Chapter 120 – Nesos (6)

“You’re giving me 1,300 Lina?”

Lloyd looked at me with an uncomprehending gaze.

Not only had I saved his life, but I was also offering him money.

Moreover, 1,300 Lina was a large sum that he would have to fight and win several more times in this arena to obtain.

He might have felt that the favor was excessive.

“You said you needed money to get your sister out of the pleasure house in the night market. Use this to help.”

“So I’m asking why you’re giving me this large sum of money!”

“I’m not just giving it to you. I plan to get it back with interest.”

Of course, that was a lie.

When I completed the quest and left Nesos, I wouldn’t be able to take any items from Nesos back to Earth.

As I held out the money, his eyes wavered.

The amount Lloyd needed was 30,000 Lina. Coincidentally, the 1,300 Lina I offered was the exact amount to cover his shortfall.

“Can I really accept this!”

Lloyd asked with a trembling voice.

He must have wanted to get his sister out of that dark den even a day sooner.

Furthermore, with his defeat in the recent match, his plans must have been disrupted.

His plummeted value as a gladiator would be directly reflected in his fight fees.

“Of course, you can. As long as you intend to pay it back.”

“Then I’ll accept it shamelessly! Of course, I will definitely pay it back with interest.”

“Naturally. I detest people who don’t pay back their debts the most.”

“And thank you. Johan.”

With that, he rubbed his face against my forehead.

What is this.

The rough, scratchy fur and all sorts of smells stimulated my senses.

‘This bastard!’

For a moment, I felt the urge to push him away, but I decided to endure it.

I remembered seeing that this act was a Nesos-style expression of gratitude.

I took the coin I had received from Lloyd out of my pocket.

“This coin. It might really be a lucky charm.”

“That’s for sure! The reason I’m alive right now is because you threw that coin. Ke ke ke.”

When I tried to return the coin, he immediately waved his hands in refusal.

“Please, at least accept that! Right now, that’s the only thing I can give you!”

A firm yet desperate gaze.

I felt his sincerity, so I nodded my head.

“Well, in that case, I’ll accept it without reservation. And now, I have a favor to ask of you.”

“Tell me anything! I’ll do anything I can!”

In fact, I needed a guide in Nesos.

I also needed detailed knowledge about this world.

“Of course, no, I’ll gladly do it!”

He readily accepted my proposal.

With this, one more companion was added to our quest journey.

It was now time to go and get the first task, the antidote.

***

Lloyd turned out to be a more useful person than I thought.

I had wondered if he was just some ignorant fellow who had only fought in the arena, but he was surprisingly well-connected and knowledgeable about the surrounding affairs.

I could trust him even when choosing an information shop.

“Harkin might know the information you need.”

“Is that the biggest information shop?”

“Not really. In fact, it’s on the smaller side in terms of scale, but it has a lot of valuable information regarding elixirs and medicinal herbs. The owner there is also a trustworthy person.”

Lloyd immediately guided us to the place.

Seeing the look in the shop owner Harkin’s eyes, I thought Lloyd had judged the person well.

I didn’t know if he had a lot of useful information, but from the depth of his gaze, he didn’t look like a swindler.

“Polos Fruit. Why are you looking for that?”

“As an information broker, you should know well, yet you’re asking me that instead.”

“Of course, I know. But I was wondering if you were looking for it for a different purpose.”

“To use as an antidote.”

Since the Abyss message had told me so, this was certain information.

“Have you perhaps been poisoned by Paris’s venom?”

I nodded my head.

“An interesting fellow.”

“In what way?”

“Paris’s venom is known to be extremely rare. To the extent that cases of poisoning are almost unheard of. But where were you poisoned?”

“I don’t know.”

I couldn’t say that the Abyss had poisoned me to increase the difficulty of my quest.

“It’s even more interesting that you seem to genuinely not know. You don’t know where you were poisoned with that rare venom, yet you know that it’s Paris’s venom. Don’t you think that’s strange?”

“I admit that it’s strange.”

“Then, shall I tell you one more thing that’s the strangest?”

“Go ahead.”

“About the antidote for Paris’s venom, there are probably only a handful of people in this world who know that the Polos Fruit is the antidote.”

“Is that so?”

“To know the most expensive information, yet come to ask about something of a lower grade. That’s why I said you’re an interesting fellow. If you had come to me asking for a way to cure Paris’s venom, the price would have been much higher.”

He was a talkative fellow, but I thought he was a trustworthy character.

And according to what Harkin had said just now, he knew the whereabouts of the Polos Fruit.

“So where can I get the Polos Fruit?”

Harkin looked at me and smiled.

“There are two pieces of information about the whereabouts of the fruit.”

“Two?”

“Yes. One is information about the location where the Polos Fruit grows.”

“Then what’s the other one? Is it perhaps information about a person who has the fruit?”

“Your intuition is astonishing. For your reference, the price of both pieces of information is the same.”

The price Harkin revealed was reasonable.

Since I had a portion of the money I received as a contract advance, it was possible to buy both.

Since I wasn’t constrained by money, I planned to hear both.

If I could choose an easier and higher probability method, it would be worth paying for both.

“First, the information about the fruit’s location.”

“Alright. Wait a moment.”

Harkin went to his bookshelf and, a moment later, came back with a book.

It was a hardcover book with only a serial number on the cover and nothing else.

Harkin quickly flipped through the pages, searching for the information.

“I have a rough idea of where it is, but I need to provide the exact coordinates.”

Harkin took out a memo pad, diligently wrote down directional markings and numbers, and then handed it to me a moment later.

“If that tree hasn’t disappeared, this is the place. The crimson forest in the Tulurang region. For your reference, it’s quite far from here.”

Lloyd, who was listening, immediately added a word.

“Isn’t it not just far, but incredibly far?”

“Well, far and near are relative. For your reference, there’s a bigger problem than the distance. To get to the Tulurang region from here, you have to pass through the Neusi Gorge.”

He added that the Neusi Gorge was an extremely treacherous place and a paradise for monsters.

But there was an even bigger problem here.

Harkin had added the condition, ‘If that tree hasn’t disappeared.’

Even if we went through all the arduous journey and arrived at our destination, there was no guarantee that we would be able to obtain the fruit.

In the end, it was a situation where I had to hear the other piece of information.

“Then, tell me the information about the person who has the Polos Fruit. Who is it?”

“Even if you meet that person, there’s no guarantee they’ll hand it over to you. Or they might demand an exorbitant price.”

Of course, I had to keep that possibility in mind, but I needed to hear it first.

“It doesn’t matter, just tell me who it is.”

“Hehehehe.”

Harkin, finding something amusing, was smiling and dragging it out.

“It’s me.”

“Harkin, you?”

“Yes. I have a dried Polos Fruit.”

This was unexpected information.

And the words Harkin had built up just now flashed through my mind.

I thought he might not sell it, or he might demand a huge price.

“Harkin! We absolutely need the Polos Fruit. Name your price.”

But this time too, he didn’t answer right away and just smiled meaningfully.

“Are you perhaps not planning to sell it?”

“Correct.”

For a moment, a hollow laugh escaped me.

Usually, people with eyes like Harkin’s didn’t go back on their word.

“You’re not asking why I’m not selling it.”

“The reason isn’t important.”

“Still, I’d appreciate it if you asked once.”

This guy, he doesn’t seem like the type to play with people.

“Alright. Why won’t you sell it to me?”

“Because I’m planning to give it to you for free.”

“……What?”

“If you keep everything you’ve heard here a secret, I’ll give it to you unconditionally.”

It was an absurd story, but there was absolutely no sign that he was joking.

“I will definitely keep my promise. But why would you give it away without any conditions?”

“Because I have something I want too. To put it simply, there was a problem that the source of the information that the Polos Fruit cures Paris’s venom was unclear. I had no way of knowing if that information was really reliable.”

“So you mean you’re going to conduct a clinical trial on that information now? Using us as subjects?”

“Correct. The most important virtue for an information broker like me is trust. Selling incorrect information is not only a disservice to the customer, but it’s something I cannot tolerate myself. Is that explanation sufficient?”

As Lloyd had said, he was definitely a good person.

“There’s no reason to refuse something you’re giving away for free.”

“Good. Then let’s call it a win-win for both of us!”

A moment later, Harkin brought out the Polos Fruit.

To be precise, it was a dried Polos Fruit.

It looked like a sweet bean jelly.

“Then, both of you, take it.”

Min Ha-rin and I did not hesitate to put the Polos Fruit that Harkin handed us into our mouths and start chewing.

Surprisingly, the effect was immediate.

The poison that had been trapped in my dantian disappeared completely.

The effect was even more pronounced in Min Ha-rin.

Her unhealthy complexion due to the spread of the poison was visibly returning to normal.

“The detoxification effect has been confirmed to be certain.”

Harkin had a satisfied expression.

Lloyd, who was watching from the side, also rejoiced with us.

“Johan! Congratulations!”

“I guess this really is a lucky coin. I didn’t expect it to be resolved this quickly.”

If I hadn’t made Lloyd a companion, I would have definitely taken a long detour.

Luck was certainly on my side.

And there was an unexpected harvest.

[You have cleared a sub-quest.]

[Lina’s Roulette has been provided as a reward. You can spin the roulette to obtain the currency of the Nesos world.]

A mysterious creation unfolded in the empty space before my eyes.

A roulette wheel had really appeared.

Various amounts were displayed, from 2 million Lina in the smallest area to 500 Lina in the largest.

[The roulette is spinning.]

The roulette began to spin, regardless of my will.

Was the coin Lloyd had given me really a lucky charm?

It was a moment to verify it once more.

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