Chapter 87

Chapter 87

87: Return “…You’re back?” After many twists and turns, we returned to the forest’s entrance, where Elle greeted us with hollow eyes. She was crouched against a tree in a pitiful posture, her dark circles, as if she’d stayed up all night, were quite impressive. “Did you stay up all night?” “Of course! Could you sleep if you were me!?” I asked just in case, but a sensitive reaction came back. Well, lying around alone in the forest was practically suicide, so staying awake was better for increasing her chances of survival. Elle couldn’t even go to the village in case she was wanted, so she must be sensitive after being stuck in the forest all day doing nothing. “Ugh, why is my life like this… It’s so messed up, really…” As if she had been reflecting on her life during that one day, Elle muttered in a hollow tone. Seeing that, Emily and I looked at each other and gave bitter smiles before approaching Elle, who was muttering with dazed eyes. “I have good news for you. You don’t have to worry about money anymore.” I held up the money pouch I received from the Jankata Mercenaries and shook it at Elle. Then Elle’s expression changed subtly. It wasn’t a joyful look, but she was looking at me and Emily with a complicated gaze, as if she had something to say. “Um… I’m just asking in case, but you guys really…” “Yeah, we did it.” “What do you mean? I told you?” When Emily and I answered separately, Elle made a sour face and asked again. “…Really?” “If what you’re asking is if we sold our bodies, then yes, we really did. You can tell by looking at her, right?” “Huh? Why me…?” I chuckled and pointed to Emily’s neck. Emily didn’t have Ironclad Skin like me, and because the men had kissed and sucked on her so much, countless kiss marks still remained on her body. Emily realized that and blushed, and Elle, who seemed to know the meaning of the kiss marks, cleared her throat. “Ugh, ahem, no, I know that, but…” She hesitated for a moment, then sighed and continued. “…This feels really weird, and I can’t quite express it… I’m sorry. It’s all because of me…” “Don’t be sorry, you’ll have to do it later anyway.” “…Really? That’s a relief… Wait! What did you just say!?” At my answer, Elle’s eyes widened in shock, and she wrapped her arms around herself as if protecting her body. Of course, that wouldn’t happen, I just made a joke because she looked so dejected, but her reaction was surprisingly intense. But where did she learn that gesture? “I’m kidding. We wouldn’t do that, would we?” “Ah, haha, r-right? You wouldn’t conspire with bad people to tie me up, put me naked in a box, and sell me to smelly old men, would you?” “…I don’t think that would ever happen.” Perhaps because Elle’s reaction was so fresh, even Emily shook her head with a dumbfounded expression. What kind of thoughts could lead her to such a conclusion overnight? She seemed to have quite the knack for digging her own grave. “It seems like you watched too many comics in your past life. This is reality, so that kind of thing…” I was about to advise her, but I stopped talking. Then Elle glared at me with a flustered face. “…Wait, why did you stop talking? That makes me really uneasy, you know?” “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.” Because sometimes reality can exceed imagination. I couldn’t guarantee it. Of course, I wouldn’t put Elle in a box and sell her, but other things could definitely happen. Like being captured by a goblin horde and getting pregnant, or being spawned by a giant salamander. “No, that’s why I’m even more worried! Would it hurt you to just finish what you were saying!?” “It’s okay, I won’t sell you. But I can’t guarantee anything else. Just in case, be prepared to some extent.” “…No, saying that makes me really uneasy… You shouldn’t have said anything in the first place…” I turned my head away from Elle, who was muttering in disbelief. Well, nothing much will happen, so it’ll be fine. Probably. // Once we earned money, there were no major incidents on the way back to Karaldin. As a result of checking, Krudion had not yet put up Erzebe’s face on wanted posters, so we were able to return to Karaldin by carriage without any problems. The fact that her face wasn’t on the wanted posters in Krudion meant that it was safe in Karaldin as well. However, staying in the village outside the castle and passing through the castle gate into the city were slightly different. The problem was getting inside Karaldin Castle, but fortunately, that problem seemed to be solved more easily than expected. As we entered a nearby restaurant to grab a bite, a familiar face caught my eye. “Oh, it’s been a while.” “…Who are you?” “You wouldn’t say you’ve forgotten me already, would you?” “Of course I remember you. Miss Freeman.” Rotnil Muren. The man who was in charge of my costume and makeup on the underground plaza stage. To be exact, it was the entire production. Our meeting wasn’t very long, but it was easy to remember him thanks to his unique quiet atmosphere and appearance that didn’t suit the underworld. “Do you know him?” Of course, Emily couldn’t know him, so she tilted her head in confusion, but I brushed off her question by vaguely explaining. “I met him when you participated in the investigation team last time.” “Ah…” When I explained simply, Emily nodded and looked at Muren with a wary gaze. And Elle was looking at him with quite suspicious eyes. Regardless, I led the other two and joined the table where he was sitting. If he was an underworld member who knew the underground plaza, he might know a way to get the unidentified Elle into Karaldin. “What have you been up to?” It was just a greeting, but it actually meant, “Why haven’t you contacted me?” At my question, Muren smiled bitterly and nodded. He called the waiter to order more food and answered my question. “There was an accident. A monster appeared in the middle of the underground waterway.” “…Oh, that couldn’t be…” “Yes, it was a poison-spitting salamander. It gave us quite a hard time.” I knew of one poison-spitting salamander, could it be that one? When I looked at Muren with a questioning gaze, he nodded slightly. I wondered what had happened, but it turned out that the organization had missed Quaidon. That explained why Sartun hadn’t contacted me. No lord would stand idly by when a poison-spitting monster appeared in the city’s waterways. Since they had lost the monster they had smuggled in, they must have been desperate to solve it themselves. “So, was it resolved well?” “Well, things worked out somehow, so we’re barely managing. Thanks to the benevolent Governor.” Did that mean it was okay? Sartun was a connection I had made… well, not really. Anyway, they were guys who had some value, and it would be troublesome if they were destroyed somewhere I didn’t know. At least I wanted them to be around until I could confirm whether it was safe to use the Soul Absorption Technique on other monsters. Plus, I could get some energy from them. “By the way, who are these people…?” While I was organizing my thoughts, Muren trailed off, pointing to Emily and Elle. Only then did I realize that I hadn’t introduced the two of them, and I gave him an awkward smile and said. “Ah, I’m late to introduce them. This is Elle and Emily. They’re both my friends.” If they were other gang members who were no better than thugs, I wouldn’t have introduced them, let alone talked to them, but for some reason, I felt like it would be okay to introduce them to Muren. The unique quiet and calm atmosphere he had definitely gave off the impression that he had learned manners somewhere, so he was different from other underworld members. Still, that was only to say that he was relatively safer than others. As someone who worked in the ‘show’ business, he was still someone to be wary of. Still, in order to get Elle into Karaldin, I had to introduce her. “Nice to meet you. My name is Rotnil Muren.” “Oh, hello…” “Nice to meet you. Er… my name is Elle.” Emily and Elle each introduced themselves, and soon the awkward atmosphere disappeared as the food came out. To be exact, it was more accurate to say that they didn’t need to pay attention to the awkward atmosphere because they were focused on the food. As we were eating for a while, Muren suddenly spoke to me. “I recently got a new job. I think I’ll be a little busy from now on.” “…Really?” It was a very random remark, but as someone who knew what it meant, I couldn’t help but feel a little nervous. The only job he could be talking to me about at this timing was about a new ‘show’. I hesitated for a moment and asked him a question. “When is it?” “It will probably be in two weeks. But it’s not confirmed yet. This time, the gap was a bit long due to an unexpected accident.” “I see.” Curious about the conversation between Muren and me, Emily and Elle stopped eating and looked at me. I looked at the two of them for a moment and made up my mind. It wouldn’t be difficult to ask Mien for time off, but it could be quite complicated to explain to Elle and Emily. I wanted to be as honest as possible, but that wasn’t as easy as it sounded. From my point of view, I was worried that the two of them might be shocked if they heard the exact details. “Then can I help you?” Still, I couldn’t refuse this opportunity, so I asked him. Then Muren looked at me with an unknowing gaze and nodded. “…I understand. I’ll talk to them about it.” “Thank you. Oh, and I have something to ask you too…” I started like that and briefly explained about Elle. Since I couldn’t explain the situation in detail, I just asked if he could sneak her into Karaldin, and Muren thought for a moment and nodded. “I understand. Then it’s not a difficult task.” As expected. There was no way an organization with the ability to bring monsters into the city wouldn’t be able to bring in one person. I let out a sigh of relief at his words, but Elle asked back in disbelief. “Huh, really?” “Yes.” “No way. It was definitely different before… Ah, no. That’s not it…” Elle muttered in vain, then quickly covered her mouth as if she had realized her mistake. But did she know that it made her look even more suspicious? Emily only tilted her head without much change in expression, but I couldn’t help but flinch inside because I knew the mistake she had made. The fact that she had sneaked into the city before was definitely not something to say in front of ordinary people. Especially if that place was Mesatria. Still, it was fortunate that the word Mesatria didn’t come out. I really wondered if that was the case, but if there had been any mention of it, it could have unintentionally provided a clue. I naturally continued her words as if it were nothing. “Elle has sneaked in once before.” It would be okay to tell this much. After all, Muren was also part of the underworld, and an organization that ran brothels in the underground plaza and committed the outrageous act of smuggling in monsters wouldn’t care too much about sneaking into the city. “Is that so?” As expected, he didn’t pay much attention to Elle’s words. It was possible that the events of Mesatria had not been spread to Karaldin, and even if they were known, it was unlikely that they would immediately suspect us, so it was only natural, but was the saying “a guilty conscience needs no accuser” from my past life exactly like this? “Ah, hahaha…”

Unconsciously making a mistake, Elle gave an awkward smile and turned her gaze back to the oatmeal. I watched her for a moment, then continued eating. But, how did Elle end up in Mesatria? I’d talked to her a few times now, but there was still so much I didn’t know. I should set aside a day to really talk about each other. // Getting Elle into the city was surprisingly simple. Muren had Elle ride in the carriage he came in, and they confidently passed through the city gates after a perfunctory inspection. Knowing the general situation, I thought it was plausible, but Emily seemed to think differently. “Hey, Layla.” “Yeah?” “Do you think we got scammed by Uncle Taron?” “…I know what you’re thinking, but I don’t think that’s the case.” Muren is a member of Sartune’s organization, and the underworld here is so vast compared to other cities, so getting through these gates must be easy. It’s not a matter of power, but a matter of how much authority the lord has granted them. “Really?” “Probably.” So, the 500 Rads we paid back then, while a bit expensive, was definitely worth it. It was easier to think that way than to suspect someone unnecessarily. After all, money comes and goes. If I work as an adventurer, I can earn a decent amount of money, and if I’m really short on money, I can always brazenly become a prostitute. Mien might scold me, so I need to think about that a bit. “Then, I hope we meet again in the future.” “Yes, I hope you’re well until then.” Muren entered the streets of Karaldin, dropped Elle off, left a meaningful greeting, and went his way. Before leaving, he scanned me with a complex look, but I couldn’t tell what that look meant. I waved to him as he left, then took the two of them and headed towards the inn where I always stayed. “By the way, who was that guy?” “Ah, that’s…” Of course, I had to give Elle and Emily, who were asking questions as if it were obvious, a reasonable explanation. …But, what should I say? ———= Author’s Notes ———= Thank you for the coupon. I’m worried that you might be overdoing it… But I will gratefully accept what you have given me.