Chapter 124
Chapter 124
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 124
Chapter Title: Reborn as the Plum Blossom Sword Master in a Count's Family
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“The last third condition is... Hmm. Speak now if you don’t want to hear it.”
“...I’ll listen.”
Becan quickly sidestepped to avoid Yuria. He drew a dagger hidden in his bosom and swung it at me. Aura clung to his dagger. It was aimed at my left arm.
He must have targeted me thinking I was Yuria’s master and the one who ordered her to cut off his arm. Or maybe I just looked like an easy mark.
“Pay off the debt on my arm first!”
I didn’t move. There was no need to.
Yuria was already at my side, faster than Becan.
Clang!
The daggers clashed.
“When...!”
Becan exclaimed in shock and staggered back.
Yuria moved. She grabbed his right arm, twisted it until it snapped, then thrust her dagger into his left eye and pulled it out.
“Gaaahhh!”
Becan’s body crumpled to the floor. Yuria’s heel slammed mercilessly into his head.
“There’s a limit to overstepping your bounds...! To think you’re such an idiot you can’t even grasp your place! Master! Give me one hour! I’ll educate this man on his proper role!”
Yuria said. I was startled by the irritation in her voice. I hadn’t expected her to react so fiercely.
“Y-yeah. An hour’s fine.”
I replied, slightly overwhelmed.
“Thank you. We’ll use the empty room next door. Come along, Mr. Becan.”
“Keurk!”
Yuria roughly grabbed Becan by the hair with her gloved hand and dragged him out the door. I stared blankly at the door, then looked down at the floor. Blood from Becan and fluid from his eye were splattered messily everywhere.
A moment later.
Horrific screams echoed from the next room.
“Aaaahhh! Stop! Stop it!!!”
I could guess what was happening. Curiosity welled up at the same time. I slipped out the door and peeked through the crack into the next room.
“Ugh... I was wrong... Please stop... I was wrong... Aaaak!”
“I thought you had at least a shred of rationality. You were a mercenary captain, but now you serve the owner of the city’s top trading company. Yet it seems you can’t shed your base nature.”
Bzzzzt!
“Grrrgh...!”
Electricity crackled from Yuria’s hand.
Unlike me, who could only use the Eternal Heaven Style’s Thunderlight, Yuria wielded both Thunderlight and Dark Shadow.
“You have only one thing to do. Treat the Master with respect. Even an idiot like you can manage that much, right?”
Electric torture was just the start. She sliced flesh and peeled skin without hesitation. Yuria even used potions generously to keep the torture going nonstop.
‘...Oof.’
I averted my gaze. Watching made me hurt all over.
And the promised hour passed.
Becan sat across from me again. But now his left arm and left eye were gone, unlike before. He’d had a resolute air earlier, but now his face was filled with fear.
Glance, glance.
Becan kept stealing glances at Yuria standing by the table. He trembled whenever she so much as twitched.
“Becan. Look at me. I’m the one talking to you, not Yuria.”
“S-sorry! Forgive me! Forgive me!”
Becan bowed his head toward me. Pitiful. Amazing how he’d changed in just one hour.
“...I forgive you. Shall we continue our earlier conversation?”
“I’ll offer the trading company! I’ll pay taxes promptly. I’ll do as you command. So... ugh...”
Becan glanced at Yuria mid-sentence, shaking violently.
“Mm. Good. Then I’ll tell you the third condition you must keep. Yuria.”
“Yes, Master. Here it is.”
Yuria placed a glass vial on the table. It contained a sticky, black liquid. It looked like tar—unpleasant.
“Transmitted Tenfold Poison. Once poisoned, it slowly erodes the heart. It takes ten days for complete erosion. An antidote within ten days reverses the erosion, but the poison lingers, starting the process anew.”
There were two antidotes: one fully neutralizing the poison, and one halting heart erosion while leaving the source toxin for another ten days.
I had no intention of giving the full antidote.
For reference, this poison was a secret recipe Yuria learned from Hasent and brewed herself.
‘Hasent said top-tier antidote mages can neutralize it easily with magic... but no way I’m running into one casually.’
More importantly, I’d feed the poison and keep watch. Any funny business, and he dies.
“Drink it. I’ll give antidotes periodically.”
“......”
Becan couldn’t reach for the vial. Drinking it meant becoming my slave. Or worse—slaves didn’t get fed poison.
“I can do well without this...! I’ll pledge loyalty to you, Young Master! So...!”
“I don’t need loyalty from trash like you. Drink. Don’t make me say it thrice.”
“......”
Yuria stared at Becan and said coldly.
“Drink it. Are you defying the Master’s orders?”
Becan jumped at her frown.
“No! No! I’ll drink it now!”
Becan snatched the vial and gulped it down hastily.
I was impressed. Becan was a rough mercenary captain, low-tier Aura Expert with real skill. Yet one hour of torture turned the feral wolf into a terrified mutt.
‘Yuria’s torture skills are beyond imagination.’
It made sense. Though not lately, she used to visit the dungeon daily to torture the Pfrex Mercenaries.
Gulp, gulp.
Becan swallowed the poison before us.
I clapped contentedly.
Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap.
“Looking forward to working with you, Becan Trading Company Lord. Let’s strive for Tebra’s eternal prosperity together. Hahaha!”
“Yes......”
“Let’s rename the company while we’re at it. Black Tiger? Running a trading company with such a tacky name! Don’t you agree, Company Lord?”
I was being friendly, but his reply lagged. I tsked softly, and Yuria flashed her dagger.
“...Y-yes, I think so, Young Master.”
Becan nodded frantically.
“The company name will be Cheonma... No, doesn’t fit this world. Pegasus is okay, but not quite. Let’s go with Korea.”
“Korea... A fine name. May I ask what it means?”
“Do I have to tell you? No intention of figuring it out yourself?”
“S-sorry! I’ll look it up myself.”
“You’d better do well. Don’t disappoint me. If you do... I’ll have to educate you.”
At “educate,” Becan’s face paled to ash.
“I-I’ll do great! I won’t disappoint you!”
“I’ll believe it. Korea Company Lord. Hahahahaha!”
“......”
“Why aren’t you laughing? Not happy on this fine day?”
“I was pondering Korea Company’s future... Hahahahaha!”
“Korea Company’s future is bright. No worries. Hahahahaha!”
The laughter didn’t stop. What a harmonious lord-vassal bond.
???
The next day, back at the Prucus mansion in Tebra port city from my trip, I asked Elaine if I could go traveling.
She approved with ten escort knights. Servants to handle their gear too. Including me, that made 25 people.
I didn’t complain. Getting permission to travel was enough.
Heading to my room, I ran into Kyle in the hall. He’d just come from the dungeon.
“Here. The key. Used it well?”
“You can use it more, bro.”
I didn’t take the key from Kyle. Didn’t need the ancient warrior training ground key right now.
“Eugene. Heading out traveling tomorrow? Where to?”
“Hughes Snow Mountains in the kingdom’s north.”
“Hughes Snow Mountains? The mysterious peaks where snow doesn’t melt even in hot summers. Nice. Wish I could go.”
Legend says an Ancient Silver Dragon died there long ago. Thus, the mountains stay snow-covered year-round. Strangely, snow taken outside melts instantly.
“Come with, bro?”
“Can I crash your trip?”
“Sure. We’re brothers.”
“Alright. Be right back after getting Mom’s okay.”
Kyle happily headed to Elaine’s office.
No issue with Kyle tagging along. This wasn’t a real vacation anyway.
‘Once I get my barony and become Tebra’s lord, no more needing Elaine’s permission to move.’
Freedom of movement appealed, at least.
‘Gotta bed Elaine too... but she’s an iron wall. Tough.’
I’d steered things flirty alone with her a few times. No dice. Elaine never crossed the line. Even with erogenous zone buffs for sneaky touches, nada.
Normal methods won’t work.
‘Use an aphrodisiac? Nah... Can’t rely only on that. Takes the fun out.’
Higher difficulty means bigger satisfaction on success. Plenty of time. Mana and management kept Elaine young.
‘Heh heh. Can’t wait for that iron wall to crumble.’
???
Four of us boarded the large carriage, including me.
Yuria and I sat together; across were Kyle and Lucy. Lucy was Kyle’s personal maid.
Lucy Cobret.
Daughter of vassal Baron Cobret.
Her curly auburn hair made her look younger than Yuria. She’d been Kyle’s maid just half a year. His previous one married a mansion clerk and quit.
‘Hmm.’
Pretty as in the original story.
‘Kinda meh.’
Cute face, but scrawny figure. Even accounting for age, too flat. Yuria at that age had slight swells. This girl? None. Flat as a board.
‘No urge to hit it.’
Lucy was Kyle’s maid. Botch it, and disaster. Not my type anyway—leave her be.
“First time to Hughes Snow Mountains! So excited! Have you been, Miss Yuria?”
“No, first time for me too. I’m really looking forward to it.”
Lucy was bubbly.
And her eyes brimmed with admiration for Yuria.
‘Yuria’s popular with the servants, yeah.’
Stunning looks, does everything perfectly. To young maid Lucy, she must seem amazing.
I spoke to Kyle, who was blankly staring at Yuria.
“Kyle bro. Been to the snow mountains?”
“Snow mountains? Nah... First time for me too.”
Kyle had been to snowy peaks in his past life—his volcano snowed in winter.
“Heard yetis live there...”
Thud!
Neighhh!
A heavy impact and horse’s scream. The carriage shook violently and halted. I frowned. Trouble for sure.
Kyle quickly opened the window.
“Sir Hent. What’s wrong?”
“A monster pack and someone are fighting ahead.”
Said Hent, captain of the Plun Knights. His face was grim. He and dozens of knights were our escorts. Incidents like this were unwelcome.
“How’s the situation ahead? Dangerous?”
“No. Looks like nobles over there. Their knights are handling the monsters. No need for our help.”
Kyle shook his head and stepped out.
“Let’s join anyway. Could be risky.”
“Young Master Kyle, we’ll fight. Stay in the carriage.”
“No. I’ll help. Can’t stand by while people are in danger. Eugene, Lucy, Yuria—you wait here.”
I just nodded. Knew Kyle’s type would jump in.
‘Classic cliché.’
Bad call bringing protagonist Kyle. Without him, no incident. Probably.
‘Bet the rescued one’s a noble lady. Swear to god.’