Chapter 253
Chapter 253
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 253
Chapter Title: Hundred Legs, Ten Thousand Poisons (3)
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“We’re looking for a man named ‘Theodor’!”
At the booming voice, I turned around with a dazed look on my face. Two men, each as massive as Lloyd, were scanning the inside of the inn. When their eyes met mine, they strode straight toward my table.
Oh no. This doesn’t feel good. In times like these, you’ve got to act confident. That’s the only way they won’t look down on you.
“What is it?”
I straightened up, squared my shoulders, kept my back rigid, and asked the two men in a voice feigning indifference. They exchanged a quick glance. Then one of them rummaged in his pocket and pulled something out.
“You’re ‘Theodor,’ the ‘Saint of Purification’ and ‘Bane of Evil,’ right?”
The man asked in a much calmer tone. I nodded and looked at what he held in his hand.
It was a fairly thick, high-quality scroll. That had to be...
‘...A quest?’
I felt a faint vibration from the old book in my pocket. It’s been a while. I could check the details later by opening the book, but for now, let’s hear what it’s about.
“Yes. That’s me, Theodor.”
“Ah, it really is you—the mercenary who completely subjugated the double dungeon in Lavata!”
The man’s face, serious just moments ago, lit up with excitement. Knowing about Lavata made it obvious what they wanted. I relaxed and scratched the back of my head.
“Yes, that’s me. How did you know I was here...?”
“We heard that a druid named ‘Theodor’ was among those who came by ship.”
“Ah.”
“My nephew lives in Lavata. A few months ago, he told me about how ‘Theodor,’ the Saint of Purification, showed up and completely cleared that double dungeon.”
“Oh, right. Yeah! That was already a few months ago. I didn’t realize the news had spread all the way here.”
“For you to arrive here at a time like this—it must be the guidance of the gods. Oh, thank you, Lord Donar!”
Whoa, typical seafolk, invoking Donar first thing. I shrugged, drained the half-full glass of cherry wine, and stood up.
“Now that you know I’m that Theodor...”
“...”
“I think it’s my turn to ask. Who are you, and where are you from?”
Kicking open the inn door and coming straight for me—they weren’t ordinary folk.
They both had impressive builds, but they weren’t mercenaries. So, the Quarzan guard then? But their outfits didn’t match the ones I saw outside.
“Ah, we got too excited and forgot to introduce ourselves. Forgive us. We’re fishermen from Quarzan.”
...Fishermen?
Not guards or the lord, but fishermen?
They must have noticed my baffled expression because they stood there awkwardly and nodded toward the table.
“...Mind if we sit and explain in detail?”
“Oh, sure... go ahead.”
The table was small, but we made space. I poured each of them a glass of cherry wine and waited calmly for their story to begin.
The two men, who called themselves Quarzan fishermen, rambled on as if they weren’t used to this kind of talk.
According to them, unlike Lavata—where most residents were merchants and sailors—almost everyone in Quarzan was a fisherman.
Merchant ships did come and go in Quarzan, but they were mostly from Ekaitz, stopping briefly before leaving again. Quarzan wasn’t a full-fledged trading hub; it was just a small gateway. So it made sense that most of the locals were fishermen.
They weren’t acting on the lord’s orders, so why had the fishermen come to me first? Simple reason: the dungeon reviving had blocked the pass, and the blocked pass had cut off their livelihoods.
Quarazan fishermen sold their catch inland in the Barak Empire through that pass. With it blocked, they couldn’t sell their fish on time, dealing a huge blow.
Why not detour around the pass? Because aside from that tiny strip of land, it was right up against Roshan’s border on one side and another city’s on the other. Detours meant taxes higher than the fish were worth.
At that point, it was better to throw the fish away than sell them. They were stuck, flopping around like fish on a hook.
In short... unfortunately, the fishermen were on the brink of bankruptcy. The Quarzan lord was negotiating with a famous Roshan mercenary band to clear the dungeon, but who knew when that would happen.
Even if they hired mercenaries right away, no telling how long the subjugation would take. If this stalemate dragged on, the fishermen were...
‘...done for.’
In such a desperate spot, they’d come to me, grabbing at any straw—even shoving everything else aside.
Of course, this straw was steel—no, mithril. They’d found the right one.
Wait, does that sound too self-praising?
“Hmm...”
I quietly watched the two men, their faces grim. Realistically speaking... what they should worry about was my ‘fee.’ Fishermen on the verge of ruin—did they even have the money to hire me? If rumors from the ship had spread, they’d know my price tag wasn’t cheap...
“First off.”
The two, sipping their cherry wine, perked up their ears and stared at me. Those intense eyes were intimidating. I averted my gaze, cleared my throat loudly.
“First off, I get it.”
“Ooh, as expected of the Saint of Purification!”
...What does that have to do with it? Did they think I’d do it for free just because of the title? Come on. If that were the case, my title wouldn’t be Saint of Purification—it’d be Charity Worker!
“Seems like there’s a misunderstanding.”
“...Huh?”
“I don’t work for free.”
“Ah, y-yeah! We’ve thought about that. Of course, compensation...”
“Good. At least a hundred gold, then.”
“A h-hundred gold?!”
Their eyes bulged. A hundred gold—unimaginable for ordinary fishermen. But considering the job, it wasn’t expensive. If anything, cheap. I’d be risking my life in a dungeon!
Seeing no further reaction from me despite their shock, they started whispering among themselves.
A hundred gold? Hundred gold. A scammer? No way. But a hundred... Fifty maybe? Buddy, what difference does fifty make? Where do you think we’d get that money...
“Ahem!”
I coughed loudly on purpose. They shut up after their huddle and rolled their eyes.
“A hundred gold for a dungeon subjugation is a bargain.”
“...”
“Right?”
“W-Well...”
They hemmed and hawed, then finally spoke—voices tiny, like mosquitoes, unlike when they first burst in looking for me.
“N-No matter how we crunch it, right now, tw-twenty...”
“Hmm.”
“N-No! Twenty-five. We can’t scrape together more than twenty-five gold...”
One hung his head in frustration; the other patted his shoulder. I watched silently, stroking my chin, then spoke.
“...Well. It’s not just about the money for me.”
“Th-Thirty, we could maybe manage... Huh?”
“Not just money.”
Not a lie. I’d taken fame or other things instead of cash plenty of times. This was a ‘quest’ anyway, so I had to succeed regardless of pay. So,
“How much unsold fish do you have left?”
“More than we can count...”
“Perfect. I’ll take that first.”
“...R-Really? For real?”
They stared at me in disbelief. Fair enough. The mercenary acting like a ruthless loan shark moments ago was suddenly taking fish instead of gold. Now I looked like a savior.
Maybe even with a halo glowing behind my head?
“Yes. So at dawn, prepare all the unsold fish.”
“...O-Okay! We’ll have it ready by dawn. And...?”
“You all just go about your daily lives. Keep working hard. Hand over the day’s catch to me every night.”
“Wh-Where will you even put that much fish...”
One muttered; the other jabbed his side. Probably saying not to question it—just do as told, since it’s a good deal.
The muttered one nodded vigorously with a “Got it.”
“W-We’ll prepare as you said!”
“Good. And prepare your biggest ship. With a skilled captain.”
“Wh-What for...? I mean, what are you...”
“Been a while since I went sea fishing.”
They gawked at me in confusion, then scrambled to their feet. Easier than scraping up a hundred gold, no doubt.
Worried I might change my mind, they hurriedly handed me the scroll, bowed, and rushed out of the inn. Geez, running like that—what, am I the bad guy?
“What were those guys?”
Elle stepped in through the door they’d left by and gave me a puzzled look.
“Fishermen.”
“Fishermen? Why would fishermen come here...?”
“They want to hire me.”
“For that dungeon, right?”
“Yeah. The dungeon blocked their trade route, so they’re about bankrupt.”
“Eek! So no reward either?”
“...Probably.”
That’s what you worry about first? This kid’s turned materialistic. ...Wait, my fault? I gave Elle a serious look for a moment. Then she spoke up as if remembering something.
“By the way, Master.”
“Yeah?”
“Looks like there are other mercenaries planning to enter the dungeon besides us.”