#Chapter 86
—
Amidst the chaos that erupted with Balans’ declaration, Kassel thought to himself.
*‘Who here poses the greatest threat?’*
The deliberation didn’t last long.
Mercenaries, mages, swordsmen, brokers—
they were all dangerous, but the one most dangerous was the man right beside him. Donn.
*‘That swordplay he showed that day… was the real thing.’*
Because of that, the moment the melee began, Kassel immediately put distance between them.
It wasn’t that Donn looked like he would suddenly strike him down just because of the current situation, but… one could never be too sure.
*‘We’re neither comrades nor bound by contract. He could just as easily turn his sword on me.’*
Just as Kassel’s nerves became wholly fixated on Donn, Arthur stroked his chin and muttered as he gazed at the auction house now reduced to utter chaos.
“Hm… I suppose it’d be best to just sweep them all away for now?”
With that, Arthur focused his mind.
Willett, watching from beside him, flinched in shock.
“…What? A high-ranking spirit?”
With that exclamation, a woman with flowing blue hair appeared gracefully at Arthur’s side and bowed.
\[How shall I serve?]
“Hm… Let’s start by stopping the fight, Undine.”
\[As you will.]
Nodding, Undine waved her hand.
At that moment, what emerged from her palm was not some imitation miracle wrought by mana—but a genuine miracle.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwaang!!
A massive torrent of water surged into the air.
It became a colossal hurricane, and the mercenaries and brokers who had been locked in a death match to kill one another belatedly noticed the incoming disaster and froze in alarm.
“What the hell is that!?”
“A mage?”
“No, that’s….”
One of the mages, his words faltering, shouted in horror.
“A—A high-ranking water spirit!?”
With that cry, the hurricane loosed from Undine’s hand slammed into the auction hall.
Boom!!
With a deafening roar, the unleashed fury of nature drowned everything into silence.
“Urghhh….”
Mercenaries who had just been clutching guns, brokers who had only moments ago been swinging blades—
no one was spared.
Only Balans, eyes widened in astonishment, muttered as he looked at Arthur.
“Well, well… How does a C-rank mercenary command a high-ranking spirit?”
In the silence that followed his words, Arthur flicked his gaze aside.
“…!”
Kassel, sword still raised, instinctively stepped back.
But pride kept him from lowering the blade. He instead glared at Arthur.
Arthur, however, only curved his lips into a slight smile.
“No need to be so frightened, Kassel.”
“…?”
“I won’t devour you. They said to leave two teams alive, so I’ll make sure yours is one of them.”
With those words, Arthur turned and strode forward.
Watching his back, Kassel murmured under his breath.
*‘…Did he just look down on me?’*
Shock left Kassel’s mouth agape. At his side, Bonnie clicked her tongue.
*‘From the rumors, I figured he was a monster, but to think it was to this extent?’*
A spirit summoner—rarer even than mages—yet capable of handling a high-ranking spirit?
At this level, his skill would not be out of place in the royal palace itself.
*‘How in the world did Master Willet recruit such a monster?’*
As Bonnie licked her lips at the thought, Willet gazed at Arthur with a grim look.
*‘What on earth… When did he grow this much?’*
He had heard reports about Donn, but honestly, not to this degree.
In the first place, wasn’t the spirit Donn commanded supposed to be a mid-ranking one, not a high-ranking one?
*‘In such a short time… his affinity with spirits increased enough to command a high-ranking one?’*
It made no sense. Spirit affinity was harder to raise than accumulating mana or magical power.
Thus Willet’s eyes narrowed as he stared at Arthur’s back.
In the middle of the waterlogged auction hall, Arthur halted and addressed Balans.
“Looks like it’s over. Isn’t it about time you told us the real reason?”
At his question, one of Balans’ two heads tilted.
“I told you to kill, not knock them out.”
“Oh, come on. How could I just cut down complete strangers?”
“…?”
“This should be enough, shouldn’t it? By the looks of it, the reason for staging this boring death match was both to test our skills and to keep mouths shut, wasn’t it?”
Balans let out a phlegm-laden laugh.
“Hah! You’re right… but your attitude is insolent.”
Arthur didn’t bother to answer—he only smiled faintly.
Seeing that smile, Balans slowly rose from his seat.
“But not bad. With skills like that, you’ve earned the right. You remind me of your broker’s younger days.”
With those words, Balans gestured. At some point, goblins had appeared and now approached his side.
“Clean this place up. Give them some memory-erasing medicine as well.”
“Ki-rik, ki-rik! At once, master!”
As the goblins withdrew, Balans turned back and motioned.
“Now then, let’s discuss the request. Not here, though—follow me to my chamber.”
—
—
Balans led them through a door behind the auction hall.
Trailing after him, Willet sighed and muttered.
“So it was you who deliberately spread the rumor.”
Arthur poked his head forward.
“Spread the rumor on purpose?”
“The one about the top-grade elixir. I had thought it strange, but to think it was just bait to gather mercenaries and brokers….”
Arthur tilted his head.
“Um… pardon me, elder, but if he wanted to hire someone, couldn’t he just pick specific mercenaries and brokers?”
“He could. But that would draw attention.”
“…Draw attention?”
“This world is smaller than you think. Once a request passes through one channel, word spreads to ten others. That’s how it works in this underworld.”
Arthur stroked his chin.
“Hm… So the top-grade elixir doesn’t exist—it was just bait?”
Willet didn’t reply.
Arthur didn’t press further.
*‘Tsk… even if I couldn’t obtain it, I at least wanted to see it for myself.’*
High-grade elixirs were obtainable with great effort, but top-grade elixirs were legend.
*‘After all, they’re made with ingredients like a dragon’s heart.’*
But this was an era where dragons had long since vanished.
Dragon slayers who once drew their blades for dragon hearts were now nothing more than old tales.
*‘Considering that… it’s true a top-grade elixir couldn’t possibly appear in this age.’*
As he thought that, Arthur looked up.
Balans, leading the way, had halted. As his lips moved, a hidden chamber was revealed.
“Oh…”
Arthur let out an admiring breath at the luxurious reception room filled with fine furnishings.
*‘Same kind of magic as the gravestone wards I saw before coming in.’*
Well, it wasn’t surprising—this black market had been created by the Seven Sovereigns, after all.
Just then, Balans appeared carrying a tray with teacups, smiling as he offered it.
“Make yourselves comfortable.”
“……”
“The invitation may have been a little discourteous, but you are my guests now.”
At that, Bonnie whistled.
“How could we possibly relax in the presence of Balans of the Seven Sovereigns?”
“The two beside you seem quite relaxed.”
“…?”
Bonnie turned and blinked. Both Kassel and Arthur were already seated.
“…Oh. Were we not supposed to sit, Bonnie?”
“…No. Stay seated, Kassel.”
Sighing, Bonnie sat as well. Willet slowly followed suit.
Balans handed them teacups after pouring, smiling again.
“No poison or the like—rest assured.”
Willet and Bonnie stiffened, but Kassel and Arthur calmly drank.
“Tastes good.”
“Of course. These leaves are cultivated by druids.”
“Oh… druids? Aren’t they basically savages?”
“In the old days, they were priests who worshipped nature. Now… they’re simply dropouts who couldn’t adapt to modern civilization.”
With that, Balans held two cups in two hands and slurped with both mouths.
Arthur’s eyes gleamed as he watched. Just then Willet spoke.
“Now, I think it’s time you explained.”
“Explained?”
“About the request, and the current situation. Some clarification is in order, isn’t it?”
Balans laughed.
“Impatient as ever, Willet.”
“I just can’t stand unreasonable situations.”
“Heh… true. You’ve earned the right. So, what is it you want to know?”
Willet’s eyes sharpened.
“What’s the reason for staging this entire show?”
“Show?”
“The top-grade elixir rumor. Why lure mercenaries and brokers with it?”
Balans stroked both chins with his hands.
“Well, to commission a request, of course.”
“And that’s the whole reason?”
“Not entirely… hmm.”
After a brief pause, Balans nodded.
“Well, now that it’s come to this, I may as well explain everything clearly. That way you’ll understand the circumstances when carrying out the request.”
Balans snapped his fingers.
At once, a wanted poster floated into the air.
*‘Oh?’*
Arthur’s eyes sparkled. The man pictured was all too familiar.
\[Captain Masius]
\[Bounty: 32,000 gold]
One of the powers ruling Arcane’s underworld—the pirates.
It was the wanted poster for the pirate captain himself.
Balans plucked the poster from the air and flicked it to Willet.
“…So this was about pirates?”
“Not exactly ‘about.’ They’re simply targeting us unilaterally.”
Balans smiled faintly.
“I didn’t want to stage such theatrics. But those pirates are innumerable. Our organization is riddled with their spies. No matter how many we root out, they sprout again like weeds.”
“……”
“So I crafted an appropriate stage. Spread a rumor about an item mercenaries and brokers most desire, and draw them to me.”
Willet’s face darkened.
Balans chuckled and snapped his fingers again.
“Well… dramatic explanations aside, the request itself is simple. Escort my daughter safely to the *Prime Kingdom*.”
Arthur blinked.
“Your daughter, Lord Balans?”
“Yes.”
“…So you’re married?”
Balans tilted his head.
“Why? Do I look like someone who couldn’t be?”
Arthur winced and apologized.
“Ah—my mistake. I was just curious whether someone with two heads could… you know, marry….”
“……”
“My apologies, Lord Balans. One shouldn’t judge people by appearances… tch.”
Balans blinked. Willet gaped in horror.
In that silence, Kassel nodded gravely.
“He’s right. One mustn’t judge by appearance.”
The one to break the awkward mood was Bonnie.
“T-then! Could you introduce the escort target to us first, Lord Balans?”
Snapping out of his daze, Balans flinched.
“…You’re in for a fair bit of hardship.”
“Thank you for understanding….”
Bonnie’s words prompted Balans to clap his hands.
At once, the space shimmered, and a woman with long black hair slowly walked forward.
Arthur couldn’t help but let out a gasp.
Unlike Balans, the black-haired woman had only one head.
*‘…Really his daughter? They look completely different.’*
As Arthur tilted his head, looking back and forth between her and Balans, the doll-like beauty lowered her head politely.
“Greetings, everyone. I am Shuga Highbin, Crown Princess Consort of the Prime Kingdom.”
—
