Chapter 97
Chapter 97
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: Prophecy of Betrayal
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Garuda Mazdari laughed in utter disbelief.
"After I become a mage, I betray Asbestos?"
"That's right."
"Is this... an order from Yacheon?"
Hongo shook his head.
"No. This is merely a prophecy."
Mazdari pondered Yacheon's intentions.
Unless one was a fool, sending one's agent to deliver a prophecy was no ordinary matter.
'Does Yacheon value me that highly?'
Mazdari felt he could sort of understand.
If he compiled the materials handed over by Asbestos's king Dermaldin and became a mage, Asbestos's power would become impossible to ignore.
Trolls were inherently a sturdy race, but in the past, food shortages had made it hard to raise children properly. Now that they had established a nation and solidified its foundation, the troll population had surged. Asbestos always aimed for the continent's top nation status. In terms of sheer size, Asbestos was already the largest nation on the continent.
And soon, the gunpowder weapons to be created, plus the power of a mage.
Perhaps Asbestos could become an even stronger nation than Blackscale.
'So Yacheon must be wary of their inner ambitions.'
But if that were the case, he could have demanded something more direct.
Perhaps, given how inscrutable the existence of a god was—even beyond Mazdari's alchemical and magical knowledge—he might be maneuvered into acting according to its will without even realizing it.
Mazdari realized the perfect person to resolve his curiosity was standing right in front of him.
"Why doesn't Yacheon just force me to do it?"
Hongo tilted his head quizzically.
"Yacheon respects free will."
"Free will?"
"The mind that can act and think for itself, not compelled by another. So you cannot escape this place, but in other ways, you might be able to defy the prophecy."
"That would probably displease Yacheon."
"I wouldn't know. Yacheon doesn't greatly rejoice or lament whether his prophecies come true or not."
Hongo said.
"And my mission to deliver the prophecy is complete. Whether it comes to pass or not, the choice is yours. But you'd best keep this conversation tucked away carefully. Asbestos might be eavesdropping on your thoughts. If so, you won't be able to betray them even if you want to."
With those words, Hongo seemed to crouch down—then vanished the next instant.
Grass rustled beyond the window, then the sound faded into the distance.
Mazdari stared at the window.
'He's gone?'
Mazdari wondered if it had all been a dream, but it hadn't.
-Really creepy-looking bastard, wasn't he? Isn't he?
'Not as much as you.'
Mazdari gazed at his left hand.
From a distance, it just looked black, but up close, it was even more grotesque. The only consolation was that it caused no great pain despite its appearance.
-I'm you too. We share more than just a body.
'Then not as much as me.'
-What? ...Fine. He was grotesque, but he left us a gift before going.
'A gift?'
In response to Mazdari's question, the rotten hand tapped reproachfully.
-Did you already forget what he said? If he's telling the truth, Asbestos isn't watching us—so this is the perfect chance to escape, isn't it?
Mazdari oddly felt unmoved by the rotten hand's words.
-Wait, you...
'I've changed my mind.'
The rotten hand sneered.
-You hated gods so much, and now you're going to follow one anyway? If you become a mage like this, you either follow Asbestos's will without betraying them, or Yacheon's by betraying them.
Mazdari nodded.
In truth, the moment he'd heard the word "prophecy" from Hongo, he'd thought he had to escape the gods' gaze somehow.
'That was the trap.'
-A trap?
'Is there any guarantee that even my escape wouldn't be part of a god's will?'
The demonic spirit knew the gods' greatness all too well, so it had no choice but to concede.
-Well... you're right.
'Deciding to think in line with a god's will was the mistake from the start.'
-Then?
'Shouldn't I screw over that bastard who locked me up and tortured the other alchemists to death?'
At those words, the rotten hand chuckled too.
Mazdari approached the door and shouted.
"Guard! Take me to Dermaldin! Tell him I've made up my mind!"
Sashian was a quiet port town located between Blackscale's Orzan and Maganen.
Its location wasn't much different from other port towns to the north or south, and its racial makeup was a mix of various species rather than dominated by lizardmen.
The standout feature was its wide plains with fertile soil ideal for farming, but since those plains stretched along the river from Sashian, it was hardly unique to the town.
"...That's what's commonly known. But that's not the whole story."
Saying this was Rump, standing in for the Tech Minister.
Ravina and Muel responded to his words.
"A secret weapons depot, right?"
Rump seemed hesitant to answer easily, furrowing his brow as he stared into the distance.
Rump's bushy beard swayed in the gentle breeze.
The road from Orzan to Sashian wasn't particularly well-paved.
With Sashian's small population, there wasn't much economic need for it.
There was another reason too.
A well-maintained waterway ran between Orzan and Sashian, making water transport by boat the bustling norm.
The two of them were aboard a boat.
"I don't think it's simply a place for making weapons."
"Then?"
"Hmm."
"Shall I guess?"
Before Rump could reply, Ravina spoke up.
"It's stocked with unbelievers' knowledge, right?"
"Oh dear, unbelievers."
"The Tech Minister's plenty interested in unbelievers' knowledge and studies it too—why not?"
"Yacheon might hear."
"Doesn't seem like he'd care much."
Rump clamped his mouth shut.
Ravina wondered if this dwarf was too rigid when it came to discussing technology, but she didn't doubt his skills.
She had roughly explained gunpowder production methods and ancient weapons that used it, and this dwarf had already produced prototypes based on that info.
Due to the danger, she hadn't seen them fired with actual powder in the palace, but from the shape alone, Ravina saw no obvious flaws.
Gazing toward the river's end, Rump said,
"We're almost there."
At the same time, the Pirate's Shame arrived in Sashian as well.
Tione Itimo disembarked at the small port to oversee the unloading, then climbed back aboard in irritation.
Seeing this, Basen Rak Orzan asked,
"What happened?"
"They say there's real cargo coming—dock a few more days?"
"Real cargo? Related to the palace?"
Tione nodded.
"Seems like it, but doesn't look tied to our business. Probably arranging ships heading south."
"What kind of cargo?"
"Won't say yet."
"Why not just think of it as a few days' rest?"
Tione scowled.
"This throws off our schedule. We actually have trade goods besides the cornerstone—might be better to sell them at another port for more profit than dumping them here."
Basen nodded thoughtfully.
'In the end, it's about money.'
But in Basen's view, the Pirate's Shame had business to attend to.
"Don't we have to hand those over anyway?"
Basen glanced at the bound pirates.
"Sure. But we can just leave it to Fesa..."
At that moment, Fesa strode over purposefully.
And abruptly declared,
"No.1 Captain Fesa has decided."
"Decided what?"
"No stepping on land."
Basen said in bewilderment,
"Didn't you step on land in Babrin? I clearly saw you unloading cargo."
"Forgot the decision."
Tione nodded impassively.
Tione whispered to Basen,
"He gets like this sometimes."
"Is the No.1 navigator position really fine like this?"
"Pardon? Of course. We've got a competent No.2 navigator on board."
Basen recalled the capable half-bin sailor.
He must have been the ship's de facto No.1 navigator.
"Hmm..."
"Anyway, mind handling the pirates for us?"
"No other choice, it seems."
The pirates, including Godan, had their arms and legs bound tightly enough that Basen and his escorts could easily drag them along. If Basen wanted, he could probably manage it alone.
Of course, he could have brought soldiers, but his pride wouldn't allow dragging along troops just to escort a mere four pirates.
While escorting Godan and his men to the magistrate's office, Godan kept insisting several times that since he'd spilled all the facts as they were, they should treat him well—but Basen ignored him until the end. Exhausted by then, he finally gave a perfunctory "Sure" at last.
Upon arriving at the office, the lizardman magistrate had already heard the news and come out front to greet them.
"Oh, Prince! Safe travels, I hope?"
"Are you Sashian's magistrate? Pirates ambushed us en route..."
"Oh no! I heard. You lot—how dare you treat Blackscale royalty like..."
"I've brought them, so I'll be off now."
"Ah, you've come this far—leaving like this would ruin my face as magistrate! I prepared a simple welcome upon hearing you were coming. Please, come in."
"......"
Basen instantly sized up the magistrate.
Basen might be an exiled prince cast out of the palace in Orzan, but locally, he still bore royal blood. Power was power.
That said, Basen knew Sashian fell under Kyle's influence—but apparently not to the extent of the magistrate's seat.
'No, perhaps they had to stick just anyone in the magistrate role? That way, they could fool the eyes of the other ministers.'
In that case, Basen judged that humoring the magistrate's flattery a bit wouldn't hurt.
"Then I suppose I should rest my travel fatigue here."
"Excellent idea!"
"Ah, but that pirate leader there is Godan the Asthasidian, as you can see. He's part of the Yabun Pirate Crew operating in the southern seas, with important information..."
"Yes, yes—trust me. Come inside first. Hey! Toss these pirate scum in the jail quick!"
Basen found the magistrate unreliable, but the man pushed so insistently that there was no chance to look back properly.
Had Basen paid a little more attention, he might have noticed that the Asthasidian Godan had nearly sawed through his ropes using the rough patch on his back shell.
An hour later.
At the welcome feast hosted by the magistrate for Basen, a soldier approached and whispered in the magistrate's ear.
The magistrate's eyes went wide, and the drunken Basen said,
"Oh, what is it?"
"Ah, n-no... nothing much. Just village business—I'll handle it."
"...I see?"
"Yes, there's more fine liquor. Have some more!"
"Ah, hold on. Too much drink—gotta hit the privy."
"Of course."
Basen staggered out, waving a hand—then hopped straight over the wall.
Basen's escort stood waiting nearby.
He'd been left behind to monitor the surroundings while Basen drank and had just signaled him from beyond the wall.
"What happened?"
"The pirates escaped."
"Ah, that incompetent magistrate! I'll have his head."
"Fortunately, they haven't gone far."
"Lead the way—let's go."
"But you've been drinking..."
A scream echoed at that moment.
"That direction."
The screams came from the village square.
Basen ran straight there.
Standing in the square was the pirate Godan, clutching a horned human woman.