Chapter 81
Chapter 81
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 81
Chapter Title: Taming the Wolves
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There was a reason Sein had taken Roberta in.
Especially why he had given her the seat right beside him—even if she had wanted it—and hadn't bothered with any proper contract.
‘If she's worthy of respect, then she deserves it.’
It was because Roberta held value that warranted it in Sein's eyes.
Even after awakening her blessing, all Roberta knew was that it granted regeneration and enhanced physical abilities.
Sein had realized it was the blessing of the Blood Sea Fist Demon's life.
Splash!
He had poured effort into nurturing it.
A full third-rank life blessing, no less.
But precisely because of that, Roberta couldn't even utilize a tenth of her power.
And yet, that was enough.
Someday, when she could fulfill her role, she would have earned the right to stand at the Demorus house lord's side.
"Huff…. Huff…."
Roberta spat out ragged breaths.
Dark pools of blood stained the ground at her feet.
Thud.
At last, she collapsed.
On the opposite side.
"Huff…. Huff…."
The youngest member of the Third Martial Force was heaving exhausted breaths as well.
Unlike when she hadn't used her blessing, the youngest member was covered in quite a few wounds while gasping for air.
"Let's call it here for today."
Sein said.
"I lost."
"……."
"Guess I'm still not quite there yet. Can't be helped."
No one could open their mouth in the face of Sein's utterly confident voice.
"……."
It was because they were still lost in thought over Roberta's valiant struggle.
Roberta charging forward without regard for defense.
Roberta moving as if her entire life had led to this very moment.
Even in a mere spar, even in a fight for Sein, her form carried a noble air.
"We'll call it a draw."
It was enough to win over the entire Third Martial Force.
"No, a loss is a loss."
But Sein was firm.
"Until you lot are truly convinced, feel free to defy orders."
He would tame the wolves.
"Just do one thing for the house and one favor for me."
The Third Martial Force had no idea.
That the word "favor" from Sein was his acknowledgment of their skills.
‘Better than my old direct knight order, at least.’
Even if lacking, the youngest member had triumphed over Roberta—who wielded the Blood Sea Fist Demon's power.
That alone proved their abilities were more than sufficient.
"Disband for today."
He had shown them everything he wanted to show.
That was enough for now.
"Get back to your duties."
The Third Martial Force stood frozen in place for a long while, as if nailed to the spot, before finally dispersing at the sight of Sein turning away so crisply.
*
*
*
A few days after recruiting the Third Martial Force and clashing with them.
"What is it?"
One member of the Third Martial Force came to see Sein.
His name was Indus.
He was a fairly senior member among them, said to have clawed his way up from the very bottom.
From what he'd heard, Indus had been a slave used by the Demorus servants.
"Finally came to pay my respects."
Indus bowed deeply to Sein.
"I've heard a lot about you from Sis."
"……."
A glint appeared in Sein's eyes.
"I knew Sis had good intel, but his connections are even better than I thought."
For someone treated like half a joke back at the main house to have a Third Martial Force member as an ally.
"Are the others like that too?"
Sis had mentioned a few allies but said the rest would come to him on their own.
It couldn't be helped for now.
Those who had already gained much had to make their own choices.
"I don't know the details myself. Just that a few like me helped Sis out."
"Like you, huh."
"Bottom-rung origins."
It might have been a sense of kinship, or pity.
Or perhaps.
"I had ties to Lady Boha, Sis's mother."
"A lover?"
At Sein's words, Indus's face drained of color.
"Just childhood friends."
"Good to hear."
Sein gave a faint smile.
"I felt a kinship with Sis since we came from the same seed, but I was wondering if I'd misread you."
"……."
"Kidding."
Indus finally nodded at Sein's words.
"So, why now?"
Being chosen like this wasn't exactly pleasant for Sein to begin with.
From the chooser's perspective, it was tantamount to challenging his authority.
That was why he had tried to put them in their place.
"You seemed like someone Sis said we could trust."
"Not the most flattering."
Sein said.
"You chose me, so now prove it yourself."
But he didn't deny his own position.
He was still an outsider in Demorus.
Betting one's life on someone with nothing to his name wasn't easy.
"In return, I'll match whatever you give."
"Thank you."
At least he had gained one useful asset this way.
Truth be told, Sein had been feeling a bit stifled in Demorus.
A lack of information.
No way someone like Otolmeo could have Demorus intel, and every move he made was under surveillance.
‘I did open one route, though.’
Before he could work on that, a decent informant had walked right in.
"……."
Indus seemed deeply impressed by Sein's demeanor as well.
He had helped Sis because of their connection, but he'd never thought him house-lord material.
Someday, when the time came, he'd support Sis without crossing lines—that had been Indus's plan.
But Sein was different.
‘He's house-lord material.’
This man was the real deal.
He resembled the absolute one, Tejera, more than anyone.
Once he crested that one mountain.
Gulp.
He just might become house lord for real.
"I know a few people. I'll pass the word to them."
"Not bad. But keep this in mind."
One route had opened.
As a player, it was his duty to maximize the gains from it.
"Order matters when you come to me."
"……!"
"Once I don't need to be chosen anymore, your value will drop a lot."
"…I'll relay that."
His heart pounded.
"Good."
Seeing Sein's smile, Indus's heart raced even faster.
It felt like his fading fate was reigniting.
"Now, give me some intel."
"What do you need?"
"Got something."
Grin.
Sein smiled.
"Everything on the Third Martial Force."
If he was going to tame wolves, he needed to know what they liked and hated first, right?
*
*
*
"Ha, so it came to this after all."
Sienjin, now captain of the Third Martial Force, muttered with a sour expression.
"And I had hopes."
Sienjin had followed the previous captain, Gail, more loyally than anyone.
But since that loyalty was to Demorus, not Gail, he had endured.
However, following some green heir candidate was unacceptable.
Unacceptable unless it was the absolute one, Tejera.
Even reviewing Demorus history, no martial force had ever been placed under an heir candidate.
One word came to mind.
‘Discard.’
He even wondered if House Lord Tejera meant to abandon the entire Third Martial Force.
At least Roberta's valiant display in the last bet had shaken him a bit.
-One favor.
Sein Demorus had come to him recently with a small request.
-Get me these things. As fresh as possible.
Monster organs or rare herbs.
Things even hard to obtain in Demorus, some requiring personal hunts to lead the way.
-I'll send my men.
-No, I asked you.
Sein knew exactly what he was doing.
The role of martial force vice-captain wasn't just about raw strength.
To Sienjin, who had rolled in the dirt for it.
-Taming.
Sein was taming them.
Underworld taming was all pretty much the same.
Crush with force.
Trample pride.
In the end, you're nothing, so lick my soles under me.
‘Maybe I should retire.’
He thought he'd climbed as high as he could.
He never dreamed of special forces or house-lord direct units at his level.
Better to retire than suffer this humiliation.
‘Yeah.’
As he ran Sein's errands, Sienjin's resolve hardened.
And at last, he gathered everything Sein had asked for.
Things ordinary folk wouldn't know, but easy for a Demorus Third Martial Force captain.
"I've prepared what you wanted."
Sienjin said to Sein.
"And I…"
He was about to bring up retirement.
"Walk with me a bit."
Sein left Bitong Castle and started walking.
"……."
It was his last sliver of hope.
The hope born from Roberta's display that day.
‘Fine, one last time.’
Maybe it was worth hoping once.
And they arrived.
"…What is this?"
Sienjin's aura flickered ominously.
In that moment, it seemed ready to kill Sein depending on his answer.
Because their destination was Sienjin's own home.
"Come in. It's humble, but."
Sienjin's face twisted further at Sein's words.
"A Third Martial Force vice-captain lives like this? Demorus pay that bad?"
No way.
Demorus treatment was top-tier across the continent.
Especially for martial forces—it was the best.
In the village inside Demorus main estate, living in such a rundown shack.
"If you're here to insult me…"
"Guess you had other places to spend it."
"……."
The door creaked open.
"Like, say, a sick grandma?"
Flinch.
"Surprised me. Didn't expect such a clichéd backstory."
Inside the open door was Sienjin's elderly mother.
The one who had raised him through Eastern discrimination.
"I'll cure her."
"…What did you say?"
Grin.
Sein smiled at Sienjin.
"I'll cu-re her."