Otoko Nara Ikkokuichijou no Aruji o Mezasa Nakya, ne? Chapter 180

Year 7445, Month 4, Day 19

While we were all grinning and making evil expressions thinking about ways to stir up the relationship there was a knock on the door.

When Basutoral dealt with them, it seems a messenger came from old man Viruhaima of the {Verdure.Brotherhood}. While tilting my head I went down to the lobby together with Miduchi and the Basuraito.Kerutein, nickanme Basu who switched places with Toris in the dungeon way back, was waiting there.

"Ya~ Basu-san. What's going on?"

"I'm sorry when you're on your day off. Our leader Viruhaima seems to want to talk to you. It seems it's in regards to the matter with {Black.Topaz}. Sorry but do you have any time after this?"

The matter of {Black.Topaz}? I wonder what in the world it is. But, it's only obvious I'm interested. Last week, that sort of thing only just happened after all. However, if he has business then he should be the one coming to me..Well, the other side is still my several times my senior. Even in terms of age I'm quite a bit younger so I guess it can't be helped.

"I understand. I'll head over and visit after this but right now I'm in the middle of a meeting with my members so I need to go and notify them."

"I see, sorry about that."

I turned around and went back up to Zenom's room and after telling everyone I was called out by Viruhaima of {Verdure.Brotherhood} in regards to {Black.Topaz}, Miduchi and left the meeting. In addition, I also told them that I was thinking of leaving the matter in regards to Faruergaz and the others to Toris and Zenom, just, for now I just want them to think up some ideas and let me hear them, so I told them not to move until then. Also, I mentioned that my slaves Zulu and the others already know most of the circumstances so if they're necessary they can feel free to make use of them as well.

We followed after Basu to "Elm Tree Manor" and were let through into a room. Just as expected of the place the King stayed during the day of judgement, it's the highest grade inn in Baldukk. When I tried asking later it seems that on just the days of judgement they're asked to stay in a different inn. Well, I guess that's only obvious.

The room in the far back on the first floor of "Elm Tree Manor" was the leader of {Verdure.Brotherhood} Viruhaima's room. When Basu lead us to the room we followed after him inside when he opened the door without knocking. Inside of the room Viruhaima was sitting on a huge sofa making a difficult expression with smoke coming from a cigar in his hand. Also there was one more, a person I don't know standing against the wall but judging from their appearance they're an attendant slave.

"Yo, Greed-kun, sorry about calling you out."

Viruhaima called out to us from the sofa and pointed to the one in front of him. When I saw down lined up with Miduchi he offered a cigar

"Do you want one? They're made in Reida."

Tobacco is an expensive luxury good. It's proof that you have plenty of money to spend and having a taste for tobacco could be called one form of status. Since we all have our memories about the harms of tobacco in our previous life no one has any interest in them though. In my past life I smoked cigarettes with filters but even though I've been reborn in a new body without the addiction. Even if I were to smoke them it will be several decades later, it's fine after I'm an old man.

"Thank you very much. However, we don't smoke."

I politely refused it. He offered an expensive cigar which costs 10,000 Z (1 silver coin). And I'm sure the people of Orth don't know about the harms of smoking tobacco. There was a tobacco field even in Bakuddo.

"I see, then are you fine with tea? Hey, Zofi, make some tea, four of them."

The human woman called Zofi carefully made some tea for us and Basu. I guess her age is around 30?

"Anderson should be coming pretty soon as well. We'll start talking after that."

Viruhaima said that and returned to his difficult expression again. So they called {Black.Topaz} as well?

Since we didn't have anything in particular to do, Miduchi and I were quietly sipping some tea. I don't know the difference between good and bad tea leaves but it seems they're using reasonably good leaves and there's an extremely good scent coming from it. On the four person soda's we spent about 10 minutes with no one saying anything. This is somehow a strange atmosphere.

Once again the door opened without a knock. The ones who came in were the leader of {Black.Topaz} Red.Anderson, her attendant Kaku.Dankel and the member of {Verdure.Brotherhood} who seems to have called them, the battle-axe using Dwarf Renbal.Flameshaft.

There was originally one, two one-person sofas, and one two-person sofas in the room but I guess they brought one from a different room, there was another two-person sofa brought added.

"I'm fine over here."

Flameshot brought a chair from the corner of the room and lined it up along the sofa and sat down. After confirming everyone had sat down I looked at Viruhaima's face.

"Sorry about suddenly calling you out."

Viruhaima said towards me.

"I need to say it as well. Greed-kun, I'm grateful you came."

"Ha.."

It seems the two of them had already decided on what to discuss. I don't have very many ideas on what it could be though.

"I'm sure you've already heard right? It's about the {Magical.Sword} we found in the dungeon the other day...If you know anything about it I'd like you to tell me."

Anderson said that while looking at me.

"The {Slaughterers} have made it up to the 7th floor. You've found several {Magic.Items} right? Have you picked up anything similar?"

Ah, that sort of thing.

"What kind of condition is he is now?"

I asked them without responding to the question.

"..There's no what about it. Our Vikkusu is completely entranced in the sword to the point where he embraces it and won't let go. If we try to forcefully take it from him he just starts rampaging...If we don't do anything in particular then there's no harm though. That's probably, what rarely appears even among {Magic.Items} the so-called cursed goods a {Retributed.Item}..."

"Red-sama.."

I guess he was being careful of Anderson who said that painfully, Kaku called out to her with a sad expression.

"Cursed goods {Retributed.Item} is it.."

Since I asked Miduchi about it after that I've already learned most things about them. Though I say that, it's information that Miduchi learned from games in our past life so I don't think it can be completely relied upon. It seems it was the first time Miduchi had seen a {Cursed.Item} as well and in most games it seems you require some kind of exclusive magic or item to remove curses, so it was just pointless game information that didn't seem like it would resolve the issue at all. Come to think of it, they're calling it now {Cursed.Item} but {Retributed.Item} though I wonder if they're the same thing...

Honestly speaking, in regards to that curse or spell or whatever I can't think of much other than having the temple purify it.

"Umm, can't you have the temple purify it?"

In this world of Orth that ruled by a wide variety of different superstitions, one of the jobs of the temple is "purification". Though I say that it doesn't seem to be anything related to magic. It seems it's used when people get sick or when there's poor crops, they have them come do a purification but I already knew that it was just sort of ceremony and there wasn't any particularly effect to it as well. Incidentally there's no ground-breaking ceremony. I just felt like saying it.

"What's that?"

I was asked with a strange expression. I somehow feel embarrassed for saying something that seemed absurd. I glanced over at Miduchi but I was looked at with the same eyes as everyone else like "What is this person saying?" Well, I guess that's only obvious.

"Ah, No, that is..Don't they do things like purifying demons or illnesses and such? I was thinking, maybe as a extension of that? and..Yes, I'm sorry."

"So Greed-kun had that sort of pure aspect to him as well.."
"Stop with the jokes. That is, just something on the level of a consolation?"
"I'm sorry, our Greed has, I'm very sorry."

After all it seems to be no good. Miduchi has completely turned into a groveling* person. Sorry.

"Isn't there some kind of story about people being troubled over similar items in the past? If they managed to resolve it at that time then wouldn't it be good to use that as reference?"

It's the ordinary method but this is probably the most constructive.

"I thought about that as well. I tried investigating it. I was able to find several stories of similar occurrences."

Obviously Anderson thought of the same thing.

"Then, how did they resolve things at that time?"

"..After all the {Slaughterers} don't know how to resolve it either it seems...Anderson, shouldn't you start preparing yourself?"

Viruhaima ignored me and looked at Anderson.

"That seems to be the case..It can't be helped, I guess.."

Anderson her assistant Dankel sat back on the sofa while sighing. After that, Dankel looked at me and started opening his mouth.

"As far as we were able to investigate there were two cases in the past 50 years, where {Retributed.Items} were discovered in the dungeon of Baldukk. The first one was a spear. It's name was {Beautiful.Spear} and similar to this time it entranced a single man it seems.
The curse seems to have disappeared when they snapped the spear in half.
The second one was a long sword and the name wasn't conveyed in this case. This one, whenever the person who equipped it would swing it, they seemed to wound themselves or their allies. Just the same for this one when they broken it in half all of the attachments to it seemed o have disappeared as if they were lies."

I see now. Then it's simple. They just need to destroy that {Short-Sword.Of.Blunt}. Even if we say the Endurance is high if some people with confidence in their strength take turns smashing it with a battle hammer or mace then it'll break sooner or later I'm sure.

"Hey, don't look at us like that. I had already heard that far as well. You're just thinking it's fine as long as they break it right? I thought so too."

Viruhaima shrugged his shoulders while saying.

"However, in the end we're just outsiders. We can say as we please. We can easily tell them to break an item they went through some troubles to get their hands on and might be worth a decent amount. Normally, it's difficult to even imagine that it would have been a {Retributed.Item}. I didn't know about them either.."

Viruhaima inhaled a full breath of smoke from the cigar and exhaled it out. That's such a wasteful way to smoke the cigar, this middle-aged elf.

I looked at Miduchi before nodding.

"Please let me confirm several things. I think it was Vikkusu, Barukemi-san of {Black.Topaz}? he's completely normal other than his attachment to the sword right?"

Hearing my words Anderson and Dankel nodded.

"He won't rampage or anything?"

Miduchi tried asking. Simultaneously Miduchi touched my hand and used {Party-ization}. Inside of my head the orders "Copy It", "Count It", "Learn", and "Test it" echoed through. Since the first two were words that don't exist in this world they're a code (the "count" order is literal).

"Copy It" refers to the dungeon of Baldukk. The next "Count It" refers to XX time or {next}. The meaning changes depending on the order it comes out. Since it's the second order then in this case it means {next}. After that is all literal meanings.

In other words, if I were to simply interpret it then it's "Learn it and test it during the next dungeon". If I were to try to explain it too far then it could also mean "Learn it twice in the dungeon and test it." or "learn it in the dungeon and test it twice." as well but it doesn't make as much sense like that. Most likely, she wants to say "The next time we go to the fairies place learn the spell {Remove.Curse} and let's test it out."

If we just wanted to have a conversation without anyone else hearing it then {Telepathy} would be sufficient but it doesn't activate unless the target is constantly in your sight and while it's active your eyes shine with the blue light from the spell. Ah, it seems my eyes shine when I use Identify as well but it's such a weak light that unless you were paying close attention and already knew about it you wouldn't notice.

"There's no problem as long as we don't try to take the sword from him. Even when it comes to conversation as long as we don't say to hand over the sword there's no problem. Do you know something?"

Anderson looked over with hope in her eyes. Well yeah. But it's not like I'm confident in it.

"It's a spell. But I can't say it will definitely work. It will take some time for preparations as well.."

"Even then it's fine. Would you mind testing it out?"

"It's fine if it's testing it out. However, it's impossible right away. I need to order something for it as well and that will take around three weeks. I have no idea what might end up happening to the sword either."

Needing to order something is a complete lie. It's just an excuse to earn some time.

"I intend to thank you as best as I can. If it's just that much time then it's plenty within a reasonable range."

Anderson and Dankel lowered their heads together.

"Hey, Greed-kun. Somehow or other try and save her. It doesn't seem like either of us will be catching up to you {Slaughterers} for the time being. It's not particularly like you lose anything right?"

I wonder about that. Since I doubt there's many live cases where I could practice the spell {Remove.Curse} on someone I'm grateful on that end but I can't really say things like that so easily.

"..Well, I guess so. It's fine. Let's try it. However.."

I put on airs while taking a sip of tea. Everyone in the room is looking at me.

"Please let me make a few requests in regards to your thanks. Ah, I don't need money. Also, even if it goes well, I don't need the sword either. I can't imagine something like a {Retributed.Item} would sell either way."

"Then, what is it?"

Anderson said while gulping.

"It should be obvious. Several pieces of information, and a promise, I guess around there?"

Hearing my words the three from {Verdure.Brotherhood} and the two from {Black.Topaz} made strange faces. The female slave named Zofi is still leaning against the wall expressionless like a doll. That's quite the well trained slave.

"For starters I'll get into contact with you when my preparations are complete. That time, please bring along Barukemi-san. If possible it would be the best if you knock him out first but if it's impossible then I'll somehow manage to take care of that on our end."

"There's no problem with that. We didn't think we'd be allowed to see the spell either way."

Well, that's only obvious. I would be troubled if they complained here.

"After that, please promise not to reveal this matter to anyone other than those of us here right now."

"Of course. There's no problem at all, these two are good at keeping their mouths shut. They can be trusted."
"It's the same for me as well. Kaku will never talk about it."

Honestly speaking, even if they were to mention it somewhere it's nothing that would be of great harm to me so it's just something like insurance.

"And, after that is..about {Sun Ray}. I asked both of you about them a bit the other day but..while it was only just a small portion, since we were cooperating over using the same facilities, I was a bit interested in them. If you know anything other than that please teach me. After that is..please don't pry into it, I guess?"

"Putting aside things relating to {Sun Ray} I have no intention of prying. It's only obvious that you would try to conceal things related to the spell."

"Ah, certainly there's that as well. However, what I wanted to say was that, no matter what may occur between us and {Sun Ray} I want you to remain unconcerned and not take part in it, I want that sort of firm promise.
The other day, {Sun Ray} tried to send a member into our party. It's nothing more than a precaution."

"Ho.."
"He.."

"Also, just one more thing. This is quite literally just a confirmation but are {Verdure.Brotherhood} and {Black.Topaz} in a cooperative relationship?"

I grinned with a smile while asking. Most likely, these guys are already cooperating to some extent. Though it's just at the level of, so what? If that wasn't the case there's no way they'd both say something like this to me at the same time right?

Well, this is really just a simple confirmation.

Chapter end