novelraw Chapter 36
Chapter 36
Episode 36
"Frank!"
Clang!
Adam, hastily setting down his sword, roughly shoved the Adjutant's corpse off the Butler and lifted him.
The old man's body dangled limply.
"...Can he be saved?"
Adam looked at me as I trudged down the stairs and asked urgently.
His blue eyes were filled with desperation.
I had assumed the Butler was on hostile terms with Adam, like the Adjutant, but contrary to my expectations, he seemed to have a close relationship with Adam.
As proof, the Butler had even overcome the phenomenon of fainting when the parasitic monster in his body died and had protected Serina with superhuman strength.
"I asked if he can be saved, Apothecary!"
Adam pressed me once more, his voice pleading.
I slowly shook my head.
Even if I had potions that could save a dying person, I couldn't bring back someone who was already dead.
The Butler's entire body was stained pitch black as the leader's venom had spread.
The centipede monster's venom was so lethal that even users were especially careful of it.
"...Damn it."
Adam, wearing a rare expression of grief, slammed his fist on the floor.
He, too, must have known full well that the Butler had drawn his last breath.
Even knowing, he couldn't let go of that sliver of hope.
"...The Butler would have been honored to have done his best as a member of the Hailey family until the very end."
A nearby knight took off his helmet and said calmly.
At that, the other panic-stricken employees also began to approach one by one, removing their hats and head coverings and holding them to their chests.
"That's right. Thanks to him, Lady Serina is safe, Count!"
"He was someone who always went around singing about how he'd bury his bones in the Hailey estate."
Click.
The lights in the estate, which had been plunged into darkness, came back on, one by one.
It was thanks to the Head Maid, who had helped me by turning off the lights at the right moment.
"...He's probably prouder than anyone right now to have kept that promise."
She, who had come down the central stairs belatedly, comforted Adam, her eyes red.
Sorrow and silence in mourning for the deceased settled over the lobby.
It was then.
GM Sera has paid 1,000,000 Coins as a reward.
GM Ari has paid three S-Grade Sunlight Allergy Treatments as a reward.
Out of the blue, the developers gave me something as a reward.
Putting the coins aside, I was surprised and immediately opened my inventory window.
S-Grade Sunlight Allergy Treatment
- This potion is a treatment for patients with severe sunlight allergies. When taken just before dawn, facing the sunrise will increase immunity to the allergy. -
I checked the potion's effect with fresh eyes.
'They said before they were preparing a special reward or something...'
It seemed that was the potion that could cure Serina's illness.
Just as I'd had a feeling I wouldn't be excited about it, it was a reward that didn't particularly benefit me.
'Well... I was going to ask about it anyway.'
But it wasn't an entirely bad feeling.
I, too, had been worried about the young Serina all this time.
That's why I had planned to hound the developers to at least change the illness setting after I caught the leader.
'Although the Butler's death made the ending a bit bittersweet...'
We caught the leader without anyone else getting seriously hurt, and we even got the treatment for Serina.
I thought it was a win-win battle for everyone.
But that was just my thought.
"...Maybe Frank was right."
Not until Adam gently laid the Butler's body down and slowly rose from his spot, his eyes empty.
From the people gathered around to those who had fainted from the aftershock of the Darkness-Eating Centipedes' deaths.
He slowly scanned everyone, then spoke as if he had made up his mind.
"Maybe... I don't deserve to protect this place."
"..."
"So, before the seal is completely undone, it would be best for everyone to find their own way to survive, starting now."
I was extremely flustered by those words.
'Hey, why are you suddenly digging yourself into a hole?'
I thought he would at least praise everyone for joining forces to defeat the monsters.
I never expected him to be such a wet blanket.
I wasn't the only one who was flustered.
"Count! Wh-what do you mean by that!"
"How can you say such a thing to us...!"
The employees tried to stop him, their faces filled with shock.
But Adam paid no heed and repeated the same ramblings he had told me that morning.
"If possible, move to the place farthest from the Hailey domain. Moving expenses will be paid as soon as they are..."
"Stop with the nonsense, and take this!"
'Stop being a wet blanket! Stop!'
As the atmosphere in the lobby grew serious beyond saving, I had no choice but to step forward, holding back my tears.
I practically lunged at him as if to shut his mouth, holding out the potion.
"What is..."
"It's the treatment for the chronic illness Lady Serina is suffering from."
At my words, Adam stared down at the S-Grade Sunlight Allergy Treatment I held out, his face a little dazed.
Soon, his empty blue eyes shook violently once, and then.
I began to fill with emotions I couldn't quite decipher.
"Can you really... really treat Serina?"
"Yes. If she takes it just before dawn and faces the first light of sunrise for about three days, she'll be completely cured."
He gave me three, so I figured it would naturally take three days to heal.
"Ah..."
At the words "completely cured" from my mouth, Adam's hands trembled uncontrollably as he tried to accept the potion, but he couldn't, and ended up covering his eyes with that hand.
He must have been under immense stress because of his one and only sister, who was in so much pain.
The Head Maid accepted the potion from me on his behalf and tucked it away carefully.
"Congratulations, Count."
"Finally, Lady Serina...!"
"All that's left is for her to run healthily through the fields of Hailey!"
"You have no idea how much I've longed for her to run around like the little tomboy she used to be!"
Setting aside their grief for the deceased for a moment, the people congratulated the Count as one.
It seemed everyone had been equally worried about the young lady.
Adam, who had been suppressing his welling emotions with his eyes covered, lowered his hand and looked around at the people.
"...Are you not afraid of the coming disaster?"
"It would be a lie to say we aren't afraid."
The Head Maid, who now held the highest authority in the estate in the Butler's place, stepped forward and answered him firmly.
"But I don't want to be a coward who abandons her home and runs away just because I'm scared."
At her words, the employees who had been silent began to speak up and shout, one by one.
"That's right! The people of the Hailey domain are not cowards, Count!"
"We will protect Lady Serina, and our families!"
"We will stay until the end and fight by your side!"
"For the glory of Hailey!"
"For the glory of Hailey!"
"For the glory of Hailey!"
The inside of the estate was instantly filled with a wave of people chanting for glory.
Adam, who had been watching them with unreadable eyes, finally raised his hand and declared.
"I, Adam Hailey, as the lord who governs this place, respect your will."
"..."
"We will stay until the end and protect this place. For the glory of Hailey."
"Waaaaah!"
Fierce cheers and Adam's name were called out loudly, as if a victory drum was beating.
I quietly took a step back from the crowd and watched them in silence.
It was a little embarrassing to stand there stiffly like a sore thumb, but it couldn't be helped.
Because I was someone who couldn't belong in that group.
The storm passed.
The employees, their excitement cooled, began their duties faithfully without a single complaint, despite the late hour.
Under the Head Maid's direction, the wrecked estate was quickly put in order.
Thankfully, Serina was returned to her room without a single scratch.
I blended into the cracks and frantically picked up the scattered Essences of Darkness.
You have acquired 25 Essences of Darkness.
You have acquired 32 Essences of Darkness.
You have acquired 27 Essences of Darkness.
'Eighty-four?! Combined with what I gathered earlier, that's 100...! Crazy, I would have collected them all just from this. Awesome, awesome.'
My mouth was hanging open at the number, which exceeded the amount needed for the greatsword restoration quest...
Just then, my eyes met squarely with Adam, who was exchanging words with the Knight Commander who had belatedly rushed in.
He, who had been looking at me with a slightly stiff face, soon approached quickly.
"...My apologies."
He then readily apologized for having forgotten me.
"I had urgent matters to discuss with the Knight Commander, so..."
"Yes, well. It's fine."
I wasn't bothered at all, since I had been busy picking up Essences of Darkness myself.
My face wasn't visible anyway because of the hood.
Adam kept checking, his eyes seeming to study me, before finally, slowly opening his mouth.
"You said your name was Shari Azrael."
"Yes."
"...Thank you, Shari."
"Pardon? For what..."
"Thanks to you, we were able to drive out all the monsters, and Serina can be completely cured. I also apologize for my rudeness to you this morning."
"Ah..."
Adam Hailey feels a twinge of guilt toward you.
Adam Hailey now holds a certain level of affection for you.
'Have I finally graduated from the "Hey, Apothecary" level?!'
Startled by the unexpected praise, I waved my hands.
"Ah, no. It's not like I did it expecting the Count's praise."
"Set aside your modesty."
"Modesty...?"
"Yes. Our family owes you a great debt. I would like to repay you. Is there anything you wish for?"
My eyes widened at those words.
"A debt?"
Doesn't that sound like I performed a good deed without expecting anything in return?
I hadn't done any free volunteer work at all.
Startled, I hurriedly added.
"This is all included in my employment wages, Count."
"What? Employment... wages?"
"Yes. The amount you originally agreed to give me through the Adjutant, plus the outside-work pay for the trouble I went through to catch the Moonlight-fires."
"What..."
"And please include life-risk pay for the monster threat as well."
"..."
"Ah, you don't have to pay for Lady Serina's treatment. We can call that service."
'Here, a show of generosity.'
Serina's treatment potion was S-grade, so I could have charged a hefty price for it, but I had a conscience.
I got it for free from the developers, and it wasn't polite to put a price on a person's life.
Dammit, because I was an NPC, the quest rewards didn't pop up automatically for me.
To make matters worse, Adam, the moneybag who was supposed to pay my reward, seemed to have completely forgotten, so I had to explain it all diligently, one by one.
But for some reason, no answer came back.
"...Count?"
When I called him and glanced up, he was staring at me with an expression that was, uncharacteristically, clearly visible.
"You really are..."
As if to say, what kind of crazy bastard is this.
'I must be imagining it.'
I thought.
Adam Hailey doubts your emotional intelligence.
Adam Hailey feels uncomfortable with your infinite capitalism.
'An artificial intelligence doubting a human's emotional intelligence! And if you work someone to the bone, of course you have to pay them! What's this "uncomfortable" crap!'
The moment I bristled at the system window that popped up out of nowhere.
I suddenly heard a 'Ha.' of exasperation from above my head.
When I whipped my head around, surprisingly...
Adam was muttering with a faint smile on his face.
"Truly absurd."
Adam Hailey completely sheds his distrust of your abilities.
Congratulations! Adam Hailey's understanding of you has increased!