164
A sleepless night
“What did you just say?”
Hannah turned her head to hear the conversation she heard from the side.
Those sitting at the table looked up at Hannah and flinched in surprise.
Hae-na frowned at the gazes scanning her and tapped the table.
Behind Hannah stood Zenta and Brown. They glanced away as the fierce men appeared.
“Can you tell me again what we just talked about?”
Since there was still no answer, Hannah asked again.
“That··· That is··· Aaron ahem···.”
“Aaron?”
“Hey, why are you stuttering? What did we do wrong? I told you!”
Another man suddenly intervened. Since Hannah had been running a bar since she was young, many strange men had been following her around, and this guy was one of them.
After getting beaten up by Aaron once, he was the type of guy who would act like a brat without letting on, but today, for some reason, he looked really excited.
“That Aaron, he said. While he was standing guard, he met a prostitute who was incredibly beautiful, but of course, not as good as Hannah. Anyway, that’s exactly what they went to do.”
The man made a vulgar gesture and grumbled. Then he looked at Hannah expectantly.
There was no way Hannah would feel embarrassed by such a small amount of dirty talk. However, she immediately felt bad.
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
When Hanna spoke roughly, the man frowned, then looked at the people behind Hanna and made a mean expression again.
“What nonsense. I heard rumors have already spread throughout the castle. Everyone calls him the mating king. His partner was a famous prostitute, and he almost died. I heard he was doing this. I have to be careful.”
The man chuckled again, making a crude gesture. Just as he was about to open his mouth to explain in detail what it was-.
“This guy is drunk.”
Scar grabbed his shoulder. The man looked like a little child when he was caught by Scar. Scar kicked the man’s buttocks away with a very light kick.
The way he said he would give the other side a ride next time was quite similar to Aaron’s. Of course, he was much more tame.
“···Thank you, Scar.”
Hannah tried to suppress her confused feelings and expressed her gratitude.
“Don’t pay attention to what he says. He’s just a talkative guy. And how could Aaron do that? How many prostitutes have tried to flirt with him? He’s rejected them all.”
Scar comforted her in a rough tone. Hanna nodded.
It was a place where even the smallest excuse would make things very inflated the next day. Hannah knew it because it was on her lips often.
‘Aaron wouldn’t do that.’
Hannah muttered softly and nodded.
I thought back to the day I first saw Aaron.
Hannah had been running a bar with her father since she was young. When her father passed away from an illness, Hannah was struggling to run the bar somehow.
Being pretty was both an advantage and a disadvantage, as the men who visited the bar were vulgar and rough.
The guys who had been quiet when her father was around started doing all sorts of things when Hannah was running the bar alone. Instead of using the money she had saved to pay for her father’s funeral, Hannah had to buy a crossbow.
It was a day that could have been very dangerous. The thugs who controlled Cassidy were causing a commotion, saying they wanted to drink, and Hannah pulled out her crossbow.
However, the drunken men were muttering that the crossbow only had one bow. Hae-na bit her lip to keep herself from shedding tears as she shouted that if one was hit, the others would take revenge.
Then, suddenly, the door opened and a man I had never seen before came in.
It was clear that the bar was in a dangerous state, ready to explode at any moment, but the man sat down at a table on one side as if it didn’t matter.
A huge man with scars all over his face. He looked like a man who no one should mess with. The guys who had been threatening Hannah were gangsters who were doing well at the time, so there was nothing to see.
The moment one of them swore, the man smiled brightly. The fight started as if he had been waiting for it. Hae-na had never seen such a rough fight in her life.
No, it couldn’t even be considered a fight. Even though the difference in numbers was significant, the man mercilessly wielded violence.
The guys who had been so arrogant until just now came crying to the guards.
The man who finally beat everyone up wiped the blood on his hands on his clothes, sat down calmly, and ordered a beer.
The men who had just threatened her were lying on the floor, looking like corpses.
Hae-na was so scared that her hands trembled at the sight of the man who seemed to be indifferent even after wielding such merciless violence.
Hannah brought him a beer while shivering. A man who was about to leave the bar after drinking just one beer and a bunch of thugs who were just like corpses lying around.
Hanna instinctively grabbed the man. Then the man said, “If you cleaned up this much, wouldn’t that be enough to pay for a beer?”
Only then did Hannah realize that she hadn’t paid for the drinks, but that wasn’t what mattered at the time.
Hannah suggested that we stay here since she would get a cheaper rate.
It was clearly a crazy move. It was dangerous for a woman to run a business alone, but to bring in such a vicious man on top of it.
However, the man’s indifferent gaze stimulated something.
The man tried to bargain in the meantime, and Hannah adjusted the price even though she was trembling with fear.
Eventually, the man who abandoned the thugs outside on the condition that they not pay the two weeks’ rent introduced himself as Aaron.
The day she brought Aaron in, Hannah slept with her crossbow in fear, but Aaron showed no interest, to the point where she was embarrassed by her worry.
When rumors started going around that she liked guys, I was suspicious.
However, Hannah, who had been with Aaron for quite some time, had a vague idea.
Aaron had another woman in mind. It was probably the ex-lover Sophia had mentioned.
There was no way that Aaron would have slept with a prostitute out of the blue.
‘······But you almost died?’
Hannah muttered the man’s last words, then suddenly remembered Dylan’s description.
Dylan spread his arms wide and called out, “Big brother.”
Hannah narrowed her eyes and estimated the length of Dylan’s stretch.
He shook his head vigorously.
There was no way Aaron would do that.
Even though she muttered like that, she felt frustrated and pressed her chest hard.
***
‘···Why are these kids like this?’
While on patrol, I was having a drink at a bar as usual, but the atmosphere around me was strange.
Those medieval guys would always get angry when they saw me because they did the right thing, but today, I had a particularly strange feeling.
‘It seems like they’re desperate to get my autograph.’
He looked around. Everyone he met eyes with raised both hands and bowed their heads.
It was a polite attitude that was only shown when dealing with nobles. When I tried to ask one question, the grass turned green.
“Captain, the rumor has spread far and wide.”
He said as he placed a silver coin on the worn-out table. His empty left hand caught my eye.
‘It would be cool if you put something on it.’
It seemed like it would look pretty good if you put on an iron finger. It seemed like a good idea to ask the dwarf about it. Cassidy’s Iron Finger. It was a pretty good nickname.
“What rumors.”
I asked, sipping lukewarm wine.
“The leader is the mating king.”
The grass answered nonchalantly.
I rolled the words he uttered in my mouth for a moment. They were so foreign that it took me a while to understand them.
“···What king?”
“It’s the mating king. The mating king.”
Grass was serious about everything, so he tried not to joke around. If Grass said something with that kind of face, it was obvious that it was true.
‘The King of Mating? How annoying.’
It was only then that I realized that the strange behavior of the people around me was just a pretense to treating the king well.
The source of the rumor was predictable. It probably came from meeting the Devil Candy.
When I think about it, there is a lot of room for misunderstanding.
Anyway, since he brought a woman dressed like that with him, I expected rumors to spread since the guys in the frontier like to make a lot of noise.
‘No matter what, he’s the king of mating…’
I wasn’t even angry at the absurd words.
‘It’s been a while since those guys started talking.’
What kind of explanation is that? It was funny to say that he wasn’t the mating king, so I just sipped my wine. Those guys were just like that.
“Isn’t it because of what happened yesterday?”
As I nodded, Pul continued speaking, scratching the empty spot on his left finger.
“It seems like a good opportunity. Most people are susceptible to rumors. If we can blow it up, we might be able to sell something to tourists.”
Even in the midst of all that, I clicked my tongue at the sight of Grass thinking about money.
“What are you inflating?”
“Think about it carefully, Commander. The rumor has already spread. And the fact that he has tremendous stamina isn’t necessarily a bad rumor. In addition, many of the recent visitors to Cassadic have come following rumors about the sculptures…”
The grass continued to speak quickly. It made sense when I listened to it. I waved my finger at him to continue.
“I felt this way when I was selling red pepper powder, but if you say it’s good for stamina, don’t you think it’s going to kill you? There’s been talk about the kimchi before. You just have to choose the right stuff······.”
The grass quickly scanned its surroundings with its snake-like eyes, seemingly searching for something useful.
“You can use dried garlic powder.”
I poured the rest of the wine into my mouth. Garlic was originally expensive and cultivated, so it was suitable. If it became popular and other guys started growing garlic, it would be good for me too.
‘And it seems that garlic originally had such an effect.’
I tried to recall my memories, but I wasn’t sure. I waved my hand and got up from my seat.
‘I should go and check if the garlic has grown well.’
Since it was garlic fed with troll blood, it must have grown very well.
As the weather got colder, I had to check on BbungBbungi to see how he was doing. I was thinking of bringing him some fur coats.
“Garlic… That’s a good idea. Oh, and I left the remaining chili powder at the top through Hannah.”
He said as he got up. He started talking about money, but since he was a good guy, I waved my hand and cut him off.
“I’m going out for a bit.”
“Yes, I will be patrolling.”
I headed to the place where I had left Lotteria.
The child had become strangely docile, but since he was a devil’s candy, he couldn’t be left free.
I don’t know if it will work on the devil, but for now, I put him in the execution chamber. There were iron bars there, so it was quite difficult to get out.
“You came.”
Choco, who was guarding the front, greeted me lightly. I nodded and went inside.
“Lady Odelia! Tell me what the hell happened! Why aren’t you saying anything! What on earth did that wicked man do?”
As soon as I entered, I heard a mournful cry from an old voice.
‘Those devil bastards are calling each other evil.’
I looked inside while scratching the ball. Lotteria was still in a kneeling position, and an old man was standing next to her, talking about something.
“You’re locking us up in the execution chamber! What on earth did we do wrong to deserve this?”
The old man who found me blocked the front of Lotteria and shouted at me. I was a little taken aback, as if I had become a villain.
At that moment, the old man fell down with a thud. Lotteria raised her head and looked at me with her red eyes.
I watched the movement for a moment.
“Your Majesty.”
Lotteria spoke softly and calmly.
‘That’s why they call him the mating king… Those ignorant medieval guys who don’t even know the king’s lid… Tsk.’
I clicked my tongue and squatted on the other side of the iron bars. Lotteria’s red eyes never left me.
“A king?”
It felt good to be called a king, but it was a very dangerous word in the empire. If you were to be mistaken, you could end up hanging in the square as a traitor.
“You are the king.”
“What king.”
“He is our king.”
“Who are you?”
Lotteria looked down for a moment. He seemed to be gathering his thoughts, so he urged him on.
“Who are you?”
“The ignorant call them devils, but they are those who dream of transcendence by accepting God.”
I scratched my cheek in response to the reply. I felt my rough beard.
‘So you’re saying they’re devil cubs?’
Although he added some details later, he usually exaggerates when introducing himself.
When asked, the thieves introduced themselves as knight candidates. They made excuses that they were stealing as a side job while training in a place with good air and clean water.
I looked down at Lotteria for a moment. The neatly-groomed crown of hair visible between the red hair was the crown of obedience.
However, I couldn’t believe it because I didn’t know the cause.
‘Maybe he’s just sobered up.’
He was drunk when we met yesterday, so he may have just come to his senses now.
“Who sent you?”
“The second eldest son sent it. The third… no, it was an order to confirm His Majesty.”
“The plague that is being transmitted… Second?”
“Yes, the second eldest son ordered me.”
“What does confirmation mean?”
“that is···.”
Lotteria bowed her head, her words trailing off for a moment. I got the general idea.
‘You’re doubting me.’
If not, there was no reason to send it. But still, he called me brother, so how could he be suspicious… I felt sad that even brothers had to be suspicious of each other in this harsh reality.
“Raccoon… no, because of the fourth eldest son?”
“Yes, the sect announced that the fourth eldest son was killed by a heretic, but in reality, it is said that he was killed by a knight of the temple. Everyone is suspicious that the fourth son, who was known for being so thorough, was exposed. Of course, the prevailing opinion is that the third son would not have done that, but we still need to confirm it···.”
Lotteria spoke quite quickly, as if her mouth had loosened.
‘It looks like there’s still some connection to the church.’
Mini Lunggyup was sure to hide the truth about the fourth eldest son as much as possible. But since he knew the story, it was clear that he still had ties to the religious leaders.
“But why am I the king?”
This time the answer was slow. It seemed as if he was unsure or reluctant to answer.
“······I just felt that way. I knew it instinctively.”
Another short answer. It seemed to lack any clear evidence, but the tone of the answer was very confident.
I naturally thought of the words ‘King of Demons’ that I had heard at Flitton Castle.
Even back then, the guys were pushing Park Dae-gari’s chest and clamoring for him to become the king of demons.
‘The King of Mating and the Demon King… They really are all different things.’
When I didn’t answer, Lotteria fell flat on her face.
‘I’m upset. I’m upset.’
My heart was very complicated as I watched the devil so earnestly offering an example.
I couldn’t completely trust this devil candy. If there’s nothing to trust, how could I trust a devil child?
I told him to roll over on his stomach from side to side, and he did it without hesitation.
I didn’t necessarily believe it, but I could still use it even if I didn’t necessarily believe it.
“Then where are the brothers?”
“They are scattered all over the continent, so I don’t know for sure. However, the first is most likely within the imperial family, the second is under the Grand Duke, the fourth is in the religious order as you know, and the fifth is said to be part of the rebels, but I’m not sure.”
Lotteria answered without a moment’s hesitation. Some of the answers seemed like guesses, but the content was amazing.
‘······Imperial, Grand Duke, Church, Rebels?’
It was a list so colorful that one might wonder if there was even a typical Devil Candy character.
‘Five guys rebels?’
When I think back, the bastard’s face and eyes were full of rebellion like a teenage boy.
‘The devil candy has spread all the way to the imperial palace…’
It was more advanced information than I thought. Even though I gave out great information, Lotteria still turned its back on me.
I then asked the next question I was curious about.
“What is the standard for dividing a person into the rich and the poor?”
“The eldest sons are those who have received the mark of the primordial gods.”
“The beginning?”
“Yes, the nine that existed in the beginning are called the Primordial Level, and those that branched out from them are called the Stems. Most people just look down on them as mere gods, but the Stems are also transcendent beings that cannot be compared to humans. However, compared to the Primordial Level, they are lacking in rank.”
‘In the beginning, nine? That’s in the Bible.’
As I thought about him, I was reassured that I knew the Bible.
‘Anyway, it seems that even demons have their own ranks.’
They seemed to call him God, but there was no way there could be a God in this fucking place. If there was, it would have to be an evil god, and he didn’t need to distinguish between them and the devil.
‘Does the number nine mean the Great Demon?’
I slowly gathered my thoughts. There were nine in the beginning, and they were called the primordial class. This was similar to what was written in the Bible.
‘The Jangja-class are the ones who received it? Somehow the raccoon demon candy melted slowly. Is the Taecho-class Hanwoo?’
I tapped my fingers. I asked Lotteria for more details, but he seemed to have a vague idea and couldn’t give me a better answer.
I changed the subject to him.
“Then how strong is the fourth eldest son among the eldest sons?”
“The fourth eldest son has the lowest status among the eldest sons because his divine powers are not related to combat.”
I let out a small sigh at Lotteria’s words, “That guy was the weakest of the Four Heavenly Kings.”
As someone who did everything I could to catch that guy, I wasn’t happy about it.
“Then you?”
“I belong to the second group, but I’ve been moving separately recently.”
“What is the size of the brothers?”
As the simple answers continued, I asked what I was most curious about.
“I don’t know exactly. Because of the Empire, each group is very insular… Even if you belong to a group, if you’re not at the top, you probably won’t know that you’re brothers.”
‘Only the kids at the top know… It feels similar to a multi-level marketing scheme.’
It seemed like an inevitable choice when dealing with the administration.
“You must have been quite the executive.”
“This is information I have gained while working on my divine powers that are suited to controlling the minds of others.”
I remembered Lotteria touching my head with a confident expression.
‘What have you done?’
It seemed to be a similar type of strange skeleton that had attacked Cassidy before.
“Then why didn’t you use this and come here yourself?”
I asked, tapping the ring.
“Since it is still unclear why the fourth person’s identity was revealed, a ban on using the ring has been issued. In addition, it is necessary to confirm His Majesty’s identity···.”
“You said you were going to carry out a great undertaking?”
How can you accomplish such a great undertaking if you cut off all contacts?
“Yes, that’s why I came here in person.”
Lotteria raised her head. Her red eyes did not waver.
“There will soon be a meeting of the eldest sons and a select few. I have come to deliver it to the third eldest son.”
‘Meeting of the eldest sons?’
The fact that the fourth eldest son was the weakest also meant that the remaining devil candies were all strong.
‘There are three more delicious ones.’
After realizing it, I felt a hunger that I couldn’t hide.
“Ah, Your Majesty.”
Lotteria’s voice, full of respect, trembled slightly.
I looked at him for a moment and then lightly scratched Lotteria’s belly.
The embarrassed look on Lotteria’s face, which had been pious until just now, was quite amusing.
***
‘The meeting of the eldest sons···.’
I sat on the bed, wiping my sword, and muttered softly.
There were many risk factors.
But that didn’t mean I couldn’t go.
My brothers said they were keeping an eye on me, so if I left that out, I might get falsely accused of being a raccoon.
I also heard the word ‘vessel’, and it seemed like they were trying to create their own king of demons.
I tried it on several guys, but the third one, who was exceptionally strong, withstood him.
There’s a third one···.
Knock knock.
“Aroooong!”
There was a dull knock on the door, followed by a tongue-tied voice.
It was clear that Hannah was there, but her voice was very twisted, unlike her usual clear voice.
‘Hae-na doesn’t drink alcohol?’
Then I grabbed my sword and headed for the door.
Knock knock!
“Aroooooong!”
When I opened the door, I saw Hannah with a very red forehead.
His eyes were wide open, and in one hand he was holding a huge beer mug as big as his head. The mug was filled with wine, not beer.
‘You’re drunk.’
It seems like I’ve been seeing a lot of drunk women lately.
“Arowon! Here it is! Arowon!”
Hannah pointed at me and shouted. I clenched and unclenched my fist, trying to get rid of the drunkard in a medieval way, but Hannah stepped forward.
Thud. Hannah buried her head in my chest. The thud shell I had worn as a heart protector made a small noise.
I clicked my tongue and put my hand in. My forehead was pressed against my hand.
Hannah, who had been banging her head, lifted her head. The smell of alcohol wafted in the air. Her double eyelids had darkened as if she had put strength into her eyes that had been loose.
“······Let’s do it! Let’s do it!”
Since there was only a verb without a subject or object, it was somewhat difficult to interpret.
“I don’t want to die! But I can do it! I can overcome it!”
It was difficult to understand because there was no subject or object. However, the person himself seemed to have made a big decision because his eyes were very clear.
Her thick, red double eyelids caught my eye.
‘I heard the rumor.’
It was only natural. Hannah, the bar owner, would be the first to spread the word in Cassadick.
There was no way I didn’t know Hannah’s feelings. Even though she expressed her feelings through playful sexual harassment, it was clear that she had good intentions toward me.
At that moment, Hannah suddenly clung to me. I was naturally excited by the warmth and subtle scent. I was thrilled by the eyes looking up at me right in front of me.
but-.
[Don’t forget me.]
Behind the small voice, Hannah’s hand grabbing my top. I came to my senses.
I hurriedly grabbed her wrist. Since Hannah’s wrist was thin, I had to use all my strength to relax it.
The devil’s handprint below itched.
– Can’t you just take off your lower body?
‘It’s noisy.’
There were also eyes that watched.
“······Why! I’m doing it!”
Hannah shouted in a harsh voice unlike usual.
Looking into those eyes, I took a moment to think of a suitable answer. However, the words I had were all sharp and just wouldn’t come to mind.
“Because I am prepared to die!”
A sentence with a subject and an object finally came out of Hannah’s mouth, but it was still difficult to understand.
‘···Why are you prepared to die?’
“Get out of the way!”
When there was no answer, Hannah bit her lip and ran to the bed. Then she sat down on the edge of the bed and held out both her hands to me.
A bit nervous, with trembling arms, tightly shut eyes, and pouting lips.
Funny enough, that image reminded me of Udra.
After a while, I heard Hannah sobbing.
I smiled bitterly and hugged him carefully. Then Hannah burst out laughing.
It was so funny to see her laughing while shedding tears that I laughed along with her, and the two of them laughed like that for a long time. Hae-na wriggled and came closer.
“······Is this correct?”
Hannah, who had been like that, muttered softly. After a while, Hannah lowered her head. She shook it slightly, and her mouth was wide open.
‘You drank too much.’
It was hard to get it off because it was stuck so tightly like a cicada on a tall tree.
The baby was sleeping so soundly that I just sat there in an awkward position.
After some time had passed, when my back started to hurt and I turned around, Kanna poked her head through the open door. Kanna clicked her tongue at the sight of Hanna who had fallen asleep and came in.
Kanna looked in front of me. I nodded and Kanna squeezed in between Hana.
I looked down, feeling like a kangaroo. They were both sleeping soundly. Kanna was squeezing in between Hanna and me, laughing heartily, and Hanna had her mouth wide open, drool dripping down.
I was quite tired, but I couldn’t sleep because I don’t sleep well.
“The waters of the East Sea and Mt. Baekdu-.”
I kept mumbling some jokes.
***
Knock knock.
As it grew bright outside, I muttered a soft curse at the distinct knock on the door.
‘What a fucking bastard…’
I usually wake up from sleep and don’t notice, but now that I look back, it was a terrible situation without even an inch of error.
Knock knock.
“Emeritus Aaron, you know everything that’s inside.”
As he sat there, the abbot muttered quietly.
“Aaron.”
At that moment, Hannah muttered softly. I clicked my tongue softly at the sight of her wandering around, unable to make eye contact, just like a child who had an accident.
“If you’re up, get out of the way.”
“···Ah! Yes! Kanna-.”
Hannah stood up, pulling the Kanna that was attached to me away.
I examined my clothes. They were very stained with saliva.
Hannah’s face turned red when she saw him. Kanna still had her eyes closed as if she was sleeping and was waving her hands in the air.
“···I’ll buy you new, nice clothes.”
“Okay. I’m going to sweat anyway.”
I got up after roughly shaking off my clothes. Hannah, holding Kanna in her arms, looked up at me.
“It’s been really cold lately… and it’s cold again! It’s really, really cold! Sometimes… can I hug you like this?”
Hannah hesitated for a moment, then closed her eyes tightly and continued speaking. It was funny how she handed Kanna over to me like a hostage.
I thought about it for a moment and then held out my finger.
“2 silver.”
“Even 1 gold is fine!”
Although it was a joke, Hannah smiled brightly and answered seriously.
Hannah, holding Kannah, opened the door. The abbot who was reading the Bible in front of her raised his eyebrows at the sight of Hannah.
“Hello, Abbot of Brighton.”
Hannah passed the abbot with a bright greeting.
The abbot, who had raised his eyebrows, returned to his usual expression as if nothing had happened.
“I guess you slept well.”
The abbot muttered as he saw me.
“I didn’t sleep. I guess reading the Bible a lot doesn’t give you any magical powers.”
“There is no such thing as supernatural power. There is no set future.”
The abbot responded calmly to my joke. I grabbed my sword and stood up.
“If you couldn’t sleep, wouldn’t it be better to get some rest? You have work today.”
The abbot said something unexpected. His eyes were strangely friendly, which made me feel uncomfortable.
“Okay.”
The secret to my survival in the Middle Ages, where I swing my sword every morning, is this.
‘It’s a meeting of the eldest sons.’
Plus, I couldn’t rest because I had a lot of big work waiting for me.
“Did you sleep well?”
“I told you I didn’t sleep.”
“Hmm. I see. When do you plan on attending the delayed service?”
“What kind of debt collector is this?”
“A debtor to a priest? Then I guess I’ll have to charge interest.”
“Ehei- Ah, I saw it, the level was… no, Inquisitor Joanna Ethan was interrogating…”
“What? This won’t work.”
The abbot nodded with a stern face and I chuckled.
Sharing worship doesn’t make it halved, but it does provide comfort.
“But shouldn’t your children start receiving Bible education now?”
I shook my head at the abbot’s question.
There was no need to feed the poop to the child.