CHAPTER 60
"Resurrection magic?"
After hearing about my Ability, Inferno showed a bewildered expression. Resurrection magic was something that even the Saintess of the Holy Church couldn't wield. It was only natural for him to be surprised that I possessed such an Ability.
But soon after, his expression shifted to one of understanding.
“So that’s how you were able to become Lady Rapiel’s disciple.”
That was more thanks to Bulldog's recommendation and my 1st Grade Light Attribute, but since it all stemmed from my resurrection magic, he wasn't wrong.
“And telling me this must have been a considerable gamble on your part.”
“I had a certain degree of confidence.”
If I had nothing to go on, I never would have revealed my resurrection magic.
Inferno looked at me for a moment before letting out a sigh.
“Alright. So, you revive the killer, interrogate her, and get information. That’s your plan, right?”
“Yes. As the person directly involved, wouldn't she know at least a little more than we do?”
“I suppose so. And knowing she can't die would make the interrogation much easier.”
A faint glint of madness flickered in Inferno’s eyes. The moment he heard about resurrection magic, he had already figured out the most optimal way to use it. It seemed he hadn't gotten the position of Lieutenant General for nothing.
“Regarding my resurrection magic…”
“Right. You trusted me, so I’ll keep it a secret. And since you’re cooperating, I’ll even arrange a personal reward.”
"Thank you."
There was no reason to refuse.
“Should I prepare the killer’s body for you?”
“No. It’s better to leave it as it is.”
"Hmm, can you resurrect someone without a body?"
“The killer was missing a finger, wasn't she?”
Hearing my next question, Inferno’s mouth opened slightly, then twisted into a dry smile.
“Right. You’re even more thorough than I thought.”
“Additionally, there will be others after the killer’s body. The Radiance Faith, for example.”
“You mean the rumor that those bastards can revive the dead.”
As expected of a Lieutenant General, his ears were sharp when it came to matters involving criminal organizations.
“I don’t know if the rumor is true, but resurrections won't stack.”
As a user of resurrection magic myself, I could say this with certainty. If someone has already been revived, you can pour all the resurrection magic you want onto their corpse, but that person won't come back to life. A body can be replaced, but in the end, there is only one soul.
“Yes. Even if they manage to steal the corpse, there’s no chance the killer will be revived on their side.”
A grim smile spread across my lips.
"In that case, wouldn't it be a great opportunity to get the killer's body back and, at the same time, tear into the Radiance Faith under the pretext that they were even conspiring with the killer?"
The Radiance Faith must have been a headache for the Regular Army as well. Though they were a cult, many ordinary citizens were also members. They existed in a gray area between the light and the shadows. The Radiance Faith had shrewdly positioned itself there, so the Regular Army had no easy way to take them down.
But if they were linked to the No-Named Killer, that was a different story. It would create an opportunity to dig into the Radiance Faith, even if it meant forcing the issue a little.
The ultimate 'fuck you' to the Radiance Faith. A chance to completely ruin those bastards.
“You’re one vicious bastard.”
Inferno said, grinning.
“And I like it. You’re just like Lady Rapiel’s disciple should be.”
"Former disciple."
I had no idea what kind of image he had of Rapiel.
"So, you'll need time to retrieve the finger?"
"Ah, that's alright."
I reached into my pocket and took out a finger wrapped in paper. I had preserved it perfectly with holy magic. One should always keep precious things close.
Inferno stared back at me with a dumbfounded look.
"You are really something..."
“Oh, and I’d also like to revive the Designated Merchant.”
“Him?”
“Yes. He’s a well-known eccentric anyway. If we just say he had a chance of survival, not many people will suspect anything.”
“Well, if you say so. I take it you were acquaintances.”
"An important acquaintance."
An acquaintance who gives potions.
You never know. I wouldn't explain it was resurrection magic, but if I spun a tale about saving his life, there was a chance he might arrange for another potion. If I just wanted one potion, I could have asked Inferno for it as payment for reviving the killer. But the Designated Merchant's value didn't end there. All the potions one could buy from him in the future were stored in his head.

You don't slice open the belly of the goose that lays the golden eggs. You fatten it up so it lays even more.
Inferno said nothing in response to my cold smile, merely giving me a look that said he now understood what kind of person I was.

Later, Inferno secretly brought the Designated Merchant’s body to a private room in the Regular Army’s infirmary.
“The report of his death hasn’t been filed yet. I’ve put a stop to the paperwork, so there won’t be any issues if you revive him.”
He really was a Lieutenant General, easily procuring a corpse like this. Then again, it was more surprising that a Lieutenant General was dispatched for a case of this level in the first place. A simple murder case would normally be left to regular soldiers.
As if reading my thoughts, Inferno grinned.
“Just happened to find him on my way out for lunch.”
Can't argue with lunch. Thanks to that, I ran into Inferno and could revive the Designated Merchant.
“By the way, who killed him?”
I asked, looking at the man lying on the bed in the private room. Inferno just shrugged.
“We were investigating. But wouldn't it be faster to ask the man himself?”
That's true.
As he suggested, I placed my hand on the Designated Merchant’s body. Light spread from my palm and seeped into him.
“Ugh, ughh.”
A moment later, a groan escaped his lips.
As the Designated Merchant’s eyes fluttered open, even Inferno looked surprised. It was the face of someone seeing a person come back to life for the first time.
“Mr. Dark Hood, are you alright? Are you with us?”
I called his real name, waking him urgently, with all the desperation of someone waking a person who had just cheated death. I ignored the sound of Inferno’s impressed gasp from behind me.
“……Where am I?”
“A Regular Army infirmary. You were found injured and brought here.”
“I see.”
The Designated Merchant frowned, seeming to rack his memory. But the chances of him having a clear memory of what happened right before he died were slim.
Just as I thought, he shook his head, giving up on trying to remember.
“Who on earth attacked you?”
There were many who might target the Designated Merchant. The world was full of people who drooled over the expensive potions he carried. But the reason he hadn't been attacked before was not only because those who wanted to buy his potions kept others in check, but also because of his own strength. He always carried a single wooden stick, and he'd beaten down bands of thieves with it on more than one occasion. For him to be taken down, his opponent must have been formidable.
“I don’t know.”
But his answer was unexpected.
“You don’t know?”

This time, Inferno couldn't stay silent and joined the questioning.
“The ones who attacked me demanded the Blood of the Reincarnation Tree. I had no intention of giving it to them, and they attacked. I managed to escape somehow.”
He said, patting himself down.
“But I felt something pierce my stomach, and I lost consciousness after seeing plants pouring out from inside me.”
“Plants.”
Hearing that word, Inferno ground his teeth as if something came to mind.
“That bastard Pride. Was it his doing?”
The Sin of Pride. The same one who had turned the head of the Sin of Sloth, Cosmic Jac, into a flower.
“Are you saying the Sin of Pride is the one who killed Mr. Dark Hood?”
“Yes, the method of murder seemed familiar, and it matches his work. He's been quiet lately, but it seems he's active again.”
He looked thoroughly pissed off.
“If it weren’t for that bastard, the Sin of Envy, we could catch them all.”
It seemed the Sins worked together, which made capturing them exceptionally difficult.
But more importantly, Black Dawn again? These guys really never get tired.
“What is this Blood of the Reincarnation Tree that a Sin would be after it?”
The name alone sounded quite grand.
“It’s the blood of the Grade 100 Fantasy Species, the Reincarnation Tree.”
"What?"

Grade 100 Fantasy Species.
My face hardened at those words. I had never even heard of a Grade 100 Fantasy Species during my time as an adventurer. It wasn't just me; most adventurers had likely never heard of it.
The immeasurable Grade 100. It was a legendary grade attached to a Fantasy Species that adventurers couldn't possibly handle.
“Was a Grade 100 Fantasy Species hunted?”
“It’s Grade 100 precisely because it has never been hunted.”
Stating the obvious like that kind of hurt.
“It’s blood that came out when two Grade 100s fought.”

So two calamities fought each other. Recalling what a huge disaster the Lord-class Arachne was made my head spin. It also made me realize just how valuable this item was.
"Is it okay if it's stolen?"
“It must not be stolen. Under any circumstances.”
The Designated Merchant stood up from his spot.
“So I’m going to find it.”
A fierce fighting spirit burned in his eyes. It was hard to believe he was a man who had just died and come back to life moments ago.
“By yourself?”
“Life is a solo journey.”
This man is not normal. The look in his eyes was already unhinged.
"I'll help with that."
At that, Inferno stepped forward. With a Lieutenant General of the Regular Army helping, it would surely be a great asset.
“This is my business.”
And he was rejected.
While Inferno stood there with a dumbfounded expression, the Designated Merchant had already finished his preparations to leave.
"Wait a moment."
I couldn't just let him go like this. There was another reason I had revived him.
“What about my potion!”
The Designated Merchant blinked. Surely he wasn't going to pretend he didn't know. As I tensed up, he reached for his back. In that instant, a giant bundle suddenly popped out from his back.
What kind of ability was that? No wonder Inferno hadn't brought any potions with him.
“This is it.”
What the Designated Merchant handed me was a bottle filled with a milky white liquid. The color was thinner than milk, which was a little unsettling.
“……What is this?”
“Milk.”
“W-What?”
Thinking I must have misheard, I looked at him, but the Designated Merchant declared again with confidence.
“It’s milk.”
Whose milk is it? The thought of drinking someone else's milk wasn't appealing, and as I stood there with a stiff expression, he held out his hand.
“One thousand gold.”
“Can I get a discount for saving your life?”
"Nine hundred and ninety-nine gold."
I shouldn't have revived him.
In any case, I had saved one gold, so I reluctantly paid the price. I was now a man who had bought milk for 999 gold.
“I’m leaving. You, we’ll meet again.”
With that, the Designated Merchant quickly departed. Appearing and disappearing whenever he pleased was just like him.
As I stood there motionlessly, holding the milk, Inferno sidled up to me.
"You gonna drink that?"
“……I have to.”
“You’re just a baby who hasn't even been weaned yet.”
Inferno chuckled. This guy, he just wanted to say that, didn't he?
Please, let it be as effective as it was for Aranseol. All I could do was hope.