A Gift Worth Ten Thousand Gold
Finch's body, split clean in two, drifted down into the deep sea. Simon watched it go with an expressionless face, then suddenly clamped a hand over his mouth.
'...Ugh, I can't breathe!'
[Run, boy! Pour your Jet-Black into the greatsword and keep firing!]
Simon nodded and turned the greatsword toward the sea, his body angled back toward the surface. Firing off short, sharp slashes in that position pushed him along, shoo shoo, through the water.
'I'm—at my limit!'
Between total physical exhaustion and oxygen deprivation, his sanity was seconds from evaporating. He bit his lip until it bled, forcing himself to hold on.
Somehow he made it within sight of the ship. One stroke remained between him and the hull.
Clack! Clack!
A hollow, wheezing sound came from the tip of the greatsword. His Jet-Black was completely spent.
Just as Simon's mind, having pushed past its limits again and again, finally began to crumble—
With a splash, he saw Shun swimming toward him through the water.
'Shun...!'
Simon and Shun reached their arms out toward each other.
This time, they didn't miss. Their hands locked around each other in a firm grip—and at that moment, Simon's consciousness gave out.
Splaaaash!
"Pwah! Agh—hah!"
Shun and the unconscious Simon broke through the surface of the violently churning sea.
"Grab this!"
Erzsébet hurled down a rope woven from spider silk.
The moment Shun caught the end of it, the Ancient Undead's monstrous strength hauled both of them up onto the deck in a single pull.
"Hck—hck! Heugh! Hoo!"
On the deck, Shun retched up mouthful after mouthful of seawater.
"My lord! What about Master?"
"He's fine! He simply ran out of strength and passed out."
The two of them immediately set about giving Simon emergency treatment.
But the pirate ship was no longer safe either. The hole punched through her hull was dragging her under, little by little.
-Kririri!
Just then, a corpse spider appeared and signaled to Erzsébet.
"A—a spider?"
"Do not be alarmed, my lord. It is one of ours."
At her gesture, five corpse spiders came scuttling up, straining under the weight of a small but perfectly sound wooden boat.
"There was an emergency escape skiff aboard. You may take this to Blue Harbor."
Shun threw both arms into the air.
"Nice work, spiders!"
-Kriririri!
The spiders raised their forelegs and high-fived one another as best they could. Erzsébet stroked the skull of Pier, who had been severed from Simon's mana.
"Pier, you've done well too."
[Kheheh! My whole body is throbbing!]
"Once we draw the saltwater out of you on land, you'll be feeling much better. Now—come along, let's get you moved!"
"..."
How long had he been out?
Simon's consciousness finally returned, and he opened his eyes. After staring blankly at the ceiling for a while, he shot upright.
'Ugh.'
A wave of aching soreness rolled through his whole body. Bandages were wrapped around him everywhere.
"Master! You're awake!"
Erzsébet, the first to notice him stirring, came dashing over. Then she seized his shoulders and shook them back and forth.
"Do you recognize who I am?"
"Ah—dizzy, Erze..."
"What a relief!"
The maids around the room all leapt to their feet as well.
"Lord Simon!"
"Count Shun! Lord Simon is awake!"
"Wait, really? Simon, big bro!!"
Shun crossed the room in a single stride and wrapped Simon in a crushing hug. He'd been dozing off in a chair all this while, waiting for Simon to wake.
Simon took a moment to sort through his memories, then broke into a small smile and placed a hand on Shun's head.
"So you were the one who saved me, huh, Shun?"
"No way! You saved me!"
This was the Oldwon Count's estate. Simon heard the full story from Shun.
Today was the fifth and final day of the Mission Period. A day had passed since the pirates' attack.
The pirate remnants, having lost Captain Gale, had been completely suppressed by Blue Harbor's navy, whose forces had rallied in the meantime. It had helped enormously that an entire ship's worth of crew had been worn down fighting Finch thanks to Erzsébet's scheming.
Once the battle ended, Simon had been carried straight to the estate for treatment, and Pier had come through without any real damage.
Though Blue Harbor's main town had burned under the pirates' bombardment, the fires had been contained and reconstruction had already begun. With the Oldwon family's resources, Shun added, it wouldn't take long for the town to look like its old self again.
And Shun had resolved to reopen the investigation into his mother's death. Several elders of the Oldwon household were suspected of being involved in the affair—apparently, they had wanted Shun's father, the eldest son at the time, to enter into an arranged marriage with a new noble heiress.
Excising the rot from the family would take considerable time, but Shun's resolve was absolute.
When the whole explanation was done, Simon let out a long sigh.
"Thank goodness it all wrapped up safely. We didn't even go over the Mission Period."
"Yep! In fact, a Henchman came from Kizen looking for you."
A man in black, who had been standing against the wall with the barest pretense of not being there, gave a respectful bow. Simon returned the greeting and asked,
"When do I need to head back to the Academy?"
"There is no need to hurry, Student Simon. Simply tell me by the end of the day whenever you wish to return, and I will arrange a teleport to match that time."
"Thank you."
Perhaps out of consideration for Simon's rest, Shun, the maids, and the Henchman all filed out of the room. Only Erzsébet, his close aide, remained, peeling fruit at his side.
Simon looked her up and down for a moment.
"By the way, Erze—why are you dressed like that?"
The maid-uniformed Erzsébet turned toward him with a sly grin.
"Well, since I kept calling you 'my lord' this and 'Master' that, the maids of the estate took me for a colleague in the same trade and lent me a uniform. Does it suit me?"
She took hold of her apron strings and gave a twirl. Simon let out a quiet laugh.
"Let's rest for exactly two more hours, then head back to Kizen."
"What? Wouldn't it be better to rest a little longer?"
"There's a mountain of work waiting for me. I have to write the report for Kizen and prep for tomorrow's classes. Besides, squatting in this estate any longer would just be a burden on everyone working here."
"If that is the Legion Commander's will, so be it. I shall inform the head butler."
And so Simon finished his breakfast-cum-lunch with a bowl of porridge, and once his strength had returned, he changed into his freshly laundered Kizen uniform and stepped out of the estate under the butler's guidance.
"Lord Simon! Take care out there!"
"I'll never forget you~!"
"If you ever get kicked out of that school, come find your big sis! You hear?"
The maids had all poured out of the estate regardless of duty or work, waving handkerchiefs and bidding Simon farewell.
Simon bowed politely to each of the people who had looked after him these past days.
Shun, waiting by the carriage, snickered.
"Simon, bro, you're pretty popular with the maids, huh?"
"...Honestly, I have no idea why."
"Oh my, sitting next to a beauty like this and looking elsewhere?"
Erzsébet ostentatiously looped her arm through Simon's. From the direction of the estate came an uproar of protests demanding she let go. Erzsébet stuck out her tongue and stirred the pot further.
"Quit teasing them and let's go."
"Yes, my lord!"
Shun climbed into the carriage, and Simon and Erzsébet followed. The driver gave the reins a snap, and the wheels began to roll.
"Where's the Henchman from Kizen?"
"He's setting up the teleport or whatever at the meeting spot. But hey, bro."
"Hm?"
Shun snickered.
"It's not over yet."
The moment the carriage rolled out of the estate's front gate, Simon's eyes went round. The townsfolk who had gathered in front of the estate erupted into applause and thunderous cheers.
"Safe travels, Kizen student!"
"Thank ye for saving Blue Harbor!"
"You come by our shop next time, y'hear!"
Ahead of them stood the townsfolk who had fought alongside him in their Bone Armour.
"I'll never forget fighting beside you!"
"Farewell!"
Simon felt his chest tighten. He leaned out the carriage window and waved to the crowd with his own hand.
"Be strong, son of Blue Harbor, Simon Polentia!"
Ah, that one's a bit much.
The people of Leshill would be heartbroken to hear it.
"Ufufu, why is your public approval so high? What exactly have you been up to behind my back?"
"...Nothing, I just fought the way you told me to."
The carriage, having passed the estate and town and pressed hard along the road, gradually rolled to a stop.
A deeply familiar place—the Undead Exhibition Hall where Simon had been working all this while.
"Why are we here?"
"There's something I need to grab real quick."
Shun hopped down, and Simon and Erzsébet followed. The guards posted at the entrance stepped aside to let them through.
Along the way, one of the guards left a blessing on Simon, thanking him for protecting Blue Harbor. Simon answered with a warm smile.
"You're coming in too, just to pick something up?"
"I'm still your bodyguard until today, aren't I?"
"Right. I forgot!"
Shun snickered and bounded up the stairs ahead of them.
"It took a little while to get permission."
At the top of the stairs, the head butler and the household staff bowed in unison. The head butler was carrying a large box in his hands.
"What's that?"
"What do you think? Your mission reward."
Simon accepted the box and carefully lifted the lid. Inside gleamed a thousand shining gold coins.
'Ah...!'
When he'd merely been told it was 1,000 gold, the number hadn't quite landed—but seeing the contents with his own eyes made him realize, at last, just how substantial a sum it was.
Simon spoke, moved.
"...Thank you so mu— I mean, thank you very much, my lord."
"Ahaha! Where'd that sudden formality come from?"
Shun laughed loudly and gestured to the butlers, who sprang into brisk motion.
"And by the way, bro. Did you forget something?"
"Hm?"
"I told you yesterday—if you protected this island and its people, I'd pay an additional commission fee."
At those words, Simon scratched the side of his head, at a loss.
"No, really, there's no need to go that far..."
"Bring it out."
At Shun's command, the butlers yanked a cloth away in one smooth motion. Inside a large tank floated a soft-bodied creature in the shape of a skeleton.
"The next-generation undead worth ten thousand gold—the Overlord."
Shun drew a deep breath—whew—and continued.
"From this moment on, it's yours, Simon. I hope you'll accept it."
"...?!!"
Simon's jaw dropped open under a tsunami of shock.
The Skeleton Horse, or a skeleton forged from demon bones—those had always been on Simon's bucket list. But an Overlord worth over ten thousand gold? He hadn't even dared to dream of owning one.
"Sh-Shun! This is too much..."
Shun grinned and rubbed his nose.
"Seeing your reaction makes me think I gave it away too cheap! You will accept the sincerity of me, the Oldwon family, and the people of Blue Harbor, won't you?"
"..."
Shun had sealed off every avenue of refusal and demanded an answer outright. Tens of thousands of emotions crossed Simon's face as he stood there dazed—then, before long, he gave a small nod.
As if they'd been waiting for exactly that, the butlers and Erzsébet burst into applause, offering their congratulations. And then—
[@$*Le$@&%&gion$!!!]
He couldn't make out a word of it, but it sounded, roughly, like Pier was overjoyed beyond measure.