208. The Price of Greed
208. The Price of Greed
On my way out of Mikel's office, I grabbed some useful scrolls and Artifacts.
In the process, Mikel wept tears of blood over one particular Artifact, insisting I couldn't take it, but I coaxed and soothed her by saying I was just borrowing it between friends, and finally managed to snatch—no, receive it and leave.
If she had this stuff, she should've given it to me sooner. The fact that I had to raise my fist before she'd hand it over is a little irritating.
"Hngyaaak... hnngh..."
Having thought too much, I stretched my stiff head and body as far as I could and looked around.
Even at 3 a.m., the streets of the Holy Capital were still bustling.
Dazzling signs. Residents chatting peacefully as they headed home. Merchants who kept hawking their wares even in the late night.
The stench of Nuclexirol still wafting through the air.
Mingling into those streets, I moved my feet.
As I did, the Grand Temples Boker and Laila in the distance drew closer. But Shamaim, standing firm at the center of them, somehow showed no sign of getting any nearer.
Was it so enormous that I couldn't gauge the distance?
Or was it that I had no right to set foot in the Sanctum?
I couldn't tell, but I kept walking.
Then I stopped for a moment.
I'd told Mikel I was going to see the Patriarch.
Originally I'd intended to go right away, but a new destination had just come up.
And well, the Patriarch's condition wasn't all that urgent—even if I didn't go myself, I could have Pina send a spirit.
I could wait for Leona, who'd arrive in four days, and then storm the Patriarch's house.
So right now... it was time to harvest the greatest reason I'd come here, the fruit of seven years of waiting and fury.
I rummaged through my clothes and pulled out the crystal orb that kept vibrating.
-Eliarnes!
"Floral's awake?"
-Yeah. She just came outside and went looking for you first thing.
Crunch crunch—I could see Stella sprawled on the bed eating potato chips.
I frowned at the sight of her.
"Hey, I told you not to eat snacks on the bed."
-I'll clean it all up myself, okay? Hmph. And why would you care anyway when you never even come home?
"Home? Ha, you sound like a wife nagging her husband who's out fooling around. Hey, did I go out to have fun?"
-You don't even tell me properly, so how am I supposed to know if you went to play or went to work? Anyway, just hurry back. Floral keeps looking for you. I drew a fresh bath too. You're not going out again today, right?
"Yeah. I'll sleep today and get back to work tomorrow."
-What?! You're going out again tomorrow? Abandoning us?
"Yep. I'll be busy from daytime tomorrow."
Stella narrowed her eyes.
-Hmmm... Something's suspicious... Are you dating someone?
"Dating my ass. Stop talking nonsense. You hungry? Want me to buy you something to eat? What about Pina?"
-Oh! Then I want chicken!
-Hee! Heeheehee!
-Pina says she wants the honey almonds she had earlier.
"I'll buy them on the way, so wait. It'll take about 20 minutes, so clean the bed up properly."
-Okay. Come back carefully, slowly, quickly.
Crunch crunch—Stella, scattering potato chip crumbs all over the bed, waved her hand.
I vowed to give her a very spicy knuckle sandwich when I got back, then ended the call.
*****
"Chicken's here!!"
"Heeheehee!"
"Honey almonds!!"
Stella came dashing over, Pina came trotting along, and Sparkle, who now had a complete body unlike before, came fluttering over.
"You brats don't welcome me, only the food?"
"You went out to meet some other woman! This late-night snack is what you bought to appease us!"
"Oh-ho? Look at this one talking. Hey, I went out to work, not to play... no, wait. How did you know I met a woman?"
"Huh...? You really did meet a woman?"
Stella blinked and gaped blankly.
Sparkle also looked at me with a shocked face. Pina beside her just wanted honey almonds.
"...Hmm, well, better than meeting a man?"
"Good heavens, Ro—no, Eliarnes. You really met a woman? At this hour of the night? Here, in the Holy Kingdom... when there's someone waiting just for you, how could you...!"
"You two do know I'm a woman, right?"
Stella wore an expression that was somehow relieved yet strangely uneasy, and Sparkle climbed onto my head and smacked my forehead—slap slap.
"Isn't it? Isn't it? Women are more dangerous... hmm?"
"Shameless! You! Scoundrel! Womanizer! Bastard!"
"Ha, these brats are shitting out of their mouths."
"Gyaaah!!"
"Eek! It's bursting! Bursting, bursting!!"
I delivered a very, very spicy knuckle sandwich to the crown of Stella's head and squeezed Sparkle, who was perched on top of my head, with one hand.
[Would you like to bathe first? We'll set up the food!]
I stroked Pina's head—she'd said something quite admirable for someone who couldn't take her eyes off the honey almonds.
"Pina, you really are the sweetest."
"Hee...!"
I rubbed her fluttering ears, which seemed pleased, and took off my cloak.
"Let's eat first. I also need to tell you about tomorrow's work."
"Ughhh... I think my head burst... But what? There's work tomorrow? Us too?"
I nodded and placed the food I'd bought on the table one by one. And next to the food, I set down the scrolls and Artifacts I'd extorted—no, received—from Mikel.
"Hm? What's this... Oh? It's a body-transformation scroll? And what's this Artifact?"
Tap tap—Stella tapped the Artifact and examined it from every angle, then snapped her head up.
"Good heavens... th-this... th-this expensive thing, where did you get it?!"
"Huh... you recognized it pretty well?"
"Heh. A genius naturally... no, no, no. I asked where you got such an expensive thing! This Artifact costs more than a whole commercial building!"
Indeed.
Mikel had said, trembling, "Th-this Artifact cost half a year's budget for the fourth squad."
"I borrowed it from a friend."
"...A friend? Borrowed? This...? Rather than lend this to you, it'd probably be cheaper to cosign a loan for you..."
"What is this thing, anyway?"
"Hee?"
Stella's expression twisted oddly, but I paid no mind and explained to Pina and Sparkle.
"This is a location-sharing Artifact, and this is an Artifact that creates illusions."
Blink blink—Pina and Sparkle blinked as if they didn't understand.
"Don't overthink it. This one makes the blue Artifact's location show up on the red Artifact, and this one lets you create and control a doll that looks exactly like you."
And on top of that, the body-transformation scroll.
"Now, use this scroll to change your appearances. Then use the illusion Artifact to create an illusion identical to that appearance, attach this location-transmission Artifact to it, and send the illusion outside."
Nod nod—Pina nodded, and Stella already wore a horrified expression, as if she'd understood the rest of it.
I snatched up Sparkle, who'd been stealing honey almonds behind the two girls, and continued my explanation.
"Controlling the illusion is simple too. If you hold this crystal orb and channel Mana into it, the illusion's vision is shared with you. Once it's shared, you can move it just by thinking, like moving your own body, or so they say. Anyway, it's easy to adapt to and convenient. Also... what else was there? Oh, right. The illusion lasts 12 hours, and to reuse it, you have to wait 3 days, assuming you keep charging it with Mana."
"Then... since we have to retrieve the location-transmission Artifact, we should send it home with at least 2 hours to spare?"
The word "home" was a little trivial and cute, but I nodded.
"Right."
"What about tracking? If it gets discovered as an illusion, isn't there a chance we could be traced back?"
"The only thing your own Mana goes directly into is the control crystal orb. The illusion itself is created using pre-charged Mana, so even if it gets caught at first, it's fine."
"...Pre-charged Mana... Who is this person that it's fine even if it gets caught? You said they're a friend."
"Anyway, it's fine. Still, it'd be best to avoid getting caught as much as possible. There's always a chance of something unexpected."
"Well... obviously."
Stella raised various other questions, found the answers herself, understood on her own, and nodded.
"It's really fortunate that Miss Sara didn't go herself. With this, we can move around much more easily."
"Well... yeah."
Sara had already departed. But since I'd hidden that from Stella and Pina, I nodded calmly.
Even so, I clicked my tongue in regret.
If only I'd met Mikel a little sooner—no, if only I'd just passed my communication crystal orb to Sara. Then I wouldn't have had to take the risk.
But it was already in the past...
I clicked my tongue quietly, handed a chicken leg to Stella and the honey almonds to Pina, and continued.
"Anyway, tomorrow all you have to do is control these illusions from inside this room. Just in case, I'll use all the defensive scrolls on the way out and make it safe, so don't worry."
"Then... whose illusions are we supposed to create and control?"
"Ah, I'll bring that tomorrow."
"...Bring? Bring what?"
"Just eat first. I'll tell you the rest tomorrow morning."
I poured drinks for each of them and smiled softly, leaving behind the girls eating away in bliss—nom nom nom.
Since Sparkle had opened her eyes, tomorrow was going to be busy.
I'd wake up early in the morning, pick out a gift, examine the map with Sparkle to find the path I'd made 400 years ago, and then set out once night fell.
"Eliarnes! You eat a drumstick too."
"Give that one to Pina. I'll only eat the breast."
"Huh? Heh, what? Eating breast meat doesn't make your breasts grow, you know?"
"You little bitch?"
"Hngyaaak!!"
I flicked Stella on the forehead and giggled—hehehe.
Was this laughter because Stella's reaction was funny?
Was it because this moment was peaceful?
Or was it because I was looking forward to tomorrow?
I wasn't sure, but I laughed.
I laughed and raised my head.
Through the window, I could see the two Grand Temples flanking Shamaim.
Boker and Laila.
Among them, the Grand Temple where the Saintess had stayed.
Laila, marked with the moon—Luna.
Beneath that Grand Temple, she was there.
Tomorrow.
I'm going to see Luna.