My villains episode 104
interlude. As usual, the trackers ‘Baegodong Inn’ was crowded with sailors, merchants, mercenaries and soldiers.
This is because the unmistakable vitality of the city has permeated every corner of the alley.
“I decided to accept the request.”
The comrades were silent for a moment at Grania’s declaration. As always, Arnal was the first to break the silence.
“Are you okay?”
“what?”
“The prince is of course a good person, but the situation is not going well.”
Grania quietly shook her head while munching on the cheese.
“We are mercenaries. You don’t have to worry about the complicated circumstances of the superiors.”
“But sister.”
Pharrell, a young man with a wild beard, scratched his head.
“Look at this one. Even after saving the city by throwing blood at best, they are blown away with a single command from the royal capital. Besides, on the day when the ‘lion with tail’ becomes king.”
“The prince is a trustworthy employer and a warlord of 100,000 victors. What is more important?”
Sister Olga, who was fiddling with her beer mug, nodded slowly.
“Well, that is correct. And the prince’s army has also increased greatly. They may be kicked out of the city, but the prospects aren’t all bleak… “What if the number of heads increases? The placenta is chaff.”
At Arnal’s grumbling, Grania smiled slightly.
“The placenta is chaff, the same goes for our mercenaries, Arnal.”
“…I never imagined that those words would come out of your mouth. Are you proud of that?”
“It is real.”
Grania continued as she put the thickly cut cheese on the bread.
“To be a tycoon, you need fame. To have a reputation, you have to have achievements, and to have achievements, you have to have skills. If you go under Prince Ulkar’s tutelage, you’ll get everything.”
Anton, who had been sitting quietly, let out a deep sigh.
“But Sister Gowon will not be easy. It’s a place where even Prince Ulkar can’t guarantee victory, and a mercenary force of less than thirty can turn to dust in an instant.”
“Prince Ulkar destroyed the Imperials on the plateau 8 years ago. The current prince is much more experienced, wiser, and has a higher reputation than he did back then. Besides,”
“It’s much lighter. Aren’t you a one-armed person?”
When Grania glanced at him, Arnal shrugged. Then, leaning back on the backrest, he clicked his tongue in regret.
“Ah- I should have caught him. Because I became a knight.”
Farrell frowned at Arnal’s lamentation.
“That older brother…. He admits his skills, but a little.”
“A little what?”
“Everyone knows. It gets a little weird sometimes.”
At Pharrell’s words, Grania scratched her eyebrows and said.
“…Pharrell. If it’s because of Uncle Gilius.”
“No, it’s not like that.”
Pharrell waved his hand and spoke gibberish.
“At that time, I, Uncle Gilius, and I were crazy about being possessed by a witch, and my older brother made a mistake like that… It must have been because he ran at me brandishing an axe. But… ha.” Farrell sighed and downed his beer. Then he set down his beer glass and bit his lip.
“Honestly, that bastard is a little weird. After stabbing Uncle Gilius… something made him look happy.”
“Parell.”
“And don’t you remember the first time I saw you? Do you tie dozens of people’s necks together and drag them around? That bastard is perfect”
“Stop Farrell.”
“……Whoa.”
When Pharrell crossed his arms, Grania smiled bitterly.
“I know. That Phoenix sometimes looks weird when it gets into a fight.”
“The degree to which it gets weird.”
“But Farrell. Phoenix saved your life. I and Arnal owed their lives many times. Without Phoenix, the city would have been burned and only ashes would have remained.”
“…And I don’t know if I’ll meet Phoenix again, but even if it’s not Phoenix. If you meet someone that strong, don’t show your teeth. got it?”
At Grania’s earnest advice, Pharrell remained silent.
And that silence matched exquisitely with the stillness that hung over the entire first floor of the inn.
“what?”
As if time had stopped, the people who filled the hall were staring in one direction, frozen as stones.
There was a woman there. Shine-high boots and leather pants covered her long legs. As if a skilled artisan had tanned them, the texture of the boots was consistent, and the pants had a subtle sheen.
He was wearing a fine white shirt, a red vest with golden buttons, and a freshly loosened cloak draped over his arm.
It was a strange attire.
There was not a single item that ordinary women like to wear, such as a cutlet or a gown headkerchief.
He didn’t wear a robe, so he didn’t look like a wizard, and he didn’t wear armor, so he didn’t look like a mercenary.
However, the woman’s appearance was too beautiful to mistakenly think that she was dressed as a man. And the woman seemed to have no intention of hiding her beauty.
Thin and long limbs of moderate height. A curve full of tension that flows through the body. Porcelain-like white skin contrasted with jet-black hair, sharp eyes, a straight nose and a slim chin.
Lastly, even the red and thick lips that draw attention.
To sum it up, she was a fatal beauty.
“…and fucking feet.”
Forgetting the conversation they had just had, Pharrell let out a vulgar admiration. The woman’s gaze turned to Farrell at the sound that broke the silence.
gulp.
Farrell involuntarily swallowed dry saliva. It was because it was only after meeting eyes that she saw a new side of her.
There was no emotion in those black eyes. The bloodless, expressionless white face was like a lifeless doll.
The woman quickly withdrew her gaze from the frozen Pharrell. Then he slowly walked towards the bar. He didn’t even make a sound, but dozens of pairs of eyes followed him.
A woman stops in front of a bar and looks at a young waitress, a young waitress, and a middle-aged man in turn.
“Are you the owner?”
“…Yes, that’s right.”
“I want to hear about the bloody swordsman.”
A low, slow voice. The innkeeper moistened his lips involuntarily at the tone that gave off a sense of elegance.
“Yes, something.”
“…it’s too noisy. Is there a quiet place?”
The innkeeper tried to nod as if possessed by something, but suddenly regained consciousness and was perplexed.
“The clerks are all inexperienced, so I can’t leave. I’m sorry, ma’am.”
Without saying a word, the woman pulled the pouch hanging from her waist. Then, white fingers without a single callus picked up a gold coin and placed it on the bar.
“If you like the story, I’ll give you ten more.”
The innkeeper silently accepted the gold coin.
The woman was quite easy-going, not befitting her noble appearance and dignified tone. It was like that when he went into an empty room and sat down on a dirty bed without much objection.
And while the innkeeper talked, the woman sat motionless. It was just a slow blink of an eye from time to time.
After a long talk, the woman finally opened her mouth.
“So where did you go?”
The innkeeper was silent for a moment, then answered while fiddling with his nose.
“A week ago. He said he was going west by boat. He probably didn’t go to the Empire, so he probably went to Abiden.”
The woman nodded quietly. And he opened his mouth again.
“You know more.”
“…yes? What is that”
“Don’t hide it, tell it. I need to know where Poi went.”
The innkeeper closed his mouth for a moment. Then he asked with a little doubt in his eyes.
“Are you familiar with Phoenix and Sir Phoenix?”
“huh.”
“…what kind of relationship are you?”
“You have no manners.”
At the sudden remark, the innkeeper made an apologetic expression. But the woman answered meekly.
“cousin.”
“cousin? Do you mean cousins with Phoenix?”
“huh. And she’s my fiancée.”
“……Yes?”
The innkeeper opened his mouth wide at the woman’s leisurely confession.
“Did you say your cousin… is your fiancée?”
“huh. tell me now what you know.”
The innkeeper looked confused for a moment, then shook his head.
“I haven’t heard that Phoenix has a cousin and fiancee.”
“okay? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I don’t know. Do you have any way to prove their relationship?”
The woman blinked for a moment.
“well.”
“…Then I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you.”
“why?”
“Because I owe Phoenix. If it hadn’t been for that friend, this inn would have been reduced to ashes.” The woman blinked again.
Silence ensued. As the innkeeper was wondering whether to get up from his seat, the woman opened her mouth.
“Phoenix of Zaharkar. 21 years old this year. My father corrected me and my mother died giving birth to Poi. I have one older brother who died a few months ago and I have three cousins. He is a hand and a half taller than me and weighs less than twice as much. He’s born to be as nimble as a leopard when it comes to business, and he’s healthy enough that he’s never had a minor illness in his life. He’s a genius in martial arts and loves riding horses, but he’s a bit lacking in blood manipulation, probably because of his mother. I like cows, pigs, sheep, I hate chicken and vegetables, and I can’t eat fish. I hate to mix things up with people who are always confident and of low status. He hates alcohol and thinks hanging out with girls is a waste of time. Me too”
As the woman’s words continued slowly and endlessly, the innkeeper waved his hand with a tired expression on his face.
“Stop it, lady.”
“why?”
“I know you know a lot about Phoenix, but…
” But?”
The innkeeper scratched his chin and put on a puzzled expression.
“Still, I can’t believe you’re engaged to Phoenix.”
“Can’t believe it? why?”
“It’s very different from the phoenix I know.”
The woman’s brow twitched slightly.
“different? how?”
“Well… I don’t think you even know Phoenix’s favorite food.”
“I like cows and pigs and sheep. Grind the fennel and sprinkle it bloody.”
“No, lady. You said Phoenix can’t eat fish, right?”
“huh. I can’t even put it in my mouth.”
“The Phoenix I knew was a friend who was very crazy about fish.”
“…you ate fish? Poi?”
“yes. I liked being skewered and grilled whole, I liked to open fish shells and put them in porridge, and I liked frying them in oil. I especially enjoyed eating it with beer. It was ready to eat anything with fins.”
“…beer? It’s not. It can’t be.”
“And the girls aren’t too… um.”
As the innkeeper’s expression darkened, the woman pulled her pockets. Then he took out a handful of gold and silver.
“tell me. hurry.”
Silver and gold coins flowed down from the woman’s hand. The innkeeper’s mouth opened slightly.
“Are you going to give me this?”
“I’ll give. tell me quickly.”
The innkeeper, who had a confused look on his face for a moment, fell into trouble. The woman waited patiently, and the innkeeper finally sighed.
“…You said she was Phoenix’s fiancée’?”
“huh.”
“Then… wouldn’t it be nice to have another woman attached to Phoenix?”
“Are you talking about the fire witch?”
“Yes, you know.”
“Poi is not interested in women. Even if we are together, there will be no other feelings.”
The innkeeper’s face distorted a little.
“Phoenix might be like that. But not that witch of fire.”
“why?”
“There was a child named Daria at our inn.”
Daria and Phoenix’s relationship Ellen’s relationship with Phoenix’s relationship Ellen and Daria’s relationship continued. The expressionless woman’s face distorted a little.
“A few days before Phoenix left, Daria came to see me.” The woman was silently blinking her eyes.
“I said that I would follow him because I couldn’t let him go like this. The child said that it was a lie that Phoenix and the others were going to board the ship, and that they were definitely going to Longville.”
“Long Bill.”
“yes. But…
tears ran down the innkeeper’s rough cheeks.
The woman listened quietly.
“Daria disappeared that night.” Quiet flicker. crossed eyelashes.
“The next day, three days later, a week passed and he didn’t show up. I am not familiar with Amel.”
twinkling. black eyes.
“The patrols said they saw it. Daria, she is… with the Fire Witch.”
Flash. indifference.
“I told the guards, but they are like dogs. Those bastards always have nothing to do. Even when the inn was attacked, he came late and took form. They always talk nonsense about leaving the city, saying that they would have been kidnapped by idiots, that they would have been torn limb from limb by an artist.”
The innkeeper sobbed.
The woman’s blinking stopped. If you look closely at the black eyes, you can get a glimpse of the red energy and curiosity.
The woman opened her mouth.
“You said the artist would have torn limb from limb?”
“Ugh, great. ah yes I’m an artist. He’s crazy. Rumor has it that he kills people in the back alleys and takes their blood. Come to think of it, it went crazy for a while, but these days it’s quiet.”
“…Tell me more.”
“…Isn’t that obvious? He’s a blood mage. He said the blood was gone, but he must have played something with it!”
A man with a dignified appearance and an impression like a bulldog spoke passionately. Across from him
sat a man at a desk strewn with
parchment rolls .
A man with gray hair. He was a handsome man with a gloomy aura. He nodded quietly.
“Well sir.”
A deep voice that matches the appearance. The red-faced man cleared his throat.
“…Hmm, I was a little excited.”
“I think it is a passion for the city. Captain of the Guard.”
“Thank you.”
“Then I have confirmed what you requested. Thank you for visiting us from morning.”
Bright brown eyes stared at the captain of the guard. Realizing that it was a celebration, the guard commander quietly left the room.
The gray-haired man quietly flipped through the parchment. After a while, someone knocked on the door.
“This is Dirk.”
“come in.”
The ones who opened the door and appeared were men in black cloaks. Bounty hunters led by the one-eyed man.
“I found it?”
“I searched all the villages from Leadburn to here, but I couldn’t find them.”
“Yes, it was hard.”
The handsome man took one look at the men and gave a small smile.
“Is everyone new to South Harbor? Go to a place called drunken ponies. Everyone will be eating breakfast. Oh, Dirk and Tobias stay.” ” ancient.” The handsome man flipped through the parchment while the men stampeded out. Dirk, the one-eyed man, wet his lips and opened his mouth.
“Captain.”
“hmm’?”
“I think this job will be difficult.”
“why?”
“Is there no way to find the target?”
“You have an impression. Everyone can recognize it at a glance.”
Dirk let out a sigh when the handsome man called the captain spoke in a calm tone.
“Didn’t the captain say that the Marquis of Ibayle would have fired the spell as he was dying?”
“It did.”
“Where in the world is there a person who can be unharmed after being hit by the Marquis’ spell?”
“There won’t be.”
“Captain!”
The handsome man answered while continuing to rummage through the parchment.
“The Marquis asked me to tell you the last possible spell.”
“Yes?”
“The new Marquis replied directly. Corruption mutation senility torture.”
“Corruption mutation, senility torture…
“If it was a curse of corruption, it would have already turned to dust. If it were a curse of torture… even the infamous Assassin of the East would have committed suicide.”
As the handsome man said, he picked up a piece of parchment and held it out to the young man standing behind Dirk.
“Bring this guy, Tobias. If you give me the right amount of money, they will follow.”
” ancient.”
When the young man called Tobias left the room, the handsome man flipped through the parchment again.
“The problem is the curse of mutation and the curse of senility. If the Marquis’s spell were those two, the assassin would have changed into something we don’t know.”
Dirk’s expression darkened.
“Then how are you going to find him?”
“Be patient. If we finish our work prematurely, the wrath of the Marquis Alphard will come upon us.”
Saying that, the handsome man picked up a piece of parchment.
“All you have to do is pretend. While doing such nutritious work. ruler.”
“…What is this?”
“Read it.”
“Herenar Radakalin, a 17-year-old apprentice belonging to the La Palais Palace, fled after killing Grandmaster Jemar, a beautiful blond grandmaster… Dirk opened the parchment and frowned.
“Wait, Radakalin, no way…
“That’s Radakalin.”
Dirk shook his head.
“This is too dangerous. I’m against it.”
“I got paid in advance.”
Dirk’s expression crumpled at the handsome man’s carefree answer.
“Captain! Are you saying you’re going to get involved with the palace because you’re not enough as a Marquis of Alphard? Besides, the Radakalin family.”
“Three hundred gold coins.”
“Alternative example?”
Dirk opened his mouth.
“I received three hundred gold coins.”
The handsome man leaned against the backrest and let out a smirk.
“The advance payment is three hundred pieces, five hundred pieces if you kill it, and one thousand pieces if you save it.”
Dirk’s mouth opened so much that it couldn’t open any further, and the handsome man’s smile grew a little wider.
Dirk swallowed and burned his one remaining eye.
“What can I do, boss?”
“You keep chasing the assassin. I will catch this bitch.”
“Do you have any clues?”
“She earned the nickname ‘Fire Witch’ in South Harbor. Like flying in the sky and spraying fire like rain.”
Dirk scanned the parchment and narrowed his brows.
“It says you can’t use magic?”
“I hear you ran away with a forbidden book. He probably learned the spell through that forbidden book
.”
“Forbidden. I will have to retrieve that too.”
“okay. That is a thousand gold coins.”
“Hey, crazy wizards. But why didn’t my guys catch up and ask us?”
“A few wizards from the palace came, but they said they were caught by Prince Eun’s viper and drinking water.”
Dirk slightly frowned.
“The silver prince’s viper…. The smell is so bad that it might be annoying.”
“Hasn’t it ever been? And is it worth the money?”
Dirk read all the way through about the escaped wizard.
“…accompanied by ‘Red Bear’, a Phoenix barbarian knight of Prince Ulkar. Take the boat to the west…
“They’re the problem. The bloody swordsman and the red bear.”
While Dirk frowned and tilted his head, the handsome man continued.
“If you listen to the story, there are no monsters. Like a swordsman who slaughtered dozens of people with one knife and a savage who decapitated an ogre.”
Dirk, who tilted his head for a long time reading the impressions of the target and his companions, answered while scratching under his eyepatch.
“I don’t think it will be easy… Are you planning to step out yourself, Captain?”
“It should be. Because it’s a big deal.”
The handsome man got up from his seat and brushed his hair.
“But why did you go west? What is there in the West?”
“Aren’t you trying to escape to the empire
?”
“well. Oh and. Investigate more of Phoenix while you’re in the city.”
“A bloody swordsman?”
“okay. The bloody swordsman, the bloody beacon… what else did they say?”
Dirk looked through the records on Phoenix.
“The silver prince’s red knight, the beheader, the witch’s guardian…. The people in this neighborhood seem to like making up nicknames quite a bit.” “I might stick another one in there.”
“Some”
then someone knocked on the door with hurried footsteps.
“Captain, this is Tobias!”
“come in!”
Seeing Tobias’ expression as he opened the door and entered, the handsome man intuitively sensed that something was wrong.
“what’s the matter?”
“Is there someone who asked you to bring him? The owner of the Boat Horn Inn.”
“however?”
“He is dead.”
The handsome man’s eyes widened at Tobias’ words.
“die?”
“yes. A body has just been found.”
“Why all of a sudden?”
“I don’t know exactly…
Tobias continued with a slightly strange expression on his face.
“It was a young woman who found the body, but they screamed that it was the work of an artist.”
“…artist?” “yes. He tore his limbs and took the blood…
“Ha.”
The handsome man’s mouth twisted. It was a ferocious smile resembling that of a wolf.
