Episode 423
Clan leader of the Corrupted.
Lanfero Nosferatu blinked his eyes slowly.
The questioning look on his face didn’t seem to fit in with his characteristically gloomy atmosphere, but in fact, Lanfero rarely got agitated.
“He died?”
“okay.”
“who.”
“I just told you.”
The clan member, Rukuruku of the Dragon Tribe, let out a soft sigh.
“Luan Badnicker. Our newest and youngest member of the Corrupted, Lucky. He was killed in action.”
“Ah… um.”
Lanfero wasn’t particularly shaken.
Even though it is a small clan, he is the head of a clan called Heros.
Although the Corrupted’s formation period and history are relatively short compared to other clans, it is not uncommon to hear of their demise.
Even without going too far, we lost Ramon relatively recently.
This is even more true if you don’t limit it to Corrupted. The survival rate of Heroes belonging to Heroes is not high even in vain.
Lanfero remained silent with his mouth closed, but eventually he let out a sigh.
“It’s sad. How did he die?”
“They said they couldn’t reveal it. It’s just a guess, but I think they might have been mobilized for a top secret mission. The kind of thing where you can’t even reveal the exact cause of death to your own clan members.”
“Is it the Demon King?”
Lanfer clicked his tongue.
The last known route of Luan in Corrupted was that she was returning home due to some sudden business at her parents’ house.
Since it was Mir who relayed the message, I don’t know the details of the situation…
What happened to Luan since then?
The thoughtful Lanfero remained silent, not resuming the paperwork he had become quite accustomed to recently.
For a moment, with only the dry crackling of the campfire as the only sound, Lanfero confessed his true feelings.
“… It’s a bit depressing. How can I hear this news after hearing the good news so soon?”
“Good news?”
“That’s the story. There’s a story about a formidable foreign hero appearing in the South.”
“First time hearing about this.”
“Sometimes I see people who are more ignorant of the ways of the world than I am.”
Rukuruku muttered, ignoring Lanfero’s scolding.
“A hero of a different race… … .”
The combination of words that roll off the tip of the tongue is unfamiliar.
Lanfero continued, as if to supplement the explanation.
“It seems that he is also called ‘Vulcan’ because he is a being protected by the Fire Dragon God. Don’t you know about that?”
“I don’t know. I’m half-baked.”
“hmm.”
Lanfero, who had unintentionally touched a sore spot, closed his mouth and quickly changed the subject.
“Anyway… … . It is said that with the protection of the Fire Dragon God, he thwarted the Demon King’s plot in the South. Delak was there too, and he was just as active as him.”
“What is your race?”
“Lizardman.”
“It’s hard to believe. Aren’t they just dragons who have disguised their appearance and identity?”
The dragon race, once thought to be nearly extinct, still exists in many places in the world, although they are extremely rare.
Most of them are just having fun, hiding their true selves.
“That may be true. But I heard he was born a slave. There’s no way a snobby dragon would end up like that. Unless he’s a weirdo like Taon.”
“… That’s true.”
Rukuruku confirmed in a low voice.
Even most dragons have tremendous magic resistance, so their freedom cannot be restricted even by simple magic tools.
Rukuruku, who had been thinking for a moment, said.
“Could it be that Luan is also involved in the incident in the south?”
“The guy who said he went to his parents’ house went all the way to the south?”
“There was also an Iron Blood Corps member there. If we assume that they moved together after joining up at the main house, then it seems like a good guess.”
“That’s a reasonable guess, but if Delak had been there, wouldn’t Luan not have died?”
“Is that so too?”
But somehow Rukuruku couldn’t shake the feeling that the events in the south were connected to Luan Badniker.
It was a mysterious feeling that was occasionally displayed.
“The disappearance of the Green Tongue Demon King, the deification of the cult leader, the collapse of the cult… … The North is relatively peaceful, but the Empire is now in a state of unprecedented chaos. The West and the South are particularly in chaos.”
“Are you going to send me on a mission?”
“That could happen, or we could end up moving our base altogether.”
“You’re moving your base?”
“Continuing with what I said earlier, thanks to Vulcan, the perception of other races has improved a lot. It doesn’t seem to be a temporary trend, and as time goes by, the treatment of other races will gradually improve. Maybe we will even advance to the system.”
“Isn’t that too positive?”
“is it.”
Lanfero hesitated for a moment and then sighed again.
“Why are you sighing again?”
“I was wondering how to tell Mir about Luan.”
“ah…….”
——————
faqwiki.us
Join our Discord for new chapter updates!
https://discord.com/invite/xr7SxG5T6V
——————
At those words, Rukuruku also fell silent.
Because he knew how hard the little giant was training, dreaming of a reunion with Luan.
In fact, the growth that Mir has shown recently has been surprising.
There are times like that in life.
A period of hyper growth where you can jump over any wall in front of you, no matter how high it may be, and destroy anything that stands in your way.
“… Let’s keep this story between the two of us. Since it’s top secret information, Luan’s death won’t be announced right away.”
“okay.”
At times like that, it’s best to leave them alone.
In particular, if you reveal such disturbing information, not only will it hinder growth, but it can also cause mental or physical problems.
“furthermore…….”
“furthermore?”
“I somehow don’t think that guy is dead.”
At those words, Rukuruku also nodded.
Certainly, the blond boy gave off the impression that he would never die.
In fact, didn’t he survive the operation to recapture Ymir, where dozens of heroes died?
‘Or maybe he’s just making excuses because he doesn’t want to tell Mir.’
Rukuruku swallowed those words with difficulty.
There is no reason to bring up the uncomfortable truth.
But in the end, both of their guesses turned out to be wrong.
Half a year passed, a year passed, two years passed.
Luan Badnicker never came back.
* * *
Kaela Goldan thought she had become quite the big shot.
It is not an arrogant statement, as he is called [Mercenary King] in the South, where there are so many mercenaries that it would be a shame to step on him.
At first, those who were not convinced by the name challenged it day after day, but once the mercenary group grew to a certain size, they stopped getting caught up in unnecessary trouble.
It was also not a situation where mercenaries could fight each other because of the huge disaster that had occurred in the south.
Although it was an unprecedented crisis, the mercenary business flourished at an incredible pace.
Especially in the south, the frequency of monster appearances has increased exponentially, so it has become common sense to ask mercenaries for help even when moving between nearby villages.
Naturally, the mercenary group led by Kaela was able to grow in size day by day.
Kaela has a dream.
To create a habitable place in this harsh South.
Like Airu, which was once famous as a large city in the south, it is not just a flashy place, but a real resting place where travelers can stay with peace of mind.
I know it’s not easy, but that’s usually the case with goals that require a lifetime of investment.
Kaela was confident this time too.
It will be extremely difficult and will take a long time, but he will eventually achieve it.
And I am ready to do anything for that purpose.
So the world would be unimaginable.
The fact that the mercenary king Kaela is a believer.
‘Well, right now, the church is in a situation where it can’t be called a church… … .’
Kaela sat in the dark meeting place and looked around.
There are about six or seven people sitting under a lamp.
I don’t know if there was some kind of magical curtain, but I couldn’t see the other person’s face even though we were sitting relatively close.
In fact, it was Kaela’s first time attending a meeting, so she was a bit nervous.
He is the newest among the believers and only knows two other members.
To be honest, joining this group at the time was a gamble on her life, even for Kaela.
I did ascend to the throne of the Mercenary King, so it wasn’t a failure, but… I still feel a bit uneasy.
Anyway, as I was sitting there blankly, someone next to me spoke to me.
“hey.”
“what.”
I don’t know who the other person is, but since I’ve spent my whole life in a society where looking down on someone means death, my response naturally came out bluntly.
The other person asked without paying attention.
“Is the situation in the South still a mess?”
“… … .”
The words, “Why are you asking me that?” rose to the tip of my tongue.
‘Does this kid know my identity?’
As he looked at the other person with somewhat gloomy eyes, a snickering laugh was heard, and the darkness cleared.
The one who revealed himself was a young fairy with a cold expression. Looking at his drowsy face, the other person smiled and said.
“I showed my face first, so you should show yours too.”
It was childish logic, but Kaela didn’t really have anything to lose, so she kicked away the darkness.
As if that were a signal, the surrounding curtains began to disappear one by one.
Kaela looked around with somewhat surprised eyes. There were some unfamiliar faces, but there were also some famous people that Kaela would recognize.
Some of them were celebrities I had only seen in the newspapers.
First of all, the old man with a large scar on his face is probably Nocturne, a swordsman whose sword skills are on par with Iron Blood.
This is the star of the extreme system, Hyades Sprin, sitting peacefully and looking into the mirror.
The rather bizarre-looking shark with jagged teeth is Serge Sothis, a great warrior from the East.
The presence of those whose identities were unknown was also equally extraordinary.
‘… Is this the [Colorless Faction], the smallest and most elite faction in the religious order?’
Looking at the cotton, I thought that might be the case.
“Are we all here?”
And in the middle of it all, the person who led today’s rally appeared.
A girl wearing a crimson outfit reminiscent of ancient clothing and a cloak with a stuffed black lion’s head.
His actions and expressions revealed a dignity reminiscent of royalty, and he was also the owner of a strong presence that could overwhelm those present.
As Leone sat down at the head table, a middle-aged man who looked like a scholar spoke.
“Everyone was present except for two people.”
“Two people… … . I guess one of them is a dark dragon, right?”
“That’s right.”
“No problem. Another one is on his way.”
“But, why did you call us?”
The one who spoke in a somewhat timid voice was a boy dressed in hunter attire.
Although he had an air of being out of place in this place, Kaela could easily see that the young hunter also had tremendous skills.
Leone responded nonchalantly.
“It’s nothing. We need to establish a code of conduct soon.”
“Hey, what’s the code of conduct… …?”
Leone said, looking around.
“Those gathered here have something in common. They owe me their lives, or something similar. And yet, they wield an irreplaceable amount of influence in one area. If we work together, we could shake up the empire.”
If she hadn’t come to this place, Kaela wouldn’t have believed those words.
Now, I found myself nodding along.
“As you know, the current state of the Dark Church is very unstable. The leader has disappeared, and in the process, many priests have been killed. Each faction is busy checking each other, and they are in a position where they have to deal with traitors within, and the Empire and Heros outside. It has been hundreds of years since the church was born. There has never been a greater enemy than this, and there will never be one in the future.”
The scholar asked in a calm tone.
“You said it was the enemy.”
“You are right. We will take over the church.”
Silence fell on the room at Leone’s sudden declaration.
It was an absurd statement, but given the current situation, it was not completely impossible for it to be realized.
‘Swallowing the church… … .’
The reason Kaela felt slightly uncomfortable was because she was quite satisfied with her current position.
This position is where you can work as a colorless believer, receive various supports, and expand your influence as a mercenary king.
Of course, if we swallow up the Dark Church, our activities will become several times easier than they are now… … .
Kaela knew from experience that anything in excess can be harmful.
“I understand what you are saying, but is it possible?”
This voice was that of the young fairy who had been harassing Kaela earlier.
Judging from his attire, he seemed to be from a notorious western gang, but surprisingly, he treated Leone with the courtesy of a loyal subject.
“In order to swallow up the sect, you must show a performance that is not inferior to that of the previous sect leader. For example, you must have the ability to communicate with all the followers like him. In addition, although not as much as other factions, our current state is not good either.”
“That’s right.”
Shark Suin interjected in a gruff voice.
“They are not the only ones who have lost a priest. Didn’t we also lose a priest?”
“He is not dead!”
At that moment, an unexpected voice interrupted.
Kaela’s gaze turned to the entrance.
There stood a nun with bandages wrapped all over her body, giving off a somewhat ominous aura.
‘What is that… … .’
Kaela was starting to get a little fed up.
The first reason is that I felt a strange madness in the nun’s expression, appearance, and atmosphere.
The second reason was the overwhelming smell of blood coming from the body.
How badly was he injured?
Anyway, it was clear that he had lost so much blood that it wouldn’t have been strange if he had died a long time ago, let alone moved.
“Verita, are you alive?”
The moment the fairy youth muttered, the shark man responded in a somewhat excited voice.
“He didn’t die? I heard that the priest lost his life in the fight against the cult leader… no, the Purple Demon King?”
Who would call me a shark?
The nostrils were flaring, as if the smell of blood had excited him.
Verita said with a smile.
“How could that be? But the priest is not the type to die so easily.”
“Verita. Is there any basis for this?”
“What do you mean by evidence? Why do you need something like that?”
Rather, as I asked back in bewilderment, the surrounding atmosphere became somewhat strange.
“Rather, I find the brothers’ attitude even more questionable. [Faith and belief are like the unwavering determination of a gentleman, which should not waver at any moment. That is the proper attitude a believer should have… … .] Have the people here perhaps forgotten the doctrine?”
“Such stubbornness is not the logic of a believer, but of a fanatic. Her Highness the Princess said. The colorless priest… Luan Badniker’s body disappeared without leaving a trace. Perhaps it was the Purple Demon King’s instrument and poison that caused it to melt without leaving a single drop of blood.”
“… … .”
Verita smiled brightly, and the next thing happened in an instant.
Nuns Verita, who had already moved to the middle of the room, swung her hammer and crushed the shark man’s face.
Kwajik!
Blood spurted everywhere.
The hunter boy who happened to be nearby, Root, ended up covered in blood.
Root said with a sad face.
“Ugh… … . Ugh, it feels weird.”
“… … .”
As a deathly silence fell over the room, Verita wiped the blood from her face.
“Ah. I apologize, Your Highness. However, since today’s gathering was supposed to be held in secret and there were pagans mixed in, there was no other way. Please understand.”
“… … .”
“And I will say it again. The priest lives. So our task is simple. We will wait for his return and come to the temple with a reverent heart.”
Verita continued, unconcerned by the silence.
“Okay. Let’s wait together!”
* * *
When I came to my senses-.
The first thing I realized was that my body was not normal.
‘Oh my… my head.’
My head was pounding and I didn’t even have the energy to open my eyes, so a rather strange question arose in my mind.
Strangely, I felt like I had been unconscious for a very long time, but I didn’t feel thirsty.
‘…what?’
I was curious and focused on my physical sensations… … .
There was a needle stuck in the crook of my right arm, and a strange liquid was flowing into my body from there.
Poison or drug?
I was so embarrassed that I thought I should pull out this needle right away… … .
The liquid that flowed in was a lump of nutrients that was shockingly similar to the blood in the body.
Because of this, I feel less thirsty and less hungry.
Although I don’t know what the situation was, it seemed like my body was undergoing treatment.
In that case, it would be right to throw away useless thoughts for now and focus on recovering energy.
I observed my body and slowly focused on my physical recovery.
… … .
… … .
… … .
After quite some time, I finally was able to muster up the strength to get up.
As I stood up from my seat, a room of a type I had never seen before greeted me.
“Where is this place… … .”
A single room. Achromatic interior. A strangely soft bed and artificial lights. Even the feeling of electricity flowing everywhere.
and.
Beep beep.
“It’s a surprise.”
I immediately raised my internal energy at the sudden sound, and then the tension was relieved.
The sound was coming from some strange lump of metal under the bed.
But somehow it looks familiar.
“ah.”
That’s it.
An ancient magical tool that Seren took.
Beep beep beep. Beep beep.
As I stay still, the sound gets louder.
I grabbed the magic tool in my hand in a hurry, and at that moment, the sound suddenly stopped.
and.
[Is it Luan?]
“… … !”
I was startled by the voice that I heard out of nowhere.
“Third death penalty?”
[Yeah. It’s me.]
[The third brother you liked the most and followed the best. He is the conscience, laughter, and source of energy of the five brothers.]
I looked at the magic tool.
Surely it wasn’t trapped inside, and perhaps the magical tool itself was something like a communication crystal that could communicate with distant beings.
“Did the death penalty save me?”
[For now, that’s it.]
[Anyway, I heard your story from Cheon Sa-jeo and Rangi.]
[You must have been rolling around like a dog. I didn’t hear everything, but you must have had a much harder time than I thought. You’ve had a hard time.]
“Thank you. But what is this situation? Where am I?”
[hmm…….]
The voice of the death penalty became awkward.
[Don’t panic. I’ll explain everything from A to Z… But before all that, we need to meet in person.]
“Could it be that the third death row inmate is training me this time?”
[That’s what happened. I’m a bit busy so I’ll go to the property.]
[First, come to where I am.]
“Where is the death penalty? Yeongsan?”
[no.]
[I’m in a much more difficult place than that. I’m struggling to overcome the limit.]
[And you will also train with me here.]
The death penalty’s voice became very serious.
[You have to come with a firm resolve.]
[Here, you have to fight dozens of battles every day. And in each battle, you meet new allies and enemies.]
[Your every decision, action, and mistake will be recorded without a single trace, and your opponents will be able to see it at any time. Your skills will be measured in the most precise units you can imagine… … .]
[The so-called allies will only wait for an opportunity to slander you for your mistakes. If you make even one mistake, you will immediately become a target and a political scapegoat. In a sense, they are even more fearsome than the enemy.]
Knock, knock, knock… … .
At that moment, there was a sound like something was being knocked on and a “kwang!” as the desk broke apart. After that, a man’s swearing could be heard.
I swallowed hard.
Thirdly, what kind of battlefield is the death penalty on?
[Luan.]
[To be honest, I think it’s still too early. I don’t think you can handle all of this right now.]
[But as the hero I most admire said, sometimes you have to run before you can walk… … .]
[So come here right now.]
[Battlefield of Men.]
[To the PC room.]
“Internet cafe…….”
I rolled the word over my mouth again.
On a shabby raft.
A dozen or so people in poor equipment are looking around.
A scene came to mind, of thousands of man-eating fish swarming beneath the ominously shaking surface of the water.
At that moment, a faint voice was heard.
– 10 minutes left in prepaid time… … .
The voice of the executioner became urgent.
[Hurry up. If you don’t come within 10 minutes, I will be forced out of this battlefield.]
[If you escape again this time, you might be punished. That must be prevented at all costs.]
[My wallet will be nearby. Be sure to bring it.]
[This executioner only trusts you, Luan.]
The desperate voice of a death row inmate, never heard before.
I swear I didn’t make a sound like that when I was dragged down the mountain for stealing Master’s wine.
“… … .”
In the face of the unprecedented crisis of the death penalty, I stood up from my seat with a stern face.
