LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 58
Chapter 58: The Convening Shadows
Not long after sending a missive to Romwell detailing recent events, I received confirmation of our appointment date.
The meeting place was set in Riudira. Though Romwell’s hideout was some distance from Riudira, he had agreed to come all this way for the main actor of this incident—myself.
And today was the day of that promised encounter.
“Has he arrived ahead of time?”
“That’s the word I received.”
Accompanying me were my subordinates—Ruby, Bill, and Mori—tasked with espionage.
Why not bring more demons, one might ask? Each had their reasons.
Lucifer was still far from regaining his strength, hence no need to accompany me, and I feared Phoenex might cause trouble in unfamiliar surroundings.
Amon simply didn’t want to come out.
He was fervently dedicated to his research, not yet having perfected the combat noodle consumption device…
‘With the dungeon and Riudira so close, the likelihood of Romwell causing mischief was slim.’
Our group might be modest, but not to be underestimated.
Creeeeak…
“Hey, did I arrive a bit early?”
“Good to know you’re aware.”
“…What?”
Romwell, with a baffled expression, gulped down his beer.
“Grrrr… Hahahaha!”
In an instant, the atmosphere turned grim. Romwell’s entourage outnumbered ten, and there was not a weakling among them. They seemed dissatisfied with my tone.
“Why not relax a bit? It’s not often we have such a useful guest.”
“Lord Romwell. That person…”
“Shh… Shh… Don’t open your mouth only to add to the discord.”
His expression turned fierce in a flash.
“Without permission, that is.”
“…My apologies.”
He seemed intent on asserting dominance, but it mattered not to me. I was here merely for a transaction.
“It feels like you’ve become a big shot since we last met. The aura around you has changed, hasn’t it?”
“I appreciate the thought. There have been various matters at hand.”
“Ah, the matters you wrote about in the letter?”
Sssss…
Romwell lit a large cigar, its potent scent wafting gently.
“I’ve read the letter. Quite impressive.”
“Which part?”
“What else? The backers of those guys. Amusing. So, the Eastern riffraff were behind the trio, huh? Kekeke…”
“Did you look into what I mentioned?”
“The Blood Sect and Baron Zariel? Of course.”
The collusion between the Blood Sect and Baron Zariel was almost certain, as revealed through my letter.
“True to form, the little guy has many escape routes prepared. Still, it seems he’s withdrawing from the contested territories—either caught too many times or learned from the Easterners.”
“…Is that so?”
“To you without power, it’s uninteresting news, but for me, it’s quite profitable. Thanks to you, my business has expanded.”
“Is that right?”
“Managing those places alone will keep me busy for years. You acknowledge it, right? It’s thanks to you.”
He said, setting down his cigar in the ashtray.
“Well, you’ve handled things so cleanly, there must be something you desire.”
“Keep your promise.”
“The investigation team? Ah, of course. That’s a given. Besides, things have been unraveling messily, so I’m putting more effort there.”
“Unraveling messily?”
“It seems the survival rate of adventurers across the empire, not just here, has significantly dropped. The Association denies it, but… whether it’s on an imperial or association level, there’s a lot of stirring around.”
I pondered how many adventurer parties had gone missing in Riudira recently; surprisingly few.
After repairing the dimensional gate relay, the explorers coming from Riudira to the Great Forest were a headache when eliminated—inevitably leaving traces behind… For me, a massacre was out of the question.
‘After all, parties coming to Riudira are rare now.’
The decline of the village itself was keenly felt.
‘Ultimately, this situation isn’t because of me. Even if it involved adventurers caught up in the dimensional gate relay, their numbers would be insignificant compared to the whole empire.’
But that doesn’t change the terms of the deal with Romwell. The changing currents are his concern, not mine.
“Regardless, I intend to honor our deal. You asked for something else… top-grade magic stones, was it?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm… Even high nobles and the empire handle such items sparingly. Excessive, isn’t it?”
“…Excessive?”
“It’s beyond my reach. I could procure a chest or so without much trouble, but anything more would be too conspicuous.”
I had anticipated this.
For the Ves Church, it was possible due to the high nobles among their congregation and the substantial donations they made. It would be too much for Romwell to handle.
Yet, as I looked at his earnest face, striving for a solid deal, I suddenly recalled that he was the boss in the final act of Episode 3.
‘Will I end up fighting him?’
No, I don’t think so.
Unless he goes mad and attacks me, I have no reason to fight him.
‘How did the original story go?’
The unpleasant trio’s schemes had entangled Romwell’s gang, attacking like rotten roots. And back then, Romwell and Faust weren’t even acquainted.
A slightly twisted narrative from the original work.
That’s the present.
‘After all, just as I had to deal with not only the unpleasant trio but also Manan, the boss of the episode could change.’
But if I can’t get the top-grade magic stones from Romwell, do I have to wait for the Ves Church?
“However, I do have one proposal…”
“A proposal?”
“Let’s deal with the stolen goods first. Here, ensure the appraisal is flawless. We have a sensitive guest present.”
An old man wearing monocle glasses, whom I had seen before among Romwell’s men, began appraising several chests.
“Intending to make me wait?”
“Far from it, it’s just that… there’s someone I want to introduce, but they haven’t arrived yet.”
“…An introduction?”
I furrowed my brows.
Unannounced guests are nothing but intruders. Moreover, depending on how much of my information has been leaked, they could become enemies in the future.
“Didn’t I tell you? Top-grade magic stones. There are limits to what I can do.”
“…And?”
“I know someone who can procure them.”
Why the sudden honorifics?
‘Could the person he’s introducing hold significant influence?’
Thud…
“Here, the value of the stolen goods.”
“Hmm, you’ve worked hard.”
Thump.
“Check it for yourself.”
“…You’ve been quite generous with the calculations.”
“Think of it as buying your favor with a small sum. More importantly, let’s continue our conversation. The person I’m introducing has connections with the local nobility. Baron Zariel’s abandonment of the Grimhal territory might have been influenced by this individual.”
Could it be…
‘Not Adelia of the Ves Church, right?’
Scratch…
“They expressed a desire to meet you.”
“Me? Did you talk about me?”
“I had to. I needed to convey how things unfolded to them. Besides… you had your own requests, didn’t you?”
I couldn’t argue with that, so I remained silent.
“Why would they want to see me…”
Just then.
Creeeeak…
“Ahahaha! Am I a bit late?”
“Ah, there they come.”
Romwell stood up abruptly, scratching his head.
“You are a bit late.”
“I took a tumble in the mud on my way here.”
“How did that happen…?”
“This and that! Hahaha!”
Turning around, I saw a man covered in mud standing there. His face was so caked in mud that it looked like he had applied a mud pack.
‘…Is he insane?’
The very idea that such a high-ranking individual could fall so spectacularly was odd.
“Lord Faust, it’s a disguise.”
Bill’s one-liner about the newly arrived man was a whisper, meant only for my ears.
“This is Lord Leon.”
“Just call me Leon. Sorry for being late!”
Romwell’s backer…
‘What’s his deal?’
He’s a character not mentioned in the story.
Of course, if the server hadn’t shut down, he might have appeared later.
“If it’s top-grade magic stones, I do handle those. Is that what you wanted?”
“…Yes.”
Everything seems to be resolving too smoothly. Suspicious.
“Good, I’ve heard of your exploits and wanted to meet you myself.”
“Why?”
“I’ve been in need of someone capable for my ranks.”
Ah, that type.
“I have no intention of becoming someone’s subordinate.”
“Oh! Was my explanation lacking? Think of it as a trade. Like the one you had with Romwell. You did trade, didn’t you?”
“Trade?”
“I understand your confusion. But I’m in a bit of a hurry.”
Leon grinned slyly.
“I need someone I can trust to handle my affairs, and for some reason, you need top-grade magic stones… right?”
His offer sounded like the sweet whisper of a devil.
“…Agreed.”
I’m no stranger to dealing with devils.
* * *
The whirlwind meeting with Romwell and Leon had passed in a flash.
Leon’s mud-caked entrance was, to put it mildly, a bit of a shock.
But I needed him.
Without Leon, I wouldn’t have been able to gather enough magic stones for the next gacha draw for quite some time.
“Pleased to meet you, Lord Faust. I am Manet, servant to Lord Leon. I bring greetings.”
“The greetings are done. Leon has something for me?”
“My servant will seek you out today.”
“Yes, this item.”
Swoosh…
A strangely shaped tetrahedral cube was handed to Bill.
“This is…”
“An artifact from an excavation, no doubt it’s a relic.”
“What’s the task?”
“To uncover the identity of this artifact,. Actually, he’s not interested in its identity, just the secrets it holds.”
“Why give it to me…”
“If you uncover the secrets, we’ll fill a chest for you.”
“With top-grade magic stones?”
“Would there be any other kind?”
“I won’t decline.”
Unveil the secrets of the artifact!
If I can get a 10-draw without much effort, I’m all thanks. I’ve got quite a stack saved up from last time.
[You’ve been offered assistance during espionage activities.]
[The reward is 3,000 top-grade magic stones.]
“I’m always in Riudira, waiting for your contact.”
To have a servant permanently stay in the village… how leisurely must one be…
‘Well… even a scoundrel like Grimhal had dozens of private soldiers.’
I handed the artifact to Amon as soon as we arrived at the dungeon.
“What is this?”
“They say it’s an artifact. Find out what it’s for.”
“Isn’t that your job?”
“My job is also your job.”
“Get rid of it. I don’t have time to waste on such things.”
“Too bad. Then, we’ll have to tell them we don’t have the resources to handle such artifacts.”
“…What?”
He fell for it, the fool.
“Right? Who else but you could do it?”
“…Since my birth, the unknown has lost its light. How could such shallow mysteries reach the essence of my being?”
“You said you were short on time?”
“Such things take but an hour. Sit there.”
Whirr…
Tiny hands floating around Amon worked hard to decipher the fist-sized cube.
“Hmmm…”
Whirr…
Whirr…
Amon deciphered the cube in less than an hour.
“Hmm… I see. But who gave you this item?”
“A new trading partner.”
“…Quite an interesting fellow. Shall I play along a bit?”
“What do you mean?”
“The function of this artifact is simple.”
Click…
One side of the cube opened, illuminating a pattern.
“Infuse it with magic power, and you can insert intentions and questions into the artifact.”
“Intentions and… questions?”
“It’s not hard to find out what the question is, but that would be no fun. I’ll only tell you the intention behind the question he inserted here.”
“…What’s the intention behind his question?”
Amon grinned.
“Curiosity. Pure curiosity.”
“What?”
“Interesting. There’s no fear or anxiety mixed in. He must have underestimated you greatly.”
“So, he used me just to satisfy his curiosity?”
“Not wrong, but you should also realize there’s no malice. He was just genuinely curious about you.”
Hmm…
“What can I do? This is a sort of test for you.”
“What kind of questions?”
“Only those that can be answered with yes or no.”
So, questions like ‘Are you curious about your childhood?’ or ‘Tell me one of your secrets?’ are out.
Then there’s no question that could be so threatening to me.
“If there’s no malice…”
Click…
I opened the other side of the cube.
“Now I’m curious about the question on this side.”
This is a test to see if I’m trustworthy, and if I don’t respond, it’s goodbye to Leon here.
“Bring it to your eye.”
“My eye?”
“Yes. You don’t need to think hard; it will answer the question.”
Whirr…
As I brought the cube to my eye, something hidden within poured into my vision.
Whoosh…
A sensation like my heart dropping.
“It’s done.”
“Is it over?”
“Check with him for the rest. If he’s to be your partner, he’ll have a reaction to your answer.”
* * *
Time trickled by since that peculiar encounter.
Days passed after I had sent the artifact and its accompanying treatise to Manet in Riudira…
Upon receiving an urgent request from Manet, I found myself once again en route to Riudira.
“…Leon.”
“Brilliant. The interpretation is flawless.”
“To disguise a test as a trade… I must admit, it irks me somewhat.”
“Come now… If that were true, you wouldn’t have shown up here, right?”
The cursed man.
How did he know?
Just as Leon was armed with pure curiosity, I too was intrigued by this odd fellow from our very first meeting.
Boom!
A chest was placed before me by the servants.
“Check it out, it’s filled with top-grade magic stones.”
Click…
As Bill opened the chest, its contents were revealed.
[The reward for your espionage activities has been finalized.]
[You have been awarded 3,000 top-grade magic stones.]
‘Truly top-grade magic stones.’
As loath as I am to admit it, this fellow might actually be quite the character.
“Aren’t you going to ask what the question was?”
“You’re going to tell me anyway, aren’t you?”
“Ha! Correct!”
Leon’s eyes narrowed like crescent moons as he spilled words I never anticipated.
“Faust… are you a Dungeon Keeper?”
…What?
“That question you asked…”
“Yes.”
Leon grinned, revealing the question that had been sealed within the cube.
“Do you own a dungeon?”