Chapter 99: Incomprehensible Man (4)

“Here! Mastah, take it!”

Concerning the incident where, upon waking, the girl sitting on top of him vomited something and offered it as a gift.

Risir summarized the situation and savored the quiet wave of existential dread.

My life’s just slipping into legendary territory, isn’t it…

That this could even happen, and that he could accept it so calmly in itself, was legendary.

The object Verdandes had coughed up with an “Ah~” was a yellow crystal, much like a elemental core spat out by a half-elemental.

That made it somewhat easier for Risir to process the absurdity.

Wait, is this like Feryn coughing up a hairball?

No… hold on.

That was because Feryn had a physical body, right?

Don’t elemental cores work like a heart for most elementals…?

Risir looked at Verdandes with a suddenly serious expression.

She wouldn’t… fade away into sparkles with a wistful smile and a “Bye, Mastah,” would she?

“Mastah!”

Thankfully, the little sand girl was full of energy.

More than that, her tiny brows drew an adorable sharp angle as she pouted.

Verdandes was mad.

She shoved the (presumed) elemental core toward Risir.

“Take it!!!”

Only then did Risir realize he had committed the #1 thing you should never do when receiving a gift.

He gave an ambiguous reaction.

The tragedy was born from the fact that the gift came from her mouth rather than a box.

In fairness, that could also rank as one of the top things not to do when giving a gift, but Risir chose not to bring it up.

“Uh, y-yeah! Verdandes…ssu! Thank you!”

He quickly accepted the elemental core (presumed).

“!!!”

But since her angry eyebrows didn’t relax, Risir reacted even more dramatically.

“Wow, I’m so happy!!! I’ll make great use of it!!!”

“What’s ‘great use’ mean!?”

“Oh? Uh… like… super excited!”

“Is that all!?”

“WAAAAAH!!!”

“Then I’ll ‘great use’ give it to you too!!!”

“Great use!!!”

“From now on, Mastah and I are Great-Use Buddies!”

“Great-use, great-use!!!”

The frenzied gift exchange ended after a short while.

“Mastah! I’m going now!”

“Wait! Don’t leave me hanging like that!”

“No! I’m sleepy! I’m going to bed!”

“Ohh, that’s what you meant… You sure this gift’s okay? Nothing bad’ll happen if I keep it?”

“Yup! Great-use!”

“Eh? Oh! Right! Great-use, great-use!”

Verdandes’s form dissolved into sand.

Risir quickly slipped into his inner world to check on her.

Zzz… Zzz…

She had recreated a mini version of Risir’s bed and bedding, adjusted to her size, and buried herself in the sheets.

Only then did Risir let out a sigh of relief.

It was funny in hindsight.

The being who was once a devil was now a tiny girl who made him feel like this.

So looks really are everything, huh… Still…

He looked at the (presumed) elemental crystal she had given him.

What even is this?

How’s it made…

“Oi.”

“…!”

A voice jolted him out of his thoughts.

He shot up and turned around.

Clana stood there with her arms crossed, staring at him.

“What are you spacing out for? Grab your sword.”

“Not now.”

“Then scram.”

“Isn’t this my inner world?”

“…If you’re not here to train, what are you doing?”

“Checking in on Verdandes.”

“…”

Whatever subtle hope had been on Clana’s face turned into irritation.

And then into sheer bafflement.

“You… treat that thing like a child.”

“?”

Risir looked at her.

As if asking, What else would she be if not a child?

“Never mind. Not worth it. So what’s that?”

“This? An elemental core. Verdandes gave it to me.”

“…An elemental core?”

Clana looked at the slumbering sand girl and made a face like she had far too many questions.

Should she be surprised that that thing gave him an elemental core?

Or at him, for treating a gift from a elemental like it was the most normal thing in the world?

“Uuuuugh…”

Once a killer who drove others to chaos with incomprehensible actions and logic, she now found herself on the receiving end of that chaos.

“Oh right. Clana, think you could identify this thing?”

“I’ve got no clue. I’ve spent my whole life swinging a sword.”

“Right. Murder and crime were your specialties, weren’t they?”

“…Couldn’t you just say swordsmanship?”

“But even swordsmanship has subfields, no?”

“Ughhhhh…”

Now that Verdandes seemed fine,

Risir left the troubled Clana behind and exited his inner world.

“I’ll ask Sir Meltas when all this is over.”

He picked up the possibly-an-elemental-core and got out of bed.

Still… what was that commotion about yesterday?

Probably nothing serious.

Rustle, rustle.

Grains of sand fell off his clothes as he walked.

He paid it no mind.

The city nobles who had stayed in the annex didn’t sleep a wink in their rooms.

Gadum—the lunatic—had unleashed his city guards.

How could anyone rest easy, alone, under those conditions?

They gathered in the main hall with their city guards and servants, staying up all night in case anything happened.

Lan didn’t miss the opportunity.

Gadum’s “friends” were all gathered, without Gadum.

Each of them harbored distrust, unease, and resentment toward him.

It was the perfect moment to win them over.

Lan spent the night among them, speaking to each one.

Not just the “friends,” but even the “close friends”.

Those “close friends” had once accepted Gadum’s dirty money and partaken in his filthy businesses without hesitation.

Normally, Lan would have nothing to do with such people.

But…

If I combine the secret ledger Risir gave me, the nobles’ support, and their testimonies, then I can definitely have Gadum expelled from the city council.

The other councilors were selfish and spineless.

But once this plan succeeded, they would no longer tolerate Gadum.

They would sever him quickly, before his downfall dragged them down with him.

Excellent…

That was how Lan defined the flow of events.

However, one thing troubled her.

Gadum’s maneuver had worked.

By dispatching the guards with no hesitation—even against guests and Lan herself—he had seared fear into the nobles’ minds.

—If I so much as hint at betraying him… who knows what kind of revenge…

That fear was Gadum’s intention all along.

—Lan, sorry, but could we talk—just us—for a bit?

Even Morun’s group, who had already been leaning toward Lan’s side, began to hold back.

Lan thought hard.

How do I turn this around?

…This is as far as I can go.

She had a plan to win over the nobles.

A plan to bring Gadum down.

A plan to sway the council.

But she lacked the one decisive move that would sway their hearts completely.

Without that final piece, she could only watch as Gadum got his way.

Only watch as Bondalles continued to rot.

Until he arrived.

A mysterious man who, if he so desired, could become Gadum’s most treasured “best friend” and bask in wealth and glory.

But instead, he chose principle over corruption.

Unlike Lan, who had nothing but ideals, he had the power to uphold justice.

Risir…

Could he prove himself again, even in this bleak moment?

Could he turn their hearts?

“The guards are moving!”

“…!”

“At dawn—”

“Oh no, don’t tell me they’re really going to interrogate us?!”

“Even if they do have full authority! This is too much—!”

Logic told Lan: this wasn’t going to work.

The annex was completely under guard control.

What could someone locked in their room possibly do?

“Wait, what about Risir!? Didn’t he say it’d all be fine!? That he’d take full responsibility if anything went wrong!?”

“Good god, did you actually believe that!?”

“Why shouldn’t I?!”

“Get real! Why would he take responsibility for us?!”

“Depending on a young mage… Honestly, have you no pride?!”

“And what exactly can he do right now? Is he gonna summon troops from the Gray Tower?!”

The other nobles felt the same.

Rationally, it was absurd to expect a mere honorary mage to fix this.

But—

Risir…

Lan knew from experience:

It was foolish to assess him with reason alone.

So she believed.

That he would show up, and offer a solution.

“Everyone, please calm down! Let’s have faith and wait!”

“…”

“…”

As expected, Lan’s plea—based on her odd, almost unshakable faith—didn’t reach them.

Their faces began to cloud with doubt and frustration.

If only she hadn’t dragged them into this…

The “close friends” began to express open hostility.

“Lord Morun! The guard—!”

“Damn it, what now?!”

One of Morin’s escorts rushed in with urgent news.

Just as despair was settling in over the room—

“They’re retreating!”

“?”

Morin and the others stared out the window in disbelief.

The guards were really withdrawing.

Their earlier movements had been…

To pull back.

“What on earth is going on…?”

Everyone turned to Lan with dazed faces.

Only she could possibly explain what was happening, or so they thought.

“?”

“?”

Contrary to their expectations, Lan’s reaction was no different from theirs.

She too was plastered to the window, staring outside with a spellbound expression.

“Didn’t you tell us to have faith and wait…?”

One of the middle-aged noble asked, half in disbelief.

“…”

I… didn’t think it’d be to this extent either.

Lan had stationed a servant near Risir’s room, ready to assist if he ever asked for help.

According to the report, his door had not opened once since they’d left.

Then how…?

Gadum was in a state where he would stop at nothing.

That was what the surrounding city guards implied.

What method could possibly persuade a man like that?

Lan couldn’t think of a single one.

Especially if you added the condition: without leaving the room.

“…”

They were all confused.

“Ah, there you all are.”

Suddenly, Risir’s voice reached them.

Gasp!

Some visibly jolted as if they’d seen a ghost.

“Oh? Wait, don’t tell me… you all stayed here overnight? Because of that ‘commotion’ I mentioned yesterday?”

Risir glanced around and asked innocently.

“What did happen, anyway—”

That was when they recalled.

—Yes, it might look dramatic on the outside, but I assure you, it’s probably nothing.

That was what he had said with such certainty.

Representing the stunned nobles, Morin replied with a blank expression.

“N-nothing happened…”

“Pardon?”

“Just as you said. It looked noisy, but in truth, it was nothing…”

Risir let out a soft chuckle.

“I thought as much.”

That cryptic smile.

No one had a clue what he was really thinking.

Why’s everyone so tense? Were they discussing something important?

Don’t worry. I am surprisingly good at reading the room.

With a gentle smile, Risir said.

“If nothing’s wrong, I’ll excuse myself. I need some air.”

“…!”

The moment he disappeared, everyone rushed to Lan.

“This can’t be real… Something’s wrong…”

Gadum muttered to himself as he swept sand from his floor.

By hand.

He didn’t trust anyone enough to let them into his room.

—Lord Gadum, is something the matter?!

The voice outside the door was Dogal, the captain of the guard.

Gadum’s first move had been to summon all the city guards in the estate.

He replied through the locked door.

“I woke up to find evidence that someone broke into my room during the night! It had to be one of those scum from the annex!”

—That’s impossible!

Dogal detailed the extent of the security that had been in place overnight.

It was a thorough and convincing report.

“…”

Even a paranoid Gadum couldn’t find fault in it.

“Right…”

No.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t find fault.

He chose not to.

He wanted someone to convince him.

That all of this was just paranoia.

That the idea someone could end his life at any moment was just a delusion.

He didn’t know who the enemy was.

But they clearly weren’t brave enough to face him directly—only capable of such childish tricks.

“Good…”

Only after convincing himself of that could Gadum open the door.

He immediately led Dogal and dozens of city guards to the annex.

To prove—to himself—that the terror gripping him was nothing more than an illusion.

Let’s see if you can show your face in front of this army, you coward.

He was sure the bastard was still cowering inside the annex.

Hiding like a pathetic worm, clinging to others.

Gadum repeatedly imagined the enemy’s cowardly, disgraceful form.

“…!”

But as time passed, and he regained his composure, his steps suddenly froze.

Risir.

There he was, casually walking through the annex garden.

Alone.

A stark contrast to Gadum, who was surrounded by armed city guards.

Thump!

Despite himself, Gadum stepped back.

—Your actions are so predictable.

The memory of that voice echoed in his mind, perfectly matching Risir’s solitary stance now.

“?”

Just then, Risir glanced at the city guards, and blinked in confusion.

What the… the city guards? What are they doing here?

As if this were the first time he had noticed them.

Impossible.

After all the commotion yesterday, there was no way he didn’t know.

That meant… he was mocking them.

It was as if he’s saying “So what if they’re here? They couldn’t even stop me from breaking in.”

“No… That’s not true…!”

Gadum shouted, desperate to reject the possibility.

“…!”

Then his eyes locked onto Risir’s chest.

Gadum shouted hysterically.

“T-that! What is that!? What does that mean?!”

Pointing at the sand on Risir’s chest.

“Hm? Ah.”

Risir looked down and chuckled softly.

Must’ve stuck to me when Verdandes sat on me.

He said casually,

“I’ve shown you an embarrassing sight. It’s nothing, please don’t worry.”

He brushed it off with an offhand motion.

Ffffshh…

The sand scattered in the breeze.

“H-huh… Huff…!”

Realizing the implication behind that motion, Gadum’s legs gave out and he collapsed on the spot.

“G-get out! All of you, get out of my estate!!!”

He immediately issued an expulsion order to all annex guests.

To hasten his departure from the city.