Chapter 388
He was certain that the visitor was one of the most affluent individuals on the planet. Einh.e.l.l had to reach out to the n.o.ble families of the city and seek a.s.sistance from skilled explorers while also making substantial donations to the altar. Every time he accomplished these tasks, the guest unfailingly presented him with more gold bars.
He was a rich man who was searching for the relics of Lord Lacryma. Presumably, at his level, he would have already had connections to the n.o.ble families, but that wasn’t the case. In addition, Einh.e.l.l had confirmed that the guest had the abilities equivalent to a Sword User, but all the man did was meditate in his room.
Meditation was not a common practice among warriors as it was typically reserved for wizards. Discerning the ident.i.ty of the visitor was challenging and getting too close to him felt too risky.
One thing was clear though. The visitor was naive about the ways of the world. He claimed to have never overpaid for anything, but that was not the case. Whenever Einh.e.l.l requested payment or completed the task, the visitor would generously hand over a considerable number of gold bars.
That day was the same. There was no answer beyond the door as always, but when Einh.e.l.l carefully pushed on the door, it opened as it was unlocked. The visitor was again sitting on the bed, leaning against the wall, meditating.
The vibe from the visitor was quite heavy, but it wasn’t heavy enough to weigh down Einh.e.l.l’s greed. He found a lump of gold right next to the door.
My gold… I wonder why no one took it.
He put the gold into the chest that he had brought specifically for that purpose and left a bill on the empty spot where the gold had been. The payment had been doubled up. It had increased little by little over the past three days, and it had finally reached this amount.
Einh.e.l.l became the most sensitive whenever he left the room as all of his attention was solely on his back. He thought the visitor would ask about why the payment had doubled up one day, so Einh.e.l.l had prepared an answer.
However, once again, he didn’t hear the visitor’s voice that night once again.
***
“I had a dream of hitting the jackpot last night, and you are here today, Einh.e.l.l.”
The man talking was someone named Basman, and he was a middle-aged man with kind eyes.
“How have you been?” Einh.e.l.l asked politely.
Basman shrugged. “Same as always. Flirting with girls.”
“I heard the news of your return a long time ago, but I was too busy. Sorry about that.”
Einh.e.l.l looked around Basman’s place. Everyone in the city knew that Basman had weird s.e.xual proclivities and predilection for women, and his bed was actually stained in blood. Einh.e.l.l noticed that Basman was watching him, so he quickly averted his gaze from the bed to the wall.
Right then, Einh.e.l.l noticed that a Baclan’s skull was being displayed as a trophy of war.
“You must have been to the North,” Einh.e.l.l stated.
“Ah, that one. I brought it for you. I will send it to your place if you like it.”
Einh.e.l.l shook his head. “You always say such sweet things, Mr. Basman, but I will yield it to your lovers.”
Basman grumbled, “Everyone always says that and refuses to take it.”
“If you want to dispose of it, then I will look for a place to do so. Do you want to sell it?” Einh.e.l.l asked.
Basman waved a hand. “It’s up to you, and let’s dive into the main point. Tell me about what you have been up to. I heard that you have been getting lots of money lately.”
Einh.e.l.l raised an eyebrow. “Wow, I didn’t expect that you would have heard about that.”
“Well, I know a lot about you. Who gave you all that money?” Basman asked.
“He is not from the city. I want to tell you more details, but that’s all I know… But Mr. Basman. I met with four officials and one priest yesterday.”
Basman widened his eyes and started scratching his temples while resting his chin on another hand as more money was moving under Einh.e.l.l’s control than he expected.
“My dream last night must have been about you. I can’t believe that you are buying my sword.”
“How would I be able to buy that? Please help me,” pleaded Einh.e.l.l.
Basman narrowed his eyes. “Are you saying that you will share the opportunity with me?”
“We are distant relatives, but…”
Basman pointed out, “Hey, but we are not complete strangers.”
“Since you are saying that, then I will tell you everything.”
Einh.e.l.l provided a detailed and lengthy explanation to the best of his ability. The sum of the money he was dealing with was already beyond his means, and the expenses for future expedition team operations would likely be even greater.
Therefore, he needed someone to look after him, and Basman was the perfect candidate compared to those from the direct bloodlines of the aristocratic families.
After the explanation, Basman smiled. “The last drop makes the pot overflow, Einh.e.l.l. But you are wise. That’s why I cherish you. Look. You came to see me first.”
***
“Umm…”
For the first time, Einh.e.l.l spoke to the visitor who was meditating.
“I have someone to introduce to you. He will manage the expedition team with me.”
The visitor’s hood was thick and huge. Although it was difficult to check his face, it was evident that he lifted his head up toward Basman.
“Mr. Basman is a strong warrior and has a deep connection with the n.o.ble families of the city. His notoriety has spread to the far-off lands such as the Gemilan Kingdom in the north, the Atreus Kingdom in the central region, and the nearby Exile Kingdom. Onir, the King of Mercenaries, also spoke highly of Mr. Basman’s swordsmans.h.i.+p, likening it to a thunderbolt. Mr. Basman has not only a.s.sisted in eradicating the black pirates of the Strait of Pateria, but he has also been actively engaged on the front lines of the war between the Gemilan Kingdom and the Baclans.”
“Is he a Holy Knight?” the visitor asked bluntly.
Einh.e.l.l choked at the moment, so Basman replied instead, “Holy Knight? It’s such an honor that you even thought of me that way. However, I sell my sword in the street, so I am not as n.o.ble as they are.”
“...”
“If you are in high status, then I hope you tell us right here. If not, I will make it clear that I have no choice but to treat you only as an employer. Things will get complicated if you say something else later.”
The visitor’s hood shook briefly. “It doesn’t matter as long as you carry out your duties faithfully.”
“Fine. What is your name? What do you want us to call you?” asked Basman.
The visitor didn’t answer.
Basman paused and suggested. “Hmm… Adventure… Mr. Adventurer. How is that?”
The visitor responded, “Whatever you guys want to call me.”
Basman continued, “You’re exactly as calm as Einh.e.l.l had described to me. I will take care of the expedition party so it doesn’t bother you. It only hurts to get involved with priests anyway.”
“How far along have things gotten?”
Einh.e.l.l answered, “We are planning to leave tomorrow. I hurried as quickly as possible, as per your instructions.”
“I will follow you then,” the visitor replied.
Einh.e.l.l interjected, “It’s going to be a rough journey. If you dispatch someone, I will ensure that they return to you immediately upon discovering the relics. I can also arrange for them to provide regular and detailed updates to you.”
The visitor ordered, “Save a spot for me. By the way, I don’t want to be bothered by anyone.”
“Okay, I will.”
“Then, I will see you tomorrow. You will be content with the team tomorrow,” Basman added.
Einh.e.l.l and Basman exchanged glances and turned around.
Basman said as soon as they got out on the street, “He is not a n.o.ble.”
Despite Basman’s deliberate attempts to provoke and mock the priests of Lord Lacryma, the visitor had remained unresponsive. In addition, the visitor’s unusual enunciation and the fact that he always kept his face concealed in the hood also made Basman sure that the man was not a n.o.ble. Based on that, he surmised that the visitor’s wealth had been ama.s.sed through illegitimate means.
“Did you check where he is getting all that gold?”
Einh.e.l.l shook his head. “He just somehow prepared them for me the next day whenever I brought him a bill. His men must be nearby.”
Basman commented, “Our visitor is mysterious in a bad way.”
“Yes, but there is no need to cut the goose’s belly. Let it lay the golden eggs and bring us more fortune.”
Basman nodded but suppressed himself from smiling because he learned from the many battlefields that fools were often filled with laughter.
He slowly skimmed through the visitor’s residence and put his hand on Einh.e.l.l’s shoulder.
“I agree. No one will know how he got such wealth, but we shouldn’t stop him from spending loads of money. If our exploration ends up in a success…”
“Then, we will have to cut the goose’s belly. I have planned to that extent.”
Basman smiled. “Then, I shouldn’t be worried about it. You are closer to the family, so I will say nothing more.”
When the two of them took the left turn while talking on the street, they saw people gathering in the square. Some of the young aristocrats were armed with artifacts such as fancy armor that reflected the sunlight. The citizens of the city were showering them with lily petals while the priests of the Lord Lacryma swung their censers.
Einh.e.l.l and Basman joined them without saying a word. Even the illegitimate child of the family, whose face was the only thing known about him to the two, was receiving the priests’ blessings.
The nature of the ritual was apparent as plans had been in place for some time to a.s.semble an expedition team to be dispatched to the central region of the continent. It was rumored that the Devil Doom Man, who was predicted to bring the night, and his Demon Corps had appeared in the far central region.
Nonetheless, Einh.e.l.l harbored doubts about sending an expedition team to the central region. This was not only due to the vast distance, but also due to the numerous warzones that they would have to traverse.
Recently, many wars had started for conquest purposes. The countries with major powers employed the pretext to justify their wars, claiming that they needed to bolster their armaments to counter the Demon Corps.
After throwing the last lily petal, Einh.e.l.l walked out of the crowd. Basman, who had left the square first, spoke.
“I never imagined that the illegitimate kid would bring us luck. If not, then we would have been in the squad and died eventually on the way to the central region.”
“Our young master won’t reach the destination.”
“He would know that and wouldn’t want to go. Honestly, I am not sure if the Demon has actually showed up. It might be the altar’s plan of dragging people out of the city…”
Right then, Basman quickly became quiet.
Einh.e.l.l commented, “It must be true, seeing that all the major powers on the continent are moving at the moment.”
Basman nodded. “Yeah, we should believe that, but our young master is too inexperienced and young to resist the temptation and overcome adversity. I hope Lord Lacryma’s blessing is with him.”
“By the way, I don’t think it will take that long before the war impacts the city. I heard that the s.h.i.+ps of the Emperor Exile often appear in the Strait of Pateria.”
Basman then remarked, “If you didn’t ask me to join here, then I would have been on that s.h.i.+p right now.”
“...”
Basman raised an eyebrow. “Why? Do you not think so? That’s what all the people who sell swords on the street would do. I know you have no intention of getting out of the town, so you should keep this in mind that we are forever considered illegitimate…”
Einh.e.l.l nodded. “Yes, for sure, Mr. Basman.”
“I really want to take some shots today, but we should focus on work.”
“Then, I will look for more handymen and stop by the altar.”
“I will deal with those who wield swords. Let’s get as much as we can and help the goose to lay as many golden eggs as possible. Hahaha.”
The next morning, they gathered up. The expedition team’s size was as vast as one small kingdom, inevitably garnering more attention than the team that had been dispatched to confront the Demon Corps yesterday. It wasn’t only because their purpose was to excavate the sacred relics of Lord Lacryma.
A ceremony similar to one held yesterday was taking place, with priests pa.s.sing by each of the hundreds of explorers, wafting incense burners.
Einh.e.l.l’s visitor was in a separate carriage. The face within the deep hood occasionally furrowed in concentration as it roamed through unfamiliar terrain. Then, Einh.e.l.l came with a scent of the incense burners.
“I told you not to disturb me if it is not about the relics,” the visitor said sharply.
“The supreme priest who will join the expedition is here. He is the priest of the Presbyterian Church of Saint Jayden. The Queen of Elsland even ordained him as their supreme priest. Stop whatever you are doing and greet him.”
“The Queen of Elsland ordained him directly?” the visitor asked.
The visitor had remained largely unimpressed even by the size of the expedition team. However, he increased the tone of his voice as if he had realized the importance of the priest’s position.
Einh.e.l.l was finally satisfied with his reaction. “Where do you think I spent all your gold bars? I have been faithfully fulfilling your orders.”
He lowered his voice and continued, “Whether or not you possess a deep devotion to Lord Lacryma is of no concern to me. However, I warn you against revealing any weaknesses to him. If you want the exploration to go smoothly…”
The visitor interrupted him, “So he met the Queen of Elsland in person?”