A Bombshell of a Statement
Asilien's words landed like a bombshell, and even Manuela, who had been watching in silence, gaped.
"Are you serious?"
Yujun asked.
Asilien's expression didn't so much as flicker.
"Do I look like I came all this way just to joke around? I'll have you know I'm a busy woman."
"You heard her."
"Ah, no... I mean..."
Paranet was thoroughly flustered. He had never imagined a situation like this would ever fall on him. Until he reunited with Asilien, nothing had been wrong. Life at his master's side had been happy, and fun. Then the one person capable of throwing his composure into chaos appeared before his eyes, and he had no idea how he was supposed to react.
"I am terribly sorry, but I cannot go with you. I am my master's summon, after all. What I have now is more than enough."
"Well, that's all right. I wasn't going to force you. Still, being turned down does sting a little..."
"I can give you plenty of time to talk later, though."
At Yujun's words, color returned to Asilien's face.
"Really? Then I suppose I should thank you."
"You must have really liked Paranet."
"I did. And I still do."
"It doesn't matter to you at all that he's undead?"
"What does that have to do with anything? I loved Paranet himself. No matter how he's changed, it could never be a problem."
"...I see."
Love that didn't care even if the other person was undead. Yujun couldn't understand it, but if that was how she felt, it wasn't his place to say anything.
"Anyway, may I see those goods of yours?"
"You let me see Paranet after so long. Gladly."
Everything about that woman tied back to Paranet. Still, it was thanks to Paranet that he'd gotten to meet Asilien at all. Was this luck's doing too?
"What are you looking for?"
"I'll start with equipment."
Asilien shook her head.
"I don't have anything better than what you're wearing now. If I had pieces that were only a little worse, I'd show you those, but I don't even have that."
"Then show me the consumables."
"All right."
He hadn't expected much from the equipment anyway. The real point of this meeting wasn't the consumables either, but there might still be something worth buying, so he examined everything Asilien brought out with care.
"Oh, how much is this?"
He had found one thing he liked.
"One billion points apiece. No discounts."
"...That's a bit steep."
"They're worth it. Consumables like these go for whatever the seller asks. If you could use them without limit, the price would be dozens of times higher."
"I'll take them."
"I thought you would."
"There are exactly two of each, right? I can buy all of them?"
"Of course."
The options on the items Yujun bought, paying a billion points each, were as follows.
Grade: None
Option: Upon consumption, physical regeneration permanently increases by 60%. This effect applies only once.
Grade: None
Option: Upon consumption, mana regeneration permanently increases by 75%. This effect applies only once.
The reason he bought two of each one-time item was, of course, Manuela. He considered her a perfect companion who would never betray him, and he meant to invest in her without holding back. The fact that he had more money than he knew what to do with was part of it too.
"You're giving this to me?"
"Yeah."
"Thank you, as always. And I'm sorry I only ever take..."
"Only take, my foot. Your blessing is worth far more than this."
"And you're the one who helped me obtain that blessing in the first place."
That was true enough. Either way, Manuela growing stronger helped him too. He didn't feel the slightest bit of regret.
Yujun drank the springwater and the pill on the spot. Manuela followed his lead and received the effects of both items.
"Buying anything else?"
"Don't you have any elixirs?"
"I don't sell elixirs."
"Figured as much."
It wasn't as if elixirs were so scarce that only a handful existed on the Continent and were impossible to find. They were certainly rare, but if you went looking for someone who owned one, you couldn't quite say there were none. What you couldn't do was buy one with money. A few players did sell them, but such people were rare. Elixirs sat at the very top of the list of items you wanted as many of as possible—a complete upgrade over the finest health potions, capable of fully restoring you even when you stood a single step from death. They could even cure most diseases and curses. That was why people said you shouldn't sell an elixir even if you were about to starve. He'd thought that the number-one Great Merchant, of all people, might part with one for the right price. Apparently not.
"One more thing, then."
Once Asilien had put every item away, Yujun stepped in close and spoke as if whispering.
"Synchronization Marbles. Why are you collecting those?"
"Where did you hear that?"
"From the other Great Merchants."
"And why are you asking?"
"Because I'm collecting them too."
Yujun laid it out without hesitation.
"And your reason?"
"Because I need them."
"You're saying you know what the marbles are used for?"
"That's why I'm gathering them. You're looking for them because you know too, aren't you?"
"I don't."
She answered so matter-of-factly that Yujun froze for a moment.
"Then why...?"
"Maybe it's the grade, but they work unusually well when you synthesize items or offer them as sacrifices."
"Don't tell me you used Synchronization Marbles as sacrificial offerings."
"I did. When I was obtaining a summon. Thanks to that, I picked up a rather decent one."
"Are you insane? That waste..."
"Shin Yujun, you said you know what Synchronization Marbles are for. What exactly do you use them for?"
"They're an item exclusive to me. For reclaiming a power I lost."
"...What?"
It sounded so out of nowhere that Asilien tilted her head.
"A power you lost?"
"Before I became a player, I possessed a power of my own. Back then, people even called me a conqueror. Then I was summoned here, became a player, and lost everything. The Synchronization Marbles are what let me take that power back."
Yujun spun the story out with a perfectly shameless face. In a sense, it wasn't a lie. If you substituted the word power for the abilities he'd had in the game, it held. And lost wasn't wrong either—once the server shut down, he could no longer use that character. It was nothing but wordplay, but he'd heard witches could tell truth from falsehood. They might not see through everything perfectly, but an outright lie would surely have been caught.
"You're saying Synchronization Marbles exist for one person alone? That's hard to believe."
So her ability to discern truth from lies wasn't all that strong. She didn't even realize he'd spoken only the truth.
"They are an item meant for me alone. I can swear on the heavens that this isn't a lie."
Yujun met Asilien's eyes with an unflinching face.
"Fine. Let's say you're right. Then why is an item meant only for you scattered all over the world?"
"That, even I don't know. But one thing is certain: those Synchronization Marbles work only for me. Any effect you got from offering them as sacrifices was nothing more than superstition."
"...They are rare enough that I can't exactly produce precise statistics."
"How many do you have right now?"
"None. I used them all."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"What a waste."
He barely stopped his mouth from cursing on its own. Just how many Synchronization Marbles had Asilien wasted? The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. If he followed his heart, he'd have smacked her across the back of the head. Those marbles were that important to him, and she'd used them as nothing more than sacrificial junk? No matter how deeply she was tied to Paranet, this wasn't something he could forgive easily.
If you don't know what they're for, then don't go collecting Synchronization Marbles.
It was too soon after meeting her to say that out loud. Truthfully, he could have said it even on a first meeting, but she was no ordinary person, so he held his tongue. If a good item came in later, she might simply refuse to sell it to him.
"All right. Let's say you're correct. If I find any Synchronization Marbles, I'll let you know."
"You'll let me know? You're not going to stop collecting them?"
"Right now, you're Paranet's master. If you're happy, won't Paranet be happy too? That's why."
This was real love. Yujun was genuinely grateful that Asilien would go that far for Paranet alone. No—should he be grateful to Paranet instead?
"So you're saying you won't covet Synchronization Marbles anymore?"
"Yes. If they're of no particular use to me, there's no reason to collect them. They don't even make money. Though I suppose I could gather them and sell them to you."
"..."
"Judging by that look, I don't think I should."
Even so, Asilien kept stealing glances at Paranet. She was clearly preoccupied. Paranet was doing the exact same thing, so Yujun finally said what he'd been turning over in his head.
"How about I give the two of you a little time?"
"I'd like that!"
Asilien answered without a moment's hesitation. Paranet said nothing, but the look on his face was quietly pleased.
"I can't give you very much of it."
"I understand."
In truth he had plenty of time, but Asilien annoyed him, so he said it on purpose.
"Manuela. Let's step out for a bit."
"Okay."
They left Paranet and Asilien behind.
"Yujun."
"What?"
"I'm kind of in shock."
"Paranet?"
"Yeah. I can't believe Paranet had a lover."
"I don't know if it's that unbelievable. He's got some years on him. Of course he's dated."
"..."
"Why are you pouting? I don't think I said anything weird just now."
"Forget it."
Was it because he'd brought up age? Considering the things he usually said, it hadn't even been that harsh of a joke.
"By any chance..."
"I said drop it."
"Okay."
"So, are you going to let him go?"
"Who? Paranet?"
"Yeah."
"Why would I let him go? Once someone's a summon, you can't release them in the first place. And Paranet doesn't want that either."
The creature's feelings reached Yujun well enough for him to know. Paranet missed Asilien, but he absolutely did not want to be parted from Yujun. Yujun felt not the slightest unease. He knew perfectly well that Paranet put him first.
"And even if I might hand Paranet over to another player, I would never send him to that woman."
"To Asilien?"
"Yeah."
"Why? You don't like her?"
"I caught the scent of the Demon God Worshippers on her."
"...Really? I didn't notice."
"It isn't just a faint scent. She's tied up with them in a very big way. I'm sure of it."
"Well, you've got a hound's nose, so that must be right."
"A hound's nose?"
"You pick them out so well by that scent. The Demon God Worshippers."
"That's true, but the way it sounds is a little..."
"Anyway. You're saying that Great Merchant is a Demon God Worshipper? That's even more shocking. Is it all right to leave her alone with Paranet?"
"Yeah. It's fine."
He and Paranet might as well have been linked in mind at all times. Paranet's current state was perfectly normal.
"Let's wait a little, then go back in."
"Okay."
