Chapter 408 - Episode Fifty-Four - A Visitor from the Fire Country (4)(Side: Collector)
On that day, the collector was at his usual tavern, and as usual, he was still drinking while it’s still bright.
The “Dwarf’s Lair”, a tavern located in the Fage territory, is often ridiculed as a “ragtag hideout” these days.
Of course, it’s the collector’s fault.
“Iris, I won’t, I won’t forgive you!”
“…… why don’t you forget about Iris-san already?”
It had become his routine to occupy a seat in the back of the store during the day when there were few customers and listen to the owner’s daughter, Ela, complain.
Iris was a former female merchant that the collector had befriended in the Fage territory.
She had settled in the Fage territory when she was unable to return to the city due to the Nalgarn riots.
However, she had long since left the countryside for the city to work as a merchant again.
“I still remember! When I told her I would with her, she looked at me as if to say, “I don’t want you to do that, so don’t!”.
“I understand that …… I’ve heard that about a hundred times. Oh, that’s right! I’ve got an idea! Why don’t you try working as a way to get back at Iris-san?”
Ela clapped her hands and said, “Isn’t that a good idea?”.
“Look! Don’t you have the sword that Iris bought you! You used to say about it all the time that “I’m a legendary adventurer”, so why don’t you show her something like that once in a while?”
“No!”
The collector hitting the desk.
The glass shook loudly.
“Didn’t she say so proudly! You are in a recharging period, and this is the time you need to rest in order to work one day, is what she said! So if I work now, it’s as if I’m doing exactly what she told me to do!”
“I think part of it is because she gave up on you and left you behind.”
“Listen? My refusal to move is also my revenge on her for betraying me!”
He hits the desk twice with a bang sound.
“…… It just looks like big self-deprecation, you know?”
In the meantime, Ela calmly held the dishes on the desk and looked at the collector with cold eyes.
“Ever since Iris-san left, your bill in this store has become quite large, you know!”
“Ohhhh Ela! I’ve got you to thank for that one! I’ve been banned from all the other stores!”
“Are you perhaps mocking me!? Don’t you have any plan to pay me back!?”
Even Ela shouted in anger.
“They were looking good when Iris was paying them, but as soon as that woman disappeared, they turned on me and treated me like a tumor!”
“Money! It’s because you don’t pay, you idiot! Of course, a customer who doesn’t pay is not just a tumor, it’s garbage!”
“Don’t say that, Ela. I used to have a treasure trove that even if I multiplied all the treasures in this kingdom by ten, it still wouldn’t reach. Wait and see, one of these days I’m going to get serious and pay you back ten thousand times what I owe you.”
“…… You said the same thing to Iris, do you have any plan of paying it back?”
Ela cradled her head and let out a deep sigh.
“You know …… my father doesn’t look too happy about it either, you know? We made a lot of money when Iris-san was here and I’ve been able to convince him to let me take over some of the expenses, but …… it’s about time that you will be banned from this place, you know?”
Ela lowered her voice and muttered.
“A-Are you saying I’m banned from this place too? What am I supposed to do to pass the time! Where am I supposed to drink!”
“Please work.”
The collector held his head and was silent for a while.
Then he opened his mouth.
“…… I heard that the sword I got from Iris cost around 5 million gold. Even if we dispose of it properly here, will it be worth about a million gold?.”
“Are you stupid or do you want to die! If you sell it off, you’ll never do anything again, Shu-san!”
“I’m not in the mood now! I used to have a mountain of treasure, you know! Do you understand? I once traveled to every ruin and unexplored land! I collected enough gold to fill all these taverns! I have acquired the sword of a former king, the staff of a mythical priest, and a statue of magical silver mithril nearly the size of a mountain!”
“…… And, where did you put it now?
The collector coughed.
“I dropped it.”
“How can you drop a statue as big as a mountain when you can drop a wallet like that? That’s what I’m talking about! I thought I was talking about something serious! I’ll listen to you if you’re making up stories or spouting off! I’ll listen to you, but please read the atmosphere!”
Ela, tears in her eyes, hitting on the desk.
The collectors held the shaking dishes.
“So you’re the one who’s going to hit it …… T-There’s nothing to cry about. though.”
At that moment, a glass of liquor that had not been held down fell to the floor.
“I’m sorry, I’ll clean it up and bring you a new one!”
She apologized with her mouth, but there was still anger in her voice.
Ela turned red and walked to the back of the store.
“I-I see, so you’ll bring it for me …… Well, I’m sorry too.”
The collector stretched his neck and apologized, then squared his shoulders and began to eat the meat pie.
“Why don’t you just give up, Ela-chan. You can’t do anything about this, you know.”
“That’s why Iris-chan is run away. You can boil him you can bake him, but he’s useless. It’s much better if you pick your nose and play with interesting parts.”
The two men who were drinking a little further away threw a teasing remark at Ella.
“What did you say! You’re no different than me when it comes to drinking in the daytime!”
The collector shouted at them, pointing his finger at them.
“It’s just a pick-me-up for lunch. We’re going hunting in the mountains from here. Unlike you.”
“What ……!”
“Ahhhh, I’m stuffed. Well then, we’ll be heading up there now. The food here is good, the drinks are good, and I get to see some ragheads. Seeing real scum makes me feel like I have to work harder.”
“You! If I may say so, how dare you insult me to such an extent! Get out in the open!”
The collector rose from his seat and shouted.
“Oh, come on. It’ll make a good story when I tell them that I beat up that pimp guy. So, are you serious about this?”
One of them asks the collector with a smirk on his face.
The collector wrinkled his brow and froze in silence.
“Excuse me, sir, is something wrong!”
Ela came back, threw down the cleaning tools in her hands and rushed over.
“Well, you’re in luck. I’ve had too much to drink today, so I’ll let you off the hook. You should shed a tear or two and be grateful for your luck.”
The collector quickly sat back down.
“I knew you’d say that anyway, as usual. I’ve heard you’re not feeling well every day, Shu-chan. Hey, Ela-chan, check the bill, please.”
“Ah, yes ……”
After paying, they walked out.
“…… Shu-san, did something happen?”
“It’s nothing, nevermind that, where’s the second bottle!”
At that moment, a scream came from outside.
Not one, but several voices.
Ela’s shoulders shook with fright.
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