Chapter 156
Chapter 156
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 155
Chapter Title: To Hometown
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Bright Family territory, Viollen.
Inside the mansion, preparations for the banquet were in full swing—not just cleaning the interior, but also decorating the hall and airlifting the finest ingredients for various dishes without respite.
Of course, it wasn’t just the servants who were busy.
“We need to target Darius Verdi.”
Elia Bright, Erika’s older brother and the eldest son of the Bright Family, declared firmly.
Edwon Bright, the second son, nodded in agreement as he listened.
“You’re right. I hear he’s favorable toward us and even welcomed the marriage of his younger brother, Dayus Verdi.”
“We sent separate gifts for the formal meeting too. Darius should be easier to sway than Dayus Verdi, the Necromancer.”
At the advice from his eldest and second sons, Elan, the family head and Erika’s father, let out a heavy sigh, placed his hand on the desk, and rested his chin.
“The Verdis don’t just have one eldest son. Besides, Dayus was the one who first suggested the formal meeting, so he doesn’t seem hostile toward us.”
“That’s what’s strange! Why would a Necromancer rising as the kingdom’s real power marry Erika?!”
“He must want something! If we let our guard down, that sly fox will suck us dry!”
Despite his sons’ impassioned pleas, Elan fell silent for a moment and checked the Verdi Family pedigree on the desk.
Both parents had already passed away. Below the eldest son, Darius, was the second son, Dayus.
At the very bottom was the youngest sister, Deia Verdi.
Elan tapped Deia’s name and asked.
“What about this woman?”
“……We absolutely cannot go for her.”
Elia grimaced as if just hearing Deia’s name gave him a headache.
“She’s like the lady of the house for the Verdis. While eldest son Darius guards Northsweden and second son Dayus spends time at the Academy as a Necromancer, she rules Northsweden.”
“Hmm.”
“We even sent her gifts once. It was a bribe from the Zeronia Family to remind her not to forget our engagement since they collapsed so quickly……”
Elia sighed deeply, as if recalling that time.
“But she sent a reply in return. A letter and flowers.”
It was modest compared to the lavish gifts from the Bright Family, but just the response was a relief.
The letter was quite friendly.
How could a bond once formed be easily severed? She couldn’t forget. She trusted the Bright Family, and so on.
The letter itself was full of honeyed words, but the problem was the flowers.
“They were white flowers said to bloom only in Northsweden. And……they were already wilted by the time they arrived.”
“…….”
“She must have known. While saying our ties were strong in words, she expressed that they had already rotted.”
Deia had conveyed through the legend flowers that things between Bright and Verdi were over.
“You get it, right? They already know we’re trying to latch onto the Zeronia Family as a new bridge. Dayus, who purged nobles through the bishops and strengthened royal authority? Touch him, and disaster strikes.”
Elia slammed the desk.
“Deia Verdi? Who knows how many snakes she’s hatching in her belly. She’s Northsweden’s viper. What we must target is without fail! Without fail, Darius Verdi!”
“Hmm.”
Even family head Elan seemed to agree now, so Elia’s voice grew louder.
“The giant who decided to become the kingdom’s shield. We target that stubborn, loyal man. Fortunately, as the eldest son and family head, his two siblings can’t ignore him either.”
Target Darius.
That was the Bright Family’s strategy.
Time passed like that.
Two carriages entered the family grounds.
From one emerged Dayus Verdi and Erika Bright.
From the other, Deia Verdi stepped down.
“The family head couldn’t attend due to issues in the territory.”
The Bright Family sensed this formal meeting would be grueling from Deia’s shrugging shoulders and her mocking tone, as if toying with them.
* * *
He thought,
for sure, he had won.
Darius’s thick greatsword pierced toward the enemy’s heart unyieldingly amid the heat and explosions, and it connected.
But did that lead to victory in battle? No, and it didn’t even penetrate the flesh.
Clang!
What rang out from the forceful thrust wasn’t the sound of tearing flesh, but something far more chilling—a hard metallic clang.
“……!”
Darius’s eyes widened. Inside Doberman’s torn coat from the greatsword gleamed a plain black outfit he’d never seen before.
It differed greatly from Griffin Kingdom armor, yet too sturdy to call ordinary clothing—it surpassed iron plate armor.
Unbreakable Armor.
The item worn by the Clock Republic’s elite Extermination Squad members, said to be impossible to remove once donned.
Thus, it boasted immense durability, and even Pindenai hadn’t pierced it, instead facing the squad members in other directions.
Darius recognized it instantly as Unbreakable Armor. Clock Republic intel was hard to come by, but thanks to the Scrap Merchants staying in his territory.
‘I heard they’re brainwashed.’
The peculiar device embedded in the nape was likely the brainwashing mechanism, and the Unbreakable Armor seemed forcibly equipped.
But that gave Darius no reason to hold back.
The brainwashed fool was the idiot.
“Hah!”
Even if it didn’t pierce the Unbreakable Armor, it didn’t mean no damage to the wearer. He tilted the sword sideways, swinging it not to slash but to bludgeon.
Screeech!
Doberman slid past the greatsword and threw his body forward. Darius faltered at the unexpected response.
He discarded his revolver and drew a palm-sized spherical bomb from his coat.
Darius realized at once.
‘Self-destruct!’
Too late to react. Doberman’s body erupted with countless hidden bombs.
Darius was swept up.
He’d endured firepower several times before, but at point-blank range, it differed.
“Damn…… you.”
His upper armor was reduced to ashes, the charred Darius spewing black smoke from his mouth as he toppled backward.
Doberman, protected by Unbreakable Armor, emerged unscathed.
Coat and hat gone, but victorious against the formidable Darius, whom he’d normally lose to.
Yet Doberman emotionlessly picked up his discarded revolver from the ground.
As he aimed at Darius’s temple and pulled the trigger—
Thud!
A dull axe flew in, striking Doberman’s hand. The revolver and axe clattered to the floor.
Beyond the embedded axe appeared a white-haired woman with striking blood-red eyes.
Gone was her usual revealing maid outfit; she wore her old yellowed coat, black shirt and pants, and the blood ghost gloves Dayus gifted her.
“Pin, den…… ai!”
“Doberman.”
Doberman, who’d flung himself without reaction until now, growled and glared at Pindenai.
Meeting his gaze, Pindenai slowly picked up her axe.
“You fucking retard.”
Behind her surged the Scrap Merchants’ members. They’d arrived sooner than expected, returning to follow their leader as it was time to leave Northsweden.
They also stood here to repay the debt owed in Northsweden.
Pindenai pulled a cigarette from her pocket.
The ones he’d gifted her.
Lighting this one would leave seven. They’d dwindled faster than thought, a pity.
Flick.
Sizzle.
She lit it with her lighter and savored deeply again.
Strangely, whenever she smoked it, enveloped in the smoke, it felt like he was with her.
“Leave that bear bastard and come at me.”
As if he’d planned it without words, Doberman charged. He rolled, snatched his dropped revolver, and fired instantly.
A shot worthy of the Resistance’s top marksman.
But as he fixed on Pindenai to pull the trigger, she was already beside him.
Life in the Clock Republic was far harsher than here.
Yet following Dayus Verdi against various foes, in less than a year, she’d grown leaps beyond crossing the mountains.
Doberman was skilled, but talented in leading people from the start.
Thanks to the Republic’s unfair gear, he’d beaten Border Count Darius.
But rematch? Victory unlikely.
Anyway.
At this close range, Doberman was no match for Pindenai.
Crack!
She slammed her axe into the ground, yanked Doberman’s head forward, and with her other hand ripped out the brainwashing device from his nape.
Crunch!
“Gaaahhhh!”
Doberman’s scream echoed. She tossed the device, oozing sticky blood and flesh, to the ground.
“What the hell.”
From the device wriggled maggot-like larvae amid the fluid, writhing in agony.
The machinery seemed mere fixation; the larvae central.
Pindenai crushed it underfoot.
“Hey.”
Doberman curled in pain. Pindenai raised her axe, looking down.
A moment passed.
Pindenai said flatly to Doberman.
“Cut the act, you fucker.”
Bang!
A gunshot and white smoke burst from Doberman’s huddled form.
He’d aimed and fired from within.
But the bullet hit the axe and fell harmlessly.
“Something’s been off since before.”
During his brief return to the Clock Republic, Doberman’s meeting had been raided.
Lexi confirmed traitor, but afterward, Pindenai still smelled something rotten.
“Doesn’t mean there’s only one traitor.”
Doberman slowly rose from his crouch, face coldly composed, unlike the agonized man.
“Truly a beast, Pindenai.”
“Like you, selling out your own. Fitting name, Doberman. You dog bastard.”
“Not kin. I was always an Extermination Squad member.”
“So you even implanted larvae? Squad member with parasites swarming inside.”
“This is my loyalty to the President.”
“Ha, you psycho fuck.”
Click.
Mid-conversation, Doberman swiftly positioned and aimed his revolver at Pindenai.
Caught anyway, he’d eliminate the high-risk Pindenai.
But Doberman was already rolling on the ground. A beat late, shock and dizziness hit—he realized the axe had precisely struck his temple.
“Whew.”
Holding her cigarette in one hand, Pindenai exhaled deeply and pinned Doberman’s shoulder with her axe.
“W-Wait!”
Doberman, knowing how Pindenai killed Unbreakable Armor wearers, shouted desperately.
But.
Crack!
She stomped precisely near his neck. No external wound, but shock wasn’t nullified.
Thus, dazing with head blows or crushing internal neck bones worked.
Unbreakable Armor unscathed.
But the human inside could be wounded.
Pindenai turned without hesitation, looking down at Doberman dying with whites showing.
“Pin, denai…….”
“Not your master…… anymore.”
Hearing Darius, barely regaining senses, call her, Pindenai muttered to herself.
Her expression held an indescribable bitterness.
“Tell Dayus I said hi. And don’t forget I saved you.”
“W-Where are you…… cough!”
“Hey, treat this guy simply and take him to the soldiers. Gotta do at least this much for what I owe.”
Watching members tend to Darius, Pindenai noticed her cigarette nearly burned out.
“Whew.”
She took a final deep drag, flicked the butt away.
Gazing at the mountains, Pindenai declared.
“Let’s go back, to my goddamn hometown.”