Chapter 204
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 204
Ever since the Yaksha Sisters arrived, Rene felt her own misery only deepen.
Honestly, when it was just Melju, things had been fine. In fact, she had been glad to have someone who could bring a bit of life into the dreary dungeon.
Of course, Melju had caused plenty of trouble at first, but having been born to lead a faction, she understood hierarchy. As time passed, she began to focus on her duties rather than pestering Swallow constantly.
The unease in Rene's heart began the moment the Yaksha Sisters arrived.
Suddenly, a wave of anxiety washed over her.
Come to think of it, why did Swallow go all the way to Cheite Castle himself?
Normally, he would have left such a task to her or Patrick.
Was he really that worried about the Younger Yaksha Sister?
...Now that I think about it, even when the Older Yaksha Sister gave him a lap pillow last time!
Even then, Swallow had accepted such a brazen act without the slightest hesitation. Furthermore, unlike with Rene, he had never once commented on the Yaksha Sisters' scandalous outfits or figures.
Could it be?
Had he already fallen for the sisters’ pincer attack?
"No! There's no way!" Rene denied her own thoughts aloud, her voice startlingly loud for a murmur.
Still, feeling an inexplicable weight in her chest, she pulled out the Higanbana she had carefully stored away. The flower, a gift from Swallow, was imbued with preservation magic so it would never wither. Rene used to attach all sorts of wonderful meanings to things like that.
But now, she began to wonder if it had all been her own delusion.
After all, she had made such a terrible blunder last time. If she were in Swallow’s shoes, she wouldn’t have been pleased with herself either. Shouldn't she just be grateful to still be here as a Gatekeeper?
As one thought led to another, her mind drifted to her past. She recalled her utterly wretched life—a life of livestock, scavenging for food no better than garbage under the heel of humans.
It was Swallow who had given meaning to that life. Simply being taken in by him was a blessing in itself. All this conflict and emotional turmoil stemmed from the greed that had taken root now that her life was comfortable.
Rene Rellow, know your place.
Please.
…
But I'm still a Gatekeeper.
She was a Gatekeeper, but unlike Patrick, Rene knew nothing.
Just look at what happened earlier.
To explain why Swallow was running late, Robert had called Patrick, not her. Though they were both Gatekeepers, the gap in their knowledge was immense.
Unlike Rene, who had learned nothing but maid’s chores while being persecuted by humans, Patrick had known almost everything from the moment he arrived at the Primordial Core.
Even…
…how the world worked.
…the true identity of the 116 Black Tentacles.
…the hidden secrets of the world.
…and what lay at the end of this cave.
Everything.
Swallow had said there was no good in knowing such things, but ignorance was a direct path to incompetence. The only thing Rene could boast about was having "fought off more humans," but that was merely because Patrick had fewer opportunities to fight. It was by no means because he was weaker than her.
"What must I do…"
"...to earn Lord Swallow's love?"
Unable to control her emotions, Rene muttered the same words over and over. A murky aura began to rise and swirl around her like a budding flower.
She hated being worthless. If she felt worthless, she was terrified she would be abandoned once again.
Just as she was sinking deeper into the darkness…
"Lady Rene Rellow."
A voice suddenly called her name, snapping Rene out of her spiraling thoughts as if waking from a dream. She hurriedly looked around.
A butler in a neat suit was waiting at the entrance of her room.
"...Mr. Robert."
He was a retainer from Cheite Castle who had been away with Patrick. Though she had only heard his name for the first time today, Rene recognized his face. Slicked-back blonde hair, jewel-like blue eyes, a flawlessly sharp jawline, and distinct features.
He was the one who always stood by Bathory's side whenever Rene visited Cheite Castle, the most favored of her retainers—essentially, ‘Bathory's husband.’
"May I come in for a moment?"
"Come in."
With a polite bow, Robert approached. He could have used <Transference> to reach her in an instant, but he walked over quietly, perhaps deeming it rude.
Out of the blue, Robert offered her a bottle of wine.
"I was not given instructions regarding the order of reporting, so I went to Lord Patrick first, as he was closer. I offer my apologies for that."
"..."
"Lord Swallow has stated that he will be delayed by a few days due to personal business. This matter is to be shared only with the Gatekeepers and the room administrators…"
"...What is this wine?"
"It is a gift from my master."
"Master" naturally referred to Bathory. Rene took the bottle, her palm caressing the cool glass as she looked up at Robert.
"My master said she will send Lord Swallow back as quickly as possible, and she asks that you keep yourself looking your best in the meantime."
"..."
A long silence ensued. After several seconds, Rene finally nodded.
"I understand."
With a final bow, Robert took his leave.
Only after his presence had completely vanished did Rene look down at the wine in her hand again. The engravings on the bottle were quite elegant. A number that appeared to be a vintage was etched on it; a quick calculation told her it had been aged for a very long time.
Unfortunately, that was the extent of her knowledge. She didn't know how to distinguish a good wine, let alone how to savor it.
Besides, even if she was given something like this now, her mood was already—
"Rene is..."
Rene trembled.
The murky aura that had enveloped her just moments ago vanished completely as heat began to rise from her body. Her face flushed bright red, a deep blush spreading across her cheeks. Her characteristic delusional tendencies flared up again. Once her hopeful imagination started spinning, it wasn't easily stopped.
"This is no time to be like this."
Now that she had been handed such a secret weapon, she couldn't just sit around in despair. It was a shame that surprising him with food was no longer an option, but she decided to make it again anyway. First, she needed to adjust the lighting in her room to create a romantic atmosphere.
Conveniently, the light sacs of the red fireflies living nearby emitted a soft, reddish glow that would be perfect for setting the mood.
Rene counted out a number of steel needles equal to the fireflies she needed to hunt and slipped them into her cat-themed garter.
"Rene will try her best one more time!"
*
"She's not here."
When the Younger Yaksha Sister arrived at Rene's room, its owner had already left.
"What should we do, Sister?"
"Let's go in for now."
They hadn't come to play a prank. They had simply come to formally report the Younger Yaksha Sister's return and to express their gratitude for Rene's help during the rescue.
"Looks like she left in a hurry."
Upon entering Rene's room, the first thing that caught their eye was a large pot. The Older Yaksha Sister walked over and peered at its contents. Inside was a dish that was slowly cooling, as if it had been cooked some time ago. Based on the circumstances, it seemed to be a dish made using Calamidad's eggs.
"The color is a bit strange, Sister," the Younger Yaksha Sister commented from the side. It looked like a stew, but its purplish hue was rather odd.
As the Older Yaksha Sister showed her curiosity, the younger one pulled her arm to stop her.
"Hold on. Let me do a good deed."
I did tease her a bit too much last time.
She figured it would be nice to help out a little this time. With that thought, the Older Yaksha Sister washed her hands in the underground stream flowing in the corner of the room.
Contrary to her appearance, she was quite skilled at cooking. The combat-loving Yakshas were heavy drinkers and big eaters, and she had learned a great deal while wandering the continent. She noticed the flowers scattered around. From the looks of it, Rene must have cooked this dish to win Swallow's heart. In that case…
"A plain stew won't be enough to capture Lord Swallow's heart. Watch closely. I'll show you how just a few seasonings can make this dish taste absolutely incredible."
First, the Older Yaksha Sister scooped up a ladleful of the stew and brought it to her lips.
"You've made a mistake," Scobina said. "If you only wanted to check whether I am Hokun, you shouldn't have kidnapped me. You shouldn't have been so foolish as to think I would cooperate just because you took the precious things around me hostage."
She glanced around.
"Because I am a merchant," Scobina continued. To a merchant, some things are just as important as life itself. "So trying to persuade me like this is pointless. Even if you keep showing me the peaceful sights of Rium, I won't cooperate. I have absolutely no intention of contributing to peace."
For she was a merchant guild member dedicated to assisting the Primordial Core.
"Because of me, the noose will slowly tighten around your necks."
By now, the Primordial Core would be starting to track her whereabouts.
"You probably don't know this, hiding in a place like this and staring at trees all day, but the monster merchant guilds aren't run as sloppily as you think."
The reason Leprechauns, who possess zero combat ability, can run a merchant guild despite the risks is because they have their own ways of dealing with emergencies. For instance, those who come into contact with a Leprechaun are left with a trace that only other Leprechauns can see. That trace doesn't fade for over a month, and there is no way to erase it. If a guild member meets with an accident, the Leprechauns use that trace to piece together what happened. In some cases, even if it means incurring massive financial losses…
They retaliate.
"My trace is on you."
It remained, clear as day, on the Empress.
"When Swallow comes here, you won't be able to make any excuses. Spitting out a lie like, 'This has nothing to do with us,' won't be tolerated. 'Just checking if you're Hokun?' Don't make me laugh. You've provoked Lord Swallow."
"..."
"The price will be damn expensive."
"..."
"You idiot."
Countless gazes stared at her from the darkness. Even so, Scobina smiled. Several days had already passed. All that was left was for the spark she had dropped to spread into an uncontrollable fire.
The Empress did nothing but listen intently. Scobina replayed her words in her head, but she found no flaws. This was a disaster born of the Empress's stupidity; it posed no real danger to Swallow.
Yet, the reason Scobina was secretly breaking out in a cold sweat was that the Empress's expression hadn't wavered even once.
Only after a long while did the Empress speak quietly.
"I understand your point."
The curtains fluttered in the wind. In the light filtering through, the Empress's figure became clearly visible. Scobina stared at her with a blank expression for a moment, then snorted.
"I understand your opinion. However," the Empress continued, "I am not stupid."
*
Four days after the Younger Yaksha Sister returned to the Primordial Core, Swallow came back.
"Everyone, gather up."
The dark circles under Swallow's eyes were deeper than usual. Though he was exhausted, his drawling voice carried an uncharacteristic gravity.
At his command, the room administrators and Gatekeepers gathered, with Patrick at the center. Once everyone was assembled, Swallow finally slumped into his chair and looked around at them.
"...I think we're missing one?"
"The Older Yaksha Sister is sick in bed, Boss," Patrick said, raising his hand on behalf of the hesitating Younger Yaksha Sister.
"Sick?" Swallow muttered, then asked as if suddenly remembering something, "What are her symptoms?"
"A fever accompanied by a high body temperature. Her immunity has temporarily weakened, and her muscles are so relaxed that she can't even support her own body."
"I see."
Stroking his chin, Swallow swept his gaze over his subordinates again.
Hyeong-ak, hearing the symptoms for the first time, looked completely clueless. Rene wore a similarly innocent, blank face. Melju, who was knowledgeable in pharmacology, had turned pale, while the Younger Yaksha Sister looked flustered, not knowing what to do.
Swallow hadn't known at first either, but because similar incidents had happened so many times, he had memorized the symptoms.
The cause was undoubtedly Roxenox, a poisonous herb that grew wild in the forest. Among poisonous herbs, Roxenox had a pleasant aroma and a bittersweet taste, so humans who didn't know any better would occasionally use it as a spice and cause an accident.
And in this cave, there was exactly one grim reaper who insisted on using it as a spice every single time.