170
On the same boat
‘Tsk.’
Because the carriage was so ornate, it attracted a lot of attention.
I chose a helmet of suitable thickness from the ones I had in my pocket.
The five eldest sons got off first, seemingly uninterested, and I followed them.
‘It’s been a long time since I’ve been to the capital.’
The capital of the empire had a completely different atmosphere from other cities.
The capital was neat, splendid, and tidy.
Thanks to the guards with imperial emblems painted all over the place, who kept their eyes wide open, there were no people defecating on the streets and the crime rate was significantly low.
That was inevitable, because the Capital Guard could impose severe punishment on anyone they caught, regardless of their status, as long as they were not a member of the royal family.
Of course, the capital guard did not punish the nobles harshly, but no noble had the nerve to cause trouble in the capital where the emperor was.
For that reason, the capital city had neither the typical medieval smell of shit nor any riotous people.
‘Nothing has changed here.’
It’s been quite some time since I visited, but not much has changed.
It was still clean and people were lively. There were no noisy guys making a fuss and there was no poop.
‘It’ll be okay. The capital is big.’
The capital city was so large that it was almost an understatement to say that it even had an imperial palace, so it seemed okay.
‘The Green Tower and the Broken Moon Hunters Guild······.’
I followed the five chapters while organizing the things to pay attention to.
The five elders moved without hesitation as if they knew the geography well.
“···Are you okay?”
He nodded roughly to the question from the Lotteria next to him. The old man was nowhere to be seen, probably because he had gone to park his carriage.
I shook my head to shake off my thoughts and moved diligently.
The fifth eldest son walked quite quickly. He was clearly a self-righteous man.
The place he went into was a fairly large bakery. It was a bakery with many tables and many people sitting in front of them.
‘···The devil kids are having a meeting at the bakery?’
I seriously thought about these guys called brothers.
Can I just get involved with these guys like this?
‘Is it for camouflage? Well, I don’t think they’d conspire in a bakery.’
Since the bakery has a lot of foot traffic, it is a place where you don’t have to worry about being suspected.
After thinking for a moment, I followed the five elders in. The smell of bread wafting out was incredibly sweet.
“This way.”
A tall, unbecoming man guided us secretly, past the hot baking area and through the passageway where supplies were piled up.
‘Large enough for one person to pass through. Turn right and left. The material is thick enough to be cut with a sword.’
I habitually checked my surroundings, drew an escape route, and followed it.
The place we finally arrived at was-.
‘It’s just a group seat, right?’
It was a spacious space that didn’t seem appropriate for a bakery. I was a little shocked to learn that there was even a private space in the bakery.
The five elders naturally sat inside.
Lotteria didn’t follow suit.
“I’ll bring it to you right away.”
The guide greeted me politely and left.
“Are you having a meeting of elders here?”
I sat down across from him. The chair was so small that I brought another one and placed them side by side.
“The elders’ meeting is held after the sun sets.”
“Then why did you come here?”
I suddenly became curious and asked him, but he didn’t answer and just read the paper in his hand.
There was silence for a moment.
“You owe me.”
He suddenly brought up the debt issue.
“···debt?”
The guy nodded his head slightly. Since I didn’t have much contact with him, I could tell right away what he meant.
‘The story of Flitton Castle.’
It’s true that he helped me at the time. In the grand scheme of things, you could say I owed him a debt.
Of course, I don’t think so, but I nodded to fit the mood.
“You will be the third eldest son.”
The guy continued.
It was a given.
‘···You said there’s only me as the third?’
Since I was the only one left, it was only natural that I would be the eldest son. However, I nodded my head to set the mood.
“I’ve eliminated all elements that could raise questions.”
The guy spoke in a low, gravelly voice.
The word ‘removal’ coming from the devil’s mouth couldn’t possibly have had such a good meaning.
‘It seems that there is another condition for the eldest son.’
I nodded to the guy’s words, but one question came to mind.
‘Can’t we just say it all at once?’
It was frustrating to hear him say something and then pause and then continue.
The guy who was looking at the paper raised his head. It was dark and hard to see clearly, but the guy’s eyes were cold.
I followed the sentences the guy spat out and figured out his intentions.
‘You bragged about holding my leash.’
Knock, knock. The guy’s fingers tapped the table.
“I don’t care what you are. Instead.”
The guy interrupted me again. I clenched my fists in frustration.
“Agree with me at the meeting.”
It seemed like the things that had been added to the main topic were being dropped.
So, it seemed like he wanted to give himself strength in this meeting since he helped first.
‘It’s a meeting. What do you want?’
I examined the guy’s pupils. It was dark so I couldn’t see them well, but his pupils were clearly focused.
‘People with eyes like that are tiring.’
I scratched the ball and nodded.
“Of course. We’re in the same boat, right?”
I wasn’t the only one who wrapped the devil’s candy at Flitton Castle. No, he was worse than me.
I don’t know how the Devil Candy society operates, but there’s no way such a brutal slaughter could be tolerated.
Looking at the brothers’ movements after that, it is clear that they were also concerned about the count.
I was also holding the guy’s leash, just a little bit.
“···One boat.”
The guy who had been mumbling softly furrowed his eyebrows subtly. Silence settled in the room.
Just then, the door opens.
“Thank you for waiting so long.”
A cake filled with cream arrived.
A table full of cakes and fragrant tea. It was just like a noble lady’s tea time.
And the guy who naturally eats cake with a fork.
‘···Did you come here to eat cake?’
As I watched the guy eating cake with such grace, I naturally thought of the lungs.
He didn’t even put it in his mouth or pick it up with his hands like a piece of trash, but seeing him eating cake made me look like he was a little childish.
I wanted to take back what I said about being on the same boat.
‘I think I got in the wrong line.’
I muttered as I poured the bitter tea into my mouth.
I drank from a teacup, but the amount was small and I didn’t get any feedback, so I picked up the teapot and drank from it.
“The more I look at it, the more it looks like the third one.”
The guy clicked his tongue.
I looked at him for a moment, then snatched a cake.
***
‘It’s still the same here.’
I scratched my neck and looked around. It was a square with a huge fountain with water crashing down brilliantly.
As I watched the five elders eating the cake, I felt uneasy for no reason and went outside.
I guess he didn’t want me to stay any longer, so he told me that he would send separate instructions when the time came and didn’t hold me back.
It seemed like what he wanted was my consent during the meeting. He seemed to think I would agree, of course.
I looked at the clear sky for a moment, then started walking.
It would be better not to go out, but since I was already in the capital, there was a place to stop by.
The capital was crowded wherever I went. There were quite a few armed people among them, so my clothes were okay.
Even though it had been a long time since I had been here, the sight of the capital city, which had not changed, gave me a sense of hope.
We arrived at our destination within minutes.
‘It’s gone.’
The bar where the mercenary group used to gather after work had been turned into a strange clothing store.
I thought it would never disappear, because James, the bar owner, boasted that he would do it for the rest of his life.
‘Did you blow it on gambling?’
James loved gambling even though he was bad at numbers. Thinking about him, it made the most sense that he lost his store to gambling.
I stared blankly at the store filled with funny clothes.
James’s bar was good for wine at least, but the thought of not being able to drink it made my mouth water.
“You have to go to the Gray Tower Succession Ceremony! The new Tower Lord is a very handsome man.”
“Oh my, you definitely···.”
At that moment, the store door opened and women came out, giggling. They were wearing fancy clothes, as if there was a party going on.
From my modern perspective, the clothes are strangely baggy.
‘Should I buy some souvenirs?’
Since I was already in the capital, I thought it would be better to buy it in advance while I had time.
As I entered the store, a female employee looked up at me with a puzzled look on her face.
‘There’s only women’s clothes.’
A large man blocked the way. It didn’t look like a store with very good service.
I was wondering how many I should buy. Since there were guys who were connected to women, I figured I could buy them some too.
Also, since the clothes take up less space when crumpled, they are easy to put in your pockets.
‘It’s a shame there’s no tangerine chocolate, though.’
“I wonder why you’re here….”
The big man asked a stupid question in a thin voice that didn’t suit him. What else could there be to do in a clothes shop?
“About ten sets of women’s clothes. About two sets of children’s clothes.”
I told them what I needed to do. The guys’ expressions changed to something pleasant.
The woman’s expression seemed unpleasant, but in the Middle Ages, the iron worn on her body was equivalent to a status symbol.
The dwarven armor I wore was dazzling even to outsiders.
‘I guess I look like a debaucherous knight.’
I nodded my head as I looked at the employees running around busily.
“What size······.”
The big man asked cautiously. I thought about it for a moment and then answered.
“Generously.”
“Yes? Oh, yes.”
As expected of a capital city employee, he understood what I said right away.
‘The building is still the same.’
There were traces left in the corners that I couldn’t bring myself to hide. As I looked around at him for a moment, I suddenly felt like drinking some wine.
However, I couldn’t drink today because something pretty big was going to happen.
“I prepared them here by size···.”
The man spoke awkwardly. Behind him were employees holding dresses that weren’t bad.
Since it’s going to be loose anyway, it’ll fit even if you just wear something roughly.
“How much?”
“That···. This is the fabric··· And the tailor···.”
The guy who didn’t seem to have a talent for talking mumbled and added various conditions. It seemed to be that it was expensive.
Since I had to conserve my strength as much as possible, I didn’t bother to argue and just gave him the gold. I grabbed my clothes and went out.
‘Everywhere else is the same.’
The view I saw when I came out of the old bar was the same.
He chuckled and stuffed the clothes into his pockets. The pocket he had received as a gift from Kuobarou was very useful.
‘Where should I start preparing?’
With a clearer mind, I went back to what I needed to do.
Since I was on the same boat as the five eldest sons, the atmosphere was similar to an alliance, but due to my constitution, I could not leave my life in the hands of others.
Also, it would be rude to go to the Devil Candies’ meeting without any preparation.
‘Is it still open for business?’
I headed down the alley, fiddling with the hilt of my knife.
It felt like someone was following me from behind, but shaking them off was my specialty.
***
‘It’s strange how things are going these days.’
Bakant muttered, smoking his pipe.
Lately, I’ve been losing track of the flow more and more often.
‘The Emperor and the Pope are not visible at the same time…’
It was ominous. My nose twitched as I smelled the blood that had brought Bakant up to this spot.
Bakant rearranged the papers spread out on the table.
First of all, chronologically. The strands were not caught. Next, positionally. So the strands were visible.
‘This is the management office.’
It was common for incidents to occur, but it was characteristic of the Administration that they occurred in one direction, as if someone had directed them.
“Hmm···.”
It wasn’t a big deal for the management to manipulate me as they pleased.
‘Is this the work of the new Gray Tower Management Agency?’
The Gray Tower Tower is considered the most serious incident recently. Since it was against the direction of the management bureau, Bakant couldn’t let it go.
At that moment. Ugh-.
A small sound was heard.
Bakant clicked his tongue and pulled out his magic tool from his waistband. If it were before, he would have pulled out his sword, but he was past that age now.
Shadows descended from the surroundings. Bakant nodded at those trustworthy guys.
‘···Come to think of it, I think they placed it in the front too?’
As soon as I thought of him, the door creaked open. No, it didn’t open, it was pulled open.
“Pull, please.”
A large man wearing a strange helmet came in, making strange noises. The unusually large man looked familiar.
‘That’s···.’
Just as Bakant realized who his opponent was and was about to stop him, the crows rushed in first.
He could have stopped it now, but Bakant gulped and fiddled with his magic tool.
If his prediction was correct, he was not a very welcome guest.
The crows swooped in from all directions at the same time. It was a precise attack that showed the rewards of long hours of training, but Bakant clicked his tongue.
He swung the door open right at the crows.
It was a simple and ignorant act, but the effect was disastrous.
‘That’s him.’
A horribly ignorant way of fighting. Bakant sighed deeply as he looked at the bastard’s armor.
‘What kind of guy gave that guy that thing…’
He was already a tough guy to beat, and now they’re giving him such nice armor… It was like giving wings to a werewolf.
“Hey, Master of the Crow. You raise interesting things.”
The man who stood on the piled up crows spoke leisurely. Bakant waved his hand at his thick voice.
He stepped aside, and the crows staggered to their feet and backed away in an instant. He kicked their butts and chuckled.
‘Useless kids···.’
Bakant muttered, rubbing his neck.
In the first place, crows were not meant for combat, and considering that the opponent was a bastard, it was a natural result, but the feeling of emptiness was unbearable.
“Yes, youngest Aaron. He’s alive.”
Bakant greeted calmly, trying hard to hide his complicated thoughts.
“What are you talking about, I already knew that, right?”
He came over, shaking his hands as if he had just done some light exercise.
Bakant took another drag on his pipe and examined the man.
‘You’ve grown in size. You feel different, too. Your armor… is it Dwarf Jane?’
Bakant’s wrinkled eyes scanned the man. It was only for a moment, but the estimate came to him.
‘···You’ve gotten stronger. How?’
Although he had doubts, Bakant did not ask. Bakant was an observer, not an inquirer.
“I thought I’d never see you again since I’d gone all the way to the eastern end.”
“That’s how it is with people.”
“Is it something to do with Selena?”
“Are you old too? It’s late to hear from you. We broke up a long time ago.”
“You broke up? Don’t elves only love once?”
“Love and sympathy are difficult to distinguish.”
Bakant looked at the guy while exhaling smoke. However, he was wearing a helmet so he couldn’t see anything.
‘···I’m not very lucky.’
He was a spark. A crazy spark that could burn down a huge mountain the moment it touched it. There was something about him that went beyond the realm of mere force.
“You changed your password? The old one was cooler. I guess I should change my guard. It’s not working at all.”
The bastard came over and sat down across from me, brazenly talking. Only then did I see his eyes through the gap in his helmet.
The bastard’s eyes were as clear as before, but they no longer shined.
“The password is originally changed periodically. And I have no intention of using knights as guards in the capital.”
He was already so strong that it was almost foolish. How could he possibly deal with someone wearing dwarven armor? Without a knight, there was no chance.
Any other guy would have had similar results. Of course, I had no intention of leaving the pierced guard alive.
“Yeah, it’s nice to see you after such a long time. Have you gotten more wrinkles?”
“Thanks to whom.”
“Hmm? It seems like you’re blaming me.”
The wrinkles around Bakant’s eyes grew at his shameless question.
“Thanks to some crazy customer hitting the back of the head of the management.”
“Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted? To know the true identity of those guys up there.”
Bakant had nothing to say to the bastard’s answer. He was right.
At that time, Bakant, who was full of energy, wanted to know the identity of the oppressive feeling that kept weighing him down.
However, the entity was larger than expected. The once proud Bakant was hiding in the shadows like a mere insect.
‘But why did you come back?’
Bakant put aside the trivialities and focused on the present. The important thing was why the storm-bringing bastard had returned to the capital.
Because if you’re a crow, you have to be faster than anyone else to detect the typhoon.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve heard the sound of heads rolling.”
Bakant wrinkled his forehead at the bastard’s smirking muttering.
Bakant met a lot of guys while living as a crow, but none of them got stronger as quickly as he did, and none of them were as tough as he was.
‘A guy you absolutely cannot afford to ignore.’
Bakant defined the guy like that. It was in his best interest to try to appease and comfort him as much as possible.
Information about him used to be sold for a high price, but since Selena made her announcement, its value has dropped significantly.
“You’re not happy?”
At the guy’s shameless words that followed, Bakant clicked his tongue and bit his pipe.
“Nice to meet you. The Laughing Lion Guild is our regular.”
“That’s right.”
‘You didn’t come here to seek revenge.’
Bakant felt a little relieved at the bastard’s simple answer.
‘Then what is it?’
The strange sense of alienation that I had been feeling recently and the guy who suddenly appeared seemed to overlap.
It was a feeling that came from a long life as a crow.
“Hey, master of the crow, let’s do something together.”
Despite the laughter in his voice, the eyes visible inside the helmet were not smiling.
It smelled strongly of danger, though-.
“What’s the price?”
Bakant asked, putting down his pipe.
“As always.”
He took the pipe he was smoking and put it in my mouth.
“I’ll give you the best in the industry.”
As expected from a guy who brings typhoons, if you follow him around, quite a few corpses will fall.
“I guess I’ll prey.”
So, as a crow, it was an offer I couldn’t refuse.
***
‘Is this good enough?’
I muttered as I looked up at the darkening sky.
I roughly checked the plan in my head and it seemed to be roughly right.
The plan had to be flexible enough to allow for some leeway. It was just right for now.
I wish I didn’t have to write down plans, but I have a habit of assuming the worst, so I couldn’t help it.
As I was going to the square, thinking back on my plan, a stranger approached me.
He was wearing a long black coat and a bowler hat pulled down low. Anyone who saw him would think he was suspicious.
“I’m not buying it.”
“······The time has come.”
He spoke in a rough voice, as if he didn’t like my joke. It seemed like he was having a hard time finding me.
When I nodded, the guy walked ahead. I followed him, but he kept looking behind me as if he was anxious.
I tried to sneak a sneak peek at him, and the panicked guy ran out. I remembered his speed and grabbed some apples from the stand next to him.
“They sold delicious apples.”
“···If you go, food will be prepared.”
When we arrived at the place he had followed, there was a black carriage with no windows.
There was a mask inside the carriage that looked quite luxurious. It seemed as if the devil had no intention of showing his true face.
‘···Is this a lion?’
I took off my helmet and put on my mask. It was much more comfortable and cooler than wearing a helmet.
‘It’s going round and round.’
I spent some time examining the sword, as it seemed like it would take a while to do so.
After a while, the carriage stopped. Then I opened the door and looked around. It was the inside of a large building.
The blackened walls seemed to shout, “This is where the council of elders is held.”
Caw-.
I nodded at the sound I heard from afar.
A maid in a baggy dress came out to greet me, and there was a faint scent of sweetness in the air.
‘Using the devil candy as a maid.’
It felt like I had truly entered the Devil’s Candy Factory. I followed the maid.
The surrounding area was completely black, so there wasn’t much to see.
The place we arrived at was a magnificent hall with a gold chandelier. The entire place was black, making the magnificent hall stand out even more.
It was as if the sun was rising.
“You’re the third?”
A tall woman wearing a rabbit mask approached.
I habitually looked at the woman. Her tight dress was open on one side, revealing her long legs.
There were no weapons visible anywhere.
There was no way to figure it out.
All I could think of was her beauty and her slender body, even though her face was invisible, and I suspected that she might be something like a succubus.
‘Devil candy is tricky.’
It was a bit tricky that I couldn’t gauge the relativity until I took out my fingernails. Thinking about it, it was actually easier for the knight.
I placed my hand around the hilt of the knife, pretending to scratch my neck.
“As expected of the third son, he is bold.”
A woman came up to me and whispered while grabbing my chin under my mask.
The smell of the woman who approached me was so strong that it could not be compared to the smell of five intestines or a raccoon. My mouth started watering.
“I’m the second child. You can call me older sister.”
The woman spoke in a voice that sounded almost like she was singing.
When I called him ‘sister’, his eyes behind the mask grew large.
‘It’s three hundred eyes.’
The gray eyes gave off a cool feeling.
***
‘The wind is chilly. Winter is coming soon.’
Berman pressed the glove Razbet had given him deeper. Then he turned his head at the sound of groaning he heard from the side.
‘This kid is going to cause trouble.’
Dylan was whining next to him.
It had been three days since the leader had left his post. If it had been before, he would have made a fuss a long time ago, but it seemed like he had become quite patient.
Looking at Dylan’s furrowed brow, it seemed like he was going to have an accident soon.
‘Damn, I lost.’
In a bet on how many days Dylan would go crazy in, Berman picked four or more days.
I thought that Dylan, who had been hit so hard, would never do something like that again, but Dylan was Dylan after all.
Most people change when they get hit by the leader’s fist, but Dylan’s nature was particularly poisonous.
At that time, little children holding flowers were running around laughing.
‘Should I give flowers to Razbeth today?’
Berman scratched his cheek for no reason because it tickled him.
at that time.
“Berman, let me ask you something.”
Dylan slyly called Berman without mentioning ‘brother’. Berman considered reprimanding him, but held back for fear of sounding like a brat.
“What is it?”
“My older brother Aaron slept with Hannah and Kannah while hugging each other.”
Dylan muttered as if confessing something unpleasant.
‘······at las?’
Berman, who heard him, let out a small cheer inwardly. What Hannah was telling Captain Aaron was Cassidy’s secret, not a secret.
It finally came to fruition. Berman was emotional, as he and Hanna often discussed love.
“Oh, I told you this was a secret, so for now, it is a secret.”
“secret?”
Hannah had been creating rumors linking herself to Aaron for a long time. It was surprising that Hannah would actually keep such a thing a secret.
“Yes, it’s a secret. You’re keeping it because it’s precious… You’re saying something strange… Anyway! That’s not the important part.”
Dylan said he didn’t understand, but Berman could understand. He didn’t gossip about what happened with Razbeth either.
Berman, whose lips had been twitching, tilted his head at Dylan’s last words.
‘···Isn’t that what’s important?’
What could be more important than that?
“I don’t know why my big brother won’t let me in.”
“You’re putting it in? What?”
Berman thought Dylan was joking, but the serious look on his face told him otherwise.
“How many times have I taken the sword in place of my older brother! And also for my older brother···.”
Berman was at a loss as to how to explain Dylan’s serious expression of regret.
‘···No, has this kid ever been stabbed in the head of Aaron in the first place?’
It was so natural that I didn’t realize it, but thinking back, there’s no way that could have happened.
“There must be something between the three of you that I don’t know about.”
‘···Why don’t you know that?’
Berman looked at Dylan with seriousness, licking his lips but holding back.
Anyway, it was amazing that Dylan didn’t even think about ‘getting it’. Besides, Berman would win the bet too.
‘I guess I can buy more flowers.’
Berman laughed heartily.
At that moment, Kel approached from behind.
“What are you talking about so interestingly?”
“Hey, Kel.”
“Hey Kel? This little shit.”
Dylan’s casual nickname made Kel grab Dylan’s head, and the two soon started bickering. This was the reason why Kel had recently started training and working out again.
“Huh… So what were you talking about?”
Kel, who was sitting with Dylan pressed against him, asked, holding back his heavy breathing. Berman thought for a moment and then answered.
“Dylan was jealous because he thought the relationship between Jojang, Hannah, and Kanna was too good.”
“Jealousy! This is not jealousy, this is a matter of survival! It is a matter of survival!”
“You’re jealous of that? I knew it all along, but this guy is crazy.”
Kel clicked his tongue and nudged Dylan’s head. Dylan, who tried to escape by slightly lifting his buttocks, failed and his expression relaxed and he laughed.
“You ran, right? You’re ugly.”
Looking at Dylan like that, Kel said with a serious face.
“···What do you mean by running?”
Dylan, who had been tilting his head, lowered his gaze to follow Kel.
“······aha.”
Dylan let out a bright noise as if he had realized something. Then he looked down at me with a serious face.
“What are you thinking about! This guy is really crazy.”
Kel jumped up, shaking his head.
