Chapter 57: An Unexpected Haul
“Deios-dono, what business brings you here this time?”
“I wish to meet with Shinya and speak with him.”
“With him? Are you planning to cause trouble again? It’s quite a nuisance for us, you know.”
“No, I have no intention of causing trouble. The Earl-sama wishes to apologize for the previous incident, and for that purpose, he earnestly desires to meet him. Of course, I will strictly instruct the escorting knights.”
“In that case, you should just stop him when he’s entering or leaving the town and apologize then.”
“It seems the Guards also had some sort of trouble with him when he was entering and leaving town, and if something else happens, it could become a serious matter…”
“Surely you’re not making unreasonable demands of someone belonging to the Adventurers Guild without a solid reason, are you?”
“Of course not. There was a dispute due to the Guards’ misunderstanding, but we have no intention of blaming him.”
“Then, very well. As long as you don’t cause a commotion with the Adventurers, I will permit you to wait for him in a corner of the dining hall.”
When Deios, the Butler, bowed politely and left the office, the Sub-Master apparently let out a heavy sigh.
I didn’t know what had happened, but I was intrigued that the usually arrogant butler was acting so deferentially.
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When I went to the Guild to sell my game, the receptionist onee-san called out to me.
As I was wondering what was up, the Sub-Master arrived.
“What is it this time?”
“There’s a ‘girl’ who’s been coming here every day wanting to meet you. She should be waiting in the dining hall, so go meet her.”
In the dining hall? If I do that, it’ll be like throwing a virgin into a horde of Goblins.
For now, I postponed selling my game and headed to the dining hall.
Damn it, I wasn’t expecting a ‘girl’ with a beard!
There was a butler, a man, with two knights behind him, and he stood up when he saw my face.
“Shinya-dono, please excuse my rudeness the other day. I have something I’d like to discuss with you, if you don’t mind.”
“Nothing good ever comes from getting involved with you lot. And also, I can’t accept a request to dispose of myself.”
“My master, Count Heinz Lingan-sama, wishes to reconcile with you, which is why I am here.”
“Reconcile? I heard everything from Lukzen about the request he received from you. Your request was the Earl’s request, wasn’t it?”
“No, my lord only reprimanded me for what happened at the Adventurers Guild. I acted rashly to protect the Earl’s family honor, and I am truly sorry. Please, do not bring harm to the Earl-sama.”
Trying to cut off the lizard’s tail here, are we?
Well, it looks like the tail is trying to cut itself off, but I’m not naive enough to believe such nonsense.
“I don’t care what happens to you or the Earl. The moment I was attacked and figured out who was behind it, it was out of my hands. The rest is up to Tamer God Tina-sama and the Killer Bees.”
“That is what we would like you to stop. You previously said that if you made a request, they would refrain from attacking.”
“Why should I have to ask Tina-sama a favor for someone who’s trying to kill me?”
“As for compensation, please state your desires, whatever they may be.”
“Compensation, huh… Previously, the reward for using us as bait was 10 Gold Coins. If things had gone well, the reward for a job that would have earned the King’s favor was a mere 10 Gold Coins. And that was the reward for risking two lives. What kind of wish can a stingy bastard like him grant?”
“My master will surely grant your wish. Please, I beg you!”
For an Earl’s butler to bow his head to an Adventurer in the Adventurers Guild, he must be really cornered.
I’m the one who cornered him, but since there’s something I want, maybe I’ll go see the Earl’s face and tease him a bit.
“Alright. However, I’ll meet the Earl directly and tell him my demands. I’ll head to the Earl’s Residence tomorrow, is that fine?”
“I will inform my master! We shall await you!”
The escorting knights watched the butler, who was giving his deepest bow, with strange expressions, but they left without meeting my eyes.
“Yo, Shinya, looks like you’re up to something interesting.”
“To think that old guy would bow so deeply to you.”
“What happened? Tell us.”
“Whoa, an Earl’s butler bowing to an Adventurer, that’s unheard of!”
“Ah, it’s not towards me. It seems they angered the Tamer God-sama because of the knight who hit me before. So they’re asking me to intercede with Tina-sama. Basically, like a substitute priest, I guess.”
“Oh, that incident? Your escorts are pretty extreme, after all. If you anger them, a noble title won’t mean a thing.”
“Eight knights died here before, is that still causing repercussions?”
“Seems like it. Seriously, what a pain, right?”
“You’re the one causing trouble! Everyone who was in the dining hall back then got stung and was complaining endlessly!”
“Yeah, yeah, even the Sub-Master got stung and was making a sour face.”
“Back then, the Guild ran out of antidote Potions and it was a huge uproar.”
“I wasn’t in the Guild at the time, so I was saved.”
The glares from those around me felt somewhat cold, so it seemed quite a few of them had been stung back then. Unable to bear their resentful gazes, I decided to make a run for it.
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When I announced myself at the service gate of Earl Lingan’s Residence, I was immediately guided inside and received by the butler.
Led by the butler, I entered Earl Lingan’s office to find the Earl lolling back on a sofa, and opposite him sat two old-looking ‘young masters’.
He’s scared of Tina-sama’s wrath, but he hates the idea of bowing his head to an Adventurer, huh.
In that case, I won’t hold back.
The butler announced, “My lord, it is the Adventurer Shinya,” but the gazes from the two ‘young masters’ were harsh.
《You bastard! Father may wish to reconcile, but who do you think you are? Kneel!》
Hmph, quite spirited, aren’t we.
Unleashing my full anger, full-power killing intent, and King’s Pressure, I looked down on the Earl and his children.
The ones going 《Wha-》 and 《Eh-》 were the knights by the wall, while the Earl, who had been lolling on the sofa, turned deathly pale, his mouth half-open, drooling and trembling.
The little brat who had yelled at me to kneel foamed at the mouth and fainted, while the other similar-looking fellow was trembling and wetting his pants, his eyes unfocused.
Maintaining my killing intent, filled with the thought that I’d slaughter them all, I glanced at the knights by the wall, but not a single one of them had a hand on their sword.
A somewhat skilled Adventurer would at least place a hand on their sword, but the knights directly guarding the Earl are only at this level, huh.
The butler was so terrified he couldn’t stand, just trembling and useless, so I eased up on my killing intent a little.
“Count Lingan-sama, are you perhaps not inclined to reconcile? If that’s the case, it doesn’t bother me in the slightest…”
Taking advantage of the fact that no one could move, I leisurely approached the window and unlatched it.
That 《Hic!》 shriek seemed to come from the Earl, but I don’t feel like holding back for someone who talks about reconciliation but has no intention of apologizing.
I looked around outside from the wide-open window, but refrained from calling Bee-chan.
It’s still a slightly chilly season, but my body temperature regulation function is working well.
Easing up on the King’s Pressure, I took out a liquor bottle and a glass from a lavish cabinet and had a taste.
It was a bit inferior to the high-quality whiskey I know, but still quite good. I had a drink with some skewered meat from my stores while waiting for the Earl-sama to come to his senses.
By the time I was pleasantly tipsy and feeling good, the Earl’s complexion had improved a little, and the one who had foamed at the mouth and fainted seemed to have woken up.
The one who had wet his pants and was trembling seemed to have escaped reality; he was muttering to himself and hadn’t returned to the present world.
“How long do you plan to stay on the floor? Go give the Earl-sama a drink to help him pull himself together.”
“‘Hahi-!'” he replied, desperately trying to stand. He staggered towards the cabinet, his legs completely giving way.
Most of the liquor poured by his trembling hand spilled outside the glass, but since the Earl’s hand that received the glass was also shaking, I guess they were equally at fault.
He downed the drink in one gulp, and by the third glass, he seemed to have somehow regained his senses, so I decided to ask about the terms of reconciliation.
“Earl-sama, you sent your butler saying you wanted to reconcile, but asking me to beg Tina-sama not to kill you? What kind of nonsense are you spouting? Whether you’re an Earl or a King, to Tamer God Tina-sama, you’re just another human.”
“Yes, I am truly sorry for my actions towards one who has received the Divine Protection of the Tamer God-sama. I will never act rudely towards you-sama again, so please forgive me.”
“So, you don’t want to die, and that’s why you want me to ask Tina-sama to forgive you, is that it?”
“Yes! I will give you anything you-sama desire, so please, I beg of you!”
“Alright, a Rank 8 Magic Bag with a time delay of 360, and some alcohol.”
“A Magic Bag and… alcohol?”
“Yeah. It looks like you have some decent stuff, so I’d like to take as much as I want from your wine cellar. If you grant that, I’ll offer a prayer to Tina-sama for you.”
I haven’t even seen Tina since that time, and I can’t contact her either, though.
Well, I’ll at least ask Bee-chan and the others not to attack.
“Understood. I will order a magic tool merchant to bring the Magic Bag at once. As for the alcohol, I will have my butler guide you, so please take as much as you like.”
He’s being quite generous, seeing as his life is on the line.
After the butler, ordered by the Earl, sent a messenger to the magic tool merchant, he said, “I will guide you to the wine cellar,” and bowed his head.
On this dream wine cellar tour, I didn’t have time for tasting, but I tossed 20 bottles of each type into my Rank 3 Magic Pouch.
Sometimes, even for items where there were only a few to a dozen bottles, I casually tossed them in, so I think I ended up taking several hundred bottles in total.
The wine cellar tour ended, and back in the Earl’s office, we waited for the magic tool merchant in awkward silence. I received the Rank 8-360 Magic Bag and had the user restriction set at the same time.
Once the magic tool merchant left the office, I bid farewell to Earl-sama.
“Um… please, your intercession with Tina-sama…”
“Earl-sama, you don’t actually think the Tamer God-sama is just going to pop up, do you? I’m just making a request to the Killer Bees. Once I leave this mansion, I’ll ask Tina-sama and the Killer Bees not to attack.”
Though I doubt it was anything close to elegant, I gave Earl-sama a bow and told the butler I was leaving.