Chapter 165: Resolve to Die, Reason to Live (2)
While Michael took Deborah far away and left the place for some time, we gathered around Roxa to have a look at the contents of his parcel.
Roxa said he had brought almost all the potions he had made upon Hades’ request when he came to Louvremont, but most of the useful ones were taken by Hades and what was left were secondary powers at best.
But it was better than nothing. Rather, these were things I should be quite welcoming since I had no ability to attack at all.
I took the fire element potion that could let me use some Ignition and wind element that allows me to use Aerokinesis and kept it safe.
Abel, who was choosing potions with me for a long while, picked up one peculiar-looking colored potion.
Roxa flinched.
“Childe! Dat wouldda be too expensive!”
“Ah, r-really?”
Abel put down the potion he had picked up with an embarrassed look on his face.
It seemed that he wanted it…
I held onto Roxa’s arm feeling sorry for him and asked, “What is this?”
“It’s a potion that makes a wish come true.”
“…Huh? Didn’t you say potions can only unleash elemental magic?”
“Tis true, tis true. Bu’ there is an aura dat gets emitted with da elemental mana only on da first time da mana is unleashed. I dinna know wot it really is due ter me lack o’ studies, bu’ I call it da ‘accumulation o’ earnest will.’”
“Accumulation of earnest… will?”
“Aye. There is no other moment with more importance for human will dan da time o’ da first awakening. Perhaps dats why, some ‘extraelemental mana’ gets emitted on da first go o’ using one’s mana, dis is potion form o’ such things gathered little by little.”
“Extraelemental mana… Then, how did you know that taking this would make one’s wish come true?”
“Nah nah, I dinna know since I dinna take it meself. But since da mana inside is based on ‘will’, I am only assuming some similar ability would be unleashed.”
“Ahh… I get it now. So this is not a potion with a particular ability, right?”
“Aye. In truth, I dinna even know if drinking it would make any ability happen, bu’ since tis a type o’ mana dat is so rare ter gather…”
“What, then. You don’t even what good it may do even if you take it? You don’t even know if a magic would be unleashed or not, not to mention being helpful?”
Azar cut in after hearing it from the distance.
“Why are you acting so difficult when it’s nothing but pretty-looking trash? Give it to the Childe.”
“Azar, it’s fine. I don’t need it.”
Abel waved his hand in a big motion.
That ‘wishing potion’, was indeed pretty in color despite being something we knew nothing of its potency.
It turned into shades of red, blue, yellow, then green as it swiveled around. It didn’t seem to actually make a wish come true, so it maybe a ‘pretty trash’ as Azar had said.
Seemingly agreeing with Azar’s words, Roxa quietly looked down at the potion he was holding and protruded it right at Abel.
“So be it den. Ye hold on ter it, Childe.”
“H-huh? I am fine.”
“Nah, I wouldna have any use fer it anyway even if I keep it. I have kept it for years already.”
“Still… it’s expensive…”
‘Take it when he gives it, Abel.’
I took it away from Roxa’s hand at once and moved it onto Abel’s hand and spoke.
“Thank you I will make sure to pay you back with a blank check note when we head back, Roxa.”
“Ha ha! Sure… bu’ I am going back alive, aye?” Roxa muttered dejectedly.
I was about to reply ‘of course’ to the worried-looking Roxa, then stopped.
Actually, I didn’t even wish as far as for the curse to be lifted, I was intending on begging for the lives of Hades and the rest even if it meant kneeling down once I met Gaionia.
But that would only be possible if they are alive until that last moment.
‘Everyone else will certainly be safe up until we arrive before Gaionia for sure. But Roxa…’
I truly couldn’t have imagined that Roxa would wind up in our travel to Orcus.
Should we be leaving him behind somewhere safe before we face Gaionia?
No, rather, the right thing to do would be to do our best to protect Roxa.
After all, he was the only person I could guarantee the safety of among all of us.
Hiding my inner thoughts, I gave the brightest smile I can muster so that he wouldn’t worry.
“Don’t you worry. We will be able to head back safe and sound.”
Finishing my words, I lightly landed my hand on Roxa’s shoulder.
As my light element mana seeped into him, Roxa was frozen solid sensing it.
What I have cast on Roxa was, the same kind of continuous nullification that I had cast on Hades as well.
“Why…”
“Be well, Roxa.”
“Duchess… I’m touched…”
Realizing that I casted nullification on him, Roxa’s slit eyes became tearful, touched.
He added with a sniffle, “Aye, I gotta be well. If I am ter return an’ get dat blank check note…”
Hearing his unchanging lust for money even before the gates of hell, Abel and I burst into laughter.
After laughing for a while, Abel exclaimed with an ah! and asked, “But can’t a magician like you make money too? Why do you struggle to make money like so?”
“Oh my.”
Come to think of it, it was true. I also stared at Roxa with a look of curiosity.
“Ah, dat…”
As Roxa stood smiling awkwardly, Azar cut in once again, looking at us from the back.
“You think that stingy punk didn’t think of that? He had already tried it once and overturned the whole empire.”
“Hm?”
Azar added seeing Abel tilt his head, “It happened before you came to Louvremont, Childe. No, even before you were born, perhaps. all the currency in the empire was changed about 10 years ago. It was total chaos indeed.”
“…Why?”
“Wait, why is dat firehog bringing up a past story dat’s been long gone history?”
“That was also the reason why the whole world found out that punk is an earth elementalist who had unleashed the ability of creation, too.”
“Dat’s enough, ye know?”
“So you made money?” I asked and Roxa gave out some dry coughs in embarrassment after hesitating a bit with a reddened face.
“Well, aye. I was busy stamping out money da moment I unleashed me powers. I shoulda known when ter quit bu’ I had too much fun with it, ended up getting caught because da demand for currency didn’t add up…”
“Wow, Roxa. You’ve committed all kinds of illegal doings imaginable.”
“Wot! Why woud it be against da law ter lead a wealthy life through me ability, aye? Anyways, they did say it wos against da law…”
“So?”
“So I got arrested. Thankfully, me master resolved it an’ saved me life once dat time…”
“By master, you mean master of the tower of magic under the Imperial house?”
“Aye. Da Imperial house got overturned by da fact dat ability ter create could be abused. An’ so dey stamped out da new currency. Me master had engraved a formula dat requires an insane amount o’ mana ter create da new currency so it canna be made so easily now. Least not outside da imperial mintage facilities.”
I didn’t know about such a back story.
Roxa Tribolt was quite something as well from some perspectives.
“Though he is but a criminal now.”
“Wait, why is dat punk getting on me nerves on every single thing there is? Ugly punk…”
“What now?!”
“Enough!”
I stopped Azar as he was about to charge in rage.
Though I didn’t know since this was the first time selling everyone together, the two of them were very hostile to each other.
I couldn’t tell why, but Azar always added curses whenever he talked about Roxa. From the look of things, it seemed that there were some unsolved matters between the two of them.
Gathering our powers together may not be enough here, what good would come out of us fighting among ourselves?
I changed the subject.
“But why are you so obsessive about money, Roxa? I think you should be able to live your life away on the money you’ve earned so far already. Do you have a debt or something?”
“No, even da debts I had has all been repaid a long time ago.”
“Then why?”
Though it was merely a question I had to change the subject, I really was curious.
Roxa suddenly fell silent at my question. Thinking about something for a long while with his eyes closed, he soon snickered. “Who knows wot may happen in life? Da more the merrier, aye?”
“You’d end up dead from the busted stomach soon enough. It’s not even something you can take back with you to the afterlife.”
“Then ye can earn jus’ enough ter survive another day like ye done up ter now an’ live on until ye meet ye poor demise.”
“What?”
At that instant, Roxa’s voice became thorny and Azar flared up.
Roxa, seated, looked up at Azar with a mocking smile.
“Ye musna know yet from not being in enough misery. Or did ya already forget how ye were crying an’ begging on ye knees before me because ye didna have money ter spend?”
“What did you say, you punk?”
“Sure, come at me then, go on!”
Roxa did not avoid Azar as he approached Roxa right away.
Roxa stood up, shoving his face up close smiling mockingly as he continued.
“Did ye know wot a fool I thought ye were when I heard o’ ye from His Grace fer da first time? Thought dat there are many lacking lots in dis world but none as lacking as you.”
Even when he was being grabbed by the collar, Roxa acted unfazed. He turned around to me and Abel frozen solid and continued.
“This foreigner barged into da empire where things are so much tougher fer him, being rolled around here an’ there ignored by everyone. Ya know da reason why?”
“Pah,” bursting into laughter, Roxa added. “He says he has ter keep alive all his little siblings in his homeland, I hear?”
Though this was the first time hearing Azar’s situation, it was definitely not something to be mocked about.
But Roxa seemed so displeased with it, he kept bringing up Azar’s past even, continuing to mock him.
“Ye lacking punk. Ye life should be yer own, ye dimwit. Wot would be left fer ye if ye throw away ye pride and roll around fer da sake o’ those lots who aren’t even yours by blood? Ah, I suppose ya siblings may cry fer ye sake if ye die while jumping through hoops fer dem…”
“Roxa, that’s enough…”
“No matter what, I think, it woulda been right fer those burden o’ siblings ter have died with ease five years ago fer ye ter live ye life properly.”
Azar’s fist was faster than me trying to hold him back.