—And in the end, morning came.

I'd only managed to get about an hour of sleep.

My head had been spinning in circles all night.

What should I do? How should I handle it? What was the best choice?

Of course, answers didn't reveal themselves that easily. So I decided to proceed with a bit of caution. You could say I had simply shelved the conclusion for now, but...

Regarding Dida, to be honest, there were still too many unknowns. To begin with, I didn't even know what he was truly thinking when he acted.

Hetty-san said she already had Dida in custody. She said she hadn't made any blunders in capturing him, but he was supposed to have several slave warriors with him. If someone had run off to relay information, it would eventually come to light.

Even if we killed him in secret and buried him, if we ended up under suspicion as the culprits, it felt like we'd lose out in the end.

Of course, I wanted to respect Ion's and Rebecca-san's feelings too.

From what I had heard, Dida was Isaac's killer. He was also the reason Ion had to live in hiding for two years, branded with the Prison Crest. I couldn't just flippantly say, "That's all in the past."

But even so—

"...I guess I'll go with this plan. It might be hard to get everyone to agree, though."

I rolled over once and muttered to myself.

I was, through and through, a modern person. Call it a peaceful brain if you want—but I still couldn't find the resolve to kill. Even if it made me a coward, part of me wished he'd just be killed somewhere I didn't have to see.

If the responsibility for killing him lay with me, I wanted to abandon it. If someone else would do it, I'd be tempted to say, "By all means, please."

I couldn't find it in myself to feel a hatred so deep that I wanted to kill him. To put it simply, that was it—but it was also a fact that he wasn't the kind of person who should be left to run wild.

So, if I was going to kill him, I would draw out a reason to do so from the man himself. I just needed Dida to provide me with a motive strong enough to kill him.

"And so, I want to hear as much as we can from him first. I'll decide whether to kill him or not based on that."

Having finished my preparations, I headed to Rebecca-san's house and relayed the plan to Hetty-san, who was waiting outside.

"...You're going to question him now? The man is a shrewd veteran merchant. I don't believe for a second he'll speak the truth."

"Right. That's why we'll talk after forming a Spirit Contract that strips him of his Blessing if he tells a lie. If he lies and his Blessing flies off, we can kill him then, right? Conversely... if that doesn't happen, I want you to leave it to me."

"If that is what you wish, Jirou-sama, I will not object, but..."

Honestly, Hetty-san looked a bit dissatisfied.

She was probably thinking, "Just kill the damn guy already!"

But the truth was, I hadn't even properly heard Hetty-san's feelings on the matter yet. Killing was easy, but it wasn't. If I was going to do it, I couldn't make that decision until I was more certain of everything.

Noticing me, Dida began thrashing about in his expensive clothes, now covered in straw, muffledly shouting something.

I asked Rebecca-san to remove the gag.

"You brat! You were alive?! This is your doing, isn't it? If you think you can get away with this—"

"—Now, now, just calm down for a second."

When I silently drew my Magic Sword and let the pitch-black blade glint, Dida caught his breath and fell silent. The man himself likely understood the reality of his situation all too well.

Of course, I didn't intend to just suddenly lunge and stab him. But it worked as a threat.

"Realistically, how is it, Hetty-san? Will we 'not get away with it'?"

Whether we killed him or let him live, the feud had already begun. Honestly, being subjected to persistent, petty revenge was both annoying and scary.

"I've blocked his information channels, and his slaves have all been eliminated. No evidence will remain... No, I will take full responsibility for this matter. If—by some miracle—something happens, the blame lies entirely with me."

Hetty-san spoke with her usual cool expression.

Still, there was likely always a chance of it leaking somewhere.

Dida was a big shot. He must have told someone where he was going before he left. If contact was cut and he didn't return, suspicion would obviously fall on us.

"Jirou-sama, I've been at odds with my family for a long time. Everyone knows I despise my Uncle Dida. If it's said that I did it, people will accept it."

"Accept it...?"

In this case, "accept it" meant "it's the kind of thing Henrietta would do."

She's the kind of person who formed a mercenary group just to get in her father's way. It might be believable, but it was still a bad move.

"Hmm. I'll have to rethink that. I didn't mind if this guy died, but pinning the blame on Hetty-san was a no-go."

"B-But..."

"Well, for now... Dida-san."

I turned my eyes to Dida.

As expected of a great merchant, the light in his eyes hadn't died, even in this situation. Perhaps he was looking down on us as a mere group of women and a child. Or maybe he had some trump card up his sleeve.

"I can kill you right now. Well, I'm sure you realize that without me telling you."

"Hmph... Killing me will bring you no profit. I have already informed my subordinates of my situation, including the fact that you lot are the culprits. If you stop now, I might still be inclined to forgive you."

Dida spoke with sickening composure.

Hetty-san started to say something, but I held up a hand to stop her.

Whether it was a bluff or not didn't really matter at this point.

"Is that so? Then I'll take you up on that forgiveness. After all, I'm scared of what comes later."

"Heh... Heh-heh-heh. Exactly. That would be wise. Look, I'm a merchant too; I understand the meaning of buying my own life. I won't treat you poorly."

Perhaps surprised by how quickly I folded, he couldn't hide his relief. Well, he probably thought the situation was nothing but despair until a second ago.

"After all, killing you won't earn me a single cent."

"Precisely. Not a single cent."

We laughed together—hah-hah-hah.

Looking at me, everyone—even Marina—had a look of suspicion.

I hadn't given them the details. I had only told them to trust me and leave the negotiations with Dida to me.

Actually, I was sure Hetty-san and Rebecca-san wanted to interject, but they stayed quiet.

Of course, I had no intention of letting him go for free.

"But simply forgiving you lacked flair. We're both merchants, so you understand, right? This is a business negotiation. Um... I'd like to ask just in case, are you technically a purveyor to the crown, Dida-san?"

"...Yes. The Barbacro Trading Company supplies weapons to the Empire."

"Then let's make a deal. Truth be told, I have a Guidance to 'Conduct a business transaction with a crown purveyor.' In other words, this is the will of the Great Spirit. Many things have happened, but if the Great Spirit has tied our fates together, I have no choice but to forgive you."

Everyone exchanged looks.

Dida did as well.

But this was part of the setup.

I didn't know what choice would satisfy everyone.

If that was the case, I had to choose what I believed was best.

"...So, first. Before the negotiation, let's form a Spirit Contract. The content being: 'If a lie is told in response to a question, the Blessing will be lost.' Of course, there is no right of refusal."

"A lie...? But..."

"...Dida-san, please don't forget that you once tried to kill me. No, accurately speaking, since I was killed once, I have the right to kill you once... Well, it'll be fine. You just have to not tell a lie. Besides, this is a vow we're both taking."

"Not being able to tell a lie" is not the same as "having to tell the whole truth". However, it's undeniably very close.

Dida broke into a greasy sweat, looking flustered.

What we're about to do is strictly a negotiation. That means both sides can ask questions, and if neither can lie, it should be completely even.

The fact that he's this flustered suggests he was likely very skilled at negotiating with a mix of lies.

"Okay~! Then we shall perform the Spirit Contract nodesu~!"

Diana put on a beaming smile and began chanting the contract magic.

I seem to recall Diana saying she couldn't use Spirit Contract magic, but apparently, that wasn't exactly the case. It's just a bit unusual, but otherwise, the Spirit Contract magic itself isn't a problem even during the "Special Guidance."

Seeing Dida just watching Diana chant the magic, I realized he probably didn't know. He might know that 『Spirit Contracts don't work on High Elves』 but he didn't know the terror of a Spirit Contract used by a High Elf.

"Now, Dida-san. This is better than dying, right? You just have to not lie..."

"Fine... So be it."

Dida reluctantly agreed.

Confirming this, I, Dida, and Diana held hands for the contract.

A Spirit Contract is only enforced when three parties agree to the same contract terms.

Therefore, no mistake can occur in the contract itself.

Normally.

"Now, we shall begin."

Light overflowed from our joined hands, and the Spirit Contract was completed with ease.

The Spirit Contract magic of a High Elf, blessed by the spirits.

Which meant—

"H-Hey!! Wait!! The terms are different!!"

Dida shrieked upon confirming the contract terms.

I also opened my Vocation Board to check.

"You're right. That's strange."

"The spirits are mischievous nodesu."

"How troublesome, hah-hah-hah."

As a High Elf, Diana cannot use a straightforward Spirit Contract.

Because if she is favoring one of the contractors, the content of the Spirit Contract will be rewritten on its own to favor that side.

The "High Elf"—A race beloved by spirits.

That is the same reason Spirit Contracts don't work on Diana herself. Even the Spirit Contract between me and Diana was rewritten on its own.

Diana acts as the mediator for the Spirit Contract. It seems her own will doesn't intervene, but there is absolutely no fairness.

For the record, the tampered contract content was:

『Dida Barbacro must speak only the truth. If he utters anything else, his Blessing shall be lost, and he shall bear the Prison Crest.』

It was worse than I thought.

Diana's hatred was being reflected all over the contract terms.

"This... this is madness..."

"Now then, since the Spirit Contract has been successfully... completed, shall we proceed with our business? Dida-san."

In this world, a Blessing is something you must never lose.

Even more so if you are a merchant whose business is built on trust.

Of course, if you lose your Blessing, there is the option of converting to another god like Ion did. But given Dida's position, switching to a "heretical" religion would be difficult.

Most Imperial citizens are followers of the Great Spirit, and the Imperial Capital even houses the Great Cathedral, the headquarters of the faith. Furthermore, both the Sun God and the Goddess of the Night Sky are seen as gods worshipped by the Empire's enemies.

But well, it's still better than dying. A Blessing is just a little extra in life anyway.

I doubt he sees it that way, though.

"If you answer properly, I won't take your life. I promise."

Let's start.

"Dida-san. Why did you decide to try and kill me?"

I asked the first question immediately.

Thinking he could seize the Knights or get his hands on Diana... no matter how I looked at it, his plan was too sloppy.

Dida had been hurling abuse earlier, but he had grown quiet, perhaps accepting the situation relatively quickly. Under those contract terms, his only choices were to get on my good side and have the contract dissolved, or give up and bear the Prison Crest.

Dida seemed to have chosen the former.

"...Because I thought if I killed you, Princess Diana and the Elven Village would be mine."

"And the Knights?"

"Yes. Though the Knights were little more than a bonus."

"Why did you think you'd get them just by killing me? Regarding the Knights, I am indeed the owner, but..."

"Don't be a fool. You're the one providing the funds, aren't you? If the source of the money disappears, they'd have no choice but to find a new sponsor."

"Ah, so you intended to just step in and replace me."

I can understand that logic.

It's only because our Knights were founded for such a specific reason that it wouldn't work that way. If the Knights had a more conventional purpose, they'd need a sponsor, and they'd inevitably jump at any wealthy person willing to fund their activities.

It was really just that my relationship with the Knights was a bit unique.

"What about Diana? Surely you didn't think you'd get her just by killing me?"

That was the biggest mystery. Or was he just that conceited?

It's embarrassing to say it myself, but Diana is stuck to me like glue. It's hard to imagine her just skipping over to this pudgy middle-aged guy just because I died.

Or maybe he had some kind of catnip-like item for elves?

"Princess Diana is in the middle of a 'Special Guidance' isn't she? Fate always proceeds in the right direction."

"That's certainly true."

"Therefore, if you died, then your death would have been the 'correct' fate, wouldn't it? In the end... I was only forced to confirm that such a fate did not belong to me."

"Fate, huh..."

So he tried to exploit the way the Special Guidance draws fate toward itself.

In other words, if fate always leads to the correct path, his logic was: "If I can kill him, then it was his fate to die," and "If I take Diana away, then being taken by me is Diana's fate."

It's incredibly forceful reasoning, but looking back, my meeting with Diana was pretty forceful too. However, since it didn't turn out that way, perhaps it's proof that the coercive power of fate is working strongly.

"Wh...! What nonsense...! The coercive power of fate was no longer working on me and Goshujin-sama!"

Diana shouted.

Hm? Really?

"My Guidance has already reached the very, very end. At this stage, the spirits will not lend their aid. If... if Goshujin-sama had died... my Guidance would have ended right there..."

Dida's eyes widened in surprise.

So he didn't know that either. I didn't know it myself.

The final, final stage. That means it's linked to my "Wheel of Fate," which is at 9/10. One more step and it's achieved. And, the spirits won't help at the very end.

In other words, it might be a sort of "parental love," telling her to handle the last bit with her own strength. From the perspective of the Great Spirit—the latest Artificial Intelligence—Diana might feel like a high-maintenance older sister who is also her own origin.

Well, considering the "coercive power of fate" exists at all, you could also argue she's been plenty spoiled already.

"Well, anyway, I understand the situation regarding Diana. But I still don't quite get why a great merchant like you would want Diana so badly now."

"...That is because you are a provincial bumpkin. Do you have any idea of the value of that cloth you sold me?"

"Ah, that. Actually, was it even more expensive than I thought? But no matter how pricey it is, cloth is just cloth, isn't it?"

I once sold Dida some velvet fabric I bought in Japan.

At the time, I lied and told him I'd "obtained it in the Elven Village," and that was the start of everything.

I remember selling it for 6 gold coins, but it was actually worth ten times that, or something like that.

"That cloth is the High-Grade Fine Cloth of the Night Demon King. It is one of the most expensive and rare fabrics obtainable in this world. Or rather... it is something woven with techniques lost in the era of Spirit Civilization. In short, it is something that should not exist in brand-new condition. And yet—"

"And yet, a kid from a country town just happened to have it."

"Yes. The Elven Village is shrouded in mystery to begin with. Elves are secretive, and High Elves generally don't interfere with humans. But what if there was a fledgling merchant who held a High Elf as a slave, had the treasures of the Elven Village in his hands, and didn't even understand their value...?"

"Well, you'd certainly think about taking over..."

I had been casual about selling the velvet, but it seems I accidentally set Dida's ambition ablaze.

I thought I was being careful, but I still ended up in this mess.

"You know that the reason the Solo family supports a High Elf's 'Special Guidance' is to obtain the High Elf's treasures, don't you? Even that one piece of Night Demon King cloth is valuable enough to serve as compensation."

That much?

I remember Diana secretly telling me a long time ago that for her support this time, it was decided that an item called the "Morning Star of Advent: The Alchemy" would be handed over.

Apparently, it's an item on the same level as those 1,000-year-old magic items... Well, it's not a magic item at all—it's just Japanese-made cloth.

But there's no need to reveal that much.

So, I knew the motive behind his actions regarding Diana. Since I was at it, I decided to ask about other things. Though, really, the only other thing was the matter involving Ion.

Dida didn't know Hetty-san was in the Knights. Well, she wore a mask during the parade, and she only decided to join the Knights at the very last minute, so that's natural.

But he must have known about Rebecca-san and Shello-san. That they were members of the mercenary group "Scarlet Wedge." And that he was the one who crushed that group.

"Dida-san, do you know of the Scarlet Wedge?"

"Of course I know of them. They were the finest group in the Imperial Capital, having saved the Empire many times."

Dida glanced toward Shello-san.

Was half of that flattery? No, seeing as his Blessing wasn't lost, he must truly believe it. I've heard stories that they fought like demons in many battles.

"They aren't around anymore. Why is that?"

"...Because the Captain died."

This wasn't a lie either.

"Why did he die?"

"...Because he was executed by crucifixion for the crime of eloping with the Imperial Princess."

"H-Hey! How is this line of questioning a business negotiation?! It has nothing to do with it!"

"Now, now, it's fine. We'll talk about business once the questions are over. If you answer properly... So, the Imperial Princess and the Mercenary Captain eloped... Is that... the truth...?"

"............"

"Why can't you answer?"

"......Because there are... secrets."

"Then let's change the question. Dida-san. You were pulling the strings from behind the scenes, weren't you?"

At that question, Dida's head snapped up.

Rebecca-san, Hetty-san, Ion, and Shello-san were all watching.

Of course, Ion's face was hidden by her mask.

It was a full courtroom scene.

Come now! Don't tell me you don't recognize Lucreion here!

Well, Ion still hadn't taken her mask off, though.

Whatever happened next, revealing her face would be too risky.

"Well, basically, we already know everything, Dida-san... I just thought, since we're here, it'd be nice to have you admit it. I want to hear the truth from your own mouth."

"......"

Dida fell silent.

Well, it's a bit late for that, but it's like admitting to a crime.

Or rather, if he admits it here, Rebecca-san and Shello-san might not forgive him, regardless of what I think. Dida probably thinks so too.

"Am I to take silence as an admission?"

"......Do whatever you want."

"Then, while I'm at it, one more. You're also the one who killed the previous Emperor by some means, aren't you? Either you... or it was on the orders of the head of the Solo family. Or was it on the current Emperor's orders?"

"Wh...? H-How..."

"Well, the previous Emperor died at way too convenient a time. Looking at the whole sequence of events, it's only natural to think someone was up to something. And you're quite good at using strange cursed magic tools, Dida-san."

I heard that Ion's father, the previous Emperor, died while confined to his bed with an unknown illness.

There are unknown illnesses in this world, but this is a game world. It seems illnesses are managed quite strictly. That applies to NPCs as well. Furthermore, with Elves around, the things they can't cure are limited.

Half of it was a bluff, but judging by Dida's reaction, it was a bingo. After all, he's a weapons dealer and probably has many strange items like that doll, so I figured as much.

Besides, even if I was wrong, asking was free. He'd likely have some kind of information regardless.

"......"

Dida said nothing, unable to either deny or confirm. He was sweating so much his clothes were getting soaked—his greatest state of agitation today.

"I won't know unless you say something."

"......"

In effect, silence was synonymous with admission.

With a Spirit Contract like this, there was no way he could talk his way out of it later.

That said, I had no intention of using this as leverage to blackmail the Solo family or anything like that.

I just wanted to give Shello-san, Rebecca-san, Hetty-san—and above all, Ion—the opportunity to know the truth. What they do with that truth is a separate matter.

...Perhaps it was completely unwanted meddling. I might just be bringing back grudges and hatred they were finally managing to forget.

Dida sat there dripping with greasy sweat, seemingly trying to figure out the best way to evade the question. Weak excuses wouldn't work. Claiming later that he "never said that" wouldn't work either.

"I... I..."

Dida muttered in a trembling voice.

His teeth were chattering so hard he could barely speak. His face was contorted with terror, yet a glimmer of something like resolve appeared in his eyes.

In that instant, I realized I had pushed him too far.

It wasn't that he had become desperate, but rather that he had weighed what was to be gained against what was to be lost.

"I know nothing of such things!"

Dida screamed.

At that moment, the sound of something snapping—like a pop—echoed from inside Dida.

It was the sound of his Blessing shattering for violating the Spirit Contract.

"Y-You..."

"I don't know, I don't know, I don't know! You keep saying things that make no sense! I know nothing!"

Dida began raving like a madman.

In that interval, a pitch-black mist welled up from nowhere, clung to Dida's body, and was sucked into him. Where it was absorbed, it left dark, murky stains on his skin.

"...The Prison... Crest."

Ion gasped, whispering in a tiny voice.