I Don't Want To Work! - Chapter 88
CHAPTER 88
“Wow, there are a lot.”
I chuckled as I looked at the stack of documents and lists on the table.
Just looking at the guest list alone was impressive in its thickness.
I scanned through the list and chuckled.
“There are even people from other kingdoms.”
There were even some from royal families.
This country is doomed soon.
Everyone, run away!
“This side is today’s guest list…”
The ones with check marks mean they’ve arrived, right?
There were some unfamiliar names, but also some that I’d heard of before.
I stacked the registered guest list and today’s guest list on the right.
“And is this the ledger?”
I picked up the leather-bound notebook stained with dirt.
Among the documents on the table, it boasted the most impressive thickness.
But as soon as I opened the first page, I immediately closed it.
What am I seeing right now?
What? Selling a child for how much??
There were even small portraits drawn next to the names and ages.
But verification was needed.
I casually flipped through the ledger from the middle and furrowed my brows.
“Oh?”
It was sold here?
Some familiar items caught my eye.
They were items made of arsenic.
There were pretty green items written all over the paper.
‘Stella said the butler of the mansion bought these items.’
So, did the owner of the mansion buy them here?
But didn’t he say it was the first auction in a long time?
‘There’s a high chance they sold the items through a different route before the auction.’
Otherwise, how would they have gathered money to open such an auction?
‘Maybe they sell the items first to test their capability before opening the auction.’
In that case, the likelihood of betrayal would decrease.
Already tainted hands.
When I had finished reading the ledger, I pressed my eyes shut.
My eyes hurt.
The simmering anger rising subtly was a bonus.
“Phew… Hoo, hoo. Hoo, ha, hoo, ha.”
I tried to breathe with the peace of mind while holding onto my neck.
Right, now wasn’t the time to curse.
It’s an urgent situation where I need to quickly check the documents and rescue Ringo and the other slaves.
“No, but what about these bastards?”
Failed.
Shouldn’t have asked Lionel to handle it politely when I told him to deal with it!
‘No, it’s fine.’
I took a deep breath again to calm myself down.
I needed to find the key, so I still kept that Shaun guy alive.
Lionel took him to find the key.
We also need witnesses to testify.
‘I did the right thing by sparing him.’
I will show him hell.
As I made up my mind, the door opened.
The one who entered was Lionel.
“I found the key, Master.”
The hand-wearing black gloves held a small box, and on the opposite side, Shaun was tied up unconscious.
Nicely tied up.
When I reached out, Lionel politely placed the box in my hand.
“You’ve done well. Where did he hide it?”
“He hid it under the safe.”
“Hmm, smart thinking.”
I nodded and stood up.
I had already checked all the documents piled on the table.
I had taken the necessary documents along with expensive land deeds, jewels, and some gold coins.
‘I don’t know how much Ringo got swindled, but…’
This should be sufficient compensation and then some.
I smirked at the high-quality jewels I filled my bag with.
‘It’s rewarding to have manipulated them into offering jewels instead of gold coins!’
Considering the weight alone, jewels are more valuable than gold coins.
“Alright, alright.”
Shall we proceed with the final task now?
I approached the stack of documents and kicked it with my foot.
Documents are scattered all over the room.
Good.
“And this time, this!”
Clang!!
As I turned the purse of gold coins upside down, coins rolled all over the room with a loud noise.
“Finished!”
Crash!!
This time, I swung my arm and swept away everything that was in the room.
Items fell with loud noises.
In no time, the room was a mess.
“Phew.”
This was quite tiring.
While catching my breath and wiping the sweat of labor, Lionel smirked.
“What are you doing now, Master?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
I grinned and rummaged through my belongings.
It was the second item I brought from the palace.
“Planting evidence.”
It was the gold button I picked up when I met the orc tribe of the Teckon.
Clang, clatter.
With a clear sound, the gold button slipped under the dresser.
“Ah.”
My young disciple, who was following the gold button with his gaze, nodded his head.
“You plan to use that to frame him, Master.”
He smiled prettily at me.
“Leaving this gold button here will cover our tracks.”
I nodded as if to encourage him to continue speaking.
“The palace will pursue him. Master, you just need to wait until they confirm the culprit.”
“Correct.”
I chuckled.
“I tried to investigate on my own, but without informants, it was difficult.”
I sighed deeply.
“So, this is what I did.”
Later, when the royal knights come here, they will naturally investigate this place.
They will discover the gold button.
And they will pursue the owner.
‘The wheels are already in motion.’
Didn’t I subtly hint to Mage Fordell and Leonard that someone artificially moved the orc horde?
While they search for the culprit even in the palace…
‘Eventually, the marquis will move.’
He managed to hide well until now, but…
If the marquis goes as far as the palace, there’s no way out for him, and he’ll cut off his tail.
‘I just have to wait for that moment.’
The moment the marquis cuts off his loyal tail.
I smirked with a bitter smile.
“Now, Lionel.”
I grinned at my young disciple.
“Let’s go rescue Ringo!”
Although he probably managed to escape on his own!
* * *
“You bastards.”
Sob.
The sound of sobbing echoed from the prison with barred windows.
It wasn’t the others in the prison.
They had been trapped there for days and had already lost hope.
Only one person was crying.
“How could you use me as bait?”
It was Ringo.
Large tears streamed incessantly from his deep purple eyes.
From his nose, too.
“I did so well for them!”
Honestly, until Lottie pulled out the rope, he never thought she would betray him.
Surely not, e thought.
But along with the doubt came the betrayal from Lottie.
“Grr!”
Even if they were going to tie him up, shouldn’t they have given him time to prepare mentally before doing so?
Tears burst forth from his sense of injustice.
“Shut up!!”
Clang!!
A man who looked like a guard slammed the iron bars down with his baton.
“Eek.”
But it was only the others who cowered.
“Waah!!”
Instead, Ringo started crying even louder. Tears burst from his nose.
“That little…”
The man, seeming angry, tried to come in, but others held him back.
“Don’t touch him. He’s today’s main attraction.”
“Him?”
“Yeah. Look at the collar around his neck.”
Indeed, there was a golden ring around Ringo’s neck.
It was a special magical restraint, distinctly different from the black ones others were carrying.
It disrupted the flow of mana, a special magical tool.
In other words, that elf was either a mage or a contractor.
Mage or contractor, they were both highly regarded.
Tch!
The man clicked his tongue angrily, then started kicking the iron bars with his feet.
“You think you’re lucky, huh? Think you’re lucky!!”
It was a fit of rage.
Sob.
Whether out of fear or not, Ringo buried his head in his knees.
“Now you’re quiet.”
The guard chuckled and returned to his post.
“Hah.”
Ringo continued sobbing or not, burying his face in his knees.
Thunk.
Soon, the magical restraint around his neck came loose.
‘End.’
It was intentional.
Ringo purposely attracted the attention of the guards.
That way, even if he assumed this posture, hiding his neck and hands wouldn’t look suspicious.
‘By the way, who knew Lottie would have this.’
What was hidden between Ringo’s fingers was an amulet.
Before leaving home, his father had engraved a magic circle on this amulet that could release restraints.
‘…Even though I sold it.’
For Ringo, this amulet was hope and the last remnant of his homeland.
Ringo held it and raised it in the morning light, achieving success.
That’s why, as he started down the hill, he clung to this amulet.
Whenever he looked at it, he felt like everything would turn out okay.
But it was a delusion.
Struggling only made the situation worse for Ringo.
From a certain point on, the hope that had once been sweet for Ringo turned into nothing but torment.
So he sold it.
It was difficult to hold onto it anymore, so he sold it for a fair price.
‘It’s come back to me in the end.’
Ringo closed his eyes and tightened his grip on the amulet.
As if making a decision, a thick smile spread across Ringo’s lips.
“Undine.”
<Yes, Ringo!>
As if waiting for his call, Undine burst forth with a stream of water.
“…!!”
Not only the others who were trapped together but even the guards who were previously complacent were now terrified.
But soon after, they rushed towards Ringo with their swords drawn.
“Hahaha!”
“Splash!”
Cough, cough!!
They ended up trapped in the water bubbles created by Undine.
Clang!
A dagger missed by the guard made a loud noise as it smoothly rolled across the wet floor.
“Blub!”
Trying to free themselves from the water bubbles that were primarily covering their faces, they struggled.
Whatever they shouted, it only resulted in more water entering their mouths and noses.
Soon, their bodies collapsed.
“Wow.”
One of the children trapped there murmured in amazement.
Ringo reached out through the bars, picked up the dagger that had rolled up to his nose, and inserted it between the lock.
Twist.
The prison door opened. Instead of leaving, Ringo turned around.
Then he looked at the child who had just murmured in amazement and asked.
“Aren’t you going out?”
“Th-that’s…”
The child shook his head.
“I have nowhere to go even if I go out… Lordship sent me here.”
They couldn’t return to their land.
They couldn’t go back to their family either.
It was their own family who had handed them over to the Lord.
“So, I’ll just stay here.”
“I thought the same way.”
Ringo smiled at the child.
“But now that I think about it again, it seems better to walk forward.”
“…??”
The child blinked.
He didn’t understand what Ringo meant.
Well, he wouldn’t.
Before meeting Lottie, he probably had a similar expression on his face.
“I’m going to leave here and make a fresh start.”
Would he like to join him?
It was now his turn to extend his hand, standing on his own two feet.