Chapter 73
Chapter 73
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: Treasure Hunt (1)
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The investigation team had arrived, so there was no longer any need for Demian Haksen to stay.
Demian informed Agnes of his intention to return to his family estate.
"Are you leaving already?"
Agnes looked disappointed as she spoke to Demian.
"A victory celebration banquet is being prepared. If you could just stay until then..."
"I left without even getting permission from my father. I need to get back as soon as possible."
Agnes let out a short sigh at Demian's words.
"Then when you visit the Church, please let me know. I want to guide you personally."
Thanks to the achievements he had earned this time, Demian had gained the opportunity to enter the Church's secret archives.
Agnes seemed eager to guide him herself.
"Understood."
"You have to promise."
Agnes gripped Demian's hand tightly as she spoke. Under the immense pressure, Demian could only repeat his agreement several times.
"Sir Demian! Though it was a short time, thank you so much!"
Next, Demian encountered Dionysio. Dionysio's eyes sparkled brightly.
"How incredible you are, Sir Demian. I'll never forget it for the rest of my life!"
"You said you'd never forget your grudge before."
"Th-that was... I didn't know anything back then..."
Dionysio scratched the back of his head. Demian let out a chuckle.
"Work hard. You've got talent."
Demian patted Dionysio's shoulder as he spoke. Dionysio's eyes shook greatly at the words.
"R-really?"
"Really. I have a good eye for people."
It wasn't empty flattery; it was sincere.
Dionysio's talent was quite exceptional. He had more than enough to reach the rank of First-Class Holy Knight.
It wasn't just Dionysio. Margata and Gamal were both rare talents as well.
It wasn't for nothing that the Church had been shaken in his previous life, with the main reason being the total annihilation of the subjugation force.
"Y-yes! I will work hard!"
Energized by Demian's encouragement, Dionysio shouted loudly.
"Hey, how long are you going to chat? Come on out already."
At that moment, Margata pushed Dionysio aside. Dionysio let out a short yelp as he was shoved away.
"Demian, thank you so much. If it weren't for you, I would've died."
"It would've been worse. If not for Sir Demian, we'd all have been turned into Corpse Puppeteers by now."
Gamal interjected at Margata's words. Margata quietly glared at him.
"Your mouth, honestly... But you're right. The Corpse Puppeteer definitely would've done that."
Margata gave a wry smile in agreement.
"We almost became Flesh Golems and killed our own brothers in the Order with our own hands. Thank you for stopping that."
Margata grasped Demian's hand firmly.
"I'll send you an invitation later, so please come."
"An invitation?"
Demian asked with a puzzled expression. Margata leaned her head on Gamal's shoulder.
"Gamal proposed to me. We might send out wedding invitations soon."
Even Demian couldn't help but be shocked.
"S-Sir Gamal p-proposed?"
"S-Senior Brother? Is that true?"
It was news even to Agnes and Dionysio. They stared at the pair with shocked faces.
"Oh, you two didn't know either? We'd been dating already. I hadn't thought about marriage originally, but... this punk suddenly proposed."
"M-Margata. Don't go into so much detail."
Gamal's face turned beet red as he tried to stop her. But Margata wasn't one to stop just because he asked.
"I almost died this time, right? He said that made him realize it. Life is unpredictable, so he wants to give it his all or whatever. Kyahahaha!"
Margata burst into laughter. Gamal's face flushed as if it might explode.
"Anyway, that's how it is, so please come to the wedding later."
Margata wiped away tears as she spoke.
* * *
Demian left the subjugation force and returned to his territory.
At first, he just wanted to see his family's faces as soon as possible. But as he drew closer to the territory, his anxiety grew.
"...No matter how I think about it, Father probably hasn't cooled off yet."
Considering his father's stubbornness, the chances were high that he was still angry.
Demian gave up on entering the mansion boldly through the front gate. He suppressed his presence and sneaked toward the back yard.
"Hup! Hah!"
Victor was practicing sword swings in the back yard, right on cue. Demian suddenly appeared in front of him.
"Hey, you doing well?"
"Hueup! I-intruder... no, Young Master?"
Victor looked startled and scanned Demian's body up and down.
"A-are you hurt anywhere? You didn't get cursed by a warlock, right? N-no, that's not it! How could you just leave me behind that day!"
The moment he saw Demian, Victor flew into a rage.
"Do you know how angry the Lord was with me!"
"He was that mad?"
"Why didn't I stop you, he said, and he tried to kick me out!"
Just as Demian had predicted, Father was definitely furious.
"Is he calm now?"
"As if! He said he's going to tear you apart when you get back!"
"Hmm."
Demian stroked his chin. It seemed impossible for him to resolve this alone.
The best course was to borrow a third party's help. Like Mother or his older sister...
"By the way, Madam and Lady Luise are just as angry. They said you went to a dangerous place without consulting anyone."
He had planned to rely on Mother or his sister if needed, but even that was blocked.
"This won't do. I should come back once he's cooled off."
"Where are you going now?"
Victor grabbed Demian in surprise.
"If I let you slip away again, I might really get kicked out! I won't let you go until dirt covers my eyes!"
They said people get strong when their livelihood is at stake.
Victor spoke with a resolute face. His determination not to let go was palpable.
"But what can I do? I have things to do."
"Things to do?"
Demian waved the map he had obtained from the Corpse Puppeteer's lab.
"Treasure hunting."
Victor frowned at the words.
"Don't try to brush this off with weird talk! Anyway, you're not going anywhere!"
"Fine, fine, got it. Here, take this."
Demian opened his subspace and pulled out a pouch. Victor took it without knowing what it was.
"What's this?"
"Check it yourself."
When Victor opened the pouch, gleaming gold coins greeted him.
"Huh, huup! Young Master! Th-this is..."
"Hush money."
"Pardon?"
"Please put in a good word with Father."
Demian yanked his hand free from Victor's grasp. Then he quickly slipped away.
"Young Master! Young Master!"
Victor cried out desperately, but Demian was already gone.
* * *
It was when Demian had put some distance from the mansion.
-Demian! You damn brat! Get back here right now!
Father's bellow echoed from the mansion.
"He's old, but still spry."
He had been thinking of brewing some tonic, but it seemed like unnecessary worry.
"Better not show my face for a while."
By the time Demian raided Yulan's hideout and returned, news of the subjugation force would have spread widely.
Of course, it wouldn't be the full truth. That would tarnish the Church's reputation.
But everyone would know that Demian Haksen was actually a mid-class powerhouse and had made great contributions in dealing with the Corpse Puppeteer.
Once Father heard that, he'd realize Demian hadn't done anything reckless, and his anger would surely subside.
"...Surely?"
Shaking off a sliver of unease, Demian headed to Randwalk City.
Yulan's hideout was in the Longguist Mountains. It was quite far, so he needed preparations.
Demian procured a sturdy horse, a blanket, flint, rations, and other travel supplies.
"Why of all places the Longguist Mountains."
Demian grumbled briefly from horseback.
The Longguist Mountains didn't have dangerous beasts, but it was infamous for its treacherous terrain.
Because of that, it was a place frequented by criminals and bandits.
"First, I need to find a guide when I get there."
The mountains' terrain was so complex that without a guide, it was easy to get lost.
A guide was essential to reach the hideout.
"It's going to be a rough road from the start."
The thought of searching that labyrinthine place made his head throb.
Still, Yulan's hideout was worth checking out.
Yulan was a fairly well-known group of black mages. Not a large organization, but their individual skills were excellent, so requests never stopped coming.
They must have amassed considerable wealth and treasures in their hideout.
Moreover, Yulan had been moving under direct orders from Dorgo.
He might find a clue to tracking Dorgo.
And so, Demian arrived at the Longguist Mountains.
First, he headed to Olden Village at the base of the mountains.
Travelers crossing the Longguist Mountains all gathered in Olden Village to find companions.
'Right, I need to hide my identity.'
Demian had become too famous now. Soon, rumors from the dungeon would make him even more so.
If word got out that someone as famous as Demian was prowling the Longguist Mountains, annoying flies would swarm for sure.
Even without that, since he was hunting a black mage's hideout, hiding his identity was wiser.
Demian pulled out a black cloth and covered the lower half of his face.
He stored both the holy sword and Thousand-Mile Sword in his subspace, replacing them with an ordinary iron sword.
After finishing his disguise, he headed to the mercenary hiring hall in Olden Village.
The hiring hall, converted from a tavern, was quite large. As he entered, the rowdy noise of mercenaries enjoying drinks and food filled the air.
The moment Demian entered, the mercenaries' gazes converged on him. Eyes mixed with curiosity and wariness.
"I'm looking for a guide well-versed in the Longguist Mountains."
Demian spoke to the man standing at the front bar, wiping a glass.
Likely a retired mercenary, he was missing one ear and his face was scarred.
The man glanced at Demian and spoke in a gruff tone.
"If you're thinking of crossing the mountains, it's wiser to go to the merchants than mercenaries."
"I'm not crossing the mountains. I need to find something inside."
"You're going to poke around that dangerous place? You're insane."
The Longguist Mountains were a demon realm swarming with criminals and bandit packs.
The only relatively safe paths were those merchants used to cross. Everywhere else offered no guarantees.
"Sorry, but no guide will take that job. Unless they're crazy..."
Demian pulled out a gold coin pouch from his bosom and flipped it over. Gold coins piled up thickly on the table.
"I've got plenty of money. But I'd prefer a skilled guide."
Even after Demian showed the gold, no mercenary stepped forward readily.
It wasn't just the danger; skilled guides were scarce.
"No one at all?"
It was just as Demian moved to put the gold away.
"You're looking for a guide to roam the Longguist Mountains?"
At that moment, someone approached Demian.
Demian looked at the mercenary without much thought, then was so shocked his mind went blank.
Age between youth and middle-age.
Slightly below-average height.
Plump build for a mercenary.
Juan David.
The mercenary captain who had hired Demian in his previous life stood before him.