The next day, I headed back to the mansion to check if they got any new information, or if not to find some while there. "Morning guys!" I said loudly as I barged my way in.
In the living room, Kazuma sat on the ground working on something. Megumin sat nearby at the table looking at him with disdain.
"Yo..." I tilted my head. "Why are y'all so tense? Never mind - it's just you, Meg."
She lifted her finger as if to scold me, but nothing came out.
I just laughed. "I'm messing with you. Any new developments on the Darkness case?"
Kazuma didn't even look up from his work. "Yesterday I went to the mansion, snuck in. She told me it's a debt to Alderp. Cuz there's some rule that a man in debt is to give his daughter. I offered to help but she cut me off and said that she won't accept help from a civilian and that she prefers to be married off rather than receiving help."
My brows furrowed. "But I'm a noble. I literally was in front of their home yesterday."
He shrugged. "Eh. If you can do something, go ahead. But I'm not going to, not until she swallows her pride and asks for help herself."
This comment seemed to annoy Megumin, given her expression.
I gave a long sigh. "Time to see if her skull is thicker than mine."
I turned and walkedd out before he could say anything else. The keys for Acat spun in my hand as I made my way to it. And so with it I drove back to the Dustiness manor.
There, the butler greeted me after I waited a bit.
"I'm afraid I must repeat myself," he began stiffly. "Mylady is refusing to see any visitors.
"I'm not here to ask today," I said, stepping closer. "If she isn't willing to accept help from a civilian, fine. But I'm not a civilian. I'm a lord - baron, technically, but noble nonetheless."
His lips thinned.
"Tell her, or her father, that I'm offering an alliance. If we use our strengths, we might pull through and get a better outcome." Then I added flatly. "That's an order."
"You are not my employer," he said, his tone remaining polite.
I smiled faintly and shook my head. "Then I'm suggesting it. For their sake. If you're so loyal to the family, why not do what's good for them?"
His expression flickered. He hesitated just a heartbeat too long. Then, without a word, he turned on his heel and disappeared inside the manor.
And so I waited.
After a bit, the butler finally returned. "Milady will see you shortly."
The doors of the Dustiness manor opened with a slow, heavy creak. Darkness stood at the stairs, dressed not in her usual armor but in a dress worth a noble. Her expression was guarded, yet not hostile.
The butler opened the gates for me to slip in.
"Svetislav," she said softly. "You're... persistent."
I smirked faintly. "I could sat the same about you. But unlike you, I know when to yield."
She let out a quiet sigh and stepped aside. "Come in. Let's talk."
The halls of the manor were nicer than the ones in Alderp's mansion. We walked side by side till we reached a room where a small table stood between two couches and an armchair in the middle. She sat opposite of me.
Finally, she broke the silence. "You said you're offering an alliance. What do you want in return?"
"I don't really care about that 'noble' rule you are talking about." I said "What I want is simple - cooperation. If your family's burden can be eases, or, even, completely gotten rid of, I can help. And if you want to pay me back... then do it through favors. Connections. Contracts. Something that actually builds me something."
Her gaze lowered as she murmured in her hand. "That sounds reasonable... but I'm afraid I hold no real power in the decision... My father does."
Her voice caught. "He's been sick for a while..."
"I have become aware of that." I said formally.
She hesitated, then motioned for me to follow. "You can speak to him yourself."
And so I followed her lead to another door. She knocked softly on the door before opening it.
A man with blonde hair and blue eyes - just like Darkness - was laying in bed. Bags under his eyes, slightly pale. "Ah... My dear daughter..." He said weakly. "Is he another one of your friends?"
"Yes, father. He has come to make be an ally to our family... Perhaps you can talk it through with him."
"That's alright..." He looked turned his head slowly to me. "My boy... What do you want discuss?"
"I came to offer my aid, if I find a way for your family to pay back, I will use it, but in reality, I desire to help with the whole marriage situation. I can help pay back the debt to Alderp."
The father chuckled weakly. "It truly seems my daughter has been blessed with good friends."
I nodded.
"I accept your conditions. It's best to have you, when I am gone..." He said, fully aware of his mortality.
Darkness's lips tinned as she held back tears.
I couldn't help but also feel a sad feeling form in my chest. This man's presence... It spoke of his kind nature.
"Alright..." I say quietly, as if to myself. I look back up to meet his eyes. "What's the sum?"
"Three billion and five hundred million." He said.
"Done." I said.
The man looked with what seemed like pride.
I didn't have the heart to keep looking at him in this condition so we walked away.
Me and Darkness moved to the same room we were at before she lead me to her father.
"So... What are we going to do?" She asked.
"You, nothing, I - what I usually did back then... I will go to the guild and sell those cabbages. It might take them a bit to gather that money, but I will give it to you... I don't take love lightly, so I want you to find yourself a man you actually love, aight?"
Her gaze softened, she sat back, the tension in her shoulders slackening. "I... Thank you. Really."
"It's nothing... I'm off to get the work done... See you tomorrow." I said, and so I turned away to leave, the butler helped me out, being more polite than before, as if he has developed some respect for me.
With that I drove to town and to the guild. There of course Luna.
"I want to see four hundred thousand cabbages." I said instantly as I moved to Luna with a layer of confidence that I didn't usually have.
She stared. "You are joking, right?"
I looked her dead in the eyes. "Do I look like I'm joking?"
A long pause. Somewhere, an adventurer muttered, "He's doing it again..."
Luna sighed and pinched the bridge if her nose. "Alright... So could you just... Make the machine count to four hundred thousand, because I don't want to sit there putting coins in the machine for hours..."
"No problems." I said. "Let me make myself a tool first..." And so I made a working wrench with all the cool mechanisms in just minutes.
"There is also another issue - you will have to wait for the money to arrive. Which will take a day or two..."
"It's fine. I can wait. Now..." I went down to the cellar to grab on the cog... Sadly, it didn't move. So I went on a lower cog, and began working with it. I managed to get the number on the scoreboard after about ten minutes of just this.
"All done." I said walking out.
"Now you won't have to sit there dropping coins." I said. "I will check up on the money situation tomorrow, see you then Luna."
"Have a great day." She replied.
And so now I moved to the mansion to deliver the news to my friends.
"It's done," I announced, clapping my hands once. "Darkness will be fine. I sold four hundred thousand cabbages."
Megumin's head shot uo. "Wait. That's... that's four billion!"
"Yup."
Kazuma blinked. "You are telling me this is how much they owed to Alderp?"
"Yup."
Aqua squinted at me. "Yoy reek a bit of a curse."
I froze mid-smirk. "Yup-wait, what?"
Before I could react, Aqua jumped up, smalled her palm toward me and yelled, "Sacred Break Spell!"
A burst of blinding blue energy enveloped me, making my hair stand. It was like an electroshock. Then she stopped.
Aqua tilted her head thoughtful. "Nope. It's not from you."
I stared at her, my brows furrowed. "The hell you mean!?"
Kazuma raised an eyebrow. "You're saying someone around him is cursed?"
That's when it clicked - the weak, pale man in bed. "Aqua, we need you on this. Darkness's family might be cursed - or her father at least. He's the only one suffering."
"Alright, I will go and check."
"If so, I might drive you there, let's go."
We didn't waste time. The sky was a soft gold - oh shit - as Acat rumbled towards the Dustiness estate. Aqua sat in the passenger seat, humming some hymn I didn't recognize.
When we arrived, the butler greeted us again, bowing slightly though his eyes betrayed confusion.
"Could you let us through? We suspect that Lord Dustiness might be cursed," I explained. "After I returned to the mansion, Aqua sensed a residue of it on me."
His polite mask slipped. "A curse?"
"Not a common one either," Aqua said with a serious nod. "It's strong enough that it has left a smell on him."
The butler looked at her as if she was lying to him, but she wasn't... Eris has proven me so, smelling evil stuff.
He hesitated, then stepped aside quickly, opening the gates. "Please - follow me at once."
Darkness appeared halfway down the hall, eyes wide. "Svetislav? Aqua? What's going on?"
"Just a suspicion," I said, walking past. "But if I'm right, your father's not dying from sickness, but a curse."
Her face went pale as she hurried to join us. Together, we entered her father's room.
The man looked up weakly, his voice rasping. "Ah... my boy, what brings you back so soon?"
I gave him a half-smile. "We suspect you might have been cursed. So don't worry - you're not one foot in the grave just yet."
He chuckled faintly. "My illness in nothing unnatural, I assure yo-"
"Sacred Break Spell!" Aqua's voice rang out before he could finish.
The same energy that struck me struck him. The man jolted upright as jf struck by a electical current.
The dark circles under his eyes began to fade. His color returned. He blinked several times, confused, flexing his fingers as though rediscoverint life itself.
"Father?!" Darkness cried, rushing to his side.
He looked eown at his hands, then at Aqua. "What... what did you just do?"
Aqua's grin was radiant and smug. "You, my good sir, were under a curse - a pretty nasty one. It's all clean now. You're welcome."
Lalatina and her father hug it out. What a heartwarming scene...
Then I go to his side to give my report. "And as for the other problem. I went to the guild earlier and sold four hundred thousand cabbages. The guild should finish processing the payment in a couple of days. Once that's done, the debt will be cleared - and Darkness will be free to love who she actually wants."
His eyes softened, a faint but genuine smile tugging at his lils. "Svetislav... I thank you truly. You've dkne what I could not. If there's anything you ever need of me or this house, ask. I will do my best to provide it."
I bowed my head in sign of respect. "That's more than enough..."
Darkness wiped her eyes quickly, trying not to make a scene, but her trembling smile betrayed her gratitude. I just gave her a srin and a thumbs-up. "See? Told you I'd handle it."
Then, turning to Aqua, I jerked my head toward the door. "C'mon, miracle wirker, time to go before they start cryint for real."
"Hey! I was the one who cured him!" she huffed, but followed me out anyway.
The butled gave me a respectful nod on our way out. "You have the Dustiness family's gratitude, milord."
I nodded once and so I drove Aqua back to the mansion, before driving to the desert, the sum already under the horizon.
When I got there, the gates opening, revealing her sitting at the platform above the river.
As I parked she made her way to me.
I opened the door and slid my feet out.
"You are late." She said, her voice soft but edged with mock scolding.
I shut off the steam-engine and leaned on my knees. "Sorry, love. Had to help Ignis."
Her expression softened even as she crossed her arms. "I know. I saw..." She glanced away. She scratched her cheeks but inevitably stopped herself. "Tonight I'll forgive you. But don't make it a habit."
I swung myself out of Acat, closing the distance between us. "That's a promise I want to keep..." I said, my voice quiet, as I slid my arms around her waist. "For you. Always."
Her pout dissolved into a faint smile as she let herself melt into my chest. The night breeze carrying the scent of freshness and cooking.