Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Multi-Level (2)
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Yuri's silver coin and the boy's silver coin had one crucial difference.
'The numbers are different.'
The number engraved on Yuri's single silver coin was 10,000.
But the boy's was 50.
'No way?'
Having realized something, Yuri's eyes gleamed as she asked.
"Hey, are you by any chance a Yellow Dragon Badge holder?"
"Those who got in through donation recommendations... slurp... didn't take the exam... so they're all Yellow Dragon Badge holders."
Savoring the taste of the tosaba slowly, the boy answered quickly and shot her a look that said not to interrupt anymore.
Yuri waved her hand as if she got it and sank into her own thoughts.
'This is tiered payment, isn't it?'
There were two possibilities for tiered payment.
First, those recommended by the Black Dragon Badge Lord receive a total of 100,000 silver coins, while those recommended via donation get a flat 500 silver coins.
Second, reserve knights who received the Black Dragon Badge get 100,000 silver coins, and those who got the Yellow Dragon Badge get 500 silver coins.
Whichever it was, the implication was the same.
'Compete, but don't expect it to be fair competition?'
If these bizarre silver coins were indeed the currency used in the Cradle, then she, with her 100,000 silver coins, would have a massive advantage over everyone else.
However....
'I'd become an easy target too.'
If word got out about her 10,000-denomination silver coins, she might face endless challenges.
Catching just her would be equivalent to catching 200 Yellow Dragon Badge holders.
A playful smile crept onto Yuri's lips.
In the meantime, the boy finished his tosaba and looked at her regretfully, smacking his lips.
At his gaze that seemed to ask if there was more, Yuri stood up.
The boy urgently grabbed her hem.
"Where are you going?!"
"Business is over, so I have to go."
"W-Wait, don't you have more tosaba?"
"Of course I do."
"Then...!"
At the boy's pleading eyes begging for just one more, Yuri snorted.
"Pfft, what am I, a charity? I can't give away food for free."
"I'll pay for it!"
"With what?"
"......?!"
"With what? You gonna give me that ring this time?"
"......"
Realizing he had nothing to offer, the boy's pupils shook.
Then, remembering something, he shouted loudly.
"Ah, didn't you say earlier you're the type who can't pass by poor, pitiful people? That you'd help me!"
"I did help you."
"...When?"
"Just now. I sold you this precious tosaba for peanuts, so you can survive a few more days, right? Isn't that enough help?"
Yuri emphasized 'precious' and 'peanuts,' but the boy couldn't argue.
He had learned the hard way over the past few days just how valuable food was in this forest.
Plus, it was true that the tosaba he'd just eaten would tide him over for a few more days, as Yuri said.
Thanks to that, any thoughts of giving up and going home had completely vanished.
"Y-Yeah, but...."
As the boy hemmed and hawed, Yuri spoke in a reluctant tone, as if doing him a favor.
"Well, it's not like there's no way to get more food...."
"Really?"
"Nah, forget it."
"What do you mean forget it!"
"Hmm... You really wanna know?"
"What's the way?"
"Alright! Since you're me—er, I'll tell you special."
At the boy's urging eyes saying to spill it already, Yuri held up two fingers.
"There are two ways. First one is...."
She showed him the silver coin she'd gotten from the boy.
"Bring me silver coins that add up to 500 total, like this, and I'll give you one tosaba."
"...Where am I supposed to get that?"
"You expect me to tell you that too? Is your head just for balancing your weight?"
"...And the second way?"
"Bring other kids."
"Huh?"
"Bring someone else to buy my stuff, and I'll give you a tosaba. One per person you bring."
"One per person I bring?!"
The boy's eyes lit up in slight surprise.
Bringing two people sounded way easier than scrounging for who-knows-where silver coins.
"Got it! Wait here, I'll be right back!"
With that, the boy dashed into the forest.
Revived perfectly by the tosaba's sweetness, the zombie-like boy was back to life.
Watching his retreating figure, Yuri smiled.
'This is the start.'
When she first inferred the purpose of the silver coins scattered by the Black Sword Soldiers, her dilemma began.
[Is this right?]
The scattered silver coins were clearly meant to incite competition among the reserve knights.
The quick ones would probably attack others to claim their coins.
No, it was almost certain such things would happen left and right.
So-called 'silver coin hunting.'
'Am I supposed to join that mess and run around sweating my soles off? Is that the best way?'
The Forest of Beginnings was vast.
Once silver coin hunting ramped up, no matter how hard she ran, the number she could collect in a day would be limited.
That was way too inefficient.
So....
'Instead of me hunting them, make them come to me.'
She needed the reserve knights to come to her, clutching their silver coins.
If it went according to plan, all the silver coins out there would flow to her.
'The Cradle probably wants a setup where the winner takes the silver coins through fights.'
But Yuri thought differently.
'Do we really need to fight? If the goal is to end up with the most silver coins, isn't eating them for free without fighting even better?'
Yuri aimed to break the Cradle's game board and become the star of her own.
Conveniently, she had the perfect weapon to shatter it—the most valuable resource in this frozen forest.
'If the Cradle made a board controlling food, I'll flood the market with food to break it.'
That released food would then control the board she created.
Recalling her plan, a thick smile spread across Yuri's lips.
And not even 20 minutes after the boy left.
"I brought them!"
The zombie Yuri had revived dragged along two more zombies.
Like the boy before eating tosaba, they were reserve knights wandering near the inn.
Seeing their hollow, half-mad appearances, Yuri's eyes sparkled.
'These guys will be the start.'
These three would be the foundation of her new board.
Quickly pocketing her flash of inspiration, Yuri bowed deeply with a bright smile.
"Hey there, come on in! Welcome, customers!"
And so, in the forest not far from where the survival exam first began....
"Very reasonable prices here!"
One madman started veering completely off the exam's intended path.
* * *
Rustle-.
Two boys were racing through the forest.
One fleeing boy and his close pursuer—it was Gunter.
The gap between them narrowed by the second until it was within arm's reach.
The pursued boy spun around desperately and shouted.
"Stop chasing me!"
At the same time, he swung his sword at Gunter in a surprise attack.
But Gunter calmly deflected the incoming blade as if he'd anticipated it.
Slash- clang!
Even though the surprise failed, the boy gritted his teeth and kept swinging, pressing the attack.
Desperate to shake off this leech somehow.
But the more he did, the more he felt the gap in skill between him and Gunter.
'Damn it!'
Gunter was blocking his full-power attacks all too easily.
With one hand... like swatting a bug.
Then, at some point, the attacker became the defender against Gunter's strikes.
The boy's eyes filled with despair as he barely, precariously blocked.
'...A monster!'
Gunter wielding a massive two-handed sword with one hand.
Each time he blocked Gunter's casual swings, the boy's body staggered.
'Ugh! What strength?!'
The boy couldn't hold out long against Gunter's onslaught.
Clang- clang!
Finally, the boy's sword flew into the air.
At the same time, Gunter's sword rested on his shoulder.
Feeling the chill of the blade at his nape, the boy swallowed hard.
"W-What the hell are you doing to me?"
Gunter answered with a blank face.
"No hard feelings against you."
"...Then why?"
"Just necessary."
"What?"
"No chit-chat. Hand over your pouch. Then you're free."
"Pouch?"
The boy blinked at the sudden demand.
Gunter's dry voice continued.
"The pouch the Black Sword Soldier gave you a few days ago? The one with the holed silver coins?"
"Ah! That?"
As the boy reacted like he'd remembered, Gunter pressed.
"Hand it over."
"Uh, I don't have it."
The boy waved his hands, and Gunter scowled, pressing the sword closer.
"Killing between reserve knights is forbidden, but that means you can bully them as much as you want short of killing."
At Gunter's menacing threat, the boy paled and shrieked.
"N-No joke, I really don't have it!"
"......"
"It's true! Believe me!"
Sensing the desperate cry was genuine, Gunter eased the sword from his neck a bit and asked.
"Already taken by someone else?"
A hint of urgency flickered on Gunter's face as he asked.
'Sure enough, others are moving besides me.'
If the boy had already lost his pouch, it meant others had realized the silver coins' meaning and acted, just like him.
This kid must've been their sacrifice.
But the boy's next answer completely shattered Gunter's assumption.
"No. I used it to buy food."
"Buy... food?"
Gunter's eye twitched.
Caught off guard by the unexpected reply.
In a slightly flustered tone, he asked.
"You mean the Cradle side is selling food?"
But the boy's follow-up exceeded Gunter's expectations once more.
"Nah, not them...."
"......?"
"Uh, it's kinda hard to explain...."
Seeing Gunter's confusion, a subtle glint passed through the boy's eyes.
It wasn't the look of prey being chased moments ago.
Rather, it was like he saw Gunter as prey.
But that look lasted only a moment.
He glanced slyly and suggested.
"Instead of me explaining, you should see for yourself... Wanna come with me?"
At the expectant tone, Gunter's brow twitched.
'What? A trap? Luring me to his group?'
But there was zero hostility for that.
Despite attacking him just now, the boy treated Gunter with pure anticipation and goodwill.
Gunter's mind grew complicated by the inexplicable shift.
'The kid said he used silver coins to buy food.'
If that was true....
'Something's happening that I don't know about?'
After brief deliberation, Gunter decided.
He sheathed his sword.
"Fine. Lead the way."
The boy beamed at Gunter's reply.
"Yes sir! I'll take the fastest, safest route!"
"......?"
Gunter looked puzzled at the boy's overly delighted reaction.
But it didn't take long to figure out why the boy was so thrilled.
About 30 minutes later.
Following the boy, Gunter faced a sight he never imagined, and his eyes went wide.