Suspiciously Rich
Suspiciously Rich
People rarely notice when something is added to their daily lives, but when it disappears, they feel its absence keenly.
For example, when a web novelist who posted daily chapters suddenly switches to five days a week, readers feel a particular kind of fury.
The residents of this other world were feeling exactly that right now.
"Mark Hughes was a true soldier."
"He was. His end was perfect, both as a family man and as a soldier."
"Ah, it's raining again."
Men wiped their eyes despite the clear sky.
Passersby gave them odd looks, but the men paid no attention, lost in their own world.
"Skal was a pitiful bastard too. Wasn't his whole life destroyed by Artificial Humans, with even his rage manipulated?"
"Hold on, I can't agree with that. He created innocent victims."
"What? You have no sense of empathy, you bastard. You're just like Kimbala!"
"Come out here, you bastard!! It's a duel!"
Lately, the number of people arguing over the contents of <Iron-Blooded Alchemist> had increased sharply.
Everyone had different points they felt strongly about, so to uphold their own convictions, they threw punches at one another.
Considering that the philosophers of ancient Greece also settled debates with their fists when words failed, this was a solution steeped in history and tradition.
With incidents like these multiplying, the Imperial Guard's temporary jail was packed with people who had fought over manga volumes, creating a serious headache.
On top of that, those arrested for fighting kept fighting even after being locked up, so no one had any idea how to resolve it.
"Next... in the next volume, Alex Eldric's era is definitely coming!"
"Nonsense. Every time that guy shows up, all he does is get his armor broken. This time the Flame Alchemist will definitely awaken and teach those Artificial Humans a lesson!"
"That's not the point!! Why did Lieutenant Eagle Eye only appear in one scene in volume 3?!! Does that make any sense?"
In truth, this uproar happened every time a new volume was released. But the reason it was especially severe this time was largely the postponement of volume 5, announced at the end of the work.
Normally, even when they argued, as the release date of a new volume approached, everyone would get excited and count down the days. That had been their recent joy in life.
'Say, has the release date for the new volume been confirmed?'
'The author's health is poor, so we cannot tell you the release date.'
If they could see an end, they would at least have hope. But plunged into the bottomless hell of an indefinite delay with no release date in sight, the readers of this other world finally began to lose their minds.
'I've thought of a good idea!'
'What is it?!'
'If I wait just one day, I can read the next volume!!!'
The whites of the man's eyes gleamed.
A hammer gripped in his hand.
'Hit me in the head with this.'
'What?'
'If I erase my memories before today ends, then in terms of felt time, the new volume comes out in just one day!'
'That's genius!'
'Let's go!!!'
It was clearly a method that would cost them something more precious than memories before the new volume came out.
But they were steadily losing their reason. Brains soaked in dopamine craved even stronger dopamine.
Occasionally, the bored ones tried reading the chivalric literature or history books that originally existed in this other world. But for some reason, it was too bland.
"Next volume!!! Equivalent Exchange, author!!! I'll give you my memories, so give me the next volume!"
Today was another ordinary day somewhere in the Empire, with a crack! and someone collapsing.
***
"I'll take two of each of these items, from here to here."
A suspicious man walked into the Somerset Merchandise Shop wrapped in a thick robe.
However, among those visiting the merchandise shop, there were quite a few who came hiding their identities, so it wasn't unusual enough to draw attention.
But when the man ordered a large quantity of goods, interest from those around him poured in.
"Is he insane? Buying all of that would cost an absurd amount."
"The amount aside, he also picked a limited-edition figurine that only platinum-tier members can buy."
"He must be a clueless rookie. A platinum badge is incredibly hard to get."
The murmuring voices of the customers.
Their judgment was sharp.
There were more than a few people who came to browse because the Somerset Merchandise Shop was trendy, impulsively picked out items, and ended up embarrassed.
First of all, the prices were extremely high.
The special figurines, painstakingly handcrafted one by one by master artisans, were priced in gold, making them hard for even ordinary nobles to buy on a whim.
And above all, to buy such precious items, customers needed at least a gold tier, and some items could only be purchased by platinum-tier holders.
There were plenty of people who had cluelessly tried to buy something and then awkwardly turned away.
"Sir, I'm sorry, but these items can only be purchased by customers with a platinum-tier badge or higher. Could you show me your tier badge?"
Flash.
The man pulled a brightly shining badge from inside his robe and showed it to the clerk who had asked cautiously.
"Gasp! It's real!!!"
"A real platinum badge... I've never seen one in person!"
"What an incredible person. They say even a noble has to spend a small fortune to get a platinum badge."
The shop buzzed once more at the platinum badge the man produced.
But as if the reactions around him meant nothing, the man continued looking at the items with a calm attitude, then quietly asked the clerk who was wrapping his order.
"Can the clothes on this figurine be removed?"
"Pardon? Th-that, I'm not sure either...."
Was it because the question was unexpected?
The flustered clerk couldn't answer properly. But the man, seemingly unsatisfied with her answer, lifted the figurine slightly and began examining it here and there.
"A shame. The Windy in my memory had thinner thighs. The sculpting isn't delicate enough."
He went on to say that the outfit was from volume 3 but its source details were wrong, that the sleeve cuffs should be folded three times rather than twice, and so on.
The man poured out talk that seemed to destroy brain cells just by listening.
The female clerk had already taken a step back from him.
But the reactions of the surrounding customers were a little different.
"Who's this guy? He knows his stuff."
"Right? Knowing that detail is impossible unless you're in our Iron-Blood Guild."
"I acknowledge it. That man is the real deal."
Most people who came all the way to the merchandise shop were passionate fans of the original work.
But occasionally there were wealthy people who bought things blindly without even understanding their value.
From the perspective of those who considered themselves true fans, such people were practically public enemies.
But this man knew the details as well as they did—no, far better—and when he caught things even they had missed, they couldn't help but admire him.
Of course, the fact that most of the figurines he bought were female characters was a little concerning, but wasn't that just personal taste?
They themselves would have picked female characters if they could only buy one.
"This should be enough."
When the man who had finally swept up an entire section of figurines spoke with satisfaction, everyone thought it was over.
But he turned around and headed toward the <Kingdom of Ice> merchandise this time.
"Wrap all of these too, from here to here."
His shopping had only just begun.
***
"We greet His Highness the Crown Prince, the future of the Empire!"
In front of the main gate of the Somerset mansion.
Even the soldiers who had only recently enlisted were there.
So were the Somerset servants, the family head, and Rupert himself.
Everyone was down on one knee, showing the utmost courtesy toward a single person.
"You may rise. It was rude of me to visit so suddenly."
"Not at all, Your Highness. Your coming here in person is an honor to our house."
Recently, Rupert had grown accustomed to receiving guests who visited the mansion. But for this particular guest, Count Bradley, the family head, had no choice but to come out personally.
"Daddy!! This mister saved Ada!!"
Ada, held in the Crown Prince's arms, waved at Count Bradley with a bright smile.
But unlike the beaming Ada, the Count and the people of the mansion turned pale.
First of all, the fact that the Crown Prince's right arm was missing was shocking enough on its own.
And why in the world was Ada being held in the Crown Prince's remaining left arm?
And "mister." That was an irreverent remark about a hundred million light-years away from any title suitable for the Crown Prince of the Empire.
If the Crown Prince were in a bad mood, it was the kind of remark that could get someone arrested for blasphemy against the imperial family.
But
"If I had my right arm, I'd have pinched this little lady's cheeks."
"No! I don't wanna!"
The Crown Prince looked at Ada as if she were adorable, not at all displeased, and Ada, comfortable with him, buried her head and shook it side to side.
To anyone watching, the Crown Prince and Ada looked like a close brother and sister rather than Rupert and Ada.
"Rupert."
After playing with Ada for a moment, the Crown Prince set her down on the ground and finally seemed ready to state the reason for his visit.
"Yes, Your Highness."
"You've worked hard. You can rest easy now."
The Crown Prince walked over to Rupert, who was kneeling on one knee with his head bowed, and patted his shoulder, speaking in a warm voice.
At a glance, it looked like a scene from a novel about a lord and his knight.
But Rupert had only one thought in his head.
'What the hell is going on?!'