LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 34
Chapter 34
The result of the deal with Romwell… to cut to the chase, I came out quite handsomely rewarded.
It was our first transaction, and I wanted to leave a good impression, so I quoted generously.
“Take it.”
“…Are you trying to clear a debt with this?”
“Debt? That’s absurd. Think of it as an investment.”
“Even if the price of the scroll was steep, it shouldn’t have amounted to this…”
Suddenly, having a fortune in hand was bewildering. It was easily twice what I had anticipated.
“Romwell, huh… Why didn’t you kill him? Then everything he owned would have been yours.”
Amon seemed to be probing me with a sly glance from the side.
‘As if he’s not the archdemon himself… such a dreadful imagination.’
Still, I answered earnestly.
“Violence is merely an efficient tool.”
Amon replied with a grin, her smile as innocent as a child’s.
“Nicely said. Just remember that this ‘efficient tool’ can control almost any situation.”
She’s an advocate for violence, this one.
I need to remind her again.
“Amon, don’t forget our promise.”
“…Of course!”
She can’t go on a rampage without my permission.
If she were to cause chaos here, it could lead to a situation where the nearby region of Riudira would be alerted to the descent of a great demon, calling for its capture or death.
If she must cause a stir, let it be without witnesses, or only in unavoidable circumstances.
But more pressing than that, the shock from the conversation with Romwell still lingered.
‘To think the bosses from Episodes 2 and 3 would reveal themselves all at once…’
With the final boss of Episode 1, Karl Kurso, dead, it wasn’t strange for the boss of Episode 2 to appear.
What shocked me was the tanner’s meeting with Romwell.
Romwell, the final boss of Act 3 of Episode 3, a powerhouse ruling over the dark underbelly of the region.
To have encountered such a being even before the previous episodes had unfolded, and to have formed a positive relationship at that.
‘…What does this mean for the future?’
Will Romwell emerge as the boss of Act 3 of Episode 3?
It’s still unknown. All possibilities must be kept open.
After all, for now, dealing with the unpleasant trio, let alone Romwell, is the immediate concern. And with other problems piling up, there’s no luxury to worry about the distant future.
Nonetheless, the fact remains that a substantial sum of money has come into my possession.
‘So… what shall I do with all this money first?’
Before I could even finish that thought, someone tugged at my sleeve.
“…Lucifer.”
“Tea! Didn’t you agree to buy me tea? You promised… didn’t you?”
Did I make such a promise?
“…Take it.”
It felt odd, almost as if we were on a date…
‘This little one… pulling me along with just two fingers.’
She was tugging at my sleeve with just her thumb and forefinger, clad in white gloves.
It was subtly infuriating.
“Here we are.”
“No sign outside; how did you know?”
“Can’t you smell the subtle aroma of tea?”
She was right.
But it was so faint that it could easily be lost among the other scents of the black market, yet Lucifer found her way here without confusion.
‘Is she a bloodhound… or does she just have a peculiar response to the scent of tea…’
“Tea, good tea…”
Her eyes pleaded like a puppy’s.
“Next will naturally be the research materials for this, Amon, right? Ah, I have no doubt about it.”
With Amon chattering away behind me, my head was spinning.
Swoosh…
“Ah, welcome.”
A young, handsome man with a scar on his face greeted us. I was a bit surprised by the unexpected appearance of the tea merchant.
“Feels like the first time… An introduction? Or perhaps you knew what this place was?”
“Aren’t you selling tea?”
“…Right, feel free to look around.”
With the merchant’s permission, Lucifer strode forward to inspect the tea.
Hmmm…
Hmmm…
Lucifer savored the scent of the thoroughly dried tea leaves. With visual information cut off, the sound alone made it seem like a sinister presence was beside me.
“You, your old-fashioned tastes never change.”
As Amon spoke, Lucifer examined the tea leaves and responded.
“Amon, haven’t you remained the same over the long years?”
“Have I?”
“The very reason you were summoned here…”
“That’s enough. I won’t deny it.”
The tea merchant paid no attention to our conversation, busying himself with his wares instead.
Instead, Amon whispered to me.
“Do you know this place?”
“Not at all.”
“…Hmm.”
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s just unsettling. The owner of this place doesn’t seem like an ordinary person.”
At that, I closed my eyes and focused on the merchant’s magical energy.
‘Indeed…’
A quiet yet sinister flow. The merchant was a formidable figure, not someone I could detect immediately.
‘Is the black market filled with such characters?’
To possess such power and be a mere tea shop owner…
‘Acting recklessly here could lead to unforeseen problems.’
Well, regardless, we came here to buy tea. And Lucifer was the only one among us focused on our original purpose.
She lingered for a while longer. I’m not well-versed in tea, but the items here seemed of good quality, judging by their price.
Perhaps that’s why she hesitated. Watching her select tea leaves from behind, no one would think of her as a demon. She exuded an orderly and calm atmosphere.
She turned slightly and asked.
“This one is the Brannu Mountain Twilight Tea, and this one is the Sisiran Highland Dew Tea. Which do you think is better?”
“Are you asking me?”
“Yes.”
“What’s the difference?”
When a question is added to a field of interest, a chemical reaction occurs. The blushing cheeks and passionate speech of Lucifer right now must mean something similar.
“The twilight tea has a bitter first encounter but leaves a clean aftertaste, while the dew tea is sweet but can quickly become cloying.”
Hmm…
“Which do you prefer?”
“I…”
Lucifer paused as if malfunctioning before answering.
“I’ll go with… the dew tea.”
“Is that so? I find the twilight tea more appealing… No helping it then. Let’s buy both.”
“But…”
Lucifer pouted but didn’t reject my suggestion. She must have wanted both teas deep down.
“Hmm… quite good.”
Amon chuckled and poked me in the ribs.
“What is?”
“You would have chosen whatever Lucifer didn’t, wouldn’t you?”
“…Necessarily?”
“If you had said from the start that we’d buy both, Lucifer would have found a way to refuse. Isn’t that right? Hmm… For someone so standoffish, you’re quite perceptive.”
“…Think what you will.”
To my nonchalant reply, Amon suddenly became stern.
“But! Such tricks will never work on Amon. Amon shall never be swayed by gifts!”
…So resolute.
After paying for the tea, I stared intently at the merchant before leaving the tent.
“…Hmm?”
“May I know your name?”
The air turned chilly.
“Why do you need my name?”
“In case we meet again.”
The merchant responded with a beaming smile.
“Call me Fyora. I’d be grateful if you visit again!”
“…Fyora. Noted.”
With that, the first day’s agenda was complete.
The black market runs for three days, and we’ve only just finished the first. We plan to stay here for the duration, so there’s no need to rush.
* * *
On the second day, the first stop was at a merchant dealing in magic stones.
Magic stones were as good as the most credible currency in dungeons, but not so in human society.
“This is… a top-grade magic stone?”
“Top-grade magic stone?”
The merchant promptly responded upon seeing the magic stone I offered.
I had just learned that magic stones had grades. Then why did adventurers in the game uniformly carry only top-grade stones?
“We don’t deal with that here. Actually, it’s not commonly handled in this region either.”
“Why is that?”
“Well, because they’re rare. The mining yield for top-grade stones isn’t much, and most are pre-contracted before they’re even mined. Usually to imperial magic institutions or influential nobles.”
“So, an individual can’t acquire them?”
“Not at the moment.”
I left the merchant’s tent deep in thought.
‘Top-grade stones are unattainable because of their quality?’
This was a significant issue.
If it were like the game, where adventurers would come by the truckload to be sorted out, or if I could purchase magic stones with cash, it wouldn’t matter. But currently, both options were difficult.
To sustain the existence of dungeons, a new means of obtaining magic stones had to be devised. This excursion was meant to find that very clue, but I had hit a wall.
‘Why did all adventurers have top-grade stones then?’
This question, too, I intuitively knew wouldn’t be answered right away.
‘…Should I contact the Seven Deadly Sins?’
The Seven Deadly Sins had been contracting with demons since before Faust. I hoped they might know more about magic stones.
Next, we visited a tent with a witch inside.
“What are you looking for? A fortune that tells the future? A frog brimming with poison? A crow that understands speech?”
“I shall look around.”
It was Amon who had led us here.
‘Did Amon need something from this place?’
Thinking back, she was a great demon.
Her mere existence in the dungeon provided immense benefits to Faust.
Each great demon had its own unique facility that could be operated, causing a lot of chemical reactions.
‘I took a lot of flak… for forcing microtransactions.’
Lemegeton, the game that quickly disappeared as much as it was criticized, didn’t need further mention of its faults.
‘Amon’s unique facility was… the laboratory.’
The laboratory’s effect was significant, but the occasional events that occurred when Amon was present were even more astounding.
‘So, I hoped there would be something here to pique Amon’s interest.’
She must not be idle for my future’s sake.
“Hmm?”
After a while, Amon stopped in front of a potted plant.
“Aha… Here lies a specimen I’ve wanted to handle at least once.”
Fortunately, there was an item that caught Amon’s interest. I casually inquired about its price.
“Ah, mandrake? It’s a wild plant, so it’s quite pricey. About… this much?”
…That’s outrageous.
It’s nearly all my remaining fortune, isn’t it?
I asked Amon without revealing my inner shock.
“Do you need the mandrake?”
Please, anything else!
There’s something similar right next to it. They all look the same to me.
“Aha… Inspiration has struck. Something will burst forth from these hands!”
“…”
“But, it seems costly. It’s settled, Amon is no child. There’s no need for tantrums over such things.”
Saying this, she turned away but kept her gaze fixed on the mandrake.
Swiftly…
I paid the owner without hesitation.
“Handle it with care. The mandrake is a plant that curses and kills those who uproot it.”
“I shall keep that in mind.”
I received the mandrake, now in a small casket, from the witch and handed it to Amon.
“Here.”
“Hmm… Was it truly necessary? Isn’t that an excessive expense?”
“Think of it as a gift.”
“A gift? Pfft… You misunderstand Amon greatly.”
She said, lifting her head proudly.
“I am not swayed by such gifts. Remember that.”
[Amon’s affection towards Faust has increased.]
[Current Affection: ♥♡♡♡♡♡]
…
Perhaps, she was greatly shaken.
Could this correct her sloth?
“Hmm… Upon our return, a worthy research topic awaits.”