Chapter 81
Chapter 81
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 81
Chapter Title: Hell (1)
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Yuri couldn't tear his eyes away from the pervert who had appeared out of nowhere, Goetz Loetern.
Seeing this, Arin, who had been standing behind Yuri, poked her head out and asked,
"Do you know that guy?"
"You know that bastard?"
The corner of Yuri's mouth twisted.
"Of course I do."
He's my client, after all.
The moment he swallowed those unspoken words down to his uvula, memories of past conversations with Goetz flooded his mind.
* * *
At Yuri's plea-slash-threat to please put on some pants, Goetz finally picked up his trousers and put them on.
The problem was that he had only put on the pants.
Still, it was a vast improvement over being completely naked, so Yuri took a slight step back and sheathed his sword.
"So, what's this deal you mentioned?"
"It's nothing much. Just go back to the Forest of Beginnings and bring me one item I want. For the Owl Corps member who made it all the way here from the Forest of Beginnings, going back shouldn't be impossible, right?"
"It is possible."
He just didn't want to do that crap again.
Yuri's expression soured.
Goetz added an explanation.
"Normally, the vice captains take turns handling duties on a rotating schedule."
"And?"
"One of Vice Captain Duran's duties this time is managing the fifth-year preliminary graduates."
"Duran?"
"You don't know yet? Duran Bikovichi, the vice captain in charge of the Forest of Beginnings and the fifth-years."
"No way, that one-eyed guy?"
"That's right, that grumpy old man with the one eye."
Yuri's expression soured even more as he listened to Goetz.
"So, you're telling me this because... the item you want me to fetch is related to that Vice Captain Duran or whatever, right?"
"As expected of the Owl Corps! Your insight is top-notch, just like your skills!"
"...Out of curiosity, what's the skill level of a Black Sword Legion vice captain?"
"Certified 9th Dan."
"Wow... So you're telling me to steal something from a Certified 9th Dan? If I get caught, I'll be sliced in half on the spot. You bastard, spill it—who put you up to this? Who's trying to get me killed!"
Goetz waved his hand lightly at Yuri's suddenly icy glare, as if there was no need to hear more.
"Haha, calm down! Do you think I'd ask you to steal his stuff right under Vice Captain Duran's nose? However..."
"However?"
"Isn't it possible to raid his empty quarters while he's away?"
"Oh? So the item you want is there?"
Goetz nodded.
"What I want is one of the documents written by Vice Captain Duran."
"What's that?"
"The fifth-year graduation process evaluation sheet. But it has to be the one stamped with Vice Captain Duran's seal. That's what makes it an approved evaluation."
"Graduation process evaluation sheet? What's that?"
"Think of it like a test paper."
"So... you're asking me to steal a test paper?"
"That's the gist of it."
"You're sure that evaluation sheet is in the Forest of Beginnings? It's not somewhere else?"
"It won't be anywhere else."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Vice Captain Duran has been handling all his official duties from the Forest of Beginnings lately."
"Man, you ask for everything. Wait, why does a third-year need a fifth-year test paper?"
"Ahem, I can't tell you that much."
"..."
Yuri's eyes narrowed at Goetz's sheepish look.
At the same time, the silhouette of the fifth-year woman who had just left the cave flashed through his mind.
'No way, this guy? ...Nah, if he's human, that's the reason.'
A clear hypothesis formed in his head, but Yuri didn't voice it to Goetz.
He figured asking would just give him a headache for no reason.
Instead, he asked something else.
"Sigh... Fine, say I go back to the Forest of Beginnings. How do I get into Duran's quarters? A vice captain's place would be deep in the Black Sword Legion's territory, with tight security, right?"
"Normally, you'd never get in. You couldn't even try."
"But?"
"There's exactly one day when the security at the Black Sword Legion's outpost in the Forest of Beginnings is relaxed."
"No way..."
Yuri's eyes sharpened slightly at Goetz's explanation.
A murmur escaped his lips.
"...The time after the Dragon Subjugation ends, when all the Black Swordsmen are moving to clean up."
"Correct."
Goetz nodded with a smile in his eyes.
Yuri shook his head to clear his mind.
"Fine, I'm not doing it. Too much risk."
"I think you're the perfect person for this deal—no, this commission, Owl Corps. I really need that graduation evaluation sheet."
"So what? If you need it that bad, go steal it yourself."
Goetz shook his head at Yuri's sharp retort.
"There are three big reasons I can't do it myself. First, I don't have the ability to get to the Forest of Beginnings."
Goetz raised his index and middle fingers together.
"Second, if a current knight like me gets caught there, I'll be expelled from Yoram without a chance to explain."
"And I'm fine?"
"You've got plenty of excuses if you get caught, don't you? You were a preliminary knight taking the test in the Forest of Beginnings, so you could say you got lost and wandered in, or you were hiding there because it was the safest spot. Right?"
"..."
It was true.
Yuri himself knew he had a ton of excuses he could make.
As Yuri silently acknowledged it, Goetz raised a third finger.
"And third, the biggest reason I can't go there is..."
Goetz's expression hardened more than when he mentioned the first two reasons.
With an incredibly serious face, Goetz stated the third reason.
"I've got a date with my darling tomorrow. I don't have time because I need to prepare all sorts of things."
A vein bulged on Yuri's temple.
"...Are you insane, for real?"
"So, will you take the commission?"
"Get lost."
It was a rejection without a second thought.
Even at Yuri's harsh words, Goetz grinned brightly.
Yuri snorted in response.
'Go back to the Forest of Beginnings and raid a vice captain's quarters?'
Am I crazy?
Make me go through that hell again?
Who in their right mind would accept those insane terms?
"Success fee: 1 million points."
As he spoke, Goetz pulled out bundles of points from his pocket.
Jingle.
Ten bundles of 100,000 points each appeared, shaking left and right in front of Yuri's eyes with their clear, cheerful sound.
Shake, shake.
Yuri's pupils followed back and forth in tandem.
Suddenly, strength returned to Yuri's dazed, almost hypnotized eyes.
"Hey."
A low voice slipped from Yuri's mouth.
"Tell me stuff like that first next time. If you'd said it sooner, I'd be on my way already! What a waste of time, tsk."
Goetz gave a thumbs-up as Yuri struck a pose like he was about to bolt.
"Keh, as expected! I have an eye for people!"
Yuri fired back with a determined face, flashing double thumbs-up.
Then he pointed both thumbs at himself.
Snap!
"The item you want? I'll get it no matter what. Leave it to me!"
Yuri's eyes burned fiercely.
'One million? One million, one million, one million?!'
He'd rolled his ass off in the Forest of Beginnings for a month and barely made around 200,000 points.
But one commission for 1 million points?
For Yuri, who had already tasted the sweetness of points once...
'I'm doing it. I'm succeeding for sure!'
It was too much money to turn down.
* * *
A whopping 1 million point commission.
It was an enormous sum back then, even more than now.
He'd been so excited that he'd even forgotten to ask the client's name.
Thank goodness everyone in Yoram knew the name "Goetz Loetern."
'Goetz Loetern. Who would've thought I'd run into him here.'
In fact, he'd gone to his current residence wondering if he might meet Goetz.
But he hadn't shown up, and somehow he'd ended up neighbors with Teresa.
He'd been pondering how to meet Goetz afterward, and now here he was, in a place he never expected.
Thud, thud.
The 1 million points was walking toward him... No, Goetz Loetern was approaching.
Yuri thought he'd finally been recognized and raised his hand with a bright smile.
"Go..."
But Goetz brushed past him.
He lightly bowed and took the hand of Arin, who was hiding behind Yuri, kissing the back of it.
"Ah, to meet you like this... Finally... At last, I've found my soul's resting place. Blue rose that came like a miracle, would you please tell me your name?"
Arin's lips twisted into a grimace at his nauseating tone.
"Ugh... Eek?!"
Arin yanked her hand away from Goetz and shook it off like she'd touched a cockroach.
Not satisfied, she rubbed the back of her hand against Yuri's clothes.
Yuri's eyes filled with irritation at her actions.
"What the hell?"
"It's... dirty."
Yuri sighed at Arin's disgusted reaction.
He grabbed Goetz's shoulder and turned him to face him.
"Hey."
"...Huh?"
Goetz finally looked at Yuri.
His head tilted, and one word popped out.
"Who might you be?"
"..."
It was as if he was seeing him for the first time today.
Then, as if losing interest, he immediately turned back toward Arin.
"Blue rose, please tell me your esteemed name! I beg you."
"No way!"
Arin dodged Goetz.
Goetz chased after her.
"Blue rose!"
Whoosh.
"Go away!"
Whoosh.
"Ah, how can even your angry expression be so beautiful."
With Yuri in the middle, Arin and Goetz spun around playing tag.
Yuri pondered.
'Screw the deal... Should I just beat his ass?'
But he couldn't.
It was a whopping 1 million points.
Until he got paid, this damn pervert was still his customer.
'Service! Hospitality! Smile!'
Yuri forcibly suppressed his anger and called out to Goetz.
"Goetz Loetern."
Goetz stopped moving at the sound of his name.
Arin hid behind Yuri again, peeking out warily.
Regardless of Arin,
Yuri gritted his teeth, forced a smile, and said,
"Ah mwah?"
"Yes?"
"You don't know me?"
"Hmm...?"
Goetz tilted his head repeatedly at Yuri.
Then he smacked his fist into his palm.
"Ah! Who is this? If it isn't the Owl Corps!"
Yuri's expression softened a bit at the reaction that finally seemed to recall him.
He sighed and asked,
"You haven't forgotten our deal, right?"
"...Deal?"
Goetz's face turned puzzled.
His eyes looked like he was digging up a deeply buried memory.
Soon, disbelief flickered in his gaze.
"That deal? You... You really succeeded?"