7
I Killed the Demon King. It Was a Mistake.
Chapter 7
A drop of sweat rolled down the guard's forehead as soon as he looked inside Caesar's carriage.
"These guns..."
"I took them all from the robbers."
"Then these swords too..."
"That's right. I collected them because they could be problematic if they fell into the wrong hands."
"Then even these dynamites..."
"I caught some guys who were trying to rob a train."
Timmy wiped his forehead with a handkerchief and said: "May I ask what you plan to do with these weapons?"
"I was planning to sell them at a suitable weapons shop."
"Well... According to Homigraph's laws, firearms can only be sold by designated gun shops and companies in the city. So I'm afraid they can't be brought in for sale."
"Oh, is that so?"
Caesar crossed his arms and shrugged. "Then I'll just give them out to passing citizens. If they can protect themselves with these guns, I'd be satisfied with just that!"
"Ah, no! That's..."
"Why? Is there a law that says you can't enter Homigraph carrying a gun?"
"No, that's not it, but..."
"What about giving them away?"
"That... Isn't a problem either."
"Then what's the issue?"
Timmy finally said with a tearful expression: "Please wait a moment."
As Timmy ran off somewhere, Caesar chuckled and said: "Should have done that from the start."
About 10 minutes passed?
Someone who looked quite authoritative, like the checkpoint captain Theo, came.
But if there was a difference from Theo, it was that he looked a bit like an old fogy.
"Nice to meet you, Sir Caesar. I'm Gordon, the deputy chief of security."
"Nice to meet you, Deputy Chief Gordon."
"You can just call me Gordon."
The tone of those who secure high positions is tinged with composure.
Gordon's tone was exactly like that.
"Hmm... There are quite a few firearms and weapons. Even bombs. Someone might mistake you for a bank robber."
"I do have some business at the bank... But I'd probably be turned away if I went in like this."
"Haha, I suppose so. So, what would you like us to do with these?"
"I'd like to sell them for a reasonable price."
Gordon scratched his beard and then spoke: "I know a weapons dealer personally. How about you leave these guns, bombs, and blades with me, and I'll handle it through him?"
"Sounds good."
I thought he'd be inflexible because he looked like an old fogy, but he's quite flexible in his thinking.
I guess there's a reason why people rise to high positions.
"By the way, I heard you caught some robbers..."
"These fellows."
Caesar showed Gordon the heads he had decapitated.
Gordon frowned and said: "Hmm... They're the Kelvin Brothers."
"Kelvin Brothers?"
"Ah, you wouldn't know since you're not from around here. They're mafia members who've been gaining notoriety in the southern region of Homigraph recently. Of course, I didn't know they'd gone outside of Homigraph."
Gordon gestured to Timmy to take them away, then put a cigarette in his mouth.
"If word gets out that you dealt with members of their group, Sir Caesar, it could get quite troublesome for you. Should I just say that I handled it?"
"Then what happens to the bounty?"
"Haha, since it won't be on record, it might be a bit difficult to give it to you."
In other words, he's saying he'll pocket all the bounty himself.
Look at this thieving bastard.
I want to bury an axe in his head right now, but I decided to hold back for now.
Didn't I learn a lesson in Near Home?
"Is there a mole for those guys in the security force?"
"There are always people who take dirty money, no matter where you go."
Caesar held out his hand.
"Could I borrow a cigarette?"
"Ah, yes. Of course."
Gordon gave Caesar a cigarette.
Caesar used psychometry on the cigarette.
-Looks like he's quite skilled, befitting his alias as the Bandit Slaughterer.
-Shall we test his mettle a bit?
It seems he's underestimating me.
To think I'm being tested by a guy like this.
Caesar dropped the unlit tobacco on the ground and stepped on it.
"What are you doing..."
"Gordon. You need to work on your ability to read people."
"What do you mean?"
"Do I look that easy to you?"
Caesar used 'Intimidation', one of the aura manipulation techniques.
Gordon froze like a mouse facing a snake.
"I don't know how many knights there are in Homigraph, but do you think there are any among them who've been through the Demon Realm War and risen up? How many knights do you think are stronger than me in this city right now?"
"And these Kelvin Brothers or Sisters or whatever, they're probably a new mafia that sprung up while the knights and soldiers were off fighting the Demon Realm War, right? Do you think I'd be scared of guys like that?"
Caesar took the cigarette from Gordon's mouth.
"I'm a knight with no master. I have the authority to kill all those who threaten the Empire and its people. Should I go harvest the necks of these Kelvin Brothers or whatever right now to show you how formidable a knight is?"
Caesar used psychometry.
-If I play this right, this guy might take care of the Kelvin Brothers for me.
-Then I could improve my performance and get a promotion.
-Should I stroke his ego a bit?
-W-What is this nonsense...
The thoughts he had while holding the cigarette came in chronological order.
As expected, this guy was planning to use Caesar to deal with the Kelvin Brothers and take the credit for himself.
"From now on, be careful how you test people. If you want that head to stay attached."
Caesar released the intimidation.
Gordon collapsed at once and gasped for breath.
As Gordon showed strange behavior, the guards rushed over.
"Deputy Chief Gordon! Are you alright?"
"No! No! I'm fine! Everyone stop!"
Gordon wiped the saliva from his mouth with a handkerchief and said:
"...I apologize. I overstepped my bounds without knowing my place."
"I don't accept apologies that are just words."
Caesar pointed to the weapons in the carriage and said:
"Handle them well and report back to me. Understood?"
"...Understood."
Gordon gestured orders to his soldiers.
The soldiers quickly unloaded the bombs and weapons.
One soldier who was about to pick up 'Wilderness' wrapped in cloth started to panic.
"W-Why can't I lift this?"
"That's my weapon. Don't touch it."
"Ah, yes."
When the carriage was emptied, all that remained were Caesar's bag and axe.
"Then take care, Sir Caesar."
"Sure."
Caesar drove the carriage away leisurely.
***
As soon as Gordon entered his office, he threw his belongings.
"That son of a bitch!"
What kind of knight is he, just a loser who was discharged during the Demon Realm War.
It's obvious he got discharged early because he was scared.
Or maybe he struck it rich somewhere and had no reason to continue fighting.
Whatever the case, he was clearly someone without even a shred of a knight's honor or spirit of sacrifice.
Gordon looked out the window at the soldiers busily carrying the weapons Caesar had collected.
Originally, Gordon had planned to sell them and keep some profit for himself, but he changed his mind.
'If I don't take that bastard down, I'll lose my balls.'
I'll make him feel how shitty it is to die by the gun he was trying to sell.
***
As soon as Caesar entered Homigraph, he headed straight for the bank.
When Caesar stopped in front of the stylish bank, a waiting security guard approached.
"You can't park your carriage here. If you use the stable in the back... I'll do it. Of course."
When Caesar handed the guard 100 del, he started driving the carriage himself.
Caesar only took his bag from there and came out.
As he entered the bank with the bag, a bank employee approached and asked. "May I ask what brings you here today?"
"I want to deposit gold bullion."
At the mention of gold bullion, the bank employee's eyes widened to the size of saucers, and he nodded.
"Welcome. Parker Bank can protect your assets most safely within Homigraph. Please follow me."
The bank employee took Caesar to the second floor and opened a door.
"Please wait a moment, and a dedicated staff member will come. What kind of tea would you like?"
"Black tea is fine."
"Yes, understood. May I ask for your name?"
Caesar handed his discharge papers to the bank employee.
"Caesar Sylvatil."
"...Understood. Please wait a moment."
Around the time Caesar had poured and drunk the prepared black tea twice, two men in suits entered the room.
"Nice to meet you, Sir Caesar Sylvatil. I am Ramsky Zikwood, the branch manager of Parker Bank in Homigraph. This is Smith, our expert appraiser."
"Nice to meet you."
After a brief handshake, Ramsky smiled and said: "By the way, I understand your hometown is in Vex Province. Is there a reason you came to Homigraph? I would think you'd want to return home now that the war is over."
"I just came here with the mind to make a fresh start. My hometown was a bit stifling."
"Ah, there's no better place than Homigraph for a fresh start. May I ask where you plan to stay for the time being?"
"I just arrived here today, so I haven't found a house yet. I plan to stay at a hotel."
"I see. There's a good hotel that would suit Sir Caesar well. Shall I make a separate reservation for you?"
"That would be appreciated. Now, shall we talk business?"
Caesar took out a gold bullion from his bag.
Ramsky and the appraiser's eyes glinted.
"This... Wasn't minted in the Empire, was it?"
"That's right. It was minted in the Demon Realm."
At the mention of it coming from the Demon Realm, Ramsky couldn't hide his surprise.
"How many of these do you have?"
"Shouldn't we appraise it first?"
"Ah, yes... How rude of me. Please wait a moment."
The appraiser first examined the gold's exterior with a magnifying glass, weighed it with a scale, and even dropped some strange reagent on it.
How much time passed?
The appraiser spoke:
"...It's pure gold. And the gold itself contains magic."
"Does it contain magic? Then..."
The answer came from Caesar. "Wizards would go crazy for this. There's nothing better than gold containing magic for making artifacts."
"Y-yes, that's right."
"So how much is it worth?"
Ramsky fiddled with a mechanical calculator before speaking. "I'm not sure how much magic it contains, but if it's 0.05%, at current market rates it's 102.25 del per gram. Given this gold bar weighs 1.25kg...That comes to 127,812.5 del."
Roughly 130,000 del, which means this single gold bar is worth about 130 million Korean won.
It's incredibly expensive.
"By any chance, how many of these do you have?"
"Just a moment."
Caesar poured out all the gold bars and coins he had.
There were a total of 23 gold bars and 121 gold coins.
"Don't tell me these gold coins are also from the demon realm?"
"That's right. I have silver coins too."
"..."
Ramsky and the appraiser exchanged glances.
There's no need to use psychometry.
They must be thinking this is an absolute jackpot.
"So how much does storage cost?"
"Ahem! Normally, gold storage costs 100 del per kilogram per month. Parker Bank is quite expensive because we've never been robbed by bank robbers. Plus, it's insured! However..."
Ramsky glanced at Caesar before continuing.
"If you sign a contract agreeing to process these gold pieces through our Parker Bank, we'll offer free storage for 5 years."
Free for 5 years, huh.
The continent's doomsday scenario, the demon flood, happens in 5 years.
Since I'll need to use up all this gold by then anyway, it's not a bad deal.
"Not bad."
"Then shall we proceed with the contract..."
"No. I'm not very familiar with this homigraph yet. So I've hired a representative who knows this place well."
Ramsky's eyes wavered slightly.
"I... See. When can we meet this representative?"
"Probably in about a month. So I'll pay for one month's usage fee. How much was it again?"
"Oh, no. A month is perfectly fine to wait. Please rest well until then."
"Hmm... Do you have any cigarettes?"
"Yes! Of course! I have some cigars I smoke. Is that alright?"
"That'll do."
Caesar received the cigar from Ramsky's pocket.
Then he used psychometry.
-This is definitely a jackpot! We must secure this deal no matter what!
-He's not a complete fool who knows nothing about money. But who on earth is his financial executor?
-Even if we take just 5%... No, 3%, it's still profitable. We should spread some rumors to the wizards at the magic tower in advance.
-More than that, the real jackpot is the gold coins. These will definitely sell to collectors.
-I wonder how much magic is contained in them?
At least he doesn't seem to be treating Caesar like a sucker, unlike Gordon.
It might not be bad to do business with this guy for a while.
Caesar lit the cigar with a smirk.
"Oh, by the way, I also have these..."
Caesar shook out his bag completely.
Sculptures and jewels made by vampires poured out.
Ramsky stared at the jewels as if bewitched.
***
Caesar leisurely sipped his wine.
The hotel Ramsky recommended was extremely satisfactory.
The bed was good, the city view was nice, and above all, the bathroom was excellent.
Although it had an air-compressed bidet that required pulling levers here and there, it was still far more convenient than having to fill a washbasin with water and wipe yourself clean.
Above all, the most satisfying thing was that all of this was free.
That Ramsky fellow seems to know how to treat people properly.
'Three years of struggling like a dog have paid off.'
It felt like he could ascend to paradise if he just lay down on this soft feather bed and fell asleep.
Caesar finished his wine and headed to the bedroom to lie down.
Knock knock knock
What's that?
Room service?
Caesar slowly moved towards the door, savoring his tipsy state.
And just as Caesar grabbed the doorknob
Bang-!
A bullet flew through the wooden door.