episode_0035

– Hurry to my mansion right away.

On a rainy night.

It was a message received by the Kyrn diocese head.

Even though the sender’s name was not written, it was obvious whose message it was.

There was no one else in Kyrn who could confidently refer to themselves as ‘me’ to the diocese head.

“What’s the matter?”

“Decipher this.”

“······.”

Flutter.

As the door of the mayor’s residence opened, Lawrence Brium appeared.

What he casually handed over were nothing but two pieces of paper.

Papers with runic characters.

The diocese head, holding an umbrella, stared at the papers in silence.

Is he really calling me in the middle of the night to decipher these runic characters…?

“Just wait a moment. Um. The message on this paper means ‘hello, nice to meet you.’ And on the second paper, it says, it’s okay for me to stay in Kyrn······.”

“What? That can’t be true.”

Before the deciphering was even finished, Lawrence snatched the papers back.

As Lawrence checked the characters on the paper once again, a sigh burst out of his mouth.

“Good grief.”

The characters had changed.

Just a moment ago, they were not in this form and arrangement.

He couldn’t remember how they looked before the change, but at least he was sure that they had indeed changed.

It seemed like a pre-set magic had activated, swapping the words.

“Goodness. Sneaky bastard. Fine. You can go now.”

“What?”

“Haven’t you heard? I said there’s no more business to be done, so you can go back.”

“······.”

Creak. Thud.

The door closed.

Left alone outside in the pouring rain, the diocese head was abandoned.

“Arrogant brat. Treating me as an equal, thinking we’re on the same level.”

Returning to his room, Lawrence paced back and forth, tearing the paper in anger.

He was furious.

That mercenary.

Seeming like a good communicator, he even thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to keep him around if he had skills.

So he invited him to his house, even treated him to a meal.

But he blatantly stared at Lawrence’s wife as if piercing through her, exchanging strange glances in a language only they understood.

He outright disrespected Lawrence.

“They seem to have hit it off.”

Cornelia also didn’t seem bothered by his gaze.

Seeing them constantly locking eyes, it was clear.

Cornelia seemed to have fallen for the low-born scoundrel with nothing but a good face.

“Women, I tell you… How many things are more important than looks. Damn it.”

Perhaps by now, they were dreaming of forbidden love.

Escaping from the abusive husband to remarry a commoner and live happily ever after?

No way.

The crime of daring to cross the line with a mercenary was grave.

And the punishment for that crime could only be repaid with death.

“······Ugh. I’m so annoyed I could die.”

He wanted to release this boiling anger right now.

He wanted to storm into Cornelia’s room and slap her until his anger was vented.

But with guests in the house.

It was not his place to let Cornelia’s screams echo through the mansion and drive them away.

His irritation surged even more.

“You said everything would be resolved if I just listened to you······!”

Lawrence suddenly shouted, staring at the mirror.

His face in the mirror was grotesquely distorted.

Thanks to following the words of ‘that person’ well, he had come this far.

Even if the instructions seemed irrational, following them had turned out well in the end.

Selling his lifespan in increments of 20 years, this was to be expected.

But to worry about losing his wife to a mercenary with nothing but a half-and-half face…

By now, I felt like I should be getting my life back.

“If I just do as I’m told, I can kill that bastard… Alright. I understand. I’ll believe and follow…”

But Lawrence’s rebellion didn’t last long.

Quickly bowing his head, the submissive Lawrence pondered on this.

Tomorrow morning, that arrogant mercenary.

I’ll kill him and throw him to the sewer crocodiles.

***

The day of the execution of the plan dawns.

The outline of my plan is as follows:

Frame and kill Lawrence Brium as a monster’s doing.

Cornelia will swallow up the Brium family.

The end.

Isn’t it too simple?

The simpler and more brutal the plan, the better it works.

Of course, simplicity doesn’t mean the details are simple.

I’ve made quite a few preparations.

First, I sent a message to the Hildegarde faction last night.

Soon, Cornelia will kill Lawrence Brium and take over the Brium family.

So, the message was to prepare to support Cornelia.

To be precise, it’s me who will kill, but that’s a secret.

It’s more convincing to say that Cornelia couldn’t bear it and killed her husband rather than a stranger killing him.

“Cornelia will handle it well. It won’t be difficult.”

With no successor or council in the Brium family, if the head, Lawrence, dies, Cornelia naturally becomes the supreme authority.

In such a rootless family, Cornelia will be able to easily take control.

She’s quite capable, so there’s no need to worry.

Cornelia has probably been eagerly waiting for this situation.

She’s fantasized about overthrowing the Brium family a few times.

If left to her, she’ll do well.

“But the aftermath might be a bit difficult.”

The execution of the plan itself is not a problem.

The problem lies in the aftermath after Lawrence’s death.

Naturally, there will be people who doubt Lawrence’s death.

They will probably accuse Cornelia of intentionally killing him.

Even if it looks like Cornelia killed Lawrence, without evidence, they can’t accuse her.

Even if they accuse Cornelia of being a villain who killed her husband without evidence, it doesn’t matter.

Both are facts that can’t be denied.

“Preparations. Done.”

“How’s your condition?”

“Fine.”

“Then let’s go.”

Our Count Slayer (planned) is ready.

As I was about to open the door.

Mijung grabbed my sleeve and stopped me.

“Leg.”

“What about my leg?”

“Is your leg okay?”

Is she talking about the leg that was injured by the thorn trap?

I applied a potion and bandaged it, and it healed quickly.

But why is she still asking about it?

“It’s already healed. Just a slight scar left.”

“Oh. A scar.”

Mijung’s expression contorts slightly.

Is she feeling sorry?

Funny guy.

I chuckle and open the door.

Early morning.

Lawrence closed the pocket watch and put it in his pocket.

A mercenary with a sword at his waist was walking towards the mansion.

“You’re going to challenge the dungeon starting today. I’ll guide you.”

“Oh. You’re kind. I happened to have lost my way, so this works out well.”

He’s just happy without knowing his own future.

Seems like a fool.

Lawrence inwardly sneered and took the lead.

The path leading to the sewer.

Glancing back discreetly, Lawrence licked his lips.

“Creepy, isn’t it?”

A handsome commoner mercenary.

And a young child accompanying him.

They don’t even know their names or exact occupations, origins.

They didn’t feel like the usual shady characters with unclear identities in the slums.

The feeling that they were hiding something grew stronger.

“What’s there to worry about? I’m the king here.”

Of course, there shouldn’t be any trouble.

The dungeon was classified as a Black Star grade, deemed impossible to conquer.

Here, even if a formidable person died, it wouldn’t be surprising.

“Hmm? Going straight into the dungeon?”

“Yes. Is there a problem?”

“No, not at all…”

A huge stone gate exuding a sinister aura.

The mercenary pushed the gate without any hesitation, moving forward.

Lawrence had to suppress a smile trying to form on his lips.

In dungeons, monsters could pop out from the entrance.

But being so completely relaxed like that.

He was quite inexperienced.

As his confidence grew, even a slight tension disappeared.

‘If I just follow the instructions, it should be fine.’

If I follow what ‘he’ said, I should be able to easily kill him.

Lawrence thought as he clenched a mana stone in his pocket.

“But are you planning to continue further into the dungeon? It’s dangerous. It might be better to turn back at this point.”

“Haha. It’s fine. I’ve been here often enough to know that there’s no threat in the early stages.”

It was a lie.

This dungeon was a creation of pure malice by demons.

It was a place where unexpected threats came at unexpected times from unexpected places.

This dungeon was not meant to be conquered in the first place.

“Hmm?”

As if sensing something strange, the mercenary’s gaze turned upwards.

A look of surprise, as if he knew nothing.

Without prior information…

“Orcs?!”

You can never predict a group of orcs falling from a cliff like that.

Thud! Thud!

Giant green-skinned creatures fell with a heavy landing, surrounding the mercenary and the child in an instant.

With their massive clubs, the humanoids looked huge.

Their thick skin was impervious to blade edges and deflected most magic.

They were done for.

‘These guys would have died even if I hadn’t come.’

But the orcs seemed uninterested in Lawrence, only approaching the mercenary and the child.

Lawrence’s use of invisibility magic with the mana stone.

He slowly stepped back, swallowing nervously.

Thud! Roar!

Soon, eerie sounds came from the orcs’ direction.

Lawrence turned his back.

He didn’t want to see the sight of flesh bursting everywhere.

It was done.

He had avenged cleanly.

At least, that’s what Lawrence thought.

“Daring to touch my belongings deserves death… Huh?”

Thud.

After the sound of something falling, the area behind him fell silent.

This couldn’t be happening.

Surprised, Lawrence turned back, a look of shock on his face.

“The sword seems a bit dull. Feels like it’s not cutting well.”

“What…?”

Orcs lying around with their thick necks sliced, the mercenary and the child standing among them, examining the sword with a displeased expression.

Without any injuries. Unharmed.

Soon, they seemed to remember something they had forgotten.

They raised their heads and locked eyes with Lawrence.

It must be a coincidence.

He was currently under the invisibility spell, so naturally…

“Hey, come here.”

“…?!”

Lawrence stared straight at the mercenary, his finger tapping nervously.

In the midst of his hesitation, the invisibility spell was lifted.

As the mercenary approached with his sword drawn, Lawrence hesitated and sat down on the spot.

“Wait, hold on. Please calm down. I must have been mistaken. There was definitely no orc last time. Surely the dungeon’s structure has changed…”

“So what? Is that all you have to say?”

The mercenary flicked his ear roughly, wearing an annoyed expression.

Lawrence’s face turned pale.

Everything had been exposed.

But Lawrence’s pride did not allow him to kneel and beg for mercy.

Especially when it came to the honor of ‘him.’

“Surely you’re not planning to kill me now, are you? You’re not that stupid! Do you think you can kill me and escape unscathed? The entire Kueren is under my control! Even the Kueren Church trembles at my word, and yet you, a commoner, dare to…”

Thud.

A wooden club flew towards Lawrence’s forehead, making a clear sound as he fell backwards.

“Peace.”

“Well done. He was being too loud.”

Blin held a wooden club in one hand and showed a smirk to the unconscious Lawrence.

Eugene roughly patted Blin’s head and approached Lawrence.

With a large bump on his forehead, Lawrence was unconscious but not dead.

“Ugh. It’s too neat. Doesn’t seem like something a monster would do.”

“Really?”

“Huh? Hey!”

Thud. Thump. Swish. Splatter. Scribble.

Blin struck with the club again, and blood splattered in all directions.

After a while of relentless beating, Blin finally stopped and the severely beaten face was revealed.

He was definitely dead.

“Now it looks like something a monster would do.”

“Heh.”

Blin chuckled emotionlessly as blood dripped from the club.

Eugene awkwardly smiled at Blin, clapped his hands, and groaned.

“Ugh. It’s over.”

Done.

It was so easy it felt empty.

Lawrence’s subordinates waiting above were probably waiting for Lawrence to return after killing us and Blin.

Surely they couldn’t imagine Lawrence dying here.

Meanwhile, Hildegarde was coming to support us.

Cornelia was probably preparing to take control of the family.

It was an easy victory.

“You shouldn’t think an orc could kill me.”

Lawrence’s defeat was due to underestimating Eugene.

Orcs were certainly strong monsters.

Even fully armored knights struggled against orcs.

But Eugene’s strength far surpassed that of an ordinary knight.

At this point, there weren’t many beings who could rival Eugene.

As Eugene casually searched the corpse’s pockets for loot.

|A sacrifice has been made,|

“What?!”

At the eerie voice, his hand froze.

A boiling sound seemed to come from the bloody hole in the corpse’s neck.

He immediately sensed it.

This wasn’t a human voice.

“Madness.”

Quickly grabbing Blin’s hand, Eugene stepped back, his eyes widening.

The black aura emanating from Lawrence’s corpse.

Just touching the aura made his stomach churn and head spin.

|I. Am the Great Demon…|

Uttering a strange sound, Lawrence’s corpse began to move.

Twisting its joints and bones grotesquely, the body rose up.

It was an unnatural movement, as if the process of falling backward was being played in reverse.

That’s dangerous.

Very dangerous.

Now, after 12 years of experience, Yujin’s instincts scream that way.

Goosebumps rising, Yujin drew her sword, ready for battle.

|Velphergor will manifest in this world|

“Mijung. Step back.”

“······Okay.”

The right arm of the final boss, Draken.

One of the Four Heavenly Kings.

The lazy demon, Velphergor, had appeared.