Chapter 30

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 030

Chapter Title: Traitor's Requiem #1

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Sabrannik was an idol known as one of the Three Evils.

Dangerous and lethal.

I recalled the time I asked Hermit about idols and received a lesson.

Then are they greater than other idols?

Idols have no hierarchy or superiority.

Instead, there are idols that are particularly more dangerous than the others.

Particularly more dangerous idols.

Staring at the massive eight pupils, I had a gut feeling.

'This guy's the dangerous idol!'

How could I escape this idol's clutches?

Then, a creepy kki-hi-hi-hi-like sneer echoed in my ear.

It was the wolf with the torn mouth.

The one who gave me 'Dog Nose.'

Was it stepping in since Sabrannik was absent?

"Nihil-Raz!"

With no other choice, I called its name.

Tsss-.

Suddenly, in this dark cosmos, a mouth lined with teeth appeared.

And from within those teeth, a wolf's body burst forth in an absurd spectacle.

Grrrr- The roaring wolf.

The massive pupils and the wolf faced off.

A tense situation in every way.

The pupils raised star-like glowing hands, enveloping the wolf with all eight palms!

Like a child grabbing an insect!

Kwajik-kwajik-.

The wolf crumpled like an empty cola can being crushed.

"You fucking mutt, you're so goddamn weak!"

Should I keep calling Sabrannik after all?

That was when I had the thought.

Eujjeok, eujjeok-paak-!

The massive hands tore apart, revealing the wolf once more.

Ptooey-.

Nihil-Raz spat something out.

"Ooooh! Nihil-Raz! I knew I could count on you!"

Gooooh-.

The eight pupils gazed at their severed hands.

Then, slowly... it closed its eyes.

The pressure crushing my chest vanished too.

The giant spider must have fled.

So, how do I send this wolf packing?

As I pondered various ways, the wolf grinned.

What? A ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠spider trying to take my guts.

And now a wolf after my eyeball?

This is fucking insane.

"Fine! Got it!"

"Instead, take it from my corpse after I die someday."

Its sharp fangs grrr-ed menacingly.

My breath caught, but.

I had my own calculations.

"If I die that easily, you'd lose out big time too."

"You want me alive as long as possible too. That way we can keep trading for long-term gains."

There had to be a reason this guy revealed its name and helped me.

It didn't want me dead.

Sabrannik, Ashibar.

They all wanted to trade with me long-term.

This one too, surely.

Surprisingly, it accepted my proposal readily?

But one line bothered me.

"Our lives won't last past today? What does that mean?"

Sususu-.

The darkness enveloping me faded, and the wolf vanished.

At the same time, a welcome voice came through.

What.

The signal's finally getting through.

But I was exhausted in every way.

This statue was Germain sis's errand item to begin with.

If Sabrannik had helped this time, I might've considered handing it over...

When I came to, I was lying on some bed.

Felix clicked his tongue.

"The least injured one collapses first."

"Haa, these idols I've never seen keep popping up and being a hassle."

"New idols don't come that easily."

"Yeah?"

"Usually, you use special relics as catalysts or idols via statues to summon them."

Really?

Then why do the dangerous ones keep coming to me first.

This is annoying as hell!

Anyway.

About an hour had passed since I collapsed.

─Your lives won't last past today.

Wolf Nihil-Raz's words stuck in my mind.

It said 'your.'

Multiple people?

What event would kill multiple people today.

Some plague spreading?

Thud-.

Felix tapped my shoulder.

"If you're awake, let's go. The shaman has something to say about that 'spider gem' you brought."

Spider gem!

According to the Major, the shaman would buy it for ten million Ether!

My mood lifted instantly.

"Mr. Yor, you've arrived?"

In the Major's tent, the shaman was waiting for me.

His attitude was quite polite.

"May I request a trade ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of this gem for items I have?"

"Trade?"

"Among the usable valuables the Major discarded underground, I've gathered them in a shed. It's a real 'treasure vault.' Pick what you want to trade from there."

"Shaman Gong, isn't that too generous a reward?"

Knight Gotvald furrowed his brow.

The shaman raised the 'spider gem' high in his hand.

"A gem of such purity is a first! Trading for Ether would be cleaner, but I don't have Ether on hand right now..."

"Yor, what do you think?"

Hammer asked me.

They'd all waited on the trade for my opinion.

"I think it's good. One treasure vault item per person."

"I'm for it too. Curious what items are there."

Even Hermit said that, so it seemed like a decent offer.

"May we see the items first and decide?"

"Yes. Follow me."

We were invited to the shaman's room.

The tent was filled with gold threads, talismans, and unidentified totems up front.

Hermit nearly had a fit.

"Ugh-. Dizzy."

"Those sensitive to magic might feel that. I only come here once every three days for purification rites."

Sruruk-.

The shaman entered the tent.

Soon, we were all speechless at the swords, shields, armor, and such inside.

"Items the Major harvested himself. Most are steeped in 'Night magic,' so I'm purifying them."

"Ooh! This is the 「Vampiric Hammer」!"

Turning at the shout, Hammer held a bright red hammer.

"A hammer that hardens the more blood it drinks! Great weight too!"

Hwut-hwut-.

He swung it like a dumbbell; whatever it was, he loved it.

"Huh! These gloves are anti-magic silk!?"

Hermit slipped on thin white gloves and beamed.

Curious, I looked; she grinned.

"I get burned a lot from Angrath's flames, so I really wanted anti-demon material gloves!"

"Hoo, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Mage, you use Angrath school's fire magic?"

The shaman showed interest in Hermit.

"Trading with that finicky idol suggests you're from an excellent bloodline. Might you be from a certain house?"

"......"

Hermit shut her mouth.

What happened.

This chatterbox went quiet.

Sring-. Felix drew a sword beside me.

The blade was bright bright red.

"This sword's made by Erdar. You're really giving this?"

"Yes. The Major left the treasure vault entirely to me..."

Everyone was busy shopping.

I needed to grab something expensive too.

Looking around for a while, the shaman yelled.

"An item that was here! ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Did no one see it?"

He pointed at a red cushion.

Everyone shook their heads; I did too.

"Aaaah! It was definitely here until this morning, and now it's gone!"

Swipe-.

All eyes turned to me.

What.

Why's everyone looking at me.

At the same time, I suspected myself.

'Did my hand move without me knowing?'

Honestly, I suspected myself too.

But I never went near that cushion.

That's for sure.

"This is bad! Mr. Yor! Please return it! I won't press charges!"

"Why blame me? I really don't know!"

"You really don't?"

Hermit eyed me suspiciously.

Unbelievable.

"Hermit, you were next to me, so you know I didn't have time to go over there."

"Some thieves steal distant items with 'invisible hands.' You might have that blessing..."

Fuck-.

How much hell have thief bastards caused for this lack of trust.

Of course, if something went missing, I'd suspect nearby thieves first.

I don't trust myself either!

"But this time, it's really not me."

"Haaa... This is really bad. Oh, what to do..."

The shaman sighed and paced anxiously.

Hammer asked him.

"What item is it that's got you like this? Expensive?"

"Not expensive—insanely dangerous. It's tied to this fortress's safety."

Fortress's safety.

Wolf Nihil-Raz's words came to mind.

We're all dying before today ends.

"From now on, we'll seal the fortress entrances. The Major returns tomorrow, so we'll investigate and interrogate then."

Jjangrang-.

The shaman slammed his bell-staff on the ground.

"Hammer and your party must cooperate with me too."

Very solemn tone.

But I thought differently.

"Tomorrow might be too late!"

No time.

Sruruk-.

I drew a throwing knife and hurled it hard.

Chaeng-!

Knight Gotvald's sword deflected it.

"What the hell, you thief scum!"

"Knight sir, didn't you freak out every time we headed to the treasure warehouse or vault?"

"What?"

"Worried we'd catch you stealing, maybe?"

Those pretending to be above greed, hating money, all pure—turns out they're the dirtiest.

"You asked if we were eyeing the Major's treasures too. That's when I got the vibe."

Level 16 knight Gotvald.

How much Ether to reach level 17.

Immense, probably.

So greed for treasure makes sense.

"Call the interrogator and make him swallow that appraisal pill."

"No need. I gave the appraisal worm pill to Director Jeremiah."

The shaman rummaged in his pouch.

He pulled out two round pills.

"One for Mr. Yor, one for Knight Gotvald. All right?"

"Deal!"

I took it lightly.

Soon, veins bulged on Gotvald's parasite-like face.