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Chapter 70 – part 2

Huh? What is this old man talking about?

I grabbed his collar and confronted him.

「Hey, what the hell are you thinking? Even if you say you’re Cordelia’s relative… there are things I can overlook and things I can’t, you know?」

「Haha. You really are an amusing guy. It seems you don’t understand how significant the trading company backing me is.」

Ugh, this is such a hassle.

My temples throbbed with irritation.

「You…!」

I tightened my grip on his collar.

「Hey, Lute? Let go.」

「Why should I let go?」

「I’ll say it again; it will inconvenience Cordelia.」

「… So, what’s the meaning of this?」

「Hey, Lute? You’re not a kid anymore, right? Do you know the location of the village we come from, and the country Cordelia belongs to?」

「It’s Vesterha.」

「Yeah, that’s right. It’s a small country in a remote border region. Now, do you know the situation of that country among the great powers?」

「It’s a small and insignificant country, surviving in the power balance among the great powers.」

Blowing a sigh and whistling, the old man nodded vigorously.

「For a villager, you’re quite knowledgeable. So, there comes Cordelia. The right to acquire an adult hero is given a significant advantage by their home country. Well, if things go normally, Vesterha would acquire Cordelia.」

「…」

「Currently, Cordelia is only at the top of A-rank level, but she’ll climb up to S-rank. Now, here’s the problem. What happens to Vesterha’s defense capabilities?」

「Facing Cordelia alone against the current Vesterha, there might be a chance of her conquering it.」

「Excellent answer. That’s why Vesterha, through the World Alliance, is making an enormous investment in Cordelia. As long as the hero is alive, even facing the great powers, Vesterha won’t have a defense force that can be easily swept away.」

「…And?」

「The source of that investment is the Nurales Trading Company that I work for. Naturally, adult interests are entangled messily, making it incredibly complicated.」

「You’re being so roundabout. What are you trying to say, ultimately?」

「Back off. And for you, this is your reality. If you continue to defy the trading company, you won’t only face physical consequences, but you might be falsely accused, turned into a serious criminal, and worst-case scenario, executed.」

「So, that’s not the truth, right? I just rescued Liz, who was on the brink of death…」

The old man chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.

「The truth doesn’t matter. What matters is the result of the reports I’ve made, the conclusion… that’s all.」

「…」

To my silent response, the old man pressed further.

「You’re a stubborn guy… it’s a good thing I took out insurance, after all.」

「Insurance?」

「At present, Cordelia has been dispatched by the Altena Magic Academy for this matter.」

My ears twitched.

「Why Cordelia?」

「To definitively frame you. Your companion mage is equivalent to A-rank, after all.」

「What does that mean?」

「Do you think Cordelia can wield her sword against you? If they face each other, you’d try to negotiate, right? Because… she’s decent.」

I clicked my tongue.

I see, causing trouble for Cordelia… that’s what this is about.

「If Cordelia knows the truth, she’ll turn her sword against the trading company. Moreover, she might bare her fangs against the Vesterha country?」

「Yeah, that’s right. So, Lute? Do you intend to make Cordelia an enemy of the world? Anyone who fights a country will be dealt with globally, even if they have the strength of S-rank… it won’t lead to a good end for you, you know?」

「I don’t intend for that. But Cordelia is a hero. The World Alliance should listen to her side of the story properly. If that’s the case, there should be a thorough investigation…」

Saying that much, I held my head in my hands.

It’s mostly my fault, but I never thought it would come back to haunt me like this.

「Berserker. Anyone who listens to Cordelia’s story seriously… can’t be found anywhere in public.」

With a deep sigh, I spoke.

「Mr. Joseph? Please… may I ask?」

「Oh? It seems you’ve finally started to understand proper language?」

The smirking face was getting on my nerves.

Biting my lip, I tasted the metallic tang of blood in my mouth.

「In short, you’re saying to hand Liz over, right?」

「That’s the idea.」

「We, too… due to various reasons, we can’t just say, ‘Yes, okay.’ Can you give us a little time?」

Joseph looked at his right wristwatch, pondered for a moment, and then said.

「Forty-eight hours. I can’t wait any longer than that.」

「Understood.」

As I turned to leave, Joseph said this with a click of his tongue.

「Hey, Lute?」

「What is it?」

「Understood, right? You didn’t say, ‘Understood.’」

「…Yes?」

「Don’t play dumb. It’s forty-eight hours. Thank you very much for generously granting time to a village bumpkin like me. In the future, never forget this favor, and whenever Joseph-sama says something, bark once and cry, and if he says to lick his shoes, immediately clean them with your tongue… Can’t you say something like that?」

For a moment, I stood there with my mouth shut.

「Is it okay? Forty-eight hours will become twenty-four, you know?」

「………… Forty-eight hours, to a village bumpkin like me, for such a generous concession… 」

At this point, Joseph shook his head left and right.

「Hey, hey, Lute? Isn’t that wrong?」

「I’m delivering the lines just as you said.」

「Yeah, the lines are correct. But… the kowtowing is missing, isn’t it?」

「…Huh?」

「It’s kowtowing—down on the ground!」

I looked up at the sky with a clenched fist.

And just as I did that, Joseph laughed down at me as if looking down.

「Is it okay? Going against me will cause trouble for Cordelia, you know?」

「…Understood.」

And so, for the first time in this world, I experienced the act of kowtowing.