episode_0271

Astaroth, having finished the story, got up from her seat.

“I’ll be going now.”

“Yes.”

Jeong Yu-shin stood by the inn’s doorway and saw Astaroth off. As a dark elf woman, seemingly her secretary, had come to find her, there was no need to accompany her.

Luke stood next to Jeong Yu-shin.

“Scar, you seem quite shocked.”

Jeong Yu-shin nodded, looking at the dark street.

Indeed.

After cooling his head a little, several questions came to mind.

Why didn’t the Eastern Allied Territory abandon the Maze City?

And.

The head of the Baisis Clan, who poured out excessive language even to the number one clan in the Eastern District and still managed to return alive, was also like that.

It’s hard to understand.

If he were Astaroth.

He would have killed the clan leader on the spot.

Is that all?

He would have sent all those non-human bastards gathered there to hell.

“Luke, I find it hard to understand.”

At Jeong Yu-shin’s question, Luke stroked his beard.

“What is it?”

Jeong Yu-shin briefly explained what had happened in the Eastern District.

Luke blinked.

“No. You killed a mid-tier high-level explorer who had achieved Engraving Linkage? How?!”

“I killed him with a sword. It was manageable.”

Jeong Yu-shin replied calmly, repeating inwardly.

‘I didn’t kill him.’

The crowd killed him.

To be more precise.

Johannes was pressured by the public’s gaze, suffered damage to his pride, lost his composure as a result, and lost in the psychological warfare.

“You’re really terrifying. You haven’t even achieved Engraving Linkage yet, and your level is low, yet you still managed to kill a mid-tier high-level explorer.”

Jeong Yu-shin turned his head because Luke’s gaze was burdensome.

“That’s enough about that. Please answer just one question of mine.”

“What is it?”

“Why did Astaroth, who is even on the Maze Committee, spare that rude Baisis Clan leader? If it were me, I would have just swept them all away…”

Luke shrugged.

“Then is it okay that you spat in the face of the Maze Committee and survived?”

“…”

Jeong Yu-shin scratched his head.

‘I have nothing to say to that.’

Luke quietly looked at Jeong Yu-shin before opening his mouth.

“I can guess a few reasons. There are rumors circulating that the Baisis Clan leader is a high-level explorer and has connections with the Eastern District’s radicals.”

Radicals?

He had heard of them.

In the Eastern District’s underworld, there were neutral, moderate, and radical factions.

“Are those radicals that great? Even though the number one clan is walking around unharmed.”

Luke scratched his head.

“The second-place clan is the radicals. They have many clan members and many powerful individuals with bizarre Engravings, so there are often stories that even Pandemonium has difficulty dealing with them.”

Jeong Yu-shin sighed deeply.

“Hoo. Why are there so many stories I don’t know?”

“You need to be interested in how people live. You can’t know if you only go in and out of the Maze. And there’s one more secret in the Eastern District, but you won’t be able to hear it.”

Jeong Yu-shin frowned.

His head throbbed.

‘Another secret?’

There are so many things being hidden.

It was a city with many things that didn’t make sense to his head.

Luke, seeing Jeong Yu-shin’s expression gradually hardening, subtly stepped away.

“You seem to have complicated thoughts, so get some rest today.”

“The Eastern District guys told me to be careful walking at night?”

“Lock the windows well. You can put the sword by your bedside.”

“Take care.”

Jeong Yu-shin saw Luke off and plopped down on the counter chair.

‘Dizzying.’

Jeong Yu-shin quietly closed his eyes.

To soothe the anger towards Gibson, who had crossed the line.

And to organize the newly arising questions.

* * *

Same time.

Astaroth walked the streets with her dark elf secretary.

289.

That was the number of Eastern District clans she had torn apart for various reasons. She hadn’t bothered to count since then.

‘Those tiresome guys.’

If she annihilated them, it would become quiet, but as time passed, other guys would fill the positions.

They’re not just any guys.

Stronger and more venomous guys pushed their way in.

Mayflies who would burn their own lives, as well as others’ lives, for the sake of profit.

The Baisis Clan leader’s rudeness from earlier was something to be concerned about.

She almost killed him, but stopped.

Because she kept seeing only blood.

She’s tired these days.

In fact.

Although she tried to sugarcoat it.

She didn’t care much about what happened to others.

Whether they were engaging in slave trading in the Eastern District.

Whether they were conducting all sorts of bizarre human experiments in secret places.

Whether they were holding human sacrifices to learn the secrets of black magic.

Whether they had become incapacitated and were lying in alleys after indulging in pleasure.

She had seen it all for so long that everyone was the same, just a dull gray landscape.

The dark elf opened her mouth.

“What are you going to do with the Baisis Clan? I think they might harm Scar.”

The dark elf asked.

“Just leave them alone. I saw Aldaine and Vlad watching from afar earlier. There was no place for me to interfere.”

“Still, I’m questioning Astaroth’s actions. Perhaps…”

The dark elf paused and tilted her head.

“Perhaps you were enduring the insults to appeal to Scar’s fragile femininity?”

Instantly.

Astaroth’s face turned red.

“Not at all?!”

“…”

The dark elf sighed deeply.

“Hoo. Astaroth, these days human men prefer other types of women over fragile women.”

Astaroth’s eyes widened.

“What?!”

“Yes, these days the popular woman in Maze City is.”

“Woman is?”

“They say it’s a young woman who asserts overwhelming power and uses the word ‘lame’ at the end of every sentence.”

“…”

“But they have an attribute of wanting to be properly taught by the man they like. They appear strong on the outside, but they are weak on the inside, shall we say?”

“…Difficult.”

“I think Astaroth is the perfect person. You just need to practice saying ‘lame’ well.”

“I, I wonder if I can?”

“Yes.”

Astaroth then seemed to gain strength and smiled, holding her black spear.

“Eunghuheet. Lame Scar.”

“Excellent.”

The dark elf also smiled and chimed in.

While cheering on her poor superior’s love, whose heart was gradually being chipped away by blood and tragedy.

* * *

The next morning.

Jeong Yu-shin sat on the counter chair and rubbed his eyes.

He had stayed up all night.

It wasn’t because he was afraid of the Eastern District guys.

He needed to organize the shocking stories he had heard all at once.

The head of the family is coming out of the Maze.

He doesn’t know when that will be.

Coincidentally, various anomalies were occurring in the Maze. Because of that, the Committee’s attention was focused entirely on the Maze.

Just in time.

The Empire’s paladin, called the Hero, also came. Under the pretext of protecting the peace of the Maze.

Jeong Yu-shin pondered.

Why now of all times?

Could it be that.

Has the Empire’s Emperor noticed what’s happening in the Maze?

If so.

The reason for sending the Hero is.

‘To deal with the head of the family?’

Jeong Yu-shin scratched his head. He wondered if he was going too far.

Come to think of it, he hadn’t even received the payment for this Maze trip yet.

‘I should at least see his face once.’

Jeong Yu-shin got up from his seat, closed the inn, and set out.

He asked around in the Central District and found Cyan’s residence.

An inn with a luxurious and aristocratic atmosphere.

As he went inside, the employee at the reception desk recognized him at a glance.

“I will guide you to Cyan’s room.”

Jeong Yu-shin went up the stairs to the 4th floor and arrived in front of Cyan’s room.

Knock knock.

After knocking and waiting for a while, the door opened.

Cyan, with her golden hair tied to one side, widened her eyes when she saw Jeong Yu-shin.

“Scar?”

“How have you been?!”

At the booming greeting, Cyan smiled brightly.

“Astaroth gave an emergency request yesterday, so I guarded the front of the Maze. It would have been nice if you were there too.”

“Call me next time! By the way, where are the other party members?”

“Everyone is tired and asleep because they were a bit overworked guarding the Maze exit last night.”

“Is that so?”

Jeong Yu-shin clicked his tongue.

It’s a pity.

He was going to check on Gibson’s condition.

Fortunately or unfortunately, that guy didn’t seem to be in the Eastern District the night before.

“That…”

Just as Cyan was about to open her mouth.

Creak.

The door next to them opened, and Sebastian, with a haggard look, stuck his face out.

“Why is it so noisy… Barbaroi?!”

“Oh!”

Jeong Yu-shin smiled.

“Magician!”

Sebastian’s eyes narrowed.

“What brings you here?”

“I came to get paid.”

Sebastian, who had been making a dazed expression for a while, finally came to his senses.

He had forgotten about the payment for this request.

“Wait a moment.”

Sebastian went inside the room, rummaged through the pouch containing the party’s funds, and took out gold coins.

A total of 15 gold coins.

There were 5 more gold coins than the payment for the previous request.

Just as he was about to come out of the room with the pouch.

He heard Scar and Cyan whispering.

“How’s your body? Any sore spots?”

“I, I’m okay. I’m stretching well on my own. Euh…?!”

“It doesn’t seem like it?”

“S, Scar! You can’t do this here.”

“Don’t worry. Massage…”

Sebastian paused for a moment. He couldn’t hear them well because the two’s voices were gradually getting quieter.

‘Massage?’

No way.

Sebastian burst out of the door.

“Scar?!”

At Sebastian’s shout, Barbaroi widened his eyes.

“What’s wrong?!”

“M, Massage? What does that mean?!”

Scar shrugged as if it were nothing.

“Doesn’t Cyan have a muscle stiffness Engraving? I just suggested a massage to relieve the stiff parts.”

Sebastian’s face twisted horribly.

“T, That doesn’t make any sense! How dare you touch the Hero’s body?!”

“Sebastian, be quiet. The others are sleeping.”

Cyan suddenly intervened. Sebastian’s face went blank.

“Yes?”

Barbaroi looked at Sebastian with his arms crossed.

“It’s just a massage to relieve muscle tension, isn’t it? Aren’t you overreacting too much?!”

Cyan gave a bitter smile.

“Sebastian, has Scar ever harmed our party? Rather, hasn’t he been showing us goodwill all along? Is it still hard to believe?”

Sebastian became speechless.

The Hero’s words were true.

He was the one who had been dissatisfied with Scar and had been nagging him.

Sebastian urgently spread out his hands.

“B, But still, how can this guy touch the Hero…? I, I’ll do it instead! Yes! I, a fellow party member, will massage you!”

In a fleeting moment.

A disappointed light flashed in Cyan’s golden eyes.

Cyan, who had been silent for a while, avoided Sebastian’s gaze.

“I’m sorry. Sebastian, you’ve been working all night, so get some rest today. I’ll call you if I need anything.”

Scar smiled brightly.

“Did you hear that?”

Sebastian, flustered, waved his arms.

“Ah! You brought the payment!”

Scar approached and snatched the gold coins he was holding.

Scar, who put the gold coins in his arms, smiled and put his arm around Cyan’s shoulder.

“Then let’s go in! Hero!”

Cyan blushed and pushed Scar’s hand away.

“D, Don’t put your hand on my shoulder so casually.”

“Hahaha!!! You’re being shy!”

The two bickered and went inside the room.

Thump.

Sebastian stood in front of the closed door and stretched out his empty hands.

“Ah.”

He was bewildered and mentally disoriented.

He was at a loss for words.

Soon, a dark thought came to his mind.

Then.

Thump!!! Thump!!! Thump!!! Thump!!!

Suddenly, his heart began to beat wildly.

Sebastian hurriedly went into his room and put his ear to the wall.

Because he shared a room with Cyan, he could sometimes hear faint sounds through the wall.

“Relax… It’s just a massage…”

“P, Please be gentle…”

Because it was a high-class inn with good soundproofing, the conversation was heard in broken fragments through the wall.

Sebastian swallowed hard, pressing his ear against the wall.

Gulp.

For a while, no sound was heard.

‘Is it really just a massage?’

He was doubtful.

After a long time of deliberation, just as he was about to take his ear away from the wall.

“Heeheeheeheeng.”

A strange sound echoed from beyond the wall.

‘What?!’

His heart started beating wildly again.

Sebastian gaped like a goldfish, then hurriedly stopped breathing and pressed his ear even closer.

What on earth was this sound?

The sound of a woman’s whine that he had never heard in his life.

‘I… Is this the Hero’s voice?’

Was he mistaken because his suspicion had deepened?

Sebastian unconsciously bit his lip tightly.

He couldn’t believe it.

‘She definitely said that my massage felt good…’

His thoughts couldn’t continue.

“Haaaah♥”

Once again, coming from beyond the wall.

At the alien and seductive sigh.

Sebastian’s pupils widened even more.