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141. Altora’s Choice

「…Say, Marge. Let me ask you something.」

「What is it?」

For some reason, Altora wouldn’t meet my eyes. He asked, haltingly:

「Let’s say… for some reason… yeah. Let’s say you lost your powers. You wouldn’t be able to keep your position, right? What would you do then?」

「That’s kind of sudden.」

「Yeah, it just popped into my head. So? What would you do?」

He was asking what I would do if I ended up like them—stripped of my power and status. Why bring this up now?

I was still thinking about how to answer when Koe-san spoke up before me. All eyes turned to her, rendering [Placebo Master’s Golden Spoon] unusable for now. I decided to listen in silence.

「If you mean the strongest ability he possesses, something like that has already happened.」

「For real?」

「It was in a city called Vita Tama. Due to someone’s scheme, Master had the strongest Skill he possessed stolen from him.」

「…And then?」

「He used the cards he had left to turn the tables and recover his Skill.」

The battle with Kirmiji before the door of the Golden Land of Crimson Luxury came to mind. I’d hardened my body with [Vajra Barrier], healed the damage with [Seraph’s Grace], and endured until Kirmiji broke.

To Altora’s dissatisfied look, Koe answered clearly, as if stating the obvious:

「Master has always focused on creating synergy with what cards he holds, maximizing their strength. That hasn’t changed since his days with the Divine Silver Sword. No matter what he gains or loses, that won’t change.」

「…Marge doesn’t change, huh.」

What he seemed to accept, I couldn’t say. But Altora muttered that with a certain weight. Taking that as a good stopping point, I brought up something I was sure would grab his attention.

「Speaking of [Seraph’s Grace]—you went on a journey to find Tina, right? Any leads?」

「This stays between us, but we actually found something unexpected. Let’s talk it over a drink. A king is not seriously gonna refuse a gift without even tasting it, are ya?」

Still avoiding eye contact, Altora pushed the sake toward me. I didn’t trust him, but I also knew there wasn’t much he could do in his current state. If I accepted, he might finally meet my gaze.

「Just one drink. Then it’s over, and you leave.」

「Yeah, just one.」

The moment I raised the cup to my lips, Altora finally looked at me, as if confirming something. Once eye contact was made—a condition for activation—I triggered my suggestion Skill.

For an instant, I thought I saw confusion, anger, or perhaps regret in Altora’s eyes. But if I succeeded, I’d know exactly what he was thinking.

「[Placebo Master’s Golden Spoon], activ—」

But the Skill didn’t activate.

A sharp pain burst through my skull. The crash of breaking glass followed. My vision was awash in red. Koe-san’s voice and the sharp scent of alcohol stinging my nose made me realize I’d just been struck with a bottle.

There was only one possible culprit: Altora, gripping the jagged neck of a broken bottle in his right hand. The cup I’d been holding lay spilled on the floor.

「Master!? Are you all right!?」

「How’s the taste? Fancy sake’s best enjoyed straight to the head, right?」

Altora cackled. Gordon, apparently out of the loop, flailed in panic. Eria looked oddly calm, but on closer inspection, she was simply frozen in shock.

「A-Altora! What the hell are you doing!?」

「What’s it look like? He let his guard down like an idiot, so I splashed him. Serves him right! Hah!」

Koe-san was frantic, while Angelina merely glared with a look that said ‘Of course he’s fine’.

「You came all the way to Gelli’s inn just to pull this stupiiiiiiiiid prank? Got nothing better to do, Pervert-san?」

「Not bad for someone your size—impressive lung power. Heh, you really thought I came just to say thanks?」

「Can’t argue with that. Honestly, it’s pathetic. Eria-chan, if you don’t dump this guy now, your youth’s gonna rot.」

「Correction: already ruined.」

「Watch your mouth, Eria.」

「Also, Skill Lender-san, just checking—you’re okay, right?」

「Yeah, I’m fine.」

「Skill Lender-san doesn’t die from being hit, after all.」

A bottle can be a deadly weapon—plenty of bar fights end with deaths that way. But according to one doctor’s book, the bottle itself rarely causes immediate fatal skull fractures. Deaths usually result from glass shard injuries, excessive bleeding, infections, or internal hemorrhaging.

In my case, it was just a minor scalp wound. Easily healed with a Skill.

「Feel better now, Altora?」

「What, not even gonna hit me back?」

「I don’t feel like it. If you’re satisfied, then get out of here. I was a fool for suspecting you had some grand scheme.」

「Hah! Doesn’t sound too cool dripping with booze, y’know. Later.」

Altora waved and turned to leave—then abruptly stopped in his tracks. Koe-san tensed, ready for trouble.

「Relax, Koe or whatever your name is. I ain’t doing anything.」

「I don’t believe you.」

「Fair enough. …Listen, Marge. I’m not gonna lose to you. I’ll stay true to myself, and one day, I’ll cut you down with my own hands. That’s a promise.」

With that, the three of them left.

Only the shards of the broken bottle and the reek of alcohol remained.

「That made no sense right up to the end…」

「No need to understand. When people hit rock bottom, dragging others down is the only fun left to them.」

「Master, you should change. I’ll clean up the floor.」

「Gelli’s bad at cleaning, so she’ll go over the ledger inste—huh?」

「Angelina?」

「Ah…」

Stagger.

Angelina collapsed, as if her legs gave out beneath her. Koe-san, rushing to help, crumpled as well. My own legs suddenly stopped working too.

Paralysis poison. But I had resistance—few poisons should’ve worked. Unless…

That assassin earlier… the forest folk’s secret poison…!

As my consciousness faded, I saw Angelina mouthing something to me. At first I thought she was telling me to fight the poison with my Skill.

But no.

That genius brain of hers worked even now, pinpointing the exact solution.

「I see…!」

I activated two Skills—and fell into darkness.