kscans

Chapter 199 - Am I Really This Old... Feels Like I Say That Every Year

After the press conference, I returned to Satsuki-san's room at the Ikebukuro Guild, where she and Yoshino-san were waiting.

"Welcome back. You really do outrageous things..."

Even Satsuki-san seemed surprised.

"I know, right? I'm retiring as an adventurer, so I thought I’d get one last retirement bonus."

My last job didn't have anything like that.

"Hey, Okita-kun, when did you get your hands on land in Frontier?"

Yoshino-san asked.

"I traded a TS Potion for it."

"What? You traded something like that for land? Are you sure that’s okay? That’s taking ripping someone off to a whole new level."

"Apparently, the TS Potion is a legendary-class item. The King said he’d only ever seen it in literature. Though I can make it with just flour and water."

I could make it from the start, and it’s extremely cheap.

"Even so..."

"There was a demand for it. You can hear the details from Arc... Ah, Arc, you can show yourself now."

I said that and took an invisibility potion from my bag. The potion immediately disappeared from my hand.

"Man, I was wondering what you were going to make me do, but you really did something incredible. Now you’re definitely confirmed as a witch."

Arc said as she reappeared.

"Ah... so it was Arc who used the magic to silence that reporter and do the teleportation."

"That’s right. I can’t use magic like that. I had Arc drink an invisibility potion and stand by my side."

That’s why I insisted I hadn't used any magic. Because I can't.

"What happened to the Director? He was supposed to be at the press conference with you, wasn't he?"

Satsuki-san asked.

"He seemed like he would get in the way, so I had him take a nap in the waiting room. Yoshino-san, you and the Director shouldn't drink any tea given to you by a witch."

I gave him tea laced with a sleeping potion, and he drank it without any suspicion. He’s probably still asleep.

"You shouldn’t drug the Director... Following up on this is going to be a pain."

Yoshino-san looked exasperated.

"I knew he would definitely cut the press conference short if I started talking."

"Well, he probably would."

Yoshino-san nodded.

"That’s why I put him to sleep. It’s their fault for making me hold a press conference."

"I think you could have at least given us a heads-up."

"It couldn’t be helped. I was planning to discuss it here, but then they suddenly sprung the press conference on me. I figured it was a good opportunity to advertise and make the public aware."

I had actually planned on calling Kaede-chan and having a discussion with the four of us, Yoshino-san, Satsuki-san, and myself. Well, and Nanapon, I suppose...

"I get the advertising part, but aware of what?"

"Even if I say I’m putting a Frontier area up for auction, the Guild won’t allow it, right? At worst, the government will step in and buy it for a low price."

"I doubt it would be a low price, but it would be far cheaper than an auction."

"Right? That’s why I made the public and the countries around the world aware of it. Now, neither the government nor the Guild can secretly buy it from me."

The government is stingy, so they’ll try to buy it cheap. That said, it’ll be nations, not private citizens, trying to buy an area of Frontier. An auction where countries compete against each other is probably the best way.

"Still, the Guild must be in chaos. Obviously, this is unprecedented."

I should hope not.

"It doesn't have to be a Guild auction. I’ll do it myself."

"What’s my cut?"

Satsuki-san asked.

"I promise you five percent."

"Then that's fine. I don't mind either way."

Well, I knew you'd say that.

"But how are you going to hold an auction? Do you have that kind of know-how?"

"I don’t. In that case, I’ll ask Claire."

"Claire, huh... Claire is a pawn of the United States, isn't she?"

"It doesn't matter. I don’t mind if the United States hosts the auction. If they try anything funny, I’ll just tell the King and have him close the Gate."

That’s the threat I’ll use.

"Hmm, well, maybe I’ll talk to the Director about that and have the Guild handle it..."

"That would be fine with me. You have your position to think about, after all."

"That’s true. But this is going to be an insane amount of money."

"I know, right? I’m looking forward to it."

I wonder if it’ll reach the trillions.

"In that case, I should probably go talk to the Director soon..."

"That’s fine, but what are you going to do about Arc?"

Arc is supposed to be staying at Yoshino-san's house. We can’t just leave Arc, who knows nothing about this world, alone. That said, we can’t take her to the Director’s office either.

"Ah, could you watch her at your place for a bit? I’m heading to the Director’s office now."

"I don’t mind, but how should we get back... Arc, can you teleport to my house with your magic?"

I doubt it’s possible, but I'll ask anyway.

"I’ve never been there, so I can’t go to a place I don’t know."

I thought so...

"Should I drive Arc to your place? Then you can have someone pick you up. You shouldn’t be going outside right now."

"I see... Arc, is that okay with you?"

"It’s fine, but what’s a car? Is it like a carriage?"

Explaining a car is difficult...

"It’s a fast vehicle. You’ll understand once you ride in it."

"Hmm, I’d like to try riding in it, so that’s fine. I just have to teleport back here, right?"

"That’s right."

This kid is convenient. Alright, I’ll make her my second disciple.

"Then let’s do that. Yoshino, let’s go."

"Yeah."

Yoshino-san nodded and led Arc out of the room.

"Eleanor, is that child really royalty?"

After Yoshino-san and the others left, Satsuki-san asked.

"Yes. Apparently, she’s the King’s only child. Do you want to hear about Frontier?"

"Only child? Yes. Tell me."

I decided to tell Satsuki-san everything and explained the current situation in Frontier, about the alchemist, about Arc, and why Arc came to Earth.

"So, Arc came for an inspection tour?"

"That’s right."

That's half right. The other half is a vacation.

"But I had no idea Frontier was in such a state... So he called you because he wanted to ask for aid from an alchemist."

"Well, I’ll be getting plenty in return. A huge amount of gold bars."

"That’s great. Honestly, gold is better than yen."

Well, I have more than enough money to spend, so it’s better to have gold, which has a stable value as an asset.

"Things that cost a few thousand yen to make are turning into gold bars. I’ve become a true alchemist."

"An alchemist... So you could become a being that destroys the world too."

"I won’t. Don’t be ridiculous. That's absurd."

I’m not a demon lord.

"Is there a possibility that someone else could obtain the Alchemy skill?"

"Not at the moment. The King said that unique skills don’t overlap. But, on the other hand, if someone with a unique skill dies, there’s a chance it will reappear."

I heard this last night. Apparently, the royal family manages the citizens’ Status Cards, keeping track of who has dangerous unique skills and collecting data on them.

"So if you die, the next alchemist might appear?"

"That’s right. Well, by the time I die, you and everyone else will either be dead or quite old. No need to worry about it."

Let the next generation figure it out.

"If the Guild learns of this, a time may come when they manage Status Cards like in Frontier."

"Rather, they should. The problem is that bodies don’t remain."

"True. That worries me too. I’ve seen adventurers die during my time as one."

So it does happen... Well, she was an A-rank.

"What do you want to do? Report it to the Guild? Even if you don’t mention alchemy, isn’t it about time they acknowledged unique skills?"

"You’re retiring, so that might be fine for you, but there’s Yoshino and Nanapon to consider."

"Nanaka-san says she’s quitting too."

"I won’t let her. She doesn’t have to go on adventures, but she needs to remain on the roster."

So that’s how it is.

"What about me, or rather, Okita-kun?"

"Kaede was adamantly against it. She said it’s fine for you to make things with alchemy, but going on adventures is a no-go."

She worries too much.

"Is it love?"

"She said she's scared you'll end up picking a fight with other A-rank adventurers."

Love, huh...?

"Well, I’ll do that. My age is going to make it tough sooner or later anyway."

"That’s right. I retired around your age. I still had plenty of strength and could have continued, but many of my predecessors made the mistake of not knowing when to quit."

Being around thirty is an awkward age. Physically and mentally, I'm still fine, but there’s no doubt it’s the age when you start to decline.

"Should you tell Yoshino-san that?"

"She’ll be fine. For the past year or two, she hasn’t been going to high-difficulty front-line areas, and she’s mainly focused on her work for the Director and training juniors."

You know a lot about her. It seems you've been keeping tabs on your cousin after all.

"Then that’s fine. Also, don’t bully Nanaka-san too much."

"I won’t. She’d probably run away immediately or come crying to you."

I can see that. Nanapon is the type of person who always tries to take the easy way out.