Chapter 105: Invest Carefully (1)

“So, what the hell was it.”

The next day.

Morning came, and the scheduled hearing about me was held.

After all, neither 「Resurrection」 nor the so-called ‘advent’ are common sights you can encounter on the street.

“What, is your identity?”

In the end, a satisfactory explanation was needed.

“After your hair turned red, Mr. Yubin looked like a completely different person….”

“Because I was, strictly speaking.”

Since I could no longer avoid it, I answered honestly.

That this body was actually a doll-like being made by Luce, with his blood.

That the reason Luce had made this body was to seal the ‘Primordial Demon King’ within me.

“So what you saw then wasn't me, but the ‘Primordial Demon King’ who had temporarily borrowed my body.”

Of course, it was a story that was hard to believe, but since they had already seen such things, no one pointed it out.

“The Primordial, Demon King…”

Instead, Lily said, as if retracing her memory, that she had heard of it when she had studied history.

“When the gods were still on this earth, he was the ruler who had pacified the north… who had tried to kill them…”

That's right.

The ‘Primordial’ was the first being who, instead of worshiping the gods as gods, had tried to put them under his feet, and had seen them as objects of conquest, not worship── and even had the ability to do so.

The gods, who had feared such a ‘Primordial’, had begun to call the followers of the ‘Primordial’—who were supposed to serve them—evil beings who were trying to destroy the order of the world, ‘devils’, and made them wary of them.

It was the catalyst for those who, until then, had just been treated as a race that lived in the north, similar to but slightly different from humans, to be called ‘demons’.

As the ‘Primordial’ had told Luce.

As a result, humans had built a great wall to block the ‘Primordial’ and the demons.

“…Then did you find out your identity because all the lost memories you mentioned before had returned?”

“Something like that.”

“So?”

Suddenly, Ibi, who had her arms crossed and legs crossed, asked in a tone as if it didn't matter.

“Can you control it? That guy sealed inside you?”

“I can.”

Do you think you can, you impertinent fellow?

A minority opinion immediately came out, but it was sufficiently controllable.

If this body wished, it could take your body right now.

Do you really think that you are controlling this body?

Even if it said this, the ‘Primordial’ would not try to take my body unless I met an unexpected death or something.

Of course, it could.

But it would be meaningless.

The current me cannot withstand the ‘Primordial’.

So it might be able to act as it pleases for a while, but it will soon break.

I'm just enduring it because the body that will one day become this body's, cannot be broken.

You should be grateful for this body’s mercy!

So until I was ready… specifically, until I reached the max level, level 20, I didn't have to worry about the ‘Primordial’ trying to take control of my body.

“Are you sure?”

“I am sure.”

And when that time comes, I won't have to worry about the ‘Primordial’ in the first place.

Therefore, I said with confidence.

“──I, will defeat the Demon King with the power of this ‘Primordial’.”

Of course.

It's only natural that I can't just stand by and watch a weakling who can't even reach this body’s toes, call himself the king of the demons.

“And to find a way to make the ‘Primordial’ inside me quiet, I have to go to the Demon King's Castle.”

Hmph!

Try it if you can.

I will.

Somehow.

When I showed such a firm will, my companions looked at me in silence for a moment.

It was a story that was hard to accept at once.

That I was actually a doll-like being, that the Primordial Demon King was sealed inside me…

But, despite that, I didn't feel any hesitation.

“I will always follow you, Mr. Yubin, no matter what.”

The first to speak, Rine's always calm words were like that.

“No matter what blood you inherited, Mr. Yubin, no matter what being you harbor, the fact that you are the one I will pledge my lifelong loyalty to, will not change!”

And Miki's firm oath was like that.

“Mr. Yubin is…”

As was Lily's resolve, who suddenly took off her veil and revealed the horns she had always hidden.

“You supported me so that even someone like me could continue to serve Lady Sistina. ──I, also want to support you by your side.”

Toric, who was watching this, let out a short breath through his nose.

“It seems, you are carrying a burden that is too heavy for one person to bear.”

Then he soon looked at me and said.

“At least until our paths diverge, I will help too.”

Then, everyone's attention, following my gaze, turned to Ibi, who was the only one who hadn't said anything yet.

“…What?”

At that, Ibi let out a sneer as if to say not a chance.

“Are you expecting me to say something plausible?”

“…No, it’s fine.”

Because just that was enough.

“Thank you. Everyone.”

Therefore, I made eye contact with each of them again and expressed my sincere gratitude to them.

***

“I-Is that really true…?!”

We went back to the basement of the pub where Logan was waiting.

And we told him about the ‘prison’ we had found in the sewer, which we had been too tired to talk about yesterday.

“The prison was empty. So we didn't see anyone locked up, but from the circumstances, it seemed highly likely that people were locked up there.”

In fact, it wasn't just highly likely, they had been locked up there.

“That's probably why they haven't been noticed until now, because they were locked up and moved through the secret room in the sewer.”

“The secret room in the sewer… so that’s why we couldn’t find it.”

Logan nodded his head as if he finally understood.

“Thank you. Thanks to you, we are gradually getting a clue.”

“As for the gold coins, have you started the investigation?”

“Ah, yes. We have already arranged for our comrades to investigate them last night.”

“How long will it take?”

“Well… we are planning to try various methods. I think it will take at least a few days.”

But that was only if the investigation went smoothly, and it would probably take about a week, or a few weeks at the longest, Logan added.

“A few weeks?”

But leaving aside whether we had that kind of time.

“If it’s about the origin of the gold coins, there is a faster way to find out.”

In the first place, there was no need to wait that long.

“Yes? What method do you mean?”

At my words, Logan began to look at me with eyes full of anticipation.

“To be precise, I know a person who can find out quickly.”

“A person?”

“Have you perhaps, heard the name ‘Nero’? She should still be in Tiaria.”

“Nero, you say……?”

It was an expression of hearing it for the first time.

That's right.

“She is a very skilled mage and alchemist. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that she is the best on the continent.”

Logan, who had heard my explanation, sent an even more confused look.

It was an expression that said he couldn't understand how he, who knew most of the major figures in this city, had never heard of such a great person.

But it couldn't be helped.

Because she was completely unknown.

Since she had never shown her skills to the world, being cooped up in a place called an atelier… which was like a warehouse, it was only natural that he had never heard of him.

“Nero? Nero… hmm…”

At that, Ibi crossed her arms, saying that the name sounded strangely familiar.

“Huh? Do you perhaps know her, Sister Ibi?”

“No… for some reason, I feel very annoyed…”

Well, because I had invested 10,000 gold in her.

That's how much Nero's skills were beyond doubt.

I know well.

“As a skilled alchemist, she will be able to find out where these gold coins came from much faster.”

Originally, alchemy was the study of making gold.

Of course, alchemists in fantasies, unlike real alchemists, usually take on the role of making potions and items rather than gold.

But since it was ‘alchemy’, the essence of knowing a lot about ‘gold’ remained unchanged.

At least, it was like that here.

“It will probably take about a day.”

“A-A day?”

Logan, who had shown a reaction of disbelief, seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, and then asked again in a cautious tone.

“…Is she a trustworthy person?”

It might be a question about her skills, but he was also asking if she could be trusted in another sense.

Because what we were tracking was none other than Don Paulo's funds.

“She can be trusted.”

Well, Nero was a person who didn't have to worry about that part in particular.

***

For that reason, we came to ‘Nero's Atelier’.

In fact, although it was called an atelier, it was closer to a small, shabby warehouse in a deserted alley.

In fact, it was built for warehouse use.

The only clue that allowed one to guess that this was a place that sold something and not a real warehouse was the shabby sign hanging on the entrance.

Tinkle, tinkle!

The moment I opened the door, a clear bell sound rang out.

Then,

“Uh, uhhhh?!”

Instead of a greeting, I heard a startled reaction that surprised even the listener.

“A c-c-c-customer!?”

Naturally, the owner of that voice was the owner of this shop, Nero.

As soon as Nero saw us open the door and come in, she was very flustered, and she ended up dropping the beaker she was holding in her hand.

Crash!

“Ah, ahh…!”

Nero, who was at a loss, looking down at the shattered beaker, looked back and forth between us, the customers, and the broken beaker, as if she were overloaded, and then.

“W-Welco── Kwek!”

It seemed that she had decided that she had to deal with us first, but before she could take a few steps, she ended up tripping and falling flat on her face.

“A-Are you okay…?!”

Miki, who had been blankly watching the unrealistic scene for a moment, belatedly snapped out of it and ran to help Nero up.

“…Are you serious?”

At that, Ibi, who had been watching the scene with her arms crossed, turned to me with a glare and asked.

“Here? 10,000 gold?”

“……Well, geniuses are a bit, eccentric, you know.”

I couldn't meet her gaze and averted my eyes.

Sometimes, there are geniuses whose stats are so lopsided in one area that their other stats are catastrophically low.

Nero's case was like that.

And one of those stats that wasn't maxed out was.

“Wh-Wh-Wh-What, can I do for you…!”

…unfortunately, her ‘communication skills’.

A necessary ability for a shop owner who had just opened her shop and had to somehow promote her skills and products.

So if I left the conversation to Nero, nothing would progress.

“──To be blunt.”

Therefore, I took a big step forward and fluttered a piece of paper I had taken out of my pocket.

Before coming here, I had stopped by a bank── of course, not the second largest one in this city that we had robbed, but the first largest one called ‘Hwangdo Bank’── and received it.

“I’m here to receive dividends on my investment.”

The investment certificate, that is.