Chapter 181: Was It You? (1)
Chapter 181: Was It You? (1)
To put it simply…
Patrick was officially recognized as having passed the trial set by the Sages of the Tower of Truth.
The original goal of the trial was for Patrick to endure the Living Calamity for a set amount of time, but Patrick had gone far beyond that.
Against that very Living Calamity, no less…
“Did he win? Did he actually win?”
“How? How did he win?”
“Explain the details of the battle to us. Quickly!”
The eyes of the Seven Sages sparkled, filled with intense curiosity and longing.
And Patrick…
“Ugh… well, you see… my memory is a bit fuzzy, so…”
He was currently testing the patience of the Seven Sages.
“Think harder! Think!”
“I feel like I won… but then again, maybe I didn’t…”
“Hey, are you really going to be like this?”
“Just tell us and get it over with!”
“Speak! I said speak! Talk, you little brat!”
The Seven Sages pressed him, their expressions burning with frustration. However…
“Aigo, I just don’t know. I have to remember it to tell you, right?”
“Does that even make sense?!”
“Talk!”
“Hey, it’s not my fault I can’t remember, is it? Right?”
“You son of a—!”
“Aaaaah!”
Whether they were the Seven Sages or not, there was no cure for a madman.
Patrick chuckled as he spoke to the raving Sages.
“Aigo, I just can’t remember. I can’t…”
* * *
An alliance between the Schneider Territory and the Tower of Truth.
Normally, this would be unthinkable.
The Schneider Territory was a mere barony, not a sovereign nation; it shouldn't have the diplomatic authority to form alliances with external powers.
Normally, that is.
[Aigo-ho-ho! How sorrowful! Of all people, His Majesty the King broke his promise!]
There was a reason Patrick had rolled around on the floor of the Royal Hall, throwing a massive tantrum.
Hehe, this is why a person should choose practical gain over dignity.
He had a plan from the moment he lay down in front of the King to squeeze out diplomatic authority.
Thanks to that, the Schneider Territory could now sign independent diplomatic treaties with external powers without needing the kingdom’s permission.
In truth, the King probably hadn't thought much of it.
What use is diplomatic power to the Schneider Territory, tucked away in the remote eastern corner of the continent?
He likely granted it with that thought in mind.
If he had truly expected Patrick to succeed in signing an independent treaty with another major power, he never would have allowed it.
Regardless, time cannot be turned back, and Patrick had successfully signed an alliance treaty with the Tower of Truth.
Of course, they had to agree on the finer details.
One of the Seven Sages, who had been checking the treaty until his eyes were bloodshot, spoke up.
“Wait, item twenty-three here is strange.”
“Why? What now?”
Patrick looked at him as if he were picking a fight for no reason, but the Sage glared back and didn't back down.
“Here! ‘The Schneider Territory shall have priority handling of all byproducts obtained from the exploration of the Great Forest.’ Isn't this unfair?”
“What? It’s coming out of our land, so we keep it. What? What? What?”
“Who knows what’s in there?! To put it bluntly, if a legacy of the Roman Empire turns up, do you people even know what it is or how to handle it?”
“Whatever it is, if it’s precious, it’ll sell for a high price.”
“You ignorant swordsman!”
It had been three long days.
For three days, Patrick had been bickering and haggling over the treaty terms with the Seven Sages.
His companions, who had initially sat in to offer a word or two, had now completely backed off and were just watching.
“He really is something else.”
“Looking at that, he should have been born as my family’s son. If he’d become a merchant, he would’ve swept up all the money in the world.”
“Our Young Master excels at whatever he does,” April said.
Matthew and Isabella sighed at her words.
The frustrating part was that she wasn't wrong.
He possessed such insane talent for the sword, yet he wasn't backing down a single inch in negotiations against the Seven Sages.
It was certainly impressive.
“Seriously, you old geezers have so much money, why are you being so stingy?”
“What? You little brat!”
“Is money the issue? Is money the problem here?!”
“Forget it all!”
It was impressive, all right.
Probably…
Isabella sighed and said, “Patrick is one thing, but the Seven Sages are quite something too.”
“I suppose you have to be that tenacious to lead such a massive organization,” Matthew agreed, nodding.
Just then, a third party joined their conversation.
“That is a misunderstanding.”
The person who cut in while pushing up his glasses was Riman Sierra.
He, too, had been in the conference room for some time, keeping his seat.
Riman shook his head as he watched Patrick and the Seven Sages shouting at each other.
“I have lived my entire life in the Tower of Truth, but I have never seen the Seven Sages act like that.”
“They aren't usually like that?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Then why are they doing that?”
At Matthew’s question, Riman pushed up his glasses again.
“It cannot be helped. Given who their opponent is…”
“Ah…”
“I understand.”
Of course, the Seven Sages had initially responded to Patrick with smiles, making concessions and negotiating gently.
But as time passed, they realized.
Their opponent was Patrick Schneider.
If they kept smiling and playing nice, they might be stripped of everything but their underwear.
Eventually, they began to fight back, and the result was…
“You lunatic! Free support of artifacts? Does that even make sense?!”
“Why? Why? What’s the point of letting them rot in a warehouse? A tool is only a tool if it’s used.”
“And if they break?!”
“That’s just their luck!”
“Where is your conscience?!”
This was the current state of affairs.
The negotiations continued, filled with raised voices and insults. And a week later…
Thud!
The door opened.
Actually, it practically flew off its hinges.
Having finally concluded the long negotiations, Patrick stepped out of the room.
Patrick walked out with a satisfied smile, looking like a well-fed cat.
“That was a rewarding time.”
“……”
“The morning sunlight is truly dazzling.”
“That’s the sunset.”
“Ah, is it? Well, whatever. I squeezed a ton out of them. Ehehehehe.”
Watching Patrick cackle, Matthew glanced at the Seven Sages behind the door.
Seeing what the leaders of one of the Three Great Powers—the wisest men on the continent—were doing…
Hmm, just as expected.
They all had their heads slammed onto the table, muttering something under their breath.
They were definitely cursing.
My father is the same, but once you get caught by this guy, there’s no mercy.
Even the leader of the Elvador Merchant Group, a great merchant who covered the entire Eastern Region, would look drained after negotiating with Patrick.
“So, is everything settled now?”
“Mhm, you could say that. At least here.”
At Patrick’s words, Matthew sighed.
“Where are you going now? Where else?”
Wasn't this enough trouble for one trip?
Was this guy born just to cause trouble?
“He’s definitely a demon dispatched from the Demon World to plunge this world into destruction and chaos.”
“Friend, you should keep those thoughts to yourself. I can hear everything.”
“I’m saying it so you can hear it!”
Patrick grumbled at Matthew’s outburst.
“Tsk, tsk, look at that ruined personality. He used to be such a kind, if timid, boy. How did he end up like this?”
“……”
The serious problem was that Matthew truly didn't know how he had ended up like this.
Patrick spoke to Matthew, who was now banging his head against a nearby pillar.
“Anyway, don’t worry. We aren't going there to fight next time.”
“…Really?”
At Matthew’s suspicious gaze, Patrick thumped his chest confidently.
“Yeah. We’re going because we were invited, so there won’t be any reason to fight.”
That was a relief.
Matthew let out a sigh of relief and asked, “Where are we going?”
“Evergreen.”
“…Sorry, I didn't hear you right. Where?”
“Evergreen.”
“…That elven home in the north?”
“Yep.”
“The Forbidden Area of humanity, where they say even the Emperor of the Empire would be shot dead if he entered without permission?”
“Yep.”
“You’re going there?”
“Yep.”
“Right. I see.”
Matthew turned around without hesitation.
“Sorry, I just remembered I left something at home…”
As Matthew tried to walk away, Patrick grabbed him firmly.
“Whoa, where do you think you’re going?”
“Let go! You lunatic! I’m going home!”
“Hey, don’t be so disloyal… A true friend follows his buddy to the ends of the earth, to hell, and to Evergreen.”
“What exactly does ‘friend’ mean to you?!”
Hearing Matthew’s struggling cries, Isabella and April approached.
“What’s going on?”
“Senior, this madman says he’s going to Evergreen.”
“Right. I see.”
“……”
Huh? This wasn't the reaction he expected.
Matthew spoke again.
“Senior. I said Evergreen. You know what happens when humans go there, right?”
“He’ll be fine.”
“Pardon?”
Unlike Matthew, Isabella was calm.
She knew what had happened when Patrick made contact with the elves back in Arcana.
At that time, the elves had treated Patrick with the utmost respect and pleaded with him to visit Evergreen at least once.
Recalling the image of Patrick grinning foolishly while drinking elven liquor poured by a beautiful elven woman…
It makes me mad.
She felt a sudden surge of irritation.
However, she maintained a calm expression and said, “He’s going because he was formally invited by the elves, so it should be fine.”
“Ah, ahh… Well, if that’s the case.”
Just as Matthew seemed convinced, Patrick’s expression turned sour.
“I told you, didn't I? I’m going because I was formally invited.”
“How can I trust your word?”
“Wow, you don’t trust me? You don’t trust Patrick Schneider, the symbol of reliability and faith?”
“More like the symbol of chaos and ruin.”
“Mhm, mhm…”
“Logically, I agree.”
At Matthew’s words, Isabella and Riman Sierra, who was standing beside her, nodded… Wait.
“Hey, why are you still here?”
Patrick asked, noticing Riman naturally standing with them.
“By order of the Seven Sages, I will be accompanying you from now on.”
“Huh? You? Why?”
“It is an order from the Seven Sages. To stay by your side and…”
Riman Sierra, choosing his words carefully for a moment, pushed up his glasses.
“They told me to watch over you.”
“Is it surveillance?”
“They said to watch over you.”
“Those rotten old geezers.”
The Seven Sages had also realized.
They realized how dangerous it was to leave Patrick Schneider unsupervised.
Therefore, they had to attach someone capable of monitoring him, and that person was Riman Sierra.
If they attached just anyone, they wouldn't be able to control him, let alone monitor him properly.
Thus, Riman Sierra was the carefully selected choice.
He was highly capable and already acquainted with Patrick.
“Hmm…”
Patrick stared intently at Riman.
Didn't they say this guy is one of the most promising magic swordsmen?
In Arcana, along with Garcia of the Empire and Antorius of the Holy Kingdom, Riman Sierra had been considered a strong candidate for victory.
A powerhouse who handled five soul weapons and had reached the 5-Star realm in pure swordsmanship.
Perhaps in the future, he might even receive the title of Guardian.
A Guardian of the Tower of Truth held a position equivalent to a Paladin of the Holy Kingdom.
Attaching such a talent to Patrick was proof that the Tower of Truth considered Patrick extremely important, yet simultaneously an extremely, extremely, extremely dangerous individual.
As Patrick seemed to be contemplating, Riman spoke to persuade him.
“There are several advantages to traveling with me.”
“Like what?”
“First, the Caesar Kingdom will not be able to bother you.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Although it is said that the misunderstanding between you and the Caesar Kingdom has been cleared, resentment likely remains.”
“Misunderstanding, my foot… those losers who got thrashed are probably just fuming with spite.”
Ah, he knows.
Riman nodded and said, “Logically speaking, there is a high probability that the Caesar Kingdom will not give up on seeking revenge against you. What would happen then?”
“Those bastards would all die.”
“……”
“What? Why?”
“Ahem, wouldn't unnecessary battles be a nuisance?”
“Well, maybe a lit-tle bit?”
“In any case, it is true that it would be troublesome.”
Patrick nodded with an expression that said, Fine, let’s go with that.
Riman spoke as if he had been waiting for this.
“If you travel with me, the Caesar Kingdom will never dare to try any clumsy tricks.”
“I see.”
Patrick thought about it.
To get from here to Evergreen, the elven territory, they had no choice but to pass through the territory of the Caesar Kingdom.
I could just smash, blast, crush, and devastate everything if necessary, leaving behind a hellish landscape that would be talked about for a thousand years… but…
Are you even human?
“Well, if we can pass through peacefully, I guess that’s for the best.”
“I am glad you understand.”
Riman let out a sigh of relief.
Having received orders from the Seven Sages, he was in a position where he had to follow Patrick no matter what.
To put it bluntly, even if Patrick refused, he would have had to follow him secretly.
“Then, do I have your permission to accompany you?”
“Sure. Let’s go together.”
“Thank you. I was worried about what I would do if you refused.”
“Hahaha. What are you talking about? Of course, you’re more than welcome to join us. We’re comrades who fought together in the Arcana finals, aren't we?”
“It was the semi-finals.”
“Ah, was it? Well, that’s not important, so let’s move on.”
“……”
“Anyway, I’m counting on you. Friend.”
Patrick smiled brightly and put his arm around Riman’s shoulder.
At this moment, Riman did not know.
He did not know what it truly meant to become friends and travel with Patrick Schneider.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk.”
Matthew, who knew exactly what it meant, could only click his tongue as he looked at Riman with pity.