Chapter 26: Merchant's Battle [2]
In a split second, the ground beneath her collapsed. Veriana lost her balance and flailed in the air.
And the moment her back touched the ground.
Whoosh-
A magic circle drawn with red Bristy reagent reacted and caught fire.
─!
In the center of the magic circle, which expanded by absorbing mana from magic stones, a pillar of flame that melted everything shot up vertically.
Even so, Veriana didn't fall.
She negated the flames by exploding black demonic energy and eventually crawled up over the hole.
And the next measure Gerhard had prepared went out to meet her.
When her outstretched hand triggered a trap, prepared reagents flew at her.
Crash-
Five vials broke and covered Veriana. Sizzle, the reagent with the property of corroding mana even weakened the demonic energy little by little.
Veriana screamed and staggered, triggering yet another trap. A scroll tore. Zap, with an intense spark, ten lightning bolts fell in a straight line.
Boom-boom-boom-boom!
White lightning penetrated the half-corroded demonic energy. Veriana's body trembled as if being tortured.
"Argghhhhh!"
Soon, a scream with a grotesque voice erupted.
...That was the end.
"Grrrr...."
Veriana, foaming at the mouth, rolled her eyes and collapsed.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye.
Gerhard and Luina watched blankly.
"...Is she okay? Is she possibly dead...?"
"Originally, I planned to switch positions with her as she lost her reason and approached me, then trigger another trap..."
Gerhard was muttering absently, as if he couldn't hear her words.
Only then did Luina check behind them. One step behind where Gerhard was standing, a trap that clearly looked like it had been meticulously prepared was installed.
"After that, I was going to face her together with you when she was in tatters..."
Haha, Gerhard laughed.
"I really didn't need to do that. The two of us together didn't need to."
This is what a demon is supposed to be?
Gerhard's eyes were bloodshot.
***
Among magicians, there's a famous saying.
'A magician is one who prepares.'
'A fully prepared magician can defeat anyone.'
Luina Berchef had fought magicians several times, but she had never properly understood the meaning of those words.
But at this moment, it was different.
A prepared location.
Ready magic traps.
Thoroughly anticipated strategies.
She realized the true meaning of the words that magicians lived by.
She also realized that she hadn't understood until now because they had only been simple duels.
"So this is the true way of a magician's combat..."
"Wrong. This is a merchant's way of combat."
Gerhard cut off Luina's words.
"...Not a magician but a merchant?"
"Think about it."
He extended his finger.
"Scrolls bought with money."
He moved to the side.
"Artifacts bought with money."
"But you didn't use artifacts."
"I was planning to use them. It's just that I didn't need to because she was too weak."
Once again to the side.
"Magic reagents and magic stones bought with money. And the traps made with them."
Money's touch was everywhere.
"It started with money and ended with money. If this isn't a merchant's battle, what is it? Do you think those poor beggar magicians could ever do this?"
No way. Gerhard shook his head.
"It's absolutely impossible for them. Without money, they can't do it even if they were to die and come back to life. And magicians are inherently a group that consumes rather than produces."
"...I understand what you're saying, but you are a magician, after all."
"That is also wrong. I learned magic merely for self-defense and more useful applications, but my essence is that of a merchant."
That's why it was even more regrettable.
The materials that went into waging this merchant's battle, when converted to money, were not insignificant.
"It's still absurd to think about it. If only I had known that she was weaker than expected."
If only he hadn't been intimidated by the name 'demon'.
"No, if you had just told me the truth a little earlier..."
"It was you who ran away without any explanation."
"Since there was no explanation, you should have just followed me."
"Who was it that said to hold on for ten minutes?"
"Do you think it's right to blindly follow without being given any explanation of the reason?"
Ha, Luina let out a hollow laugh. Unable to make sense of it, she shook her head and changed the subject.
"But it's unexpected. In terms of absolute amount, exempting our family from interest for three years would be more expensive."
Honestly, it was questionable that Gerhard, who was rumored to be a money demon, made such an offer.
At first, she had been suspicious, but now she thought the rumors might be a bit exaggerated. Yet today he was so concerned about money again, it was confusing to know which was his true nature.
"It's a different case."
"What case?"
"Do you know why I like money?"
"Do I need to know?"
"Because with money, you can do anything."
"You're not listening to me."
"Money is possibility."
With money, you can do things that seemed impossible.
With money, solutions that weren't there before appear.
With money, you can get people who seemed impossible to obtain.
Money is literally a treasure that can do anything.
"That's why money is precious. That's why money should be used in meaningful places, more valuable places."
Not in a sewer like this, but in places like Luina.
The money spent on Luina wasn't regrettable at all. It was because he saw the possibility that she would become a Royal Knight in the future.
"There was no reason to waste it so emptily against an opponent that we could have just faced together."
Gerhard's cold gaze turned toward the fallen Veriana. Only then did Luina, who now had the leisure to properly examine Veriana, get surprised.
It was natural that she was on the verge of death after being hit by traps and dozens of spells.
Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, it would be fair to say that she was still alive thanks to the demonic energy.
"I'm sorry to say this in the current situation, but could you please give her a potion? She'll die if we leave her like this."
"...Alright."
Gerhard took out a potion and poured it on Veriana's body.
It can't be helped.
He muttered quietly.
"I'll just have to collect the spent money from the culprit."
That was the way of the world since ancient times. For that, she must not die.
But first, he needed to collect the still intact traps.