Chapter 147

#147 Episode: The Tin Knight and the City of Scales (7)

“…Don’t you guys know what ‘rest’ means?”

When the Tin Knight suddenly poked the Necromancer’s head as they returned to their lodging, that was the first thing Dorothea spat out.

Adelheid, feeling the icy glare, averted her eyes and broke into a sweat, even though it wasn’t really her fault, while Sophia just smiled as if she didn’t know anything, though her smile seemed a bit stiff.

And how was the Tin Knight, you ask?

[“The ‘Tin Knight’ says he saved Dorothea’s companion and asks to check on their condition!”]

As usual, his nonsensical blabber turned Dorothea’s insides into knots.

Dorothea’s eyebrows twitched and shot up, but instead of losing her cool, the seasoned witch took a deep breath to calm herself.

“Explain what happened.”

At the party leader’s command, the team complied without hesitation.

They recounted the commotion in the restaurant, Maris von Lenart’s proposal, the trial that followed, and the Tin Knight’s intervention.

Given that it all happened within half a day, it was a surprisingly dense sequence of events, but since this was generally the vibe of their journey, Dorothea wasn’t particularly shocked. Humans are creatures of adaptation, after all.

“Hm, this is what it’s about, huh.”

Inside the room, away from prying eyes, Dorothea began to inspect the Necromancer’s head with curiosity on the table.

It looked grotesque and eerie enough to pop right out of a horror film, with a half-crazed person babbling incomprehensibly, but being the Necromancer, Dorothea was unbothered.

“Seems like it’s connected?”

[“The ‘Tin Knight’ asks what it’s connected to!”]

“To this guy’s original body.”

[“The ‘Tin Knight’ requests a detailed explanation!”]

“What should I call this?”

Dorothea paused for a moment, then addressed Adel.

“Adel, you carry around candy, right? Do you have one that looks like a stick?”

“Ah, yes. Just a moment.”

Adel rummaged through her stuff and handed over a piece of candy, and Dorothea stuck it halfway into a cup of water.

Dorothea lightly tapped the head of the lollipop with her finger.

“The candy on the outside of the water represents the head here, while the other one submerged is like the body that got snatched away by that scale thing. They’re physically apart, but magically they’re connected.”

Adel tilted her head, looking confused as she struggled to understand how something could be both separate and connected.

“I don’t know the exact principles or techniques either. I’m just making an easy analogy based on what I see.”

At that moment, Sophia stepped forward and pulled the lollipop out of the water.

“Then, can we pull it out like this?”

“In theory, yes. But it’s better not to. Just look at that candy.”

The submerged candy was oozing and sticky at the bottom.

“You said this guy’s body was laid on that scale and popped like a thread, turning into light, right? That was probably the disassembly process. Just like that melted candy in water. Even if you boil it down to just the remaining candy, it wouldn’t retain its original form. If anything, the magical connection would be severed, and he’d die instantly.”

“I see.”

Dorothea waved her hand dismissively.

“So, have all your questions been answered? Now that there’s nothing else to discuss, throw it away quickly. What do you think people would say if you walked around with a living person’s head?”

[“The ‘Tin Knight’ condemns Dorothea’s heartlessness!”]

[“The ‘Tin Knight’ asks if there’s no camaraderie among professionals!”]

“There’s no such thing in this line of work.”

Despite Dorothea’s icy reply, the Tin Knight slightly slumped his shoulders.

He looked oddly dejected, prompting Dorothea to narrow her eyes.

Just as she was about to click her tongue and say something…

“…Help me out. I’ll pay you.”

The Necromancer’s head, which had been silent for some time, suddenly spoke up.

The team’s eyes turned towards him.

The confused expression in his eyes had finally regained some measure of composure.

It was as if he had finally accepted reality, his face a mix of resignation and a bizarre determination, characteristic of someone who had come to terms with their end.

Due to his missing teeth, his speech was a bit unstable, but it was much clearer than during battle.

“You’re asking me to help you get your body back?”

Dorothea replied coolly. The Necromancer seemed to sense that she had already noticed his regained composure.

He answered.

“I don’t expect that. Just give me… yeah, give me money.”

“That doesn’t seem like what you need right now.”

“I’m not going to use it myself. It’s for my younger sister.”

Not wanting the conversation to get long or veer off track, Dorothea’s gaze was sharp, and his explanation came out rather straightforward.

Due to some ill fate with a noble of the Rocrian Federation, he got a bounty placed on him and ended up on the run.

He had heard rumors that you could absolve any crime, regardless of the offense, and came to Justitia for refuge.

After settling in the city, he had taken on various “jobs” to gather money, sending part of it back home to his sister.

Adel, who was listening, looked slightly sympathetic, but the witch merely scoffed.

“If your family was that important, you should have behaved better in the first place. Who told you to dig other people’s graves?”

“…I never thought I’d get lectured by a fellow professional.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? I’m living a life while keeping my morals intact.”

The other three team members briefly glanced at Dorothea, and when they saw her narrowed eyes, they quickly looked away.

Even the man who only had a head understood that invoking sympathy wouldn’t help him. He continued gloomily.

“Sure, I don’t think I’ve lived well either. But still, before I go, I want to leave something behind. All the wealth I’d built up has been stripped in this damned city, but I still have something left.”

He fixed his gaze on Dorothea.

“Despite having ended up like this, I’m still a fairly well-known Necromancer in the area. I’ll pass on the magic I’ve painstakingly developed, so you can give its value to my sister.”

“Hmm.”

Dorothea looked pensive for a moment.

She turned to the Tin Knight and asked.

“Was there anything of worth among the spells he used?”

[“The ‘Tin Knight’ answered that at the very least, the technique to make explosives seemed useful!”]

[“The ‘Tin Knight’ said that had he not suppressed it with his shield, dozens of innocent people would have been caught up!”]

“Powerful magic, huh.”

Seemingly tempted by the offer, Dorothea confirmed the terms of the trade.

“Where is your sister? If it’s too far away or complicated to reach, that’ll be a hassle.”

“You don’t need to go directly. Just bring a pouch filled with the payment and a bird carcass that’s intact and not damaged.”

“Well, just a moment. You can’t expect to give us the location of your precious family after such a short time of knowing us. Smart move.”

Though she said that, Dorothea didn’t seem to be in a foul mood.

In fact, she looked almost relieved that it was less work for her.

“I won’t agree to a blood oath, so if you don’t trust me, say so now.”

“…If you don’t help me, I’ll be left out on the street, helpless and dying. I just hope you have at least a shred of decency.”

And so, the deal was struck.

***

After deciding how to handle the unnamed (the Necromancer had wanted to reveal his name, but Dorothea stopped him), the next topic of discussion turned to Adelheid’s story.

Would she accept Maris von Lenart’s proposal, or not?

“I want to do it.”

To this, Adel surprisingly showed strong determination.

“Not only am I tempted by the reward Maris offered, but honestly, I really don’t like this city. If you ask me what specifically bothers me, I couldn’t pinpoint it, but… if Friedel Territory were to turn into something like this, I’d be very unhappy.”

If Maris’ plan succeeded, at the very least, the face of the lord would be severely tarnished, regardless of the Holy Kingdom.

She expressed her desire to participate in the plan just to give him a good punch, her violet eyes burning with fervor.

Dorothea sighed and turned her gaze to the Tin Knight and Sophia.

“So, what about you two?”

[“The ‘Tin Knight’ claims he wants to have a go at the lord!”]

“Don’t talk nonsense. The only reason Maris can set this up is because of the power of the Lenart family. If we adventurers go around trying to take the lord’s head, we’d end up in hot water.”

[“The ‘Tin Knight’ is confused because he didn’t say he would take anyone’s head!”]

“……Anyway!”

Dorothea cleared her throat and looked at Sophia.

“What about you?”

“I was originally just going to read a few books and leave, but seeing how the city operates now, I do have one thing I want to do.”

“Something you want to do? It better not be ridiculous.”

“Of course not. I just want to have a conversation with the lord. Mainly about that scale thing.”

“You mean, are you hoping for a debate? It sure sounds like you.”

“Should I give up on it?”

“Well, just mixing a few words shouldn’t be a problem.”

‘In the end, three days of rest seem meaningless,’ she lamented quietly before giving instructions to her party.

“Adel, you go to that princess and find out the specific schedule and plans. You’ll probably need to escape the city immediately after the operation, so we need to prepare in advance.”

“Okay!”

“Sophia. Talking to the lord is fine, but don’t reveal anything about Divine Power. It’s well-known that the Holy Kingdom collects users of Divine Power. They pretend to respect the person’s wishes and all that, so it’s best not to stir up trouble unnecessarily.”

“Yes, I’ll be careful.”

“Tin can. Go along as Sophia’s escort. If you start a fight, I won’t let it slide.”

[“The ‘Tin Knight’ protests that he is a lover of peace!”]

“Shut it.”