TMLHGCFTV 38

Chapter 38

At the same time, negotiations were taking place in front of a tent at the edge of the cliff.

Kael stood a little ways back with his hood pulled low, but the merchant’s eyes kept drifting toward him.

Even though Miller was the one sitting at the negotiation table on his behalf.

“Dusk Spider carapace, huh? Haven’t seen material this good in a long time.”

The merchant lifted one of the carapaces and held it up to the torchlight. Its smooth surface reflected the flames.

“I’ll give you two gold coins per piece.”

“Four.”

Miller’s answer was firm.

“Look here. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to get material like this in times like these?”

“You just said you haven’t seen anything like it in a long time.”

The merchant’s hand twitched.

The truth was, carapaces of this quality, especially ones without significant damage, were extremely rare.

“How about three?”

“They also come with venom sacs.”

Miller untied another sack.

Kael didn’t miss the change in the merchant’s expression. Venom sacs were items traded discreetly even on the black market.

“This… Good heavens. You found these too? Poison spider venom sacs? No, four gold coins. This is something that deserves a generous price.”

The haggling continued for more than half an hour.

Kael watched from behind as Miller finally managed to turn the goods they had brought into a respectable amount of money.

“Your Highness.”

Miller approached and lowered his voice.

“I believe we’ve secured enough of the budget to purchase medicinal herbs, additional weapons, and equipment.”

“Find out where the herbalist is.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Kael let out a long sigh.

He had obtained information about the black market by visiting the information guild. He had paid a considerable sum for information about Greystone.

They also needed someone who could guide them through Greystone.

The information broker had told him that he could find a suitable person here. Apparently, there was a mercenary guild near the black market as well, so Kael intended to place a request there.

I need to make sure I find someone useful.

Kael smiled coldly.

The noisier the world became, the more cunning people crawled out of the woodwork.

No one showed their true intentions openly, which meant it was up to Kael to separate the trustworthy from the deceitful.

And then there was someone who practically wore her hidden intentions on her sleeve.

Kael thought of Rosanna, who had been eyeing his sword.

Giving her the sword had been an impulsive decision.

She couldn’t even properly wield it yet.

And yet, somehow, he had the feeling that she would eventually manage it.

He suddenly found himself wondering what Rosanna was doing right now.

At the next stall, I bought another sword that I thought Kael might like as a gift.

Since I had already taken money out of my own pocket to help fund the purchase of the mines for Kael, my finances were getting rather tight, so I had to bargain even more aggressively.

I’d only managed to buy the sword by stubbornly pestering the merchant after he repeatedly insisted he wouldn’t sell it.

Needless to say, I was already exhausted.

“Phew.”

I really hope he likes it.

I adjusted the sack on my shoulder and prepared to leave when I heard laughter.

About fifteen men were sitting around a rock in a recessed area farther inside the cliff. There was a bonfire in the middle, and several barrels of alcohol were scattered beside it.

Judging by their rough appearances, they looked like mercenaries.

One of them raised his cup.

“So what I’m saying is, Greystone isn’t a place people should be going anymore.”

Greystone?

The moment I heard the word, I found myself walking toward the bonfire as if I were being drawn in by it.

“Have a seat.”

Someone nudged a log toward me with his foot.

“Thank you.”

“You traveling?”

“Something like that.”

Someone pushed a cup toward me.

It was a crude wooden cup filled halfway with beer. There was barely any foam, and the color was cloudy, but I could tell from the smell alone that it was strong.

I pretended to wet my throat but didn’t actually drink.

I had no idea how much alcohol Rosanna could handle.

“Like I said, there’s no point going to Greystone.”

The man from before continued.

“But it pays well.”

“What good is money if you die before you can spend it? Most people who go in there never come back out.”

A man drained his cup and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“I’ve gone in there and come back out three times myself.”

From that point on, I put my cup down completely.

“You can’t even get near the temple anymore. Monsters are stationed all around it. The road leading farther inside has been completely blocked off.”

“What’s inside the temple?”

“If I knew that, would I be sitting here drinking this piss-water?”

Laughter erupted.

But a few men didn’t laugh.

“And the monsters have been acting strange lately. They’ve started moving around in groups. Even the ones that used to live independently.”

The man leaned forward.

As his voice dropped, everyone instinctively fell silent.

Only the crackling of the bonfire could be heard.

“So a place that was already dangerous has become even more dangerous.”

“I heard there are still people living deeper inside, though.”

My heart began to pound.

We were going to enter that very dangerous place they were talking about, so I felt I needed to carefully review everything I knew from the original story.

As I listened in on their conversation, someone sat down beside me.

The log tilted under his weight.

He was close enough that our shoulders nearly touched, but that wasn’t particularly strange in a place like this, so I didn’t pay much attention.

At least, not until he spoke to me.

“So, here you are.”

My heart nearly stopped.

I turned my head very, very slowly.

Beneath the shadow of his hood was a familiar jawline.

And above it, an even more familiar pair of eyes was staring straight at me.

“…Y-Your Highness.”

“Shh.”

I immediately shut my mouth.

“Are you two together?”

A mercenary sitting across from us asked.

“We are.”

“Thought so. You’ve been sitting alone here for a while.”

The mercenaries laughed.

A warning light immediately went off in my head.

‘If I catch you sneaking into the black market alone, you’re sleeping in my room.’

I swallowed hard.

“The reason I came here was—”

Kael glanced at me, took the cup sitting in front of me, and downed it in one go before speaking.

“You were telling some interesting stories. Greystone? Sounds like you’ve been there.”

“Well, it’s a place worth visiting at least once!”

The mercenaries became excited and began boasting about their various exploits.

After a lively stretch of conversation, people gradually began to leave one by one.

By then, the bonfire had dwindled to embers.

“Lady Rosanna. What did I say would happen if you got caught entering the black market alone?”

“I wasn’t alone.”

Kael’s eyebrow rose ever so slightly.

I met his eyes, smiled, and put on my most pitiful expression.

“I’m with you right now, aren’t I?”

“…”

“So technically, I didn’t come alone.”

Kael stared at me for a moment before finally lowering his head and letting out a quiet laugh.

Can’t you just let me off with that?

His gaze swept over me.

“Let’s go.”

I nodded and followed after him.

Miller and several knights had already fallen in behind us.

Kael casually handed the luggage I had been carrying over to them.

“These are shoes.”

“Yes. I was planning to—”

“To give them to those whose shoes have been ruined.”

“…They’re made from carapace leather. I also thought it might be useful if we could reproduce them.”

Kael gave a slight shake of his head.

Things probably would have remained peaceful like that.

If only Kael hadn’t noticed the bruise on my wrist.

His expression instantly hardened.

“Are you hurt?”