Black Market Search (2)

Our forces consisted of royal knights with abundant real combat experience and the skilled soldiers they brought along.

In addition, field agents from the Inspection Bureau specializing in the underworld joined them.

On the other hand, what about the opponents?

Their business establishments were discovered one by one, drying up their funding sources long ago.

One of the five pillars recently vanished without a trace.

The remaining four pillars were so weakened they weren’t even detected by surveillance networks.

Just entering the black market was expected to be an easy victory.

Everyone confidently stepped into the alley.

And.

“Hm?!”

“No, what is this…”

Nothing.

Not only was there no fierce resistance, but not even a shadow of a person could be found.

“Why is there no one here?”

The tension melted away.

The empty interior of the black market felt similar to an abandoned mining town turned to ruins.

Dirty, old, and stained objects were scattered everywhere, but.

The most important thing, people, were missing.

“Why on earth is the black market, which is practically the underworld’s headquarters…”

Tom was equally bewildered.

He entered the black market thinking ‘no way, no way’, but.

Even he didn’t expect that the underworld had actually self-destructed.

“Director?”

“Y-Yes. Let’s start by searching the surroundings first.”

They searched various parts of the black market for a while.

But people still didn’t appear.

The Inspection Bureau agents looked for signs of battle or bloodstains.

However, they didn’t find anything particularly useful.

The last place they reached was.

The heart of the black market, which they had only heard about in written reports.

“Is this the Black Vault?”

It was the Black Vault.

In reality, this place was a massive vault, but.

It didn’t function as a vault.

The underworld organization members weren’t stupid enough to entrust their assets to others.

Instead, it was a place with quite a symbolic meaning.

It was thoroughly soundproofed and served as the venue for ‘pillar meetings’.

The heavy iron door was not locked.

When dozens of people clung to it and pulled with all their might.

With a creaking sound, it was pulled forward.

“Huh.”

Tom, who set foot in the enemy’s heart, felt a rush of both emotion and deflation.

Because the bosses and high-ranking executives of the organization that used to be five, now four pillars, were left tied up there.

“Ugh, urgh!”

They all looked emaciated, on the verge of starvation.

Tom turned his head just in case.

At the end of his gaze was Ethan.

As expected, he was making an unpleasant expression.

‘Is he angry because the enemies he needs to deal with are in this state? He really is a righteous man.’

Of course, Ethan was thinking something completely different.

‘Was this situation among the variables? I don’t remember it.’

He was desperately trying to recall his memories.

In the depths of the black market.

In the underground waterways below.

Berda took out 3 sacrifices and.

Lightly stepped on them, bursting them.

When enough blood was engraved on the circular formation under her feet.

• Kuuung!

  A small crack connected to another world appeared.

  “Keli. Niel.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “Yes! Berda!”

  “Now. We begin. The sacred. Ascension ritual.”

  There were many problems with the ritual.

  Neither were sufficient living sacrifices secured.

  Nor were many mana mediums, namely spirits and monsters, prepared to maintain the crack.

  But Rielymos, the demon Berda served, was still urging her.

  To ‘hurry’.

  It could become a precarious summoning ritual.

  And there was no way to avoid detection from the heavenly realm, but.

  Rielymos’s will was adamant.

  With no choice, Berda followed her master’s will.

  That was the contract of becoming an apostle.

  “During the ritual. I will be powerless.”

  “I know~ Don’t worry, I’ll protect you well.”

  “Mmhm! Niel will protect you too!”

  She wasn’t worried about their betrayal.

  The problem arose elsewhere.

  “Oh my.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Uninvited guests. Above.”

  Berda raised her index finger towards the ceiling.

  “Hmm~ Really?”

  “Please take care of. The aftermath.”

  “Alright, alright. Berda, just focus on the ascension ritual.”

  Shortly after, Berda entered the crack.

  And.

  “Niel.”

  “Yes yes!”

  “You were bored, right? Go up and play.”

  “I’m excited!”

  Niel leapt like a dog, using her two arms like front legs.

  Her destination was the upper level of the black market.

• Awoooooo!!!

  The blood hounds, sensing Niel’s excitement, followed behind her.

  Keli wasn’t too worried.

  It was just a few humans who had entered, after all.

  If there was one thing she regretted, it was.

  “Ah right. I forgot to tell her not to kill them all.”

  The more sacrifices, the better.

The underworld organization members were left tied up.

Only the gags in their mouths were removed.

They were too weakened to rush at the royal army even if their limbs were unbound, but.

Still, just in case.

“Th-Thank you.”

Baron Degron, who got a sip of water, said breathlessly.

He is the leader of the Red Rose and the only noble among the underworld bosses.

Unlike Lauren, who kept spewing curses as soon as his gag was removed, or the Wandering Troupe leader who had lost his mind, or the Scavenger group where it was unclear who the boss was,

He was someone you could have a conversation with.

“Baron Degron. What on earth happened?”

“Tom Muro. Was this your doing?”

“Hm?”

“Releasing such monsters behind our backs, while attacking our business establishments one by one from the front. As expected of a capable director who can’t be bribed.”

“Wait, what do you mean by monsters.”

Baron Degron’s mind worked quickly.

The underworld’s downfall was already a foregone conclusion.

Rather, he had escaped a deadly crisis with help from the Inspection Bureau.

So there was absolutely no reason for Tom to lie to him.

“…It wasn’t your doing?”

“We did wreck your establishments. But we didn’t particularly engage in any behind-the-scenes work?”

At that.

Baron Degron shouted without hiding his desperation.

“Qu-Quick! We need to get out of here! Hurry!”

“So first, tell us what happened…”

“De-Demons! They had black horns and wings and tails like demons!”

“Demons? Demon worshippers?”

“Y-Yes! Those things!”

Tom’s gaze turned to Ethan again.

Ethan and the children were engaged in an unexpected volunteer activity.

It was a simple task of removing the gags from the underworld organization members.

And putting water bottles to their mouths.

But just with that, they could receive a lifetime’s worth of gratitude.

“Sir! Thank you! Thank you so much!”

“Thank you for saving us! When we get out of here, we’ll pay for our crimes and live honest lives.”

He didn’t know exactly what they had been through, but.

He could freshly realize how terrifying prolonged hunger and thirst can be for humans.

He asked about Oros in between.

“A person with a coin-sized scar near his left eye. Have you seen him?”

“No, sir. We were hiding in the headquarters during that time.”

“The Wandering Troupe also stopped performing a while ago… we haven’t kidnapped anyone in a long time.”

“That’s right! Those bastards from the secret society did such things, but they’ve long since disappeared.”

‘So Oros’s disappearance wasn’t because of these guys?’

He felt like he was getting entangled in a troublesome incident.

But then.

Someone shouted from a corner of the Black Vault.

“De-Demons! They had black horns and wings and tails like demons!”

‘Ah, please.’

An ominous feeling enveloped his entire body.

Soon, the Inspection Bureau Director made eye contact with Ethan and ran over to him.

“Ethan-ssi. It seems the scale of the incident has grown larger.”

“Is it related to demon worshippers?”

Ethan’s eyes narrowed sharply.

Seeing that, Tom nodded and thought.

‘As expected, I can feel his anger rising as soon as he hears about demon worshippers.’

If it weren’t for his cooperation, he would have backed out immediately.

But here was a hero who had already defeated a demon worshipper once.

Tom turned around and shouted to the royal army and inspectors.

“Attention! Demon worshippers are hiding in the underground of the black market! They’re plotting something in the kingdom’s underground!”

“Demon worshippers…”

“Why are such terrible beings here…”

Even the knights who had been through thick and thin trembled at that shocking news.

“But don’t worry! Ethan-ssi here and his wards have already defeated the demon worshipper Targan once before!”

“Is that true?”

“These children? That Targan?”

“That’s right! So march forward without fear, men. For His Majesty the King and the people of Etrion!”

Tom, who had firmly grasped the gradually falling morale and turned it into a long pole raising,

Turned his head to Ethan with an expression that said ‘Did I do well?’

‘Ugh. If you were in your right mind, shouldn’t you go out and bring more reinforcements?’

His expression crumpled to the point where it couldn’t be hidden.

Seeing that, the inspectors and royal knights.

‘It’s as the rumors say. A righteous young man who can’t leave evil people alone.’

‘I heard he goes on a rampage every time, and he looks like he’s about to do just that.’

They each began to build new misunderstandings.

Soon, the accumulated anxiety and irritation in Ethan reached a critical point.

It quickly subsided due to the influence of the composure stat.

‘Right, let’s first say we should pull out once to regroup and then enter…’

At that moment.

• Kuuuuung!!

  The ground shook greatly and cracks formed all over the floor.

  And the evil red energy rising through those cracks.

  Ethan knew well what it was.

  ‘Why is this starting now? The main story hasn’t even begun yet.’

  The demon summoning ritual had begun.

  And in the underground of the royal capital Etre, no less.

  As far as he knew, the ritual progresses for quite a long time, but.

  During the ritual, all living beings within the circular formation drawn absorb life force.

  If he turned back and took only the children to escape, they could survive.

  But the problem was that it was happening in the underground of the royal capital.

  ‘If the ritual succeeds, it means the core of the Etrion Kingdom will evaporate.’

  Such a thing cannot happen.

  The summoned demon itself would affect Serdin as well.

  And a kingdom where the royal family and high-ranking ministers have disappeared would become easy prey for neighboring countries.

  What Ethan wanted was to raise the children splendidly until the main story began.

  That was all.

  ‘To do that, I need to stop the ritual first.’

  He had no choice but to go straight ahead.

  “We must hurry!”

  “Yes!”

  “Everyone! Follow Ethan-nim!”

  Inevitably, behind Ethan heading underground.

  The royal army and Inspection Bureau agents followed, certain of victory.

  As they went down for a while.

  Someone was standing at the entrance leading to the underground waterways.

  It was too dark to see more than a vague outline.

  “You came! I’ve been waiting for you to come!”

  At those words, Kenny hid behind Ethan’s back.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “…It’s her.”

  Kenny pointed at the figure before them with his golden hammer.

  “The demon worshipper who invaded Rite Castle.”

  “It’s you from back then! Tangled thread! Did you come back to play with Niel? I’m so happy!”

  The moment Niel smiled brightly and spread her arms.

  Dozens of bright red eyes opened simultaneously in the darkness.

• Awoooooo~!!!

  “Let’s play excitedly!!”

  Niel and the blood hounds rushed in all at once.