Chapter 114
Chapter 114
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: EP. 29: King Kong and the Hybrid Collide (1)
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-Derek was utterly perplexed.
What was so perplexing, you ask?
Was it that his identity had been exposed, cornering him, or that enemies had surrounded him?
...He'd almost prefer that.
'At least my mind would be at ease.'
As Derek forced a wry smile,
[Are you even listening to me?!]
"Ah, y-yes, I am."
[Then repeat back exactly what I just said.]
"W-well..."
[I knew it. Derek, you know you're being really unfair, right?! How could you forget our promise?!]
"...It's not that I forgot, it's just that it was a promise you made unilaterally, Lady—"
[What did you say?!]
"...It's all my fault, my lady. Please don't be mad."
[Hmph!]
"Ugh...!"
Derek let out an inexpressible groan of embarrassment and distress.
He couldn't help but wonder what he was doing all the way out here in the tunnels.
To anyone watching, it would look like a lovers' quarrel begging for a punch, and it was a relief Lee Han wasn't seeing this.
...If he had, Derek might have ended up with broken bones.
It was truly a blessing.
Of course, there was no such thing as communication technology in this world.
Yet Derek could flirt—no, converse—with a noble lady in the capital, hundreds of kilometers away, solely thanks to an artifact.
The item obtainable from the academy, Bluebird's Whisper.
A pair of earrings usable only when shared between a man and a woman. Derek had snagged it early, knowing it was an event item.
Despite the man-woman restriction, its utility was immense—no one could deny that.
Just look at modern warfare: securing communication changes the entire battlefield.
For an event item, it was ridiculously overpowered.
Well, at least for now.
[So, when are you coming back?]
"Uh, probably around the end of the academy break..."
[So you're saying you'll show up after summer's over? You're not planning to keep your promise to visit my estate?]
"N-no, that's not—"
He'd been reduced to the role of soothing a woman's pique, but still.
Derek swallowed his regrets.
'...I shouldn't have given it to her.'
She was the closest among the women he knew, and most trustworthy, which was why he'd entrusted it to her. He never imagined this drawback(??).
Derek held back another groan and spoke to her, Karin.
"My lady—no, Karin, please just this once. I'll apologize properly next time we meet."
[Hmm, I'm not sure I can trust you...]
"Just once."
[Hmph! This is the last time.]
"Th-thank you."
For some reason, calling her by name instead of her title often calmed her down, and he breathed a sigh of relief that it worked today.
'Dodged a bullet.'
Compared to the all-day torment when she'd been mad the day before, this was quick.
As he caught his breath in relief,
[Since you reached out first, I guess you're curious about the capital?]
"......"
[Always so sly.]
"S-sorry."
[Hmph!]
True to her sharp nature, Karin had quickly guessed why he'd initiated contact.
Derek felt guilty about it.
He was essentially using her kindness to gather intel on the capital.
But he couldn't afford to focus only on the tunnels; the capital—the center of everything—demanded his attention too.
'Roan and Irene are in the capital right now.'
The original story's protagonist and villainess-to-be.
But now... as the instructor had surmised.
'Predicted to be a reincarnator and a possessor...'
They were unpredictable butterflies rivaling even the instructor.
Derek had no choice but to stay curious about them.
[Hmph, using me as an informant won't come cheap.]
"...I know."
[Sigh, anyway, nothing major's happened in the capital. 'Outwardly.']
"Meaning...?"
[Internally, things are stirring. For example, word is Marquis Tristan has formally registered Lady Levi into his family.]
"R-registered...? Not just as an adopted daughter, but giving her the Tristan name?!"
[Seems the marquis is quite taken with Lady Levi. Once this spreads officially, high society will be buzzing for a while.]
"Whoa..."
People's fates were truly unpredictable, but who could've guessed the tragic heroine would rise like this...
'At this rate, all my info might become useless.'
Everyone's destinies had twisted too much.
Derek couldn't gauge what currents this flow would bring, and his head already ached.
But as if more complications awaited, Karin's words continued.
[And recently, an 'illegal slave auction house' run by some merchant guild was exposed.]
"......"
[Rumor has it a black-haired swordsman revealed it to the world, smashed the place, and freed the slaves. Hmph, doesn't seem interested in hiding his identity.]
"...Roan."
[Most likely him. Now lots of people are hailing Roan as a hero. ...Though he still denies it.]
"Hm."
'...He went to rescue them.'
Hearing of Roan's actions, Derek realized which slave auction he'd raided.
The one from Chapter 17.
Run by the underworld boss, location unpredictable.
Derek knew of it but its whereabouts remained elusive.
Yet, true to a presumed reincarnator, he'd found it, and Derek could guess his aims.
'Taking down underworld boss Baron Nolan early, recruiting talents from the auction, and befriending the dwarves?'
Baron Nolan was a headache even in Chapter 30, so now was prime time.
With the capital's brutal stance on crime post-terror, the boss was weakest.
Eliminating him yielded hidden funds to sustain ten thousand troops for half a year.
Probably denying credit to claim those funds cleanly, Derek speculated.
But the true gains from raiding were 'talent' and 'connections'.
'Twin harpies were definitely there, right? S-tier potentials if raised well...'
Talents that could hit Lv.7 easily.
A shot at [Hero Class] unbuyable with power or gold.
Plus, dwarves among the captives.
The mystical race repaying grudges twofold, favors tenfold.
Skilled hands, master craftsmen, founts of wisdom.
Connections with them were invaluable.
'One stone, four birds. Nice haul for him.'
Honor, money, talent, ties.
A textbook display of a reincarnator's privilege.
Yet Derek didn't envy or resent Roan.
'At least he didn't do anything bad.'
He'd never properly spoken with Roan.
With the uncertainty of reincarnation mixed in, Derek didn't know his character.
But raiding this particular hidden piece for his gain earned points.
Slave auctions only prolonged victims' suffering if left alone.
'He could've targeted a [dungeon] for profit at this timing, but chose the auction. Seems decent.'
Internally rating him well, Derek thought he could ease suspicions a bit.
...Though his nature wouldn't let him drop them entirely.
"K-Karin, if it's not too much, keep me posted on Roan's movements. No need to dig deep."
[Hmm, so you suspect him?]
"...Haha."
Nothing stayed hidden from smart people.
[Hehe, sure. I was curious about him anyway.]
"?"
[D-don't get the wrong idea! Not romantically. Got it? I'm not into sappy guys. I like wary ones, all wet-puppy pathetic. Got it?!]
"Y-yes...?"
...Her tastes were oddly specific.
The thought crossed his mind, but he didn't voice it.
Respect her preferences, that's all.
But wary, wet-puppy pathetic guys...
'Does someone like that even exist around her?'
He wondered if such a person was real.
[Oh, and about Lady Irene.]
"......"
Karin's obvious pivot didn't distract Derek from the name.
Irene Windler.
The girl presumed to be a possessor.
Unlike a reincarnator, she seemed clueless about this world, per Derek's judgment.
He'd never seen her take initiative.
Classic romance-fantasy heroine vibe, and sure enough.
[She's drawing interest from big shots. Partly Duke Galahad's adopted daughter, but that magic she showed... incredible, right? Empire's magic tower heir is visiting her personally. Plus, the western continent's sultan is eyeing her water magic and plans to visit the kingdom.]
"......Whoa."
The central continent's sole magic tower heir and a sultan visiting one girl?
'Events meant for the heroine are all hitting Irene...'
Originally, the real story kicked off next year, Derek's second year.
But with the plot so derailed, timings were off—events meant for then were happening now.
So Derek thought,
'This is messed up...'
Over 70% of his info felt obsolete.
The reincarnator (presumed) likely felt the same.
'Too many cooks spoil the broth, huh.'
The plot wasn't just off the rails—it was airborne.
"Haa..."
[Sudden sigh?]
"Ah, sorry, Karin. Things are getting complicated."
[...Don't overthink it. You've got help around, including me.]
"......"
[Don't suffer alone. Tch, can't get it right away?]
"...No, I get it. Thanks, Karin. I feel better already..."
[Just a little?]
"A-ah, a lot...!"
[Hehe, that's more like it.]
"...Haha."
Her bold words drew an unwitting smile, but he truly felt calmer.
Maybe because she was always confident and positive, unlike him?
'Karin's a good person.'
She bolstered his mindset too.
Right, no point agonizing alone, as she said.
'Focus on now.'
Better to see it positively.
Not that his info was useless—two more people were handling things for him.
'They'll manage their own messes.'
Derek worked on optimism, convinced they'd handle the disasters they'd summoned.
After all, weren't they the cliché kings of the genre: reincarnator and possessor?
'Though the final boss is me (with Status Window).'
So he just needed to handle his part well.
That's all.
With that mindset, Derek wrapped up with Karin and returned to his reliable ally.
Eager to share intel and resolve this.
...Or so he thought.
"Oh, you're back?"
"...?"
"That? Ignore it. Just think of it as decoration."
"......"
"Right, I dug up some stuff. Seems those Blood Cult fakes are up to something weird."
"...Huh? Y-yeah?"
"So let's wrap that up and head home. Should be quick."
"??"
...Derek suddenly wondered if he was even needed.
'Handling it all solo...'
A strange sense of emptiness washed over him.