Jun’s words were as sweet as honey. He couldn’t get his head around it.
How could Jun Karentia tolerate him so much?
It was more plausible to claim that all this was a lie to deceive him.
Tragula asked falteringly.
<Then just… Are you saying that you will give me a valuable artifact in exchange for my disassociation from Countess Nerus?>
<I don’t want people in our expedition to be swayed by anyone other than the Black Knight.>
The words “people in our expedition” sent a huge shiver through Tragula’s heart.
Tragula had always been a foreigner. Since he had abandoned the castle, he was no longer forced to mix with the blood of the Heavenly Palace, and although he had taken the new name of Nerus, he could not even be treated as a Nerus.
He joined the Black Knights, but he was always just doing things…
Just before that, he was confused by what Countess Nerus ordered.
Jun’s offer to him, who was full of skepticism about whether he could live like this, tried to descend like a ray of light in the dark.
Jun continued to raise Tragula.
<And I think you’re worth that much. Because you’re a good captain, and you’re an excellent archer.>
<… Don’t you think about the possibility that I might lie to you and say that I broke off relations with Countess Nerus after I steal the artifact you give me?>
<That’s up to you too.>
Tragula paused at Jun’s unexpected answer. Jun continued in a light tone as if it were nothing.
<Of course, I will not tell you how I will react when I find out about it. If we are similar when we are together, I am as compulsive as the Commander. I can’t tolerate any possibility.>
Jun smiled at him. The smile was bright but thick with menace. Tragula realized.
This was the only moment in which he could throw off the chains of bondage that bound him. If Countess Nerus had shifted him like the north wind, Jun had disarmed his mind like the shining sun.
He also realized that this whole thing was all a ploy by Jun. In the end, he would be playing into Jun’s hands.
But Tragula had no choice but to take this thin, white hand in his.
***
Throughout the attack on the dungeon, I knew Fabian was wandering around Tragula.
The arrow had already left my hand. What kind of dream did Fabian have? I watched it in a pleasant mood.
When Tragula struck the boss, I saw Fabian’s expression of delight.
I was inwardly worried that he might use some information about Tragula that I didn’t know, but seeing him like that, I was relieved to see that it didn’t seem likely.
Fabian’s face, which had been elated even the moment Tragula lifted the pumpkin from the demon’s corpse, was destroyed the moment Tragula handed the pumpkin to Meyer.
He looked at Tragula, Meyer, and me with a dazed expression.
It was hard for him to accept the fact that he had been played by me. It was a sight to behold as he collapsed headlong from joy to despair.
What should I do? There’s one more pitfall I’ve set up for him.
Perhaps because he was concentrating only on Tragula, Fabian didn’t seem to notice the division that was occurring inside his expedition.
Axion, who had learned of the situation after Tragula had brought the pumpkin, mumbled sadly in a hollow voice.
“Everyone talked back and forth.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you in advance.”
“I guess the priest knew. Apparently, the dunce of a priest said he was fine with it.”
“I didn’t hear about it either, but I stayed still because there was no reason for me to step up. Sure enough, brother came forward first.”
“Why are you so cold-hearted?”
Axion and August quarreled. Soon, Axion readily shrugged with a sigh.
“Well, as long as you’ve planned everything. I don’t really care.”
Honestly, it may have been a little embarrassing, but other than magic, he was a very bold man.
I smiled and hugged Jeanne’s shoulder.
“Well, Jeanne, let’s go back to April.”
“…”
It was a small voice that may or may not have answered, but I’ve gotten used to Jeanne like that.
I took Jeanne’s hand and made my way to April’s place.
As soon as I approached, the Fabian expedition welcomed me with a smile.
Little did they know how Fabian felt, but they lifted me up as if I were amazing.
“It’s the Black Knights after all. I didn’t expect them to handle the boss so easily… I honestly thought I might not make it out alive…”
“The Vice Commander’s support magic also seemed to break the limits of support magic we’ve seen. Thanks to you, I’ve broadened my horizons.”
As support magic was not particularly impressive or effective, they wouldn’t feel it well unless I was the person who cast the spell.
I laughed at the words that clearly felt flattery.
Do they really want to look so good to me that they have to flatter me like this?
‘Indeed, it’s a situation where most of the Black Knights put up a wall without coexisting with them…’
Even Tragula joined the Black Knights immediately after the dungeon attack with them without saying goodbye.
In such a situation, even if I was trying to scratch Fabian’s insides, I could understand that they were actively flattering me.
I don’t know what good there is in looking good to me apart from that.
I felt a pang in my chest as I silently listened to them praise me with the same lips that had disrespected me in the first round.
I knew that they had no connection to me now, but human memory was not something that could be so easily distinguished.
I tried hard to pat Jeanne on the back, pretending to be okay.
“Thank you for giving me a high evaluation. Then, Jeanne. I should get going now. It was fun even for a short time.”
Jeanne hesitated and looked up at me.
I nodded, and I returned to the Black Knights only after confirming that Jeanne was going to April.
Fabian seemed still puzzled and unconscious.
But there was no time to show so much room. The dungeon would be closing soon. With the exception of Fabian, the Fabian Expedition and the Black Knights diligently acquired the byproducts from the demons.
That’s how the dungeon was cleared.
The gate closed shortly after the expedition members went out.
Normally, it was the vice commander’s job to organize the list of byproducts. I made a quick list of the byproducts with Deca, the Fabian Expedition Vice Commander, and we discussed the distribution.
“We need a lot of Fulgor leaves for our expedition. You don’t mind if we take 90% of it with us, do you?”
“…Can’t you do 80%?”
“Good. But we’ll take 80% of Fulgor’s fruit.”
Deca’s face contorted. Normally, 30% was the minimum distribution, even if there was a large difference in level between the expedition teams.
However, a 30% distribution is the standard when two expeditions have successfully conquered a dungeon without any support.
Considering that Tragula had joined the Fabian expedition on the way, the conditions I had requested were not outrageous.
Deca knew this.
In his day-to-day life, he would have tried to negotiate to bring in as much product as possible, but today he had no choice but to nod in agreement with my request.
In fact, Fulgor’s leaves were not that necessary, although they were valuable enough to be used to make high-quality or better restorative potions. It was just an act of trivial revenge.
It was a pretty serious thing for a Fabian expedition. He should have been lucky to get 20% of the profits.
Just then, Axion, who was originally in charge of the Black Knights’ by-products, hovered around me and gave me some advice.
“We need roots, too.”
“Oh, let’s take some roots. The roots are 80%. Instead, I’ll only take 60 percent of the branches.”
I said generously, but branches didn’t help much. Perhaps that was why Deal smiled through clenched teeth.
And I was done sorting through the by-product list. The long hours of pushing and shoving had been a challenge. I chuckled and said.
“Now then, we will report to the Imperial Palace on our end.”
“…Yes, then I look forward to your kind cooperation.”
Deca bent at the waist and bowed to the end. In this dungeon, the Fabian Expedition’s evaluation was honestly not enough to receive the lowest rating.
It was not good for the emperor to know the details of all this. So I was hoping that we could cover things up properly.
Actually, this was something Fabian would have to do.
Perhaps it was pride in asking him to do it, but Fabian was completely detached, pretending that it had nothing to do with him.
Come to think of it, he was always like this in the first round.
Fabian was generous and bold, but Deca was always there to take care of him. It was Deca who took care of all the little things that needed to be cleaned up or blushed over.
Since Deca was in charge of managing the expedition’s funds, I, who was less fortunate, often had to ask Deca for help.
<I’m sorry, Deca. When I entered the dungeon last time, I used all my money to fit my gear… Can you pay the settlement of this dungeon in advance?>
<It’s hard to do this every time, Jun.>
<I didn’t mean to do this either. But I had no choice but to match the lowest stat.>
<So why, if you’re going into a dungeon you can’t afford. How about dispatching to other expeditions while resting? Don’t try to make the payment in advance, try your best.>
<…>
Often, if an expedition was short on people, they would offer a suitable gratuity and borrow people from other expeditions. It wasn’t bad, though, as the expedition members who went on dispatch would get money and a small amount of experience…
There was no expedition anywhere that wanted a supportive wizard. Instead, they would refuse even if I offered them my money. In fact, that had happened many times.
Even though he was clearly aware of my situation, Deca dared to talk about dispatch…
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