Chapter 111
Chapter 111
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 111
Chapter Title: Daboseok Immigrant VER.C.DAWN
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[Chapter 111]
Altoid Count's main sources of income were Mazia fruit and slaves.
They had succeeded in putting a collar around his neck with the Mazia fruit, and now the goal in the dungeon was to utterly wreck his slave caravan and tighten the noose even further.
But there was one problem.
Altoid Count was about to open his underground slave market, and pinpointing its location was proving quite difficult.
It operated by selling well-trained, high-quality slaves at premium prices only to those in the know, so information didn't circulate—it just stagnated.
Back when Dun was Doen Isaemaeji, there had been two main ways to extract someone else's intel.
One was tailing the target relentlessly until the info surfaced, and the other was sweet-talking people around the target to pry it loose.
Coaxing people close to Altoid Count seemed dicey—their loyalty looked rock-solid—so for now, simply shadowing the count himself felt like the clearest, most straightforward play.
Normally, he'd have equipped a presence-concealing item and trailed from a safe distance, but Dun had Poopy, who could turn invisible.
Combine that with a presence suppressor, and he'd move like a ghost.
“World shift.”
Dun warped to Daboseok for a long-overdue solo adventure with Poopy.
* * *
Come to think of it, hitting Daboseok during daylight hours felt like ages ago. The bright surroundings struck him as strangely unfamiliar.
He was usually swamped with Prim-related errands during the day, only slipping over to Daboseok at night to hang with Poopy.
Poopy could go invisible, so Dun had toyed with sneaking him into the army for some fun, but lately Poopy seemed busy with his own thing, so Dun left him be.
“Poopy slime. Where you at~?”
Dun reached Poopy's usual spot and scanned around, looking for him.
The area was packed with rainbow poops from the last batch.
Daylight revealed details of the rainbow poop village that were invisible at night.
At the front of the rainbow poop habitat's valley stood a cluster of massive, iridescent water droplets.
Curious, Dun poked one—it was surprisingly sturdy—and noticed each had a tiny door.
Rainbow poops were shuffling in and out, so it looked like they'd built themselves some cozy digs.
In the time Dun had been away, the rainbow poops had been busy foraging, organizing, and thriving.
[Denny wadda……. Denny wadda…….]
From the largest water droplet in the rainbow poop habitat, Poopy wriggled out.
“What's all this? Spill.”
This seemed to explain why Poopy had looked so busy lately.
Dun glanced around with keen interest, then asked in a cheeky tone. Poopy beamed innocently.
[Hehe……. Denny told me to look after little bros……. So we're living good together…….]
Poopy wriggled over to Dun and plopped onto his head in his usual spot.
[It's daytime though……. Came to play with Poopy?……. Thanks……. Happy day……. Big day for Poopy…….]
Early on, he'd sobbed about being abandoned, but now he seemed half-resigned—just grateful for the visit.
Dun felt a twinge of guilt. He plucked Poopy off his head and hugged him close.
“Actually, not here to play. I need your powers.”
Poopy flushed pink at the words.
[Denny……. Needs Poopy? Poopy been practicing powers with mana…….]
“Yeah, I need you. Poopy powers rock.”
[Heehee, Denny needs me…….]
Dun flashed a thumbs-up, hyping him, and Poopy's body deepened to a richer pink, his flower antenna wagging like a puppy tail.
“Alright, let's roll.”
[Wait……. Wait a sec……. Hang on…….]
Dun was about to head out with Poopy when the slime suddenly hopped from his arms.
Poopy darted off to a burly-looking rainbow poop.
[Hold the fort while I'm gone……. Please…….]
The big rainbow poop jiggled in response as Poopy chattered urgently.
Dun stifled a chuckle as Poopy zipped back.
“What was that about?”
[If Poopy leaves and rainbow poops fall apart……. Denny gets sad…….]
Dun blinked at him for a moment, caught off guard, then scratched his neck. His nose tingled suddenly.
“……Sniff. Okay, business first. Once we're out, can you make me invisible?”
[Yay……. Yay…….]
Dun gently stroked Poopy's flower as the slime glowed pink and chirped happily.
* * *
“Can you see me?”
“Gahhh!”
To test his invisibility, Dun popped a 'Mermel's Voice' item and whispered into a random passerby's ear.
Invisibility muffled normal voices, so he needed something that bypassed environmental noise.
[Rare] Mermel's Voice
Description: Eat to rediscover your voice at Ulr's core.
A domain folk clamped his ears and shrieked, bolting away as a phantom whisper hit him out of nowhere.
‘Perfect, I'm good.’
Invisible, Dun hopped onto a carriage roof and rode to the count's estate. Altoid Count's mansion, arrived without a hitch.
Broad daylight. Dun stood boldly at the front gate, hands jammed in his pockets.
‘Wonder if Altoid's holed up in his office?’
To avoid dirt smudging Poopy and revealing his outline, Dun stuck to the grass—footprints be damned.
As he pondered scaling the wall to peek at office windows, he spotted Gesen slipping into the mansion from afar.
‘Tail that guy, should lead right to him.’
Gesen visited the count's place mostly to see the man himself, so following meant a solid shot at Altoid's location.
“Poopy, quiet as a mouse once we're inside. Got it?”
[Uh-huh……. No worries……. Poopy sneaky good…….]
“Oh yeah? Poopy's got stealth skills?”
Dun stifled a laugh—Poopy's claim cracked him up.
Gesen marched straight to Altoid Count's office without pause.
He looked seriously pissed, yanking doors open with rough jerks of the handle.
Thanks to that, Dun slipped through before they latched, no sweat.
They reached Colin Altoid Count's office in no time.
Thick, acrid fog enveloped Dun the moment he entered.
Sniff test: stale cigarette smoke, trapped without ventilation.
Through the haze, Colin Altoid Count slouched in his chair.
Dun, trailing Gesen to the count's side, raised an eyebrow at the man's face.
Younger than expected—oddly so.
Dun had pictured a hunched, decrepit geezer from domain folk tales of his deeds, but this guy looked late teens, early twenties tops.
Unless a super ageless freak who'd been count since toddlerhood—which Dun leaned toward.
Gesen reached the count and bowed deeply.
“Good day, my lord. About this underground slave market…….”
“Do I look like I've got the headspace for business reports right now!! Cough, cough!”
Crash!
Colin hurled his ashtray-laced coffee mug at Gesen.
Gesen took it square to the head—couldn't dodge. Shards embedded, drawing blood.
‘Psycho. Zero to rage much?’
Dun dodged splatter and clicked his tongue.
Bad temper anticipated, but this was next-level mess.
Gesen clamped his mouth shut, waiting out the inexplicable fury.
Ten minutes of silence. Finally, he cracked.
“Any bad news, perhaps…….”
“Shut it.”
“……Yes, sir.”
Getting this treatment from a kid……
Gesen gnawed his finger, swallowing curses.
He was seasoned at pandering to nasty nobles, courtesy of the late Altoid Count.
When the old man died suddenly from chronic illness and this kid inherited, Gesen had hoped for relief.
Planned to cozy up, soothe the unstable youth.
Even schemed to nibble away at the old count's dirty empire bit by bit.
But the kid stubbornly defended his father's filth.
Deciding not to cross the boy, Gesen had played squeaky clean since.
Why stick around despite the kid's slights? Colin was the pillar holding Altoid prestige.
Stick tight to his type, handle the dirty work, and scraps rained down.
Altoid house crumbling meant Gesen's assets, life, rep—all dust.
No matter what, he couldn't afford the kid's ire. Had to cling differently than with the old man.
Another ten minutes dragged.
Gesen tested the waters again.
“I'm the loyal hound of House Altoid. As I served your late father faithfully, so shall I stand by you always. If you've worries or need to vent, pour it all on this Gesen anytime.”
“…….”
Colin slumped over his desk, tapping weakly with his pipe.
“Father swore you were trustworthy. Even willed you his legacy.”
“I served him diligently, as I do you now. Trust in me. Sure, Mazia fruit hit a snag, but I've lined up a new underground spot. Sell off those fresh elf slaves right, and we'll cover losses.”
Colin half-heard, sprawled, staring at his pipe.
Same design as Father's. He'd commissioned it himself.
Seeing 'Colin' etched where Father's name should be felt oddly surreal.
“Pipes—thoughts on ordering another custom?”
“……Did you catch a word I said?”
Gesen forced a smile at Colin's random tangent.
“Isn't this about the slave market location? Drop the paper with it and get out. Date's tomorrow—pick it up then.”
“……Understood.”
About time.
Gesen pulled a fancy sheet from his coat and offered it to Colin.
Bored into a doze by the silence, Dun's eyes snapped open at 'location,' and he eased up stealthily from the floor.
‘Ugh, dude. Just hand the paper and bounce from jump. Dragging it out—what a showboat.’
Dun wiped drool and crept to Colin's side, peeking curiously.
The paper Gesen handed Colin was blank.
“Not far from last time.”
Colin eyed the empty sheet, then lit it with a fancy metal lighter.
‘Huh, these guys are sneakily thorough.’
Imperial Magic Academy's latest: magic paper visible only to the holder.
Preferred by info-traders wary of pigeon post.
Good thing Haeoi had yapped about its mechanics once.
Otherwise, Dun might've snapped at the muttering over blank paper, demanding the spot.
Slim pickings for the effort.
Infiltrating with Poopy for nothing? Nah.
Then—creak—the door swung open.
“I'll take my leave.”
Gesen bowed again.
Dun scrambled to tail him out before it shut.
Gesen muttered curses the second it clicked.
“That damn brat……. If he weren't nobility…….”
Dun circled ahead, hands in pockets, eyeing Gesen's face.
A sight. Rage barely contained, face a mask of awkward strain.
‘Sweet-talk this clown, intel's mine.’
Blind tail failed, time for plan B.
Coax peripherals.
No provoke skill needed—he was primed to spill if played right.
Dun grinned wickedly at Gesen's twisted mug.