Chapter 140
Chapter 140
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 140
>Chapter Title: The Fish That Emerged onto Land
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First, I calmed down Shine, who was throwing a fit, and calmly reviewed the current situation.
“No doubt about it, right? There’s something I absolutely have to tell you next time we meet. If it’s not...”
“Yeah, sure. All four of them are mine. Damn. Right? So just cut it out already.”
Damn...
It was my fault for forgetting, but thinking back, I had plenty of my own gripes from my perspective.
Honestly, the Infinite Chain wasn’t even in my hands yet, and there were all sorts of things demanding my attention.
Anyway, back to the Infinite Chain matter.
I shoved the rabid dog Shine into a corner of the room and continued my train of thought.
‘For now, the Young Patriarch has bitten the bait...’
The fact that he’d bitten it didn’t mean I could relax just yet.
That’s fishing for you.
Does it end when the fish bites the bait? No.
Sometimes sly fish pluck out just the bait and swim off, and big ones snap the line clean through.
Of course, I wasn’t saying the Young Patriarch was sly.
If anything...
‘...he’s on the bigger size end.’
What worried me was the Young Patriarch snapping the line and swimming off.
No, “swimming off” wasn’t quite the right expression.
That implied the Young Patriarch deliberately bolting, but he didn’t strike me as someone that lacking in honor.
Still.
“...it just feels off.”
“What do you mean?”
I looked up at Parun’s voice.
He’d stepped out of the room briefly and returned with coffee in both hands. I naturally reached out to take one.
Or tried to.
“That’s not for you.”
With that, Parun downed the cold coffee in one gulp.
“...”
He plopped down on the bed beside me, clutching the remaining cup. Watching him, my faith in humanity cooled a bit.
At least it was some comfort that he hadn’t bought just for himself? Whatever.
“So, what’s got you uneasy? Didn’t things go according to plan?”
I sheepishly pulled back my hand at Parun’s question and nodded.
“For now.”
Of course, “according to plan” wasn’t entirely accurate.
From arriving in Lortel to now.
Not once had things gone exactly as I’d planned.
The sudden encounter with the Third Sword, and the utter freeloader turning out to be Lortel’s Young Patriarch?!
Every moment had been a shock!
But.
‘Looking just at the results, it’s as planned.’
I’d proposed the deal to the Young Patriarch, after all.
And he’d reacted positively.
So what was the problem?
“The Young Patriarch bit the bait, right? The hook’s firmly in his jaw.”
“And?”
Pondering the situation carefully, there was one thing. One part I hadn’t accounted for.
“But the line could snap.”
“The line snaps? You mean the Young Patriarch backs out of the deal? Doesn’t seem like him.”
“Why not?”
Parun took a sip of his coffee at my question and replied without hesitation.
“Didn’t seem like someone without honor.”
“...Honor?”
I tilted my head at the un-Parun-like answer, and he chuckled.
“Kidding. Honor’s as illusory as it gets. But from the Young Patriarch’s position, no reason to make more enemies.”
Oh, a joke?
Not funny at all.
That said, aside from the dry humor, Parun had a point.
“Yeah, no need to make enemies. He wouldn’t want to pick fights with secret groups like the Magic Tower or Sword Court.”
Magic Tower and Sword Court. They started as ad-hoc fabrications, but as the conversation flowed, they gained unintended credibility.
From the Young Patriarch or Third Sword’s view, probably...
‘Magic Armor Kalium.’
An artifact not revealed to the world.
And ‘the background to the Empire Family’s fall.’
Decullan’s misdeeds.
They’d appear as a group with vast information on these two matters.
They wouldn’t believe it 100%, but they’d keep the possibility in mind: ‘If the Magic Tower and Sword Court really exist...’
In other words, I’d unintentionally threatened them both.
- Oh, not keeping your promise? Then we won’t sit idly by.
Even for Lortel’s Young Patriarch, clashing with such secret groups would be tricky.
But.
“That’s... exactly the problem.”
“What do you mean?”
Here’s the thing.
“Let’s set aside the Young Patriarch, blinded by Decullan. The Third Sword will follow his judgment, so the Magic Tower or Sword Court might not matter much.”
Up to here, our big-fish Young Patriarch wouldn’t snap the line.
But there was something I hadn’t considered.
Our Young Patriarch could just eat the bait dangling from the line, regardless of Magic Tower or Sword Court.
Decullan was his goal anyway.
But.
‘...this Lortel pond isn’t home to just the Young Patriarch.’
In this pond lived a fish far bigger than the Young Patriarch.
No, not a fish.
The pond’s ruler.
“...I wonder how Lortel’s Patriarch sees this situation?”
“Lortel’s Patriarch?”
“Yeah, think about it. One day his son drags in something huge. Magic Armor Kalium! The background to the Empire Family’s fall! How would the Patriarch feel? Overjoyed?”
“That’s... hmm.”
Parun couldn’t answer easily.
“Tough question. But... he’d be curious about the source.”
“Right? And the source is unheard-of secret groups like the Magic Tower and Sword Court. What would you do?”
“If it were me...”
Parun pondered for a moment.
And soon spoke.
“More than Infinite Chain or the Empire Family background... I’d be curious about those two secret groups.”
Exactly.
In the Lortel pond.
The Young Patriarch is just a fish who stuffs his own belly.
But Lortel’s Patriarch owns the pond.
Beyond filling his belly, he must expand the pond and fatten its fish.
To such a Patriarch, the Magic Tower and Sword Court are intriguing for fattening the pond.
So, if I were the Patriarch...
‘I’d snap the line.’
Nullify the deal.
Then.
‘Step out of the pond and devour the fisherman holding the bait bucket, not just the bait.’
Oh, and by the way, the pond’s owner operates on both land and water.
It was just a fishing metaphor; neither the Young Patriarch nor Patriarch were actual fish.
“Get what’s worrying me?”
“...Things could go south at the negotiation table. And not just that...”
“The negotiation partner could change.”
Then it wouldn’t be negotiation anymore.
Depending on the Patriarch’s temperament...
‘...If it were me, I’d tear the fisherman apart and scatter him in the pond.’
Of course, worst-case scenario.
If the Patriarch steps in, the uncertain risk of ‘clashing with Magic Tower and Sword Court’ loses all deterrent power.
Rather... the greater the perceived risk, the more tempting the drool.
‘Places that smell dangerous always hold great rewards.’
That’s where my thoughts ended when.
“But isn’t this jumping the gun? Depends on how the Young Patriarch handles it.”
“Yeah. But...”
I trailed off, and Parun spoke.
“Magic Tower, Sword Court. I get that unforeseen variables cropped up. If things had gone to plan, no need for fictional groups.”
“Right.”
If to plan, we’d just be rats who stole Decullan’s eggs, not secret groups.
Not very appetizing to the pond’s owner.
Impressive info, but... just small fry worth watching.
“But risks from unforeseen variables aren’t guaranteed to happen. And even if they do, what can we do?”
“Nothing... Yeah, you’re right.”
Risks from variables don’t mean they’ll definitely occur.
Meaning, the lurking pond owner might ignore us.
But why?
A sudden ominous possibility.
It itched at my mind, lingering.
...And two days later.
Deep in the night.
I realized this unease wasn’t just a possibility.
Knock knock.
“...Looks like I found the right place.”
Had he sent people to track us?
Even though our promised meeting was a day away, the Third Sword had come to the inn himself.
The large robe suggested secretive business.
Well, our meetings were secretive anyway, but this didn’t seem just about the ‘Infinite Chain.’
Puzzled, I eyed the Third Sword.
Soon, he spoke.
“Someone wishes to see you.”
That’s when I realized.
‘...Damn.’
The line snapped.
The pond’s master had come ashore.
* * *
For now, we geared up lightly and followed the Third Sword.
“The one who wishes to see us is...”
“...Yes, the Patriarch.”
I swallowed a faint sigh at the Third Sword’s reply.
‘Why is my bad feeling always spot on?’
But the disappointment was brief.
I decided to think as positively as possible.
‘The pond’s master would tear us apart to fatten the pond... Huh? That’s just if it were me.’
Admitting now, I know I’m twisted.
Huh? Gather 100 hot-tempered guys, rank them—I’d easily make top five.
...That thought was brief too.
I let out a faint sigh.
‘...Yeah, right.’
Not even top five, probably not top 100.
Even full-throttle optimism, chances the Lortel Patriarch is nicer than me? Near zero.
No choice now but to learn the full story.
“Uh... why does Lortel’s sky-like Patriarch want to see us?”
“Hm, probably interested in your proposal.”
“What did the Young Patriarch say?”
“That’s... hmm.”
The Third Sword walking ahead trailed off. His steady stride suddenly hesitated.
He recovered quickly, but that brief pause fanned my anxiety.
The Third Sword spoke right after.
“...He reported exactly as it was.”
Yeah, right.
He’d definitely embellished every detail.
From the Young Patriarch’s view, this deal had to happen.
He’d want to crush whatever the Eight Elders were and land a blow on Decullan.
To do that, inflate the info source, turning Magic Tower and Sword Court into unparalleled mysterious powerhouses.
My gaze sharpened naturally.
The Third Sword spoke soon after.
“You seem to misunderstand... The Young Patriarch did his utmost to honor the agreement with you. That piqued the Patriarch’s interest. That’s all.”
Ah, I see.
Looks like the conversation between Patriarch and Young Patriarch flowed differently than I thought.
Less inflating us for credibility, more emphasizing the need to keep the promise.
But that didn’t make the situation hopeful.
Why?
‘...The Patriarch plans to swallow the bait whole and kick away the feet.’
One fact clear here.
Lortel’s Patriarch is a honorless scumbag!
So why call us, such a personality wreck?
‘Not good. Very not good.’
No matter how I thought, no good outcomes.
Following the Third Sword through winding alleys toward Lortel.
Halt.
The Third Sword stopped abruptly.
“...?”
“Wait a moment. Need to sort my thoughts.”
Just past this alley was Lortel manor, yet he halted suddenly.
He closed his eyes, deep in thought. At this timing, I had to decide too.
‘Three against one.’
Third Sword off guard.
Strike first... maybe escape now?
Infinite Chain gone, but dodge the Lortel Patriarch monster.
Avoid becoming fish food immediately.
Future Decullan or immediate Lortel Patriarch.
That was the choice.
I decided quickly.
‘Alright, decided.’
My choice...
But then the Third Sword turned.
He eyed us solemnly, resolve firm.
“The order to bring you was the Patriarch’s. But the Young Patriarch gave a separate order.”
“...?”
The nuance felt off.
Like the Young Patriarch ordered the opposite of the Patriarch.
And my hunch was spot on.
“The Young Patriarch commanded, with a message.”
The message?
The Third Sword relayed it.
“‘Go back.’”
And.
- I will definitely keep the promise.
Hearing that, I thought.
‘...Confirmed.’
Meeting the Patriarch, we’re definitely screwed.
No doubt.