{Chapter 51} Getting Scammed
Having witnessed the two of them bickering the moment they met, Anna finally got her turn to talk about serious matters after they both quieted down.
Since Atala had believed her in the simulation without any proof, there shouldn’t be any issues in reality either, right?
With that in mind, Anna took a moment to prepare herself before speaking.
"Atala, you're a mercenary, right?"
Helga, who had no idea about this in reality, and Louise, who hadn’t experienced the infiltration of the branch president’s mansion, were both shocked by Anna’s words.
Atala’s eyes flickered with an unreadable light.
"Anna, did you know from the very beginning that I was a mercenary?"
"Huh?" Helga looked at Atala in disbelief.
"Atala, how could you be a mercenary?"
"Please, let me finish first..."
Anna briefly explained the contents of the letter from the branch president.
Atala, who had been wary just a moment ago, now looked completely dumbfounded.
"…Anna, are you serious?"
"Of course, I am. Besides, the underground black market’s dealings with illicit elf trade are something most people are already aware of."
Though she had to admit, just a few days ago, she hadn’t been part of that "most people."
"Elf trade!?" Atala clenched her fists at the mention of it.
"Anna, you don’t need to say more! Since you’re my friends now, I won’t harm you!"
"If that’s the case, then that’s the best outcome…"
Anna suddenly got the feeling that Atala might be unexpectedly easy to fool.
She had only said a few words, and Atala had already believed her completely…
After ordering another drink from the barmaid, Anna asked:
"So, how much would you get paid for the black market contract to assassinate me?"
"Ten thousand gold coins."
"…Ten thousand?"
"Wow, I didn’t expect you to be worth so much, Anna!" Helga was surprised to hear that an assassination contract on Anna was worth ten thousand gold coins.
"You’re just an F-rank knight, and yet you're worth that much?"
"…I’m surprised myself…"
If Anna had heard this before experiencing the simulation, she might have been genuinely shocked.
But after running through so many simulations, she was now just baffled by the low price.
Was Atala getting scammed?
She had heard that the black market often had these kinds of shady dealings, assassination contracts being passed down layer by layer, with the final mercenary only receiving a fraction of the original bounty.
A million gold reduced to ten thousand… That was even more ruthless than that bastard Philsey.
"So, what does your client look like? And what are the next steps?"
Just as the simulation had indicated, the client was clad in armor and a black robe, making it impossible to see their face.
The next steps involved escalating the monster attacks even further in the coming days.
"I see..."
Having heard this response many times in the simulation, Anna was already very familiar with it.
Resting her chin on her hand in thought for a moment, she said, "Tomorrow. Tomorrow, I’ll make the arrangements."
"…Anna, have you not figured out what to do yet? Since we don’t know the enemy’s full situation, why don’t we turn the tables on them…"
"I know." Anna interrupted Helga.
"It’s just that… I’ve already tracked down the most crucial lead. If Louise can provide results by tomorrow, we might be able to strike first and capture the mastermind directly."
"If you say so, then we’ll wait," Helga said, hearing the confidence in Anna’s voice. She then turned to look at Louise.
"Then… the rest is up to you, Lady Latimir."
"You don’t need to tell me that," Louise snorted, standing up from her seat. "I’m leaving first."
"Lady Louise doesn’t seem very approachable..." Atala watched Louise’s retreating figure, a bit unsure of what to say.
"No, no, it’s just that the Latimir family isn’t very approachable to people like us." Helga nudged Anna lightly.
"But when she’s with Anna, she’s as tame as a little kitten—"
"I can still hear you!" Louise turned around to glare at Helga before storming out of the Adventurers' Guild in a huff.
"…Why do you always provoke Louise?" Anna asked with a wry smile.
"Maybe we just don’t get along?" Helga downed the rest of her drink.
"Her personality just rubs me the wrong way."
As she said that, Helga suddenly leaned in close to Anna, so close that there were only four or five centimeters between them.
"Besides… she’s trying to steal you from me."
Anna could clearly feel Helga’s breath, carrying a faint scent of alcohol, and her mesmerizing grayish eyes locked onto her.
Anna's heart couldn’t help but beat a little faster.
"But well, with her personality, she’ll probably lose soon enough."
Helga suddenly pulled back, casually picking up her empty glass before raising an eyebrow.
"Wait, when did I finish my drink?"
"…Seriously, Atala is still right here."
The moment Helga moved away, Anna finally managed to calm her nerves, letting out a small sigh while complaining.
"No, no, you two can totally continue."
Atala shook her head repeatedly, looking like she was enjoying the show.
"Now that you’ve said that, I feel even more embarrassed."
Just then, the barmaid, looking quite flustered, brought over several more drinks and placed them on the table.
Anna thought back to what Helga had just said.
‘But Louise is already way ahead of you in terms of progress, you know?’
Anna, having already accepted that she was probably going to end up walking the path of juggling two relationships, found herself responding to Helga’s antics more naturally.
"Well then… I should go do what I need to do now."
With that, Anna downed the drink in front of her with a carefree smile.
"Alright. No matter when you need me, just say the word, and I’ll be there."
Helga reaffirmed the stance she had declared earlier in the morning, then continued drinking on her own.
"And Atala, you…"
"I’ll stay with Helga. She’s had quite a lot to drink, and I feel like she might get drunk."
"I grew up drinking, how could I possibly get drunk?"
Leaving the Adventurers' Guild with a wry smile, Anna stretched lazily, only to suddenly feel a slight dizziness in her head.
"Crap… I was trying so hard to act unfazed earlier that I ended up drinking too much…"
What investigation? The simulator was still on cooldown, and she didn’t have a clear direction for her next steps anyway.
Might as well head home and get some rest.