Chapter 4:
The Lich’s Proposal
-1-
THREE DAYS AFTER defeating Naiarotop, saving Locklore, and meeting the Highest God…we held a celebratory banquet in the largest hall of Veranta’s tower.
It was buffet-style, with people milling around tables filled with luxurious food and drink.
The attendees weren’t just the people involved in the battle against Naiarotop. There were also all the people who’d apparently laid the groundwork for the battle, or helped go around the world recovering the pawns, making it a huge party with close to a thousand people. The majority were merchants who did business with the Sopia Trading Company, mercenaries who worked for them, and all the people who controlled Locklore from the shadows.
The Dragon King Ridler was there, and even Cardinal Wardell. I wondered what connections brought them here. I was also surprised to see Garnet, the head of the guild in Manaloch.
…Why was the guild leader from one city here? I’d always suspected he was more than he seemed, so maybe there was another side to him I’d never seen.
I didn’t see why we needed to rush to pull all these people together, it had only been a few days since the world had faced incredible danger, but…Veranta insisted we couldn’t miss out on this opportunity to hold a celebration because we had to explain the situation to the people who secretly ran the world. And we had to do so before rumors got started, so we could forge the relationships we needed in order to build a new, peaceful Locklore.
There were so many people who’d come from all corners of the world. Veranta apparently went personally to pick up any of the people who didn’t already have methods of teleportation at their disposal. He really put a lot of work into the event.
He was right that, although we brought Locklore out of the higher beings’ shadows, this was still a world where a person’s level meant everything. A party celebrating peace won for the world was an indispensable moment to draw the world’s leaders together in one place and build relationships.
“Kanataaaa!” Pomera cheered. “There is soooo much wine! Lemme pour ya a drink!”
“I don’t really like drinking…” I said.
Pomera hauled a cask over to me, her face bright red from the wine. I thought she’d quit drinking… Oh well, I guess it was fine this one time. If she couldn’t drink today of all days, she’d never drink again.
“Pomera’s face is so red and cute!” said Philia, giggling and bouncing beside her.
I was hanging around the edge of the banquet hall, along with Pomera, Philia, Lunaère, and Noble. We didn’t exactly look like we were the MVPs of the victory, but I didn’t really like having a huge fuss made over me anyway, so I asked Veranta not to talk too much about me.
Besides, I would’ve felt awkward being approached by world leaders and having to watch what I said. Right in my line of sight was Kotone, surrounded by nobles and merchants, a sullen look on her face. She wasn’t very good with attention either.
Rosemonde was quickly brushing people away, but there were a lot of people here who wanted a chance to talk to a level 1000 savior of the world. Her glower turned more severe with every person who crowded around her. Ramiel was holding her stomach as she heaved with laughter and watched it.
Nearby Rosemonde was Mel…for some reason. She was the artificer we met in Ploroque, the city of merchants. It sounded like Isabella, the provisionary ruler of Ploroque, was invited and she had brought Mel as her guest. Isabella had carefully manipulated the cash flow of Grede & Co., meaning she now owned the vast majority of the shares previously held by Grede, the Lord of Merchants. She was probably one of the three richest people on the continent. I imagined she was invited because of the influence that gave her, as well as for her trading skills.
“All this drink is weak! Yamato sake used to be much stronger!” cried Nobunaga. He was at the center of the party, gulping wine from a cask, his drinking interspersed with bursts of laughter. Should he really be here around…normal people? Well, he’d kept himself hidden before because the gods demanded it, but it probably didn’t matter so much now. I’d heard he was pretty dangerous, but I didn’t have a feel for his personality since Lunaère beat him before I could find his magic sword’s weakness and fight him myself. But now, he kind of just looked like a jovial, middle-aged man.
Then I noticed Nobunaga was glaring at me with wide eyes. He looked like he couldn’t even believe what he was seeing.
Did I…insult him somehow? But when I checked where he was really looking, I saw his eyes were glued on Pomera, not me. And Pomera was looking back.
“A rival!” she said as she gripped her wine tankard tightly.
“…Please don’t compete with each other,” I said with a sigh.
I looked toward the front of the hall. Veranta was taking his position on a lavish stage.
“Let me express my gratitude to all of you, for taking the time to come from all corners of the world today,” he said. “I believe everyone gathered here is aware that from the moment of Locklore’s creation, ten thousand years ago, it has been under the control of powerful beings. However, only a few days ago, the team of heroes gathered around me battled against the gods and freed Locklore at long last!