The Value of Freedom (2)
Two of you. This might be rude, but do you resent these dead men? Do you hate them enough that you’d rather not even touch their bodies?
When I asked, Tide and Treder exchanged a long look before turning back to me.
“We cannot view them kindly. That said, we are not so heartless as to abandon them.”
“I see. Then let’s start by burying them. We’ll take their belongings as well.”
Both men nodded. We gathered the corpses in one place and began digging.
Digging in the mountains is never easy. The soil is packed hard, tangled with roots that stretch in every direction. It should have been backbreaking work.
But once Grade 13 Strength was cast on two bear beastpeople, the story changed completely. They tore into the earth as if it were soft clay. A pit large enough for eleven bodies was ready in moments.
After the burial, I went through their magic bags. Daily necessities, preserved food, the carcasses of magic beasts they had hunted. I sorted everything carefully, even adding the bodies of Karud and Solader. I handed the two men the potions that had come out of the bags and told them to drink.
“Here’s what we’ll do. The three of us will travel together as far as the area with the Grade 3 magic beasts. You two wait there. I’ll sell the carcasses, buy more supplies and food, and bring back recovery potions. With those, you should be able to travel far without drawing human eyes.”
Tide studied me for a long moment, then asked with open curiosity.
“Why are you helping us like this?”
The answer did not come easily.
Why am I doing this? Was it because of Ar? Since when had I started caring about the freedom of beastpeople?
“I suppose it’s because I see beastpeople as people, just like me. When someone is struggling, helping them isn’t strange, is it?”
“Those are remarkably idealistic words.”
There was no mockery in Tide’s voice—only pure admiration and deep trust. So I grinned playfully.
“Don’t believe it too quickly. Once I go down the mountain, gather a crowd, and come back to capture you both and turn you into my slaves, what then? I could take all these goods for myself.”
Tide and Treder let out soft chuckles, as if to say I was talking nonsense. Ar, however, stared at me with wide, startled eyes.
“Hey. What if you really looked at me that way?”
Only then did she realize it was a joke. She turned away, ears burning with embarrassment. Tide and Treder burst into quiet laughter.
“Anyway, let’s head down quickly. Selling the carcasses and buying supplies will take time.”
“Yes. Let’s do that.”
We descended the mountain. We left the territory of the Grade 6 magic beasts behind in no time, and after that there was little to fear. Ar could defeat a Grade 5 on her own even without Berserker, and now we had two bear beastpeople with us. There was nothing to worry about.
That was when a Grade 5 magic beast called a Kaja appeared before us—a deer-like creature with six sharp horns. Tide, who spotted it first, charged forward immediately. I cast Strength on him.
Crack!
One punch. Two horns shattered, the creature’s skull caved in, and it collapsed on the spot. Tide stared at his own fist, unable to believe what he had just done. His expression was utterly bewildered.
“Now that things have calmed down, I realize I never asked. Are you a magician, Sir Theo?”
It was the first time anyone had asked me that. The identity I had never revealed to anyone. My secret.
Come to think of it, Ar was the only one I had ever cast magic on before. Anyone else would have reacted exactly like this.
“Yes. Only half a magician, though.”
“I don’t know much about magic, but I do know that Strength isn’t supposed to have this kind of power. Could it be… that you are an extraordinary magician, Sir Theo?”
“Extraordinary? As I said, I’m only half. There are circumstances.”
Tide gave a small nod and asked no more questions. Since I had mentioned circumstances, he would leave it at that. It was his own form of consideration.
“Magician Theo. I will remember that name. I will not forget it until the day I die.”
The words coming from Tide’s mouth—Magician Theo—felt strangely moving. It was the title I had always wanted to hear. Not mercenary Theo. Not hey, you, or that bastard. Magician Theo.
For a moment, the feeling was almost surreal. As if I had truly become one.
We collected the Kaja’s carcass and continued down the mountain. Without Haste, the journey took longer, but we reached the area with the Grade 3 magic beasts without further incident.
“Wait here. I’ll return as quickly as I can. It probably won’t be before sunset, though.”
“It’s all right. Grade 3 magic beasts pose no real threat to us.”
“Understood. Then I’ll be off. Ar, let’s go.”
At my words she stepped close and wrapped her arms around me without hesitation. I cast Haste and kicked off the ground.
The expressions on Tide and Treder’s faces as they watched her cling to me were oddly tender. They looked like fathers watching their daughter.
Back in Hapim, I headed straight for the Nertin Trading Company. The appraiser greeted us warmly. I asked for several trays and laid out the magic beast carcasses in front of him.
“Good heavens… Oh my god?!”
Of course he would react that way. There were two Grade 7 carcasses. The mineral-type Obsivilerian was especially rare, so even an experienced appraiser would need time to examine it properly. There were also Grade 6 beasts like Karud and Solader, and a Grade 5 Kaja. His shock was only natural.
He would probably be working late into the night, but he would be smiling the whole time. The commission from this haul would be enormous.
“It’ll take a while, won’t it? In that case, could I trouble you for an advance of around 300,000 marcas? The Karud and Solader alone should cover that much, yes?”
“Three hundred thousand!? Understood! I’ll have it prepared immediately!”
This was the advantage of building a steady relationship with one company. No need to wait around while they appraised everything.
Soon another clerk entered carrying imperial bonds. He too stood frozen, mouth agape at the sight of the carcasses. That was the power of a Grade 7 beast—one that could not be hunted easily.
“I’ll leave the appraisal to you. I have urgent business to attend to, so I’ll return once it’s finished.”
“Of course! Leave everything to us!”
Truthfully, leaving during appraisal was not ideal. There was always the chance they might tamper with the goods. But I trusted them. They were not fools who would ruin a lucrative long-term relationship for a small immediate gain.
After receiving the 300,000 marcas, I took two spatial-expansion bags and left the company. I bought a large quantity of preserved foods—things that would keep for a long time. If I had subspace magic, preservation wouldn’t be an issue, but spatial expansion did not allow it. Of course, if it did, the price would have been several times higher.
Once the food was secured, I went to the temple and purchased a great many potions. The priests’ eyes widened with delight. It was rare for anyone to buy 250,000 marcas worth of potions at once, no matter how much demand there was.
I packed the potions carefully, left Hapim, and returned to the mountains.
“Let’s go.”
Ar immediately stepped into my arms. There was no hesitation at all. I cast Haste and ran toward where Tide and Treder waited.
Night had already fallen over the range, but with Ar guiding me from within my embrace, there was no real problem. I did nearly trip a few times, though.
When we reached the spot where we had parted earlier, the two bear beastpeople rose to greet me. I handed them the bags and explained the contents one by one.
“Don’t be sparing with the potions. There are so many you can drink them like water. You’ve finally gained your freedom. It would be ridiculous to lose it over something foolish. The food is in this bag, and here are platinum coins—30,000 marcas. You’ll try to avoid humans, but there may be times when you cannot. You’ll need these then.”
“This is… all of this…”
Tide looked genuinely overwhelmed. Having traveled with hunters, he understood the value of these goods. He could probably guess how much it all cost.
“It’s fine. Take them. I hope you find your freedom. True freedom.”
The two men looked at each other, then nodded. They reached into their pockets and each handed me something the length of a finger.
“Please accept this, Magician Theo.”
“What is it?”
It was a long, sharp claw.
“When a beastperson reaches adulthood, their original claws fall out and new ones grow in. Most of us keep the old ones. They carry meaning.”
“But something this precious—”
“It is proof of how grateful we are. If you ever show it to a bear beastperson in need, none will treat you as an enemy. On the contrary, they will become your allies.”
“…I understand. Thank you. I’ve received something far too valuable.”
“We are sorry we have nothing better to give.”
“Not at all. I will treasure it.”
At my words, both men looked at me with warm, reliable eyes. If these two were my comrades, I could only imagine how reassuring it would feel.
“Then we will take our leave. You should return to the village before it grows any later, Sir Theo.”
“Yes… This is goodbye, then.”
“I hope the day comes when we meet again. I pray it does.”
“I hope so too. And that we can smile when we do.”
They smiled gently, shouldered the bags, and turned to leave.
“One more thing…”
Tide paused and looked at Ar. His gaze was once again that of a father looking at his daughter.
“I am envious of you. Please continue to help Magician Theo well.”
Ar nodded with a deadly serious expression. Tide smiled once more, then left with Treder.
Ar and I watched them until they disappeared into the darkness. Only then did we turn back.
“Let’s go home.”
Without a word, Ar lifted her arms toward me. It was more forward than usual. I smiled, pulled her close, cast Haste, and ran back toward Hapim.