Volume 3 Chapter 79 We’ll Need A Way To Get Around, Right？ II
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Hah, that’s not true! Please stop joking around.”
”I’m serious. These 2 will buy it for free. For the future of Izerland.”
”Are you really serious? Just so you know, if you try to trick me any further, you’ll pay a price. Lucretia’s eyes can be fooled, but Christy’s can’t. She might be a bit scatterbrained sometimes, but she’s a very talented Witch.”
”Don’t think I’m going to compete in wit with the secret prodigy of the kingdom’s top magician family, who graduated from the academy with top honors.”
”So you’re seriously just gonna give it to us for free?”
When Kian tried to cut in, Priscilla wagged her finger and clicked her tongue.
”You’re buying it for free, you see. A first-time discount. But I’m just a merchant, so from the second time on, you’ll pay. Lord Kian, I might have told you before, but if you wanna do business, come find my workshop.”
”Can I see the contract?”
”Of course. I’ll send you the official version later. After Christina checks it, sign if there’s no problem.”
Kian and Maribel exchanged a quick glance, caught off guard.
This Witch had poisoned them──
But the dream world she offered was incredibly useful.
No matter where they were in this world, if they fell asleep, they could still talk to Maribel.
For Kian, he could always get fresh intel on Izerland Fortress, and he could even ask Maribel to contact the nobles with personal requests for him in the salon.
Reaching Rank 5 as an Adventurer meant the quests you took on became rare Rank 3 jobs, so having more high-difficulty options was always better.
And Maribel, she could always listen to Kian’s on-the-ground quest stories, and if there was a request, she’d contact him right away.
When he needed advice, it was just a blink away.
If she wanted, Priscilla could teach Kian martial arts in that big field too.
With Priscilla’s otherworld magic, anyone could do dream learning, something everyone wanted.
Kian wouldn’t have refused if he was officially asked on a Quest.
Priscilla blinked her eyes.
”Nyah? I made a super useful surprise for Your Excellency and Lord Kian! Do you get it?”
”I thank you for the dream world, but if it wasn’t useful, your head would have flown off. Priscilla, maybe it’s wrong of me to say, but be careful of dangerous things.”
”Hahaha. Don’t worry. I’m the Head Magician. I can change everything in the world with a flick of my finger. I know how to do a risky contract.”
”I hope so. So, what about that carriage~?”
Maribel pointed at the big carriage that was half-pulled out of the warehouse, probably wondering about it from the start.
If Kian remembered right, it was the same carriage Priscilla used in Châtillon.
It was dusty, but it smelled of strong magic.
Priscilla spread her arms wide like, “You asked the right question!”
”This is! A gift for Lord Kian, who’s going to Ramsey! A multi-functional carriage with air conditioning and can sleep many people──it’s called the ‘Ark of the Moon’!”
* * *
”Ms. Priscilla, I’m not going to Ramsey.”
Kian looked up at the carriage, which was being fixed by skeleton soldiers, and frowned.
It was a huge box-like car that looked like 4 meters high and ten meters long.
The hood was red and black, with a big picture of a bull and the sea.
The Châtillon crest.
On either end of the emblem, there were marks from Priscilla’s workshop and Guy’s workshop, along with promotional phrases like ‘We take any job. Contact Châtillon Main Castleguard.’ Additionally, there were several marks from guilds based in Châtillon.
”Huh? Lord Kian still says that kind of stuff? It’s clearly your flow that’s leading the way.”
”Well, there’s no merit in going over there yet, and I’ll be here until early next month. Once the party’s coordination improves and everyone’s rank goes up, we might finally move to a place where we can make some money.”
”Haa~~~~~~? Don’t say such bullshit and hurry up and go to Ramsey. You need to expose Lord Owl’s corruption and establish your martial prowess.”
”In Ms. Priscilla’s eyes, Lord Owl is already a criminal, huh…”
Priscilla, perhaps feeling anxious, shifted her gaze from Kian and turned back to Maribel.
”Your Excellency, have you decided which agent to send? You wouldn’t use that unscrupulous tiger, would you?”
”I plan to send someone else, considering their suitability.”
”Then, are you going to ask a party of advanced-rank Adventurers living in the fortress?”
”────”
”That won’t do, Your Excellency. No way. Lord Kian is the most suitable by far. He’s a wise man who can slay powerful Bloodsucking Kinds, fearlessly face Lord Owl, and navigate the battlefield with ease. There’s no one else but him. And have you seen his party members? Their strength is undoubtedly beyond ‘Lion’s Companion.’ I’m telling you this as someone who has seen their bravery in Châtillon, so I’m not mistaken.”
”No, but──”
Maribel’s gaze flickered towards Kian.
”I don’t want to rely on him for everything. I want to be in an equal relationship with Master Kian…”
”What’s wrong with the setup of a hero gallantly saving a princess in distress?”
”This has nothing to do with Priscilla. This is my problem with Lord Kian. Kian wouldn’t want to go to Ramsey if he’s got no stake or benefit.”
Priscilla rested her hands on her hips and sighed.
Expecting something on her own, then being disappointed on her own──she was a witch who jumped into things too quickly in every way.
There was probably a huge gap between the future she imagined in her mind and what Kian and Maribel thought was coming.
Because of that, her good feelings didn’t feel genuine at all.
’What will you do, Kian?’
(I had no intention of answering Maribel’s request or accepting her gift. Even if I got this fancy carriage, I had no use for it, no place to put it.)
Kian made a sour face at the carriage, crowded with flashy ‘Investor’ advertisements.
”Ms. Priscilla, I’m sorry, but I can’t accept this carriage.”
”Why not? Are you nuts or what?”
”It’s you who’s nuts, Priscilla~.”
Maribel tapped her folded arms with her fingers and narrowed her eyes.
”Master Kian is a knight of Izerland… in name only, though… And you’re about to put him into a carriage with the Châtillon coat of arms, as if you’re trying to steal him away. And what’s this? It even has your workshop’s mark and Guy’s workshop mark. It’s a terrible insult~! Do you plan to make the highest knight I appointed promote magic tools, weapons, and armor? Master Kian isn’t some monkey to draw customers in!”
”I have no intention of turning Lord Kian into a mascot. Since I support him as a Witch of Châtillon, it’s natural that the carriage bears the Châtillon mark.”
”Support… Supporters usually come to intermediate-rank parties above the lower ranks. I’m still just a lower-rank adventurer.”
”But you’ll soon be promoted to intermediate and then advanced rank.”
Priscilla sharply pointed her finger and said.
The witch pressed on.
”If Lord Kian doesn’t want to be a noble, you’ll try to be the best Adventurer. When that happens, I don’t want to be behind other nobles and merchants. This is an investment for the future. I want to be the first to support Lord Kian.”
”────”
”You probably don’t need anything now, but when you go on adventures, you’ll need lots of things. Food, passes, taxes for the land, extra weapons and armor, information, camping stuff. It’s not just a few Gold Coins. I’m ready to support you as your sponsor.”
She snaps her fingers and points to the back warehouse.
The warehouse shutter opens with a BANG, and dragon bone soldiers come out, holding wooden boxes.
They pass by Kian and his friends, and DUMP the boxes near the campfire where Gao and the others are waiting.
”These are preserved foods. Hardtack, cheese, sauerkraut, and high-energy wine. Lots of stuff that lasts a long time. If Lord Kian meets other merchant guilds, nobles, or mercenaries on his adventures, let them try some. Especially the cheese, I’m proud of that.”
”You’re only thinking about business.”
”What’s wrong with that? Your Excellency, if you have something to say, why don’t you support Lord Kian first? It’s annoying to be called a money-grubber by someone who hasn’t given anything. No matter what I’m thinking, food and transport will physically help Lord Kian.”
”……”
”Oh, sorry. You’re already helping, right? I heard that── it seems you’re sending the extra weapons and armor from the guard to Lord Kian’s base, like a garbage dump.”
”Garbage──!? Those are our guard’s official equipment~!”
”But they’re just pieces of iron with no magic language carved on them, right? Lord Kian, did anything from Your Excellency help you?”
”There was, you know. I used the iron sword.”
”Iron sword, huh?”
Priscilla smirked mean and slow as she kept repeating that.
Maribel’s right eyebrow twitched and twitched, start to spasm.
Looks like she felt pretty humiliated, real bad.
”Even if you don’t go to Ramsey, just take the supplies I give. Thanks to this sponsorship, Lord Kian’s party won’t get their plans twisted or anything. If you want, I can send the contract tomorrow. I’ll give you the rough draft now, and you and your friends can look at it and decide, maybe?”
”Well, yeah. Some members aren’t here now, so we’ll talk about it first. But, I can’t take the carriage. Just got no place to put it.”
”Got it. I’m waiting for your good reply. And──”
Priscilla said, “Last thing,” and pulled out a letter sprinkled with gold leaf from her pocket.
”Looks like I wasn’t the only one who was caught by Lord Kian. ──Mr. Boco Halam of the Merchant Guild Tigris mine have reached out with a sponsorship proposal for you. But, if you read the letter, you’ll see──it’s different from the contract you have with me or with Guy. If you accept, it’ll severely limit your party’s future paths. Basically, it means you might have to charge into Dacia’s Griffin territory with Mr. Halam’s 3 brothers. I’d suggest you turn it down for now.”
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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