Chapter 56 - We Don't Really Want To See You, Rewriter

"Y-You did what?!" Saku's voice resounded inside the Sandy Fish as he shouted in surprise. "The sender...you know who that person is?"

"Yeah, sorta," I replied. "It was just a short encounter, but I realized that person isn't the most trustworthy ones you can find around here in Plate Town. More like a sly fox, to be exact."

I don't need to prove myself for that statement. The letter inside the envelope is enough to do it.

{Please accept this sincere token of apology of mine for what my subordinates did to you and your friends last week. Though it was named for those two young innkeepers, this gift is actually for your own use. Either way, I'm sure you'll be surprised to see it.}

{By the way, if you're worried they will be involved in our matters, please rest assured that I won't do things to them...for now. Whether they'll be put in deep trouble or not, the answer lies in your hands.}

{Whatever happens though, always remember to smile.}

Signed, Myriel.

Written in a handwriting that is much like an art, her intention to make me join her side is really oozing out of her letter.

I can't believe she resorted using this method for real.

"I know, I know, it really sounds strange and I'm sure you won't believe what I said that easily but let me tell you one thing--everyone's safety is more valuable than all the white gold you can find in the world. We may not know it, but as we talk right now someone might be hiding in the dark while watching our every move, listening at every word we say, and relaying to his superior if we received that gift or not."

Walking towards Saki, I whispered on her ear. "Want to test that out?"

"D-Don't want to, Brother Ren!" She vigorously shook her head out of fear.

I then looked at Saku and said, "If it's okay with you I'll return those things to the sender, saying we don't need them as it invalidates all the hard work you've done all these years. What do you think?"

"Ugh..." Saku's eyebrows frowned while looking at the pieces of white gold on his hands. "While I know that opportunity like this only comes to very few people, I think what you said right now is correct. If the sender is really a bad person just like what you're saying then I don't want that person to be near me or my loved ones so...alrighty then."

Albeit hesitant, he handed over to me the white gold pieces.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you two from that person."

"Okay."

"...I'll protect you too!" Aoi interjected.

Aoi? If that's so then I'm glad you're willing to help Saku and Saki.

"So that's it. Believe it or not, Aoi also has what it takes to take on bad guys."

I placed my hand on top of Saki, and Aoi placed hers on top of mine. After a few seconds of thinking, Saku joined in as well.

"...Leave it to us!"

-----

Aoi and I carried a small parcel box Saku gave to store the white gold pieces with as we headed out to Myriel's place.

"Are you sure you can carry that thing? It's quite heavy for a girl like you, you know?"

"...I may be little but I'm not weak!" Aoi protested. "If I can't carry it with my two arms, I could rest it on top of my head! Look!"

But from the looks of it, her small frame is about to bend down from only that weight she's carrying. She doesn't want to appear weak in front of other people, so she tries her best to endure.

"I see. Do your best, Aoi."

Half an hour has passed and we finally reached the bar where Myriel is currently staying. Surprised to say, this place is much more sophisticated than I thought.

Aoi quickly covered her nose and spoke, "...Her foul scent...is really overwhelming."

Scent? But I don't smell anything. Is it her aura you're talking about?

A few moments later, the bar's double doors swung open, and Myriel's figure appeared in front of us. She wore the same clothes as the time I last saw her, but her hair is a bit unruly.

"Oh my, what brings you two here? I never expected to have visitors this time of the day."

"...Stop acting, I know you're expecting us to come here all along," Aoi said, still covering her nose.

Myriel chuckled. "Knowing you'll come or not, it doesn't change the fact that you saw me in this unappealing state. Why don't you come in for a moment while I freshen up first?"

"We'll just give this back to you, we won't stay here for long." I replied.

"Thaaaat won't do," she clicked her tongue as she shook her head slowly. "Wait for me to get dressed, then you can return that to me."

Turning her back at us, she went back inside without saying anything else. Seeing her act like that, Aoi became totally furious.

"...That woman, she always have to do something to make me really mad! Big brother, let me throw this box to her face!"

"Ah, you can't, you can't! You're freaking out the neighbors!"

Even thought I said that, I forgot that this place is quite an isolated one. Even if Aoi is to cause trouble here no one would know.

"...Can't we just leave it here and leave already, big brother? As I said before, I don't want to go here."

"I would like to, but the thing inside this box is very expensive. We can't just place it in front of the door or something."

"...Ughhh," Aoi furiously stomped her feet. "I get it, I get it! Let's go inside already, big brother!"

Myriel left the double doors unlocked, implying we could get inside if we wanted to. Upon entering, we saw a masked bartender busily wiping the wine glasses clean. At first I became surprised, but then I realized this one is a different person from the one I killed last week.

Does he have Arcanas with him too?

"...I really hate going to these kind of places," Aoi muttered as she sat beside me on the corner.

"Is it because Myriel is here?"

"...No," she shook her head. "It's because this is an a.d.u.l.t's place, and I'm not an a.d.u.l.t."

"You said you're a lot older than Myriel though..."

"...But it doesn't mean I should act like one! Being an a.d.u.l.t is full of responsibility and consequences, so I'd rather be a child for all eternity than have more troubles for me!"

While we're talking to each other we didn't notice there's someone standing in front us.

"...Another masked guy."

"Yeah."

I wonder, does Myriel have a masked person fetish or something? Ever since I met her, I've already seen a couple of them that I started to think of that.

The masked guy gave us a booklet, which is actually the menu. I told him we're not planning to eat but he pointed his finger on a handwritten note on the side, saying we could order whatever we want and the price is already in the house.

It's in the house.

"I guess I'll have pancakes then."

"...B-Big brother?!"

"What?" I met her sharp gaze. "Waiting for a woman at times like this takes so much time, so I decided to eat rather than just doing nothing."

I'm telling you, it's not because it's free that I'm doing this, okay?

"...Hrgh..." Aoi shifted her gaze to the masked person and said, "Let me have the most expensive food you have here."

Huh?!

"...What? It's just what you said big brother, it's better to eat while waiting than doing nothing while waiting."

Meanwhile the masked guy only bowed his head as he took back the menu and disappeared in a blink of an eye, then returned with the food we ordered on both his hands when I blinked once more.

Hmm?

"Uhh, could it be...you worked in a fast food chain before?"

When I asked him that, the masked person only looked at me, silently. Ah, of course--things like that doesn't exist here!

"S-Sorry, never mind what I said just now," I apologized while showing off a fake laugh.

The masked guy only bowed his head in response.

He disappeared again after I blinked for the third time, but didn't return on the fourth. Well it's fine, since it would be creepy if he keeps on appearing and disappearing in front of us every time I blink.

"...Fast food chain? What's that, big brother?" Aoi asked immediately after he left.

"That's...just nothing."

"...Ehh?" Aoi suddenly raised her eyes in suspicion. "I asked for the most expensive food in the menu but that guy only gave me a small plate of this...gooey, tiny ball-shaped things? What the hell is this?!"

When I took a closer look at her food, I found out that the one she ordered wasn't just some gooey mess, but...

"Caviar?"

"That's right."

"Huh?" I looked at where the voice came from and I saw Myriel standing at a distance, smiling at us. She just finished her preparations, as her still moist skin glow under the light of the chandelier.

"The fish from where it is harvested can only be found on a freezing lake on the northernmost tip of the continent where they spawn once every 20 years. What's more, the processes to create such product require lots of time, patience and magic, further increasing its value."

She walked slowly towards Aoi and said, "Wouldn't it be a great shame for the fishermen if some brat called their masterpiece as 'gooey, tiny ball-shaped things'? "

"...Guuu..."

Using a small spoon Aoi scooped a tiny amount of the fish eggs, and put it into her mouth. I don't know if she liked it because I can't describe the look on her face after she tried it.

"How about you? Do you enjoy the food we have here?" Myriel asked me.

"A-Ah, nn. It's fluffy and not too sweet."

"Heh," Myriel sat in front of us. "I know you'll say that. We adjusted the taste of the food according to your preferences, hence it came out as that. With my power, I could create even the dishes that could bring back your memories of the past."

I tried to reply, but I decided not to. Not yet.

"By the way," Myriel cleared her throat. "I won't take those things you have with you."

""Huh?!"" Aoi and I voiced out our shock.

"...You tricked us...!"

"Damn it..."

She laughed loudly at us. "It was my gift to you, so why would I take it back? Isn't that a stupid thing to do? My self-esteem won't definitely allow it."

"...Hhrrrghh! Curse you, woman!"

"Not my fault that you believed what I said so easily."

"Even if you said that we still won't take it back to our place," I said to her. "If both of us don't want it, we should give it to the town authorities instead."

Aside from burying it underground, that's the best option I could think of right now. I'm sure it'll be a great help in funding the development of this town.

"Yes, that's a great idea but..."

"But...?"

"If you were to just give it to them like that, wouldn't they become suspicious because some ordinary person and not a noble presented such amount of riches to the authorities? You don't want to be accused as a thief, right?"

"T-That's..."

That possibility didn't crossed my mind. Even in this world, a good intention can turn bad depending on the status of where it came from.

Disappointing.

"Then, I'll do it. You may not know it, but I have connections with the government of mortals too. Something like giving out donations is an easy work for me, eh?" Myriel said after seeing the exhausted look on my face.

"...Tch, if you're gonna take it then you should have said it already," Aoi clicked her tongue furiously.

"But isn't that a bit...anticlimactic? I'm hoping to have some fun with you before I take those things back."

"...Hmph," Aoi stood up and went to the door. "Big brother, we already achieved our objective here. Let's go."

"Ah, right!" I followed right after.

I looked back to see what Myriel would think but she only waved her hands as she showed a faint smile. I thanked her for the food, then immediately left with Aoi.

-----

"Heh, how stupid of me to think they could be bought with money that easily."

Myriel muttered as she poured wine into her glass, all alone once more. Even an extravagant place is no different than a stinking prison cell with this kind of solitude she's having.

"Well, considering his future I'd say he'll get tired of seeing these things someday."

Not only white gold, but even the most precious objects mortals have encountered throughout history. Everything that a sane man could aspire to have, he'll get tired of it for sure. He'll inevitably aspire for more, preferably those that seem to be impossible to obtain.

Even Myriel can't have those things for herself, but she could guide someone to have it--for a fair price, of course.

"Things like mongering fear onto others isn't included in my methodology but if things would not go the way I like it, then..."

While she's talking to herself, a sheet of paper flew towards her from outside. She picked it up, and her lips curled bitterly upon reading what's written on the paper.

"Gentlemen."

With a clap of her hand several masked men appeared behind her, standing straight as if they were trained to do so. All of them have the [Strength] and [Chariot] Arcanas in their bodies, and their overlapping auras made the air inside the bar extremely saturated for ordinary humans to breathe on.

Myriel smiled at them and said, "Scatter around and outside the town and look for anyone you suspect to be acting suspicious, except for the Death Goddess and her brother. Report immediately all of your findings afterwards. Did I make it clear to everyone here?"

The masked men bowed their heads silently, then disappeared in just a blink of her eye.

Alone again, Myriel poured herself another drink.

"Fufu, even I didn't expected the current situation to have this kind of development so suddenly," she shook the glass she's holding, while making sure the blood-red contents won't spill.

She then placed the glass on the table, and looked outside through the window.

"They're finally here."