Chapter 13 (1/2)

Chapter 13: Mask of a Great Wizard

Along with Dahbarus, who still doesn’t understand who I am (not that I blame him), our whole group pa.s.ses through the doors of Pavilion of the Iron Pot Knight. The very next moment, Mora gets swept into a fierce hug by a man.

“Mora! I’m so glad you’re safe. I’m so sorry that you had to go through such an ordeal……!”

The man has brown hair and brown eyes very similar to Mora’s. His clothes are embroidered and ornamented, yet look easy to move in, giving him the look of a successful commercial merchant.

“I’m all fine! Not even a scratch. Cus I got saved!”

“Ohh!? Sedam-san, thank you! Really, how can I ever repay you……!”

“Ah, no, hold on a sec. There were various developments in the situation.”

The man…… Irudo is clinging to Sedam while lowering his head again and again. I can tell from his behavior how worried he was for his daughter. Maybe I really should have hurried to the village first thing……

“Now, now, how about you calm down first. Everyone else, please rest yourselves.”

Ushered by the proprietress, all of us were settled at a table. This is completely irrelevant, but the first floor of an inn has really gotta be a tavern……

♥♦♣♠

“...... And that is all that happened.”

Irudo had been bowing his head repeatedly with such force that he was in danger of banging his head several times, but Sedam managed to stop him and give a simple explanation of the situation. Of course, he made no mention at all of the army of anki.

“Then you are the one who saved Mora…… Thank you so very much, great wizard-sama!”

“So you’re the one who…… Ohhhh! So ‘great wizard’ means ‘a really powerful magician’!”

Both Irudo and Dahbarus thank me honestly. In a way, this is a testament to Sedam’s personal character.

“D-, Don’t worry about it…… All I did was only natural as a wizard.”

At the corner of my eyes, I see Sedam and Claura making “meh, that was just pa.s.sable” faces.

After that, talk turns to the adventurers’ reward. Of course, Sedam declines it (but there was prior agreement that the advance payment wouldn’t have to be returned). On top of which, it became that the reward would be paid to me instead.

I also try to decline it, but upon Irudo’s entreaty, ended up accepting the 3,000 gold coins.

“By the way, how much is 3,000 gold coins worth? Around these parts, I mean.” (Gio)

“Well, 1 gold coin can buy 1 family a day’s worth of delicious food here in this town.”

“3,000 gold coins is just right for buying a house in Lelis! A house just right for 2 people to live in! Do you want Father to make you the introductions?”

“I, see……?”

After a few more questions, I determine that 1 gold coin is worth about ¥10,000. Then again, with the monetary economy here not as pervasive as in j.a.pan, apparently people like farmers and hunters live most of their lives without ever using gold coins.

But if things are like this, then it means that 3,000 gold coins is equivalent to 30 million yen.

“...... So expensive!”

30 million yen. That’s higher than my net worth back in j.a.pan, oy.

“Is it really? It’s the market price for these kinds of jobs at our Adventure Guild. After all, we are placing our lives on the line.” (Sedam)

Then again, 3,000 gold coins divided equally among 5 people means only 600 each. Considering that it was a job with a real risk of dying, this much might not be that high after all. Guess I really shouldn’t use modern j.a.pan or D&B as standards.

“With that said, I’m afraid I don’t have the money on hand. May I trouble you to come to Lelis to claim it on a later date? I will prepare a certificate for you. For now, please accept this as an expression of my grat.i.tude.”

With those words, Irudo hands over a leather bag filled to the brim with gold coins. So this is a hundred pieces. It’s not like I’m particularly strapped for money, though. More like, if we’re talking gold coins similar to these, I already have more than 3 million pieces……

But even I can tell that with this flow in conversation, refusing here is only going to engender bad feelings. For now, let’s thankfully accept this, and think of a way to repay him another time.

Incidentally, I also had Irudo take a look at some Jiiteias gold coins that I had in one of the pockets of my robe, and it turns out that they’re useable in the Liuus Union.

“Allow me to also give you my thanks, great wizard! If you ever find yourself in Senpu Village and in need of anything, don’t hesitate to call on me!”

Dahbarus also firmly grasps my hand with both of his while saying so. Senpu Village is apparently the name of the closest dwarven settlement from here.

From start to end, the telling of Mora’s rescue and return was accompanied by constant refills of the proprietress’ delicious s.h.i.+l tea.

“Gio-san. I have a favor to ask.”

Mora’s request turns out to be for help in retrieving the rest of the luggage seized by the mountain bandits. Above all, since the entire place has been raised to the top of a sheer precipice, it is a given that I would have to go. Of course, I accepted her request.

“Ahh, that’s fine and all, but can that be postponed a bit?”

“After all, there is something urgent that we really wish for Margils-dono to do.”

Mu. Oh right. I first have to destroy that anki nest.

“It's fine to do it later, but! Definitely, definitely help me with it, alright?! It’ll be really troublesome for us if that cargo is lost!”

♥♦♣♠

After that exchange, father and daughter retired to Irudo’s room. They’re apparently going to return to Lelis by joining another caravan that will be departing that way soon.

For now, I breath a sigh of relief at having cleared the first goal that I had set for myself.

“Well then, can we excuse ourselves?”

“Ah, sure.”

Sedam, Claura, and I move to another room. This is so that we can discuss our next moves.

“Our very top priority is to find and discover that anki nest.”

Sedam says that while looking at Claura and me. Naturally, we both nod.

“Thank you for taking this on. However, I’m sure that there’s still a lot that you don’t know, so let me explain my thinking first. After that, tell me if you have any questions or input.”

“Sounds good.”

As always, Sedam speaks intellectually. I really wish the young ones at my company could learn a thing or two from him.

“Upon discovery of an anki nest around these parts, it is my duty as an adventurer to report it either to the Carbanera Knight Order or the Council at Lelis. Considering the physical location, the Knight Order makes more sense. After that, the ent.i.ty that received the report must use their full power to eliminate the threat.”