Chapter 101
Chapter 101
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 101
Chapter Title: Small Snowball (5)
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Yuri lay sprawled on his bed.
He cocked his head at the booming scream of a man echoing from afar.
"Huh? Came quicker than I expected?"
He'd figured it would take a few days, but here he was, showing up right after the quest wrapped up.
'They must be pretty desperate over there?'
Even with his awaited guest finally arriving, Yuri stayed lounged on the bed, idly swinging his legs.
[Aaagh! L-Lady Teresa! N-Not there!]
He savored the pitiful wails spreading through the air like music.
Humming a cheerful tune, Yuri hoped some sleazy pervert's something-or-other would soon get a big hole poked through it.
Only after the man's mournful cries finally died down did Yuri finally get up from his spot after lounging around for a good while.
"Alrighty, shall we go take a peek?"
He'd snuck over to Teresa's place.
Yuri peeked inside, poking his head around the corner.
There knelt Goetz, clad in clothes riddled with holes like a beehive.
Teresa stood before him, spear in hand, her face furious.
She cut such a majestic figure that she looked just like a general who'd captured a prisoner.
And in truth, their relationship was something similar.
When Teresa glared at him, Goetz flinched, shoulders trembling.
In a somewhat deflated voice, he said,
"W-Well... Lady Teresa, it's a misunderstanding."
"What's there to misunderstand? Sneaking a woman into someone else's home while the owner's away... and doing that deed—is that what you're calling a misunderstanding?"
"N-No, that... that deed... well... Owl stopped me before I could..."
"..."
"...No, wait, even if I had twelve mouths, I couldn't defend that! But aside from that, I didn't come here today without permission—I had an appointment..."
"Goetz senior."
"W-Why... what's wrong?"
"Shut up."
"...Understood."
Goetz placed his hands politely on his knees and hung his head.
Teresa's voice grew even firmer in response.
"No matter that you used to live here before me, barging in and out like you own the place shows no consideration for me, the current resident... I think it's incredibly rude."
"...Sorry."
"Not content with dragging a woman into a lady's home, you even damaged the furnishings."
"I didn't know it was a lady's home. I'll own up to that mistake, no arguments there. But... what do you mean by damaging furnishings?"
"Are you denying it? You smashed the wooden door I made myself."
"Wooden door? No, that was...!"
Just as Goetz started to protest his innocence, Yuri, who'd been secretly watching, jumped in urgently.
"Whoa, looks like you're treating your guest real nice? How about it? Told ya you'd know exactly how to handle him just by looking."
He burst in making a huge fuss with his loud voice, cutting off their conversation and drawing both their eyes to him.
Teresa nodded.
"Definitely."
She could clearly tell what kind of 'hospitality' Yuri meant, just by looking at the unwelcome intruder who'd come calling.
And the proof that he'd received that hospitality in full was the holes puncturing Goetz's clothes here and there.
Seeing this, Yuri flashed Teresa a thumbs-up.
He scurried over to Goetz's side, still on his knees, and squatted down next to him.
Yuri snuck a glance at the holes in Goetz's pants.
"Still... attached?"
"...If that spear blade had gone just half a finger's width deeper, the world would've lost one peerless beauty."
"But gained one in return."
"You've got a sharp eye there, Ow—wait, did you set the meeting here on purpose for this?"
"Huh? What're you talking about?"
Yuri put on his most innocent face, playing dumb.
Goetz's suspicious gaze only narrowed further the more he did.
Yuri snickered and stood up.
"I'll take this guy off your hands. Anything else?"
"Nah, I'm good. Time for me to rest."
Teresa shook her head.
Then she shot Goetz a frosty glare.
"If you pull that crap one more time, I'll pierce that useless thing of yours for sure."
"I-I'll keep that in mind."
Goetz nodded vigorously, hands clasped demurely over his crotch, face drained of color.
"Come on, enough already. Let's go."
"L-Let's!"
Goetz fled Teresa's place in tow behind Yuri.
Afterward, they headed to Yuri's dwelling.
Upon arrival, Goetz let out a soft whistle of admiration.
"Whoa, to think you could spruce up this dingy cave like this. It's way nicer than the third-year zones."
And it really was that impressive.
Especially knowing it was just a dark, ordinary cave—the surprise hit even harder.
As he looked around,
"Quit snooping and take a seat already."
Goetz finally sat in the chair Yuri pointed to.
Meanwhile, Yuri rummaged around one corner of the cave with a clatter and returned with a small leather pouch.
He sat across from Goetz, crossing his legs.
With just a table between them, the two finally faced each other.
It was time to settle accounts after that long, winding road.
Yuri leaned forward.
"Alright, straight to business?"
"Hmm, yeah. I don't have all day either."
"What, got a hot date with your girlfriend tonight?"
"Oh? How'd you know?"
Yuri's eyes narrowed at Goetz's slightly surprised reaction.
"...No way it's that fifth-year girlfriend?"
"Hoo? You a fortune teller or something? How'd you really know? Impressive."
"Wait... nah, forget it."
"?"
Yuri shook his head.
'Best not to know too much about the client.'
That was the unwritten rule in this line of work.
He didn't particularly want to know anyway.
So Yuri switched topics.
"Success fee? You brought it, right?"
No sooner had Yuri spoken than Goetz plunked down bundles of points on the table.
Clink.
Ten bundles of 100,000 points each.
A wry smile tugged at Yuri's lips at the sight.
'People's hearts are so fickle.'
At first, this million points had felt like a fortune.
That's why he'd gone through all that hell to head back to the Forest of Beginnings.
Sure, a million points was still a hefty sum even now.
But with tens of millions in his own account, it felt comparatively paltry.
Yuri jolted.
'Hang on... am I getting complacent?'
Fire blazed in his eyes.
'No! No way, you idiot!'
He shook his head furiously, berating himself for such a stupid thought.
'There's no such thing as small or unnecessary money—just like there's no small or unnecessary points!'
Tens of millions in the bank and ignoring a point rolling on the ground?
'What a foolish, rotten mindset!'
Yuri stared laser-focused at the million points, silently steeling his resolve anew for a long moment.
Oblivious to Yuri's state, Goetz just cocked his head at the shifting expressions on his face.
"Owl?"
His call snapped Yuri back.
"Ah, sorry, just had some thinking to do."
This time, Yuri pulled out his own item.
Rustle.
The small leather pouch Yuri had brought.
Out came a single sheet of paper.
Yuri set it on the table and silently beckoned Goetz with a hand.
Whoosh.
Take it.
Goetz picked up the paper and examined it.
Having read the contents carefully, he stroked his chin.
"Hmm, this is..."
The writing on the paper was undoubtedly what he'd asked for.
Yet Goetz looked suspicious instead.
Seeing this, Yuri scowled too.
"What's with that distrustful look?"
Goetz flinched at Yuri's interrogative tone and sighed.
"Sigh... alright, I'll be straight. Is this really the real deal?"
"Yeah, see the official seal right there?"
"True, but..."
"What's the problem?"
"Isn't it... too quiet?"
"?"
"If this is genuine... why's the Black Sword Corps staying so silent? They should've mobilized the moment they realized it was missing."
Goetz had assumed Yuri failed the commission.
Because the Black Sword Corps had done nothing unusual despite losing such an important document.
To Goetz's doubt, Yuri just shrugged.
"Who knows? Maybe it's not that big a deal."
"Could be... or maybe it's quiet because this is a fake."
"It's real."
"You sure?"
"Can't you tell just by looking?"
"..."
Goetz clamped his mouth shut.
He'd commissioned Yuri to get it, but he had no way to verify if it was authentic.
Yuri sneered at his attitude.
"I go through the hassle of getting it for you, and your first reaction is suspicion? You don't even know the basics of doing a deal."
"..."
"If you're that doubtful, take it to Duran and ask if the document you wrote is the one I stole."
"You're the one who stole it, not me."
"What're you on about, you guilty conscience? You stole it, fair and square. I just handled it for you."
"..."
"Claiming you didn't do it yourself means it didn't happen? That's nonsense. Right?"
Goetz shut his mouth tight, knowing Yuri was right.
Yuri waved it off.
"If you hired me, have some faith. These commissions work on mutual trust, yeah? Snagging the item without a fuss is a win—why question it? Right?"
"Er... fair enough."
"When that's the case, just think, 'Wow, the guy I hired is so skilled, he pulled it off flawlessly!'"
"That's why I'm asking... how'd you even get it out?"
"Trade secret. Can't go spilling another man's livelihood, customer."
Goetz pondered as Yuri grinned.
Should he trust it or not?
After a long think, he nodded and pocketed the item.
Seeing this, Yuri scooped up the million points from the table and extended a hand.
"There, deal's done?"
"Yeah, that's it."
Goetz shook Yuri's hand.
Yuri bobbed it up and down lightly, grinning slyly.
"Thanks for the business, customer. If you've got another big job like this, come back anytime."
"Seeing your skills today, I'll definitely call if something big comes up."
Goetz slyly fired back, then left to spend quality time with his girlfriend.
Once Goetz had vanished into the distance,
Clink.
Yuri pulled out the million points from his pocket, tossed them in the air, and caught them, muttering softly.
"...Shit, almost got busted."
A faint smile spread across his lips.
With everything wrapping up as a perfect crime by some miracle, Yuri wiped the incident from his mind.
But he didn't know.
That this little snowball he'd tossed and forgotten...
What it would become in the near future...
He couldn't predict it in the slightest.