episode_0149

As soon as I left the inn, leaving the exhausted Agnes behind, the damp air of the black market clung to my skin like sticky food.

“I’ll do some light research on my own first. I’ll do some sightseeing as well.”

The black market in the underground city was so large that it rivaled a large village or small city.

Although there were few open spaces like a plaza, the goods sold here and there in the winding passageways had a different kind of heat than the market on the ground.

Especially, the area around the inn where the nobles mostly stayed was filled with more stimulating and expensive things, perhaps to win their favor.

“The elf caught in the forest is now being revealed to special people! If you are interested, please come and take a look!”

What I heard while browsing the black market was hard to believe.

Elves who live in nature and all have beautiful appearances.

They were a rare species even in this place where human trafficking was easy.

It was nearly impossible to capture an elf who was not only beautiful but also had the power to defend themselves.

“You can see the elves you only see in stories with your own eyes by paying only 100 gold for the entrance fee! If you have more money, you can even get your hands on the beautiful elves!”

100 gold for one look.

Despite the skillful sales pitch, not many people were fooled by the outrageous prices.

In general human trafficking, people flock to a beautiful woman or a person with a special status because they show the product and talk about it directly.

However, very little attention was paid to the man talking alone on what seemed to be a makeshift platform.

“If you see it in person and don’t like it, we’ll give you a full refund!”

He pounded his chest and boasted.

I had already held an elf… and an elf queen at that, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t curious.

It was rare to find an elf in a place like this, and if she was a beauty, he would be willing to pay money.

Before I knew it, my hands were automatically raised toward the sky.

“Hey there, customer! Excellent choice! Come this way.”

He noticed it with lightning speed and waved with a grin.

As I approached and handed him the money, his hand pointed to the door behind him.

“Just go down this way a little bit. Have a nice time!”

He opened the door with an exaggerated gesture, and a worn-out staircase led down.

The path down felt like walking through a secret passage, and soon enough another door was discovered.

Squeak-

What came into view was a place that looked like a concert hall, accompanied by the unpleasant noise of an old door opening.

There were tables decorated in a rather polite manner, and men with bad-tempered faces were sitting on chairs.

‘I’ve totally fallen for this.’

As soon as I opened the door, the eyes of the people sitting there focused on me and then quickly dispersed.

And the timing was almost simultaneous.

Although the sound of the door opening was quite loud, everyone here was paying to see the elves.

But the gaze that was looking at me at that moment was not simply focused on the sound.

Rather, it was closer to the gaze of a hunter checking out his prey.

Crucially, some of them were exchanging glances and sending unknown signals.

‘I guess that’s because it’s a den of criminals. This is exactly what happens when you try to leisurely tour the area.’

While I was wondering what to do, a man standing in neat clothes approached me.

“Come this way.”

“When does the elf come out?”

“We’re preparing it now, so you’ll be able to see it soon. I’ll prepare something to drink before then, so please bear with us for a moment.”

Although his tone was polite, there was a sense of discomfort in his appearance.

His bulging muscles and long scars clearly showed that he was a member of the underground city.

In the underground city where all kinds of criminals gather, you had to protect yourself, and if you couldn’t, you would become their prey.

Their target was probably wealthy nobles and merchants, but unfortunately I was the one who got caught up in it.

“Haa··· This is getting annoying.”

I let out a small sigh at the seat I was guided to.

The plan to enjoy it leisurely was already practically a bubble.

It’s not a particularly dangerous situation, but it’s not a situation where you can just go out there and do whatever you want.

If we make a fuss in a place like this, it could affect the investigation.

“The problem is··· I’m already completely caught··· ”

Even if you suddenly leave here, it’s obvious that you’ll be stopped.

Even if you stay still, he will attack first.

It’s easy to get rid of it, but the aftermath is complicated.

“If your body is not feeling well, your head will suffer.”

In the end, worrying about this and that will only lead to regrets later.

I had no choice but to deal with it on my own, keeping the fact that I had fallen into a trap because I became interested in elf slaves a secret.

Besides, looking at their reactions, it was highly likely that there was no such thing in the first place.

As they stood up, they drew their swords, with no intention of hiding them any longer.

“I’m sorry, but you have to give me everything, from the money you have to the money you’ve hidden.”

Laughter and sharp noises could be heard from all sides.

Their faces were filled with the leisurely look of someone snatching candy from a child.

If I were an ordinary merchant or noble, I would have died here no matter what I did.

Because there is no need to keep it alive.

But unfortunately, it was not the merchants or nobles they knew who fell into the trap.

“It’s already annoying enough, so stop barking and just come at me.”

As I waved my hands absentmindedly, the guys’ laughter grew even louder.

“I don’t know how you can be so arrogant, but you should just be quiet and listen to us.”

“Who would like it?”

“It’s much better than being torn to pieces and dying.”

The man who seemed to be the leader shrugged his head in a spiteful manner.

His attitude was filled with the confidence that he would never be defeated.

A sudden surge of playfulness came over me as I saw him unsuspecting that it was a simple act of strangling his trapped prey.

“Then how about this?”

Pick up the bottle on the table and fill it with mana.

The thought of resistance that was impossible could be felt in the guy’s eyes, but it didn’t last long.

Wheeek―!

The bottle flew with a sharp sound that tore through the air and collided with the guy’s head in the blink of an eye.

Immediately after the cheerful sound of a head cracking echoed, silence flowed through the space that had been filled with laughter.

*****

The door to the dark room, lit only by a small candle, opened wide with a loud, urgent creaking sound.

“ji··· Right now, that weird guy! He’s completely destroying us all by himself! “

The man sitting there was smiling, completely different from the anxious expression on the man who had come in.

Sorian, a noble of the Kingdom of Lumis.

He was gathering information in the underground city, and he was expressing his excitement by holding on to the arms of his chair tightly.

“Finally caught.”

“in···? What is that···?”

“Now that you’ve done that, report properly what happened.”

The eyes of Sori-an, who was quietly looking at his subordinates, seemed to be burning with cold fire.

The subordinate, who had been anxious under the calm yet creepy gaze, felt as if his head was forcibly cooled down.

“Yes··· I was trapping stupid guys like I usually do as you told me, and then all of a sudden that guy threw a bottle and the leader fell down··· ”

“That’s fine, but did it turn out like I told you?”

“No. I···was completely different.”

Information was being quickly combined in Sorian’s head.

Information received from the Demon King’s army and information obtained independently.

Combining the two pieces of information gave him some insight into Eugene’s artifact.

‘I don’t know how, but I’m sure they have the ability to deceive or hide their identity.’

Before hearing his subordinate’s report, it was just one of the hypotheses, but now he was more convinced than anyone else.

Otherwise, Eugene’s actions would be completely inexplicable.

“First, keep an eye on him. Keep in mind that his face or body shape may change. He’ll probably let his guard down, so don’t provoke him too much and he’ll be fine.”

A smile slowly appeared on Sorian’s face.

His smile was so evil that it was hard to believe it was from a proud nobleman, and even his subordinates who looked at him shuddered at the overflowing hatred.

‘The moment to kill that guy is approaching.’

He had eliminated countless enemies, but never had he felt this thrilling.

The excitement and anticipation of breaking through obstacles that seemed impossible.

He gripped the sword at his waist tightly as he felt the sensation of boiling blood for the first time in his middle-aged body.