Episode 75 The Hound in the Night (1)
In the southwestern part of the empire, this place lined with neat and sophisticated buildings is St. Mecca, the central city of the Quo Vadis family’s domain.
The white stone paved roadside, slow-moving wagons, and the footsteps of people walking around show a sense of composure.
Paladins clad in white armor stood guard at the entrance to the city.
at that time.
Dag Dag Dag Dag Dag Dag Dag Dag Dag
A carriage pulled by three horses pulls out in front of the checkpoint.
Paladins who were screening the entrance to the city blocked the wagon.
“There will be a brief inspection.”
Then, the merchants who came out of the wagon gave the paladins their passes and identification cards.
The Paladins received them and looked closely.
“This is Mr. Joseph Joestar, who runs the oil shop on the first floor of 108 Dort Smile. What are those on the wagon?”
“……Oil, as written on the import permit.”
The merchant stroked his mustache and looked back.
Indeed, the inside of the wagon was full of large tin cans.
The Paladins glanced inside.
“Can I check inside?”
“As much as you like.”
As the merchant nodded, the paladins pulled out their swords and climbed onto the wagon.
When three or four heavily armed knights climbed up, the carriage collapsed slightly.
Paladins meticulously inspected the tin cans inside the wagon.
The heavy weight of the tin cans had their lids tightly sealed one by one.
The Paladins knocked on the tin can.
…slung!
It was felt that the inside was filled to the limit with oil. All tin cans were like that.
“Can I not take this?”
“Oh yes. There is something other than oil in the oil barrel.”
At the merchant’s words, the paladins also nodded.
“Pass!”
Eventually, the carriage exits the city gate and enters the city.
after some time has passed. The carriage entered a back alley on the outskirts of a quiet street, among which there were few people.
The merchant checked his surroundings several times before opening the lid of the oil barrel.
…Push! Bang!
He brought a huge iron opener and twisted the lid, and the tin can opened with a loud sound.
The iron lid, which had been tightly sealed, cracked open, revealing the full oil inside the tin can.
The merchant whispered in an anxious voice.
“… come out now.”
OK. Soon, something amazing happened.
Chow!
The surface of the black oil cracked and someone appeared from within.
He was a man wearing a thick trench coat, a gas mask shaped like a stork’s beak, like a black hat worn by a pirate captain, or a doctor specializing in infectious diseases.
He got out of the tin can, covered in black oil, and stepped on the floor of the wagon.
Seeing that grotesque appearance, the merchant began to tremble.
Soon after, the man in the stork gas mask rummaged through his pockets and handed something to the merchant.
It was a greasy tooth, that precious oxbear’s fang.
“Thank you.”
The price you agreed to receive on the condition that you hide in a carriage and pass through the city gates.
The merchant lowered his head and took the Oxbear’s tooth and put it in his pocket.
Before long, the man began to walk across the back alley, dripping with oil.
The merchant stuttered as he looked behind him.
“…But who are you?”
Then the man moved the stork’s beak and answered briefly.
“Night Hound.”
Soon he melted into the darkness of the alley and disappeared.
The merchant, who was left alone, muttered in despair as he watched the oil swaying in the tin can.
“…How can a person stay submerged in oil for over two hours?”
* * *
The night hound went back behind the dark alley and took off his mask.
“Puha!”
Bikir. He sighed as he brushed the oil off his body.
It’s the first time I’ve been diving for such a long time since I lasted 7 minutes in the river Styx when I was very young.
Today, he infiltrated the territory of the Quo Vadis family, a religious chant.
‘……The hound of the night.’
It was taken from Balak’s chief Aquila’s nickname, ‘Night Fox’, but when I put it in my mouth, it seems a little bad.
But, Bikir thought, it was far better than what he had been called the ‘Hound of the Baskervilles’ before his return.
“…”
Bikir briefly recalled the past.
It took exactly four days to get here.
Two days to get out of the sea, one day to look around the estate of the Baskervilles, and another day to infiltrate the realm of Quo Vadis, a religious chant here.
The sea of red and black mountains was wide, but the flood actually helped them escape.
If you step on the rapids that appeared everywhere, and the corpses or logs floating on top of the rapids, your movement speed will increase several times.
Most of the flood seas were covered with thick vines and branches, so rivers and lakes with no places to step could easily be crossed by crossing over the forest.
Of course, in the midst of this, hungry monsters started fighting, but they couldn’t compete with Vikir, who had already fully recovered.
A giant catfish, an old lizard, a ferocious bear, a pack of hungry wild dogs, a venomous bat… they were just a rite of passage for Bikir, who had perfectly adapted to the ecosystem of the water sea over the past two years.
‘……No, it was dangerous once.’
I don’t know about the others, but ‘bone-sucking mosquitoes’ were really dangerous.
Undeterred by the strong rain, they chased Vikir in groups and had to waste almost half a day trying to get rid of them, who were very hungry.
Because of this, Pomerian, who was weak in physical strength, caught a cold and suffered for a long time.
The first thing Bikir did after getting out of the flood was to take the Pomerian to Underdog City.
At the time, the Chihuahua office manager, who was sighing while looking at the full moon in the night sky, fainted three times in a row when he saw Bikir coming through the window.
Chihuahua’s office manager was one of the few trustworthy people in the Baskervilles who, despite his snobbish appearance, had a godlike personality, so Vikir came to the city hall.
‘……Deputy consul? Ho Are you a ghost? No, how did you get here!?’
‘Maybe I don’t know the structure of the place where I go to work every day.’
Eventually, Chihuahua, who came to his senses, heard about what had happened so far from Bikir and exclaimed admiration and exclamation.
‘As expected, the deputy consul is great. Only one person has a different genre of life. Two years together with some savage tribes in the world…’
‘I’ll be back soon, so be prepared. Keep everything a secret today.’
‘All right. But who is this child? He looks a lot like the sub-consul… The child of the deputy consul Ho-Ok? In the meantime, you’ve had something with the wives of barbarians…’
‘It’s blood, though. But it’s not what you imagine, so refrain from unnecessary words.’
Bikir entrusted the Pomerian to Chihuahua and asked for trust.
Since he is an important person, don’t ask anything until he returns, take care of him with utmost care, and give him basic education.
The story was quick because it was the Chihuahua who still couldn’t forget Bikir, who was the deputy consul of the Ming Dynasty, and who brought tears to his eyes every time they had a drink.
Chihuahua quickly called the doctor on standby at City Hall, examined the Pomeranian, and brought medicine and food.
‘I will risk my life to take care of you until the deputy consul returns.’
Chihuahua said with a determined expression.
Seeing him again after two years, he still looked like a vassal, but Vikir knew that he was the kind of person who always kept promises he made.
Considering the Chihuahua’s low wages, Bikir paid for the Pomeranian’s child support by handing over Oxbear’s fur and horns.
‘Hee! Do you give me all these things?’
‘Let’s try to sell it at a high price at our discretion.’
‘Ahh, that’s the skin and horns of a very big guy. If I can sell it properly, it will cost more than 10 years of my annual salary.’
‘Let’s make sure that Pomerian lives well.’
‘You think very much of your daughter. You have been a good father. I have three daughters, so I know how you feel.’
The Chihuahua smiled and nodded knowingly.
There seemed to be some misunderstanding, but Vikir didn’t bother to explain.
at that time.
‘ah! Subconsul! this……!’
Chihuahua quickly opened a cabinet in the corner of the office and took out a bunch of old papers as if she had just remembered.
Seeing this, Vikir stood out in his eyes.
It was a file containing newspaper articles such as the current situation of the exchanges between the Baskervilles and the Morgues over the past two years, and recent issues.
‘I was prepared just in case the deputy consul might come back.’
The Chihuahua scratched the back of her neck in embarrassment.
Bikir felt grateful to Chihuahua for not forgetting him and remembering him even in this situation.
So Bikir decided to solve some of the problems in Underdog City, where criminals are rampant again due to the absence of the Archon.
‘If you’re having trouble with your work, look for Sindi Wendy in Messinadna. She owes me.’
Bikir secretly asked Chihuahua.
The Chihuahua opened her eyes wide.
Messinadnaro Sindi Wendy is a criminal that Bikir freed two years ago through a judicial transaction.
‘How do I find her?’
‘Do you remember the girl I gave you 10 billion when I was serving as a deputy consul?’
‘of course. Her name was also Judy.’
‘Maybe he went to the kid. Earning 10 billion is difficult, but keeping it is even more difficult. It must be easy to approach since he has nowhere to go and no back boat.’
Chihuahua quietly nodded at Bikir’s words.
If she just got out of prison and has no money, finding an investor would be her top priority.
Cindy Wendy had previously been to Gambino, a poor provincial baron, and became his investment advisor.
‘But. Just because I’m looking for Sindy Wendy, will she continue to help me? He must have a strong resentment towards the local government.’
‘They say they’ll help you find a good business place.’
‘You say it’s a good business…?’
Bikir kindly answered Chihuahua’s question.
‘They say it monopolizes trade with the savage tribes.’
Two years ago, after the friction with the merchants of the Bourgeois family, the savage tribes in the sea were not doing any trade with the imperials.
If Bikir, the current hero of Balak, steps forward, the trade can be resumed, and the trader who opens the deal is likely to obtain great wealth.
In addition, after Bikir’s death (?), her advice from the back alley will be of great help in order to solve the various ills and chronic diseases of Underdog City, where the crime rate is rising again.
At that, the Chihuahua nodded.
Indeed, less than a few hours after Bikir returned, the worries of the past two years were already showing clues to be resolved.
When the Chihuahua is admiring again inwardly.
…sniff!
Bikir jumps again and falls over the window frame.
A night hound that stealthily escapes the city of Underdog.
‘Your subconsul! Where are you going!’
Leaving behind the mournful cry of the Chihuahua office manager, the place Bikir headed to is the land to keep his promise with Iyan.
A place where you can quickly heal the ‘red death’ that hurts.
‘…That’s easily possible with just a drop of the family’s holy water.’
It was the ‘Quo Vadis’ family, one of the seven families of the Empire.
