Ch.318318. Talk of the Future

“Ugh.”

Valentina, a new employee at Wellington Trading Company, was sweating as she carried cargo. She had joined the company as it expanded and was working the evening loading shift, her first job since overcoming the grief of losing her father in the Romuleus incident.

“Oof.”

Though it was somewhat difficult work for a woman, Wellington Trading Company had given her an opportunity, and she was working harder than anyone to live up to it.

However, just as tentacles had suddenly appeared and taken her father away, life tends to throw unexpected events at the most unpredictable times.

“You bastards! Stop right there! We received information that you’re distributing drugs in the Republic of Clark, and our fucking awesome Spiritmaster has come to inspect personally!”

The harsh shout froze everyone working with Valentina in place. A woman in a rather revealing maid outfit was yelling while holding a threatening axe. Everyone stood dumbfounded since it was already widely known that she was the maid of Spiritmaster Deus Verdi.

“Drugs? Distribution?”

At Wellington Trading Company?

Valentina’s expression darkened rapidly with disbelief. Would she lose her recently acquired job like this?

The moment she saw Deus Verdi walking in behind Findenai, Valentina had to partially resign herself to the situation. To her, Deus Verdi was like a benefactor.

After all, he was the one who had allowed her to say a final goodbye to her deceased father.

She held absolute trust and gratitude toward him.

If someone like him was confident enough to inspect Wellington Trading Company…

“I guess there’s no choice.”

Valentina put down the cargo she was carrying and raised her hands to show she had no intention of resisting.

Her mother had warned her that something felt off when they started hiring just about anyone.

‘I should have listened to mom.’

As Valentina let out a bitter smile of regret…

[Kihahahahaha!]

[Check it! Check everything there is!]

[Going now!]

The voices had an eerie resonance to them. Sounds that could hardly be considered human. Valentina wasn’t the only one who felt momentary fear seeing the souls that surrounded the sky, preventing anyone from escaping.

“Eek!”

“W-what is this?”

They had human forms but were predominantly black in color. Rather than the souls that had previously saved people, they looked more like evil spirits from ghost stories.

“Th-this is scary.”

From the cargo loaded inside the carriages to the piles of freight still stacked up, countless souls moved in perfect unison, knowing exactly what they needed to do.

Just then, one soul began checking the cargo Valentina had put down at her feet. Its body had turned pitch black, making it somewhat difficult to recognize as a human soul, but it tore through the cargo roughly, as if possessed.

At first, she tried to ignore it, but…

The back view of the figure unpacking the fallen cargo was strangely familiar. An unusually familiar back. Like the strong back she used to ride on when she was little…

“Dad?”

She called out cautiously, but the soul gave no response. It simply continued checking the cargo Valentina had been moving, then headed elsewhere.

“That’s my dad…!”

But Valentina was certain. The person who had just checked her cargo was her father, who had been with her since she was little.

“Dad! Dad!”

Valentina called out desperately, but no answer came. She became even more certain she wasn’t mistaken because of the reactions around her.

“Zalen?”

“Child! W-where are you going! Your mother is right here!”

“Son! Greet me properly!”

Pleas that sounded like entreaties came from everywhere. Valentina realized she wasn’t the only one who had recognized someone. She forcibly tore her gaze away from her departing father and turned toward the necromancer controlling them.

He had been her benefactor.

Valentina too had been saved by the souls he summoned during the Romuleus incident. And she was grateful that he had given her the opportunity to exchange farewell greetings with her deceased father, however briefly.

Black Mage.

More precisely, she had come to view necromancers without any prejudice.

But.

But…

“This isn’t right!”

Valentina’s eyes turned red as she shouted. Tears welled up and streamed down her cheeks as she cried out in anger.

“The souls! My father! You shouldn’t use them as you please like this!”

Her steps became forceful. Valentina rushed toward Deus, exhaling hot breaths of indignation.

He looked different from the man she had seen before. Unlike the dignified and impressive figure she had seen previously, now he emanated an unnervingly ominous aura.

Not a Spiritmaster.

But a necromancer.

A name that perfectly suited his current appearance.

His gaze slowly turned toward Valentina. His black eyes were so cold that they almost seemed to have a blue-green tint.

Valentina’s body stiffened.

Even though she had merely received his gaze, her legs trembled and she couldn’t speak. Her tears had long since stopped, and she couldn’t even approach him carelessly.

But.

“Deus Verdi!”

The head of Wellington Trading Company, Victor Wellington, charged forward with bloodshot eyes. His gestures in the air were violent, showing how angry he was.

“Have you lost your mind! Can you handle the backlash if you barge in so forcefully and unilaterally like this!”

Deus’s gaze pierced into Victor. He answered indifferently, not caring at all about the other’s emotions.

“Is everything ready?”

His low voice instantly created a chill in the air. His single statement was sharp and fierce enough to freeze even Victor’s burning anger in an instant.

“This! Acting like this on your own won’t do you any good! You should know that! We have direct contracts with the royal family! Even if His Majesty permitted this, we should have been notified!”

“No, His Majesty doesn’t know about this. This is an action I’ve taken on my own authority.”

“Ha!”

Victor seemed to have already finished his calculations. He shouted even more confidently.

“You’re insane! Insane! This is an abuse of authority! You’re now overstepping even His Majesty’s authority! You were praised for saving the continent, but now you’ve truly crossed the line!”

Victor approached, pointing his finger accusingly. His secretary behind him took out a three-section staff, preparing for a possible violent confrontation, but…

BANG!

The secretary was sent flying by the maid who suddenly attacked. She had merely kicked him, not even hitting him properly, yet the secretary flew like a scarecrow in the wind, rolling on the ground without fulfilling his role.

“Hey.”

The maid with a frost-colored halberd on her shoulder declared coldly.

“Who do you think you’re pointing at?”

Her blood-red eyes looked like a wolf protecting its territory.

A chilling warning.

Victor could only bite his lip and exhale a sigh mixed with lamentation. He couldn’t overcome not only Deus Verdi but even the maid protecting him.

Since he hadn’t expected such an aggressive approach, with someone charging at him with a knife…

“Damn it.”

He could only sweep back his bangs and exhale a bitter breath.

* * *

It was nearly dawn by the time I returned to my room in the royal palace after inspecting Wellington Trading Company.

Because of me, Wellington Trading Company’s carriages couldn’t depart for nearly 8 hours, naturally accumulating damages.

Also, since I, with my credibility, personally revealed their connection to drugs, the company must be in quite an emergency situation.

No matter how prepared he was, it didn’t matter.

Right now, I’ve essentially embraced them with a knife in their back.

Even Victor Wellington probably didn’t expect me to attack so aggressively and crudely.

“…”

Of course, this is just the beginning.

I knew it would be quite a violent and dirty fight, but I didn’t feel tired.

Honestly.

Victor Wellington and his trading company were just stepping stones, so I didn’t feel much about it.

“Are you tired?”

Findenai unusually took my coat and hung it on the rack, asking quite affectionately.

My expression stiffened at this uncharacteristic kindness, but an answer escaped my lips.

“It’s just dealing with one trading company. This is nothing.”

Compared to the beings I’ve faced until now, this is a rather insignificant opponent.

“I’m not talking about Wellington Trading Company.”

However, as always, Findenai’s intuition pierced through me quite sharply.

“You’re having a hard time because of that girl and the other employees who were there.”

“…”

“I can see how exhausted you are. So why did you deliberately summon their acquaintances?”

“You noticed?”

“When they were all crying and calling out the names of the deceased, it would be strange not to notice.”

As Findenai said, I deliberately summoned only the souls of those who had acquaintances among Wellington Trading Company’s employees. I also gave them a demonic appearance and strictly instructed them not to speak freely.

“The souls wanted it too. They were worried that their loved ones might be involved in drug trafficking.”

That’s why the souls rushed to their acquaintances and focused on searching the cargo they were moving or nearby.

Findenai’s eyes widened slightly, as if she hadn’t known that part. She quietly approached and sat next to me on the bed.

“A necromancer who misuses souls! It’s a perfect villain role.”

“Was it not bad?”

“No, your acting was so terrible that I was worried.”

I couldn’t respond to her grinning smile. I wasn’t very confident in my acting skills.

It felt like we were performing a ridiculous farce.

The more I did it, the more I felt it shouldn’t be prolonged.

[Would you like me to help? I was quite a fearsome Black Mage, you know.]

[You, senior?]

[…I should teach my junior a lesson.]

The Dark Spiritmaster and Stella briefly interjected, but Findenai, unable to hear them, continued speaking.

“I don’t know how long this terrible play will continue, but there are roles, right?”

“…”

“The master just needs to keep his hands in his coat pockets and shut up. That’s enough to create a threatening atmosphere.”

“That’s…”

“I can play the role of the bad woman, right? You saw today? How I tore things up.”

Findenai certainly had a talent for that. She was originally a boss monster opposing Aria in the game.

My mind became a bit calmer.

As Findenai said, I didn’t intend to leave everything to her, but it felt like finding a companion on this arduous path where I had to bend even my personal beliefs.

“What will you do when it’s all over?”

An abrupt question.

Conversely, it contained Findenai’s unspoken pressure that the previous topic had been resolved.

Though it was somewhat forceful, I lowered my gaze slowly and answered.

“Originally…”

If it hadn’t been this way.

“I would have raised Owen and passed on the position of Spiritmaster to him. And quit being an academy instructor.”

Because there was no reason for me to stay in the royal palace anymore. If the main story ended, I had no intention of staying in the royal palace.

“And then?”

“I would have returned to Norsweden and… perhaps taken up farming.”

“Huh?”

Findenai turned her head abruptly at this unexpected answer and looked at me with a bewildered expression.

“I’ve already traveled.”

Originally, I wanted to travel, but I ended up doing so unintentionally. Although I might want to visit the Han Empire or other places later, it wasn’t my immediate plan.

“What kind of farming could someone with a weak body like you do?”

“Well, that’s true.”

In fact, I hadn’t given it much thought.

If I quit being a Spiritmaster and the main story ended.

It would mean all the goals I had would disappear.

Thud.

Findenai’s head subtly rested on my shoulder.

Not reacting to it was apparently the best response for her, as she smiled slightly.

“Don’t grow anything weird. Let’s grow fruit.”

“Norsweden’s climate limits what crops can be grown.”

“Ah, really.”

But perhaps she didn’t like my answer. Findenai immediately let out an annoyed sigh.

“Fuck, do you think I don’t know that? I’m just saying it because the mood is nice. Should I say let’s grow tobacco here instead? Just grow fucking tobacco and smoke all day. How about that?”

“…”

“You’re so serious but have no sense of mood. Just go along with it, like ‘Oh? I like fruit.’ Then we chat about the future a bit. Slowly kiss, put a hand on my chest, take off clothes, you know?”

“…”

“Later, when I have morning sickness and say I want fruit. Then you can say, ‘Ah! It’s good we grew fruit,’ and go pick some from outside.”

“Have you been drinking?”

At my question, Findenai chuckled. She must have found her own words amusing.

“No, I just find your reactions entertaining.”

She bumped her forehead against my shoulder again, this time snuggling in deeper.

“Mountain Lord said that the master is dangerous.”

Am I the only one who can’t keep up with Findenai’s conversation tempo?

I wanted to ask Stella and the Dark Spiritmaster, but they had already disappeared.

It seemed the Dark Spiritmaster had gone to discipline someone.

“Mountain Lord?”

“Yeah, that’s just what he said. But looking at what the master is doing now, isn’t this what you want?”

“…Yes, that’s right.”

I wasn’t sure what threat he meant, but it meant fate was rolling forward anyway.

“Well, I wondered when you weren’t in danger, so I just let it go. Anyway, what’s there to worry about when I’m by your side?”

Though her tone was light, the meaning was weighty.

“Yes.”

That’s why I simply…

“Thank you.”

Expressed my gratitude, and…

“Well done.”

Findenai smiled once more with satisfaction.