Chapter 114
Chapter 114
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 114
Chapter Title: Taking Credit Without Spending a Penny
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Taking credit without spending my own money!
And on top of that, it was a method to shift all the residents' animosity onto the users.
Everyone had their reasons, but in the end, it was a betrayal of those who had gathered to help.
A devilish idea that would be difficult to choose for anyone with a conscience!
But Lee Shin didn't even hesitate.
‘It’s the victim’s fault.’
After all, one of Lee Shin's creeds was that it was always the victim's fault.
If anything, it could be a good lesson for the users experiencing this for the first time.
The lesson that if you naively trust others, you'll get stabbed in the back.
‘They're learning it the cheap way.’
…Of course, if anyone else heard this, they would've dismissed it as nonsense, but anyway.
There was no one around to point that out.
Everyone was busy for their own reasons.
“Take everything!”
“There's something hidden here too. Warriors, come break down this door!”
*CRACK!*
“There it is! A safe! Empty it!”
“No! Please, not that…!”
“Huh? Hey, get out of the way!”
“Kyaaah!!”
[The allied forces are plundering the residents' property.]
[The residents' discontent is skyrocketing!]
[As a commander penalty, you acquire a portion (3%) of the total infamy.]
[Your infamy increases significantly!]
“Hmm.”
The users had turned into a band of thieves!
Lee Shin scratched his chin.
Originally, the users had already gained plenty just by winning the territory war.
They were able to reap the rewards of victory without much risk.
But the problem was a few fast-moving looters.
Separate from the end of the territory war, they began indiscriminately extorting the residents for additional profit.
Thanks to them, other users who had been standing by were spurred into action, and they too began to extort the residents, changing the very nature of the group in an instant.
“Sweep it all up!”
“Hey! Someone's making off with the safe!”
“...”
Lee Shin watched the users for a moment before calling his party over.
“What is it?”
“Let them do their thing. We have our own work to do.”
Lee Shin's original objectives were twofold.
Seizing the territory and assassinating its lord.
The territory seemed to be in his hands, so he had to hurry and catch the lord before he sensed the danger and fled.
“The lord is going to run away!?”
“They usually don't, but...”
The master of a territory abandoning it and fleeing?
For nobles who valued honor and pride, it was a difficult choice to make, even with a knife to their throat.
Even if they managed to save their lives, they would not only be unable to enjoy their past glory but would also become a laughingstock among other nobles and even the common folk.
However.
“But I think this one might.”
“Ah...”
The Count Killaim that Lee Shin had observed was more than capable of making such a difficult choice.
His pride seemed needlessly strong, but conversely, his honor was nowhere to be found, no matter how hard you looked.
“True.”
Arthur nodded his head unconsciously.
“You there.”
Lee Shin called over the knights.
The same knights who had been with him since he first infiltrated the Ampiri territory.
“You called?”
“I have a job for you.”
“What is it?”
The knights nodded calmly.
At first, they had seemed quite distressed, but after countless quests together, they had become quite hardened.
Thanks to that, Lee Shin could command them with ease.
Lee Shin said.
“I'm about to infiltrate the lord's castle. I need you to split up and block all the entrances.”
“Then who will be infiltrating?”
“Me.”
“...Gasp!”
“That is absolutely out of the question!”
“It's too dangerous!”
The knights vehemently protested!
There was a reason for their opposition.
“We are well aware of the reason for your confidence, but...”
They knew full well how much martial prowess Lee Shin, and the knight named Gillaim by his side, possessed.
But they believed Count Killaim's rage would be even greater.
They had traveled between the two territories with Lee Shin and had met both counts frequently.
Thanks to that, they knew how much Count Killaim had relied on and trusted Lee Shin, and it was clear to see what state he would be in now that this trust had been betrayed.
And it wasn't just any betrayal; he had even formed an alliance with the Ampiri territory, with whom they had such a bad relationship?
It was a situation where it wouldn't be strange for him to be blind with rage.
No, it would be stranger if he wasn't.
They say a person blinded by rage is unpredictable.
Isn't that why they're said to be the most dangerous?
This was exactly that kind of situation.
“At least take us with you!”
“If anything happens, we'll throw our bodies on the line to protect you.”
Don't go!
If you must, go with us!
It was a plea from the knights, who were genuinely worried that Lee Shin might be killed by the enraged count.
But Lee Shin shook his head.
“It's fine. I'm okay.”
“Are you really sure you'll be alright?”
“I can take care of myself. The count escaping would be a bigger problem.”
“But still...”
“That's an order.”
“...Understood.”
The knights retreated at Lee Shin's firm command.
They still looked at him anxiously, but Lee Shin couldn't yield on this.
‘I have to kill him.’
Count Killaim, that is.
Normally, even after winning a territory war, the opposing lord is rarely killed immediately.
Usually, they are just captured and left to make their own choice.
Live contentedly in solitary confinement.
Or choose death for themselves.
Most tend to choose the latter, but in any case, a choice is given.
Or even if he were to be killed, that would be a decision for Count Rodin to make himself, not for Lee Shin, who had intervened.
So, in the end, it was a matter of justification.
Having the knights with him would certainly be safer, but killing the count without any justification could lead to various rumors later, so it was better to leave them behind.
This way, he could just make up any reason, like the count resisted so fiercely he had no choice but to kill him.
“Let's go.”
“Yes.”
“You all, as I just said, blockade the area around the lord's castle.”
“Understood. But please, be careful.”
After stationing the knights outside.
Lee Shin headed into the lord's castle.
* * *
“Hmm.”
The inside of the lord's castle was a mess, as if a wave of chaos had already swept through.
The numerous works of art that had hung along the corridors were gone without a trace, and the count's room was completely empty.
‘...He was determined to flee.’
It was just as he had expected.
His plan was to grab everything of value before he bolted!
‘But he can't have gotten out yet.’
Lee Shin had headed straight for the lord's castle as soon as the battle was won.
If the count had fled immediately, he might have escaped before the knights surrounded the place, but if he had been so meticulous about scraping together his assets, he surely would have run out of time.
‘It's too late to leave through the main entrance now...’
He must be trying to escape through a secret passage.
Gillaim turned his head and asked.
“A secret passage. Do you know where it is?”
“Nope.”
“Uh...”
“But I have a hunch.”
Lee Shin had been in and out of the lord's castle dozens of times already.
Naturally, he had taken those opportunities to scout the place in advance and had identified locations that, structurally, seemed likely to hide something.
“Let's go check it out.”
“Yes.”
Lee Shin immediately set off.
Gillaim and the rest of the party followed behind him.
They arrived at the place he had noted earlier.
“...Halt!”
“Hm?”
Someone blocked Lee Shin's path.
They were Count Killaim's knights.
Lee Shin asked.
“Why?”
“...J-Just know that you can't!”
“You will not pass!”
“Ah...”
‘As I thought.’
The corners of Lee Shin's mouth lifted.
Their suspicious movements, and this particular location.
Seeing their reaction, it was clear there was something behind them.
‘I've come to the right place.’
Gillaim drew his sword and asked.
“Shall I?”
“Yeah. Don't let a single one get past.”
“Understood.”
Gillaim charged at the knights blocking Lee Shin's way.
The knights desperately tried to stop Gillaim, but...
“Where do you think—Kuhuk?!”
“S-Stop him!”
“We have to stop him, but...”
A clear difference in skill!
The knights struggled to stop Gillaim alone.
Thanks to that, as all the knights' efforts were naturally focused on Gillaim, Lee Shin slipped past them and went inside.
“...Dammit, dammit! Move faster!”
“W-We're moving as fast as we c—”
“I said, move faster!”
The corners of Lee Shin's mouth lifted.
‘Found him.’
A familiar voice coming from a distance.
As expected, the count was here.
Urging on the servants who were struggling to move the baggage.
Stealth.
Lee Shin quietly drew his sword.
* * *
Killing the count was not a difficult task.
Not only was the count himself not strong, but he had also left all the knights who were supposed to be guarding him outside.
Approaching stealthily, Lee Shin lightly thrust his sword toward the count's neck.
*Stab!*
“Faster... Kuhuk!!?”
[You have successfully attacked from stealth.]
[Critical Strike!]
[A powerful critical hit has landed!]
[A low chance has triggered Avatar of Malice!]
[Additional damage occurs due to the effect of 'Mark of the Wicked'...]
“...Huh?”
And that was the end of it.
Count Killaim couldn't withstand Lee Shin's attack, which was plastered with all sorts of effects.
All he could do was recognize Lee Shin at the last moment and let out a short death cry.
[Count Killaim has died.]
[You have gained experience.]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[You have killed an NPC with whom you had maximum intimacy.]
[A great evil deed! You have acquired the title, <Betrayer>.]
<Betrayer>
Today's enemy is tomorrow's ally, and today's ally is tomorrow's enemy.
There is no opponent more fearsome than one who is always ready to betray.
• Intimacy with NPCs builds faster.
• All stats +1.
[Due to the effect of Mark of the Wicked, your fame increases instead of your infamy.]
[The Salseong stat increases.]
[You have acquired 7 items.]
[Special item, <Count Killaim's Head>, has dropped as an additional reward.]
<Count Killaim's Head>
This is the head of Count Killaim.
It will automatically disappear after 240 hours due to the 'Decay' status effect.
‘It's over.’
A glance outside confirmed that Gillaim was also finishing up.
Lee Shin handed something round to Arthur.
“Hang this outside. Along with the territory's flag.”
“What is this?”
“The count's head.”
“Hic!?”
Arthur was startled.
But he soon tilted his head in confusion.
“Wait, this?”
“Yeah.”
“...It's just an orb?”
What was in Arthur's hand was a fist-sized orb.
Lee Shin nodded.
“That's how it's supposed to look.”
It wasn't that Lee Shin had damaged it; it was just how the system worked.
After all, they couldn't show a real head, could they?
Avala Online might have used the catchphrase 'a virtual reality indistinguishable from reality,' but even so, something like this couldn't be exactly like the real thing.
In the first place, if it were, it wouldn't have passed the pre-launch review.
That's why it appears as this toned-down image to users.
“Aha.”
“And it only looks like this to us. NPCs perceive it correctly.”
“Where should I hang this?”
“Just somewhere with a lot of foot traffic, somewhere highly visible. Like a clock tower.”
“Ah, I get it.”
Arthur disappeared outside, holding the count's head.
‘Now then...’
Lee Shin turned his head.
He saw the count's servants looking up at him, trembling.
And next to them, he saw the assets they had been trying to flee with.
Lee Shin gestured with his chin and said.
“Is that all?”
“Please spare our lives... Huh?”
“The stuff you were trying to run off with. Is that all of it?”
At Lee Shin's question, the servants exchanged glances.
Should we tell him...?
“Uhh...”
“...”
“...”
“I'll spare the life of the one who tells me the most.”
“...I know the location of a hidden storeroom!!”