180
bakery
“Big brother, this is just a feeling, but···”
The weasel scratched his chin and muttered in a displeased voice.
“what.”
“There’s something creepy about them.”
As I questioned, the weasel pointed to the Frederick Guild men who were unpacking their luggage with their fingers.
‘······What is this kid?’
I scratched my cheek at the weasel who suddenly found Frederick Guild strange.
The Frederick Guild guys were so clean in their handling of affairs that there was absolutely no room for suspicion. But then, out of the blue, they started to bother me…
“Plague.”
“There really is something···.”
The weasel nodded, muttering softly. He still had a suspicious look in his eyes.
“But big brother, what about the story of the Kirton Mountains? Isn’t that where big brother’s story is?”
The weasel looked around carefully, placed both palms together, and made a wing shape and buzzed.
‘Drilling through the Kirton Mountains…’
From what I heard from Nova, Frederick Guild was thinking of opening up the Kirton Mountains. The timing was good.
In winter, most monsters become quiet. Dragons rarely leave their nests. That’s why the empire only hunts dragons in winter.
Most of the people who tried to conquer the old Kirton Mountains did so in the winter.
However, even in winter, not all monsters were quiet. Those with thick hides were rather running wild.
For that reason, despite many challenges, the Kirton Mountains were not opened.
I wondered why they were suddenly attacking the Kirton Mountains. Sure, if they opened up a sea route, they would reap a decent harvest, but there was already a sea route connecting to the Brighton Kingdom below.
However, if the sea route were opened, it would certainly be a great thing for Cassidy.
According to the continental map, the Kingdom of Brighton was located horizontally at the eastern end, so the route would be infinitely shorter compared to going back down.
“Wouldn’t it be a big problem if those guys happen to see that?”
At that moment, the weasel’s cautious words broke my thoughts. I shook my head.
The last time I met BbungBbung, he followed me around quite persistently, so I guess the young dragon realized how scary society is.
There was no way a young dragon who had been through something like that would come out. He would just sleep and wait for humans to die.
The dragons were originally that kind of race. They were cowards who just waited for others to die, using the time placed on the product as a badge.
‘Anyway, lizards···.’
Of course, I didn’t care because I already had the nest location memorized.
‘If we open the Kirton Mountains, Cassadic’s stock price will rise even more… While I’m at it, I should harvest garlic and check on the bungbung.’
It was killing three birds with one stone.
“Big brother······ Isn’t it soon going to be a sacred day?”
“yes.”
I nodded at the weasel’s cautious words that followed.
Holy Day. It felt like Christmas, but less romantic and more medieval. It was a day when troop production took place here and there.
“Originally, in my hometown, we spent our time together as a family… But this time, it was with my older brother, Kanna, and my crew members….”
The weasel blinked, which was a very unpleasant sight. I clicked my tongue and nodded.
Every year on a sacred day, the members would gather together and drink alcohol.
Last year, we had a hard time getting the quarters to come out to sleep at home. It seems like there will be more people this year than last year.
“Ugh- I’ll make sure the ones below me are properly prepared.”
The weasel, whose face quickly became moved, patted his chest and spoke. However, his hands must have hurt because he was wearing a breastplate, so he jumped up.
‘Did he have something below him?’
I drank the water bottle.
Frederick Guild was assigned one of the buildings that was being built. It wasn’t a large building, as there was no intention of running a separate upper level or anything like that.
At that moment, the weasel, who seemed to be very excited, immediately began to twirl his dagger. His posture was not bad, but there was something immature about it.
“Don’t do it like that, turn it like this.”
As I watched him, I felt frustrated for no reason, so I snatched the dagger and showed him how to use it. It had been a long time since I had held the dagger, but I got used to it quickly.
The weasel twitched his hand and blinked. I clicked my tongue and slowly repeated the motion.
I copied a pretty useful assassin, so if I could just learn it, it would be very effective. The weasel, who had been looking strangely anxious, quickly focused.
The guy who used to tease me every day now had a serious expression on his face, and I was struck by how despicable he looked.
“Oh… Was there such a way?”
After showing it a few times, the weasel nodded.
The weasel skillfully caught the dagger I threw. It fixed its grip on the dagger. The one who was fixing the dagger for a moment moved his hand, and the gesture was not bad.
‘That’s strange. I’m not very good at holding a sword or an axe.’
Dagger fighting was a very manual skill, and the weasel was able to imitate it well. Compared to his poor skills when handling swords or axes, his dexterity could only be considered natural.
“Oh my, you are indeed my brother. You are teaching me the legendary dagger technique!”
The weasel suddenly made a strange sound. Tears were welling up at the corners of its slitted eyes. It was an unsightly sight.
“It’s noisy.”
I cut off the guy’s words. The weasel that had been covering my mouth slowly knelt down. I’ve seen it somewhere, it was similar to the knight’s oath, but there were some subtle differences.
‘···Why are you only kneeling on one knee?’
The posture was unnecessarily elegant. The weasel muttered something, but since the five elders happened to be in sight, I ignored them and continued walking.
***
‘Hmm… I guess I chose the wrong line.’
I looked at the five elders cutting the cake with an antique silver fork and thought seriously.
“That’s great.”
The five elders, who had finished a whole plate of cake without saying a word, took out a white handkerchief and wiped their mouths. The cakes that Haeson had piled up next to him grew more and more uneasi.
“What is it?”
I opened my mouth because I felt like I was going to eat the cake again if I left it alone.
“Didn’t you say you would tell me about divine powers?”
The guy snapped his fingers and spoke. I felt the handle of my sword at the sound of a small burst of air. The surrounding noises faded away. It was as if the usual barrier had been drawn.
“Don’t you know anything about tokens and divine powers?”
He spoke arrogantly. He was right, but his attitude was a bit annoying, so I reached out for the cake.
As I took a big bite of the cake, the guy frowned and held the cake out to me.
“I can’t eat any more because it’s too sweet.”
The guy’s eyebrows quirked at my joke. He took out a new cake and placed it in front of me, continuing to speak.
“The token is a piece of God.”
The guy spoke calmly. He let out a small sigh at the mention of the word ‘God.’
I don’t think he’s a god, but I nodded to set the tone.
“You make a contract through a piece of God. Then, you can use the power of God, however small. The manifestation of that power is different for each person, but I······.”
Perhaps because he was told to play the role of the king of demons, the guy explained quite slowly. He trailed off. It seemed like he was still wary of me.
Although we were on good terms, I couldn’t hide my disappointment.
“The third one is disappointing.”
The guy’s face distorted at the third’s honest words. He took a deep breath and continued his explanation as if nothing had happened.
“The manifestation of power through tokens is called divine power. Divine power can be increased by offering offerings. Of course, there are limits to each individual.”
“···tribute?”
It wasn’t a bad word, but it wasn’t a nice word to come out of the devil’s mouth either.
“Elf’s lifespan is long and their bodies are light and easy to move. Dwarves also have a long lifespan compared to humans and their strength is several times stronger. In terms of reproductive capacity, orcs are actually higher. But do you know why humans rule the continent?”
It was a sudden question, so I answered without hesitation.
“I don’t know.”
“Huh······ That’s greed. Greed that’s enough to burn one’s own body. Even when one is full, the competitive spirit of coveting what the neighbor has makes one not hesitate to sacrifice one’s own blood.”
A man with no sense of humor was telling a long, obvious story. However, I could roughly guess what he was talking about.
“Only humans give blood?”
“No, other races also offer blood. However, humans offer their own blood and the blood of their own kind without any hesitation.”
The guy pressed the cake with his fork. The cream that slid out as the fork cut into the cake caught my eye. It looked like the stomach of a guy who had been stabbed with a sword.
“Then the tribute is blood.”
I summarized what the guy said briefly. He was a guy with no sense of humor, rambling on and on about such simple things.
The guy with the cake in his mouth nodded. He wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and closed his eyes as if savoring it.
It wasn’t an unexpected story. The tenant had initially demanded human blood, so it was an extension of that.
‘So that’s why you poop blood after eating devil candy?’
I felt a small sense of relief at my regained dignity.
“What is the way to control divine power?”
The guy asked the question again, wondering if his enthusiasm for education had increased.
“Income… No, you can just ask God. Or you can just feel it.”
The bastard’s face became strange at my answer.
“Foot.”
The man whose face had been blank for a moment let out a small breath.
‘···Split?’
The corner of his mouth rose as if he found the guy really funny. It was clearly a mockery.
‘I guess other guys are different.’
I guessed there was something to the guy’s reaction.
“Third, don’t show off. Be careful of the same behavior you just did.”
“Ahem···.”
I coughed to show my embarrassment. The guy who had been raising one corner of his mouth for a moment continued talking.
“Divine power is literally the power of God. Would humans dare to communicate with God? If you practice spiritualism deeply, it may be possible, but if you do, your mind will collapse first. There is a difference in level.”
The man who had regained his composure spoke in a monotonous voice. The confident voice of the guy did not seem to be deceiving.
‘······That’s what they say?’
– Don’t take what you originally felt as the truth.
The tenant answered vaguely. Judging by the length of his tongue, it seemed as if something was pricking him.
However, I felt that he had no intention of telling me, so I didn’t rush him unnecessarily.
“Training divine power is usually impossible with endurance. The most important thing is to maintain the spirit while causing very small erosion. If you repeat that······.”
The five elders continued their explanation. It was a story about erosion, and from what I heard, it seemed rare for someone to have eroded as deeply as I did.
‘I’m a special case.’
Knock knock. I continued my thoughts while tapping the handle of the knife.
The way I exerted my greatest power was through erosion. Next was aura, but it was disappointing compared to erosion.
At that moment, I felt an intense gaze. When I turned my head towards him-.
The hard-faced Lung-gyeop was looking at me. Lung-gyeop’s gaze was directed at me, the five elders, and the cake on the table.
Their eyes met in the middle, and Lunggyeop’s gaze was strangely cold. Lunggyeop chewed his lips for a moment and then strode closer.
The expressionless face of the lungs was broken. His eyebrows were furrowed, his eyes were tense, and his face was rarely angry.
Why was the lung suddenly reacting so violently? My head was spinning.
Lunggyup became somewhat rough in front of the devil. When dealing with the devil, he reacted violently as if he was angry.
The reason why such a waste of money would be causing a stir at Hasson’s bakery right now…
I looked at the five elders who were eating the cake. The bastard was still savoring the cake with dignity.
‘Did you get caught?’
The odds were extremely slim, but he couldn’t be sure. In any case, the slaughterman was an inquisitor, and he was exceptional at targeting demons.
‘······What if I get caught?’
Had to choose.
Knock knock, I tapped the handle of the knife.
The slaughterhouse arrived right in front of me. However, it seemed like he had no intention of drawing his mace or greatsword. If he had thought of me as a demon, I would have drawn my greatsword right away, so I felt a little relieved.
At that moment, Lunggyeop grabbed my shoulder. I held onto the handle of the sword tightly, but tried to endure it. Lunggyeop hid me behind him.
‘What is he doing?’
I muttered as I looked at the trash can that suddenly appeared in front of me.
The back of the silver-armored sergeant looked quite impressive, but it was difficult to understand what was going on.
Why are you hiding me behind my back and staring at the five eldest sons?
The five elders, their eyebrows slightly furrowed, snapped their fingers. I adjusted my grip on the sword hilt.
At that moment, I saw the gaze of the servant fixed on one spot. When I turned my gaze, the object was a cake piled up next to the five elders.
‘Oh, so you were dissatisfied with the cake purchase.’
Since the five rich men bought all the cakes, there was no way they were out of stock.
I don’t know why he hid me behind my back, but it was clear that he was hostile towards the five rich men who had purchased all the cakes.
I clicked my tongue and took the cakes piled up next to the five elders. The five elders frowned but didn’t say much.
“Let’s stop here for today.”
The five elders wiped their mouths with handkerchiefs and took a cake and disappeared.
The old man quickly sat down in the empty seat. He returned to his usual expressionless face, but his eyes sparkled strangely.
I sighed softly and pushed the cake towards the waiter.
Then the old man looked at me and wrinkled his nose.
Looking closely, it seemed to be his own smile.
When I wrinkled my nose, Lunggyeop was startled and lowered his head.
Even in the midst of all this, the hands of the reaper moved diligently.
I couldn’t understand it at all.
Of course, I had no intention of understanding it.
***
‘······That can’t be true.’
Pulpouts shook his head to shake off the thought. The thought that had crossed his mind in passing, ‘Frederick Guild is a rebel,’ would not leave him.
‘I’ve been feeling a bit sensitive lately, so I’ve been having strange thoughts.’
There was insufficient evidence to conclude that Frederick Guild was a rebel.
Even though I muttered like that, the feeling of uneasiness didn’t go away. It was similar to when I heard that Aaron had disappeared.
“That part follows imperial law···.”
“No. Imperial law, which is called a legacy of the past, is tedious and heavy in its direction. Considering Imperial law slows down the progress of work and also greatly increases the cost. There is no need to follow Imperial law in matters in the frontier.”
The guild leader of Frederick’s Guild cut off Nova’s words.
Originally, it was rare to proceed according to imperial law. As the guild leader said, if imperial law was followed, the processing of work would be greatly delayed, resulting in great losses.
It would have been more efficient to proceed separately and then, if the story came up, give the manager money separately.
Because of this, there were many cases where even the imperial officials did not pay attention to imperial law.
The guild master said that it wasn’t simply because they didn’t know the imperial law that they were breaking it, but rather because it was more efficient. To that extent, it was clear that they were more careful and abided by the imperial law than others.
It was a great job for a large guild, but I couldn’t help but feel a little annoyed.
“I see. Well, it would take more than a year to get permission, so I think it would be a big loss.”
Novae nodded and Pulpouts hurriedly opened his mouth.
“But wouldn’t it be better to follow the imperial law? Even though it is the eastern outskirts, there are imperial officials at Flitton Castle recently due to the affairs of Count Behart.”
“This is generally acceptable. If you are worried that something may go wrong, there is already a precedent, so don’t worry. Frederick Guild has dealt with this kind of thing more than once or twice.”
It was a smooth and trustworthy answer, but Pulpouts’ anxiety only grew worse. Why did the answer come out so easily? As if it had been prepared…
However, since the guild leader’s words were correct, Pulpouts nodded while pressing his temples.
“Oh, and the Kirton Mountains are not currently part of the Empire. The Empire’s territory extends to the territory of Cathedic. So what happens in the Kirton Mountains is not subject to Imperial law.”
Pulpouts’ head quickly turned as the story of the imperial law continued. Pulpouts hurriedly raised an objection.
“I am the Lord of Cassadic. If you open Kirton with my help, it will be an Imperial event. Therefore, the Kirton Mountains are also Imperial territory.”
The young man’s face hardened subtly at Pulpouts’ answer.
“···I see. You are right. However, the empire is currently in a state of confusion due to the collapse of the palace. They will not be interested in the eastern frontier at a time like this.”
‘······The palace collapses.’
Pulpouts’ mouth opened slightly. It was a story he had heard from Nova, but it had a different weight when it came from the mouth of Guildmaster Frederick.
“Would the empire be shaken by the collapse of the palace? That would be too much of a leap of faith.”
“Oh, the chain of events that followed the collapse of the palace are even bigger. The sect is taking a hard line on the rumor that a demon has emerged from the palace’s basement, and the noble coalition led by the Archduke is demanding an audience with the emperor. Aside from those two, minor sparks are still burning. The empire has no time to worry about the eastern frontier.”
The guild leader’s attitude was quite firm. Pulpouts muttered along with the guild leader’s words without saying a word.
It wasn’t just the palace that collapsed, but the problems that arose as a result… Even though I only heard about it briefly, each one was significant.
Pulpouts hurriedly looked at Nova. For some reason, the usually confident Nova avoided Pulpouts’ gaze. Pulpouts tightly closed his eyes in a state of heightened dizziness.
‘That’s not true. Aaron is standing guard without a care. If it was Aaron who destroyed the palace, he wouldn’t have acted like that.’
Fullfoot muttered quickly as if it was a spell. Yes, if the palace had been destroyed, it wouldn’t have been so peaceful.
Pulpouts, who had regained his breath, opened his mouth.
“······An empire is an empire. Eventually, stability will be restored, so we cannot help but be cautious.”
“Of course, an empire is an empire, but-. Nothing lasts forever, right? Even that splendid ancient kingdom eventually perished-.”
The young man, who had a momentary frown, smiled politely and said-.
‘······They’re rebels.’
Oh my.
Pulpouts closed his eyes tightly.
***
‘It is a holy day.’
I muttered as I watched the snow falling from the sky.
Holy Day felt a lot like Christmas.
As the medieval patch progressed, the romanticism was toned down and the beastliness was increased to make it a mating day, but the feeling was somewhat similar.
“I’m going to Dalus.”
“Yes, thank you for your hard work.”
He waved at the grass and headed for the back door. He was planning to visit the executioner, Dalus.
I had to go get the garlic I had planted soon, and I might be heading to the Kirton Mountains later, so I thought I’d tell you in advance.
As I came out the back door, the white land spread out so wide that it was overwhelming.
It was covered with snow everywhere, and there was no warmth anywhere. I walked while looking at the sun so as not to lose my direction.
After walking for a while, a neat cabin came into view through the falling snow. Judging from the smoke coming out of the chimney, it seemed like they had arrived just in time for mealtime.
“Wahahahahaha!”
From inside, the innocent laughter of Ted, Dalus’ son, could be heard.
‘···Did that Dalus learn to joke?’
Dalus was always gruff and boring when he was with my son, so it was strange to see Ted laugh out loud.
I shook the snow off my face at the door. I took off my wet leather hat and knocked on the door.
Knock, knock. The snow on the door fell sideways. The soft sound was quite pleasant to hear.
As I was shaking off my rough beard, the door opened slowly.
Even though it was my home, Dalus, wearing a gloomy black coat, was looking down at me. I smiled and greeted him with those sharp eyes.
“Open, Dalus.”
“Aaron.”
Dalus called my name briefly and opened the door wide. Then, a warm air wafted from inside.
“hungry.”
“I don’t know why you ask me for breakfast instead of your wife.”
Dalus stepped aside, speaking in a dry voice.
I kicked the rocks next to me, shook the snow off my boots, and went inside.
“You don’t have to shave it.”
“It’s a habit.”
“Good habit.”
I nodded to Dalus’ words.
“Really? Hahahaha!”
Ted’s laughter could be heard from inside.
It seemed like he was talking to someone.
“Has your runaway wife come back?”
“Once you run away, you don’t come back. No matter what it is.”
Dalus answered dryly. I nodded. It was correct.
“So, did you make any new friends?”
“hmm···.”
The guy frowned slightly at my question. It was a casual remark, but he seemed troubled, as he didn’t know how to joke.
I cleaned the snow off my shoulders and went inside.
“Then Grandpa is the best?”
“No, there is one guy who can’t be defeated.”
It was a voice I had heard somewhere. The sense of foreboding became clear. I laid down on my side so that I could easily pull out the hilt of the knife.
That eerily deep voice was unusual. Gulp. My heart pounded loudly and loudly. The smell of rotting wood, characteristic of the cabin, stung my nose.
I glanced back. Dalus was wiping the moisture around the door with a dirty cloth.
I turned my gaze again. I saw a long shadow drawn by the light inside.
Gulp. I swallowed hard and tensed my body. I moved my muscles slightly, loosening them up from the cold temperature.
As I took a step, the wooden planks creaked softly.
“why-?”
There was no tension in Ted’s innocent voice. It was just as usual, which made it even more uncomfortable.
“He is the master of the sword.”
In front of the fireplace, an old man was holding Ted. Ted had a blank expression on his face, as if he had met a real grandfather.
The old man’s face, embracing him, also relaxed a little. It wasn’t that fierce expression he usually had.
Creak, the planks beneath me creaked.
Stupid Dalus, you should have taken care of the floor properly. I grumbled slightly and adjusted my grip on the knife handle.
My eyes met with the old man’s. Those indescribable eyes of the old man seemed to be scrutinizing me.
Why is the swordsman Daiso in Dalus’ house? It was an incomprehensible flow, though-.
“It’s been a while, sir.”
The swordsmanship I had learned from Daiso was very useful, so I paid my respects.
Daiso, the swordsman who was stroking Ted’s head, looked at me with a subtle expression.
Looking closely, I saw that his face was embarrassed.
On the contrary, I smiled brightly at the swordsmanship Daiso I encountered again.
The knight hunter looked at himself and laughed at the man who dared to taste him.
