Chapter 62
Chapter 62
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: Mine Dandelion (2)
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I returned home alive without any major incidents.
The reason I could come back alive far more easily than I'd imagined was—
'Of course, it's all thanks to Chief Adjutant Akkamond's suit.'
The moment I laid eyes on Baron Gilbert Blake, I knew instinctively.
That bastard judges people by their looks.
Everyone does it to some extent, but among the rich, there are those who especially size up wealth by the luxury brands.
The truly loaded ones don't give a damn about that stuff.
Back when I used to wait on department store VIPs, the ones you'd call 'black tier' in the VIP lounge would casually drop by like it was the corner supermarket.
Whether the suit was from some high-end maker or the watch was top-shelf.
Surprisingly, it was often the ones who were a far cry from that level who side-eyed those details.
'Who would've thought that would come in handy like this.'
A suit fit for nobility.
Because I was decked out in it from the start, I could pressure Baron Gilbert by calling myself 'Mine Dandelion.'
So—
"Secretary."
"Yes, Trainer."
"Take this off me right now."
This suit carried too much weight.
It was too awkward to just wear around carelessly—incredibly burdensome even inside the dungeon.
'I didn't notice when I first put it on, but now that the initial negotiations are done, isn't this thing a huge liability?'
Chief Adjutant Akkamond had given me his suit from his younger days.
Just that alone could spark jealousy among those envious of his favor.
Which meant I needed to ditch it fast.
"I'll remove it right away."
Lilith reached out toward me.
Her hand went for the suit's—
Click.
"Huh?"
"I just disabled the magic on the necklace. Chief Adjutant shared the deactivation authority with me."
"Oh."
Lilith had removed the bomb collar.
The faint magic sealed in the red magic stone dissipated, and the patterns of the magic circle inside the necklace briefly glimmered before fading away.
"Never again."
Lilith clutched the now-disarmed bomb collar and let out a deep sigh.
"Never do something like this again, please."
"......"
"This is a plea from one demon who roots for you as Trainer, even before my advice as your adjutant. I get that you want to show the cadres something, but next time, take the long way around and lure the enemies into our dungeon..."
Lilith unleashed a rapid-fire barrage of worried words.
It felt a bit like a scolding from Mom, but I could sense the genuine concern and worry for me deep in her heart.
'Was I being a bit reckless?'
I had regression as my safety net.
But to someone who didn't know that, from Lilith's perspective, I must've looked like a suicidal idiot with nothing but guts plunging straight into human territory.
A mad bastard gambling his life.
If you know there are multiple coins, it's just 'whew,' but for most people, the life coin is one and only one.
So.
"Got it. I'll be as careful as I can next time."
I nodded emphatically at Lilith before she could launch into another lecture.
"First off, I want to change out of these clothes."
"Clothes?"
"Yeah. To me, this suit's like a kind of 'armor.'"
To a modern salaryman, a suit is armor.
Even in this fantasy world, since the arenas I'm playing in are full of intrigue, a suit makes for excellent weaponry and protection.
Didn't I just confirm that with Baron Gilbert?
"And... could you call Eris for me?"
"Ah. For sex? Understood."
"Yeah, we're gonna fuck, but grab a few items first if you can."
"Items...?"
"Yeah. Once you're ready..."
I shrugged off the suit's jacket myself as I told Lilith,
"Bring her to the Aphrodisiac Pool."
Late into the night.
A select few gathered in the lord's office of Baron Gilbert's castle.
"I've called you all here so close to midnight because there's a truly critical matter on the agenda."
The baron scanned the faces of those who'd rushed over at his urgent missive.
"Hear me out calmly."
The baron explained what had transpired in the dungeon.
The negotiations with Mine Dandelion.
As his rather lengthy account wrapped up, the people seated around the table began to wear grave expressions one by one.
"Sir Jake is alive?"
"According to them."
The knight captain of the baron's house.
He had quietly been pushing Jake as the next lord for a long time now, so he was overjoyed just at the news of Jake Gilbert's survival.
"Ahh... I see. As expected of Sir Jake. Even captured by demons, if he keeps his wits, he can survive. The important thing is he's still alive somehow right now."
"...Indeed."
Being alive was crucial.
But he could die soon.
"Butler. In your view, can we pay a million gold?"
"Th-that is..."
"Possible or impossible. Just say that."
"......"
The butler who managed the baron's finances had no choice but to clamp his mouth shut.
"The accountant hasn't arrived yet, so I can't give a precise answer, but with your personal funds alone, my lord, it's impossible."
"What about the 'entire baronial budget'?"
"...I'd have to discuss with the accountant, but if we scrape together all remaining taxes this year and next year's in advance, it might just be possible."
"......I see."
The butler glanced at the knight captain, who groaned and bowed his head.
"To save one man, Jake, we have to shell out a million gold?"
"Baron. That—"
"Merchant Guild Master."
The guild master of the merchant alliance, who had been fiddling with his long drooping mustache, startled and began looking around nervously.
"Y-yes?"
"How much can the guild alliance muster for a million gold?"
"Oh lord, my lord. It's not ten thousand—it's a million gold. Pulling that much would starve us all to death."
"What!"
The knight captain slammed his fist on the table and bellowed.
"So you're saying we just let Sir Jake die?!"
"No, is that how you frame it?!"
"If you don't say it that way! Are you plotting to kill Sir Jake?!"
"Hey, Knight Captain! Is a million gold your dog's name or something! Can you happily cough up your entire fortune for Sir Jake?!"
"I...!"
The knight captain started to shout something but swallowed his words.
He must've sensed he'd be sucked into a quagmire if he kept going.
"......The best option is probably to 'rescue' Jake after all."
The baron muttered lowly, his gaze shifting to one end of the table.
"Adventurer Guild Master. What do you think?"
"...Demons taking a human hostage and proposing negotiations like this. My lord, this is no ordinary matter."
The adventurer guild master, pale-faced and looking unwell, cleared his throat under the others' stares to draw attention.
"Demanding reparations equal to a full year's budget for the territory. That's the Demon King's army's style. The kind of negotiation only possible at minimum legion level."
"So the opponent is at least legion-grade."
"Possibly even higher... the worst case."
Higher than legion.
"Demon King Army main force. Central army."
"......"
"Can't say for sure yet. You said the negotiator was 'Mine Dandelion'?"
"That's what he claimed. More precisely, 'Azazel Dandelion.'"
"Never heard of him."
The guild master rubbed his temple with an index finger and continued.
"No matter how I rack my brain, it's a new name to me. If I don't know it, there are only two possibilities."
"Two?"
"Either it's an alias, or a brand-new demon."
"...Both dire situations."
The knight captain bit his lower lip.
"An alias means they're hiding their identity to deceive us, and a new demon means another one we need to watch out for."
"Th-that."
One knight seated beside the captain flinched.
"What's wrong, Sir Philip?"
"M-my lord. May I say something?"
The only one here not a head of some organization but still with speaking rights.
"Speak, Sir Philip."
"Th-that demon I saw... he seemed weaker than expected."
Knight Philip.
He was the only one besides the baron who'd faced Mine Dandelion.
"Weaker?"
"The mana flowing through him wasn't all that abundant. I sensed he was wearing some artifact or magic tool, but it didn't feel particularly threatening."
"...So they sent someone disposable?"
"Not quite. Rather..."
The baron scowled and picked up the thread.
"It was more like, 'go ahead, try killing me if you dare.' That kind of attitude."
"Likely an avatar."
The priest from the Goddess Church, who had been observing silently, spoke up.
"High-ranking demons can create avatars and send them out as proxies for dungeons."
"High-ranking... you mean legion commander level?"
"Yes. Otherwise, it could be some vulture who doesn't value his own life. Baron, let's clarify one indisputable fact first."
The priest shook his head firmly and went on.
"Sir Jake, Sir Kite, and all the adventurers after him haven't returned."
"......"
"The enemy is strong. Separate from this Mine Dandelion, that 'dungeon' itself is undoubtedly beyond what the barony can handle."
"Enemy."
The baron mulled over the word, lowering his head.
"......"
"Sir Jake is..."
"Sending more knights or adventurers like this is as good as dog meat."
"Baron."
"......Let's adjourn for now. Tomorrow morning, I'll announce my decision here once it's made."
The baron rose to his feet.
"I've heard all your opinions. For now, the money issue is most pressing, so..."
The baron's gaze landed on one man.
"Merchant Alliance Chairman."
"Y-yes?! Me?"
"You, come with me."
"Wh-why me...?"
The baron reached into his pocket.
"I have some private business to discuss closely with you."
Inside the pocket was something thick and substantial.