ALL NOVEL Chapter 48: Temptation
The night was young and the people in the town were still merrily enjoying their daily lives. Some were packing their stores while other establishments only just started their days. Yet in this lovely night, there was one person whose expression couldn't be described in a single word.
"Argas? Yes, I do know of him. Why are you asking?" ［Fritz］
A puzzled and tired expression was plastered on Fritz's face as he answered Grey and Yuna's inquiry. He hasn't even had a proper rest yet from his work and the first thing which Grey greeted him was a question.
It was already dinner time yet Fritz was still in his office, working out the documents and paperwork of the Labyrinth's opening. He was just as busy, if not even busier, as the Adventurers' Guild Guildmaster.
"Well, we just received a letter from him inviting us over for tea. I wanted to ask you if he's someone who could be trusted." ［Grey］
"Hmm... Well, he's a very famous and influential person here in Moterno. He helps out the orphanage, sponsors children who cannot pay for school, and helps out those who are in debt. Overall, he's deemed as a good person by the populace. I've also met him quite a few times and I could definitely say he's a good person." ［Fritz］
"Isn't that just a facade or something?" ［Grey］
"I thought of that too so I had him investigated, but after I investigated him multiple times, I can confidently say that he really is a good person. Also, he is quite known for inviting people that interest him over for tea." ［Fritz］
"I see..." ［Grey］
Grey initially had doubts after receiving a letter out of the blue, but after hearing Fritz's words, those clouds of doubts in his heart have started to fade away. After all, that person has the lord's trust.
"If that's all, could you head outside, Grey? I'm not trying to be rude or anything, but as you can see, I still have a lot of paperwork to finish for the Labyrinth's opening. These documents won't finish themselves, you know?" ［Fritz］
"Ah... Sorry about that." ［Grey］
"Don't fret too much about it. If you have any questions, you could ask Sebas. He is just as knowledgeable as I am." ［Fritz］
"Got it. Thanks for the help." ［Grey］
As Grey closed the doors, Fritz was left alone in his office with a mountain of paperwork. All of which were needed to be thoroughly reviewed and signed by him.
Seeing Fritz's exhausted and fatigued expression, Grey finally realized how much workload a lord has. If someone were to offer him a kingdom, he would decline it right at that moment. He didn't want to deal with such tedious work.
Grey had already dealt with enough paperwork when he was a salaryman. He didn't want to experience such a tiring life once again. Rather, he wanted to enjoy his life as freely as one could.
Donggggg Donggggg Donggggg
As a new afternoon arrived, the ringing of the town bell has once again resounded throughout the lively town. It was already the third bell and with it came the time for people to have lunch.
With a meeting with Argas in mind, Grey, Yuna, and Eliza didn't take any quests in the guild and just went ahead and enjoyed the day like normal people would. They just had a hearty lunch where everybody was wearing a cheerful expression.
"Are you sure you won't be coming with me, Yuna?" ［Grey］
"Un. I don't really want to meet with strangers and if I go, who would take care of Liz. I'd rather just play with her." ［Yuna］
Yuna answered calmly as she responded to Grey's question. Beside her was Eliza who was still eating the dessert Grey and Yuna had made beforehand, and the maid they saved before, Rosa, who was attending to Eliza.
After getting Fritz's opinion the day before, Yuna suddenly declared that she won't be going and will just stay with Eliza in the mansion. Grey was a little surprised by her decision but didn't question it any further.
While Grey could have suggested that they bring along Eliza, there was a certain shine in Yuna's eyes which seemed like she really wanted to stay behind. Eliza was also wearing the same shine in her eyes which made it hard for Grey to refuse.
"Alright, then I'll be going now." ［Grey］
"Un. Make sure to take care of yourself." ［Yuna］
"See you later, Elder Brother Grey～!" ［Eliza］
"Yeah. See you later." ［Grey］
Grey turned around as he waved his hands towards Yuna and Eliza. Soon enough, the back of his figure vanished into the horizon as he steadily walked towards the designated meeting place.
Yuna's eyes lingered in his direction as she slowly saw him disappear. There was a slight loneliness in her eyes as she looked at his figure.
"Alright, Lady Yuna. Now that Lord Grey is gone, should we start with your training now?" ［Rosa］
"Ah, oh, yes. I'll be in your care." ［Yuna］
"Yaay～ Let's make Elder Sister Yuna prettier!" ［Eliza］
Eliza raised her hands with a cheerful expression about on her face. Rosa who was beside her was also brimming with enthusiasm as she looked at the beauty in front of her which was Yuna.
The real reason Yuna stayed behind was because of what happened the day before. While Grey was talking with Fritz, Yuna accidentally asked about what the maids were doing as some of them wore makeup.
Hearing her words, the maids were greatly shocked as to how a beautiful maiden had no knowledge about makeup. They expected her to have worn some make up, but as it turned out, all she had was her natural beauty.
As she was raised in a forest, she barely had any knowledge about makeup. To make things worse, the time she spent with the forest was with Grey, a person who also had little knowledge about it.
Before she knew it, she already made a promise to the maids to learn makeup from them. After all, she also wanted to become even more beautiful in the eyes of the man she loves.
This day will become a memory which Yuna will never forget as it is the day she suffered from the hands of excited maids as if she was like a doll, but that's a story for another day
Meanwhile, Grey has walked quite a distance from the mansion, and was already in the vicinity of the Merchants' Guild, whose building was even gaudier and grandiose than the Adventurers' Guild.
Just like what the letter had said, there was a carriage waiting in front of the huild's building. And amongst the dozens of carriages parked there, it stood out like a sore thumb.
The only reason that Grey recognized it was because the crest engraved on its doors and the crest embedded in the letter were the same. It would only take one glance to figure out that the owner of it was a wealthy one.
"Excuse me, is this the carriage of Mister Argas?" ［Grey］
Grey asked the coachman who was waiting patiently in the driver's seat. Just a single glance at his face, one could easily tell he was bored as he waited.
"Ah, yes, and who might you be?" ［Coachman］
"I'm Grey from the B-rank party "Aster". Mister Argas sent us an invitation letter yesterday. I'm here to take him up on his offer." ［Grey］
While Grey introduced himself, he also showed the letter along with his guild card to the coachman to prove his identity. And when the latter saw it, he had the same reaction as everyone else before him.
"Pardon my rudeness, Your Excellency! I have not been informed that you were a young man." ［Coachman］
"It's fine. More importantly, this is the carriage which had been mentioned in the letter, is it?" ［Grey］
"Yes it is, but... I don't see Her Excellency around. I have been informed that there will be two of you whom I will be escorting." ［Coachman］
"Well, she isn't feeling well so I'll be going alone. I hope you understand." ［Grey］
That was a lie.
Just as how lively she was in the morning, Yuna, was in fact, feeling well. Grey only said it to not damage the pride of the inviter, Argas.
Grey knew full well that some people get their pride hurt when their invitations get turned down. While Grey had heard how amazing of a person Argas was from Fritz, being a little careful wouldn't hurt.
"Then, should we get going now?" ［Grey］
"Ah, yes. As you command, Your Excellency." ［Coachman］
Without any warning, the coachman suddenly went down the driver's seat and hurriedly opened up the door for Grey. He was trying his best not to be rude to the young man before him.
"Please..." ［Coachman］
"Ah, yeah... Thank you." ［Grey］
To the coachman's actions, Grey could only smile wryly. While it was uncomfortable, he knew the coachman was only doing his job. Additionally, it was also tiring to correct people each and every time.
Twenty-odd minutes after they departed, the carriage finally stopped. If one peeks outside the window, they would see a large multi-story building. It was easy to guess that it was Argas' store.
"Your Excellency..." ［Coachman］
Just like when they were about to depart, the coachman once again opened up the carriage's door for Grey. He was just as polite as before.
"Ah, thank you." ［Grey］
"It's my pleasure, Your Excellency... Then, without further ado, I'll have the honor to guide you inside." ［Coachman］
The coachman then escorted Grey to Argas' room, and unsurprisingly, it was located at the topmost story of the building. Unluckily, unlike the Iblis' hideout, there weren't any elevators so they had to take the stairs.
Grey also noticed while going up the stairs that the products displayed in Argas' store were mostly appliances. There were refrigerators, coolers, stoves, and many more. All of which were powered by mana.
Knock Knock Knock
"Master Argas, His Excellency, Count Grey has arrived." ［Coachman］
Along with his voice, the classic triple knock echoed in the hall as the coachman hit the door with the back of his fingers. They have finally arrived in the destined room.
"Well then, I'll be taking my leave, Your Excellency." ［Coachman］
"Sure." ［Grey］
With his task finished, the coachman then left Grey alone and headed downstairs. Soon enough, a slender, well-built, middle-aged man opened the door, greeting Grey at the same time.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Your Excellency, Count Grey, I am called Argas, I welcome yoー"
The man was about to introduce himself, but the moment he saw Grey's eyes, he immediately halted as if he had noticed something peculiar.
"Is there something on my face, Your Excellency?"
"Ah, no. I was just taken aback by the portrait behind you. It's beautiful." ［Grey］
Grey responded as his eyes gazed at the direction behind the man. There was a beautiful painting tucked in the walls which clearly looked expensive. It looked more valuable than gold.
"Oh, that one, I see that you have a good eye, Your Excellency. That painting is something I bought from a master artisan in the kingdom of Graystone. The moment I laid my eyes on it, I was drawn in by its poetic message. Who could resist buying such an incredible masterpiece."
As they entered the room, the man explained about the painting Grey had shown interest to. He babbled about a lot of things about the painting that it seemed like he was a painting connoisseur.
But in reality, the painting wasn't the real reason that Grey was distracted. It was just a coverup that Grey thought of in a matter of seconds. The real reason was that...
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[Salferine]
[Name] Gabal
[Race] Human
[Sex] Male
[Age] 39
[Status] Healthy
[Mana Capacity] 497 [Mana Quality] E
[Combat Power] 213 [Threat Level] E
[Attribute] Fire [Magic Proficiency] Intermediate (27%)
[Class] Swordsman [Weapon Proficiency] Intermediate (27%)
[Physical Enhancement] 28%
[Ability] ...
-----------------------------------
... the name he introduced himself as and the names on his status screen were entirely different. He wasn't who he claimed to be.
Grey's "Divine Eyes" were abilities which Gods possess. There wasn't even a single chance that it could have been mistaken. After all, only abilities of the same rank or higher could fool him. It was impossible.
While Grey's suspicions whether "Argas" was just a made-up identity, or if there really was someone named "Argas" grew, the man continued to explain about the painting with a happy smile on his face.
The happiness plastered in the man's face wasn't a facade, but he wasn't happy talking about the painting. He was happy that Grey was much younger than he had anticipated.
With Grey being so young, it made Gabal think that he was just on the lower end of B-rank. It meant that he had a bigger chance of succeeding with his plan. The plan he made in accordance to Algerio's wish.
Unfortunately for him, Grey had already figured things out after seeing his name. He had even noticed the minuscule traces of mana in the room. It was clear to Grey that whoever the man before him was, he wasn't open to friendly relations
"I can see what you mean. It has these unique symbolisms that you don't see in other paintings." ［Grey］
Grey replied, pretending to not notice things. He was playing along with Gabal and learned what he was up to.
"Right? Don't you think it can be considered as a national treasure?" ［Gabal］
"Yeah, it is." ［Grey］
"Speaking of treasures, are you fond of them, Your Excellency?" ［Gabal］
When Gabal said those words, the tone in his voice had greatly shifted. While normal people would mistake it as just a curious question, there were quite a few implications Grey had picked up from it.
Grey only needed to connect the pieces to know that Gabal was trying to lead the conversation. To Grey's ears, Gabal sounded like the phone scammers back on Earth who lure in unsuspecting victims.
"Hm... You could say so. Ah, can I take one of these pastries?" ［Grey］
"Oh, please do. That's the reason why they're served after all." ［Gabal］
"Then I shall partake on your offer." ［Grey］
Grey had decided to play along with Gabal, but it didn't mean he would be wasting the chance to eat good food. He also sneakily stored some pastries in his "Inventory" for Yuna and Eliza to eat later.
On the other hand, Gabal was happy to see Grey interested in the pastries. He thought that Grey's mind was even more childish than he thought and that he would have an even easier time dealing with him.
Inside the room, Gabal had already prepared an array with the help of curse magic and enchanted runes. It was an array which helps him manipulate the mind of people he was talking with.
The less mature and weaker a person's mentality was, the easier it was to manipulate them. While combat power also plays a huge part, he already got it covered by spending more mana crystals,
"By the way, Your Excellency, do you know that the Labyrinth of Death has treasures more spectacular than this painting?" ［Gabal］
"That's the reason why adventurers and soldiers alike enter it, despite how dangerous it is, after all." ［Grey］
"But for one as powerful as you are, surely that danger is something you can take care of." ［Gabal］
"You're exaggerating. I can only take on monsters and beasts that are on the lower end of B-rank. Anything past that is impossible for me." ［Grey］
A large sinister smile appeared on Gabal's face as he heard from Grey's himself how powerful he was. To him, Grey was basically revealing one of his cards. Something only a fool would do.
Unbeknownst to him, Grey was actually the one playing with him right now. Gabal didn't notice that he was already dancing on the palm of Grey's hands like an ignorant frog at the bottom of the well.
"Your Excellency, don't you think that it's a waste that the town lord delayed the labyrinth's opening?" ［Gabal］
"Well, it would be unfair for adventurers that haven't arrived yet." ［Grey］
"But isn't it also unfair to adventurers who arrived early? After all, they did everything they could just to arrive here early." ［Gabal］
"That's,.. You're right... It is unfair." ［Grey］
Gabal's heart rejoiced at the scene of Grey who looked like he was already shaken. He was so happy that he didn't notice that it seemed too easy.
Meanwhile, Grey who thought he would just be playing along until he gets the information he wanted had actually started to have some fun. He wanted to see how much he could go until Gabal realized he was only playing with him.
"And isn't it just wasting some precious time delaying the opening? After all, the labyrinth isn't always open. What about the treasures that weren't discovered because of the lack of time" ［Gabal］
"Yeah, a lot of treasure would be wasted... With that amount, it could already feed hundreds of thousands of families for months..." ［Grey］
"That's right, it's such a waste! Haah... If only there was a way to change the lord's mind and let us access the labyrinth earlier than scheduled. Aren't I correct, Your Excellency?" ［Gabal］
"You're right... But there isn't..." ［Grey］
A crestfallen expression loomed over Grey's face as he responded to Gabal's provocations. If one were to look at him, it would seem like his expression was really sincere and true to heart.
"No, there is! We only need a high-ranker to abduct the lord's daughter and force the lord to allow us to access the labyrinth earlier." ［Gabal］
The moment Grey heard those whose, his blood quickly boiled from anger and his fists were quickly clenched with so much strength that it could turn even diamonds into fine powder.
Grey had now figured out who the mastermind of the invitation was. He wanted to lash out but he needed to hold his anger in. Luckily, him clenching his fist only made him look a little shaken in Gabal's eyes.
While Grey wanted to punch Gabal in the face, it was best if he continued to play along. He still needed to gather as much information as he could.
"Well... I'm a high-ranker. But something like abducting a young girl is..." ［Grey］
"Don't worry, Your Excellency, we won't hurt her. We'll return her safely once the lord agrees. But if Your Excellency doesn't agree to it, then I guess we'll just have to wave goodbye to all those wasted treasures." ［Gabal］
"..." ［Grey］
"But if Your Excellency agrees, it wouldn't just be treasures, but all the fame and glory will be all... yours." ［Gabal］
As a troubled expression loomed over Grey's face, Gabal became more and more ecstatic. He could only imagine how much stirred up Grey's heart has become.
"Fame and glory... Alright, I'll do it!" ［Grey］
"Excellent! As expected of Your Excellency! You really understand what it means to become an adventurer. Now, all you need to do is abduct the town lord's daughter and you'll get everything you ever wanted!" ［Gabal］
A voice of delight and ecstasy echoed throughout the whole room as Gabal rejoiced from hearing Grey's answer. But such happiness didn't last long as all of his efforts had been in vain.
"Or... so what you expected me to say, but is this really the best you can do? Don't you have better lines.... Mister Gabal...?" ［Grey］
The emotions of joy and excitement in Gabal's heart were quickly replaced with shock and confusion. He couldn't comprehend why the young man before him was still in his right mind after everything he did.
'W-What's going on?!' ［Gabal］
Panic struck Gabal's heart as he looked at the young man before him. He still couldn't figure out what was happening even when the young man clearly wasn't affected by the array.
He had already checked the array multiple times and performed these sorts of things countless times. Never did he fail in his job. Yet now, before him, was a young man who looked like he wasn't even affected in the slightest.
"Did you really think you could manipulate my mind with this lousy array of yours? You're simply just wasting money." ［Grey］
Grey spoked as he had eaten the last piece of pastry on top of the table, but even when he was doing something as normal as eating pastry, his menacing eyes gave off enough pressure to make Gabal not move an inch.
"If you want to control people, you should have used this..." ［Grey］
"W-what are you going toー" ［Gabal］
Terror fileld Gabal's heart as Grey reached out his hand towards him. He didn't even have the chance to finish his sentence when his consciousness slowly faded into the darkness.
⟨⟨Hijack⟩⟩ ［Grey］
CHAPTER 48 END