171 Rumors of Fathie: Grand Reopening

 

「This is the debt you left behind, Onee-chan. I haven’t forgotten.」

「Ah, well, I mean… the Elves are gone now, so isn’t the debt gone too?」

Tina trailed off uncertainly. Altora responded by jerking his thumb toward the mountain where the Forest of Vehl lay.

「Yeah right. No way in hell. Get your act together, damn it.」

It was true that the Elves had vanished into the forest.

But just because they were gone didn’t mean the debts of the old Mother’s Tavern—now renamed Fancy Mina—had been erased. Even the Elves needed funds to relocate, and they had either collected on what debts they could or sold the debt certificates to turn them into cash.

Perhaps due to their contributions during the battle—or maybe because they hadn’t missed a single monthly payment in a while—Altora and his team’s debt certificate had ended up in the hands of a relatively fair moneylender. Thanks to that, they weren’t facing any aggressive collections that could endanger the business.

In stark contrast, some of the powerful figures who had switched sides during the recent battle had their debts bought up by thugs so shady it was hard to tell if they were lenders or looters. With the added stigma of betrayal, even the townsfolk had joined in, and rumors had it that some houses were being stripped down to the floorboards.

「Tina, you saw the repairs going on in the backstreets on your way here, right? Think about it—do you really believe folks living day-to-day could’ve gotten materials and tools together that fast?」

「W-when you put it like that…」

「Exactly. That lumber and those supplies? Torn straight from the houses of those backstabbing higher-ups. Resold in pieces until it all ended up here in the backstreets. Our shop could’ve been the same, y’know? Came this close to getting flattened.」

「E-eeeh…?」

「So you get your situation now, Onee-chan? Good. Then starting today, you’re working here. I’ll give you a bed and meals, but no pay. And no days off. Got it?」

「B-but—」

「Got it?」

「…Yes.」

「Zero labor cost—love to see it. And let’s be real, with Eria and Mina as our main maids, there’s a lack of adult eroticism. Totally skewed the customer base. You joining should help balance it out.」

「Was that supposed to be some kind of insult?」

「Just your imagination. …Hm?」

Ssshhk.

Altora felt something slip away from his body.

There was no pain, but a sharp, gaping void opened up in his mind—a sudden and unmistakable sense of loss. It didn’t take long to realize that the skills had just been reclaimed. The reason Mina seemed unaffected was probably because of the difference in the number of points owed, he guessed.

Still, more pressing than the lost skill was the training of the new recruit standing right in front of him.

「Altora-san, are you alright?」

「…Nah, nothing big. Eria! Hey, Eria!」

When he called out, a moment later the petite ex-magician wandered in from out front. Seeing her mouth visibly chewing, Altora groaned and held his head.

「So the first thing you do after you lost your knowledge skill is… sneak a bite of something?」

「Nutritional intake is essential to life. Especially with fruit—it loses freshness quickly, so consuming it swiftly is critical and—Tina? Why is Tina here?」

「She’s back home. Starting today, she works here too. You’re in charge of training her. Teach her what it means to be a proper maid.」

「Question. Do I get a training bonus?」

「I’ll let your snacking slide.」

「Deal. Welcome aboard, rookie. This job’s tough—better brace yourself.」

The course menu Eria had written down before her skill was reclaimed was still gripped in her right hand as she put on the airs of a senior staff member.

It was the final masterpiece of humanity’s greatest knowledge—a menu certain to delight even Angelina, Altora was sure. He began to mentally tally up the profits.

「If we rework this for regular customers, it’ll make a killing… Offering a female-focused course is huge. Our usual customers don’t come in with women, so this could bring in a whole new crowd…」

While he was muttering his scheming aloud, Tina suddenly clapped her hands together, remembering something.

「Oh! I brought something as a souvenir.」

「A souvenir? Booze or something?」

「I’ve brought instructions on how to purge the toxin that’s been affecting you, Altora-san.」

「…Come again?」

「It’s from Mello-san. She’s a skilled apothecary. She was involved in medical work in the neighboring country and apparently figured out the treatment. She thought it might help you too, so she sent it along.」

The painkiller Altora had been taking—Verdant Decay—was developed by the Elves. It was the exact same substance that had drugged an entire neighboring government. If there was now a treatment, it could surely be applied to him as well.

「Who’s this gift from, exactly?」

「Via Mello-san, from Marge-san. He left a message, too.」

「I’ve got a bad feeling already. Out with it.」

「‘Call it a favor.’」

「That son of a—!」

「So what do you say? If you don’t want it, I can pretend it never existed…」

「…No, I’ll take it. Teach me. I’m accepting.」

「You sure, Altora? You’ll owe him again.」

Gordon’s concern was met with a loud, cackling laugh.

「If it’s a favor, I’ll pay it back with interest and a ribbon on top. He brought me back from the brink—I’ll make damn sure he regrets it. Just you wait, Marge.」

As if responding to Altora’s words, the former members of the Divine Silver Sword looked up at the eastern sky. Beneath the clear blue heavens, the peaks of the Leon Enagoris Mountains shone white with snow as they stretched across the border.

◇

「Alright, I think that should do it.」

In a secluded corner of the mountain near the Werewolves’ Hidden Village—out of view from the settlement—I finished setting up a small grave and stood up. I offered the flowers Koe-san had picked, and joined Angelina in a quiet prayer for the deceased.

No name or dates were carved into the headstone.

「Was it okay to bury him here? I mean, this land has nothing to do with him. And, well… who was Skill Lender-san’s Meister-san, anyway?」