Chapter 72 - Ganesha (2)

["Well, it's an honor to meet you, even like this. Though the means left something to be desired."]

At the voice coming from somewhere nearby, Aiden frowned and abruptly leaned down toward Helmut. He roughly ripped something out from inside the man's clothes. Discovering a device the size of a finger joint, he sighed and set it on the table.

"... A listening device? How old-fashioned."

First Grand Duke Aslan, and now this man. Why did everyone trying to approach him have to be so underhanded?

Unlike the grand duke, though, this one had some bizarre means at his disposal, befitting an underworld magnate.

["Oh, it's not merely a listening device."]

With those words, a slit actually opened in the center of the device and projected a translucent blue image upward. Within it appeared a young man wearing a top hat and a monocle.

"It's an integrated imaging device carved from the finest mana stone. A prototype commissioned by the Magic Kingdom recently. Quite useful, wouldn't you say?"

"..."

Aiden was too dumbfounded to speak.

Seriously? A hologram?

This world's technology was supposed to be somewhere around the early modern to modern period, but this man alone seemed to be operating in an entirely different genre...

"So what's all this about? I don't particularly enjoy being tested without my consent."

Still, that was a separate matter. He had grievances to air. At his question, the man replied,

"I'm sorry for testing you without permission, Mr. Aiden. Please accept my apology."

Unexpectedly, the apology came without any excuses. The man took off his hat and bowed politely, his sincerity plain to see.

"I simply wanted to see for myself. Everyone knows the stories about the Lionhearted, but word about her husband has only just begun to spread."

"Am I really that famous?"

At Aiden's incredulous question, Ganesha smiled and answered.

"Most of what I sent that man there to tell you was a lie, but one thing was true."

His eyes gleamed as he continued.

"Right now, you're a hot topic across the entire continent, Mr. Aiden."

"..."

"His Majesty the Emperor is doing everything he can to control information about you because he doesn't want to lose you. But if he could suppress it all perfectly, information brokers would have no reason to exist. Everyone who matters already knows."

Fair enough. Wasn't that why someone like Grand Duke Aslan had approached him first?

"I'd already confirmed how steadfast you are, but I hadn't finished assessing your ability to navigate the world. It would present its own problems if you weren't quick on the uptake."

After listening to all that, Aiden gazed steadily at Ganesha's projected image and asked,

"And your verdict?"

"Full marks. That amateur over there actually has quite an impressive career as a con man, but you thoroughly outclassed him."

"I'm not sure being better at conning people is something to be proud of."

"Well, if you told me it was how you earned a living to feed your family, I, for one, would take that into account."

"..."

"Isn't that precisely why you honed those skills? You had no other way to put food on the table back then."

Aiden narrowed his eyes at the cheerful Ganesha.

... This man.

"You speak as though you know quite a lot about me."

"Just a hunch. A hunch."

A hunch, his ass.

It was obvious the man had dug through every last detail of his past. In that case, it was only natural to return the favor.

Looking Ganesha straight in the eye, Aiden spoke.

"Then I suppose I can make allowances for you, too."

"Pardon?"

"All those people you go around killing. It's not as if you do it out of malice."

"..."

"No particular reason. Just a hunch."

One corner of Ganesha's mouth twisted slightly.

As far as Aiden knew, the role this man wore—the Merchant of Death, a great merchant of the underworld—was ultimately no more than a cover.

His ability to make money was real, of course, but he would consider what he did with that money his true work.

The leader of the clandestine organization Dark Moon.

Something like the head of a shadowy cabal. The problem was, this wasn't just any clandestine organization.

'... Ancient, incredibly powerful, and concerned with justice to boot.'

They were a group that had chosen to slaughter evildoers as their means of setting the world right whenever it went astray. Ganesha was its current leader.

To be honest, Aiden had trouble thinking highly of anyone who lurked in the shadows killing people, whatever their cause. But at least they definitely weren't butchers who cut down just anyone.

In fact, this man's original role in the game was that of an "executioner" NPC. If the protagonist committed enough evil deeds, he would deem them an enemy of peace on the continent and come to kill them.

"Mr. Aiden."

Then came his next words.

"I believe the rest of this conversation should be between the two of us alone."

ZZT!

The device crackled, and Helmut, who had been listening blankly to their conversation, slumped out of his seat. Apparently, he'd been hit by some invisible electrical discharge.

"... Didn't you say this was an imaging device?"

"We're trying out a few extra functions while we're at it. All great inventions come from experimentation."

"..."

The man glibly brushed it off, displaying a level of shamelessness almost on par with Aiden's own.

He felt like a formidable opponent...

"Your access to information exceeds my expectations. I hadn't thought you'd even know what we do."

"Which makes me all the more curious."

Aiden sighed and pushed his hair back.

"Why would an organization like yours take such an interest in me that you'd go to the trouble of putting me through all these tests?"

In truth, he had a fair idea.

If the leader of a shadowy organization approached Aiden with interest and goodwill, going so far as to test his character and competence...

'He wants to recruit me, right?'

To join his organization, or work alongside him.

However much he liked Aiden, there was no way he'd suddenly offer him something that convenient with no strings attached. He would be weighing the costs and benefits himself.

Unfortunately, Aiden had no intention of accepting.

A connection with such a powerful organization was certainly tempting, but once he was bound to them by obligations, his freedom of movement would be restricted. Busy as he was preparing for the main scenario, that was something he couldn't compromise on.

Still...

'I could at least stay on good terms with them.'

Maintaining a simple working relationship while carefully building up affection over time was entirely feasible. That was precisely the extent to which Aiden wanted to make use of them for now.

"... Mr. Aiden."

Ganesha spoke again in a cheerful voice. Though his tone was light, he now exuded a seriousness absent earlier.

Of course, regrettably, Aiden intended to reject whatever offer he made—

"I'd like to support you from now on. Would that be all right?"

"...?"

Wait.

What?

"Pardon?"

"Support you. If there's anything you want, just say the word. I'll provide everything within my means. Personnel from our organization, or goods. Whatever you wish."

... No, hang on.

"Why, all of a sudden...?"

"It isn't sudden. The whole reason I assessed and tested you in the first place was to see whether you deserved that support."

"..."

"We've been rude to you, so I thought that was the least we could do."

"... Do you have a reason for doing this?"

Seriously.

Everything in the world was give-and-take. If they were offering him that much, naturally there had to be something they wanted from him in return.

If they were suddenly throwing support at him, they clearly wanted him to do something for them—

"Well, all you have to do is grow stronger."

"..."

"Develop your abilities by leaps and bounds, in whatever direction you choose. Convince me that my investment hasn't gone to waste."

"..."

"Of course, it would be nice if you helped us with our work later... but we can't force you. For now, I'd like you to leave it at that."

"No, I'm asking why you'd do—"

"Because I personally like you. I believe someone like you deserves to make something of himself."

"..."

"Isn't that reason enough?"

Perhaps Aiden's view of the world was simply too cynical.

▣

-System Message

▶ 'Dark Moon' has been added as a friendly faction.

▶ You may request personnel support from 'Dark Moon.'

▶ You may request items you desire from 'Ganesha.'

▶ This faction possesses enough influence to cause changes within the scenario.

▶ This positively affects the progression of Chapter 3, 'Rift in the Capital'!

Though Aiden was still bewildered, everything Ganesha had said had to be true. Otherwise, the system wouldn't have sent him such definitive confirmation.

'... Something...'

He had the feeling there was a reason hidden here that he didn't yet know. Their fondness for him was real, but this sudden outpouring of goodwill still left him a little uneasy.

'Maybe I'll look into it later.'

He had no way of finding out right now, and above all, the sincerity they were showing him was undoubtedly genuine.

"Is this that star iron?"

The very next day after his meeting with Ganesha, the material arrived by express delivery. Noel stroked it with trembling hands.

"... I don't think touching a piece of metal for a moment is going to damage it."

"I'm nervous. I-it's star iron, after all. Every warrior's dream material..."

She might seem to be overreacting, but put another way, this material was so extraordinarily rare that even Noel would make a fuss like this.

'A superconductor for supernatural power.'

When imbued with supernatural power, ordinary weapons would gradually lose durability, fail to fully contain its properties, or, in severe cases, even harm their users.

Aiden's ordinary revolver exploding after he poured more supernatural power into it than it could handle was one such example.

Star iron, on the other hand, was a top-quality material that, depending on the maker's skill, could not only eliminate those side effects but also freely accommodate extremely useful special effects.

It wasn't called every warrior's dream material for nothing. It was even said that fewer than a hundred pieces of equipment made from star iron were produced across the entire continent in a year.

'... And he got me something like this in a single day.'

Aiden propped his chin on his hand at the table, looking incredulous. It couldn't have been easy even for Ganesha, yet all it had taken was a word from Aiden for him to deliver. His offer clearly hadn't been empty talk.

"..."

Then he'd use it.

He wasn't in a position to be picky right now, anyway. He would use everything—not just the material resources, but all the added benefits gained through affection, too.

-System Message

▶ Copying 'Skill: Appraisal.'

-Skill Info

◆ Appraisal

To become the world's greatest merchant, you must have an eye for 'profitable goods' in every field. You can discern an item's condition, potential, and even 'special abilities' that others cannot perceive.

Aiden exhaled through his nose after reading the window.

As always, the people whose skills he could copy invariably had at least a few with enticing effects in their skill sets. In Ganesha's case, this was one of them.

The skill clearly delivered exactly what its description promised. He had just tried it on his desk, and the stream of information that appeared—its materials, maker, years of use, recommended modifications, and more—had left him marveling.

The system window did already have a function for viewing item information, but at best, it only described the target's name and a condition apparent at a glance.

True to his reputation as one of the continent's great merchants, Ganesha evidently came equipped with a skill like this as standard.

'... This is pretty useful, too.'

Useful? Actually, it was tremendously useful.

-Item Info

[ Star Iron ] [ Special Material ]

[ A superconductor for supernatural power with a power loss rate of 0%. This material is exceptionally valuable to superhumans who fight by imbuing their equipment with supernatural power. Special effects may also be added depending on how it is crafted! ]

[ Produces a synergistic effect when paired with an excellent 'power source.' ]

[ Displaying a list of compatible materials. ]

Aiden nodded as he checked the list of materials extending below.

'... Convenient.'

It really was. It saved him all the trouble of research in one go.

With that thought, he read through the entries on the list. Since fighting was going to become his line of work, a weapon was a serious matter. He couldn't afford to choose carelessly.

"..."

As it happened, one material on the list stood out. He also had a rough idea of where to get it.

It was probably beyond his ability to obtain alone, but someone who could help was right nearby.

"Dame Noel."

"Yes?"

"Could you clear your schedule for tomorrow? Just for the day."

"... Is this a date?"

"..."

"... I see it isn't."

Why was she disappointed?