Chapter 77
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: Detective Aron
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“Things seem to have calmed down a bit, don’t they?”
Jenta, who held the number one spot among the trio of suckers at Hana's pub, nodded at his friend’s murmur.
When Aron returned, the atmosphere went back to how it was before.
Hana, too, had reverted to her old gentle demeanor, and the stoic Kanna had returned to her usual childlike face.
‘Though, that only lasted until Aron came to work.’
“So, about that tracking magic?”
“Hmm… that’s a more difficult stage. If you keep working hard, you’ll be able to learn it soon.”
Jenta diligently cleaned, trying his best to ignore the conversation between the mage and Kanna nearby.
Hana approached.
He flinched, but thankfully, Hana was smiling.
“Jenta. Could you help me out today? I have a lot to take care of.”
“Yes, of course, boss.”
“Thank you.”
At Hana’s warm voice, Jenta nodded and set down the broom in his hands.
From inside, Jenta pulled a cart laden with statues and headed out. At some point, Kanna had seated herself on the cart.
“Jenta.”
“Yes, Kanna-sunbaenim.”
When he answered obediently, Kanna cocked her head and gave a wry smile. The sight was so adorable he barely managed to keep his own lips from curling up. He had to be careful; last time he couldn't hold back a laugh, Kanna had refused to give him ice for days.
A moment later, Hana emerged, bundled up tightly. There were so many guys who hit on her that she always dressed like that when she went out.
“Well then, shall we head to Sector 4 first? To see if the spot I found is any good.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
As Jenta lightly pulled the cart, Kanna, who had been sitting, shot up and glared at their surroundings. It wasn't threatening at all, but passersby pretended to be scared and moved out of the way.
“You’re the most diligent one, Jenta. I’m thinking of appointing you as the manager of the new pub. Would that be alright with you?”
“If you give me the chance, I’ll work my hardest!”
Jenta nodded without a second thought. Despite her gentle appearance, Hana was incredibly resourceful and took exceptionally good care of her people, so there was no need to hesitate.
“Oh, I’m so glad.”
After that, they headed to Sector 4, chatting about this and that. Men would approach them from time to time, but they turned back when Jenta scowled.
Though soft-hearted, Jenta worried a fight might break out, but he still put on a fierce glare.
“Isn’t it about time for you to get married, Jenta?”
“Huh? Yes.”
“I wonder if there’s a suitable woman around…”
It had been an unconscious reply, but Hana seemed to be genuinely contemplating it. She then asked him various things, and Jenta did his best to answer.
“A cute woman who looks like a rabbit? Hmm… I wonder if there’s anyone like that…”
By the time they reached Sector 4, Hana had given Jenta a few women’s names.
“Here! Ah, let’s talk about that later with the others.”
“Yes!”
Jenta nodded vigorously, a premonition that Hana might actually help him start a family.
The place they arrived at was full of buildings that had collapsed as if some monster had passed through. The large hole punched through a crumbled wall looked strangely familiar to Jenta.
Kanna leaped from the cart and led the way.
Hana followed, with Jenta bringing up the rear.
“I’m telling you, they said the Lord’s castle would compensate us.”
“Really? No way, a noble taking care of us? Does that even make sense?”
“I heard it wasn’t the Lord, but someone from Nova’s side who did it…”
“Nah, no way that Nova would…”
“Hello?”
Hana strode right into the middle of the men who were talking. Startled, they backed away.
“I’m planning to open a wonderful Aron Rabbit Pub…”
Hana paid them no mind and casually floated the idea.
The men’s eyes widened, and they hastily looked around.
In an instant, Hana had seized control of the conversation and was leading it.
“But if you’re going to open a pub that big here, you’ll have to talk to Ska, won’t you? And these days, Sector 6 is also… Ah, you said it was an Aron pub.”
“Yes, Aron and I are, umm…”
Hana acted shy, covering her face with her hands and squirming.
“Hmph… well… how did this happen…”
The men let out small sighs and, as if addressing a noble lady, took a slight step back to create some distance. After looking over the site for a moment, Hana nodded.
“But you know you have to get Nova’s permission, right?”
“Ah, I know. Thank you!”
Her face slightly stiff, Hana offered a small thanks and moved on. At Hana’s gesture, Kanna returned.
‘What was she doing?’
He glanced over to where Kanna had been and saw ‘Aron’ carved in huge letters on the wall. The size was oddly similar to the hole in the building.
Their next stop was the plaza with the statue of Hero Deokgu.
The one who greeted them was a knight with a steel bucket on his head.
“Kuh!”
The knight spotted them and offered a strange greeting.
“Oh my, Kuh.”
Hana, slightly surprised, replied quietly.
“Kuh!!!”
Kanna, looking somewhat excited, gave a vigorous salute.
“Ooh, Kangu is here too! The contributions of honorary member Kangu regarding these statues will not be forgotten by our ‘Namaiyad’! Kuh!”
“Ku-huh!!!”
Kanna nodded emphatically, her face serious.
“Oh, are these them? As expected of member Kangu!”
“That’s right. It was so much work making these…”
“I know, I know! Statues imbued with the spirit of Hero Deokgu like these don't just appear out of nowhere! I know it all!”
“Kuh!”
“Right! Kuh!”
Hana put on a tired act, emphasizing how difficult the task had been. The knight sighed repeatedly as he inspected each statue.
“I’ll add 50 silver, at 5 silver and 50 copper each! These are well worth it!”
His spending was as lavish as a true knight’s.
In response, Hana let out a clumsy ‘Kuh-’ sound, and Kanna, standing beside her, shook her head and shouted a powerful ‘Kuh!’
“Since you are the ones carrying on the will of Hero Deokgu, we’ll throw in the cart for free.”
“This is truly… a stragetic allience!”
“Stragetic allience! Kuh!!”
“Kuh!”
The bucket-headed knight and Kanna vied to shout ‘Kuh!’ while saluting. Kanna’s cheek twitched; she was clearly thrilled.
‘Didn’t she say she was getting a new one because the wheels were stiff?’
Jenta kept the thought to himself.
After finishing their business, they headed to the Inner Wall.
The guards at the gate stopped them.
“State your business and identity.”
“My name is Hana. I run a pub in the Outer Wall. I’m here to see Nova-unni about purchasing a building.”
“Nova? Do you have an appointment?”
“I don’t, but…”
“Sorry, but Nova isn’t someone you can meet just because you want to.”
As Hana looked troubled, Kanna stepped forward, her back ramrod straight. She strode with such bravado that her shoulders bounced with each step.
“What’s with this little brat?”
“Aron’s daughter.”
Kanna declared, pointing a finger at herself with an utterly confident expression. The corners of her mouth twitched as if she was thoroughly enjoying herself.
“Aron?! Aron has a daughter? No…”
“First I’m hearing of it.”
The two guards muttered to each other for a moment before letting them in, though one guard was assigned to watch them.
*Knock, knock.*
“Come in.”
A cold voice came from inside.
Taking a small breath, Hana opened the door and entered.
Following her in, Jenta gasped at the sight of the woman inside.
“Oh, if it isn’t Hana, who hates doing business?”
Nova, who had clashed so fiercely with Hana, tilted her head, one corner of her mouth rising in a smirk.
A heavy silence fell.
Even though neither of them held a sword, a sharp tension hung in the air, as if they could be cut at any moment.
Then, Hana took a deep breath.
Jenta watched Hana’s back and swallowed hard.
Finally—
“Nova-unni! I was a bit sensitive back then, wasn’t I? It was just a particularly bad day. Sorry! So sorry!”
Hana forced a bright smile, her voice an unnatural, awkward, nasal tone.
Nova snorted, but the other corner of her mouth had risen as well.
***
‘Is it really okay to just leave her be?’
I grimaced, the image of Kanna’s blizzard show flickering in my mind.
It wasn’t that I regretted the gold I’d spent, but it felt weird watching the kid dance her way down such a strange path.
‘Well… if she’s happy.’
No, but still…
“Jojang, is something troubling you?”
“No. It’s nothing.”
I gave a dismissive shake of my head at snake-eyed Pul’s question.
All I wanted from Kanna was ice-cold beer and air conditioning, anyway. Even if her methods were unnecessarily flashy, she was still fulfilling those functions perfectly.
‘No… but still… the gold…’
I shook my head, clearing the thoughts away.
“So, those weirdos are taking care of the broken section of the wall?”
“The Namaiyad, sir. They say they’re following the path of a hero, upholding the will of Hero Deokgu…”
“Cut the crap.”
“Yes, sir. Anyway, Knight Adolf and his crew are handling the collapsed section. It’s less work for us.”
Ugh…
Snake-eyed Pul answered with a sly grin.
While it meant less work for the Outer Wall Guard, I couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed.
“Right.”
I nodded and got up, heading for the Captain’s room.
The Captain, who was lying down, melted as usual, but his face lit up when he saw me. Like I was feeding a pigeon, I tossed over the ice I’d brought, and he pecked at it like a fat pigeon.
After listening to some useless praise like, ‘Jojang Aron is the only one I can count on. Everyone else is shit,’ I went out on patrol.
“You guys keep circling. I’m heading to the Abbey.”
“Yes, sir. We’ll be in Sector 5. Take care.”
I sent Pul on patrol ahead of me and made my way to the Abbey.
I had used up all my potions, so I needed to restock.
Around the Abbey, soul-sucked monks still wandered aimlessly. There were fewer of them than before.
‘Looks like they went to get treated.’
Inside, the pews in the chapel had all been cleared away, and patients were lying in their place.
The air was thick with the smell of blood and other unpleasant odors. Monks bustled around them, applying something or praying.
A quick scan told me no one was in critical condition.
‘Well, if they were, they’d all be dead by now.’
Several days had passed since that incident.
“Ah, Honorary Brother.”
Brother Ains, his robes particularly stained with blood, greeted me.
“This one feels like an NPC too.”
“Excuse me?”
“Ah, nothing. I came to get some potions with an employee discount.”
“…Excuse me? Ah, potions.”
Ains’s eyes widened, and he hesitated for a moment before nodding. I followed him to the potion room.
The potion room seemed unused, locked with a padlock.
Ains casually unlocked it and led me inside.
“We used so many potions during the recent incident that we haven’t been able to take stock… I’ve put in a request to the main abbey for more, but I don’t know when they’ll arrive.”
Ains said quietly, looking at me with an uneasy expression.
“Brother Ains—!”
Just then, someone called for Ains from a distance.
“Um… please don’t take too many. Just three…”
Brother Ains glanced back, then whispered to me in a hushed tone.
I feigned ignorance, widening my eyes. Ains repeated, “Just three,” before leaving.
‘He found out.’
Since he didn’t say much, the production cost must be low.
The potion room was laid out like a pharmacy. A fancy wooden table divided the room in half, with potions arranged on shelves behind it.
I quietly secured the door and hopped over to the potion side. With my increased strength, my movements felt much lighter.
‘Which one looks tasty?’
They all tasted the same, but I picked out four with clean bottles and went to sit down. Or rather, I was about to.
*Nod.*
“Ah, fuck!”
The curse flew out of my mouth in surprise. The desk was wide, with a large space underneath, and the dud was crouched there.
‘What’s she doing here?’
Seeing me, the dud nodded. She nodded several times in quick succession, which I took as her way of saying she was glad to see me.
I nodded back, and only then did she stop.
‘She has no intention of coming out.’
I thought for a moment, then slid the chair back a bit and sat down.
Calming my startled heart, I observed the crouching dud. The cream smeared around her mouth suggested she’d been having a rather satisfying time.
‘…It was definitely locked. How did she get in?’
It was strange. The dud was staring intently at me with her black eyes.
I met her gaze and slowly, very widely, blinked. She looked startled and averted her eyes.
‘Didn’t work.’
The atmosphere was awkward, but I just thought of her as a giant stray cat and moved on. The silence was broken by the hurried return of Brother Ains.
“…Honorary Brother! Abbot Brighton is looking for you!!”
Ains shouted, his voice much more urgent than before.
‘Did something happen?’
Just then, the dud under the desk started flapping her hands.
She had scrunched herself up as much as possible, as if to make room, and was frantically gesturing for me to join her.
‘How am I supposed to fit in that tiny space…’
“They say a devil has appeared in Casedic!! There’s a huge commotion in the plaza…”
Ains shouted again.
*Thump!*
At the mention of a devil, the dud tried to shoot up, but she hit her head on the desk and froze. Wincing slightly, she crawled out. It wasn’t a pretty sight.
“…Inquisitor Joanna? Honorary Brother?”
Ains narrowed his eyes, looking back and forth between me and the dud.
The dud went to the back and rummaged around, pulling out a greatsword. Where had she been hiding something so large…
With the greatsword on her back, she returned to her usual expressionless face and gave a sharp nod.
A sharp demeanor, an emotionless face, a greatsword as big as her body, and shining silver armor. To an outsider, she might look like a fine Inquisitor, but…
There was a slight bump on the top of her head where she’d hit the desk.
‘She really is a dud.’
I hid my thoughts and nodded.
***
Following Ains, we arrived at the plaza.
A considerable crowd had gathered, all of them cursing someone with voices full of hatred. I used my strength to gently part the crowd and made my way to the center.
“It’s simple. We tie them to a chair and throw them in the lake to see who the devil is. If they are innocent, they will sink to the bottom. If they are impure, nature will reject them, and they will float.”
Inquisitor Parsi said, his face full of irritation.
“Nonsense! Won’t that result in innocent victims?”
“It can’t be helped! If we leave the devil be, it will only lead to greater harm! Step aside! Any further interference is an overreach of your authority!”
The Abbot raised his voice, arguing back. In front of them, a woman and two men, bound tightly with rope, were trembling.
‘So there are three suspects for being the devil?’
I pieced together the situation from the general atmosphere.
“We can have them walk on a hot iron plate, or there is the trial of the needle, so do not interfere any further.”
“You’ll just use a blunt needle that won’t draw a single drop of blood even if you prick them deep! Then you’ll claim all three are devils! Absolutely not!”
The Abbot vehemently objected, but the onlookers were siding with Inquisitor Parsi. They pointed at the three, cursing them as if they were truly devils.
‘Honestly, the moment devils are involved, these ignorant medieval folks go crazy.’
If left to their own devices, these ignorant people would surely kill all three. As a modern man, it was up to me to use my intellect to stop this barbarism.
I clicked my tongue at the flood of barbaric, medieval trial methods and stepped forward.
“Hold on.”
I strode forward with a solemn expression. The dud followed close behind me.
My appearance instantly chilled the noisy atmosphere.
“Honorary Brother Aron.”
The Abbot blocked my path, his face looking grave.
“Aron…”
“Aron’s here… Oh god, we’re all going to die.”
The three suspects began to sob.
‘Ignorant fools.’
Wondering how these medieval people could possibly understand a modern man, I ignored them and stood in front of Inquisitor Parsi.
“What are you doing?”
“First, let’s calm down and think this through.”
“Interrogating evil is the exclusive right of an Inquisitor. To interfere is to obstruct the will of the Order…”
The man, who had been speaking at length, suddenly shut his mouth. I followed his gaze and saw the dud, looking vaguely smug.
‘Ah, right, she’s his superior.’
I gave the dud a slight nod, and she moved to stand behind me. Inquisitor Parsi flinched and took a step back.
“Honorary Brother Aron! Catching the devil is important, but we must not create innocent victims! Please, calm down…”
The Abbot grabbed me, his face even more desperate than when he was dealing with Parsi.
‘What’s he so worked up about…’
I nodded, organizing my thoughts on how to resolve this. No matter where they were sent, it was clear that under the ‘medieval trial method where the devil survives to die in agony, and the human proves their innocence through death,’ all three would die. I had to sort this out myself.
“This case will be handled by… well, by Inquisitor Joanna and myself. As an Honorary Brother, Guard Jojang, and Honorary Scribe, I believe I am qualified to take this on.”
I gestured slightly, and the dud stood behind me. Inquisitor Parsi, who was about to object, clamped his mouth shut and retreated.
“Honorary Brother Aron, there must be absolutely no innocent victims. If an innocent person dies due to a wrongful judgment, there’s no difference between us and the devil…”
The Abbot spoke to me at length, his face even more serious than when he was trying to stop Parsi.
“I understand. I’m an expert at this sort of thing. I’ve read at least three mystery novels.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but please, no innocent victims…”
Leaving the uneasy Abbot behind, I stood before the suspects. They were shedding tears, overcome with despair.
‘Good actors.’
I slowly looked over the three of them.
All three faces seemed familiar.
The man on the far left was a guy who sold medicinal herbs, the other man was a peddler, and the woman was the owner of a general store.
All three had terrified expressions, making it difficult to distinguish them by face alone. I gave a slight sniff, but all I could smell was the unique stench of the middle ages.
I didn't feel the impulse or smell the sweet scent I had experienced when I saw the naked old man, Master.
‘No handprint? Guess it’s not a strong devil.’
I organized my thoughts, my eyes sharp as I scanned the suspects.
Just in case, I drew my sword slightly and poked each of them in the left side of their chest with the tip. As expected, there were no handprints; all three were soft.
‘A minion, then.’
I had a feeling this wouldn’t be easy.
Each time I poked them, the suspects cried out as if they’d been stabbed in the heart, wailing pitifully. The crowd gasped in horror.
‘Such drama queens…’
I clicked my tongue and sheathed my sword.
“So, what… what happened?”
I asked Parsi.
“Well… a body was found, drained of blood. These three were in the vicinity.”
Inquisitor Parsi hesitated for a moment, glanced behind me, and then spoke.
‘A body drained of blood?’
I filed away the first clue.
The art of deduction was like completing a puzzle, assembling scattered clues.
“Honorary Brother Aron.”
Parsi called to me quietly.
His gaze, however, was fixed behind me.
I glanced back too and saw the dud, scowling deeply.
“Yes.”
“This is a sign of those who belong to the ‘Black Blood’.”
“The Black Blood, you say?”
“Yes, they’re a profane organization recently active in the eastern part of the Empire. If left unchecked, they multiply from one to three. Their influence spreads rapidly. If we don’t deal with these three immediately, Casedic will be in danger.”
Parsi’s face was quite serious. I rolled the words ‘Black Blood’ around in my mouth and nodded.
The second piece of the puzzle.
“This is a truly serious matter. I understand the Abbot’s intentions, but if we let one slip by mistake, Casedic will surely be overrun with the profane in no time.”
His repeated emphasis suggested that this ‘Black Blood’ was a considerable threat.
‘How long has it been since we caught those Society guys, and now this…’
I clicked my tongue at the relentless pace of the middle ages and looked down at the three trembling figures.
‘That should work.’
I thought of a rather good interrogation method and nodded.
“It’s fine. I have a method of determination.”
My mind made up, I declared with the face of a sage who knew the answer.
Another brief silence fell.
“And… what is this method?”
The Abbot asked, his voice uneasy.
The ignorant medieval folks were focused.
I paused for a moment before speaking.
“We just need to smash their heads in.”
I declared firmly.
“Th-that barbaric…”
An annoying voice came from somewhere. I turned my head, and it quickly fell silent. The crowd stared at me with horrified eyes, whispering quietly among themselves.
The opinions of ignorant medieval folks didn’t matter much to me, so I simply ignored them.
“Um… Honorary Brother Aron. I understand your devout faith, but… we must follow a lawful judgment to at least protect the honor of the dead.”
“He’s right! Honorary Brother Aron. It is of utmost importance not to create innocent victims. I know your usual conduct, but these are our residents!”
The Abbot and Inquisitor Parsi, who had been arguing so loudly just moments before, suddenly spoke in unison.
‘Ignorant medieval fools.’
I clicked my tongue and shook my head.
***
‘Why is this happening to me…’
Dun, the herbalist, trembled as he looked around.
He had been dragged to a damp, smelly cell in the Outer Wall Guard’s station.
He had survived, but he’d been brought to the basement by the mad dog Aron. He couldn’t tell if he should consider himself lucky or not.
‘No, but still, it’s Aron…’
Sure, he was a mad dog, rough in his actions, quick to throw a punch, and foul-mouthed, but he was someone who just pushed the boundaries a little, not a man who committed truly evil acts.
That ‘we just need to smash their heads in’ line Aron said had to be a figure of speech.
‘…Right?’
Even knowing that, Aron’s vicious appearance and the emotionless gaze he had fixed on him earlier made him tense up instinctively.
‘It’ll be okay. I didn’t do anything.’
Dun kept muttering to himself, trying to suppress his trembling body.
Just then.
“Kyaaaaaaaaaaah!!”
*Thwack—.*
A long scream, clearly a woman’s, echoed from the next room, followed by the gruesome sound of a hammer striking flesh.
The sound was so vivid and brutal that Dun almost pissed himself. But knowing how much Aron hated filth, he clenched his teeth and held it in.
Despite his terror, Dun felt a sense of relief. Judging by the sound, the devil had likely been revealed.
He would surely be released now.
Just in time, the iron door creaked open.
“A-Aron! Is it all over?!”
Dun’s face lit up. Forgetting he was bound, he tried to stand, only to fall forward with a thud.
“Ah, about that.”
A rough, grating voice, fitting for a basement, filled the air.
The brutality in that voice sent a chill down Dun’s spine, and he strained his back muscles to lift his head.
Aron entered the cell.
He was holding a large hammer from which red blood dripped. That, combined with the red stains all over his body and the somehow apologetic look on his face…
It was ominous.
No, ominous wasn’t a strong enough word. It was chilling.
Aron approached with large, confident strides.
He crouched right in front of Dun and aimed the hammer at his head.
“Stay still. You’ll get hurt if you move.”
“Why…? Why! I just heard a scream…”
“Yeah, it turned out that way.”
With those unsettling words, Aron’s hand pressed down firmly on Dun’s shoulder. The force was so immense that despite struggling with all his might, he couldn’t budge an inch.
“It’s… it’s not me! Aron! It’s really not me!!”
“I know. I know. Hey! You’ll get hurt if you move.”
Dun struggled desperately, but he was completely pinned by Aron’s hand.
Aron’s emotionless eyes looking down at him, his log-like arms, the blood and bits of flesh dripping from the raised hammer.
Dun felt death, clear and personified.
“You crazy mad dog!! I told you it’s not me!! Aaaaaaaah!!”
A gruesome sound tore through the air.
The hammer grew closer.
‘Mad dog Aron!!’
Dun squeezed his eyes shut.
***
“Not this one either.”
I gave the fainted, piss-soaked man a little nudge.
He fell over with a splash.
‘What was that about a crazy mad dog? I save his life, and this is the thanks I get from this ignorant medieval fool…’
I moved slightly to the side and gave his arm a light kick. Just hard enough that his right arm would ache for a while when he woke up.
‘One left, huh.’
I flexed my hands and muttered to myself.
It wasn’t a complicated plan. Just set the mood, threaten their lives, and see who breaks.
I didn’t know much about devils, so I wasn’t sure if this method would work, but I could try it first and figure out the next step if it failed.
By now, word would have reached the Lord’s castle, and things could get a little messy.
‘Still, there’s one left.’
I poured the pig’s blood from my water skin onto the hammer and my armor. The smell of blood filled the air, instantly sharpening my senses.
I nodded to the dud behind me. She opened the door, and I followed her to the next room.
The last one was the peddler. He was a guy who’d given me fruit from time to time, which made me feel a bit uneasy.
‘It might not be him.’
I gave a small nod and entered the room.
I deliberately scowled and took large strides, puffing out my chest to make my presence feel even more pronounced.
‘His reaction is a bit different.’
Unlike the man and woman before, this one’s reaction was subtle. He looked less scared and more like he was holding something back.
“Is it… is it over?! I told you it wasn’t me!!”
I didn’t bother to answer and just strode forward. I flexed the muscles in my arm as if I was about to swing the hammer at any moment and observed him.
He was an ordinary man. A peddler with thick arms but a potbelly, a middle-aged man. His eyes were a little bloodshot, but that wasn't a significant feature.
“Why… why are you doing this! Aron! The apples I gave you alone…”
The man trembled, but unlike the last one, he hadn’t wet himself. It was too early to say for sure. He might just have a bigger bladder and better hygiene.
I grabbed his shoulder and pinned him to the ground.
For a peddler, he put up a decent struggle.
“Sorry. It turned out this way.”
“A-Aron! It’s me, Deniran! Deniran! The one who gave you apples!!”
“Yeah. I remember.”
Deniran.
I muttered his name and swung the hammer with all my might. I had planned to stop it right in front of his forehead, but…
His skin instantly turned pale, and he unleashed incredible strength. Enough to push my hand back slightly. It was a strength unbefitting a pot-bellied peddler, no matter how you looked at it.
And then, his canines grew long.
‘A vampire, was it?’
He struggled, but he couldn’t escape my grasp.
*CRACK!* The hammer smashed into his forehead with full force.
His pale forehead caved in.
“Kuaaaargh!”
He let out a grotesque scream, his mouth gaping wide.
His neck twisted at an odd angle as he tried to bite the arm holding his shoulder. A bad habit.
*CRACK!*
The dud, who had been crouching beside me, slammed her mace into his head. His head snapped back, the tips of his molars scraping my pauldron.
As the dud lifted her mace, I brought my hammer down.
A relentless combo, a perfect rhythm and timing that reminded me of pounding rice cakes.
*CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!*
“Kuaaaargh! The Black Blood… The Black Blood will find you!!”
Unable to resist, the man’s head burst with a sickening pop.
After spewing red blood, he finally sprayed black blood.
‘Deniran. Apples.’
I muttered the words, wiping the blood from my hands with disgust.
Just then, my eyes met the dud’s.
“Strageticcooperation.”
The dud muttered in a barely audible voice and nodded.
‘…It’s strategic cooperation.’
Feeling a bit tired, I didn’t bother to correct her and just nodded.
*CRACK! CRACK!*
‘How long has it been since I dealt with that old man, and now it’s the Black Blood.’
I muttered, watching the dud continue to swing her mace even though the man was already in pieces.
—To have them just roll in like this even when you do nothing. You’ve picked a good spot.
I didn’t want to agree with him, but it was true that devils were showing up one after another, like a full-course meal.
—You could at least wipe that smirk off your face before you say that.
‘Hmm…’
Just then, my eyes met the dud’s again.
Her eyes widened slightly. She nodded, then began to swing her mace even more furiously.
***
[Your report is too late, Swallowitz.]
“There were circumstances. You must have heard about it over there, too?”
[I know. A great darkness has appeared. What about the item?]
“The one loved by mana is safe.”
[Are you certain she is truly the one loved by mana?]
“I’m certain. Unfortunately.”
[Unfortunately? What do you mean? Is there something wrong with her?]
“She’s an idiot. A complete one.”
[Swallowitz, I know you’re smart, but please submit your reports objectively. If you write insults like that in the report…]
“No, she’s really an idiot. You’re just saying that because you haven’t seen her.”
[Didn’t you get fired from your lectures at the Magic Tower for calling the students idiots? Is there anyone who isn’t an idiot to you, Swallowitz?]
Swallowitz swallowed the retort that rose to his lips. It wasn’t time yet.
[Anyway, has the item been secured? You even said you’d give her private lessons.]
“It’s not like it would be of any use even if we extracted it. The efficiency is abysmal, less than a single mana stone.”
[The Gray Tower recently made a new announcement about the ‘one loved by mana’.]
‘The Gray Tower?’
Swallowitz frowned.
Of all the Magic Towers, the Gray Tower was the most enigmatic and the least known. They were a bunch of eccentrics who only committed bizarre acts in the name of stopping the ‘apocalypse,’ putting magical research on the back burner.
Because of this, mages from other towers didn’t even recognize the Gray Tower as a proper Magic Tower. They were just called weirdos and avoided.
“Those weirdos? What kind of announcement?”
[They say the lifespan of one ‘loved by mana’ is twenty years at most.]
“Hmm… that’s nothing new.”
The amount of mana within the young lady’s body was too much for a human to handle. It wouldn’t be strange at all if she died young.
[There were a few more announcements, mostly about the attributes of the one loved by mana…]
“Wait. But isn’t Vivian the only one loved by mana on the continent right now? You’d need a pretty detailed sample to conduct research. Who on earth made the announcement?”
[The next master of the Gray Tower. A man who appeared out of nowhere, with almost no information on him. As if he just fell from the sky.]
‘Well, if he’s from the Gray Tower…’
Various possibilities sprang to mind, complicating Swallowitz’s thoughts.
[Ah, there is one distinguishing feature. He has one arm. And his name…]
After a brief silence.
[It was Hans.]
The short message followed.