I Don't Want To Work! - Chapter 82
CHAPTER 82
“Long time no see, pal.”
After looking around, I slipped Ringo into the nearby door.
Whether it was a warehouse or not, it was filled with stuff inside.
For safety’s sake, it would be better to take him to a completely different place.
‘But where’s the common sense?’
What’s important now is to figure out why this guy is here!
“Anyway, how many years has it been? Feels like centuries.”
Ringo, who had been dragged along with me, waved his hand casually.
“Phew…”
I took a deep breath and still eyed Ringo, who was chuckling away.
“Where is it?”
“Where’s what?”
“The Dawnlight Top!”
The Dawnlight Top.
It was the top that this guy created, the main reason he got kicked out of his hometown.
He’s a bit better now, but back then, the elves openly making money in the human realm didn’t sit well with the old folks.
Anyway, he raised the top, enduring being exiled from his hometown.
Since it was operated by elves, not humans, it was easy to trade with other races.
Thanks to that, the Dawnlight Top grew rapidly and became a major top in no time.
And of course, I had a hand in it too.
No matter where on the continent you went.
Or even if you crossed to another continent, the Dawnlight Top was recognized everywhere.
So why is the top boss here acting like this?!
“Well…”
Ringo chuckled with his old habit and trailed off.
“What happened?”
“Uh?!”
Seriously.
I was genuinely flustered.
What do you mean, what happened?
“Uh, how did it happen? About the continent ship.”
The continent ship was a large ship that traveled between continents.
Since it was expensive and had high maintenance costs, only a few nobles or tops owned it.
And the Dawnlight Top had two of those continent ships.
“Selling just one of those continent ships would cover operating costs for five years, wouldn’t it?”
And that’s not all.
You don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
That was his creed.
Thanks to that, the funds were safely stored in various places.
It was savings for when things went south.
“Even if you get scammed badly or the operation fails, you still have the accumulated assets.”
In short, it was a structure that couldn’t fail even if it tried.
“No, it’s just that…”
Ringo avoided my gaze and scratched his head.
“I got scammed pretty badly.”
“Scammed?”
I still didn’t understand, and Ringo chuckled softly when I asked with wide eyes.
“I’ve been scammed several times over the centuries!”
“…Where are those scammers?”
“Well? Maybe they died? It’s been over a hundred years since the last one. Well, they probably have descendants.”
“….”
I laughed, and Ringo laughed too.
“Hey. Maybe lower your fist a bit…”
I must have raised my fist without realizing it.
Oh my, the other hand was holding his collar.
“Hah.”
I sighed deeply and lowered my arms.
“When did you start living like this?”
I asked with a straight face.
Ringo avoided my gaze for no reason.
“Well, it’s nothing. And what’s wrong with this lifestyle?”
“Have you asked for help?”
“Is there anyone willing to help an elf rejected by their homeland?”
“That guy exists. That guy.”
The one I sent letters to help the settlement of the Teckon tribe.
And recently, the one who requested a favor and made me come out today to buy materials.
“Taber, I mean.”
“Ugh! Why should I ask for help from a dwarf?!”
Ringo had a fit at the mention of Taber’s name.
“Hey, cut ties with those dwarves too! Those guys are always digging tunnels, what’s so appealing about them!”
“…Have you forgotten that I was once a dwarf?”
“Well, now you’re human! Humans living above ground!”
Ringo foamed at the mouth.
Although elves and dwarves were inherently at odds, it wasn’t like this when I worked at the top.
What happened after I died?
“You should cut ties too! That old grudge!!”
Swearing at an old grudge.
Is this it?
Ethnic hatred?
“Our ancestors were right not to get involved with dwarves. I shouldn’t have dealt with them…!”
“Enough.”
Crack.
I clenched my fist and hit Ringo’s head straight.
I had no more patience to listen.
“Ugh, ugh….”
Ringo clutched his head and hunched over.
Despite being much taller than the average human male, Ringo didn’t look small at all.
“Hah….”
I pressed my temples tightly.
“I asked Elam to find you, and you were right in front of me?”
“What? You asked the Water Spirit King to find me?”
“Yeah. I had something to ask and request. I was curious how you’ve been, so I thought I’d check….”
As I muttered, I realized something and widened my eyes.
“Wait, something’s odd here? Even if your top failed, you wouldn’t be working in a tea shop like this.”
“What’s wrong with me.”
Ringo avoided my gaze and turned his head subtly.
“And you’ve been subtly discriminating since earlier? Working in a small tea shop that won’t make much profit?”
“I only mentioned a tea shop.”
I didn’t say anything about working in a small, unprofitable place.
So this guy had always thought of the tea shop where he worked like this?
“….”
Ringo, who revealed his true feelings, subtly covered my mouth.
That, that.
“Anyway, why are you working here for real? The one who contracted Undine for your sword and bow skills?”
This guy who just came out of the elf village didn’t start a top with what money.
He started as a mercenary.
“If you had registered with the Mercenary Guild, you would have earned enough to start a top quickly while receiving top-tier compensation.”
While others took five years to earn money, this guy would probably earn it in less than a year just by fooling around.
“It’s weird.”
I leaned forward, glaring at Ringo.
Ringo completely turned his head to the side, hunching his big frame even more.
At the same time, he grabbed his sleeve firmly.
“Hey.”
Why is this guy so blatantly avoiding eye contact?
My certainty grew stronger.
“Roll up your sleeves.”
“Yeah, sure. Let me show you my scars. The summer sun’s been harsh.”
Ringo replied as he put more strength into pulling up his sleeve.
“No nonsense!!”
I grabbed Ringo’s hand which was pulling up his sleeve.
“Let go!!”
“Argh!!”
And I ripped it off.
Ringo grimaced, but the loose sleeve part was pulled up, revealing a strange pattern carved into his wrist.
Both Ringo and I fell silent.
My face twisted as I examined the pattern.
“What is this?”
“.…”
“…Where did you get this from?!”
I asked fiercely, grabbing Ringo’s arm.
“Why do you have a slave mark on your body?!”
It was a mark that ruined one’s mana and physical condition so that one couldn’t escape.
“That.”
Ringo replied calmly as he pulled his sleeve back down.
“About fifty years ago, I was wandering around here and there.”
I hardened my face and waited for Ringo to continue speaking.
“I encountered the followers of a demon god.”
Ringo shrugged his shoulders.
“I got caught and ended up like this. Oh, but I managed to escape quickly, didn’t I? My skills are pretty exceptional, as you said.”
“.….”
“…After that, I tried to erase it in various ways, but it wouldn’t go away.”
Ringo traced the pattern on his sleeve with his thumb.
“…You, didn’t your name used to be something else? It wouldn’t still be Kruin, would it?”
“Lottie…”
“Oh, wasn’t your original name Lottie? You’ve kept that name?”
It was a cornerstone to change the atmosphere and topic.
But I didn’t intend to change the subject.
“I’ll see if I can erase it too. We’re still acquaintances, right?”
“Don’t bother.”
Ringo smirked. Then he lifted his arm to show the pattern.
“This is a dragon’s mark.”
“D-Dragon?”
Ringo nodded in response to my question.
“By looking at the polymorph state alone, I don’t know who it is, but judging by the hair, it seemed like a White Dragon.”
Ringo shrugged his shoulders again.
“It felt like it had completely surrendered to an evil spirit.”
A White Dragon.
I didn’t know.
The only dragons I knew were Pendrade and Dragon Lord, whom I briefly met.
Other than that, I only heard rumors.
The origin of magic lies with the dragons.
Humans couldn’t solve a mark made by such a dragon.
Well, if they were human.
“Phew.”
Then why not someone who isn’t human?
I stood up.
“Hey.”
“Uh, yeah?”
“Pack your things.”
“…???”
Ringo looked at me with bewildered eyes.
I pointed at the slave’s mark with my finger.
“We need to remove that mark.”
And then we’re off to deal with those scammers.