The Merchant's Deception
The story from my experience activating the Golden Ball was compelling, but I had no time to dwell on it. As dawn broke, the streets grew livelier, and the splendid buildings lining both sides drew my gaze. Yet the sightseeing was all too brief. We slipped out of the alley, passed two buildings, and stopped at the entrance of the third. The sign read Crachio Trading Company. It was strange that I, who knew neither French, German, nor even English, could read the language of this other world, but it clearly said "trading company." Just as Marcus was about to knock, someone emerged from inside.
"Master Crachio is waiting for you upstairs."
The gaunt man's eyes were sharp. He exuded an ominous air that made me tense for no reason. I glanced at Harry; he was muttering to himself while munching on snacks, looking completely thoughtless. I had thought him a gentle soul, yet at times like this he seemed oddly carefree.
"Please follow me."
As we followed the man inside, a quiet, heavy atmosphere settled over us. The lobby was dark and empty, likely because business had not yet begun. Chairs were stacked upside down on desks scattered throughout. No staff were visible, and the silence was so profound that I began to worry armed thugs might suddenly burst out and stab us. I just wanted to hand over the goods and leave quickly.
The man led us to the third floor. Two burly men stood guard outside the merchant's office. They patted us down, confiscating Marcus's dagger, Harry's dagger, and my guando.
"Look at this," one of them said, examining my guando. They whispered among themselves and chuckled. Were they mocking me? Damn it. I carried this because I was a broke newcomer. I wanted a long, impressive sword too, not this childish blade. I needed to earn money fast. No—wait. I had no intention of becoming a bandit, did I?
We entered the office. Expensive antiques decorated the room. Behind an antique desk sat no one at first, but then a middle-aged man with a neatly oiled, perfectly parted head of hair stepped out from a small adjoining room, wiping his face with a towel. He wore a white robe.
"Welcome. You must be tired after coming all this way."
"Have you been well, Master Crachio?" Marcus greeted him respectfully.
"I always am. Though it's tiring to start work so early in the morning. How is the leader?"
"She is well, without incident."
"Tell her to stop by sometime. We should share a drink."
Crachio tossed the towel onto a rack, walked to his desk, and leaned back in a plush chair. He propped his legs on the desk, interlaced his fingers, and regarded us with a slightly arrogant gaze.
"By the way, the goods?"
At his words, Marcus turned to me. I immediately opened the bag I had been holding against my stomach and took out the five hangers. The man who had guided us accepted them, drew a pocket knife, and peeled away the cloth wrapping. The golden hangers gleamed brilliantly. After carefully verifying they were solid gold, the man gave Crachio a slight nod.
Crachio smiled and snapped his fingers. "Well done. I live because of people like you."
Soon two employees struggled in carrying a box filled with money.
"Thirteen thousand beni for transport. Check it."
Marcus crouched down, counted the amount inside the box himself, then looked up.
"The amount is exact. Thank you, Master Crachio."
"Make sure you deliver it to the leader without any mistakes. If the guards catch you, it will be troublesome for me as well."
"Rest assured. We will slip away without a trace, just as we did when transporting the gold."
"Good luck. May the gods bless your return journey."
Crachio smiled. Two gold teeth glinted in his molars. His smile seemed sinister. I could not tell if it was just my imagination, but the smile he gave us as he saw us off did not sit well with me. It felt as though he was hiding something. Was it because he looked like a slippery eel? His appearance had never inspired trust from the start.
Harry effortlessly lifted the heavy money box onto one shoulder. "Then we shall take our leave."
We followed Marcus out of the office. At the door we retrieved our confiscated weapons and quietly descended the stairs. As I silently stepped down toward the first floor, I briefly pondered the meaning behind Crachio's suspicious smile, but once we reached the lobby I decided to stop thinking about it. It had nothing to do with me anyway. I had no intention of getting involved in banditry and was merely an observer. Even if that man was plotting something, only the bandit group would suffer. It was none of my concern. In fact, I hoped the bandit group would collapse as soon as possible. A massive scam would be perfect.
And yet, despite having made up my mind, the moment we left the building and headed toward the alley where Phelton was waiting, the long-awaited ability of the Golden Ball suddenly activated.
"Those fools will never know."
Crachio's voice.
"That the money is counterfeit."
Counterfeit money?
"The moment that money circulates, the Elk Bandits will be caught by the lord and finished. Honestly, that bandit leader woman is too beautiful to kill, but since Chen requested it, it cannot be helped."
Was this a trap after all? I listened intently to Crachio's words.
"What if they discover it is counterfeit before they use the money?"
This time it was another man's voice.
Crachio laughed and replied, "There is no need to worry about that. Chen commissioned a high-ranking mage to place a counterfeiting spell on the currency. He assured me that unless goat's blood is applied or the spell's six-month duration expires, it will never be detected."
"Why are you not following? What are you doing?"
Startled, I looked ahead to see Marcus standing there with a scowl. My brief pause to eavesdrop had caused unnecessary suspicion.
"Trying to run away?"
"No, that is not it."
"Be honest. You were waiting for a chance to escape while we moved ahead, were you not?"
"My leg hurt, so I stopped for a moment."
"Your leg was fine until just now. Why does it hurt?"
"I do not know."
"What?"
I frowned at Marcus and walked ahead. "It is fine now, so let us hurry."
"Look at this guy? Heh, really."
"If your leg hurts, should I carry you?" Harry asked as he walked beside me. Even with the heavy money box—rather, the fake money box—on one shoulder, he still had energy to spare. Feeling sorry that my junior was carrying the load, I was about to tell him it was fine when the Golden Ball activated again, as if it had gone mad today. This time it was a conversation between two women.
"Lady Adelia. If we continue straight down this road, we will reach the castle. Will you meet with the lord?"
"No, that is enough. Today I wish to quietly observe and leave. Before meeting the lord, I want to gauge public opinion about him. Let us meet the lord tomorrow."
Was some important person arriving? They sounded like young women, yet both spoke in a rather formal manner. Unable to contain my curiosity, I took out the Golden Ball and secretly looked into it beneath my robe. On the surface of the ball, two people in noble attire were walking along the street. Both were beautiful, but one woman in particular captured my attention completely. Wow… She was flawlessly beautiful, without a single imperfection. She had the face of an old Western beauty like Olivia de Havilland, with golden blonde hair. Admiration escaped me involuntarily. She was so stunning that it was a shame to look away.
At the same time, I suddenly felt a pang of sorrow. If I had gotten involved with a woman like her upon first arriving in this world, it would have been wonderful. Instead, I had ended up captured by bandits, and the thought brought tears of sadness. She was clearly a noble. Judging by her refined bearing, she seemed like a daughter raised preciously in a wealthy household. Yet her beauty was so ethereal that I could believe she was an elf by birth.
"It seems everything went smoothly?"
Phelton's voice snapped me back to reality. Before I knew it, we had arrived at the alley where the wagon was parked.
"Y-yes. It went smoothly."
I clicked my tongue and returned the Golden Ball to my pocket. Who was she? I had just seen her, yet I already wanted to see her again. We had not exchanged a single word, but her appearance alone had left a powerful impression. I probably would not sleep for several days.
"Let us return home."
At Marcus's words, we climbed into the wagon and left the city behind. Thinking that the hard day's work was over eased my mind and relaxed my tension, bringing fatigue all at once. Yet unlike Harry, who was already snoring deeply beside me, my mind was in turmoil and sleep would not come. The Golden Ball had always warned me in advance whenever danger approached—whether when I was first captured by bandits upon arriving in this world, or when I nearly got sold to that mad alchemist. Based on those two previous cases, the two people I had seen through the Golden Ball today were ultimately dangerous individuals to me.
The first dangerous person was Crachio. The second was the beautiful noblewoman. Crachio made sense, but I could not fathom why the beautiful woman posed a danger. She did not seem like someone who would fight well, having been raised in luxury. Was she not simply a noble lady who had come to meet the lord? Or was there something I did not know?