episode_0270

Eastern District.

Jeong Yu-shin looked around in front of the bathhouse.

They must be living well, their complexions were so fine.

“Next, come out.”

“…”

The crowd was silent.

Unlike expected, no one readily appeared.

Jeong Yu-shin waited, meeting people’s eyes.

Even if it’s not others, at least one of them should come out.

Baisys Clan leader.

His subordinate was murdered in the street, he couldn’t be the type to stay still.

At that moment.

A man slowly walked out from among the crowd.

A middle-aged man with a gentle impression.

The middle-aged man knelt down and examined Johannes’s corpse, who was kneeling and dead, and clicked his tongue.

“Tsk. Johannes, he was a decent talent, what a waste.”

“Are you the Baisys Clan leader?”

“That’s right.”

The man replied without taking his eyes off Johannes’s corpse.

After looking at the corpse for a while, the man turned his head and looked at Jeong Yu-shin.

“Scar, did you really get a good engraving?”

“It’s none of your business.”

At the sharp reply, the man burst into a hearty laugh.

“Haha. You’ve got a sharp tongue, friend. I don’t know if you’re fearless or crazy. Call me Vincent, you half-breed Barbaroi.”

“We’re not on terms to exchange greetings. Just offer your neck.”

Vincent scratched his head and smiled.

“This is embarrassing. Scar, you’re running your mouth after barely killing one of the clan’s executives? I’m a little taken aback.”

Jeong Yu-shin lifted the longsword he had hanging on his shoulder and pointed it at Vincent.

“Keep smiling so leisurely. You pathetic bastard.”

The man’s laughter deepened.

“Keuheuhe. Scar, you’re such a funny guy. Look at you rushing over, all surprised by something like human trafficking.”

“…”

Vincent turned his eyes and looked around at the people gathered around.

The people were sparkling their eyes, anticipating the fight that would soon take place.

Vincent held out his hand.

“There are a lot of eyes watching, so it’s hard to just let you go after getting beat up this much. But I’m feeling generous. Scar, just leave an arm behind. Then I’ll spare you.”

Jeong Yu-shin tilted his head and spat out phlegm.

Kuaaaack. Tueh!!!

The sticky spit flew and fell in front of Vincent’s feet.

Vincent looked at the spit and raised his head.

“Scar, what is this?”

“If you lick the spit on the floor, I’ll spare your life.”

“…”

A blood vessel popped out on Vincent’s forehead.

‘Crazy bastard.’

As the head of the Eastern District’s 8th-ranked clan, he had conceded this much.

Yet he’s insulting the other party.

An excessively arrogant half-breed.

“Okay. Scar, I’ll have to take one of your arms and eyes today.”

The moment Vincent was about to take a step forward.

A woman fell from the sky.

Kwaaaaaang!!!

Orange twin-tail hair.

A long black spear.

It was Astaroth, one of the Labyrinth Committee members.

“Stop. That’s enough.”

Astaroth’s whole body was soaked in red blood.

The corners of Vincent’s lips turned up slightly.

“Oh! Who is this? Isn’t it a high-ranking person from Pandemonium? Judging by the looks of it, you must have been working hard at the labyrinth exit, you should take a rest. Why did you come all the way here?”

Astaroth brushed off Vincent’s sarcasm.

“Vincent, enough is enough. Scar, you cool your head too.”

Jeong Yu-shin’s head tilted to the side.

“That bastard started the trouble first, though?”

Vincent shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. We just kindly gave a ‘warning.’ To not interfere with our clan’s business.”

Jeong Yu-shin growled.

“You’re talking bullshit.”

Vincent also bared his teeth, looking at Jeong Yu-shin.

“Come on. I’ll rip out your tongue.”

Astaroth’s expression hardened.

“Stop!”

The echoing shout rang through the street, and everyone covered their ears and stepped back.

“…”

Astaroth raised the black spear and pointed it at Vincent.

“Vincent, Scar is currently traveling with the Hero party. The Hero is performing a request to eliminate the red beads to protect the Labyrinth City. Scar has been guiding the Empire’s Hero and party members well so far. Don’t touch him recklessly…”

A smile appeared on Vincent’s face.

“Hero party? Ah, we know one too.”

“…?”

“Gibson. There’s someone who wants to help our business, and it turns out their name is similar to the Hero party’s guide. What a coincidence.”

At Vincent’s words, Astaroth’s expression stiffened.

Vincent spread his arms.

“A Hero party that’s heavily addicted to gambling and alcohol, engages in prostitution, and is even involved in human trafficking? And they’re going to protect the Labyrinth City? Are you kidding me right now?”

Jeong Yu-shin’s expression twisted fiercely.

‘Gibson, that son of a bitch.’

“W-Well, that’s something to look into further…”

Astaroth stuttered, flustered.

Vincent shook his head, as if he didn’t want to hear any more, and cut off Astaroth’s words.

“It’s absurd.”

“…”

“Good! Our great Scar-nim is going to protect the city with the ‘Hero’ party. In that case, our Baisys Clan will withdraw from the human trafficking business!”

Vincent shouted, looking around, and then whispered to Jeong Yu-shin.

“Scar, there are a lot of guys who want to kill you even if I don’t step up. You’ll have to be careful on the streets at night now.”

“…”

Jeong Yu-shin stared at Vincent without saying anything.

Vincent finished speaking, turned his body, and disappeared into the crowd.

Astaroth sighed deeply.

“Hoo. This isn’t easy.”

Jeong Yu-shin glared at Astaroth.

“Are you just going to stand by and watch such an inhuman bastard?”

“Let’s move first. There are too many eyes watching here.”

Jeong Yu-shin was about to say something but held back after seeing Astaroth soaked in blood.

She didn’t seem hurt. She must have been wrestling at the labyrinth exit.

“Please come to my inn for now.”

“Okay.”

* * *

Jeong Yu-shin and Astaroth returned to the Southern Darmong Inn.

Jeong Yu-shin filled a basin with warm water and handed it to her with a towel.

“You can take anything out of my closet and change. …Why are you looking at me like that?”

Astaroth smiled.

“I thought you would rush and ask me questions as soon as we got to the inn.”

“I’m not such a heartless guy. And thank you. I was actually a bit nervous.”

Astaroth chuckled.

“You didn’t seem scared at all? You looked like you were going to slaughter everyone there.”

Jeong Yu-shin scratched his cheek.

“I’m not the type to go that far. Please wash up and change your clothes quickly.”

Astaroth went upstairs, washed her body, changed into Jeong Yu-shin’s clothes, and came down.

After eating warm soup and snacks and drinking expensive alcohol, Astaroth’s expression relaxed.

“But is it okay for you to come here like this? Shouldn’t you be guarding the labyrinth exit?”

“I entrusted it to the Hero party for a while. For once, they were all gathered. The atmosphere wasn’t very good, though.”

“Are they capable enough?”

“The magician and guide’s conditions are a bit strange, but they’re strong. More than you think.”

Jeong Yu-shin nodded and took a stance.

He couldn’t put it off any longer.

He realized it clearly in this battle.

The Labyrinth Committee is hiding something.

You might think they’re insensitive to the lives of ordinary people because they’re high-ranking officials.

But the attitude of overlooking all kinds of misdeeds while claiming to protect the Labyrinth City was something he couldn’t understand at all.

“Astaroth, what important matter is there that you’re turning a blind eye to the ugly tragedies taking place in the Labyrinth City? And why are there so few guards?”

The moment Astaroth was about to open her mouth.

Creak.

The inn door opened.

Luke Weizman had come to visit.

“It’s been a while, Scar.”

A sudden visitor. The question grew even bigger.

“What’s going on?”

Luke put his hands behind his back, slowly approached, and sat next to Astaroth.

“Me? I received a call from Astaroth.”

“A call? I asked you to tell me the secrets of the Labyrinth Committee, what do you mean by a call?”

Astaroth and Luke made eye contact for a moment.

“…”

A moment of silence passed.

Just as Jeong Yu-shin couldn’t stand it any longer and was about to open his mouth.

Astaroth sighed deeply.

“Haaa. Scar, you absolutely can’t tell anyone about this story. I’m only telling you this much because you’re the next chief of the Barbaroi clan.”

“…”

It seemed like a more serious story than he thought.

The atmosphere became heavy.

Astaroth tapped the table and looked straight at Jeong Yu-shin.

“Scar, originally, there was a ‘master’ of the Labyrinth City.”

“…!”

Jeong Yu-shin’s eyes widened.

The shocking one-word Astaroth spat out.

There was a ‘master’ of this city?

Jeong Yu-shin was silent for a while before opening his mouth.

“Where is that ‘master’?”

“He went into the labyrinth. Deep inside.”

“…”

The more he asked, the more questions arose.

His head was dizzy.

Shit.

He didn’t even know what to ask first.

“Please tell me more precisely.”

“Okay.”

Astaroth nodded and continued the story.

“Hundreds of years ago, the master of the Labyrinth City and the head of the Ezdrass family mobilized the army and vassals who protected the city and entered the labyrinth. Scraping together everything.”

Saint Ezdrass?

Why is that person coming up now?

He was surprised that Ezdrass was married.

The story that a family had existed was also shocking.

But.

There was one thing he couldn’t understand at all.

“Why did he enter the labyrinth with so many people? Was he crazy?”

Astaroth scratched her head.

“I heard he heard that the evil that his ancestor had sealed was being released from deep within the labyrinth.”

“From where? Who told him that?”

“In a dream. I heard that Saint Ezdrass appeared and said that.”

“Is that really the only reason? And the people believed the head of the family?”

“I don’t know. People back then must have believed it? He’s a descendant of Saint Ezdrass, who wrote the myths, surely he wouldn’t have lied? Anyway, the Labyrinth City’s finances were affluent back then, and the soldiers were strong. There would have been nothing to fear.”

“…”

Jeong Yu-shin stared blankly at Astaroth.

It was such a shocking story that it was hard to keep up.

Astaroth dropped a bomb with an indifferent expression.

“In the end, the head of the family formed an expedition and went to the bottom of the abyss. Almost no one survived. Except for the soldiers who gave up halfway.”

“…”

“Ah! There was one person who survived, but he died. The head of the family’s son, the only person who returned from the abyss. But that guy said the head of the family had become a monster, and then he suffered for days before jumping off the castle walls and dying.”

Jeong Yu-shin leaned back in his chair and tried to calm his mind.

It wasn’t easy.

‘No, seriously.’

The master of the Labyrinth City and the head of the Ezdrass family dragged everything he had into the abyss of the labyrinth?

And the son who returned alive committed suicide?

“The expedition failed. Isn’t that the end of the story?”

At that moment.

Luke shook his head and stepped forward.

“No. The head of the family’s son wrote a will before he died. It said that the head of the family, who had gained an indescribable power in the abyss, would return someday. The contents were written in an impious language that an ordinary person would go crazy if they saw it, so not many people know about it. It’s currently kept in the temple that serves the Spirit of Light.”

“Wait a minute. You’re telling me he committed such a crazy act, and no one really stopped him?”

“The Eastern Allied Territory became an advisor and tried to stop him, but I heard it was useless.”

“…”

Astaroth gave a sad smile.

“The city used all its assets to pay for excessive military spending and to erase the negative engravings of the soldiers who barely survived. Of course, the finances collapsed.”

He could finally understand now.

Why there were so few guards in the Labyrinth City.

“So, turning a blind eye to the Labyrinth City’s crimes…?”

Luke gave a bitter smile.

“With a destruction that may come at any time looming before our eyes, how can we afford to turn our eyes to minor tragedies? Besides, it’s hard to find people you can trust. Those who get good engravings eventually reveal their true colors. There are no good people. Scar.”

Jeong Yu-shin looked at the Labyrinth Committee again.

They were.

Carrying too heavy a burden.

What thoughts would they have when the labyrinth exit flashed?

Is it today?

Or tomorrow?

He couldn’t even imagine the pressure of looking at the labyrinth exit, waiting for a destruction that would come someday.

Luke stroked his beard, seeing Jeong Yu-shin’s expression.

“It must be quite shocking. Well, it’s something you had to know eventually.”

Astaroth fidgeted and grabbed Jeong Yu-shin’s hand.

“Scar, I’m sorry. I should have warned you about the Baisys Clan in advance.”

Jeong Yu-shin looked at Astaroth.

He thought it was fortunate that he didn’t spit out the anger boiling in his heart.

Those who silently carried a heavy burden without showing it.

The Labyrinth Committee were people who deserved to be respected.

On the other hand.

He couldn’t forgive the trash bastards in the Eastern District even more.

There was an even more dog-like bastard than them.

‘Gibson.’

Jeong Yu-shin gritted his teeth.

That bastard crossed the line that he couldn’t possibly let live.