bookbashuk #354 - Don't put all your eggs in one basket
#354 - Don't put all your eggs in one basket
The mysterious blessing.
According to Zun Zun's guess, it should be an external ability bestowed by the gods, but he didn't gain any external abilities, so he didn't know what it was for at the time.
Now it seems, it should be treating Zun Zun's contract with the spirit as a kind of ability.
"Lord Zun Zun, what is this...?"
"Ah, it's a bit troublesome to explain. In short, Julius, just think of it as a kind of blessing-like ability that I obtained by chance."
"...Can't explain it? I understand."
Julius wasn't one to dig to the bottom of things.
Even though he was puzzled by the changes in Zun Zun's spirit, considering it was an inexplicable blessing, he didn't ask any further questions.
"Sorry, isn't that too unfair to you, Julius?"
"It's alright, Lord Zun Zun."
He shook his head slightly.
People can't be generalized. You have to know that Julius has the blessing of spirit attraction, but he doesn't say it's unfair to others. Since Zun Zun has the ability to allow spirits to devour monsters and evolve, he has nothing to be jealous of.
Back in the guest room.
Otto was chatting with Anastasia. Although it was chatting, it was only to the extent of exchanging a few words, after all, it was impossible to advance the topic without the main character present.
"How was it, Julius?"
"There was nothing, Lady Anastasia."
"Ah, is that so."
She seemed to trust her knight very much, and didn't ask him directly what he was looking for, not at all afraid that Julius would be turned against her.
"Let us continue our topic, but—"
Otto sat up straight and said, "Before that, although it might be too hasty to continue talking, please allow me to confirm a few things first, may I?"
"Hehe, of course, it is my duty to entertain guests, please do."
"Then, I won't stand on ceremony... May I ask, what is the reason for inviting us to Pristella this time?"
He went straight to the point.
Such a direct question inevitably made people suspicious. Otto suddenly launched an attack because he didn't want to be led by the nose by Anastasia. If it were someone without any scheming, they might have already panicked, but—
"Don't be so wary, there are no ulterior motives. The royal selection has already begun for a year, right? I just thought that it was about time to exchange recent situations with each other, so I created this opportunity."
Anastasia's calm words and actions decorated her voice, beautifully concealing her true intentions. The feeling of being difficult to deal with made Otto lick his lips, and the smile of the battle-hardened merchant became even deeper.
"Speaking of reporting recent situations, it really feels like a blatant lure."
"That's such an unpleasant way to put it. A girl's desire for love is very persistent. For the person she likes, she is willing to give everything."
"But you have absolutely no intention of being in love."
Zun Zun interjected.
Anastasia was very strange in this regard. After Crusch gradually lost her competitiveness, she was already the most powerful competitor among the royal candidates, but she still wanted to pursue Zun Zun as much as possible, even though there were better methods.
"It's just like a businessman's mindset of 'don't put all your eggs in one basket' as a precaution."
"Don't put all your eggs in one basket'... huhuhu, I didn't expect Zun Zun to even know the famous saying of Kararagi, did you learn it specifically?"
"Just take it as that."
Normally, it was He Xin who brought knowledge from another world, so Zun Zun would know, but because it was troublesome to explain, he didn't explain.
"Unfortunately, it's not what you think."
"Then what is it?"
"Just want to sell a favor."
Anastasia stroked her fox fur scarf again, the smile on her face was still there, but it was not deep and calculating, but more serious and firm. Seeing the somewhat surprised expressions of Otto and Zun Zun, she relaxed her shoulders.
"The two of you don't seem like people who don't understand the value of favors."
"A favor is a good thing, you don't have to worry about inventory, and it doesn't expire."
"Yes, yes, more importantly—"
Otto agreed with Anastasia's words, and the two merchants looked at each other.
"—it doesn't need a clear price tag either." X2
The two said in unison.
Anastasia smiled, and Otto also showed a helpless smile. It seemed that he had heard this sentence somewhere before, and it seemed to be a famous saying circulating among merchants.
Although it was really utilitarian, it was also a saying that merchants thought was very reasonable.
"Do you want to come to my side?"
"Are you poaching me in person? I am very happy that you value me so much, but please allow me to refuse. I am Lord Zun Zun's knight, so I will not agree to anyone else's invitation."
"Knight? I thought you were an internal affairs officer or an exclusive merchant, after all, the way you look at things is exactly the same as a merchant's perspective."
"Well... I can't refute that."
Otto was momentarily speechless.
After learning that he had been working for others for the past year, and that Zun Zun's current situation was worrying, the first thing he thought about was not how to make up for it, but to calculate gains and losses, and even consider which royal candidate to marry in order to reverse the situation.
A typical merchant's mindset.
"Forget it, if you're unwilling, I won't force it either."
"Oh my, that doesn't sound like you, Anastasia. At the royal selection ceremony, you declared that you would bring the entire kingdom into your embrace."
"That's right. When I become the next king, he will naturally become my subordinate, so there is no need to rush."
"Hey!"
I don't know if she is greedy or arrogant. I thought she had grown a lot after not seeing her for a year, but now it seems that her desires have become even greater.
"Alright. Let's stop the small talk here, next is the main topic..." Anastasia suddenly changed the subject, "Although I would like to say that, but the personnel are not all here yet, so in order not to say it several times, let's be patient for a while."
"Eh—, can't we hear the information first?"
"No. The paying guest hasn't arrived, and I have an obligation to keep the information confidential. The truth of the world is like this, you can't get the corresponding service without paying, and the free one is always the minimum, please keep that in mind."
"Didn't you trick me into coming here?"
Zun Zun complained loudly.
Moreover, Anastasia said that the paying guest hasn't arrived. If you think about it carefully, isn't it just Crusch alone?
Felt and Zun Zun didn't pay, Emilia wouldn't pay, Priscilla even disdained to pay, and now the only person who has information about the Witch Cult and urgently needs to find them is Crusch—the one who urgently needs to regain her memory.
"You're really going too far."
Anastasia didn't bother to lie in this regard.
It was estimated that Crusch felt guilty about Rem and herself losing their memories together, and even lying in bed unconscious, so she took the initiative to sell a favor.
"In short, you guys can have a good time here for the next few days. As for the guide—"
"Lady Anastasia, I'm back."
While she was speaking, someone's voice suddenly came from outside, and then the door was opened. A young man with light purple hair, a thin face with a monocle, kneeling on the wooden floor, his upper body tense, appeared in front of everyone.
Julius smiled and gestured after seeing him.
"You're back, thank you for your hard work, Joshua."
"It's no trouble, please feel free to order me around for this kind of errand. And then..."
Showing a smile to his brother's greeting, Joshua then looked at Zun Zun and Otto, his yellow eyes with a hint of joy, but still barely forcing himself to calm down, and respectfully greeted.
"...Thank you very much for coming here from afar, I apologize for not being able to attend together."
"It's alright. Has Joshua been helping Julius well?"
"Well... yes!"
Receiving his brother's nod, Joshua loudly admitted. It must be said that Zun Zun's encouragement had changed him a lot.
"That's right, let Joshua be the guide."
Under Anastasia's arrangement, Zun Zun, Otto, and Fremica, led by Joshua, boarded a dragon boat to tour the water gate city.
With the help of the kind boatman, after confirming that everyone was on board, they slowly set off.
Guards were unnecessary.
Both Otto and Fremica had a certain amount of combat power.
What's more, Zun Zun was even stronger.
The dragon boat was about the size of a small boat, and the upper limit of passengers that could be carried, including the boatman, was about 7 or 8 people.
According to the boatman, the size and width of the hull were determined by the city law. Guides like them had to consider the traffic with other boats, and needed to make concessions and reduce the specifications.
That's right, after all, it was the main means of transportation in a city, so how could there be no regulations for transportation?
During this time, Zun Zun also noticed that the water flow in the left channel and the right channel were completely opposite, and the boatman explained that all of this relied on the water flow control towers throughout the circular city, and the power of the Water Magic Stone was used to control the water flow. At the same time, the city's large water gates were also controlled by these towers.
"Hmm hmm, I see."
Zun Zun stared blankly at the water tower.
Otto asked, "Lord Zun Zun, is there anything strange?"
"No, I'm just more interested in this tower. If I can understand the principle, I might be able to put it in another water city, Arcanretia."
"Is that so."
This tower was like a large magic tool, and Zun Zun, who proclaimed himself a magic tool master, was naturally very interested in it, but it was a very important transportation hub and no one else was allowed to enter.
With Joshua's guidance, Zun Zun and the others had a good day of sightseeing.
They returned to the inn in the evening.
Dinner was very sumptuous. He tasted the delicious sashimi and sushi for the first time in a long time. This was something he had not experienced even in the Hell Hot Springs and Arcanretia, so he gave it a good review.
For this kind of Japanese-style inn, how could Zun Zun not experience the hot springs? But whether it was Otto, Julius, or Joshua, they all refused Zun Zun's invitation to soak in the hot springs together.
I don't understand what's so shy about it.
Fremica and Anastasia said they could soak in the hot springs together, but both of them were stopped by Otto and Julius.
Zun Zun felt isolated.
Such days passed for three days, until another royal selection candidate arrived.