Volume 2 Chapter 31 Horace and Sid. Not Conversation, But “Solving Talk”
Conversation──or maybe a 'revelation.'
Just before the battle between Rangella and the Pastor kicks off.
"...You're choosing now to reach out to me? So, you're saying Pastor and Cedal are tearing it up above us?"
Deep inside the Great Mine of the Golden World──Kinsekai.
The old boss chamber.
In the vast, echoing room, Horace ran into Sid──and muttered the words under his breath.
"Impressive. You figured that out, even though we've never met."
"You're 'Key of Pharos,' aren't you?"
"Sid, representing the group. I've wanted to speak to you for a while, Horace."
"You want a talk with me, huh..."
Both of them stayed sharp, not dropping their guard for a second as the conversation circled between them.
"Horace. First, there's something I need to ask you."
"Yeah?"
"Since the Adventurers started getting cocky... what's your take on it?"
"..."
"'Court Adventurers.' That whole mess. Headquarters execs going rogue. Adventurers running wild──not for any real challenge, not out of frustration──just pure, arrogant showboating... All sorts of incidents. Where do you stand?"
The look in Sid's eyes──he really was just asking.
No sarcasm.
No schemes.
Whatever Horace said here, it didn't seem like Sid was ready to pounce on it with snide remarks.
"Let's see... Honestly? It gets under my skin. Ah, yeah, that makes sense now. You all started tracking me around the time I took down Astral Dragon Gai Gigant, didn't you?"
Horace let out a sigh.
"So this is just harassment. You've got a sick sense of fun."
"Harassment? Bold claim. When I got wind of that copier salesman gig, I nearly popped an eyeball."
"Ha. So that's the part that stuck with you."
"Naturally."
Sid fished out a single gold coin from the inside of his coat.
"I'm sure you've guessed already. This monster coin works as a 'sensor.' It's tuned to──well, to hunger. Especially the kind of desire that's so strong, it's almost doomed to backfire, if you push it just right."
"So that's why you guys want so many people carrying these coins... In other words, you want to keep everyone hooked on cash──'true believers' in old-fashioned money."
"Yes──if you use a monetary system, these coins wind up in everyone's hands. They become sensors, picking up everything we need."
"But you know... all that 'humans debating about money' nonsense? That threw off our calculations."
"Debt, though. Now, that's a fascinating thing. Alvaro makes it plain as day──it's not cash, but creating bonds out of thin air and trading those instead. Honestly, I have to give credit where it's due."
Sid grinned, cool and unbothered.
He tucked the gold coin away and shot Horace a look──half exasperation, half challenge.
"The fact that people can do business without ever touching a coin? That's a problem for us. Which is exactly why we refuse to allow any bond markets from Alvaro──or let countries mint their own currencies."
"So that disaster 4 years ago... You were the ones who handed those magic tool schematics off to Pastor, weren't you."
"Right on the mark."
Four years back──a legendary screw-up on Pastor's part.
It all started when that 'mental abnormal resistance' magic tool was put into play.
Most of them ended up as cards or medals──easy to circulate, hard to trace.
Thing is, a magic tool's core is always 'specially-modified metal that channels mana.' And the more practical they get, the less portable they are──performance and size pulling in opposite directions.
The only reason those blueprints ever made it out at all was because Sid and his crew──Key of Pharos──spread them around.
The trick behind making cards and medals?
That comes straight from our refusal to allow private currencies.
Getting specific, we've kept researching new ways to make fakes──just to tank people's trust and ruin their reputation.
Thanks to that, Key of Pharos managed to put together blueprints for magic tools people could actually use.
"To be perfectly honest, those 'copy papers' that came with the copier... we never really had the papermaking tech to make those ourselves."
"So, bottom line... if I suddenly announced, 'Hey, let's start printing paper money,' that'd throw a wrench in your plans, huh?"
"Precisely, Horace. Though I'd say you're not likely to do something like that."
"Right. The only reason I want more power as a Golem Master is because there's someone out there I have to defeat. I'm not looking to make life easier, or shake up the politics or the economy. Not my thing."
"Oh? The one you need to take down... is that so? What exactly is the charge?"
"Let's just say... I'm not fond of being treated like livestock."
"Hm, you're certain... Ah, I see, you've 'seen' it. How intriguing. Even I didn't catch that."
Sid let out a soft chuckle.
"Now, seems I've stepped a bit too far. Let's reel it back in. Did you enjoy my little harassment, by the way?"
"At the very least, if this chaos with the Adventurers is your doing, I've got a good reason to punch you."
"Hahaha! Indeed you do!"
His smile deepened more than ever before.
"The man who established the world's first Golem Master technology, who preached his 'ideals'... 100 years ago, he became the world's first 'Court Adventurers' and destroyed a nation. Insulting Eudynes is a grave act. He's surely someone you admire."
"Ah, yeah. I've got Eudynes' 'autobiography' stuffed in my Item Box. It's all tattered now, but..."
"Indeed... to acquire something that was supposed to be burned..."
Sid's smile shifted slightly.
"And... if we were the ones who forced the loathed Eudynes into the Court Adventurers through public opinion, what would you do?"
"...Is that reason, perhaps, close to the level of my 'paper-making technology,' which is why Eudynes could produce such high-quality paper?"
"Precisely, the magic tools and golems Eudynes created had the potential to produce high-quality 'currency' beyond our reach."
"Progress in technology can't be stopped. So you lot discredited Eudynes' 'reputation.' It wasn't about whether the performance was high or low, but you created a trend that 'Eudynes' magic tools can't be trusted.'"
"Heh... what do you think?"
...Horace seemed to ponder for a moment before quickly replying.
"It's true I admire him, but I don't worship him. I take him as a lesson in what not to do."
"Hmph..."
"I'm feeling the urge to punch you even more now."
"But I wouldn't want to actually get punched by you. I suppose I should hold back."
Sid then reached into his coat pocket and pulled out ten medals.
"We've both said enough, don't you think? But you're not getting through here. Pastor is working hard upstairs."
"Pastor is? What about Cedal?"
"I killed him."
"...You did?"
"Yes. I did."
"I see... That was some *bad luck* huh?"
Horace took out the Cube from his pocket.
"Saying I can't pass is just nonsense. I'll force my way through. And I'll beat you up while I'm at it."
"I'll say it again, you should reconsider."
The Cube and the ten medals began to glow.
"'Deus Ex Machina'"
"'Christy Flask'"
A layer of red armor covered Horace's entire body.
Sid's coat transformed into a white lab coat, and the ten medals morphed into flasks.
At the tips of both hands, a pattern of polka dots appeared.
"It doesn't matter how strong you are. My victory is already written in the scenario."
"Heh heh, shall we begin? An experiment with the outcome 'annihilation,' that is."
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