chapter_0097

Mesugaki Tank Enters the Academy –
97

Mesugaki Tank Enters the Academy –
97

As soon as the real Gus Newman
entered the shop, the Newman Family’s guard dog stepped back.

Seeing the man who had been
shouting with bulging veins on his neck just a moment ago disappear
as if he never existed made me feel a sense of awe.

So this is what people from
the underworld are like.

Without the [Mesugaki] Skill,
it would have definitely shown.

But the [Mesugaki] Skill
didn’t allow me to be sloppy.

I had to always be proud,
arrogant, and haughty.

Gus Newman approached me,
crossing his legs and frowning, then bowed politely.

“Lady Allen. For you to
see through an old man’s little prank. Truly fitting of someone with
Allen Family blood.”

‘It’s nothing. Thank you for
the compliment.’

“Did you really think I
wouldn’t see through this? You’re so sloppy that you can only have
sloppy thoughts, can’t you?”

As soon as the word ‘thank
you’ got twisted, the distortion became severe.

Now, I don’t even think much
of it.

After going through this so
often, I just think, here this bastard goes again, pulling this crap.

Grandpa said it would be
better if something happened because of his provocation, so it
shouldn’t be an issue, right?

Oh, [Mesugaki] Skill! Let’s
give it our all today!

Don’t you want to see that
leisurely man’s face turn red and tremble in anger?

…No, maybe not. Let’s not
overdo it.

If he uses every means to
frame me, it’ll be troublesome.

“My apologies. This old
man tends to be a bit mischievous.”

Despite my scorn, Gus Newman
smiled calmly and walked to the seat where his guard dog had been.
Sitting down, he pulled out an ornament box from his coat and opened
the lid.

Inside was certainly the
Burrow Family’s necklace.

The problem is, I can’t tell
whether it’s real or fake.

Gus Newman is the type who
wouldn’t hesitate to prepare a counterfeit and play mind games.

Alright, [Appraisal] Skill,
time to work!

You’ve never shined before, so
isn’t it about time you did something?

[Unknown Necklace]

[A necklace encrusted with
various unknown jewels.]

Sorry. I haven’t given you
enough training.

I should have been appraising
all sorts of things to level you up, but I’ve been so focused on
combat proficiency that I neglected you.

From now on, I’ll pay more
attention to you.

But still, you did well this
time.

On the surface, it seems that
the [Appraisal] Skill didn’t do anything, but the skill did its job.

Usually, if there’s such a
precious-looking necklace, the [Appraisal] Skill would add a
description like, “expensive-looking necklace.”

But look here.The [Appraisal]
Skill didn’t add any descriptors indicating the necklace was
expensive or valuable.

Instead, it simply said it was
of unknown origin.

This implies there’s something
hidden about the necklace.

Even if Gus Newman had a
counterfeit made, he wouldn’t know the secrets within it.

This is definitely the genuine
article.

“Before we start
negotiating, let me show you the item. This is what Lady Allen
desires.”

‘That’s correct.’

“I see you’re not deceiving
me about this. You’re such a mysterious person that I had my doubts.”

As I nodded, Gus Newman
slightly raised an eyebrow.

It was a small change, but the
anxiety of someone who usually seemed so composed was clearly
evident.

“Thank you for trusting me.
If it’s not too much to ask, could I see the item that I desire?”

In response to Gus Newman’s
request, I took off the cross necklace I was wearing and handed it to
him.

The necklace that proves
Agra’s Curse had been exorcised by me.

On the surface, it looked like
an ordinary cross, but it contained divine energy and the blessing of
Armadi.

Since it was provided by the
Church after confirmation, there could be no falsehood about it.

Its design was unique enough
that ordinary people wouldn’t pay it much attention, but Gus Newman
would.

Someone desperate to find a
way to exorcise Agra’s Curse would instantly recognize it.

This belief soon turned into
certainty.

“I have confirmed it. This
is indeed a genuine item issued by the Church.”

Grandpa is reliable as ever!

So now, I just need to get the
items I want?

I’ve thought about many
things.

Gus Newman is quite powerful
in the underworld.

If I make demands, I can
probably obtain almost anything from him.

I pondered over what I could
extort, and I’ve thought long and hard since then.

Since becoming Lucy, I haven’t
been this deeply contemplative except maybe right after I was
reincarnated?

But the more I thought about
it, the more uncertain it became what I should demand.

I don’t need new equipment.

Grandpa is something I must
have until the moment I die.

I just changed my shield
recently, so there’s no reason to demand another one.

And the armour was a gift from
Possell, so I don’t want to replace it.

Then what else could there be?

I could try to get the secret
techniques of the Newman family, but they’re meaningless skills to
me.

They only have skills related
to the rogue profession. I’m the one who needs to take the hits
upfront, so learning such things is meaningless.

I thought of various other
things too, but none seemed like the right reward.

There are some good items to
extort, but given the hassle of pressuring the Newman Family, they
seemed insignificant.

As I pondered how to maximise
efficiency, I arrived at this conclusion.

If it’s ambiguous to ask for
items one by one, why not just demand everything?

I’ll ask for the item that
could only be obtained by clearing all the quests related to the
Newman Family in the game.

The Raven’s Seal. A token
awarded only to the true benefactors of the Newman Family.

An item that allows one to use
the Newman Family’s network anytime.

I’ll seize that.

I don’t expect Gus to nod
readily when I demand it.

But what can you possibly do,
Gus Newman?

You’ve been running around
tirelessly trying to save your son, so there’s no way you can endure
watching his life tick away.

Let’s negotiate.

If it doesn’t work out, I
can always ask for a few decent items.

I put on the necklace Gus
Newman handed back to me and smiled.

Gus Newman smiled along with
me.

‘Shall we begin the
negotiations?’

“Alright, Master of the
Trash Family. Let’s begin our discussion.”

‘Far beyond what I imagined,
extraordinary.’

That’s what Gus Newman thought
the first time he met Lucy Allen.

It was common for Gus Newman
to send a stand-in when meeting a new trading partner for the first
time.

To someone trading in the
underworld, gauging the opponent’s perceptiveness was extremely
important.

However, Lucy Allen saw
through his trick effortlessly.

Even though she had never seen
Gus Newman before in her life, she immediately discerned that the
stand-in wasn’t him.

Up to this point, Gus thought
it was possible.

Given Lucy Allen likely had
some sort of information network, she might have heard about his
tricks.

But then, it went differently.

Lucy Allen was certain, at a
mere glance, that the necklace Gus had brought out was genuine.

From a distance, she spoke as
if it was naturally the real deal.

It was unbelievable.

It was as if she completely
ruled out the possibility of it being a replica.

A bluff?

No, it wasn’t a bluff.

If it were a bluff, she might
have at least pretended to check it somehow.

Despite being far from
reaching adulthood, Lucy Allen displayed such keen insight.

She had the intellect worthy
of taking first place in the Soul Academy Entrance Exam.

Having enough power to crush
Frey Kent head-on, and skills in conquering dungeons that surpass
those of many seasoned adventurers, plus having a better eye for
detail than most in the underworld?

Unbelievable.

Is Lucy Allen somehow beloved
by a god?

Well, it isn’t exactly wrong.

Only divine intervention can
explain how someone once considered the disgrace of the Allen Family
a year ago has risen to such a position.

Gus Newman marvelled at this
as he mulled over it, feeling a mixture of admiration and conviction.

The necklace Lucy Allen had
just shown was genuine.

She had indeed performed an
exorcism on Agra’s Curse.

She had already stood against
the Evil God.

How could this young, cocky,
and arrogant child have found a way to exorcise Agra’s Curse?

Clearly, it was because she
was loved by a god.

Gus didn’t know what kind of
agony and struggle she had endured.

Nor did it matter to him.

What was important to him was
solely that she likely held the method.

“As it’s obvious what the
garbage head of your family wants, I’ll tell you what I want.”

“Go ahead.”

What do you desire, you
arrogant, conceited child?

A child who doesn’t seem like
they’d be loved by a god, yet is loved by one.

Do you desire weapons? Do you
desire jewels? Or magic?

I wonder how well you know
your own worth.

“I want the Raven’s
Seal.”

But the words that came out of
her mouth were far beyond my imagination.

The Raven’s Seal.

Ha. How could you know about
that?

It’s something only a member
of the Newman Family would know.

Is your intelligence network
really that superior?

Or did the god behind you give
you a revelation?

I don’t know, but rather, I
feel a sense of belief.

The belief that you are truly
extraordinary.

Your arrogance feels like
confidence in what you hold.

Good, I like it.

Didn’t we say we’d negotiate?

Alright. Let’s negotiate.

However, this will not be a
negotiation to reduce compensation.

Normally, it would be, but not
with you.

Lucy Allen.

A prodigy born with
overwhelming talent in a prestigious family of knights.

I saw the gleam of a raw gem
in you. Soon, you will be the one to dominate the continent.

You will become a brilliant
star shining in the sky, influencing the world.

A genius as arrogant as you
could never be content to live merely as a kingdom’s guardian, tucked
away in a normal noble family, like Benedict Allen.

If we form a connection now,
it will surely bring vast benefits in the future.

So, in this negotiation, I
will give you the Raven’s Seal.

But in return, you will gain
connections to the Newman Family.

“Ho. The Raven’s Seal,
you say?”

Let’s begin the negotiation.

“Yes, Master Trash. You
seem quite young, yet your hearing is already failing? Seeing that
your forehead is broadening (hairline insult), it seems ageing is
coming quickly for you. How pitiful.”

…The thought of having to
continuously endure that damn tone is quite dizzying though.

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