CH 205

Negotiations

Walking through the employees only door, we headed inside the place.

The store itself was moderately big, but inside, the place was much bigger and wider, and it reminded me of how Norfast’s adventurer guild was built.

Just like that cross dressing guild master had led me through into a private room at the other end of the building, here too, I walked into a similar room.

Inside, the room was dark and narrow, and was filled some suspicious smoke.

“Phillip-san, I know you have met once a while back when we took your request, but again, this is my party’s leader, Chris-san.”

“Long time no see. The name’s Chris.”

After Esta’s introduction, I gave a curt greeting as well.

Reacting to my voice, the golem old man stopped whatever he was concentrated on and turned back towards us.

“ooh, I met you during the ruins investigation request right. Sorry, but I barely remember you.”

“Don’t worry. I didn’t remember much about you either.”

“………….Actually, now I do remember. You said something brazen like that back then as well.”

“Phillip-san, let’s put all that aside and talk about the topic at hand. Will you be willing to teach Chris-san magic?”

He must have recalled something from my attitude, as his expression looked a bit sullen.

Perhaps sensing from the atmosphere that the conversation might head into a bad direction, Esta quickly butted in and changed the topic back to our original reason for coming here.

“Since it was Esta’s request, I did plan on accepting it but…….umm, you put in n/a for speciality magic as well as element. As in, you have never used magic at all? Hofofo, doesn’t that mean you simply don’t have the talent for magic? I don’t mean to sound rude but it might be better to just give up on it you know.”

With his one hand he made the gesture as if he was shooing some animal away.

I heard he’s the disciple of some big shot or whatever, but man, even when I met him in Oxter, he definitely irritated me.

I had been thinking of being respectful since I was the one asking him to teach me but——-that just went out of the window.

I felt bad for Esta who wasted her time to try and make this happen, but I can just figure out some other way to deal with the corpses of monsters, and just give up on magic for now.

“Oh what? I had high hopes but I guess you can only teach people who are already talented huh?………..guess your name’s famous for fucking nothing then.”

“Wh-what!?! Do you even know who I am!!?”

“I don’t, and now I have no interest either. All you do is gather already talented people and act like you trained them, when you did fuck all don’t you old man?”

“Wha, wha, what a rude person you are!!”

My words made him angry enough that the old man’s face reddened.

And his face looked so funny that I ended up laughing but, seeing me laugh only made him even more angrier since and his face even more redder.

“Wa-wait please! You two please calm down! I didn’t bring you both to talk so that yo can argue each other………..Phillip-san, can you not please at least give it a try?”

“I refuse completely! I have no intention of teaching a person who can’t show even a shred of respect to me!”

“So he says. Sorry Esta, I know I made you go through all the trouble for it but I’ll find someone else.”

“Chris-san, please wait a minute!”

While trying to call me back, Esta suddenly began rummaging through her bag in a panic.

And, brought out a red ball like item and showed it the old man.

………Hm? That red ball, wasn’t that the crystal that was in that Dead Lich’s right eye?

Didn’t she sell it for a platinum coin? Or did she buy it back again?

“Phillip-san, please look at this jewel.”

“………Hm? What? Showing me some jewel isn’t going——-“

Saying that, the old man suddenly stopped in his tracks.

He snatched the red jewel off Esta’s hands and put it under the lens on his table and began passionately studying it.

“Th,this is……..!!”

“Indeed. It’s a jewel with enough mana embedded that it could become a core of a golem.”

“E-esta! Where did you find this!?……..or rather, please sell this to me! I’ll pay whatever amount you ask for!!”

Having snatched the jewel back from him by Esta, the old man was pleading her to give it back to him.

He was acting all high and mighty but now he looked like just another old man.

“if you properly teach Chris-san magic, I will think about it. Phillip-san, how about it?”

“………Fine! All I have to do is teach this brat magic right? I’ll do it!”

He hesitated for a second but on his scale of importance, it was clear that the jewel was far more important to him.

I thought of this back when we met in Oxter as well but when it comes to golems, this old man really looses all his sense of reasoning doesn’t he?

Esta used that brilliantly, and negotiated a way for me to get taught by him.

“Phillip-san, thank you very much. Then, please take of care of Chris-san’s coaching!”

“Fine, fine, I get it. I made a promise so I won’t go back on it! Esta, you can go to the practice room and continue your usual drills.”

“Understood……….And Chris-san, work hard with your magic training as well okay?”

“Yeah. Thanks for the negotiating.”

Seeing Esta off and thanking her, it was just us two now in this dark and narrow room.

Due to our little spat, we both kept silent for a while until the old man cleared his throat loudly and then began to talk again.

“Since it is Esta’s request, I will teach you but if you act like you did again, I will drive you out of here.”

“……….of course you can but, are you sure you’ll be okay without ever getting that red jewel? If I tell Esta to not sell it to you, I guarantee you will never get your hands on it ever.”

As soon as he started talking again, he tried to take the upper hand again but, I quickly kicked him down back to the earth.

I do want to learn magic but, I will never ever agree to going through a heavy-handed one-sided beat down style of teaching like I went through under my father ever again.

I used the bargaining chip left to me by Esta, and forcefully brought us to an equal standing.

“ugugugu!——–We’ll begin practicing magic. I’ll quickly teach you some basic magic, and then get the jewel from Esta!”

“That is quite literally what I want as well. I have no interest in actually becoming a proper disciple of yours.”

“Seriously, what a impertinent brat you are……….First, I will test your aptitude. Follow me.”

Stopping whatever work he was doing, the old man left the room.

I followed after him and was led to probably the most suspicious looking room I have ever seen in my life.

The entire room was covered in magic circles and even I hesitated for a second to step inside this place.

“C’mon, hurry up and sit down inside the room.”

“………..So I just have to sit in the centre there?”

“yes. And then close your eyes for a while.”

As instructed, I sat down in the middle of the room and then closed my eyes while remaining silent.

When I had entered the room it was completely quiet but, after closing my eyes for a while I was hit by this feeling as if I was surrounded by people on all sides and I could also hear also sorts of sounds coming from everywhere.

Due to my constant lifestyle in the forest, I had become so sensitive to sounds and I almost opened my eyes out of instinct but……….

“Hey! Don’t open your eyes yet! Just sit there, and do nothing!!”

Somehow the old man sensed I was about to open my eyes and warned me, so I endured it all and continued keeping my eyes shut.

While putting up with this sensation, as if people were coming close to me and then walking away, for a while, finally the room began to return to normal.

“You can open your eyes now. And then, quietly leave the room.”

Opening my eyes after getting his permission, I looked around but of course, no one was there except the odd empty room.

I was extremely curious to know what that presence inside was but, for now let me leave the room first.