Chapter 24
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: An Expensive Request
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“I’m telling you, just try a sip.”
The man held out a glass bottle. The dark red blood inside sloshed around.
A black magician who drinks the blood of the Demon Race and demon beasts—.
‘Crazy… It’s real. That’s the real thing.’
The man’s calm voice sent a wave of goosebumps over Shern’s skin.
The infamy of demon blood was well-known in the Black Magic Society.
The story went that ten black magicians drank the blood of the Demon Race. Eight of them died, one went mad, and the last one disappeared without a trace.
And yet, this man was offering such blood so casually.
“Why won’t you drink? Is there anything more efficient than experiencing it firsthand?”
The man was actually chiding the two of them.
“Sir… if it’s truly not dangerous, please, have a drink!”
Parntal shouted, his voice trembling.
A flicker of yearning was visible through the fear on Parntal’s face.
‘You madman, Parntal!’
Shern let out a small scream.
“There isn’t much. Is it alright if I drink it?”
The man asked, shaking the glass bottle, as if asking permission to drink something so precious himself.
A chilling sense of disconnect left Shern and Parntal unable to speak, only nodding.
“Excellent. Ah, do you happen to have any candy?”
“…Candy?”
“Anything sweet.”
Shern, who had a sweet tooth, took out a few pieces of candy and practically threw them at the man.
“Thank you. This stuff doesn’t taste very good.”
The man downed the demon beast’s blood from the glass without a moment’s hesitation.
“……He actually drank it.”
Shern let out a gasp of astonishment at the man who had really drunk it.
The man casually popped a piece of candy into his mouth.
To knock back demon beast blood like a shot of liquor and then eat candy because it tastes bad—.
It felt as if Shern’s entire understanding of the world was being negated.
“This calculation is wrong. The mana concentration is a bit lower. To express it with a formula—. Hey, are you listening?”
“…Huh? Yes!”
“Lower the concentration a little more. And the calculation itself is flawed from the start, isn’t it? There’s no baseline. No standard.”
He was even pointing out flaws in their calculations right away.
‘Is the demon beast blood spoiled?’
As if thinking the same thing, Parntal picked up a glass bottle.
It was a bottle containing the same demon beast blood the man had just drunk.
“Are… are you really alright?”
“It hurts a little, but you just need to keep a clear head.”
After a long moment of hesitation, Parntal swallowed the demon beast’s blood in one gulp.
“Hmm, drinking it all at once will be tough. You must be full of vigor, being a young fellow.”
“You could have said that earlier…”
Parntal’s mouth stopped moving.
His eyes widened as if they would tear. A web of red veins filled them. Tears streamed down from the corners of his eyes. He could barely breathe, letting out only a choked gasp.
“Ah, you’ll be fine. It might feel like every single one of your blood vessels is on fire, but that’s just an illusion. It’s merely pain, nothing more. Focus. Suppress your mana.”
“Guhh-.”
Parntal let out a strangled cry as his limbs trembled violently. Veins bulged on his face. He stood rigidly on the tips of his toes.
It was a horrific sight, making it impossible to even imagine the kind of pain he was experiencing.
“It’s fine. It’s not the blood of the Demon Race, just a demon beast. And it’s been a while since it was drawn. Why make such a fuss?”
‘A… fuss?’
Standing on his tiptoes, his body shaking uncontrollably—there was no way that was just a fuss.
“Now, the method is simple. Imagine your mana is in your heart. Picture yourself pressing down on it firmly. It’s a similar feeling to when you inhale as deeply as you can. Follow me now. Hoo- Hah- Hoo- Hah-. Do it properly. Do you want to die?”
Just then, Parntal’s head snapped back. A grotesque sound of twisting bone was heard. His skin pulled taut as if his bones were being ripped out.
“Hmm, this won’t do. I’ll help you just this once.”
The man placed a hand over Parntal’s heart. Veins bulged on the back of his hand. Parntal’s breathing quickly stabilized.
Parntal collapsed to the floor. Shern rushed to support him.
“Parntal! Are you okay? Are you with me?”
It was a little while before Parntal regained his senses.
The man was reading through Parntal’s research report.
“……That’s right, the coefficient was too high. The margin of error was set incorrectly.”
As soon as he came to, Parntal began to ramble about his research. At Parntal’s urging, Shern checked the report.
‘If I change the coefficient—. He’s right.’
The problem that had been plaguing them for so long was solved in an instant.
The man’s words had been true.
“This.”
Just then, the man pointed to Parntal’s research report.
Parntal scrambled to his feet and approached the man.
“The human mana coefficient table is empty in the middle?”
“Ah, the research related to humans is still in preparation. It’s a section that was lost when we were attacked by a certain group…”
“I see. May I have a pen?”
“Yes!”
The man took the pen from Parntal and began writing something in the report.
Parntal, who normally hated anyone touching his research, now just watched quietly. In fact, his face was full of anticipation.
A moment later, the man held out the research report.
“There’s a slight margin of error, but it should be within the acceptable range.”
The empty table was now completely filled.
And that wasn’t all. The man had written additional data on the back page right then and there.
It was all data that had been lost during the attack by that certain group. Things they needed for their research but had struggled to obtain—.
To know about such things meant he was one of two things.
Either he was part of that certain group, or he was from the Main Society, the upper echelons of the Black Magic Society—.
It was unlikely that someone from that group would be here correcting their report.
In that case—.
“Are you from the Main Society?”
The fact that the Deputy Branch Chief had let him in, ignoring procedure; his extensive knowledge of demon and demon beast blood; his ability to drink the blood without any ill effect; his knowledge of the lost information—.
Everything pointed to the man being a member of the Main Society.
“That’s a secret.”
It was a response as good as a confirmation. Shern and Parntal swallowed hard.
The Main Society—.
Coming face to face with what they had only heard of in legends made their lips go dry.
“Why would someone from the Main Society come all the way here…”
“Why do you think?”
The man asked in return. His relaxed demeanor felt like a test.
“To clean out all the rotten bastards!”
Parntal answered in a rough voice, filled with rage.
The man flicked his fingers, gesturing for him to continue.
“The Society is currently buried in mana stones! Research is a secondary concern, and it’s full of rotten fools who think a mana stone staff is something to be proud of! They even force us, the researchers, to meet mana stone quotas!”
The words poured out of Parntal as if he were coughing up blood. As someone who had always been full of complaints, his voice was thick with desperation.
The man nodded.
“I am preparing for a renewal.”
*Renewal*. Shern quietly murmured the sweet, thrilling word.
“Mana stones are fine. Aren’t they just rocks that fetch a high price? But in the end, they’re just rocks. Do you think a lump of stone will reveal the truth to you?”
There was power in the man’s voice. Shern blankly nodded his head.
“You two are the only useful ones here. The rest are all fake magicians who do nothing but lick magical tools.”
At the man’s acknowledgment, Parntal’s body trembled. Wasn’t his reaction a bit too extreme? Shern frowned slightly.
“I will cut away the rotten flesh to make way for new growth. Parntal, you pass.”
At being singled out by the man, Parntal let out a sharp gasp. Tears even welled in his eyes.
“I knew a day like this would come!”
He had joined the Black Magic Society to pursue greater heights. But research was pushed aside, and the days spent swinging a pickaxe in the mana stone mines grew more frequent. For the enraged Parntal, these words were too sweet to resist.
“Parntal, give me your hand.”
“Thank you!”
The man grabbed Parntal’s wrist. A series of rough sparks flared from his hand. It was truly brilliant and intricate magic.
To perform such sophisticated magic without an incantation—.
‘As expected of the Main Society!’
“There. This is the seal.”
On the inside of Parntal’s wrist was a stylish scar in the shape of a lightning bolt. Parntal looked at it and shed hot tears.
“Wh-what about me?!”
Shern asked urgently.
“There is one condition.”
The man pushed the glass bottle of demon beast blood toward him.
“Show me your sincerity.”
*Gulp*. Shern swallowed dryly.
It was a crude test, but for that very reason, it was impossible to fake.
“Drink it! Shern!”
Parntal, who had always been kind to Shern, now glared at him with wild eyes and shouted.
Under the pressure, Shern gulped down the demon beast’s blood.
It was like swallowing fire. Not just any fire, but a fire bristling with thorns.
A pain that felt like his insides were being torn apart and burned washed over him. Shern’s mind momentarily went blank.
Then, the pain slowly began to subside.
The moment he faced the man, who was watching him with a relaxed expression, he understood Parntal’s madness.
It was only natural to feel a sense of awe for a man who could handle such pain so casually.
“You pass as well.”
Shern and Parntal looked at each other and nodded. The humiliation of the past seemed to melt away.
“Now, you two are under my direct command. Congratulations.”
The two nodded, their faces now much more solemn.
“For now, stay here and act as you normally would. Compile information on the branch. Especially on Korton.”
Shern and Parntal nodded.
“Ah, could you give me some paper? Thank you.”
“Not at all!”
The man began to quickly write something on the blank paper.
“The baseline is a mana arrow. Use this to research the demon blood. You should be able to utilize the demon beast blood, so it will be sufficient.”
“Of course!”
Shern’s eyes widened. It was detailed data on the blood of the Demon Race. The man had just scribbled it down, but it was exactly what they needed.
“Ah, research on humans is forbidden. There are rumors that a certain group is closing in. If you find anyone conducting such research, make a separate note of it. Always remember the renewal.”
At the man’s serious tone, the two nodded with solemn faces.
“I will come again.”
The man said softly as he stood up.
Just then, the door opened, and Deputy Branch Chief Korton appeared.
The man smiled as if nothing had just happened.
****
“How was the research?”
“It wasn’t bad.”
Persuading magicians who did nothing but research was easier for an agent like Galahad than flipping his hand over.
And since he even had the information they possessed, there was nothing more to say.
Coercion was Galahad’s specialty.
‘I’ve set up a little research lab.’
For now, their research was pathetic. He had expected more, given the number of mana stones and expensive magical tools they had, but it was nothing special.
Still, they were useful pawns.
Now that he had given them direction and information on demon blood, there should be some results by the time he returned.
And he had also assigned them the role of monitoring Korton, so it couldn't be better.
‘Always dig two burrows.’
Now, if he could just reel in Korton, he could plant his pawns on both sides and have them watch each other.
Just then, Korton checked outside and locked the door.
“I’ll be direct.”
Korton said with an uncharacteristically serious face.
“Kill Adrianna.”
The request was so blunt that Galahad let out a low groan.
To ask him to kill Adrianna out of the blue—.
“Hoo… some very important people want Adrianna dead. If you take care of her, you will be given a massive reward.”
It was clearly Dawn.
“Are these important people very high up?”
Korton grinned.
“Why else do you think we’re researching the Demon Race?”
Galahad realized why Korton had shown him the research.
The Empire strictly forbade research on the Demon Race. Any research related to them was rooted out completely.
To be researching the Demon Race meant—.
‘He was showing me that their organization is powerful enough to defy the Empire.’
It seemed Dawn was bigger than he thought. Galahad put a cigarette to his lips and organized his thoughts.
‘Dawn has put a bounty on Adrianna. The reward must be substantial. After all, Adrianna is their biggest obstacle.’
It seemed their greedy Korton was planning to proceed without telling the branch chief.
‘He plans to take it all for himself.’
Which meant secrecy was guaranteed.
‘A request to kill Adrianna, huh—.’
The scent of lemon wafted deeply.
Considering the various circumstances, the request to kill Adrianna was—.
‘Not bad.’
It was a pretty good offer.
Of course, he had no intention of actually killing Adrianna. He doubted it was even possible in the first place.
However, it was a chance to get close to Dawn.
Jumping at it right away wouldn't be good, so he threw out a question.
“What’s in it for me?”
“……For you? Ah, right. Of course, there is!”
His stuttering suggested he hadn’t considered Galahad’s reward. The man was truly hopeless.
“This is a request from someone very high up. If you succeed, a reward beyond your imagination will follow. You saw the mana stones and expensive magical tools lying around, didn’t you? There will be a reward even greater than that!”
Vague rewards always ended badly.
Of course, this time, he would never see that reward anyway.
“A reward—. Sounds great. But as you know, I’m just a figurehead right now. To even look for an opening, I’d have to get close to Adrianna, but to do that…”
“Didn’t you say you even held hands?”
“I held her hand and almost died. Don’t you know what those Northerners are like?”
At Galahad’s response, Korton grinned.
“Don’t worry about support. Just tell me whatever you need.”
At Korton’s confident face, Galahad laughed heartily.
“You’re a really dependable guy!”
“Haha! I’m the Deputy Branch Chief. With the Branch Chief gone, this is my world. Didn’t you see the mana stones and magical tools on your way in?”
As Galahad listed the things he needed, Korton’s smile slowly faded.
A moment later, instead of silver coins, Korton held out a hideously shaped, finger-sized pill.
“This is the Egg of Pain.”
“The Egg of Pain?”
“It’s an item obtained from a high-ranking demon. If you break an oath made after eating this, you will die in excruciating pain.”
Korton said with a voice full of confidence.
He had wondered why Korton was being so trusting, but it seemed he had prepared his own countermeasures.
If it was an item from a high-ranking demon, he certainly had reason to be confident.
However—.
“Break the oath and die in excruciating pain, you say? Who sets the standard for that? Does this little thing have a brain to make judgments? Or does it perceive personal emotions? Or perhaps it’s a type of magic?”
At Galahad’s flood of questions, Korton sensed something was wrong.
Instead of being frightened by the hideous thing, Galahad’s eyes lit up.
As if he had discovered something incredibly precious—.
“Ah, my apologies. Hmm, you said it was from a high-ranking demon—.”
The Egg of Pain was now in Galahad’s hand.
Korton shivered slightly as Galahad examined the gruesome object as carefully as if it were a jewel.
“Right, eat it and make the oath—. Understood.”
Galahad swallowed it without a second thought.
*Gulp*.
At his unhesitating action, Korton swallowed dryly.
Just then, Galahad looked at Korton with sunken eyes and made his oath.
“If you wish it, I will kill Adrianna.”
It seemed to have a strange condition attached, but the content was the same, so Korton nodded.
“Oh—so this is the principle. A high-ranking demon. To have this level of mana concentration. This is truly remarkable.”
Galahad was stroking his own neck.
“Can you get another one?”
“What in the world are you talking about—.”
“I’m saying I think I’ll understand if I eat one more. Do you have another?”
At Galahad, who was licking his lips, Korton stood up as if to flee.
****
“Sir Gilberton, we have a problem.”
At Tom’s serious tone, Gilberton frowned.
“Did the Captain cause trouble?”
“What? No, sir.”
“Then did Gwen burn down the barracks again?”
“Ah, she’s doing that outside now.”
“Did Damian say he was hungry?”
“What? No, sir. Please take a look at this.”
Tom held something out. It was a yellowed piece of parchment covered in writing.
Gilberton slowly read what was written on the parchment.
“Special Task Force accounting ledger? We had one of these?”
“Ah, I had some free time, so I organized it. It seemed like no one else was doing it… I apologize if I overstepped.”
Organizing an accounting ledger because he had free time. He couldn't comprehend the thought process.
Gilberton slowly looked over the ledger. After reading two lines of sentences with numbers, he started to feel dizzy.
“What’s the problem?”
Gilberton asked, handing the ledger back to Tom.
“We’re about to run out of budget.”
“Run out of budget? Didn’t you say we received operational funds when we got the carriage?”
“Yes, but doesn’t the unit’s budget depend on performance?”
“Hmm. That’s right.”
Gilberton nodded, for now.
“But when we received the budget, we hadn’t accomplished anything, had we?”
“That’s true.”
“So the budget we were allocated was small to begin with.”
“I see.”
Finally understanding, Gilberton nodded his head.
“And the budget adjustment for our accomplishments comes in the next quarter, doesn’t it?”
“Right.”
“Our unit’s expenses are excessively high. I understand Sir Gilberton’s salary, coming from the 1st Battalion, but Damian’s and Gwen’s salaries are strangely high.”
The continuous talk of money was starting to give Gilberton a headache.
“On top of that, there’s Damian’s food expenses and the repair costs for Sir Gilberton’s armor this time—. At this rate, we’ll go bankrupt.”
The word ‘bankrupt’ came through loud and clear. Gilberton nodded and said.
“So we’re going bankrupt.”
“What? Ah, yes. That’s correct.”
“Why didn’t you just get to the point instead of talking for so long?”
“Haha… Anyway, we have to find a solution.”
“A solution?”
“Yes, for example, since Sir Gilberton’s armor was damaged while helping with a 4th Battalion mission, it’s right to send the bill to them. And as for Damian’s food expenses…”
The strange talk went on for a while.
Gilberton nodded as if he understood most of it.
“So you agree, Sir Gilberton.”
“Agree to what?”
“……The pay cut, sir.”
“Cut my pay? What are you talking about?”
The corner of Tom’s mouth twitched.
“That… never mind.”
“So, in short, we’re short on money, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
To talk so long about such a useless worry—.
Gilberton clicked his tongue.
“The Captain will take care of it.”
“But no matter how capable the Captain is, this is the North. How could he find money here…”
Just then, the flap of the barracks was pushed aside. Galahad entered.
“Ah. You’re back, sir.”
Tom stood and bowed respectfully. Gilberton gave a slight nod of his head.
“Things took a little longer than expected. Where are Damian and Gwen?”
Galahad asked, handing a large leather bundle to Tom.
“They’re training.”
“Diligent. Why are you in such a shabby barracks?”
“For an external unit, this is good treatment.”
“A damp, smelly barracks like this is good treatment—. There’s a terrible smell coming from somewhere… Sir Gilberton, did you wash your feet properly?”
“Why would I wash my feet?”
“Horrifying. That’s why you’re not popular.”
Just then, Tom screamed.
The bundle, dropped from Tom’s hands, burst open.
A flood of shiny objects poured out from within.
Gold coins, silver coins, and stones that glowed with a faint light—.
Seeing an amount of money he had never seen in his life, Gilberton’s eyes widened as if they would tear.
“Wh-what is this? I was wondering where you went, did you rob the 5th Battalion?! Damn it!”
Gilberton grabbed his sword and shot to his feet.
“Rob what— I took on a job.”
“…What kind of job pays this much?”
At Gilberton’s suspicious question, Galahad cleared his throat slightly.
“That’s a secret.”
The lighthearted reply made Gilberton extremely uneasy.