81 - The Swindler
In a room we had rented at the inn, I was drinking tea.
Monica had rented the dining hall to prepare dinner, and I was entertaining a guest while enjoying tea brewed by Novem for the first time in a while.
With some light snacks prepared, the person sitting across from me at the table was a beauty.
An elf and a singer, her name was Eva.
She had long, wavy, pale pink hair, and her eyes were the same pink color as her hair.
Her white skin was beautiful, but what stood out most were her ears, which were longer than a human's.
An elegant moment... fitting for me.
Since there had been no time to relax during the Griffon hunt, I was happy to finally have the leeway to enjoy such a moment.
However—.
"Lyell-sama, enjoying tea is all well and good, but if you don't continue your story..."
"Oops, that's right. My apologies."
I apologized to her.
Though she was tall, the girl before me was a sixteen-year-old novice singer.
"It's fine. So, I understand the circumstances of how the son of a former noble participated in the Hippogriff subjugation, but why do you feel the need to lie? The expeditionary force that hunted the Griffon is becoming a rumor... just hearing about that would be a treat, but personally, I'm curious about you."
Eva, the girl before me, was interested in me. She knew it.
Novem looked at me with concern.
Aria was covering her ears.
Miranda was looking down.
Clara was flustered.
And Shannon was wary of me from behind her older sister.
I'm happy to be surrounded by beauties.
"Well, there are various circumstances. But wanting to hear the story directly... isn't that unusual for a singer?"
I wanted Eva to sing a song about the expeditionary force. By doing so, I needed her to spread rumors about the force in Central.
"I've seen the Griffon, and I've heard various things. But you see, I am Eva of the Nihil. Even within my clan, I won't yield when it comes to singing, and I want to know more than anyone else."
I had shown her the subjugated Griffon and told her what I wanted her to sing about.
However, Eva was not satisfied with that.
Novem had found Eva, who was young and becoming famous in Central.
"It's a problem if you bring me up in your songs, though."
I didn't think my unhideable aura-like something would be this troublesome.
Honestly... what a pain.
While drinking tea, I explained the Griffon hunt to Eva in detail.
From behind Miranda, Shannon spoke.
"That smirking is disgusting."
I said,
"Are you jealous? I'll deal with you later, so cheer up. Oh, and then I defeated the Hippogriff with a bow and arrow, and that was that."
When I told her how useless the expeditionary force had been and how difficult it was, Eva looked delighted.
"A story that only I know... this is it! This is what I've been waiting for! Heroic tales that everyone knows aren't enough. As I thought, I have to hear and investigate things directly like this. Ah, I feel like I can sing a great song."
She seemed confident in her singing.
"Hoh, so you want to hear a heroic tale."
When I said that, Eva brushed back her hair and spoke.
"Yes. Many elves share songs within their clan. They pick them up during their travels, or exchange information with other elves and singers... Among them, the Nihil clan remembers many songs."
If I was sharing information, wouldn't others have the same number of songs?
As I wondered, Novem added a supplement.
"Songs have trends and fashions, too. Among them, the Nihil clan is said to be very exceptional."
Clara joined in.
"But it's strange. I can't imagine a group that travels like that performing songs individually even after entering a city?"
It seemed Eva had been singing alone.
Then.
"That's because I ran away from home."
The voice of the Fifth Generation came from the jewel hanging around my neck.
The voice of the Sixth Generation also spoke.
Hoh, a runaway daughter... someone else jumped out of their house too, didn't they?
As the Fifth Generation's smirking face came to mind, the Sixth Generation muttered.
I... I came back...
It seemed a lot had happened.
"Isn't running away common?"
When I asked, Eva shook her head.
"They told me to marry into another clan, so I decided to be independent! Since I'm the third daughter and of age, they tell me to marry the next elf clan I meet!"
Hearing that, even I had to say,
"That's cruel."
"Right!"
However, Clara said,
"Well, that is the culture of the elves, who are also troupes of traveling performers. I've heard it happened because there's a trend toward cooperating with each other rather than marrying within the same clan. I think there's meaning in conveying the songs Eva-san knows to those clans."
Then, Eva said,
"A troupe is fine! But if I go to people who make a living from hunting, I'm just entertaining the family! There's no opportunity to perform songs! I want many people to hear my singing!"
I slowly stood up.
Drawing the gaze of the women in the room, I spread my arms and spoke.
"I see. Then you should come with me."
"Why?"
To the tilting head of Eva, I pointed a thumb at myself.
The Third Generation inside the jewel cried,
S-She's coming!
With a voice full of confidence and an attitude brimming with self-assurance, I declared—.
"Because I am a man who will one day become a hero! Eva will be happy to see that from the side. I'll be happy to have my legend passed down... both of us will be happy! Stay by my side and pass down my heroic tale, Eva!"
...Lyell-saaaaan!! This is exactly Lyell-san!
When I said that with a determined face, the surrounding gazes of exasperation gathered.
Laughter could be heard from inside the jewel.
"...I like comedies, but this is a bit much."
I was rejected, but I didn't get depressed.
"A pity. But feel free to dive into my arms anytime. I'll be waiting."
When I winked, Eva looked at Novem.
"...What is this pitifully beautiful boy?"
This elf is too honest. Thinking that, Eva seemed cute to me.
"I'm sorry. He's not usually like this. It's just that his 'growth' happened to overlap at a bad time."
"Ah~."
Eva's lukewarm gaze felt comfortable.
"Don't stare so much. You'll fall for me."
When I warned her, the voice of the Third Generation was heard.
As expected of Lyell-san!
The Fifth Generation said,
Here it comes. A man who will become a hero, or fall for me if stared at... which one is better?
The Sixth Generation added,
For me, to surpass 'extra-large serving of love'...
The Seventh Generation said,
'Pass down my heroic tale' was quite good too!
The Fourth Generation summarized.
This time was also a great harvest. Or rather, is he going to have discussions with the head of House Sarcly with this momentum... I wonder what will happen!
My ancestors were having fun.
The Third Generation said,
I've asked for the preparations, so it'll be a problem if he doesn't move. If some weirdo gets hooked... well, whatever!
Eva was worried about Novem.
"Hey, if you ever want to break up, why don't we travel together? I'd welcome you, Novem."
Novem replied,
"No, by Lyell-sama's side is where I belong."
As always, she says things that make me happy.
(Being loved by Novem, am I not the luckiest person in the world?)
That was me, doubting nothing.
Evening.
I rented a warehouse in Central and gathered merchants there.
I feel like I might have blurted out some problematic things, but it's still okay.
(It's fine, I'm calm.)
Inside the dim warehouse, with a large number of lanterns prepared, I had everyone confirm the Griffon.
"Normally, I would bring it to the guild, but since the condition is good this time, I thought I'd have you purchase the entire body."
When I said that, one of the merchants asked me,
"Is this truly the Griffon defeated by the rumored expeditionary force? If so, I'll offer two hundred gold coins. The condition is good. It's worth that much."
The rumors had already spread in Central, and the quick-eared merchants had contacted me after hearing Eva's song.
It was more of a narrative focused on speed, but the rumors spread among the residents of Central who heard it, and Eva's popularity was skyrocketing.
Since she was already beautiful and a skilled singer, the foundation was already set.
All that was left was to seize the opportunity.
(Novem brought me an excellent singer.)
"I definitely purchased it from the expeditionary force. Here are the documents from that time. Also, the expeditionary force will be returning soon, so the Griffon should be gone by then. To show off, they'll probably just bring back two Hippogriffs on a wagon or something."
(Yes... only two. Though they defeated three.)
The merchant said,
"It was five hundred gold coins, wasn't it? Spending such a large sum, aren't you at a huge deficit?"
I said,
"I am not a merchant. I was moved by the spirit of the expeditionary force, who faced the Griffon knowing it was there, and so I paid it. However, I shall be recovering the cost."
Monster materials.
Magic stones and other materials had already been sold by Miranda and the others.
It came to nearly thirty gold coins, but that wasn't nearly enough.
The Fourth Generation said,
I want to recover two to three hundred coins here.
I looked at the other merchants.
"You could wait until the expeditionary force returns, but by then, the number of buyers will likely have increased."
When I provoked them, one raised their hand.
"Two hundred and twenty gold coins!"
Then, further—.
"T... two hundred and forty coins!"
"Two hundred and fifty coins!"
The merchants began an auction. Watching this, I informed them of the Griffon's condition.
"There is only one puncture wound. Other than that, there are no wounds from combat. Just as you've confirmed."
As a result, one merchant ended up purchasing the Griffon for the large sum of three hundred and twenty gold coins.
The Fifth Generation said,
...Isn't that a bit too high? I thought two hundred and fifty gold coins would be a good price.
As the other merchants left the warehouse looking frustrated, I spoke with the purchasing merchant.
"I'll come to pick it up first thing tomorrow morning. I don't think I have anything else to sell, but..."
To the merchant looking at me with worried eyes, I said with a smile,
"Yes, even if someone offers more than the purchase price, I won't sell it to anyone else."
"Thank goodness. I wanted to secure it as quickly as possible."
To the relieved merchant, I asked,
"Did you need a Griffon?"
"No, an important guest is coming to Central, and there is someone who simply won't be satisfied with other commonplace items. It would be a help if you didn't pry too much."
Told that, I nodded and finalized the agreement to exchange the product and payment first thing tomorrow morning.
—Late at night.
Miranda looked at that which had been frozen in the warehouse.
It was carefully stored in a wooden crate, with only one crate placed in the wide warehouse.
Near the crate, the Porter was placed, and Lyell was lying down.
"Chicken Bastardrrr!"
"D-Don't cry, Monica... to leave behind your love-filled cooking... urp!"
The luxurious meal Monica had made with too much enthusiasm was far too much for six people to finish.
Lyell, who had forced himself to eat it, was still lying there.
"It was certainly delicious, but... what was that? Did she mistake it for a party or something?"
Since Aria had also eaten a large amount with gusto, Miranda said,
"For someone saying that, you ate a lot. Even that much dessert... you'll get fat."
Then, Aria froze, perhaps realizing she had eaten a bit too much.
Clara seemed to have taken a liking to the fried potatoes and said she wanted to eat them again.
"Monica-san is a skilled cook, and the variety is rich. This party might be a very luxurious party."
Looking at Clara, who looked happy with a glowing face, Miranda felt complicated.
She had experienced "growth" and created an embarrassing past.
Moreover, she was being told various things by Clara, who had become sharp-tongued.
(Even so...)
The reason they were waiting in the warehouse was because of the wooden crate that had been intentionally put out.
(Lyell's skills have many convenient ones.)
The merchants had left, and along with the rumors of the expeditionary force, the location of the Griffon had likely spread through Central.
Lyell seemed to be thinking that there would be someone who would launch an attack.
And that opponent was Miranda's family home.
(I think they'll move in various ways... but will they move this quickly?)
In the way he prepared various things, Lyell was not careless.
I thought he had spent lavishly, but the way he recovered the funds showed that he himself was thorough.
Shannon was sleeping wrapped in a blanket on the Porter's bed, and Novem was nursing Lyell.
Then, Lyell, though looking pained, raised his upper body and looked around.
"That was faster than I thought."
The warehouse had not been locked.
Partly because it would be a pain if it were broken, but also because he had left the lights on to signal that someone was inside, he thought it was unlikely they would enter.
However, Miranda also considered the possibility that they were bandits targeting the Griffon.
As she drew the dagger at her waist, Aria also stood up and took her short spear in hand.
Novem also took her staff and stepped outside the Porter.
Only Lyell walked boldly in front of the wooden crate, with Monica following him.
"Come out already."
When Lyell said that, men dressed in black jumped in through the warehouse windows, and dozens of men rushed in through the doors.
As Miranda took a stance, Lyell snapped his fingers.
A thump! sound was heard everywhere, and the group of men in black who had rushed in were suddenly slipping and falling on the frozen ground.
Looking closely, walls of ice had risen near the windows.
When those disappeared, Lyell held a silver bow in his hand.
(Much smaller than I heard? Isn't it a short bow?)
She had heard it was a large bow, but the silver bow was small, and Lyell, who had readied several bows of light, fired them into the air, and they pierced the ground right in front of the men in black.
It was a threat.
"Go back and tell your master to come himself. If you do, I'll negotiate. I'll hand this over in the morning."
Seeing Lyell tap the wooden crate, the men in black remained wary.
Lyell readied his bow.
"Do you want your master to find out you failed by becoming a corpse?"
When he said that, the men in black left the premises while remaining wary.
(Are they looking at me? And searching for someone... Shannon?)
When she turned her gaze toward the Porter, Shannon was poking her head out to see what was happening.
The men in black, upon finding Shannon, exchanged glances and then left.
After a while, Lyell returned the bow to its original necklace and looked at the broken window glass.
"...I'll have to bill for this separately."
Returning to the Porter, Lyell told Novem, "I feel a bit better now that I've moved."
"...You knew everything, didn't you."
Saying that, Miranda put away her dagger—.
As planned, Ralph-san, the head of House Sarcly, came to the warehouse.
(After acting so cool, if it were a different person, he'd definitely lose face. He'd be a laughingstock.)
While feeling relieved inwardly, he brought several men in black to the warehouse.
Nearby, he had politely prepared a wagon to transport the contents of the wooden crate.
The gazes of Miranda and Shannon seemed a bit surprised to see Ralph-san, who was different from before.
"...You intentionally brought a merchant related to my house here. I can assume that's the case, right?"
Told that, since I was moving according to the instructions of my ancestors, I simply nodded.
"Is that so. Then let us negotiate. It would be problematic if that Griffon leaked anywhere other than the royal palace. I have prepared two hundred gold coins. I believe that is a fair price?"
The Fourth Generation said to me,
Starting from two hundred gold coins, huh... Lyell.
When I gripped the jewel, the group in black standing behind Ralph-san reacted instantly.
It was a bit amusing.
"I paid five hundred gold coins for this. Also, look... thanks to you people, the window of the rented warehouse was broken. I'll have to have you pay for the repairs here as well. How about one thousand gold coins? If you have your own circumstances, you should at least pay that much."
Ralph-san said exasperatedly,
"Certainly, we are also at fault. Fine, you may bill the repair costs to us. However, paying five hundred gold coins was your own choice. It has nothing to do with me. I will pay up to two hundred and fifty gold coins."
Since that wasn't nearly enough, I said with a smile,
"Is that the price for driving your daughter's lover and me into a death trap? There were also failures when you made the request, so how about nine hundred and fifty gold coins?"
"...We were simply late in receiving information. If I had known, I would never have sent Miranda. I can't believe you even took Shannon with you... you are a cruel man. Three hundred coins."
"Put the word 'gold coins' before the number, you scoundrel. Welcome the boyfriend of the daughter who managed to achieve a feat with warmth... nine hundred gold coins."
As the negotiation continued, I proposed seven hundred gold coins.
Ralph-san proposed a price of four hundred gold coins.
The Fourth Generation said,
In terms of amount, it's almost a profit. We could stop here, but the problem is the request fee this time.
The smirking face of the Fourth Generation came to mind.
"...Six hundred gold coins. Isn't this price cheap including the request fee? Since you can recover this, which the expeditionary force sold off. Including the escort of two people, and moreover, you let them achieve a feat."
Ralph-san laughed through his nose.
"How dare you speak so brazenly... I didn't request that you achieve a feat. In the first place, at that stage, I didn't know a Griffon would appear. There may have been mistakes on our end, but I requested that you protect those two from the Hippogriffs. It seems you cannot understand a parent's heart."
How dare he speak so brazenly.
Holding a similar sentiment, I said,
"...Five hundred and fifty gold coins. I can't go any lower than this."
Then, Ralph-san said,
"Five hundred gold coins. Any more and I'm considering the use of force."
The group in black was surrounding us, and that was Ralph-san's trump card.
Since he had a daughter, he probably didn't want her to get hurt, but if I desired more, it would only cause more conflict.
I decided to give in.
"I understand. Hey."
"Yes, Lyell-sama."
Then, I had Novem open a part of the wooden crate, and a large head of an eagle was visible there.
It was frozen and had turned white, so the inside wasn't clearly visible, but the other party confirmed it.
Ralph-san also threw a leather pouch toward me.
I picked up the leather pouch that made a clinking sound, and Monica confirmed the contents.
After weighing it, she nodded and looked at my face.
"The negotiation is complete. I'll send the invoice later."
"I hope you don't bill me an exorbitant amount. You are greedy."
I laughed.
"I do not tell lies. I will only bill for the warehouse repair costs. Even so, I consider myself an honest man."
(That's right! Lyell-san doesn't lie!)
As Ralph-san told his subordinates to carry the wooden crate away, we watched the operation warily.
While watching the work, Ralph-san said to Miranda,
"...Doris and Lucy are unreliable. Miranda, do you have any intention of returning?"
Hearing that, Shannon looked terribly depressed.
Miranda replied,
"...You're not telling Shannon, are you. I don't want to be involved anymore. You kicked me out, and now you're saying 'come back'? Do you think that works?"
To Miranda, who said she had no intention of returning, Ralph-san only muttered, "I see."
Carrying out the wooden crate and heading outside, Ralph-san did not look back at us.
I asked Miranda and Shannon,
"Is it okay, you two?"
Then, Shannon said,
"I-I don't want to go back to a house like that!"
She had tears in her eyes.
As for Miranda,
"Even if I went back, bad rumors would spread. Either way, it wouldn't be comfortable."
To those two, I said,
"Just say you chose me honestly. I won't let you regret it."
When I said that, Shannon looked at me.
"You're still not cured, are you."
That's what she said.
Novem said,
"No matter what kind of Lyell-sama you are, I love you... Um, I think it will be hard from now on, but please do your best."
I was encouraged.
"I wonder... I'm not satisfied."
The next day.
I was receiving payment from the merchant who had purchased the Griffon at the warehouse.
To me, who had a dark expression, the merchant said in a bright voice,
"The expeditionary force this morning seemed quite settled. As expected, they are a unit that has gained great experience. There's a certain intensity to them."
(Yeah, I'm sure that's because, like me, they're regretting their own pasts.)
Receiving the bag filled with gold coins, I handed the Griffon over to the merchant.
"One had a head in terrible condition, and the other had lost its original shape from a powerful blow. They must have fought fiercely."
(Aria and I did that.)
I received the payment and handed the merchant documents, telling him to verify them with Norma later.
Then.
"A Griffon defeated by the heroic expeditionary force has value, but more than that, I'm just glad it'll make it in time for my important guest."
He seemed satisfied just by receiving a Griffon in good condition.
"This helped me as well. Well then."
"Yes, it was a good trade."
Watching the group of merchants leave while loading the Griffon onto the wagon with smiles, I waved my hand.
Beside me, Miranda approached.
"What's this about 'not lying,' huh? You fraud."
Since she was nudging me happily with her elbow, I said bashfully,
"...I-I didn't tell a lie."
Yes, I didn't tell a lie. No one said I would sell the Griffon.
What was present at the negotiation with Ralph-san was the Hippogriff.
Ralph-san had purchased the frozen Hippogriff for five hundred gold coins.
With this, I should have been able to get my revenge for being deceived.
Miranda smiled, placing her hand over her mouth.
"Since I chose Lyell, don't make me regret it. Well, a lot happened this time, but I enjoyed it, so it was good."
I looked down, my face turning bright red.
Monica said regretfully,
"...The Chicken Bastard's fever time has ended. When will the next one be?"
She asked me with a serious expression.
I looked at Monica's face.
"I'll never do it again."
I swore it in my heart, but the voice of the Sixth Generation came from the jewel.
Lyell... it's because you think that and then it happens that everyone is troubled. But this time was interesting too.
While resenting the laughing Sixth Generation, I swore in my heart for a third time that I would never taste such sorrow again.