Chapter 45
Chapter 45
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: In Search of the Crows (6)
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The next day.
I had a late breakfast and headed to the Katarina Merchant Company. The merchant had gone out of his way to send someone the previous evening to confirm our appointment, so it couldn't be helped.
From what I'd heard, they wanted to reward me for driving off the pirate ship... Really?
'As long as they don't try to rope me into joining their company, it'll be fine.'
The thought of dealing with those sly foxes already gave me a headache.
Today, instead of my adventurer's gear, I'd dressed in the modest formal attire prepared in Lavata. A black suit accented with simple silver accessories—clean and proper. Perfect.
And maybe because of that? I felt hot stares that I didn't usually notice.
-Murmur, murmur.
"Did you see that guy just now?"
"I haven't seen a face like that around here..."
"He doesn't look like a mercenary; he's too handsome..."
"Should I say something?"
-Murmur, murmur.
'...What's this? Does this style not fit Ekaitz trends?'
It wasn't flashy, but it was formal enough.
With men, women, young, and old all sneaking glances from every direction, I pulled out my cloak, draped it over my shoulders, and hid my face with the hood.
I quickened my pace and arrived at the Katarina Merchant Company.
"Theodore!"
"Good afternoon."
"Did you rest well? Our company lodgings would have been much nicer than the inn."
"Haha. The inn was fine. The food was delicious too."
"That's a relief then. Come on, let's go."
At the company, not even a servant but the merchant himself greeted me. As always, he was overly delighted and made a fuss about how Katarina was waiting for me.
Just as I was getting tired of his chatter about what a great honor it was for Katarina to make time personally and how amazing she was...
"You're the famous druid everyone's talking about?"
Katarina.
She had appeared.
More striking than her beautiful features were the sharp white cat ears poking up from her head.
She wore a thin white outfit adorned with ornate jewelry. A clear contrast to my own attire.
Worried it might be rude, I greeted her while looking into her eyes, avoiding her cat ears.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Theodore."
From my quick research before arriving, Katarina was a cat beastkin from Altan, the land of the barbarians. With her sharp business acumen, she'd crossed from Roshan to the Ekaitz Federation and built her own merchant company.
For a beastkin—especially a cat beastkin—constantly facing discrimination, there must have been countless trials to reach this position.
Which meant she was no pushover.
Her sky-blue eyes fixed on me before she smiled. Her vertical pupils seemed to peer right into my bones, sending a slight chill down my spine.
"Pleased to meet you, Theodore. I heard you saved my ship."
"You flatter me. I only provided a little help."
"Summoning a deep sea king whale to smash the pirate ship isn't 'a little help.'"
Her smile revealed sharp fangs. I swallowed dryly.
"I had no idea druids could even summon a deep sea king whale."
"It was a desperate situation, so I took a gamble. I wouldn't normally do that."
"Then you deserve even more praise."
"Haha, is that so..."
Clap, clap. As she applauded twice, two attendants emerged from behind the anteroom, carrying trays piled high with gold.
'Incredible...'
A show of power?
I stared at the sight impassively, neither surprised, pleased, nor annoyed.
Instead, the merchant behind me gasped in shock.
"This is our thanks for saving the Katarina Merchant Company's ship."
"It's too much for mere thanks."
"Is it?"
Katarina narrowed her eyes and smiled silently.
"I heard you performed admirably during our previous escort request as well. Consider this payment for that too."
"I was already sufficiently compensated then."
I answered as politely as possible, then glanced at her. A black tail swished behind her.
"Besides, just getting passage on the ship to come here was reward enough."
"You're turning down all this gold? A mercenary like you could live idly for years on this."
I shook my head. It was obvious I'd end up as the company's dog otherwise.
"I'll pass."
Katarina's eyes sparkled as if my response fascinated her. What a pressure.
"You're as peculiar as they say."
"..."
"You took a whole crate of tea leaves as a bonus before, didn't you? No greed... or..."
She waved her hand dismissively, and the attendants with the gold trays and the merchant behind me left the room.
Now it begins for real.
"...or perhaps far too much greed."
She rose from her seat and approached me step by step. Her tail still swished lazily.
"Taking a whole crate of tea leaves. I thought no mercenary would do such a thing."
"There are mercenaries like that in the world."
"And you didn't know it was Black Opium?"
"..."
She brought up Black Opium faster than I'd expected.
"That much Black Opium would have fetched a nice price. Or did you use it yourself?"
"No way. If I'd taken that much Black Opium, I wouldn't be standing here."
Abusing Black Opium never ends well.
No matter how much power it gives, it's a drug.
In the end, it ravages body and mind.
"As a druid, you seem to know all about it."
"Who knows."
Black Opium trade is illegal.
Naturally, Katarina couldn't make an issue of it.
Yet she'd brought it up anyway, probably to test me.
I had no intention of falling for such tricks.
"Still, I didn't realize the Katarina Merchant Company was so hard up that it had to smuggle Black Opium."
"...How rude."
"Not you?"
With no eyes on us now, I smiled faintly at Katarina.
"You must already know that Black Opium trade is strictly forbidden on the continent, right?"
"..."
"Surely you didn't call me here to demand the Black Opium back?"
The smile was fading from Katarina's face.
"...Do you know how much trouble you've caused me?"
"No. It's not my problem."
Katarina was now biting her lip. Her sharp fangs stood out above it.
"Because of you, I lost their trust. So I deserve compensation."
There it is—her true colors.
"You said you wanted to reward me, but now you want compensation from me?"
"..."
Of course.
She couldn't buy Black Opium anymore, not even with that mountain of gold she'd shown.
Merchants...
They always calculate and never take a loss.
That gold was just bait.
"Let me guess what you want."
"..."
"You want me to escort maritime trade routes to Nirram."
"Th-that's..."
"I figured you'd think that after hearing how I summoned a deep sea king whale and crushed the pirates. My brain works too, you know."
"..."
"I refuse."
Relying solely on a deep sea king whale to handle the krakens in the eastern sea was a flawed idea from the start.
But I had no desire to explain it point by point.
"...Ha! If you knew all that, why did you even come here?"
Katarina spoke irritably, her tail bristling straight up.
Why did I come here...
'To learn about the Crows, obviously.'
Hearing Katarina whine about lost trust confirmed it.
The Crows were definitely involved in the Black Opium smuggling.
If Katarina had helped with the Black Opium smuggling, she must know something about the Crows.
"With the deal ruined and your trust lost, 'they' won't give you jobs anymore."
"'They'? Just how much do you know?"
Katarina glared at me, not hiding her wary gaze.
I met her eyes without flinching.
"The Crows."
"..."
"So you do know them."
"How do you know about them...?"
"The job's already botched anyway. No need to keep their trust. So..."
"..."
"Hand over what you know about the Crows."
"Ha!"
Katarina let out a high-pitched laugh, as if utterly exasperated.
"Who do you think you're talking to..."
"I can help you."
"..."
"You said you've never seen a druid like me before? You must know my reputation by now. This could be a good deal."
A deal.
Merchants love that word.
"You lose their trust but gain mine in return."
Katarina's expression grew puzzled.
She seemed lost in thought, her tail swaying slowly.
I waited patiently for her response.
"...There's a deep sea dungeon to the east of the island."
Yes!
Just the answer I wanted.
Someone like Katarina—a merchant, no, a beastkin—wouldn't miss the chance to use a mercenary like me.
"Unfortunately, a dungeon appeared right near the shipping lane, and monsters keep popping up at all hours."
"That must be troublesome."
"Troublesome? Everyone gets scared at the words 'deep sea dungeon,' so no matter how high the pay, no mercenaries will take the job."
Katarina lowered her voice to a whisper.
"The losses to the merchant companies using that route are no small matter. Plenty would pay any price to clear that deep sea dungeon."
A deep sea dungeon.
A tempting offer.
'I can use aquatic plants, so conquering it is definitely feasible.'
I didn't answer right away, pausing for effect before slowly nodding.
Katarina's anxious face lit up in an instant.
"You can really do it? Really?"
"Yes. If you help me, Katarina."
A deep sea dungeon meant I couldn't bring Isla. Our current forces were just me and Elle.
Two people tackling a deep sea dungeon was impossible.
So I needed Katarina's support.
Those sparkling eyes told me...
She'd support us, of course.
"Anything you need, just say it. Anything."
"Then I won't hold back..."
I smiled and extended my hand.
"First, I need money."
My eyes gleamed.
[Quest: Ekaitz Deep Sea Dungeon Conquest]