Chapter 74
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 74
Chapter Title: Pureblood Princess's High Castle (2)
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Gonghyeok looked around.
Two flags were visible.
Company and Knights Without Borders.
‘The nearby one was Knights Without Borders.’
Thousands had been summoned within the Company alone for the 10th-floor mission.
There were several criteria for summoning.
1. The closer the city, the higher the chance of being summoned to the same location.
2. Overlapping magic circles results in summoning to the same spot.
3. Those not under the ‘protection’ of the city lord get summoned.
3-1. This is why non-combat hunters can receive protection from the city lord.
4. Humans without protection are forcibly thrown into the mission.
Based on these criteria, 300 people had been summoned in front of the high castle.
“Citizens! Don’t panic! We’ll protect you as best we can!”
Knights Without Borders: 80 members.
Actual combatants: about half, around 40.
The rest seemed to be regular city members.
‘Even regular members aren’t zero combat power. They have avatars of their own, and they’ve put effort into arming themselves to survive.’
He looked toward his own Company side.
“Mister. You can earn your keep, right?”
“Yes, sir. Mayer’s Fixer Office always escorts clients safely.”
“Protector mortality rate 16%! Mission success rate 100%! Just trust in me, Randolph!”
Total: 110 people.
In addition to the mercenary division, there were civilians who had hired private fixers.
Civilians could hire from the mercenary division too.
But it was expensive.
Moreover, the mercenary division was closer to a public enterprise formed and staffed by Company executives for internal security and military purposes.
Executives naturally used it, but regular citizens mostly relied on private fixer firms, which were like small to medium enterprises.
‘Well, the mercenary division’s seven departments were originally a merger of seven private fixer groups anyway. It’s silly to nitpick the public aspect.’
Anyway, adding the private fixers and Special Forces 0’s 20 members made for a solid combat force.
And the rest...
Shabby-looking hunters in dirty, tattered clothes.
Outlaws surviving outside the cities.
Necro-mafia members and devil contractors of unknown origins.
The 300 humans were thus divided into a few groups.
“I’ll give a brief explanation of this mission.”
Remiel pointed to the high castle ahead.
The shallow moat was filled with moss and debris, and smoke and screams rose from one side.
“Imperial Year 411. The Dolion Church’s exorcists have launched a holy war. The Vampire King is holding out in his palace, and one of the princesses has fled here to this place where her uncle once lived.”
Remiel looked at the high castle with a troubled gaze.
“That’s the backstory. It’s a world already absorbed by Babel, but they’ve pulled the timeline of the incident, so it repeats like this every time. Right now, in 100 zones.”
One outlaw muttered under his breath.
‘So what the hell are we supposed to do?’
“If you’re asking what to do...”
A devil appeared on the opposite side of the angel.
“You don’t have to do anything.”
Lilianne raised both hands above her shoulders and shrugged.
“That’s the rule for this mission.”
Rule 1: Survive until dawn the next day.
A single short line.
‘Survive until dawn? They’re going to torment us to death until then?’
The content seemed easy yet not, leaving people uneasy.
“Yes. Simple means complicated. Death drops 20% of your coins. The castle grounds are brimming with quests, as you can see in the background. With no restrictions, you can do whatever...”
Lilianne’s finger swept over the hunters.
“So one way is to kill each other as you please, eliminate rivals, and sweep up all the rewards inside the castle.”
The hunters’ faces hardened at the brutal incitement.
A knight glanced at the ragged-clothed hunters.
Company: 110. Knights Without Borders: 80.
Total 190—enough to wipe out the remaining non-citizen outlaws and devil contractors, the calculation forming unconsciously.
Sring.
An outraged outlaw drew a well-honed sword.
“What’re you staring at, you white pig bastard.”
“What’s that attitude? Overly sensitive reaction.”
“Hold it. Hold it. Let’s think a minute.”
“No. You saying we fight side-by-side with these guys and enter the castle? That’s riskier. Better to just...”
“Enough.”
Remiel spoke softly.
“There are three entry routes.”
She shook the stick in her hand, and options appeared.
1. Turret
2. Main Gate
3. Underground Sewer
“Pick one of those three. You might not even run into each other.”
“......”
“If you exterminate the other side just because you have different ways of surviving, who’ll be left standing at the end? Don’t waste blood needlessly and stay true to your duty of conquering Babel.”
The disturbance ceased at the angel’s words.
But the murmuring within the Company grew louder.
“Wait. What if we don’t enter the castle and just stay outside? Nothing happens?”
“Well, sir. Once we decide, we’ll see. Breaking from the group usually isn’t a good choice~.”
The fixers glanced at Manager Jeong.
Among the Company members, the tacit leader was Special Forces 0 and Manager Jeong Hyundo.
But even Jeong Hyundo asked the masked figure behind him.
“What do you want to do?”
The masked Sessk pondered briefly.
“What do you think, Manager?”
“Killing them off preemptively wouldn’t be bad.”
But contrary to his words, the manager scratched his head.
“Not my style.”
“I see. Not mine either. No, actually, how about we stay here? Clearing without risk would be great, right?”
A troubled look crossed the manager’s face at the suggestion.
“No.”
Gonghyeok, who had been indifferently watching the other hunters, cut in.
“Staying here isn’t a safe path.”
“Why not? You think something will show up if we just sit tight?”
“That’s a problem too. But there’ll be groups aiming to raid those who don’t enter the castle. Not sure how many stay, but it’ll be dangerous.”
“Ah.”
Sessk exclaimed in admiration, and smiles spread between Manager Jeong and the private fixers.
It was a sham argument.
Groups raiding people?
That only happens if Special Forces 0 stays behind.
Then only the powerless and cowardly remain.
Killing them for coins would be easy as pie.
But if Sessk stays, Special Forces 0 stays.
If Special Forces 0 stays?
The private fixers’ hires, who hate risk, stay too.
That alone is at least 80.
Charging a group including elites would be reckless.
‘The real issue is...’
He saw fixers starting to whisper to clients.
‘Both Special Forces 0 and the private fixers. Staying put means no rewards.’
No risk, no return.
Low risk, low reward.
For fixers, entering the castle for quests and rewards was the profitable path.
Sessk nodded.
“Got it. If staying here isn’t safe...”
“No.”
Gonghyeok interrupted Sessk, who was about to say ‘let’s enter the castle’ nine times out of ten.
“In a way, it is safe.”
[Sephirot Stage 1 activated.]
[Angel Wings manifested.]
Gigantic wings unfurled from his back.
“Angel Wings?”
“Necro Slayer Ju Gonghyeok?”
“That guy who supposedly soloed two hundred, three hundred mafia?”
The sound of knees knocking reached even here.
Even in a society with slow info, rumors of the strong spread fast.
Especially threats from natural predators.
“If anything happens, I’ll crush it.”
Arrogance from a rookie not even a year in Babel.
But no one could object to the white wings enveloping the people.
“I see.”
Sessk extended his index finger straight.
“Then you stay here alone, and the rest enter.”
“Pardon? Even so, that’s...”
“I think Gonghyeok’s right. His reputation has spread even to devil contractors in other cities. No one will dare attack recklessly.”
“If you say so, let’s discuss which entry route.”
Manager Jeong went to meet the knights and outlaws.
‘Gonghyeok-nim. We’re entering without you?’
Soma came over and asked, but Gonghyeok shook his head.
“No. It’s what everyone’s thinking deep down.”
“?”
“Tell the team members. It’s 3.”
“Number 3, sir?”
“Yeah. 3.”
Soma, starting to sync with Gonghyeok, caught on.
Underground sewer.
1 was turret, 2 main gate, 3 underground sewer.
“...I don’t know the plan, but I trust you.”
Soma left, and Manager Jeong returned to announce the route.
Number 1: ‘Turret’.
＊ ＊ ＊
“May fortune be with you.”
With Remiel’s farewell, 50 hunters were teleported to the turret.
‘Alright. Mission start.’
Manager Jeong steeled himself.
He was special personnel who deliberately failed missions to climb executive floors.
First mission in years.
Praying he hadn’t lost his touch, he rallied the group.
“Team 1 up front! Private fixers, protect the flanks with those you’re close to! Team 7 has no Team Leader, just rookies, so guard the rear...”
“Manager Jeong.”
Veteran fixer Randolph, who’d rolled in the Company for over 10 years, spoke up.
“Any suggestions?”
“No, it’s just...”
Randolph scratched his head awkwardly.
“Weren’t we supposed to have 60?”
“Yes, numbers checked out before departure.”
“Our scouts on the map, my manual count—only 50 here?”
“......”
Shimada the deputy slipped away slyly.
But a hand gripped his collar like a snake.
“Where’d they go?”
“Well...”
“Where, you crazy bastard!”
“Why keep asking me!”
Shimada’s collar suffered again.
“You fuckers! Lost your minds! This is mutiny, mutiny! No Team Leader Ju-whatever, and they pull this! When we get back, I’ll fire them all! No, just die here! Drop dead!”
Leaving the rampaging Manager Jeong behind, Shimada bowed his head.
“Sorry. He’s not usually like this. It’s just Team Leader Ju not listening lately.”
“I see. But it’s understandable.”
Randolph stroked his beard.
“Word is Special Forces 0 can’t be trusted without that guy lately. Wonder what happens if he bails later...”
＊ ＊ ＊
“What are you lot?”
“Heh heh. Well, we kinda button-mistakenly...”
Team 7’s mage Sally sweated under the gaze of 40 outlaws.
Team 7 had gone to the underground sewer.
40 outlaws were there too.
Originally over 80 outlaws, but the rest seemed at another sewer start point.
Sally glanced back at Soma.
“Mr. Soma. We did what you said, now what?”
“I dunno.”
The over 2-meter Soma looked down at the 40.
“But we can’t die here.”
Crunch.
His bandaged hand clenched hard.
“If we must fight, we fight.”
“Mr. Soma! Mr. Soma! It’s 10 to 40! By Lanchester’s laws, it’s not just 4 times stronger—it’s effectively 16 times the firepower difference!”
Unlike her usual airheaded demeanor, bookish mage Sally jumped to restrain Soma.
“Keh keh. Good start. We’ll make your suicides painless.”
“What’s that? Ending too quick is no fun? Let’s drag those girls around for some enjoyment.”
The outlaws issued their villainous threats laced with lust.
“That’s what they say, bro?”
“Hm.”
Flutter.
But bright wings unfurled behind Team 7.
The outlaws—no, the necromancers and devil contractors among them—froze.
“Huh?”
“That guy was supposed to stay behind...”
Step step.
Clear footsteps echoed in the dark sewer passage.
“You were about to kill these guys just now, right?”
The outlaws couldn’t answer Gonghyeok Ju, who stepped forward.
“Wait, why are you here?”
“Wanna know?”
Above him floated the Je-cheon Dae-seong, tail swishing.
= My little bro’s got so many trash like you to behead, ten bodies wouldn’t be enough.
[Avatar Je-cheon Dae-seong (SS) full power activated. Stats increased!]
[Strength +100! Agility +120! Technique +120! Will....]
Tic. The cigarette butt fell.
“Hear that? Came to lop off the heads of scum like you who lose your minds at the chance to kill.”
“Shit! What’s so special about that bastard?”
“Try ni-kang-nae-kang...”
Kwaaaaang!
An explosion rang out.
And through the flames, a silver blade charged.
Ignition Booster Seven Linked Explosions
Chicken God Method Draw Sword Thousand-Man Absolute Slash Flame Speed
Splat splurt
Clang
“Uh uh. Uhhh?”
The many upper bodies dropped in the sewer stared blankly at the steadily standing lower halves.
Unaware coins signaling death leaked from their mouths.
“Fuck! Ruuun!”
The outlaw who bravely shouted ni-kang-nae-kang humbly fled.
20 humans split into 40 pieces.
The team members’ bodies stiffened.
“Pick up the coins. Let’s go.”
At Gonghyeok’s command, they finally moved.
Ha Yeonsi, last in line, hummed faintly as she approached him.
“Oppa.”
“Yeah?”
“Unauthorized cigarette butt littering is bad.”
“Sorry.”
Gonghyeok pulled out his pipe in apology.
“Wow! Oppa’s so smart! No butt with a pipe!”
“Yeah.”
Watching the two laugh ha ha ho ho, the team members’ thoughts unified.
‘Fucking insane.’