What One Wants
“……what is it that you desire?”
Schwinn, he reflexively said.
As he’s looking at the Dark Magician’s jet-black eyes, he felt that the future holds nothing but a disastrous end.
“What, my wish is simple”
Asch hands over a single piece of parchment.
“……uu”
Just by running his eyes across a row of words, his words are stuck, and his hands that hold the parchment tremble. A cold chill and shudder like never before was visiting Schwinn.
“Judging from the looks of it, you seem competent, but you’re still young. No……I guess I should say that there’s already, nobody left except people like you”
Even without putting it into words, he had guessed that he’s the leader of the Assassins. Sharpening your fangs for revenge is precisely how you refine yourself. Through the numerous death of their predecessors, their fangs are giving out a glaring glint. Hence, few rival their strength as a squad on the continent, but they break easily because of their few numbers.
From what Asch saw, there are about a few hundred people. He concluded that they probably only possess around that much war potential.
“……it is as you said, we have been left with no choice”
With his lips trembling, Schwinn lets his genuine thoughts slip. Even their activities as the Merchants of Death are, extraordinarily harsh nowadays. King Raizer has created a Merchant Association and excluded the black marketeers. If they’re not merchants that the Bardyst Holy Kingdom approves, they can’t even sell goods.
“That’s unfortunate. However, you can rest easy. If you gather that for me, I think I can pay ten times the market price”
“……ten”
With his hands, Schwinn restrained one of the Assassins that leak out his voice unconsciously.
“How does thirty times sound?”
“Kuku……excessive greed will bring one to their doom”
At those eyes that seemingly see through everything, he can’t help feeling fear in his heart. There’s a rumour that goes around traders; ‘People who do business with Asch＝Dahl, they can only choose to possess eminent power on the continent……or death’
“If you say that it’s not enough……there is one more thing that I want to hand over to you”
“Hou. What is it?”
“My life”
Schwinn, he places a blade on his throat.
“……I got it. I shall pay thirty times the market price. Out of consideration of your resolve. It’s just that, I don’t need your life. It’ll be unbalanced like this”
The Dark Magician sighs loudly.
“Something else?”
“No……I, believe in an equal transaction. Such half-assed money is unworthy of your life. At the very least……in my eyes”
“……is that your true thoughts?”
Schwinn couldn’t agree at all. If they have this much money, the natives probably won’t worry about food for five years.
“The value of money differs from person to person. They only have the same value as shredded paper to me. It’s the same for you, isn’t it?”
“No, I……”
“Money is just a means to an end. You’re not looking at the value of money itself. You staked your life, on what’s born out of it. Isn’t that the case in other words?”
“……”
“Too much chit-chatting huh. Mira, sorry to keep you waiting, It’s about to gーー”
“ZZZZz……”
At the butler who’s in a deep sleep, he unconsciously places his fingers on his forehead.
“For you to sleep while standing……you sure are a useless idiot butler huh……here we go”
Asch wraps both her arms around his neck, piggybacks her, and starts walking.
As he’s leaving,
“Aah……by the way, you guys weave good-quality silk, don’t you”
he mutters, like it suddenly came to mind.
“E, eeh. We used to produce it plentifully”
“……one piece. I’d like to request for a nice dress. That’ll do in exchange”
Leaving those words behind, the Dark Magician walked off towards the carriage.
