Chapter 138
Chapter 138
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 138
Chapter Title: City of the Fallen (2)
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***
After finishing their "conversation" with Dagall, Yeomyeong and Seti simultaneously began smashing the prison bars.
But the slaves inside the prison—no, the centipede fodder—couldn't accept their sudden freedom.
Those who had any strength left backed away into the depths of the cell to avoid the two of them, while those too weak to even walk just trembled in fear.
They had probably been terrified by the "conversation" Seti had shown them.
Yeomyeong gave a wry smile as she dragged the slaves out of the prison. She intended to let them walk out on their own if possible, but...
—P-Please spare me...
—Mom, Mommy...
—Waaah! I don't want to die!!
Almost none of the centipede fodder could walk properly.
Left with no choice, Yeomyeong and Seti carried or piggybacked them one by one all the way to the dungeon entrance.
Most were so emaciated that they couldn't carry several at once or use Flying Leg Art to move them quickly.
In the end, after painstakingly transporting them out one by one for quite some time, by the time they had moved dozens of centipede fodder to the dungeon entrance—precisely, under the massive hole the giant centipede had bored—the moon was already hanging in the sky.
"Everyone, wait here quietly."
Yeomyeong gave the slaves a brief instruction before leaping up. She then lightly stepped off the walls of the hole and landed on the desert surface.
Her first priority was finding the orc clan... and it wasn't hard.
As if mocking her worry that they might have fled, the orcs had pitched tents and set up camp.
As Yeomyeong approached the camp, Ballagu, who had been watching from a supply cart, spotted her and waved his handcuffed hands.
"You took longer than expected. What happened to the Wraith... that bastard?"
"...Sent him to the same place as the bugs he was raising."
"Ha! I knew you could do it!"
Yeomyeong didn't ask Ballagu, who was grinning broadly, why he hadn't run or how he'd pitched tents with handcuffs on.
Instead, she pulled the handcuff key from her pocket and said,
"Free all the clan members and gather as much leather straps, ropes, and feed troughs as you can."
Ballagu took the key from Yeomyeong, unlocked his own handcuffs, and asked,
"Does it require a lot of manpower?"
"...Probably."
"Then I'll call the whole clan."
Shortly after Ballagu left with those words, the orcs of the camp gathered in front of Yeomyeong.
Most looked at her with fearful eyes, but those who sensed she had killed the Wraith sent her glances of expectation.
Eye glances only.
In the silence where no one spoke, Yeomyeong led the orcs back to the hole.
On the way, she tied ropes to a feed trough to make an improvised rescue basket, and upon arrival, tossed it down.
Whirr, thud!
From the sound coming up from below, the rope was fortunately long enough.
Having confirmed the length, Yeomyeong turned to the orcs staring at her in confusion and said,
"There are slaves the Wraith captured down there. When I go down and signal, pull them up."
"Slaves... you mean?"
At the word "slaves," Ballagu raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Why? Is there a problem?"
"No, no problem, but I naturally assumed you'd be going for the Wraith's treasure..."
"I'll get that later. People first."
With that, Yeomyeong handed the rope to Ballagu and leaped down the hole.
Below, Seti had the slaves lined up, seemingly prioritizing the most critically ill ones, especially the children, ready to load them into the trough.
A wink that said, Did I do good? A smile that replied, You did great.
No more words were needed after that. Yeomyeong and Seti loaded the slaves into the trough, and the orcs pulled them up.
Thanks to the orcs not holding back their strength, the rescue was over quickly.
By the time the last slave was being hoisted up, Ballagu and the chieftain along with a few other orcs had descended into the dungeon via the rope.
"What is it? Why are you coming down?"
When Yeomyeong asked puzzled, Ballagu looked even more puzzled as he retorted.
"Don't we need to grab the treasure now? It'll take you two forever to move the Wraith's treasure alone."
Seti gave a praise that wasn't quite praise—What diligent slaves—but the two didn't refuse the orcs' offer to help.
It was true that moving Dagall's hoard alone wouldn't be easy.
Anyway, Yeomyeong led the orcs back down to the prison and began transporting the treasure.
Chests full of gold bars, two leather sacks stuffed with gold coins, and even unrefined gold nuggets.
Unlike when moving the slaves, they actively used Flying Leg Art, so it didn't take long, but...
Gold was inherently heavy, so the group was drenched in sweat by the time they had moved it all.
"...This guy was completely obsessed with gold."
Ballagu grimaced at the piled-up gold. Probably because he knew how dirty the money from slave trading was.
Yeomyeong silently gazed at the treasure without responding, and Ballagu added,
"So, what now? With this much gold, plus our clan, and the slaves you just rescued—if you sell it all, you'd make a fortune."
"...."
Only then did the orcs seem to recall their own situation and fall silent. Yeomyeong observed their reactions for a moment, brushed back her hair, and replied.
"Don't even think about it. I have no intention of selling the slaves I just rescued, or you orcs."
"...."
No intention of selling?
As the large scar on Ballagu's face twitched, Seti realized what he meant and let out a snicker.
Yeomyeong glanced at Seti before continuing.
"...You said your clan didn't choose to become slavers, right?"
Ballagu was about to nod when an elderly orc beside him cut in.
"Of course. If not for the Wraith... we would have lived by trade, like our ancestors."
Boldugu, chieftain of the Kiran Clan, said this as he wiped his face.
The sweat-drenched orc's face bore an indelible weariness and guilt.
"Well, no excuse changes the fact that we were slavers in the past. Isn't that right?"
As the chieftain addressed the orcs, they all fell silent almost simultaneously.
"Still... now that the Wraith is gone, the children and wives of our clan he held will live by our traditions. For that, we are grateful to you."
"...."
As soon as the chieftain bowed his head, the atmosphere grew heavy.
Yeomyeong pondered how to broach the subject when Seti sidled up beside her and spoke.
"We'll give you a chance to atone."
"...Atonement?"
The chieftain looked back and forth between Yeomyeong and Seti. Seti smiled meaningfully.
"Send all the slaves we just rescued safely back to their homes. Half this gold should cover the expenses, right?"
"...."
"We'll take half the gold and two camels. We couldn't carry more anyway."
Seti poked Yeomyeong's side with an expression that said, This is right, isn't it? Yeomyeong pinched her cheek and nodded.
But the orcs seemed not to understand her words, staring in bewilderment. Like they'd seen a flower in the desert.
"...Why? Why give us such a chance? What makes you trust us?"
"It's not that we trust you. We trust our own strength. If we check later and you've disobeyed... we can just kill you all then."
Seti spoke threateningly like a threat, but the chieftain sensed mercy in her words, not a threat—mercy unlike any he'd felt from mana users before.
He abruptly turned his head to hide his choked-up expression.
"...We thank you for your mercy."
The old orc's voice was somehow moist, but no one present pointed it out.
***
Yeomyeong and Seti's preparations to depart were quickly finished.
They had few things to pack, and no need for farewells.
While the two loaded food supplies, a chest of gold bars, and coin pouches onto their camels, two orcs approached carrying armfuls of something.
"Ballagu? And you... Gadudu? What's that?"
"We realized you hadn't packed food."
The two orcs offered Spam cans and goat milk yogurt.
Yeomyeong and Seti didn't refuse their kindness. They already had food, but rejecting a gift prepared with effort felt wrong.
Once Seti loaded the food onto her camel, Gadudu—the orc who had moved first to sell them as slaves—bowed deeply.
"Thank you truly for giving our clan this chance to atone."
"Whether it's atonement or another mess depends on you. Do your best."
With that, Seti mounted her camel. Yeomyeong, already atop his, turned the reins northward.
As the two were about to leave...
"It'll take three days north from here to Dreiterial."
Ballagu, on his own camel, drew level with them.
What are you doing? Seti's glare pierced him, and Ballagu burst into hearty laughter.
"I told you before, right? I'm a Dreiterial slave alumnus."
It was news to Seti, but Yeomyeong, who had endured his chatter the past few days, sighed in response.
"...So?"
"Truth is... I'm a very capable orc who escaped the city on my own. I guarantee, if you take me, I'll be a huge help to you both."
"...."
"You're both new to this trash city, aren't you? Dreiterial is brutal to newcomers. Without a proper guide, you'll get caught in a commotion right at the entrance."
"Hmm... caught in a commotion? Why?"
Unlike the disinterested Yeomyeong, Seti rested her elbow on her camel's hump and propped her chin.
"A fine pair carrying a gold chest, and both knights... ah, superhumans on Earth? Anyway, mana users—you'll draw eyes immediately."
"...."
"Criminal organizations, mages, crooks, entrepreneurs, even the palace lords... everyone sharp will target you."
Only then did Yeomyeong start paying attention.
Palace lords—the ones clearly connected to Korea's Shepherds—she had to meet them eventually.
"Trust me. I'll get you there safely."
At Ballagu's confident demeanor, Yeomyeong and Seti exchanged glances.
Yeomyeong subtly nodded, and Seti snickered as she tossed Ballagu a gold coin.
"Alright, let's see what you've got, guide."
***
Two days later.
After relentless forced marches that left the camels drooling and the non-superhuman Ballagu half-dead.
A massive wall appeared on the horizon.
A bizarre wall with traditional stone battlements topped by modern barbed wire and rusted metal plates bolted everywhere.
Yeomyeong frowned at the post-apocalyptic drama scene when Ballagu laboriously spoke.
"That's Dreiterial's south gate... but I don't recommend entering there."
Ballagu said this and opened a water canteen to wash his face. Rubbing his eyes as if barely regaining his senses, Yeomyeong asked him,
"Why not the gate?"
"The south guards are notoriously nasty. With no profitable gigs, they'll draw swords the moment they see your gold chest."
"What a mess. Any other way?"
"There's a path around west to the sewers. A bit dirty, but avoids tolls and needless fights. What do you say?"
Main gate with potential hassle, or slightly filthy but quiet sewers.
Yeomyeong's choice was obvious.
Just...
"...Sewers again?"
With the girl's sigh—days without changing clothes—the group turned their camels west.
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