179
luck
‘···Why is this guy here again?’
I looked at the five elders sitting across from me and muttered softly.
After causing quite a stir in the capital, wouldn’t it be normal to take some time off?
I couldn’t understand why he had to drag someone like this after so long since we broke up.
‘Gildrani. You’ve put a lot of thought into it.’
Behind the five elders, a group of well-dressed men were sitting. After hearing the explanation of the guild, I understood why their clothing was so diverse.
Guilds are mostly associations of merchants and craftsmen, but occasionally, large guilds like corporations emerge.
While most guilds were specialized in one area, the larger guilds operated in an octopus-like manner.
A guild is a group of people who collectively call themselves a mercenary group or a merchant guild.
In the case of large guilds, there were even cases where they were recognized as having autonomy in large cities.
Among them, the Frederick Guild they belonged to was quite famous. It was a guild that had a fairly distinct outline even among the large guilds.
Considering the characteristics of the guild, it was more suitable for rebels than I thought. However, it was strange that it didn’t have a crest even though it was a large guild.
In the Middle Ages, a heraldry was like a badge, something that said, “There’s this guy behind me, and I’m this kind of guy.”
Of course, there was no way to know if he had been killed by a robber on the road, but it was still convenient to have. It was also good for preventing accidents.
Knowing that the five eldest sons were rebels, he felt uneasy about letting them in, so he asked the Parsi Inquisitor to conduct an inspection.
The Parsi Inquisitor declared that the five eldest sons were faithful and could not possibly be heretics. They were not heretics, but the problem was the devil’s candy.
The five elders also gave Kel ten silver coins. Kel, who had a dubious expression at first, quickly nodded.
As things were going that way, there was no excuse to stop the guy who had brought the guild on his back.
I too was curious about the news from the brothers’ side. I needed information on whether the aftermath was being handled well and why the five eldest sons had visited Cassadick.
The Frederick Guild was spread out over a fairly wide area, so it seemed unlikely that they would be labeled as rebels even if they were allowed in.
In the first place, the empire did not move much unless something special happened, so the risk was low.
The fifth eldest son was quite a show-off, so I didn’t think he would cause any trouble, so I let him pass for now.
After work, I found the guys sitting in Hannah’s bar.
As the two sat in the luxurious atmosphere, a strange tension permeated the interior of the bar.
‘What is this guy?’
I glanced at the slender young man next to the five elders. Judging from his physique and lack of weapons, he didn’t seem to be a prosecutor. He didn’t smell sweet either, so he wasn’t a demon.
To me, he was just a little short guy. Judging from the high-class clothes he wore, he seemed like an important person.
Looking at his hunched posture and eyes, he seemed like an ordinary person, but I didn’t jump to conclusions.
When I gave a nod to the fifth eldest son, he sighed and opened his mouth.
“This is the lady I serve, Pulitzer Restrone.”
It didn’t suit him at all to think that the five eldest sons, who looked down on everyone except himself, would place someone above them.
And the opponent is a small guy with no muscles or the devil’s handprint.
“Oh, hello. I am Pulita Restronne of the Frederick Guild. I have heard many stories.”
It was a deep voice that did not match his appearance. The volume of his voice varied from time to time, as if he was speaking with force.
‘······My story?’
I hurriedly looked at the five eldest sons because of the subtle texture.
The guy was sipping water as if he didn’t care.
“What are you talking about?”
I clicked my tongue and questioned him.
“Oh, it’s okay. I’m from the Kingdom of Garkan, so you don’t have to worry.”
Polarpo added, waving his hand. I glared at the five eldest sons at the explanation that they were from the Kingdom of Garkan.
The Kingdom of Garkan. One of the kingdoms destroyed by the Empire for the crime of raising demons.
It wasn’t a big deal since the Empire had devoured more than one kingdom using the devil as an excuse, but it had a special meaning to mention the Kingdom of Garkan and say it was okay.
‘This guy was a tight-lipped guy.’
It was clear that the five eldest sons had spoken of my devil candy. Knock knock, I tapped the handle of my knife as I looked at the bastard who had exposed my private life.
I glared at him with a lot of force, but the five elders still sipped their water.
Then I took a quick look around. There were fewer people in the bar than usual.
I bit my lip when Hannah at the counter made eye contact with me.
‘Why the crossbow···.’
He smiled bitterly as he looked at the crossbow sticking out from behind Hannah. Next to her were Kanna and Kuabarou.
Kanna was mumbling something and waving her hands, and Kuabarou had a rather serious expression on his face. He seemed ready to fight at any moment, as if he had sensed something.
The rough-looking guys on the second floor behind them all had their hands under the table.
‘Is this really a bar?’
I clicked my tongue slightly at the sight of those guys who were in perfect condition and turned my gaze towards the five eldest sons.
‘It doesn’t seem like you’re intending to cause trouble…’
It was a reasonable number of troops, just as I had calculated. A force that was not burdensome to send in, but also not easy to treat carelessly.
‘You’ve done quite a bit of research on Cassidy.’
He gave a friendly smile to Polarpo, whose eyes met his at that moment. Polarpo then shrugged his shoulders and looked away.
“I know the Kingdom of Garkan well. It is quite famous.”
I opened my mouth with the intention of scratching it.
The five elders’ eyebrows furrowed pleasantly. The guy waved his hand. I placed my hand on the hilt of the sword.
I assumed the worst in my head. It didn’t look that good, but the odds were against me.
“I’m really glad that you know about the Kingdom of Garkan. The people of the East don’t know much about the Kingdom of Garkan.”
Polarfo answered politely, avoiding eye contact.
“Let me talk.”
The five elders spoke in an unusually polite manner.
Polarpo bowed his head slightly and got up from his seat. Polarpo headed to the table where my group was sitting.
The five elders drank water again.
The moment I was about to urge him on out of frustration, the guy opened his mouth.
“I will stay in Cassidy for the time being.”
“···Why?”
I scratched my head at the sudden declaration of a rebel settlement. Frederick Guild would be helpful to the Cassadic stock, but I knew that he was a rebel at heart.
It was a double-edged sword that could have caused Cassady’s stock price to hit its lower limit if done wrong.
“It’s because of you.”
I stared for a moment at the long fingers of the five elders who had pointed at me.
In an instant, I felt dirty. As a modern person, I have no intention of criticizing his sexual orientation, but I could not tolerate his lust for me.
“I don’t really appreciate it, but I like women.”
I held the hilt of the knife firmly and spoke firmly.
The five elders made subtle expressions at my answer. They looked bewildered, as if they were shocked by their confession being rejected.
“What are you talking about now?”
The man who had been frowning for a moment asked back.
“I like women.”
“Why are you telling me that?”
“You said you came because of me.”
“Yes. ···Hmm.”
The guy frowned and sniffled.
“This crazy guy···.”
The guy muttered a curse. It was quite awkward for someone who spoke in an old-fashioned manner to curse so harshly.
The guy’s hands were shaking. It seemed as if he was going to throw his hand away at any moment, so I tightened my fist and relaxed my arm muscles.
The man, who had suppressed his anger for a moment, returned to his usual sullen expression.
“I don’t understand why you would think that, but that’s not what I meant. Since the last incident, you have risen to the center of the brothers. I have come for you.”
The guy spoke at length in an impolite tone.
I held the hilt of the knife and tried to gauge whether the guy was trying to fake the embarrassment of rejection. When our eyes met, he started swearing, so it didn’t seem to be the case.
‘Did I get my brother’s attention?’
He had shown solid results, so it was inevitable. He destroyed the palace on the first day he appeared, so he deserved to be recorded as a legendary new recruit.
At that moment, the guy snapped his fingers. I quickly swung my sword at the distinctive air-ripping sound he made when he used his power.
Since the distance was set on purpose, it was done in one breath.
A long black line was drawn in the air. Ishigol was aiming straight at the guy’s neck.
At that moment, thud-. With a dull sound, the twenty-bone stopped in front of the guy’s neck.
‘You’re wearing something like armor.’
The recoil from the sword was stronger than that from striking a normal piece of iron armor.
The guy’s face crumpled. Just as the aura was about to boil over, the guy opened his mouth.
“What are you doing?”
At the guy’s question, I realized that the noisy surroundings had become quiet.
‘Soundproof wall? It’s very useful.’
It seemed as if an invisible force was used to block out the surrounding noise. That must have been the reason for the sound of the air tearing.
“Oh, I misunderstood. I’m sorry.”
I apologized coolly and put my sword away. Even though it looked like there was nothing there, I felt like I needed to take out my aura when I was about to cut the guy’s neck.
“You’re going to stab me in the neck right away because I misunderstood you? What kind of ignorant thing is this….”
The five elders grumbled, caressing my neck. A clear expression of disgust appeared on their faces.
Even though I apologized, it seemed like his feelings didn’t go away. He was a more narrow-minded person than I thought.
The guy who had been glaring at me let out a long breath. The guy who had returned to his usual expression opened his mouth.
“Play the king of demons.”
The guy had a very serious look on his face and spoke in quite heavy language.
“Third, I hate acting.”
At my answer, the guy’s face contorted even more than when he had been struck by the sword.
The teasing was quite enjoyable.
***
‘The King of Demons···.’
I thought it was a joke, but he was serious.
The guy went into some pretty detailed detail about why I should play the king of demons, without really saying a word.
The guy repeatedly emphasized the prophecy that he was the ‘king of demons who would bring down the empire’.
‘The king of demons who will destroy the empire…’
These guys here are really dead set on prophecy. The demon candies seem to think that if there is a demon king like the prophecy says, they can bring down the empire.
But my brothers seemed to have gained confidence in my great undertaking, as they were convinced that I would become the king of demons.
He explained that after the incident in the capital city last time, the brothers were busy moving about in their respective positions, and the five eldest sons had volunteered to be in charge of me.
‘The goal of the great undertaking was the empire.’
Judging by their obsession with the Demon King, the Empire seemed to be the right target for the Great Undertaking.
The five elders showed a strange attitude in response to the previous question, but since they were very important, it was likely that they were just pretending to have something for no reason.
After roughly summarizing the guy’s explanation, I asked him what I was most curious about.
“Why don’t we make one of you king? Either by lottery or by popular vote. Then wouldn’t he be the king of the demons?”
If the prophecy is true, wouldn’t it be a simple matter of picking one and calling them kings among themselves?
“It’s impossible. There is no hierarchy among the elders. Besides, we are not all demons.”
The fifth eldest son spoke firmly. I remembered the second eldest son who liked to be called older sister.
‘It was a horizontal organization.’
Starting with the voting, the devil candies were unnecessarily modern.
According to the guy’s last words, there seemed to be more devil candies.
“I’ll take care of everything. You don’t have to do anything.”
The bastard’s eyes were straight, without a single waver. They were eyes that would become annoying if you got entangled with them.
“You have no choice.”
As I remained silent, the guy added:
“Why do you think so?”
He asked again, tapping the handle of the knife.
“Didn’t you destroy the palace?”
“There’s a misunderstanding. It’s the first one’s doing. I just watched. I stopped him from the side. Blaming someone else for it? You’re a really bad guy.”
Although he spoke with some emotion, the five elders just looked at him as if they found him pitiful.
‘It doesn’t work.’
As he said, he was deeply involved with his brothers.
“It might not be a bad story for you either.”
“I’m an introvert, so I find the king a bit burdensome.”
The guy’s eyebrows furrowed even more. It was fun to tease him because he reacted so quickly.
“You don’t even know how to use the token. Let me teach you.”
The guy spoke confidently, but his words didn’t sound appealing.
After taking the liquid in the capital, the connection with the tenants has become stronger than before. It feels like the wall has been broken down a little.
It didn’t feel good, but I instinctively knew how to use my tenant power.
Even now, I have a feeling that I can take out the auror without talking to the tenant. I am sure that the tenant will agree.
The most efficient method was erosion, but it was very risky.
Unlike the five eldest sons, I had a regular job and a high social status, so I couldn’t use the devil’s powers openly. Aura was the most suitable method, even if it wasn’t efficient.
However, the explanation of the guy who used force to hit the sound barrier was quite interesting.
“What’s the price?”
Apart from that, it seemed like there was more to offer.
“···cost?”
The fifth eldest son furrowed his eyebrows again and asked.
“You mean the price for acting? Were you planning on using me for free?”
“What about the great undertaking······. First, give me twenty gold coins. We can discuss the rest later.”
The man took the pouch out of his bosom and threw it with a tired expression on his face.
Thump. The luxurious pouch with its ornate design made a dull sound as it hit the table.
“Look here.”
I quickly packed my pockets and straightened my posture.
“What are you trying to do···.”
The five elders slightly distanced themselves with trembling faces.
I opened my mouth and faced the bastard.
“Am I the one who will become king?”
He held out his hand, making a carefully chosen joke.
The guy grimaced as if he didn’t understand and grabbed my hand. His face was as disgusted as if he had touched a bug.
‘You held a sword.’
The calluses on the hand of the guy I was holding were the prosecutor’s. It was a pretty useful prosecutor’s hand.
‘You handled a sword… It must be more difficult than I thought.’
Considering that the other demons had not been able to fight properly, being an inspector was a good career.
I raised the guy’s rating by one notch.
At that moment, the bar door opened and a sheriff came in. He was followed by soldiers and Bori.
When Barley noticed me, he quickly lowered his head and avoided eye contact.
“This is an invitation from the lord.”
The sheriff spoke in a deep voice.
‘The Flying Baron will be delighted with the visit of a large guild.’
I nodded as I watched the man leave the bar following the sheriff.
Although on the inside it was a dangerous fruit of rebels, on the outside it was a large guild called Frederick.
Any ambitious flying baron would definitely love this.
***
‘A hole in my heart… A hole in my heart…’
Pulpouts continued to mutter the sentence that was bothering him.
Although it was clearly part of the treatment that Swallows had been talking about, the story of the hole in the unmarried daughter’s chest was not easily forgotten.
Although it is said that Joanna Ethan was cured by the Inquisitor and that she did not have any scars, it is not a story that can be overlooked.
What kind of child was Vivian? No child would be unattractive to her parents, but Vivian was a child who was even nicknamed the Flower of the East.
He was so kind that he climbed over the walls every night and distributed bread to the residents.
What a shocking story it is that the heart of such a kind, beautiful, and flawless child was pierced.
As I continued to dwell on that thought, my headache got worse. As my headache got worse, my thoughts became more difficult to move.
‘Why Aaron again?’
Pulpouts pressed his temples hard.
I know Aaron isn’t interested in Vivian, but Vivian is a child that he can’t help but love objectively. And if he had seen her chest-.
Just then, the door opened with a bang and Adela and the constable came in.
“I called you.”
The sheriff stepped aside. A young man dressed in rather fancy clothes and a man in simple clothing came in.
The young man was handsome, but he seemed somewhat weak and unattractive as a man. Since ancient times, a man should be thick and big.
The man behind him was more trustworthy than the young man. He was tall and of moderately thick build. His appearance was outstanding.
Since she had a daughter who was of marriageable age, Pulpouts looked at the man carefully.
‘Frederick Gildra.’
It was a name I had heard of before, too.
It was a guild that operated between the central and eastern regions, and was quite large in scale.
I heard that the work they handle is very diverse. In addition, there were nobles in the Frederick Guild, most of whom were honorary nobles without lands.
It was a welcome sight to see such a large guild visit Cassidy, but there was something a little jarring.
‘Survivors of a fallen kingdom.’
It was a guild that gave off a subtle sense of unease.
“Welcome to Cassidy.”
Pullputs put aside his emotions and greeted them for now.
“Thank you for inviting me. I am Fulita Restrone, the leader of the Frederick Guild.”
Despite his small stature, his pronunciation was fine. His voice was quite sharp. The fact that he was the guild leader made Fullfoot’s headache worse.
‘···The leader of the Frederick Guild came all the way to this remote place?’
“Please sit down.”
The young man who had been introduced as Pullitara nodded and sat down at the end. Pullputz sat on the other side.
When he heard the story about the guild leader, Pulpouts’ mind became complicated.
Adolf and Delfran stood behind Fullfoot, and Adela stood guard at the door. A subtle tension rose.
Despite the presence of three knights and soldiers, the young man and the man were at peace.
Is there a corner of faith? If he was the leader of a large guild like Frederick, there must be something there.
In some ways, he was more difficult than the count. However, his headache prevented him from thinking clearly.
“What is happening in Cassadic, the Guildmaster of Frederick’s Guild?”
Fullfoot got straight to the point.
Although the guildmaster of Frederick’s Guild was a formidable figure, Cassidyk had eaten too much and was still digesting it.
If I had been more greedy here, my stomach might have burst.
Also, I had a strangely unpleasant feeling about it, so I planned to send it back if possible.
“Oh, I intend to establish a branch in Cassidy. It will be the end of the road from the center to the east. It is a new project being carried out by the Frederick Guild, and I can guarantee its effectiveness.”
Pulpouts’ eyes narrowed at the young man’s calm words.
Again, an inexplicable stroke of luck was making its presence felt.
‘I haven’t even digested what I have yet. I have to reject it…’
“Oh, I heard that Baron Fullfoot recently set up a trade union. We don’t have any room for a trade union right now, but if a branch is established in Cassidy, we plan to use Baron Fullfoot’s trade union. That’s one of the reasons we chose Cassidy.”
‘Such good conditions? No. I refuse······.’
“We are ultimately planning to open a route through the Kirton Mountains. It will open a sea route to the Kingdom of Brighton. It would be too expensive to go back down there since there are already guilds that have taken the lead. That is why we plan to open a sea route from Cassadic.”
Harorani! What a sweet word! It was Cassidy, the despised end of the East.
Among the rumors floating around, there was even a story that if the Kirton Mountains were to open, Cassadic would become the center of the East.
After hearing that story, Nova kept gesturing. It seemed as if he had to accept the other person’s offer.
The conditions were good enough for Nova, who usually didn’t interfere, to express her will.
‘No. Cassidy is currently saturated… I refuse…’
Pulpouts closed his eyes tightly.
The conditions were so good that if you refused you would be cursed at. Plus, Frederick Guild had a good reputation.
I won’t do anything to tarnish my reputation just to eat a single Cassady.
‘···why?’
The young man had a point. If a sea route could be opened from Cathedic through the Kirton Mountains, it would certainly bring enormous profits.
However, even if it was Frederick Guild, it was somewhat difficult to open the Kirton Mountains.
How many people have challenged the Kirton Mountains so far? Few have even managed to pass through the Kirton Mountains, let alone open them.
Even though the conditions there were good, they were too good. They were so biased towards this side that it was annoying.
“Oh, but I have a request.”
‘Then that’s right.’
Only then did Fullfoot nod in relief.
I like deals with conditions better than inexplicable luck.
What on earth would they demand? Pulpouts’s mind was spinning.
Are you saying that a large guild like Frederick needs something from Cassidy?
The young man’s grave face came into view. He seemed to be of an age when it was time for him to get married.
‘···Is it Vivian?’
There were quite a few people who came to see Vivian before.
Thinking similarly to them, it was likely that he would want Vivian, who was beautiful and kind enough to be called the flower of the East.
‘There’s still treatment left. I don’t even know what kind of guy it is.’
It was true that Vivian was in a coma, but she couldn’t be sent away because her treatment wasn’t over yet.
There was a clear reason to refuse.
Fullfoot felt a little relieved.
At that moment, the young man opened his mouth, and the content was beyond Pulpouts’ expectations.
“I would like you to give us Aaron, the leader of the 4th company of the Foreign Guard.”
‘Aaron was the target.’
Nova shook her head with a frown. She shook it so hard that her hair blew.
Fullfoot’s thoughts were the same.
Aaron was an important figure in Cassidy. There were more than a few people connected to him.
Besides, Aaron was not the type of person who could give and take from the start.
Pulpouts shook his head because the terms of the deal itself were not met.
I thought that this would avoid an inexplicable and huge stroke of luck, but-.
“Okay. Would you allow me to establish a branch?”
The young man nodded lightly, as if he had expected that.
‘What should I do···.’
Pulpouts looked at Nova. Nova’s expression was subtle. Nova glared at the young man and frowned.
“Let me think about it.”
There was no need to answer right away.
Pulpouts offered the young man a meal.
The young man followed the maid into the restaurant.
After that, I called the attendants together. I had a bad headache because of the unexpected situation.
Fullfoot called a meeting because he felt he was unable to make sound decisions at the moment.
‘As Adela said, and as Nova said···.’
First, I asked the proud Adela for her opinion.
“The Kirton Mountains. Great! The Kirton Mountains are a place with legends of dragons. In that case, I will show my bravery by catching that dragon, Knight Adela!”
Adela agreed, making a strange sound. It had nothing to do with the guild’s proposal, but that was Adela’s role.
Fullfoot nodded.
“It’s dubious and annoying, but it’s a clear opportunity. Opening the Kirton Mountains is a bit far-fetched, but even without him, making a connection with Frederick Guild is definitely an opportunity.”
Contrary to expectations, Nova and Adela’s opinions coincided.
Certainly, Nova had a point.
Separately, the sheriff and even Kanna agreed to Frederick Guild’s proposal.
It was definitely the right thing to do to accept it.
Fullfoot spoke with the young man again and made plans for the contract.
After finishing him off and lying down to sleep, Fullfoot couldn’t shake off the strange feeling of unease.
As Mrs. Mary gently stroked his head, his headache gradually subsided.
After a while, Fullfoot came to his senses and thought back on what had happened earlier.
‘People from all over the kingdom have gathered here, and since they come from a variety of backgrounds, there’s a lot to handle. The number of knights that belong to them is large, and the number of troops is also high-level. ······Hmm?’
Pullputs muttered again, feeling annoyed by something.
A guild comprised of people from fallen kingdoms.
Although there is no territory, the troops are not insignificant······.
‘This looks exactly like a rebel.’
Pulpouts’ face, which had been muttering jokes and laughing quietly, soon turned pale.
***
“Hey, is this the capital?”
Harrington turned his head to the dumbest question he had ever heard in his life.
When I arrived, there was a huge old man next to me.
The pure white hair was clearly that of an old man, but his eyes were so sharp that he didn’t look like an old man. He must have come through a blizzard, because his shoulders and body were covered in white snow.
Harrington, who had been studying him, quickly looked down at the sword hanging from the old man’s waist.
If you are in a hurry, there are plenty of guys swinging swords. It is better to please those who carry swords.
But even so-.
‘Is this the capital? Are you kidding me?’
Harrington muttered as he looked at the shabby fence behind him. It was large, thanks to the hard work of the summer, but it was still a fence.
Asking whether a fortress that was not even a castle, let alone a capital, was a joke was clearly a joke.
However, he answered politely to the large body and sword on his waist.
“Elder. This is just a village. A nameless village in the east. The village chief is Rabbit.”
Harrington answered as politely as he could. The old man nodded, clicking his tongue slightly.
“Thank you, which direction is the capital?”
It was a series of questions I had never heard before. What kind of person asks for directions to the capital in a village in the east?
However, because he was a scary old man with a sword, Harrington was polite.
“Just go straight that way.”
“Ah, yes. Thanks. But are you a knight?”
The old man asked an unexpected question.
Harrington shook his head sharply at the inexplicable madness he saw beyond those cloudy eyes.
Then the old man turned around and walked away without a moment’s hesitation.
The old man’s back disappeared into the distance through the blizzard.
however···.
‘The direction changes subtly?’
Harrington rubbed his eyes to check again, wondering if something was wrong with them.
The old man, who had clearly started in the direction he was pointing, moved sideways little by little.
‘It was a joke.’
How can a person not walk in a straight line?
‘But over there… it’s probably Cassadic.’
The old man soon disappeared into the snowstorm.
Thinking that the old man was truly a ghost, Harrington knocked on the fence again.
The time has come when everything freezes, so you have to prepare thoroughly to survive.
