“You don’t have to be sorry. It’s no problem. I know I might not choose correctly, given my financial troubles.”
Money can make you blind.
“Honestly, I’m just glad I’m not getting kicked off the team.”
“What are you talking about? We’re lucky to have a caster with your skills.”
He wasn’t just being polite. It was the truth.
Especially with regards to the talent she’d been born with. Hekkeran and the team had been saved by her miraculous eyes more than a few times.
To give a name to Arché’s special ability, perhaps something like “magic detection eyes.”
Apparently arcane casters had an invisible aura of magical energy surrounding them, and Arché could see it and know what tiers of magic they could use.
It was unnecessary to explain how useful it was to be able to gauge an opponent’s power.
As far as Hekkeran and the others knew, there was only one other person in the empire with that ability—the greatest, most powerful wizard in the country, Fluder Paradyne.
In other words, Arché was Fluder’s equal, if only when talking about their eyes.
“I can’t believe the magic academy let such an outstanding student get away.”
“Truly. You’re so young, yet you can use the same tier as me. You might make it to tier six someday.”
“That seems hard, but if there were even a slight possibility, I’d be happy.”
When the atmosphere had relaxed somewhat, Hekkeran clapped his hands together. The dry sound drew everyone’s eyes.
“So, are we going to take this job or not? Roberdyck?”
“I’m fine with it.”
“Imina?”
“Why not? We haven’t had a proper job in quite a while.”
Worker jobs didn’t come along so often. Indeed, the previous week they’d been exterminating undead on the Katze Plain, but they were simply paid for how many they killed. Taking on a job from a requester was a bit different.
“Then—”
“If you’re worrying about me, please don’t. Even if we don’t take this job, I’ll find another way to make money.”
The three of them exchanged glances, and then Imina grinned. “No way! Hadn’t even crossed our minds. I mean, it’s not a bad job, you know. We want that fat reward! Right, Roberdyck?”
“That’s right. We’re not doing it for you but for the many items sleeping in those undiscovered ruins. Isn’t that so, Hekkeran?”
“Like the man said, Arché, although it’s too bad we won’t get famous as the ones to discover them.”
“Thank you, everyone.”
Arché bobbed her head, and the others looked at one another and smiled.
“Okay, so Arché will come with me to cash the gold ticket. You two, start getting the stuff for our adventure ready.”
They couldn’t slack on checking their magic items, making sure they had rope and oil—all the equipment they’d need for their trip. It was appropriate work for methodical Roberdyck and Imina with her thief skills. Or maybe Hekkeran was just awful at it.
“Okay, let’s get going, but Arché…”
Arché cocked her head as if to say, What? and Hekkeran posed the question on his mind.
“You know, we won’t make enough on this job to pay back your debts.”
“It’s okay. If I pay that much, I can get him to wait a little longer.”
“We could lend you the rest!” Imina chimed in.
“Sure. You can just pay us back after the next job,” added Roberdyck.
They wouldn’t just give it to her; that much was a given. The members of Foresight were equals.
“I’ll pass. Really, my parents should be the ones paying it back, but I’ll put in my time and do my filial duty.”
“That makes sense.”
The four of them exchanged glances and then set about their respective tasks.
3
In one district of the imperial capital was a high-class residential district lined with old yet sturdy, formerly gorgeous mansions on spacious plots. As one might expect, the masters of these historic yet by no means outmoded houses were mostly nobles.
A noble’s residence was a status symbol, and one who didn’t decorate their house because they felt it was a waste of money would be ridiculed.
Furnishings, jewelry, clothing, house, garden—these elegantly ornamented items were the equivalent of military might on the battlefield of noble society. They accurately conveyed not only a noble’s wealth but also the breadth and depth of their social connections. Living in a shabby house was enough to be looked down upon. For that reason, unless they were of a military temperament and had next to no interest in politics, nobles decked out both themselves and their houses. In a way, it was like a demonstration of martial power, one only people with enough clout could make.
Looking around the area, a few things were apparent.
The neighborhood was in a very safe part of the capital and was quiet, but the silence seemed to stem from something else. There were many houses that lacked any human presence.
And in fact, there wasn’t anyone in those houses. They’d been abandoned by former nobles, who could no longer maintain them, stripped of their rank by the Fresh Blood Emperor.
Amid the empty boxes were some houses that were still inhabited, but their outer walls had fallen into disrepair and the pruning of the trees in the yard had been neglected.
In the sitting room of one of those houses, wearing a hard expression, Arché was welcomed by her parents. Their faces had the well-bred noble look, and they wore well-tailored clothes.
“Oh, welcome home, Arché.”
“Welcome back.”
Before replying to them, she shifted her gaze to the piece of glasswork on the table. It was an extremely elaborate sculpture shaped like a cup and had the prim air peculiar to luxury items.
Her brow twitched because she had never seen it before.
“What’s that?”
“Ah, this is a piece by the artist Jean—”
“That’s not what I’m asking. This wasn’t here before. Why is it here now?”
“Well, because we bought it this morning.”
Her father’s remark, as casual as if he were discussing the weather, sent a wave of shock through Arché’s body.
“For how much?”
“Hmm… I believe it was fifteen gold pieces. A steal, don’t you think?”
Arché’s shoulders slumped. It was a natural reaction for anyone who had just used their advance to pay off part of a debt only to return home and find that same debt had increased once more.
“Why did you buy it?”
“Any noble would become a laughingstock if they didn’t spend money on things like this.”
Arché couldn’t help but give a hostile glare to her father, with that proud look on his face.
“We’re not nobles anymore.”
At her words, his face hardened and flushed. “You’re wrong.” He thumped the table. Perhaps it was lucky that since the sitting room table was so thick, the glass cup didn’t budge. Arché had no problem with it breaking, but it probably wouldn’t have even fazed her father. He would just think, Well, it was only fifteen gold pieces…
While Arché suppressed her irritation, her father continued shouting, spittle flying from his lips. “Once that wretched fool dies, our family will resume our status as nobles! Our house has supported the empire for over a hundred years! I will not forgive this interruption of our glorious history! This is an investment for the future, and besides, by showing off our power like this, we can send a message to that villain that we won’t give in!”
Idiot.
That was Arché’s opinion of her excitable, arrogant father. “That villain” was surely the Fresh Blood Emperor, but he probably didn’t care one bit about their family. Plus, shouldn’t there have been a better way to get back at him?
Prisoner of his own little world, her father co
uldn’t see outside.
Arché shook her head weakly.
“Would you two please stop fighting?”
Her mother’s leisurely tone triggered a temporary truce.
She stood up and handed Arché a small bottle. “Arché, I bought you some perfume.”
“How much was it?”
“Three gold pieces.”
“Oh…thanks.”
That makes eighteen. She calculated the total in her head as she thanked her mother, took the bottle that had barely anything in it, and put it away in a secure pocket.
Arché had a hard time being cold to her mother. And from a certain perspective, things like perfume and makeup could be considered smart purchases.
If she dressed up and attended the right party, a powerful noble might fall in love with her. The idea that a woman’s happiness was in marriage, pregnancy, and child-rearing was considered correct by most nobles. Buying those sorts of things as an investment toward that end wasn’t so wrong.
Still, she didn’t feel it was appropriate to be shelling out for perfume right now, considering the family’s situation. An ordinary household could sustain itself for a month on three gold.
“I’ve told you a million times, but you shouldn’t waste money. Only buy the minimum daily necessities.”
“But I just told you! This is a necessity!”
Her father cast an exasperated look at her, his face splotchy with rage. They’d had this conversation any number of times, and it always ended in a compromise. Arché partly blamed herself for things having gotten this bad. If she had made some kind of power move earlier on, this wouldn’t have happened, and she wouldn’t have caused trouble for her teammates in Foresight.
“I’m not contributing any more money to this household. I’m taking my sisters and leaving.”
This quiet announcement made her father furious. His first thought was probably, “Then who’ll make the money?” she thought icily.
“Who do you think has supported you up until now?!”
“I’ve repaid my debts to you,” she declared. The money she had given them already was quite a sum. And it was money made on adventures that was supposed to go toward growing stronger with her friends. Of course, everyone was free to use their rewards how they liked, but there was a tacit understanding that a good part of the funds would go toward building up their strength.
What had her friends thought of her, seeing that she never bought new gear?
Not upgrading her equipment meant that one of the team’s members was weaker than the others.
But no one ever said anything to her about it. She’d taken advantage of their goodwill.
Arché scowled fiercely. It was a gaze that conveyed her tenacious will, and her father averted his eyes like a coward. Of course he did. There was no way Arché, who had survived any number of life-and-death battles, could lose to a foolish noble.
With a glance at her father, who had nothing more to say, Arché left the room.
She closed the door behind her and sighed. Then a voice addressed her, as if it had been waiting for the chance.
“Miss.”
“Jimes, what is it?”
Jimes was the family’s longtime butler. His wrinkled face was taut with worry. She knew why immediately—because she’d seen the expression several times since her father was stripped of his noble status.
“It pains me to bring this sort of thing up with you, miss, but…”
Arché interrupted him with a raised hand to indicate he needn’t say any more. She had the feeling it wasn’t a conversation they should have right outside the sitting room, however, and they moved a short distance away.
Arché took a small leather pouch from her breast pocket and opened it. There were various gleams inside. Most of them were silver and then copper. Precious few were gold.
“Will this be enough somehow?”
When Jimes took the pouch and examined its contents, his face softened slightly. “This should…suffice for my salary and to repay the merchant.”
“Good.” Arché sighed with relief that ends would somehow meet, even though the family was hovering near bankruptcy.
“You couldn’t stop him from shopping?”
“No. The seller came with a noble he knows. I did try a few times, but…”
“I see…”
They both sighed.
“I wanted to ask you… If I were to let all the staff go, what is the minimum amount of money I would need to prepare?”
Jimes’s eyes widened slightly, and then he smiled sadly. The fact that he wasn’t shaken must have meant he’d been expecting it.
“I’ll make an approximate calculation and inform you later.”
“Thanks.”
Just then they heard the sound of scampering footsteps coming down the hall. Arché didn’t have to look to know who it was.
The corners of her mouth relaxed into a weak smile, and she turned around to see a single figure dashing toward her. It plowed straight into her without slowing.
The one who leaped at her was a girl scarcely over three feet tall. She must have been about five years old. Her eyes looked very much like Arché’s. She puffed out her pink cheeks in disapproval.
“You’re so hard!”
She wasn’t calling Arché’s chest flat.
Clothing for adventures that made generous use of treated leather provided good defense. The pieces covering Arché’s chest and abdomen were particularly tough. That’s what the little girl had jumped into—she probably felt like she’d been crushed.
“Are you okay?” Arché caressed her face and patted her head.
“Yep, I’m okay, Arché!” The little girl grinned, and Arché smiled at her younger sister.
“…I’ll take my leave.”
Arché nodded at the butler as he withdrew to give them space, and then she ruffled her sister’s hair.
“Uré, running might not…” Having said that much, she hesitated. It was absolutely improper for a noble’s daughter to run down the hall, but as she had told her father, they weren’t nobles anymore. Wasn’t it fine to let her run around, then?
Arché’s hand hadn’t stopped moving during that time, and the little girl getting her hair messed up erupted in carefree giggles.
Arché looked around and saw that the other one wasn’t there. “Where’s Koudé?”
“In our room!”
“Oh yeah? …There’s something I want to talk to you guys about. Let’s go find her.”
“Okay!”
Her smile’s so cheerful. It’s my job to protect it. With that strong sense of mission, Arché took her sister’s hand.
She could feel the warmth of the little hand completely surrounded by her own.
“Your hands are hard, Arché.”
Arché looked at her free hand. Cut numerous times during adventures and calloused, they were no longer the hands of a daughter of a noble family. She didn’t regret it, though. Her hands were proof of her time with her friends, Foresight.
“But I love them!”
Arché smiled as her sister squeezed her hand. “Thanks.”
The imperial capital’s northern market was bustling with activity as usual. But since most of the shoppers who came here weren’t ordinary folk, the crowd wasn’t jam-packed like the central market; here it was possible to walk along the rows of stalls and browse without bumping into people.
Hekkeran and Roberdyck arrived and began strolling around, relaxed in the familiar atmosphere. They could be so easygoing, as if the words on guard had been erased from their dictionary, because there were no pickpockets or other robbers—it was possibly the safest place in the whole safe capital.
“So, Hekkeran, what are we going to buy?”
“First, healing items. Pricewise, I’m aiming for Slight Cure Wounds wands or maybe Middle Cure Wounds wands… But not if they have only half their uses left. Since we’re going to a tomb, we might end up using them on undead, too. Besides those, we’ll
want basic undead countermeasures, items that will work against poison and disease. If possible, I’d like to make sure we have stuff that will work against negative energy and incorporeal undead, too… Items with permanent enchantment are expensive, so any scrolls with the right magic will do fine.”
Wands were items containing multiple uses of a spell, so the rate per cast ended up cheaper than single-use scrolls. Thus, it was possible to save money by buying wands of commonly used spells, like ones to heal wounds.
“Is that so? I thought maybe you were here to buy a gift and that you invited me to get my opinion.”
“A gift?”
“…Never mind, Hekkeran. Let’s find those bargains!”
“…R-right.”
The shops at this open-air market carried a lot of shabby-looking items.
Most of the stalls were a single thin board as a display table with only one thing on it. Almost nothing was new; they were mainly scruffy, worn-out, secondhand items.
The keepers of these shops seemed fairly capable themselves, for the most part. With thick biceps or the look of a magic caster, these sellers seemed like they would be better at battle than setting prices or haggling. At first glance, it appeared that security guards were manning the shops, but they really were the shopkeepers—for this one day only. Normally they made their livings as adventurers or workers. In other words, they were in the same line of work as Hekkeran and Roberdyck.
They were selling things they had been using or items they had discovered on their adventurers but which wouldn’t be used by someone on their team—stuff they didn’t need. Finding a buyer themselves rather than selling to a merchant who specialized in magic items or the Wizards Guild (since there wasn’t a broker fee) was better for both sellers and buyers, even considering the small fee paid to the commerce guild to set up shop.
That’s why most workers and adventurers like Hekkeran and his friends tended to come here first. Some people even showed up daily during their stay at the capital to hunt for deals.
It was also the reason there was virtually no crime in the northern market. Who would willingly attempt to prey on shopkeepers specialized in combat? They would deserve whatever awful things happened to them.
The Invaders of the Great Tomb Page 6
