88
guard dog 2
Brick was holding the wisdom tooth I gave him with great care, and his eyes were filled with tears.
Since it wasn’t in a condition suitable for inspection, I roughly picked some grass around it and gave it some to chew on, saying it was good for stamina, and let it rest in a corner.
There were fewer visitors than usual, perhaps because of rumors of a quarantine along with the surrounding vampire incidents.
“Can’t we quarantine ourselves a little? As you know, for carriage drivers like us, time is money.”
The carriage driver with a big pimple on his nose asked, slipping another silver coin into the driver’s hand.
“I wonder if there is a way….”
I groaned as if I was in deep distress as I collected the silver coins.
“Hey, kid. Don’t you know that I faint just from the smell of blood? If you go in there, you’ll come out a corpse.”
I knew this guy wasn’t a vampire, but it was a bit tricky to arbitrarily modify the way he was searched. It could have been annoying.
“Hmm… As you know, this is the Lord’s order. I’m just a security guard who does as he says.”
“Hey! Aaron. Who doesn’t know that you are the cornerstone of Cassidy? Even I, an outsider, know that! And I too! Didn’t I come here in one go, gathering all the necessary items because I love Cassidy!”
The cartman shouted loudly, knocking on the cart full of things. There were many ornaments that were far from necessities. As I looked at him, he handed me a silver coin.
“That’s true. It’s a bit much to tie up a conscientious carriage driver like you for several days.”
I nodded and patted the guy on the shoulder.
I did it a few more times because it was quite amusing to see the guy frown and then straighten up every time my hand touched him.
“That’s right! It’s Aaron after all. He’s the one who communicates the best.”
I knew he wasn’t a vampire, but I felt uncomfortable letting him in despite the instructions. I rolled my head two silver coins into him.
“Even so, it’s an order from the Lord, so I feel a bit awkward letting you in… Are there people you do business with? If you tell me their names, I’ll call them here.”
Usually these cartmen had a fixed target of business.
···Ugh.
This time, a groan came from the carriage driver.
“But this time, I brought a lot of wool. I have to sell it separately…”
“I will also help those who need wool.”
The guy nodded with a questioning look on his face at my continued suggestion.
I called over the kids who were running around, gave them snack money, and told them to call the names of the people he had called. I also told them to look for those who needed wool.
The children smiled brightly and ran around excitedly because we gave them the best treatment in the industry.
There I also introduced an incentive where each person who brought in an extra Cooper was given an extra Cooper, and the kids went crazy and ran around.
I roughly calculated it and it seemed like I spent about half a silver coin.
‘Not bad, right?’
It was a hasty idea, but the yield was not low.
The carriage driver frowned at the Cooper he had placed in the children’s hands, but when our eyes met, he smiled brightly and unfolded the carriage.
It was a great deal, the cart driver was happy, the kids were happy, and I was happy.
“Okay, next!”
I cheerfully accepted the next carriage driver.
No one, unless they were crazy, would want to spend three days in an isolation room that reeked of blood.
Although the number of carriage drivers was small, the silver was collected in a decent amount.
After a while, a small market appeared in front of the gate.
Among them were two of the three members of Hae-na-ne’s household.
They were selling meat buns and cold beer.
Thanks to that, I was able to watch the security check while drinking an iced beer.
As the cartmen gathered, the villagers came out one by one. At first, they were hesitant, but soon they were selling their goods with loud voices.
At that moment, a carriage driver who smelled familiar yet strange approached.
“Could you please call Masha?”
The coachman handed over a silver coin and spoke briefly.
Then I realized what this smell was.
“You try collecting the thousand.”
“···Hmm? Okay.”
The cart was filled with pickled fish screaming horribly. It smelled like hell, somewhere between rotten and decayed things.
‘It was this kid.’
My fists were shaking.
“Ouch! What?!”
“It is the revenge of my tongue.”
Still angry, he hit her again and told the child waiting next to him to call Masha.
Next to me, neighborhood kids were sitting in a row like a taxi stand.
Masha came, and Charlotte was next to her.
In contrast to the skinny Brick, Charlotte looked much more lively than before. It seemed as if Brick’s energy had gone to Charlotte.
Charlotte, who had greeted me briefly, looked around as if searching for something. The brick that had been at the gate a moment ago was nowhere to be seen.
Charlotte, who had been licking her lips, went back in with Martha and the cart loaded with fish. Then, a brick came crashing down from above the gate.
‘···How did you get up there?’
Brick, standing in front of the gate again, carefully stroked the fangs on my waist.
A little later, the replacement crew arrived.
“Everyone, fold up and go inside. Business hours are over.”
I sent the residents away and made the cartmen close their shops.
“Go fuck yourself.”
“Just go! How can you not miss a single day…”
After finishing a warm conversation with the guy I was replacing and reporting to the captain, I headed to Ha-na’s bar.
The bar was more crowded than usual.
I heard that the newly launched doll grabbing business seems to be popular.
There were quite a few who were dissatisfied with the ignorant weight. At Hannah’s request to show me an example, I lightly picked up a stone and spun it around.
The onlookers cheered at my strength and the gold coins lying beneath the stone.
Since I deliberately listened to it all at once, my complaints and doubts disappeared in an instant.
When I lifted it, the opinion went around that it was ‘lighter than I thought.’
Because it was intentionally made to be easy to hear up to a certain point by giving it a slope, those who tried it once also tried it again.
The entry fee was very cheap, so there wasn’t much money to be made, but Hannah was looking forward to drinking beer while watching him.
After a brief demonstration, Vermunt spoke to me as I came in alone.
“I got a call from the stars. They said they were looking for me.”
As expected, the timing was much slower than expected. I could feel how much Vermunt was being ignored among the guys.
“At this point, you must have forgotten about it. Even if a regular soldier disappeared, it wouldn’t have taken this long. Aren’t you just pretending to look for him as a courtesy? Don’t be upset, right?”
“Ahem… That’s not it. It just took so long because the First Star scattered those who opposed his opinion all over the continent. … Treating them with courtesy.”
Vermunt answered with a cough.
‘They were scattered all over the place… But didn’t they also form a force?’
Now he was just a big, old guard, but his unmistakable, sharp gaze naturally brought back memories of the past.
‘···Some guys might come looking for me.’
I nodded, thinking of the guys who had followed that poisonous bastard.
“But since you’re still here, I guess you rejected me.”
“What can I do? I am possessed by one soul. I cannot move without my master’s permission.”
It was true, but it wasn’t a pleasant thing to hear.
Vermunt’s sly smile made me feel uneasy. Still, he did a good job as a guard dog.
“Anyway, they’re going to start moving now too. Don’t you know the nature of the first star?”
“You little brat. You little brat.”
“Haha! Yeah, that kid. That kid who gets mad if someone picks up something he threw away.”
After a brief laugh, Vermunt opened his mouth with a serious expression.
“But you shouldn’t think about that kid from before. After all, he’s become a star and even a marquis. He must be having a lot of fun.”
Vermunt’s words brought to mind the face of the old boy.
He was a big guy with talent worthy of being called a genius, but his eyes were unusually clear.
‘I made a promise for nothing… It’s annoying.’
He was a typical example of someone who proves that it’s much better to kill someone and have nightmares about it than to keep them alive and be a nuisance.
“If you want, I’ll join you. Then, no more attention will be drawn to this side.”
My thoughts were broken by Vermunt’s subsequent words.
Vermunt spoke calmly, as if it were someone else’s business.
There was no way I could have gotten a good look at that guy if I went back to him too late. And also…
“No. We’re one soul, right? We’re tied together, so if you do something wrong, it’ll just make me feel uncomfortable.”
Vermunt laughed as if he was coughing, then nodded.
“Then I recommend getting another guard dog. He hates you more than you think.”
[Open the door. In return, will you help me become the best star?]
‘···Why do you hate me? I’m the one who became penniless.’
I scratched my head.
I understand that he deserved it, but I couldn’t help feeling wronged.
***
‘Aaron! Aaron! Aaron!!’
Knight Adela muttered nervously and wrinkled her nose. Now it had come up that the guy had brought a rock to the meeting.
It was clear that everyone was playing into his trick.
Even Nova, a woman who always maintained her cool, raised her voice.
‘If we leave it alone, it will increase more. But how···.’
Letting a mere security chief do whatever he wants and just reporting it… The situation had already fallen into his hands.
Adela felt as if her stomach was completely blocked, so she pressed the area near her pubic area with her finger.
‘How come no one noticed except me? Even though he looks like a devil.’
It was something incomprehensible.
“Sir Adela, you look a bit unwell. Are you okay?”
At that moment, someone spoke to her from the side. Adela frowned when she saw that it was Gerel.
“it’s okay.”
Adela gave a short answer and left.
Geralt spoke to me from behind, but I ignored him.
“I heard that there’s a bar called ‘Cute Aaron Rabbit’ that’s having an event where they’re giving out gold coins to whoever opens the safe.”
“Kuh! Isn’t that really a fitting event for Namaiyad? I still vividly remember the image of hero Deokgu tearing apart the devil’s servant with his own hands.”
In the hallway, two new knights were talking. Among their conversation, the word ‘Aaron’ caught Adela’s attention.
“Did you just say Aaron?”
“Sir Adela.”
“Kuh!”
Adela’s brow furrowed at the stupid salute. However, since Adolf was her senior among the imperial bannermen, Adela gave a small salute.
From the moment they fell from the ranks of the Imperial Knights, they had no further ties except for the oath, but the knights still considered each other as superiors.
“Kuh! I have to. Kuh!”
“···Kuh.”
“Yeah. Oh, I asked Aaron.”
“yes.”
“I heard that the cute Aaron Rabbit is having an event at a tavern where whoever opens the safe will receive a gold coin.”
‘Did he have a bar too?’
It was the first time Adela had heard this story, as she rarely let go of her temper.
“But there are ten gold coins in that safe.”
The knight Delphran curled his fingers and whispered.
‘The security guard gives me 10 gold coins.’
The knight himself did not have 10 gold coins in his possession, which was an absurd amount. This was clearly a fraud.
“The safe door is so heavy that only he can open it.”
“···No matter how strong you are, if you can’t use Aura, how strong can you be?”
Adela reflexively recoiled.
“That’s true. But it’s still interesting. It’s also a chance to show Deokgu’s legacy to others.”
The two knights who had been chatting away said that they would go out after work today.
“I will go with you.”
Both of them opened their eyes wide at Adela’s words.
It was unexpected, since Adela had kept her distance from them until now.
“Since I’m emptying my mind… I’ll stay. You two go. I’ll go separately later.”
Delphran, the lowest rank, slipped out.
After work, Adela and Adolf left the castle.
Adolf saluted and gave a ‘Kuch!’ to those passing by.
The place we arrived at was a shabby bar. It was an ordinary bar with nothing special to see, but there were a lot of big men there.
As Adela entered, the residents were startled and stepped aside, bowing their heads. Adela headed towards the crowded backyard as if nothing had happened.
There were a lot of people gathered in the backyard. People standing around watching. And in the center, there were a bunch of shirtless men.
As Adela and Adolf entered, people bowed their heads in surprise. Adela looked around and frowned when she realized that there was no man named Aaron.
“Oh my, what have you guys been up to here? We are a place where integrity and innocence are our family motto, and we do not do anything illegal at all! Not even one!”
A man who looked like he specialized in illegal activities said, rubbing his palms.
“Don’t worry, that’s not why we came. Isn’t this the hideout of the Kanna agents? We heard they’re having a fun event, so we came to check it out.”
“Ah, so you’re thinking of challenging ‘Once in a Lifetime Chance! A Man Can Only Trust His Fists! Prove Your Strength!’ The entry fee is 10 Coopers!”
The mean man held out his palm as if to say, “When was he scared?” Since it was only small change, the two of them handed it over without a second thought.
The mean man slipped two coppers into his pocket, pretending to put them in his big pocket.
“You don’t have to wait in line because you’re knights. Come this way. Oh! Get out of the way, you rascals! You’re knights!”
The mean-looking man, now arrogant, waved his hands and shouted. Adela followed him, raising the corners of her lips at the appropriate treatment.
In the middle of the backyard, there was a large, convex rock that was easy to hold with both hands.
The mean man pointed at him.
“The rules are simple. Grab this and pull it out, and you can take all the gold coins inside! There’s no time limit, especially for knights! However, please note that you can’t use Auras.”
The mean man explained without hesitation. His vulgar voice seemed to whisper that the gold inside was yours.
“Then I’ll go first.”
Adolf stepped forward, twirling his arms.
The onlookers who had stepped back slowly stepped forward and muttered words of anticipation. If it were a knight, he might be able to do it.
Adolf squatted down with his feet wide apart and grabbed the stone with both hands. And then-.
“Ugh···.”
Adolf’s body trembled with a strange aura. Soon, the stone was pulled out. The onlookers around cheered loudly.
The stone rose to the size of a person’s palm, but that was the limit. After holding on for a while longer, Adolf put the stone down and stepped back.
“This thing is really heavy. Are you sure you can pull it out?”
Adolf, with veins rising on his face, asked while wiping the sweat from his forehead.
“Yes, because it’s a safe. If you can’t open it, it’s not a safe, it’s a grave. Hehe.”
“Hmm···.”
Adolf stepped aside with a suspicious look in his eyes and a slurred voice.
‘You don’t even use it… How pathetic.’
In the first place, the knight Adolf usually engaged in strange organizational activities and never showed up at the practice range. It was clear that he didn’t know how to bring out his aura without being seen.
The hot gazes of those around.
Adela walked confidently, her shoulders tense with the attention she had after a long time.
Why I became a knight.
As with all other articles, there was no grand reason.
As the fifth of eight children, she was hungry for attention from a young age. However, because there were so many children, it was difficult for her to receive attention even when she was sick.
Meanwhile, the third child, who had a particularly outstanding talent and monopolized attention, declared that he would become a knight to change the unequal world. Adela dreamed of becoming a knight out of jealousy toward her older sister, who had such a wonderful dream.
But the third one fell and she was caught. She monopolized the attention of the family she wanted, and the third one was sold to a suitable nobleman.
In the center, Adela was just another knight among the knights, so she headed to the frontier. A castle with only two knights. It was a place for Adela.
‘Until that guy shows up.’
Adela took a deep breath and looked at the stone below.
It was time to show the guy what a knight was.
***
‘Hmm… the fire is moving.’
I looked at the flickering fire in front of me and let out a short comment.
It was surprising and sad enough that the fire had taken shape, but now the fire was moving.
Kanna stretches out her hand while sweating profusely. Behind her, Kuobarou cheers, “This is a magic crystal!”
A fire resembling me, the size of two palms put together, was waving above Kanna’s hand.
‘It’s hot and weird.’
It was strange and bizarre that I felt like the fire resembled me even though there were no details. The fireball slowly shook its right arm. If there was a fire spirit, it must look like this.
I tried to think of something else, but I couldn’t help the anxiety that was rising in my chest. ···The fire that resembled me was waving my right hand.
‘hmm···.’
I looked into Kanna’s eyes that gave her strength and thought seriously.
Maybe now, this moment, is the last chance to tell Kanna that she’s going in the wrong direction. Even if she’s a little sullen, shouldn’t she tell her? What’s next…
When I didn’t respond, Kanna let out a small scream, thinking something was wrong…
‘···Now he’s waving his left hand too.’
I laughed ‘Hehe’ as I watched the fire dancing.
I just laughed because it made me laugh.
“Oh my god! Controlling the wind in two directions!!”
Kuo Bao Rou cheered and applauded enthusiastically.
‘I need to change my private tutor, but there are no magicians in this remote area…’
Sweat running down Kanna’s round forehead.
The moment I decided that I had to tell him that he was on the wrong path.
“Brother! Brother!! We’re in trouble! We’re in trouble!!”
The weasel came in screaming.
“What is it?”
“The female knight is causing a commotion, saying it’s a scam!”
‘Female knight? Adela?’
The weasel’s explanation made me frown.
‘···Why did the knights come to do that?’
I had my doubts, but since the situation seemed serious, I got up from my seat.
“Well done. As expected from Kannada.”
First, I patted Kanna’s round head.
I think it would be better to talk about the second job change later.
Terrified people were running out of the bar.
I pushed past them and headed toward the backyard.
“This is a fraud! A fraud! They made it so that it couldn’t be taken out in the first place and then used it to rip people off! As a journalist, I can’t stand by and watch this kind of fraud!”
Knight Adela was screaming in the center. Her face was red as if it would burst and she had her sword drawn in her hand.
“I clearly told him not to come, but he disobeyed me and even brought up the idea, and it failed, and now… It’s chaos.”
The weasel hiding behind me reported.
‘It’s the truth.’
It was also the highest peak of truth, the truth with a sword.
A scene of someone waving a knife and causing a ruckus in a legitimate workplace because they are not allowed to do as they please.
He was a very ordinary medieval knight.
“Sir Adela! Calm down! What a disgrace!”
The knight who had introduced himself as Adolgu shouted with a bewildered face.
“Shut up! You don’t know anything!”
“Ah… Sir Adela?”
Adolgu’s eyes widened and he stuttered as he saw Adela stepping on the accelerator.
Adela’s complaint was that ‘this is a scam that no one can choose’. The solution to this was simple. Show it to me.
The problem is···.
‘If I show it to you, will you back off nicely?’
Judging from the fact that he held a sword but didn’t swing it, it seemed like he had some sanity left.
‘If you don’t step down···.’
I habitually stroked the handle of my sword and felt for it.
Thinking back to the last time at Kungsuttang, the long battle with the person who pulled out the Aura wasn’t good. The repulsive force was too much to handle even with the technique the old man taught me.
‘But… maybe it will work now?’
I haven’t crossed swords with a knight since I gained strength.
I glanced at Adolgu and tried to gauge when something bad might happen. It would have been better not to get involved with the knight, but the situation had already happened.
First, the onlookers had to be cleared.
“Let’s close up shop today.”
“Huh? Huh! Get out! Did you see that?!”
At my short words, the weasel swung its sword around and chased away the onlookers. With the knight getting angry, the weasel also started making a fuss, so everyone ran away in a panic.
“You finally showed up! You scammer!!”
Adela pointed her sword at me.
A knight and a security guard.
The difference in status is such that there is no need for an excuse, but that doesn’t mean you can just cut my head off.
‘I am an honorary monk and an honorary secretary.’
Although it has the two letters ‘honor’ attached to it, it would still be difficult to strike it lightly.
“What is going on?”
I pretended to look aggrieved.
“Ha! What the heck?! You’re so brazen about preying on the residents and other people through fraud!”
“Sir Adela! Why on earth are you doing this? It’s just a game. A game!”
“Shut up! Sir Adolf! Even though you are a high-ranking official, I have been in this territory longer than you!”
“What is that···”
Adolf widened his eyes and backed away at Adela’s harsh insults.
“So is this safe a scam now?”
I cleared my throat as if I was running away, and said,
“That’s right! Are you scared now?!”
“You are going too far! Even though I am not a knight, I have my own honor. How could I, the guardian of the castle, prey on the people?”
“You’re shameless to the end! You really need to see blood to come to your senses!!”
‘As expected of a knight, he is choleric.’
I was thinking of scraping a little more, but seeing as it was going on for so long, I thought it would be better to stop here.
I walked towards the safe, fiddling with the handle of my sword.
Adela, who was standing next to the safe, immediately thrust her sword at my neck.
The sword didn’t reach her because she stopped slightly outside of range. However, I pretended to be scared while glancing at Adolgu.
“Why are you threatening the people? And you are still a knight!”
Adolgu, whose face became serious at the sight of my gaze, took a step forward.
“You’re a vermin that eats away at the castle! As a knight who serves the Fullputs family, I’m just doing my job!”
Adela shouted with conviction.
‘That’s why these knights···.’
They were truly arrogant, thinking that they owned the whole world. Of course, that worked for most people, but…
‘That’s also when you’re holding a sword.’
For example, even if you used Aura in dice games, you couldn’t beat me. And opening safes was more like playing dice than swords.
I grabbed the safe door handle and hesitated for a moment.
At that moment, Adolgu said something very appropriate.
“You, why are you acting so recklessly?”
Adela, who was aiming her sword at me, opened her mouth.
“I stake my honor on the fact that this is a scam!”
“Honor? How can a knight so easily give up something as important as his life…”
I nodded along with Adolgu’s mutterings filled with emptiness.
I don’t know what happened to Adela, but I’ve never seen a knight put his honor on the line so easily.
‘It’s an honor.’
While others judged knights by whether or not they had auras, knights placed great importance on honor. It was similar to the upper class having their own standards.
Of course, that honor was not very comprehensive and precise, and it was varied, so it was just like a polite little punk.
‘It’s different when you put it in your mouth like that.’
There was even another knight present as a witness.
It may seem shameless, but for a young knight with a bright future ahead of him, it was safe to say that he had put everything on the line.
I don’t know why he was so quick to take the risk of his reputation, but it was an opportunity to get a new guard dog.
“If you don’t open it, your life will be…”
Since honor was the biggest stake a knight could stake, I didn’t listen to Adela’s words and just sat up.
Knock knock.
The sound of stones scraping and blocked sections.
I had to turn slightly to the left here.
I turned my back and pretended to use force to change direction.
The rocks are a bit higher and then there is another blockage.
This time I twisted my waist to the right.
I did that twice more and the huge rock came right out with a pop.
‘It’s too much of a hassle to take it out every time I put it in a safe.’
I put the stone aside and checked inside.
The number of gold coins matched that of before.
···Hippob.
When I turned my head at the hiccup, Adela was making a strange expression on her face that I had never seen before.
It was the kind of expression you would make when your coin was liquidated and the person you were marrying for political reasons was the guy who made the coin, sold it, and ran away.
I was a little nervous though, as medieval-style destruction of evidence could ensue.
“Hey… you! You’re really strong!! Don’t you want to become an advisor to our Namaiyad? Both your size and your strength… Now that I look at it, you really fit in well with the hero Deokgu!”
As the excited Adolf clung to me and chattered on and on, Adela hesitated with a blank expression, gripping the handle of her sword a few times, and then quietly disappeared.
‘Is this Barley? Coco?’
I looked at Adela’s back and pondered over a name for my new guard dog.
“If you sign up now, you’ll get a free Deokgu statue! And if you pay 2 Silver, you’ll also get Deokgu and Kanna statues…”
‘No, but what are these guys selling?’
When I saw Adolgu explaining with all his heart, even spitting, I felt my fists tighten.
***
A space filled with parchment and dust.
There were spider webs all over the ceiling corners, showing how long it had not been cleaned, but there were no spiders to be seen.
Among the parchments, an old man was lying on his stomach, snoring.
A red nose and flushed cheeks, as if he had been drinking heavily.
Anyone could tell he was a pedestrian, but the elegant gray necklace hanging around his neck gave away his identity.
Rattling. Rattling.
The door at the end of the parchment opened with a small sound.
The one who came in between was a handsome young man wearing a gray cloak. His face was full of smiles, and he had a naturally likable impression. However, the left side of his hair was bare and swayed in the wind.
“Ouch! There’s dust. I told you to clean it up.”
“Hmm… Hans?”
The old man rubbed his eyes and got up from his seat at the young man’s muttering.
Then the old man made a slight gesture, and the parchments clumped together and soon changed into various objects.
The old man was now sitting on a large chair made of parchment, drinking ink that flowed from the parchment in a cup made of parchment.
“I told you ink isn’t good for your body. Anyway, the work in the north has ended well. The seeds have bloomed properly.”
“Yeah. Of course you did well.”
“I told you to ventilate.”
The young man smiled brightly and snapped his fingers. A gust of wind swept through the room and went out through the window that had suddenly appeared.
“A letter has arrived for you.”
“A letter? I bet there’s no place to send it.”
An envelope from behind flew in and stopped in front of the young man. The envelope opened automatically, and the paper inside crawled out of its own accord, stretching and unfolding itself.
The young man stood in his seat and read the paper.
“There’s a white tower attached to the seed at the eastern end.”
The young man said with a slight gesture. Then the paper grabbed my body and tore into pieces.
“Isn’t the east the place you were in charge of?”
“Yes, ummm… It’s still a bit early… I guess the Empire leaked it.”
The young man closed his mouth as if he was thinking, and the old man took a sip of his ink coffee.
“What are you worried about? Just go and come back.”
“I can’t go there… I’ll have to send someone else.”
“Yeah, I guess I’ll do it foolishly.”
The young man looked down at the old man who was sipping ink, then shook his head and turned away.
“For the end.”
The old man’s soft muttering followed the young man as he left the room.
‘It’s the end.’
The young man’s face was cold and wrinkled as he left the room.
However, two steps behind, the young man was smiling again.
‘I wonder if my seeds are growing well.’
The young man muttered and snapped his fingers, feeling his empty left side.
