Blue Blood (4)
I returned to the lord’s mansion, where makeshift tents were being erected like a field camp, and headed straight for the area storing the drop items without stopping anywhere else. Of course, because I had put on quite the show during the fight with Diabolo, plenty of people tried to strike up conversations on the way.
“Not happening.”
I chased off all the shameless bastards who had done absolutely nothing during the battle but now wanted to split the dirty work, then marched directly to where the harvested items were being appraised.
—Buzzing murmurs.
The moment I stepped into the tent, I saw appraisers and mages from the guild who had been pulled from evacuation duty putting on a free appraisal show in exchange for their personal safety. It looked like they had gathered everything Diabolo had dumped from his inventory along with the non-lord-owned items from inside the mansion.
These damn noble bastards had dragged their feet like civil servants thirty minutes before quitting time when their own lives were on the line, but the second money was involved they suddenly moved like lightning. Arresting the private soldiers who had been swayed by Diabolo and the fleeing steward, then looting the mansion—it was practically no different from a bandit raid. It was only natural that Minerva, who had been watching the whole sorry spectacle, let out a deep sigh.
“You’ve arrived?”
A noble with insufficient rank didn’t even bring guards and spoke to me directly. He wasn’t wearing an oxygen mask on his head like the heavenly dragons, yet he was being awfully bold toward a foreign commoner like me.
“Just give me my entire share in cash. And please return only the giant hides I personally obtained to my possession.”
I immediately threw out the proposal I had prepared in advance. ‘Just take whatever you want. When I checked with Odin’s Eye, there wasn’t much worth taking anyway.’
This Odin’s Eye could determine the performance and value of magic items with such precision that even professional appraisers would pale in comparison. It was a surprisingly useful ability.
At any rate, after confirming everything with Odin’s Eye, I realized that despite his strength, Diabolo didn’t actually own anything particularly impressive. The only noteworthy item was his sword, which was made of solid mithril.
That was why I planned to convert the drop items into their cash value and only take our portion of the money. Who the hell would want those shitty relics anyway? Haha.
“Yes. As long as the appraised value and the cash are at a reasonable level, I have no further demands. We can discuss the items that haven’t been recovered from the mansion later.”
In short, I was telling them not to slack off on the appraisal or recovery work. The moment I nailed that down openly, the noble who had been speaking on their behalf trembled as if he had been deeply offended. Apparently he still had some pride left.
—Flinch!
But the instant our eyes met, he reflexively answered in a spine-tingling panic.
This guy must have had his mouth and asshole swapped at birth. What kind of utter bullshit was coming out of his trap?
I politely wrapped up his true intentions in a few courteous words and tried to leave. Honestly, even if I took the relics, converting them into money would be more trouble than it was worth. Since both Minerva and Primor were here, I figured nothing would be stolen from under our noses even if I wasn’t present. You guys hurry up and finish, brush your teeth, wash your feet, and go to sleep. You don’t want to pull an all-nighter either, right?
“Ah, wait a moment.”
Just as I was about to leave, one of the nobles—the shifty-looking one—stopped me.
“Yes? Is there something else you wish to say?”
“Indeed.”
He smiled kindly and spoke with refined grace.
I tilted my head at the unexpected favor, but it didn’t take long for me to see through their real intentions. I let out a dry chuckle.
“That is truly a gracious offer. However, we are currently short on hands.”
“We will send them to the Hermione Guild. How does that sound?”
“I am honored that you would go so far. In that case, I will only take the items that Diabolo was carrying with spatial magic for now.”
Although I answered humbly, inside I was clicking my tongue. ‘These fucking bastards. Disposing of the books the black mage threw at them is annoying and difficult, so they don’t want to deal with it themselves, huh?’
Of course, to others those books were completely unreadable. There was no benefit to keeping them. If anything, they might even get me labeled as a black mage or cost me disposal fees.
Besides, it seemed the appraisal of the remaining books had already been completed. Most likely, even the books Diabolo owned didn’t hold much value in the eyes of the mages’ guild appraisers.
Nine times out of ten, while I was absent they must have had a shady little exchange like, “These books aren’t worth any money. Why don’t we just hand them over at a one-for-one discount?” And somehow I ended up being the designated dump target.
‘…No, it’s not really dumping it on me. I’m not the one losing out here.’
I picked up one of the books whose cover text was completely indecipherable. It was the first time my translation ability had failed to decipher any characters. Still, I didn’t think this was just a meaningless string of scribbles.
My honest feeling was that ignoring these letters without even knowing what they were left a bad aftertaste. Even without the nobles’ little scheme, I had been planning to ask for them later anyway. I had only held back because immediately taking them might have invited pointless suspicion like, “Is this guy up to something?”
“Since I happen to know an esteemed member of the mages’ guild, I shall consult with them.”
—Tap tap.
I patted the black mage’s books as I spoke.
“…Ahem. We shall.”
OK. I had obtained the books I was going to take anyway and even earned some extra cash on top. Feeling quite pleased with the deal, I left the tent carrying Diabolo’s books. The heavy weight of the paper bundle at my waist felt like proof of a successful transaction, making my steps feel lighter.
‘But if that Diabolo bastard survives, will he come looking for revenge?’
Glancing at the books tucked under my arm suddenly brought the thought to mind. Even if that weren’t the case, the chances were high that once he recovered from those critical injuries he would rampage about seeking vengeance. Although it had been thanks to mana, I had beaten him half to death; he probably wouldn’t come at me alone. He might bring someone to fight alongside him.
‘Will he go “Waaah, boss~” and whine to his leader?’
It would be a huge pain if he came later for revenge. Maybe I should install some CESCO security at our house. From mafia movies alone, I knew that once criminals get screwed over they grit their teeth and pursue bloody revenge. Like cutting off their beloved horse’s head and leaving it on the sleeping person’s pillow—that kind of thing.
Veronica would throw a fit.
—Step, step.
With light footsteps, I walked toward the temporary infirmary. It had already been over three hours since our victory, so the lord’s mansion was now being used to house the injured. Since the lord himself was hovering between life and death, it was, depending on how you looked at it, a fitting conclusion.
Tirsi was currently lying there as well. It was because this place currently had the highest concentration of priests capable of healing.
“Hubby’s here~.”
I entered one of the hospital rooms carrying several books and widened my eyes. Tirsi, who had been asleep, was now awake. All my wives were there too. The only oddity was Veronica, who was rubbing her back against the corner of the room by herself.
Wondering why she was acting like that, I tilted my head. It didn’t take long for me to realize her reaction was because of Tirsi.
“Veronica unnie~? Why are you doing that~?”
Apparently Larilura hadn’t reached the same conclusion and asked outright. Veronica answered her innocent question with a somewhat sour expression.
“……Ah.”
Having understood the meaning, Larilura shut her mouth, and Tirsi, who seemed to have just woken up, blushed deeply. The Bicorn-style virgin radar that had activated after so long once again made everyone’s faces burn.
Well, it must be embarrassing, but I hoped she could take comfort in the fact that she hadn’t been harmed. Thinking that, I spoke.
“You’re awake. How is your body? Any pain?”
After saying it, I realized I had asked too many questions at once, but Tirsi flexed her fingers a few times before answering.
“Can you be more specific?” Veronica asked in a loud voice. A doctor performing a diagnosis from more than five meters away—it felt somewhat comical.
“Physical reinforcement is a natural occurrence. Any river that grows wider will eventually connect to the sea. With that much mana circulating and settling inside the body, it would be far stranger if pathways for mana to travel had not been created.”
Veronica asked a few more questions and assessed Tirsi’s condition. Although she didn’t touch her directly, Tirsi herself was a proper mage who could describe her own symptoms. It was like a doctor examining another doctor, so there seemed to be no major difficulties. Veronica appeared to have understood everything from words alone.
Veronica nodded, half relieved and half disappointed.
“If it’s only an increase in mana capacity, that’s good news for a mage.”
“Don’t say such frivolous things. You were standing at death’s door.”
When Franc scolded her, Tirsi gave an awkward smile. I completely agreed with my wife’s words, but I decided to let it slide since it didn’t seem right to pile on.
“For a more detailed examination, let’s have the priests from the Pomona Church look at you later.”
I mentioned that the lady of the Armaals family had invited us, and that while we were there she would also examine Tirsi’s condition.
“Armaals… I see.”
Tirsi stroked her chin as if the name Armaals carried some meaning for her. But she didn’t say anything more, so I continued.
“That being the case… if Tirsi is feeling up to it, I’d like you to rest for a few days and then tell us what happened.”
I said that because I thought it would be unreasonable to immediately question her about the traumatic experience right after she had woken up. However, Tirsi shook her head as if to say she was fine.
“…If that’s what you wish, then very well.”
—Ahem.
I cleared my throat and began the story.