Episode 54
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I took the unconscious Elaine and moved to the best hotel in the capital.
A shabby inn room in the back alleys would be too easily discovered by the Black Syndicate, who had a tight grip on all the shaded spots in the capital.
A pricey hotel with good security, used by nobles, was far more suitable for hiding.
Besides, unlike ordinary users, I was quite wealthy, so there was no reason to use a dirty, slly inn.
The two of us, dressed in gloomy, dark robes, must have looked very suspicious, as the clerk handling the paynt looked at us with a rather insolent gaze, but...
As soon as I added a tip that was almost as much as the price of the suite, his expression changed instantly, and he even helped carry Elaine to the room.
He was heavy, so thanks to that, it saved the trouble.
'They probably wouldn't expect a thief to stay in a hotel in the middle of the capital, announcing "here I am."'
By now, the gang bastards who found their collapsed comrades would be turning that area upside down.
Whether they did or not, I thoroughly enjoyed the healing therapy I hadn't had in a while.
I filled the spacious bathtub with hot water, poured in a generous amount of the expensive bath oil provided by the hotel, and soaked my body.
"Ughhh..."
It felt like all my old fatigue was lting away.
I took my ti bathing, and after I finished, I snugly put on the robe I had sent out for laundry service.
Sitting on the plush couch and sipping a sweet Fatigue Recovery Potion, it felt like a virtual paradise.
: When does the black market open?
I asked, leaning back against the backrest and lounging dissolutely as I opened the chat window.
GM Jinu: In three days.
: What about Kassel and Adam?
GM Jinu: In seven days.
: Thx
Having roughly sorted out the schedule, I imdiately closed the chat window.
There was one week left until Kassel ca up to the capital with Adam, so I could focus on the 'Free the Black Market Slaves' quest with an easy mind.
A strange cold war had been going on with Jinu since the summon war, but anyway, in tis like these, this was better than the quest window popping up.
Because even if he was half-hearted about it, I could find out the timing of future quests in advance.
'Anyway... is it flowing well?'
I, who had been worried sick, let out a sigh of relief.
He wakes up, and not only is the disaster gone, but the sealed monster is dead, and he's being praised as if it's all his achievent.
A normal person would have been bewildered and started by denying it, saying, "I didn't do it"...
'As expected, an extraordinary bastard is an extraordinary bastard.'
Just as I'd guessed, Kassel hadn't thrown away the opportunity he was given and was using it to his full advantage.
I was amazed at the bastard's shaless and ruined personality.
'Now all that's left is to sweet-talk that bastard.'
I glanced at the green hair splayed out on the wide bed.
Elaine Griselda is a half-elf, born to an elf who was dragged to the black market after their country was destroyed by human invasion.
He grew up watching non-human races, including elves, being sold off as miserable slaves.
As ti passed, when he was about to be put up for auction himself, he killed the Black Syndicate mbers who tried to put a restraint on him and escaped.
After that, he lives by secretly stealing the stolen goods sold by the Black Syndicate.
The reason, of course, was to save money to get his family out of the black market.
'But, to have the title Thief Green Mask...'
I looked at Elaine with a bit of pity for that awful title.
They gave soone else the cool title 'Lord of Nightmares'.
Those developer bastards, really. This is discrimination if I've ever seen it.
He didn't even have a handful of fans in the community.
For a main character, he barely showed his true face, so among users, he was called 'Green Hair' or 'Green Mask' rather than by his na.
This was because, fitting for his 'Thief' class, he spent most of his ti wearing a mask and in stealth.
In truth, I didn't know much about Elaine either, other than what was in his character info.
Because of that, I was surprised by his much younger appearance, even though it said he was 18.
If things had gone as planned, Elaine, far from saving his family, would have been dragged to the black market today by the trap set by the Black Syndicate.
And the setting was that he would go through horrible things for a month, until the Hero selection tournant was held.
Of course, the user does the 'Free the Black Market Slaves Quest' so he can escape before the tournant, but...
'He's going through that at a younger age than I thought.'
I felt a little disturbed.
To be honest, the only reason I ca and saved him before the quest officially opened was for my own convenience later...
If I had let it proceed as scheduled, I would have felt guilty about it for a long ti.
It was then.
"...Hah!"
The second main character, who had been soundly unconscious, finally opened his eyes.
Elaine, who had been looking around with dazed eyes, shot upright as if on a spring and frantically patted himself down.
When that wasn't enough, he jumped up and started making a fuss, throwing aside the pillows and blankets.
"Where is it? Where...!"
His trembling voice was so desperate that I couldn't help but speak.
"Looking for the necklace?"
Elaine's frantic movents ca to a halt.
He must have thought he was alone, as he turned his head, pale as a sheet, to look at .
But that, too, was brief.
[Green Mask harbors strong suspicion toward you.]
[Green Mask feels considerable hostility toward you.]
Between the system windows popping up one after another, ominous, wheat-colored eyes shot closer.
"Who are you?"
Elaine strode right up to the couch, lunged, and grabbed by the collar as I was lying down.
"Ugh!"
I'd been off guard, and my upper body was hauled up, my collar still in his grip.
The fabric pulled taut, making it hard to breathe.
It wasn't as terrifying as when Kassel was choking , but the young bastard shouted quite sharply.
"The necklace! Where did you put my necklace!"
"W-wait...!"
"Did you take it? Give it back, now!"
"Urk, ugh."
It wasn't enough to just grab my collar; he started shaking back and forth.
My vision swam, and I felt a wave of dizziness.
I had planned to calmly explain things when he woke up and get him on my side, but this unexpected attack made furious.
"Agh, has he lost it! Let go!"
I raised my limp hands and grabbed his two hands that were holding my collar.
I wasn't trying to build rapport with the main characters anyway, and his social status wasn't high, so there was no reason for to bow and scrape.
"What... ugh!"
I put strength into it and forcibly peeled his hands off my collar.
Elaine was visibly stunned.
When I followed that by roughly shoving his arms away, he staggered, a look of bewildernt on his face.
"What kind of woman is this strong..."
"I've never seen such an ungrateful bastard!"
I shot up from my awkward, half-risen position and, in turn, grabbed his collar.
"Ugh! W-wait!"
Since I was standing on the couch, I was slightly taller than him.
Because of that, Elaine was pulled up toward , helplessly going onto his tiptoes.
I shook him by the collar, just as he had done to , and shouted.
"How dare you grab the collar of the person who saved your life, instead of being grateful?!"
"Ugh! Stop! I-I'm dizzy!"
"Stop? Who do you think you're ordering around? I oughta just!"
"N-Noona!"
As I raised my hand to smack him, he shouted urgently.
"I must have been startled and mistaken! P-please let off this once, Noona!"
"Formal speech."
"...Please let off, Noona."
His wheat-colored eyelashes, the sa color as his eyes, fluttered.
[Green Mask feels a slight fear toward you.]
Elaine, who had demurely lowered his eyes in submission, and the system window that popped up.
I hadn't wanted him to be afraid of , so I softened my expression.
He'd clearly grown up doing chores for the gang mbers, so Elaine was pretty quick-witted.
'Of course, that's probably why he managed to escape and live as a thief.'
Later, he's slated to lose his emotions and beco a terrifying assassin, driven only by hatred and murderous intent toward the world.
But for now, the untainted Elaine looked very much his age.
'Damn, he's ssing around.'
I released my grip on his collar and jutted my chin toward the sofa opposite .
"Sit there. We need to talk."
Unlike a mont ago, when he'd charged like an agitated rhino, Elaine obediently went and sat on the other sofa.
I, too, stopped my ridiculous act of standing on the couch and sat down.
An awkward silence fell between us for a while.
Elaine, who had been nervously bouncing his leg and glancing at , finally spoke.
"So... you're the one who saved my life, Noona?"
"Yes."
It was the truth, so I answered without hesitation.
"You were caught stealing a fake, like an idiot, and were getting beaten. I saved you."
"...Ngh."
At my words, his face flushed, and he pressed his lips together.
He seed to be embarrassed, rembering his past mistake.
"W-what do you do, Noona? How did you end up saving ..."
It was obvious he was changing the subject, but he looked like he was about to cry if I teased him more, so I played along.
"Can't you tell just by looking?"
Among NPCs, shabby robes were worn almost exclusively by priests from the Temple and apothecaries.
Besides, the Fatigue Recovery Potion bottle I'd just drunk was lying right in front of us, so I thought he would have figured out my identity by now.
But.
"...A beggar?"
"Do you want to die?"
"N-no, it's just that you're wearing a robe that beggars wear..."
"I'm an apothecary!"
You blockhead!
I shouted, barely swallowing the curse that threatened to erupt.
I take back what I said about him being quick-witted.
I couldn't believe this unobservant bastard was the petty thief who had the capital in a grip.
So much so that even the Black Syndicate struggled for years to catch him.
At my murderous gaze, he quickly lowered his eyes and muttered.
"But, Noona, you used magic earlier."
At that, I montarily forgot my anger and flinched.
'What. No way, wasn't he unconscious earlier?!'
His eyes were open, but I'd assud he was unconscious from the tranquilizer darts.
My heart skipped a beat, wondering if he even rembered rcilessly hitting him with Stun.
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