Volume 3 Chapter 32 The Messenger From The Port City Châtillon II
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”I’ll have the lettuce and onion salad.Dressed with lemon juice and pepper, please. Heap it up! And add some tomatoes.”
”I’ll have some alcohol-free wine. Natra will have…”
”Lord Robert’s latest confectionery.”
Melissa writes down the 3 orders, repeats them back, and returns to the kitchen.
She’s a modern girl with a lackadaisical air, but she’s got guts.
Now that the orders are in, it’s time to get down to business.
Kian brings up something he’d been curious about since their introductions.
”By the way, Ms. Priscilla, are you possibly the daughter of Lord Renaud?”
”You’re sharp! Renaud is my father, and my beloved older brother Guy is the acting lord. I’m the youngest of 5 brothers. The only daughter. Heh, we don’t look much alike, do we? My hair color is the only one in the whole family that’s completely white.”
”Is that from your mother?”
”No. My mother is an ordinary human. She doesn’t have hair like this, anything but normal.”
”It’s very beautiful hair.”
Kian said it honestly.
Priscilla’s lips, which had been smiling, suddenly stiffen.
She narrows her jet-black eyes and tilts her head, as if peering over her clasped hands.
”Do you truly think so, Lord Kian?”
”Yes. It’s as white as snow, yet it has a thickness and a weight to it that’s unlike that of an old woman’s. If I may, I’d like to see it up close.”
”────. Hmm. Is that so.”
After an awkward silence, Priscilla looks away.
Without a word, she reaches down to a trunk at her feet and pulls out a luxurious scroll, gilded with gold leaf.
It’s Guy’s official summons, no doubt.
”We can’t afford to be too leisurely even before we reach Châtillon. Let’s get down to business. Lord Kian, you have a direct request from the acting lord, Guy. The Adventurer’s Guild request had your signature on it, but I’m sure you’ll take on the task without hesitation?”
”Yes, I will do my utmost to solve it.”
”There are 2 quests. You might have heard about them from brother, but one is to participate in the gladiatorial tournament and emerge victorious. If you are defeated along the way, that will count as a failure. The other is to eliminate a mutated wraith known as the ‘Night Crier,’ which has recently been terrorizing fishing villages around Châtillon. The priority is to first focus on the tournament, and afterwards, you will take on the ‘Night Crier.’ We will provide you with shelter and food, supporting you in your quest. However, I cannot send the Knight Order to assist in the hunt for the ‘Night Crier,’ nor can we rely on the aid of Châtillon’s Adventurer Guild. Instead, I will be facilitating support for both quests.”
”Support? Doesn’t that sound more like surveillance to you?”
”Hehe, the truth can take on many forms depending on who perceives it. If you see it as surveillance, then I suppose I shall become your overseer, Rufna. Instead of being all tense, it would be wiser to think of me as just a kind and helpful witch.”
”It would seem more unnatural not to assign surveillance to lower-ranked Adventurers. If Sir Guy has instructed you to report our movements, then I suppose there’s no helping it.”
”I’m glad you understand, Lord Kian. However, if we were to cheat at the casino in Châtillon for a quick profit, I wouldn’t bother with making such reports. The only instances where I would have to inform my brother would be if you were to flee the battlefield or attempted to smuggle our confidential information to Her Excellency Maribel. As long as you stick to fulfilling the quests, there’s practically no chance of being hounded by my hounds, so rest assured.”
With a bright smile, Priscilla concluded her long-winded explanation, winking at Kian as she asked, “Do you have any questions so far?”
When he ignored her mysterious wink and shook his head, she thudded a suitcase onto the table.
”It’s not much, but there’s an advance payment in here. You understand, right? This is for preparation. Don’t go thinking this money is for you to have a good time at the casino beforehand or to buy women in a brōtḥel. You can spend it that way if you want, but if you fail the Quest because of that, you’ll be held accountable. Keep that in mind.”
”Are there any specific items or paid procedures required for the gladiatorial combat? As for slaying the Wyvern, we have already gathered the necessary tools and equipment.”
”Just the participation fee and a blood-stopping potion, I suppose. I’ll explain the flow of the gladiatorial combat later, but it’s not just about fighting in the arena. Before the brawl, you have to show off your honed physique to the wealthy patrons who attend n*ked. They wouldn’t find it entertaining just watching strangers kill each other, would they? You have to make a good impression on them and get them to place large bets.”
As Priscilla is speaking, Melissa brings over the dishes that she ordered.
Kian gets wine, Natra gets cake, and Rufna gets pheasant.
Priscilla receives a deep plate piled high with lettuce and onions, thanks Melissa, and grabs a bottle of lemon and salt and pepper.
As she squeezes a whole lemon with magic, she continues.
”Making an impression costs money. The ladies who come to see the strong, male slaves won’t be impressed by anything shabby. It’s common to dress extravagantly, almost to the point of gaudiness. ──By the way, I didn’t ask, but is Lord Kian participating?”
”That’s my intention.”
”Then, keep the night of the display free, won’t you?”
The white-haired witch lets out a smirk and a mischievous smile.
The lemon, squeezed dry, is sliced thinly and carefully placed in an even pattern on top of the lettuce.
”Perhaps… I’ll be chosen by a noblewoman and called to her bed?”
”Exactly. A gladiator slave is also a one-night sex slave for the bored noblewomen. In reality, marriage is decided by various factors like wealth, status, and noble blood, but in this underground arena, being chosen as a sex partner is reserved for the strongest males. Simple and straightforward, wouldn’t you say?”
”────”
”A warrior who fights valiantly and wins is always swarmed by ladies after the match. So, it’s best to keep your evening free after the day of the fight. If you win, you can reveal you’re not a slave, so you *could* turn down any invitations for the night of the match.”
”I-I see…”
Probably, if you’re invited after the pre-match appeal, you won’t be able to refuse because you’re pretending to be a non-slave to enter. Even if you don’t have to pretend anymore, Kian’s social standing is only that of a Lower-rank Adventurer with a knight title, so he’ll have little freedom to refuse depending on who it is.
(My warrior monk soul is being defiled…)
’Don’t act all innocent now, you womanizer!’
(Huh?)
’Hmph.’
”‘The Night Crier’ subjugation quest will be tackled afterwards, but if you’re injured so badly in the match that you can’t fight, it’ll be considered a failure. In that case, we’ll heal you and then kick you out of Châtillon. Don’t get your hopes up, because we might even ask for the advance payment back if you disappoint us.”
”Understood.”
”Hmph, oh my. Don’t you want to be more specific about what you mean by ‘disappointing’?”
”I don’t think I’ll fail, so it’d just be a waste of breath.”
Priscilla narrowed her eyes, “Hmm,” as Kian replied.
”You really are something, just like father. That look on your face shows unshakable confidence in your abilities. Maybe it’s because I’m not used to men, but I’m a little flustered.”
”Eh…”
”Hehe, let’s talk about the most important thing next: the reward!”
With Natra and Rufna’s gazes subtly piercing him, Priscilla dramatically changed the subject.
She took out a contract and held it out towards Kian.
”Here’s the advance payment──. And here’s how the reward money breaks down. The gladiator match is higher because of Guy’s enthusiasm.”
”…! This much?!”
Robert had once confided that the personal requests from noble clients could sometimes be worse than regular quests, providing less reward than expected. However, Guy, being the deputy lord of Châtillon, had a whole different scale of payment in mind.
Quest: Gladiatorial Match────Reward: Thirty gold coins.
Depending on the match’s outcome, there was a chance of being granted a title as a knight of Châtillon and offered employment.
Quest: ‘Night Crier’────Reward: Ten gold coins.
If one wished to demand a reward from the villagers, they were free to negotiate.
The sheer amount made one’s eyes widen in disbelief.
It was one thing to be broke, but in contrast to the meager offerings from Maribel, this sum felt like a commanding presence that simply raised one’s esteem.
”The reward for this far exceeds that of slaying a Griffin. Even including materials, it wouldn’t come close to matching the ‘Night Crier’.”
”No, it’s actually on the lower end. You’ve likely heard, but the ‘Night Crier’ is a dangerous foe that has been mercilessly annihilating the advanced-rank Adventurer party. After discussions between Châtillon’s Guild Master and Guy, we recently set the raid rank for this party at near-catastrophe level──Rank 2. We are currently sending out documents to prominent figures with some influence to gather participants in case of potential failure, but if we end up hiring true advanced-rank Adventurers or near-advanced-rank ones, the costs, including hospitality, will skyrocket. Thus, brother wish for you to handle this at a lower cost.”
”Ten gold coins for a party raid ranked at Rank 2 is quite steep. Well, as long as we earn contribution points, I can’t complain. The Master wouldn’t want to quarrel over a reward with noble lords, would he?”
”Since there’s a prize of 30 gold coins for the gladiatorial match, I have no complaints.”
”If Sir Kian claims there’s no room for complaint, then I too shall voice none.”
”For humanoid monsters, the quasi-disaster class refers to creatures on the level of a lone vampire without subordinates. I’ll do my best to support you, but I need you to carefully plan your approach before taking action. I’m counting on you. ──So, do you have any questions about the contract details, or is there anything you’d like me to explain again?”
”You’ll tell us more once we’re at your base, right?”
Kian asked, and Priscilla nodded.
Her plate was empty already.
”Yes, there’s a lot I can’t explain until we’re showing you around the town. Things like how to get to the underground arena and where to buy decorations. So, unless you have any other questions, I’ll start preparing to open the gate. But, do you have anything left to do in the East End town? Once we’re in Châtillon, you won’t be able to take on any other jobs or negotiations for a while.”
”We’re good.”
”No problem here.”
The promotion exams for Natra and Rufna were on their minds, but they could probably take them at the Adventurer’s Guild in Châtillon.
It would depend on how the quests went once they arrived.
”Before we teleport, I have a delivery quest from the shop owner, Mr. Robert. I just need to collect the payment.”
”A delivery? Oh dear. Will that be finished today?”
”No, it’s to buy a rare liquor in Châtillon.”
”Ah, I see.”
Priscilla nodded once and stood up.
”I know a thing or 2 about alcohol, too. From sweet ones to the ones with a kick. Châtillon has tons of taverns, and they serve all sorts of fine wines and liquors from all over the world. Of course, there are also plenty of local brews you can only get in Châtillon. It’s a tradition that’s been going on ever since we traded with Azraelian merchants, way back when. There’s a liquor called ‘Comrade’s Blood,’ which has a slightly tasteless name but is utterly addictive. If you have time between quests, I can show you some hidden gems.”
She put on her pointy hat, winked, and smiled.
”But── it depends on my mood, I might ask for something in return. After all, I am a very whimsical witch.”
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply