Chapter 348 - Seclusion (3)

Everyone has a plan.

Not that there's any guarantee it'll work.

Amelia was no exception.

"... There was an organization I'd had my eye on. They posed as a relief shelter to procure opium, then sold it on the black market for exorbitant prices... My original plan was to rob them for the cash."

"And?"

"... While I was tracking down their base, the City Watch raided them."

I didn't know what to say.

Well, that was just like her...

Still, should I be glad it was a much more wholesome plan than robbing a bank?

As I chuckled, Amelia offered a quiet apology.

"... This was my mistake. I'll find a way to deal with it."

What was she talking about?

I spoke firmly.

"Forget it. Why should you handle this alone?"

For starters, the thing would've been lost long ago if she hadn't extended the vault rental. Besides, Amelia had about a half share in it anyway.

We'd been hunting as a party when it dropped, after all.

More importantly, it would be pretty ridiculous to hold this against her when she'd gotten me the money to buy Vol-Herchan's Essence.

"We'll solve the money problem together. Understood?"

"... Because we're companions?"

Oh, so she could say things like that too.

"Right, because we're companions. When a problem comes up, we don't argue about who's to blame. We figure out how to solve it together."

"... Understood."

With that in mind, we discussed our options.

It was a difficult sum to raise in two months through ordinary means, but we weren't entirely out of options.

The stock I'd invested in two years and six months ago had skyrocketed.

"Borrowing money from that elf... Certainly, if she can afford a mansion like this, it should be possible. But are you all right with that?"

"Huh? All right with what?"

"That elf is one of your companions too, isn't she?"

"Ahem..."

She really knew how to hit a sore spot.

"Amelia, maybe you've spent so much time alone that you don't understand this, but companions help each other when they're in trouble. Got it?"

"I see... So that's how you treat your companions."

Hey, who said I was just going to take it?

I could pay her back with interest, couldn't I?

"Anyway, that's enough about that problem. Let's talk about something else."

"You've decided you're at a disadvantage."

"... Huh?"

"Am I wrong? As I recall, that's usually why you change the subject."

Uh...

She was so right that I had no comeback.

"..."

But had she always been like this?

Why did it feel like she kept teasing me?

"Never mind. Say what you wanted to say, Jandel."

The way she gave me no chance to challenge her made me pretty sure she was teasing me on purpose...

But I had nothing beyond my suspicions, so I let it slide for now.

There was a more important matter to discuss.

"Oh, nothing much. I wanted to discuss how to introduce you to Erwin."

I'd rather not have a front-row seat to a teamkill.

* * *

TAP, TAP, TAP.

As I tapped the table in a steady rhythm, Amelia clicked her tongue.

"That's distracting. Calm down already."

"..."

"Are you that afraid of that elf?"

"W-who says I'm afraid? Erwin listens to everything I say."

I was just a little nervous.

I'd told Erwin I was taking Amelia on as a companion, but people couldn't always control their impulses, could they?

I didn't want to see Amelia burst apart again.

Especially not if it was her real body rather than a clone.

TICK, TOCK.

Time passed, and I was starting to get hungry when...

CLANK.

I heard the courtyard gate close.

That meant Erwin was home.

Her hands were probably full of food for my dinner.

TAP, TAP.

The light footsteps characteristic of an elf quickly approached across the courtyard.

And then...

TAP.

She stopped at the front door.

That was a little strange.

I'd definitely heard the doorknob rattle and turn, so why wasn't she opening the door? And why had her cheerful humming stopped?

Just as those questions crossed my mind...

"An unlocked door."

Erwin murmured quietly.

"... A woman's scent."

Those words sent me shooting to my feet.

I had a feeling that going ahead with our planned surprise would end in disaster.

"... E-Erwin! You're back!"

I hurried to the front door to greet her, but Erwin ignored me and swept her gaze around the house.

Then her eyes settled on Amelia inside.

"Amelia Reinweils."

"It's been a while, Blood Spirit Marquis. Is this our first meeting in the city?"

"... How are you here?"

"I followed you when you visited the bank. Your stealth has improved, but you don't seem to use it in your daily life. You should be more vigilant from now on. You're not the only one living in this house."

At Amelia's answer, Erwin muttered a few words.

"... Should I kill her?"

"Um, Erwin...?"

"Oh, sorry. I meant to keep that in my head."

"Uh... D-did you? Right, that happens. For now... let's sit over there. You'll be spending time together from now on. You can't stay this awkward with each other."

"All right."

Surprisingly, Erwin calmed down quickly and sat at the table as I asked. Then she spoke first, her voice perfectly casual.

"So I just need to get along with this woman from now on, right?"

"Call her by her name, not 'this woman.'"

"Then I'll use her surname. It's Reinweils, right?"

"Correct. I'll call you Tersia too."

"Fine."

Erwin's one-word reply brought the conversation to a halt.

It was my turn to step in.

"Erwin, as I told you before, Amelia will be joining us from now on."

"What about her identity?"

"No need to worry about that. I secured a suitable one while waiting for Jandel's return."

"... Why didn't you tell me sooner that Mister was alive?"

"What a pathetic question. Why would I trust you with that?"

"What? You were only with him for half a year at most."

"Hmm. As I understand it, you actually spent less than half a year going into the Labyrinth with Jandel."

Hey, why were they leaving me out of the conversation again?

"Now, now. Everyone, calm down."

I hurried to intervene again.

"I don't know exactly what happened between you two, but it all arose from a misunderstanding. Why don't we clear the air here and now?"

As I spoke, I shot Amelia a look, signaling her to stop being so prickly and give a little ground.

But...

"Well, I don't hold any particular grudge. Thanks to her, I once lost both legs on the sixth floor and had to cling to a plank for three days because I couldn't swim, but I survived in the end."

Right. So she had a reason to be prickly.

"... I'd wondered how you escaped from that ship in that condition."

"Erwin."

"... Don't worry. I don't hold much of a grudge either. All she did was steal the corpse of an explorer from Noark right in front of me after I'd gone through all that trouble to catch him. Oh, should I count getting my arm slashed when I followed her too?"

"But I didn't kill you."

"You say that as if you could have. You ran away as soon as our reinforcements arrived."

"Well... I'd achieved my goal. Money was tight, but selling his equipment allowed me to buy this dagger here."

Okay, let's give up on making them friends.

Companions didn't have to get along, did they?

I forced a smile and wrapped up the conversation.

"Haha! You're fighting over such trivial things! Now, hurry up and shake hands and make up."

A true pro could smile in any situation.

* * *

After Erwin and Amelia shook hands with sour expressions, I moved on to the next item on the agenda.

Straight to the point, like a proper barbarian warrior.

"Erwin, could you lend me some money?"

"What for...?"

I told her the whole story about the Demon Crusher, holding nothing back, and Erwin's expression hardened.

"So you're saying you want me to cover the money this woman spent on an Essence out of my own pocket?"

"You could look at it that way...?"

"... I'm sorry, but I don't think I can do that."

"... Huh?"

"Please don't misunderstand. It's not because I don't want to."

Then what was it?

At my questioning look, Erwin murmured like someone confessing a crime.

"I... don't have much money left... Really."

Oh, right...

Come to think of it, she'd said she'd barely managed to buy this house with money she'd extorted from the chieftain.

Still, I asked just in case.

"Then what about borrowing money against this house?"

Even I felt like a piece of trash, but what else could I do?

We had to prepare for the worst.

"... Th-this house? B-but it holds so many memories..."

"We just have to pay it back on time, don't we?"

"Jandel, you really are—"

"Don't criticize Mister. This is all because of you. Have you no shame?"

"What...?"

"So you understand, right? Don't feel bad, Mister. The house... We can b-buy another one later..."

Her hands were trembling awfully hard for someone saying that...

"... I'm sorry about this."

"I told you not to say that. It's for you, Mister."

Anyway, we decided to retrieve the Demon Crusher by shuffling the debt onto another piece of collateral for now.

That meant it was time to plan our next move.

"Whatever we do next, we'll need to secure funds first."

"Yes. You'll need to get new equipment before going back into the Labyrinth too, Mister. And if we have money... we can keep this house..."

"Wait, the Labyrinth? Shouldn't your first priority be clearing your name... of that false accusation of being an evil spirit?"

Oh, that...

"A few things seem suspicious, so I'm putting that off for now."

I took the opportunity to explain my questions and concerns, and Amelia nodded in agreement.

Apparently, she'd felt something was off too.

"Anyway, Amelia, that's why I'd like you to find me a suitable identity."

"Finding an identity isn't difficult, but ultimately, it'll be like trying to hide the sky with your hands. More than two years may have passed since your death, but plenty of people still remember you."

In other words, an iron helmet or something similar would probably not keep my identity from being exposed.

This wasn't twenty years in the past, when nobody knew me.

Hell, just using [Gigantification] would make people think of Bjorn Jandel first.

"Hmm. Still, I think we could make it work as long as I'm careful in the Labyrinth..."

"Once or twice, perhaps, but as time passes, someone is bound to recognize—"

"Wait, what about absorbing an Essence?"

Erwin cut in.

"An Essence?"

"Like the one Aynar absorbed. There are Essences that make you shorter. If you just reduced your height a little and told people you were human, I don't think anyone would notice..."

Even as she spoke, Erwin watched Amelia's reaction. She seemed wary, unsure what fault Amelia might find with her suggestion.

But...

"True. A month or two is one thing, but if you intend to hide your identity for a long time, that would be much safer."

Contrary to expectations, Amelia showed enough generosity to acknowledge Erwin's idea and even praise it.

Was that a little unfamiliar to Erwin?

"You've come up with quite a good solution."

"... Of course. This concerns Mister."

Erwin answered coldly and turned her head away.

It was a rather heartwarming sight, but I had no choice but to interrupt.

"Um..."

I was really sorry to spring this on them.

"I don't have room for another Essence."