Finding the Devil (5)
Before Frondier could answer, Colin spoke again.
"But before I propose a deal."
He raised both hands.
"There's something I'm unsure about. I want to be certain."
"What is it?"
"The smart people I've met have also been the most cautious. Anyone would be scared to enter such a deep underground space. We descended such a long staircase, yet this room is so small."
Colin spread his arms wide, as if to emphasize the room's size.
"Those who notice that will soon realize something else. There are bare walls all around this room, devoid of any objects. Anyone who witnessed the scene upstairs, of the wall being torn apart, can roughly guess the structure of this room."
"..."
Frondier remained silent at Colin's explanation.
Colin continued.
"Why did you come down here? Knowing full well that this place would be dangerous, why did you come down here without any escort from the upper floor?"
"H-Hold on, Colin."
Carla, sensing the change in the atmosphere, spoke up.
But Colin's gaze was fixed on Frondier.
"I want to know your worth, Brother Frondier."
Frondier scratched his cheek with a finger.
'Empty walls and all that, I discovered it much more simply.'
Frondier had sensed it long before he reached this room.
His sixth sense had reacted to the murderous intent beyond the door.
He knew that entering the room would mean being surrounded by murderous intent from all sides.
That's why he was rather surprised by the small size of the room. The murderous intent was outside this room.
"As you might have guessed, Brother, you're a rat in a trap right now."
"Colin! Why are you doing this?!"
Carla exclaimed in a flustered voice. Colin glanced at her.
"I've been very satisfied with our dealings with the Headmaster so far, but right now I'm in such a difficult situation that I can't afford to care about trivial trust."
He then looked at Frondier again.
"Frondier de Roach."
"......You received information about me."
Frondier stated.
Colin had said that he himself was an information broker. So that means he must have acquired information about Frondier beforehand.
He didn't know who it was or what information he had received, but it seemed to have been enough to recognize Frondier as a 'dangerous individual'.
But at the same time, Colin had also said he wanted to make another deal.
Enemies burning with murderous intent surrounding them, and in front of him, a strange merchant who gathered those enemies and proposed a deal.
Frondier raised his head.
"......Eight."
"!"
Frondier's short words. But with those words, Colin's head shot up.
'He accurately guessed the number of people hiding behind the walls.'
As Colin was thinking, Frondier spoke.
"You said you wanted to know my worth."
Frondier raised a finger. A small amount of obsidian gathered in front of it. Obsidian arranged in the shape of water droplets, a total of eight.
"If their lives aren't that important to you, I can show you."
"...."
"If you want to know someone's worth, you have to prove your own first."
Frondier's eyes and expression, they were similar to Colin's.
Colin, whose emotional changes and reactions were faint. The moment Frondier saw that side of Colin, he realized that he was a similar kind.
Broadly speaking, Colin was similar to Frondier, Philly, or Quinie.
The common denominator of all of them was that they were incredibly reliable allies, but incredibly difficult to make allies with.
That's why Frondier knew.
"Isn't that right? Information broker."
How to deal with Colin.
He knew it would be easier than Philly, at least.
"...."
Colin closed his eyes for a moment.
After a while, he lightly raised his hand. As he did, the murderous intent directed at Frondier gradually receded.
"They're well-trained."
"It's not training. It's a cooperative relationship where everyone has come together for survival."
"And they move at the gesture of your hand?"
"And I, in turn, move at the gesture of theirs."
Indeed. It seemed like a much stronger relationship than he thought.
"Right. So there's a much larger space here than this room? Considering how deep we've come down, there's a good chance there are floors above and below as well. It's on a larger scale than I thought."
"Please refrain from excessive deduction. I'm afraid you'll figure everything out."
"Then at least make a scared face, will you?"
Frondier chuckled at Colin's still calm face.
"Will you explain everything one by one? You must have a lot to say to me."
"Of course. Because I've already decided that it would be in my best interest."
Colin was endlessly bland, whether he was pressuring Frondier or being pressured by him.
Whether that blandness stemmed from courage or judgment, Frondier was curious, but it wasn't important right now.
"As I said, I'm in a rather difficult situation. It's been like that since the moment you arrived, Brother."
"I guess you expected me to be Frondier de Roach."
"Because the person who appeared was exactly the same as the information I received."
"What was the information?"
Colin raised his eyes, as if trying to recall a memory.
"The information was, 'A dark-haired man who travels with several unbelievably beautiful women, that's Frondier de Roach'."
"...."
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