Chapter 11

Episode 11. All Transactions Are Prepaid (1)

With Taragon’s sudden appearance, Vulkanus barked at him.

“Taragon! Didn’t I clearly tell you? Don’t just barge into the warehouse!”

Taragon, who had a history of misbehavior, was already on Vulkanus’s bad side.

“Huh? Wait, something’s off. Did you drink during the day?”

Vulkanus’s brow furrowed.

The shadow of the lantern made it hard to see Taragon’s face clearly. Just as Vulkanus was about to take a step closer to get a better look—

Keter stepped forward and spoke.

“Old dwarf. That guy’s lost his mind.”

“Lost his mind… Huh?”

Vulkanus was shocked.

As Taragon approached, his face became visible. His eyes, once white, were now completely black. The way his lips twitched made it clear to anyone that he wasn’t normal.

Vulkanus sighed.

“Amalanth! Amalanth must have called Taragon!”

“Have you ever seen such a disrespectful brat? Flirting right in front of me?”

*Slap! Slap!*

Keter slapped his own right hand as if hitting a cheek. Amalanth, as if in pain, shook violently.

Vulkanus no longer had the energy to be surprised by Keter’s antics.

“Are you Keter? Hand over Amalanth.”

When Taragon spoke with his deranged expression, Keter calmly observed him.

Just a nobody. Nothing more, nothing less. If he had seen him in Liquor, he wouldn’t have even spared him a glance.

But the fact that he was the fourth son of a prestigious family and seemed easy to manipulate piqued his interest.

A plan to use him as a legitimate owner of Amalanth had already formed in his mind.

‘You’ll pay for showing your teeth in front of me.’

Keter extended his right hand, which held Amalanth, toward Taragon.

Unaware of Keter’s intentions, Taragon took it as a sign to take it and laughed.

“You’ve got some sense. If you hand over Amalanth, I’ll put in a good word with my father and brothers.”

Vulkanus glared at Keter, but Keter silently pushed him back with his left hand.

“Amalanth. With this…!”

Taragon reached out toward Keter’s right hand. Just as Amalanth was about to break free from Keter’s grip—

*Whoosh!*

Keter forcefully raised his middle finger.

“…?!”

*Smack!*

Keter flicked Taragon’s forehead with his middle finger.

“Gah!”

Taragon, who had been hit as if struck by a hammer, crouched down, holding his forehead.

Keter, who had blown on his middle finger, looked down at Taragon and said,

“Three seconds to get up.”

“Guh, Keter. Don’t do something you’ll regret…!”

Taragon spent three seconds talking instead of getting up.

*Thud!*

Keter kicked Taragon in the stomach.

*Thump!*

But Taragon blocked the kick with his hand. Taragon, being a proper knight, wasn’t foolish enough to not block an obvious attack.

However, Keter was no fool either.

“Huh?!”

“What?!”

Both Taragon and Vulkanus were shocked. Keter had lifted Taragon with just the strength of his legs.

How could someone lift a full-grown man with just one leg?

Keter, who had raised his leg to waist height, slammed Taragon to the ground. Taragon, who had just regained his senses, quickly let go, but he couldn’t avoid the fall.

*Thud!*

“Block, and I’ll add three more.”

*Wham! Wham! Wham!*

Keter kicked Taragon’s entire body. This time, Taragon couldn’t block at that speed.

“Keter. I think you’ve already hit him five times.”

Vulkanus, who had been quietly watching, pointed out. Keter replied,

“Mistake. I’ll hit him again.”

*Wham! Wham! Wham!*

After precisely hitting him three more times, Keter said again,

“Two seconds to get up.”

*Snap!*

This time, Taragon stood up immediately.

And then he immediately swung his fist.

*Thwack!*

Taragon’s fist hit Keter’s forehead.

“Guh?!”

But it was Taragon who groaned in pain.

Taragon couldn’t believe it. How could a person’s forehead be this hard? It felt like hitting steel.

Keter said with a smile,

“I’ll return tenfold for every hit I take.”

Taragon raised his guard in preparation for an attack. Keter clenched his fist and whispered,

“Dodge, and it’s twentyfold.”

*Whoosh! Thud!*

Was that the sound of a human fist?

The punch was so strong that the sleeve of Taragon’s shirt tore. With that one hit, all the strength left Taragon’s body. His guard dropped as well.

From then on, Keter’s merciless beating began. With his right hand, he grabbed Taragon by the collar, and with his left, he pummeled his entire body.

“Keter. Stop hitting him. It’s already over ten hits.”

Even Vulkanus, who had been uneasy at first, was now trying to stop Keter.

But the beating continued. Though it seemed random, Keter’s beating had its own rules.

He didn’t touch the face.

Thanks to that, Taragon looked fine on the outside. But his entire body was bruised, and he was on the verge of passing out from the pain.

“Ugh, ugh…”

Taragon, who hadn’t made a sound while being beaten, let out a strange noise and collapsed.

*Thud.*

As soon as Keter let go of his collar, Taragon fell to the ground. While Taragon, nearly half-dead, twitched, Keter said,

“One second to get up.”

*Shiver, shiver.* Taragon only trembled and couldn’t get up—

*Thwack!*

“I didn’t hit you hard enough to not get up. One second to get up.”

“…Country bumpkin. Give him more time. It’s too pitiful.”

*Thwack!*

Despite Vulkanus’s plea, Keter hit Taragon again for not getting up in one second. Then he said without hesitation,

“One second to get up…”

*Snap!*

Finally, he stood up. Taragon, with his legs trembling, managed to stand.

*Thud!*

Keter poked Taragon’s eyes with two fingers.

“Gah!”

Taragon crouched down again, holding his eyes.

“Who told you to look at me with those eyes? One second to get up.”

“Poking his eyes? Are you trying to blind him?”

“Controlling my strength is my specialty.”

Thanks to Vulkanus buying time, Taragon managed to stand up again in two seconds. This time, he looked down at the ground.

“Name.”

At Keter’s words, Taragon immediately answered.

“Ta, Taragon.”

“Is your name Tatara-gon?”

“Taragon… it is.”

“Drop the ‘it is.’ We’re not strangers. We’re family. No need to be so formal.”

“…….”

Then Vulkanus looked at Taragon’s face and let out a hollow laugh.

“The whites of his eyes are gone. It seems he’s freed from Amalanth’s temptation.”

“Please call it the name of Sephira.”

“Madman. What are you going to do now? It seems Taragon overheard our big plan.”

“I already knew he was eavesdropping. I left him alone because I was curious who it was. But it’s troublesome if he still has lingering feelings for Amalanth.”

Taragon, who had been hit where it hurt, twitched.

Taragon, having regained his senses, realized what he had done. He had been tempted by Amalanth and had rudely entered the warehouse.

However, his desire to possess Amalanth was his own, so Taragon still longed for it.

Keter, seeing Taragon act as expected, said to Vulkanus,

“Old dwarf. Let’s go.”

“Where to?”

“To your house.”

“Why my house?”

“Then are we going to keep standing here talking?”

“…Fine, let’s go.”

Realizing that talking to Keter only made his mind more confused, Vulkanus led the way as if resigned.

Keter tapped Taragon’s shoulder and said,

“Why do you look so dead? People will misunderstand.”

“…….”

And so, the three of them moved to Vulkanus’s house in harmony.

* * *

It was a strange sight.

In a modest and rough house, two people were sitting.

Taragon, trembling as if cold. Vulkanus, sitting across from him, muttered with a bored expression.

“Stop exaggerating. I saw that your bones and organs were fine. It’s just a minor injury that will heal after a good night’s sleep.”

Then Keter brought a teapot and poured tea into cups, saying,

“Precious guests have come to a humble place. It’s just cheap black tea, but please drink.”

“This is our house, you brat.”

Just as Taragon, who wanted to drink warm tea, grabbed the teacup—

“Now—that aside. What’s wrong with our Taragon?”

Keter, who was standing behind Taragon, grabbed his shoulder. Taragon twitched but opened his mouth.

“Keter. I need Amalanth. Because…”

“Enough, you must have your reasons. Let’s not complicate things. Here’s the deal. I’m willing to sell Amalanth.”

“Sell? Amalanth?”

Color returned to Taragon’s face. He had savings that he hadn’t used.

Moreover, Keter had mentioned that they were family. That implied that he would hand over Amalanth at a low price.

“Family discount included, let’s make it a clean deal with three sheets.”

Keter held up three fingers.

Taragon blinked.

Three sheets? Taragon had never heard of the unit ‘sheet’ in his knowledge of currency.

As Taragon blinked, Keter took out a piece of paper from his pocket and placed it on the table.

“Don’t know about bills? A 1,000 gold bill.”

“1,000 gold?!”

Taragon was shocked.

Typically, a month’s living expenses for a family of four commoners was 10 gold, and a soldier’s monthly salary was 15 gold.

On the other hand, 1,000 gold was enough to buy a two-story building in a small town. Even three sheets would be 3,000 gold!

Taragon muttered in despair.

“I don’t even have 300 gold, let alone 3,000.”

“Confirmed, you’re broke.”

Keter, who had taken back the bill and put it in his pocket, came forward and met Taragon’s gaze.

“What can you give besides money? I accept goods too.”

“…I don’t have anything.”

“Then it seems I can’t give you Amalanth through a deal. Anything else to say?”

Keter left some room, and Taragon racked his brain.

Vulkanus, who had been enjoying the situation while sipping tea, said with a surprised expression,

“Huh? Country bumpkin. The tea tastes good. You managed to get a deep flavor with cheap stuff.”

“I’m the golden hand of Sephira.”

“Kukuku. How many nicknames do you have?”

Then, Taragon, who had been agonizing, said in a weak voice,

“I… have the qualifications.”

Vulkanus and Keter both looked at Taragon. Taragon swallowed hard and continued firmly.

“Amalanth belongs to the House of Sephira. I’m a legitimate son of the House of Sephira, so I have the right to be tested for ownership of Amalanth.”

Vulkanus looked bored.

“After all that, this is what you come up with…”

“That makes sense.”

“Huh?”

Keter sided with Taragon, and Taragon excitedly raised his voice.

“Th-that’s right! Keter. I heard from my father that you’re eighteen? I’m twenty-one. So…”

“Don’t tell me you’re asking me to call you ‘big brother.’ Let’s keep it proper.”

“No, that’s not it… I just wanted to let you know my age.”

“Let’s summarize. You want Amalanth, but you don’t have money. Instead, you want to be tested for qualifications. Right?”

“Right.”

“If you don’t have the qualifications to handle Amalanth, you’ll give up cleanly. Right?”

“Ri…ght.”

As Keter and Taragon smoothly progressed the conversation, Vulkanus interrupted.

“Wait, country bumpkin. Amalanth isn’t something to be handed over so easily. If Taragon loses his mind and becomes the Archer of Mana Arrows, it’ll be a disaster.”

“I’ll never let a tool take over my mind!”

Taragon, who had regained some strength after resting, stood up and strongly asserted. Vulkanus also stood up and said,

“This isn’t just any tool! And just by looking, you’re not fit to handle Amalanth!”

The two glared at each other, sparks flying. Keter, indifferent, pushed the table against the wall and said,

“Now, now, old dwarf. Taragon may look like a fool, but you never know if he’s a small vessel until he dies. Taragon, take it. I’ll transfer Amalanth to you.”

*Swish.*

As if offering a handshake, Keter extended his right hand.

The hand, blackened by Amalanth’s corruption. Taragon swallowed hard.

Vulkanus, knowing he couldn’t stop Keter, instead brought over the hammer he had leaned against the wall and said,

“Country bumpkin. If Taragon becomes the Archer of Mana Arrows, you’ll have to knock him out before he fully transforms.”

*Thud.*

Before Keter could respond, Taragon made contact with Amalanth.

*Whoosh!*

Amalanth, which was in Keter’s right hand, began to be sucked into Taragon’s left hand.

“Guh!”

Taragon bit his lip hard enough to draw blood, enduring the pain.

And soon.

Amalanth had completely transferred to Taragon’s right hand.

*Whoom!*

From Taragon’s right hand, the black bow, Amalanth, appeared. Taragon, dazed at first, soon broke into a wide grin.

“I’ve been chosen…”

*Shudder.*

It happened in an instant.

A black current emanating from Amalanth quickly enveloped Taragon’s entire body.

“What the—? Such rapid corruption!”

Vulkanus, shocked, gripped his hammer, but Keter blocked his path.

“Old dwarf. Leave this to the Solver.”

“Your nickname isn’t important right now. We need to subdue Taragon quickly!”

Vulkanus pushed Keter aside and leaped, but the black current, now a storm, repelled him.

“Ugh!”

The hefty Vulkanus flew like a feather and crashed into the wall.

Keter clicked his tongue.

“Really, I said I’d handle it.”

The tremendous wind pressure tore through the entire house.

The wind pressure was so strong that the pillars shook. Keter, affected by the storm, had his clothes and hair fluttering wildly—but he began to walk slowly.

Toward the eye of the storm, Taragon.

As Keter got closer to Taragon, the wind pressure grew stronger, but Keter maintained the same pace and eventually reached Taragon.

*Thud.*

Keter reached out and grabbed Taragon, who was floating in the air, by the collar.

Then, the form of a demon appeared behind Taragon. The true form of Amalanth had manifested.

Keter raised his left fist.

“Hold onto your sanity tight. Your soul might fly away.”

As Keter slammed Taragon to the ground, he also punched the demon’s face that had been dragged down with him.