Chapter 217
Chapter 217
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 217
Chapter Title: For Elise
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Elise and Lina were waiting outside, so I decided to give them a condensed version of the story. It wasn't like I'd come alone, and it was late, so we needed to wrap this up quickly.
"Hmmm..."
Risha was admiring the trophy with an incredibly seductive gaze. Was it the discerning eye of a craftsman appraising her work, or more like a lustful woman fired up with intense desire, picking out the dildo she'd use from tonight until tomorrow morning? It was a sticky, mesmerizing stare just like that.
Specifically, it felt a lot like the way Claudy looked at my junk.
She was so focused that it felt a bit awkward to interrupt her, but I still had to tell the story. I waited for the right moment and then spoke up.
"Ahem! So, where do I even start... Anyway, the witch asked me to investigate, right? So I did the investigation."
"Uh, yeah? Right?"
She snapped back like she'd just come to her senses.
She must have been really captivated.
"But damn, this wasn't just an investigation anymore—I ended up solving the whole thing. I didn't expect it to turn out like this, but while poking around, I just smashed everything to pieces."
Risha set the trophy down and stared straight at me.
The original goal had been investigation, but suddenly it was resolved.
It was a bit tricky to explain.
"As I've explained a few times before, the guys hiding in the back alleys were evil heretics called the Immortals. They were holding some kind of gatherings with the slum dwellers, doing all sorts of stuff zealously. Even giving baptisms... very earnestly."
In truth, I hadn't figured out the heretics' real goal. All I could do was guess roughly. 'It's probably something like that.' That's how it ended up. I'd wiped them all out, so no interrogations possible.
"I don't really know why they were so enthusiastic about it, but anyway. Let me explain what I found out today and how it went down."
I gathered my thoughts briefly and explained exactly what I'd seen.
There had been heretics and ghouls in a hidden basement. Those commie bastards were digging some kind of tunnel, and we stopped them.
The ghouls were probably the baptized slum dwellers.
Lina's grandmother proved that.
The corpses strewn around nearby were the same.
But the mystery was that pure white giant ghoul—what the hell was that?
Maybe their true goal was creating that giant? Using slum dwellers as sacrifices, experimenting until they finally created or summoned the giant... Who knows. Even the ghouls might not have been their main target.
So I just stuck to what I'd seen.
What was certain was that they were using ghouls to dig tunnels. Whether that was the main goal or the giant was, I had no idea.
Instead of figuring it out, we chose destruction.
I didn't investigate properly, but by wrecking the place, we snagged that trophy that seemed like their precious possession—glowing with purple light—and wiped out all the heretics.
Hey, the job itself was done excellently.
Even if the investigation part was a bit sloppy.
"Hmm... I see. The questions aren't fully answered, but you've taken care of a troublesome problem for me. Thank you so much."
Risha seemed curious about the heretics too, judging by what she said. I felt a bit regretful myself for not uncovering the truth.
But the problem was solved, so whatever.
"And that giant... intriguing, but it's dead now, so nothing to be done. Anyway, you did great. Now, how about that reward?"
"Heh heh heh, thank you."
Risha pulled out 10 silver coins—1 silver each—as the quest success reward. A very generous amount. The mystery wasn't solved, but since I'd killed all the annoying bastards, this must be payment for that service.
I let out a grin and pocketed the silver coins.
"Anyway, Witch. This trophy is the real deal."
"It seems so."
Risha showed immense interest in the trophy.
A pitch-black trophy embossed with bizarre patterns. I figured it was definitely one of their sacred objects. Like a unique item, you could say.
"I don't know about now, but when we came out from underground, it was emitting a purple glow... The whole second basement level was lit up by it. Damn, it was insanely bright. You had to see it."
Let's hype it up a bit.
I raved about the amethyst-colored mist.
"Anyway, that's what happened. The light's off now. Any idea what this thing is?"
"No."
Risha answered my question flatly.
I thought she might know something. Unexpected.
"I don't really know either. I need to appraise it more deeply... So, what should I value this at..."
How much indeed?
I perked up my ears to hear the price, and Risha added,
"But lately, those guys have been hurting my sales, so I can't pay top dollar right now."
"Pardon? Sales dropping? What did those bastards do?"
"...Something like that. No need to worry about it."
She seemed hesitant to say more. There was definitely something.
Eh, no need to pry anyway.
She was just a bit short on cash right now.
"Personally... I'd say 40 silver is a fair price."
40 silver!
I nearly jumped in shock!
"But I can only prepare half of that right now. If it's okay, could we do installments? I really want this."
Risha said, tracing the embossed patterns on the trophy with her finger. Come to think of it, what did Risha even do for money? Running her own shop as a self-employed businesswoman, she must make decent profits... Kinda curious.
She always handed over big sums for commissions or buys from me, so she clearly had a solid income source. But maybe the heretics were messing that up?
What could it be?
As I pondered seriously, I felt Risha's gaze on me.
She was looking at me intently with a smiling face.
...She read my mind.
Don't think too hard about it?
I lightened the mood with an upbeat tone.
"We've done business plenty of times! Of course we can! Special service for you, Witch!"
"Hee hee. Thanks."
Installments were fine, of course. Risha and I had half a credit line between us. She smiled and agreed, and I stood up.
"So, I'll come back next time?"
"Yes, come again. I'll pay the rest then."
And so, for this job, I pocketed a total of 30 silver.
Add the remaining 20, and that's a whopping 50 silver. Of course, I'd have to give half to Elise and a bit to Lina. Even after that, it'd still be a fortune.
I said goodbye to Risha, who had picked up the trophy again, and headed outside.
A few days later, I'd come back for the rest.
"Took a bit long? We waited."
"It's fine. Wasn't that long."
"Heh heh heh, got the money anyway."
I'd only gotten 30 silver so far, but I told them it was 50 and handed Elise 25 silver. An outrageous amount. But she'd been with me from start to finish, so splitting it half was fair.
The giant's heart was a bonus based on merit.
"...That's too much. After taking the heart, I can't accept this much money."
"No, if anything, you did more than me? It's not too much. This is exactly fair."
Elise had taken out way more heretics and ghouls, and she'd smashed the giant's skull too. All I'd done was one groin stab and poke its neck.
And I wouldn't have even charged in without Elise there.
Impossible for me alone. That settled it. I refused Elise's attempt to return the money and paid Lina too.
"Here, Lina. 5 silver."
5 silver for Lina.
She'd have nothing left in hand immediately, but since she'd snatched the trophy amid that fierce battle, this was appropriate.
Come to think of it, the pickpocket loss was 5 silver, and the compensation was original plus another 5. Some kinda 5-silver connection.
I believed this would let Lina make a comeback.
"...Th-thank you, bro."
"Yeah. You're an F-rank adventurer now, right?"
"Yes."
For an F-rank, 5 silver was enough to change your fate. F-ranks made less than 30 copper a week. Getting 5 silver meant no worries about tomorrow.
"Live hard. And don't let anyone steal that money—hide it well. Imagine how heartbreaking it'd be to get pickpocketed again?"
"..."
"And don't fall apart. Your grandma in the afterlife wouldn't want that. You avenged her brilliantly. Stealing their sacred object is the greatest insult and pain you could give those heretics."
"...Yes."
Lina bowed politely with the money and vanished into the back alley shadows. The dead stay dead, the living stay living.
Lina would live as one of the living.
"Live strong in this world too."
"This world, you say?"
"Just a figure of speech. Let's head out."
With that, Elise and I left the slums.
No immediate cash, but 20 silver coming later. Bigger than expected. More than enough—overflowing—for the past few days' hardships. Good call taking this job.
Time to buy what the girlfriends want.
"By the way, that white giant was fucking huge. If we'd fought normally, we'd have ended up like those heretics—torn apart. We got lucky. Thought we were goners."
The giant's might was straight out of myth. In moments, it'd shredded nearly twenty heretics and ghouls. No way to win normally.
If not for the fire attack, we'd have done nothing.
Fire's the best, after all.
Praise Prometheus.
One more thing to pray to.
"Hee hee. Not at all. You surely would have found some way to win."
"You think?"
"Absolutely."
Elise said with a smile.
What was the source of that faith? People grow strong through belief. Faith that they'd overcome no matter what. And trust in God. That's why isekai religious folk were so tough.
"It reminds me of when we first met, Saint. I was so inexperienced back then, knew nothing."
"Yeah... You didn't even know the value of 1 silver."
"True. Meeting you changed me, Saint. I grew. Thank you from the bottom of my heart."
"You did it yourself. What do I have to do with it?"
"It's thanks to you."
"Heh heh heh, really?"
"Yes."
We chatted as we walked, arriving at Elise's lodging. Late night. Despite the slum commotion, the city was dead quiet.
"So, heading back to the church tomorrow?"
Thinking of Elise leaving for church made me kinda sad.
"...I'll go back."
"Huh? Why?"
"Nothing."
Elise trailed off, paused, then said,
"I have things to sort out, so I'll stay here for a while."
"Oh, really? Awesome."
"Is it good?"
"Kinda sucks to part ways. We'd meet again later anyway."
"True... Different cities and all..."
Isbant to Krasheim took 3-5 days. Unless something major happened, Elise wouldn't come.
We paused and said goodbye.
"Anyway, Saint. Thank you so much today. I'll head in now."
"Yeah. Rest well. Good work."
I parted with Elise and headed to my lodging. Lately I'd been late a lot, so Winia didn't get mad much anymore.
Eh, with money earned, buy her something nice and she'll be happy.
Couldn't wait to tell Claudy about my exploits. Bet she'd love the story of smashing the giant's head.
Yeah, she'd love it.
She likes that stuff.
Anyway, job done.
Time to go home.