Chapter 202

Andel, caught red-handed by Roan, could not say anything and only gaped his mouth.

The saying about trying to show off in front of an expert must surely refer to cases like this.

Andel flatly prostrated on the floor and apologized.

“Forgive me! I was also completely fooled! Some traveler insisted so strongly that he picked it up on Mount Bideln… How could a beggar like me have ever seen proper dark attribute power before!”

Although, given Andel’s character, he would have likely exaggerated the traveler’s words rather than being fooled by them,

Roan decided to leave it at that.

“Well, that must be true.”

As Roan withdrew his energy, the murderous intent that had filled the small shop gradually subsided.

Only then did Andel feel as if he had saved his life.

Of course, one obstacle after another, next was Espard’s turn.

“What an absurd situation! To dare try and scam us…!”

He had only remained quiet for a moment to see how Roan, who possessed the dark attribute, would act; Espard had already seen through Andel’s lie.

‘That’s because Espard had actually met the Tiger of Mount Bideln before.’

Although they didn’t meet often, the two of them still shared a decent acquaintance.

So, to dare impersonate his acquaintance’s power.

To dare, despite knowing Sion was the Saintess candidate.

To dare try to even tarnish the honor of Acherandir.

From Espard’s perspective, it was a relief that he hadn’t pulled out his mace right away.

“You rascal! I cannot forgive you in the name of myself, Espard Quilior!”

“Heek──!!! S-Saint of the Bell!??!!?”

Andel squeezed his eyes shut, thinking that all the karma he had accumulated until now was coming back to him at once.

He couldn’t even fathom what had possessed him to do something that, even in his own opinion, deserved to get his head smashed.

However,

“Since we weren’t fooled, let’s let it slide. That merchant Andel also claims to have been deceived, and he must have learned his lesson.”

Stepping between the two, Roan implicitly stopped Espard.

‘If you catch a slip, you should squeeze something out of them; if you smash their head, nothing is left.’

…That was roughly his scheme.

Naturally having no way of knowing that fact, Espard flared up in anger.

“Roan! Your problem is that you are too kind! This is not something to be easily overlooked. Do you know how much honor that merchant tarnished in such a short moment?”

It was an excellent way to corner the merchant.

Though that was only if he could stop him.

‘T-Too kind…?’

Meanwhile, Sion was shocked by Espard’s words.

Of course, knowing the whole story, she was also angry, but she couldn’t help but react to the statement that Roan’s problem was that he was too kind.

At that moment, thinking he had found a way to survive, Andel begged in a loud voice.

“Forgive me! Just as young master Darc said, I, Andel, will never go around scamming again! And as an apology, I will charge only cost price—no, half—no, one-third of the price for this transaction!”

“Since he is going that far, we just need to keep a close eye on him in the future.”

“Tsk, you should know that you escaped being hauled away thanks to Roan. Instead.”

Espard clicked his tongue once and placed his hand on Andel’s forehead.

Swoosh—

A streak of holy power emanated from Espard and seeped into Andel’s head.

“For the next month, if you tell a lie on purpose, your head will feel like it’s splitting open.”

“Heek─! Of course! I will be a honest merchant from now on!”

Andel pledged repeatedly, feeling his head.

‘What, in reality, there is no such holy spell.’

It must have been a show, but even so, he would live as a truly honest merchant for a month.

In “God and Devil,” reforming the merchant Andel granted a bonus to the speech stat, though it was questionable whether it would be reflected in reality.

Roan shot a glare at Andel and spoke.

“Stop recommending items, we will browse on our own.”

“Yes, yes, please look around as much as you like and bring whatever you want.”

Andel rubbed his hands and laughed sheepingly.

Although Espard looked highly displeased, since the situation was settled for now, he walked away reluctantly.

Sion also browsed this shelf and that, checking if there was any item that appealed to her.

‘B-But, do I also have to pay Darc back?’

Her pupils trembled for some reason!

Normally she wouldn’t worry about such things, but seeing him tell Yusina to pay back the money…

Just then, Roan, who was standing near Sion, smirked and spoke.

“You don’t have to worry about paying me back.”

“Heek─! How…! I only thought about it!”

Sion was startled, almost throwing down the trinket she was holding.

Did Roan really learn a mind-reading holy spell, just as Demona said!

“Where would a mind-reading spell exist.”

“There you go again!”

Having had her mind read twice in a row, how could she not suspect mind-reading.

However, after letting out a small sigh, Roan spoke with a smiling expression.

“It is obvious when I see you hesitating over whether to buy a item worth a few copper coins. And if you say ‘I only thought about it!’, it is obvious you would suspect mind-reading. You were definitely thinking, ‘Was Demona right?!’”

Beyond surprise, Sion was now simply dumbfounded.

“……Did you really study mind-reading in the library? Like, finding the secret archive!”

If it was Roan, she suspected he might have somehow found a secret archive in the library and learned a forbidden holy spell.

‘It is roughly similar, though.’

Roan opened his mouth slightly.

It was a ridiculous imagination, but it was the truth.

Of course, it was a forbidden black magic rather than a forbidden holy spell.

“If you really feel that way, pay me back later.”

“N-No…”

When Roan spoke like that, Sion quickly backed down and averted her eyes.

‘But if you were worried about paying me back, shouldn’t you have refrained from eating so many snacks?’

Roan was slightly puzzled.

Meow—

Sunset let out a soft cry on her shoulder.

Master, if you borrow money from that person, he might even charge interest later.

That was roughly the meaning, but neither Roan nor Sion could understand it.

“At any rate, could you step aside for a moment?”

“Ah? Yes.”

Roan walked over to where Sion was standing and bent down.

‘I’ve had a feeling coming from here for a while.’

In fact, ever since he first entered the shop, Roan’s eyes had been drawn to the box lying on the floor.

Although it was almost completely hidden by various items, his instinct told him to search that place.

Clatter—

When Roan pulled out the box placed deep inside, Andel was visibly flustered.

“Y-Young master Darc! That box is not for sale!”

Like a skilled merchant, he had the knack of saying, ‘You should just browse the properly displayed items,’ through his expression alone.

‘If you act like that, it makes me want to open it even more.’

Roan paid no attention and pulled the box out further.

Although it was covered in dust, it was heavy and luxurious, not a common box.

Click—

Roan, having dusted it off, opened the box.

Fwoosh—!

“Hoo.”

“Hmm?”

“???”

Simultaneously, Roan marvelled, Espard twitched his eyebrows, and Sion tilted her head at the energy emanating from inside the box.

This was because the energy was…

“Dark mana?”

It was none other than dark mana!

Inside the box lay a plain gray ring.

Clang—!

Espard pulled out his mace as if there was no need to look further.

Naturally, he didn’t do it to suddenly clean it.

“You insolent swindler! How dare you bring the items of black mages into your shop!”

Espard glared fiercely, ready to swing his mace at Andel at any moment.

“N-No! That… that is an heirloom left from my father’s generation!”

“Do you think I would believe such a blatant lie!”

Along with the attempted fraud earlier, he now possessed an item filled with dark mana.

At this rate, he would have nothing to say even if he were summarily executed.

Andel flatly prostrated again.

“Oh my, it is true! Didn’t the Saint just cast a holy spell that would split my head open if I lied!”

Seeing him speak to that extent, it seemed to be true.

Roan and Sion also hurriedly stopped Espard, fearing they would have to clear a corpse at this rate.

…Of course, Roan had other reasons as well, but in any case, that was the situation for now.

“It seems to be true. It definitely shows signs of age.”

“D-Darc is right! He doesn’t seem to be lying either…”

“No, I cannot let it slide this time!”

Rumbleee──!!!

However, Espard was also furious to the limit, unconsciously raising his holy power.

Even though Espard was usually hearty and chivalrous, he flared up in anger regardless of the consequences whenever black magic was involved.

Naturally, to even stop Espard in this state, Roan and Sion also had to raise their dark mana and holy power to some extent.

Whirrr— Flash—

The two grabbed one of Espard’s sleeves each to stop him from approaching Andel.

Rumble—

As the three powerful energies clashed, Andel’s small shop even vibrated as if it would collapse at any moment.

However, Roan’s dark mana caused a side effect that even he had not anticipated.

Zzzzt—!!!

The ring, reacting to Roan’s dark mana, resonated and began to emit even thicker mana!

Espard flew into a rage upon seeing that.

“Look at this! You tell me to overlook it even after this! Look at that sinister energy! Isn’t it getting stronger?”

“Hmm…”

Roan broke into a cold sweat.

‘No matter how I look at it, it seems to be my fault that it turned out like that.’

To think such a thing would happen when he only raised his mana because he was in a hurry.

However, Espard, completely unaware of that fact, seemed to believe it was entirely the ring’s fault.

Roan stealthily subdued the mana he had raised.

Then, the resonance of the ring indeed subsided as well.

Hum—

It was indeed your fault.

The False Divinity giggled in ridicule at the sight.

‘I’m suffering here…’

He wanted to say something, but there was no time to fool around with the authority.

“It seems it has been stored for a long time and temporarily became unstable. The dark mana of the ring itself is not significant.”

“Hmph! Still, the truth does not change!”

Espard barked a snort and shouted.

In any case, as Roan suppressed his energy, Espard’s holy power began to run even wilder.

Crush──!!

The popcorn in his arms could no longer hold out, on the verge of turning into powder and disappearing.

“Guys, help us too!”

At Sion’s urgent request, Bell, Charlotte, Sunset, and Pal-lang-ie were all mobilized.

[Hey! Grab him!]

Pal-lang-ie scattered powder with a sedative effect, while the other three divine beasts clung to his trouser legs.

“Ygh…!”

Only then did the power seem to leave Espard’s body slightly.

Roan did not miss the opportunity and hastily added words.

“As you know, simply possessing a black magic item in a shop is not illegal. It becomes illegal only when it is sold to black mages.”

Glare—!

He then gestured to Andel to help quickly.

He absolutely refused to be imprisoned even temporarily in the adjacent room where the Gelsroin cultists had been locked up earlier.

Andel rubbed his hands and begged.

It was likely the first time he had begged so much in such a short period.

“Oh, that’s right! It’s an heirloom inherited from my father, so I couldn’t throw it away, and yet I couldn’t sell it either, which is why I hid it away like that!”

“Then you should have deposited it at the temple!”

“That is… I feared this kind of thing would happen if I took it to the temple…”

Andel answered hesitantly.

Roan had no choice but to nod without Espard noticing.

‘He’s not exactly wrong.’