Chapter 3
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Client
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Leaving the village, Luon headed straight for the city. His plan was to collect the bounty for the banshee and see what rumors or incidents he might stumble upon.
After traveling along the main road for about half a day, a massive outer wall came into view in the distance. Drawing close enough to see the moss clinging to the old, gray walls, Luon joined the line of people and walked toward the gate.
“Halt.”
Two soldiers guarding the gate approached Luon.
“Name?”
“Luon.”
Seeing the soldiers stop Luon, the people around them whispered amongst themselves as they entered the main gate. To be stopped at a gate with relatively free passage meant one of two things.
You were either a criminal, or you looked like you might cause trouble.
Luon was a case of the latter. Taller than an adult man by a handspan, with shoulders so broad they could be described as vast, a bow slung across his back, and a sword at his hip—his appearance was perfect for being classified as a person of interest.
*What a hassle.* Luon sighed under his breath. The character customization he’d used to create a large, powerful-looking character sometimes gifted him with these kinds of inconveniences.
A soldier looked Luon up and down and asked, “What’s your business in Grungrad?”
“Collecting a bounty.”
“What bounty?”
“A bounty’s a bounty.”
At Luon’s dry response, the two soldiers exchanged a few words. Then, one of them spoke.
“I have something to ask before you pass. Is this your first time in Grungrad?”
When Luon answered with a nod, the soldier added, “Ghouls have appeared behind the city, and a lockdown has been issued, so I suggest you don’t go poking around. Now, you may pass.”
After clearing the inspection and entering the city, Luon tilted his head. *Ghouls?*
Luon had encountered those horrific, corpse-eating monsters a few times before. And each time, he’d noticed they gave a decent amount of experience. Having been stuck at his current level for a while, he was intrigued by the news of ghouls and made his way to the city guard building on the outskirts of town.
***
“…Isn’t this a fake?”
Luon suppressed the urge to plant his fist in the dopey face of the soldier scratching his nose, answering with superhuman patience.
“It’s the item I took after killing the banshee.”
“I’m saying I can’t confirm it.”
“I didn’t wait three days just to hear that.”
The soldier, who had glared at the sharp reply, quickly lowered his gaze after meeting Luon’s burning stare.
“W-Wait here. I’ll go find someone who might know.”
“That’s the third time I’ve heard that. Can’t anyone here handle things themselves?”
“This time will be different, I swear.”
The soldier replied with an added layer of sincerity, as if begging to be believed. Since he was pleading so earnestly, Luon decided not to press him further and took a step back.
“…I’ll be waiting. You’re not going to tell me to come back tomorrow, are you?”
“I’ll be as quick as I can.”
As the soldier exited through a back door, Luon plopped down onto a chair. Looking out the window, he could see the bustling cityscape.
As one of the oldest cities in the kingdom, its buildings bore the distinct marks of time, which was impressive, but he couldn’t care less about that.
What he thought would take a few minutes had already dragged on for three days, leaving him no room to appreciate anything else.
Despite him having dealt with the monster on their notice and bringing back the proof, the Grungrad city guard just stared blankly at the necklace. Each one of them claimed they didn't know enough and left to find someone else.
To make matters worse, as if they had all planned it, they never forgot to add, “We’re busy today, so come back tomorrow,” grating on Luon’s nerves.
Of course, he’d been told they were short-staffed because personnel had been dispatched to deal with the sudden ghoul appearance, but even considering that, three days was far too long.
*When the hell is he coming back?*
A sigh escaped him as he thought of the soldier who had yet to reappear. For a place that governed a rather large territory, their work ethic was abysmal. *Should I really just wreck this place?*
“Sorry for the wait.”
Just as Luon’s patience was reaching its limit, a dignified, middle-aged man opened the door and walked in. Seemingly briefed beforehand, he immediately picked up the necklace from the table and fiddled with it for a moment.
“A faint but old curse lingers on it. This is indeed related to an evil spirit.”
“Ah, thank you, elder.”
The soldier who had followed him in bowed his head to the middle-aged man. From the title of “elder,” it seemed the man wasn’t associated with the military. *A mage?*
A moment later, the soldier returned with his hands full of silver coins.
“Sorry to keep you waiting. We’re out of gold coins right now, so please understand that we’re paying the full amount in silver.”
As Luon silently stared at the heaping pile of silver, the soldier asked in a small voice, “Do you need a separate pouch? It’ll cost one silver coin…”
*What a damn thief.* A single leather pouch for one silver coin? Even the ice cream sold at a mountain peak wasn't that much of a rip-off.
“I’m fine.”
Luon snatched the reward from the soldier’s hands and poured the silver into the leather pouch he already had. Fortunately, it was large enough that he didn’t have the misfortune of it overflowing.
Seeing the disappointment fill the soldier’s eyes, Luon’s face hardened. *Son of a bitch, I knew it. The ‘no gold coins’ story was a lie too, wasn’t it?*
Luon seriously considered whether he should smash the shameless bastard for trying to skim off the reward, but then he remembered that it was thanks to this soldier bringing the older man that this whole tedious affair had finally ended. With that thought, he left the building.
*What should I have for lunch? I wonder if there’s a decent blacksmith. I should stock up on jerky.* As Luon walked, lost in such thoughts, someone quietly stepped in front of him. It was the middle-aged man who had just appraised the necklace.
The man spoke.
“There is someone looking for you. I hope you won’t refuse.”
***
Although Luon had grown quite accustomed to this medieval fantasy world, he still found nobles uncomfortable. He had gained a strong body and exceptional combat skills through relentless leveling, but he felt they were useless in front of the aristocracy.
Luon guessed the reason was that he had been born into an ordinary family. His thoroughly middle-class sensibilities just couldn’t adapt, even in this new world.
That was why his current situation was extremely uncomfortable and annoying. Because the person who had summoned him was none other than a noble—the lord’s wife, no less.
Median, wife of Grungrad’s lord, Delpion, sat in an elegant chair and gazed at Luon. Her face, adorned with dazzling ornaments and heavy makeup, was quite overwhelming for Luon.
Her crimson lips parted.
“So, you’re the warrior who killed the banshee?”
Her tone didn’t seem to expect an answer, so he remained silent. Just as he thought, Median didn’t wait.
“I’ve been looking into you for the past few days. The rumor that you killed a banshee alone piqued my interest.”
“Did you find anything?”
Unlike Luon, Median answered as if she’d been waiting for the question.
“Of course. Luon. Or should I call you the warrior who killed the wyvern?”
While a subtle frown creased Luon’s brow, Median’s crimson lips curled into a triumphant smile.
“I expected you to be well-known… but honestly, you’ve exceeded my expectations. I never imagined you were the warrior who killed the wyvern in Nardam and then vanished without a trace.”
It was true. Luon had once worked as a merchant escort in a city called Nardam. When a starved wyvern attacked the merchant caravan’s wagons one day, he had a history of dicing up the winged lizard.
The lord of Nardam, upon hearing the rumor, not only tried to forcibly grant knighthood to the warrior who killed the wyvern to make him his personal guard, but also showed the insane drive to marry off his own daughter. Naturally, Luon had left Nardam immediately.
*Damn it. All for nothing.*
A bitter smile escaped him. He thought enough time had passed for it to be forgotten, but the noble before him was certain he was the one who had hunted the wyvern.
So, Luon decided to just admit it.
“I do recall killing such a monster. It wasn’t an easy fight.”
“Impressive.”
Median smiled and extended her hand to the side. A handmaiden standing nearby quickly placed a wine-filled goblet in her hand.
After taking a light sip, Median spoke.
“My husband is a hero. A war hero, at that. Do you know what that means?”
Luon didn’t answer.
“Like most men who built their reputation on the corpses of their enemies, he’s a dreadful womanizer. He ignores me, the one who prays for his health and victory, and always has a new woman tucked under each arm.”
The lord was a war hero and a womanizer—both were news to Luon, who gave a soulless nod. *Ah, yes. Is that so.*
“I could understand if we were at war. I’m not idle enough to whine at my husband, who’s been navigating rough battlefields for years, to remain faithful. But for it to continue to this day is a problem. Isn’t it also my role to make an example of the bitches who mindlessly cling to my husband?”
*Wait a minute. Is this woman…?*
“If you’re asking me to assassinate someone, I refuse.”
At Luon’s firm words, Median’s eyes widened. Then she burst into hysterical laughter. She rocked so hard that wine sloshed from her goblet, and after finally catching her breath, she dabbed at the tears in her eyes with the back of her hand. *Was it that funny?*
“Did you think I was so foolish as to ask the warrior who killed a wyvern to murder my husband’s mistress? Besides, someone else has already beaten me to it, so you needn’t worry.”
*Then why did you call me?* he thought, but he didn’t bother saying it out loud. It was clear this woman would explain everything if he just stayed quiet.
“The bitch meant to be an example is already dead. Cursed by a witch, her body was twisted and contorted before she was quietly buried in the cemetery, taking up a plot without a soul knowing. It would have been great if it ended there, but unfortunately, a problem arose… After she was buried, ghouls started appearing in the cemetery.”
*Ghouls?* The unexpected word made Luon’s eyes widen slightly.
“A coincidence, isn’t it? This is no mere accident. Something must have gone wrong with the curse, or the witch is playing tricks. Thanks to that, my situation has become rather precarious. The lord has ordered a ghoul subjugation, and now there’s a chance I could be implicated. That’s why I want you to resolve this matter before such an unfortunate event occurs.”
*What a coincidence.*
For Luon, who was already interested in the ghouls, there was no reason to refuse. He had been planning to investigate quietly to avoid conflict with the city guard, so getting paid for it was a win-win.
As Luon smiled inwardly at the unexpected turn of events, Median quickly added.
“And you’d be wise not to even think about refusing. As I said, I’ve looked into your activities, which is to say I know who the vicious criminal is that killed five men within Grungrad’s territory recently.”
*What? Is she threatening me now?*
At Median’s words, Luon briefly recalled the shaggy-haired man whose head had exploded. It seemed this woman wanted to cut off any chance of him backing out.
“They weren’t ordinary people. They were bandits trying to kill me.”
“With a single word from me, those bandits can become innocent residents in an instant.”
Luon smirked at Median’s triumphant expression. He had no intention of refusing in the first place, so her pathetic threat felt utterly ridiculous.
“Fine. I’ll do it.”
When Luon nodded so casually, a flicker of surprise colored Median’s face. It seemed his reaction was not what she had expected. After a moment of silence, she slowly opened her mouth.
“…Good. Warrior who killed the wyvern. You are to go to where that bitch was buried before the subjugation team does and eliminate the reason for the sudden ghoul outbreak.”
For the first time, Luon replied without hesitation.
“Just tell me where the cemetery is.”