Chapter 149 – Trap – 1
As soon as I left the inn, leaving the exhausted Agnes behind, the humid air of the black market stuck to my skin like stickiness.
“I should at least do a light investigation on my own. It also doubles as sightseeing.”
The black market in the underground city was so large that it rivaled that of a large village or small city.
Although there was little open space like a plaza, the goods sold here and there along the winding passageways had a different atmosphere from the market on the ground.
In particular, around the inns where nobles mainly stayed, there were things that were much more exciting and expensive, perhaps to win favor.
“The elf we caught in the forest is now being released to special people! If you are interested, please take a look!”
What I heard while looking around the black market was hard to believe.
Elves who stay in nature and all have beautiful appearances.
They were a rare species even in this place where human trafficking was easy.
It was almost impossible to capture an elf who was not only beautiful but also had the power to protect themselves.
“If you pay just 100 gold for the entrance fee, you can see the elves you only see in stories with your own eyes! Plus, if you have more money, you can get your hands on a beautiful elf!”
100 gold for one look.
Despite the skillful solicitation, not many people were lured by the exorbitant prices.
In general human trafficking, people show and talk about products in person, so when a beautiful woman or a person with a special status appears, people flock.
However, very little attention was given to the man talking alone on a seemingly makeshift podium.
“If you take a look and don’t like it, we’ll give you a full refund!”
He shouted and pounded his chest.
I already had the experience of holding an elf… And an elf queen in my arms, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t curious.
It was rare to find an elf in a place like this, and if she was beautiful, she would be willing to pay.
So, before I knew it, my hands were naturally being lifted towards the sky.
“Their customer! This is an excellent choice! “Please come this way.”
He recognized it with lightning speed and gestured with a big smile.
As he approached and handed over the money, his hand pointed to the door behind him.
“Just go down here a little bit. Have a great time!”
He opened the door with an exaggerated gesture, and a worn-out staircase led down.
The path down was like walking through a secret passage, and soon I found another door.
Squeak-
What came into view along with the unpleasant noise of an old door being opened was a place that looked like a concert hall.
Along with tables decorated politely, men with bad personalities were sitting on chairs.
‘I’m completely screwed over this.’
As soon as I opened the door, the eyes of the people sitting focused on me and then quickly dispersed.
And the timing was almost simultaneous.
Although the sound of the door opening was quite loud, all the people who came here were people who paid to see the elf.
However, the eyes that looked at me at that moment were not just at the level where my attention was drawn to the sound.
Rather than that, it was closer to the look of a hunter checking his prey.
Crucially, some of them were exchanging glances with each other and exchanging unknown signals.
‘I guess it’s because it’s a den of criminals. This is exactly what happens when you are in the mood for leisurely sightseeing.’
While I was thinking about what to do, a man standing in neat clothes approached me.
“Please come this way.”
“When will the elves come out?”
“We are preparing it now, so you will be able to see it soon. “I’ll prepare something to drink until then, so please be patient for a moment.”
Although his tone was polite, there was a sense of discomfort in his appearance.
His rugged muscles and long scars clearly indicated that he was a member of the underground city.
In the underground city where all kinds of criminals gather, you have to protect yourself and if you can’t, you will become their prey.
Their target was probably rich nobles and merchants, but unfortunately, I got caught there.
“Ha… It’s annoying.”
I let out a small sigh at the place I was guided to.
The plan to enjoy it leisurely had already been in vain.
It’s not a particularly dangerous situation, but it’s a situation where you can’t go out recklessly.
If you make a fuss in a place like this, it could affect the investigation.
“The problem is… We are already completely caught…”
Even if you try to leave here suddenly, it’s obvious that you’ll be stopped.
But even if you stay still, they will attack you first.
It’s simple to kill, but complicated to clean up afterward.
“If your body is bad, your head will suffer.”
In the end, no matter how much you think about it, you end up regretting it too late.
Since I became interested in elven slaves, I had no choice but to keep the fact that I was caught in a trap a secret and deal with it on my own.
Moreover, looking at their reactions, there was a strong possibility that nothing like that had ever happened in the first place.
When they stood up, they pulled out their swords, as if they had no intention of hiding any longer.
“It’s unfortunate, but you have to give me everything, starting with the money I have and even the money I’ve hidden away.”
Laughter and sharp metal sounds coming from all directions.
Their faces were full of ease, like taking candy from a child.
If I were an ordinary merchant or noble, I would have died here no matter what I did.
Because there is no need to save it.
But unfortunately, the ones caught in the trap were not the merchants or nobles they knew.
“It’s already bothersome enough, so stop barking and just attack.”
As he made a cruel gesture with his hand, their ridicule grew even deeper.
“I don’t know how you can be so bluff, but it would be better if you just listen to us quietly.”
“Who do you like?”
“It would be much better than being cut into pieces and dying.”
The man who appeared to be the leader shrugged his head sheepishly.
His attitude contained a confidence that he would never be defeated.
A sense of playfulness suddenly arose at the sight of the unsuspecting sight that it was a simple act that would only suffocate the prey caught in a trap.
“Then how about this?”
Pick up the bottle lying on the table and fill it with mana.
I could feel the thought of resistance that was not working in his eyes, but it did not last long.
Hehe!
With a sharp sound that tore through the air, the flying bottle collided with the guy’s head in the blink of an eye.
Immediately after the cheerful sound of a head being broken rang out, silence fell in a space that had been filled with laughter.
*****
The door to the dark room, with only a small candle burning, opened wide with an urgent clanging sound.
“Ji… Now this strange guy! He is completely destroying us all by himself!”
Completely different from the nervous look of the man who came in, the man sitting was smiling.
Sorian, a nobleman of the Kingdom of Lumis.
While collecting information in the underground city, he was holding on tightly to the armrests of his chair, showing his joy.
“I finally got caught.”
“To···? “What is that…?”
“Now that’s done, properly report what happened.”
Sorian’s eyes, quietly looking at his subordinate, seemed like a cold fire burning.
The subordinate, who had been nervous due to the calm yet creepy gaze, felt like his head was forcibly cooling down.
“Yes… I was trapping the idiots as usual as I told them, but suddenly that guy threw a bottle and the captain fell down…”
“That was it, and what happened was the same as I told you?”
“No. “I was completely different.”
Information was quickly being combined in Sorian’s mind.
Information received from the Demon Lord and information obtained independently.
By combining the two pieces of information, he was able to find out something about Eugene’s artifact.
‘I don’t know how, but it is clear that he has the ability to deceive or hide his identity.’
Before hearing his subordinate’s report, it was only a hypothesis, but he was now more convinced than anyone else.
Otherwise, Eugene’s actions cannot be explained at all.
“First, put surveillance on him. Keep in mind that the visible face or body shape may change. He’s probably let down his guard, so as long as you don’t provoke him too much, he’ll be fine.”
A smile was slowly forming on Sorian’s face.
His smile looked so evil that it was hard to believe he was a proud nobleman, and even the subordinates who looked at him shuddered with overflowing hatred.
‘The moment to kill that guy is coming.’
He has eliminated many political opponents, but he has never been as excited as he is now.
The excitement and anticipation of breaking down obstacles that seemed impossible.
Feeling the boiling blood that he felt for the first time in his middle-aged body, he tightly grasped the sword at his waist.
