Recently in the capital, a new sweet treat called "chocolat" has been gaining popularity.
Apparently, it’s made from something called "cacao," a plant extracted from a southern country.
Romeo, Tybalt, and Mercutio are childhood friends, each a second or third son from poor farming families who couldn’t inherit their family estates.
So, they all set out on an adventure to make a living, leaving their hometown a year ago.
With limited funds, they could only take on small jobs, but they worked diligently.
Then, they got a job from a party of adventurers who were a rank higher than them—this was a request to hunt monsters together.
The adventurers had good weapons and armor, and the trio thought that the guild had arranged for them to act as assistants for the higher-ranked adventurers. After all, it was a monster hunt.
Once the job was completed, the adventurers offered them a deal.
They claimed that their funds were low, and they would give all the payment to the three friends in exchange for the "cacao" they had. "Cacao" is said to be valuable, and the guild would buy it for nearly the same price as the job’s reward.
The trio, having a bit of cash on hand, agreed to the deal.
The deciding factor was that the leader of the adventurers assured them, “In the capital, it’s worth about the same price, but in the countryside, they’ll pay double. I’ll teach you this because you’ve helped us.”
However...
"They ended up being handed a bunch of cockroach eggs instead of cacao."
Sitting in the guild's reception room, Laurent scratched his head as he heard the three men’s tale while they ate.
After hearing their story, he had them hurry back to the city. Now, they were here in front of him.
Looking up to the heavens, Laurent sighed.
The trio hung their heads, their faces bitter.
It made sense. Although they were victims of fraud, they had almost become perpetrators themselves.
Cockroaches are known for their rapid reproduction.
When you see one, there are likely thirty nearby.
Luckily, our overpowered group passed by, and we exterminated the creatures quickly. If we hadn’t, and no one else had come by, those three could have become food for a massive monster outbreak.
These monsters would have overwhelmed a group of beginner adventurers, and even if they had survived, they would have caused massive damage.
Sitting in the tension of the moment, Kanade suddenly raised his hand, face full of curiosity.
"Why did they go into the dungeon holding onto something they were told would make them money?"
"Well, that’s…"
Now that he mentioned it, it was odd.
The trio was hiding something.
Everyone in the room turned their gaze on them.
Unable to handle the pressure, Tybalt finally spoke up.
“Sometimes, the cacao has weak insect-type monsters attached to it, and they might drop magic stones. If we handed the cacao over to the guild without cleaning it first, we could lose out on the money from the magic stones…”
"So, you almost got yourselves killed because of greed?" Laurent’s blunt remark made the three lower their heads in shame.
As they sniffled, everyone’s expressions became strained.
It’s easy to sympathize with them for being deceived. But, by letting greed get the better of them, they almost triggered a monster outbreak, which is unforgivable.
Of course, they weren’t the only ones at fault. The fraudsters who tricked them were also responsible.
Laurent continued, “So, what should we do with them?”
“Hm? What do you mean?”
“I mean, these guys nearly triggered a massive monster outbreak. If it had happened, even if they had died, others would have been caught up in it. At worst, it could have led to widespread damage throughout Kikunoi. Preventing it was just a stroke of luck. What they did was serious. As the lord, I have every right to punish them.”
“Punish them… like, make them write an apology?”
“No, no. Worst case scenario, it’s still punishment.”
With a hand gesture that made it look like he was about to decapitate them, Laurent shocked the trio.
“No, no, no!? You’d do that to them before it even happens!?”
“Yes, that’s what they’ve done. They’ve caused an outbreak, even though it wasn’t intentional.”
“Exactly. If we hadn’t passed by today, how many lives would have been lost? This is no small crime.”
As I jerked in shock, both Laurent and Romanov wore stern faces, and I realized they were right. If the outbreak had happened, many people could have been hurt or even killed. As the lord, I could never forgive that. But… it didn’t happen. It didn’t happen, so does that mean I can take their lives because of it?
At the core of it, they were just starving, struggling villagers.
Does that mean the people of Kikunoi could have been the ones who triggered a catastrophe too?
What should I do?
I didn’t know what the right answer was. I just knew I didn’t want them to die.
As I was caught in a whirlwind of indecision, the trio started crying out.
“Of course, people like us, poor folk, we’re the ones who always suffer…”
“Why is it just us…?”
“Damn it… we’re just bugs after all…”
I get it. I understand their frustration at the deception.
They put in a lot of effort, but greed ultimately triumphed over them.While I struggled to make a decision, the trio began to voice their distress.
“Damn it! If you’re going to kill us, then just kill us already!”
“You think that, huh!? Well, go ahead, make us die!”
“You all probably think we’re the ones at fault, right!?”
...I understand that, but don't you have any apologies for causing trouble to strangers without reason?
I felt something snapped inside me.
"Shut up! Here I am, trying to figure out how to avoid killing you, and you keep talking like that! If you want to die so badly, should I make sure you meet a fate where death is certain!?"
Furious, I cast an illusion over the tablecloth between the three of them and me.
The projected image showed the three of them being attacked by giant cockroaches, with no one coming to their rescue.
The bugs tore into their flesh with their mandibles, shattered their bones, and sucked out their eyeballs. It seemed like they were being devoured alive, and soon, the cockroaches started to multiply. As they grew in number, they swarmed together and attacked Kikunoi, devouring an innocent bystander.
“Hiiiii!? S-stop it! Please, I didn’t mean to—!”
“Stop! I’m sorry! I didn’t know it would turn out like this!”
The three of them shivered uncontrollably, their eyes wide with fear, while Kanade and Regulus, too, looked tearful.
The adults, although still pale, were more composed, with only Viktor-sensei and Lara-sensei turning their heads to avoid the scene.
Only Genzo-san, Romanov-sensei, and Laurent-san remained unfazed, their faces grim.
“...That’s harsh.”
“You’ve got a ruthless side, huh, Ageha-kun? Is this a sign of the tyrant in you?”
“Ah, just like your grandmother, Kiyose-sama. This trait is inherited."
They said something that made my ears ring, but now wasn’t the time to dwell on that.
I focused on the trio, who were still crying.
“What will happen to them?” I asked, hoping to give them a chance.
They raised their heads.
Their eyes now had a clear sense of guilt.
I’d use that to my advantage.
I took a deep breath and spoke in a heavy tone, “Do you understand the situation you’re in?”
“Yes…”
“Do you truly regret what you did?”
“I’m so sorry…”
I nodded and cleared my throat before turning to the three elves.
“Viktor-sensei, Lara-sensei, and Romanov-sensei, do you think they have potential?”
“Well... Indeed, with proper nutrition and basic martial arts training, they have the potential to improve their situation.
“They probably won’t become mages, but they can definitely learn basic magic.”
“On the whole, in about three months, they’ll be decent adventurers.”
“Got it,” I said.
The elves shrugged as if they understood my intent. The three adventurers blinked in confusion.
“You three will train under the teachers for three months. Yes, since you’ve already died once, you can learn anything, right?”
I smiled widely.
They all flinched, and I thought I saw fear in their eyes, but I didn’t notice anything else.
*********
EUN: Angry mode Ageha-kun~ seriously though what kind of person is Ageha's grandmother...her reputation for tyranny coming from Genzo-san himself!!
I get where they are coming from but I guess this is what happens when people lack education? or like a certain level of comprehension of their surroundings or the possible consequences of their choices. It IS easier to blame others for ones mistake after all. Sigggh....let's us all hope we won't become that sort of adult or person.
This suddenly turned my reflection mode on😅
THANKS FOR READING~
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