Chapter 319: Reorganization (4)

Chapter
319: Reorganization (4)

To
stop those turned into idiots and rioters by the Puppeteer, a camp
was set up on the outskirts of the Outlaw Zone.

At
the entrance of the brothel district, rife with signs of copulation.

Dozens
of guards stood watch over the camp, and occasionally, Royal Knights
could be seen taking the idiots and rioters into tents.

Inside
the tents, like in a guard’s prison, the idiots and rioters, limbs
bound, were locked in iron cages.

There
weren’t enough cages, so three or four were crammed into each.

“Aua,
aauua…”

“Ttu-ttai!
Bua bua!!”

“Tta-ttai.
Tta-ttai good! Tta-ttai!”

“Grrrr!
Grrrr!”

“Krrr!
Krrrkkrr!! Krr!!”

The
idiots simply patted each other’s breasts or buttocks and didn’t
cause much trouble, but the rioters, having lost their minds, were in
bad shape, throwing punches and scratching each other.

Few
were as skilled as the Dark Elf mage Nuer, who could cast spells in
the Ttu-ttai state, but many were naturally physically gifted.

It
wasn’t uncommon for Outlaws of the warrior class around level 30 to
throw punches.

Those
had to be knocked unconscious or have their tendons temporarily
severed to completely immobilize their limbs.

In
that chaotic situation.

“Here,
we caught more rioters.”

“What?
More here?! We’re running out of cages! We need to transport them to
the guard’s underground prison again!”

“It’s
already full there too! We have no choice due to the lack of
detention facilities. As a temporary measure, we’ll cut the tendons
of the rioters to completely immobilize them. We can compensate those
with minor offenses later with healing or Potions.”

The
sound of the Knights arguing.

“May
the grace of Mother Earth be with you. Miracle of healing—”

“Priest!
We’ve brought more people injured by the rioters’ rampage!”

“Put
them over there for now! There are too many injured people already!”

The
sight of priests dispatched from the Mother Earth Order healing the
injured kept catching my eye.

“Disciple.”

Turning
my head at the voice calling me, I saw Idelbert walking ahead.

Unlike
usual, Idelbert, with her long hair not tied up, wearing a
comfortable sports bra and dolphin shorts, was looking at the same
place as me.

That
is, the blood-soaked camp.

“Yes,
Master.”

“What
do you think when you see that?”

“…I
wonder why the talks with the Puppeteer haven’t progressed yet.”

The
scale of the damage was greater than I thought.

Hundreds
of idiots and rioters were caged like chickens, and many civilians
were injured by the rampaging rioters.

This
was not a situation to be so leisurely.

We
had to either deal with the Puppeteer, the person who caused this
situation, or negotiate to calm this mess, anything.

“I
don’t know where you heard that news… but there’s a reason why the
situation is dragging on.”

“Reason?”

“It
doesn’t seem like this will end with just suppressing the rioters or
talks.”

Talks
are an act where people with problems gather and coordinate their
opinions.

The
fact that it won’t end with such talks soon means. “Are you
saying that a clash of arms is the only answer?”

Idelbert
nodded at my question.

“The
Puppeteer has clearly crossed the line, so our old hag Queen seems
very pissed.”

A
section of the Labyrinth City was completely thrown into chaos, so
how could she not be pissed?

I
examined the equipment of the Royal Knights suppressing the rioters.

Each
of them was wearing armor and weapons.

The
fact that their atmosphere seemed sharper than when I saw them at the
Royal Palace before was not just my imagination.

“So.
Why did you bring your slave?”

Idelbert’s
sharp, cat-like gaze turned to Denshi.

“Hiek…”

Flinch.

Denshi
instinctively trembled her shoulders at the sight of that wary gaze.

Compared
to Idelbert, Denshi was much weaker, and she probably remembered
the fist massages she had received under the guise of training.

I
pulled on her leash slightly to soothe Denshi and said.

“The
Puppeteer keeps coveting Denshi.”

“…What?
Her? Why?”

I
organized and told Idelbert what I had experienced and thought, with
an expression of incomprehension.

“It’s
just a guess… but it seems like Denshi is needed to fulfill the
Puppeteer’s ‘Unfulfilled Wish’.”

“……”

“She
also has the Puppet Curse.”

Halt.

After
hearing my words, Idelbert looked around for a moment.

Looking
to see if anyone was listening.

Soon,
after confirming that no one was particularly listening to our
conversation, she stared intently at me and Denshi.

“…Really?”

Nod
nod nod!

Denshi
nodded desperately.

“Why
would I lie to my one and only Master?”

“Ha.”

I
replied calmly.

“You
sly fox of a disciple.”

Idelbert,
as if dumbfounded, yet with a blush on her cheeks as if my answer
wasn’t bad, tapped and stroked my helmet with her black cat tail.

And
then she approached a wide open space where there were no tents.

It
was hard to call it a training ground… but the ground was flat and
wide, so it was adequate for a decent sparring session.

“Ugh…!”

Idelbert,
stretching and yawning, tied up her long hair and opened her mouth
with a nonchalant expression.

“My
sin of having a bewitching disciple is great. I’m very worried about
taking such a disciple to a place where a fierce battle might occur.”

“Would
a disciple raised by Master die a miserable death in just such a
battle?”

“You
never know. Even a guy who seemed like he would never die can die
from a minor mistake in a battle against a strong enemy.”

“Still,
please take me. Who knows? Maybe the disciple and the disciple’s
slave can prevent the countless blood that will be shed in battle.”

Idelbert
stood in the open space and looked at us without saying a word.

The
reason she didn’t say anything was probably because my opinion wasn’t
exactly wrong.

The
Puppeteer’s abnormal obsession with Denshi so far.

—I
couldn’t figure out why the guy who was resurrected during the Late
King’s era and made an inviolable Contract suddenly did something so
bold, but maybe your slave stimulated something in the Puppeteer…

Even
Zirnier made such an assessment.

Denshi’s
existence could be used enough as a bargaining chip in this
complicated situation.

“Alright.
If what you say is true, it seems like your slave can definitely be
used.”

Idelbert
nodded after a long deliberation, as if she was convinced by those
words.

“Then—”

“But.”

Thud!

“It
could be that I’m the only one who thinks that way, disciple.”

Idelbert
interrupted my words and stomped on the ground, causing the wind to
spread widely, shaking Idelbert’s ponytail and scattering sand
around.

It
wasn’t just sand that was scattered.

A
murderous intent concentrated to the limit.

If
you were a living being.

A
tremendous sense of oppression that would instinctively make you step
back and be afraid if you were a living being.

The
gazes of those who felt that tremendous energy were focused on the
open space in an instant.

The
dispatched priests, the guards on duty, the Knights executing the
Outlaws, even the rioters who had lost their minds.

All
of them raised the hairs on their bodies in the face of that
tremendous sense of oppression and stared at us.

“If
you want to climb to a high place and assert your opinion on
important matters, you must show the martial prowess to match it.”

The
words of the powerless have no meaning, and no one listens.

If
you want to make your voice known to the world, you need the power
and authority to match it.

‘…Her
love for her disciple is truly unique.’

Even
though she said that, Idelbert’s true feelings seemed different.

This
was a kind of show.

A
show to let people know that she, the head of the Explorer’s Guild,
listened to and judged my opinion as an Explorer of the Explorer’s
Guild.

‘Even
if the work done after listening to my opinion fails, it means that
if you want to hold someone accountable, hold the head of the Guild,
not me.’ My Master, who is full of affection and concern for her
disciple, is scattering a murderous aura that would make me shit my
pants so that her disciple won’t be caught later.

As
her one and only disciple, I had no choice but to repay my Master’s
grace.

Woo-woong—

Immediately
activating [Blessing of Radiance] and [Blessing of the Dragon’s
Heart].

Drawing
up the Divine power and Mana accumulated in my dantian and heart, I
took a step forward.

It
was a tremendous murderous aura that would have made me tremble like
the others in the past.

“Are
you ready to be ‘persuaded’ by me?”

Now,
the steps I was taking forward were not trembling in the slightest.

This
was also evidence of growth.

It
meant that I had achieved the minimum achievement to assert my
opinion, as Idelbert had said.

“Alright.”

The
Master, delighted by the growth of her disciple, smiled wildly and
took a step forward.

I
also walked towards Idelbert, matching her pace.

Sreureung—

Before
I knew it, a huge battle axe was in my hand, and gauntlets were on
Idelbert’s fists.

The
distance of dozens of meters was narrowed in just a few steps.

And
then.

Kaaaaaaang!!!

With
a chilling explosion, the Master’s and disciple’s strikes met.