Chapter 36
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 036
Chapter Title: Heir
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The reputation of Cindy, the youngest daughter of Golden Beetle Wolf, was extremely negative.
It had to be that way.
The recent events were just too coincidental. Shortly after Wolf's sudden death, both Derek and Cedric were murdered at the same time.
With the father, eldest son, and second son all dead in one fell swoop—and Wolf having lost his wife over a decade ago—Cindy was now positioned to claim the Golden Beetle's vast fortune all to herself.
It was a situation that looked suspicious to anyone. Gossips were buzzing that it was all Cindy's scheme.
While Derek and Cedric had been acting as executives for the merchant group in the Demonic Realm, Cindy had lived alone inside the barrier. This made it clear that Wolf had no intention of passing the merchant group on to her.
The youngest daughter, resentful of the discrimination, finally hardened her heart one day and killed her family...
"Thank you so much for accepting my invitation so readily. My name is Cynthia."
The protagonist of those rumors approached and spoke to him.
She's using an alias, then.
Cindy had never engaged in any public activities. Only a handful of people knew her face, so using a fake name allowed her to easily conceal her identity.
But that lie couldn't fool Woojin. After all, fragments of the brothers Derek and Cedric's memories lingered in his mind.
"Nice to meet you, Miss Cynthia. Might I ask why you summoned me here?"
When he posed the question, Cindy beamed brightly and replied.
"I love adventure stories. And I especially love the protagonists in those adventures! It would be such a great joy to treat Sir Jin to a meal and hear those tales straight from you... Would that be possible?"
Cindy skillfully mimicked the air of an innocent, carefree girl. She gave off the vibe of a typical spoiled youngest daughter from a wealthy family, seemingly trying to steer the conversation while hiding her true identity.
For now, it seemed best to play along.
"I'd be delighted. I don't have anything else to do anyway."
"Thank you! This gives me yet another thing to brag about today. I should bring out the appetizers before you change your mind."
Cindy sprang up energetically from her seat. Woojin followed her to the dining room. Once they sat across from each other at the round table, appetizers arrived shortly afterward, accompanied by an expensive liquor.
"I'll have this juice. Sadly, I'm not old enough to drink alcohol yet..."
With that, Cindy sipped her grape juice. Woojin took a sip of the liquor in his glass as well.
A bit on the strong side.
It was a richly flavored mixed liquor, perfect for getting a guest pleasantly tipsy. Moderate alcohol had a way of loosening people's tongues.
Woojin downed his drink as if completely off guard, like a carefree man. That way, it would be easier to uncover Cindy's real intentions.
"What story should I start with?"
"Tell me about the expedition! I heard a huge monster appeared—is that true?"
The two began their conversation.
Every time Woojin shared an anecdote from his experiences, Cindy would chime in enthusiastically, her eyes sparkling as if utterly captivated.
......Honestly, it was a hassle for both of them.
Neither the storyteller nor the listener had much real interest in the content. It was like they were just exchanging meaningless words while hiding their true thoughts.
Of course, Woojin was the only one fully aware of the situation. Cindy believed she held the reins of the conversation. Her social finesse was so impressive that it would have been strange not to fall for it.
So, it was about time for her true feelings to emerge.
"......I heard you were also tasked with transporting the fortune of a very famous merchant."
Cindy subtly broached the topic.
"You mean Golden Beetle Wolf?"
"Ah! Yes, that's right. I heard something very strange happened while moving his fortune to the barrier. Suddenly, two men turned into monsters... Did that really happen?"
Woojin nodded readily in response.
"It did. I know it sounds unbelievable, but during the commission, the two sons of the Golden Beetle transformed into monsters."
"I see."
At Woojin's firm confirmation, Cindy sat silently for a moment before suddenly asking.
"......Why do you think that happened?"
Woojin pretended to think it over before replying.
"Looking back now... There were a few unnatural occurrences during the commission. That might have been the issue."
"Please tell me more details."
Cindy eagerly bit at the bait.
Though she tried to maintain her composure, her attitude betrayed her eagerness to hear the full story. The moment Woojin saw it, his suspicion turned into certainty.
Cindy was hosting this dinner to extract information from Woojin, who had been at the scene.
As expected... Cindy isn't involved in this incident.
The gossips claimed the Golden Beetle and his two sons were killed by the youngest daughter. But looking deeper, the truth was the exact opposite.
Cindy had no reason to murder her family.
Because the Golden Beetle had personally named her his heir.
Wolf had long recognized the talent his youngest daughter possessed. That's why he assigned the dangerous fieldwork to his two sons while preparing Cindy inside the barrier to inherit the merchant group.
Derek and Cedric had accepted this as well.
They knew their own talents fell short compared to their little sister's. Without much attachment, the two brothers had yielded the heir position to Cindy for the sake of the merchant group.
The Golden Beetle family had been truly close-knit.
......In that sense, there was only one reason Cindy had come to the Demonic Realm now.
Revenge.
The Golden Beetle's heir was desperate to find the culprit who killed her family.
How should I handle this...
His thoughts naturally dragged on. As Woojin sipped his liquor in prolonged silence, Cindy, growing anxious, finally spoke up.
"Would you like more to drink? I happen to have some fine wines in the basement."
"No need for that... But there's one other condition."
"What is it?"
"Reveal your true identity. If you do, I'll share my information with you."
They finally laid their cards on the table.
At those words, Cindy hesitated for a moment before smiling. Her expression control was a beat too slow.
"......I'm not sure what you're talking about."
It was the response he'd half-expected.
Cindy was gathering information this cumbersome way because she'd learned a harsh lesson from her family's deaths. The lesson to move more cautiously and secretly.
The Golden Beetle's youngest daughter was here. If word leaked out, she might end up assassinated just like her family.
......But they couldn't continue negotiations like this.
"I suppose it's time for me to head back."
Woojin prepared to leave. The startled Cindy rose from her seat as well.
"Where are you going all of a sudden?"
"My stomach feels a bit heavy. I don't think I need dessert."
He replied nonchalantly and headed toward the entrance. The young guard tried to block his path but...
Lacking any justification to detain someone trying to leave, he hesitated awkwardly. Then, catching a glance from Cindy who followed behind, he hurriedly opened the door.
"Contact me again if you change your mind later."
With that, Woojin stepped out of the mansion and strolled away leisurely. He could feel a prickling sensation on the back of his neck, as if Cindy was staring after him.
No other choice.
After much deliberation, he'd reached a conclusion...
If he was going to help, he had to do it thoroughly. If not, he shouldn't help at all. Half-heartedly sharing information and then backing out would only complicate things further.
That witch is too dangerous.
Her ability to mimic others' appearances, combined with exceptional assassin skills.
She was beyond what Cindy could handle alone.
If he carelessly handed over info, Cindy would chase the witch by herself. If things went that way, revenge would be the last thing on her mind—she'd end up dead.
He didn't like the idea of the girl dying.
Even though she'd been a stranger until today. Perhaps because he'd inherited fragments of Derek and Cedric's memories, she didn't feel like a total outsider. If she died carelessly, it would leave him with restless nights.
In that sense...
Woojin's demand for Cindy to reveal her identity wasn't just about sharing information. It was to position himself as an ally who knew the inner workings.
......Though it seems like it only made her wary of me... Well, if I wait, she'll contact me eventually.
At this point, no one else held the information except Woojin. Even if Cindy found him suspicious, she'd eventually come seeking help.
Witch hunt.
It was a hunt he'd never experienced before.
How should he deal with that witch? He needed to think carefully and formulate a plan.
The first expedition proceeded smoothly.
With well-trained soldiers and knights stepping up, even formidable beasts were quickly dealt with.
"......Somehow, the beasts feel weaker."
Bow muttered suddenly. Woojin, standing nearby, voiced his curiosity.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Just what I said. Compared to a few years ago, the beasts are definitely weaker. It's not my imagination."
Bow could glimpse an opponent's essence using his divine insight. The beasts he observed that way had overall diminished power.
"Isn't that a good thing?"
"It is, but... If we could figure out the cause, we could conquer the Demonic Realm even more easily. Yet no matter how I think about it, I can't pin it down."
There were no clues to this inexplicable phenomenon. No amount of pondering would yield answers.
Perhaps because the beasts' power had weakened compared to the past, the first expedition advanced much faster than the Church Alliance had anticipated.
......But problems always cropped up.
"There's an issue at Pioneer City 4."
Roland brought news he'd heard from a messenger. Bow tilted his head in puzzlement.
"Isn't that the sector handled by Morian's followers...? Why the problem? Their church's forces are stronger than ours."
"It's the terrain, they say. Spider beasts have holed up in a cave, and they've webbed it so thickly that no one can enter."
"......Just hearing about it gives me a headache."
The best course with spider beasts was to avoid them.
But the cave they'd occupied was suspected to house a Rift Core. To purify the Demonic Realm, they had to breach it somehow.
"Hey, Jin. Got any good ideas?"
Bow asked Woojin, who stood beside him. Woojin thought for a moment before replying.
"I'd need to see it with my own eyes to gauge. Let's head to that city tomorrow."
"Am I burdening you too much...?"
"It's fine. I'm at loose ends anyway."
Starting the witch hunt would take some time. It needed a period of ripening, so to speak.
Until then, he had nothing else to do, and showing off against weakened beasts was getting boring. A change of pace by visiting another city didn't sound bad.
......The next day, early in the morning.
Woojin prepared to depart for the city with the messenger. The messenger's face looked familiar.
"Raymond. It's been a while."
"Sure has."
Raymond chuckled. He'd been stuck doing messenger duty nonstop, which was grueling.
This was essentially a punishment.
Raymond had failed a major mission. The murder of Derek and Cedric brothers. As a result, he'd been assigned the errands other Holy Knights avoided.
"Guess I'll be walking my feet to the bone again..."
Raymond sighed as he slung on his gear bag. Woojin grinned and whistled.
Whiii~
Wolves came running. Woojin gestured, calling the brown wolf, Sean, closer.
"Ride on this one's back."
"......Oh, Goddess."
It was the moment a man's dream came true.