Gold Storage (5)
Aurum Aquila.
This merchant guild, whose name meant Golden Eagle, was a trading company that controlled commerce across no fewer than twelve countries.
It was a colossal enterprise that conducted business across countless nations—the Behend Kingdom, of course, along with the Bastien Principality, the Estire Kingdom, and many more. They were heavily involved in the Dern Empire’s trade as well.
I knew this because in Dungeon in Evil, most of the early-to-mid-game regional shop NPCs belonged to Aurum Aquila.
Once you reached the later regions the setting shifted and Aurum Aquila shop NPCs became harder to find, but their influence around here was still tremendous.
The reason the head of such a guild was disguising herself as the owner of another guild in this place was to block approaches from people who would come seeking her directly.
I felt a little guilty for barging in on someone like that unannounced, but what choice did I have? In the current situation, this was the best option available.
“So I can take it that you’ll be safekeeping our gold coins for us?”
“Yes. You have ample capital, a distinguished status, and the excellent eye to have seen through our true identity. You’re a customer without a single flaw.”
I only knew because I’d played the game, but it had been a long time since I’d heard praise like that, so it didn’t feel bad.
“Of course, a certain amount of trust will be necessary between you and us.”
Ophelia continued.
“If you protect the safety we spoke of earlier, I’ll offer you a special discounted rate on the contract.”
When you entrusted money to a vault keeper, you naturally had to pay a certain sum as a contract fee. Those people weren’t digging up the ground and holding your money for free, after all.
Ophelia’s reliability was rock-solid, but she was expensive and her conditions were strict. The fact that she was willing to reduce the contract fee was more than welcome news for me.
“…Of course we’ll protect you.”
“Excellent.”
Ophelia held out her hand to Bradley, and he passed her a set of documents he had somehow already prepared.
“This is the contract. Sign the marked sections, and we’ll each keep one copy.”
“Without this, we can’t reclaim the money, right?”
“In principle, yes.”
Ophelia said.
“But if you truly protect my person, you’ll be the benefactors who saved my life. In that case, I’ll specially provide you with a token that can stand in for the contract. It should be more convenient to carry around than the papers themselves.”
“That doesn’t sound bad at all.”
I skimmed the contract once, confirmed there were no problems, and signed. Ophelia signed as well and handed me one copy.
“Thank you for entrusting this to us, valued customer. On my personal credit, I will keep your money safe.”
“I’m the one who should be thanking you for taking it.”
Ophelia instructed Bradley to transfer the pouches of gold coins, then looked back at me.
“I’m grateful for the deposit, of course, but there’s one thing I’m curious about.”
“What is it?”
“Even if the Hero herself has come… is it really all right to leave money here when we still don’t know whether this land can be securely held? The buildings or the vault itself could collapse under a monster assault.”
I closed my mouth for a moment at that. That was exactly why I had found Erinn’s decision so puzzling. Even if we entrusted the money to Ophelia, if the monsters overran the capital itself, the funds could be lost regardless of her creditworthiness.
Damage caused by monsters would count as a natural disaster rather than Ophelia’s negligence, so we wouldn’t be able to recover the full amount even if it disappeared.
Erinn couldn’t possibly be unaware of that. And yet she had still told us to deposit the money…
“…It’s fine.”
“How can you be so certain?”
Because they were confident they could handle it themselves.
I answered Ophelia without hesitation.
“Those girls are pretty strong.”
Ophelia studied me for a moment after hearing that, then nodded as if she understood.
“Of course. They’re the Hero’s party, after all.”
“Yes.”
Every time I saw reactions like this, it hit home again. Even in other countries, Erinn and her party members’ strength was recognized. Those girls’ power was something special.
They’re starting to feel farther and farther away.
The two months I’d promised Erinn—now only a little over a month remained. Would I even be able to catch up to the tips of their toes in that time…?
“…Allen.”
Just then, Clara, who had gone to the royal palace, returned and stepped into the shop.
“…I informed them.”
“Good work.”
The royal court would start moving now as well. With the Hero’s party here to help, they would mobilize the capital defense forces and shift to the offensive.
“…Now we just have to hold this place.”
“Yeah.”
Thinking about the hidden piece, I really ought to head that way myself, but I didn’t think they would immediately start clearing the dungeon. Securing the capital’s defenses came first, so even Erinn, who had gone in that direction, wouldn’t charge straight in to topple the Obelisk right away.
“Once things settle down, let’s rejoin them.”
“…Okay.”
Clara nodded. Part of me wanted to send her over there as well, but I was fairly sure she wouldn’t go even if I tried, so I didn’t even make the attempt.
Now all that remained was to wait for Erinn’s side to resolve things…
BOOOOOOM!!!
A thunderous roar shattered my hopes of waiting in peace. It came from not far away—from the main avenue just a short distance from the building.
Clara immediately drew her daggers and bolted outside. Seeing that, I gave Caesius an order.
“Caesius, protect the people here!”
“Understood.”
Leaving Caesius with Ophelia and Bradley, I hurriedly followed Clara outside. And there, with my own two eyes, I confirmed the source of the earlier explosion.
“…Allen, get inside.”
Clara drew both daggers and warned me to fall back. But I couldn’t simply turn around. The figure that had slammed into the main avenue with that roar was someone far too familiar to me.
Red hair was scattered haphazardly across the ground, and a liquid the same color as those strands was spreading across the surrounding pavement. The hat she always wore to hide her ears lay discarded far away.
“Letisia…?”
It was Letisia. She was crumpled on the ground where she had been slammed down. Faint traces of her mana lingered on the ground and around her body—she must have used it to cushion the impact.
Even so, Letisia remained unconscious, eyes closed, unable to rise. Her jaw was still gripped in someone’s hand.
The one who had seized her by the jaw and driven her into the ground was clad head to toe in black, razor-edged armor.
My entire body was screaming it.
My instincts were howling it.
That thing was our enemy.
And that thing…
“So there were rats here as well.”
…was something I needed to dodge.
At the same time Allen was securing Ophelia’s safety, Erinn and the rest of the party were heading for the northern walls of the royal capital. Just as Allen had guessed, Erinn had no intention of recklessly assaulting the Obelisk; she meant to secure the capital’s safety first.
“Aaaagh!”
“Die, you monster bastards!!”
The dying screams of soldiers and the battle cries of those bravely cutting down monsters rang out at the same time. They were opposing sounds, yet on a battlefield they were all too familiar.
Erinn stepped onto that battlefield with a light smile on her lips.
“Everyone ready~?”
“Puhaha, of course!”
“No problems here.”
“I’ll support the soldiers.”
As long as she had the companions she had gathered herself, she was confident she could break through any battlefield. And indeed, that was exactly how it went the moment Erinn’s group joined the fight.
The Behend Kingdom forces, who had been helplessly pushed back by the pouring monsters, achieved a dramatic reversal with the arrival of Erinn’s party and succeeded in driving the monsters back beyond the walls.
“Puhaha, that was easier than I expected!”
“Aria, don’t let your guard down until the end.”
“I know, I know!”
The Behend Kingdom soldiers who had witnessed the situation reverse in an instant with their own eyes followed after the women in admiration.
“Let’s fight alongside the Heroes!”
“Victory is ours!!”
All that remained was to clean up the monsters they had driven outside, and this invasion would be perfectly repelled. Erinn and the other party members alike thought the situation was almost settled—when it happened.
“…Hmm?”
Erinn sensed a presence and lifted her head. The easy expression she had worn as she looked up instantly hardened.
“Unexpected forces. According to the reports, there was no Hero in this place…”
Above their heads floated a man clad in black, razor-edged armor. Watching him hover with an oddly lofty posture, Erinn hastily raised the Holy Sword.
“…I suppose I’ll have to handle this myself.”
“All units, prepare to intercept! He’s in the sky!”
And the instant Erinn gave the order to her party, something shot past her side at high speed.
A thin cut opened across Erinn’s cheek as if a sharp edge had grazed it, and a trickle of blood welled up. She didn’t freeze in shock; she swung her sword in a flash, but the Holy Sword only barely scraped the armor.
And in that creature’s grip was the jaw of Letisia, who had been standing right beside her. Letisia’s green eyes went wide as she stared at him, and the armored man spoke.
“Calling the Spirit King would be a nuisance, so I’ll deal with you first.”
“…!”
In the next instant, both the creature and Letisia vanished from sight.
BOOOOOOM!!!
Immediately afterward, a roar thundered out and smoke rose from the capital’s central avenue.
While Erinn stood momentarily stunned at the sight unfolding before her eyes, Ser-Aria hurriedly set down her bottle, spun around, and leapt into the air.
“Damn it—Letisia!!”
The moment Ser-Aria took off, Erinn snapped back to her senses and spoke to Freya.
“…Freya, keep the monsters from coming this way.”
“Yes! Go quickly, Erinn!”
Freya added,
“That direction—Allen and Clara went that way!”
“……”
Erinn’s eyes went round. Then, uncharacteristically, she kicked off the ground with a deep scowl on her face—so fast that she caught up to Ser-Aria, who had left first, in the blink of an eye.
But—
“!”
“Erinn, look out!”
Something sharp blocked Erinn’s path.
CLAAANG!!!
Erinn hastily swung her sword, batting aside the thing that had appeared before her, and landed on a rooftop. She caught her breath for a moment and looked up.
“We might even be able to take care of one of the Heroes right here, big brother~?”
“The Magic Legion Commander will be delighted.”
There stood a man and a woman of nearly identical appearance. Both wore frilly maid outfits completely unsuited to a battlefield, and each gripped a massive black-and-blue scythe.
There was something else strange about them. Their joints were not smoothly connected like a human’s; they were segmented like the joints of a doll.
Erinn clicked her tongue at the sight of them.
“…So it wasn’t just one of them.”
She scanned the surroundings once and said,
“Aria, let’s deal with these first.”
“What about Letisia?!”
“That side…”
Erinn clenched her molars lightly and spoke.
“We’ll just have to pray they handle it well…”
Anxiety was rotting her insides as she said it, but there was no other choice she could make. Ser-Aria looked at Erinn and asked nothing further.
“…Got it.”
She nocked an arrow to her bow and said,
“Let’s finish them fast and go!”
“…Yeah.”
Erinn drew mana into the Holy Sword.
“Puhaha, big brother. Did you hear that?”
“Haha, I heard.”
Facing the two women whose fighting spirit was blazing, the twins showed not the slightest trace of fear. Instead they giggled as if this were entertaining.
“You’re going to take care of us?”
“Looks like you’re underestimating the power the Magic Legion Commander bestowed on us~.”
“Then we’ll just have to teach you.”
The two scythes the twins held resonated and began to radiate a razor-sharp light.
“Just how strong the masterpieces that combine His knowledge and power really are.”
They were members of the Magic Legion Commander’s direct subordinates.
The crystallization of knowledge the Magic Legion Commander had crafted with his own hands.
“We’ll show you.”
They were the Murder Dolls.