Monster Company Tycoon Chapter 38

Chapter 38

 

When I looked more closely, it was true.

Tears were streaming down Ragner’s face as he swung his sword.

‘Just how overwhelmed with emotion did he have to be…?’

“Whoa… That’s incredible.”

Was he crossing swords with his old friend as though they’d returned to the past, finally letting go of all the guilt he’d kept buried deep in a corner of his heart?

“Huh? The old hag is crying, too. Ehehe! Look at that old geezer crying like a little kid!”

This time, Brownie pointed at Ruadis and jeered.

‘How could a fairy be so wicked?’

“Ugh, I can’t just sit here and let this happen! I have to go tease them right now! You crybabies!”

Brownie, thoroughly worked up, dashed out of the office in a flash.

And a little while later…

Through the screen, I could see the dirt potato bawling her eyes out more pitifully than anyone else.

Apparently, there was an atmosphere at the actual scene that simply couldn’t be conveyed through the screens.

In that case, I’d better not go anywhere near them until things had completely calmed down.

I was actually rather prone to tears myself, so I was bound to get swept up in the atmosphere.

I didn’t want to cry in front of other people.

‘But this is rather…’

I couldn’t help repeatedly turning my eyes toward Ragner, who was crying so bitterly.

Thump, thump.

My heart was beating pleasantly.

What was this? Could it be that I had a thing for men who cried?

Only after confirming that the battle had ended did I finally head up to the first floor to check on the situation.

“Waaaah! What an incredible friendship! Turns out you’re a pretty decent guy after all! From now on, you’re not Dead-Fish Eyes anymore. You’re just Dried Pollock!”

Everyone had more or less returned to their usual selves, but Brownie was still deeply immersed in the lingering emotions.

After hating Ragner so much all this time, she was now even patting him on the shoulder and acting like they were close.

“Did things work out?”

“Thank you, Miss Choi. Thanks to you, I was able to say my final goodbye to Sabira.”

Oh. He was now calling her by the name Sabira rather than referring to her as a monster.

It seemed he’d fully accepted that the Dullahan standing before him was his friend.

After Ragner, Ruadis also expressed her gratitude to me.

“It was a truly special opportunity. Although we couldn’t exchange words, we were able to share our feelings by crossing swords.”

Huh? They hadn’t talked to each other? They’d really resolved everything just by clashing their swords?

Was that even possible? Was there some kind of adventurer thing that I didn’t know about?!

Come to think of it, I was the only person here who could communicate with monsters.

And instead of helping mediate the conversation, I’d been sitting in my office, happily monitoring everything…

“Gasp…! Even now… um… if there’s anything you’d like to say, should I pass it along…?”

I looked toward Dullahan. As though she’d been waiting for me to ask, she opened her mouth.

“I was wrong. The reason my heart hurt as though it were being squeezed just before my breath ran out… was because I hadn’t been able to make sure my friend was truly safe.”

I immediately relayed those words to the two of them.

“Then have you recovered all your memories?”

“Everything came back while we were crossing swords.”

So it was possible even without her head.

It was nothing short of amazing, but at the same time, I felt a little strange.

If she’d truly recovered all her memories, shouldn’t I consider her Sabira, whose appearance had simply changed, rather than a monster?

At that moment, Ragner spoke in a solemn voice.

“After losing you, I became stronger so that I would never lose another person by my side again.”

“…That’s what he says.”

“That’s right. You’ve grown strong enough for both of us. Thank you for not forgetting me. nd for making my dream come true, too.”

“…That’s what she says.”

Ruadis also interjected with a resolute expression.

“I’ll intensify the training. I won’t let my disciples lose their lives so meaninglessly anymore.”

“…That’s what she says.”

I had been diligently interpreting the conversation between the two different races, but then I suddenly paused.

Wait a minute… Wasn’t this a rather useful talent?

Was there a way to make money as a specialized monster interpreter?

“Now I can let you go in peace.”

“My disciple, you must have been so lonely all this time, haven’t you? You’ve been through so much.”

I’d been briefly lost in thought, but those meaningful words abruptly brought me back to my senses.

‘Uh… Wait a minute. This wasn’t right.’

They shouldn’t be preparing for a final farewell, no matter how heartwarming the atmosphere had become.

‘Why were they trying to send her off?! Things had been going so well just a moment ago!’

“Um, her head… Are you really going to burn it?”

I approached Ragner and Ruadis and whispered cautiously.

“Although Sabira has regained her sense of self, the fact remains that she’s become a monster. Sabira wouldn’t want to live in this form, either.”

“That’s right. She can’t even communicate with humans anymore. She was once a child who dreamed of becoming a great adventurer, so shouldn’t we preserve her honor?”

‘No, why were the two of you deciding that on your own?!’

“Then… what does Sabira think?”

No matter what, Sabira had even regained all her memories. If she died this time, she’d really be dying for the second time.

“Hmm?”

Both of them looked at me with puzzled expressions.

Their reactions seemed to ask why I would even bring that up. It was as though they believed Sabira would want to leave this world, too.

While I stood there dumbfounded, my mouth hanging open, a little dirt doll suddenly darted forward.

“What are you doing? Now that everything’s been resolved, it’s time to sign the contract! You, Dullahan! You can start work tomorrow, right?”

Brownie had completely failed to read the room and brought up an extremely sensitive subject!

“Gasp…!”

“…What? Start work?”

“You don’t mean…”

The narrowed eyes of the two humans pierced straight into the heart of this sinister dungeon administrator.

Why could they understand the fairy but not the monster’s words…?

“Um, well…”

I first explained to Sabira what the two of them were thinking.

Their glares were so intense that I could practically feel the back of my head tingling.

“What? I absolutely love this body! It doesn’t hurt, and I’m strong! I think living a second life isn’t such a bad idea. Besides, I want to stay by our Fluffy’s side, you know? Haven’t you seen what I wrote in my application?”

Why was this Dullahan so obsessed with me?

She suddenly threw an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close with her thick armored arm. I thought my entire body was going to be crushed.

‘In the end, I’m the one who has to sort everything out…’

“Phew… I have something to tell you both. Brownie, could you bring me that thing in the Safe Zone?”

After first sending Brownie away, since I had no idea what kind of outrageous thing she might do next, I cautiously began to speak.

“Actually, Sabira thinks it might not be such a bad idea to live a new life as a Dullahan…”

“What?!”

“So we’re considering whether we could… protect Miss Sabira here at our dungeon.”

“Are you saying you intend to hire Sabira here?”

I did my best to ignore their astonished expressions, then continued by explaining to Sabira what kind of relationship they had with this dungeon.

Ragner knew that I was part of the Demon King faction, yet had promised to turn a blind eye to it. Ruadis was personally training the monsters.

And in the future, this dungeon was also scheduled to be used as a practical training ground for novice adventurers.

“That’s amazing! It was Fluffy’s idea, right? Master is surprisingly old-fashioned. There’s no way she’d come up with a proposal like that.”

The person who first suggested training the monsters was your master, though…

“I want to do it, too! Isn’t this a pretty good opportunity? I died in the Demon Realm, so now I can help my juniors avoid dying there.”

I relayed her words to the two of them exactly as she’d said them.

“She doesn’t seem particularly interested in dying, so would it really be okay to send her off to the afterlife against her will?”

“……”

“More than anything, if Miss Sabira stays here… you can come visit her from time to time, too. Um… I think this would be much better than visiting her grave.”

Truthfully, if those two, whose levels were unknown, really decided they wanted to give Sabira eternal rest, there was nothing I could do to stop them.

Ragner was far stronger than Sabira, yet he’d been holding back throughout the entire battle.

And if Ruadis joined him, would even a level 40 Dullahan have any chance of resisting?

“If Miss Sabira joins the training sessions when Lady Ruadis trains our employees…”

Ruadis placed a hand against her forehead and let out a deep sigh.

“You really… Whenever I’m with you, I feel like I get dragged into all sorts of bizarre situations.”

“Master, what do you think is the right thing to do?”

“Enough. Sabira says she wants to do this, doesn’t she? If she herself wants to live, how could I take my disciple’s life with my own hands?”

My heart pounded with relief.

‘Phew! Thank goodness.’

Now all that remained was for Ragner to make up his mind.

While he was momentarily unable to speak, Sabira suddenly spoke up.

“My dear friend, Ragner. My skills are still nowhere near yours.”

Sabira had noticed that Ragner had been holding back, too.

“…That’s what she says.”

“I miss the days when I could compete with you as an equal. So why don’t you give me the chance to train again and properly cross swords with you? Doesn’t that sound exciting just to imagine?”

“…That’s what she says.”

At this point, shouldn’t I be charging an hourly interpreting fee, just like the Wind Fairies?

“Ha, you’ve really been like this ever since…”

Ragner laughed as though he couldn’t believe it.

“Your life has been rather dull lately, hasn’t it? I sensed boredom in your swordsmanship. Right now, you look like someone who’s lost their reason to live. Where did the you who used to shine so brightly as a child disappear to?”

“Huh? Really? Ah, Miss Sabira just said…”

I was a little flustered, but I relayed her words to Ragner exactly as she’d said them.

However, he didn’t immediately respond.

“I’ll become the reason you pick up your sword again. Just wait a little. I’ll catch up to your skill in no time.”

There wasn’t the slightest hesitation in Sabira’s voice.

“Ah, come to think of it, I’m a monster now, aren’t I? Wouldn’t it be pretty dangerous if I got even stronger? What if I end up becoming a Demon King or something?”

I inwardly shook my head at her boastful remark.

‘Good thing I’d sent Brownie away.’

If she’d heard Sabira say that, she would’ve definitely gone berserk, shouting about whether Sabira thought the position of Demon King was a joke…

“Hey! What rank of monster are you!? How dare some newbie who’s only just acquired demonic energy even dream of taking Lord Demon King’s seat?!”

Exactly. Just like that.

Anyway, I relayed Sabira’s words to Ragner exactly as they were.

This time, too, he didn’t respond.

He merely gave a faint smile, his expression much more relaxed than it had been a moment ago.