Chapter 409
Chapter 409
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 409
>Chapter Title: Hired Escort and Ambush
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The Castrang that Kang Seol had boarded stopped at the next station. Or, to be more precise, it dropped off all the passengers there.
It seemed injuries had piled up during the attackers' suppression of the passengers.
Fortunately, the one Ur had frozen solid was one of the ringleaders, and he was dutifully providing the security agents with all the necessary information.
Thanks to that, Kang Seol's group didn't have to waste time helping the agents piece together their intel.
"We'll prepare an empty cabin soon and contact you. Until then..."
"Understood."
In the end, they ended up staying in Palbin, a city blanketed in heavy snow.
"No helping it. Shall we move together, then?"
Silvia approached Kang Seol. She felt an inexplicable awe toward his group, who had saved her life.
'Amazing people... even the kid...'
With a single gesture from the child, a burly adult had shattered the Castrang's sturdy window and plummeted out.
And even after committing murder, there was no sign of guilt or emotional turmoil.
Well, one thing maybe.
They did seem to be pondering what to do now that one plum was gone.
'Kang Seol seems the most ordinary among them, by contrast. Right, that masked man must be the real leader of the group.'
They could be a famous mercenary band's secret operation, or given the magic, perhaps a big shot from Zodiac.
In that case, Kang Seol, bearer of the Libra symbol, might just be a mere bodyguard attending him.
'Whatever the case...'
Kang Seol was discussing with his group what to do next.
Silvia quickly inserted herself.
"I've passed through Palbin often. I remember the night market here having tons of sights. All the street stalls operate legally."
"......"
"I know a pretty fancy inn too... The district's layout is kinda messy, so you might struggle to find a decent place without guidance..."
"......"
"You, you might have a hard time without me..."
Ahem...
Albert awkwardly cleared his throat and stepped away, perhaps embarrassed to be there with her.
Silvia, who had never received such treatment before, had turned red up to her ears, her face practically radiating heat.
"Sh-shall we go sightseeing together?"
In the cold winter, it was incredibly hard to refuse an invitation from a pearl-like woman draped in fur.
- Yes!
- Absolutely!
- Count me in!
Kang Seol thought for a moment before replying.
"Yes. Let's do that."
Silvia brightened at his straightforward answer.
"Then... just the two of us..."
"Tancia would love it."
"...Pardon? Oh... right, yes."
* * *
- Die.
- Trash.
- You don't deserve to live.
- Please pass it to me. I love night markets too.
Silvia had planned to stroll the night market with Kang Seol to probe the masked man's identity and background, but it unexpectedly turned into a family outing.
"Tancia, look! A lizard from foreign lands!"
"Wow! The color! It changes color!"
Karen clung to Tancia like an elder sister, showing her the world.
"What? For real? I've never seen one like this!"
"You neither?"
"Nope! Not bad, lizard! You got spirit!"
The problem was... she was discovering the world herself along the way.
"Candy! Candy!"
"No! Too sweet stuff rots your teeth!"
Tancia stretched both sides of her mouth with her hands, revealing her cute fangs.
"Do mine rot too?"
"Uh... do they?"
Karen had never heard tales of dragons with rotten teeth, so she dug out some money and bought candy as a gift.
Lick... lick...
She bought three in total.
One for Tancia, one for Karen.
And the last for Bitan.
"Bitan! Gift!"
Surprisingly, Tancia's favorite in the group was Bitan—higher even than Karen.
Bitan refused the candy.
【Candy's no good for me. It doesn't suit my path.】
"...Path?"
【I'm not the old Bitan anymore. Reborn through trials with Kang Seol! The great sea urchin has become an even greater sea urchin!】
Tancia offered candy to Bitan, who struck some inexplicable pose from who-knows-where.
"Yeah, congrats. Candy as a present."
【Oh, a gift for my reborn self? I'll gladly accept.】
Lick... lick...
Forgetting his own words in an instant, Bitan nestled in Tancia's arms and licked the candy with her.
【Check this out, little one!】
"Hm?"
Bitan mimicked the face of a grandma staring at them.
【Eek? Identical, right?】
"Kyahahaha! It is! Yeah!"
With Tancia joining, the group gained a center of gravity.
A child's laughter held some inexplicable power. Stronger and gentler than any force in the world.
Ur sidled up to Kang Seol and whispered.
"No need to say it... you felt it too, right?"
Kang Seol nodded at Ur's words.
"Kill them?"
"Leave it be here. We're not the target."
"Hmm..."
"If need be, I'll handle it myself."
"Do what you want."
The subject from Ur's mouth was murder. No beating around the bush—he went straight to it.
"Kahaha! Ur! Look! Fish tail's so cool!"
"Oh dear, little one. The world's full of far cooler things than that."
"Yeah? But cool is cool! Fish tails are cool too!"
Ur gazed at the tiny, iridescent fish tail glowing every color of the rainbow.
"Well... you're not wrong."
Kang Seol watched Ur's back for a moment.
A blade of a man.
The king he'd faced in hell, his great rival.
Yet Ur was gradually descending upon the world as time passed. Sometimes, that made Kang Seol uneasy.
The mere fact that the cruel sorcerer who hated the world was seeping into it.
'Well... it'll be fine.'
In the past, he'd have pondered it deeply. But now, it brought no more than a brief worry.
Because he was strong enough. No matter how Ur changed, he was confident he could suppress him.
Time at the night market flowed on. Karuna and Karen, Ur and Bitan stayed by Tancia sharing stories, while Kang Seol talked with Silvia.
She wasn't the only one revising her assessment. Kang Seol reevaluated Silvia too.
'Mischen family... worth remembering.'
Not all nations in the Federation had once held equal power. The might of ancient houses from great powers sometimes extended to the Federation itself.
'The Mischen I know... they have pull in the Federation. If played right...'
The information that came with it was invaluable too.
But he hesitated to get too close until confirming certain facts.
'Why is the Mischen heiress wandering alone, though? Those disguised bandits were after Silvia too...'
Kang Seol asked her directly, without hesitation.
Silvia hesitated briefly before answering.
"I was abroad for research. Things didn't go well, so I'm heading back early..."
"I see."
She volunteered even unasked details.
"There's always thieves targeting rich travelers... I hired mercenaries in dangerous areas, but wasn't satisfied. Especially the reincarnators..."
She'd shown distaste for reincarnators before. Kang Seol asked about it.
"They always seem to hope something happens on the trip."
"...Ah."
Adventure-lust masking addiction symptoms. They constantly sought that thrill. Her disgust had roots.
Kang Seol asked.
"But... the ones targeting you on the train didn't seem like ordinary bandits..."
"Mischen is deeply tied to Castrang's development. Actually... the other nobles hit recently were all connected to Castrang too."
Some dirty business involving Castrang, it seemed. Not that it resonated much with Kang Seol.
"Um... so about that..."
Hence her eagerness.
"If you could persuade your group... could you escort me just until the Federation? A few days?"
- lolololol
- Your summon, not you...
- Loved you...
Kang Seol thought before replying.
"Destination...?"
"Shyrulen."
Close.
"Compensation...?"
"Name anything you want. I'm willing to pay once we're back..."
As their talk wrapped, Karuna approached.
"Tancia looks tired."
"Yeah, let's head back."
After fully enjoying the night market, they returned to the inn.
At the inn door, Kang Seol told his group.
"Go on ahead. I have separate business."
"Sure."
Ur nodded, but Tancia refused.
"I wanna go too!"
"That's..."
"Take me!"
Ur told Karuna.
"Karuna, that method."
"Mm!"
Karuna bowed his head low and hoisted Tancia onto his shoulders.
Piggyback style.
He headed to the inn that way.
"Higher! So high!"
Tancia giggled wildly, not resisting.
"That kid's... full of energy."
"...Shall we go? I'll guide you."
"Thanks."
Kang Seol headed to the annex Silvia had reserved separately.
She'd rented out the whole large building.
They talked in front of the lit annex.
"As I said, compensation..."
"I've decided on it."
"Yes."
Kang Seol looked at her and said.
"Access to the Star Graveyard."
"St-Star Graveyard..."
An underground market long existing in the Federation. Where all sorts of treasures flowed in. With reincarnators descending, even more must pour there.
"You're not the type to demand too much, so why the Star Graveyard..."
"It's not excessive."
"...What?"
"Compared to the trouble before you, it's nothing."
"......"
Kang Seol's eyes, mysterious as if piercing the heart of her ordeal.
Silvia bit her lip, pondered, then replied.
"Fine. Escort me safely to Shyrulen, and I'll somehow secure your Star Graveyard access."
"Then from this moment, I'm hired."
"I suppose so?"
"Unlucky for someone."
"...Pardon?"
Albert protested upon hearing the outcome.
"Lady Silvia! That's... too much..."
Then Kang Seol raised a finger to his lips.
"Shh..."
"......?"
He picked up a pebble from the ground.
And lightly tossed it at the annex's glass window.
Despite the casual motion, a massive whoosh erupted.
Whoooosh-!
Crash-!
"What..."
Fwoooosh-!
"Arghhh-!"
Shockingly, a scream burst from inside the annex.
Instantly, goosebumps rose on Silvia's skin.
Someone was in the inn that should have been empty. The one they were about to enter.
Hiss...
Fog began spreading around them, starting with the scream.
"Wh-what's happening? Explain..."
"Since arriving in Palbin, someone's gaze has been tailing us."
Presences stirred in the fog.
Not one.
Many.
Shing...
Gulp...
Albert realized he couldn't handle the assassins beyond the fog alone.
"I'll clear a path. Your group..."
Kang Seol lightly raised a hand, cutting him off.
"Step back."
Somehow, he couldn't argue.
Albert grasped his role.
"Lady Silvia! Behind me!"
"Y-yes..."
Whoooosh...
Over ten shadowy figures faintly appeared through the fog.
A distorted voice flowed from the mist.
"How'd you spot the ambush?"
"I've got good instincts."
The foe brimmed with malice.
No need to be polite.
"Kukuku... Yeah? Lucky bastard, it could've ended quick... You know? My fortune today is insanely good. Yours vs. mine—which wins?"
Silvia's heart sank.
Had she refused Kang Seol's offer, would she even be alive now?
Her heart-pounding situation continued.
The foe tried recruiting Kang Seol.
"Back off here. No need for needless blood, right?"
"Just got hired. Should've said that before."
"...You know who's behind us?"
"No one right now?"
Mocked, the foe began eyeing an attack chance.
Shing...
"Wordplay in this situation... You're no sane man."
Kang Seol stood calmly, utterly relaxed.
Flash-!
The fog scattered in an instant, revealing over a dozen masked figures.
The moment they swung their weapons with ferocious momentum.
"Die..."
Kang Seol unleashed his hidden aura.
Whooooosh...
That viscous, horrifying presence.
[The Giant of the Era's special ability activates.]
[Imposes pressure equal to your Dignity on foes lacking it.]
Crunch...
"Wha..."
Thud-!
Thud-!
In a flash, assassins slammed their heads to the ground.
"Guh... Gaaak..."
"C-can't... breathe..."
Step...
Step...
Kang Seol approached the attackers' leader, moon at his back.
The man struggled, mustering all his strength to lift his head.
"This... what the hell..."
Beneath Kang Seol's affable demeanor lurked a sharp edge, now rearing its head.
"Shitty fortune."
Kang Seol intoned.
The man's eyes reflected Kang Seol's pupils.
Dragon eyes.
In that instant, countless memories flooded the man's mind.
"You're down on your luck."
[The first ability of Dragon Blood Eyes is revealed.]
……