Chapter 122

122 – Negotiating with an Enthusiast

「Please don’t call me a fanatic. If you must, call me an enthusiast.」

Vepar said with a tired expression.

「I wonder what the difference is.」

Milla tilted her head in confusion and Vepar declared…

「It’s the impression it gives.」

A fanatic and an enthusiast.

Words that mean someone who is passionate about a particular field, but is there a clear difference between the two? Even if there is, it varies from person to person, and the difference in the dictionary sense is not always clear.

「I see. I don’t fully understand, but I get it. Monster enthusiast Vepar.」

「I thank you for your understanding. Fervent Black Sorcerer Lem fan Carmilla.」

Looks like Vepar knows about that too. Or perhaps it’s because they are fellow enthusiasts?

Even though I already know about that part of Milla, I get embarrassed no matter how many times I hear it.

「So? What is it you would like to talk about, Mister Chief of Staff.」

「It concerns the Raid Battle.」

「Ah, that. Now that you mention it, you have been assembling everyone, haven’t you? Are you perhaps here to invite little ol’ me, as well?」

Her gaze turned to me.

「Yes, you have the right of it.」

「Hmm.」

I can’t read her expression.

「I’m quite fond of this chamber, you see. Honestly, I rarely leave it」

While saying that, she manipulates the pillar of water. She winds it around like a vortex, with me in the center, and swims along it. Vepar swam until she and I were the same head height.　

「She tends to be a shut-in.」

「Please call me an indoorsman.」

「I wonder if that has to do with the impression of the word, as well.」

「It has a different nuance.」

Their dialogue is light.

「Fine, indoorsman Vepar. Could you back away from Lord Lemegeton already? Aren’t you a little too close?」

「Closer than you have been, you mean?」

「…I-I got permission from him to do so…properly…」

「Fufufu, the Vampire Queen acting like such a pure maiden. What would your followers think if they saw you now?」

「…I suppose you don’t want this thing I went to so much trouble to prepare?」

Milla extends a blood nail and brings it close to the surface of the Memory.

「Calm down now…Honestly, you can’t take a joke.」

Vepar’s tone was calm, but I could see the anxiety showing through.

「I’ll listen, I’ll listen. First is that, right?」

I nodded and told her the idea for the reborn tenth stratum.

After hearing it all, she…

「This is what Mister Chief of Staff has thought up?」

…asked with a hand on her chin.

「Yes.」

「I see…」

Vepar’s gaze drops down, deep in thought.

The next time she lifted her head, her eyes were…gleaming.

It’s not as if they actually produced light, but more like they looked like the eyes of an excited child.

「How interesting. I’ve never heard of such a plan, and there are probably no more than five people in the world who can do it. Yes, if this can be implemented, it would be lots of fun. I approve. But therein lies the problem, can it be done?」

It is as she says.

What is required to implement the reborn tenth stratum is a large number of allies, the ring, vast amounts of Magical Energy, and for me to fight.

The largest issues are my Magical Energy and my movements.

「I’ll figure something out with my Magical Energy.」

「Yes, I’m sure you will.」

It didn’t show on my face, but in my mind, I was surprised.

Even if I say I’ll figure something out, there is no method. Ordinarily. Even I didn’t know until I asked her Highness.

Even if she knew how to do that, it still wasn’t something to take into account, since it wasn’t something that people could usually learn.

Also, anyone can guess that I lack Magical Energy.

To win a one-on-one fight with the Flame Hero Fenix, I had to.

It’s normal to assume that I had to wager all of my Magical Energy to challenge him in order to produce that result.

In this case, that is exactly what I did.

Vepar just believed the words of someone uttering an impossibility in no time at all.

「If you say you’ll figure something out, I’m sure you will. After all, Carmilla wouldn’t be so infatuated with a man who would say things that he cannot do.」

So that’s why.

She doesn’t trust me. Of course, she doesn’t. There is no personal trust between me and her. How can she make use of something that we haven’t even established?

Instead, Vepar trusts in Milla’s discerning eye.

「However, whether or not I cooperate with you is a different story.」

「…Yeah.」

This is also a matter of course.

Cooperating with me means that she will have more work to do.

For example, in the fight with the Fenix party.

Furcus and I had a deal where one cooperation costs one meal, and the Spirit Commanding General Kimaris was aiming for the Avatar of the Frost Hero Bella, so he cooperated.

There were many others who fought alongside me because they themselves desired a rematch.

That is fine and also healthy for both sides.

No one likes it when only one side benefits. The benefits part can be replaced by satisfaction or enjoyment.

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If it were an order from her Highness or me, they would have no choice but to follow it, but I don’t plan on doing that.

We wouldn’t be uniting, emotionally, and I don’t think they can bring out their full potential in a fight when they are unwillingly ordered to.

If you’re working together, it’s best to feel good about it completely. It’s as simple as that.　

「Fortunately, Mister Chief of Staff isn’t lacking in bargaining chips, yes? After all, you were once part of the Fenix party.」

That’s right. If it’s about the Fenix party’s Clear videos, I am in possession of them and can submit copies of them. She will be able to witness various Monsters from a wide variety of Dungeons in the uncut versions.

However.

「I cannot hand those over to you.」

「Oh my, how come?」

「Because they do not solely belong to the Black Sorcerer Lem.」

Those are the records of me fighting alongside Fenix, Alba, Lark, and Lily.

It isn’t right to use them in order to ask someone else for help. At least to me.

The permission to share the Philip party’s Clear video was probably attained from everyone through Nicola.

As for the training video from the Beginner’s Dungeon…Milla probably approached them like this.

「I need the video of Lem and Furcus training, it’s Demon King Castle business.」or something like that. If you say that, I’m sure no one in that Dungeon will disagree with that request. Everyone there is a good person, and they are indebted to us.

If that’s the case, I’m worried about the other deal that was originally made, but I’ll put that to the side for now.

「Is that so? How unfortunate. So, how are you going to convince me?」

「I don’t believe you require any convincing.」

She tilts her head.

「What makes you think that?」

「If you were to see the defense of the tenth stratum later and only you were missing, what would the Monster enthusiast Vepar feel?」

Vepar’s eyes went wide, and then immediately smiled.

「…Ah, so that’s how it is. I would certainly hate that. Finally, an interesting experiment is being done but for it to finish imperfectly due to a lone missing mermaid would be unseemly and irritating. Were I to participate, I would get satisfaction as a viewer, myself. I see, so it is I who should be asking you to allow me to participate.」

She is a Monster fan.

By not participating in this new experiment, the reborn tenth stratum will be imperfect.

More than anything, she herself cannot allow such a thing to happen.

「Fine. Let’s cooperate. I look forward to seeing the end result.」

Having said that, Vepar grabs my hand, fingers entwined like lovers.

She flows Magical Energy into the ring and declares her intentions to cooperate.

The Contract is complete.

「Looking forward to working with you, Mister Chief of Staff.」

「Same here.」

「…Vepar. Your hand?」

「I’m just touching the ring. Isn’t that necessary?」

「But do you have to entwine your fingers around his hand like that?」

「I suppose not. But isn’t that odd coming from you? You kept bragging about it, did you not? About how you put your lips on the rin-」

「Vampire or Mermaid, here and now, shall we test which is stronger?」

Vepar separated from me.

She did that in order to evade Milla’s extended blood nails.

「Ufufu, a fascinating proposal. But not today. More importantly, we’re done, right?」

Vepar held out her hand and Milla, still pouting, responded. She handed over the Memory.

「Thank you. That was a good deal. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have videos to watch-」

「Vepar.」

「Oh? Whatever is it, Mister Chief of Staff?」

As Vepar was stretching the water pillar towards the sea, she turned around.

「I didn’t have to convince you. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have to give anything in return.」

I only found out that she was a Monster enthusiast after I arrived here.

If any persuading was needed, I was fully prepared to oblige.

「How honest…Something else that I want is a video of that tag match with Berith, but I suppose you’ll want permission from her, so that’s out. Something I want that only involves you…aha, I forgot about the thing I wanted to ask you the most about. I wanted to ask you how you defeated the Flame Hero Fenix. I want to know what happened after the cameras were destroyed.」

「…Fine.」

The fact that I’m a Human who possesses a horn is already known.

The only ones who know that it is my master’s horn and what went down in that battle are her Highness and the Big Four.

In the first place, it’s not as if my master told me to not hide the horn from the Monsters. He did say to destroy the cameras and threaten them to keep quiet after the attack, but that was probably a joke. He also said that if they knew it was his horn, no one would tell anyone about it.

By no means can I tell anyone about what Fenix and I said during it.

But I don’t mind talking about the details of the fight itself.

「On one condition…」

「Of course, my lips are sealed. There is meaning in keeping treasured videos and information.」

「I see.」

「How about telling me about it now, I wonder? You can come to my room. I’ll make some tea. It’s under here, but I assure you that it’s comfortable. Well, shall we?」

Vepar’s eyes were shining as she pulled me by the hand vigorously.

Under here would mean…underwater?

「Hold it right there, Vepar.」

「Oh Carmilla, you’re still here.」

「Lord Lemegeton, I shall accompany you.」

「I don’t particularly need you, though.」

「I shall accompany you.」

I feel intense pressure coming from Milla.

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「…Sure, whatever. Let’s go.」

Vepar grabbed Milla’s arm with her other hand.

Later, I talked about that battle.

Vepar seemed to genuinely enjoy hearing about it.

And on that day, I managed to get another Contract.