Chapter 90: A Ring Means A Promise

As soon as we reached home, I had the girls come out from the kingdom and let them organize everything Bea had bought.

There were bottles and bottles of items for skincare, haircare, and body care, a bunch of tools and accessories as well as a bunch of essentials for makeup.

Frankly, I don't even know if they're going to be able to fit everything here, and unlike the kingdom, I can't expand the house, as much as I'd like.

I guess for personal/shared things they can bring them up from the kingdom when they need to, but yeah, I'll leave it to them.

With the amount we're making daily, I could also start looking for a more spacious place but... I think I'm still satisfied with what we have. Even though it's not luxurious, it's not cramped either and it feels a bit cozy when everyone's here.

It will surely become a necessity once we get more [Citizens] though...

On the topic of things I don't have a choice about, while the girls were messing around, I went to check on the Merchant.

It took me a while to find him, as he was outside the walls, sitting on the ground while meditating.

From far away, you could definitely mistake him for a woman. A very pretty one at that. It's really unfair that he gets to be so handsome and powerful at the same time, if not for his rotten personality, I would call out the universe for playing favorites.

Merchant: "Oh? You're a bit early today..."

In the end, Bea and I had rushed home, but not for the reason she hoped.

I can't stand the way he looks genuinely surprised to find me here. Is there any need for that? He has a million different ways to sense me from kilometers away.

It might be his way of acting friendly though... and if that's the case, it's at least better than what he showed us at our first time meeting.

Miwen: "Yeah, we'll be having cake today... It takes time you know?"

Merchant: "Hm... I suppose you want to get started already then, but before that, care to answer a question? Why do you have such a disgusting grin on your face? Did your date with the witch girl go well?"

That's like three questions... but the answer for all of them is the same though.

Miwen: "She praised me and I got a kiss."

Or at least, that's how I've decided to interpret it.

Even though I've been as kind to her as I've been to everyone else, it seems like she sees me as a king instead of a person like the other girls do.

Due to her loyalty, it's as much a convenience for her as much as it's for me.

I do accept her words as true, it doesn't matter if you call them [Citizens] or allies, I fully intend to do my utmost for those on my side.

As for anyone who might seek to bring harm to them... any enemy standing in our way, well...

I'm glad that she understands me and is in the same boat, after all, I have no intention of forcing anyone to abide by my will, so it's good for me to know that she'll thread my path even through its coldest and darkest.

Merchant: "Way to go. However, having too much can be as bad as having too little. And when it comes to that woman... Hm... I suppose you do make for a nice pair..."

Miwen: "Uh... thanks? Anyway, what are we thinking today?"

Merchant: "Oh yeah, since my time here is coming to an end soon, I better use you as much as possible."

Two things: First, why does he have to say it like he's going to die?

Second, why does he have to say it like I'm his toy?

Sometimes I wonder if his choice of words is deliberate or not. I know he's not human, so perhaps there's not even a brain working there.

Merchant: "Alright... so, you'll be giving me a wedding ring."

Miwen: "I know I said we'll be having cake, but I wasn't planning for a whole wedding."

Merchant: "Oh, no need to worry. I'm looking for one whose purpose was never fulfilled."

Hm?

Somehow the Merchant seemed to be a bit sad, or... nostalgic.

I'm probably gonna regret this, but...

Miwen: "...Can you transfer mana?"

Merchant: "Oh... you want me to work as your fuel tank?"

Miwen: "Just for a while alright? I still have things to do..."

As soon as he touched my shoulder, in a fraction of a second, my reserves were completely filled with mana.

Merchant: "Get going then, we don't have too much time to waste right?"

I started doing multiple rolls on the [Mana Banners], just enough so that I wouldn't suffer from mana depletion, but even though I was spending almost all of my mana in one go every second, he would fill it back again instantly.

Just how high are his skill levels... no... how bottomless are his mana reserves?

What's more, I'm summoning so much that even if I decided to use his seemingly unlimited mana to analyze all of them, I simply wouldh't have enough time and would fall behind, yet, the Merchan has been capable of determining that they aren't the one he's looking for even when hundreds of them fall at a time.

We kept at it for about half an hour and a gigantic mountain of metal formed behind us.

Even then... the Merchant didn't find what he was looking for.

Merchant: "The ring I'm looking for... its gem gives the user immortality. Perhaps, you can't get it since it's considered too strong of an effect for the amount of mana you're spending."

No shit, Sherlock.

If I could get something like that by spending 1 or 2 mana points a time I would be on top of the world right now.

Miwen: "And I thought giving a ring with a protective spell was a nice gesture..."

Merchant: "...It was meaningless though, the woman who received it was already immortal with or without the ring. It was meant to symbolize their love... something that would last for eternity."

Miwen: "...But you said the ring never fulfilled its purpose? That's pretty sad..."

Merchant: "...It was not meant to be. No matter how strong their love was, she wasn't someone that could simply..."

Raw regret and sadness... not a sliver of his usual demeanor. If this is a mask he wears... it's the best constructed yet.

If that's the case, I'll fully admit that he won, as I believe the emotions he's showing right now are simply true.

An honest Merchant is pretty scary.

Miwen: "...I don't know how it works for you immortals but... if anyone has time to right something, it's you guys right?"

Vague and empty advice, but it's pretty much the best I can do.

I don't really understand the circumstances, and if the Merchant wanted to about it, he wouldn't have stopped himself midway.

Merchant: "...Sometimes, the very desire to make things right, ends up making things wrong. Oh, but that's all in the past! More importantly, you seem to take immortality pretty seriously, huh? Do you wanna become an immortal?"

Miwen: "That's... I don't know. I feel like I'm a bit too young to fear death. I'd also like to become more of an adult if it's gonna freeze my age permanently."

Merchant: "Hm... but if you wait too much, you're gonna freeze your appearance you know? If your hair starts falling by then, it's gonna be like that forever. Not even the highest levels of holy magic can cure that."

Miwen: "Don't even joke about that."

It's pretty obvious that he changed the subject, but it felt like I would end up hurting him if we kept going, so I was more than happy to talk about the advantages and disadvantages of immortality with an immortal.

Surprisingly, even though I don't wanna place myself on either side of his war, I find myself thinking of the Merchant as a good friend.

As Bea would say, an ally.

I guess it's good that I can't really help in his fight, because more and more I feel inclined to lend him a hand.

The thing is... this guy seems like a genuinely good person. An idiot most of the time, but still... he knows about so much and he seems to carry more weight than I can even fathom...

The more I know him, the more I think his cause must be just.