Chapter 19: The tomb is rather luxurious.

“He’s here! Murray succeeded!”

On the outskirts of Yaltesance.

The Painter’s Guild Leader’s mood soared as he spotted a carriage approaching from a distance.

As expected of a mage on the level of a Mage Tower Master, even if he was past his prime.

That unpleasant old man was certainly capable!

“Kekeke… Kuhahahahak!!”

Chloe! You’re mine!

The Guild Leader spread his arms with a wicked smile, and—

“You can get off now.”

“Okay! Thank you for driving!”

—he saw Chloe getting out of the carriage cheerfully.

“?”

Why are you walking out on your own two feet?

A kidnapped child getting out by herself was an anomaly.

The Guild Leader’s eyes widened at the sight, a veritable visual outrage.

‘Did he coax her into coming with words?’

It made sense.

‘Hehehe, wanna go do something fun with uncle?’ was the standard operating procedure (SOP) for kidnapping and abduction worldwide.

But something was strange.

What the f*ck.

I’m sure Murray went with them.

‘Does that old geezer have the patience to persuade someone?’

He gave a suspicious glance.

The mercenary, Valt, just grinned as if to say, ‘What can you do?’

“I’ve brought her. Please wire the payment for the ‘escort’ to my account.”

“Understood. Where has Sir Murray gone?”

“How should I know? How could the likes of us inquire about his whereabouts? It’s not my business, to begin with.”

‘Tsk, so arrogant for a mere mercenary.’

But he had a point.

You could assume all mages were eccentrics.

What did it matter where that old man went?

He had brought Chloe, so there was no complaint.

The Guild Leader bid farewell to the retreating Valt—who seemed to be in a terrible hurry—and smiled.

It was a good-natured smile.

“Hello, Chloe? Or should I call you Synthia?”

“Please call me whatever is comfortable for you, Guild Leader!”

Well now.

This kid still hasn’t grasped the situation.

The Guild Leader, who had been under a great deal of stress, rejoiced in a sadistic pleasure.

“Kekeke… I see Valt didn’t tell you where he was taking you?”

“Nope!”

“The place we’re going is my hidden villa. It will also be the grave of your life.”

“?”

What’s this all of a sudden?

The grave of my life?

Don’t tell me this is a marriage proposal?

Chloe was at a loss for words.

She had finally realized what was happening.

“Oh no! It was a kidnapping!”

“?”

“He was so kind, unlike a typical Luntraval native, that I was completely fooled!”

[❓🤨]

And a proposal right after kidnapping someone you just met?

If the other person were a woman, maybe half my current age,

or a very charming madam,

or if, at the very least, Chloe were actually a girl.

If so, I might have pretended to consider it.

But this was a confession from a bearded, middle-aged painter to a gender-bent 8-year-old male?

This was a crazy, otherworldly romance.

‘No, even without my past life’s memories, this is a definite no.’

What do you get if you take away the reincarnation and return from a gender-bent elementary school girl?

Correct!

Just an elementary school girl!

‘Aaargh! He’s a crazy, tyrannical kidnapper!’

I’m sorry, mother!

I promised I’d accept every confession I get from now on, but I don’t think this is it!

Chloe flinched back instinctively.

It was the stance for the anti-proposal kick she had trained back home.

“You’ll be painting for me at that villa.”

“Huh.”

Unfortunately, however,

Chloe’s fatal Whirlwind Leaf Kick did not explode into the unsuspecting Guild Leader’s vitals.

It probably wouldn’t have done much damage anyway.

Chloe was weaker than most kids her age.

“Paintings?”

“It’s not a bad offer, is it? If you work hard, I’ll even give you some spending money. And occasional outings.”

The Guild Leader’s eyes shone with greed.

“Look forward to it. As my disciple, you’ll receive countless commissions from the lords and magnates of Luntraval.”

Lords.

Magnates.

The powerful figures who represented Luntraval.

The meaning of catching their eye was clear.

It meant there was nowhere to run.

‘And with this, the Painter’s Guild will leap even further!’

Onto the international stage that held the world in its grasp.

Literally world-class!

So that he would no longer have to walk on eggshells around old men like that Archmage.

Kekeke.

Kekekeke…!

“‘Wor-cla-cla-class…!!'”

After a burst of laughter, the Guild Leader changed his expression.

To the face of a gentle adult.

“Try to run if you want. If you’re confident you can run faster than a carriage.”

• Whoosh!

Finishing his words, the Guild Leader hopped into the driver’s seat.

He planned to drive the carriage to the villa where he would hide for a while.

He wasn’t worried about Chloe escaping.

And his prediction was correct.

After listening intently to the Guild Leader’s evil plan.

Chloe’s expression had hardened.

‘So, uh, to summarize what I just heard….’

Room and board provided.

Guaranteed time off, including outings.

A salary, which was uncharacteristic for Luntraval.

And finally, networking opportunities with upper-class VIPs?

“Huuuuuu…”

This is, um.

What do you call it.

‘……Could you possibly take me on as an apprentice?’

I’m really confident in my ability to do odd jobs.

Not those atrocious clicked paintings.

The world’s wealthiest family.

In front of the Medallion family bank.

“Haaa, I thought I was going to die….”

Valt, who had abandoned the carriage and fled, was sighing as if the ground would collapse.

It was out of relief from escaping the monster of unknown identity.

The mage in the guise of a young girl.

“Valt. What are you going to do now?”

“What do you mean? We have to try our best to survive.”

Valt glanced at the sign of the Medallion Bank.

A bank.

A financial brokerage business that started in Yaltesance.

It was a recent trend in Luntraval.

Now, there wasn’t a mercenary who didn’t use one.

That was why they were sighing.

“F*ck, easy for you to say. It wouldn’t be strange if an assassin came for us tomorrow.”

“I bet the employees here even know my mother’s home address.”

To know someone’s account was to know their personal details!

Imitating a private investigation agency to track down a customer?

For the banks in Luntraval, it was just another day at the office.

This was Luntraval.

A hardboiled noir world where you couldn’t run a bank without the ability to actually take care of debtors who dared you to do your worst.

There was no paradise for a runaway mercenary.

“You never know. That monster didn’t seem interested in us.”

“You think so?”

“What do you mean, you think so? Even if the Guild Leader gets turned to ash, the lords he greased up will be pissed.”

What if the VIP clients requested they sell our personal information?

The bank would have no reason to refuse.

They would surely find out everything, down to Valt and his friends’ nighttime preferences, and sell it off.

Probably for about one Yurk silver coin per person.

Wow! The price on my head is cheaper than the kidnapping fee!

Tears welled up in Valt’s eyes.

“But if we turn ourselves in to find a new path…”

“If we get caught by the guards, we’ll be mine slaves at a minimum.”

Mine slaves!

What a terrifying punishment, just from the sound of it.

There was a reason mine labor was used as a punishment.

Lung disease from inhaling rock dust was a given.

Deaths from cave-ins were also frequent.

‘Still, these are the only two options.’

Will we believe in hope and choose to flee?

Or will we give up everything and devote the rest of our lives to hopeless labor?

Valt let out a dry laugh.

“Well, this isn’t much of a dilemma.”

“Looks like we’ve all come to the same conclusion?”

“Kehehe. If we die, we die on the same day.”

And so.

Valt and the mercenaries reached an unspoken agreement.

“Hey there, Mr. Guard. We are criminals who just kidnapped a little girl.”

“……Yes?”

“So we came to turn ourselves in. Please arrest us quickly.”

“………………Yes?”

The clean-up crew mercenary group.

Valt and two others.

Arrested on suspicion of child abduction.

What?

Being a mine s*ave is a good way to die in a cave-in accident?

‘Aha! So that means we won’t be tortured to death!’

• Giggle!

Handcuffed and imprisoned, Valt and his friends rejoiced like little children.

“From today, you are crime slaves belonging to the state!”

Aha!

So we’re under the state’s protection!

“When the mine operators come later, you will be dragged to a mine in the remote wilderness! Understand!”

Aha!

So we’re moving to a place where our lives won’t be threatened by monsters!

“What do you think the mine will be like?”

“I hope the guard with the whip is a beauty.”

Beyond the bars, the mercenaries chatted amiably.

For a fallen mercenary group, their camaraderie was strong.

But the heavens were indifferent.

Their peace did not last long.

– S-Sir! You can’t do this!

– What’s troublesome is the promotion of you b@stards who let the city’s security go to sh*t. Get lost!

CRASH-!

Outside the cozy, stool-scented iron bars.

An old man appeared, radiating bloodlust, making even the Yaltesance guard captain flustered.

“Wh-what?!”

“Who the h*ll are you to cause such a ruckus in a judicial facility!”

“My name is none of your d@mn business.”

Aha!

He’s someone we don’t need to know!

Valt felt himself becoming a more positive person.

“I heard the whole story. Though you are criminals, if you know your conscience and turned yourselves in, I cannot easily harm you. However.”

“H-However?”

“If you do not answer my questions now, I will forsake my humanity and make sure you do not leave here alive. Do you understand?”

…Nod, nod!

Valt nodded so hard his head nearly fell off.

“Good. Then answer me.”

The old man in the beret.

Yaltarion brutally unleashed a mana that was close to pure killing intent.

“Where did you drag our Chloe?”

“Yes?”

Drag her?

Us?

‘…Her?’

Valt sincerely wanted to ask.

Do we look like Sword Masters to you?