Chapter 132
Chapter 132
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 132
Chapter Title: Almond Baekguk (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“What did you just babble? Say it again.”
At the man’s question, Demian replied with a pitying look on his face.
“To think your wits are as dull as your ears. Don’t worry. I’ll educate you on the spot so you can grasp what people say right away.”
The man let out a hollow laugh at Demian’s words and glanced at his comrades. They snickered along.
The next moment, the man swung his demon-slaying sword. The blade, cloaked in aura, flashed.
As Demian moved to parry it with his club, the man scoffed.
“You idiot! You think that stick can block aura...?”
Demian twisted the club. The demon-slaying sword’s trajectory shifted.
The blade, which had been slashing down diagonally, shot upward into the sky. In the process, it slipped right out of the man’s grip.
“Huh...?”
The man stared at his empty hand in bewilderment.
“H-How...”
Instead of answering, Demian brought the club down on the man’s head.
“Gurk!”
With a scream, the man’s head slammed into the ground. He foamed at the mouth, his limbs twitching.
“B-Big brother!”
“How dare you lay a hand on big brother!”
Two men drew their weapons and charged at Demian. They weren’t ordinary fighters either—their weapons glowed with aura.
“Looks like you lot don’t know the first thing about learning.”
Demian parried their attacks, and once again, their weapons veered off course and slipped from their grasps.
“Huh?”
“Wha?”
Demian smashed each of their heads with the club. The two collapsed like frogs on the ground.
“G-Gaaah... My head... My heeead...”
“Aaagh! My head! My head’s splitting!”
“M-Mommy... Mommmy...”
The three clutched their heads and groaned. Demian looked at them indifferently.
“They’re fine, yet you’re whining like that.”
Only after hearing his words did the three realize their skulls weren’t cracked.
“W-What the...”
“I-I thought my skull shattered for sure...”
Demian approached the flustered trio, tapping his palm with the club.
“True reflection starts with admitting your wrongs. All three of you, repeat after me: ‘I will never again use my meager power to oppress others.’”
“Who’s gonna repeat that nonsense...”
Demian immediately whacked their crowns with the club. This time, it was two strikes each.
“Gaaaaah!”
“Aaaaaagh!”
“Krghaaak!”
The three rolled on the ground, clutching their heads.
“Get up now, or next time it’s four.”
At the grim warning, they scrambled to their feet. Before they knew it, they were on their knees before Demian.
“Repeat after me: ‘I will never again use my meager power to oppress others.’”
The three exchanged glances before shouting.
“W-We will never again use our meager power to oppress others!”
Satisfied with their resounding response, Demian nodded.
“Now you’re properly primed for redemption.”
* * *
The middle-aged man, Tievo, thought he was dreaming.
He had lived his whole life as a third-rate mercenary at best. Still, he had seen plenty, so he knew just how dangerous aura users were.
Monsters who could slaughter dozens with a single weapon.
“Roll left. Roll right. Hey, you’re too slow?”
“S-Sorry!”
Yet such dangerous beings... three of them, no less... were utterly helpless against one man.
“What are your names?”
“Y-Yes! I’m Aleksandrovich Asenko Lvainir!”
“Too long. You’re Number One, that one’s Number Two, and that guy’s Number Three.”
It wasn’t just helplessness. They were fawning and cringing.
“My throat’s a bit dry.”
Victor muttered, rubbing his neck. Tievo thrust out a canteen at once.
“H-Here you go!”
Victor took it with a puzzled look but accepted it.
“You don’t have to do this.”
“No, no! I’m doing it because I want to, so please don’t feel burdened!”
Tievo wasn’t acting out of simple goodwill.
This man.
He was the noble benefactor who would change his life, the lifeline who would pull him from the depths.
“Well, I’ll gratefully drink it then.”
Victor gulped down the water. Tievo stuck close by his side, buttering him up.
“What an incredible technique! Deflecting aura-infused swords with just a club! I couldn’t believe my eyes!”
Victor didn’t reply, just kept drinking. Still, Tievo pressed on undeterred.
“Have you heard of Demian Haksen? There were ridiculous rumors he’d reached high-class lately... But he couldn’t fight like you, Sir Victor! No way!”
Tievo didn’t actually know if Victor was stronger than Demian Haksen.
Right now, truth didn’t matter. Winning Victor’s favor came first.
“If you ever need anything, just call on me! I, Tievo, will serve you with all my heart!”
Tievo shouted with genuine fervor.
“Well, if you insist, I guess I can’t stop you.”
After that, Demian’s journey became remarkably easier.
Tievo and Numbers One, Two, and Three handled all the trivial matters.
They even took turns cooking meals and setting up beds.
“Sir Victor emphasized group effort, so why aren’t you doing any—Guk! Grk!”
Number One tried a minor act of defiance midway, but it didn’t escalate. A quick “redemption” session fixed it.
Days passed like that, and the merchant caravan carrying Demian arrived at Baekguk.
* * *
After the long journey, Baekguk brimmed with vibrant energy.
Mercenaries and adventurers crowded everywhere, with merchants hawking weapons and potions all around.
“Lots of people.”
“Right? They say it wasn’t always like this. It exploded after the ruins opened.”
Tievo explained from beside Demian.
Just then, a man in luxurious clothes passed by, leading knights.
“Nobles too, huh?”
“Ruins mean money. Not just local nobles—even foreign ones are flocking here.”
“Doesn’t seem like they need the cash.”
The noble who just passed looked filthy rich. No need to delve into dangerous ruins.
“Oh, sharp eye. Truth is, most nobles are after Lady Freize, not the money.”
“Lady Freize?”
Information Demian didn’t know.
“Do you know the previous lord of the count’s family here was a master-class?”
“I do. That’s how the county became independent as Baekguk.”
“After his death, his eldest daughter, Lady Freize, took over. She’s the one who opened the ruins.”
Tievo continued.
“According to her, the previous lord found a strangely shaped ‘relic sword’ while exploring the ruins. But a trap triggered, and he couldn’t retrieve it.”
Demian listened intently to Tievo.
“So Lady Freize declared she’d marry whoever finds and brings back that relic sword. That’s why nobles are pouring in.”
A highly intriguing tale.
Marrying Lady Freize meant becoming Baekguk’s lord, and her beauty was widely praised to boot.
All the ingredients for nobles to swarm.
Of course, Demian had zero interest in marriage. The relic sword in the ruins piqued his appetite.
Ziiing.
At that moment, Dawn hummed from his waist. As if protesting to Demian.
‘But what can I do? You can never have too many good weapons.’
Zing?
Dawn hummed briefly in response. As if sulking.
“Let’s check out the ruins.”
“Huh? You’re going in already?”
“Of course not. Just scoping the entrance.”
“Um...”
Then, a feeble voice stopped him.
Numbers One, Two, and Three stood there, looking haggard.
On the way to Baekguk, Demian had worked them to the bone.
They’d spent nights catching crickets because they disturbed his sleep, and hunted beasts in the woods for fresh meat.
“W-We... can we go now...?”
Number One pleaded with desperate eyes. Two and Three did the same.
“Go where? Your redemption isn’t over.”
Their faces paled at Demian’s words.
“S-Sir Victor!”
They dropped to their knees. Ready to lick his boots if needed.
“W-We’ve resolved to change starting today!”
“We’ve resolved!”
“P-Please forgive us just once, and we swear to be new men!”
“We swear!”
Demian stroked his chin, pondering their pleas.
“You mean that?”
“Yes!”
“Then go. And never bully people again.”
Demian waved them off. They bolted without looking back.
With them gone, Demian turned to Tievo.
“Let’s head to the entrance.”
* * *
The ruins lay behind the count’s castle.
Once a forest, but now cleared for the ruins’ opening, it served as an outpost.
“That big iron door must lead to the ruins.”
Tievo pointed ahead. A massive iron gate was half-buried in the earth.
“First time seeing ruins up close. It’s so unique.”
Tievo examined the gate in fascination. Demian seemed indifferent by comparison.
Truth was, this wasn’t Demian’s first time at ruins.
Back as a Death Knight, he’d explored several with Dorgo.
“Out of the way! Man’s dying!”
Then, four men burst from the entrance carrying a stretcher. A badly wounded man lay atop it.
Tievo clicked his tongue at the sight.
“Tsk tsk. Went too deep for his level. That place is insanely dangerous.”
“How dangerous?”
“You know ruins vary in risk? This one’s notorious. They say ten go in, maybe two come out alive.”
Demian sensed something off. The survival rate was absurdly low.
Among the ruins he’d explored with Dorgo, few were that deadly.
And such deadly ones were thoroughly hidden from the start.
‘Looks like Gasdal’s in there after all.’
Most deaths were probably kidnappings by Gasdal, not the ruins themselves.
Turned into test subjects in hidden chambers or fodder to bolster Gasdal’s legion.
‘Gasdal, hold on a bit. I’ll find you soon and kill you.’
As Demian glared murderously at the entrance,
“What are you looking at... Ah, the ancient script.”
Tievo nodded knowingly.
<┗╋┓┣━┳┣┓>
Such characters adorned the ruins’ entrance.
“Unique writing, right? Mages have been trying to decipher it, but no progress.”
Tievo chattered, having sidled up.
“You know? The ruins are still active. Manipulating the ancient script can open hidden chambers.”
He said regretfully.
“If we could read it, we’d find the ruins’ secrets...”
Demian eyed the script again.
<┗╋┓┣━┳┣┓>
Truth was, Demian knew exactly what it meant.
[Workshop of the Gentle Breeze Master]
That was the translation.
He knew ancient script thanks to Dorgo.
Surprisingly, Dorgo could read it perfectly.
Many of his black magic spells used it.
So when Dorgo imprinted black magic knowledge on Demian, ancient script came along naturally.
Dorgo hadn’t even taught it to his closest minions.
Likely, only Dorgo and Demian knew it in this world.
‘A master’s workshop...’
Having explored a few with Dorgo, he knew the implications.
One labeled a master’s workshop was no ordinary ruin.
Often housed special weapons crafted by the master.
‘Was just thinking of Gasdal. Didn’t expect much from the ruins...’
He might score something incredible.