Chapter 40
“Did you dig all of this by yourself?”
“Yes.”
I had dug quite a lot. If the warm magic stone had not been attached, it would have been impossible. It was almost the same as Calyx helping me, so I answered honestly.
“There was a magic stone on the shovel, so it was easier.”
Calyx looked at me as if I were absurd, then examined the pit I had dug.
“Where is the grave of Chires?”
I remembered the chilling scene from before and walked to a place east of the cave. The ground had been dug up in several places, and dirt was scattered everywhere. It seemed snow had fallen in the meantime, and some of the pits were filled with snow.
At last, I saw a spot that had been roughly covered.
“Here.”
Calyx stabbed his sword into the ground. At once, the dirt around it flew in all directions. As I stepped back in surprise, the coffin was revealed more cleanly than the hole I had dug myself. I could not close my mouth.
He can use a sword filled with aura like that…
Calyx slowly opened the lid of the coffin. The sword inlaid with amethyst shone. A strange light appeared in his eyes.
“It is Chires’ grave.”
“Then what happens now? And I was the one who found this first…”
Calyx turned to look at me.
“What do you want?”
“I was hoping you could reduce my debt.”
Calyx tilted his head slightly. I could feel silent pressure from him to name my price.
Originally, I had searched everywhere to find one billion.
“Is one billion too much? I was actually trying to find Count Medix’s secret funds around here.”
I just threw that out. Since he asked what I wanted, I thought he would lower the price to something reasonable.
“Very well.”
The simple answer left me speechless.
Really? Just like that? Without bargaining?
Regret rushed in.
I should’ve asked for more.
I should have said two billion. I looked at Calyx again.
“Well… since you’re someone important, maybe more than one billion—”
“Considering the labor it took to find this place, the special nature of the location, your determination in digging up and confirming the grave, the danger of Berok nearby, and the weather, I believe one billion is appropriate. Am I wrong?”
After that long reasoning, I had nothing to say. He had already calculated everything I wanted to mention.
Calyx closed the coffin lid. I watched him, waiting to see what he would do next.
He sheathed his sword and stepped back.
“Let’s go.”
“What? You’re just going to leave it like this?”
“Is there a problem?”
“Shouldn’t we move the coffin or something? I heard he was a legendary figure. Now that his grave has been found, people will say the legend became real.”
“I’ll order the soldiers to move it.”
Soldiers? I quickly said,
“I’ll move it. There’s no need for several people to come and go.”
Calyx looked at me strangely. You’ll move this coffin? That was the look on his face. I spoke quickly.
“I’m good at lifting heavy things. I carried you before, and there’s snow on the ground, so it’ll slide easily.”
Calyx frowned.
“Mr. Lerit.”
“Yes?”
“You seem eager to repay your debt.”
“I can’t even catch the scammer right now. I should at least repay the debt quickly.”
“How much do you want?”
“I’m moving it alone, so how about two hundred million? It’s far from here, the weather is cold, Berok might appear, and also—”
“Do as you wish.”
His answer was surprisingly quick. I thought he would argue, but instead my debt was being reduced so easily that I almost smiled.
Calyx kept staring at me. His gaze was more persistent than before.
Ignoring him, I took out a long rope from my pocket. As a mercenary, I always carried one. You never knew when you would need it. Sometimes to tie up bad people.
I looked down at the coffin. Since I had not dug underneath it, I needed to dig more with the shovel.
I glanced at Calyx carefully. He was still staring at me without looking away.
Under that persistent gaze, I finally spoke.
“Actually… you’ll need to pay more.”
One corner of Calyx’s lips lifted. He crossed his arms and watched me, as if waiting to see how far I would go. Since I had already tasted money, I pushed further.
“Digging this out is work for several people. How about fifty million? As you can see from the hole I dug before, I dig well and fast.”
“You’re trying to get everything for free.”
“What?”
Unlike my surprise, Calyx calmly stabbed his sword into the ground. A red aura spread, and in an instant the dirt around the coffin collapsed downward. I could only stare at it.
I had forgotten. Earlier, he had cleared the dirt with his aura-filled sword.
“I gave you two hundred million. I trust you’ll move it properly.”
Then Calyx turned and walked away. I felt slightly annoyed. We came together—couldn’t he at least wait?
He really seemed to lack any sense of companionship or humanity.
Was the cloak he gave me just pity?
I shook my head and tied the rope tightly around the coffin. It smelled damp, like moldy wood, but I held my breath and secured it.
I slung the rope over my shoulder and took a step. Thankfully, the snow made it slide easily. It was only wood, not a body’s weight, so it was not that heavy.
Still, it felt unpleasant to carry a dead person’s coffin alone. At least Vodka stayed by my side.
Feeling touched, I tossed him a protein biscuit.
Vodka caught it immediately.
“As expected, Vodka, it’s just you.”
Even if our bond was built on protein biscuits, it was fine. At least I was not completely alone.
Thinking of the two hundred million, I walked forward with strength. The wind was strong today. Since it was the time Berok usually appeared, the air smelled faintly of blood. I walked carefully when something suddenly flew toward me.
Pain struck one shoulder. When I touched it, there was blood. The arrow had not pierced deeply, but it fell beside me.
I examined it. The arrowhead was covered with something sticky. Green slime.
I didn’t expect to see this here.
It was poison that drained a person’s strength completely. I had seen it often during mercenary work. I snapped the arrow in half.
Who is it?
Rotas was already caught by Calyx. I looked around, but only snowstorm filled the area. No one was visible. Vodka sensed the tension and growled while staring to the left.
As I looked in that direction—whoosh—another arrow flew.
The first time I was caught off guard, but not now. I dodged and ran toward where it came from. I saw a figure. The person stood up and stepped back calmly, as if confident I could not reach them.
Then my legs would not move. More accurately, I tried to walk, but they felt heavy.
I gripped my sword tightly and tried to reach into my pocket with one hand, but my knees suddenly gave out.
Just as Vodka leaped toward the attacker, another arrow struck him. He fell.
They even touched Vodka.
I gritted my teeth. I tried to move, but my body lost balance and fell forward helplessly.
A curse escaped my lips.
I can’t die here.
With difficulty, I reached into the pocket of my vest. It took a long time just to move my hand. Finally, I felt glass. I grabbed it and barely managed to put the stopper in my mouth—
Someone stood in front of me. I had not even heard them approach. A hand in a black glove pulled the bottle from my mouth. I had no strength to resist.
The person threw it away right in front of my eyes. I tried to look at his face, but I could not lift my head.
Then he stepped closer, as if to grab me.
With my last strength, I stabbed the dagger hidden in my sleeve into his foot.
“Ah!”
A cry rang out, and my vision began to fade.
So in the end, I die with debt and without catching the scammer.
And on cold snow at that.
Even in death, I would feel wronged.
* * *
My head felt dizzy. I could not open my eyes, but I could hear voices clearly.
“Why isn’t there any progress? By now he should at least regain consciousness.”
It was a familiar voice. Calyx. And he sounded anxious.
What? Did Calyx die too?
But that was impossible. That cold-blooded duke, with a sword full of aura, the only one who could stand against the royal family—dead?
“Hurry and wake him up.”
It was definitely Calyx’s voice. And it was not calm like before. That was the strangest part.
Why save me? Why?
He had said he did not care whether I lived or died. That he would not come to save me. He had even looked down on me for risking my life.
The more I thought, the more my head hurt.
And I slowly drifted back into darkness.
