Chapter 108
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 108
Chapter Title: Village Chief's Daughter - 3
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I had some expectations about the woman named Colin.
The only educated person in the village who actually used her brain—the Village Chief's daughter and my father's disciple, after all.
I figured she was at least intelligent and refined, but the one I met was a foul-mouthed thug of a woman.
"Whoa~ fuck, did I almost kill Master's adopted kid just now?"
"Yeah, you idiot. I've told you a million times—you gotta kill that bastard."
"Hahaha, it's fine, it's fine. It all worked out nice and clean, didn't it?"
She'd been swinging a knife and going berserk just moments ago, but now she was all breezy and carefree. It was easy to see why adventurers called her Mad Dog.
This woman's nuts.
"You're Master's son Sian, right? Been a while."
"You know me?"
"Duh. I changed your diapers when you were a baby."
"...I don't remember that."
"You wouldn't. You were just a little tyke. Back then, your big sis played with our cute little Sian's wee-wee."
"....."
Hearing a stunningly beautiful 32-year-old woman say something like that snapped something inside me.
"So, what brings you here? Fair warning: I'm broke. Adventurers make bank, but we blow it just as fast."
"Not asking for a loan. I brought a letter from Father."
"From Dad?"
Colin took the Village Chief's letter, skimmed it, then tore it to shreds.
"Nothing but word of Master kicking the bucket."
"You're his disciple, but you don't seem too torn up."
"Eh, he was always sickly. Figured when he left the village we'd never cross paths again."
"Do you know why he was sickly?"
"Huh? You didn't know, nephew? Master was cursed—coughing his lungs out all the time."
"Cursed?"
"Makes sense you wouldn't. He only told me about the gods cursing him."
"Could you tell me the story?"
"Hmm? What's in it for me?"
"Eh?"
"Gotta have give and take, right?"
Her demand for payment short-circuited my brain for a second.
"Can't you just tell his son?"
"Sorry, but I don't do freebies."
"...How much?"
"Our nephew must be loaded, huh?"
"Answer the question."
"Hmm... One platinum coin oughta do it."
"...."
"Don't like it? No skin off my back."
"Yeah, pass."
One platinum coin?
It was ridiculous enough that she was brazenly demanding cash for info on my father, but the amount was insulting.
I wanted to argue, but I held my tongue, thinking of how the Village Chief had helped me before and her status as Father's disciple.
Just as I was wrapping up the Village Chief's errand to head out...
Navira spoke up.
"Sian, mind if I chat with my sister-in-law for a bit?"
"Go ahead. Take your time catching up with family."
"Thanks for being so understanding."
Navira stayed behind while Gregor and I waited outside.
"Colin, I had no idea you were expecting. Having a change of heart?"
"Eh, living solo out here in the sticks gets lonely sometimes."
Colin chugged straight from a bottle of whiskey as she replied to her new sister-in-law Navira.
"So, what's this about? We're not exactly bosom buddies swapping old times, sis."
"Straight to it. You read the letter—come home. Don't push the adventurer gig."
"What, so I can play obedient wife in the village, pop out kids, and croak? Nah, not living like you, sis."
"You don't have to see it that way. You might find a guy like Farrell who truly cherishes his wife."
"Yeah, bro was a sweet, simple guy. Till he bit it."
"You still blaming me for that?"
"Nah. His choice. Me yapping about it when I wasn't even there? Pointless."
She chucked the empty bottle wherever and stood.
"Sis, I'm not coming back. Tell Dad. I ain't planting my feet in the hometown that ditched Mom."
"Lugeron Village is changing. Thanks to your master Ian and his son Sian."
"Hah? Big whoop."
Navira sighed at Colin's snide tone.
Persuading my sister-in-law's a lost cause.
Sorry, father-in-law Village Chief, but this parent-kid rift was on them to sort out.
With that, Navira dropped it and moved to leave.
"Heading out? At least have a drink."
"Sian's waiting outside."
"What a gentleman. Folks might mistake him for your hubby."
"Watch it."
"Kidding, kidding."
"Still love riling people up, huh."
"Guilty. Anyway, take care, sis."
"You too. And one bit of advice: raise that kid right."
"Kid? Oh, Aida? She's a girl."
"Boy or girl, doesn't matter. Know what she pulled? Tried shoving one of our village girls into a filthy ditch."
"Did she now? Good for Aida. Bad apples deserve a dunking."
"Haa... never mind."
Unlike Ian, who'd only shown his adopted kids his good side, disciple Colin was a total deadbeat.
Proof? She wasn't properly raising her kid—no, daughter—just spoiling her rotten.
Head throbbing like it hadn't in ages, Navira rubbed her temple and left the Motherless Mongrel Inn.
Once her new sister-in-law was gone, daughter Aida timidly wagged her tail at Colin.
"Mom, are we moving?"
Colin stroked Aida's head, the fluffy dogkin texture soothing her daughter's frazzled nerves.
"Nope. This dump's shitty, but better than that even shittier village."
"Got it."
Reassured, Aida beamed, and Colin got back to her booze.
I'd half-expected this.
Catkit Merchant Company was based in Lugadrian.
Running into the bitch who'd scammed me here wasn't weird—it's a small world, enemies bump into each other on narrow bridges, or in this case, alleyways.
"Pina, long time no see?"
"M-mercy!"
The pink-furred catkin Pina trembled in my grip, her head clutched tight.
"Coming up on a year. Felt good pocketing my coin?"
"M-misunderstanding! Pina never meant to skim off Sian—"
"Then why skip our village?"
"I-I was... busy sourcing the stuff you wanted..."
"Pina, if you're gonna lie, sell it better."
"Forgive me!"
She rubbed my hand like it was her lifeline, ready to do anything to live.
I eased off the bullying and got to my questions.
"But why're you such a mess? Profits off me alone should've set you up nice."
"Nyahaha... long story..."
These days I could one-shot 'em with Mythical Blade, but War Bear pelts still fetched top dollar with nobles.
Hunting was their playground, pelts a flashy trophy of their "bravery."
So hides from our outsized beasts? Priceless.
Pina, who'd cornered the market, should've been rolling in it—yet she looked worse off than before.
Puzzled, I eyed her. She burst into teary sobs.
"Hnyaang! I got scammed!"
"Hah?"
The scammer who'd ripped me off got taken by someone else.
Her absurd tale filled in the blanks.
"So, the pelts you peddled ended up at Catkit Merchant Company... but they stiffed you on the price."
"Yes."
Pina had wisely consigned the War Bear pelts to Catkit for discreet sales.
Smart move. Peddlers like her rarely scored direct noble deals.
But she'd missed something big.
Catkit's top brass resented her raking it in and slapped her with insane commissions.
She'd bought low but pocketed squat.
And it snowballed—rumors flew she'd struck it filthy rich, drawing envious kin and moochers who hounded her mercilessly.
No wonder Elsia never dealt with Catkit like a real merchant house.
Beastkin could sorta run shops in the west, but Catkit? No proper structure, just rampant sleaze.
Pina clutched my pant leg.
"Siaaan~ help a girl out!"
"Nah."
"That quick?!"
"Duh. Who trusts a merchant who flushed my gold?"
Five gold was chump change now, but vouching for a flop like Pina? Whole other story.