Aidi's Assault

"So, Kehma, what do you need today-kyu?"

"I was in the neighborhood, so I came to check in on you, and figured I'd ask you to put me up for the night."

"I see-kyu. I'll whip up a guest room-kyu."

And just like that, a guest room was made in a jiffy.

"… Come to think of it, it's kind of surprising you even have the concept of a guest room, Mikan."

"How rude! Even I know about rooms for putting guests up-kyu!"

"Sorry, sorry."

"Number 564 taught me about it-kyu!"

"I see."

Come to think of it, Core Number 564's dungeon was one of those mansion-type dungeons so common in the Demonlands. In that case, it'd come furnished with guest rooms and the like.

"It's not a 'guest room' that's secretly an arena, is it?"

"… The arena's its own separate thing-kyu."

So there is one… Actually, judging by that reaction, I'm guessing Number 564 begged her for one and she caved.

"Well, at least Renyu and Number 564 can use it for training, so it's not a total waste-kyu."

"Is that so."

"You wanna use it too, Kehma-kyu?"

"Nah, I'm good. I'll never have any use for it."

"Hmm."

Yeah, I'd never have any use for it. Or so I thought. At the time.

 

＊ ＊ ＊

 

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Rokuko's Master."

"… Why is Aidi here?"

The next day. For some reason, Aidi and company had shown up.

Renyu, the rookie Master, was in a fluster over getting rare visitors two days running, but once she realized Aidi's business was with me and not Mikan, she settled down a bit and set about brewing tea.

Carrot tea, that is.

"Sebas, you're supposed to be a butler, and yet you'd let the master of the house we're visiting make the tea? What is that about?"

"… O-jou… sama. I'm… exhausted…"

"If a single day and night of running is enough to wear you out, you've still got a long way to go."

And with that, Sebas lay sprawled limply on the floor. Griping unbecoming of a butler, but if he'd been running a full day and night, it couldn't be helped.

Being told "you've still got a long way to go" by a Dungeon Core, who needs neither food nor sleep, all a human like Sebas or me can do is let out a weary "haah."

"Well, uh. Sebas, you tired?"

"It's because you're in a place like this… that I had to run all the way out here…?"

"That part's not my fault, though."

"… Well, we're the ones who came on our own. Sorry, I'm just taking it out on you."

Sebas took a deep breath and got to his feet.

Then he cleared the sweat off with [Purify] and took his place at an angle behind Aidi, as if nothing had happened.

"Now then, as for our business."

"Oh, right. What did you need?"

"The truth is, I want the Divine Armaments that Haku-sama has. Could you do something about that?"

Divine Armaments. I see, so there's a thing like that too.

Haku-san had been racking her brains over what to reward us with, so if I told her to hand over something she already had, she just might part with it.

But.

"… Honestly, I think I could do something about it, but there's no reason for me to do that for you lot, is there?"

"Right. Which is why I'd like to negotiate with you."

"Hmm… So, in return for me putting in that request to Haku-san, what can you lot put up?"

"Let's see… I'll put up myself."

… Huh?

"You? What's that supposed to mean?"

"What do you think it means? You can do whatever you like with me, that's all."

"…"

Hey now, that means, in other words…

"You mean you'll become a mercenary?"

"? I mean it in the plain sense. You're welcome to do as you please with this body of mine, that's all."

"Huh?!"

That… with Rokuko to consider and all, feels like a seriously Not Okay sort of thing. The bad kind. Yeah, definitely a no-go.

"So the Divine Sword's worth that much, huh…"

"Yes. Worth enough to stake this body on."

"Worth enough to stake your body on, huh. Even so, to offer yourself up unconditionally like that…"

"Eh?"

"Hm?"

Aidi tilted her head.

"Sebas, did I just say I would submit?"

"If you lose, that's what it comes to, doesn't it?"

"Right. That's right."

"Hm? If you lose? … Ah. Demonlands wording, huh."

Good grief, I thought, scratching my head.

The Demonlands often uses words that differ from ours only slightly, but fatally, in nuance.

"Let's sort this out. Aidi, you want me to negotiate with Haku-san for the Divine Sword. And to that end, you're willing to offer yourself up."

"Yes. That's the intention."

"But this 'offer yourself up' part… it comes down to, like, if you lose a duel? That sort of thing?"

"That's right?"

"Right, and by the way, if I win that duel, do I still have to negotiate for the Divine Sword?"

"? You'd have won, so there'd be no need, would there?"

Okay, now it all connected.

 

＊ ＊ ＊

 

"… I see, so in the Empire, 'price' normally refers to a condition of exchange."

"It's not a bet in a wager match. Got it?"

"Understood."

Well, with that settled, what she's telling me is that if I win, I can do whatever I like with her. Yeah.

If this reaches Rokuko's ears, it's guaranteed to turn into a hassle.

"And I have no intention of dueling."

"Oh my, does that make it a win by default for us?"

"This isn't the Demonlands. Negotiate with a normal exchange condition, please."

"… I see? Hmm, if we're not going through a duel, then… a few mercenary jobs would be reasonable, I suppose."

"If it's just putting in a good word with Haku-san, then two mercenary jobs, I'd say."

If, on the other hand, she wanted me to demand the Divine Sword from Haku-san and hand it over, I'd want her doing mercenary work unconditionally, as many times as it took.

Now then, how would this turn out… Just as I was thinking that, Rokuko kicked the guest room door open and burst in on our negotiations.

"Kehma! Did Aidi come?! Oh, there she is. Long time no see!"

"Ufufu, it's been a while, Rokuko. I was just now negotiating with Rokuko's Master over my body."

"Nngh, that's a misleading way to put it. Rokuko."

"I know, Kehma… You're going to take Aidi as your pet as the price for that Divine Sword, right?!"

Huh, was Rokuko a Demonlands Dungeon Core?

Oh, there'd been an explanation from Aidi by mail. When did she even send that… I see.