Chapter 84
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 84
Chapter Title: Omen
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Since the distant past, from the age of the old kingdoms, war had always been a constant.
Between different nations.
Or between different races.
Or even between those of the same race and bloodline.
Whether for territory or wealth, for grudges or ideologies, for religion or culture.
Sentient races had fought one another for every reason imaginable.
And regrettably, war did not vanish even after the old kingdoms fell.
If anything, with the drastic reduction of habitable land for sentient races, even more wars broke out.
In the early days of Odobaekryeong, the number of casualties from war was said to be greater than those devoured by monsters and Labyrinths.
Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise.
Or perhaps it was locking the barn door after the horse had bolted.
Only after countless domains had fallen did the sentient races learn to restrain themselves from war.
Peace, to some extent, was finally achieved during the Age of the Five Heroes, but…
It was a minimal peace at best.
Numerous wars were still being fought all across Odobaekryeong.
After all, when it came to expanding one's domain and strengthening a family's power, there was no faster or more certain method than war.
“Khuhuhu. I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed if you were expecting a war to break out right away. We still need a little more time.”
That was why.
Pillars of bone.
Tents of hide.
In Nakrang Castle, a fortress formed from a complex, layered entanglement of such materials…
Within the most magnificent tent of all, a muscular, hulking Orc, belying his age, was enjoying a drink.
The reason Urk set down his bone cup and let out a laugh was…
“That’s unexpected. You sent a letter, so I thought all the preparations were complete.”
“Sharing information with an ally in advance is also a form of preparation, is it not?”
“Such delicate consideration. Very un-Orc-like.”
“Kuhuh, age is not just a number, my friend.”
Opposite him sat a boy wearing a half-mask.
Urk laughed heartily as he looked at the White-Masked Young Master, who had recently been making a name for himself as a rising star in the Grotesque City.
An ordinary Orc might have bristled with anger, but he was a High Orc who had lived for over two hundred years.
He was not so foolish as to be unable to take a joke like that.
If he were, he wouldn't have deliberately sent a letter at this time to invite Dion.
“In that spirit, would you care to help us with our preparations, Young Master?”
“Hmm… I doubt an old Orc like you is short on manpower.”
“No matter how much manpower one has, competent talent is always in short supply.”
“True. You can gather hundreds, even thousands, of useful people, and it’s still never enough.”
Dion smirked.
Though he was currently a mid-tier noble with only two domains, in his second life, he had built a truly massive force.
He knew all too well how precious talent was.
…Had the Voice heard him, it would have primly pointed out that he was hardly one to talk.
During the Calamity War, Dion’s forces had been so full of exceptional individuals that everyone, friend and foe alike, had been aghast, telling him to stop cheating with his talent recruitment.
‘I see.’
Urk, unaware of this fact, wore a meaningful expression.
His long experience told him that Dion’s agreement was genuine, born from a wealth of experience.
“It won’t be a bad deal for you, Young Master. If you do a good job, I’ll ensure you’re rewarded immediately.”
“You mean you want to hire me as a mercenary?”
“It’s more convenient for both of us that way. And it’s what you wanted, too.”
“That’s true, but.”
No matter how much could be gained from war, the spoils could only be claimed after victory.
Furthermore, distributing those spoils was a difficult matter.
Whether for a loyal vassal…
Or a temporary ally…
A lord distributing spoils had to consider connections, merits, and factions, making it a headache.
There were even cases where internal conflict over the rewards of war led to a second war breaking out immediately after the first.
In that respect…
Mercenaries were convenient.
There was no need for complex calculations; you simply paid them for the merits they earned.
That was why Dion had turned the Waryong Estate into a mercenary domain in the first place.
There were only two problems.
“—I don't come cheap.”
“Khuhuhu. Don’t you worry. I’m not some cheapskate who’d stiff you on payment before a war even begins.”
“Hmm. True, an old Orc like you isn’t that kind of fool.”
“Just as the Young Master wouldn’t take an advance and run, or betray me.”
Though the old Orc was smiling calmly, his eyes were cold and steady.
Dion met his gaze.
A relationship bound only by money could be broken by money at any time.
The fact that most mercenaries in the Grotesque City moonlighted as bandits was a testament to how flimsy such ties were.
Mercenaries were ultimately disposable.
Hired with a small advance…
Worked to the bone…
They were convenient cannon fodder, as their pay could be withheld if they died.
That is, if the mercenary didn't just take the money and slack off, or turn their sword against their employer.
But…
“What kind of job do you want to entrust to me?”
“As it happens, I have a job that’s perfect for you, Young Master.”
Both Dion and Urk…
Wasted no more time on pointless probing.
They got straight to the point.
“Do you remember the Kahul family?”
“Who?”
“…The Blade Goblin family you annihilated for trying to kidnap the slaves I lent you.”
“Ah, them. What about them?”
“It seems the Kahul family was connected to my business.”
“Is that so?”
Dion wasn't surprised by Urk’s somber words.
As if he already knew…
He simply spoke.
“—In short, the ones backing the Kahul family were the ‘bandit nobles’ you’re after, right?”
***
All nobles were high-ranking Awakened Ones.
As such, it was easy for them to earn money.
But at the same time, they also required a great deal of it.
The cost of employing servants to maintain their noble dignity and the expenses for upholding their status were minor issues.
The real problem was that high-ranking Awakened Ones needed vast amounts of mana stones to grow their talents.
Even after painstakingly reaching the [Master] stage, most would then covet ‘Ascension,’ pouring even more mana stones into their efforts.
That was why even mid-tier nobles with their own domains were always short on funds.
So what about the lower nobles?
It went without saying.
Lacking even a domain, they were forced to scramble for money, often serving as vassals or retainers to other nobles.
And for those whose ambitions could not be satisfied by such means, they chose an easier, faster path…
“…So, you’re saying nobles engage in banditry?”
“It’s a good way to make money.”
“How is that even possible?! That’s absurd!”
The Vault Keeper shouted, then huffed and puffed as she argued.
“A noble must have dignity! To resort to banditry… how can such a person even be called a noble!?”
“They are nobles because when they have children, all of them are high-ranking Awakened Ones.”
“Is that the only requirement for being a noble?!”
“What more is needed?”
“…”
How utterly audacious.
As if he couldn't understand why she was so agitated.
The Vault Keeper’s mouth hung open as she stared at Parsha, who had replied with his usual expressionless face.
Dion let out a soft chuckle.
“Don’t get so worked up. Things are different now than they were in the age of the old kingdoms.”
“Is this something that can be brushed aside just because the times have changed…?”
“It is. A 100% rare-tier gacha is something you just can't pass up.”
“…What in the world are you talking about now?”
“It means being born a noble is valuable in and of itself.”
Ignoring the Vault Keeper’s bewilderment at his cryptic words, Dion continued nonchalantly.
In the age of the old kingdoms, a noble was a lord.
They were individuals who had gained power and authority through their vast territories.
Thus, they were typically granted ownership of their lands and noble titles by the strongest great lord, the king.
But in Odobaekryeong, only a handful of nobles possessed their own domains.
And even those could flee with their entire domain at any time.
As such, an individual’s strength and ability were inevitably valued more than appearances and empty formalities.
Above all…
“Besides, burning down swidden villages and selling everyone as slaves was something nobles in the old kingdoms did all the time, wasn’t it?”
“That was a legitimate levy, not plunder, and they were punished if they went too far!”
“Right, so there were plenty of nobles who just did it secretly to avoid punishment.”
“W-Well…”
Then and now…
A noble was a noble.
As the Vault Keeper stammered, unable to refute her smiling master’s words…
Arsha asked calmly.
“So, you’re saying that the Lord of Nakrang Castle’s target is this group of bandit nobles?”
“They’re a faction he can plunder freely without any repercussions.”
No matter how much the times had changed…
Banditry was a clear crime.
Using that as a justification, one could openly conquer and pillage the homes of bandit nobles.
They were indeed a worthy target for a hero-tyrant like Urk.
However, there was a drawback.
“The problem is that there are far too many bandit nobles in the Grotesque City.”
“To the point that there’s an organization called the Dogwiryeon.”
“A Bandit Noble Alliance… Scum. Absolute kings of scum…”
A tragedy made possible by the Grotesque City, a place so overpopulated that it even had a surplus of people working in crime.
Dozens at a minimum.
Hundreds, by a generous estimate.
The Bandit Noble Alliance, an organization with an unknown number of member families.
Dion, having mentioned the Dogwiryeon, continued at a leisurely pace.
“That’s why the old Orc is preparing for war in secret.”
“…Because he has no way of knowing which nobles are members of the Dogwiryeon.”
“Honestly, he probably can’t even trust his own vassals 100%.”
His tone was light…
But the content was serious.
Even if Urk, the Lord of Nakrang Castle, was a high-ranking noble with a large domain…
Fighting against a group of nobles like the Dogwiryeon, whose scale was unknown, would make it difficult to guarantee victory.
Especially in a situation where he couldn't even be sure there were no collaborators within his own ranks.
“So he reached out to you, my lord.”
“Yes. He asked me to gather information on the Dogwiryeon. He’d be especially grateful if I could identify the members of the leadership.”
“To not even have a grasp on the leadership of such a large faction… how laughable.”
“It just goes to show how big the Dogwiryeon is. And how much there is to gain from taking them down.”
Urk was a hero-tyrant, after all.
He wasn't some petty man who would fret over small prey.
The very fact that he had decided to devour them was proof of how powerful the Dogwiryeon was.
As Dion finished his explanation, everyone except the scowling Vault Keeper nodded in understanding.
Parsha spoke bluntly.
“Giving him the benefit of the doubt, I can understand why the Lord of Nakrang Castle would entrust the investigation to you, a rising power, my lord.”
He couldn't trust outside forces…
Nor could he trust his own.
In that sense, Dion was a surprisingly suitable candidate.
Even though he had made the Goemok Estate his vassal, the Waryong Estate was still a small-to-medium domain living under the shadow of Nakrang Castle.
At the slightest hint of trouble, Urk could crush them at any time.
Of course, that also meant Dion could become a traitor at any moment by simply fleeing with his entire domain, but…
“But why is *she* here?”
A black blindfold over her eyes.
A dress as black as a crow.
Skin as pale as a ghost.
A woman of unparalleled beauty, yet radiating an equally ominous aura.
Everyone couldn't help but wear a strange expression as they looked at the Calamity Princess, Pandora, who had been standing to one side like a piece of scenery until now.
…All except one.
The black-and-white-haired boy, who was leisurely munching on a cookie.
“The old Orc told me. He said I was being too neglectful of Pandora after declaring I’d take her as my second wife.”
“We were both busy, so it couldn't be helped, could it?”
“Right. So I guess he’s giving us a chance to get to know each other.”
“By that, you mean…”
As Arsha, who had guessed the hidden meaning in Dion’s words, wore a complicated expression…
Parsha spoke with a deadpan face.
“In other words, she’s a warden and an executioner, here to dispose of us if we betray him.”
“Please do not misunderstand. My purpose is simply to facilitate smooth cooperation between my family and the Waryong Estate.”
Her words were exceedingly polite…
But she did not deny the accusation.
A witch befitting the name of the Paljongyungma, powerful enough to obliterate the Waryong Estate on her own.
Everyone could only fall silent as they looked at the Calamity Princess, Pandora.