Chapter 211: What I Just Did
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 211: What I Just Did
“W-what happened…?!”
“Nothing much, I just went to have a talk.”
“Y-you talked with those Antonio people?!”
When I returned to the inn, Ravi came out in her comfortable indoor clothes and made a huge fuss. I pinched her chattering lips shut and glanced around the room.
“Ravi. It’s a secret that I went to the Antonio Brotherhood.”
“Huh…?! Did something incredible happen?!”
“No, not really. Just… nothing happened.”
“Hmm…?”
“Anyway, keep it a secret.”
“Mmm… okay! You can count on me!”
“Well, you’re the only one here anyway.”
I had already checked the bag I brought from the Antonio Brotherhood once. Inside was a bottle of high-quality ink with a nice texture that didn't smudge, and an expensive-looking fountain pen. I figured it was something like a complimentary gift.
I don’t really have much to write, though.
“Ah, Ravi. This is a gift for you.”
“Huh? What is it, Yoo Eon?”
“A fountain pen.”
Hearing Mystery Antoinette’s story had left me feeling a bit unsettled. Evil deeds should naturally be condemned, but a distinction must be made between evil with a reason and evil without one.
The current state of the Antonio Brotherhood, the delinquent explorers from the Southeast causing trouble, and the illegal businesses established within—all of that deserves punishment.
The reason I left without doing anything wasn't that I thought the Brotherhood’s actions were justified.
In the first place, I had only responded to Mystery Antoinette’s summons because of the assassination contract put out on me. After hearing the backstory of the Antonio Brotherhood, I simply lost the motivation to take any particular action.
For me to play the hero and smash those criminals to pieces right then and there would have been an clear overstepping of my bounds.
It would have been too similar to the Southeast subjugation of the warrior clans across the Myers River that I’d heard about in her story.
“Sigh, my head hurts.”
It’s an illegal cartel that has built its foundation over nearly 200 years. For Terry, who is barely twenty years old, to perfectly liquidate those illegal businesses and transform the group into a legitimate organization is practically impossible.
There could be internal backlash, or in the worst-case scenario, a coup.
As my thoughts multiplied, my forehead began to feel hot.
“I should go out for a bit to cool my head… No. I’ll go to Iris.”
* * *
“How did it go?”
“He had a private meeting with the Young Lady. It’s obvious how it went.”
“Hah, he really is something.”
At the top of a six-story building owned by the Antonio Brotherhood, which housed an illegal arena in its basement.
“Did you get a look at his face?”
“His physique is a bit vague. But I definitely saw his face.”
“It’s not like having a skill like that makes it easy to use, anyway.”
“I don’t know. I just do what I’m told.”
A man set down an artifact he was holding. After a slight manipulation of mana, photos began to pour out in a heap.
They were photos of Yoo Eon sitting, taken from various angles.
“Hmm, he’s got a decent face. Why are guys like this always on the side of justice or whatever?”
“Because they’ve lived receiving the world’s favor.”
“That makes sense. Ugly bastards always have hearts full of malice.”
The woman talking to him stared intently at a photo of Yoo Eon’s face from the front that had fallen onto the table. She set it down and lit a cigarette.
“Phew…”
“Stop smoking so much. It’s bad for you.”
“What’s the point of taking care of my body?”
“...Well. Having kids or something.”
“Do I look like the kind of bitch who’d live to breed?”
“Not at all. You’d probably eat them, though.”
Before long, the door to the room where the two were sitting opened, and two men walked in. One of them had a gaunt body and a strange tattoo etched into his forehead, staring blankly into space with vacant eyes.
“Now, like this.”
As the woman’s hand passed over the gaunt man’s face, his body and face began to twist and distort grotesquely. And finally, when the distortion ended.
“Oh my, he looks even better in person. If it’s a man like this, breeding might not be so bad.”
The man now bore the appearance of Yoo Eon.
“Asura. Why would a guy like this want anything to do with you? From what I saw, he even has a wife.”
“That big-breasted inn whore? Fuck, mine aren't exactly small either.”
“I feel like if I sucked on them, cigarette ash would come out.”
“...You there, take this thing and get out of here, fast.”
When the woman spoke to the man who had brought in the gaunt man with a deep scowl, he opened his mouth.
“Where should I send him?”
“The brothel, where else? We’ve got ourselves a handsome new gigolo. Put him on the third floor. Tell them to charge a high price.”
“Yes, I understand.”
The man nodded at the answer and led the transformed man out the door.
“Our boss is truly amazing.”
“Tell me about it.”
The man leaned back against the chair for a moment and shuddered as he recalled what had happened earlier.
“How can she spout such bullshit without even blinking? She’s got a talent for scamming.”
“Don’t say it like that. Call it a talent for being a novelist. As for her expressions, that’s probably because of her skill.”
“Ha, I like that.”
The woman crushed her cigarette in the ashtray, then brought a piece of paper and a fountain pen to the desk. She tapped the tip of the fountain pen onto the paper and let go; it stood upright as if held by something invisible.
“Now, shall we see what he’s writing?”
“What would he be writing right now? His head is probably a mess after being moved by the boss’s novel.”
“Is that so? Well, let’s just leave it and see.”
While the woman and the man stood watching the stationary fountain pen, the nib began to move on its own.
“Oh, it’s moving.”
“Is he sending a letter?”
“He seemed to be involved with the Mayerbridge Union. Maybe he’s writing a letter to them.”
“Hmm.”
The two watched the pen move in silence, and then, almost simultaneously, they reacted the same way.
“...What is this?”
“I know, right. What is it?”
‘Repairing a hat for the cat, returning the Monster Encyclopedia, researching potion flavor improvements.’
Sentences that made no sense—or rather, sentences whose meaning was clear but whose context was baffling—were written out one by one.
‘Helping with the sock laundry.’
“He’s quite domestic.”
“Something’s weird.”
* * *
“Iris.”
“Yeah.”
“From now on, please say ‘Welcome back.’”
“Welcome back.”
“I didn’t mean you should unconditionally replace ‘yeah’ with ‘welcome back.’”
Iris had now returned to her original race, a vampire. Until a moment ago, I thought there wasn't much difference, but seeing her now, it was definitely different.
“That’s an incredible amount of mana. Are you fully recovered?”
“Not yet.”
“How much longer will it take?”
“About a month.”
“Holy crap.”
This was the level of mana she had recovered in just three or four hours, and she had to wait another month to reach her maximum? It seemed that since the inside of the magic item shop was a space separate from the outside, there was no need to hide her mana.
“How strong are you, Iris?”
“About the level of a 9th Stratum Lord.”
“Are all 9th Stratum monsters this strong?”
“There aren't many 9th strata.”
Now that I thought about it, that was true. Unless it was one of the Three Great Labyrinths, there were no 9th strata. Then, for now, did that mean the 9th Stratum bosses possessed power similar to Iris when she was fully recovered?
“That’s amazing.”
“Welcome back.”
“...Just say ‘yeah.’”
“Yeah.”
My head had been a bit cluttered, but talking to Iris seemed to clear some of it up. But even though her mana was recovering, her way of speaking remained the same. Does that mean she was always this blank?
“By any chance… did you become a bit stupid after losing your mana, or something like that?”
“Why?”
“I’m just asking.”
“I didn’t.”
“Your brain is the same?”
“Yeah.”
There’s no way. If a 9th Stratum boss was in this slightly out-of-it state… it felt like the dignity of a Stratum Lord was suddenly dropping.
Or maybe it was scarier because you couldn't reason with her. That might be it.
“Do you have any plans for the future? Actually, I left the person you ate earlier at the Antonio Brotherhood.”
“I see.”
“Fortunately, the taboo seemed to have broken. It looked like the Knight Lord’s mana, which recognized that person as my body, broke the taboo.”
“Amelia must have worked hard.”
“Ah, is that so?”
Come to think of it, Amelia’s mana core was specialized in magic. Even so, to say that Hersha’s mana had no influence at all… that didn't seem right either.
“Is your recovery going okay? Do you need anything?”
“Take off your clothes.”
“...Why?”
“Because your eyes have changed.”
Iris spoke, her eyelids blinking slowly. Having returned to her original race, her original mana and abilities had come back. Iris had always been quick to notice changes in my body.
Now that she had recovered her original abilities, she might discover something else.
“I’m only taking off my shirt, okay?”
“Yeah.”
As Iris said, I took off my shirt, folded it roughly, and placed it on the desk. Whether it was from receiving the mana of the labyrinth creatures or the influence of my ability to constantly change my body.
I felt like I had gained a bit more muscle.
“Whoa, don’t masturbate.”
“...Welcome back.”
“What is wrong with this person?”
Iris lowered her hand below the desk for a moment before bringing it back up. Seeing as she didn't say much, it didn't seem like there was a big problem.
“It’s strange. My head was a mess until a moment ago, but I feel a bit better after talking to you, Iris.”
“I bet.”
Iris extended the index finger of the hand she was using to prop up her chin and pointed at me.
“That strange skill embedded in your head. I just dispelled it.”
“...What did you say?”