IGTL Chapter 62

Chapter 62 – The Shitty Old Man Was Surprisingly a Good Old Man. Shocking.

“Um, Guildmaster… No, Your Excellency Guildmaster?”

“What is it?”

“What did you just…”

Didn’t he just say something like, “Your battle against the Ligion Empire was splendid”?

“Hm? I only said that your battle against the Ligion Empire was splendid, and that I pray your power is never turned against this country.”

“C-Could it be that all your questions until now were…”

“They were nothing so grand as questions. Merely an exchange meant to learn your character. Still, that power was magnificent. I saw it directly at the scene, you know? The part where you rode the Elemental and drove the monsters toward the Ligion Empire, and the part where you captured the soldiers and threw them into a hole as well… It was like the deed of a demon.”

The way the Guildmaster said that made me feel like he had witnessed me at the scene of a crime.

“B-But I…”

“You were wearing a Stealth Cloak… However, if someone of a certain level of ability paid close attention, something of that degree could be seen through quite quickly. Ah, don’t worry. I’m not threatening you. In fact, I truly think you did well.”

U-Ugh…

So he had known from the start, this shitty old man…

“Th-Then…”

“…Ah, come to think of it, I happened to have here a contract drawn up by a foolish and slow-witted former Vice Guildmaster without any consultation with me, the Guildmaster of the Adventurers’ Guild. If possible, I would appreciate it if you could reduce future deliveries of Intermediate and Advanced Recovery Potions…”

“Ugh…”

You sly old fox…

I never thought he would use the Elementals’ secret as leverage to shake me down…

“I demoted the former parachuted-in Vice Guildmaster who caused that contract to be signed. The receptionist who handed you over to the guards as well. We will also buy Basic Recovery Potions at their list price. Therefore, from now on, I would like you to refrain as much as possible from delivering more Intermediate and Advanced Recovery Potions than necessary. Of course, I won’t force you…”

“…Very well.”

Either way, they were still buying the Recovery Potions.

It seemed he had dealt with the Vice Guildmaster too, and if they would buy Basic Recovery Potions at list price, that was a massive win.

“Oh? I appreciate that. Well, regardless, I had intended to deliberately refuse the next purchase and switch to buying one thousand Basic Recovery Potions and ten each of Intermediate and Advanced Recovery Potions. You have Elementals of such power under your command. I didn’t want to make an enemy of you. I’m glad we could discuss this beforehand.”

“Um, then what about the stampede and the Ligion Empire soldiers…”

“…You accepted our request. I’ll give the matter the utmost consideration.”

“…Thank you very much.”

Upon hearing those words, I happily bowed my head.

Honestly, I hadn’t expected the Elementals to undergo such absurd super-evolution.

And they still had the possibility of evolving one more time.

I was truly glad that the old fox… No, that the Guildmaster was someone I could actually talk to. If it had been the Vice Guildmaster, this would never have worked out.

“So, what will happen to the Ligion Empire soldiers from now on?”

“…Well, this isn’t the first skirmish we’ve had near the border. Whether we exchange them for prisoners held by the other side, or demand reparations instead, no conclusion has been reached yet.”

“I see…”

Well, as far as I was concerned, it didn’t matter so long as this whole incident ended in a haze.

Ligion Empire soldiers and adventurers, thank you for attacking our side.

Your weapons and armor would be safely stored in my Item Storage as part of my collection, so rest easy.

“…Come to think of it, you stripped them of everything they had. The Adventurers’ Guild can buy those items from you, but what will you do?”

“No, thank you. More importantly, there’s actually something I want…”

“Something you want?”

At my sudden request, the Guildmaster put on a dubious expression.

His face seemed to say, Just what are you planning to demand?

“Yes. I’d like a ‘Contract.’ Do you happen to have any at the Adventurers’ Guild?”

“Hmm. A Contract, is it… We do have them, but creating even one of those costs a considerable sum. If one million Col each is acceptable to you, I can arrange to provide them regularly…”

“Really!?”

Thank goodness. Just as I thought.

Apparently, even paid items that I thought could only be purchased from the Yggdrasil Shop could be obtained if one was willing to pile up enough money.

“…That said, we don’t have that many. Contracts are highly valued even within the Adventurers’ Guild. At best, I can provide ten per month.”

“That’s plenty. If possible, I’d be even happier if I could barter for them with Advanced Recovery Potions…”

“Advanced Recovery Potions, hm… Very well.”

“Thank you very much!!”

What an accommodating old man.

No, calling him an old man was rude. I should stop doing that from today onward.

“Come to think of it, people from the Midgard Holy Nation have recently been searching for the creator of the Advanced Recovery Potions… The upper echelons of the Central Kingdom as well. I’m taking care to ensure information does not leak, just in case, but be careful.”

“The Central Kingdom and the Midgard Holy Nation?”

“Yes. There aren’t many people who can compound Advanced Recovery Potions, after all. If one tried to purchase them, they would cost ten million Col each. It would not be strange for someone to think it would be better to keep the creator as a captive and force them to make the potions instead.”

“Eeeh…”

Scary!?

He suddenly dropped a terrifying story on me!

So I had been targeted by people that dangerous… I hadn’t noticed at all.

“That is all. We had a rather meaningful discussion. If you ever run into trouble, tell me. I’ll help you within the bounds of what I can do.”

“Yes. Thank you very much.”

After my conversation with the Guildmaster ended and I left the room, I struck a victory pose.

Heheheh…

With this, I could obtain “Contracts” regularly.

Of course, I still needed to test whether they produced the same effects as the paid item, but if I could get ten Contracts for one Advanced Recovery Potion, that was an excellent result.

Still, to think that the Central Kingdom and the Midgard Holy Nation were searching for me, or rather, the creator of the Advanced Recovery Potions…

As I wondered what to do, I descended the stairs.

Then, just as I was about to put my hand on the door and leave the Adventurers’ Guild, someone tapped me on the shoulder from behind.

“Hey, wait a second.”

“Hm?”

What was it?

When I turned around, several adventurers had surrounded me.

Among them were three familiar faces.

They were the adventurers who had tried to extort the paid item “Move Yggdrasil” from me the other day.

Their names were…

Hmm. I couldn’t remember.

They were possessed by Elementals, and I was pretty sure they were part of the “Transfer Group” or whatever, a bunch who were overjoyed that they had been transferred to this world.

“For now, could you move your hand? You’re in the way. So, what do you want?”

Since I couldn’t remember their names, I played dumb as I said that. The three familiar faces flushed bright red and flew into a rage.

“What do you mean, ‘what do you want?’ This is happening because you stuck those weird Elementals on us!”

Elementals, Elementals…

Hmm. Had I done something wrong?

I was pretty sure I had only ordered the Elementals to monitor and punish those three.

As long as they didn’t try to do anything bad to me, there shouldn’t have been any actual harm, though…

“…And what about it?”

“D-Don’t screw with me… Gyaaah!!?”

I didn’t understand why he was angry, so when I asked him that, the adventurer who had been yelling at me suddenly crackled with lightning and collapsed on the spot.

Judging from the “crack!” sound, the lightning spirit Volt must have done something.

As I put on an expression that said I had no idea what was going on, a man I didn’t know spoke to me.

“The truth is, he’s been like this since the other day. Whenever he tries to dig up information related to you, or even just complains about you, the Elemental attacks him, and it’s been causing us trouble.”

“Oh, is that so? That must be hard.”

When I said that without putting the slightest bit of feeling into it, the man gave a wry smile.

“It really is. The same goes for the two people here as well. I’m sorry to ask this of you, but could you remove these Elementals?”

“Huh? Why?”

I genuinely had no idea what he meant.

When I muttered that with that expression on my face, the man flashed me a shady smile and spoke.

“Heading to Odin and freeing the people trapped in the game is the duty, the very reason for existence, of the gathering of transferred players known as the ‘Transfer Group.’ If this continues, the Transfer Group’s activities will be severely obstructed. It would be a problem, you see… for some unknown Mob-Fenrir to get in our way.”

“Hm? I don’t understand what you’re talking about. The Elementals only attack because they try to investigate me or do things that might put me at a disadvantage. If they don’t do anything that might harm me, nothing will happen, you know?”

I said that with an expression that clearly conveyed, That’s perfectly obvious, isn’t it? Got a problem? The Transfer Group man chuckled.

“I see, hmm. So that’s how it is… Understood. I’ll keep that in mind. Come to think of it, I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m Root. The Transfer Group’s vice leader, Root. Still, your Elementals are strong. If you don’t mind, give me one. You have so many of them. Surely you can spare one, right? We’re working for the sake of every player who was transferred to this world, after all.”

Wow, amazing. Claiming they were working for every player. He sure went big.

However, I had no obligation to entertain such foolish questions and answers.

Give him one Elemental?

Say stupid things in moderation, baldhead.

Should I make the higher fire spirit Phoenix take up permanent residence on your head?

Want me to turn that neatly grown hair of yours into a burned wasteland and annihilate every last follicle, you damn moron?

I shook off the hand on my shoulder and put my hand on the Adventurers’ Guild’s entrance door, but the man called out to stop me.

“Come on, wait. Let’s talk. The truth is, we’re in the middle of preparing to go to a new world.”

A new world.

The moment I heard those words, my feet stopped.

“Oh? Now that sounds interesting…”

“Right? I thought you’d say that. How about we have a secret conversation after this…”

“Fine. So, where is this new world that’s going to be unlocked?”

“Now, don’t be so impatient. If the information we gathered is correct, the new world to be unlocked is Svartálfaheim, the realm of black fairies.”

“The realm of black fairies, Svartálfaheim…”

If I remembered right, it was supposed to be a world inhabited by dark elves and dwarves.

I see. So the next world to be unlocked was Svartálfaheim…

“To unlock Svartálfaheim, several steps need to be followed. But I can’t go into the details here. Come with us. We’ll talk at our hideout.”