Ch.231Now Going to Meet the NPC (1)

“…and so I asked His Majesty the King to make me the lord of this place.”

“Wow. Does a king really go that far for his people?”

“That’s amazing. Our Elder doesn’t spare himself for the beastkin, but it seems the King of Ponia is just as dedicated.”

While Miho and Chikuyo quietly marvel at the story told by the elderly man—the former chancellor of Ponia who now serves as the lord of Tapun territory, having dedicated all his wealth and abilities—I honestly remain skeptical. Frankly, I don’t know much about the noble NPCs from the game, but most were authoritarian. Even the Emperor of the Empire, Ragni’s father, seems mentally unstable. Am I supposed to believe that Ponia, which tormented us and actually collapsed, was the most normal? How could I swallow that?

“Haha! Hard to believe? Well, I originally planned to just live out the rest of my days quietly. Indeed, you live and learn. I never imagined I’d meet you here.”

“Honestly, it’s difficult to believe. From your perspective as Chancellor or the King’s, I’m just a mountain keeper who abandoned his duty and fled—a criminal.”

“…Yes, that’s true. Before confirming the story of your lives, both I and His Majesty thought you deserved punishment.”

But after hearing the story of a 12-year-old boy and an 8-year-old girl who lived on 800 cans per week, with all their monster subjugation bounties embezzled, even risking their lives, he said he couldn’t possibly think that way anymore and quietly bowed his head.

“The reason you lived that way was because I, as Chancellor responsible for managing the country’s laws and people’s lives, was negligent. I sincerely apologize.”

“……”

Though he looks like he’s in his early to mid-40s, as a chancellor who served since the previous king, he must be well over 60. Seeing someone like that bow his head to someone so much younger than me definitely conveyed sincerity. Sigh, damn it.

“How could that be your fault? It’s those cursed villagers, the village head, and that shameless baron who stole everything. Please raise your head.”

At my words, he slowly lifted his head, smiling kindly again and nodding slightly as if to express gratitude. Seeing this, I downed the tea in front of me in one shot, my throat parched.

“Let’s change the subject. You mentioned earlier that you wanted to know why I’m going to Poria?”

“Yes. If you tell me, I’m prepared to spare no expense in support or compensation.”

“You won’t gain anything by investing that much in me. So please just keep it as a thought. And, I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you why I’m going.”

As if I could say, “I received a trial, and my ancestor from 8,000 years ago asked me to take care of a demon of the Seven Deadly Sins, so I’m just going to check on it briefly.” I immediately refused.

If they don’t intend to be hostile to me, I don’t need anything from them either. It’s best if we just move on without knowing each other’s business.

“Hmm. I see, that’s unfortunate. Then, how about this?”

“What? Is there something else?”

“You’re an adventurer, right?”

“…I suppose so, yes.”

“Then, I’d like to make a request of you…”

The lord, suddenly stretching his words ominously while smiling, took a sip of his tea and continued with the same smile.

“Payment in advance. The request is simply to report back to me from Poria. What do you think?”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’ll be visiting the guild there…”

“The payment will be this crystal ball.”

As I was about to refuse while trying to hide my annoyance, he boldly cut me off and placed a crystal ball from his pocket onto the table as payment.

…Huh? Wait. This is…!!!

“This is a [Small Communication Crystal] made in Aiti. It has limited uses, but it allows you to contact anyone with a matching crystal three times from anywhere on the Eight Continent. If you accept this request and use it once to contact me, the remaining two uses are all yours…”

“Of course I accept! How could I possibly refuse a request from the Chancellor!!!”

“Huh?”

“Jack?”

Miho and Chikuyo, who had been listening to me about to refuse, let out surprised voices, but that’s not important!!!

With this, I can contact Ira in Neity!!! Whether it connects with the casino crystal remains to be seen, but it surely will!!! I was just thinking I was running low on Ira content!!!

The Chancellor, who had offered a reward I absolutely couldn’t refuse, continued smiling kindly as he rolled the crystal across the table toward me, and I quickly snatched it up.

Wow, this is way too generous a reward…!!! Who could refuse something like this?!

“Haha! I’m glad you like it. And as an extra service, a person from Ponia with a compatible crystal is currently in [Neity].”

“…What?”

After dropping this mind-blowing statement, the Chancellor began explaining the situation.

After the cold war between the Empire and the Holy Theocracy began, Neity, Aigram, and Ponia formed an alliance. Aiti, along with two neutral cities and Ponia, has been spending large sums to purchase these crystal balls and war materials.

And for smooth communication, there’s a Ponian in Neity, and someone from Neity at the Ponian royal court. My goodness, then…

“This is just between us, but do you know how much compensation you should have received as a mountain keeper?”

“Uh, I think I calculated it before…”

“About 2 million cans.”

“Eek?!”

“T-two million? They stole such a fortune from Jack?!”

With a weekly salary of 10,000, being robbed for three years would be about 1.5 million. And with all the monster subjugation rewards taken too, it would be about that much. It’s an absurd amount even now, but since I currently have much more money, it’s not really an amount I’m concerned about. I’m just a bit annoyed that I can’t punish those bastards who stole it with my own hands. Come to think of it, I’ve never told Miho or Chikuyo about how much money I have, have I?

Anyway, I tilted my head wondering what he meant by that, and the lord chuckled and continued.

“One of these crystal balls costs 3 million cans. But I’m giving it to you as payment for going to Poria…”

“Could it be, the crystal in Neity…?”

“Yes, if you complete my request, I’ll personally contact them and connect you directly to ‘that side.’ I can also use the crystal to contact those other mountain keepers you mentioned earlier. What do you say?”

Wow. Chancellor!!! Raising his pinky as if he knows exactly what ‘that side’ I want to contact! What a kind and wonderful person!!! The Chancellor’s likability graph in my heart shot up beyond the maximum, and I immediately stood up and shouted my thanks. He told me to raise my head, just as I had told him earlier, saying it was money I should have received in the first place.

Wow, what should I do? If the Luxuria matter gets resolved and Ira learns teleportation magic, I might want to come back and live here.

After that, we chatted casually with the Chancellor, sharing various information about other countries. After being treated to lunch, we left the lord’s castle and headed for Poria.

*

“My Lord. Mountain Keeper Jack and his companions have all left the territory.”

“Hmm. Good work.”

As the sun began to set, after my personal maid reported what she had heard from the knights and left the room, I immediately took out the communication crystal from the table.

“Your Majesty. I hope you are well.”

[Jace, has he really returned to our country?!]

His Majesty the King proceeds immediately to ask about the mountain keeper, seemingly more interested in that than my greeting which he heard yesterday as well. Haha. How curious indeed.

“Yes. I met him in person. Setting aside his strength in combat, he was quite intelligent and well-mannered.”

[Ho ho. What method did he use? For a young man who was in Neity to return to this country in just six months—if he had traveled by carriage, our intelligence department would surely have known.]

“From what I gathered, it seems he came through Siltra from Aigram.”

[…Siltra? Through the land of those isolationist elves?]

“Yes. And he asked that we understand it’s not just the land of elves, but of elves, beastkin, and magical beings.”

When I mention that the two pretty beastkin living there said so, His Majesty’s voice stretches out as if he’s heard something interesting.

[So he’s attracted another woman, you say?]

“It appeared so. One seemed to be the white tiger beastkin from Aigram that was previously reported, but now her sister, a fox beastkin, has joined them.”

[Ho ho! They say heroes are lustful, but was he really such a man?]

“…Well. Judging by his ability to protect our territory and capture the demon-possessed mountain keepers ‘without killing a single one,’ he certainly seems to have the qualities of a hero.”

After adding various other reports, His Majesty, seemingly intrigued and pleased, listened to everything before continuing.

[Yes, yes. So, did you get him to come to our royal court? I need to apologize to him, and also…]

“Your Majesty. I’m sorry to say, but he headed straight for Poria territory.”

[…What? Poria? Right now, there…]

“Yes. There have been reports of a demon, one of the Seven Deadly Sins, appearing there.”

[No…! Then, we cannot just let him go there!!!]

His Majesty raises his voice slightly as if bewildered by my words, but I can’t help but smile. After talking with him and noticing his continued refusals, I have some idea of his purpose.

“Your Majesty.”

[Without even consulting me, you let him go like that, Jace! You are…]

“After speaking with him, I was able to roughly understand his purpose.”

[I was sayi… Huh?! His purpose? What was it?!]

Though I rudely cut off his words, His Majesty didn’t mind at all and asked again.

He must be truly curious and interested in that mountain keeper. And predicting that this information will make him even more interested, I continued.

“It seems he is going to meet the Seven Deadly Sin—the demon that has appeared in Poria.”

Not to defeat it, but likely with the purpose of ‘making contact.’ The former chancellor of a nation, who had dealt with many people over a long time, conveyed his prediction to the King of Poria.