Chapter 270 The Secret of the City
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Translator: JayM
Chapter: 270
Chapter Title: The Secret of the City
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Eastern District.
Jeong Yoo-shin stood in front of the bathhouse and looked around.
The crowd surrounding him were all well-fed and well-dressed, looking quite fine.
"I said, next."
"..."
The people were silent.
Contrary to his expectations, no one came forward.
Jeong Yoo-shin made eye contact with them and waited.
He didn't know about the others, but at least one had to come out.
The Vaisis clan leader.
The man shouldn't be the type to stay quiet when his subordinate had just been killed on the street.
At that moment…
A man slowly walked out from between the crowd.
It was a middle-aged man with a gentle look.
The middle-aged man looked at the corpse of Johannes, who was kneeling and already dead, and clicked his tongue.
"Tsk. Johannes, he was a good talent. What a waste."
"Are you the Vaisis clan leader?"
"That's right."
The man replied without taking his eyes off Johannes' corpse.
The man, who had been examining the corpse for a while, turned his head and looked at Jeong Yoo-shin.
"Skar, did you really get a good imprint?"
"That's none of your business."
At the sharp reply, the man burst into a hearty laugh.
"Haha. You're a friend with a sharp tongue. I don't know if you're fearless or if you've lost your mind. Call me Vincent, half-barbarian."
"We're not on a first-name basis. Just stick your neck out."
Vincent scratched his head and smiled.
"Well, now. Skar, you barely killed one of my clan's executives, and you're still talking big? That makes me a little annoyed."
Jeong Yoo-shin raised the longsword he was carrying on his shoulder and pointed it at Vincent.
"Keep smiling so leisurely. You fucking idiot."
The man's smile deepened.
"Kuhuhu. Skar, you're a funny guy. Look at you, running over here in a panic just because of some human trafficking business."
"..."
Vincent turned his eyes and looked around at the people who had gathered.
The crowd’s eyes were sparkling, anticipating the fight that was about to happen.
Vincent held out his hand.
"There are a lot of eyes watching, so it's hard to let you go after what you've done. Still, I'll be generous. Skar, just leave one arm behind quietly. Then I'll let you live."
Jeong Yoo-shin tilted his head and then spat.
Kuaaaak. Ptooey!!!
The sticky saliva flew and landed in front of Vincent's feet.
Vincent looked at the saliva and then raised his head.
"Skar, what is this?"
"If you lick the saliva on the floor, I'll spare your life."
"..."
A vein popped on Vincent's forehead.
'You crazy bastard.'
As the leader of the 8th-ranked clan in the Eastern District, he had made such a concession already.
To think that this barbarian would insult him instead.
An arrogant half-breed.
"Alright. Skar, I'll have to take one of your arms and your eyes today."
The moment Vincent was about to take a step forward…
A woman fell from the sky.
Kra-boooooooom!!!
Orange twin-tail hair.
A long black spear.
It was Astaroth, one of the members of the Labyrinth Council.
"Stop. That's enough."
Astaroth's whole body was drenched in red blood.
The corners of Vincent's mouth curled up slightly.
"Oh! Who’s this? Isn't it a high-ranking person from Pandemonium? It seems that you've just come from working hard at the labyrinth exit. You should rest. Why have you come all the way here?"
Astaroth ignored the man’s taunt.
"Vincent, that's enough. Skar, you cool your head too."
Jeong Yoo-shin's head tilted.
"The bastard who started it was that guy."
Vincent shrugged.
"I don't know what you're talking about. We just kindly 'warned' you. To not interfere with our clan's business."
Jeong Yoo-shin growled.
"You're full of shit."
Vincent also bared his teeth while facing Jeong Yoo-shin.
"Come on, then. I'll pull out your tongue."
Astaroth's expression hardened.
"Stop!"
A thundering shout echoed through the street, and everyone covered their ears and stepped back.
"..."
Astaroth raised her black spear and pointed it at Vincent.
"Vincent, Skar is currently accompanying the hero's party. The hero is carrying out a request to destroy the red orbs in the labyrinth to protect the safety of Labyrinth City. And Skar has been guiding the Empire's hero and her party members well until now. Don't touch him carelessly…"
A smile appeared on Vincent's face.
"The hero's party? Ah, we know one of them too."
"...?"
"A guy named Gibson. There was someone who wanted to help our business, and his name’s similar to the hero party's guide. What a coincidence."
At Vincent's words, Astaroth's expression hardened.
Vincent spread his two arms.
"A hero's party member that's so addicted to gambling and alcohol, engages in prostitution, and is even trying to get involved in human trafficking? And they're going to protect Labyrinth City? Are you joking with me right now?"
Jeong Yoo-shin's expression contorted viciously.
'Gibson, you son of a bitch.'
"T-That needs to be investigated a little more..."
The flustered Astaroth stuttered.
Vincent, as if he didn't want to hear any more, shook his head and cut Astaroth off.
"How absurd."
"..."
"Alright! Our great Skar-nim says he'll protect the city with the 'hero's' party. In that case, our Vaisis Clan will withdraw from the human trafficking business!"
Vincent looked around, shouted so, and then looked at Jeong Yoo-shin before whispering softly.
"Skar, there are a lot of guys who want to kill you, even if I don't step up. You'll have to be careful on the night streets from now on."
"..."
Jeong Yoo-shin just looked at Vincent without replying.
Vincent, who had finished speaking, turned around and disappeared into the crowd.
Astaroth let out a deep sigh.
"Hoo. This isn't easy."
Jeong Yoo-shin glared at her.
"Are you just going to let a guy like that, someone who doesn’t even have a conscience, be?"
"Let's move first. There are a lot of eyes watching here."
Jeong Yoo-shin was about to say something, but he held his tongue when he saw the blood-soaked Astaroth.
She didn't seem to be hurt. It seemed like she had just come from a fight at the labyrinth exit.
"First, please come to my inn."
"Alright."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Jeong Yoo-shin and Astaroth returned to Dalmong's Inn in the south.
Jeong Yoo-shin filled a basin with warm water and handed it to her with a towel.
"You can take anything from my closet and change… Why’re you looking at me like that?"
Astaroth smiled faintly.
"I thought you'd press me for answers as soon as we got to the inn."
"I'm not that heartless. And thank you. I was actually a little scared back then."
Astaroth chuckled.
"You didn't look scared at all. It looked like you were about to slaughter everyone there."
Jeong Yoo-shin scratched his cheek.
"I'm not that reckless. Please wash up quickly and change your clothes."
Astaroth went upstairs, washed herself, changed into Jeong Yoo-shin's clothes, and then came back down.
After eating some warm soup and snacks and drinking some expensive liquor, Astaroth's expression relaxed.
"By the way, is it alright for you to come here like this? Don't you have to protect the labyrinth exit?"
"I left it to the hero's party for a bit. They were all gathered there for some reason. Although the atmosphere between them wasn't very good."
"Are they that capable?"
"The mage and the guide are a bit strange, but they're strong. Stronger than you think."
Jeong Yoo-shin, who had been nodding along, straightened his posture.
He couldn't put it off any longer.
He had realized it for sure from this battle.
The Labyrinth Council was hiding something.
He could have thought that they were insensitive to the lives of ordinary people because they were high-ranking people…
But he couldn't understand their attitude of turning a blind eye to all the evil deeds happening in Labyrinth City while claiming to protect it.
"Astaroth, what in the world is so important that you're turning a blind eye to the hideous tragedies happening in Labyrinth City? And why are there so few city guards?"
The moment Astaroth was about to open her mouth…
Creeeeak.
The inn door opened…
And Luke Wiseman came in.
"It's been a while, Skar."
A sudden visitor. He grew even more curious.
"What is it?"
Luke put his hands behind his back, slowly approached them, and sat next to Astaroth.
"Me? I was summoned by Astaroth."
"Summoned? I asked you to tell me the secret of the Labyrinth Council, what do you mean by summoned?"
Astaroth and Luke made eye contact for a moment.
"..."
A brief silence passed.
Just as Jeong Yoo-shin couldn't bear it any longer and was about to open his mouth…
Astaroth let out a deep sigh.
"Haaa. Skar, you must never talk about this anywhere. I'm telling you this much because you're the next chief of the barbarians."
"..."
It seemed to be a more serious story than Jeong Yoo-shin had thought.
The atmosphere became heavy.
Astaroth tapped the table and then looked straight at Jeong Yoo-shin.
"Skar, originally, the Labyrinth City used to have a ‘master’."
"...!"
Jeong Yoo-shin's eyes widened.
Astaroth had just uttered a shocking statement.
The city used to have a 'master'?
Jeong Yoo-shin was silent for a long time and then opened his mouth.
"Where in the world is this 'master' now?"
"He went into the labyrinth. Into the deeper levels."
"..."
The more he asked, the more questions he had.
His head was dizzy.
Shit.
He didn't even know what to ask first.
"Please tell me more."
"Alright."
Astaroth nodded and continued.
"A few hundred years ago, the master of Labyrinth City and the head of the Ezdras family took the army and his retainers who protected the city and went into the labyrinth. He barely gathered them all together."
Saint Ezdras?
Why was that person coming up now?
He was surprised that Ezdras had been married.
And the story that his family had existed was also shocking to Jeong Yoo-shin.
However…
There was one thing he couldn't understand.
"Why in the world did he lead so many people into the labyrinth? Was he crazy?"
Astaroth scratched her head.
"He said that he heard that the evil his ancestor had sealed in the depths of the labyrinth was being released."
"Where? Who told him that?"
"In a dream. I heard that Saint Ezdras appeared before him and told him so."
"Is that really the only reason? And the people just believed the head's words?"
"I don't know. The people of that time must have believed it, right? He was a descendant of Saint Ezdras, who had written myths. Would he have lied? In any case, the finances of Labyrinth City at that time were abundant, and its soldiers were strong. They didn’t have anything to be afraid of."
"..."
Jeong Yoo-shin stared blankly at Astaroth.
It was such a shocking story that it was hard for him to follow.
Astaroth threw a bombshell with an indifferent expression.
"In the end, the head formed an expedition and went to the bottom of the abyss. Almost no one came out alive. Except for the soldiers who gave up halfway."
"..."
"Ah! There was just one, but he died later on. The head's son, the only person who had returned from the abyss. But that guy, after saying that the head had become a monster, got sick for a few days, and then he jumped off the city wall and died."
Jeong Yoo-shin leaned back in his chair and tried to calm his heart.
It was a story that was hard to believe.
'No, this is crazy.'
The master of Labyrinth City and the head of the Ezdras family had taken everything he had and plunged into the abyss of the labyrinth?
And his son, who had returned alive, committed suicide afterwards?
"The expedition failed. Isn't that the end of the story?"
At that moment…
Luke shook his head and stepped up.
"No. The head's son wrote a will before he died. It said that the head, who had obtained an indescribable power in the abyss, would one day return. Not many people know about it because it was written in a blasphemous language that could make an ordinary person go mad if they saw it. It’s currently being kept in the temple that serves the Light Spirit God."
"Wait a minute. He committed such a crazy act, and there was really no one who stopped him?"
"The Eastern Alliance acted as an advisor and tried to stop him, but I heard that it was useless."
"..."
Astaroth made a sad smile.
"Not only did they use excessive military funds, but the city also used up all of its assets to remove the negative imprints of the soldiers who had barely survived. Naturally, the city’s finances were ruined."
Now he could understand…
…why the number of city guards in Labyrinth City was so small.
"Then, the reason you turned a blind eye to the crimes in Labyrinth City is also...?"
Luke made a bitter smile.
"When a destruction that could come at any time is looming before our eyes, where would we have the leisure to pay attention to more trivial tragedies? Besides, it's very difficult to find trustworthy people. Those who have gotten good imprints eventually reveal their true colors. There’s no such thing as ‘good people’, Skar."
Jeong Yoo-shin saw the Labyrinth Council in a new light.
These people…
…were carrying a very heavy burden.
What thoughts came to their minds every time the labyrinth exit flashed?
Was it today?
Or was it tomorrow?
He couldn't even imagine the pressure they were under while looking at the labyrinth exit, waiting for the destruction that would one day come.
Luke looked at Jeong Yoo-shin's expression and then stroked his beard.
"You seem quite shocked. Well, it was something you had to know eventually."
Astaroth fidgeted and held Jeong Yoo-shin's hand.
"Skar, I'm sorry. I should have warned you about the Vaisis Clan in advance."
Jeong Yoo-shin looked at Astaroth.
He thought it was a relief that he hadn't spat out the anger that was boiling in his heart before this.
Those who silently carried a heavy burden and didn’t show it…
The Labyrinth Council were people who deserved respect.
On the other hand…
He couldn’t forgive the trash of the Eastern District even more.
And there was a bastard who was even worse than them.
'Gibson.'
Jeong Yoo-shin gritted his teeth.
That guy had crossed a line. He couldn’t be allowed to live anymore.
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T/N - Hey guys! I have a new novel I'm translating called "Spacetime Trading: Starting Off by Exchanging Food for an Elf Princess". It's a Chinese web novel about a guy who gets invited into a mysterious platform called "Spacetime Trading Platform". It's not as action oriented as the Barbarian novel, but it's pretty good too, perfect to read while just chilling. Check it out! Who knows, you might like it. ♥️
Damn, sounds like this head got tricked by a demon or an outer god. Really, who falls for the old ‘Ancestor who's been dead for centuries came to me in a dream and warned me of an impending doom’ trick other than idiots? He didn’t even verify, just took everything and threw them all into the labyrinth.
But that explains why the city has become so lawless. The higher ups can’t pay attention to the city with the prophecy looming over their heads, and the city itself is too broke to fix itself up. The Eastern District guys either don’t know and just smelled the opportunity or they do know but they just don’t give a shit and just want to profit.
Honestly, I’d be tempted to just not stop the evil coming out of the labyrinth and just let these greedy people face it when it comes out if it weren’t for the fact that innocent people would also suffer because of it. At the very least, I wanna throw Vincent and people like him into the bottom of the labyrinth to face that evil themselves, if that was possible.