102. Another Reward 1
Blue lightning and a whirlwind crashed down on Enderlin amid the downpour.
Shwaaaak!
Whoooosh!
“……!!”
As the azure bolt struck home, Enderlin and his black imugi shuddered violently. Craaaackle!! A deafening roar filled Trist Plaza. The sound roused the fallen Reaper Faction members one by one.
“Ugh……”
“Kuh……”
Meanwhile, Enderlin and the imugi—now reduced to ashen husks—spewed black smoke from their mouths. The thunder bird's power was formidable. The electricity had amplified upon mingling with the moisture in their bodies. The nickname "Lord of the Skies," ruler of all flying beasts, was well-earned.
While Enderlin and the imugi lay dazed, the whirlwind ensnaring them grew fiercer.
Whoooosh!
The raging vortex tore the imugi's arms clean off in an instant.
Sizzle.
Sizzle.
In the end, Enderlin and the imugi—reverted to its original form—plummeted from the sky. But it wasn't just the imugi that had changed. Enderlin himself was transformed. His hair had turned stark white, his face etched with deep wrinkles. He looked at least thirty years older.
As they examined the limp Enderlin's body—
Wriggle.
Something began writhing free from within him. What emerged was none other than a massive Medina Parasite.
Indeed. The parasite had drained every last drop of mana from Enderlin's body.
Falling through the air, Enderlin wore a bitter expression.
In the end, failure…
His rebellion had seemed destined for success in his calculations. He'd believed he'd eliminated every obstacle in advance. Yet an unexpected scion from another house had stripped him of everything—status, honor, even his very body.
The Bascon family…
Enderlin thought of the one who had robbed him of his light, his face etched with sorrow.
* * *
A silver-haired man in a black uniform seized Enderlin by the throat.
And then.
A brilliant flash erupted from the man's hand, making Enderlin's eyes gleam.
The Bascon family's… innate power!
Enderlin soon let out a scream.
“Gaaahhh!!”
With a groan of agony, darkness swallowed his vision.
* * *
To lose to the Bascons again…
Indignation boiled in his chest. But his body was already a wreck. With his mana utterly depleted, Enderlin lost consciousness.
In the meantime, Bin swiftly descended on the thunder bird and snatched the Medina Parasite from the air.
Swoosh.
Thud.
A mind-control parasite…
Bin's eyes narrowed. He judged it would prove useful later.
Seeing Enderlin tumble from the sky, Irin Taia gazed at him with pity.
“……”
A face so like her father's. Once, he had been one of those she trusted and relied on. The little uncle who played with her smiling brightly in her busy father's stead. Seeing him so withered, so at odds with those memories, tugged at her heart.
As Irin looked on Enderlin with sympathy—
Crack.
Crack.
“Hiiiisss.”
The imugi, regaining consciousness, let out a guttural roar as it slithered toward Enderlin.
Sssslide.
Its tenacity was unmatched. A trickle of blood dripped from the corner of its mouth—the mark of biting its own tongue to stay awake and protect its fallen master.
The Reaper Faction members' eyes flashed at the sight of the imugi.
“Th-the imugi… it's up again?”
“This is gonna be a headache.”
Bin's gaze shifted to it as well.
Impressive grit.
As Bin descended on the thunder bird—
Shunk.
Something emerged from the bandages on his right arm. A lime-green frog-like ancient demon, Ronfr.
The creature opened its massive maw toward Bin.
“My lord, mealtime.”
Bin shot it a puzzled look at the sudden declaration. Then Codic swiftly wedged himself between them, jutting his jaw toward the imugi.
“Click! Click! How dare a cheeky grasshopper beg my lord for food? Gobble up that half-baked lizard over there instead!”
Ronfr grinned widely at Codic's offhand remark, clearly pleased with the suggested meal. It tucked its hind legs against Bin's arm for leverage, then launched itself with tremendous force toward the imugi.
Whoosh!!
Ronfr's power was so immense that Bin's arm jerked backward. Soaring through the air, it slammed both feet into the imugi's head.
Splat!!
Thump!
Another thunderous boom echoed across Trist Plaza. The imugi's head whipped to the ground instantly—a collision severe enough to suspect a concussion.
The Reaper Faction members were speechless at the scene.
“……!”
Then an even more astonishing sight unfolded. Ronfr stretched its mouth impossibly wide.
“Aaaahhh.”
Shoooosh.
A fierce gale sucked the imugi into Ronfr's maw.
Fwoooosh.
The limp imugi's body dragged across the ground, inexorably drawn toward Ronfr…
Gulp.
Ronfr swallowed it whole in one go. It was like watching something vanish into a black hole.
The Reaper Faction stared in stunned disbelief.
“N-no… no way……”
“That frog ate the imugi?!”
With that, the count of monsters Ronfr had devoured reached eighty-nine.
Bin looked down at Ronfr—its belly now swollen like a mountain—with a calm expression.
“You sure can eat.”
Codic added his own quip.
“Click! Click! The glutton's as voracious as ever.”
Having gulped down the massive imugi, Ronfr belched thunderously.
“Buuuurp!”
It was a brazen sound, heedless of onlookers. Ronfr patted its bloated belly a couple times—thump, thump—then promptly passed out on the spot, as if overcome by sleepiness.
“……”
The Reaper Faction could only gape in shock at Ronfr's nonchalance. And who could blame them? It wasn't just any monster—it was a retainer beast, an imugi.
“What the hell is that thing…!”
A short while later.
Enderlin and the Reaper Faction's hands were bound with yellow cords. Handcuffs modeled after Gleipnir. Of course, they paled in efficacy compared to the one-legged dwarf Ront had possessed. Still, they boasted sturdier construction than ordinary manacles and could even seal mana and magi.
Endaran Teia addressed Enderlin.
“Is this the path you chose? Enderlin.”
Enderlin scoffed lightly in response.
“Hah.”
His attitude screamed incredulity. He turned his head toward Endaran.
“Just this? With this, the rotten grudge festering in my chest finally washed away.”
Endaran sighed at Enderlin's unrepentant defiance to the end.
“Hoo……”
He turned to the surrounding family members.
“Take them to the prison.”
“Yes, family head!”
The retainers dragged Enderlin and the Reaper Faction away with vigorous replies.
Thud. Thud…
Endaran watched them go in silence.
“……”
His face darkened. A nearby retainer, sensing his foul mood, chimed in.
“Those fools still haven't come to their senses. Scum who start rebellions deserve to rot in prison for life before they—”
The retainer clamped his mouth shut mid-sentence, unnerved by Endaran's piercing glare.
“……”
Endaran's voice was calm, but laced with venom.
“Mind your manners?”
“……!”
The retainer froze, unable to speak.
“……”
Endaran bowed his head, his expression troubled. As the elder twin, guilt gnawed at him for failing to guide his younger brother properly.
* * *
In one of Trist's mansions. A nature-attuned space where massive trunks formed part of the interior. Table, drawers, bookshelves—all crafted from wood. In one corner, sacks brimmed with feed for Endaran's monster, the Yellow Dragon. Its appetite matched its size.
There, Endaran, Bin, and Irin sat at the table sipping tea. Endaran occupied the center, Irin to his left, Bin to his right.
Endaran turned to Bin on his right with gratitude.
“Thank you.”
“No need.”
As Endaran regarded Bin's impassive face, he retrieved something from beneath the table. A pelt adorned with a lion's mane. One end bore the lion's head, the other its tail. It was the Nemean lion skin worn by the previous family head. Impenetrable by ordinary blades, its durability was legendary.
This to…
As Endaran hesitated—
Irin shot Bin an eager look, silently urging her father to hand it over. True to her belief that aid demanded recompense, she'd once stamped the Taia seal onto Bin's hand for similar help.
Agreeing with Irin, Endaran offered the lion skin to Bin.
“Your reward. It'll prove useful……”
Zeke, perched beside Irin, bulged its eyes.
That's a bit too generous…
Codic, watching from Bin's side, smirked with satisfaction. He enjoyed seeing Bin acquire new treasures, but Zeke's crumpled expression delighted him even more.
Of course it goes to my lord, you green whelp…
As Codic muttered at the slime Zeke—
Zeke looked distinctly displeased.
How can they give away the Nemean lion skin…
The pelt from the lion slain by the Taia previous head was not only rare but extraordinarily tough. Zeke chafed at handing such an item to an outsider.
Irin frowned at Zeke.
“Without the young master, who knows what would've become of the Taia family. This is the least we can do.”
“……”
Only then did Zeke nod reluctantly. She was right. The Taia family might have fallen entirely to the Reaper Faction and Enderlin—or worse, lie as cold corpses by now.
Zeke grumbled in agreement.
Yeah, fair enough.
Meanwhile, Endaran scrutinized Bin.
This kid's gaze doesn't match his age.
Endaran's eyes drifted to the silver epaulet on Bin's shoulder.
A supernova already, in his mid-teens? Did Moden have a talent like this among his sons?
Endaran pondered. The skill to confront a retainer lord like Enderlin marked Bin as extraordinary. He was certain Bin would rank among Gana Continent's elite in time.
Endaran gave Bin a meaningful look.
“And there's one more reward.”
…….
Irin tilted her head at Endaran's words. No gifts remained under the table or in sight.
Endaran subtly turned his head left. Zeke froze under his gaze. Irin was even more shocked.
“F-Father…!”
Endaran's eyes were fixed on Irin.
“The other reward… is my daughter.”
Silence fell in an instant.
“……!”