Chapter 93
Chapter 93
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Fate 10: The Buyer
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No fucking way, making a mad movie for resource securing
I thought it was fine, definitely fine, watching each other
Fuck Gadum
This bastard has so many resources
Cheating alone?
Pouring all my resources to buy one party member?
Yeah bro does human trafficking, drug dealing, smuggling, fucking does everything possible so money duplicates
Doesn't that make sense?
It's represented as in-game money
That fucker's buyout conditions are insane if you look at the text, for real
Can't not get bought
Gadum: if family, sells drugs to parents, debt-ridden parents sell kid, parents no drug money mobilize crime
Just fucking god of value creation, how can Ran compete
Ran opened her mouth with resolve.
But soon, that mouth closed again.
The price Gadum had promised them.
She had no confidence in offering more than that.
She couldn't come up with a reason why they shouldn't leave her.
Probably, no reason would hold enough persuasive power.
Crying out about honor and justice would just be childish whining.
In the end, the words she could say were set.
"I respect your positions."
"Sorry about this."
"That's how it is. I won't ask you to understand."
"I have no face to show."
"Lady... I'm sorry. Please stay safe."
"You know our family's situation!!! Don't look at me like that!!!"
"..."
"..."
Ran, seated at her desk, was deep in thought.
The worst possibility she had feared had become reality.
Gadum.
He had made contact with the three big shots.
Ran didn't doubt their friendship with her.
She didn't doubt their honor.
But she knew.
Those in positions representing groups sometimes had values that took precedence over personal friendships and honor.
Gadum must have perfectly understood that before approaching them.
Thus, Ran couldn't block or dissuade them.
"Please..."
There was only one thing Ran could do.
She hoped the conditions Gadum offered them were something she could bear.
"Lady Ran."
A moment later, Ran's butler came to report the three big shots' return.
Ran immediately left her office to greet them.
To avoid making them feel burdened, she met them as naturally as possible.
"Ah."
"...Ahem."
"..."
Still, an awkward air flowed between the four who met.
Soon, the three exchanged glances.
"Lady Ran. Could we talk for a moment?"
Shakan spoke on their behalf.
The moment she had dreaded had finally come.
"Of course."
Ran feigned composure as she led them to her office.
Knowing neither side could broach preliminaries, the talk dove straight into the main point.
"Truth is, Councilor Gadum approached us with this offer. How about crediting this social cult expulsion to him?"
It was as expected.
"...What did Gadum offer as the price?"
"Well—"
As the story continued, Ran gritted her teeth.
The conditions Gadum promised them far exceeded Ran's expectations.
Ran, lacking Gadum's vast funds, illegal distribution networks for rare items, or political leverage over other powerful families—
had no ability to match that price.
Ran opened her mouth with resolve.
But soon, that mouth closed again.
She couldn't come up with a reason why they shouldn't go to Gadum's side.
Probably, no reason would hold enough persuasive power.
In this situation, appealing to honor, justice, or emotions would just be throwing a tantrum.
In the end, Ran's course of action was set.
"I respect your positions."
Councilor Ran bowed her head weakly.
"Wait—"
"No. There's no need for you to explain. As I said again, I respect—and understand—your positions."
Her voice, choked with emotion, was meant to convince herself, not them.
Ran's tightly clenched fist trembled like an aspen leaf.
She savored her misery and despair, waiting for them to leave the room.
"No, that's not it—we rejected the offer."
"?"
Ran lifted her head again, her face utterly dumbfounded.
"Wh-why would you make that judgment...?"
Ran unwittingly pressed like interrogating.
As if she couldn't accept any answer.
"Rishir—"
"Ah."
But the moment Valrod uttered the first word, Ran unconsciously nodded.
The result of repeated conditioning.
Ran felt her senses had gone awry somewhere.
"We agreed that he has full authority to judge this matter."
"Pardon?"
"And rightly so—we did nothing in the subjugation."
"..."
No! Don't say that!
It was a line she should utterly deny, but Ran could only awkwardly avert her gaze.
Rishir had indeed led the subjugation through key information provision.
But the three had executed it in practice.
Without Rishir, the cult expulsion would've likely failed nine times out of ten.
But likewise, without the three?
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Probably, it still would've succeeded anyway?
With Rishir alone.
No evidence, but they felt it plausible enough.
An elderly mage would nod, saying, "It's a bit different, but that too is Rishir."
"So, we'll wait for Rishir's decision."
They awkwardly eyed each other.
-Knock knock
"Hm?"
Rishir, faithfully practicing swordsmanship in the garden attached to his room.
He moved toward the knock.
"Lord Rishir. Sorry to interrupt when you're busy. Could you spare a moment now?"
The woman at the door was the maid assigned to attend him during his stay.
"What's the matter?"
"Councilor Gadum sent a gift."
"Councilor Gadum..."
Tension entered Rishir's eyes.
Councilor Gadum.
Rishir remembered him as a person of interest in Bondaress.
As head of the city guard and a central figure in Bondaress high society, he was one of the city's top power brokers.
'Even Ran had to yield a step to him, I think?'
Such a Gadum had sent him a gift.
'What was bound to come has arrived.'
Rishir recalled his conversation with Shakan the day before.
-Soon, Councilor Gadum might approach you to steal the cult subjugation credit from Lady Ran.
-It's entirely your right and authority, so judge as your heart leads.
'To sum up, Gadum is courting me, Ran is anxious—something like that.'
Two city powerhouses fighting over him.
Just that was thrilling.
However, looking closely, the situation was quite complex.
As an honorary mage of the Gray Tower, Rishir had studied all related info for proper conduct.
That included Bondaress politics.
'Ran is upright but thus weak in power; conversely, Gadum is powerful but that much...'
Rishir knew well the bad rumors about Gadum.
'Bearing the Gray Tower's name, I can't tarnish it associating with such scum.'
Thus, Rishir's mind was already made up.
Separately, though.
There was something worrying him.
By Rishir's reckoning, he wasn't a perfectly moral person.
Nor ascetic.
'What if they offer too much money, though?'
Could he still make the right choice?
Rishir's face clouded with anguish.
Misinterpreting his silence, Dangaleon—which had been bickering in his hand with Klana—shouted.
-You wench!!! How dare you trouble the great one!
"...!"
The maid, mere servant of the mansion, knew nothing of the talking orb.
As she freaked, Rishir reassured her.
"Ah, don't be startled. It's nothing—just a sealed demon. As you see, no mouth, so it can't bite even if it wants."
"A d-demon...!"
-Wench!!! The great one says don't startle!!!
"S-sorry...! Sorry!"
"Can't you just stay quiet?"
-Hear that, wench! Cease all actions immediately! Until the great one's command, not even a shallow breath!
"No..."
Rishir sighed and headed to the bed.
He lifted the covers and sealed Dangaleon inside.
-This place...! The great one's bed for slumber!? Great one...! Such sudden reward, this Dangaleon knows not where to put itself!
[So that's why you became an orb? Didn't know where to put your body?]
-Hahaha!!! You soulless thing! You're jealous of me! That I occupy the great one's bed!
[What nonsense from a dimwit? Why would I envy that? You're noisy, so I shoved you there to shut up. Get it?]
-Uuum!!! The great one's body heat is clearly felt, which some soulless wench can't sense!
[Freaky bastard. Enjoy it. Hey, Rishir. We're going.]
-Great one!!! If you take that wench, take me too!!!
"..."
Rishir rubbed his brow.
*Sword training, let's do it.*
*No, magic training.*
The childish back-and-forth between the killer ghost and demon, repeated endlessly lately.
Rishir had no intention of enduring it beyond training into daily life.
Weary, he stuffed even the blue lotus under the covers.
[Hey!!!]
-Great one!!! Why! What did this soulless thing do to get the same reward as me!
Rishir left the two objects' cries behind and exited with the maid.
Soon, they arrived at the mansion's reception room.
There, the three big shots were already seated.
"You've come."
Gadum's agent, who had been talking with the three, rose immediately and bowed to Rishir.
Rishir nodded back, then asked the three.
"What were you discussing?"
"About you."
After being rebuffed in prior talks, Gadum had offered the three better terms.
Including rewards for Rishir.
Thus, the three's expressions were even more complicated.
"Lord Rishir, please sit. As you're busy with official duties, let's get to the point."
As Rishir sat, the agent turned the box on the table toward him.
"Councilor Gadum, representing Bondaress and the guard, expresses thanks and goodwill for your cult subjugation merits. Please accept."
Rishir didn't miss the implication in the phrasing.
'Representing Bondaress and the guard...'
Accepting this gift would tacitly credit the merits to Gadum and the guard.
Then, Ran could no longer claim the subjugation credit.
'In Ran's mansion, trying to buy Ran's people...'
Rishir marveled at his audacity.
His dilemma deepened.
'Really don't want to deal with this guy—'
And.
'Really, what if there's an offer inside I can't refuse?'
Then.
The agent opened the box.
And explained its contents.
"...!"
The three simultaneously swallowed.
It wasn't an item for one person.
A treasure needing tower-level strict management at minimum.
Moreover, one benefiting the entire tower.
The three instantly read the intent.
'Not buying Rishir personally, but the whole tower's favor...!'
An offer impossible to refuse for the group's sake had been made to Rishir too.
And sure enough.
"..."
Even he, extraordinary as he was, couldn't hide his fluster at the treasure's appearance.
"As expected, you recognize it. Yes, correct. It's a high-grade spirit core."
At the same time. Gray Tower Didoa's lab.
"Hm?"
The young wolf sunbathing on the sofa by the window suddenly rose.
Soon, it took human form—
"Gah—kehock! Gack!"
And spat out a marble on the floor.
"Perin. You okay?"
Didoa, the half-demon girl nearby, hurried over and gently patted her back.
"It's been a while since you spat a core?"
"Haven't met that guy in a while."
"Maybe that's why—density seems a bit low. This would classify as mid-grade?"
Didoa opened a drawer.
Numerous marbles clinked in the three-compartment drawer.
At first, Didoa freaked at the growing cores daily, but now accepted it.
The tower mages researching plague cures via Perin's cores were shocked at the 'second core'—
But reacted differently at the 'third'.
-Rishir...
-...Ah!
Didoa placed it in the middle compartment and closed the drawer.
The many marbles inside clattered noisily.
"...Councilor Gadum's gift. You really refuse?"
The agents couldn't hide their bewilderment at Rishir's denial.
"Rishir, you...!"
Valrod was the same.
As a mage, he knew the treasure's value well.
To that, Rishir just smiled bitterly.
*Our house spirit spits these out periodically.*
He couldn't say that, so he equivocated suitably.
"I think this is the right choice."
"...!"
"...!"
"...!"
Shock showed plainly on the three's faces.
"...Rishir, a young mage like you makes even me—Valrod—reflect on myself."
"?"
"You... is that so... Have I been turning from the greater good, hiding behind 'prioritizing the group'?"
"?"
"Damn, Rishir... If you say that, what am I...?"
"...?"
The three suddenly teary-eyed with emotion.
'What?'
Rishir, clueless, just smiled bitterly.
"..."
Meanwhile, the agent left the room with a displeased look.
"He refused my gift?"
Gadum couldn't hide his fluster.
'That brat mage, can't discern properly? How could he refuse that item—'
But the fluster didn't last.
In truth, Gadum already had the next plan in mind.
If recruitment fails, move to the next stage.
"Call Kadogan."
Kadogan, shaman of the White Scale Tribe.
She was the inheritor of the secret tribal ritual 'Soul Stepping.'
Soul Stepping let her glimpse the target's 'karma,' which Gadum used to dig rivals' weaknesses and steer 'negotiations' his way.
"..."
In the prepared basement, Kadogan scattered beast blood everywhere, commencing the ritual.
Soon, the completed ritual circle. She stepped to its center and chanted the target's name.
"Rishir..."
In her hand was a lock of Rishir's hair from Ran's mansion mole.
She focused her mind briefly, then chewed and swallowed it.
"...!"
Kadogan.
A chill to the bone from thick yin energy snapped her mind awake.
'Here—'
She strained her eyes to grasp the fog-shrouded space.
Then, something approaching from the fog beyond came into view.
It was an army of the dead.
'A n-necromancer...!'
That horrific, evil being led the undead horde in assault.
Then, the necromancer's body passed through the shaman's.
"...!"
In that instant, the shaman glimpsed the emotion in the necromancer's turbid eyes.
It was absolutely not the gaze of an advancer.
The fog cleared soon after, and the shaman belatedly saw.
Something stood where the necromancer headed.
The shaman grasped the situation instantly, but accepting it took time.
Necromancer.
Fleeing.
Linking those concepts wasn't easy.
This was merely part of that man's karma.
"Hah...!"
Soul Stepping failed to complete.
During the ritual, the shaman awakened her mind.
She had no confidence to glimpse more of his karma.
The shaman's eyes shook violently.
"Gadum you crazy fuck, what did you poke...!"
The shaman hurriedly packed.
Not too late yet.
She knew exactly where she stood.