[…As a merchant, I am grateful… but as a friend, I wish you would doubt me a little more.]
I couldn’t help but smile at the sight of the skeleton shaking his head in exasperation.
“Don’t be stupid. What profit would you get out of this as a merchant? What’s wrong with believing in a friend’s kindness?”
Next, Zeno hung his mouth open as if dumbfounded. Since the inside of his mouth is just a hole, it was a very surreal and amusing sight. It felt like looking at a skeleton in a school science lab.
[—I shall live up to that trust. Consider this a gift for the return of the Corpse King. Please accept it.]
“I told you, it’s heavy… Thanks, Zeno.”
When I reached out my hand, he responded with a thin, cold touch that lacked body heat.
To think that Zeno, who used to be called creepy and a monster and was afraid of touching people, would shake hands without hesitation. A hundred and eighty years is enough time to change a person.
[Shall we do the exchange now?]
“No, I’m going to go make the gold coins now. The auction is in two weeks. There’s time.”
[From now… well, this is the Sleepless Country. I am sure you have plenty of methods. May I ask for reference?]
“I’m going to go cheat at the Arena. My skills are a bit rusty, so it’s quite a gamble.”
[—Ho! Well now… I must tell Serge.]
“Hm?”
[No, nothing. Will you be entering immediately after this?]
“A-Ah, yeah. The sooner I start, the more I can earn.”
[Then, I shall cheer for you from the shadows.]
Zeno, who seemed to be implying something, slowly began to fade his projection.
[Our time is almost up—but Shiou-kun. I have a separate matter I’d like to consult you on.]
While keeping a friendly tone, Zeno’s voice turned serious. This was his side as a merchant.
[Recently, strange reports have been coming from the branch here in the Sleepless Country. It seems… many employees have been having nightmares, and it is a bit unsettling.]
“Nightmares…? What’s that about?”
I furrowed my brows at the completely unexpected words, and Zeno raised both hands helplessly.
[At first, I had the exact same reaction as you. However, a month has passed since the first report, and the similar reports and consultations haven’t stopped. Some employees have even taken leave due to mental exhaustion. Multiple people.]
“So the nightmares are causing actual harm…”
Dreams. Even people in this world see them naturally.
Of course, just because it’s an Isekai doesn’t mean dreams have special effects. They are things seen due to brain function… but mental exhaustion, huh?
If it were one or two people, you could think of overwork or some kind of illness, but if it’s enough people to concern the Chairman, Zeno, the story changes.
Then, it hit me.
Come to think of it… the employees at this branch were acting strange. Dark circles under their eyes and a general sense of lethargy. A lack of spirit. All of them are typical symptoms of sleep deprivation.
There were several customers like that, too. Some weren’t, though… is there a difference?
“Are these nightmares only happening here in the Sleepless Country?”
[At the very least, there have been no reports from branches other than the one here.]
A nightmare in the city that never sleeps, huh? …The title tickles my inner “chuuni,” but the atmosphere doesn’t seem to be that light.
[Because the cause is something as vague and uncertain as a nightmare, we don’t know how to deal with it… It has been reported to other countries as well, but since there are no similar cases, they say it’s a form of mass hysteria. Sedatives and such were distributed, but they haven’t shown any effect at all.]
“Cold response… Is the Empire ignoring it too?”
[Bad timing, but the Empire has been busy lately with the commotion surrounding Helheim.]
“That’s…”
It’s not like I should be the one apologizing, but a bit of guilt welled up. I don’t know who did it, but they really did something unnecessary.
“Ah—and so… what kind of nightmares are they?”
Feeling awkward, I forced the conversation back, and Zeno spoke with wonder again.
[For example… or rather. It is a hard story to believe—but everyone describes the exact same nightmare.]
“Huh…?”
I couldn’t help but look grim.
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[They say—they saw two giant snakes.]
Every single person saw that dream.
Honestly, dream stories can be fabricated, and people can coordinate their stories… but I can’t think of a reason why they would do that.
“The consultation… is it about investigating that?”
[Yes. Of course, I will prepare a reward. Let’s see… when you exchange the gold coins for the Primordial hide, I shall give you a discount equal to the reward. How about it?]
I see… It’s an unexpected detour, but if it helps a friend, I have no reason to refuse. It has benefits for me too, and if it’s framed as a reward, I won’t feel guilty about the discount.
As expected of Zeno. He knows my personality well.
“Got it. I don’t know if I can solve it, but I’ll look into it.”
[That is a help. It is strange; I feel more at ease than when relying on the country.]
“You’re overestimating me… or maybe not. My subordinates are excellent, after all.”
When I joked, Zeno nodded several times as if it were heartwarming. This guy definitely treats me a bit like a kid, doesn’t he… Well, whatever. In terms of age, the difference isn’t just “child,” it’s more like “descendant.”
Immediately after that exchange, the disc began to blink its light.
The time limit of the Treasure.
[It is a pity, but it is time. Well then, Shiou-kun, good luck. I shall explain everything to Serge, so please rely on her as your point of contact. Ah, when you come to the Imperial Capital, please do stop by the headquarters. I shall be waiting with snacks and pocket money for Garm-chan.]
“…I-If I have the chance.”
[Then, excuse me. Thank you for a blissful time.]
I watched him go while my cheek twitched at the skeleton’s final words about being a “kid-lover.”
To defend his honor, it’s not that he’s abnormally fond of children. It’s not… that kind of “sexual preference” thing. He just likes small living things.
But the fact that Garm is the target of that… is a bit much. Looking at Garm, who is like a sister to me, through the lens of a “small animal”… no, I won’t say any more.
Still, even after a hundred and eighty years, Zeno was a reliable, good guy.
That fact warmed my heart more than I could help.
■
Sniff, sniff.
A short while after the Corpse King headed toward the Senoskar Company, Garm twitched her nose at a strange scent drifting through the city.
“Nnn~?”
“Garm, what is it?”
Nifl looked back at Garm, who had tilted her head suspiciously.
Beast-kin have senses superior to all other races, but Garm was exceptionally skilled even within that category.
The reason was the blood of the Ancient Wolf—one of the Primordial Species—flowing through her small body.
Garm’s pure, natural warning was a reliable source of information even for Nifl.
“Somehow… I’ve thought so since we entered, but there’s a smell of strange mana.”
“Strange mana, you say?”
“Yeah… Is it the whole city? Nnn~, instead of strange… is it nostalgic?”
The words were incoherent, but it was clear to Nifl, who knew Garm’s personality, that she wasn’t joking.
The sight of the wolf-girl racking her brain was a bad omen for Nifl. It was as if an alarm—boasting the highest accuracy in the world—was blaring loudly.
Nidhogg, in her small dragon form being held by Nifl, let out a small, bored yawn. “Kwaaa~”
Nidhogg is also one of the Primordial Species, but because she is specialized for combat, her sensing abilities aren’t particularly high. Dragons are generally at the top of the ecosystem, so there is a background where their “danger signals” have weakened over long ages.
To put it simply, creatures without natural predators don’t have a sense of crisis.
The only mana a dragon can perceive is that of a mate or someone they truly like. For Nidhogg, that would be the Corpse King.
Nifl squeezed the carefree Nidhogg tightly, ignoring her groans, and scanned the surroundings.
Her eyes met Gurba’s, who also seemed to feel a sense of wrongness at Garm’s words.
“Gurba-sama, do you feel anything?”
“If Garm only feels ‘wrongness,’ I haven’t the slightest clue.”
“Same here. However, it would be far too dangerous to ignore it.”
“Yeah. Whatever it is, it would be best to uncover it.”
Gurba gently placed his hand on Garm’s head to reassure her, as she was rocking back and forth with her hands on her head.
“Gramps?”
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