Chapter 27
Chapter 27
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: Human Minesweepers
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The color drained from the Gray Fox’s face at the report from the sniper tasked with keeping an eye on Lee Si-woo.
“Take another slow look. And remember exactly where you last saw him.”
Quick-witted Lime, startled, shouted in a sharp voice.
“The entrance! The coordinates for the entrance! Did you check them properly? Don't tell me that bastard gave us fakes!”
Only then did Baba, realizing what was happening, stomp his foot hard.
“Fuck! We’ve been had by that bastard! He must have slipped into the entrance behind our backs!”
The Gray Fox calmly said, checking the coordinate message he received from Lee Si-woo.
“Calm down. It doesn't matter if he went in first. A lair is no easy place.”
As if infected by the Gray Fox's composure, Lime spoke with a much calmer demeanor.
“He has a point. Two mages wouldn't bring an escort for no reason.”
The higher a mage’s level, the more thorough the security on their lair.
Akin to a secret vault, there were always plenty of thieves after them.
So, even though Aman was only a 2nd Circle mage, he must have prepared some solid defenses.
Something a 1st Circle mage would find overwhelming to face alone.
The Gray Fox forwarded the coordinates to Bin, the mercenary captain, then spoke.
“Let’s wait a moment. I’ve tossed the coordinates to the mercenary captain, so we’ll soon know if the entrance is real or fake. More importantly… have you all checked the price of Homage on the All-Things Market?”
At the mention of money, Baba’s eyes lit up.
As a member of the nomadic Lizard race, he couldn't help but be sensitive to money, and Baba was no exception.
“I checked. It’s nearing five billion points, isn't it? That's insane.”
The Gray Fox said with a satisfied smile.
“It’s incredible. The proper price for a typical 2nd Circle spellbook is one billion points. Plus, the important thing is that Homage is unaffiliated magic.”
Lime licked his beak with his pink tongue and said.
“Meaning if we negotiate well, we could earn far more than five billion points.”
As they were listed on the All-Things Market, spellbooks were commonly traded.
However, while there were no restrictions on buying and selling spellbooks, learning and using them was a different story.
If a mage not belonging to a particular school was caught using that school's magic, they would be hunted down and killed by its members.
That was why unaffiliated spellbooks, free from such restrictions, were generally expensive.
The Gray Fox opened the All-Things Market app on his smartphone and said.
“That’s not all. If we play our cards right, we could profit even more. I’ve been checking the market trends for Homage in real-time… and something unusual is happening. The price is rising by millions of points every hour.”
“Suddenly? Why? Is there some kind of news?”
Baba clapped his hands loudly as if a lightbulb had appeared over his head.
“The Selection Tournament! Right! The Selection Tournament is about to start!”
The Gray Fox nodded.
“Yes. It’s the only chance for 1st Circle wandering mages to enter a Magic Tower. I’m sure there will be more than a few mages who wouldn't even hesitate to take out loans from loan sharks to pass the tournament.”
As if on cue, Baba and Lime swallowed dryly at the same time.
They sensed that a golden opportunity had come their way.
Just then, a radio call came in from Bin.
-We’ve confirmed the entrance at the coordinates. No signs of anyone having entered yet.
The Gray Fox flinched in surprise at Bin's report.
‘The coordinates are real? What? Then why did Lee Si-woo disappear?’
He had been almost certain Lee Si-woo’s coordinates were fake. With the coordinates confirmed as real, the Gray Fox’s thoughts grew complicated. In contrast, the two mages, their greed now thoroughly stoked, were growing impatient.
“What, then where the hell did that Lee Si-woo guy disappear to? Did he really go to rest? Should… should we contact him?”
At Lime’s words, Baba reacted irritably, as if she were speaking nonsense.
“What bullshit is that? We need to get in there while he's gone, grab Homage, and get out! Don't you know you have to look out for your own interests? You think the world is easy enough for some clueless fool to get a piece of the pie, huh?”
The Gray Fox turned off the radio and said.
“I agree. Let’s head out on our own first.”
Lime tilted his head and said.
“What are you talking about? Didn't you secretly exchange messages with him earlier? About betraying him. Wouldn't it be easier to get rid of him if we take him with us? What if he backstabs us later after we leave him behind?”
The Gray Fox shook his head.
“I was planning to, but I've changed my mind. Judging from his recent trouble with Baba… he’s not as much of a pushover as I thought. Perhaps… he anticipated that we would betray him and decided to pull out.”
Lime clicked his beak irritably.
“You’re saying he deliberately bailed at this timing, expecting us to jump him all at once?”
“Yes. With a high probability. Then, as you said, Lime, he’ll probably aim to strike us from behind while we’re busy clearing the lair.”
Baba rubbed his jiggly belly with his palm and grumbled.
“That could actually be it. The timing of his exit was suspicious. But that bastard only knows one thing and not the other. How the hell is he going to backstab us when he’s all alone? Is he crazy?”
“Nothing is certain yet, so we can't be sure. But just in case he becomes a variable, let’s proceed with haste. We need to clear this quickly and leave Granada.”
The Gray Fox had staked everything on this job.
Otherwise, how could he, an agent, have tampered with a client’s map?
It was something he wouldn't have dared to do if not for his plan to make a huge score and quit his tiresome life as an agent.
‘Lee Si-woo. I don't know what you're plotting… but I used the portal terminal at dawn to get here specifically to deny you time to prepare. The portal terminal has a twelve-hour cooldown, so you won't be able to call for reinforcements within that time.’
The Gray Fox coordinated a meeting point with Bin over the radio, then left the camp with the mages.
A short while later, Lee Si-woo returned to the clearing, where only a half-pitched tent remained, creating a desolate scene.
He rummaged through the bushes around the clearing and pulled out a Wasp smartphone he had hidden there earlier.
Stopping the recording app that had been running, he played the audio file.
Though the sound was muffled with static, Lee Si-woo could easily discern the expedition's intentions and let out a smirk.
‘I had my suspicions when he brought two mages, but I see he never intended to hand over Homage as promised. And he was even planning to get rid of me? Heh, Earth was a rough place in its own way, but it seems this place is just as savage.’
Lee Si-woo had been operating under the assumption that they might attack him if given the chance. He had naturally left to test them, stepping into Barathrum.
And just as the Butler had boasted that not even a god could detect him, they failed to find any trace of Lee Si-woo and, unsurprisingly, revealed their unbridled greed for Homage.
‘Well, it doesn't matter. I was more interested in the temple than the offerings anyway.’
They probably couldn't even imagine it.
The fact that Lee Si-woo found the two 1st Circle wandering mages far more appetizing than Aman's Homage.
‘I hope Aman’s lair is brutally difficult. It’ll make my job that much easier.’
* * *
Passing by crumbling concrete buildings and roads cracked like a drought-stricken land, they arrived at the logistics warehouse, the location of the coordinates.
Seeing the mercenaries standing guard in front of the warehouse, the Gray Fox spoke.
“I heard there was Lock magic on the entrance. Did you break it?”
Bin reported with brisk efficiency.
“Fortunately, the low-grade Dispel scroll we brought worked, so we broke it without much difficulty.”
“That makes sense. Aman might seem impressive to us, but among all mages, he's just a low-ranking 2nd Circle master. More importantly, have you been inside?”
“We tried, but we failed. The warehouse is filled with all sorts of magic traps…”
At the mention of magic traps, the Gray Fox called for Lime.
“Lime, would you please take a look?”
Lime flapped his wings, flew over, and landed in front of the warehouse.
“Let’s see here.”
Opening the warehouse door, Lime’s head disappeared inside. In the darkness, glowing green eyes scanned the ceiling, walls, and floor without missing a spot.
“There are dozens of single-use traps set up. It won’t be easy to get through this.”
At the words “single-use traps,” a chilling coldness flickered in the Gray Fox’s eyes.
“Single-use… that's even better.”
Baba, who had been listlessly picking his ear with a twig out of boredom, spoke in an indifferent tone.
“What’s so good about it? Single-use traps are more powerful than rechargeable ones. It’s going to be a pain in the ass to break through.”
The Gray Fox flashed a wicked smile.
“But they disappear once they’re triggered. Bin, send the porters in.”
At those words, Bin flinched and stared at the Gray Fox.
His gaze seemed to ask if he was serious, and the Gray Fox replied firmly.
“I’m serious, send them in. If any of them try to run or resist, cut off their legs and throw them inside. But don’t kill them. Most magic traps have biometric sensors, so they don't trigger on corpses.”
Baba clapped his hands and rejoiced like a child.
“Damn, Gray Fox, you bastard. You’ve got a pretty good head on your shoulders, don't you? Is this why you brought the humans?”
Lime, on the other hand, pulled his head out of the warehouse and showed his displeasure.
“Hey, we’re not psychopaths. Throwing humans into magic traps? No matter how insignificant those creatures are, they're still living beings. Killing them like this is crossing a line. Don't you know we could get screwed if this gets reported to ‘Lover,’ the human advocacy group?”
The Gray Fox approached Lime and Baba, then whispered in a low voice.
‘Lime, I’m not pushing them in because I’m a species-ist or a psychopath. Don’t you see? Lee Si-woo might be following us. We need to settle this matter for good.’
At the mention of Lee Si-woo, Lime fell silent as if he had lost his tongue.
The Gray Fox narrowed his eyes and glanced around.
He whispered once more.
“The way Lee Si-woo disappeared bothers me. It wouldn't be good for us if he's waiting to pick up the scraps. So let's use the humans as bait to provoke him. Of course, there's a high chance it won't work, but we have nothing to lose, right?”
It seemed the Gray Fox intended to use the porters as bait to lure out and deal with Lee Si-woo.
After the Gray Fox's persistent persuasion, Lime let out a groan and turned his head away.
It was a gesture indicating that while he didn't like it, he wouldn't object. The Gray Fox smiled, baring his fangs.
The Gray Fox once again ordered Bin.
“What are you doing? Begin!”
Urged on by the Gray Fox, Bin reluctantly gestured to his men. At that, the porters clung to the mercenaries' trouser legs.
They were no fools; how could they not know how they were about to be used?
The mercenaries tried their best to ignore their tearful pleas for life.
As much as they usually looked down on them, cursing and beating them was one thing; murder was something else entirely.
It might seem hypocritical, but the thought of staining their hands with blood stirred a sliver of compassion.
As if sensing their inner conflict, the Gray Fox roared at them.
“Didn't you hear my order! I said throw them in now! Or what? You want to go in instead of them?! It’s unfortunate, but we have to sacrifice them for our own safety, don’t you get it!”
At the Gray Fox’s logical, forceful command, the eyes of the Beastkin mercenaries filled with venom.
They began to throw the porters into the warehouse, one by one. Each time, a loud explosion echoed, and an acrid smell spread through the air.
And Lee Si-woo, from the rooftop of a tall building, watched the entire scene unfold from beginning to end.
‘Gray Fox, what a pathetic little scheme.’
He was by no means a good person, let alone a hero.
Just a despicable opportunist.
Of course, if he had the power, he might have stepped in.
Opportunists were the type who wouldn't miss a chance to offer even a sliver of kindness.
But right now, he was nothing more than a trivial, insignificant being.
So how could he dare to meddle, not knowing his place?
Especially by jumping headfirst into what was clearly a trap.
‘Two 1st Circle beginners. Nine mercenaries with rifles and one sniper. Jumping in there to save them… hmph, sure, if I risked it and pushed through, I might be able to save a few. But that would be nothing more than creating hostages for them to use in a pinch. It would be meaningless.’
Lee Si-woo resolutely gave up, his face expressionless.
‘So it’s right not to intervene.’
In the end, Lee Si-woo chose to be a bystander.
Instead, he watched the tragedy unfolding before his eyes, not missing a single detail.
He never looked away, never turned his back.
‘How could I dare feel sorry for you, or grieve for you? I’m piling up all sorts of reasons, but in the end, the truth is that I’m turning a blind eye for my own gain. But… I promise you this one thing.’
Lee Si-woo’s gaze swept over the Beastkin mercenary squad, Lime, Baba, and the Gray Fox in turn, before he slowly closed his eyes.
‘Today, in this city, no one but me will leave alive.’
Watching his own kind being treated worse than insects and dying in a faraway land was a far filthier experience than Lee Si-woo had imagined.
However, risking his life for an unfamiliar act of meddling was not his style.
So he gladly chose revenge.
That was a role that suited him better, an act he was far more familiar with.