Chapter 77
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 77
Swallow stared at Patrick in disbelief for a long moment before fumbling around his head to grab Demeura. The moment he felt the familiar texture, an urge to destroy surged from deep within him. But Swallow, long resigned to his wretched life, simply slipped the bracelet onto his wrist.
His unstable, flickering form solidified, taking on a proper human appearance.
"Lord Swallow, Rene is all ready too!"
Rene, fully prepared to head out, came trotting over. Swallow had worried she might show up in another bizarre outfit, but fortunately, she was wearing her usual attire.
She carried a bundle as tall as herself on her back as if it were weightless, her face beaming with joy. The girl was clearly living in her own little dreamworld.
"Alright, now that we're ready, let's head out tomorrow."
"Stop talking nonsense and leave immediately."
Patrick, having slipped behind Swallow without him noticing, gave him a firm shove. Pushed from the stalagmite, Swallow tumbled helplessly across the floor.
Startled, Rene rushed over to him. Only then did Swallow reluctantly drag himself to his feet.
"Ugh, what a pain."
How long had it been since he’d last recruited a monster himself?
The process was simple enough on paper, but things rarely went so smoothly in practice.
For the most part, the monsters the Primordial Core wanted were regional rulers. Their pride was so high it pierced the heavens, making a peaceful resolution impossible.
Thus, the protocol was simple: first, make an offer. If they refuse, beat them within an inch of their life and make the offer again while they hover on the brink of death. If they still refuse, well, there was nothing to do but clean up the crime scene.
When it came to smashing another dungeon to pieces, it was practically no different from how humans conducted a subjugation.
And before any of that could happen, there was a prerequisite: finding a strong dungeon monster.
Yes, he had to find a strong one first.
In that regard, human intelligence was incredibly useful.
After all, the monsters in dungeons that humans struggled and failed to conquer were exactly the kind of creatures the Primordial Core coveted most.
"Just find out which monsters are the most notorious these days."
"I'll bring you a Great Evil Cave boss monster."
"No, let's not go that far."
After a petty retort to Patrick's request, Swallow scratched his disheveled hair and slowly began to walk.
"Wait for me, Lord Swallow!"
Rene quickly caught up, sticking close to his side with a bright smile. Watching the two of them leave the cave, Patrick's face clouded with worry.
Their destination was the mercenary city. As the hub for all information about monsters, it was bound to be crawling with subjugation squad members.
...Come to think of it, those two have the most notorious track record of anyone lately.
As he wondered if he should just go himself, his blue eye-flames flickered like waves. Patrick watched their retreating figures until they vanished, then let out a heavy sigh.
"Well, surely... if they have any sanity left, they won't reduce the place to rubble again."
*
The carriage traveled for two days and nights before its long journey finally came to an end.
Once they entered the city, the warhorses slowed, and the coachman busied himself with the entry procedures. There were three checkpoints to pass before reaching the downtown district. While the coachman handled the paperwork, Melju silently gazed at the scenery outside.
Only when the coachman announced their arrival did Melju rise from her seat and take her first step onto the ground.
Perhaps it was the lingering cold of the region, but a chill shot through her body the moment her boots touched the ground.
She shivered slightly.
"It is quite chilly."
The air hanging over the city was cold, but the city itself was far from desolate.
On the contrary, the city seemed to defy the cold, buzzing with a heated, lively energy. The eyes of the people walking about were filled with vitality, and the city seemed to run on that very energy.
To think I am actually here after only ever hearing about it. It brings back a flood of emotions.
The neutral city of Knecht.
A free land nestled between the borders of the Empire and the Kingdom Alliance, untouched by the interference of either power.
On the surface, it was a free city, but some said the Empire's influence ran far deeper than the Kingdom Alliance's. Others claimed the Empire had readily granted the city its autonomy solely to serve its own interests.
In truth, such trivial rumors mattered little to her. What mattered was what kind of city Knecht was right now.
Feeling the accumulated fatigue from the two-day carriage ride, Melju stretched her back. After double-checking that her pouch of gold coins was securely fastened, she stood in a quiet corner of the downtown area and scanned the streets.
Nearly half the citizens walking about were lightly armed. Some even strode through the streets in heavy armor that seemed almost excessive.
The street markets were less bustling than they were chaotic.
Most of the grand buildings handled public affairs, while the street stalls packed tightly below were cluttered with items clearly harvested from dungeon subjugations, ranging from weapons to trophies taken from monster corpses.
The Mercenary City.
Another name given to Knecht.
A place where one in four residents made a living from dungeon subjugation, and where information about dungeons flowed more freely than anywhere else.
Melju walked right through the center of the street. Even amidst the market's clamor, her pace remained leisurely.
The sun was high in the sky, showing no signs of setting anytime soon. She had plenty of time. In any case, she intended to remain in the city until dusk.
Judeca's precise location could only be found by reading the constellations. Since she hadn't spent her life memorizing the ever-shifting stars, she had no choice but to wait for nightfall to confirm the exact location.
Since this isn't a place I can visit easily, I might as well take this opportunity to learn a thing or two.
She had plenty of time and plenty of curiosity.
"...Still, it is dreadfully chaotic."
The city was also incredibly unfriendly to newcomers. In a place populated mostly by outsiders, one would expect large maps or signposts, but Knecht offered nothing of the sort.
She was already growing sick of the overwhelming crowds and the constant clanging of metal echoing from every direction.
Frowning, she followed the flow of the crowd until a massive building loomed before her. Before she could even wonder at its purpose, she saw a large placard at the entrance that read: 'Subjugation Agency'.
It was nothing like the small offices found in ordinary villages; its scale was so grand it resembled a temple.
"Oh."
Melju let out an involuntary murmur of admiration. The oppressive pressure radiating from it wasn't just due to its sheer size. A dense concentration of mana wafted from within, as if its occupants felt no need to hide their power.
There were nearly ten mages inside whose power rivaled the strong opponents she had faced in Riaze. While she was confident she could defeat any of them one-on-one, the thought of dozens of such humans gathered in a single building made it an undeniably dangerous place.
There must be countless dungeon subjugation requests in there as well.
Likely far more than what she had seen in the tavern back in Riaze. Driven by curiosity, she wanted to step inside, but after scanning the entrance, she ultimately decided against it.
It appeared that entry required verification of a badge indicating one's rank as a subjugation squad member. There was no need to go to such lengths just to get a look inside.
Reaching that conclusion, Melju turned away, leaving her lingering curiosity behind.
This time, she pushed against the crowd, walking in the opposite direction. The area surrounding the Subjugation Agency was the most heavily trafficked part of Knecht's bustling district.
Where there was a bustling district, there was bound to be a dilapidated one. True to form, this run-down area was located on the exact opposite side of the city.
The further she walked, the more the street stalls thinned out. Gaps began to appear in the once-dense rows of shops, and the number of people on the streets dwindled significantly.
Run-down districts had a charm of their own. Melju rather enjoyed this kind of atmosphere, where a faint trace of despair clung to the streets.
As she walked aimlessly, Melju let out a soft, involuntary hum.
The scent of monsters hung thick beyond the alleyway.
It wasn't from just one creature.
It was a chaotic, unhygienic, and foul stench—a mixture of many different beasts.
Without a moment's hesitation, Melju turned toward the source. The shadows of the alley deepened the further she followed the scent.
Hemmed in by high walls on either side, it felt as though she were walking through a path of pure shadow.
At the end of the path lay a wide, open lot packed with iron cages of various sizes. Every single monster scent Melju had detected was emanating from this very spot.
—And inside every single cage, a monster was imprisoned.
The moment Melju stepped into the lot, dozens of eyes glared at her from the darkness.
An ordinary person would have fled in terror, but Melju merely surveyed the scene with an indifferent expression.
The monsters were entirely at the mercy of their captors. Wounded and bound in heavy chains, they could do nothing but growl from behind their bars, utterly stripped of their freedom.
There was no need to wonder who was responsible for this.
Right on cue, a man emerged from the shadows and approached her.
Melju cast a brief glance at him. There was no hostility in his eyes.
When she remained silent, the man was the first to speak.
"What brings a lovely lady to a dangerous place like this?"
He wore the practiced, quintessential smile of a merchant.
*
In the dim light of the alley, the merchant's eyes darted restlessly.
Masking his suspicion behind a polite smile, he sized up Melju. Gauging a customer's background at a glance to offer the appropriate level of service was a fundamental skill for any merchant.
"..."
Her elegant attire, her haughty expression, and her arrogant refusal to take even a single step forward to meet him.
Although it was somewhat concerning that she hadn't brought a single guard—unlike typical nobles—her bearing was unmistakably that of high society.
The merchant immediately bowed. He bent at a perfect right angle, a display of sycophancy so complete it was almost embarrassing to watch.
"I am Pun of the Albrecht Merchant Guild."
After his brief introduction, the merchant raised his head, naturally stealing a glance to gauge her reaction.
By all accounts, she should have returned the introduction, but Melju offered no response whatsoever.
Masking his awkwardness, the merchant quickly reassessed the situation.
His conclusion was simple: regardless of her status, the woman before him was not entirely sane.
"If you happen to have lost your way..."
Mid-sentence, Melju finally turned her head to look at him.
Though slightly startled by her sudden movement, the merchant smoothly cut himself off and flashed his practiced smile once more. He was highly experienced in handling such interactions.
And once again, he revised his assessment.
...She is no ordinary noble lady.
Her gaze was sharp and clear as she looked at him. Her pupils were slitted and piercing—far too intense to be mere night vision. There was something deeply uncanny about them.
"I am Melju of the Agrea family."
Just as the merchant was trying to collect his thoughts, Melju spoke. Immediately after, as if she had already dismissed him, she turned her gaze back to the cages with an air of supreme arrogance. The imprisoned monsters continued to howl and thrash, but Melju did not flinch.
She simply stared down the beasts, her expression completely unchanged, until their raucous clamor began to die down.
Was she contemplating? Observing? It was impossible to read her intentions from her gaze alone.
To the merchant, however, the sight was profoundly unsettling.
Any ordinary noble lady would have fled screaming or collapsed to the ground, wetting herself in terror.
Yet here she was, standing before them without so much as blinking. It was a level of composure that went far beyond being merely strong-willed or extraordinary.
"What is this place?" Melju asked, her head still turned toward the monsters.
Seeing no reason to hide the truth, the merchant answered immediately.
"To put it simply, you could call it a warehouse of sorts."
"Does that mean these monsters are sold?"
"Indeed. They are, after all, a type of trophy harvested from dungeon subjugations. Though, rather than being sold as they are, they usually undergo some... processing first."
Monsters were highly sought after. In terms of versatility, they were the most valuable spoils one could extract from a dungeon.
They served as research subjects or as raw materials for equipment through the extraction of their bones and blood. Sometimes they were used as test dummies to measure the destructive power of weapons, and it was not uncommon for them to have their limbs severed and mounted as grotesque decorations for those with deviant desires.
Being tamed as a familiar to serve as castle defense was practically the most humane fate they could hope for. In some territories, they were imported for public entertainment and thrown into gladiatorial arenas, forced to fight each other to the death. For these creatures, a happy ending was virtually nonexistent.
"I see."
Melju replied dryly, her eyes returning to the iron bars. One could not reign over monsters if they wasted sympathy on the defeated. Even so, the sight was far from pleasant.