Chapter 121
Chapter 121
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 121
Chapter Title: Master of the Underground (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
So far, there had been only one reason Preton reacted so sensitively.
‘To seize ownership of the mine.’
Preton had failed in his plan to assassinate Meriang and absorb her family.
So he had hurriedly moved to persuade the capital's nobles.
He argued that the Ferresian family's mine was being left to rot uselessly.
And through the noble council, he sought to claim its ownership.
‘He must've put up a plausible pretext and slipped funds to the nobles behind the scenes.’
The nobles who agreed made sense too.
It wasn't a mine they would claim anyway, so they'd side with the one handing out gold.
There were probably some who resented Tollimba becoming a noble in the first place.
“Say that again. Regin. Is it true that it's not just one mine?”
At Preton's words, Regin caught his breath for a moment.
Was it true?
Of course it wasn't.
‘It's something I just made up.’
In Regin's judgment, Preton was greedy and possessive.
What if he told such a Preton about a new mine?
He would definitely bite the bait.
“I heard it from the young lady. That the family has more than one mine. Of course, we don't know if it's true or not.”
“…….”
“But…… if we harm the young lady and the Ferresian family now, we'll end up giving the location of that hidden mine to someone else without knowing it ourselves. Isn't that right, Preton?”
“The Ferresian young lady…… Did Meriang let slip to you about the mine?”
Regin nodded confidently.
“I confessed to the young lady.”
It was a grand confession, but close enough.
“……She accepted?”
“I'm holding off.”
“You're holding off?”
“Once I learn the mine's location, I plan to reject her completely.”
He was weaving a plausible story when—
“Hmm.”
Preton's expression was a bit odd.
“Well, if there's no romantic feeling involved, using that affection is something to consider.”
He looked sympathetic, of all things.
Well, Preton himself was the type to calculate marriages.
“Anyway, it's surprising. I might be jaded myself, but still.”
Preton looked at Regin and let out a chuckle.
“To think you've already stepped into this world. It's both welcoming and regrettable.”
Seeing his expression, Regin spoke up.
“Preton.”
“Go ahead.”
He hadn't fully dropped his suspicions, but he seemed to have empathized greatly at that odd point.
This was the right timing.
“Just grant me one request.”
“A request?”
“Then I'll personally uncover the existence of a new mine in the Ferresian family. That'll be the terms of our deal.”
Tap tap—
Preton drummed on the desk, lost in thought.
“A mine uncovered through the young lady. There might be even more orichalcum and glowstone buried there than we thought.”
“There must be a reason they haven't disclosed it.”
“Understood. What is this request?”
Something only Preton would have.
Regin continued, recalling it.
“The capital's underground. The map of those sewers.”
This conversation had been steered toward this.
And using the mine as bait to manipulate Preton—
“I need that.”
All for obtaining that map.
It was a map held only by the Delbach family, who controlled the western underground sewers.
* * *
Sorry. I pulled aggro just to say this.
It was a perfect modern meme for Regin's situation.
“The sewer map…… Is that all you need?”
Preton looked at Regin with an incredulous expression.
“I'm a bit curious why you need it. What's your intent?”
“Ferma Vinisys. My senior fellow disciple, that is. Master Nuada's first disciple and my senior.”
“A third-tier criminal. I know.”
Well, since Nuada's first disciple was Ferma and Regin was the second, senior fellow disciple fit.
In a way, it was a senior-junior relationship, so no lies mixed in.
“I want to find his body.”
“So the execution happened. But is there a reason to seek out the body?”
“I heard a strange rumor. That the bodies of third-tier criminals are dumped in the underground sewers.”
He shifted the point slightly.
Making it sound like the body was dumped in the sewers.
“No matter how much of a criminal he was, he was once our master's disciple. I don't want his body treated that way. If I can bury him myself, I intend to do so.”
He deliberately brought up Nuada.
This all had to come across as a disciple's devotion to his master.
Preton, having received help from Nuada himself, wouldn't brush it off easily.
“I've heard rumors of bodies being dumped in the sewers. But if the kingdom catches wind, they won't escape punishment.”
“If not, I'll at least honor him there.”
Preton's eyes quickly scanned Regin.
It was hard to tell where the sincerity ended and the truth began.
He could understand the sentiment, but wondered if it warranted going that far.
Regin casually added,
“There'll be magic our master passed down to Ferma.”
“Hmm?”
“If I can recover it from the body, I think it would mean a lot.”
In truth, extracting magic from a corpse was impossible.
But Regin knew this was exactly the kind of thing he would say.
“So that's the calculation.”
It fit Regin, who always meticulously weighed profits and losses in deals.
Only then did Preton nod in understanding.
“Well, I'm no mage, so I don't know if that's possible through a corpse…….”
“…….”
“But you judge it's worth trying, Regin.”
“For now.”
“If you hadn't told me, I would've pushed to make the Ferresian mine my own.”
“…….”
“But if…… there really is another mine, then maybe…… hmm.”
Preton couldn't hide his expectant expression, try as he might.
The conversation's end was now in sight.
Regin smiled at the final confirming question.
“Nothing's confirmed yet, but the possibility is high, that's true.”
Time had been bought.
From here, even the family head would have to move personally.
‘I've only bought some time, though.’
He had succeeded in postponing the family head meeting indefinitely.
But once they learned there was no other mine, Preton would proceed.
No, even if there really was one, the result would be the same.
Eventually, Preton would have taken the Ferresians.
‘Still, gaining this time is what's important.’
In the meantime, Tollimba would have to find a way to survive on his own.
* * *
“Eat while you look.”
It was already late evening.
He received the bread and soup prepared by Preton's subordinates.
He accepted it with both hands, but his gaze was fixed on the map on the table.
[Underground Sewer Blueprint]
“It's more complex than I thought.”
A city where people came and went. Beneath it lay the underground sewers.
What Regin had requested was a map depicting those sewers' structure.
Preton had handed over the blueprint and a simplified diagram to Regin.
“It looks complicated at first glance, but once you grasp the structure, it's not that hard.”
“Is there a pattern?”
“Of course. You can't just build sewers willy-nilly, and if it were that chaotic.”
Preton continued, looking at Regin.
“The western black market wouldn't have been easy to establish in that environment.”
Regin nodded instinctively.
He had known Preton would have this map.
Given his family's close ties to the black market.
The black market located in the western underground sewers.
‘He's the de facto owner.’
He recalled his previous visit to the black market.
That elderly mage who had appeared then brushed his mind.
The old mage who showed up when there was a brief commotion as Regin obtained the Flexis egg.
Regin suspected he was one of Preton's underlings.
‘In any case, the Delbach family has plenty of info on the underground sewers.’
“But how did you know I'd have this map…… Just a guess?”
Regin answered Preton's question lightly.
“I heard you were connected to the black market. I figured you'd be knowledgeable about the sewers.”
“Hmm, that makes sense.”
“And there's no one else I'd ask.”
In truth, his guess had turned to certainty from a book he'd read in the library.
It contained stories not seen in the game.
About the time the Delbach family once seized the kingdom.
‘The Delbach ancestor's followers once ambushed the capital when they conquered the kingdom.’
The Delbach members had suddenly poured into the city.
The kingdom, having stationed guards at the city borders, was completely caught off guard.
They couldn't mount a proper counter against those who popped out from nowhere.
‘The only way is through the sewers.’
Regin's gaze settled on one spot.
A large sewer connected to the capital's edge.
“Is this the sewer leading west?”
“Yes. It's not directly connected—there's a river in between—but you can reach the west via the river.”
For a moment, he thought it impressive.
Preton's ancestor had crossed the river and sewers to conquer the kingdom.
“Anyway, if you keep the purpose of the connected sewers in mind, you can memorize the structure.”
“For example?”
“For instance, look here. The entrances point between the capital's streets. Alleyways.”
“Water from alleys flows into these sewers.”
“Exactly. And here, this large building is a bathhouse.”
“Connected to the drainage.”
“Right.”
“Hmm, then why isn't this building connected?”
“……That's the royal palace.”
A massive building in the center.
No sewers connected to it.
When Regin asked curiously, Preton thought for a moment before answering it was the royal palace.
“The royal palace was attacked once before. Since then, all maps related to the underground sewers…….”
“They exclude sewers connected to the palace.”
“Yes. They're not marked, and violators are executed.”
It seemed to be a law born after the Delbach family's assault on the kingdom.
Owning the map was fine, but all paths to the palace interior had to be erased.
‘Well, after experiencing Delbach, the palace would have set up countermeasures.’
That caused a slight problem.
What if the sewer for disposing criminals connected to one of those erased areas?
“Unofficial executions happen in the underground chamber next to it, not the palace itself.”
“This area's sewers are erased too.”
“Yes. They'll probably transport the body through that sewer for disposal, but you can't find it on this map.”
“So the location of the body-disposal sewer is unknown?”
He knew it wouldn't be easy, but it wasn't even on the map.
Regin's mind raced.
He needed to devise an alternative.
‘I never properly explored the capital's sewers in the game. Of course I didn't know about body dumping.’
The game made it hard to know how unofficial executions worked or why.
He had learned all this by digging info from Jack, so from here on, it was pure current judgment.
How to find the erased sections.
“Regin.”
Preton continued as he watched Regin ponder.
“I'm paying the proper price. You must keep your promise too.”
Slide—
The blueprint and the simplified diagram.
Preton gently overlapped the two.
“Infuse mana, and the path will open.”
Only then did Regin realize why he had shown both sheets at once.
They were a set from the start.
‘A map made to evade the kingdom's laws.’
He infused mana over the overlapped papers.
Mana reacted on the brown paper, sewers glowing green.
Soon, blue paths appeared in the blank spaces.
“The erased sewers.”
“……I'll have to watch my mouth from now on.”
“Exactly.”
Preton chuckled at Regin.
Having seen this far, Regin couldn't speak of the map carelessly.
And if Regin ever betrayed him, Preton would slyly leak that Regin had seen it, drawing the palace's pursuit.
While slipping away himself.
“You'll want to memorize it to avoid the palace's eyes.”
Regin nodded and unrolled a scroll.
He couldn't record everything, but he'd note the key points here.
‘In a way only spellcrafters would recognize.’
Making it look like a botched scroll at a glance.