Chapter 46
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: Atonement
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"Here, take it."
Vanessa placed two grimy cups on the table.
A cloud of dust rose up.
"Drink up, and if it's not enough, just say so. I'll give you as much as you want."
"...What is this?"
"Can't you tell? It's water. Boiled water. Perfect for hydration. Good for your health."
"Is that... so?"
Blanche hesitated, thinking it might be rude, but she picked up the cup anyway.
Of course, I didn't even glance at it.
It was a rundown place, no two ways about it.
Cobwebs hung in the corners, and junk was piled up like trash.
It was hard to believe this was the workshop of Albert Grobl, the empire's greatest artisan.
Vanessa opened her mouth with an awkward expression.
"Uh... sorry about earlier. I thought you guys were here to collect money or something."
"It's fine. I didn't know you were the granddaughter of the person the count was looking for."
"Come to think of it, you said 'Count,' right? You're here to see my grandfather?"
"Yeah."
My expression must have looked pretty stiff, because Vanessa scratched her messy hair and said,
"Ah, did my tone rub you the wrong way? Sorry, but I'm not the type to grovel to anyone."
"Doesn't matter."
"Ahahaha. You're a straightforward one, Count."
Vanessa laughed loudly, like a tough woman.
That smile held no trace of the thug she'd been just moments ago.
At that moment, Blanche, who had been sipping her water beside me, cautiously spoke up.
"By the way... who were those guys earlier?"
"Oh..."
The men Blanche had taken down had come to their senses and fled in terror.
Vanessa looked a bit sheepish as she said,
"We were about to lose the workshop because of debts. We're hanging on somehow, but every now and then, rough types like that show up and trash the place. Damn... you can't pay off debts if you don't have a shop."
"I see... that must be tough for you."
Hearing about debts seemed to hit close to home for Blanche, furrowing her brow.
"It's okay. If I inherit the shop and work my ass off, I can get it back to normal.
Ahaha. Business is slow these days, no jobs coming in, but if I hold on, good times will come."
Vanessa's small hands were covered in calluses, befitting an artisan.
As far as I knew, no one had carried on Albert Grobl's legacy after him.
Since I couldn't recall her either, Vanessa was probably one of those buried characters who never got her spotlight in the original work or the game.
I spoke up.
"So, when can I meet Albert?"
"Ah! Well, about that... my grandfather gets so absorbed in something that he works on it all day. He doesn't come down from the upper floor unless it's at a set time... I'll go drag him down here if I have to. Wait just a sec, okay?"
That was the moment Vanessa said that.
Creak.
The sound of someone stepping on the old wooden stairs came from above.
It was an old man with glasses and a bushy beard.
I knew right away he was Albert.
"Huh? Grandpa!"
"What's this...? Guests?"
Albert wiped and adjusted his glasses.
Only then did he take in the mess on the first floor and gasped in shock.
"What?! Hold on... Yon-ssi. Did a bomb go off or something? Why's it such a wreck?"
"Those thugs came by."
"What? Those damn sons of bitches...!"
Albert grabbed a hammer from nearby and started raging.
"Where are they?! I'll smash their heads in!"
"Calm down, Grandpa. Those guys... these people chased them off."
"Oh?"
Albert spotted us, and wrinkles formed between his brows.
He walked slowly toward us.
His wrinkled eyes behind the glasses fixed on me.
"...You. Do I know your face?"
"...Probably."
"Hmm?"
Blanche stepped forward to introduce me on my behalf.
She really was capable.
"Mr. Albert, this is Tristan Ruelverta, the Count."
"What, Ruelverta Count?!"
His eyes widened at the name.
"No way... Millium's son?!"
"That's right."
I answered calmly.
Albert's body began to tremble.
It was a familiar feeling to me.
Albert shouted.
"Get out! I won't work with you Ruelvertas anymore!"
"Grandpa?!"
His reaction was just as I'd expected, so I stayed seated calmly.
Vanessa, flustered instead, grabbed Albert.
"Wait, Grandpa!"
"Let go!"
"You could at least hear them out! Why are you acting like this? It's not like you, Grandpa."
"You don't know yet! That guy... that family, how terrifying they are!"
Albert glared at me with hatred.
Being hated was nothing new to me now.
And I was prepared to accept that hatred.
As I sat there silently, Albert, unable to hold back, grabbed the hammer beside him.
"Didn't you hear me? Get out!"
"Grandpa!"
Before Vanessa could stop him, Albert hurled the hammer nearby.
He'd probably only meant to threaten me.
The hammer he threw arced through the air and clattered to the floor.
But Albert hadn't anticipated it bouncing straight up toward my face.
I knew it all and stayed seated anyway.
No need to dodge.
"Please calm down, sir."
Blanche effortlessly caught the flying hammer.
She was exceptional, as always.
Not long ago, she'd been itching to kill me, and now here she was protecting me. It felt reassuring.
"Grandpa! That was close!"
"Khmm... No, I really didn't mean to hit you..."
"Cool your head!"
Vanessa subtly maneuvered Albert to sit across from me.
"Sorry, Count. My grandpa got a bit worked up..."
"Don't worry about it."
"Urgh..."
Albert looked thoroughly displeased with the situation.
You could tell he wanted to bolt from his seat right then.
But with Vanessa pressing on his shoulder, he couldn't.
Finally, Albert spoke.
"How the hell did you find this place?"
"Through Arthur."
"...Arthur, that guy?"
Albert clicked his tongue.
"That old bastard..."
"I thought he wouldn't deal with Ruelvertas."
"He's a friend from my hometown. I trust him."
Was this some kind of regional bond...?
Still, thanks to it, we could at least talk now.
Albert sighed.
"You're Millium's son, right?"
"Yeah."
"Your father was a devil of a man."
"Grandpa?!"
"Sir?!"
Blanche and Vanessa were the shocked ones.
I stayed calm.
I agreed with Albert's words to some extent.
I slowly opened my mouth.
"Albert Grobl, the empire's greatest magic artisan. Or rather, former chief magic artisan of the Ruelverta family."
Albert's shoulders twitched.
"Grandpa was the count family's chief artisan...?"
"...Yeah. There was a time I was called that. But... if I'd known Millium was that kind of man, I never would have worked with him."
Albert bowed his head.
Shadows fell over his face as he recalled past sins.
"So, whatever business you have, I won't cooperate. I don't want to commit more sins..."
"Pathetic."
Blanche was the first to notice my change.
She instinctively assumed a defensive stance.
Wrath still churned in my chest.
If I hadn't barely held onto Patience, things could've gone bad.
I drew in a breath.
"You're just trying to dodge responsibility, Albert."
"What?!"
"And cooperation?"
I wasn't using the 'Wrath.'
But I was angry at Albert.
"Don't get it wrong. I'm here to give you a chance at atonement."
"Atonement...?"
"Yeah. The sins you committed can only be atoned for by you."
"!"
Albert's eyes widened.
I stood from my chair.
To the man sitting there in a daze, looking up at me, I said,
"Albert. I'm not Millium."
I brushed the dust off my coat.
"I'm Tristan Ruelverta."
I adjusted my necktie.
"Not some devil of a man."
And I declared it to everyone present.
"I'm no demon."