Chapter 22: The Path of Trash (4)
Chapter 22: The Path of Trash (4)
At that same hour.
A heated discussion was taking place at the Adventurer’s Guild regarding the request posted by Fermaton.
"How many Gold is he offering for a single gem?"
"With this much, you could buy a house in the royal capital—no, even in the Imperial Capital..."
"Twelve of them would be enough to build a ten-story building and still have change left over. This is insane. What the hell are these gems anyway?"
Ruji had placed a massive bounty on gems!
Just what were these stones?
The gems, which Ruji had presumably drawn and described himself, each had distinct characteristics.
"Green, cubic, with grooves on the surface. White, pyramidal, with a smooth, rounded tip... Why is it so complicated? Every single one of these conditions is perverted."
"It’d be faster to just have a jeweler cut a stone like this. Why bother the Adventurer’s Guild instead of a jewelry shop? This is... you know, that."
"'Pretty Trash.'"
A silver-haired female fencer, Serica, spoke up cautiously.
"Oh, the Sword Maiden! Are you interested in this too?"
"...Everyone was making such a fuss about the Young Lord offering a massive bounty, so I just came to check it out."
"Hahaha! I see. Well, it makes sense. Even the Sword Maiden would be curious about the madness of a man putting a bounty the price of a house on 'Pretty Trash.' Ah, but it might be a bit much for you. I heard these have a very... dark purpose."
"A dark purpose?"
"Yeah. It’s like..."
The adventurers snickered and whispered in low voices.
"They say he’s going to use those gems to make jewelry, and then use that jewelry to make underwear that only covers the most private parts!"
"Sigh..."
"Oops. Did that make you uncomfortable? But these are the gems Ruji Fermaton is looking for. Look at that one, right there. That blue gem. It’s hemispherical with a groove that looks like it was pressed in by a thumb. Isn't it obvious what that's for? It’s a nipple cover. He’s going to cap a nipple with that gem. Pffft."
"Isn't that just your own disgusting imagination?"
"It’s not me; it’s because Ruji Fermaton is the one looking for them. You know it too, don't you? How he takes rookie adventurers and does all sorts of depraved things to them."
"......."
Serica frowned openly.
"You still have absolutely no consideration for women, I see."
"Haha! Are you offended? Did I strike a nerve? Oh boy, my apologies! If I made you uncomfortable, I sincerely apologize, Sword Maiden!"
"......Are you looking for a fight?"
"Whoa, now. I was far too rude to someone who can clear up to the 50th floor! Kahaha!"
Though she made her discomfort clear, the adventurers' lewd banter didn't stop for a second.
"Or what, are you trying to defend Fermaton? Or maybe you're interested in him? I heard he’s recruiting 'Miner Knights'... pfft! Knights to go hunt for those gems!"
"Miner Knights...?"
"Carrying pickaxes instead of swords to mine gems! Kahaha. It’s absurd. Imagine how ridiculous those knights must feel. Knowing the gems they risked their lives for are going to be used as anal beads! Kahahaha!"
Laughter erupted throughout the guild.
Malice toward Ruji Fermaton and lewd jokes about his inner circle.
The atmosphere was so thick with it that Serica couldn't do anything; it was hard to tell if this was an Adventurer’s Guild or a tavern filled with street thugs.
But it couldn't be helped.
This was the karma Ruji Fermaton had built, this was an Adventurer’s Guild, and they weren't exactly making things up out of thin air.
"Heh. For the sake of Lord Ruji’s gem dildo, I guess I’ll have to raid the Labyrinth again! Hey! Who’s coming with me to find the anal beads for the woman Lord Ruji’s gonna fuck next?!"
"I’m in! We split the pay fifty-fifty!!"
"Kahaha! Let’s go! Let’s collect some Pretty Trash to dump on Lord Ruji!!"
"......Tsk."
Serica picked up a flyer, moving away from the rowdy adventurers.
"Oh, what’s this?! Is the Sword Maiden going after the Pretty Trash too?! Or maybe...."
"Shut up."
"Hahaha! Even her insults are sexy!"
"......."
The flyer, which contained the same details as the request on the bulletin board, naturally listed Ruji Fermaton’s request. Serica took the flyer and walked straight out of the Adventurer’s Guild.
"If it were just Pretty Trash, he wouldn't have put up this much money. There’s definitely something more to this. Something..."
Grit.
"...No way. Could he really be searching for such incredible gems so openly? Surely not?"
Serica folded the flyer neatly and tucked it into her shirt.
"......For now, I should at least take a look."
Serica’s gaze turned toward the Fermaton Count’s Castle.
To be precise, the 'Old Castle.'
Clank.
Serica gripped the sword at her waist and began walking toward the entrance of the cursed castle—the Infinite Labyrinth.
* * *
"Young Lord. Is it really okay to just tell people about such important gems like that?"
"Of course not."
Mythstones were items of immeasurable value.
They were 'untradeable bound items' that could only be obtained a 'limited number of times per account.' Once used, the effect was 'permanently irreversible,' and since they were 'obtainable through the story,' they were 'strictly limited in quantity'—the ultimate 'Max Leveling' tickets.
In some ways, they were more precious than the 'Select Character Exchange Tickets' occasionally given out for 1st-anniversary events.
You could always pull a character through gacha with a low probability if you spent enough money, but Mythstones were items you couldn't get more of no matter how much you progressed the story.
And fortunately, I knew exactly what all those Mythstones looked like.
Even if I hadn't cared about the story, I had been dead serious about min-maxing character performance, so I knew their shapes—
'Actually, I don't really know.'
Not exactly.
I had just handed them over to Bernhard based on whatever popped into my head, matching the colors I vaguely remembered.
"Laura. About these Mythstones... I’ve only seen them in records. I’ve never actually seen one in person."
Since I’d only seen them as data of 0s and 1s and in game logs, it wasn't a lie.
"I don't even know if the records are right or if Mythstones actually exist. But if they do, they will be the key for me—for Fermaton—to stand tall against external threats. Others might think they’re just gems, but they are actually vessels for the power of a god."
"But you spread the information everywhere."
"Yeah. But the information was going to get out anyway. Eventually."
The Main Story.
The player’s story begins with the news that 'a Mythstone has been discovered somewhere.'
Whether it was found by chance or by someone else who knew about them besides me.
The story would progress regardless.
In that case, the right move was to strike first.
"For now, people won't realize they’re Mythstones. Because... the drawings I made aren't the actual shapes of the Mythstones; they’re just oddly shaped common gems. And if I act a certain way with them, people will never suspect they’re Mythstones."
"What kind of 'certain way'?"
"Hmm.... Like making necklaces, rings, bras, or panties out of them."
"...Excuse me?"
"If I make things like that and have you wear them, people will think, 'Ah, that trash Ruji is collecting gems just to do that!'"
"......."
It was merely a tactic to gain credibility.
And it seemed to have actually gained some traction among the people.
"It’s only the first day, but people are already asking me to look at the gems they have. I’ve been buying them at a bit of a premium, even if they aren't the ones I want."
"You bought them... even though they weren't what you wanted?"
"Yeah. I gave instructions to buy anything with a similar shape. That way, a real Mythstone might roll in, and the sellers won't suspect it’s anything special."
The theory was perfect.
"That’s why I’m looking for them. Items presumed to be Mythstones."
"Aren't you spending too much money? Even for a Fermaton."
"Laura. Do you know? No matter how high the price... sometimes, an item is worth whatever the seller asks."
That was the case with Mythstones.
"To others, they’re just peculiar gems."
If you don't know how to use them, they’re just pretty pebbles.
Since I was likely the only one in this world who knew how to use a Mythstone, it was worth tens of billions—no, even more—to me alone.
...Though it would be the same for anyone else who realized their true value.
"If one Mythstone is worth the entire Empire? Buying it for the price of a four-story building in the capital is a massive profit."
"...Where did you hear that they have that kind of value?"
"I told you, my ancestors told me."
"Really? Do you have... records or something?"
"Nope. It was on paper, but I burned it."
She tried to fish for more, but it was no use.
I trusted Laura, but she still seemed to have her guard up regarding these matters.
The Infinite Labyrinth.
God.
Laura was reacting quite sensitively to these two elements.
Perhaps the reason she had obediently come in a Bunny Girl outfit was because she saw the bounty I placed at the Adventurer’s Guild and thought, 'Is Ruji after the Mythstones?'
"......."
Well, it didn't matter if she approached me with an ulterior motive.
At the very least, our interests aligned, and I didn't expect any woman to approach 'Trash Ruji' with pure intentions in the first place.
In the end, as long as it was a win-win for both of us, it was fine.
—Haa, Oppa, I love your cock so much.... I feel like I’m going to die...♥
And if one day we moved beyond a win-win relationship and she became a woman who couldn't live without me....
"Laura. We have a problem."
"W-what kind of problem? Is the information about the gems on the flyer actually about real Mythstones?"
"I have an erection."
"......."
I pointed downward with my eyes, and Laura let out a hollow laugh as if her tension had snapped.
"...Is that a 'problem'?"
"Yeah. Talking about it got me hard. Laura. Come here."
We were in the middle of an important conversation, but I couldn't hold back when it came to sex.
"I was going to talk about going down into the Labyrinth, but I can't do this. I’ll have to tell you after we have sex."
"Young Lord.... You won't be able to talk once we leave this room, are you sure you're okay with that?"
"Yeah. I have plenty of time anyway."
No, I didn't.
My time was limited.
But there was no way I could just leave a throbbing cock alone.
As Laura slowly approached me, I couldn't just let my erection subside.
"Laura. First—"
Tinkle, tinkle.
Tinkle, tinkle.
...The crystal orb on the table began to glow.
No matter how soundproof the room was from the outside, it was a different story when someone was looking for me for an 'urgent matter.'
However.
'Of all times.'
"What is it?"
[My apologies, Young Lord.]
"Keep it brief. I was just about to spray my cum on my pet. Tsk."
[Ah, yes! Well...]
To be interrupted right before sex, what a pain in the—
[A guest has arrived from the Magic Tower. She’s, uh, a small lady...]
"I’ll be right there."
Click.
I cut the connection to the crystal orb.
"Laura."
"......Yes."
"Let’s save the fucking for after the talk."
"Y-Young Lord!!"
Laura raised her hand.
"Um, so..."
"I said I’ll give you the sex after I get back."
"So.... You’re going to invite the lady who’s coming in and fuck her too, right?"
"Well... yeah?"
"Then...."
Laura toyed with her collar and gave a faint smile.
"...Why don't you 'test' her to see if she’s really a woman worthy of joining your knight order?"
Rustle.
Laura took off her clothes.
"......Using your pet."
Completely naked.