90
Chapter 90
'So... what exactly am I looking at right now?'
A scene that makes my head spin just looking at it unfolds before my eyes.
Dwarves lined up in a row.
They're standing in turn, waiting to sign contracts.
Wondering where they got those contracts from, I took a closer look and saw the Holy See's brand.
It seems to be something that was used to control test subjects.
Saying I shouldn't be left standing, Lucy had brought a luxurious black chair from somewhere.
I sat there and casually read through the terms of the contract.
And... naturally, I was left speechless.
Just like the Holy See bastards would do.
They took an already malicious slave contract and made it even worse.
Originally, breaking the established rules would come with the heavy price of having your heart pierced by the Sword of Contract.
But they tied this to a Demon and strengthened it further.
If you break the rules, you don't just die—your soul goes to a Demon and you suffer even after death.
'These bastards, I really have to give them credit for being so thorough.'
Did they make a deal with a Demon while creating this contract?
It even includes a clause that when the slave's soul transfers to Demon ownership, the Demon provides power to the master in return.
The more I look at that contract, the more horrified I become.
All sorts of toxic clauses.
Anyone subjected to this contract would essentially live out the rest of their life treated worse than a pet.
"T-This is too much, isn't it...?"
A voice growing increasingly faint.
He seems clearly angry, but he can't express that anger.
The reverence and fear contained in that gaze.
I could roughly guess what kind of person he was taking me for.
And... I couldn't even make an excuse.
It wasn't intentional. But to anyone looking, I appeared like some big boss of a villain organization.
While casually carrying out such outrageous acts, sitting leisurely in a luxurious black chair.
It would actually be stranger if they didn't misunderstand it that way.
'Even so, it's a bit awkward to come out now and say it was all a misunderstanding.'
Lucy's words had their own persuasiveness.
The rough method was a problem, but I definitely agreed that we shouldn't leave them alone.
If left to their own devices, these thug Dwarves would definitely continue to scam many more people.
Rather than that, it would be better to draw them to our side and put them to work.
That's why I spoke.
"Don't worry. This contract is just for precaution. I won't abuse it to oppress you."
That's why I spoke with a friendly smile, but the Dwarf recoiled in terror and shouted.
"I-I wasn't doubting you! I didn't say that because I didn't trust you! P-Please, spare me!"
A pale face.
Just as I grabbed his hand wondering if he was okay....
"Ugh!"
Thud, and he collapsed.
A sudden situation.
But I didn't panic and checked the Dwarf's condition. Unintentionally accumulated experience thanks to Lady Rubia.
He's not dead. He just couldn't overcome his fear and fainted briefly.
Thank goodness.
It was a fortunate thing, but....
"D-Did you see that?!"
"Not even changing his expression while making a person...."
"He didn't even use magic...."
This side didn't seem so fortunate.
Dwarves whispering among themselves about me.
I had spoken up to reassure them, but it was having the opposite effect.
A strong one who could kill people with overwhelming bloodlust alone, without even touching them or using mana.
My image among the Dwarves was transforming into something like a crazy overpowered character with an instant-death cheat.
Some even blabbered nonsense about me possibly being 'the Boss of Black Fang' and made a fuss.
I stopped enhancing my hearing with mana.
I had enhanced it because someone was talking about escaping, but now there wasn't even a mention of the word escape.
Not resisting is the way to survive.
No one who went up against Black Fang came out looking good.
Even the Holy See took a beating, so what chance do we have if we resist?
Only those kinds of conversations kept coming up.
They had become obedient in an instant.
The truly vicious Dwarves even flattered me, saying it was an honor while signing the malicious slave contract.
"...As expected of my Lord. I could only rule them through violence, but you're commanding everyone with sheer authority."
Lucy also flattered me, not to be outdone.
...No, looking again, it wasn't flattery but words that seemed to come from the heart.
With her eyes sparkling like that, it was too strange to be empty words.
This scatterbrained girl genuinely believed that I had orchestrated all of this under thorough calculation.
What exactly do you think I am?
I just came to Blacksmith Street to find one item.
I had no grand purpose like reforming Dwarves who had forgotten justice and duty!
Those words rose to the tip of my throat, but....
I desperately held it in and only left a request to use more peaceful means next time.
I couldn't undo what had already happened. Thinking positively was the best option.
Come to think of it... whether you buy equipment made by a blacksmith or threaten them with a sword to make equipment.
As long as the result is good, isn't that all that matters?
This is all to save the world, after all.
****
With the incident somewhat wrapped up like that.
I ordered the Dwarves to stand by and walked toward my destination with Lucy.
Somehow I ended up going wildly off course in the middle and collected about a hundred Dwarf slaves, but.
My original purpose for visiting here was, first and foremost, to retrieve the Holy Sword.
'......This place has become much more splendid than it was 10 years ago.'
Rob's smithy, which we arrived at before I knew it.
It boasted a flashy exterior in the previous game too, but compared to now, that was just a drop in the bucket.
This was less of a smithy and more akin to a mansion.
A gold-plated building.
Extravagant decorations like fountains and statues.
It was a facility where I couldn't even fathom how much money he had poured into it.
Well, it would be even stranger if this guy couldn't make money.
The Blacksmith Rob.
The Dwarf I commissioned to repair the Holy Sword.
His entire character trait was being greedy for money.
While other Dwarves stubbornly insisted they only accepted requests from people they acknowledged in the previous game, Rob screened his clients by a very equal standard.
Money.
Overwhelming amounts of money.
As long as he was paid well, he accepted requests without discriminating between villains and saints.
His skills were also among the best of the Dwarves. With a guy like him working for over 10 years, it was only natural he'd become incredibly wealthy.
'...For some reason, it seems like all the Dwarves went crazy because of this guy.'
I had wondered why guys who clearly possessed noble craftsmanship had lost their minds like that. I figured Rob's influence played a huge part in turning this place into a commercialized district.
Since they were all Dwarves, it was only natural to feel jealous when some couldn't even make decent money and were discriminated against for being demi-humans, while others sat on a pile of wealth and enjoyed all sorts of luxuries.
It was only a matter of course for them to think about throwing away their pride and trying to make money like him.
"Ah, our precious customer has arrived."
While I was having those thoughts, Rob opened the front door and greeted us warmly.
An outfit as flashy as the mansion.
From his suit to his watch, they were luxury items to the point where it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was wearing a building.
We followed Rob into the mansion. It was so massive that I felt we would have gotten lost without a guide.
After walking for quite a while, we finally reached the reception room.
Sitting on a plush sofa with some premium tea, we waited for a few minutes before Rob showed up again.
"How is it? I think it's a pretty decent result."
Rob said as he brought out the Holy Sword.
A smile naturally formed on my face.
He had said he was partially successful in the repair, so I wasn't really expecting much. It was an outstanding piece of work that exceeded my expectations.
The item, which had been cut in half and was honestly too embarrassing to even call a sword, had completely transformed.
It was a bit short, but. Even taking that into account, it had been reborn as a proper sword.
Rob had definitely done more than what he was paid for.
As I was examining the Holy Sword from various angles and marveling at it, Rob cautiously spoke up.
"To be honest, if I only had a little more time and resources, I could have truly completed it. It's quite a shame."
A blatant tone.
Eyes glancing this way every now and then.
It was obvious what he was trying to get at.
I pondered for a moment... and then opened my mouth.
"If there's anything you're lacking, please let me know. If you need something to perfectly repair the sword, I am willing to provide it."
Well, with his personality being what it is.
He'd probably try to squeeze some more money out of me under various pretexts.
Considering the value of the Holy Sword, that was still a profitable deal. Besides, my money was being duplicated in real-time anyway.
As soon as I finished speaking, Rob unfurled a map as if he had been waiting for this and began to explain.
"A material capable of holding the mystical properties of an Artifact. With just that, I can perfectly repair the sword."
Adamantium.
He claimed that with just that, the repair would be flawless.
Along with that, he pointed out the location of the mine.
Given the current situation.
There was only one thing I could say.
"Oh my, so the reason you couldn't repair it until now was because you didn't have Adamantium. But by any chance, do you have a mother?"
As a hardcore gamer, there's no way I wouldn't recognize the map.
There was no mine at the location he pointed to.
There was only a dangerous ruin where an Ancient Dragon slumbered.
"Your forging skills have improved over the past ten years, but your antics are still the same."
Cold sweat ran down his neck.
He quickly prepared for combat.
He even mobilized his Artifacts and took a full defensive stance, but.
It was already too late.
'See, it would have been so much better if you just took the money and worked obediently.'
It wasn't like I was some Slave Trader.
I hadn't come to a place like this to kidnap anyone, but.
To be honest, everything is difficult the first time, but from the second time onward, it becomes a piece of cake.
I looked at Lucy.
I had told her earlier not to try to solve everything with violence, but.
I was withdrawing that statement.
Perhaps because the Dwarf was a demi-human, words simply weren't getting through to him, so what else could I do?
"Lucy, would you mind teaching him some manners?"
It was time to employ an excellent tool for negotiation.