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“Hi-Hizaki-sama… th-thank you very much for coming today!”
“Ah, yeah.”
Once we entered the door marked “No Staff Beyond This Point,” a dimly lit corridor stretched out ahead.
As we moved further in, the glasses-wearing beauty, who seemed to be the Branch Manager, looked back at me with a trembling voice.
I was honestly bewildered by this level of hospitality, which was far beyond anything I had imagined.
In her eyes was—I think—not respect, but awe. And specifically, a version of awe that leaned heavily toward “terror.”
I hadn’t expected this kind of reaction just by mentioning the name [Zeno] like Nifl told me.
Zeno.
That was the name of a merchant I happened to meet five years ago… or about a hundred and eighty years ago in this world’s time.
The Holy Kingdom of Griffil, which had summoned all my classmates and me as heroes. Various events made my heart soar… and then plunged me into the depths of despair.
Zeno was the first person I met after fleeing the Holy Kingdom. He, too, was an outcast with his own reasons for hiding from the world.
To tell the truth, it’s no exaggeration to say that the gray cloak is the official uniform of Helheim. Its origin lies in the moment I saw the merchant Zeno wearing one and thought to myself, “Whoa, that’s cool.”
Back when I was struggling to find food and supplies, I spent some time scraping by as a bodyguard for Zeno’s traveling caravan. It wasn’t for a particularly long period, though.
However, because he was having a difficult time due to numerous enemies for certain reasons, he felt a massive debt of gratitude toward me. Even after I founded Helheim, I continued to rely on him as a person I could trust. To give you an idea of our relationship: practically all of Helheim’s food supplies were procured through Zeno.
“Please give Zeno-sama’s name at the Senoskar Company’s branch in the Sleepless Country.”
When Nifl told me that, I simply thought: Ah, so he’s working in the Sleepless Country now.
No, honestly, even that is an incredible thing. Just the fact that Zeno has blended into human society and is able to work a legitimate job is enough to move me to tears.
And so, with high spirits and looking forward to our reunion, I knocked on the Company’s door and gave Zeno’s name exactly as Nifl had instructed.
The response I got was: “There is no one named Zeno here.”
My mind went completely blank. In an instant, a million thoughts started racing through my head.
Nifl would never lie to me. So, was there a miscommunication? Did I misunderstand something? Was I the one making a mistake?
And when I looked at myself from an objective perspective, I saw: “A young man acting like a regular customer with an arrogant attitude, only to end up getting scolded.”
This was no time to be agonizing over “Black History” from my past—I was currently mass-producing new Black History in real-time.
While struggling to keep my expression neutral, I was practically frothing at the mouth on the inside. All I could do was turn into a machine that kept repeating Zeno’s name, putting all my faith in Nifl.
Just as I was beginning to fall into despair, I thought I was saved by the sudden appearance of the Branch Manager, Serge-san… but then came this “extravagant welcome” treatment.
Zeno… just who are you? I mean, I know you’re a merchant, but that’s not what I mean.
If giving your name makes a Branch Manager-level person tremble while ushering me into the back, your status is at least higher than a regional manager, that’s for sure.
“Um… I have heard many rumors of you, Hizaki-sama…”
“A-Ah, yeah.”
I could only respond like an “A-Ah” Bot.
What rumors?! Who is saying what about me?! Crap, my stomach hurts…
The attitude of my savior, Branch Manager Serge-san—who was clearly incredibly humbled—was likely a display of awe toward the person who sent me… presumably Zeno.
To her, Zeno must be someone she cannot defy—in short, her boss or something of that nature… maybe even higher.
While feeling sick from the cold sweat running down my back and the stomach ache, I was led into a room within the Company.
Before my eyes spread a world of carpets and gaudy decorations. As I sat down on a plush sofa without any will of my own, Serge-san knelt and served me water.
“This is ‘Divine Water’ that flows through the mountains of the Gabora Sacred Peak range. It is pure water that has not undergone magical processing. I hope it is to your liking?”
“…Thank you.”
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To be honest, there’s no way I could tell the difference in taste; even after drinking it, it just feels like regular water.
But I know. This water is insanely expensive.
In this world where demons and Primordial species roam, there is very little water that remains clean without treatment; most of it is processed using things like “Refinement Magic.”
It’s strange, but if the magical power of humans, animals, or demons mixes in, the taste drops, and in very rare cases, it can even cause physical illness.
However, natural water is different.
Most substances in this world have the property of attracting magical power. The reason spent mana recovers over time is that the mana in the air is attracted to humans.
That logic applies to almost everything—people, animals, plants, demons, minerals, and even water. The more “natural” something is, the higher that attraction. Utilizing this property, natural items—in other words, things containing no artificial mana—are used to dispel “curses.” If that item is water, some religions even call it “Holy Water.”
Therefore, the value of the word “Pure” in this world is incredibly high. I don’t even want to think about the price of water with that label attached to it…
Serge-san, who let out a sigh of relief just because I thanked her, began setting up a thick disc opposite the sofa where I sat.
It was painful to watch her waddle around trying to set up a disc that was quite large for a woman to carry alone.
“I’ll help.”
“Ah, no! I-I’m fine, really!!”
Following Nifl’s advice to maintain an arrogant demeanor, I ignored her desperate refusals and helped her hold the disc.
“I-I’m so sorry for troubling your hands…!”
“I am the one who visited unannounced. Besides, I am not so narrow-minded as to be angered by this level of effort.”
Heh, that was actually kind of cool.
Just as I was feeling good about my “perfect” line, I felt Serge-san’s gaze fixed intently on my face.
When I looked, my eyes met Serge-san’s, which were looking a bit feverish and moist.
“I just need to set this here, right?”
“Eh? Ah—yes! Right!”
Sensing a “troublesome vibe” from experience, I forcefully cut off the bittersweet atmosphere.
It’s definitely not because Nifl’s scary face flashed through my mind or anything like that.
When you’re nervous in front of a “big shot” (actually just a chuuni guy) and that person is kind to you, you’re bound to be swayed. That’s just a momentary lapse in judgment, so please forget it, seriously.
If I’m just being self-conscious, then fine. Actually, that would be better.
While shivering from a faint, chilly, bad premonition, I set the disc into the depression in the center of the room.
“Is this… a Treasure? And an ancient relic at that… How many Divine Silver coins would this even cost…?”
“A-As expected, you are very well-informed!”
“Treasures” (Natural Relics) is the general term for items where mana has naturally formed into a specific shape.
When used, the trapped mana triggers various phenomena. They are mostly found in hidden regions with abnormally high mana density. Furthermore, the performance of Treasures varies wildly, and their shapes can be anything from weaponry to accessories.
Swords that breathe fire, guns that fire lightning, shoes that let you fly through the sky, and so on. There are also many variety-type items, ranging from high utility to total duds that are just a joke. It’s understandable why there are countless collectors all over the world; they are full of “romance.”
Among them, the most valuable are “ancient relic” (Ancient Relics). The reason is simple: they contain Ancient Magic that modern humans cannot learn.
In short, items that cannot be reproduced are called ancient relic.
Conversely, it means that normal Treasures can be made if one has the mind to. Items made that way are called “Magic Tools.”
Of course, the required technology is obscenely high, and the necessary materials are expensive. It’s theoretically possible, but the cost-performance ratio doesn’t balance out. Additionally, those found in hidden regions usually have superior performance. It’s only natural they trade at high prices.
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