijiki appears from the covered wagon .
“I have a few questions, is now okay?”
“Eh, hai . It’s fine . I’lle out in a minute . -So, how may I help you?”
Taijikies down from the wagon and speaks .
“It’s sudden, but I some questions I’d like to ask . ”
“Eh, since it’s Shuya, you can ask anything . ”
“…If I were to sell the prisoner I took, what ve merchant would you rmend?”
“A rmendation . That, after all, you should go with a ve merchant from arger firm . Still, if you’re going to sell…I would like you to sell to my trading firm . After all, my life was saved by Shuya . I can ask the chairman to buy her for a high price . ”
Is that so . He can’t rmend a specific firm .
“I see . I’ll remember that when I sell . And then, what are the qualifications of ve dealer?”
“The country provides a license . If you have the qualifications, you can participate in ve auctions, and other transactions with ve traders are possible . They’re first ss since you can’t buy or sell ves at a ve trading firm if you’re a first-time customer .
First-time customers are refused .
I remember ying with an apprentice geisha-san .
“There’s such a store, huh? How does envement happen? And then, I would like to hear how one bes a ve trader . ”
Taijiki nods and quickly continues his exnation .
“To directly perform an envement you need a document of contract, a cor of subjugation, and the blood of the master and blood of the ve are dropped on the cors . In regards to ve merchants, the subjugation cor, the person, and the documents are held, if you already belong to a trading, you can be considered a ve merchant . ”
It’s useless unless there’s a trading firm because they’re professionals .
This is enough from the perspective of a customer .
“…I see, for example, saying I had a ve, could I sell them to a different adventurer without going through a merchant?”
“It’s possible, but the private selling and purchase of a ve isn’t realistic . A new cor of subjugation is needed, and the documentation and cor are expensive if one doesn’t belong to a trading firm . Also, if a ve resides in a city without permission they are penalized by the government . ”
“Application? Soundsplicated . ”
“It’s alright because when a ve is bought from a merchant who belongs to a trading firm all the government procedures are handled . ”
“Ah, it’s like that . ”
With the nk subjugation cor, qualification certificate, and required ve documentation, after all, I’ll need to leave it to a ve trader if I don’t enter a firm .
I won’t be able to enve someone easily .
It’s too much to do myself .
Still, in distantnds, there may be ces where the very system is different than this .
In the end, I ask about this area .
“…I understand . I heard what I wanted to know . Thank you for taking the time to teach me . ”
I politely lower my head to Taijiki-sensei .
“No, no . ”
“Well then, see you tomorrow . ”
When we arrive at the city tomorrow, I will let Misty go .
I walk away from Taijiki using <Night Vision> .
I walk along the night bank of the Haym river .
Pale and purple flowers dot the green shores .
The evening Haym river… a gentle breeze caresses my cheeks .
A refreshing cold stings my cheeks .
Guess I’ll sit here .
I choose a suitable location where no flowers are blooming .
I take a nket from a bag, ce it on my waste, hug my knees and enjoy the temporary break .
Rollo hase to my side .
She sits beside me quietly .
The chilly evening wind from the Haym river brushes her ck fur .
We enjoy a beautiful night sky under the moon together .
The dark blue sky has two moons . The bigger one is missing .
However, because the way the light shines from the fragmented pieces of the moon, it creates a beautiful sight .
The moonlight is reflected on the river surface .
Silver ripples of light flicker .
Rollo watches the silver river expressionlessly with her bright crimson eyes .
Clouds cover the moon, and the river surface darkens .
Once the clouds flow and the moon returns, the river surface glitters silvery again .
Rollo has been watching the scene expressionlessly and now looks around her little head .
Like this, with the moonlight from the Haym river illuminating Rollo, I fall asleep .