Chapter 55 – Trading Post (3)

After entering Lupin’s Right Hand.

Until the transaction with Durandal ended, Austin kept watching Henry without uttering a single word.

It was because he knew his own position, and also feared he might interfere with the flow Henry wanted.

Of course, it was shocking behavior and results, and curiosity boiled as it was a sight he could not see even when staying with his family.

Ultimately, when they stepped out of Durandal’s trading post.

Austin ended up bursting with curiosity he had been clenching back.

“Henry, just now what on earth…”

“A bit later. Wait a moment.”

However, the returning reaction was dry.

‘That state again.’

It was a familiar situation to Austin.

Because occasionally, Henry Camilton would enter this state.

Henry at that moment did not speak unnecessary words, and brought up only simple answers to the point where, in a way, he felt like a doll.

‘Perhaps this attitude is related to Henry’s secret.’

It was a plausible guess.

Austin nodded and quietly examined Henry’s state.

He always felt it, but sometimes Henry felt as if his soul had left his body.

That is, not as a metaphor, but really so.

‘They said the lackeys commanded by necromancers feel like this.’

Although decayed, the body remained, and the instincts were also the same.

But wasn’t the reason gone?

‘It must be an overreaction, right?’

Henry had reason.

He did not run wild violently, nor did he display aggressiveness.

Tapping Austin away as if annoying was all.

‘The flow of mana is also the same. Hmm…’

The lineage of the Duke Roderick family can read the opponent’s falsehood “with the naked eye.”

If it developed to some extent from there?

They could utilize the ability in other cases too.

For example, cases where the opponent was an illusion or fake.

However, the Henry visible in Austin’s eyes now was definitely the person himself.

‘I don’t know at all. He is really unique. How on earth did he do it earlier? No, if I am to ask about curious things, it won’t end with that single question.’

It was a pile of doubts from one to ten.

The rapid growth was so, the ability shown just now was so, and the information he casually threw out occasionally as if he originally knew it was the same.

Austin prided himself on being used to somewhat unreasonable behavior, but Henry was an existence that even bypassed such common sense of Austin.

Then suddenly.

Vitality returned to Henry’s eyes.

To be exact, the expression that the mana moved a bit more vividly was accurate.

It was a subtle difference that could only be noticed by Austin, who had been constantly watching Henry, which others could not see.

“Henry?”

“Why?”

“Can I ask?”

“Ask what?”

An still blunt answer.

However, there was a clear difference from before.

“I mean, how you did it earlier. I can’t hold back my curiosity, you know. Even though I talked to you several times, you just kept returning the same answer.”

“So are you dissatisfied?”

“Rather than dissatisfied… wouldn’t it be close to a request?”

Speaking humorously, Austin thought.

‘It was not the same answer.’

Henry’s answer was different every time. It was not the same content, but Henry did not refute his story.

‘No, maybe it is just that I thought too deeply. Henry originally has a personality of falling into deep thought after finishing important matters, and at that time, he cannot give a shred of attention to other matters…’

It makes sense.

It made sense, but honestly it was a tricky condition.

“It is a matter related to my ability.”

“As expected!”

“The ability is a secret.”

“It doesn’t seem you are speaking of an ability as a knight, though.”

“It’s not.”

“Is it alright for you to speak to me like this?”

“My mouth is not light enough to go around blabbing to just anyone.”

From beginning to end, it was truth.

Especially in the last sentence, Austin blew away his complicated thoughts at once.

“You are the best, Henry.”

“In some aspects that might be so. Let’s go. To spend all this money, we will have to move a bit busily.”

“Spend it all? If it is this money… by any chance the gold received just now? Are you planning to buy souvenirs?”

Henry once again bypassed Austin’s expectation.

Because Austin’s expectation was a flow of returning quietly to the academy holding this money.

Or, visiting the central bank to exchange the note and depositing it was the scope Austin expected.

“I will spend it all. Because I have something to buy.”

“Did you come to buy that? Or did you just think of it? Maybe it’s doing two things at once…”

“I intended to do both from the start.”

“It must be a really important item.”

Austin grinned.

He felt like he had dug quite deeply into Henry’s secrets today of all days.

The fact that he held twelve ingots of pure steel was so, and the appearance of pulling out the golden bird’s egg in a single bound was so.

Even planning to purchase something with the value of hundreds of gold this time.

‘It is a picture beyond the capability of the Camilton Viscounty. It must be Henry’s arbitrary action.’

Not long ago when knights of prestigious families observed the academy.

Among the knights who showed interest in Henry, there was also a knight of the Roderick family.

He naturally visited the Camilton Viscounty, and Austin knew the process and result.

It was thanks to the loyal butler transmitting it in detail.

‘With a high probability, even in his family they don’t know Henry’s ability. He must have awakened not long ago. Perhaps, around that period when the rapid growth took place.’

It was an interesting and quite plausible guess.

Of course.

‘Although this is content anyone could think of. Still, it was fun to speculate.’

He had no intention of digging that far.

Thinking like this was also because the speculation process itself was enjoyable.

Austin knew why he liked Henry, and had no intention of eliminating that reason.

‘Remaining like this might be better.’

A series of processes where Henry showed some unique action and Austin himself was surprised by it.

Through that, Austin was enjoying a satisfaction he had not felt in his life until now.

“Why are you distracted?”

“Huh? Ah, did I? I was contemplating. How on earth did Henry do it, I wonder. A golden bird’s egg. It’s not a common thing for such an object to pop out of a pocket just like that, is it?”

Of course not.

So it was pleasant, and Austin decided to be satisfied with this situation.

“So, where are we going now?”

“To spend money. Let’s find Ken first. He will probably be waiting nearby.”

In this kind of relationship where he could constantly face surprising appearances, and someday surprise Henry in reverse.

***

Immediately after parting with Durandal.

Henry pulled Austin and joined the black market guide, Ken.

He, who had been practically expelled, had been in a state of stamping his feet anxiously, at a loss of what to do.

“Guest! You are alive. You aren’t injured either, fortunately Lord Durandal must have been in a good mood today! It is truly a relief!”

“Is being alive such a grand thing?”

“Although I couldn’t say it on that spot earlier, in fact he is a truly dangerous person. Especially if it is someone holding valuable items like you, guest…”

“Does he kill and snatch?”

To the tilting Henry, Ken shook his head violently.

“No, it’s not. That acting contrary to commercial morality is something he cannot do is Lord Durandal’s value. He absolutely never snatches, and is one who definitely pays the price even for a trivial object.”

“Then why…”

“Aren’t transaction and mood separate? There were guests who behaved rudely in the process of negotiating. Uh… it would be correct to say ‘there used to be.’”

Ken smiled awkwardly.

Durandal was an individual who did not tolerate insults.

The moment they referred to him as a mere merchant of the black market, or ridiculed the fact that he was from another country, they had to assume the relevant customer could not walk out of this place.

“Also a bit ambiguous, since he is one who shows the same reaction even to roundabout insults… I’m saying this because he isn’t here, but honestly there were also those who looked somewhat aggrieved.”

“And you were worried that I would be like that too?”

“Yes. Of course the atmosphere wasn’t like that, but since judging a person strictly by the atmosphere is how one suffers quite bad situations here…”

“That’s enough. Take this.”

“What is this?”

It was a clinking sack.

He could notice that money was contained, but the problem was why he was giving it to himself.

“Gold.”

“I mean, why gold… I didn’t even handle the transaction?”

“Didn’t I promise to give it?”

“No, a promise is a promise, but… there was also the promise that I would handle the sales…”

For some reason, Ken looked anxious.

A reaction Henry could not understand.

If he could pocket the promised money, and without spending a shred of effort at that, wasn’t it a good thing?

“Ken.”

“Yes?”

“I visited this place for the first time, and as such I do not know the atmosphere of how things run. In fact, I did not know the details you spoke of just now either.”

“Yes, that’s… right.”

“What are you afraid of?”

“Ah, that… I see. So.”

Total clarity returned to Ken’s blank eyes. Because he realized there was no reason to fear.

“Money has weight, doesn’t it?”

“I know gold is heavy.”

“I don’t mean that, but that there is responsibility. For example, imagine you stole that money from somewhere, guest. But I received a part of it. From that moment, I also bear the responsibility of theft together…”

“Ah.”

“You know what I mean, right? Of course, I don’t mean you stole it, but in the black market, besides such things, all sorts of things happen. There are more than one or two gentlemen who went to their graves coveting a few gold coins.”

“This is money received from Sir Durandal as the price for the transaction. There was no problem, and he is looking forward to meeting me again. We remained in a positive relationship.”

“Ah, if so…?”

Ken’s eyeballs rolled rapidly.

After examining Henry, Austin, and the money bag, *Snatch!* He grabbed the money bag as if snatching it.

“Thank you. But it’s somehow heavy? I guess you sold more?”

“You can feel that?”

“Didn’t you receive about 220 gold per piece?”

Ken asked as if it were natural.

Because he was certain that if it were Henry and not himself, he would only have been able to receive about that much.

In fact, if not for Henry’s sudden action, the transaction would have concluded at about that price.

“I received more.”

“Is that so? Still, it’s a bit much…”

Even assuming a generous 250 gold, ten percent is only 300 gold.

However, Ken felt the weight of this pouch was more than twice 300 gold.

Next, checking the contents.

*Gasp!*

*Plonk!* He returned the pouch to Henry’s hand just like that.

“I-I won’t receive this money… It’s fine. I have no relation to that money.”

“Why won’t you receive it?”

“It is not an amount that would come out by normal methods. S-Surely something terrible will descend upon us soon!”

“It is an amount that came out by selling other things too.”

“…How much did you receive for the pure steel?”

“460 gold per ingot.”

*Eeeeek!*

Ken backed away about five steps from Henry.

To the point where he couldn’t be any faster.

His gaze trembled slightly as if a disaster soon to arrive was visible.

“I-I won’t receive it. You keep all of it, guest. I will keep performing the role of guide, but I have no relation to that money! If you only make that clear…”

“Okay then.”

Henry chuckled and combined the money pouches into one place.

He had no intention of forcing the money onto someone who insisted on not receiving it.

Probably when he found out the exact situation later, he would shed tears of blood in regret, but ultimately that was also Ken’s choice.

“Instead, I will normally pay ten percent of transactions done from now on. Although it can’t be helped if you won’t receive that money either.”

“I will receive that. Shall I also carry the money?”

“What if they misunderstand that you are related to that money?”

“Since it didn’t enter my pocket, it’s fine. Also, isn’t it gathered in one place like this? It is also one of the guide’s roles.”

The ecology of the black market was utterly incomprehensible.

Handing over the heavy pouch, Henry designated the place to visit.

“Let’s go to a place that sells artifacts. Not verified ones, but a place that sells those whose quality is not confirmed.”

BJ Swordmaster