Chapter 145: The Secret
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 145: The Secret
The fact that I am Blood Dagger is known to most humans. By tracking the quests humans have received, they could probably figure out without much difficulty that the Weapon Merchant who was active in the West was, in fact, Blood Dagger, and that this Blood Dagger had moved his base to the East.
However, that alone wouldn’t help them prove that the Weapon Thief is Blood Dagger. Of course, they could easily guess by comparing the similarities in our unique abilities, but that would only be possible if they had a precise understanding of me as a demon.
I may be a Named Monster, but there are plenty of others besides me. And while I’ve been on a bit of a rampage lately, there are other Named Monsters that humans need to keep a closer eye on.
What was surprising was that Jang Ye Ri knew I could communicate with humans in some form. Based on her demeanor, it was highly likely she had also figured out that I could speak the human tongue.
The implications of this were huge. There were several possibilities. She might have seen or heard that Baek Ahyeon and I were together. I had been careful, but we could have been discovered.
There might have been a survivor from Somorah. If not that, then perhaps this woman had been watching me. Or it could be her unique ability, the effect of an item, or a trait specific to her class. She might even have a connection to Park Hyeri of the Spider Clan. The problem was that she was the only one who knew.
Without realizing it, a murderous aura began to rise from me. Jang Ye Ri watched me, her eyes narrowed slightly.
“I believe I said I have no intention of harming you. You can rest assured that I am the only one who knows your secret. Rather than that, I would like an answer to my earlier question.”
“..................”
A million thoughts exploded in my mind, but the first was that I needed to talk. It was unsettling, but my instincts were telling me I had to trust this woman.
“Let’s move.”
I finally spoke, and Jang Ye Ri smiled and nodded. We went to a place far from here—a swamp that no one ever visited. I figured it would be a suitable place to talk.
We didn’t say much as we walked. One thing I could sense was that this woman was showing a strange sort of favor toward me.
She oddly matched my pace, and though I couldn’t understand why, it felt like she was trying to mimic my movements. After a while, we found a suitable spot and settled down, finally creating an atmosphere where we could talk. As expected, it was Jang Ye Ri who spoke first.
“Your answer?”
“Before that, you should answer how you know about me.”
“The small city of Somorah, and the demon the Spider met in the Forest Worm burrow—that was you as well, wasn't it? Enough. There’s no need to reveal your killing intent. I merely bought the information. I wasn’t even looking for information on you specifically. I just happened to hear about it while searching for information on demons.”
The moment I heard she had ties to the Spider, my killing intent flared, but it subsided again at her words.
“Why were you looking for information on demons?”
“You will find that out after our contract is sealed.”
She spoke without a hint of hesitation, seemingly confident in the terms of her deal. She had said she wanted me to steal something. I nodded as if to say I would hear her out, and Jang Ye Ri looked at me before speaking again.
“The weapon I want you to steal is the Reaper’s Scythe, which my brother possesses.”
I had more or less expected it, but it seemed the item she wanted was indeed the Reaper’s Scythe.
“It seems you and your brother don’t get along.”
Two children in one family. The first is a son, but he’s utterly devoid of talent. The second is a daughter, but she is ambitious and possesses the ability to achieve her dreams. It was a rather common story, but hearing such a cliché play out on the continent was a little amusing.
“It would be correct to say… we do not get along.”
What she likely wanted was the situation that would unfold after the Reaper’s Scythe was stolen from her brother. It was just an item, but a weapon like the Reaper’s Scythe was immensely valuable. If I really did steal it, her brother’s authority would surely crumble.
“Are you trying to divert your father’s attention?”
“I could say it’s similar, but that’s not it. In the first place, I don’t even think of my father as a father…”
It seemed she had her reasons she couldn’t speak of.
“I will handle the preparations. A rumor is currently spreading within the city of Hadum—a ridiculous rumor that there is a dungeon in the forests of Hadum containing all the weapons the Weapon Thief has stolen so far.”
“You created it.”
“As time passes, this rumor will become truth. No, it is certain to become so.”
It looked like she had been working on this for quite some time. No, this was more than that; this was her ability. The ability to grasp information and utilize it. From what I’d heard, most rumors described her as a blood-crazed madwoman, but it seemed there was some exaggeration involved.
“My brother will lead his guild members there. All you have to do is show up and steal the giant scythe.”
“Hmm…”
In other words, she would set the table, and all I had to do was pick up the spoon.
Hearing all this, a few questions naturally came to mind. The first was…
“This scythe you speak of, am I free to use it as I please?”
“Impossible.”
“Are you saying I have to return it to you?”
“No. I said it is impossible for you to use it. The Reaper’s Scythe already has a master.”
She was clearly saying that the ownership ritual was already complete. The master was likely herself, not her brother. If I had charged in without knowing anything, I could have foolishly had the Reaper’s Scythe snatched right back from me. It seemed she didn’t know that I had been targeting that item as well.
“So what you need is the situation.”
“Correct. The demon race is quite intelligent.”
What Jang Ye Ri needed wasn’t for the Reaper’s Scythe to truly disappear, but for the situation of it disappearing before everyone’s eyes.
“Then what can you give me?”
“A weapon comparable to the Reaper’s Scythe.”
“Do you have it with you?”
“It would be best not to do something as foolish as pulling out a weapon in front of you right now.”
There was no way I could trust her. Even if I succeeded in the operation, if Jang Ye Ri simply re-summoned the Reaper’s Scythe to a location only she knew, I would be completely screwed. Or, if she formed a subjugation squad to capture the Weapon Thief just to show her father what a reliable daughter she was, I could find myself in a truly irreversible situation.
“One more thing.”
“What I can give you is a future. No, an alliance. Besides that, I can provide various conveniences. For example… changing the identity of the West’s Saint…”
“..................”
“How absurd.”
I couldn’t be sure how much of what she said was a bluff and how much she actually knew. What was certain was that this woman had her own independent information network.
If everything truly went as she said, it would be the best possible choice. But the risk was too great.
“I can’t trust you. The humans of that small, ruined city enslaved my people. It’s the same in the city where you live. We witnessed carriages loaded with slaves heading toward that large city, and we were able to rescue our young brothers there. If you were me, would you be able to trust yourself?”
At my words, the woman before me flinched slightly before speaking.
“Of course, I know. There are slaves being held in the ruined city of Somorah and in the current Hadum. If I were to smuggle out some of those slaves for you first, would you be able to trust me then?”
“Not enough.”
Of course it wasn’t enough. There was no way I could trust this woman just for releasing a few slaves.
“Then how about I become your woman? I have heard that a male demon considers a partner he has taken once as his mate.”
She said this while giving me a slight glimpse inside her robe, but naturally, this too was an insufficient condition.
“Not enough. What I want is your true objective. And evidence to support that objective. And a weakness that lets me hold your leash.”
“That is…”
“You are already holding my leash. Without that, I cannot trust you.”
I spoke with finality, and just as I expected, a look of conflict crossed her face. I thought she might refuse. I was shouldering a risk, but humans, by nature, hate to bear risks that could come back to haunt them. This was especially true for a woman like her, who had everything and so much to lose.
Thinking that a fight might break out, I sent a signal to Ibar with my eyes. But the answer that came was unexpected.
“I will destroy Hadum.”
“No, I will destroy and reform the East. It’s impossible right now, of course. It will take time. I will kill my father and kill my brother. I will capture and kill every human involved in this filth and make them realize the weight of their sins. I will rip their arms and legs off so painfully that they will wish they could just fall into hell. I will drench my body in their blood, and the screams of those who bought and enjoyed slaves will cover the city. I will cut off all their filthy genitals and hang them upside down.”
‘A witch.’
She was exactly like the witch I had heard about in the West. I found myself swallowing hard. The aura erupting from Jang Ye Ri was far from ordinary. Her eyes, filled with killing intent, had turned red, and ragged breaths escaped from her hood-covered face. Considering the future I knew, the words she had just spat out were undoubtedly the truth.
I slowly began to observe Jang Ye Ri more closely.
Her appearance just now felt incredibly familiar. It was a reaction that allowed me to form a hypothesis in my mind.
As if sensing that I was observing her, Jang Ye Ri began to calmly compose herself. I spoke slowly to her.
“The evidence to support that objective.”
The moment my words left my lips, Jang Ye Ri, with a very hesitant expression, began to remove the hood she was wearing. The confident demeanor she had shown until now was gone. She looked incredibly shy. The first thing I saw was a startlingly pure white skin, a complexion as white as snow.
Next was her beautiful face. To put it somewhat abstractly, her appearance reminded me of a graceful queen from a fairy tale. Her black hair flowed down naturally, covering her ears. Just as I was thinking that she didn't seem quite human, my eyes fixed on one particular spot.
“Horns?”
To be precise, they were crudely severed horns. They were so hidden by her hair that they were barely visible.
“My mother certainly called me a demon.”