Chapter 75

Elf Businessman Rilwid

Labyrinth city Soren and its satellite city, Plandor.

There was an Elf businessman who traveled between these two cities. His name was Rilwid.

He was destined to someday become the head of a huge group like Black Dog. Recently, Rilwid had developed a keen interest in one particular business.

‘Magic equipment enhancement.’

This involved upgrading items that already contained magic and had received magic grades, or items that had received treasure grades, to higher grades.

The beginning of that plan started from a paper that Professor Isilof had recently submitted to the academic society.

‘Gobniu’s Hammer.’

That magic, called by such a name, exists within the 4th floor Ancient Mana Forge. The forge’s various facilities, mysterious magical reactions, and the pictures drawn on the murals all hint at its existence.

Perhaps that hammer could be used to enhance treasure-grade items to legendary grade.

Truly a creative economy.

The most powerful high-value-added industry that could be done on the 4th floor and below.

The democratization of legendary equipment.

The resulting popularization of magic equipment.

Those treasures would no longer be the exclusive property of the wealthy or upper-tier parties, and the labyrinth would welcome a new golden age.

Together with Rilwid.

***

“How about it?”

The Elf businessman, full of rosy dreams, made his proposal with determination.

“You’re from Professor Isilof’s club, right? And you just entered the 4th floor this time? Did you perhaps receive a mission from Professor Isilof? Research materials from the professor or something?”

I did receive one.

“If you have it with you now, couldn’t you share it with me?”

It’s at home. I read it once, but it was all stuff I already knew. There was some incorrect content too.

“Work with me, Caleb.”

“Yaaah!“

Yernil burst out shouting.

“Who are you trying to scam again!”

“Who’s scamming anyone! Me? I’ve never done such a thing!”

Let’s check the facts first.

Gobniu’s Hammer does actually exist.

However, it’s not the convenient item that can enhance just anything like Rilwid thinks, but rather it can only enhance items that have an ‘evolution’ option attached.

Like evolving a Pikachu into a Raichu.

Gobniu’s Hammer only works when there’s necessarily a superior compatible item of the same lineage that exists.

“So you collected magic equipment to do that work?”

Aimus asked.

“That’s right. I was thinking of going there today to try enhancing everything, so wouldn’t you like to search for the forge together with us? We have quite a lot of magic equipment here.”

Indeed, their fashion displayed a wealth that would have made Neko weep at the wealth disparity if she had seen it.

Like rappers hanging gold chains all over themselves, they had ignored practicality and just worn whatever they could put on.

“Since we don’t know which of these will be enhanceable, we brought them all for now.”

Rilwid then went on to explain at length how excellent magic equipment investment was.

1.It has excellent liquidity and, like gold investment, its value doesn’t drop easily,

2.It’s easy to store and good for hiding and tax evasion (he actually said this), 

3.When worn directly, you can use skills or magic, so it’s excellent in practicality too.

“But it can even be enhanced on top of that? Then there’s no better business item than this! Caleb, if you share Professor Isilof’s materials with us, we’ll search for the forge together, we’ll make money, you’ll complete your mission, and if possible, we could become future business partners and work together…”

“No way. Caleb!”

Yernil clung to me in horror.

“He’s someone you can’t trust!”

“I know.”

Don’t worry, Yernil.

Would I fall for something like this?

Setting aside the fact that Rilwid himself has low credibility, there’s an important problem with that guy’s story right now.

First, the timing of someone who wants to do such business carrying that tremendous amount of treasures and entering the 4th floor of the labyrinth to go to the forge is insane.

Doing something like that is dangerous even normally, but there was a war between the Adventurer Association and raiders in the labyrinth just the previous season.

But at this timing, I should pack up all my treasures and go experiment at the forge to see if they get enhanced?

Unless you have the heart of a considerable beast, this would be difficult to do.

And second.

There’s something Rilwid didn’t tell me.

“Aimus.”

“Yes.”

“The pendant Rilwid is wearing around his neck, haven’t you seen it somewhere before?”

“…!”

Aimus’s eyes doubled in size.

“That, that! That’s what my wife was scammed with…!”

“What?”

Rilwid’s eyes also doubled in size. While being extremely flustered.

“Golems are synthesized at the forge.”

“No…”

“If you remove the golem from the mold there and put in a magic item, that item gets replicated, right?”

Of course, it’s not actual magic equipment that comes out, but hollow fakes.

However, since mana is directly injected like when making golems from core crystals, you can feel some magical power, making it perfect for scamming people by selling them as if they were magic items.

Why do I know this so well…

‘I did it in the game too. Sorry.’

Somehow, just like with Antonelli, I feel like I’m receiving karmic retribution for my in-game moral misconduct this time too.

“Rilwid.”

“…”

“You told me at the university before.”

“What… What did I say?”

“That you didn’t come to Soren after ruining the errand center, but that you had ‘originally’ been doing business in Soren.”

“…”

“You didn’t suddenly come here this time to experiment with Gobniu’s Hammer. You were making replicas and selling them on the black market from the beginning. That was your real business. Shall I guess correctly?”

Rilwid’s complexion turning pale in real-time proved my speculation.

“You’re blocked from that business now because of the raiders. So you’re trying to drag us in to deal with those guys. Because it’s tough to face them alone.”

“That… That… Is…”

Rilwid was so flustered he didn’t know what to do, his gaze wandering in all directions.

“Ah, no!”

And he seemed to have decided to just deny everything.

“What fake pendant? I don’t know anything about that!”

“Really?”

Then we can just check.

“Very fortunately, there’s a security officer party on the 4th floor of the labyrinth right now. Let’s call them here and ask.”

Rilwid’s face turned ashen.

“The fake pendants that were circulated on the black market have already been collected by security headquarters and their investigation is complete.”

Since regular equipment had mana injected into it, the mana would gradually leak out over time like radioactive isotopes, and based on that, the production time could be calculated backwards.

Even in the game, replicas made like that would show messages like ‘the mana seems to be fading‘ or ‘the mana seems to have disappeared‘ after a certain time.

“If we compare the time when the replicas were made with the time when you acquired that original pendant, we’ll be able to tell. Whether you really don’t know anything about this.”

I tucked the telekinesis wand into my belt and pulled out the message transmission wand.

And when I also pulled out a notebook from my bag, the horrified Rilwid shouted.

“Wait, wait a minute! It doesn’t seem like we need to work together with you guys, so we’ll be going now!”

And just as he was about to hastily back away.

Thunk!

Suddenly a dagger was embedded in Rilwid’s back.

Mister Backstab had moved with Leap Ambush and stabbed the blade in with a back attack.

That guy is really impatient, I tell you.

“What!”

“Fuck. What’s with this bastard, suddenly!”

Rilwid’s party members were horrified and attacked him, but.

‘Shadow Leap!’

Mister Backstab grabbed Rilwid and moved behind Aimus.

“Kill him!”

Rilwid’s party got excited and tried to rush forward, but.

“Don’t any of you move. Unless you want to see this bastard’s head cut off.”

Mister Backstab put his blade to Rilwid’s throat.

“Boss, call that security officer cat. This fucking bastard is the one who scammed sister-in-law, right?”

To be precise, Rilwid probably only did the distribution on the black market, and the dark merchant who actually scammed Mrs. Lenik would be someone else. The one that security headquarters caught.

But this guy is definitely the original cause provider.

Should we call the security officer for now?

“Yernil, could you write in the notebook? That we seem to have found the maker of the black market magic replicas.”

“Yes!”

“Stop!”

Rilwid screamed.

“I’ll tell you everything truthfully, so stop! Please!”

***

Labyrinth city Soren and its satellite city, Plandor.

There was an Elf businessman who traveled between these two cities. His name was Rilwid.

Rilwid, who had been full of dreams of creating a second Black Dog-like organization, had a powerful business partner.

‘Ingelram.’

Rilwid was the brains of the business, and Ingelram was the muscle. They teamed up together to manufacture and distribute replicas at the forge on the 4th floor of the labyrinth.

‘It would be nice if we could also steal core crystals and sell them.’

As time went on, greed increased.

The price of core crystals is considerable, more than distributing dozens of replicas.

The problem is getting caught.

Things like replicas don’t get caught even when coming out through the exits managed by the Adventurer Association, but if you come out with core crystals, you get caught immediately.

They had no choice but to return each time with only replicas, licking their lips in regret.

‘How about crossing through the inter-wall space and exiting through a different exit?’

It was Ingelram who first brought up that idea.

Not all labyrinth cities are as strictly and well-managed as Soren. Some labyrinth cities are within barbarian tribal villages where even the concept of magic is sparse.

‘We cross through the inter-wall space and come out at such a labyrinth city. Then the core crystals won’t get caught, right?’

Ingelram’s idea seemed plausible, but Rilwid shook his head.

‘Then we’ll get caught quickly.’

Why?

Because when they entered, they used the elevator managed by Soren’s Adventurer Association. Barbarians wouldn’t have elevators, and running down the stairs from the 1st floor would be more trouble than it’s worth in terms of time and labor.

But if they used Soren’s elevator, everything would go wrong. The Adventurer Association manages the list of adventurers who enter.

‘We took the elevator and entered, but there’s no record of us coming out. But we’re not dead either and we show up again next season. And core crystals go missing every time? Just steal twice and security headquarters will put us on the wanted list.’

‘Damn. Then is there no way?’

‘…’

After much deliberation, Rilwid came up with a very ambitious plan.

‘Let’s build an elevator.’

It was a super-massive project that would cost astronomical amounts to construct.

But they didn’t need to drill as deep as Soren’s Adventurer Association.

‘4th floor. No, even just drilling to the 3rd floor would be fine. Going down by stairs from there would be okay.’

Rilwid began building an elevator at a hideout outside Soren, and the business picked up pace.

The elevator completion costs were overwhelming, so he started other businesses too.

He cultivated drugs at the hideout.

Since it was too difficult to avoid security headquarters and Black Dog when distributing in Soren, he targeted Plandor City, which had relatively lax security, for distribution.

By establishing an errand center.

But the moment the elevator was completed.

Rilwid was stabbed in the back by the partner he had trusted.

***

“That crazy bastard sent the drugs directly to a legal officer at Plandor City’s security headquarters.”

Ingelram had played a trick in the middle and blown up Rilwid’s business.

He probably planned to send Rilwid away forever as a drug dealer, but that part failed.

“Originally I could have cut it off in the middle. From the beginning, I had strictly separated the delivery areas for the delivery workers, and I personally managed everything dangerous like going to security headquarters. But…”

Suddenly Rilwid’s eyes became sad.

“This… Stupid Elf…”

Everyone’s gaze, including Rilwid’s, turned to Yernil.

“When Ingelram gave her a package and told her to deliver it to security headquarters saying it was a missed delivery, she just went…”

Innocent and diligent Yernil is not at fault!

She just worked hard!

A missed delivery? It’s not my assigned area, but it can’t be helped.

I’ll go and come back!

Hehe! The boss will praise me, right? Maybe he’ll give me a bonus!

“That…”

Yernil scratched the back of her neck.

While lowering her gaze in embarrassment.

“That uncle back then… Was a raider…”

Who on earth could have predicted this?

The only person who had ever seen the face of the ‘large-scale disguise‘ raider that security headquarters was chasing and the Adventurer Association had missed.

That was our party’s 4th-time labyrinth newbie, command tower Yernil.