Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Suspicion in Liudira
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Yesterday, I had expected gathering information to hit a wall, but signs pointed to things unfolding more smoothly than anticipated.
Last night, rumors reached me of a body discovered in Techen, the village near Liudira, presumed to have been murdered by Kal Kurso.
The victim was the daughter of the village lord. As a result, fear and hatred for Kal Kurso were swelling among the locals.
"So... where are you hiding, exactly."
Kal Kurso was the boss of Act 1 in Remegaton.
After defending the dungeon from ten parties of foreign adventurers, players would face him.
Back then, Remegaton had been quite popular, drawing a diverse player base.
Normally, you'd expect varied reactions from such a crowd after tackling the same content. But Act 1 was the exception.
Every player who reached the finale with Kal Kurso said the same thing.
"No-cash shredder..."
The boss of Act 1, Kal Kurso.
He was a no-cash shredder.
Kal Kurso's launch difficulty was excessively high. Any dungeon not fully built or lacking proper boss enhancements got utterly demolished without fail.
This sparked peak bewilderment and rage toward the developers. With already abysmal gacha rates fueling forced spending complaints, backlash peaked, forcing a response from the devs.
What followed was quite amusing. A single announcement—meant as an explanation—ignited players en masse.
"That notice was probably..."
[Notice: Regarding bug reports for the Kal Kurso finale party in Episode 1...]
The devs' response was straightforward.
The gist was...
"The difficulty of the Kal Kurso fight is intentional and designed for all players to handle."
They claimed that smart use of given resources would make it feasible.
"In the end, they weren't wrong."
Info was scarce back then. Later revelations flipped opinions on the difficulty.
From "Kal Kurso's difficulty is botched" to "Kal Kurso's difficulty is quite balanced."
With the caveat: players must effectively use what's provided.
So, what exactly had the devs meant by "given to the player"? Fortunately...
"I know it all. ...Though the issue is I can't utilize most of it right now."
Staying an extra day in Liudira was precisely to prepare for Kal Kurso's eventual arrival.
Spy work to gather intel on him.
One prime method provided to players.
Though he wouldn't appear for ages, prepping early couldn't hurt.
"Well... so, Kal Kurso..."
Where the hell are you?
Creeeak...
Having roughly sorted my thoughts, I opened the door and stepped out.
Down in the inn's first-floor tavern, I ordered breakfast from the innkeeper.
"Eggs are all out right now, unfortunately. That okay?"
"Fine by me. Whatever you've got."
...Eating's for survival anyway.
Creak...
'...Hm?'
Creak...
A group came down from upstairs.
'...Adventurers?'
Yaaawn...
"Man, you were snoring like a beast last night."
"My uncle?"
"Nah, not your uncle. That guy over there."
"What? Was I snoring?"
Their outfits screamed adventurer.
'Three men, two women. Total of five... yep.'
Adventurers venturing as far as drained Liudira weren't usually top-tier, but one stood out among the five.
'That middle-aged guy.'
As I snuck a sidelong glance, their chatter continued.
"...Mr. Marus, sorry if my sleeping habits kept things noisy last night."
"No worries. The journey must've worn you out."
"Good thing my uncle's so understanding! Anyway, breakfast's on you today."
"You little... That your angle? Fine, sure."
The party settled at a nearby table, chatting away.
"Heard? Kal Kurso showed up in Techen the day we left."
"Yeah, heard yesterday. Place was buzzing."
"Gives me chills just thinking about it. How's a monster like that still on the loose?"
"Wanna hear something scary?"
"What now..."
The young man, apparently the middle-aged guy's nephew, led the tale.
"Truth is, we might've crossed paths with Kal Kurso while we were staying in Techen."
"Eek! Stop it!"
"Hahaha, it's true! The body's discovery was after we left, but who knows when the kill happened. Maybe..."
He leaned in close to the frightened woman.
"...we were next on his list."
"Eeeek!"
"Hahaha! You're such a good sport."
"Marwen, show some restraint."
"Ah... Uncle, was that too much?"
"Way too much! Absolutely!"
Marwen scratched his head sheepishly.
Embarrassed, he poked at the food on his plate with a fork.
Nom... nom...
"Hm... Food came quick, huh? Wait, only mine? No, hold up—I haven't even ordered yet."
...Huh?
'No way that's my...'
I glanced at the serving boy filling in for the innkeeper. He let out a startled gasp and fidgeted nervously.
'I got here first... but the food went to them by mistake.'
Judging by the boy's anxious eyes, he expected a scolding from the boss or venting from a customer.
"...Hey."
Then, oddly, Marwen approached me.
"Looks like I accidentally scarfed your breakfast."
"Seems that way."
"To make up for it, I'll cover yours. Call it even?"
...This guy.
"That's plenty."
"Thanks!"
Pat pat...
He returned to his seat, clapping the server's shoulder.
Contrary to first impressions, maybe a decent fellow after all?
After that, I quietly savored my meal in peace.
Creeeak...
Until, soon after, a shady figure pushed open the inn door.
'...Hm?'
A massive scar across his face.
Missing teeth.
A thoroughly menacing mug on a hulking frame.
Without preamble, he cornered the innkeeper.
"Hey, barkeep. Any suspicious types show up here last few days?"
"...Suspicious how?"
"Think hard. This is important."
"Beats me. Important to you, maybe—not to me..."
Thud...
"Urk..."
"Don't!"
Sensing trouble, the server from earlier jumped in front of the innkeeper.
"Hmm..."
The intruder didn't stop there.
He scanned the dining guests.
'...He looking at me?'
Thud...
Thud...
My bad feeling hit the mark.
"Hey, you."
"...?"
"When'd you roll into town?"
"...Yesterday?"
"Hoh... is that so?"
This guy's eyeing me suspiciously.
'Who the hell's he after...'
A figure flashed in my mind.
'...Aha.'
Likely hired over that recent local murder.
A fortuitous encounter for me. Every scrap of info counted in spy work.
"That rich Techen missy got offed. Landed me a payout to snag the perp. Get it?"
Got it, but no urge to play along.
"You don't look local. What's your business here? No companions either..."
"Adventurer."
"Right. Mind showing your travel permit?"
Rustle...
His hand dipped into his coat.
One wrong move, and blood would spill. Tension thick.
'...Picked the wrong mark? Guy's too thuggish.'
Play it wrong, and my spy work ends before starting—under watch in Liudira.
'In that case...'
Worst case, ready to flex some power. That's when—
"Ehey! What's the ruckus, folks? This early in the morning."
"...And you are?"
"Me? Marwen. As you see, having breakfast. Nearly choked thanks to someone."
"...With him?"
"Nope."
"Then why butt in for him?"
"Butt in? You're hunting Kal Kurso, right?"
"......"
"Techen thing's a tragedy. We came from there. Point is, doesn't seem like Kal Kurso's in Liudira."
The man tilted his head at Marwen's words.
"What nonsense?"
"My uncle here's a big shot. Used to be vice-captain of the Lionheart Holy Knight Order."
"L-Lionheart..."
"If Kal Kurso were in Liudira, Uncle would've sniffed him out first..."
"Marwen. Enough chatter."
"Urk..."
That middle-aged guy was Lionheart Holy Knight Order?
'No wonder... he had that untouchable aura.'
Faust's body had sharp instincts, easy to spot threats. It screamed caution around this guy.
"Hmph... why's someone like you in this backwater..."
"He's my uncle."
"Tch... so this guy's not tied to Kal Kurso?"
"Bingo. Right, Uncle?"
Our eyes met the uncle's.
'Mouse before a cat.'
Nod...
"See?"
"...Fine. I'll check elsewhere."
"Don't overdo it! If Kal Kurso hits this village, me and Uncle'll spot and smoke him first."
"Hmph."
Creeeak...
The thug stormed out, relieved.
Left behind, Marwen and I shared an awkward glance.
"Guess this means breakfast's still on me?"
* * *
Odd bunch.
Couldn't think otherwise.
'Just wanted breakfast, ended up in all this mess.'
Not a bad vibe, though.
Marwen, his uncle, and their crew were kind—and thanks to them, I dodged that hassle.
'But what's with this feeling? Hm...'
Kind neighbors should lift spirits, so why the nagging unease first?
'Can't place it.'
That mercenary from breakfast was still prowling the inn and village for Kal Kurso traces.
By midday, rumors—real or not—about him reached even me.
"Makes it tough for me to move around now."
A real pickle.
Finding Kal Kurso leads mattered more to me than him.
Still, if a guy this gung-ho found zilch in Liudira, Kal Kurso's visit was likely months off.
'At least... a few? No, closer to half a year.'
Stayed extra day out of paranoia, but leaving yesterday might've been smarter.
"Food, please..."
"......"
"Some food, please..."
A wagon caught my eye.
A boxed cage with iron bars.
'Slave trader.'
Unpleasant design, etched in memory. Empire teemed with traders cramming kids into these for sale.
Demonkin slaves sold well even in outlands like this.
Or maybe Liudira's quirks played in.
'Near the Great Forest... probably for dungeon scouting.'
Odds any sold here returned from scouting?
'...Generous estimate: under 30%.'
The demonkin's eyes were dull gray, no spark.
Eyes of one who'd surrendered to fate. A sliver of hope might restore color?
Rustle...
I pulled a bread chunk from my pouch and offered it through the bars. No deeper meaning.
No salvation, no mockery.
Munch... munch...
The young demonkin wolfed it down.
Belly full in seconds, he reached out again.
Palm up—thanks, maybe.
As I stared, someone barked.
"Keep those filthy hands off, demon brat."
"......"
Marwen—the youth from earlier—with his uncle, watching me nearby.
"You too, step back. Demonkin are..."
I got it.
Why unease hit before warmth upon seeing them.
"Dangerous."
Here, I was demonkin. They were human.
We were different.
"Get that hand in there!"
The startled slave trader charged out, slamming the bars with a sturdy wooden club.
Clang!
"You damn demon whelp! Trying to scare off customers?"
Terrified, the demonkin yanked his hand back inside.
Right. We weren't the same.
Marwen's group and I conversed across invisible bars. Now I saw it.
They were human.
'I am...'
Demonkin.