“So, do we bury them right away?”
At his subordinate’s question, Joseph shook his head, “I’m not sure exactly how strong they are, but if they could recover a large amount of treasure from the labyrinth, they must have some ability. Our people alone might not be enough, so hire some outside help. How much time do you need?”
“The city is full of people idly wasting money and time waiting for the martial arts tournament. We could gather a bunch in about an hour.”
“Good, I’ll handle the reception in the meantime.”
“Isn’t it dangerous for you to step out directly?”
“Haha, even so, would people who came to collect money suddenly pull out swords? Ah, prepare that special tea. You know, that one from before?”
“Indeed, that should be enough.”
About thirty minutes after this suspicious exchange.
Joseph, confirming that preparations were complete, happily greeted Dorothea’s party.
Although he had greeted them, thinking they were just geese that laid golden eggs, the black-clad witch was a worthy opponent, even considering just her pure appearance, excluding her knowledge.
Perhaps that was why, despite Dorothea’s sharp first words, he could maintain his smile.
“You’re quite slow. I’m tired of waiting.”
“Hohoho, I apologize. I had several matters piled up, so it was difficult to respond immediately. If you had made an appointment in advance, I could have responded more smoothly.”
“Do I need to be considerate when I’m coming to collect my own money?”
“That’s not what I meant, but, hoho, I apologize.”
What an arrogant woman. Is she some nobleman’s daughter?
While inwardly complaining, Joseph maintained an outward smile.
No matter how much he benefited from connections, maintaining a minimum poker face was a basic skill for the owner of a store.
Joseph casually lifted the teacup on the table and drank its contents.
Leisurely, so that Dorothea’s party could clearly see.
“First, regarding the payment for the treasure you mentioned, as our branch is somewhat distant from the headquarters in the southeastern part of the continent, it’s difficult to repay the full amount immediately.”
“It sounds like a partial payment is possible.”
“It seems about 10% would be possible.”
The golden-haired kid drank it. Three left. No, effectively two.
Joseph glanced at the knight standing behind the sofa.
In fact, he hadn’t expected all members of the party to drink the tea from the start.
Among skilled guards, there were quite a few who maintained constant vigilance without putting anything in their mouths throughout their mission.
Anyway, it’s enough if the other three just touch the tea to their lips.
“10%? Isn’t that too little?”
“Our finances are quite tight, so that’s all we can give you right away. If you give us a bit more time, we could prepare up to 20%, but...”
Good, the green-haired one drank too. Only this black one left.
Towards the woman in black who was sitting with a blank expression without opening her mouth, Joseph showed a troubled expression.
Joseph deliberately drank the tea again in the middle of speaking.
Feeling anxious as the woman in black didn’t even touch the teacup despite him ostentatiously drinking several times, Joseph continued, “Excuse me. My throat is quite dry. Anyway, that’s all we can give you right away. However, if you need urgent funds, there is another way, would you like to hear it?”
“Yes, separate from the company’s public funds, I have my personal funds. If you could help with my business, I could hand over a hefty reward,” Joseph subtly encouraged the other party’s greed. “Currently, there are numerous people trying to participate in the martial arts tournament, and they’re eager to get anything that might help increase their strength even a little.”
“So, that’s why you made that ‘Witch’s Elixir’ or whatever?”
“People who actually consume it experience faster blood circulation, and consequently, their physical abilities improve. I’m proud to say it’s an excellent product.”
“You must know about the side effects, too?”
“Well, it seems that excessive abuse might strain the blood vessels or organs. But isn’t that a phenomenon that occurs when any medicine is taken excessively? We consistently advise people to take only up to three.”
“Depending on the constitution, even one could be dangerous, let alone three.”
“We’re not doctors, we can’t consider all of that.”
Damn woman. Talking so much and not getting thirsty? Just drink already.
“Anyway, if there’s a more useful medicine than what we’re selling now, we could undoubtedly make tremendous profits. So—“
“...How about at least hearing the amount?”
“I said no,” the witch added. “I sold the herb recipe for a price, so how you use it is up to you, but at least stop with that Witch’s Elixir nonsense.”
The smile faded a bit from Joseph’s face, “That’s a bit difficult to comply with. We’re not openly using the witch’s name, are we?”
“There’s a limit to playing dumb. What’s the point of including all the content that can be inferred and just not saying the name?”
“Well, it’s one of our main promotional methods, so we can’t do that without any benefit. If you were to provide knowledge, that would be a different story—“
The witch rose from the sofa.
“W-wait a moment. The conversation isn’t—“
“Isn’t it over? You can’t give the money properly, and on top of that, you’ll continue with the witch advertising. If that’s the case, there’s nothing more to say.”
As she turned to leave, Joseph gritted his teeth.
He gave a signal, and one of the nearby guards threw something like a small pouch on the ground.
With a bang the pouch burst, filling the room with a unique scent.
The effect was dramatic.
The two people who were about to leave with the witch suddenly lost strength and collapsed on the ground.
A bell sound rang out from somewhere, and simultaneously, the door opened and several armed individuals rushed into the reception room.
Instead of babbling about his plan and showing openings, Joseph quickly hid behind the guards and slipped out through the back door.
It wasn’t too late to savor the pleasure after completely subduing the opponent and securing an overwhelming advantage.
Ignoring the noisy sounds coming from inside the room, Joseph adjusted the collar of his clothes.
“Call me when the situation is settled.”
Leaving behind the bowing subordinate, Joseph took a step.
That was right. Just after taking barely one step, Joseph’s movement stopped.
“W-what is this? W-what’s...”
Joseph and his subordinates all had pale faces, as if someone had blown wind in their ear.
As if they had seen something that couldn’t exist in the corner of their vision that they had unconsciously passed by.
As if they had heard someone’s voice in an empty space where no one should be.
Such an ominous and chilling sensation pierced through their entire bodies sharply, like an ice pick.
The luxurious doors that usually didn’t make even a small squeak all made noise at once.
Drops of blood formed on the ceiling fell onto their shoulders and heads.
Countless handprints appeared outside the window.
From the walls, ceiling, and ground, black lumps oozed out, gradually taking human form. They approached with eerie giggles and laughter, clinging to Joseph and his men, grabbing their ankles with cold, clammy hands. The entities cackled as they entangled the men’s bodies, whispering, “Join us,” with a twisted affection.
Cursed words spilled from their lips as spectral nails dug into flesh, causing a paradoxical sensation of pain without pain. Joseph and his subordinates found their bodies paralyzed, voices trapped in their throats. The giggling intensified, accompanied by the sickening sound of oozing and splashing.
A nightmarish parade of figures—men, women, children, young and old—thrusted their faces close, each one wearing a mockery of a kind expression. In unison, they whispered the chilling command.
Joseph lost consciousness.
***Joseph and his subordinates, forcibly dragged by the Tin Knight’s hand, knelt in the reception room. More precisely, they were forced to kneel.
Perhaps due to the battle that had taken place, the reception room was a complete mess.
Blood was splattered everywhere, and corpses were rolling around.
Amidst this, sitting on the only intact sofa with her legs crossed, the witch peered down over them.
There was no restraint on Joseph.
He could stand up, or even pounce on the defenseless woman in front of him if he so chose.
But neither Joseph nor the others could choose that option.
The eyes of the corpses were staring at them.
Between those corpses, something bizarre with only a head existed, watching their every move with a chilling, expressionless face.
In front of those terrifying gazes, the only choice left to them was to quietly kneel.
“Can you see? Those who want to be friends with you?” the witch whispered. “They like you very much. If you ask how much they like you, it’s to the extent of spending a lifetime together. They’ll sit across from you when you eat. They’ll look down at you when you’re bathing. They’ll lie next to you when you fall asleep, and share the same dreams. Lifelong friends. Lifetime companions. A connection that will be together in life and death.”
The witch’s voice was dreamlike.
That voice was so cold, yet kind, that Joseph and his subordinates could vividly imagine the scene the witch described.
“I can make it happen,” the witch proclaimed. “Everything I just said, I can make it all real. You tried to exploit people, arbitrarily used a name, and even resorted to violence in the end. Is there any reason I should forgive you? Hmm?”
The blue eyes were as cold as ice.
“Now, choose. Either quietly accept the consequences or tell me a reason why I should forgive you.”
About thirty minutes later, loading a cart full of gold bars, cash, jewels, and other goods, Dorothea’s party left the store.
Behind them, a huge fire was burning, using the Witch’s Elixir as fuel.
“Well, it was a bit noisy, but we somehow managed to secure funds. Shall we move on to the next business?”
Upon hearing Dorothea’s nonchalant words, Adelaide thought.
Ah, it’s not noticeable when she’s with Sir Knight, but Miss Witch is indeed a witch.
And so, their slightly tumultuous first schedule ended.