Welcome to the Golem Commotion (7)

The biggest downside of staying at this inn is one thing: I have to wear this damn mask, so I can't use the dining hall. 'It looks fucking delicious.'

When Franc and I came down to the first floor, we saw guests enjoying an elegant breakfast. People staying at a hotel that cost 150,000 won a night had an aura of luxury radiating from their clothes alone.

—Whisper, whisper.

But for some reason, these refined people were focusing their attention on us. At first I assumed it was the usual how does a former grad student worm his way into a place like this kind of contempt, but when I actually listened, that wasn't it.

"Are those the people from the rumors...?"

"Probably. Look, the guards are waiting for them."

"My goodness. Could they be connected to the royal family?"

"I don't know, but we'd better be careful. They might even be listening to us right now."

—Flinch.

The merchant-looking man's words had struck a little closer to home than I liked. 'Has the rumor spread without me realizing?'

We'd solved a kidnapping case that had become known even in other cities. Even though we'd asked for anonymity, it seemed word had still gotten around.

It was a good thing I'd used Impression Camouflage to hide my identity. Avoiding annoying situations is always the right move.

—Clomp, clomp.

I stopped eavesdropping and was about to head out when a man who looked like a city guard was waiting for us right outside the inn's main entrance. His face brightened the moment he saw us.

"Ah! Mr. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Wayne! You're here!"

"Yes. Hello. What brings you by today?"

"Well... the captain sent me to escort you. The accounts from last time have been settled."

That was the only "account" it could be. It looked like the distribution of the Chrysos Circus troupe's assets had been wrapped up.

"That was faster than I expected."

"The circus equipment was hard to dispose of, so they only handled the currency and documents they possessed. The captain will give you the details."

"Understood. Would it be all right if I stop by to get my companions first? It would be better if we all went together."

"Ah, if it's Miss Larilura, one of my colleagues has already gone to fetch her, so no need to worry."

They'd sent someone separately. Since there was no point in taking the long way around, we simply followed the guard.

'Once I get the reward, should I skip hunting golems here and head straight for Sargadis?'

There would be far more golems near Sargadis than in this area. Joining an organized subjugation party would definitely be more efficient than picking off stragglers that had fallen behind from their groups.

With those thoughts in mind, I arrived at the guard station. As the representative of my party, I met with the guard captain first.

"This is half of the assets we could liquidate immediately."

—Clink!

The captain set a small pouch on the table. It made a surprisingly light sound. There clearly weren't many coins inside. Silver, maybe?

"The total comes to 3 gold and 13 silver."

"………………Come again?"

"To be exact it was 3 gold, 12 silver, and 89 copper, but we rounded the remaining 11 copper up for your convenience carrying it around."

The captain spoke calmly, but I was too busy gaping under my mask to answer. Wait, how much? Three gold coins? 3 gold and 13 silver meant 313 silver, which meant 31,300 copper. In other words, according to Nord's exchange rates, its value in won was—

'Three hundred... thirteen million won?'

My head went completely numb. I couldn't even process the number. Three hundred million! Wasn't that the kind of figure people only said as a joke? ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Finding ten thousand won on the street already felt like hitting the jackpot, but three hundred and thirteen million would mean repeating that thirty-one thousand three hundred times and still having to do it another thirteen hundred times on top of that.

'If I exchanged three hundred million for one-thousand-won bills, I could stuff a small studio apartment until the floor disappeared.'

The incredibly capable daughter-in-law filled an entire room with thousand-won bills from three hundred million won! The father-in-law, overwhelmed by such wealth, soaked his trousers and begged her to marry his son!

Of course, in 21st-century Korea where inflation had lost its mind, it might not sound like that much money. Especially when you considered capital-area real estate prices that started in the billions. But still. It was three hundred million. Saving a million won every month would take three hundred months—twenty-five years—to reach that amount!!

"Most of the circus troupe's assets were animals, so final settlement will take more time. Once the criminal slaves and animals have been sold, you'll receive half of those proceeds as well."

Fuck! And this wasn't even everything? From the way he spoke, three gold seemed to be only a fraction of the total.

'Justice really is insanely profitable.'

Justice is money. Was this why the Vectormen had fought so hard as Earth's champions? Even without hazard pay, one good haul could set you up for life. Being a hero of justice suddenly seemed like a perfectly reasonable career choice.

"It will likely take at least a month for all the animals to be sold."

Maybe my shock was completely hidden by the Magical Mask, because our kind captain didn't notice my reaction and kept talking.

"Still, we can't keep a busy man like you here for an entire month. I'm truly sorry, but would you mind returning later to collect the remainder?"

"Uh... You could just deposit it into my account."

"Would that be acceptable? Your identity might be exposed."

The captain sounded genuinely concerned. He was worried that revealing the account name would blow my cover. Even in the 21st century, anonymous accounts weren't exactly easy to come by. Without knowing my identity they couldn't deposit the money. That was normal.

"It's fine. My account uses encryption. Just recite the designated passphrase and the deposit will go through."

"Oh! I see. My apologies. I had no idea."

The captain looked at me with open admiration and envy. To him, I must have seemed like 'someone so important the state itself encrypted his account.'

'It's really not that impressive...'

In truth, it was simply because I'd taken responsibility for protecting the identities of scholars in the archaeological community.

I collected the money while inwardly shrinking under the captain's burdensome, respectful gaze.

Still, the animal sales...

"...Could I have a receipt listing the sale details? Something's come up that I need to discuss with my companions."

"Of course. I'll be right here waiting."

With the captain's permission, I returned to the waiting room where Franc and Larilura were sitting.

"Th-three gold?"

Franc had the exact same reaction I did, but Larilura didn't seem particularly surprised.

"The bigger the organization, the larger the sums involved☆ Even though it's only half the total assets, six gold is pretty average for a merchant guild or circus troupe☆"

"Maybe for an organization, but when you divide it by headcount it's one gold per person. One gold per person is a fucking huge amount, isn't it?"

"What? Huh? You're giving me some too?"

Larilura looked genuinely shocked. What ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was this girl even surprised about?

"Obviously. If it weren't for you, Anasiss would've stabbed me to death."

Without Larilura, even with Franc there, we both would have died. While I was recovering, Franc and Erika would have been turned into pincushions by those knives.

"Since we'll be working together for a while, it'd be shitty to get stingy about money."

That was also a pretty big reason. Imagine how a companion would feel if I pocketed a hundred million that was supposed to come to them. Depending on the person, that kind of money could easily lead to impulsive murder.

So handing her one gold didn't leave me with any regrets.

Sorry. That was a lie. It fucking hurts. But the closer you are to someone, the cleaner you should keep the money between you.

"Franc's and my lives are worth more than one gold. Just take it quietly."

"...Th-thank you."

We divided the reward precisely into three equal parts while I pressed the coins into a shrinking Larilura's hands.

But that wasn't what I'd come to discuss.

"This is the amount we could liquidate right away. Once the animals are all sold, we'll probably get even more than this."

With my pathetic grasp of economics I shouldn't have been able to understand it at all, but when I thought about it carefully, it made sense. Back on Earth, zoo animals started at ten million won each. Selling dozens of living animals would indeed bring in a shocking amount of money.

"So here's the thing. I want to use the money from selling those animals for the victims or other good causes. We'll still split this reward three ways, but I wanted to hear what you both think."

"Good causes?"

"It doesn't have to be strictly charity. I just don't want to use it for myself. I don't have the luxury to look after every sold animal's welfare, but living high on the money we got from selling them doesn't sit right with me at all."

That was my honest feeling. After fighting a revolution together at the circus, to turn around and sell those comrades into slavery and pocket the cash? That would just be a dictator ending where the revolutionary becomes another bourgeois party member.

I had no intention of walking the realistic path of communism. Fuck that. I'd be a complete red. Even selling people out after using them had to stay within the bounds of conscience; anything more was trash behavior that would leave me with nothing to say even if someone threw a lunchbox bomb at me later. No matter if my name is Buk-ho, I really don't want to become a North Korean commie dictator pig. That's what I'm saying.

This wasn't a logical issue. It was a problem of pride as a pro-proletariat.

The crossroads of whether I become a son of a bitch who sells his comrades for money! If I pocketed their life value here, I'd be no different from the professors who exploit and violate their graduate students!!

'But what if I use it for social welfare?'

So-cial Wel-fare! Equal redistribution of wealth! Ah, what a beautifully red pair of words! The result of the struggle for freedom in Animal Farm being used for the welfare of proletariats in the same situation! This was true internationalism.

It was an idea I'd come up with myself, but it was a fucking cool one. If Marx and Lenin heard this proposal, they would surely tear open their graves, resurrect as red skeletons, and ignite the red torch of communist revolution!!

"I'm totally in favor☆!"

Larilura raised her hand in enthusiastic agreement.

"Regular donations to Erika's orphanage would be perfect! The Chrysos Circus made that money by squeezing people's blood, so using it for good feels right~♡!"

"I don't mind either. Honestly, even two gold between Nord and me is already more than I can imagine how to spend."

In the end, the whole party agreed with my idea.

For some reason I felt a little guilty. This had been my own selfish hypocrisy; they could have taken their shares without issue.

"All right. Then I'll receive it in my identity-protected account for now and withdraw it in cash later to distribute."

"Yes~☆! You won't secretly pocket some in the middle, right?"

"Hahaha! You little brat☆"

"Ow?!"

After giving the cheeky Larilura a suitable smack, I returned to the captain and found a small girl waiting for me there.

<Rozanna?>

<Ah! Big brother!>

It was the hunchbacked girl Rozanna. Surprisingly, her back condition had improved considerably since the last time I'd seen her.

—Glance.

When I looked over, the captain nodded. It seemed he could wait a few minutes for us to talk.

Rozanna said. Come to think of it, we'd parted so hurriedly that I never got to say a proper goodbye.

<Thank you. Are you heading home now, Rozanna?>

<Yes! From Romania, the executor...? Anyway, someone from the guards is coming! I get to go back with them!>

<Really? That's wonderful.>

It seemed the executor handling Anasiss and Roman's execution would be taking the children back as well. Rozanna's eyes sparkled with hope.

<Me! Now that I'll get treatment and be able to straighten my back, I can see Mom and Dad again! So when I grow up, I'm going ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to come back to Britannia to greet you and the big sisters!>

<Haha. You don't have to do that. We travel around a lot, so if you listen to your mom and dad, we'll come visit you instead.>

<Really?! How many nights do I have to wait?>

How many nights. Such a childlike way to measure time. It was a purity you rarely saw in 21st-century kids whose personalities had been completely destroyed by YouTube and games. The emotion just wouldn't stop welling up.

<Umm. About a hundred nights?>

Rozanna grew gloomy at the huge number she couldn't even count using both hands and feet, but quickly found her energy again.

—Pat, pat.

I stroked her head gently. The day Rozanna and I met again would probably never come. Still, this child's future was now completely different from her circus days when nothing was possible except enduring pain. She might be sad if I didn't come find her in a hundred days, but if she grew up receiving her parents' love, she'd eventually forget about the benefactor from her childhood. That's how everyone grows up.

Rozanna sniffled at my touch, then spoke in clumsy Britannian.

<Yes. Take care, Rozanna. It's a promise, okay?>

<Hic... huk, yes......>

In the end Rozanna burst into tears, and a woman who looked like a nun led her away. The guard captain, despite his rugged appearance, was shedding tears from both eyes. I asked him,

"Will the executor from Romania be taking these children, including that girl?"

"Ahem, sob... Yes. They will reunite with their parents and receive treatment, I am told."

"I see. That's good to hear."

I sat down first and gestured for the captain to take a seat. It was a bit rude, but Arthur Wayne could get away with it.

"I'll cover the treatment costs for children with twisted bodies like Rozanna. Let's draw up a contract so the medical expenses can be deducted from the animal sales coming in under my name."

"Y-yes?"

"Give that contract to the executor from Romania. They'll handle the procedures on their end."

"...Ah, understood!"

The flustered captain brought me the contract. It was the kind used for sponsors or victim support. While inwardly cringing under the guard's burdensome, respectful stare, I wrote out the contract with my left hand.

Look at this handwriting, fuck. Even if I dipped my dick in ink and wrote with it, the result would be better than this.

"That takes care of everything related to the funds."

"Indeed. Thank you for your hard work."

"You're the ones who did all the work. More importantly—did you manage to prepare what I requested?"

When I brought up the main purpose of my visit, the captain's expression grew serious.

"Ah, for that, please follow me. I'll show you the way."

—Creak!

—Thud!

In the evidence warehouse inside the guard station was the item I'd been looking for. A set of black women's leather armor. My eyes immediately caught the subtle flow of mana coming from it. This armor was a magic item.