Chapter 40: Proposition

“Nyaa!”

As the cat lying on Colt’s desk got up and pulled its partner’s hands-on its belly so it could continue the belly rub it had been having for the past hour and began purring once more, Colt was currently questioning what is happening.

‘The day had already passed and I don’t believe that no one is going to challenge me today.’

It was already the afternoon and this the hour he would need to spend in the academy. Colt imagined for the stupid nobles to be truly stupid and act all high and mighty as they barge in Colt’s lecture hall and demand his presence out.

But the whole day passed without such a thing happening, the academy was in a state of peace. And as Mina only goes to the academy during lunchtime as she has her own responsibilities in the Magic Tower, Colt was left to do whatever he pleases this whole week.

Colt walked out of the room, slightly disappointed that nothing major happened but also satisfied the day passed without trouble.

So, when it is time to leave, Colt made sure to head out to the Apothecary Guild once more.

But little did he know that there were two things that is happening behind his back. One, there is someone following him, the other is that the challenges didn’t come because the people who challenged him were already waiting at the right place.

In three separate areas of Training Hall 1, 2, and 3 were three different people who had taken the time to wait for Colt to come. In the back area of the academy where there is an open area used by many students to hang out, there were also around four students there waiting for him to arrive.

“When is he coming?” All of them asked the same question. They had sent out the letter to Colt and as time passed, all of them realized that Colt Edgeworth did not respond to their letter of duel.

“That cowardly bastard!” like their question, their sentiment was also the same and as they cursed Colt both aloud and, in their mind, the person in question was casually riding in a carriage unbeknownst to him the number of people he had just stood up.

But even if he knew, Colt wouldn’t care because if he accepts those challenges, then that defeats the purpose of his plans. Well, he had unknowingly avoided such an issue for today but the fights will happen for tomorrow.

Right now, however, that is not something that occupies his mind. The thing in his mind is in regards to the thing that bothers him the most, the villains and the upcoming war.

Three years from now, in Vol. 5 to be exact, the war would break out. The war would start down south where the Edgeworths are living.

At the moment, no one would believe him if he says that a war would start in three years’ time without any evidence to back it up. Right now, Colt already knew the day when the start of the novel would begin.

It would happen roughly in spring when the flowers are blooming and the world is at peace. The MC will appear and then he will kill the first villain, a Bandit Lord, and then the Second Villain who happens to be a Slave Trader would shortly follow.

Then, he will arrive at the Capital where he is searching for a certain plant to improve his Mana. The MC controls Mana and uses the martial arts of his previous world making him the first and only Magic Swordsman.

Colt doesn’t care about that because the MC is stupid and only uses magic like an idiot and mainly uses his sword to solve everything. Well, moving forward, the MC will then have conflict with the buyer of the plant he wanted.

The plant he wants happened to be the same thing Mina wanted, because, of course it’s a story. The MC fights with Mina over it, Mina did something stupid that gives the MC a good reason to fight Mina and then kill her in the process.

At that point, some more stupid plot armor led to another and somehow, he managed to unearth the misdeeds of Mina so he was suddenly hailed as a hero. Remembering the story, Colt covered his face in shame.

“How did I like such a story? Goddammit, that was so stupid that I can say that the power of the MC is more of the plot armor rather than his Magic or Swordsmanship.”

Colt was ashamed. But as he thought about it, most of the stories in the world have plot armors of their own, though it varies on how thick it is, every hero has a plot armor of some kind.

“Again, I wish I have that plot armor so I’ll be able to live without fail. I envy the heroes of this story, I wonder…what if I stay beside one of those heroes’ side? Hmmm, will I also be bestowed upon by the power of friendship? Nah, maybe not.”

Colt finished his daydreaming of an easy life and focused on what actually matters. His life.

Regarding the upcoming war, that is directly coming for them, Colt doesn’t need to worry too much because his family has one of the best soldiers in the Kingdom and by the time three years pass, Shickly, and Liron would already be Phase 2 Pathfinders.

At the moment, he needs to deal with something that is as important as making sure he doesn’t cheat with another woman and that is the need to save the lives of the people from the upcoming epidemic.

The backstory of the villains starts in this timeline but will not show until three years later. The Red Vein Epidemic is something that happens this year and this disease kills the ones who get it either very quickly or very slowly.

According to the book, those who contract this disease will have their veins feel like it was getting smoldered, their breathings would feel like they are inhaling fire in their lungs, and their flesh will slowly feel like it is burning.

Despite the constant plot armors of the author, the people of this world are not blessed with that gift. They are sacrificed to give light to the MCs actions, they are used to justify something, used to become the tools for the author to manipulate.

That is the role of a background character, a mob in a story where you are not the Main Character. Where the world does not revolve around you.

However, Colt was now reborn as one of those background characters, and he may not be able to save them all, at least, in the upcoming epidemic, they will be saved by what he is about to do.

The carriage stops and Colt stepped out of the carriage.

He stepped out and found the Apothecary Guild to be open. The Apothecary Guild is basically the drugstore of this world. It is a three-story building with each floor having fewer and fewer people within it.

The first floor is where the people go to buy the medicine, the second floor is where the Apothecaries create their craft, and the third floor is where the Guild Master resides.

Colt stepped inside and the aroma of the medicines wafted over to his nose.

Colt looked around and saw many people coming and going. Both nobles and commoners alike mingle together as they bought medicine. Colt approached a receptionist who had long green hair and a somewhat beautiful face, seated behind a counter and asked, “Is Apothecary Jin here?”

The receptionist looked at Colt and noticed his demeanor and clothes, she reckoned he was someone from a noble. The people of the Apothecary Guild deal with a lot of nobles.

Though the Apothecary Guild does not necessarily exist to serve the Kingdom, it is still paramount to ensure an amicable relationship. After all, there are situations where only one of the other parties can deal with the situation.

“Might I ask who is inquiring so I can inform him?”

“My name is Colt and my family name is Edgeworth, I simply wish to talk to Apothecary Jin about the matter regarding the Genesis Family.”

Hearing Colt speaks of the Edgeworth Family and the Genesis Family in succession made the heart of the receptionist’s heart skip a beat.

“I shall let him know, but first, please, follow me to a private room where we talk about matters such as this.”

“Mm.”

Colt nodded his head and followed the receptionist to a secluded room. The room was nicely furnished. With two sofas facing each other and a small table in between.

Having been given a sweet refreshment, Colt sat on the sofas without a single care to anything.

He waited, and waited, and soon enough, the one he was waiting for finally arrived.

“I, Jin greets Sir Colt Edgeworth.

The doors opened and a man wearing the robe of an Apothecary came in. It was a young man around the age of twenty or twenty-one, and he has long green hair, and other than that, he is somewhat handsome but not at Colt’s “turn the ladies’ head twice” kind of level.

“Please, have a seat.”

Colt sat comfortably as he looked at Jin who was shuddering as he waited for what Colt wish to say.

“Hmm, Jin, you know why I came to you, do you not?”

“Um, is it to silence me? I-I, promise she didn’t do anything wrong, all blame lies on me, if you wish to punish someone, I accept everything.”

The Apothecary bowed his head to Colt which caught the carefree Colt by surprise. But he managed to regain his senses soon after.

“It appears you are misunderstanding something; I am not here to end your relationship with the Young Miss of the Genesis Family.”

“You’re not?”

“Of course not, I am not someone who wishes to end the love life of two young people. I want your relationship to continue so, I have an offer to you, hear me out when I say this, how do you want to become the Hero of the Kingdom?”

Jin, a commoner who became an Apothecary and gained prestige in the Guild. He was someone who has a bright future ahead of him, but he was going to die in four months.

But it was not because of the Epidemic, it was because the people of the Genesis Family will have him dead for having a forbidden relationship with their Young Miss, the Fifth Major Villain of the story, Vyra Genesis.

‘Damn that’s an awesome last name.’ Colt thought to himself.