Chapter 88

# Episode 88: The Tin Knight and the City of Struggle (7)

“So, are we burying this right away?”

At his subordinate’s question, Joseph shook his head.

“I don’t know how strong they are specifically, but if they managed to recover a massive stash of treasures from the labyrinth, they must have some skills. Our guys might be a bit lacking in power, so let’s hire some outside help. How long will it take?”

“There are plenty of folks in the city just wasting time and money while waiting for the martial arts tournament. We should be able to gather a bunch in about an hour.”

“Alright, in the meantime, I’ll handle the reception.”

“Isn’t it risky for you to handle this personally?”

“Ha ha, you really think that the people coming to collect their money would just whip out their swords right away? Oh, and make sure the tea is something special. You remember what I mean?”

“That would definitely suffice.”

About thirty minutes later, after a suspicious back-and-forth, Joseph happily welcomed Dorothea and her crew, confirming that preparations were complete.

‘Well, this is quite….’

Joseph was impressed. He initially thought of the guest as just a goose that lays golden eggs, but the witch in black, despite her knowledge, was quite the catch just based on her appearance.

Perhaps that’s why, even at Dorothea’s sharp opening remark, he didn’t lose his smile.

“You’re quite slow. I’m tired of waiting.”

“Heh heh heh, my apologies. I was swamped with multiple tasks, so I couldn’t attend to you right away. If you had scheduled an appointment in advance, I could have handled things more smoothly.”

“Am I supposed to tiptoe around while trying to get my money back?”

“That wasn’t my intention, but heh, I apologize.”

‘What a cocky attitude. Is she some noble’s daughter or what?’

Complaining inwardly, Joseph maintained his friendly facade. No matter how much favor he had, maintaining a minimum poker face was a basic skill for a shop owner.

Joseph casually lifted a teacup from the table and took a sip, doing so in a leisurely manner for Dorothea’s party to fully see.

“Firstly, about the sales proceeds of the treasures you mentioned, our branch is quite a distance from the headquarters in the southeastern part of the continent, so I can’t reimburse you the full amount right away.”

“Sounds like a portion is possible.”

“I believe around ten percent could be possible.”

‘The blonde kid has already drank. Now we’re down to three. No, realistically two.’

Joseph briefly glanced at the knight standing behind the sofa.

He hadn’t expected all the party to drink tea anyway, considering that among the seasoned escorts, quite a few maintained constant vigilance without touching a single bite throughout their missions.

‘Anyway, if the other three just drink, that should be enough.’

“Ten percent? Isn’t that a bit low?”

“Our finances are quite tight at the moment, so that’s all I can offer right now. If you can give us a bit more time, I could prepare up to twenty percent…”

‘Alright, the green-haired one drank too. Now, there’s just this black-haired woman left.’

Expressing feigned difficulty towards the black-haired woman, who was pouting with her mouth shut, Joseph continued.

“Heh heh, I also—uhm.”

Deliberately pausing mid-sentence, Joseph took another sip of tea. Feeling anxious as he watched the black-haired woman who hadn’t even touched her teacup despite his flaunting of drinking several times, Joseph pushed on.

“Excuse me, I’m quite parched. Anyway, the amount I can offer right now is that. However, if you urgently need cash, there’s another method, should I tell you?”

“Another method?”

“Yes, aside from the corporate funds, I have some personal assets. If you help with my business, I could reward you generously.”

Joseph subtly fanned the flames of the other party’s greed.

“Right now in Trakus, there are loads of people looking to participate in the martial arts tournament, and they’re all scrambling to find anything that can boost their strength.”

“So, you created that so-called ‘Witch’s Elixir?’”

“Those who actually consume it see a rush of blood throughout their bodies, consequently enhancing their physical abilities. I’m quite confident it’s a fantastic product.”

“You’re aware of the side effects too, aren’t you?”

“Well, I believe excessive use can strain the blood vessels or organs. But that kind of reaction happens with any medication when taken in excess, right? We strictly advise only three doses.”

“Depending on the constitution, even a single dose could be dangerous.”

“We’re not doctors; we can’t consider every little detail.”

‘Damn her. How can she be all chatty and not be thirsty at all? Just drink some!’

“Anyway, if there’s a more useful potion than what’s currently on sale, it would definitely yield a significant profit, don’t you agree? So—”

“No thanks.”

“…How about at least hearing the amount?”

“I said no.”

Then the witch added,

“The herbal recipe is something I sold for compensation anyway, so you can do whatever with it, but at least stop using the name ‘Witch’s Elixir.’”

Joseph’s smile faded slightly.

“That’s a bit hard to agree to. It’s not like I openly used the witch’s name, right?”

“Seriously, you can’t even contain it somewhat. Just because you don’t say the name doesn’t mean people won’t draw conclusions.”

“Well, it’s one of our main promotional means, so I can’t just part with it without any benefits. It’s a different story if you provide some knowledge though—”

“Oh, I see.”

The witch rose from the sofa, and Joseph was taken aback.

“Wait, just hold on. We still have more to discuss—”

“It’s over, isn’t it? You said you wouldn’t be able to part with the money. You’ll keep advertising the witch nonsense too. Isn’t there nothing more to say?”

As she turned to leave, Joseph gritted his teeth.

He signaled, and one of the nearby guards tossed a small pouch to the ground.

Bang! The pouch burst, filling the room with a unique aroma.

“Huh?”

“Oh my.”

The effect was dramatic. The two who were about to leave with the witch suddenly lost all strength and collapsed to the floor.

Bing bong bing! From somewhere, the sound of bells echoed, and at the same time, armed personnel burst into the reception room through the door.

Instead of rambling on about his plans, Joseph quickly hid behind his escorts and slipped out the back door. The time for enjoyment would come after utterly subduing the opponent and securing overwhelming leverage.

Clang! Crash! Boom!

As the loud sounds echoed from inside the room, Joseph adjusted the collar of his shirt.

“Call me when it’s all sorted.”

“Understood.”

Leaving his bowing subordinate behind, Joseph took a step forward.

With a single step, Joseph suddenly froze in place.

Chilly.

“Wh-what is this? Wh-wh-what?”

Joseph and his men all wore ashen faces. They felt as though someone had just whispered in their ears.

As if they had caught a glimpse of something they shouldn’t have, a horrifying presence lurked in the corners of their vision.

In an empty space where no one should be, they heard the sound of someone speaking.

A dreadful sensation, piercing the core of their being like an ice pick.

Creek, creek. The luxurious doors, which usually didn’t make a sound, all creaked in unison.

Drip, drip. Drops of blood hanging from the ceiling fell onto their shoulders and heads.

Squish, squish. Countless handprints appeared outside the window.

From the walls, the ceiling, and the floor, black masses slithered their way in, taking on human shapes, laughing wickedly as they crept closer, wrapping cold fingers around their bodies, inviting them with words of curses that dug into their flesh, causing pain without making a sound, making their bodies immobile as the lighthearted laughter echoed loudly, “Come join us!”

Joseph fainted.

***

Joseph and his crew, forcibly dragged in by the Tin Knight, knelt in the reception room. The place was nothing but a battlefield.

Blood was splattered everywhere, and bodies lay scattered around.

In the midst of it all, just one person remained unharmed, sitting comfortably on a couch, legs crossed, looking down at them—the witch.

Joseph had no constraints. He could rise or pounce on the defenseless woman in front of him at any moment.

However, neither Joseph nor anyone else could make that choice.

There were eyes watching them.

The gazes of the dead were fixated on them.

Among the bodies lay a strange entity with only heads, staring at their every move with an eerie, expressionless face.

In front of that terrifying gaze, their only option was to kneel quietly.

“Do you see? These are the ones who want to be friends with you.”

The witch whispered.

“They like you very much. If you ask how much, they would want to spend their entire lives with you. They will sit opposite you when you eat, look down at you while you wash up, lie beside you as you sleep, and share the same dreams. A lifelong friend. A soulmate. A bond that lasts through life and death.”

The witch’s voice was dreamy.

It was so cold and kind that Joseph and his men could vividly visualize the scene described by the witch in their heads.

“I can make that happen.”

The witch proclaimed.