Chapter 110: Anastasia
"So, Natsuki, what exactly do you plan to say? I'm just a little curious."
Subaru Natsuki looked at Anastasia, who was sitting across from him. They were now seated in a restaurant, which they had come to under her guidance after running into each other.
Sitting beside her was Mimi, who was eating the restaurant's food. No matter how you looked at her, she was just a lively, adorable little girl.
"Um, well, it's like this: Recently, members of the Witch Cult are planning to attack Lord Roswaal's mansion and the village. However, Lord Roswaal is away on business and not at the mansion. Just me and the people left there aren't enough to deal with the danger the Witch Cult brings.
That's why I want to ask for your help."
"I see. So, Natsuki, what will you offer in exchange? Wait, that's not quite right.
This matter concerns Emilia and the border lord Roswaal—it has nothing to do with you. You're just a servant, aren't you? You don't have the right to negotiate with me.
Of course, if you can offer something valuable enough, then I might be willing to help."
"..."
Anastasia looked at the silent Subaru and gently shook her head.
"Natsuki, I don't know if you're misunderstanding something, but I'm a merchant. I don't help people without profit. Especially not someone from Emilia's camp.
So, unless you have something worthwhile to offer, I won't provide any assistance."
Subaru didn't respond immediately. He already knew... the outcome wouldn't be favorable. He had nothing of value to trade. More importantly, he had no authority to use Roswaal's possessions in a deal.
Anastasia's smile remained unchanged as she calmly waited for Subaru to think. Meanwhile, Mimi, having finished her food, raised her hand and said:
"Miss, miss! Mimi wants to eat more!"
"Sure, eat as much as you like. But don't get sauce all over your face."
"Wipe it off really well!"
Subaru watched as Anastasia, wearing a gentle and indulgent expression, took out a handkerchief and wiped the sauce off Mimi's face.
"Yay! I'm off then!"
Subaru watched the bouncing, skipping Mimi head toward the counter, when he suddenly heard Anastasia speak:
"Don't be fooled by her cute appearance. That kid's the second-in-command of my private mercenary corps."
"Private mercenary corps?"
"I'm a well-known figure in Kararagi. That's the 'Iron Fang,' the exclusive mercenary group of my Hoshin Company. She's adorable, isn't she? Cuddling with her while sleeping is simply irresistible."
Looking at the expression on Anastasia's face, Subaru turned his gaze toward Mimi ordering at the counter. His eyes narrowed slightly, and—intentionally or not—he glanced around at the other people seated nearby.
Then, turning back to Anastasia, he asked:
"Let's talk business. What kind of compensation would convince you to help us?"
"What kind of compensation, hmm? Natsuki, that's not how it works. I'm a merchant, and merchants have quite the appetite, you know. In matters like this, you shouldn't expect me to name a price myself.
It's up to you to evaluate what you have to offer, then make a proposal we can negotiate."
"But I don't really have anything valuable on me..."
"Then the deal can't be made."
Subaru thought for a moment, then looked up at Anastasia with a serious expression.
"Then how about this—I give you my life. If you agree to help us, then my life and everything I have is yours."
"No good. That kind of deal won't work. After all, fighting the Witch Cult will definitely cause casualties. One life—yours—can't compare to the lives of my people."
Subaru clenched his fists, thinking for a moment before speaking again.
"Then how about this: the honor of defeating the Witch Cult, and the withdrawal of the Emilia faction from the royal selection?"
"The honor of defeating the Witch Cult?"
"That's right. I still don't know this world very well, but I assume the Witch Cult is universally hated. So if you take down the Witch Cult and one of its Sin Archbishops—Sloth—and also get the Emilia faction to withdraw from the royal selection, wouldn't that be a fair deal?"
"Sounds like a good deal on the surface, but there's one thing wrong with it."
"What's that?"
"The Emilia faction withdrawing from the selection. Natsuki, you don't have the authority to make that decision. After all, you're just a servant. And if I do nothing, the Emilia faction will withdraw by default anyway. So that can't be part of the deal."
"I see... Then let's change the deal. I want dragon carriages."
"Oh my, a sudden change in the deal?"
"Because I truly don't have anything that could move you. So I'm switching it. I need many dragon carriages to evacuate the people from the mansion and the village. If it's this deal, I think I can offer enough gold coins to make it worthwhile."
"Hmm, good judgment. But recently someone in the royal capital has been buying up dragon carriages en masse. There are hardly any left available. So I can't provide you with enough, and the deal can't go through.
However, I do know of some other companies that might still have some."
As she said this, Anastasia pulled out a sheet of paper and a pen from her bag, wrote down an address, and slid it across the table to Subaru.
Subaru stared at the slip of paper in front of him, then looked up at Anastasia, puzzled.
"Don't look at me like that. This isn't part of a deal—it's just a one-sided gift. After all, my Julius caused you some trouble back at the castle.
And just now, Mimi gave you a bit of trouble too. For little things like that, there's no need to negotiate. Well then, I'll be going."
As Anastasia stood up, Subaru reached out and picked up the slip of paper.
"Then, big brother, see you later!"
"Yeah. See you."
Subaru sat in place and watched as Anastasia took Mimi's hand and left the restaurant. Then, at the same time, he noticed the others around the restaurant all getting up and leaving as well.
"That was quite the entourage... Someone's buying up all the dragon carriages... If I had to guess, it's Crush. Lately, a lot of carriages and goods have been going into her estate.
And Crush does seem to be preparing for something big. So it probably isn't anyone else...
Sigh... I failed. Though I did get something out of it. But what good does it do me?"
Subaru looked bitterly at the paper in his hand. Even with a lot of dragon carriages, there was no guarantee the Witch Cult wouldn't detect his movements.
After all, relocating people wasn't a small operation. A move that big would surely catch the Witch Cult's attention.
"So this is how it ends... Only one person left to ask. If that doesn't work out... I'll have no choice but to return and die... No! I can't think like that. It's not over yet! I've gotten much stronger than last time.
Alright then—let's go."