“Alright then, Ojou-San. Before we continue our pleasant negotiations…”
In front of the seemingly composed but inwardly frustrated young lady suspended in mid-air, I jumped off the cliff and approached the restrained Imperial Guard. Then–
“Uwaaa!?”
“…………………….”
“Ah, so this is how it’s going to be after all.”
Everyone who had been restrained was suddenly engulfed in intense flames. In a flash, the bodies of the imperial soldiers were consumed, and in a mere 10 seconds or so, there was nothing around but thick ivy, which had lost its captors, swaying vainly in the wind.
“E-E-Ed-san!? Wha!? What was that!?”
“What you ask, it’s a way to keep their mouths shut. It’s a common move for people like these.”
“Common!? So you knew these people were going to kill themselves and you left them alone!? That’s not–“
“Is that cruel? Neither Tia nor I are so soft-hearted as to do everything in our power to help someone who is trying to kill us without question, you know?”
“That’s….but…”
“I’m sorry Toby. I understand how you feel, but we couldn’t help it.”
Tia said a little sorrowfully to Toby, who seemed to understand but not be convinced. Even Tia would not hesitate to kill an attacker, but she would not want to kill an unarmed opponent after the battle was over.
“As said by Ojou-san caught above, these guys are from the Empire, right? If they are found to be robbing in another country after crossing the border without permission, it would be a common trigger for war. The minimum criteria is that both friend and foe must be meticulous and leave no trace …, so there’s not much we can do about that.”
No backing from the nation was a given. They probably didn’t have suicide equipment that could be easily disabled by an individual, and frankly speaking, we couldn’t afford to have them around. If they were to be captured alive, the next time they would do everything in their power to crush us.
Nope. If we were to run away from the country, even if it’s the last resort, I don’t want to get into a fight with the country.
“Well, you can just chalk it up to the fact that the trouble’s gone. Listen, Toby, the robber who attacked us out of the blue is dead, that’s all. Even If we had cut them down one by one, the result would be the same …, right?”
“Ye, yeah. I’m sorry, I got a little emotional.”
“No problem. Now then…”
With Toby convinced, I went up to the cliff again. It was a hassle and I didn’t want to go back and forth again if possible, but …. that depends on how they want to play it.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Ojou-san. So, regarding your treatment….”
“Please hold.”
While I was talking to Palm, Claude interrupted me from the side. He, too, was suspended in mid-air, but unlike Palm, his face showed no signs of anger or impatience.
“Hmm? What is it, old man?”
“We are willing to negotiate. Money, information, and strength, all of which we believe would be beneficial to you, what do you say?”
“Negotiations huh. …. Hey Tia! Can you come over here with Toby?”
“Okay, I’m on my way.”
“I understand.”
At my call, Tia and Toby also came to the top of the cliff. Tia, of course, and Toby, who was apparently specialized in escaping, were able to climb up the three-meter cliff without any difficulty, as they had plenty of places to put their hands and feet.
“All right, we’re all here. Hey, Toby, this old guy wants to negotiate with us.”
“Negotiation? What kind of negotiations?”
“Yes. First, the money. I am prepared to pay you a reasonable amount of money if you will at least let Ojou-sama, and preferably me, off the hook.”
“Heh, Is it okay for you to decide that on your own, old man?”
Palm slightly turned her head away from me as I said this while glancing at her.
“I don’t care. If it’s simply a matter of money, it’s a small price to pay.”
“That’s right. How much then?”
“Eh!? how much you say…” Toby said,
“Ah, that’s it, then. How much did this lady initially charge for Toby’s treasure?”
“Two thousand gold coins.”
“Then give us 6000, How’s that sound?”
“I understand. Well, then–“
“Whoa, wait, why are you making it sound like it’s over? That’s the first of the three conditions you presented, right? Let’s talk about the other two.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to be too greedy, you know?”
“I’m sorry, I just take what I can get, when I can get it.”
While Toby was fidgeting beside me, Claude and I stared at each other silently. Incidentally, these two seemed to be looking for an opportunity to escape, but Tia, who was standing behind them, would not allow it. No matter how hard Claude tried, the ivy would not shred, and every time Palm moved her fingertips, the ivy would tighten around her torso.
“…… Okay, Claude. We’ll concede as much as we can.”
“Understood, Ojou-sama. Then let us continue our negotiations.”
Palm’s words were mixed with resignation, and Claude continued to speak once again. However, I noticed a thin layer of anger on his face that I couldn’t see before. I don’t know whether it was against us or against his own incompetence that brought about this situation, but it’s good to be able to see his emotions.
“Well then, the next is information. According to my research, there are other forces that are after what you have, Toby-sama. I would be happy to discuss those details with you after you release me, okay?”
“You didn’t tell it first because you were not confident whether this information was valuable enough to get us to help you or not?”
“You must be joking. We just can’t hand it over to you before we receive something of an equal value to it because we believe it’s worth it.”
“Hmmm, …., what’s the third thing?”
“With your permission, I would like to accompany you and be an asset.”
“Oh? Is that alright with you, Ojou-san?”
“If you ask me if it’s favorable or unfavorable, of course it’s not favorable. But Claude would not be used up by you. There are also gems that give off new light when you let them go, that’s all.”
Palm answered my question nonchalantly. Such a reaction… If that’s the case I have made up my mind, but I can’t forget that this wasn’t my negotiation.
“What do you say, Toby?”
“Eh, M-me!?”
“No, I told you from the beginning that we were just escorts and that Toby would be the one to make the decision.”
“That’s….But we were talking about various things, and I thought that Ed-san was going to make the decision . I mean, that’s totally fine, you know?”
“No. I’ll give advice if asked, and I’ll give my opinion if you make too many stupid decisions, but the decision is yours, Toby. So, what do you say?”
“E-etto…..?”
Toby began to worry with a serious expression on his face as I asked him the question. After about five minutes Toby, who had been scowling, finally opened his mouth.
“I-I think it would be nice if you could add one condition to that.”
“What is it?”
“Um, In terms of strength… Not only Claude-san but also Palm….Palm-san? If you can come with me, I’ll agree.”
“Are you saying that I alone isn’t enough as a force? How should I put it… I am insulted.”
“And you want a weak woman like me to fight!? Are you going to order me to do something nasty under the guise of fighting? What a filthy ……”
“Hiiii!?”
Claude was furious and Palm looked at him with contempt. Toby was scared to death under the pressure of these two, but when I put my hand on his back, Toby shouted out as if he had made up his mind.
“That’s not true! It’s not like that… but I won’t agree if you don’t accept those conditions!”
“That’s our employer’s decision. What are you going to do?”
Toby, who was ready to run away, but never chose to lose, and Palm and the others continued to glare at each other. … Eventually, Palm sighed, as if defeated.
“…I understand. I’ll accept it.”
“I-I’m Glad…”
“Why are you so nervous, Toby?”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at Toby’s sigh of relief, as if he was the one being rescued.