Facing Orsaga's expectant gaze, clearly waiting for her to say something—
Sarah maintained a calm and composed expression as she spoke, "My lord, I wonder if you still remember that I actually competed with you during the recent auction."
Orsaga gave a slight nod, replying with a dismissive tone, "I remember. What of it?"
"Back then, I didn't know your identity, so I hope you can forgive any disrespect I may have shown. The reason I competed with you over that crystal statue... is because it holds a secret."
Orsaga played along, asking casually, "And what secret would that be?"
His face showed not the slightest hint of interest, his tone as indifferent as someone asking about the price of salted fish on the roadside.
The look made Sarah's heart skip a beat.
But given the dire circumstances she was in, backing down wasn't an option—so the tale had to go on.
And that was exactly what Orsaga was hoping for.
Watching the other party squirm in discomfort brought him no small amount of amusement.
He was just short of saying, Please, begin your performance.
Unaware that Orsaga was simply waiting for her to embarrass herself, Sarah steeled herself and began spinning her tale.
What followed was a long and elaborate piece of fictional history. By Orsaga's quick mental estimation, it supposedly dated back two or three thousand years.
The gist? The usual tangled web of tragic love, grudges, betrayals, and old blood feuds.
To enhance immersion and atmosphere, Sarah even made up several ancestors for herself.
—
Over ten minutes later—
"…And that's how it all went down."
Sarah concluded her story, eyes fixed on Orsaga, who was munching on a chicken leg while listening. She clenched her delicate fists secretly, suppressing her frustration and the rebellious urge rising inside her.
After chewing thoughtfully on the meat, Orsaga answered calmly, "Sounds reasonable—but I reject your proposal."
"Why?"
Sarah's heart sank. The worst-case scenario had arrived.
After observing Orsaga for dozens of days, she had concluded that he wasn't the greedy type and had a generally calm temperament—rarely prone to anger. That's why she had concocted such a story: to pique his curiosity while avoiding getting silenced. Her goal was simple—to gain access to the statue.
As for the so-called treasure…
That wasn't a total fabrication. It did exist.
However, it wasn't the legacy of some ancient demigod, but rather a supply cache once left behind by the god Sarah worshipped—a strategic reserve, kept just in case of emergencies.
After all, without some actual incentive, she wouldn't have dared to deceive someone like Orsaga. If her bluff were exposed, it could end in total disaster.
Of course, she had never really intended to share any benefits with Orsaga.
If all went according to plan, once she lured him into the location, she could leverage the divine ritual set there—laid down by her god personally—to trap and sacrifice Orsaga, this Demigod-Rank existence.
That would truly be a win on all fronts.
Which was precisely why she had chosen to tempt him with that location.
But now, it was clear Orsaga wasn't about to play along—and that made her start worrying about her own safety.
Some beings wouldn't bother with niceties. Kill, extract the soul, read the memories—a brutal three-hit combo. If she ran into one of those, it would be catastrophic.
Fortunately, though he had rejected her offer, Orsaga hadn't shown any signs of hostility. This gave Sarah a sliver of hope. Maybe she could still salvage the situation. So, she quickly opened her mouth to deliver the next line she had already prepared: "That treasure contains—"
But Orsaga raised a hand slightly, cutting her off with a calm smile. "I'm not interested in worldly riches or so-called divine artifacts. What I need is something… more direct."
Sarah frowned slightly, trying to puzzle out his meaning, but failed. "Could you be a little more specific?"
Orsaga smiled and met her gaze. "Your entire ploy revolves around getting your hands on that statue, doesn't it?"
Though phrased as a question, his tone left no room for doubt.
Sarah immediately stiffened. A flush of embarrassment and tension rose within her—her whole act had been seen through from start to finish.
"…Yes."
Knowing there was no point in denying it, she chose to bow her head and admit it honestly—like a schoolgirl owning up to a mistake, her attitude surprisingly sincere.
Given how deep her cleavage was when she lowered her head, even though Orsaga was seated, he could still feel how… "sincere" her apology was.
Since he had never really cared about her deception in the first place, Orsaga generously offered, "No need to be so nervous. I may not know whether you want that statue for some kind of dark god summoning ritual, or for something else—but if you can meet my condition, giving it to you isn't out of the question."
At that, Sarah's face grew even more strained. A cold sweat ran down her spine.
"I don't understand what you mean, my lord. There's no dark ritual involved. I simply want to uncover the treasure left behind back then."
In a world with real, verifiable gods, being labeled a cultist—especially a dark god worshiper—was a fast track to public execution. And getting your whole family dragged down with you was not uncommon. Sarah knew that denial was her only option and clung to it without hesitation.
Orsaga didn't seem to care either way. He continued calmly, "Ten thousand soul crystals. Bring me those, and the statue is yours."
Sarah, who had just been trying to come up with another excuse, froze at the condition.
In this world, soul crystals were either refined from vast numbers of low-rank souls or naturally formed from high-quality ones. The latter was exceedingly rare and difficult to produce. Either way, their creation typically involved large-scale slaughter.
Which is why soul crystals were strictly forbidden and classified as contraband—banned from any form of circulation.
To her knowledge, aside from being used as powerful magic reagents, their primary use was to feed all manner of dark or evil entities.
Anyone needing such things was, almost without exception, not a good person.
This made her even more curious about Orsaga's true identity.
After stating his terms, Orsaga glanced at Sarah's hesitant expression and, without pressing her for an immediate answer, kindly added, "I'll be staying in this city for quite a while. Think it over and come find me when you've made up your mind."
—
After they left—
The tall female elf once again climbed into Orsaga's lap.
Nearly two meters in height, she looked at Orsaga—who was somehow even taller than her—and asked curiously, "You seem quite pleased with yourself."
He smiled and answered, "Trading something useless for something useful—why wouldn't I be happy?"
The elf chuckled softly. "That does make sense."
Following the principle of the less I know, the better, she didn't ask any further questions. Instead, she leaned against his chest and closed her eyes to rest.
'Smart woman…'
Orsaga sniffed the faint fragrance from her body, chuckled softly, then casually picked up a glass of wine and took a quiet sip…
_____
T/N: Many readers are confused about why this story is listed under fanfiction even though it doesn't feel like one at the start.
Here's a small spoiler: later on, the protagonist will begin traveling across the multiverse, eventually entering movie worlds as well. The journey truly begins around chapter 272. Until then, the focus is on his growth and the strength he gains while exploring the original worlds he visits.