Chapter 59
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: Variable
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Regression.
Returning to the past from the future.
The power to change history itself.
Even in Odobaekryeong, a world rampant with all sorts of supernatural abilities and mysteries, it was an outrageously overpowered trait.
But in reality, regression wasn't such an all-powerful ability.
To change the present.
Meant changing the future.
And at the same time, it meant changing the past.
The more one used knowledge from a previous life, the more the established history would twist, inevitably giving rise to new variables.
Just as the flutter of a butterfly in the Demonic Dominion could summon an outer god to the Heretical Dominion.
In his second life.
Having experienced something similar, Dion knew this better than anyone.
However…
“So, in short, this all happened because my brother Ren pissed off our dear pushover?”
“Uh… if you had to pinpoint a reason, I suppose so?”
“Hmm, so that’s how it is?”
Ren Unlight.
The fifth young master of Unlight.
The problem had started with him.
In the past, he had visited Elise and single-handedly turned the City of No Night upside down.
Fortunately, there were no fatalities, but that was only because Ren had held back.
Before Elise stepped in to stop him, over a hundred people were injured, and the City of No Night was left in shambles.
It was more than enough to infuriate Elise, a direct descendant of the Vlad family, known for their pride even among the Baekdaesega.
Especially since the incident had led to her qualifications as an heir being questioned.
And so, she resolved herself.
Elise took action.
Not only to restore her tarnished reputation.
But also to capture Ren Unlight should he ever return, rather than just fending him off, and to gain an advantage in the succession race.
The problem was the method she chose to achieve this.
“That’s strange. This isn’t a problem that can be solved just by acquiring a few items.”
If it were an ordinary noble family.
It wouldn’t have been particularly strange.
Just obtaining a single rare-grade item could be treated as a family heirloom, solidifying one’s position in the line of succession.
But that logic didn’t apply to a family on the level of the Baekdaesega.
Even in a high-ranking domain of provincial lord-grade, it was rare for the line of succession to be shaken by a single treasure, something beyond rare—truly precious.
Unless there was an exception…
“—Unless you get your hands on an artifact-grade treasure.”
Artifact.
Beyond common (Normal) trinkets.
Or uncommon (Uncommon) objects.
Or rare (Rare) treasures.
Or even super rare (Super Rare) relics.
It was a divine-class item possessing power nearing the ultimate (Master) grade, a sight rarely seen even within the Baekdaesega.
If she had set out to obtain such a thing, Elise’s actions were not just surprising but outright reckless.
But at the same time, it was understandable.
Depending on the type, an artifact was a treasure that could make possible what even a 5-star Awakened One could not achieve.
If she could truly obtain a treasure of that caliber.
She would gain the strength to face Ren, known as the Mad Demon of the Paljongyungma, and solidify her position as an heir.
…The problem was that, in the process, she was sucking up all sorts of items from the underground city, including the very treasure Dion was searching for.
‘Hmm, so things can get this tangled.’
During his second life.
Around this time, Elise had been busy enough just preparing to break off her engagement with Dion.
Then, having failed to find a new fiancé, she eventually lost the succession race and ended up at the Labyrinth Academy.
But in this life?
Not only was the annulment put on hold due to Dion’s awakening.
But thanks to him providing the list of spies hidden in the City of No Night, she avoided being backstabbed and pushed out of the succession race.
Instead, because he’d asked her to cover for him before he disappeared, the incident with Ren the Mad Demon visiting the City of No Night occurred.
To think it would lead to this.
It was, in many ways, an unexpected turn of events.
‘Maybe I should have paid more attention to the rumors that lizard guy was talking about.’
The Plum Blossom Emissary he’d met in Yeosu Fortress.
Dion clicked his tongue, recalling the stories he’d told about treasures and the Baekdaesega.
He hadn’t paid them any mind, as such rumors were commonplace in Odobaekryeong.
He never imagined they were about the Blood Night Demon Clan and Elise.
‘The fact that she’s looking for an artifact in the underground city of all places suggests this isn’t a mere coincidence.’
The problem would be if Elise’s goal overlapped with his own.
After all, what Dion was searching for was an ancient relic.
It was so dangerous that it had been erased even from history, but it was impossible to wipe all records of it from Odobaekryeong.
The Vlad family might still have some records of it.
In fact, following such records one by one was the normal method.
Dion’s own approach—coming straight to the black market using knowledge from his third life—was an absurd shortcut, so there was every possibility their goals would overlap.
And so, Dion grumbled.
“You braggart. Isn’t this something you should have told me sooner?”
“What more could you ask of me when I was already swamped just with the handover…?”
“That’s why you should have finished it sooner. These problems happen because you rushed it like you were cramming for a test, don’t they?”
“…”
Regardless of the dumbfounded expression on the rabbit-eared boy’s face.
Dion crossed his arms.
And after pondering for a moment, he spoke casually.
“Parsha. If I go to our dear pushover right now and ask for just one item, do you think I’ll get it?”
“Perhaps, if she doesn’t blow your head off first, Young Master.”
“Aw, come on. Our pushover wouldn’t do that.”
“If you’re so confident, why don’t you give it a try?”
Despite lending him an additional billion Crutal.
After killing Silan, the son of the Soma Lord, and disappearing, which led to Ren rampaging through the City of No Night.
What if he suddenly returned and asked for just one thing?
How would Elise react?
She, too, was quite curious.
As Dion considered actually trying it after hearing Parsha’s words, delivered with a face about three times more expressionless than usual.
Naru cautiously added a word.
“Um, wouldn’t it be dangerous to make contact so recklessly?”
“Hmm, you also think our dear pushover is going to eat me alive?”
“That’s also a problem, but it seems there are eyes on the Blood Princess.”
“Eyes? Whose?”
“There’s more than one or two, so I can’t be sure, but I think they’re spies sent by your siblings, my lord.”
“Ah.”
Dion nodded.
Not just Ren, who had taken direct action.
Dion’s whereabouts would be a matter of interest to his other siblings as well.
Of course, it was likely just the level of interest one might have in a worthless grub that had somehow turned into a mosquito.
But that alone was reason enough to keep an eye on Elise.
Dispatching one or two high-ranking Awakened Ones as watchers wouldn’t be difficult for them.
That was why he had cut off contact with Elise until now.
‘Right, getting noticed like this wouldn’t be good.’
He had been planning to reveal himself soon anyway.
But that was a story for after he returned to the main family estate.
If he was discovered here, problems could arise before he even made it back.
Problems like assassination, disappearance, or accidental death.
And so, after long deliberation, Dion made his decision.
“Hmm, well then, I have no choice.”
Giving up was out of the question.
He couldn’t contact Elise either.
With a bright smile, Dion proposed the only option available to him in this situation.
“—Let’s steal it.”
“…”
“…”
Even Naru was looking at Dion as if he were the scum of the earth.
Parsha thought.
That failing to quickly break off the engagement with this conscienceless young master was the biggest mistake of Elise’s life.
***
“So, you’re saying the forces at the Jewel Estate aren’t much to speak of?”
“Yes. It’s a commercial domain that makes a lot of money dealing in precious metals, but it relies on the underground city for its military strength.”
“That’s a relief. It would have been a problem if she were staying with the ruling family of the domain.”
“Well, given her objective, she’s probably wary of having it stolen if she actually finds an artifact.”
“True, for an artifact, even a Baekdaesega family would shamelessly backstab you.”
“They say she only has a minimum number of attendants from the Vlad family, so the infiltration itself should be easy.”
“Did you secure the layout?”
“Yes, here it is.”
“Hmm, I didn’t expect you to get the security network too. How did you manage that?”
“With our guild’s information network, something like this is a piece of cake.”
“Anyway, we can infiltrate from here.”
“How about using this route instead? If you pay a little, an insider…”
“No, that could lead to a leak…”
“As it happens, the ruling family of the Jewel Estate will be at a party late that night, so the operation…”
As he was in the middle of discussing the perfect heist plan with Naru, their heads close together.
Dion suddenly felt a sharp gaze on the back of his head and turned around.
“Why are you looking at me like that, Parsha?”
“Like what?”
“Like a nanny who’s just realized she failed to properly educate the young master she serves?”
“It would be wonderful if you had half as much conscience as you have perceptiveness.”
Dion chuckled.
“Don’t be so sarcastic. This is all for our dear pushover’s sake.”
“A common line used by every thief, con artist, and scoundrel.”
“Hmm, a shame. I meant it sincerely.”
Not just Parsha.
Naru also looked at Dion with an expression that screamed “shameless”…
But his words were true.
It's said that any tool can be useful depending on how it's used, but that only applies to normal cases.
The item Elise had unwittingly bought from the black market was not only dangerous to its owner if used incorrectly.
It was something that could potentially throw this entire underground city, and by extension, all of Odobaekryeong, into chaos.
That was why Dion prepared his plan step by step, without a shred of guilt.
…Of course, it was questionable whether he would have felt any guilt if the item hadn’t been dangerous.
***
And so, about a day and a half later.
Black night attire, a cloak, and a hood.
His usual pure white half-mask.
And a cloth mask covering the lower half of his face.
Looking at Dion, dressed as the perfect thief, blending into the darkness of the night as the light of the mana stones dimmed.
Parsha asked with a deadpan expression.
“…After going to all that trouble to cover yourself up, why are you still wearing that mask?”
“With this mask’s perception-disrupting power, they won’t be able to recognize me even if I’m caught.”
“Even so, it just means the culprit of the theft will be the White-Masked Young Master, doesn’t it?”
“It’s fine. I’ll just claim I was framed.”
“As if an excuse like that would work.”
Parsha openly wore a look of disdain but didn’t insist that Dion take off the mask.
In truth, the mask was a gift from the Lord of Comedy to the Baekdaesega.
It was a somewhat uncommon object, but…
It was ultimately a mass-produced item with an ambiguous purpose, left to gather dust in a Baekdaesega warehouse.
As long as there was no clear evidence, it was entirely possible to claim it was someone else wearing an identical mask.
‘Well, it’s not like I’m going to get caught anyway.’
Dion chuckled.
He said he was preparing for the worst, but this was Dion, who had experienced everything from grueling battles and labyrinth expeditions to raids.
He had raided high-ranking domains and even the main estates of the Baekdaesega several times.
With so much information at his disposal, there was no way he’d be discovered infiltrating a mere manor-class, small-to-medium domain.
And so, Dion casually left his lodging.
Among the various domains attached to the underground city’s station, it was a particularly lavishly decorated manor.
A small-to-medium domain that Elise had rented out entirely for her stay in the underground city.
—Heading for the Jewel Estate.
***
But it wasn't just Dion.
Naru, who had gathered information on the Jewel Estate, and Parsha, who was securing an escape route, had no idea.
They were not the only ones with business at the Jewel Estate tonight.
“Infiltration preparations?”
“Finished long ago, of course.”
“There can be no mistakes, not even one in a million.”
“Don’t you worry. We’re professionals.”
A secluded warehouse near the Jewel Estate.
There, a group of figures, suspicious to anyone who saw them, were clad in full-body coats and cloth masks.
Their leader checked the weight of a thick pouch of mana stones.
Then, with a sly grin, he declared.
“—Now that we’ve taken the job, even if she were a True Ancestor, not just the Blood Princess, she’s as good as dead.”