[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
Chapter 131 - A Slap for Every Penny Found (13)
The cave was incredibly deep, and its size was enormous.
Since dragons usually live in their massive true forms, the space needed to be this big to accommodate their bodies.
“Gah?!”
At the end of the twisting passageways, a huge open space suddenly appeared, and Scala gasped.
It was big enough to fit an entire soccer field inside.
“This is insane... how can it be so huge...?”
“It’s truly incredible....”
Scala and Orendi were in awe, staring up at the distant ceiling.
This was my first time inside a dragon’s lair as well, and honestly, I was a little shocked too.
I had heard they dig out a massive space deep inside so they can lie down comfortably, but I didn’t expect it to be this big.
“Hey, is your lair this big too?”
I asked Hindrasta.
“Yeah. All dragons have something like this.”
Unlike us humans, who were marveling at the sheer size of the cave, Hindrasta answered indifferently.
But the size of the cave was nothing compared to what came next.
“Wha... what the hell am I looking at?!”
Scala and Orendi’s eyes nearly popped out of their heads as they spotted the mountain of gold and treasure piled high.
Gold coins were stacked like hills, shimmering with hues of blue, gold, and silver, undulating like waves.
On top of the pile were enormous golden crowns, intricately crafted jewelry embedded with jewels, stacked in layers.
Emeralds, rubies, sapphires, and opals—all manner of rare gemstones—sparkled as they lay scattered about.
Among them were legendary weapons from history—a sword with a golden hilt, a silver shield, and battle helms adorned with jewels.
Giant golden urns were placed around the room, each one filled to the brim with even more jewels and ornaments.
Some of the gems were so large and brilliant that they looked like small stars, twinkling within the lair.
Amidst the gold and gems, ancient books and scrolls engraved with magical scripts were strewn about haphazardly.
Luxurious silk cloths and tapestries covered parts of the treasure, adding a mystical glow to the cavern as the golden light and jewels illuminated the darkness.
“Do you have this much treasure too?”
“Do you think I’d have anything left after scraping by as a human for ten years, collecting scraps? And all my stuff got confiscated by the Elders, and I won’t get it back for a thousand years.”
Hindrasta’s sarcastic tone suddenly fell silent.
Her expression crumbled, and she unexpectedly began to cry.
“I worked so hard for all of it... ugh....”
“For now... I should probably get dressed.”
Tarkanik, who had been naked the whole time, said.
He rummaged through the piles of gold and jewels, then pulled out a set of clothes.
It was a ceremonial armor, lavishly embroidered with gold and encrusted with jewels.
I had seen this type of armor before—back during the war, when noble soldiers or some deranged royal commanders wore such things into battle.
But the one Tarkanik was wearing now was on another level entirely.
Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.
What would happen if someone looted an entire dragon’s lair?
The sudden influx of wealth into the market would cause massive inflation, for sure.
Maybe dragons are actually the ones controlling the economy, acting like the central bank of the continent, regulating prices and interest rates.
Who knows, maybe one of the smarter dragons is already secretly living in the human world, using their wealth to run a lending business and raking in even more money.
While I was lost in these thoughts, Tarkanik brought over a large sack and handed it to Scala.
What is this?
I opened to the first page, and in the corner, there was a small signature.
The handwriting looked strangely familiar. What does it say...?
Kaiden Blakyr...? Wait, this is Kaiden’s?!
I flipped through the rest of the pages but found nothing written inside—just blank sheets.
Why is Kaiden’s notebook here? And why is it empty?
I had no idea, but I figured I should return it to him.
“I’ll take this.”
“Oh, sure, go ahead.”
Tarkanik didn’t seem to mind at all, relieved that it wasn’t something valuable.
# # # # #
Tarkanik escorted us to the entrance of the lair.
The ogre guarding the entrance had fully sprawled out on the ground, snoring loudly in his sleep. I envy how carefree he is.
Tarkanik clicked his tongue when he saw the ogre.
“That lazy fool...”
“Hey, you’ve got it all wrong. That ogre isn’t stupid—he’s actually really smart.”
Hindrasta said with a snicker.
“No one around to boss him, no predators because it’s a dragon’s lair, and with food around, he doesn’t even have to hunt. Where else could he find a better deal?”
“Now that you mention it... that’s pretty clever. How annoying.”
Tarkanik stormed over to the ogre and kicked him in the butt.
“Get up, you idiot! Do your job properly!”
The ogre grumbled as it woke up, using its club as a walking stick to help it stand, then began lazily patrolling the area.
Tarkanik pounded his chest in frustration as he watched.
“Alright, we’re heading out now.”
Orendi opened the portal, and we said our farewells to Tarkanik.
“If you plan on staying active in the human world, I have one piece of advice for you.”
“What might that be?”
“Don’t stand out. The nail that sticks up gets hammered down. If you get on the radar of the Imperial Security Office like Linus and I did, you might not be able to move freely anymore.”
“I’ll remember that. I’ll keep it in mind.”
As Tarkanik bowed, his bald head shone brightly. I genuinely feel bad about that.
If I had known that losing the scales on his head was like losing hair, I would’ve avoided hitting him there.
Still, the scales will grow back, so the hair probably will too.
Though, if he continues working as a mercenary, it won’t be long before rumors spread about the bald mercenary with a shiny scalp.
“Goodbye, sir. I hope we never meet again.”
Tarkanik called out, waving as we stepped through the portal.
“So, let me ask you something.”
I said to Hindrasta as we returned to the Reblanc Mercenary Headquarters.
“What happens if we secretly go back and loot that guy’s lair?”
“What kind of nonsense is that? Do you think dragons are idiots who’d let someone raid their lair after its location is exposed? He’s probably already preparing to move.”
“Ah, so that’s how it works.”
A little disappointing.
“Ugh... I wonder if the treasure I saved up is still safe....”
Suddenly, and completely out of context, Hindrasta started crying again, tears streaming down her face.
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]