Paladin of a Fallen Order (Novel) - Chapter 16 - Two Gold Coins
Chapter 16 – Two Gold Coins
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Translated by Pratt
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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Everyone except for Rob, who had lost both eyes, saw the crow magic beast fall.
“…He hit that?”
Throwing a spear was a high-difficulty art, unlike how it looked. It was even more so if one had to throw an unfamiliar spear instead of one’s usual one.
“Just what kind of… No, never mind.”
However, thanks to the feat Elbridge had shown before throwing the spear being even more impressive, people were able to just accept it and move on.
“His name was Elbridge, right? Is he a mercenary who was active in the West or South? With that kind of skill, his name would have no choice but to be known.”
Charlie replied to Magnus’s muttering.
“I heard he isn’t a mercenary, but a paladin of the Order of the Rusty Shield.”
There was only one thing Charlie could tell them: that Elbridge was a paladin.
However, it was not particularly helpful information. Because there was no clear causal relationship between the status of a paladin and Elbridge’s skill. Were the paladins of the Golden Platter Order not the finest counterexample?
While the people buzzed, Elbridge ran toward the falling crow magic beast.
Since warping-type magic beasts could pull off all kinds of unexpected things when one let down one’s guard, he had to end its life when he grabbed the chance.
The crow magic beast, having fallen to the ground, stared at Elbridge with its eight red pupils.
Caw-
It felt as if it had something it wanted to say.
However, that was not Elbridge’s concern. Without hesitation, Elbridge swung his sword and severed the neck of the crow magic beast.
Slice.
Because it was not an enhanced-type magic beast, the crow magic beast’s feathers or skin were not much different from a normal bird’s. Its head fell off at once, and blood splattered.
“Phew…”
At the same time as the relief of eliminating the magic beast, Elbridge was seized by a vast sense of elation.
Magic beasts possessed a kind of holy power called a fragment of an evil god.
As the crow magic beast’s holy power seeped into Elbridge, he tasted an intense elation that he was feeling for the first time in his life.
A sensation like suffering from thirst for hundreds of years, then finally quenching it with cool water.
The situation was different from when he hunted the wolf magic beast last time.
At that time, in order to restore his arm, he could not properly absorb the holy power and had to offer the magic beast’s heart and the fragment of the evil god to his deity.
Although he had absorbed the holy power left after the offering, it was like scattering a bit of misty rain on parched, cracked ground.
But now was different. The holy power left behind by the crow magic beast was entirely Elbridge’s to take.
It was not even an unripe magic beast whose magic-beastification had only just begun. Since it was a magic beast transitioning from the middle to the late stage, its rank was decently high, and its holy power was also not small.
With this much, it was more than enough to be not just misty rain, but a damp spring rain.
Elbridge habitually clenched and unclenched both fists. Power overflowed from his entire body.
Memories of the moments when he surpassed ordinary people, which he had felt in his apprentice paladin days in the distant past, came back to him.
‘There is still a long way to go, but… this is a good start.’
At that moment, the goddess’s oracle descended.
– Elbridge. My most cherished paladin. It was a splendid display. However, because that display was stained with another god’s authority, a tiny worry blossoms in your goddess’s heart…
Since waking from the seal, this was the second time Elbridge had utilized a god’s authority.
However, both times it was not authority bestowed by the Goddess of the Rusty Shield. The first was the healing authority granted by the Goddess of Spring Rain and Moss, and the second was the authority bestowed by the God of the Golden Platter.
Because the first authority was directly connected by the Goddess of the Rusty Shield herself, the goddess had not felt disappointed. However, the situation was different this time.
‘Could it be that the goddess is angry?’
No. Neither displeasure nor anger was contained in the goddess’s voice. Concentrating authority among paladins was something that occurred occasionally in the past as well.
‘…If so, why?’
Elbridge quickly realized the reason.
It was close to self-reproach, or rather anxiety. Self-reproach for being unable to bestow proper authority upon her sole believer, and anxiety that Elbridge might leave for another order.
‘How should I answer?’
Elbridge made his judgment at an extremely rapid speed.
“I also find this situation frustrating, Goddess.”
The goddess’s voice did not come. However, Elbridge could instinctively tell that the goddess’s anxiety had deepened a layer further.
Elbridge naturally followed up with his next words.
“I find my own shortcomings truly frustrating. If only I could rebuild the order as quickly as possible, there would be no need to rely on the authority of other gods… My apologetic feelings toward you are great, Goddess.”
A speech technique of making the goddess tense as if he would apostatize right away, then easing her mind with a natural twist. As one would expect, an intense contrast was bound to leave a dramatic impression.
Furthermore, because he clearly revealed his heart that held no complaints whatsoever toward the Goddess of the Rusty Shield, this was indeed the best response Elbridge could think of.
Sure enough, the goddess’s voice brightened noticeably.
– Elbridge. Your efforts are not lacking in the least. Also, as I have told you repeatedly, your goddess deems it enough for you to lead a peaceful life, so there is no need to carry a burden.
“Goddess. I am the paladin, archbishop, and chief cardinal all in one. I have no intention of neglecting my duties in the slightest. I will surely retrieve your authority, Goddess. For now, with the goal of recovering at least one seat in this year-end vote and returning to the assembly…”
Because Elbridge’s tone was concrete and firm, the goddess naturally took a step back.
– If you wish to do so, your goddess will also help with all her might.
After finishing his conversation with the goddess, Elbridge approached the paladins of the Golden Platter Order.
The paladins, who had treated Elbridge like an invisible man until now, naturally stepped back one by one.
Elbridge said, carrying Rob, who had lost both eyes, on his back.
“Let’s go.”
*
Since the place where they discovered the crow magic beast was not far from the Holy City Solenion, they were able to arrive at the Holy City before evening.
“Sir Rob, your eyes are…!”
The priests of the Golden Platter Order straight away placed Rob on a stretcher and took him to the Temple of the Goddess of Spring Rain and Moss. The urgent matters were all wrapped up for now.
The paladins of the Golden Platter Order who had accompanied him approached Elbridge.
And the red-haired paladin, Magnus, spoke to Elbridge.
“We received great help. How should we repay you?”
Repayment.
Since the counterpart was the Golden Platter Order, which was famous for being wealthy, the first thing that came to mind was monetary compensation. It was also a desperately needed compensation. After all, the current financial situation of the Order of the Rusty Shield was nothing more than a few gold coins.
However, he could not bring himself to speak of it at all.
“Well…”
Elbridge had rarely thought of himself as poor at doing something.
Of course, though Elbridge was human and not omnipotent, he believed he possessed whatever capability was required of a paladin at an above-average level.
And now, Elbridge realized there was one thing he was poor at: speaking about money.
Requesting monetary compensation was a truly difficult thing, more so than expected. It felt as if his throat were choked up and the words would not come out. That was a different issue from typical negotiations.
Whether it was because he was unaccustomed to demanding payment or because of his natural disposition, he did not know.
As a result, the words that came out of Elbridge’s mouth were exceedingly conventional.
“Well… there is no need for any repayment. It was only what was due. Whether as a paladin, or as a hired hand.”
At that moment, Marcus intervened in the conversation.
“Oh, come on!”
Marcus could not fight well like Elbridge.
However, naturally, there were also things Marcus did better than Elbridge. Among them was a talent needed right at this moment: pay negotiation.
Since mercenaries frequently encountered unexpected situations, they often had to perform work beyond what was originally promised.
In such situations, how much extra pay one could secure depended entirely on individual capability. Since Marcus was a reasonably seasoned mercenary, he had no choice but to become accustomed to pay negotiations.
“I mean, sure, it is indeed as Sir Elbridge said, a duty. But wasn’t the request just to assist a bit with the magic beast hunt? These people probably didn’t expect this level of performance either… Isn’t that right?”
The paladins of the Golden Platter Order, who were listening to Marcus’s words, nodded their heads.
“Then naturally, a pay negotiation must follow! Sir Elbridge seems unaccustomed to reckoning money, but I am not. There is no way that the members of the Golden Platter Order, of all orders, are unaware that a beautiful culture called performance bonuses exists in this world.”
Marcus said so, then curled his thumb and index finger into a circle.
“Now, let’s speak frankly. How much can you give?”
At that, Magnus wore a displeased expression.
“…But why are you intervening? We were talking about Sir Elbridge.”
“Aha, who said I was asking for my own pay? I’m talking about Sir Elbridge’s pay too. As for me… the promised pay is enough.”
The paladins of the Golden Platter Order stared at Marcus with eyes full of suspicion.
Because no matter how they looked at it, it seemed Marcus would wedge himself between Elbridge and the Golden Platter Order to pocket a fee.
However, Marcus did not shrink even before the gazes of the people.
“Now, let’s return to the main point. The way I see it, if it weren’t for Sir Elbridge, you guys would probably have died.”
At that, one knight who had remained quiet until now asked. Was his name Abe?
“Even if we let other things slide, let’s clearly settle that point. Didn’t Sir Elbridge say that even that magic beast cannot pierce armor? We would not have died.”
Hearing Abe’s words, Marcus snorted.
“I don’t think that’s something to be said by someone who was wandering around with his helmet off because it was stuffy. The same goes for the rest of you. If that crow’s beak had slammed into your foreheads, do you think you would have survived? At the very least, at least three would have died.”
“That crow magic beast didn’t even pounce on us. Even if struck, only Sir Rob would have suffered.”
“It has nothing to do with whether the magic beast pounced. Because you all would have rushed at that crow bastard to save Sir Rob. Then you would have faced the same danger. Am I wrong?”
Abe hesitated.
For it was not as if he could spout off something like ‘I had no intention of saving Sir Rob’ in order to refute Marcus’s words here, could he?
To make matters worse, everyone knew that the only person who had tried to save Rob was the hedge knight Richard.
If Marcus were to blabber about the paladins of the Golden Platter Order hesitating and neglecting Rob, their reputation was sure to take a severe hit. Both the order’s reputation and individual reputations.
Abe, and of course the other paladins, knew well how important reputation was. Because they were merchants before they were paladins.
A merchant without money could make money, but a merchant who had lost their reputation could do nothing.
Now was the time for someone to step forward and set a standard.
While everyone was gauging reactions, the youngest, Charlie, stepped forward.
“First… I would like to offer twenty gold coins as a reward. That’s all I have on me right now. When an opportunity arises later, I will reward you more.”
Twenty gold coins was four hundred silver coins. It was a substantial amount.
Since the pay of an experienced mercenary was about half a silver coin a day, twenty gold coins could hire two experienced mercenaries for about a year.
However, Marcus was not satisfied.
“I believe the gold coins Sir Charlie offered when fighting the stag magic beast were more than that… Isn’t your sincerity lacking?”
“That was not money from my own pocket. It was offering funds supported by the order. And it is quite a burdensome amount for me as well.”
“Is that so… Fine. Then what about the others? If our poor Sir Elbridge could procure at least a decent suit of armor as the price of his dedication, it would be a very desirable ending.”
Since the youngest, Charlie, had spoken of twenty gold coins, the others could not name an amount below that.
“I will also pay twenty. However, since I do not have the money on me right now… I will deliver the gold coins to the Order of the Rusty Shield by tomorrow.”
“I will also give twenty. No, I will give forty, including Sir Rob’s share. Since Sir Rob would surely have the intention to pay that amount as well.”
Elbridge did not join the conversation and merely observed their reactions.
At first, he had thought it would be fortunate if he could secure even the five gold coins promised as pay, but after Marcus intervened, he was promised a hundred gold coins in an instant.
‘A hundred gold coins is two thousand silver coins…’
It was an enormous sum of money. Enough to hire ten experienced mercenaries for an entire year and still have some left.
It did not even end with a hundred gold coins.
“Since I didn’t do anything in particular either… I will give you half of my pay. Take it.”
Richard, and the hedge knight whose name he still did not know, handed five gold coins each to Elbridge. It seemed the two hedge knights had been offered ten gold coins as pay.
Subsequently, a priest of the Golden Platter appeared and handed five gold coins each to Elbridge and Marcus.
“The two of you said you were promised five gold coins each, correct? Here is your pay.”
Elbridge became dazed.
‘What on earth is this…’
He was in a position where even the five gold coins promised as pay would be blown away on Charlie’s treatment fee, but the money in his hands right now was already fifteen gold coins.
Elbridge had never held this much money in his hands in his entire life.
It was the same even excluding the hundred gold coins promised to be given soon.
Marcus spoke to the paladins of the Golden Platter Order in a deliberately cheerful voice.
“Well, everyone did a great job. If there is a good request next time, please look for Marcus.”
Marcus patted Elbridge’s back. Elbridge left the temple of the Golden Platter Order along with Marcus.
Elbridge remained silent even after exiting the temple. It was because he still had something to worry about.
‘…How much should I share with Marcus?’
A hundred and fifteen gold coins.
This was money received as the price for Elbridge’s performance, but it was also money he would not have received if Marcus had not stepped forward.
At the very least, he would have to give ten percent, and to make sure Marcus was not disappointed, he might have to give twenty or thirty percent.
‘If I give roughly twenty percent, first I should give all fifteen gold coins I have on me and the rest tomorrow or the day after…’
However, something Elbridge did not expect occurred. Marcus, who was walking beside Elbridge, slipped his hand right into Elbridge’s left pocket.
It was a pocket that had nothing in it. However, when Elbridge put his hand into the pocket, two gold coins were caught in his grasp.
When Elbridge stared at Marcus, Marcus grinned.
“Didn’t I say I would give you two gold coins? I’m someone who keeps money calculations clean.”
If Marcus had demanded money, Elbridge would have shared it no matter how much it was.
But Marcus did not demand gold coins.
“Are you sure you’re alright with that?”
At Elbridge’s question, Marcus replied.
“It’s not like I did anything grand. My luck is more than enough at three gold coins’ worth.”
Only then did Elbridge realize.
Marcus was a person who wished for luck.
How much he must have liked luck, that he was one who chose to follow the God of the Sunshower, who was said to bring luck, instead of the God of the Golden Platter, who symbolized financial fortune.
Marcus was a person who liked money.
How much he must have liked money, that he was one who tag-alonged to the magic beast hunting request the moment he was promised five gold coins. He did so even though he knew he could not hunt even a single magic beast with his own capabilities.
Yet at the same time, Marcus was not a greedy person who would try to stuff all overflowing luck into his own pocket.
The tips of Marcus’s feet changed direction.
“See you next time. My feeling is that we’ll meet again soon… I’d like to benefit from you then as well.”
Marcus waved his hand toward Elbridge, then disappeared into Solenion’s crowd. It was a footstep in which not a single speck of regret was felt.
Elbridge waved his hand toward Marcus with a slightly blank expression. For a long while even after Marcus became invisible.
An emotion he knew not how to express surged from within Elbridge’s chest.
In such a foreign world, and before the more than ever desolate goal of rebuilding the order.
An emotion that now, he seemed able to accomplish something.
Why such an emotion was felt right now, Elbridge did not know himself either.
As Elbridge stood still for a long time among the crowd, the goddess’s voice came to him.
– Elbridge?
“Yes. Goddess.”
Elbridge replied so, fiddling with the gold coins in his pocket.
Fifteen gold coins in his right pocket. And two gold coins in his left pocket.
Elbridge spoke again.
“Goddess. I think I will be able to offer about five bottles of the finest quality fragrant oil today.”
– There is no need to overdo it. Of course, the last fragrant oil was extremely satisfying, but it is not only fragrant oil that can please your goddess…
It was a voice in which anticipation was revealed too transparently for someone declining.
Elbridge smiled brightly.
“I know. But shouldn’t there be days like this occasionally?”
And Elbridge also moved his steps into Solenion’s crowd.
Soon, the young paladin’s figure was obscured by the people and became invisible.