Chapter 147 : Intermediary Trade - 3
Chapter 147: Intermediary Trade - 3
The first intermediary trade.
B did not purchase the goods of the other participants aside from Karin’s pineapple.
Everything the others had presented were things that were ‘inedible.’
Everyone was deeply disappointed, but that disappointment soon turned into hope.
-For the next intermediary trade, we just need to prepare fruits!
The only thing B had paid for was Karin’s fruit.
And all the participants knew that fact.
‘Now what remains is…….’
Who would manage to obtain a fruit more to B’s liking, that was all.
When the first intermediary trade completely ended, Magireta spoke.
“Currently, first place is Karin. The rest are all running at a loss.”
“…….”
“Well, cheer up. It’s only the first intermediary trade that’s ended. Let’s take a short rest and then begin the next trade.”
She granted us some time to rest.
And a few hours later, she sent us back to the human world for the second intermediary trade.
Just like last time, it was the Imperial Capital.
“Hmm.”
I glanced around.
At that moment, Edgar came into my view.
“……?”
What was that?
His lips were moving.
As if he was muttering to himself.
Was he sending some sort of message to Magireta?
But Magireta wasn’t even here right now.
“…….”
A few seconds later.
A satisfied smile spread across his lips.
Just as I thought something was off, Edgar raised his voice and spoke.
“Everyone, may I have your attention for a moment.”
Oh?
That was a line I usually used.
The participants’ gazes gathered on Edgar.
In a relaxed tone, he opened his mouth.
“Everyone. Surely you aren’t thinking that for this intermediary trade, you should prepare fruits…… are you?”
“W-we are.”
“My, how short-sighted.”
“What?”
“Just because Karin’s fruit was paid for doesn’t guarantee that it was the correct answer.”
He raised his index finger.
“Think of it this way. What if B’s preference wasn’t simply ‘fruit,’ but rather ‘something sweet’?”
“……!”
“I’ve tried pineapple myself—it has quite a sweet and tangy flavor. But there are plenty of foods in this world that are even sweeter than pineapple.”
“…….”
“For example, chocolate or candies. If this guess is correct, then in the next trade, snacks would sell for a higher price than fruits. Wouldn’t they?”
The participants unconsciously nodded.
Aina whispered.
“Why is that bastard suddenly acting like a good guy? Why is he sitting there giving hints to the participants?”
“Exactly. If someone of outstanding character…… say, me, said that, it wouldn’t be strange. But hearing it from Edgar is really out of place.”
“You really just said that about yourself?”
“The problem is that what he’s saying actually makes some sense.”
At the very least, there was no obvious flaw in his logic.
But knowing Edgar’s true nature, I could not possibly believe this advice came from sincerity.
‘There’s something going on.’
But what?
……
Wait.
A moment ago, his lips moved as if he were muttering to himself, didn’t they?
What if that wasn’t muttering—but a conversation with someone?
Someone who could have a Secret Conversation with Edgar right now was……
Ah, no way!
In that instant, it felt as if lightning struck my mind.
Meanwhile, Edgar continued his instigation splendidly.
“So next time, purchase snacks. I’ll assign them now.”
“Y-yes!”
“The person on the far left, prepare cookies. The next person, cream puffs……”
“That’s enough, Edgar.”
I cut in, interrupting him.
Edgar frowned briefly, but soon smiled gently and asked back.
“What seems to be the problem?”
“Cut the dirty tricks.”
“What an abrupt and rude thing to say. To slander my pure advice like that.”
“…….”
“I didn’t think you were this kind of person. Everyone, as you can see, this Mason fellow has quite a petty personality. Let’s not listen to a single word he says!”
To my astonishment, there were responses of agreement.
“Ohh. That’s true.”
“I had a good impression of him……”
“To think he’d try to interfere while Lord Edgar is thoughtfully looking out for us.”
“What an awful personality. How can someone be like that?”
The change was so dramatic that I couldn’t keep up.
Stunned, I looked around at the crowd.
At that moment, Aina blinked three times and said,
“Ahh. This is exactly like your soul from before, Oppa.”
“What? Ah!”
“Everyone’s souls are being dyed black. Shall I revert them?”
“Please, I’m begging you.”
Aina stepped forward to touch the participants’ souls.
Step.
But Edgar moved to stand in front of everyone, blocking her.
Judging by appearances alone, it almost looked as if he was protecting the participants.
“Move.”
“No.”
“You’ve got that peculiar talent, don’t you?”
“Yeah. I was about to demonstrate it.”
“That’s precisely why I refuse. Don’t even think about scattering ashes over the garden I painstakingly cultivated.”
He was practically confessing that this was his doing, yet the participants, whose souls had already been tainted, paid it no mind.
At that moment, Benjamin intervened.
“In that case, we’ll have to scatter ashes by force. Watching what you did to me with my own eyes, I can’t stand it.”
“You’ll have to endure it. The rules say so, don’t they?”
“What…… Ah.”
If participants fight or cause disputes with each other during the quest, they will be eliminated.
Edgar said,
“If participants fight each other in the human world, it’s elimination.”
“Are you saying you intend to fight us?”
“If your little sister tries to ruin my garden.”
“Then you’ll be eliminated as well.”
“Correct. Mutual destruction. That’s why I’m telling you to stop.”
Benjamin glanced at me.
With a sigh, I nodded.
In the end, Aina and Benjamin both stepped back.
Smiling in satisfaction, Edgar asked me,
“By the way, why did you pick a fight in the first place? There’s no guarantee B likes fruits. Perhaps B simply liked the sweetness of pineapple. Therefore, we should purchase sweet snacks…… There’s no flaw in that logic.”
“There is one. You’ve got a maggot clinging to you.”
“……!”
“A maggot. In other words, you heard it from Odline. About B’s identity…… and B’s preferences.”
Yeah.
The one he had been secretly conversing with was Odline.
Edgar’s face stiffened.
I glared at him and continued.
“Since B is a High-ranking Monster, they must be somewhat famous in Hell. Maybe they even have some acquaintance with Odline. Directly or indirectly.”
“…….”
“I think you already heard the ‘correct answer’ through Odline. And I think you spun that absurd logic to make the participants stray as far from that answer as possible.”
“That’s a stretch.”
“Feel wronged? Then you choose snacks this time too. Not fruits.”
Edgar’s eyebrow twitched.
I slowly went on.
“Pick sweet snacks. Just like the other participants.”
“…….”
“Wouldn’t it be strange if you didn’t? You’re telling everyone about this brilliant method, yet you don’t use it yourself? That makes no sense.”
He tensed slightly, but soon nodded.
“Very well. I’ll purchase sweet snacks as well.”
“Good. Then let’s make a contract.”
“……Pardon?”
“Who knows whether you’ll say that and then secretly buy something else? Let’s make a contract stating, ‘In the second intermediary trade, Edgar Tyler will purchase sweet snacks.’ With Magireta’s guarantee.”
Up until now, Edgar had maintained his expression well.
But at that, his face twisted badly.
Just then—
“Now that I think about it…….”
“Wait, why can’t Lord Edgar answer?”
“If he’s recommending it to us, shouldn’t he naturally purchase snacks himself?”
“Come to think of it, there’s no guarantee that Mr. Edgar’s guess is even true.”
Hm?
The participants began to side with me.
Startled, I looked at Aina.
With a somewhat proud face, she said,
“Thinking about it, I realized I didn’t necessarily have to touch their souls directly.”
“Huh? Oh, now that you mention it…….”
“Yeah. I’ve done it before.”
During the Frozen Season Quest, she had already calmed terrified participants without directly touching their souls.
She grinned and continued.
“It was actually easier than during the Frozen Season Quest. The ability you gave me keeps developing, like I said before.”
“Then does Sienne’s power grow stronger too?”
“Probably.”
“Even more?”
“Most likely…….”
“Could you at least say that when I’m not around?”
In any case, Edgar’s allies had completely disappeared.
Rather, the participants were now clamoring at him as if demanding an explanation.
I didn’t know about the game as a whole, but at least in this moment, it seemed I had won.
He bit his lip and said,
“Fine. Do as you please.”
“The way you say that makes it sound like my guess was right. You did hear B’s information from Odline, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Why did Odline only give you that information now? They could’ve told you during the first intermediary trade.”
“They said they just remembered it now. If you look closely, Odline has a rather clumsy side.”
He shrugged and continued.
“Well, if I may offer an excuse on their behalf…… Odline doesn’t know B personally. They’ve never even met.”
“…….”
“However, when B was biting into the pineapple earlier—the sharp teeth. They’d heard of that appearance before and were able to guess their identity.”
“I see.”
“Yes. Therefore, Odline doesn’t completely understand B’s preferences either.”
Assuming that was true, at least we could breathe a little easier.
Just as I thought that, Edgar continued.
“They merely shared a few trivial pieces of information they had heard.”
Damn it.
Filled with displeasure, I spoke.
“What information?”
“As if I’d tell you.”
“I don’t know what it is, but the fact that you ‘know something’ is already a massive hint. You alone obtained B’s information, and we didn’t. That’s excessively unfair.”
“I suppose so. But since it benefits me, I don’t mind.”
“Then we’ll have to summon the fair Judge and ask again.”
“…….”
“Isn’t this too unfair? Noona.”
Soon, as if she had been waiting, Magireta appeared.
Crossing her arms, she spoke with a serious expression.
“Little brother’s right. This is unfair.”
“…….”
“Odline. Step out for a moment.”
Swish.
Magireta crooked her index finger.
Then a single maggot from Edgar’s chest slowly floated into the air.
The maggot wriggled about in midair and spoke.
-Magireta-nim. You look beautiful today as—
“I clearly warned you from the start. Not to interfere with the game.”
-I never said I would comply.
“You……!”
-Moreover, forgive me for saying this, but aren’t you the one showing excessive favoritism?
Though maggots had no eyes, it was unmistakably looking at me.
-You’re giving enormous convenience to that so-called ‘little brother,’ aren’t you?
“What are you talking about.”
-We all know that he can see the future. Compared to that, the advice I gave Edgar is less than a sparrow’s tear.
“…….”
-If you acknowledge Mason’s future sight, shouldn’t you also turn a blind eye to the collaboration between Edgar and me?
For a moment, Magireta was rendered speechless.
To be honest, I didn’t have much to say either.
‘It’s not wrong.’
Well, if you scrutinized the details, there were differences.
Magireta didn’t know the source of my power.
Cheating that wasn’t discovered wouldn’t be recognized as misconduct.
On the other hand, Edgar and Odline’s collusion was something Magireta likely suspected fully, but due to the Hidden Rule, she couldn’t act.
It was obvious which side would irritate her more.
Grinding her teeth, she said,
“So? You plan to keep pulling stunts like this?”
-Well. That depends on the situation.
“……You’re going to get into serious trouble at this rate.”
-Heh heh. I’m not quite sure how I’ll get into trouble. I’m not an imbecile like Helena.
Magireta let out a small sigh and returned the maggot to Edgar.
Then she shrugged at me and said,
“Little brother. Let me kill this bastard.”
So what exactly was I supposed to do?