Holy water being expensive had been inevitable. Its value was only acknowledged if it had been made by a Saint, and the supply had always been scarce.
Let’s say they produced 50 liters in a day. If that were divided into small bottles, it would’ve yielded a few hundred products.
But the kingdom had tens of thousands of adventurers, and on top of that, witches and nobles who desired holy water were countless.
Even if they squeezed out every last bit of mana, they still couldn’t meet the demand, so the price naturally had to rise.
“The current bid is 2,000 gold! Is there anyone who’ll take the holy water for 2,200 gold?”
Next to the auctioneer, a box containing ten bottles of holy water had been placed on the table.
The Church’s emblem had been engraved on the top, and the whole thing had been packaged luxuriously.
It looked like a collector’s item, reflecting the greed of the priests perfectly.
“Gah! What do I do!? I’ve only got 2,100 gold!”
Rox clutched his head and screamed.
He had just bid 1,800 gold, but someone else had immediately raised it to 2,000.
The man eyeing the holy water had been a round-bellied fellow. From his attire, it had been obvious he was wealthy, and he sat in the VIP section, puffing on a pipe and flashing a smug smile in their direction.
“We don’t have a choice. I guess we’ll have to give up on the Elder Lich.”
“No way! We’re almost there. Just lend me 100 gold. I’ll pay you back later!”
“I thought we agreed I wouldn’t pitch in? Check your pockets and see if you can scrape the rest together.”
“Ughhh~~~!”
Rox had tightly shut his eyes and then raised his bidding paddle.
“2,200 gold!”
As expected.
He pretended to be broke. But he wasn’t.
“Bidder 52 goes for 2,200 gold! A bold move! Now then, how will bidder 79 respond?”
The auctioneer stirred up the competition.
As the bidding rose, a fierce battle of nerves unfolded.
And when it reached 3,200 gold, Rox let out another anguished cry.
“Arghhh! Now I’m really out of money!”
The pot-bellied rich man at seat 79 curled his lips upward.
His face radiated confidence in his victory.
Rox gripped his paddle tightly but couldn’t bring himself to raise it.
Then came the crisp sound of the gavel striking.
The holy water had been taken from us.
***
We left the auction house and headed toward where the carriage was parked.
“Cheer up. Let’s look for another way.”
The Elder Lich was a tricky monster.
I had tried to obtain holy water because it didn’t pair well with my magic sword.
To be honest, I didn’t have a solid backup plan.
“Think our dazzling teamwork might pull us through?”
“We haven’t even fought together enough to call it teamwork.”
“What if we did some special training?”
“It’d still be too much. Not that I want to go that far anyway.”
I didn’t want to charge into a high-difficulty dungeon with a half-baked strategy.
It wasn’t like I was that desperate, either.
“When you’re in a rush, take the longer way around.”
I had fought an Elder Lich before, but back then, I’d been in a balanced four-person party.
Compared to that, a team made up of just two swordsmen didn’t even come close.
Should I just say I was quitting?
I did feel bad for the Dullahan who’d lost his body, but regardless of what happened, humanity would be fine.
Even if the kingdom fell, it would be at the hands of the Demon King’s army. Not because of the Lich’s ambitions.
Missing out on rare magical artifacts was the only thing I truly regretted.
“Oh my, fancy meeting you here, Sir Theo!”
It was a voice I had become quite familiar with.
When I looked to the side, there was Rosaria, the silver-haired noble lady, smiling brightly.
She was accompanied by the short-haired maid I’d seen before.
“That’s right. What brings you here?”
“As you know, I’m in training to become a healer. I’ve been visiting nearby towns and villages, treating those who are sick or injured. To think we’d run into each other again like this… Could it be the goddess of love is trying to bring us together? Ufufu.”
This city wasn’t far from the village where we had subjugated the Cyclops.
Still, to meet twice in a row like this… it felt too coincidental to be chance.
“You two know each other?”
“Sir Theo is my savior. And soon-to-be partner as well.”
“Wait, you’re engaged!?”
Rox’s eyes went wide.
“You should’ve said something! I mean, I can be reckless, sure, but I wouldn’t drag someone who’s about to get married into a death trap!”
“There’s no engagement. And we’re not heading into a death trap. I’ll give up if I can’t get the holy water.”
“Don’t be so cold~.”
I glanced briefly at Rosaria.
This wasn’t really the time for a long conversation. Should we part ways here?
As I was thinking that, she tilted her head, looking puzzled.
“Where are you going that you need holy water?”
“I’m hunting a lich. Holy water would really help, but I failed to win the bid at the auction.”
“A lich!? That must be quite the dungeon you’re heading into.”
“Well, yeah…”
I could substitute it with a weapon imbued with holy magic, but that would cost a fortune, too.
Besides, when it came to gear, it was always better to use what you were used to.
Suddenly switching could even backfire.
Holy water, being a consumable and easy to handle, was ideal.
“Do you absolutely need holy water to take it down?”
“Huh?”
Was she trying to lend me money?
If this was going to turn into an actual debt situation, I’d rather decline.
Even if Rosaria had feelings for me, I couldn’t accept that.
As a man and as a former Hero, I had principles and pride I couldn’t bend.
“I can make it, actually. I’m just a healer, so I can’t exactly call it ‘holy water’ but it has similar properties.”
Ah, so that’s what she meant.
Healing magic was a type of holy magic.
It was common knowledge. Even a snot-nosed kid on the street would know that. But just because someone was a healer didn’t mean they could produce holy water.
It was like how being a swordsman didn’t mean you could wield every kind of sword with ease.
Even mages had innate affinities for certain types of magic.
That was also why the quality of holy water varied with each new generation of Saints.
Still, Rosaria seemed to be particularly gifted in that area.
“Really!? You can make holy water!?”
Rox took the bait instantly.
“Yes, as long as you prepare clean water, I can make it right away.”
“How much would it cost? I don’t have much, so please, keep it under 100 gold!”
“I’ve never made it to earn money… but if it’s something Sir Theo needs, I’ll gladly make it for free.”
Rosaria blushed.
That feeling of being deeply loved.
I didn’t hate it, but it was a bit overwhelming.
More than that, Rox… he had over 3,000 gold and still lied without blinking.
“I know it’s shameless, but I’ll take you up on that.”
“Of course! I’d be happy to!”
Rosaria beamed with joy.
Well, I supposed it was okay to rely on her for something like this.
***
“We don’t need to keep our distance right now, do we?”
In the carriage’s cargo hold, Rosaria who had been preparing the holy water turned her gaze to me.
“No, Claria’s not here, so you can just act naturally.”
“Then I guess I can stay a little closer!”
As soon as she said it, she closed the distance between us.
She came close enough that our shoulders touched and smiled brightly.
“What is it?”
“It’s nothing. Just… a thing.”
Rox was given a vague excuse, and then I turned my gaze back to the water container placed at the center of the cargo hold.
“I can feel an incredible concentration of holy power. I’d believe it if you told me a saint made this.”
“You’re too kind. I’m still just in training.”
“But you’re a saintess candidate, aren’t you?”
“Oh, you knew?”
I’d heard it from Fran before.
Rosaria seemed to think I’d looked into it myself.
“…Sir Theo, you really seem to know everything about me.”
She looked a bit shy, but also genuinely pleased.
Though in truth, I didn’t know anything else…
Still, saying something like “Actually, not really” would’ve just felt awkward.
A few minutes later, the work was finished.
“Now we just need to transfer it into bottles.”
The water, now imbued with magic, held a faint white glow.
It wasn’t blinding, but in the dimly lit cargo hold, shielded by a tent, it was clearly visible.
We began filling the empty bottles we had bought from the shop with the holy water.
“How much would all this even be worth…?”
Rox was overwhelmed with emotion.
The basin held about five liters of water.
Each bottle could hold roughly 200 milliliters, so we could make about 25 bottles.
At the auction house, a box containing 10 bottles had sold for 3,200 gold.
Which meant 320 gold per bottle.
Multiplying that by 25, the total came to a whopping 8,000 gold’s worth.
“Oh, come on, it’s not even real holy water.”
Rosaria remained humble. But having actually used it, I knew better.
This was nearly as good as the real thing.
Good thing I took out insurance.
There was a reason she was a candidate for sainthood.
If I hadn’t slapped her that day…
If I had just revealed my connection with Rosaria without staging that elaborate act, Claria would have taken notice for sure.
She would’ve kept an eye on us and tried something in the next round.
“At this rate, even Maser Crowin wouldn’t be able to resist.”
“Who’s Master Crowin?”
Rosaria blinked in confusion.
Come to think of it, had I not mentioned him?
“Master Crowin is the master I serve. And he’s right here!”
Rox threw open the lid of a nearby box.
At that moment, a maid who had been quietly sitting in the corner drew a dagger from her coat.
“That’s a Dullahan…! Lady Rosaria, please get behind me!”
She pulled her lady behind her and took a defensive stance.
“W-Wait…! Sir Theo, I thought you were close with these people?”
“I am, sort of. But I don’t know this maid well. And honestly, this is the natural reaction right now.”
Tension thickened in the cramped cargo hold.
“A noble-born healer with a bodyguard maid. Now that’s an interesting combination.”
Crowin must’ve heard everything we said from inside the box.
There didn’t seem to be a need for further introductions.
…More importantly, he gave off kind of a creepy vibe.
“I have no intention of being your enemy. Please lower your weapon.”
Crowin remained calm.
Even though he was nothing but a head, he spoke to the maid without a trace of unease.
“My duty is to protect Lady Rosaria. I cannot allow that.”
It was an appropriate response.
Among the people present, she was the most realistic and rational.
“Canon, this isn’t polite,”
Rosaria said, trying to stop her by holding onto her arm.
“Please stay behind me. I’ll look for a chance to escape…”
“I’m not going to run. Sir Theo is here. What’s there to worry about?”
“There’s no guarantee that this man can be trusted either.”
“It’s rude to say that to someone who saved my life.”
When urged to lower her weapon, the maid reluctantly obeyed the order.
“I still can’t trust you. Please explain truthfully why you’re with a Dullahan.”
With her hand inside her coat, gripping a dagger, she kept her wary eyes fixed on us.
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