The Snare of Demon Blood
Thud.
"Got the buzzer."
Canteas sat down and set the vibration pager on the table.
He and Do-ha had followed Grandfather to a cafe near Anyang Station.
"Still can't get used to that look of yours, no matter how many times I see it."
"What, why?"
Canteas shrugged.
An Illusion spell currently covered his body—the appearance he'd worn as a great mage, before becoming a Lich.
"Surprised how handsome I am?"
"Be honest. That's not your real face. Whose looks did you copy?"
"Ah, come on! I told you it's not! This is my original face!"
"There's no proof, so I can't believe it…"
Do-ha stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Long blonde hair falling to the collarbone. Crimson eyes. A high-bridged nose. He really was extraordinarily handsome. On the walk to the cafe alone, he'd been street-cast three times, and more than six people had approached asking for his number.
Elves tended to be beautiful as a race, but Canteas's looks far surpassed even them.
"If you're jealous, just say you're jealous."
"It's not jealousy. You just make us stand out more."
"Heh heh. People can't take their eyes off this face of mine."
"Why didn't you walk around looking like that in Belhart too?"
"Why would I, when my true form is cooler?"
"……?"
His true form was just a skeleton decked out with a crown and jewels… Barely different from a regular skeleton. What was cool about that?
"You ignorant fool. If you look closely…"
"I told you not to talk like a Shaolin monk. Oh—they're here!"
Do-ha lightly pressed down on Canteas's head and looked toward the person entering the cafe.
Another old man, waving at Grandfather.
Grandfather seems to be in a good mood.
Do-ha, who had been listening to their conversation from the corner, smiled. Baek Chul's voice was flushed with excitement—clearly happy that he could finally repay a great debt.
About two hours passed that way.
A brief commotion broke out when the other man firmly refused the envelope of money Grandfather offered. In the end, though, he couldn't overcome Grandfather's stubbornness and accepted it.
Once Grandfather leaves, that's when I'll approach.
The money just received was Grandfather's repayment. Do-ha still had his own turn to repay. If not for that man, Grandfather would have died alone on the streets.
I've got one A-Rank mana stone in my subspace. I should give him that.
It was a hundred-million-won mana stone, but that didn't matter in the slightest. He'd give this one for now, and later give him an S-Rank one as well.
"Nothing special in the conversation. Once they're done talking…"
"Do-ha."
"Yeah?"
Do-ha, whose full attention had been on Grandfather, answered Canteas absently.
"Someone's waiting outside the cafe."
Do-ha had his back to the entrance, so he couldn't see—but Canteas was facing that way.
"Waiting?"
Do-ha turned and looked outside.
Three large men were glancing repeatedly at Grandfather—no, more precisely, at the old man sitting with him.
"No aura at all. They're not Awakened."
"What is this?"
Could they be robbers after the money envelope? But how would they know it was a money envelope being handed over? His grandfather hadn't just handed over cash; he'd carefully placed it in a white envelope. Even Do-ha couldn't see inside without using magic.
"They're definitely targeting Grandfather's acquaintance."
After observing for a few minutes, it was clear. They weren't staring openly—just glancing—but anyone could tell they were waiting for him to leave the cafe.
"Ugh. Of all people, the ones trying to pull a robbery are the Mad Emperor's benefactor."
Canteas shook his head and clicked his tongue. They might as well just kill themselves. Thinking of touching Do-ha's benefactor.
"Grandfather's getting up."
When Baek Chul stood, Do-ha and Canteas bowed their heads. Fortunately, a pillar blocked this seat from easy view.
"Let's go too."
Once the two men left the cafe and parted ways, Do-ha and Canteas rose from their seats as well.
A deserted alley.
"Hey there, Old Man Song."
Park Min-seok, one of the three large men, called out to Song Man-deok, Baek Chul's acquaintance.
"……Yes. I'm here."
Song Man-deok approached them with a darkened expression. Then, without being asked, he took the money envelope from his coat and handed it to Park Min-seok.
No one had demanded the money or threatened him, yet he produced it on his own.
"Haa…"
Park Min-seok took the envelope and let out a deep sigh.
"I told you—if you need to collect money, send someone else."
"……An old friend of mine contacted me. I had no choice but to come myself."
"Then why meet here instead of somewhere else…"
Just then—
Whoooosh!
"Ugh!"
"What's with this sudden wind…"
A sudden gust forced the three men to close their eyes and turn their heads. Strangely, though a dusty wind blew, their bodies didn't budge.
"Huh…? What? Where'd the money envelope go?"
As the wind died down and Park Min-seok slowly opened his eyes, he searched for the envelope that had been in his hand. The dusty wind had lasted only an instant—where had the money gone in that time?
"Looking for this?"
From behind a utility pole, Do-ha—wearing a mask—slowly stepped forward, waving the money envelope.
"Wh-who the hell are you!"
The three large men tensed, warily watching Do-ha. Until moments ago, this alley had been empty.
"Grown adults shaking down an old man for money. Aren't you ashamed?"
"That's—!"
"Hyung… h-he might be an Awakened…?"
Lee Dae-ho, another of the group, grabbed Park Min-seok's arm. Only an Awakened could snatch a money envelope that fast without anyone noticing.
"Normally I'd just send you packing… but that gentleman over there is my benefactor."
Step.
"D-don't come any closer!"
"I won't kill you. I'll just leave you crippled for life."
Do-ha's gaze turned ice-cold. Of all people—to do this to the benefactor who had helped his grandfather.
"W-wait!"
But just as Do-ha was about to move, Old Man Song suddenly jumped out and spread both arms wide—as if protecting the three men.
"L-leave them be! These friends here aren't bad people!"
"……?"
Caught completely off guard, Do-ha tilted his head.
What? Hadn't they just been shaking him down for money? He'd clearly seen him hand over the money with a dark expression.
"……I'd better hear what's going on."
In the end, Do-ha dispersed the energy he'd gathered and approached Old Man Song.
Rustle.
"Mind if I smoke?"
"Go ahead."
Click. Hiss.
Old Man Song, brow furrowed, put a cigarette between his lips and lit it.
"First of all… these friends aren't thugs. You might think so because of their size, but their bodies just got big naturally from hauling cows and pigs. They used to work in the butchery business. And they've been handling collection work they don't want to do—all to protect me and the other merchants around here."
"Collection work…"
Could some organized crime group or a nasty guild have set up shop nearby? And they were extorting the merchants by collecting money? Even so, they could just report it, right? The Association President wasn't the type to sit still if something like that was happening.
"I know what you're thinking. But we can't file a report."
"Why not?"
"……"
At Do-ha's question, not only Old Man Song but the men beside him all clamped their mouths shut at once.
Don't tell me…
Seeing their reaction, Do-ha's eyes narrowed. He'd seen this kind of thing often enough in Belhart as well.
This is how people look when something's been done to them so they can't speak.
In the Central Plains of the Eastern Continent they used Gu poison; in the Western Continent they used magic. Both methods prevented the other party from revealing secrets. If they ignored it and forced the secret out, they would die on the spot.
"Canteas. Take a look."
"Got it."
Understanding Do-ha's meaning, Canteas immediately reached a hand toward them. He too had seen cases like this often enough in Belhart.
"Don't be afraid. I'm only checking what condition you're in."
Whooooosh.
Purple energy flowed from Canteas's hand and slowly enveloped Old Man Song and the men.
Sizzle.
"Huh…?"
"What? What is it?"
Canteas pulled his hand back in surprise while examining their condition, and Do-ha looked at him.
"There's a curse on them. And this one… you know it well too."
"……Don't tell me?"
"Yeah. It's a Snare Curse that uses demon's blood."
But something was strange. The Snare Curse was highly effective, but it required drinking demon's blood directly—and of one's own free will, at that. If force-fed, the curse wouldn't activate. That meant all of them had drunk demon's blood willingly.
"Demon's blood…? What are you talking about…"
At Canteas's words, Old Man Song and the men looked bewildered. Demon's blood, all of a sudden…?
"……"
Do-ha carefully studied Old Man Song and the men's expressions.
They really don't know.
This wasn't acting—every one of them looked completely clueless.
"Before things got this bad… was there anything special? Some good or bad event—something out of the ordinary?"
"Something special…"
"Ah, there was one thing."
"What was it?"
"Some wealth manager gave a business seminar lecture to the merchants over in the food alley. Something about revitalizing the commercial district."
"Did everyone eat or drink anything then?"
"Yes… everyone listened while having champagne and cookies. It wasn't like we had to pay or anything…"
"That's it."
Hearing the story, Canteas looked at Do-ha. If that was the case, it made sense that all of them had fallen under the Snare Curse. They'd mixed demon's blood into the champagne or cookies and had everyone eat the food of their own free will.
"Judging by how you're all keeping quiet… you know what happens if you talk."
"……"
They carefully nodded. They wanted to explain what had happened, but they couldn't even say that much.
"Th-then… what happens to us now…?"
Kim Seok-ho, who had been quiet until now, looked at Do-ha with a tearful face. Having lived as a merchant, his instincts were razor-sharp. He understood exactly what kind of situation they were in. He couldn't quite believe in demons—but with monsters around, why wouldn't there be demons too?
"Do we have to live like this forever? Keep doing violence and extortion we don't want to do?"
Kim Seok-ho's voice, which he'd been holding back, rose a little. He wasn't angry at Do-ha or Canteas—it was a voice full of frustration and injustice.
"Seok-ho! Calm down."
Park Min-seok, startled, grabbed his youngest brother's arm. One wrong word here and he'd die on the spot.
"Hyung! Yesterday I hit the old lady who runs the vegetable shop. Because that bastard ordered me to!"
Kim Seok-ho shook off Min-seok's arm and poured out his rage.
"He said he'd kill me if I didn't, so I hit her! And even while blood was running from her mouth, she held my hand and asked if I was having a hard time! Do you know how I feel right now? How long do I have to live like this?!"
"Hey! Kim Seok-ho!"
In that moment—
Gurgle. Gurgle.
Kim Seok-ho's body, as he sobbed out the words, began to swell.
"No! Seok-ho!"
"Canteas. Get the materials out."
"On it."
Splash.
Zaaang!
Whoosh.
"Huh…?"
As a magic circle formed beneath his feet and Kim Seok-ho's body returned to normal, Old Man Song and the other men's jaws dropped.
"What is this…"
If they said anything about what was going on, what the identity was, why they were acting this way—anything even similar—their bodies would explode and they would die. In fact, one fellow merchant had tried to tip off a reporter and had burst to death.
But what was this? After something was scattered on the ground, a magic circle formed, and Kim Seok-ho's body returned perfectly fine.
"Y-you stopped the explosion…?"
"No?"
"Then…?"
"I just removed the curse itself."
"……What?"
Everyone around gaped at once.
A crude curse like this I could break with my eyes closed.
Of course, breaking this curse required demon's blood. But didn't Do-ha and Canteas have some? Demon's blood. What Canteas had just scattered was blood extracted from Wei Chen's corpse. When one underwent demonization, the body transformed into a demon's, after all.
Good thing I kept Wei Chen's corpse.
A cold smile curved Do-ha's lips.