Chapter 413: Money, Responsibility, and a Scoop

The information I gave Imron was not purely out of goodwill.

Getting on good terms with one of the best blacksmiths among players was part of it, but most of all, it was meant to help with Pencilgon’s plan.

Clan Schwarz Vulf was certainly one of the top clans, but it had effectively split in half. And because of some truly awful match-fixing, we had really only needed to deal with three people.

But the anti-Black Dragon faction currently throwing its weight around on the New Land was a major force that went beyond a single clan.

Selling them a favor and buying their cooperation would not go to waste.

Sunraku: "Heh heh heh... This kind of groundwork isn’t so bad."

I was not Evil-aligned like Pencilgon, but as a gamer, I did not mind steadily preparing for one huge payoff.

Besides, if someone carrying an obviously incredible weapon like Holy Hammer Mjolnir offered to make me a weapon, even I was bound to let something slip.

Sunraku: "All right, then."

Thanks to earning the Gourmet Tongue title, I could fully appreciate the tea served to me as a VIP.

With Diale’s help, I had returned from the desert village to Rabituza, reunited with Emul, and then come to Fifticia.

Antonio: "Why, if it isn’t Lord Sunraku..."

Sunraku: "I just came to shop normally this time. You didn’t need to come personally..."

Antonio: "What are you saying? Leaving you to an apprentice clerk would disgrace our company’s name."

A major trading company’s young master giving VIP treatment to a half-naked bird-faced man lounging on an expensive sofa was already a pretty bizarre sight, but money was powerful.

Still, I really had come here only to shop, so I bought up whatever furniture looked high quality.

Antonio: "...By the way, Lord Sunraku. Regarding that large jewel..."

Sunraku: "Go ahead. Oh, and... the old jewel is at the feet of God."

Antonio: "Oh... That is excellent news. As for the matter at hand, it appears there has been movement within the Second Knight Order."

The Second Knight Order?

Since the Third Knight Order was getting shipped off, was the Second Knight Order next?

Golden Scales was huge. I had casually asked whether it could do something spy-like, and apparently it could.

But was World Quest progress not simply limited to triggering Siegwurm’s EX Scenario?

Antonio: "Yes... It seems they are acquiring weapons."

Sunraku: "...For the New Land?"

Antonio: "Most likely. However... this is strictly confidential, but the Three Gods Church appears to be moving in the same direction."

...Wait. Think.

Okay, so the Third Knight Order was forcibly sent away, the Second Knight Order was building up its forces, and the Three Gods Church was moving behind the scenes...

Nope. I was getting tangled up.

I would pass it to Pencilgon later and let Pencilgon sort it out. If it turned into a Demon Lord route, not my problem. I would sell Pencilgon out.

Sunraku: "...I see. Thanks, Antonio-kun. By the way, do you have someone special?"

Antonio: "Pardon? Ah, yes... I have a wife."

Sunraku: "I see, I see... Then make this into a ring and give it to her."

I casually handed over a Tsaberil Imperial Treasure Crystal.

Antonio: "This is...?"

Sunraku: "A gem from the New Land. At the moment... I am probably the only one who can mine it."

Antonio: "Ha ha. You have me there... Next time, tea alone will not be enough."

No need to worry. Look at us, Antonio.

Vash: "Yo, Sunraku. It hasn’t been that long, has it?"

Sunraku: "Y-yeah."

My pinky...

No, no way. How was I supposed to talk my way out of this?

What was this difference in mood? I had just been playing rich man a second ago, and now this was completely a scene where I was about to pay for my crimes.

Emul, smiling the whole time, had led me along with a “there, there” until we reached the Rabituza Rabbit Palace. I had a bad feeling from that point onward, but when I met Vash, I had already accepted the loss of my pinky.

Sunraku: "W-well, what a fine day..."

Vash: "You’re hiding one, aren’t you?"

Sunraku: "How the hell did you find out...?"

Bullshit. There was no way he could know!

Wimpy Nene was basically under house arrest in the middle of Sigmonia Frontline Valley. At least, I had arranged it that way.

There was no reason anyone should know about the cave Sammy-chan-san had made. Why?

No, that was not important.

There was only one thing I needed to do here: explain why I was protecting Goldhuneenay and what I intended to do from here on out.

Sunraku: "I’ll cut off a finger...!!"

Emul: "I have no idea how this conversation got there!"

Vash: "Hold on, Sunraku. We ain’t trying to make you pay for it... But shouldn’t you at least have said something?"

Why? How had he seen through it?

Was there some kind of tracker on her? That was possible, but... no, it felt like there was another reason.

SLF was not the kind of game that took shortcuts like, “This character somehow knows what happened on the other side of the continent.”

Did Vash have some kind of ability?

Sunraku: "I have no excuse for that... But, Vash-aniki, are you really okay with this?"

Vash: "You know what kind of body that one has. No point getting worked up over every little thing. But you... you’re prepared to take responsibility for this, right?"

This was it. I had to act confident.

Sunraku: "Yeah. Depending on how it goes, I might put the Vorpal Bunnies assigned to defense out of a job."

Vash: "Kukaka, that’d be a problem! We’d have to find them new work."

Yes! Perfect communication! This was perfect communication, right!?

I smiled along with Vash’s laughter—

Pat.

Vash: "Well, let’s see what you can do. But if you screw it up... don’t think dying will be enough."

Sunraku: "...Yessir."

Please, anything but character deletion...

───

─

Sunraku: "Ugh... That went from rich-man mode to paying-for-my-crimes mode way too fast..."

Emul: "What exactly did you do, Sunraku-san?"

Sunraku: "Huh? I’m keeping Goldhuneenay."

Emul: "Oh... Oh!?"

Quit bringing it back up!

Getting kicked out of Rabituza was the last thing I wanted. I would avoid that outcome no matter what, so get ready.

Do not underestimate my taming abilities...!!

Emul: "Whatever... Thinking about it is pointless. So what are we doing now?"

Sunraku: "Hmm. The frontline base."

Emul: "Hai na!"

There was someone I wanted to see.

Feeling once again how convenient Emul was as fast travel, I went with her to the frontline base. Keeping an eye out for other people, we headed toward the place where someone should be.

Sunraku: "Hey."

???: "Hm...? W-wait, you’re Sunra—"

Sunraku: "Shh. Keep it down... I’m keeping a low profile. Is your leader around?"

???: "N-no... They have something they cannot miss tomorrow, so they went to bed early. Wait! Don’t leave! I’ll be in trouble if I let you get away! The sub-leader is here, though. Would that work...?"

The sub-leader...

Hmm. Fine.

Either way, this was information I wanted spread around to some extent.

Sunraku: "All right. Take me to them."

???: "Hello. I’m Sete. I’ve heard quite a bit about you."

Sunraku: "Can I ask what kind of rumors?"

Sete: "Among us, at least, you are known as ‘a walking bag of information.’"

You have some nerve. I could not deny it, though.

Still, I did not get much joy from filling out walkthrough sites, and I did not want to hand over information I had worked hard to acquire that easily.

Sete: "So? What brings you here today? Are you going to bless Library with information?"

Sunraku: "No need to be so sarcastic... It’s an exclusive. And I have a request."

You had to fight to survive.

So, to keep that cowardly snake alive, I was going to get a little dirty.

Sunraku: "I triggered Goldhuneenay the Inexhaustible’s EX Scenario."

Sete is enough of a hardcore Professor fan to buy an entire VR setup that cost over a hundred thousand the same day Sete learned Professor had started playing SLF.

Sete was probably even at the level of trying to make a move if Professor had not been married. Sete was also the one who suggested Professor create a clan.

Still, even Sete could not stop their face from twitching when the professor they admired turned into a magical girl.