Chapter 116
Salt is God and Invincible – Part 1
『 Translator – Divinity 』
What happened to me can be summarized in three lines:
1. I died instead of Ruth.
2. But I came back to life(?).
3. As soon as I regained consciousness, I almost died again because of the Headmistress and Ruth.
No, seriously, they were unleashing Sword Qi and Aura. Don’t they care about the Rank 1 caught in the middle? You dirty high-rankers.
Fortunately, they changed their expressions and helped me up to the surface as soon as I tried to say something, but…
“Please be gentle with the Finance Director’s arm, Headmistress. He’s in pain because of your grip.”
“Student Ruth, aren’t you the one who can’t control her strength now that she’s Rank 7? The Finance Director looks like he’s struggling.”
Both of you, let go, it hurts. I can walk on my own.
But since my left arm was being held by Ruth and my right arm by the Headmistress, well…
I didn’t say it out loud, considering that they could accidentally turn me into A/dam with just a little bit of force. I just endured and fully experienced the grip strength of the two high-rankers.
Anyway, after returning to the surface, I was deeply moved by the sunlight. Perhaps due to safety concerns, there was no one near the collapsed tunnel entrance.
Returning to the lord’s castle was the priority, but…
There was something I had to confirm first.
“Student Ruth, do you happen to know what exactly happened to me?”
“………”
“It’s just the three of us here. We have to talk here since we’re the only ones who share the academy’s secrets.”
Fortunately, I was fine, just covered in blood, and with Ruth and the Headmistress here, my safety was secured long ago.
It would be good to know exactly what happened before returning to the lord’s castle.
While Ruth remained silent at my words, the Headmistress glared at the surroundings.
“That annoying guy is gone.”
“Huh?”
“The Surveyor. There’s this annoying guy I see every now and then. He doesn’t mean to, but he has that power, so… tsk. It seems like that auditor is also gone.”
The Surveyor? Was it that Rank 8 from the Empire I knew?
Why was he in a territory like this? And this was the kingdom?
No, I could ask about that later; Ruth’s words were the priority.
‘I remember being pierced through the heart.’
I couldn’t forget that damn pain even if I wanted to. I could clearly feel it. That I was going to die here.
But why was I fine?
“…Someone advised me. That there’s a better time to reveal everything. That now is not the time.”
“What?”
“I couldn’t answer then, but now I want to answer like this. Fuck off.”
Ruth’s eyes were quietly burning. Her usually half-dead eyes now held a spark of life.
And her gaze was fixed on my chest, where a hole had been pierced through, not just my clothes.
“It was a fragment of the sacred relic that dragged us into the mine and attacked us with the salt.”
“The sacred relic? The one in the Holy Kingdom?”
“I don’t know why, but the sacred relic wasn’t complete. A fragment, about a third of its original size, targeted me and the Finance Director. And the reason is…”
Ruth hesitated for a moment, then said,
“Because I have Dark Sword, and the Finance Director has the Scabbard of Dark Sword.”
“…What?”
No, but…
What did she just say?
I knew about the scabbard. I didn’t know how it happened, but the Headmistress and I had confirmed it.
But what about Dark Sword?
Ruth’s confession seemed to shock even the Headmistress, who quietly stepped in front of me. She seemed ready to protect me in case of emergency.
“Isn’t Dark Sword the sacred treasure of the Wish Cult?”
“That’s right. But it’s currently in my possession.”
Woong.
What Ruth showed her was the old sword she always carried. She made a cut on her fingertip and smeared the blood on the sword, and then the sword’s appearance slowly changed.
From an old, chipped sword, it transformed into a jet-black, otherworldly form, with a new hilt, crossguard, and blade.
This was Dark Sword?
“W-well, it does look like it… but…”
“If this is truly Dark Sword, it should exude a much more ominous aura than the one I felt from the Paladin Captain of the Wish Cult.”
“You’re right, Headmistress. Dark Sword emits a much more intense aura. It did until recently.”
“Until recently?”
“…Until I destroyed the fragment of the sacred relic, and its light was absorbed into the Finance Director’s scabbard.”
Huh?
Did I just hear too much information?
“You… destroyed the sacred relic? Isn’t that an artifact on a conceptual level?”
“It’s the same for Dark Sword. I had no choice; the sacred relic was trying to kill us with the salt.”
“No, I’m not blaming you. I’m only grateful to you, Student Ruth.”
But if that was true, then what was in the Holy Kingdom was also just a fragment of the sacred relic, and they would be secretly searching for it…
This couldn’t be allowed to reach the Holy Kingdom. Even though their power had significantly diminished due to the Mountain King, the Holy Kingdom was still a nation.
But more importantly,
“You’re saying the light from the sacred relic was absorbed into the scabbard, into my heart?”
“Yes. I saw it with my own eyes.”
“…I don’t feel anything, though.”
“The restorative power of the scabbard barely kept you alive, Finance Director, and then the power of the sacred relic was added. Thanks to that… your pierced heart regenerated.”
Just hearing those words was amazing. So you’re saying that the Scabbard of Dark Sword and the power of the sacred relic, albeit a fragment, were inside my body?
‘Can I get my hopes up?’
Honestly, this was a level of opportunity that even the protagonist of a typical novel would be envious of. I couldn’t use the scabbard’s ability because I was Rank 1 and had no mana, but with the light of the sacred relic, it might be possible.
I looked at Ruth and the Headmistress alternately, hoping that I could finally escape this dreadful Rank 1 status, and they both looked back at me with certain expressions.
“I can’t sense any aura within your body, Finance Director. Perhaps your magical talent has blossomed.”
“Finance Director, is your heart alright?”
“There’s no problem at all.”
“Then try to circulate your power slowly, focusing on your heart. With the power of the sacred relic added to the scabbard, there will definitely be a reaction.”
My heart was pounding. And it wasn’t a metaphor.
I usually didn’t even notice my heartbeat, but as I closed my eyes and focused on my heart, I could slowly hear it beating.
And the ‘something’ inside it.
‘That’s it!’
However, sensing it and drawing it out of my heart were two different things. It was an incredibly difficult task. I didn’t know if Ruth and the Headmistress always did this, or if it was because I was a Rank 1 and this was my first time, but my body was drenched in sweat during that short period of concentration.
I frowned and gritted my teeth, and I was finally able to slowly extract the something from within my heart.
“That’s it! Finance Director, I knew you were a genius!”
“Finance Director, now you need to guide it to your palm. Slowly, slowly.”
“…Wait a minute.”
“It’s basic assistance in guiding your power. The Headmistress’s aura is too powerful, but I can control mine since I’m only Rank 7.”
“………”
Be quiet, you two. I’m about to use supernatural powers for the first time in five years since being transported into this game world!
It was truly moving. The days of being ignored and suffering because I was a Rank 1, hiding behind a young girl, were finally over.
Now I would be reborn as a genius mage with two artifacts! Or a genius swordsman or martial artist!
Following the guidance of Ruth’s hand, I finally managed to circulate the power fully, and…
From my fingertips…
Rustle.
“S-salt?”
“Salt?”
“…It’s salt.”
A very small amount of salt trickled out.
…Is this it? There’s no magic or supernatural power or anything?
“The Scabbard of Dark Sword and even the sacred relic are combined, and this is…”
“It means the Finance Director’s talent is so great that even those two can’t awaken it! It’s not because he’s completely talentless! Anyway!”
“…Please wait a moment.”
“What?”
“Huh?”
I was disappointed at first, but then I realized, this was salt.
Salt. Salt that I created with my own power, out of thin air.
…Huh?
***
This is fucked. No matter how I think about it, it is.
Anton Beryl closed his eyes at the conclusion he reached after careful consideration.
He was currently lying in bed in the lord’s castle, pretending to be unconscious. Thanks to that, Auditor Marcus Rutel was in charge of the situation and sharing the responsibility according to Kingdom Law, but…
That didn’t mean Anton’s responsibility disappeared.
‘Why did the tremor have to happen then…!!’
He already knew about the rock salt mine collapsing due to the tremor. That’s why he had been so thorough when buying the mine from Viscount David.
He hired Rank 5 or higher mages to set up defensive magic that could withstand earthquakes, prepared all sorts of sturdy construction equipment, and checked the ground stability countless times.
There hadn’t been even a small tremor, let alone an earthquake, but…
Why, why did this have to happen when Finance Director Adam Keynes visited the site?
No, it would have been fine even if this happened. If they brought up safety concerns, he could just renegotiate the terms.
But he hadn’t anticipated the Finance Director and the youngest Rank 6 student falling into the mine.
‘After the Surveyor, even the Headmistress came in person…’
It was surprising that the Surveyor, who was said to be visiting the royal family, came, but the bigger problem was that the Headmistress herself came to the Beryl territory.
Had there ever been a monarch who personally traveled a long distance because one of their subjects was in danger? There were only two possibilities for such a thing to happen.
Either that subject was indispensable to the monarch,
Or they were deeply loved by the monarch.
And the Finance Director, no matter how he thought about it, was someone who satisfied both conditions.
‘It’s quiet for now, but…’
What if something happened to the Finance Director? What if the Headmistress was enraged because of it?
With the Delphia Kingdom on the verge of civil war and the royal family trying to deploy troops with the Headmistress as their backing…
There was no way the royal family would interfere with the ‘trivial’ matter of the enraged Headmistress destroying the Beryl family and killing Count Anton. After all, they were a family already abandoned by King Akendelminos.
How did things end up like this?
‘Was it because of my excessive greed?’
Frankly, whether it was 100-year installments or 30-year installments, it was excessive considering the profit they could gain from the rock salt mine. But Anton thought it was necessary.
This was the last chance to revive his failing territory. Was it wrong to desire greater profit, a greater outcome?
Anton chuckled at the thought that his choice could lead to the destruction of the Beryl family and his own death.
And then the bedroom door opened.
“Count Anton, I’m relieved to see you safe.”
“…!! Finance Director!! Do you know how worried I was about you!? Are you, are you alright?”
“Please lie down, you must be in pain. As you can see, I’m fine. Thankfully, I was rescued without a scratch thanks to the Headmistress’s help. Student Ruth as well.”
“Truly… truly a relief.”
Anton breathed a sigh of relief, having gone through hell and back in an instant. Fortunately, the Finance Director and the youngest Rank 6 were safe, and from his voice, it didn’t seem like he resented him.
Anton, feeling grateful to the gods for the first time, then hurriedly asked Finance Director Adam Keynes,
“H-how is the Headmistress? Is she very angry…?”
“Honestly, she was, but this was a natural disaster that couldn’t be helped by the Beryl family. I’m fine, and I persuaded the Headmistress.”
“Oh! Thank you, thank you so much!”
Anton, forgetting his earlier negotiating demeanor, expressed his gratitude with tears in his eyes and repeatedly bowed. He couldn’t help but be grateful after escaping the crisis that almost destroyed his entire family.
However, unlike Anton, the Finance Director let out a small sigh.
“But… it seems like the investment will have to be canceled. The Headmistress ordered me to withdraw immediately.”
“That’s a shame, but it can’t be helped. Don’t worry about it.”
It was a shame that the investment from Grandis Academy and the Headmistress, which had been achieved after a week-long chicken race, fell through, but there were other investors.
If things went well, it was clear that the royal family would invest in the rock salt mine, so there wouldn’t be any problems with funding.
This was a mine with an overwhelming output, as if there was something producing salt endlessly underground. There wouldn’t be any setbacks just because one major investor disappeared.
But it would also be a problem if he just let them go like this.
“Moreover, even if you don’t invest, I’ll give you a small share of the salt from the rock salt mine.”
“Excuse me? But that…”
“Consider it my apology, compensation for damages. It won’t be a large amount, but it will be enough for the academy. I’ll supply that amount annually.”
There was also the saying that a crisis could be turned into an opportunity. If he offered free salt, which wasn’t a significant loss, as an apology for this incident, the Headmistress and the Finance Director would see the Beryl family differently.
And if he could appease the Mad Dragon, the Human Slaughterer, even a little, Anton was willing to give even more.
But surprisingly, the Finance Director shook his head.
“The reconstruction project has been significantly delayed due to the tremor. I’ll accept your goodwill, Count, but please use it for the reconstruction of the territory.”
“Finance Director…?”
“I won’t take no for an answer. I apologize, but I’ll be taking my leave now.”
The Finance Director immediately rose from his seat.
Anton, who had tried to take advantage of such an honest and upright person with a deal bordering on fraud, lowered his head in shame, and because of that, he didn’t see…
…the truly wicked and triumphant smile on Finance Director Adam Keynes’s face.