64. No Shackles (5)
64. No Shackles (5)
- 1 -
"This is the place."
"It's the kind of place that's hard to find even when you know where it is."
"It's perfectly suited as a hideout."
The village where the Claiamel family was hiding was called Mozarkar, about five days by carriage north of Copherin.
That was fortunate for me.
Because Sonyataff was about two more days by carriage from here.
It was the city where the black market auction, my original destination, was held.
'It's better to be generous with time.'
Haley had informed me that the date of the black market opening had been pushed back due to the incident at Copherin, so there was no problem time-wise either.
And there was no need to stick to a hellishly tight schedule, was there?
If asked to prioritize between 'Revenge for my dungeon members' and 'Retrieving Serica's core', I would choose the former and move accordingly, but it would be best to achieve both if possible.
'Because handling things carefully would be best.'
I examined the village's geography.
Its location was near the foot of a mountain. As one could guess from the location, this village served both as a slash-and-burn farm and a mine.
However, the mine's yield wasn't very large, and Eleanor had told me the reason for that.
"Our family bought the mine. Since it was originally a mine dug as far as human hands could dig, it wasn't difficult, as there was already a plan to soon deploy criminals and slaves."
"Where will the manpower come from?"
"There was a dungeon inside the mine."
"Fate (緣), indeed."
A core and a dungeon lord had settled inside the mine, which had become nearly abandoned.
The Claiamel family seemed to be buying up and using even the dungeon within the mine that the adventurer's guild had already suppressed and was using for training.
It might sound strange that fanatics who worshiped the demon race would purchase and use a dungeon lord, who was also of the demon race.
However, that perception might change if you knew that these fanatics worshipped strictly the demon race of the Demon World, not a dungeon lord who had fallen on the surface. Those who held power were objects of respect; a lord who had lost their power was simply a slave.
And it's not strange at all — humans are beings who put a price even on their own kind or blood kin.
'The species is werebeast... Well, it's worth meeting at least.'
"I see they intended to create an army."
"Yes. That's right."
It seemed they had planned to extract a labor force and soldiers from this lord. If their risk management was thorough, it was a decent method in its own way.
It was a good situation.
I could dominate this dungeon lord, or simply absorb the core. I just needed to meet them and decide.
Personally, I hoped they would be someone worth keeping alive.
"Welcome, both of you. I express my deepest gratitude for saving my grandson, Karl."
"Thank you for the welcome, Head of the family."
Shue, Talhan, and I, who had moved with Eleanor, received a grand welcome from the Claiamel family.
As she had said, the family members consisted of Eleanor's family of four, who formed the main house; her uncle's family of five, called the 'First Contacts'; and six elders and two young men who belonged to the branch family.
The faces of the elders were oddly puffed up, and not a single minor... especially no children were to be seen.
'So they'd rather die old bachelors than marry non-nobles. Still, it's quite a number.'
They seemed to be a type among the fallen nobility with particularly strong pride.
A fallen noble family that maintained typical aristocratic principles and whose elders had regained their youth by receiving power from the demon race. Still, for a fallen noble family, they maintained a relatively large number of members.
Perhaps they had gathered the family members by granting them hope through the power of the demon race.
Otherwise, why would branch family nobles stick around a main house that had lost both wealth and power?
This was also a good thing for me.
Because their cooperation with the demon race was not that long, meaning there weren't many among the family members who possessed powerful strength.
Whether it's materials or soldiers, isn't more always better?
"It's just about time for dinner. Would you care to join us?"
"Thank you for the invitation. As it happens, I have some good incense. How about we enjoy it together?"
"Oh. What is it?"
"It is from the homeland of the Great Ones, given to me by one of them. Surely it will be good for us as well."
"Oooh...!"
The head of the family, who had been giving a polite exclamation at my words, began to brighten genuinely upon hearing what followed.
To fanatics of the demon race, 'the homeland of the Great Ones' naturally meant the Demon World.
Perhaps because they had already heard the story from Eleanor, the family members did not doubt my words at all, but rather offered praises almost to the point of worship as they took the incense I handed over.
'The meal itself will probably be delicious.'
Of course, by this act, their fate had already been sealed.
- 2 -
That evening, after Libertas and Eleanor arrived at the Claiamel house.
"To the honored guest and the glory of our family — !!"
— To the glory!!
The Claiamel family meal began in a harmonious atmosphere.
Eleanor found it eerie.
Because she could no longer remember her family's meals ever proceeding in a mood that was neither stern nor dark.
"Once again, thank you for saving our precious grandson Karl."
"Think nothing of it. Surely it was the care of the Great Ones at work."
Of course, the center of that cheerful atmosphere was the dungeon lord they knew as the 'mysterious strong figure and devotee sister named Angelita' — Libertas.
With an aristocratic smile on her lips, she treated them with impeccable courtesy the entire time.
"I am embarrassed that we haven't prepared much."
"It is more than enough. You are people who know how to maintain dignity and honor even while living simply. There is no way Eleanor, who received your education, would grow up to be ordinary. She will surely become an outstanding person."
"No, not at all! But I am happy to hear you say so!"
"With talent and luck both on her side, Eleanor will definitely be able to become a great warrior in the future. Perhaps she might even become the standard-bearer for one of the Great Ones."
She led the atmosphere elegantly and skillfully.
Just like a true noblewoman from a high-ranking aristocratic house.
The elders of the Claiamel family were utterly captivated by her lead.
Currently, the Claiamel family had a fair number of members, but since most of them were old people who couldn't forget the 'glory of the past', the dinner table was usually a place of constant reminiscing about the past.
"Hahaha! Hearing such a generous compliment from a noble person is like honey to my ears!"
"You have an excellent eye!"
"Hahahaha!"
But now they were busy laughing and chattering the whole time.
Drunk on the feeling as if they had regained the glory of the past.
If they had understood that what Libertas said was actually a sneer — 'You've lost all your wealth and power yet can't forget the past, just putting on airs of luxury for guests, so how could the child end up any different?' — they would not have been able to laugh like this.
"This friend has already passed out? He did seem to be drinking faster than usual..."
"Ah, I'm sleepy. I'll just go to the restroom for a moment..."
And so, because they were so absorbed in her, they failed to notice that some of their own were falling asleep quickly, one by one.
By the time a few of the younger ones barely managed to become aware, enough time had passed that even those who succeeded in noticing had fallen asleep.
"What, is this...!"
'What is... happening?'
Eleanor could not understand the suddenly changed situation.
Just moments ago, everyone had been eating happily, but now that she had come to her senses, everyone was asleep.
Her uncle, who had risen from his seat as if realizing something, was staggering, unable even to draw the shortsword at his waist, and she herself was too drunk on drowsiness to properly come to her senses.
"As expected, maybe because you're the highest rank, you're holding out well. But that's all it is."
The ones holding out were only the family head and the formal heir, Eleanor.
But no matter how much they tried, they could not draw power from within.
And it wasn't just that.
"This... bitch...!!"
"Mind your manners. Old man."
Peok!
The sight of the family head, who had lost all the strength in his entire body to the point where he couldn't even resist Talhan's ordinary punch thrown without any real power behind it.
Even though she had never experienced it, Eleanor knew there was only one cause when such a thing happened.
"Mana... solidification... ugh... why... us...? Sister...?"
"Were you... a pawn of the kingdom...?"
To the questions of the two, Libertas, who had erased the serene smile she had worn before, gave no answer.
She only let her eyes glow ominously.
"..."
When Eleanor, who had fainted like that, woke up again, her world had already changed.
- 3 -
"Ugh..."
When Eleanor opened her eyes again, she couldn't help but be startled, her body trembling.
Because right in front of her eyes was a person's 'head'.
And furthermore, it belonged to someone extremely familiar to her.
A middle-aged man with graying hair and his eyes closed, his whole face contorted as if he had been in great agony at the moment of death.
"Un...cle...?"
It was the head of the Claiamel family, her uncle.
He had boasted to his family that he had regained the strength of his youth through the power of the demon race, but in the end, he had died without even getting to wield that power, because of a certain dungeon lord's trick.
"Did you sleep well, Eleanor?"
"You...!"
A woman greeted her in a calm voice, placing her hand over that very head.
A flame ignited in the eyes of Eleanor, who recognized this was the 'sister' who had saved her and even escorted her back to her family.
