Chapter 97: A Trustworthy Porter

“What are you? You look extremely suspicious.”

The Saint shows hostility towards the Frogman trapped in the iron cage.

No, that’s not hostility, it’s killing intent.

“Sa-Saint! Calm down!”

“What? Calm down? Looking at that appearance and telling me to calm down? Porter, what’s wrong with you? Move aside!”

“Uwaaah! Rosie! Please help me!”

“Uh, I can’t oppose the Saint. I’m sorry.”

“Uwaaah!”

The Saint tries to smash the Frogman’s head with her bible just because he looks suspicious.

I clung to her waist, holding her back.

‘If the Saint attacks and kills the Frogman, it would be a disaster.’

It’s natural to be suspicious if such a dubious being exists in an underground city overrun with heretics.

I understand the Saint’s feelings too. But if the Frogman dies here, we’ll never be able to enter the Snake’s Nest again.

The Frogman is the only being who can allow entry into the “Snake’s Nest”, a hidden place in the underground city.

If he dies without telling us how to enter the Snake’s Nest, no one in Labyrinth City will be able to enter it.

What if there’s some treasure in the Snake’s Nest, and we just miss it?

I absolutely can’t let that happen.

“Saint, please calm down and put down the bible..! He might not be a heretic, right? Shouldn’t we at least hear him out?”

“In an underground city full of heretics. An adventurer trapped in an iron cage, no less. Moreover, a being that has been cursed with deformation and half-transformed into a monster? Doesn’t it seem like we should kill him because he’s so suspicious? Is there any value in listening to what he has to say?”

“No, wait a moment! Saint! First, please calm down..”

“You. Your behavior right now. Is a bit suspicious. You’re trying to protect him excessively. What’s the reason?”

“Ugh. Well..”

The Saint stared straight into my eyes.

She must have judged my behavior as suspicious. But I couldn’t tell the Saint about the Frogman’s identity and usefulness.

This is valuable information that only I should know. Information about the Snake’s Nest must not reach the Saint’s ears.

If the Saint finds out, it means the religious order finds out, and if the religious order gets information about the Snake’s Nest, the priests of the order will clean out the Snake’s Nest before I can get anything.

So I had to thoroughly hide the information about the Snake’s Nest no matter what.

“You’ve been a bit suspicious since you said we should keep a heretic apostle alive. I wasn’t worried because of your curse immunity, but. Hmm.”

After a moment’s thought, the Saint finally activated her ability. It must be lie detection. This is better. It’s good for creating a situation favorable to me.

I can prove my innocence while hiding information about the Frogman.

“Porter, from now on, answer only with the truth. If you answer with a lie, I’ll have no choice but to consider you a heretic. Do you understand?”

“Yes..”

“Then the first question. Do you have friendly feelings towards heretics? Or do you want to become friends with heretics? Or become their ally?”

Friendly feelings.

None at all.

“No.”

The Saint’s eyes sparkled. She seems to be determining whether it’s a lie or truth.

“Then are you trying to use the heretics in some way? You seem to want to use their power.”

I have no choice but to say yes to this question.

Telling a lie is asking to die, so I must only speak the truth.

“….Yes.”

“Hmm. Then are you trying to use heretics to fulfill your own selfish desires? For personal gain? Answer.”

My selfish desires?

The ultimate reason I’m trying to use heretics is to use the body of an apostle bastard when the witch Helena catches the giant.

This is far from my selfish desires. Rather, it’s for the public good of Labyrinth City.

“No. I’m not doing this to fulfill selfish desires. Rather, I’m in service right now.”

“Service, you say. Service to what?”

“Service to normalize Labyrinth City.”

“Normalize? Huh. Everything up to here is the truth. Then Porter, what’s the reason for trying to protect this one? Are you acquainted with him?”

We’re not acquainted.

I just unilaterally know the Frogman’s identity.

“He doesn’t know me. I just know his identity from information I obtained.”

“The lake district, about which almost nothing has been revealed. A cursed adventurer abandoned deep in that place. You knew about him? How? Who’s your source of information? Is it a heretic? Right? You got information from heretics, didn’t you! No? Answer!”

“No! I swear by the goddess, I have no connection with those heretic bastards. And as for how I came to know about this being, I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you. If you want to find out that much, you’ll have to pay an appropriate information fee. I can’t tell you until you pay the information fee.”

“Huh. Are you demanding money in this situation? You’re a slave to money.”

“What, were you trying to get information for free? I paid money for this information too. I can’t just tell you. I should receive at least five platinum coins.”

“Stop with the nonsense about platinum coins. Haah. You must have some means. The way you obtained information about the labyrinth isn’t illegal, is it?”

“Not at all. It’s an entirely legal method. I’m a person who lives honestly. Can you stop with the unnecessary suspicion? If you keep suspecting me, our relationship will sour. Let’s get along well.”

Slaves are legal in Labyrinth City, so it’s information obtained legally, right?

“An information fee of five platinum coins. Well, since it’s information about a place that hasn’t been properly revealed yet, I suppose it’s worth that much. Alright. I understand. Then you won’t tell me the reason for trying to save him either? Not until I pay the information fee?”

“Yes. But I swear he’s a being completely unrelated to heretics. Also, he might be someone who could help us.”

“Hmm. This is also the truth. Then what’s his identity? Is he really an adventurer? An adventurer kidnapped by heretics, I mean. You can tell me this much, can’t you? Whether he’s an adventurer or not.”

“That.. He’s not an adventurer. And I’m not sure why he was trapped in that iron cage either.”

“Whether he was kidnapped by heretics, or a ‘monster generated’ when the new district was created… You don’t know. Yet you’re asking me to trust that he’s not dangerous. Demanding an unreasonable information fee and asking me to trust you blindly. Haah.”

“He’s not a dangerous being. There’s no problem if we don’t attack first.”

“The statement that he’s not a dangerous being isn’t a lie, but in the end, that’s the truth within the scope of what you know. You don’t really know whether he’s dangerous or not, do you?”

“… He won’t be dangerous. Rather, he’ll be beneficial. I’m certain. Please trust me. I don’t defend someone like this unless they’re beneficial to me. You’ve seen that I move strictly according to benefit, haven’t you?”

“Hmm. Certainly. You are the type that moves according to benefit. I did notice when you tried to set fire to the garden and pour oil into the lake, but do you have some convincing evidence? And you can’t tell me that. Not until I pay five platinum coins.”

“That’s right.”

The Saint nodded and stepped back.

“Alright. Porter, I’ve never lost out by listening to you. So I’ll believe you this time too. But if anything seems strange, I’ll kill him immediately. Both that frog and you.”

“Yes. I understand.”

The persuasion was successful.

From dealing with skin walkers by having Paramel cast the blessing of insect repellent, to devastating the garden district by setting fire through oil bottles, and knowing information about the lake district in advance.

Maybe because I’ve achieved several results so far, the trust in me has increased quite a bit.

Thanks to that, I was able to sweet-talk the Saint.

According to the information I’ve heard from outside, the Saint is a monster who would devastate even an innocent rural village if she had the slightest suspicion.

The fact that such a person said she would trust me showed that her trust in me was quite high.

‘Thank goodness.’

This is why usual conduct is important.

No one listens to the words of an incompetent person. But even if a competent person’s words sound like nonsense, they sound plausible.

‘I’m lucky. I found an NPC I thought I wouldn’t be able to find.’

Leaving the Saint and the inquisitors behind, I approached the iron cage where the Frogman was trapped.

The Frogman, who had been half lying down and catching flies outside the cage with his tongue to eat, straightened his posture.

“Well. Did your conversation with that woman end well? Was it worth the wait?”

“Yes. I’ll get you out.”

I pretended to unlock the padlock of the iron chain wrapped around the cage with a lockpick while talking to the Frogman.

“But before I let you out, there’s one thing I want you to promise me.”

“What is it?”

“Information about the Snake’s Nest. Don’t sell it to anyone but me.”

“You, you know more than I thought. Croak.”

The Frogman scratched his chin, thought for a moment, then nodded.

“Alright. In exchange, grant me a few requests. Croak. Then I’ll tell only you how to get to the Snake’s Nest.”

“Alright. What are your requests?”

“First request. Kill that giant over there. Croak.”

Giant hunting was already planned.

“Alright. I’ll hunt the giant for you.”

“Then second, bring me essential alchemy tools.”

“I’ve already brought them.”

“Huh? Croak?”

Do you think I wouldn’t prepare in advance after hearing information from Olivia?

I’ve already brought all the items he essentially requires. This is why it’s convenient to have a strategy guide.

“The third condition is to bring water moth larvae, right? I have everything. We just need to catch the giant.”

“Do you have a prophet friend or something?”

“I have a friend similar to that.”

“Seems you’ve met a benefactor.”

That benefactor is my slave.

“Alright, come back here after you catch the giant. Then I’ll tell you how to get to the Snake’s Nest. Croak.”

“Can I come a bit later? I’d like to meet separately after shaking off those people.”

“That’s fine. I plan to stay in this place for a while anyway.”

“Good. Let’s make a deal.”

With this, I can control the information about the Snake’s Nest as I wish. If I maintain a good relationship with the Frogman, I can monopolize the Snake’s Nest.

‘Now that I’ve found a way to get vengeful spirit slaves. I should form a separate party and monopolize it myself!’

I’m so happy. After this expedition ends, the Snake’s Nest will be mine.

With a joyful heart, I put the lockpick back in my inventory, then took out an axe and cut the iron chain wrapped around the iron cage.

Following Gon’s instructions, I struck along the grain, and the iron chain broke like a thin thread.

“Thanks to you, I’m free. Thank you, adventurer.”

The Frogman held out his hand, and I shook it in a daze.

The sensation feels strange. It feels like touching a frog. No, I really am touching a frog.

As the Frogman was freed, the inquisitors and the Saint approached us.

“By the way, how did you end up trapped in a place like this?”

“I don’t know. When I opened my eyes, I was here. Surely this wasn’t my hometown. It’s strange.”

“Were you kidnapped?”

“It feels that way.”

The Frogman cut his words short at Raphael’s question.

He probably won’t tell where he came from till the end.

‘Most likely from the 7th floor.’

According to the information Olivia gave me, there’s a hint that the Frogman and Arachne are from the 7th floor. It can be seen as experiencing regression through the great cataclysm.

I don’t know more details, and neither does Olivia, but they’re not ones who came down from the surface. They’re ones who were dragged up from below through the great cataclysm.

“So, Porter. How can this one help us?”

“Just a moment. Excuse me, your name is…”

“Call me Frodo.”

“Then, Mr. Frodo. Do you have any items for sale?”

“Of course I do. Wait a moment. Croak.”

The Frogman and Arachne are not only gatekeepers of hidden places but also merchants.

He croaked, saying he would show his merchandise, and started to vomit something up.

“Crooooak…”

“Eww….”

Three glass bottles covered in mucus and a squishy golden lump.

And two bright red beads.

“Here, these are the items for sale.”

The inquisitors’ expressions soured in real-time as they saw the items he took out.

That’s understandable, from their perspective, a cursed adventurer of unknown identity just vomited something up.

But to my eyes, who had heard about the items for sale through Olivia, the things he vomited up looked like treasures more valuable than platinum coins.

‘The items the Frogman sells are completely random.’

I heard the items for sale change every week.

Among the items for sale, two of the rarest items appeared.

“Three bottles of Elixir. One lump of Killer Bee’s Royal Jelly. And two Spirit Tree Hearts.”

Two Spirit Tree Hearts.

Those are the insanely overpowered items.

‘I must buy them no matter what.’

Olivia had told me, as if telling an old story before going to sleep.

If I ever encountered the frog man and he was selling Spirit Tree Hearts, I should get my hands on them by any means necessary.

“Porter-ssi, do you know what these are?”

“Yes, I do.”

I nodded at Rosie’s question.

“The Elixir is a poison that can paralyze the entire lake area. The Killer Bee’s Royal Jelly is…”

“Doesn’t it have an ultra-fast regeneration effect? Right?”

“That’s correct, Saint.”

“Hmm. How does this one have items that come from the 7th floor, I wonder?”

I quickly approached the Saint, who was about to become suspicious again, and whispered.

“Saint.”

“Yes, Porter.”

“This one is a kind of fairy.”

“A fairy?”

“Yes, you know the guide fairy that appears in the goddess religion’s bible? The fairy that led the young lamb to the sacred realm.”

“You, when did you read the bible?”

“Rosie kept talking about the bible next to me so much that I ended up overhearing it.”

It’s not like I wanted to listen.

Rosie, my guard, would tell me stories from the bible when she was bored.

At first, I thought it was nonsense, but as I listened, it was half like a fantasy novel, so it was worth listening to.

Anyway, that helped. There really are no useless stories.

“Hmm. A guide fairy, you say. Certainly, the guide fairy did solve the young lamb’s ordeal alone, taking all the blame. Hmm.”

When I gently persuaded her with stories from the bible, the Saint fell for it again.

This woman is more gullible than I thought. She seems to be easily deceived when familiar things are mentioned.

“Huh.. I understand for now. You’re saying this one is like that guide fairy? I find it hard to believe such a being exists in the labyrinth.”

“Oh my, you’re so suspicious. According to the information I’ve collected, this guy is a bit mentally ill, so if we just leave him alone, he’ll wander around this area selling items. There’s no other threat at all.”

“Can I trust you? If I just let this go and problems arise later, you’ll have to take full responsibility.”

“I’ll take full responsibility.”

“…Alright.”

The Saint finally put aside her suspicion.

More accurately, she stopped showing it.

“Hey, adventurer. So are you buying or not?”

“Ah, yes. I’ll buy. Sorry for keeping you waiting.”

“Alright. Do you know how to pay?”

“Of course.”

The Frogman doesn’t accept money.

There’s no proper use for gold coins in the labyrinth anyway.

So instead of money, he accepts food ingredients.

Or sometimes he accepts monster corpses.

“Is this enough to buy everything?”

I took out monster corpses from my spatial pocket and piled them in front of him.

I was lucky for once.

Three bottles of Elixir, Killer Bee’s Royal Jelly, and two Spirit Tree Hearts.

-Those are real gems.

Even Helena, watching the situation from inside me, marveled.

If I take these out and sell them, couldn’t I buy a house in Labyrinth City?