Chapter 959
Chapter 959
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 959
Chapter Title: Rainbow Fruit
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I quietly returned to my private quarters within the fortress after spending the entire night fully entangled in a series of passionate trysts alongside Baroness Revilidi until the break of dawn.
A young estate servant was standing duty directly in front of my door, initially dozing off against the stone wall before snapping wide awake the exact millisecond he caught sight of my approach to swiftly open the chamber entryway.
I casually ignored his startled presence and stepped inside without offering a single word of acknowledgment, keeping my thoughts focused entirely on the potential security risks of our arrangement.
Between the baroness's personal maid and this specific servant attending to my daily needs, it was highly obvious that if those two didn't remain completely tight-lipped about my nocturnal movements, scandalous rumors regarding my intimate relationship with the lady would undoubtedly start spreading through the castle corridors starting this morning.
Eventually, word of our continuous affairs would bound to reach the ruling lord's ears, and a massive amount of political trouble would inevitably brew for my position.
‘But in the grand scheme of things, none of that political risk truly matters to my agenda, for I am completely not planning to stick around this tedious dungeon environment for much longer anyway.’
That was undisputed the precise reason why I hadn't bothered wasting my time silencing or threatening the servant earlier, because whatever actions he chose to take with the gossip, I honestly couldn't care less about the consequences.
‘When I look back at the layout of the situation, things actually turned out significantly better than I had initially expected.’
I sat down comfortably on the edge of the mattress, quietly thinking back to the intense responses of Baroness Revilidi while feeling as if her residual physical warmth was still vividly lingering against my bare skin.
The highly explicit mental image of her completely naked body shamelessly grinding her hips atop my waist in the dark kept flickering vividly across my mind, confirming that she was a woman who thoroughly knew how to maximize her pleasure during sex.
‘It is highly obvious that Baroness Revilidi seems to have her own complex political agenda running in the background, yet she remains an exceptionally fine, responsive woman to possess in bed.’
I lay back completely onto the bed, casually pondering what kind of intense positions we would enjoy together tonight before letting myself fall into a short afternoon nap.
I finally woke up around noon feeling thoroughly refreshed, immediately heading out past the castle gates to meet up with Kang Seok-su at his commercial coordinates.
Kang Seok-su was actively selling various garments in the exact same market spot as yesterday, his expression turning noticeably impressed the moment he looked up to see my approach.
"You have finally arrived, Sung Yu-jin, and judging by how remarkably calm and relaxed your posture looks today, I guess your infiltration plan worked out perfectly, though honestly, I had initially calculated a thirty percent chance that the operation would end in total failure," he noted with a chuckle.
"The entire deployment went off without a single hitch, operating precisely like clockwork, to the point where I am officially recognized as an elite house knight now rather than some common farmer, though this dungeon system doesn't seem particularly keen on letting me change my official classes through the main interface just yet," I answered, sitting down next to his stall.
His analytical eyes immediately went straight to the stack of confidential documents I had brought along under my cloak.
"What exactly is the nature of all this paperwork?" he inquired, reaching out his hand.
"These are the classified research notes that the ruling lord has been meticulously collecting regarding the anomalies of the rainbow fruit, and judging by the sheer volume left in his private study, it looks like the old man was thoroughly obsessed with its power, so since I couldn't make heads or tails of the text layout myself, I just grabbed a bunch of the primary sheets for your analysis."
Kang Seok-su immediately spread out the documents across his table, his brows furrowing as his eyes scanned the text.
"Wait, are you seriously telling me that you can actually read this complex writing system?" he asked in surprise.
"Of course I can, for it looks completely like standard Hangul to my eyes, so what exactly do you mean by that question?" I countered, completely caught off guard by his unexpected response.
To my own perception, the archaic text didn't look like modern Hangul characters at all, causing a sudden seed of suspicion to form in my thoughts.
‘Why on earth am I the only exile seeing these foreign symbols differently through the system interface, when Hangul is supposed to be infinitely easier for his background to decipher?’
I tightly furrowed my brow in silence while Kang Seok-su continued to cross-reference the notes.
"I happened to overhear a highly specific rumor at the local tavern last night indicating that the ruling lord is exceptionally deep into the cultivation of the rainbow fruit, meaning he is undisputed connected to the spreading anomalies, but apparently the man is currently holed up deep inside his chambers and completely refusing to show his face to the public, so what is the true status of his physical condition?"
"The old man is essentially on his deathbed at this point, clinging to his remaining life by a single fragile thread while his wife is actively operating as the sole regent of the estate, though she doesn't seem interested in the mystery of the rainbow fruit at all," I revealed calmly.
"...If the ruling lord is truly going to die in a matter of a few days, that represents an exceptionally poor development for our timeline, because he is highly probable the only entity holding all the direct operational clues regarding the fruit's origin," Kang Seok-su muttered, flipping through the pages.
I quietly watched the regular flow of common passersby moving through the market street, noting that every now and then, an exceptional local beauty would catch my aesthetic eye.
"Kang Seok-su, how exactly is progress moving along on your end of the investigation, or have you managed to uncover any breakthrough info channels?"
"Huh? Oh, right, I got so thoroughly caught up in parsing these research notes that I completely forgot to fill you in on the details, but I have actually made some excellent headway here by winning over several wealthy merchants since money always talks in these domains, and I even met another hunter who managed to secure a job as an estate guard, which has opened up a lot more reliable info channels for our group."
"Did any of those channels yield anything interesting for our immediate plans?"
"There are currently several anxious whispers circulating among the traveling merchants regarding the sudden appearance of a ferocious monster that actively eats people alive."
"And I assume that specific monster wouldn't happen to be..."
"The exact same creature that you took down yesterday, yes, but the guard also provided me with a report stating that strange incidents have concurrently occurred across three small villages located a bit outside the city walls, where one sector contained dozens of monster corpses while the other two had entire populations of villagers completely missing."
"The specific sector filled with the monster corpses happens to be the exact starting village I was deployed in," I noted, nodding my head.
"Yep, which strongly implies that the common folks in the other two missing villages have likely already turned into monsters themselves and vanished into the wild, meaning the terrifying rumors regarding these entities should easily hit the entire city population by tonight or tomorrow morning."
"Is that the absolute extent of the intelligence you gathered?"
"There is also a persistent word going around that a high-ranking inquisitor from the Sel Church is currently traveling straight toward this city, which represents a massive local religion that even the high nobility are forced to tread exceptionally carefully around."
"An inquisitor, huh... let us just hope they don't possess the capacity to get in the way of my advancement, but what are your thoughts regarding the ruling lord? Do you want to try roughing him up for answers today?"
"Nah, it is far too risky for our positions to try approaching his chambers carelessly right now, for he still remains the absolute top dog of this territory on paper, meaning we need to complete our tactical preparations thoroughly before striking, but more than that, I would absolutely love to inspect the remaining documents hidden in his study, so do you think you can smoothly snag them for me?"
"Securing the papers isn't a problem for my skills, but if I keep hauling massive stacks of documents out of the castle, the regent will undoubtedly catch on to the theft, especially since the old butler is already actively watching my movements like a hawk, so give me back those documents you've already finished reading so I can return them and grab more."
"...Hold on a second, I haven't completely finished extracting the data from this batch yet, and since we lack the time to manually copy the text... this method should do the trick perfectly."
With a quick series of clicking sounds, Kang Seok-su pulled out his modern smartphone and smoothly snapped clear photos of the ancient research documents.
I took his phone outright to expedite the process, ensuring every single page was photographed properly before handing the device back into his grip.
Later that afternoon, I proactively attempted to arrange a formal meeting with the ruling lord, calculating that asking him directly about the secrets of the rainbow fruit might yield some unexpected info for my quest, while concurrently mulling over several psychological methods to turn his weakened mind into my compliant puppet.
"You are expressing a desire to see my husband? As a newly appointed knight of the Revilidi family, that request is certainly entirely reasonable... but I am deeply sorry to inform you, Sir Yu-jin, that I currently do not possess the structural authority to grant you entry."
"The reality is that he hasn't allowed even me to see his face in days, so you will have to talk directly to the old butler, as he is undisputed the only individual allowed to step into the sickroom right now," Baroness Revilidi explained with a heavy sigh.
I easily caught the subtle undertone of deep anxiety laced within her voice, noting that after our intense nights spent together in her bed, her tactical guard toward my character had dropped significantly compared to our initial meeting.
It was highly probable she fondly believed she had successfully collared my loyalty using her body, but I didn't feel a single shred of anger about her manipulation since there was absolutely no logical reason to be, choosing instead to use her misplaced confidence to my absolute advantage.
It didn't take long before our physical bodies became intensely intertwined again within her private quarters, and the moment our round of pleasure concluded, I immediately sought out the estate butler in the main corridor.
"Butler, I would like to formally pay my respects to the ruling lord today, for as a newly knighted protector of the Revilidi house, executing such a courtesy is only proper, don't you think?" I stated firmly, making it clear that I wanted him to make the meeting happen.
The old butler maintained an absolute, unmoving poker face throughout my request, the deep wrinkles etched across his skin looking exactly like old battle scars under the corridor torches.
"The ruling lord undoubtedly welcomes the loyalty of Sir Yu-jin; however, arranging a physical meeting is completely impossible at the current moment, for he requires absolute rest above all else right now, but once his physical condition improves, he will surely summon your presence himself," he answered smoothly without budging an inch.
"In that case, I can only hope the lord recovers swiftly and rises from his sickbed soon," I answered, calmly backing off a step to avoid raising his suspicion.
Spending a full day observing the castle dynamics had given me a remarkably accurate sense of the internal power structure, revealing that while Baroness Revilidi was the official regent on paper, the butler held the true operational power over the estate, to the point where even she was noticeably wary of his reactions.
‘This layout means I am going to have to secretly sneak into that ruling lord's room tonight to check out the situation myself.’
The various system methods to completely control a weakened target were a dime a dozen for my inventory, whether I chose to threaten his life with a cold blade or break his spirit with a fist, for an old man wouldn't want to die even if natural death was already looming over his bed.
When dinner time arrived, I inspected the rations provided to the garrison, noting that while yesterday's private meal with the baroness was decent enough, the standard knights' grub was complete absolute garbage, prompting me to toss the tray aside and pull out some premium food items from my [Hundred Returns] world slots.
Once I finished eating, I immediately headed up toward the corridors of the third floor—positioning myself directly beneath the coordinates of the ruling lord's bedchamber.
Staring straight up at the wooden ceiling panels, I silently activated the full power of my Heavenly Eye skill, focusing its advanced x-ray vision ability to penetrate the physical architecture above.
‘Let us get an accurate read on the room's ambient vibe first before I plan the stealth entry... Huh? Wait, what on earth is this?’
To my complete absolute surprise, the ruling lord's lavishly decorated bedchamber was entirely empty, showing absolutely no presence on the mattress and no one resting in the armchairs.
The entire secure sector was completely, thoroughly deserted, which shattered the previous reports because there was absolutely no way an old man on his deathbed had simply stepped out for a casual walk when the servants claimed he hadn't left the room in days.
‘The staff explicitly stated that he only sees the butler, and that the butler brings his daily meals personally... and yet earlier, the old man claimed the lord already knew about my knight status, meaning that butler is undisputed fishy as hell.’
I immediately began to roam through the castle corridors searching for his whereabouts, eventually asking a passing servant who directed me toward the central study room.
"Sir Yu-jin, were you actively looking for my presence?" the butler asked calmly as I stepped through the doors.
"How on earth did you manage to know that?"
"After checking through all the specific document security locks, I simply figured that checking the research status is the only logical reason you would seek me out at this hour."
"And what exactly were you doing in the study yourself? Don't tell me you honestly think I stole something from the shelves, because that kind of suspicion rubs me completely the wrong way," I countered with a cold glare.
"That is a complete misunderstanding, Sir Yu-jin, for I am merely organizing the catalog per the ruling lord's direct orders, as the rainbow fruit documents represent his most prized personal collection," he answered without a single shift in his posture.
He continually cited the lord's direct orders, but based on the x-ray data I had just witnessed with my own eyes, there was absolutely no living lord residing in that room.
"Keep up the hard work then," I muttered.
"Did you require any specific task from my department?"
"It simply feels incredibly awkward having nothing to do as a newly knighted officer, so should I begin training the local foot soldiers or something to earn my keep?"
"You have only just received your knighthood, Sir, so please take it easy within the castle walls for the time being to familiarize yourself with our layout, and focus your primary efforts on assisting the lady regent," the butler stated, pointedly mentioning the baroness with a subtle look that confirmed he already knew about our secret affairs.
‘Is this old bastard seriously trying to threaten my character with blackmail?’
A sudden urge to laugh bubbled up within my chest, but I smoothly stepped back to maintain my cover for the night.
"Will do, butler," I answered before turning away.
The dark night quickly fell over the estate, and naturally, I made my way back straight toward the baroness's private bedchamber.
She was currently sitting gracefully on the edge of the mattress, presenting an absolutely stunning sight under the dim candlelight as she wore a sheer pink silk slip that made her look irresistibly sexy to my senses.
"...Sir Yu-jin, let us be completely honest with each other, for your coming to my private chambers every single night is starting to become a serious logistical problem for the castle security."
"My dear Baroness, aren't you genuinely thoroughly enjoying our nights together just as much as I am?" I countered, smoothly reaching out my arms toward her body.
I slowly peeled off her delicate lingerie piece by piece, for the act of undressing a high-status beauty's panties is always an incredible thrill for my instincts.
I firmly grabbed her smooth legs and spread them wide across the sheets, noting that a bit of neat, black pubic hair peeked irritatingly between her firm thighs before I parted her wet slit using my fingers.
She was already noticeably wet with fluid, which served as undisputed proof that her body was actively anticipating our play tonight.
I smoothly pulled out my hard cock and rubbed the shaft heavily against her sensitive opening, allowing her thick labia to tickle the glans, but just as the tip started to slip inside her wet core, she teasingly pulled her hips back to prolong the tension, causing a squelching sound as her sticky juices stretched in a long string from the head.
"...Mm, you are entirely right, for I do genuinely enjoy these secret trysts with you, but Sir... even so, we physically cannot continue to go at this intense pace until dawn every single night, because it is simply becoming far too much for my ordinary stamina to handle," she whispered, panting.
Unlike my enhanced physical baseline, she was nothing more than an ordinary mortal woman, meaning that engaging in intense sex for over five hours on a daily basis would naturally wear anyone's body out to the brink of exhaustion.
I understandingly nodded my head in agreement, calculating that there were plenty of other hidden beauties residing within this massive city anyway, so there was absolutely no logical need to fixate exclusively on her body.
In fact, several of the young maids working across the mansion halls had already caught my eye during my walks.
"Understood, Baroness, so I will happily moderate our schedule starting from tonight, meaning we can switch to a frequency of twice a week instead of every single night," I proposed.
"...Twice a week is far too few for my needs, so three times a week sounds like the perfect arrangement," she corrected immediately with a flush.
I smiled to myself, not even sure if my quest parameters would require me to stay in this dungeon for a full week anyway.
"Deal," I answered smoothly before forcefully thrusting my hard cock all the way into her wet interior in a single stroke.
Her warm inner walls softly enveloped my entire shaft with a delicious pressure, and after executing a few heavy hip thrusts that thoroughly churned her pussy juices, her upper body—which had been braced at the bed's edge—completely flopped backward onto the pillows.
I kept going at a relentless pace, aggressively kneading her full breasts with my hands while pistoning my lower body into her core without a single shred of mercy.
"Haah... haang... aaaang! Yes, right there!" the baroness cried out, covering her flushed eyes using her forearm while her perky nose and parted red lips stayed in full view.
Her wet tongue fully lolled out of her mouth, waggling wildly through the air, which I knew was her signature habit whenever she reached her peak.
When she became intensely aroused, she always panted like a heat-struck dog without even realizing it, and that display of raw vulgarity, which was thoroughly unfit for her high noble status, turned my arousal on even further.
"Hngh... hwaaaaaang!" she screamed as her hips lifted completely off the bed in a violent spasm.
Her wet tongue writhed teasingly between her lips, prompting me to forcefully shove my fingers straight into her mouth right as I came inside her core, watching as her tongue lapped at my fluid-coated skin in a sloppy, broken manner.
A short while later, I casually kneaded the baroness's soft ass as her exhausted form lay sprawled across the bed, completely dead to the world from the orgasm.
With my Heavenly Eye skill actively running in the background, I could easily see through every single piece of physical architecture surrounding my position.
Focusing the x-ray vision to penetrate the castle layers continuously drained a noticeable amount of mana from my pools, but the expenditure remained entirely manageable for my current stats.
‘My perception fails to detect any sign of the old butler's presence within the entire perimeter of the castle... so where on earth did that fishy bastard disappear to at this hour of the night?’