Chapter 64
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: Reunion
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Dark. Pitch. Black!
Bang! Screech.
I'd thrown the door open with deliberate force,
"......"
"......?"
expecting the usual raucous welcome and tearful family reunion show,
but not a soul opened their mouth.
As if they'd all been hit by some classic AV time-stop spell,
the old man and the kid just gawked at me with mouths agape.
"......Ung?"
Noy tilted his head.
The old fart Kain had frozen mid-sword polish, squinting hard at my face like he was drilling holes into it.
Huh... a man's makeover is innocent, right?
"Fuck, how long's it been? You forget me completely or what?"
"......Huh?"
The instant my voice hit, Noy's eyes flew wide.
"......Appang?"
"Yeah, your old man. Only five years older anyway."
I squatted down, arms spread, and
tatatata!
Noy leaped off the bed and charged at full speed.
"Daaaaddy!!"
Thud!
He latched onto my waist, then scampered up my body like a squirrel and threw his arms around my neck.
Then he started rubbing his chubby cheeks mercilessly against my right one.
Rub rub, rub rub.
"Wooow... Daddy! So smooth! So soft!"
"Yeah. The magic boy transformed all smooth—call me Smoothmoon."
"Hehe... Daddy...... love..."
Fascinated by the feel of my cheek, he kept poking at it with his little twiggy fingers,
"......Hic."
then out of nowhere, his eyes started welling up.
"Whoa whoa, no juice-squeezing. Why rev up all sudden..."
"Daaaaddy... hic... waaaah!!"
It burst. Full-on bawling.
He buried his face in my neck, snot and tears pouring as he wailed.
The new top Baerin bought me on the way (which I'd ripped to rags on my back right after) soaked through in seconds.
"Ugh, fucking gross."
I yanked my long sleeve over and wiped his nose.
"Honk it out, honk."
"Sniff...... ptoo!"
"Aigoo, damn... you raising snails in there or what?"
I roughly patted his back.
"Good you didn't croak. So quit the waterworks. Cut."
"Ung... sniff... cuuut......"
He rested his chin on my shoulder, sniffling,
clutching my clothes like he'd never let go.
And only now did Kain snap out of his daze and stand.
He strode over, grabbed my chin, and twisted my face this way and that.
"......Huh."
The old man's eyes went round.
"Where's that monster mug I knew? Where'd you snag this slick pretty boy?"
"This is my real face. If you old fart had saved me just a bit sooner that day. Eh!?
Coulda sent prime teen years as this stud."
"......That dogshit mouth confirms it's you."
Kain poked my cheek disbelievingly.
Fine from Noy or Baerin, but no way I was enduring that geezer's paws long,
so I smacked his hand away and cackled.
"Told ya. Unscratched lottery ticket. True value's out now."
"Heh... bullshit..."
Kain let out a hollow chuckle, but his eyes held clear relief as he looked me over.
"Still... limbs all good means you didn't suffer hell."
"Eh, yeah. Treatment was decent."
I shrugged casually and pulled out a chair at the table, sitting.
"Take a seat first. Lots to say."
.....
I skipped all the worthless crap—whether the breeding pens, reeducation room, or slaughterhouse boys.
No tales of facilities or vibes.
Stuff like that'd just sour the mood.
So I summed the nutrient-void bits as "sucked honey" and dove into details on
Ellen that crazy bitch and the research on my body.
Roughly packaged as her having weird eyes and major interest in me.
"She said my carcass is special. Research value or whatever.
So she called me to her room for some experiments."
"......Experiments?"
Baerin jumped in.
Makes sense—her slave got god-knows-what from that bishop bitch behind her back.
"Nothing big. Drew some blood, sliced flesh...
Ah, all consensual. I was curious too."
I rolled up my sleeve. Smooth as hell.
Countless knife scars? Gone without a trace.
"Thanks to cooperating, even got a face overhaul.
Place run by kingdom—gov medical perks are stacked."
Kain frowned at my banter.
"Church bishop personally... healing a slave?"
"Yup. Anyway, she's nuts too."
"So, conclusion? What's special about your body."
At the old man's prod, I grinned and patted my lower gut.
"This."
Dantian
"Normies gather mana in the heart, right? Mine's here."
"What, didn't I tell you that?"
"Hear me out. And... mana doesn't flow through blood—
it's sticking thick to veins all over the body."
Then I unpacked Ellen's self-heal theory in my own words.
Glue-like mana, circulation between reserve and main tanks.
Kain couldn't shut his trap till I finished.
He tilted his head in disbelief.
"Self... heals on its own? Your body?"
"Yup. Didn't know myself—she figured it. Wanna see?"
Borrowed a kunai from Baerin, shallow slice on forearm.
Bleed stopped quick, clean in under 30 minutes.
"Whoa......"
Baerin watched wide-eyed,
Kain furrowed brows, face grave.
In case the geezer got suspicious,
"Didn't spill on dantian or training to her,
so no conclusion on why."
"That... yeah. Good job."
"So asking—you got guesses? Related."
"......None."
He shook head firm.
"Me and Baerin use same training.
No such miracle in our bodies."
Eyes narrowed, dredging old memories,
"Woman who taught me... showed dantian qi gathering, aura use,
but never said body auto-mends like yours."
Flat-out clueless.
Not training or dantian issue.
Guess Kain's potions warped my body.
"So I'm special?"
"Dunno. Special if special, freaky if freaky..."
Kain stroked his goatee, staring like I'd sprouted from a lab.
"That regen? Trolls, ogres—magic beasts.
Human doing it raw, no spells or potions? Never in my life."
Tsked tongue, added,
"You... really human? Not hatched from some scavenged egg?"
"Rinea'd claw outta her grave hearing that."
I snapped curt, pinching Noy's cheek.
Exhausted from crying, he snoozed in my arms,
zero fuks given for his dad's body mystery.
"Whatever, good deal? Bleeds quick-stop, no med bills.
Stabbed anywhere, won't drop easy."
"True but......"
Kain still uneasy, but smirked and nodded.
"Yeah. Scrawny rat beat to shit growing up,
body evolved to survive maybe."
"Most beatings courtesy of you."
"Oh ho, then my doing. Serve and thank me lifelong."
"Fuck shameless old prick."
Well, gotta play lackey till he shits the wall.
Not long—white hair thick,
booze hound, bald head incoming like mine.
Then straight to funeral pyre.
"Ugh fuck... heavy. Gained weight huh?"
"Fed good. Some pudge yeah."
"Hmph, useless freeloader daughter."
I set sleeping Noy on the table,
leaned back on chair, cracked neck stretching.
Body tougher, face hotter.
Family... ish safe. Phase 1 clear.
"Alright, my spiel done."
Voice low, snapped fingers twice.
"Now, future plans."
Body brag over,
time to face reality and tomorrow.
"Pockets out. How much we got?"
Money first.
Balance check.
Total Funds: 22 Gold 96 Silver
Well fuck me, funds up.
"Oho, made some in a month?"
I whistled at the pile of gold and silver on the table.
Pre-jail ~18 gold, now near 23.
Considering this ass-backwards pricing,
three eating sleeping shitting and still profiting? Miracle.
"How? Highway robbery?"
"Robbery my ass. Honest work."
Kain stroked beard casually.
"While you rotted, two requests.
First, kobold pack in nearby cave."
"Easy. No aura needed, just slice to kill."
Baerin chimed, popping jerky in mouth.
"Lowliest beasts. Under 1 gold."
Old man nodded, swigging waterskin.
Sour booze stink wafted.
"Second farther. Forest wolf hunt.
Mid-low beasts, solo wanderers—scoured woods long but..."
"Yeah. Two days each way, three-plus camps."
"Pay and magic stones juicy. 8 gold total."
Week-long gig basically.
8 gold in 7 days. Daily over million won.
Juicy merc pay.
1 to 8 gold earned, minus living/misc,
net +5.
"Why stop? Month I was in, slacking?"
"Pitiful fool."
Kain tsked at my jab, fake knuckle-flick.
"You clueless on world.
Guild requests—pick anytime you want?"
"Life's just tailing you and beating folk, how'd I know."
Fingers counting, he explained.
"Rules: finish one, wait for next assignment.
Reports, reviews, payout—days alone.
Travel? No wings, can't run nonstop."
"Take carriage?"
He slapped chest exasperated.
"Ignorant of map. Monster woods/dungeons all boonies.
Hitch merchant or scheduled wagons,
they bend routes for merc scum?"
"......Aha."
No uber,
big pay needs distance,
sync to their schedules.
"Not daily. Haggle drop-offs pre-depart...
Most time wasted idling."
"Got it. Shit transport infra."
"Wha? In... fra? Whatever."
Kain smacked lips, added,
"Later, own carriage maybe...
Time tighter, efficient."
"Hmm......"
Nodded. Own ride gap huge.
Merc life short-term, mobility = cash.
No endless quest grind system.
"Fine. Backward shithole unavoidable."
I shrugged acceptance, puffed chest.
"Anyway, now I'm in, changes everything.
One more hand, time to rake it in. Right?"
I snorted proud,
Kain and Baerin eyed each other, snickered.
"Eh."
"......?"
Kain rubbed beard, feigning trouble.
"Your addition's power boost... big question."
"Useless. Porter tops."
Baerin drove spike, chewing jerky.
"No aura. Swordplay trash. Regen fixes that?"
"Fuck you bitch."
"Follow, cook, mind Noy. Your wheelhouse?"
At her merciless killshot, Kain chortled, shoulder-tap.
"Kek... yeah. Porter + chores. Slave up one."
"Slave. Tattooed back."
"Oho, true."
Fucking asshole pair.
I thumped chest indignant, no comeback.
Raw combat? Fact: I don't touch their toehold.
"Watch. 15-year scar gone, aura someday."
"Just in case—no dumb shit.
Mid potion? 90 gold min."
"Ugh fine! No!"
Dunno if current bod handles,
no potions, untested—stay sane.
Fuck. Shoulda tested by Ellen.
Worst case, she'd heal anyway.
Too late, gone bus.
"Sigh fuck. Lackey again."
I grumbled, chugged water.
Then Kain's laughing face hardened slow.
"And... earning matters, but bigger issue urgent."
Voice low, glanced window.
"While you locked, outside blew up."
"What happened?"
"Beyond exploded."
Kain pocketed coins,
poured booze on table as ink, finger-scrawled.
"Know what?"
"......330k? Whores you banged?"
"Empire's first claim on Ruben Kingdom."
Pfft—nearly spat water.
333,000 gold. That's 333 trillion won or whatever—
zero grasp on the sum.
"Insane, they got that cash?"
"Money-mad kingdom or not, no way now."
"Gangster shakedown? Knew can't pay."
"Yup. Blame for 3rd princess missing."
Kain grim-faced continued.
"Two days back. Empire fleet stormed Nahark port.
20 warships, 600 knights. Led by Duke Roengrin himself."
"That Roengrin fuck again?"
That smug house—ears callused now.
"Duke famous?"
"Beyond."
Kain bitter smile, added,
"He's the Imperial Guard Captain."
"Emperor's bitchboy?"
"......Watch mouth, Leon. 'Specially Empire Emperor..."
Face stone, voice drop, warned.
Checked window paranoid, finally,
"Galrand de Roengrin. He's......"
"......?"
"Continent-wide, one of three at knight peak."
Sword Master. Sword Saint.