Chapter 50
Chapter 50
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: The Mastermind
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After accepting the direct request, we immediately headed for the Marquisate of Rodian.
It was suspicious, but the pay was good.
There's nothing money can't do in this world.
'Money really is the best!'
As our carriage arrived at the marquisate, the soldiers guarding the entrance stopped us.
They asked our business and told us to state our purpose.
For a moment, I had a sense of déjà vu from the count's territory.
So, as I was cracking my knuckles, preparing to fold another person like a flip phone, Luna stopped me.
"Luke, please calm down…! We have to show them the request form…!"
"Hey, let go. It's obvious what's going to happen."
"I don't know what a video is, but please, just calm down for now!"
If they're the type who won't listen no matter how many times you tell them, it's better to just show them the proof and get through quickly.
"You lot! Stop messing around and state your business!" a soldier with little patience shouted as Luna and I scuffled.
"See, Luna? It's so obvious, isn't it? Let's just take care of this."
"Ahh! Just a moment! We're here on a request!"
"A request?"
"Yes! Luke, quickly, take out the request form!"
Huh? What a pain.
My original plan was to just fold him in half, but with Luna nagging me from the side, I had no choice but to take out the request form and show it to them.
After reading the form, the soldier bowed a full ninety degrees and offered a polite apology.
"My-my apologies! You are the Marquis's esteemed guests! I have been rude!"
'Oh. The people here are sharp.'
Right! This is how it should be!
Who treats a distinguished guest like that?
For this, I'll make a special exception and refrain from folding him like a flip phone.
We followed the soldier who offered to guide us to the mansion, taking in the sights of the estate as we walked.
I thought we might have to get the request form approved at the Adventurer's Guild like last time, but apparently, the Marquis had already taken care of everything, so we could head straight to the mansion.
And on the way to the mansion.
Luna sidled up next to me and whispered.
"Luke. Doesn't something seem strange?"
"What does?"
"It's just… a man of his station, a Marquis, seems to be paying too much attention to commoner adventurers… He's very different from the nobles I know."
"You worry too much."
Well, Luna had a point.
I didn't know all nobles, but at least the ones I'd read about in novels were all self-important pricks.
Later, when the protagonist starts making a name for himself by defeating demons, nobles who can't stand to see others succeed show up and interfere with his every move.
In the story, good nobles like Isaac were a rarity.
So, my perception of nobles was pretty much the same.
Guys who can't stand to see others succeed, yet live the most prosperous and comfortable lives themselves.
So, Luna's point that it was strange for him to treat mere commoner adventurers as honored guests was valid, but.
"That's no reason to refuse the hospitality, is it?"
I knew what Luna was worried about, but who held the power here in the first place?
I didn't know what kind of person this Marquis was, but he was the one so obsessed with us.
That meant he needed us.
So, naturally, we were in the position of power, and the Marquis was the one asking.
We had graced him with our precious presence, so this level of hospitality was only natural.
If he wasn't going to offer at least this much, he shouldn't have called us.
Following the soldier, we arrived at the mansion and were guided by a butler to a drawing room.
The butler asked us to wait a moment, so we enjoyed the refreshments prepared on the table.
"Luke, what are you doing?"
"Putting the snacks into my inventory."
"…Why?"
"They're free."
"…"
Hey. Don't look at me like that. Luna, you should try living in Korea for just one month.
Then you'd understand why I'm like this.
Back in Korea, there are tons of middle-aged women who sweep entire bags of free candy into their purses.
There are even people who rip off rolls of the plastic bags provided for vegetables and fruits at the supermarket just to save money on disposable bags.
As I was busy storing all the snacks from the drawing room into my inventory.
*Click.*
The sound of someone opening the door came.
The only person who would enter a room knowing there were guests inside had to be the owner of this mansion, the Marquis himself.
The moment I turned around to see the face of the bastard who had been so obsessed with me.
"A pleasure to meet you. I am Crown Rodian, the one who requested your━━"
"Hieeeek!!! He's got squinty eyes!!!"
I flipped the slit-eyed man over, grabbed both his legs, and jumped.
"Muscle Buster!!!!"
*CRACK!*
"Guaaaargh!!!!"
Some guy with squinty eyes was approaching with a smile, and my hands moved before I could even think.
"L-Luke!"
"L-Luke!"
Startled by the sight, Luna and Yui scrambled over and pulled my arms away.
"No, let go! He has squinty eyes! He's definitely plotting something!"
"What does that have to do with anything?!"
"Th-that's right! His eyes are just small!"
You damn fools! You just don't get it!
What's the defining trait of a character with squinty eyes?!
They're the mastermind! The mastermind!
I don't know if this Marquis is the mastermind or not.
But the assumption that a squinty-eyed character is the mastermind is almost always correct.
In fact, characters with squinty eyes were almost always either the mastermind or played a significant role in the story.
"We are so sorry…!"
Yui bowed deeply in apology.
"Ha… haha… *cough!* It's, it's quite alright. I often get that sort of misunderstanding."
"See? He said it's fine himself."
"Luke…"
*Sulk.*
A master ruled by his slave.
Is this relationship even right?
"What were you thinking, hitting the client…!" Luna whispered in my ear.
What was I thinking? He's the one who needs us, not the other way around.
I still hadn't abandoned my theory that this bastard was the mastermind.
I'd keep a close watch on him, and the moment something happened, I'd kill him on the spot.
"Allow me to introduce myself again. I am Crown Rodian, the one who requested your services."
"I'm Luke. You thought I was going to say that?"
"…Pardon?"
"First, take this."
*SLAP!*
"Bwek!"
I slapped the Marquis across the cheek.
A man who can strike a nobleman.
A man who doesn't care what others think.
That's me, Luke, a man's man.
'He's the desperate one, not me.'
I wasn't even going to come this time, but I came because he seemed so desperate.
Got a problem with it?
If he does, I can just leave. I have nothing to lose.
"Ha… ha… It's… alright…"
Oh… he's still taking it?
We have a word for people like that. Not kind, but a pushover.
"Really? Then have some more."
"W-wait a moment…!"
*SLAP!*
"Agh!"
"This one's for annoying me."
*SLAP!*
"Kagh!"
"This one's for bothering Adela."
*SLAP!*
"Guh!"
"This one's for… I don't know. Just take it."
*SLAP!*
I continued to hit him for a while after that.
He had been bothering me and Adela for days, after all.
***
The crisp, sharp sounds echoed through the room dozens of times.
The Marquis's face swelled up, resembling someone who'd been stung by a swarm of bees.
But even after getting beaten like that, the fact that he wouldn't open his eyes properly must have meant he had a lot of complaints.
"You bastard! Open your eyes properly!"
Look at this punk trying to open his eyes.
You should be grateful to me, you bastard.
Do you think you'd still be alive if I hadn't held back?
If I'd used my full strength, you would've had a concussion after just a few hits.
The last time I tested my strength, it was on par with an Iron Golem's. Now that I'm even stronger, I could probably crush the head of a weak commoner with just my grip.
"Eek…! I-I was wrong! My face just looks this way naturally, so please spare me…!"
When I raised my hand as if to strike him again, the Marquis shielded his face with both arms and trembled.
Nobles are nothing special.
"See, Luna? Nobles aren't any different, are they?"
"…"
A person's life always comes first.
When things get serious, people will abandon power, honor, and status just to survive.
Who's going to act tough with a blade at their throat?
So what if he's a Marquis?
What's he going to do about it?
If he pisses me off here, everything he's built up will vanish in an instant.
Of course, that attitude is the correct one.
'Sigh. I need to become an S-rank adventurer quickly.'
Once I become an S-rank adventurer, I can beat up anyone I want, nobles or whoever, without a care in the world.
S-rank adventurers are asymmetrical powerhouses in their own right; who could possibly stop them?
Well, they could be stopped. If the Empire deployed its entire army for a mutual destruction.
But the Emperor isn't an idiot. Would he really destroy his own nation just to catch a single S-rank adventurer?
It's a good thing the current S-rank adventurers have no interest in worldly affairs.
If they ever had a conflict with the Empire, it would be the end of it that very day.
"N-now, may I talk about the request?"
"Sure."
The Marquis cleared his throat, *ahem*, setting the mood as if he were about to say something important.
If he looked in a mirror, he'd realize there was no mood to be set.
"Recently, in the desert region adjacent to our marquisate, a certain monster has begun to proliferate. The request I have for you is the complete subjugation of these proliferating monsters. In other words, their annihilation."
What kind of monster requires annihilation?
But wait, he wanted to hire us for annihilation and initially offered a mere 50 silver?
This is infuriating.
As I drummed my fingers on the armrest of the chair, debating whether to hit him again, I saw the Marquis flinch.
"So. What's the monster?"
"…It's a C-rank monster, the Vespa."
Vespa? Of all the names I've heard so far, that one sounds the most like a monster.
The monsters I'd seen until now had names that were just English words for what they looked like. What kind of monster was this?
I looked at the Marquis, my eyes demanding a further explanation. Noticing my gaze, the Marquis opened his mouth.
"Are you familiar with the E-rank Giant Ants?"
"I know them well."
I blew up their entire nest.
Thanks to that, my reward for that day went up in smoke.
It pisses me off just thinking about it again. Why the hell did you have to bring up bad memories?
"Like the Giant Ants, individual Vespas are not strong, but they were given a C-rank designation due to their large numbers. Their recent, sudden proliferation has become a major headache."
"So we just need to get rid of them?"
"Yes, I will have a soldier accompany you to guide you to their location."
The convenience is top-notch.
At this rate, it'll be over in less than an hour.
"Alright. We'll head out right now."
"Yes, I will call for a soldier to accompany you now."
"Oh, right. Before that."
"?"
"You wouldn't happen to have any bombs, would you?"