119
Devil Candy
“It’s okay. It might be a little fast. It might be a little too fast, but isn’t that what sets you apart from others? Faster than anyone else···.”
I was teasing Jace, but then I trailed off when he let out a deep sigh.
The sigh was so deep it seemed like it would pierce the floor of the carriage.
The maid who had only a brief encounter with Jace must have hated the sight of him, because she switched places with another maid.
Next to me was the maid, Prokom, with whom I had a brief conversation yesterday.
“I told you it’s okay. Procom, please speak.”
“I’m not Procom, I’m Blossom… Oh, that’s right! Somewhere, there must be someone who likes things fast! Or someone who is extremely impatient? Or someone who values only the goal!”
Procom said with a smile, but Jace’s sigh showed no sign of getting better.
“Look, Procom is like that too. I said it’s okay, Jace.”
“···Don’t call me by my name. Just call me by my usual name. That’s more annoying.”
Jace glared and shouted.
However, he quickly closed his eyes as if he was about to ejaculate.
“Ahem… If that’s really you…. Cheer up, Josapyeong.”
“······Why is there a ‘조’ in front?”
Jo Sa-gwak asked with a stabbed expression.
“Your original letters are cool, right? Procom?”
“That’s right… That’s right! Josapyeong! Are you some kind of amazing person? You’re cool!”
The perceptive Procom quickly matched the rhythm.
Jo Sa-gwak was about to say something, but then he shut his mouth and shut his eyes tightly.
Clear tears fell from the corners of his eyes.
Just then, the carriage slowly stopped.
I tapped Jo Sa-gak’s shoulder and got off first.
‘This is a bit excessive.’
When I got off the carriage, I saw my younger brother waiting in front of the outer gate.
The count came out, and there were five knights around him, and the soldiers were his ships.
After that, even the guards lined up restlessly.
It looked like they were preparing for war.
‘···Somehow there weren’t any carriages waiting.’
It was clear that everyone had gone back to the other gate.
“We ran into each other like this while inspecting. What a strange fate!”
Au turned his gaze towards me, exchanging greetings with Park Dae-gari.
‘It was right that you threw a party just to call me.’
I was convinced that my intuition was correct.
‘Isn’t that going too far?’
Even so, it was excessive for the Count to come out to the main gate in person.
He looked around at the people around him, and they all had calm expressions.
‘It seems that Count Behard was originally prone to eccentricities.’
My brother, who had checked on me, said something to the knight next to me.
The knight spoke to the soldier, and the soldier spoke to the guards lined up beside him.
Then the guards came running and let us through.
Since I couldn’t get in the carriage in front of the count, I put the carriage aside and walked through the gate.
As I passed by, my younger brother gave me a wink.
It was a very brief glance, but it was filled with joy and it was quite awkward.
As the Count moved away, we got back into the carriage, but I walked instead to get a feel for the situation.
‘It’s so gloomy.’
The Flitton Castle was grey.
It was a gray castle, like a gloomy sky that was neither white nor black.
As befitting a count’s castle, it was very large, but the overall atmosphere was very subdued.
Still, the overall level was higher than Cassadic.
There were also roads made of stones of relatively uniform size, and people’s behavior was also much cleaner.
Of course, the characteristic medieval smell of shit still remained.
I surveyed the city’s structure by eye.
‘The arrangement is clever.’
The road was not straight and there was a building in the middle, so I had to keep turning.
I followed him, drawing a map in my head.
‘The arrangement of the buildings is circular.’
In fact, the buildings were built in a circular row.
I looked around the building.
It seemed thicker and more solid than the buildings of Cassadic.
To check the strength in advance, I approached the building slightly, but the guy in front of the building was startled, screamed, and ran away.
I ignored him and knocked on the wall.
It seemed like it would take quite a bit of force to break the blunt sound.
‘If you hit it with your shoulder, it’ll break.’
I took a look at him and got back into the carriage.
There were quite a few residents wandering around, but when they saw me, they were startled and hid.
Medieval people were originally wary of outsiders, but the bigger the castle, the more relaxed that wariness became. But here, the wariness was even more severe than in Cassady.
An attitude similar to treating a patient with an infectious disease.
‘···I feel strange.’
It was quite funny to see him run away screaming when I waved my hand.
Among them, the children ran away and then quietly came back.
Then I jumped again and the kids ran away.
While they were playing like that, people who appeared to be their parents took the children away.
The inner wall was much higher and stronger than the outer wall.
‘You can’t break it with a stone, right?’
I measured it just in case I had to break it, but it wasn’t easy.
Everyone got off in front of the inner gate and was searched.
The guys who were wearing iron all over their bodies were inspecting him, and his spirits were sharp, as if his training was not bad.
As soon as Park’s head appeared, all attention turned towards Park’s head.
The soldiers also quickly bowed and greeted Park Daegari.
Park Dae-gari received him familiarly.
“···Don’t break it.”
Nova muttered softly, poking my waist.
“What kind?”
“You wouldn’t normally ask for the item, would you? You’re probably going to break it.”
Nova glared, her eyes wide.
“Oh, I see.”
Nova listened to my answer and whispered in my ear.
“Count Behard was originally strange, but there are rumors that he’s different these days, so don’t get too close.”
I nodded roughly.
“The banquet is scheduled for tomorrow evening. I heard that the armor is fine too······ No matter what, this is a bit much. Do you have any other armor?”
Nova asked, tapping my fancy golden armor.
It was clear that he didn’t know how cool armor was.
“Oh, it’s a 10 gold piece.”
I brought extra armor, but I didn’t say anything.
“What? What kind of kid would sell this for 10 gold… Who is it!”
Nova glared and let out a torrent of harsh curses.
He looked like he was going to catch the guy who sold me the armor right away.
I hesitated for a moment, thinking it might be fun to tell him Jackson’s name, then shook my head.
“I told you it’s hard. Knock on it.”
“It’s not a hard problem···.”
“As long as the armor is strong, that’s enough.”
Nova, who was about to say something to my answer, shut his mouth tightly and hit my chest with his fist.
Doo-woong-.
Nova raised the corners of her eyes slightly at the heavy sound like a gong.
“Oh! I want to try it too! Me too!”
As soon as the search was over, Park Dae-gari barged in and waved his hands around.
The sound of the air being torn apart, which did not match the bright smile, brought me to my senses for a moment.
“No, it’s expensive.”
If that strong Park’s head were to knock on it, it was certain that this wonderful armor would be crushed.
I quickly changed my posture and covered my chest.
“Ahh! It’s okay for Nova, but not me?!”
Park Dae-gari whined in disappointment at my dissuasion, then returned to Adela’s call.
Nova tapped my chest again with a strangely puzzled expression.
Doo-woong-.
“You can come this way.”
As we entered the inner sanctuary, a well-dressed man greeted us.
He was a guy with his hair pulled back and wearing a dove-like suit.
‘···New brothers.’
I could tell from the sweet scent emanating from him that he was the Devil’s Candy.
The guy tilted his head slightly towards me.
First of all, judging by the way he bowed his head, he seemed to be of lower rank than me.
I waved my hand lightly at him, but he turned around with a strange expression on his face.
‘What a spoiled brat.’
As soon as I entered the inner chamber, the atmosphere changed again.
The inner room didn’t have any windows, so no sunlight came in.
The torches illuminated the room, but they were not enough, and it seemed as if a vampire would jump out at any moment.
Tension appeared on the faces of the group as the atmosphere suddenly became tense.
The pigeon guy moved around familiarly and assigned rooms, and the arrangement was clever.
Yeong-ae was assigned a room by herself, and all the other women were assigned one room, and the men were assigned one room. However, I was given a room on the lower floor.
It was a rather blatant arrangement, but I agreed because it was better than sharing a room with smelly guys.
“······Why you.”
“Between blood ties, regional ties, and school ties, blood ties are the best.”
I answered Jose Square’s question honestly, but he didn’t seem to understand.
The room I was given was too large to be assigned to a commoner.
It was probably the same room that other nobles would give when they visited.
“I’ll come back later when I have time.”
The pigeon said briefly and disappeared.
I locked the door and placed a chair in front of it to block it.
It was convenient because there were no windows, so all I had to do was watch the door.
The lantern on the table illuminated the room. Its brightness was constant, suggesting that it was a magical tool rather than one that used oil.
‘You have a lot of money.’
I took out my sword and wiped the blade carefully with a cloth, thinking back on what I had seen along the way.
‘···I said I would show you my brothers.’
I continued my thoughts while tearing at the bread placed on one side.
‘The information I got from him about the set… is simple, ignorant, direct, and hasty. And it’s a rare appearance.’
I thought back on the attitude I should show to my brothers.
Boom bang!
At that moment, someone knocked harshly on the door.
I opened the door, hiding my sword behind me, and saw Jose Square looking annoyed.
“What is it?”
“Damn it! That woman is spreading all these rumors and the soldiers are always teasing her!”
Jose Square spoke with a face that looked like he was about to cry.
‘You even spread rumors about that…’
“Poor thing.”
I clicked my tongue and closed the door.
“Hey… Wait a minute! If I stay there, those guys will keep teasing me….”
It was none of my business.
After that, Joseon Gap-gwang grumbled for a while and then disappeared.
***
dripping.
‘···You’re here.’
I buckled my sword and headed for the door.
I grabbed the doorknob and took a deep breath.
When you exit this door, you will be guided to the devil candies.
Because there was no information, I felt like I hadn’t washed up.
Moreover, since Aoudo was clearly a strong opponent, it was clear that it would be quite dangerous.
But I couldn’t just let this opportunity slip away.
Moreover, I had already rolled the dice.
It was clear that it would be more dangerous to leave here.
‘Thinking of the younger ones, they are favorable towards the third side. It’s worth it. Just maintain an ignorant and rough attitude.’
After gathering my thoughts, I opened the door.
When I opened the door, the pigeon from before was there.
“Brother.”
I smiled sociably and extended my hand first.
The face of a distorted bastard.
I felt like I had done something wrong.
‘···Weren’t we brothers?’
“Sister?”
“Looking at that idiot, it seems like it’s definitely the third party.”
When I listened closely, I could hear that his voice was slightly thin.
That bastard…? Bitch… No, that bastard grumbled and turned around.
It seemed like I was unintentionally recognized as the third son by that bastard···.
‘The third one won’t tolerate it.’
I quickly hit the back of the bastard’s head.
bang!
The bastard’s head slammed deep into the wall with a loud thud.
However, it was harder than I thought and my fist felt cold.
“What is this···.”
The bitch muttered quite sanely.
When I was about to swing my fist again, the bitch spread her palm wide.
Something intangible poured out of that bastard’s arms and grabbed me.
It wasn’t completely intangible.
Looks exactly like a jellyfish.
‘It’s not magic.’
It looked roughly like a chain.
It was clearly his main weapon, as it was the first thing he used in an emergency situation.
It seemed like it would break if I applied force, but I pretended to be flustered.
There was no need to reveal my strength in a casual greeting.
This was sure to confuse the guy at a crucial moment.
“I heard it through rumors, but you really are ignorant! Even if there are three of you, this is···.”
He bared his teeth, black blood streaming from his face.
As he twisted his hand, the sensation of my body being squeezed became more intense.
I moved my hands, making a face as if I was having a hard time.
Suddenly-.
The intangible energy twisted and made a sound.
‘Is this it?’
I remembered that intensity.
“Enough! What are you going to do with those three idiots! Come quickly. Your brothers are waiting!”
The pressure disappeared in an instant as the bastard waved his hand with a roar.
I wanted to snort in my manly manner and get slapped, but I held it back.
But it was hard to keep my eyes open and watch him wiggle his butt in his manly form.
I turned my gaze to the wall and remembered the route.
The guy seemed to know the structure of this castle well, and he moved around very skillfully.
I walked quite a bit, but I didn’t meet a single person along the way.
Plus, there were only torches, so it felt like I was in a haunted castle.
I followed him, caressing my sword.
The surname was not connected in a straight line, but was cleverly twisted.
It was so elaborate that it was impossible to feel it spinning around.
‘You’re going down to the basement.’
I guessed it was underground because it had gotten a little cooler.
After walking for a while, a huge iron gate came into view.
It was just a simple iron gate, but it was so large that it looked like the entrance to hell.
And in front of it, a man wearing a black cloth wrapped all over his body was guarding.
A sweet scent wafted from Cerberus or something.
I looked at the guy, but I didn’t see any weapons.
“Three stupid brothers.”
As the bastard spoke, the black guy just nodded his head.
‘It smells so good it’s vibrating.’
I swallowed my saliva and glared at the guy.
Through the black cloth, gray eyes were visible, and within them were unrefined madness.
“It would be best not to get involved with Baba Yat. When Baba Yat gets angry, he doesn’t even recognize his brothers. Even if he’s the third child, he’ll still get bitten.”
The bitch who glanced at me explained in a sly tone.
‘I’m being bitten···.’
I put the kindly bitch’s hint in my head.
“I don’t see you as a brother either.”
The bastard laughed in disbelief and went inside.
As I passed by, the black guy sniffed around like a dog.
Our eyes met again, and the gray eyes were clearer than before.
It seemed like the guy was hungry too.
“Oh, wait.”
I threw the ball away and went inside.
It was so deep that I couldn’t even guess what kind of structure it had.
After that, I passed through two more doors, and there were guys with different appearances in each of them.
‘···You’re not wearing armor?’
They all had no armor in common.
‘A transformation?’
Most of the demons I’ve encountered have eroded and inflated their size, and these ones seemed to be similar.
A demon that has completely eroded everything…
My mouth watered for no reason and I swallowed.
Then the girl who was walking away with her buttocks twitching turned to me with a contemptuous expression.
I can tolerate everything else, but I can’t stand that misunderstanding. The moment I was about to swing my fist, I reached a different door than before.
The last door was rather ordinary.
The door, which was decorated as ornately as an ordinary noble banquet hall, had a completely different atmosphere from the doors I had seen so far and was rather eerie.
In front of him stood five men who looked like mummies.
They smelled delicious too.
“No matter how stupid you are, there are many brothers inside, so be careful. Of course, that doesn’t mean you’re the type of person who will listen to them.”
The bitch warned me at the door.
‘So you don’t have to listen to it?’
I nodded, understanding what the bastard meant.
The image that the three sides had built up seemed more solid than expected.
The bitch slowly opened the door.
The door opened and I could see inside.
‘······A chapel? A banquet hall?’
It was so fancy that I couldn’t believe it was underground.
The interior was brightly lit by the splendid light from the huge chandelier.
The floor was covered with soft cloth, like a banquet hall, and its color was very red.
Unlike a banquet hall, the chairs were arranged so that they faced the center. It was similar to a chapel.
However, a sight that could not be seen at all in the synagogue unfolded.
There were a lot of handsome men and beautiful women running around, but they were in a pristine state with not a single thread on their bodies.
They were dancing to the sound of a sharp instrument, like the scratching of fingernails, coming from somewhere.
In the hearts of those people, the devil’s candy was open and sweet, stimulating my hunger.
A fragrance so overwhelming that it makes your nose numb.
– Very good.
‘I know.’
I agreed with the tenant’s words and looked around, forcing myself to smile.
‘It’s not like I’m completely naked.’
There were comfortably dressed people sitting all over the place.
As soon as the bastard and I entered, the music suddenly stopped.
The guys who had been having fun stopped as if someone had pressed a button and turned their heads to stare at us.
I hesitated for a moment whether I should applaud that sword dance.
“I brought my third brother.”
The bastard bowed her head and said.
The naked people parted, and a familiar face appeared.
“Ah, brother!”
A younger brother in the guise of Count Behart approached.
Luckily, my brother was still wearing clothes.
‘Your brother is in a higher position than I thought.’
I guessed Awoo’s location by looking at the people around him.
“Emmanuel, get out of here.”
My younger brother, who had come right up to me, said.
Then, as if receiving some kind of signal, the people who had filled the hall started to move in a strange direction.
‘···doll?’
I squinted my eyes at the sight.
Treating those with the devil’s handprint like puppets…
After the naked guys left, five clothed guys remained.
Although their number was small, the sweet smell that filled the banquet hall still seemed to indicate that they were the main group.
“Come here. There are still brothers left, so let’s have a drink first.”
My brother, who expressed his joy, guided me to one side.
I released my numb hand while keeping a blunt expression on his face.
‘It’s more dangerous than I thought.’
Perhaps it seemed like the situation was easy for Aue to overcome.
The pressure of the situation was more exhilarating than I had expected, but not unbearable.
At that, I raised the corners of my lips.
I sat facing my brother.
On the table was a clear glass bottle filled with red liquid.
Au smiled broadly and picked him up, filling my glass.
The smell of blood and alcohol was strong in the air.
‘···Alcohol.’
Alcohol is a poison that slows down your hands, so I didn’t want to drink it in this situation, but there were times when I couldn’t help it in my social life.
However, there was no need for me to drink the poison alone.
“Brothers, lift up your cups!”
I jumped up, raised my glass, and shouted.
The guys who had been glancing at me smiled and raised their glasses at my words.
‘I’m popular.’
As for Aou’s reaction, it seemed like the three of them were quite popular among these guys.
It was a huge improvement compared to when I used to rap unaccompanied during college and drink alone.
‘···What kind of rap did you do?’
I tried hard to think of him, but I couldn’t.
I looked up at each of the guys and guessed at them by eye.
Each and every one of them gave off a sweet smell that was tantalizing.
The toast was set.
“······For my brothers!!”
As I poured the full glass of alcohol into my mouth, the smell of blood wafted into my mouth.
‘This sucks.’
The smell of blood was awful, but what was even more annoying was that it tasted better than any alcohol.
“Is there a problem?”
My brother asked me, with blood on his lips, if I had grimaced.
“The concentration is too weak.”
I sat down with a bitter smile.
“···Haha! I made it strong for you, but it’s too light! That’s really like the three of you!”
My younger brother, whose face turned slightly pale, laughed loudly.
“That’s okay! There’s still a lot left! Since the brothers have arrived, let’s start the banquet!”
As soon as Auga screamed, that annoying music started up again.
The naked devil candies came out and showed off their skills.
It is obvious to anyone that they are pagans.
‘Should I eat it now or save more and eat it later?’
I was putting marshmallows in my mouth because I lacked patience.
I think I can somehow fit it all in now…
“That’s the problem.”
I shook my glass as I looked at my brother, who smelled sweet like marshmallows.
The red liquid in the glass shone brightly.
***
‘···Sophia.’
Berman muttered, fiddling with his glass of red wine.
Berman swallowed as he looked at her forearms, which were probably three times his size.
Her body had grown larger than before, to the point where her head lowered by itself, but her face was the same as before.
‘No, I just got a little burned.’
I felt a strange bitterness because I could sense her suffering.
The first woman I ever loved.
A ruthless and powerful woman who promised to marry him, but suddenly left and became a mercenary.
‘They say you’re doing well as a mercenary, and it really is…’
Berman looked at the men standing behind her.
They were all unusual in that they had sharp eyes and were large in size.
Those guys stayed silent at her command.
She was so successful that she couldn’t even compare to herself as a foreign security guard.
“······Did you get too tired?”
She turned her head away as if embarrassed and muttered softly.
“It suits you well. You look healthy.”
“Berman became a guard? He said he didn’t like holding a sword···.”
Berman felt embarrassed at the sight of her.
It seems like I can only do this.
‘That’s right. Instead of a sword that kills people, I decided to farm to feed people···.’
Berman recalled his old, childish self.
After all, farming was not about feeding people, but filling the bellies of the nobility.
Now that he had avoided him and was holding his sword, he was guarding the nobleman’s ship.
It wasn’t much different, but at least it protected the residents for now.
“That’s what happened. You said you were a mercenary, and it seems like you’re doing well.”
“Yeah. He was talented. Back then, I wasn’t good at anything, so I was just a burden to Berman.”
“How many pieces of wood did you chop? You did well enough back then.”
“But I was terrible at cooking. I got scolded every day.”
Berman felt that her memories were different from his.
Even at that time, Sophia was a much-needed talent in the village, as she could chop down trees at once and plow the fields in place of sick cows.
But you said you were persecuted at home…
Berman tried to swallow the lump of his past that was about to come out like a cough.
“I see, but what brings you here?”
Now that I was a security guard, I had to be faithful to my duties.
Berman asked, trying to calm his mind.
“Hold on tight.”
“Are you going to just sit there and watch this happen?”
“We lose.”
“No matter what, Berman will be eaten… Eek!”
But Berman’s face turned red at the conversation he heard behind him.
All the crew members gathered to match the number of pages, but compared to the guys behind her, they were truly a sight to behold.
But I felt that heart and it made me feel secure.
“Are you friends?”
“···Yeah. They’re good guys.”
Berman’s face grew hot for no reason at the sound of Sophia’s terrified voice as she turned her head.
“So what brings you to Cassadic?”
Berman asked again with a strange sense of anticipation.
“There is someone looking for it. You might know it. The brilliant fifth star. Oh, it will be called Vermunt here.”
‘······Vermunt?’
It was a name that I couldn’t help but know.
The guy called Brown Aaron.
He was popular for his manly appearance, huge build, and thick arms.
Berman’s face crumpled at her words.
Dylan gulped at their conversation.
“Hey, this is going to be fun?”
“My first love came to find Vermunt.”
Kel responded sheepishly to Dylan’s question.
“Vermunt also had a star tattoo on his shoulder, so there must be a connection.”
As Dylan listened to Poole’s speculation, Berman and the giant got up and followed him hurriedly.
The giant’s subordinates followed him.
“These guys don’t seem like ordinary guys.”
Kel muttered as he looked at his giant subordinates.
“It’s a bit embarrassing that I came when my older brother wasn’t around.”
The place we arrived at while talking like that was Aaron’s base.
There was a guy in front of the bar.
Vermunt, also known as Brown Aaron.
Berman and the giant who faced him.
They stood at a certain distance from each other, as if they were three points.
“This is so much fun.”
Dylan muttered, wiping the sap in his hand on his pants.
“The brilliant fifth star!! It was here!”
The giant shouted in a voice full of momentum, completely different from when he spoke to Berman.
“······The ninth star?”
Vermunt answered.
“You clearly promised that after the war, you and I will become one soul!!”
The giant pulled out his huge sword and aimed it at Vermunt.
“···Wait a minute, Sophia! You can’t take out your weapons inside the castle!”
“Berman. Get out of the way. I’m not the Sophia you knew.”
The atmosphere suddenly changed.
Dylan watched the situation unfold, fingering the dagger hidden on his forearm.
It was so much fun that I couldn’t even blink.
Dylan blinked his eyes alternately.
“I remember. The ninth star. But I am already bound to one soul.”
“Ha! Such a lie! Is there anyone among those who know a single soul who can defeat you!!”
The giant’s voice grew louder.
‘What is one soul?’
Dylan tilted his head, scraping the roof of his mouth with the jerky.
“One soul?”
Just then, Berman scratched the itchy spot.
“It’s a tradition that if two people compete and lose, they become sex slaves. Berman, just a little further back······. The brilliant fifth star!! Lies like that won’t work!! Fight for one soul with me right now!! Fulfill your promise!!”
The giant, who had been explaining to Berman in a soft voice, shouted harshly again.
Berman’s face distorted at the word ‘sex slave’ coming from his first love’s mouth.
The expression on his face was so strange that Dylan clenched his teeth.
“Calm down, Ninth Star. You know him too.”
At Vermunt’s words, the giant who had been rampaging stopped his sword.
“···I know that guy? That guy?”
The giant with his face crumpled muttered.
“Yes, that’s Aaron.”
Vermunt said calmly.
In an instant, the situation changed drastically again.
Dylan shook his head, holding his chin as he tried to understand.
‘So, Berman’s first love, the giant, came to Cassidy to make Vermunt a sex slave. But Vermunt was already a sex slave, and his master… a bastard?’
Hannah appeared behind Vermunt, and her expression looked as if she had been slapped.
‘Even Haena, who volunteered to be the wife of the ten bastards…?’
······hmm.
Dylan, who had been trying to straighten him out by spreading both his fingers, gave up and just ate some beef jerky.
Anyway, it was fun.
