Chapter: 920
I looked up at the sky.
The sun was setting, gradually swallowing the sky in a blaze of orange.
I felt it last time too, but time really drags on.
It should have already been well into the night by now, but seeing the sunset this late really drove it home.
‘Well then, how much longer until nightfall…?’
By my rough estimate, maybe about two hours? I figured it wouldn’t take much longer than that.
It has to get to that point before night fully arrives.
In the meantime, I was checking some information before the moon rose.
Along the way, I learned some things.
– A volcano? Where is that?
– I feel like I’ve heard of it before… Was there such a place?
Most people don’t even know where a volcano is, to begin with.
– Oh, right! Those swordfighter mercenaries who go around doing mercenary work.
– Ahhh… that halfwit…
– Oh dear!
Even if I know this, I feel like I’m not thinking very clearly.
‘Mercenary?’
There was something strange about it, so I looked into it.
Then, one of the questions I had was resolved.
– What, a mercenary? What is that supposed to be?
– Who are you to ask something like that?
The moment those who had been looking at me suspiciously saw my outfit, they nodded as if they understood something.
– Ah… So you’re with the volcano, huh?
When I asked how they knew, a guy with deer ears replied as if it was the dumbest question ever.
– The only people wearing clothes like yours around Yawol Palace are from the Volcano Sect.
I get that, but I was confused about how that related to what I noticed.
I asked more about it.
– Well, it’s just that the place where most mercenary work is done in Yawol is that very place, so I thought you might be a newcomer. Or not?
I went along with it for now.
Then the man pointed to a place.
It was a large building visible from a distance. Four stories high, and it was, as expected, different from the structures in the Central Plains.
Seeing this, I approached.
I didn’t go inside or get too close; instead, I observed the building while hiding my presence.
I sensed several presences inside.
Gradually piecing together what was there, I concentrated particularly on hearing.
– This time too…
– Death penalty, that part…
– Next time, I’ll have to inform Jang Moon-in too…
Having overheard that, I pulled back. There was no need to eavesdrop any longer.
‘That’s it.’
Even with just a short exchange, I could tell they were indeed two esteemed disciples up to something different.
What could they be doing?
I would’ve liked to explore that further.
‘Well, I know where they are.’
For now, that was enough. Once I gathered the necessary information, I turned to leave.
I jumped up in a short leap and landed atop a tall building.
A bright vista opened up to me, revealing the Yawol Palace in the distance.
“Hmm.”
I gained quite a bit of information aside from the awareness of the Volcano Sect.
First and foremost.
– This place is ruled by a general named Liu Shi.
There are four generals under the Lord of the All Worlds, each commanding their own domain.
And the fellow named Yusa manages the Yawol Palace.
Furthermore, there are four noble families that rank below him.
These families are colored white, blue, gold, and black.
Among them, the white clan was where that Baekul guy belonged, the one I met earlier.
I remember he mentioned overseeing part of the Yawol Palace’s forces and a few shops too, didn’t he?
‘So, he made a deal with the Volcano to regularly supply food.’
This whole affair seemed like Baekul had concocted a scheme to screw things up.
Despite having already paid the originally agreed amount, he said if I didn’t cough up more that day, he wouldn’t send anything.
Naturally, that’s something you wouldn’t expect to happen, and it’s definitely worth mentioning.
‘It felt like that guy Baekul was actually looking to engineer it.’
If I wanted, he’d let me cancel the contract, and he’d throw in a penalty as well.
Go ahead, try it; that was definitely his attitude.
Should I just aim to cancel the contract?
And then.
‘Gubong seems to be the same.’
It also bothered me a bit that I referred to him as “the black night” upon seeing him. It felt almost like we were acquainted.
‘If I look at it like that, it feels like there’s something worth probing…’
What is the connection between the two? I didn’t dig too deeply into this part since it didn’t seem particularly important.
Originally, if needed, I could always just torture Gubong for answers later, which shouldn’t be too hard.
The main thing here is.
‘Do we really need to source groceries from this White Clan?’
By the sounds of it, Noya’s Volcano was really swimming against the tide.
Even now, while having to endure such humiliation from Baekul, it seemed he couldn’t break off negotiations, possibly because of that.
At least here, a contract had been made.
This implies we’re in a position where trading with others is beyond consideration…
‘Hmm…’
I squinted, ruminating over the situation.
‘What should I do?’
If it had been up to me, I would’ve preferred to take matters lightly.
‘I get the feeling Noya sent me knowing all of this.’
The fellow who tossed me into this whole mess probably predicted it to a certain extent.
Also.
‘Just looking around wasn’t the end point.’
He likely meant for me to pull my weight and bring back a meal or something.
I could genuinely feel that intention behind it.
It might be a delusion, but I’m halfway convinced.
‘Shin Noya is barred from entering other castles. That part has been troubling me.’
So does that mean Noya wouldn’t know anything? Gubong’s earlier words suddenly sounded amusing to me again.
‘There’s no way he’d be clueless.’
Noya is likely in the loop. Or maybe, anticipating this, he sent me along.
Could it be for me to check the situation on his behalf? Or maybe.
‘To resolve things.’
What a crafty situation all around.
Even I, who am mulling this over, feel the same frustration.
‘But I’m sorry…’
As I look at the houses gleaming under the sunset and the bustling crowds, I think.
‘I don’t think resolving this will be easy?’
It’s difficult getting anything done right now.
Not to mention, there’s bound to be some backlash from messing with someone named Baekul.
I glanced at the entrance of the castle and smirked.
‘It’s not like nothing’s happening. It’s already unfolding.’
The place they passed through. There was something off about it.
– Halt! Entry is prohibited from now on!
The gatekeepers were stopping people from passing through.
I figured it was likely to prevent people from smuggling food out of the Volcano Sect. That was my assumption.
There could be other reasons, of course. Who knows?
Swish.
I stood up.
‘So what now?’
Shall I just let it go? That doesn’t seem too hard.
Even if I just head back to Noya’s Volcano and report what I saw, it wouldn’t cause much of an issue.
‘Nevertheless, I still have some responsibility in this matter.’
Even though Gubong’s words were annoying, if I’d just held my ground, none of this would be happening.
It feels a bit too close to ignore outright.
‘Hmm.’
As I wrestled with my thoughts, standing there littered with hesitation…
– Move aside!
A shout rang out from the east.
– The family is on the move! Clear the way!
When I turned my attention, I noticed several people moving in a group.
There were about six of them.
They didn’t ride on carriages or horses. They were simply walking down the road.
The direction pointed towards…
‘It looks like they are heading to where the Volcano Sect is.’
An old building tucked in the corner of the alley.
It was where the disciples from the Volcano Sect gathered.
Flap-!
The flag one of them brandished caught my attention.
‘That design…’
A fang pattern painted in white.
I thought I’d seen it somewhere before; it was the same pattern on Baekul’s clothing.
Noticing that, I focused on the figure leading the group.
He was a large white-haired man.
He had rough muscles, with prominent ears and a tail—exactly like what Baekul had.
But there was one other thing.
‘This is on a completely different level.’
The presence that Baekul exuded compared to this man’s felt like the difference between heaven and earth.
Even when stacked against Gubong, it was noticeably distinct.
‘You could count on one hand the number of those who have come here and witnessed his might.’
It’s a bit funny, I suppose.
Even if you ask how much I’ve seen, to be able to gauge it like that…but it speaks volumes about his impressive stature.
And.
‘Is that him?’
He bears some similarity to Baekul, yet has a far more commanding presence.
Additionally, the aura and subtle energy radiating from him.
He was a notably high-ranking figure from the White Clan.
In particular, I couldn’t shake the feeling that he might just be the head of that household.
‘His movement in that direction indicates…’
His intent was as clear as day.
This must be the scenario Gubong had been worried about and that I privately hoped for.
‘Hmm.’
Watching this unfold, I nodded in contemplation.
So, what should I do now?
‘Should I just show myself?’
That definitely seemed a bit risky.
Baekul is one thing. I still haven’t accurately assessed what kind of consequences I’d face if I were to provoke him.
No matter how ill-tempered I may be, directly confronting him now could be downright perilous.
More than that.
‘I’m just wearing Volcano clothing. I’m not part of the Volcano Sect.’
At this point, any further involvement as a Volcano member could spell trouble.
‘Then…’
After thinking for a moment, I had a moment of clarity.
‘Does it matter if I’m not part of the Volcano?’
As long as I’m not affiliated with the Volcano, I should be okay.
Even.
‘A third party that nobody knows about.’
Wouldn’t that work?
Having reached that conclusion, I found myself smirking, shoving my hands into my pockets.
This felt like it was going to be entertaining after a long while.
*
“Is this it?”
The head of the White Clan.
Baekwol stepped forward and halted in front of an alley.
At his words, the servant behind him nodded nervously.
“…That’s correct. They say it’s been spotted around here frequently.”
“Hmm.”
Upon hearing this, Baekwol displayed a smile that revealed his fangs.
Just seeing that filled me with disgust. It was a dark, dismal alley.
Not only was it disorganized, but one could spot bugs peeking through the cracks in the weathered walls.
It was ugly and foul.
A perfect spot for the lowly rascals to hang around. Slowly, Baekwol made his way into that place.
There were things lurking around here.
Unlike those he served, they were incompetent, vile, and half-baked.
‘Repulsive creatures.’
Those poor in both strength and possibility had the audacity to touch his noble bloodline. That made Baekwol find it absolutely hilarious.
The idea that these low-life scum would dare to touch the bloodline of the nobility.
Even his foolish son, who had been beaten by that loser.
‘I need to adjust my thoughts a bit.’
As the eldest, he thought about preemptively preparing to hand over the position, but seeing this spectacle made him reconsider.
If he could lose to these losers, he thought it best to hand the position to someone else.
That’s what he feels he should do.
Only then would he avoid upsetting the general’s sentiments.
With that thought in mind, Baekwol reached out and gently touched the alley wall with his fingers.
Crack-!
The tips of his fingers effortlessly penetrated the wall.
Cracka-cracka-crack-!
As he walked, five claw-like marks were etched into the wall.
The shape resembled a wild beast making a rough scratch.
This was Baekwol’s way of expressing his anger.
The people trailing behind him shuddered in fear at the sight of Baekwol.
When his master displayed such behavior, entire groups had previously been torn apart and vanished like mist.
Something similar was bound to happen today as well.
And it was likely that those would be the Volcano entities.
The servants held that belief firmly.
“…Hmm?”
Suddenly, Baekwol halted in the middle of the alley.
At the same time, he rescinded the hand that had been marking the wall.
“Who goes there?”
Baekwol’s blue eyes fixedly stared into the distance.
It was unsettlingly dark. It felt extraordinarily alien.
What should have been a space slowly darkening now seemed suddenly plunged into shadow, as though a line had been drawn.
Light should be able to reach that far, so what in the world is going on?
Even amidst this strange situation, Baekwol merely sneered menacingly.
“What a silly prank.”
Growl…
A low beastly growl emanated from Baekwol’s throat.
“Is it the Volcano? Are those rascals from the Volcano?”
Baekwol’s blue eyes shone as if he was already convinced of it.
“Do you know who I am and why you’re blocking my path? Show yourself at once!”
He gripped his hands tightly as if ready to crush everything in his grasp.
With a surge of power wafting around him, Baekwol spoke again into the darkness.
“I am the chief of the White Clan! White…”
[Silence!]
“…!”
In a split second, Baekwol’s mouth snapped shut at the voice echoing from the darkness.
It wasn’t an action of his will. Baekwol was startled, instinctively reaching to cover his mouth. What on earth was happening?
At that exact moment of confusion for Baekwol…
[I’ve been enjoying the quiet. Don’t be so noisy.]
Thud.
With the voice trailing off, someone emerged from the darkness.
[I don’t care who you are.]
Baekwol frowned upon seeing him.
He wasn’t from the Volcano.
The clothing didn’t belong to them either.
It was a pitch-black outfit devoid of any colors.
His lengthy black hair and the distinctive black ears and tail adorning his head revealed he was a member of the Moonlit Tribe.
Piercing through the cracked mask were brilliantly shining purple eyes.
Seeing that stripped the smile from Baekwol’s face.
“…Who are you…?”
The previously calm demeanor evaporated.
And it couldn’t be helped. That being…
‘What is this? I cannot feel anything.’
It was astonishing how he couldn’t sense a single thing.
Is it even possible for someone to be this colorless and odorless?
As Baekwol absorbed that notion, his expression began to twist in confusion.
[I am the darkness borne from heaven, the son of all worlds.]
He declared.
[I am the Heavenly Demon.]
Upon hearing those words, jealousy ignited in Baekwol’s eyes.
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