Chapter 147: Killing Two Birds with One Stone
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 147: Killing Two Birds with One Stone
"Excuse me, Mr. President. I’m asking out of curiosity, but why exactly do you need this? Is there a reason you're willing to pay 500 gold for it?"
I decided to ask what he planned to do with it first.
I couldn't just sell it blindly just because the other party wanted it. Even if it was something I could obtain again, there was no telling when that might be, so I wanted to prevent it from being used for something strange.
For instance, if he said he was going to grind it up and drink it because it was good for 'stamina and virility,' I was planning to just keep it for myself. No matter how much 500 gold was, I had to stop it from being wasted.
"The reason I want to obtain this is simple. There is a friend I can only bring back to life if I have the Spirit Beast's Heart."
"A friend you can bring back to life?"
"Yes. It would be faster to show you directly. Would you care to follow me?"
Horaru and I followed the Druid Club President into the garden inside the building.
"So the building has a hollow center."
It was a square-shaped building with a central courtyard. I hadn't really explored the place, so I hadn't realized.
The center of the square was decorated as a garden. It was filled with various plants and even animals lying around, napping.
"Here. This way."
"There’s a basement too?"
"It’s a place we don't usually show to outsiders. But follow me for now. It’s down here."
"Ooh. This is a first for me too."
"It's your first time here as well, Horaru?"
"Yup. I never really had a reason to come down. This is where the troublemakers go to get scolded."
"Aha."
It seemed the basement of the garden served as a sort of disciplinary room. A place where disobedient kids were dragged down to be lectured.
"It’s not as dark as I expected."
"That would be because of the Night Luminous Stones."
"Aha."
Looking closely, objects called Night Luminous Stones were embedded in the walls like light fixtures. Since they weren't torches, there was no heat at all, and they were actually brighter.
"How much does one of those cost?"
"You can consider natural ones almost non-existent. They occasionally turn up in the 6th Floor Crystal Cave, though."
"The 6th floor?"
"Indeed. These Night Luminous Stones are one of the main sources of income for the Crystal Cave sector."
"Aha. They must be expensive."
"Don't go eyeing them. They are quite pricey."
I quickly pulled my hand away from the wall. I’d been caught trying to swipe one.
"Now, here. It’s inside this room."
"Uuu... I don't feel any sign of life."
"Just as you felt, Horaru, what is inside here is, strictly speaking, closer to a corpse."
"A corpse? Can a corpse be resurrected with a Spirit Beast's Heart?"
"To be precise, it’s not so much a resurrection as it is breathing a soul back into it."
"A soul?"
"Yes. The absence of a sign of life means the heart has stopped. However, the being inside has not died, even though its heart has stopped. It doesn't breathe and shows no biological response, yet it is not dead. It has simply... paused."
"Isn't that just being dead?"
"No. It isn't rotting, so it isn't dead. Its body has simply stopped because its soul was lost. It is alive. I am certain of it. It simply lacks a soul."
"So, in the end, you're trying to restore its soul using the Spirit Beast's Heart. Is that it?"
"Precisely."
"...."
A soul, huh.
"May I go in and see what it is?"
"Go ahead. You'll probably be surprised when you see it."
It was surprising enough just hearing the explanation. To think something hadn't died despite all bodily functions having ceased.
Creeeeak.
As I opened the old door and stepped into the room, I felt a chilly draft.
"That is..."
"I don't know its exact name. If I had to pick the closest species from Monster Dismantling Savoring, a phantom species called the Ice Snow Bird comes up. I've been a druid for sixty years, but this is the first time I've seen a bird like this."
It was a massive bird with pure white feathers. It looked almost as large as a condor. Its appearance was close to a hawk, or perhaps a large falcon or crow. However, the color of its feathers was a pristine, snowy white. It was entirely white. I doubted even a swan could be this white.
—I... I'm not the only one thinking it, right?
'I think you're thinking exactly what I'm thinking.'
Helena and I were on the same wavelength. Yes, Helena and I had shared the same thought when we first saw the Dragon Hatchling as well.
An opportunity for a freebie.
'This is a golden chance.'
Two options had just presented themselves to me.
I could sell the Spirit Beast's Heart to the President here and receive 500 gold.
Or.
I could use the Spirit Chain to capture a suitable soul, put it into the Ice Snow Bird's body, and naturally claim the bird for myself.
—Or we could squeeze the money out of the President and take the Ice Snow Bird too. What do you think? Isn't it a great idea?
'That would be the absolute best-case scenario.'
To take both the money and the bird, I first needed to find out why the Druid President wanted to revive this bird so badly.
"I can tell just by looking that it's an incredible creature. But why are you trying so hard to revive it? What do you plan to use it for?"
"Because it's a rare species."
"..... Is that all?"
"Are you asking the obvious? I found such a rare friend. Am I supposed to just ignore it? Especially when it can be saved? If I couldn't save it, I would have stuffed it, but if I can, I have to spend my own money to bring it back!"
"Hah..."
"And listen, young man. We need to revive such a magnificent friend and have it in our possession so that... you see? So that the budding little druid sprouts can enter the fold with dreams and hope."
"...."
In the end, he just needed an attraction to increase membership.
"I understand perfectly. Basically, you needed educational material to train more druids?"
"That's exactly it."
If you put it nicely, it was educational material. If you put it bluntly, it was for propaganda.
Fine. I understood the reason for reviving this bird. From here on, it was time for the real negotiation.
"Listen, Mr. President. I happen to have a very... innovative ability."
"An innovative ability?"
"Yes. I possess an Ability that allows me to handle souls."
"Handle souls? That sounds rather heretical..."
"I can assure you it's not heretical at all. It's an ability recognized by the Saintess herself."
"If it was recognized by Lady Freya, then I have no choice but to accept it. She is the foremost authority when it comes to heresy."
"Right?"
Thank goodness. If I dropped Freya's name, most people just let things slide. It was a very good thing I’d built a solid relationship with her.
"So, here's the thing. If you give me some time, I think I can revive this bird without even using the Spirit Beast's Heart."
"What? Is that true?"
"In exchange, let's make a deal."
"What kind of deal?"
"You agreed to buy the Spirit Beast's Heart for 500 gold, right?"
"I did."
"I'll revive this bird for you at half that price, so why don't you give me ownership of the bird?"
"What? That's far too much of a loss for me!"
"In exchange, if the Druid Club calls on me periodically, I'll show the bird as my summon for promotional purposes."
"No, but still..."
"Now, now. Look. Take a look at this. Halsy, could you come out for a moment?"
I held up the Bracelet of Growth and summoned the pitch-black dragon.
"Gwaaaaah!!! A dragon!!!!"
The moment the hatchling was summoned into the room, the Druid President fell backward in a panic.
"Goodness, Mr. President. Why are you so scared? Look. He doesn't bite. Right?"
"I do not bite."
"It speaks...? A dragon... you have a dragon as a summon...?"
"Now, you see? Issue me an honorary druid certificate, make me a club member, and use me for promotion. In exchange for 250 gold and this Ice Snow Bird. How about it?"
"250 gold... and the Ice Snow Bird..."
"What is there to think about? The Ice Snow Bird? Honestly, nobody knows how great this bird is. But look here. Look at this brilliant luster. It's a dragon. Something everyone recognizes, something everyone can't help but marvel at. The prestige is on a different level, the prestige!"
Gulp.
I could hear the President swallowing hard from here.
"Promoting the Druid Club with a dragon? Just by calling it out, people will flock and pay money just to see it. Can you really pass this up? Sigh. Fine. Just give me the 500 gold. I'll sell the Spirit Beast's Heart and be on my way."
"Ah, wait! No, why are you making a decision so quickly?"
"Don't keep dragging your feet. Give me a clear answer like a true druid. If you keep acting like this, I'm raising the price back to 300 gold."
"Aaaaah! Wait. I've decided. Let's do it. 250 gold and the transfer of ownership for the Ice Snow Bird... but you must help with the promotion. Lately... recruitment has been down, and the club's very survival is at stake."
"Yes, yes. Understood. Shall we draw up the contract and sign it first? Horaru, you'll be the witness, right?"
"Uuu. I don't like getting involved in complicated things."
"I'll buy you three jars of honey."
"Okay!"
And so, I successfully struck a deal with the club president.
The original plan to promote the Druid Club with the Ice Snow Bird was scrapped, and instead, he got a better plan to promote it using a dragon. It was a win-win for everyone.
"I'll take this with me for now."
"Right. Make sure you keep your promise."
"We signed a contract, so of course I'll keep it. Oh, and help me extract a summon with the Spirit Beast's Heart later."
"Understood. Come find me before you enter the Labyrinth."
Thus, I obtained the Ice Snow Bird and 250 gold. I’d immediately made back the 100 gold I’d spent on buying a slave.
I had preached 'Dragon Supremacy' just to squeeze money out of the Druid President, but this Ice Snow Bird didn't seem like an ordinary phantom species either.
—He did say he found it in the Uncharted Territory.
'What kind of place is the Uncharted Territory, anyway? Dragon eggs turn up there, and so do corpses of phantom species like this.'
—The Uncharted Territory is... how should I put it? It's a vast place.
It wasn't as difficult as the Labyrinth, but it was an environment where survival was sufficiently challenging.
If the Labyrinth was pure fantasy by Earth's standards, the Uncharted Territory felt a bit like the Amazon.
While every creature in the Labyrinth was dangerous, the Uncharted Territory was filled with all sorts of parasites, insects, and dangerous flora and fauna. The climate was also terrible. In many ways, it wasn't fit for human habitation, but if you scoured it, useful things would turn up.
Anyway, once I entered the Labyrinth this time and caught the remaining heretical remnants, I’d have to rip the soul out of one of them and shove it into the Ice Snow Bird. Or I could kidnap the soul of a wandering adventurer and make a contract.
"Olivia!"
"Ah... Master!"
"I came to pick you up today. Let's go home together."
"Pardon...? Really!? I'd love to!"
Originally, Marin had been dropping Olivia off and picking her up, but since I was here today, we could go home together.
Since Olivia couldn't see, I had to hold her hand firmly. She could perceive her surroundings through Soundwave Detection, but using the ability for too long gave her headaches.
"Um, Master."
"Yeah? What is it?"
"When you go into the Labyrinth this time... you won't be coming out for a long time again, right?"
"Well, you could say that."
"Then... I. I want to go into the Labyrinth again too."
"Into the Labyrinth?"
"Yes. Just waiting around is boring."
"I see. Sure. Let's go in together next time. If you're okay with it, it's fine by me."
I could take her with me after the Underground City was stabilized. Perhaps I could obtain a better Ability that could negate the vision-blocking penalty of Soundwave Detection.
At first, she wouldn't even go near the Labyrinth, but seeing her muster up courage now made me realize how much Olivia had grown.
"By the way, how is your practice going?"
"Good. I think I'll be able to play a full song properly soon. I'll let you hear it then."
"Got it. What's the title of the song?"
"Hehe. It's a secret."
Olivia smiled brightly.
She smiled easily now.
Olivia's smile was quite a pleasant sight.
