"Let me summarize it for you," the merchant said as he tapped his finger on the paper. "Payment for the vitality potion is due upon your safe arrival at the capital. However, there may be consequences if you fail to pay or try to escape without fulfilling the contract."
"Consequences?" Celia's voice trembled with uncertainty.
"Yes, consequences," he responded solemnly. "If you violate the contract, a magical seal will be activated. It will prevent you from using magic, rendering you powerless until the debt is settled."
She gasped at the revelation.
"Isn't that a bit extreme?"
Not really. Whether I could use magic or not, I was already weak, so it didn't make a difference.
The old merchant's smile was unwavering. "It's simply a measure to ensure that our customers keep their end of the bargain. I've met numerous travellers who agreed to pay but then disappeared without a trace. This magical seal serves as my insurance."
"That's right, nya! We are generous. We would never trick people!" Orion bobbed his head, the hat on his head almost falling.
I could sense Celia looking at me with worry.
But then again, there's no reason for me to refuse the offer since my father in this world is rich.
The old man leaned back in his chair, his expression nonchalant. "You're free to decline, of course. But you won't find a better deal in these lands. My items are rare and powerful, and I guarantee it will be worth the price."
"But it's so expensive..." Celia mumbled.
Fifty golds.
"I'm sure the amount is not a lot for the son of a marquess."
So, he knew my identity. No wonder he suddenly started selling his stuff to me.
"Of course, take all the time you need. But remember, this offer won't last forever. I have other customers interested, and I can't guarantee the potion will still be available after a few days."
The old merchant was trying so hard to persuade me that I got irked by him.
"Come on. Buy from us, nya!"
"Alright, we'll take them," I finally relented.
As the transaction was completed, we bid the old merchant and Orion farewell and left the inn.
What a weird duo.
...
The next morning, I woke up with aching muscles and joints throughout my body because I was sleeping on the hard floor. It was so cold the whole night and with only a thin blanket covering me, I couldn't stop shivering.
There was also Jake who rolled on the bed and then fell on top of me, and my breath got knocked out of my lungs.
The suffering I endured only fueled my desire to get back to the capital as soon as possible.
I met Celia on the bottom of the mountain, where she was equipped with weapons and potions, while I only had a dagger that she got for me the other day.
As Celia and I ventured into the mountains, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease about meeting Isaac again.
"Come on, Celia. I know this place,"
"I didn't know that there's a labyrinth here." Celia curiously looked at the huge stone door of the labyrinth with moss and ivy clung to its surface.
Neither did I. It was Isaac who discovered it.
The early morning air was cool and refreshing. As the sun shed its first golden rays over the horizon, Celia and I entered the labyrinth.
The labyrinth was a maze of stone walls with uneven surfaces. Our footsteps echoed off the walls, and the path ahead of us was illuminated by a faint flicker of torchlight. The air was cold, and the faint sound of water dripping provided an eerie ambience to the surroundings.
We pushed ourselves forward through the winding corridors.
Twenty minutes later...
"Seth, do you really know your way around this labyrinth?!" Celia asked, distressed, as she panted raggedly.
"Hah... hehe... All I know is that this place exists." I was also breathing heavily as I leaned against the wall for support.
After I stepped onto an uneven surface earlier, we heard a rumbling sound from the dark corridor ahead of us. Then we successfully avoided a massive boulder that rolled towards us in the corridor.
"If that rock crushed us, we would have died. My healing would be of no use."
"I didn't tell you because I know you wouldn't follow me if I said I know nothing about the insides of the labyrinth. But hey, at least we're still alive, right?
At practically every turn, traps awaited us, mechanisms designed to stop any intruders who entered the labyrinth. There were multiple instances when we came dangerously close to dying while dodging the traps. Miraculously, we managed to escape unscathed.
Celia gave me a deathly glare that made me tremble.
I quickly apologized.
"I'm sorry, okay? I won't do it again."
"You should have told me sooner," she sighed. "I could have at least better prepared myself."
I strongly disagree. You'd probably try to force me to hunt monsters instead because it's safer.
"I suppose we'll have to be a little more cautious from now on. We're already well inside the labyrinth, so going back is pointless. Let's go."
"This place is full of surprises, not all of them are pleasant. I hope there aren't any more traps ahead."
Celia sighed as I led the way.
As we rounded a particularly sharp bend, we stumbled upon a hidden chamber. The walls seemed to part like a curtain, revealing a space that was hidden. In the centre of the chamber sat a brown chest with intricate carvings. It had a light falling on it that gave the impression that it was on show.
Celia's eyes widened in amazement, matching me. We approached the chest with caution.
Is this the treasure that the minotaur was guarding?
With bated breath, we opened the chest, our hands brushing the cool metal of the lid. A variety of jewellery, artefacts, and old scrolls were within, and they sparkled.
"Woah!" Celia shouted, her eyes beaming with joy.
"See? Coming here is worthwhile."
Selling all of this stuff will undoubtedly make both of us rich.
"This is the only optime. If you want to do something risky in the future, you must notify me first."
Next time? I don't want to risk my life any time in the future.
As we exited the labyrinth, it took only thirty minutes for our total trip.
"It's strange that no one is aware of the labyrinth and the treasure. If anyone knew, a lot of people would try to get here. It will make anyone wealthy." Celia pointed at the chest that we were both carrying. "There are no monsters, either."
Hehe. Maybe the monsters were already killed by Isaac?
"I guess we are just lucky."
When we exited the labyrinth, to my surprise, there was someone familiar outside. His eyes fell on the chest Celia and I was holding, and for a moment, there was silence between us.
Speak of the devil.
Isaac's expression remained unreadable as he spoke, "I see you've found something valuable."
"I can explain. It's not what you think," I hastily responded, my words stumbling over each other.
I knew it!! My gut is always correct.
Isaac narrowed his silver eyes. "I'm curious to hear your explanation."
Celia stared at me, then at Isaac, perplexed.
"Sir Isaac, why are you here?"
"I'm here to claim a treasure."
She blinked in confusion. "A treasure, you say?"
Isaac's voice cut through the air, his words like a sudden chill. "Yes, shouldn't that chest belong to me? Since I was the one who killed the minotaur guarding the entrance of the labyrinth yesterday."
"Uh..."
Why do you need this chest, anyway? I'm sure you're only interested in resurrecting your sweetheart or whoever it is! Or, wait, is he trying to use it to buy resources required for the resurrection? Unfortunately, Isaac, you were unable to resuscitate them. You won't need this treasure.
I stopped my dramatic imagination after seeing the two of them waiting for my response.
"I wouldn't say that the treasure belongs to you alone since Celia and I worked hard to get it. We risked our lives avoiding the traps."
Isaac remained silent as though he was in deep thought.
Anyway, it was weird that the two characters in The Summoned Hero met earlier than in the novel.
Celia agreed with me as she muttered. "That's true..."
"Yeah, that's why-"
"I see... then we should split the treasures in the chest into two." Isaac replied calmly.
Eh?
The gloomy look on his face gave me the impression that he would be chilly, as the author had described him. But on the other hand, it was mostly related to the person he wanted to revive.
So if the topic wasn't related to that person, Isaac wasn't as cold as I had imagined.
"So, that settles it. You'll get half of it since you did most of the work, and Celia and I will divide the other half. Are you okay with that, Celia?
I turned to face Celia, who had spider webs in her hair and a dusty face. She most likely got it earlier from the corridor's edge.
"Yeah, I'm fine with that." She gave an 'OK' sign.
I removed the cobwebs from her hair before dividing the treasures between the three of us.
Isaac looked at the old scroll seriously, before casually stuffing it away in his sling bag.
"What even do you need the treasures for?" I couldn't resist asking Isaac.
"It has nothing to do with you."
His attitude was hot and cold.
"OK."
"Farewell, then."
"Goodbye." I said, my tone laced with a touch of jest.
"Thank you, Sir Isaac, and have a safe trip."
Isaac gave us a final nod before turning and vanishing into the woods, leaving Celia and me in front of the labyrinth.
I feel like I'll meet him again someday.
I suddenly received a side-eye from Celia.
"If Isaac hadn't come here, were you planning to hoard the treasure alone?"
Haha, you got me.
But of course, I couldn't let my golden thigh lose her trust in me so I had to come up with a lie.
"No way. Since he had already taken care of the monsters, I took the duty to get the treasure. I was planning to split it equally with him."
"Are you sure?" Celia showed a sceptical face.
"Of course. I'm hurt if you don't trust me, Celia. You said that we should trust each other yesterday."
I feigned a sad face and Celia sighed in return.
"Hm, alright. I trust you."
The morning sky was a calm expanse of blue and white, and the sun's gentle rays painted the scene, while soft clouds drifted on the breeze.
Our steps led us back to the inn as we returned to the village. As we walked in, the innkeeper smiled at us from behind the counter.
"Welcome back," she said.
"Hello, did you manage to find any mercenaries for us?"
The innkeeper sighed and shook her head. "About that... unfortunately, we couldn't find any available mercenaries."
"Eh?" Celia and I both gave the same shocked expression.
"You know, the trustworthy mercenaries that I know of are mostly dispatched to hunt the demons because there have been many recent demon activities lately. Other mercenaries are available, but I can't suggest them to you because I am not familiar with them."
Celia's brow furrowed with concern.
"I see. It's a shame."
The hero was summoned because of the demon acting up as well.
So, besides the bandits, we also had to be cautious of demons.
If I continued to hire the other mercenaries, I would be betting our lives on their dependability. It was unclear if they were capable enough to defend us or not from those two.
"Then I guess we can wait for them to come back."
The innkeeper spoke up. "Sure, if you're not in desperate need. But it could take weeks or months for them to return."
"I can't wait that long. I have something to do in the capital." Celia replied.
I can't stay in this village as well because my death flag is still raising.
"We'll just go with the merchant and Orion." I suggested.
"The merchant and Orion have never been attacked by bandits or any other monsters, so you should both be safe with them." The innkeeper agreed with a nod. "Safety should be the top priority."
"Alright, thank you."
In the end, we met the merchant and Orion again the next day.