Chapter 57
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Reward
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"He's really dead? The Transcendent? ...You're not joking, right?"
A lion-headed man. The guy who'd been muttering in disbelief finally seemed to accept the truth amid Lina's somber mood and turned his gaze toward me.
"Then what the hell are you...?"
He'd been trudging toward me when he suddenly dropped to his knees on the ground.
Thick tears streamed down his cheeks.
I barely held back the urge to step back a few paces in surprise. I couldn't let Cedric look flustered.
"...Father. Father, finally... that bastard's dead."
A sob burst out, utterly at odds with his sturdy build. It felt strange compared to his attitude up to now, but given his circumstances, it wasn't an odd reaction.
A few others knelt just like that man, weeping or offering prayers.
And a few more broke into broad grins.
Reveling without restraint.
If I had to count, there were more of the latter.
"He's really dead! Haha, look at him under my feet."
"The grudge of my lifetime... finally settled today...!"
They must have felt the pressure too.
They'd come here nursing grudges, but most were probably anxious deep down.
After all, this was about killing a Transcendent.
Far more likely they'd end up dead themselves instead of getting revenge.
All that fear and pressure was exploding now in tears and laughter.
"Thank... you. Yes, truly. To take down a real Transcendent...!"
Some approached to offer their thanks. Naturally, they assumed I'd killed him. That's how it looked from the circumstances, and I didn't bother denying it.
It wasn't just one. As if they'd all been waiting for someone to say it first, they swarmed around me.
Even the lion-headed man who'd been kneeling and crying got up and came over.
...Which put me in an awkward spot.
"Thank you. And... sorry for doubting you."
"I knew from the first moment I saw you. You weren't ordinary."
I'd half-expected this reaction, but facing the sheer weight of their emotions still made me uneasy.
This was fundamentally a lie, after all.
"To handle something this huge without batting an eye."
"How did Lina hire someone like this?"
My instincts screamed this wasn't a place to linger. Convince Lina first, then get out fast—that was the best play.
'At least the hero candidate won't die now. Primary goal achieved.'
I glanced at the hero candidate for a moment.
Rozelin looked dazed. Even after Lina confirmed it was Parthan, she couldn't tear her eyes from that gruesome corpse.
Lina was no different.
She'd lifted her head before Rozelin, but what showed on her face was, unexpectedly, anger.
"I should have seen him die with my own eyes...!"
She shot to her feet, shoving roughly through the crowd and grabbing my arm.
"How did you kill him?"
I didn't kill him.
I just brought the body.
But explaining that difference would drag in too many things I couldn't talk about.
I couldn't just expect her to accept it without any explanation.
The quickest way was to let her conclude I'd done it myself. That's why I hadn't denied it so far.
The truth of the info was in my hands, and now the corpse too—piecing it together was easy.
"I heard rumors swirling in Baratrein. They say a flower that blooms once every millennium has bloomed."
The moment I finished, an admiring voice piped up from beside me. One of the people who'd thanked me.
"That rumor! I heard it too!"
"... ."
...An unexpectedly intense reaction, but anyway.
Those who'd tracked him would mostly know the rumor already.
"That rumor's fake. Parthan chased it and got tailed."
"How do you know it's fake...?"
When Lina asked, I answered.
"Curious? Follow the rumor yourself. You'll drift at sea and get eaten by mermaids."
Then the guy who'd reacted strongly earlier spoke up as if realizing something.
"I see. So... he really massacred all those adventurers and destroyed the island fighting the Transcendent!"
I was briefly stunned.
Massacred all the adventurers? Destroyed the island?
How had the rumors ballooned like this?
Lina's version had already been exaggerated, but now it was full-on ghost story territory.
It was playing into my plan to convince them, but it was still absurd.
Lina asked in her still subdued voice.
"So you've been hiding your power all this time?"
"Never hid it."
"But I heard Transcendents don't meddle in ordinary people's affairs."
"Is Parthan ordinary?"
"Then you're really... ."
Lina's mouth slowly gaped open. Then she shook her head vigorously and asked with a surprisingly calm expression.
"How'd you finish him off?"
"Instant death, as you see."
At that, Lina bowed her head.
"......I didn't want him to go out like this."
A hollow aura emanated from her.
Was the bare fact of Parthan's death not enough for her?
I'd heard revenge leaves you empty after... .
But it was too soon for me to understand.
Good thing I had the Cedric mask on—I wasn't sure if that was a blessing or not.
A moment later, she lifted her head again. Rage, sorrow, emptiness surged through her features in an instant, then sank away, leaving a composed face.
That calm couldn't be genuine.
"Everything got solved the moment you showed up. Guess I have a good eye for people. ......But doesn't it bother you that I keep talking like this...?"
"Doesn't matter. I'll leave the body—contact me through Jenjen."
"...Yeah, steadfast as ever. Got it. Thanks. I'll reach out as soon as I get the magic books."
I turned away without lingering. I deliberately avoided looking at Rozelin.
Primary goal down—now for dropping the manaphone on the hero candidate.
'Hide nearby and wait for her to come out... .'
I didn't have a manaphone to drop right now anyway, so I'd just scout her hangout first.
As I headed out of the ruins with those thoughts, someone dashed up and grabbed me.
Rozelin.
When I turned, she looked startled instead.
...Why's she more surprised than me? Did she just run over without thinking?
"...What?"
"Oh, I didn't get to thank you."
"No need."
I hadn't done anything to deserve thanks, and she couldn't follow. I needed to hide nearby quick.
Evading a Sword Master's senses while tailing her would take prep.
But she wouldn't let go easily.
"Um... I heard you mentioned contacting Lina through someone."
"And?"
"How... can I contact you too?"
"Why do you want to know?"
She hesitated at my question, then spoke with resolute determination.
"I have a request... no, something I want to do together. So I'd like to meet again when you have time."
I shelved my plan to slip away fast.
Meet again? Then no need to tail her secretly.
But... a bad premonition flickered.
"Something to do together?"
"Yes."
"Not Transcendent-related, I hope?"
"That... I'll explain properly when we meet next."
"... ."
She's dodging eye contact—probably is.
Doesn't seem like a good liar either.
'...This'll be a headache.'
Not a hero candidate, but a trouble magnet?
Either way, I needed to pull her into the chat fast. Then others would advise or whatever without me lifting a finger.
"Find the broker Jenjen."
"...Yes! You must be tired—get some rest!"
Rozelin bowed deeply. More polite than expected.
I hurried off, basking in rather excessive courtesy.
#
I was waiting for two things.
Rozelin's contact, and word from Lina that she'd gathered all the promised magic books.
In the meantime, I pondered how to slip the manaphone to Rozelin.
'Lure her to where it's planted—most natural?'
If she "stumbled upon it," her curiosity and interest would spike.
Dropping it artificially near her... low odds it'd be on a deserted path no one used. And finding an unhidden item just herself? Suspicious.
Seemed trivial, but details like this mattered.
As I mulled it over, Lina contacted first.
The reward was ready.
'...Already?'
At least one book each of 6th and 7th circle for every element? That fast?
Maybe she'd prepped since I took the job.
Even so, quick work.
Her family was Bakerta, right? The ones ruling the capital's underworld.
'That kind of pull?'
Not originals, but 6th/7th circle books carried weight enough for that thought.
I headed straight to Jenjen.
Expected Lina waiting—turns out she'd just dropped the reward and left.
Awkward seeing my face? Or businesslike now the job's done.
Whatever—didn't matter. We weren't that close anyway.
"Um... I lined up a scribe, what to do? Up to 5th circle."
"5th works. Need all elements."
"...All elements?"
Jenjen's face visibly darkened.
He'd promised to cover costs for selling my info.
Even copies— all 5th circle elements would dent him hard.
But that was his karma.
"Short?"
"... ."
"Want me to check myself?"
"...No. I can handle it."
I stashed Lina's magic books in my subspace artifact and headed to the nearby inn.
Now my collection had no circle gaps.
Only one per element for 6th/7th, but my main was frost anyway. Others as support sufficed.
For frost 7th circle, I'd ask Oz.
Normally buying other elements would've drained funds and delayed it, but Jenjen footing the bill gave unexpected leeway.
'Time to refocus on training.'
I passed time skimming Lina's books while awaiting Rozelin.
But by the time I'd glanced through them all, still no word from her.
Jenjen beat her with news the copies were done.
'Speaking of—academy term probably started by now.'
Rozelin was a proper student. Unless graduated or dropping out, she'd be back at the academy.
Is that why no contact?
Why she grabbed me but said "later" instead of spilling then.
Big gap in between.
Thought she'd act fast—apparently not.
Relief or wasted wait?
Academy made extracting or sneaking in to drop the manaphone tricky.
But reassuring she was there.
'If it's not urgent for her... no rush for me.'
I grabbed the books from Jenjen and returned to the training ground Eldis had set up nearby.
Semester end was months off.
Truth was, skimming books had me itching to train. I'd sought Jenjen for training books originally—things just snowballed.
So I dove into training for months, time flying by.
Then someone tracked me down.
Blue hair. But not the deep navy I knew well.
Instead, a bright, clear blue like beach waves cascaded to her waist.
Merin. The Transcendent mage by Joat's side.
Problem was why she'd come here.
Alone, without Joat.
"What're you up to? Looked like training from a peek."
"How long you been watching?"
"Crazy? Why would I spy on you."
"...Didn't say that."
"Oh, really? Must've misheard."
Merin replied nonchalantly, face brazenly unashamed of the lie.
...Or maybe bad hearing.
Plausible enough—I held off judging.