Chapter 123
Chapter 123
Ch. 123 .｡.:✧ Jill's Trap (1) ✧:.｡.
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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“Mmm… Ugh…”
“Tay.”
“Investor-nim…”
Tay, who had been sleeping soundly with her head on my lap, stirred and woke up.
She smiled sweetly, hugging my thigh and rubbing her cheek against it for a moment before suddenly freezing.
“Did you sleep well?”
“Was it… a dream…?”
With a swift movement, Tay sat up and knelt properly, her face flushed crimson with embarrassment.
“Um! Did I say anything strange while I was sleeping?!”
“You did mumble something about liking your investor.”
“R-Really?!”
“No. I’m kidding.”
“You are kidding, right? Really? I didn’t say anything like that?”
“I told you, you didn’t.”
“Haaah…”
She had been completely out, so there was no way she would have mumbled anything like that.
She did snore a bit cutely, though.
I decided not to mention it, as she seemed mortified enough already.
“But how did I fall asleep? I remember hearing that you were here and taking the elevator down, but after that…”
“You ran out, hugged me, giggled a bit, and then fell asleep. So I just let you sleep. Were you that tired?”
“Yes… Extremely. Terribly tired. Lately, I’ve been working so much that I haven’t been able to sleep… Thinking about it now, I must have been possessed or something. I was working non-stop. How many hours did I sleep, by the way?”
“Ten hours.”
“Whaaat?!”
Tay gasped, startled, and patted herself down, finally noticing that her work apron was gone.
I had taken it off because it looked uncomfortable, but an apron shouldn’t be a big deal, right…?
‘It’s a relief that she doesn’t remember clearly.’
It seemed she had forgotten everything she did unconsciously under the influence of the demonic energy. She probably wouldn’t remember me headbutting her unconscious, either.
“Are you… okay? Staying here for so long? You’re a busy person, you know.”
“Your health is more important. You seemed to have pushed yourself too hard, but you look better now. Do you feel nauseous or have a headache?”
“No… Thanks to you, I finally got some proper sleep. I feel so refreshed…”
I touched Tay’s forehead and checked her complexion again.
The flush from earlier seemed to be from embarrassment, as it had subsided now. She didn’t have a fever.
It seemed Belphegor’s demonic energy hadn’t harmed her physically.
“I’m sorry to talk about work right after you woke up, but I brought some top-grade mana stones.”
“Oh! No, it’s okay! You came here to give me a request, right? It’s my fault for falling asleep.”
“I’m sorry, but there’s no black mana stone this time.”
“Huh. Really? Normally, I’d be disappointed, but hearing you say there isn’t one makes me feel relieved. Ugh! I get so nervous every time I process that stone! It’s exciting and scary at the same time. Do you understand?”
“I think I do.”
Her strange obsession with the black mana stone was also gone. She was the Tay I knew – eager for the opportunity to process the black mana stone, but also burdened by the responsibility.
“Ugh…!”
“I was worried. I thought you wouldn’t wake up.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“I know it is… but I was still worried, and I couldn’t leave. I’m so glad you’re okay.”
I hugged Tay tightly.
She had grown quite a bit, but she still hadn’t completely lost her childish charm. The thought that something could have happened to this small child had been incredibly stressful.
Especially since it was my fault.
Judging by the circumstances, Belphegor must have approached Tay around the time the complete barrier was activated in Basel.
Belphegor had followed me to Basel, so I was partly responsible. If something had happened to Tay, I would have been consumed by guilt and regret.
“I just fell asleep because I was tired. You worry too much.”
“Is that so…?”
“You’re the same person who entrusted a novice craftsman with top-grade mana stones, right? Why are you so timid now? Hehehe. Don’t worry. I’m tougher than I look. Actually, dwarves are much tougher than humans. Maybe you’re worrying too much based on human standards.”
“I guess so. I overreacted. But thanks to you, I also got some good rest. It’s been a while since I just sat still and did nothing for ten hours.”
“Really? Then why don’t you have a meal before you go?”
“Sure. You cook?”
“No. My employees are great cooks. Hehehe. I’ll order now. It’ll be ready soon.”
Tay smiled sheepishly and picked up the phone.
I decided to take advantage of the situation and relax properly. I needed time to think about Belphegor’s settings and weaknesses.
[T/N: Damn wtf since we did we get phones eyo]
“…Yoo-jin. Do you… like… delicious… food?”
“Of course I do. Who doesn’t?”
“…Then… I… want to… learn… to cook.”
Undecided, who had been quiet until now, suddenly spoke.
She wanted to learn to cook?
She always seemed to develop an interest in unexpected things. She couldn’t even eat the food she cooked herself.
“I’ll teach you sometime. I’m a decent cook.”
“…Okay.”
I thought I saw a faint smile on Undecided’s face, but maybe it was just my imagination.
After a noisy meal, Undecided and I left Tay’s workshop. I had sold the top-grade mana stones and arranged for Tay to process and sell them as she wished. I didn’t need any more mana stones.
“All employees, thank you, Investor-nim!!!”
[T/N: btw nim is like a formal and respectful way of calling someone it’s like calling someone sir.]
“Holy crap! You scared me. I almost screamed.”
On our way out, the employees on the first floor rushed out and blocked our path, bowing their heads in unison to thank me.
It seemed Tay had been pushing herself too hard lately. They said she had been refusing to rest until I came along. They were all amazed that she had fallen asleep so soundly in front of me.
Of course, they wouldn’t believe me if I told them that I had knocked her unconscious. So I didn’t bother explaining.
After hearing that, I took the elevator back up and made Tay sign a pledge not to work more than sixteen hours a day. That made me feel a little better.
No matter how busy someone was, they needed at least eight hours of sleep to recharge.
“Let’s go to Cologne first.”
Cologne, the former capital of the Holy Empire, was the closest city in the west, the direction where Belphegor’s main body was located.
I planned to visit Cologne first, see Cornelia (and maybe get some more checks), and then visit Hameln and other cities.
“Please make a sword hilt. One that fits this tang. But make it so it’s not fixed tightly and can be easily removed.”
“What kind of hilt is that? You’re asking for a strange thing.”
“And if you hear any voices coming from the sword, please ignore them.”
“…?”
Before leaving, I stopped by a carpentry workshop to get a cover made for the Demonic Sword.
The carpenter tilted his head, puzzled, as he held the Demonic Sword.
I had shown it to several people in Basel, and their reactions were all the same. None of them could hear the voice coming from the sword.
“Undecided, am I crazy? Am I a lunatic who talks to swords?”
“…No. I… can hear it too. Yoo-jin… is sometimes… a weirdo… but not… a lunatic.”
What was the difference between Undecided, me, and everyone else? Was it because we were curse users?
It was hard to say for sure.
“It’s done.”
“Thank you.”
I sheathed the Demonic Sword, and the newly made cover fit snugly over the protruding tang, making it look like an ordinary sword hilt.
I had the cover made because carrying a sword with just the tang sticking out would be too conspicuous.
Of course, when fighting, I would discard the cover and grip the tang directly, but having the cover would prevent accidental contact with the tang and hearing the Demonic Sword’s voice.
A sword with the penalty of hearing an annoying voice during battle… It felt like a cursed sword, which was a strange feeling.
‘I have to be careful. There’s a chance that Belphegor might appear as soon as I arrive in Cologne.’
I couldn’t rule out the possibility of a battle starting the moment I got off the train. I ran through a simulation of the situation in my head.
First, Belphegor had a unique trait not present in the original game: Jump.
I remembered the description window:
[Trait: Jump]
› Teleports 5 meters away from a hostile target. Cannot teleport if there is an object in the target location.
Teleportation.
It had given me a lot of trouble at first. But once I understood its mechanics, it wasn’t that threatening. The 5-meter limitation was a major weakness.
Since Belphegor couldn’t attack immediately after teleporting, using Jump against me was practically suicide.
Still, I couldn’t be careless. Only I could overwhelm Belphegor’s main body. Others wouldn’t stand a chance.
That meant I would be at a disadvantage in a crowded situation, as everyone would become a potential hostage.
‘But that’s the same for any villain.’
Civilians being taken hostage was a headache no matter who I was fighting. The real problem was Undecided. She was always with me.
When fighting Belphegor, I had to keep Undecided close. If we were even slightly separated, Belphegor could teleport behind her and slit her throat.
‘Why hasn’t Cornelia contacted me lately?’
As we approached Cologne, I thought of Cornelia. She used to send letters almost every day, but at some point, the communication had become infrequent.
No, it had stopped completely.
“Huh…?”
I finally realized.
There was no way Cornelia would stop contacting me without a reason. Something must have happened to her.
Damn it, I should have noticed sooner!
“This is crazy.”
When did it start? When did the communication stop?
I hadn’t received any communication from Linda about Cornelia’s letters since we moved our base to Clockwork City. That meant about ten days.
Ten days without a letter from Cornelia… It hit me how serious the situation might be.
It was a relief that we were heading to Cologne now. I hoped it wasn’t anything serious.
Please, let’s not be too late…
“We’re almost there. Let’s get off.”
“…Okay.”
The train passed through vast wheat fields and entered the old city walls and a gloomy cityscape unfolded before us.
We had arrived in Cologne.
I had to find Cornelia as soon as possible.
Wasn’t it the Cologne mayoral election season? Should I go to the city hall or the Briam mansion?
“…Inspection.”
My thoughts were interrupted as armed guards awaited us on the platform. What was going on? Had Cologne’s security been tightened recently?
I asked a young man sitting next to me,
“Did something happen in Cologne? What’s with the inspection?”
“Nobody knows. They’ve been thoroughly inspecting everyone entering and leaving the city for the past few days… They haven’t given a reason.”
“Huh.”
No reason, huh? Was there a murder case under investigation?
We had nothing to hide, so we decided to comply. It would take a while because of Undecided being a blood ghoul, but it shouldn’t be a problem.
Even in Clockwork City, fangless blood ghouls were recognized as slaves and legal property.
“Next. Are you a foreigner?”
“Stateless mercenary.”
“Oh dear. This is troublesome. And your companion?”
“She’s a fangless blood ghoul.”
A stateless mercenary and a blood ghoul. Of course, the inspection would take a while. The people behind us clicked their tongues and moved to another line.
“The blood ghoul is clear.”
The guard checked inside Undecided’s mouth and quickly signaled that she was clear. It seemed Clockwork City had been unusually strict.
I thought I would pass without a problem, but then…
“But sir… you said you’re stateless, right?”
“Yes.”
“How old are you?”
“Twenty-two.”
“If you use any particular swordsmanship, could you tell me the name of the school-”
“Why do you assume I use a sword?”
“Hahaha. Just in case. Just in case. If you don’t use a sword, we can skip this question…”
The guard looked back and forth between my face and a piece of paper, smiling awkwardly.
I had disguised the Demonic Sword as an umbrella. I had said I was a mercenary, not a swordsman.
Why was he asking about swordsmanship out of the blue? Less than thirty percent of mercenaries were swordsmen.
“Have you ever visited Petenburg?”
“Why do you ask?”
“It’s part of the entry procedure.”
The bizarre questions continued.
Most were pointless, but some felt like they were targeted at me.
“Um… Please follow us.”
“Are you arresting me?”
“No. Not arresting you. We just need you to wait for a moment. It won’t take long. Please follow us.”
The guards suddenly tried to lead me underground.
I was finally certain. The paper the guard had been looking at… it was a wanted poster.
A wanted poster with my face on it. And there was only one person who would be looking for me with a wanted poster.
‘I’m screwed.’
I had walked right into Jill’s trap.
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Boom, boom, boom, boom.
Elvenguard Underground Fortress.
Footsteps echoed through the cold floor.
“You said it’s a monster presumed to be from another world?”
“Yes. It possessed a high level of intelligence. So many elves lost their lives falling into its traps…”
“Good heavens. Why didn’t you request support sooner? Don’t tell me it was because of pride.”
“We are ashamed. We are grateful to finally receive the Magic Tower’s assistance.”
“Of course. The Magic Tower’s research capabilities are the best in the world. We will uncover the secrets of this monster from another world.”
It had been a month since I sent the letter.
A month since I informed them about the monster from another world appearing in Elvenguard, my hunting it down, and offering its remains for research if the Magic Tower was interested.
After verifying the letter’s authenticity, the Magic Tower finally dispatched an investigation team.
A dozen Magic Tower professors arrived, and the elders treated them with utmost respect, guiding them to the underground fortress where the spider monster’s remains were kept frozen.
“Is this the place? The door is quite sturdy.”
“Of course. It’s where we store top-secret information.”
A massive iron door stood at the end of the corridor, protected by alarms and defensive barriers.
Even if someone tried to break through, two thousand soldiers stationed in the underground fortress would immediately surround them. It was a door that couldn’t be opened without destroying Elvenguard.
At least, that’s what the elders of Elvenguard believed.
“Sentry. Sentry!”
“Y-Yes!”
“Why are you dozing off?!”
“I apologize. I… why did I fall asleep…?”
“Open the door.”
“Yes, Elder.”
Startled by the elder’s reprimand, the soldier guarding the iron door jumped to his feet.
He was emaciated, practically skin and bones. The Magic Tower officials were puzzled by his appearance, as elves usually maintained a healthy physique. But their attention was quickly drawn to the massive iron door as it began to open.
“Now, look. We excavated this body from the collapsed dungeon with great difficulty. It looks like a combination of a spider and a human… W-What?!”
The elder, who had been casually stepping inside, froze, his eyes wide with shock.
Beyond the dissipating cold air…
There was nothing where the body should have been. There were traces of something having been there, but the freezer was undeniably empty.
The elders were speechless.
“Seal the borders! The spider monster’s remains have been stolen!!!”
That day, Elvenguard went into lockdown.
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