IGTL Chapter 39

Chapter 39 – The Boss of the Refrigerator Clan Wants to Get in Touch with Kakeru

“Fine. Then let me say it again—Mob Fenrir, get on that carriage.”

“Huh?”

When the person dressed like some kind of alien raised a hand, a carriage rolled to a stop beside us. I glanced over and saw two familiar faces sitting up on the driver’s bench.

A grotesque man with a punchy hairstyle, and a pretty-boy who looked like a narcissist.

Members of the Refrigerator Clan. Cresson and Beets.

—Which meant…

Was this guy the Refrigerator Clan’s underboss, Refri Jilator?

A ghost-white face with purple hair.

Yeah. The face was different, but the defining traits matched.

Now that I thought about it, the voice and that weirdly affected way of speaking were exactly the same too.

Unbelievable. His look had so much impact that I genuinely hadn’t recognized him.

Did he get full-body plastic surgery or something?

And why would he choose a monster-face like that?

Just to be sure, I turned to Refri Jilator (provisional) and spoke.

“Um… are you, by any chance, Refri Jilator, the Refrigerator Clan’s underboss?”

At that, Refri Jilator (provisional) puffed himself up like arrogance had seeped into his bones.

“Yes, that’s correct. So you truly hadn’t noticed me until now. Very well. If you don’t wish to suffer, then get on that carriage at once.”

“Huh? Yeah, no thanks?”

“…What did you say?”

Of course I refused.

This was Refri Jilator: the guy who drugged me with laxatives before. There was no way he wasn’t planning something stupid again.

I turned my back on him and sprinted toward the Drowsing Inn like a rabbit bolting for its burrow.

“—So long, Pops!”

Behind me, Refri Jilator froze, staring blankly like his brain hadn’t caught up. He just stood there with that “pigeon that got shot with a bean” face.

“L- Lord Refri Jilator!”

Beets’ shout snapped him back to reality.

“—!! You two, chase him!”

“Y-Yes!!”

I risked a quick glance over my shoulder. Cresson had already jumped down from the carriage and was running after me alongside Refri Jilator. Beets stayed on the driver’s bench.

Man, they were persistent.

I was literally trying to end this politely by running away, and they still chased me…?

Fine. Then I had a plan.

I spun around, leveled the Mob-Fenrir Bazooka at them, and fired a ‘Gleipnir’ round—those binding magic chains.

It nailed Refri Jilator dead-on, and Cresson got caught up too, both of them bundled and tied together.

“W-What!? Release me! Do you have any idea who I am!?”

“The Refrigerator Clan’s underboss! Yeah, I know! Later!”

Then I hooked their bound bodies onto the carriage and tossed a nearby stone at the horse to spook it.

The startled horse bolted on its own.

“Gh—! W-What are you doing!? Calm down! Calm down!”

Beets desperately tried to settle the runaway horse.

But the carriage didn’t slow down at all.

“Guhhhhh… B-Beets! Hurry… do something!”

“B-Beets! Stop the carriage!”

“Ngh—Even if you say that… I’m barely holding the reins as it is…!”

Refri Jilator and Cresson—still tied up—got dragged along behind the carriage, bouncing off the ground as they were hauled.

So that was the true meaning of being paraded through town (literally).

I almost felt bad for them. Almost.

“See ya! No idea what you wanted, but don’t mess with me again!”

“G-Gggggh… you bastard! I-I’ll remember this!”

I waved at Refri Jilator as the runaway carriage vanished down the road.

“Alright. That should do it…”

After that thorough a response, they probably wouldn’t come after me again. (Probably.)

Still… what were they even trying to do? Where were they planning to take me?

Whatever. People like that were a mystery. Thinking about it was a waste of time.

I’d already put a former S-rank adventurer on guard duty at the Drowsing Inn. The rest should take care of itself.

…Though today, I still had to be on duty too.

“If only I’d asked him to start guarding from today…”

Muttering that, I headed for the Drowsing Inn.

◇◆◇

“Lord Refri Jilator! A-Are you alright!?”

The Refrigerator Clan’s headquarters.

The carriage only finally stopped once it reached the front gate.

“Guhhhhh… How could I be alright? Do you have eyes, you idiot!?”

“I-I’m terribly sorry!!”

I was battered and filthy thanks to that Mob Fenrir.

That bastard… I’ll never forgive him!

“I don’t care about your apology! I asked whether you have eyes!”

“E-Eyes… I do have them, sir…!”

“Is that so? Then I’ll pluck out those useless eyes myself!”

I jabbed my fingers toward Beets’ eyes, and he flopped around dramatically.

“My eyes! My eeeeeeyes!”

“Hmph! Cresson. Report to my father… That bastard spat on my father’s goodwill…”

As I fumed, Cresson turned pale and started backpedaling.

“M-Me? Report to the boss!? P-Please reconsider! If I report it, I’ll be killed!”

“What are you saying!? Your purpose is to die for my sake, isn’t it? Now go!”

“B-But…”

When he still tried to protest, I took up my sword.

“…This is your final warning. Report to my father at once. If you refuse, I have other ideas. Don’t think you’ll get an easy death.”

“L-Lord Refri Jilatorrrrr!”

Good. With that much pressure, Cresson would do what I said.

But why was Father so determined to bring that Mob Fenrir under our thumb…?

Whatever.

Now Cresson would tell Father that the Mob Fenrir bastard had defied us.

I had to prepare myself, so I could answer properly if Father questioned me…

Just as I was about to leave Cresson sobbing on the ground, my luck worsened.

Father himself happened to walk by.

“So you’re here. What happened to that Mob Fenrir? You brought him here, didn’t you?”

“F-Father! N-no, that Mob Fenrir bastard…”

Damn…!?

Why was Father here!?

If he learned I couldn’t bring Mob Fenrir back, I’d be punished too—

Even I wasn’t exempt, despite being his child.

“Hm? Curious. I believe I ordered you to bring Mob Fenrir. Have you become so worthless you can’t even manage an errand a child could do?”

In front of Father, I dropped into a desperate prostration.

If I displeased him, it was a matter of life and death.

That didn’t change just because I was his biological son.

“…Hm? Why are you groveling? I told you to bring him. Don’t tell me you couldn’t capture him.”

“I-I’m terribly sorry. I attempted contact, but he resisted…”

It wasn’t a lie.

He really did run without even hearing us out.

“…And? Because he resisted, you gave up on recruiting Mob Fenrir and fled back here?”

“N-No, it’s not like that…”

“…Then what is it!”

At Father’s scolding, my head dipped lower.

“…M-My apologies.”

He looked at me like I was trash.

“Scum. Fine. That only means I overestimated you.”

“!? P-please! Just one more chance—!”

“Hmph. Next time, I’ll go myself. Either way, I must speak with that Mob Fenrir at least once…”

With that, Father shut the door to his room.

His anger was justified.

That Mob Fenrir had stolen every last asset the Refrigerator Clan had entrusted to the “Land Shark Main Office” for management.

That was why I’d wanted to resolve this before Father found out…

That bastard…

But if Father was moving personally, there was nothing to be done.

All we could do was support him, and make sure we didn’t get in his way.

“…Cresson.”

“Y-Yes, Lord Refri Jilator!”

When I called his name, the “eye pain” disappeared like it had never existed, and Cresson hurried to my side.

“You will monitor Father’s movements, and keep watch on that Mob Fenrir.”

“W-Watch on Mob Fenrir!?”

“Do you have an objection?”

“N-No, none at all…”

I stared him down, and he nodded silently.

“Good. I’m counting on you.”

I rose.

Father’s orders were absolute…

I didn’t know why he was so fixated on Mob Fenrir, but if it came to this, I wouldn’t let it end for free.

With that resolve, I left the Refrigerator Clan and headed for a dungeon.

Mob Fenrir’s abnormal strength, there was no doubt he’d earned it the proper way: killing monsters, gaining experience.

Up until now, I had established myself as the underboss without training in dungeons.

Because I was a combat elite from birth.

But now that someone stronger existed, I couldn’t remain as I was.

“Beets… come with me. We’re going to a mid-tier dungeon immediately.”

“E-Eh!? A mid-tier dungeon!?”

“Yes. I must become stronger. At the very least… stronger than that Mob Fenrir.”

We hitched the carriage at the mansion’s front, then drove toward the Transfer Gate “Yggdrasil.”

That day, for the first time, I stepped through the gate and began training in a dungeon.