Although I had accepted Ariel’s request to calm Lobelia down, there were a few issues.
First, the fact that Lobelia is currently going to and from the front lines.
It’s far. And dangerous.
It was obvious that this would be a journey that significantly strayed from my usual principles.
Still, I could manage it somehow.
If I took Yuna with me, she’d protect me from most threats.
So then, the second issue…
It was my own problem.
Even though it might look like I’ve been slacking off recently, I’ve actually been quite busy in various ways.
Right now, I still have to talk to Immun whom I left with Cattleya. I need to meet Emily. I also have to keep the group of Misfits in line.
I haven’t even figured out what kind of ability the spell carved into my right hand has, nor have I fully understood the powers of the gears.
There’s just too much to think about.
Especially since I recently obtained two more Helical Gears in a short time, it even feels like a monster lives in my right hand.
Heh… it’s not like I have a dark flame dragon sealed in my right hand or anything—
It’s more like an alien is parasitically living in my right arm.
A truly terrifying situation.
Now then, the third issue.
What exactly am I supposed to do?
Is she asking me to comfort her? Or to shake her into her senses?
How am I supposed to do that?
What in the world does Ariel see in me that made her entrust me with such an important mission?
She’s definitely overestimating me.
“First, I need to take things one step at a time, right?”
“So you’re going to Andvaranaut?”
“Yeah, I have to.”
I grumbled as I walked down the street next to Yuna.
Recently, I’ve resolved never to wander around alone again, reflecting on my past behavior.
So, despite Yuna being busy with her succession classes at the Magic Tower, I dragged her along.
It really felt like I was accumulating debt in real time… but well, I don’t care about any debt I owe Yuna anymore.
If it comes to that, we can just get married.
Then my debt becomes Yuna’s debt.
“Cattleya, are you in?”
And so, with Yuna’s reliable escort, I arrived at the Andvaranaut Merchant Guild.
How should I put it?
Even though the city center had been turned into a complete wreck, the area around the Andvaranaut Merchant Guild seemed strangely less affected.
Though, it probably wasn’t just my imagination.
Cattleya had even supported the barbarians at times, so they likely avoided hitting her too hard.
Aside from that, she’s someone with considerable financial resources, so rather than relying on aid, she might’ve just restored everything on her own.
“Oh, you’re here. I’m glad to see you’re busy as always.”
“Is that supposed to be a compliment?”
“Having a lot of work is a good thing.”
Better to have good business than for the place to be deserted.
That’s what I meant, anyway.
“You’ve come at the right time. I had something I needed to talk to you about.”
“Is it something annoying?”
“It’s something you passed off to me.”
Which one is she talking about?
I’ve dumped so many things on her that I couldn’t even guess.
“That guy Immun. He might be a bigger deal than we thought.”
“Well, if he’s a Gear, it’s only natural he’d be a big deal, isn’t it?”
“That’s… true, but still. You and Emily are the same, after all.”
“Well, I guess I am, but Emily too?”
“Hmm, maybe I should clarify. Emily’s so beyond standard measures that I can’t get a read on her.”
“That’s fair.”
Emily’s engineering skills honestly feel more like magic.
How could an ordinary person possibly guess the mechanics behind something like a lightsaber?
“But that guy Immun… Even by the standards I know, he’s dangerous.”
“Dangerous? How so?”
“If an ordinary person saw one of Emily’s inventions, what do you think they’d say?”
“They’d probably think it’s amazing.”
“But Immun’s technology is the kind that makes even regular people break into a cold sweat.”
“So what kind of technology are we talking about?”
“Alchemy.”
“Alchemy? What field exactly?”
In this world, alchemy is divided into several disciplines. Like metallurgy, pharmacology, biotechnology, and so on.
“Literally. That guy Immun can turn lead into gold.”
But as the name “alchemy” itself implies, all those branches originally began with the aim of making gold.
And that’s why I could be sure.
“…Isn’t that crazy?”
Cattleya was right. The technology Immun possesses is dangerous.
The future it paints is so clear, it’s chilling.
That guy could single-handedly destroy the Empire’s commercial sector.
Strictly speaking, he wouldn’t even need to use his technology.
The moment his ability becomes public knowledge, the Empire’s entire economy would start to collapse.
“Cattleya, just to be sure… you’re not thinking anything dangerous right now, are you?”
“Who knows?”
In a way, he was exactly the kind of talent Andvaranaut would’ve dreamed of acquiring.
And a particularly nasty one at that.
This was the same woman who funded countless terrorist organizations.
“Well, I don’t plan to do anything like that for now. I’ve shifted strategies a bit. Rather than collapsing the Empire’s economy, I’m going to take control of it.”
That’s a much harder path.
But if she can pull it off, it’s honestly better that way.
In the past, Cattleya was someone who wouldn’t hesitate to throw her life away if it meant destroying the Empire.
Even when she plotted to kill Loki, she was ready to die in the process.
“Is it because of Emily?”
“That’s right.”
But at the core of all her actions is always family.
As the last surviving member of House Tales, which was wiped out, she once lived for revenge.
But now that she’s learned there’s one more survivor, her sister, she can’t help but think about her family’s future.
“By the way, speaking of which, where is Emily?”
“Why are you looking for my sister?”
Cattleya glared at me with suspicious eyes.
She’s the one who said we should meet here, so why am I getting that look?
“She said to meet here today. If she’s not around, that’s fine. I’ll just say hi next time.”
“……”
“What about Immun? What’s he doing now?”
“He’s in the back, blowing through the money I gave him and doing research.”
“Even though he can make gold from lead, he still needed money?”
“Seems like he at least understands the kind of impact his ability could have. The guy’s basically a pushov….ahem… He’s just a really nice person.”
“I see.”
Exactly what I expected, so I wasn’t surprised at all.
“Then I’ll borrow him for a bit. I’ll bring him back after I use him.”
“Oh yeah? And what are you planning to use him for?”
The destination this time was the north.
Since that’s where Lobelia would be, I had no choice.
And in the north lies the Veldani Mountain Range.
It’s a bit of a distance from barbarian territory, but if the opportunity arises, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to pay it a visit.
This wasn’t something I was doing out of necessity. More like a hunch I was following.
I couldn’t help but be bothered by the fact that we’ve lost contact with Deus lately.
He didn’t look well…
For a while, I even thought he might’ve just passed away quietly, but the fact that he left a separate message for Immun suggests he might still be alive.
“It might be something that can save a life, you know.”
“Oh yeah? I don’t know who you’re trying to save, but good luck with that.”
“We’ll see how things go.”
What exactly was Deus trying to say to Immun?
What’s at the coordinates he sent?
Maybe there’s something there that could heal his body.
Maybe he asked Immun because he’s a righteous pushover.
Well, let’s just think of it as trying to save someone.
Even if it turns out not to be, I’ll at least figure out what Deus is really up to.
Just looking at his recent movements, it’s clear I need to understand his intentions.
It’s almost like he’s more of a threat to my life now than when he was my enemy.
Who knows how many gears are still left?
Any one of them could see me as their enemy.
In the game, there were three gears who showed up as enemies, but one of them Ryute has already passed away.
That leaves two, but like Immun, there might be others I don’t even know about.
Can’t hurt to be cautious.
“Oh, and one more thing.”
“What now?”
“Don’t get annoyed. I just want to browse the merchandise for a bit.”
“Well, if it’s just that, fine.”
Why’s she so on edge?
Ignoring Cattleya’s sharp glare, I started browsing the shop displays.
The reason was simple.
It was to help solve the Lobelia issue Ariel had asked me about.
More precisely, it was to broaden my options.
Basically, a bribe.
Even someone as prickly as Lobelia might be happy to receive a gift, right?
“Yuna, you pick something too. What do you think the princess would like?”
“You’re asking me to pick out a gift for another woman?”
“…How about some wine?”
“Don’t pretend you didn’t hear me, Johan.”
“No, Yuna, just calm down for a second. Do you really think I’m doing this just to impress Princess Lobelia?”
“Well, that is what it looks like.”
“Okay, fair. But it’s really just meant as a gesture of goodwill…you know that.”
“……”
Damn it. Everyone’s shooting me dagger eyes from every direction.
Anyone would think I’ve committed some kind of crime.
I’m just doing someone a favor here, that’s all.
“Fine.”
At least Yuna gets it.
Grumbling the whole time, she still ends up nodding in the end. That’s so like her.
“Wine’s probably not the right choice.”
“Yeah? Too cheap-looking?”
“Johan Damus? I’d appreciate it if you didn’t insult our merchandise.”
Cattleya cut in suddenly.
Maybe it’s her merchant pride or something?
“I mean, this wine’s a budget-friendly product, right? It’s just not really fit to present to an imperial member, is it?”
“You’re the one who picked that wine in the first place. We have plenty of premium ones, you know?”
“Anyway, Johan….no wine. Don’t tell me you forgot about the chaos last time the princess drank?”
“……”
“She probably hates the stuff now. If it were me, I wouldn’t even want to look at alcohol for a while.”
“Alright, fair point, Yuna.”
Yeah, the whole scandal between me and Lobelia did start with alcohol.
To be precise, it was Lobelia who got a little too loose after drinking and ended up running her mouth.
That led to Loki getting involved, and that whole mess brought me to where I am now.
Alcohol really is the root of all evil.
“So, maybe something like jewelry?”
“Does Princess Lobelia strike you as the type who likes flashy luxuries? And besides, she has to worry about how others perceive her.”
“Yeah… you’re right.”
Can’t argue with that.
I’m glad I brought Yuna with me.
Sure, I brought her along as a bodyguard, but as a former assassin, she really knows how to read people.
“Johan, what about this?”
“Hmm?”
While we were busy examining all sorts of products and discussing them, Yuna who had only been critiquing my choices up until now finally made her first suggestion.
What she brought over was a stuffed toy.
“A teddy bear?”
“Mhmm. It’s perfect. It’s not a luxury item, and it’s not something you eat, so it’s ideal for placing in a room.”
“Is that so…?”
“Of course. And think about it. Her Highness usually fights with her bare fists. That’s exactly why she’ll appreciate something soft like this. And more than anything, it’s cute.”
“You… might have a point?”
“Trust me, Johan. This is seriously the perfect gift.”
“Well, alright then! Let’s go with that.”
If Yuna says so, then that must be it.
***
Unfortunately, Yuna had absolutely no intention of helping Johan.
She was the type to double-check even extinguished fires. And come on, hasn’t Emily’s behavior been suspicious lately?
She wasn’t about to stand by and watch more women flock around Johan.
So it would be better if his little bribery plan failed.
If it doesn’t work out, he can always solve the Lobelia issue some other way.
With that in mind, Yuna picked out what she thought would be the least suitable gift for Lobelia and confidently recommended it.
Perfect.
A teddy bear.
A gift that clearly didn’t match her at all, but Johan believed every word Yuna said and chose it without hesitation.
Sorry, Johan. But this is all for your own good. I know you’ll understand.
Yuna held back tears as she pictured Johan getting scolded by Lobelia.
But what she didn’t know…
Was that in a way, her advice might have been the most accurate of all.
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