Chapter 122 Please Forgive My Sins, My Brutal Deeds
Three weeks have passed since Chloe suddenly vanished from Zepardia's villa.
Lady Eva has been investigating in various ways, but Chloe's whereabouts remain unknown. It's possible that the Caduceus family, who know Chloe's secret, have silenced or imprisoned her.
However, since the day Chloe disappeared, the Caduceus family has been frantically moving people around.
It's unclear whether they're searching for Chloe or just trying to make it seem that way. But, as Lady Eva concluded, their movements seem too frantic to be just a bluff.
If we're optimistic, there's a possibility that Chloe is safe.
But there's nothing we can do about it. Even with Lady Eva's information network, we can't find out where Chloe is.
While praying for Chloe's safety, we had no choice but to prepare for the upcoming labyrinth conquest.
Over these 3 weeks, our preparations have progressed further, and we've almost completed the map of the 47th floor of [God's Remains Labyrinth].
All we need is for the final barrier magic tool to be completed in a week, and then we'll be able to enter the labyrinth with our entire clan and the guild's scouting unit.
So, today is the final preparation for that.
We've been putting off borrowing the scouting unit until now, trying to avoid leaking information to the [Four Great Families of the Seals]. We're going to do it today.
The time is late at night.
We'll guide the guild leader, who's finished work, to our ≪Wooden Sword Way≫ workshop and "persuade" him to lend us the scouting unit.
It's better to guide him to the workshop when there are no people around, so we don't attract attention from the [Four Great Families of the Seals].
But, if we ask the guild leader to come to the workshop without anyone noticing, will he really come?
――Yeah, no way, he won't come.
So, trying to forcefully take him away would only lead to resistance. Even though he's old now, he's a former Expert Explorer. In fact, it was this old man who first broke through the 35th floor of Necronia.
Now, everyone knows about the fatal weakness of the Giant King Nord, but back when the old man was young, no one knew about that weakness. Instead of exploiting that weakness, he broke through with a strong, head-on battle style――that's what that old man did.
Even though he's old, he can't be underestimated.
If we try to take him away, he'll resist fiercely and won't be able to hide it. If possible, we'd like to avoid that.
In other words, guiding the old man to the workshop and then restraining him would be the best option.
As the dog of the powerful, the old man is wary of us. The possibility of him coming to the workshop quietly is 0.
But we had someone special in mind who could make the impossible possible.
――Yeah, that's right, Lady Eva.
* * *
――So, we waited for the Guild Leader to finish work and come out, then used Lady Eva's teleportation magic to move to the workshop.
Even though the Guild Leader was on high alert and resisted slightly, if we didn't mind a bit of noise, restraining the old man would be a piece of cake.
We knocked him out and tied him to a chair, just like we did with Chloe back then. Currently...
"What do you people think you're doing!!"
The ones in the workshop were the Guild Leader, who had turned bright red like a boiled octopus, and...
"Hey, calm down, old man."
"Guild Leader, please listen to us calmly."
"......"
There were 5 of us: me, the mediator; Io; Garon, who was cooperating with us for some reason; and Lady Eva, who looked a bit spaced out.
"Um, can I go home now?"
Although Lady Eva's role was already over, she would be leaving soon.
"Thanks, Lady Eva. You were amazing as always."
"You've gotten even stronger than before, lady."
"Good job, lady."
We all thanked Lady Eva with words of praise.
"Come on, spare me the theatrics, won't you? It's not like I'm enjoying this~."
Lady Eva let out a sigh and left, disappearing into the distance.
In the now-empty space, I turned to face the Guild Leader.
The workshop was dimly lit, with only a single camping lantern on the workbench providing light.
The Guild Leader, bound and restricted, gazed at me with an unsettling expression, but I didn't sense even a hint of anxiety.
He was still trying to break free, but the Anti-Magic Ring around his neck made that impossible.
"I'll be straight with you. Guild Leader, lend us ten members of your scouting unit. Of course, we'll take the strongest ones first."
No beating around the bush.
I made my demand directly.
"What? You want the scouting unit? ...You guys are still planning to conquer the labyrinth, aren't you?"
"That's right."
"Hmph, you think you can do it?"
The old man looked at me like I was an idiot.
Yeah, I felt like punching him. I raised my fist.
"Wait, Aaron."
"Io, why are you stopping me?"
"It's too early to resort to violence. Let's at least hear his response first. We can always punch him later, can't we?"
"...Tch."
"Hey, you guys! Don't think you can just resort to violence!! Who do you think you are, some street thugs!!"
I ignored the old man's words and lowered my raised fist.
Well, it's fine. I've already decided on my approach, and violence isn't necessary. In fact, it's too soft.
Anyway, let's move the conversation forward.
"Hey, old man, are you going to lend them to us or not? Which is it?"
"You fool, do you think I'd lend them to you? If that gets out, our guild will be ruined! Your exploration permits will be revoked, and that's not all! You'll bring us down with you!!"
Up to this point, it's going as expected.
Io continued to persuade him.
"But if we conquer the labyrinth, the 4 houses won't be able to blame the guild. On the contrary, we can even grasp their weaknesses. I'm sure the guild will find it appealing, don't you think?"
"That's what you'd say if you could crush it, but it's just too unrealistic."
"Hmm..."
I exchanged a glance with Io.
I had expected this, but it still turned out this way.
No matter how many words I use from here on, I don't think this old man's mind will change. So, I'll just have to "persuade" him as originally planned.
I steeled myself and began to pray with my hands clasped together.
"O great Gods in the heavens, please forgive my sins, my brutal deeds..."
I offered sincere prayers to all the Gods, from the God of Wooden Swords to the God of Magic, the God of Warriors, the God of Merchants, and the God of Craftsmen.
Why was that?
It's because the "persuasion" I'm about to do would even make me feel guilty.
"Hey, what are you praying for...?"
The old man asked me in a puzzled tone, wondering why I had started praying.
I didn't answer him and instead took out a certain item from my Storage Ring.
It was a small pot for one person.
"A pot...?"
The old man tilted his head in front of me as I placed the small pot on the workbench.
――Bang!
Despite its small size, the pot made a surprisingly heavy sound.
"Is it filled with lead or something...?"
I could understand why Grandpa would think that. But unfortunately, it wasn't lead inside.
"Nope."
I slowly opened the lid of the small pot and showed him the answer.
"This is... soup."
Inside, there was a paste-like "soup" with a vibrant red color, as if paint had been dissolved in it.
"No way!? That's not soup at all!!"
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