Chapter 150
Chapter 150
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 151
Chapter Title: The Lord's Request
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Oh, you really took that thing down!”
After defeating the boss and returning, the camp leader greeted Yuseong warmly.
“Thank you so much. Thanks to you, Mr. Yuseong, we should be able to cull enough undead within the timeframe!”
The quest completion notice appeared, and the rewards rolled in.
Normally, that would be the end of it. NPCs might offer a farewell or extra thanks sometimes, but there was no need to stick around for that.
But not this time. The real business came next.
Sure enough, the leader spoke up again.
“If it’s not too much trouble, could we talk a bit more?”
“Sure.”
“You might not like hearing this, but this job was actually a test for you, Mr. Yuseong. We couldn’t just take rumors of you slaying a demon at face value. But you’ve proven your skill by subjugating that mass of corruption.”
The leader pulled a letter from his pocket.
“It’s a letter of recommendation. Take it to the lord’s castle. Show it to any soldier there, and they’ll guide you to the lord.”
He handed over another neatly folded sheet of paper. When Yuseong unfolded it, the top read “Letter of Introduction.”
[Oh, an audience with the lord.]
[Seeing nobles in Ark is seriously tough.]
“From here on, the lord will explain everything himself. Just a heads-up: this matter is of utmost importance to our territory—maybe even the world. Please hear him out carefully.”
[He definitely said it’s important to the world, right?]
[I knew it since the demon showed up.]
[Is this tied to Ark’s main storyline?]
Yuseong left the camp amid the excited chatter from viewers.
* * *
Finding the lord’s castle wasn’t hard. The dungeon where he’d been hunting was right underneath it, after all. He just had to head up to the surface.
Spotting a soldier was easy, too.
As soon as he emerged from underground, soldiers were posted openly all around.
How else could he have gotten into the lord’s castle in the first place? Tell the gate guards you’re off to purge undead from the underground, and they let you in.
But access stopped at the underground entrance. Beyond that, soldiers blocked every path and doorway leading elsewhere in the castle. Every guard in sight was one of them.
Yuseong took out the letter of introduction.
“Anyone’ll do, right?”
[Yeah, that’s what he said.]
He approached the nearest soldier.
“This is as far as outsiders go.”
The soldier growled at Yuseong with a sour face. Yuseong said nothing and just handed over the letter. The soldier’s expression softened as he read it.
“Please wait a moment.”
His tone changed. The soldier opened the door he’d been guarding and stepped inside. Moments later, he returned with someone else.
The newcomer’s attire marked him as a castle official.
“Please follow me.”
The official turned and entered the door. Yuseong followed.
Boom!
The door slammed shut tight the moment Yuseong was through.
The official led the way in silence, saying nothing. Yuseong, not particularly interested in the NPC, just took in the surroundings.
[Cool.]
[Is this really what a castle looks like?]
[Check out the atmosphere.]
Viewers were enjoying the castle scenery, too.
The official stopped in front of a door flanked by two knights on guard. Anyone could tell this was an important room.
The official knocked.
“My lord, I’ve brought the guest!”
“Send him in!”
The official opened the door, then backed away from it, gesturing for Yuseong to enter.
“Please, refrain from any rudeness.”
Yuseong nodded and stepped inside. The door clicked shut behind him.
The room was lavishly decorated, matching the classic image of a medieval noble’s chamber.
Directly ahead, one man sat at a desk reviewing documents.
[Whoa, a noble.]
[Is that guy Lord Ludeart?]
Rustle!
Finished with the papers, he scribbled something on one, then set it atop a stack in the corner.
Scrape!
He pushed back his chair and stood.
“Welcome. So, the Clemis sent you, eh?”
“Yes.”
The Clemis were the camp leader’s people—the name on the letter.
“Have a seat.”
The lord directed Yuseong to a chair off to the side, then sat in the one opposite.
“Did the Clemis send any message for me?”
“Just this letter.”
Yuseong handed it over. The lord tore it open and scanned the contents.
“I see. You hunted down a demon, huh?”
“Yes.”
“And purged that mass of impurities, too. Your skills check out.”
He refolded the letter and set it aside on the table, then leaned back in his chair, eyeing Yuseong.
“Since you were hunting undead underground, you must know about my ancestors’ handiwork.”
“Yes.”
“Whew!”
The lord sighed, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples as if his head throbbed.
“Dealing with my ancestors’ bullshit has given me the worst headaches. If they were in front of me, ancestor or not, I’d smash their jaws in.”
[LOL, he’s got a mouth on him.]
[This is a noble?]
[Nobles are people too, lol.]
[Honestly, given the lore, it fits.]
“But I can’t just curse them out forever. It wasn’t entirely their fault.”
Yuseong perked up his ears—this was the main point.
“My forebears were all mad as hatters, no doubt. But their antics weren’t just for kicks.”
The lord’s voice dropped lower.
“They were offerings to the demon.”
Demon. There was the word.
“No idea when it started, but our family worshipped a demon. It granted power in exchange for people’s despair and suffering, and my ancestors obeyed. Judging by the records, they enjoyed it, too.”
The lord spat, “Trash!”
“Anyway, I’m working hard to clean up after those scum, but honestly, it’s overwhelming. Right now, I’m pouring everything into normalizing the territory. But there’s one bastard I’ll never forgive.”
The lord spat out a name.
“Isratuus Bindelrom.”
He was grinding his teeth, snarling with hatred far beyond ordinary grudge.
“The one who introduced my ancestors to the demon. That devil’s lackey seduced them for his master. That’s how they made their pact. Without him, they’d have just been raving lunatics, and I’d have far less headache. I can’t forgive him.”
Thud!
The lord slammed the table.
“Sure, my idiot ancestors fell for it—that’s on them. No excuses. But they’re dead and gone. Their souls dragged to hell, toys for the demon’s torment. But Isratuus? That prick’s still kicking, bold as ever. He’s a vampire. It’s damn unfair. If my stupid forebears and I are suffering, he should be too.”
The lord stared straight at Yuseong.
“You’ve slain a demon, so a vampire lackey should be no trouble. I’m commissioning you: kill Isratuus Bindelrom.”
Quest: Demon’s Lackey Isratuus Bindelrom
Isratuus Bindelrom corrupted generations of Ludeart lords into the demon’s playthings. Now it’s time he paid the price. Subjugate Isratuus Bindelrom.
Rewards: 3,184,8,520 EXP, 520 gold, 50% discount at shops in Ludeart City (non-transferable items). Applies immediately upon acceptance. Items bought at half price can only be sold back at a reduced rate below purchase price. Half-price items cannot be transferred to others.
[Half price?]
[For real?]
The chat buzzed. Being able to buy every item in the city at half off was a staggeringly good reward.
Yuseong was thrilled, too.
“Now I can get two black breads for 1 gold.”
[LOL yeah.]
[How do you even resist two black breads for 1 gold lmao.]
[What a wild idea lol.]
Yuseong accepted the quest.
“Thank you. I’m sure you’ll pull it off. I’ll tell everyone in the city to sell to you at half price, no question. You’re avenging me—gotta support you properly. Just kill that bastard.”
The lord clapped twice. The door opened, and a soldier entered.
“He’ll guide you to where the bastard’s hiding.”
The soldier bowed to Yuseong.
“When you’re ready, tell any castle soldier to fetch the guide. He’ll show up.”
The lord waved the soldier out. He turned back to Yuseong.
“Good luck. Cut that bastard’s throat for me.”
And with that, Yuseong picked up the linked quest.
* * *
After accepting, Yuseong headed straight to the bakery. He bought twenty black breads as a test. Total: 10 gold. Exactly half.
“Tastes even better at a discount.”
Yuseong popped one into his mouth, beaming.
[No discount makes it taste good.]
[Most people wouldn’t eat it even if it was free.]
“What a shame. You’re all missing out.”
He devoured all twenty in no time, then browsed more shops.
“Everything’s really half off.”
[Wasn’t sure, but it’s legit.]
[Reward’s insane.]
[Too bad you can’t resell. Would’ve been broken.]
“That’s why the restrictions.”
Still, it was a huge help—especially for Yuseong, with his massive consumable usage.
No plans to stock up on bullets or potions, though. Instead, he’d buy cheap raw materials and ramp up production.
‘Make a ton and stash ’em in the bank vault.’
Then pull them out as needed, forever.
* * *
After shopping at half price, Yuseong got right to the quest.
“This way.”
The soldier the lord assigned led him out of the castle. No monsters bothered them during the trip—maybe escort events ignored aggro.
They soon reached the riverbank. Ludeart’s gloomy vibe hung thick over the water, too. If the River of Three Paths or Styx actually existed, it’d look like this.
A single boat floated on the river.
“Take that boat.”
Yuseong boarded as directed.
The boat shoved off immediately. They sailed a short while before fog suddenly rolled in, thick enough to blind. Just as Yuseong worried about a crash—
Whoosh!
The fog cleared. An island appeared ahead of the boat.