## Chapter 298 – A Prosperous Den (7)
For Vivian, who wasn’t perfectly versed in the back alley’s affairs, Jebi was like a reliable advisor.
A veteran who had consistently survived with his subordinates as the head of the Jebi Cartel in cartel disputes where one couldn’t survive without special skills.
If he had survived relying on his wits rather than force, that was a particularly significant advantage.
Of course, being who she was, Vivian didn’t delude herself into thinking he was simply helping her out of pure goodwill.
Perhaps he expected something from Vivian or wanted something from her.
‘Surely he’s not a gay… ?
I’d be more comfortable if he were…’
He was the owner of a brothel, and despite looking so young, she had never seen him even give the slightest hint of wanting to take one of his brothel’s women to his bed.
Vivian, who had lost her virginity relatively early compared to her peers and had accumulated various experiences, thought she knew a thing or two about young men.
She had only ever seen him cleaning, never showing any openings, making Jebi seem like an unknown being, almost like a unicorn.
‘Really… he’s not going to suddenly confess or something, is he…?’
Of course, she could give him money to some extent, but the thought that this seemingly nice, handsome young man might be after her body made Vivian consciously try to avoid appearing like an easy woman in front of him recently.
Especially since she already had an owner of her body and soul, a lifelong partner.
For Vivian, who didn’t feel particularly attracted to any man other than Enic, dealing with that type of man making advances would be the most troublesome thing.
Even though Jebi’s martial prowess was poor, his mind seemed capable of doing all sorts of crazy things that could give her a headache.
‘Still, it’s a relief that he doesn’t seem to be showing any signs of that yet…’
Trusting someone carelessly in the back alley was foolish, but Vivian thought he was trustworthy in the sense that the information he brought was highly accurate and reliable.
Moreover, since they were in the same boat, excluding Laratina, her subordinates and Jebi’s subordinates got along very well.
As Jebi swung his duster towards the cobwebs in the corner of the hallway, Vivian’s eyes narrowed as if she were contemplating something.
“If you have the ability to suppress them, there’s no worker more convenient than a slave.
They’re legally bound, so the aftercare is relatively simple.”
Jebi’s words made some sense.
Slavery was legal in the Groden Kingdom, and the Henia, who had been academy-bred chattel slaves, were the most representative example.
However, Vivian, who had once seen a rebellious slave when the Grenot family brought in slaves, voiced her negative opinion.
“Really? Wouldn’t it be annoying if they rebelled?”
“They have collars, don’t they?
If not, you can just pick one who can only work.”
The easiest way to identify such slaves was the presence of a ‘collar.’
It was a type of magic tool that could kill the slave at any time or inflict pain that would make them wish they were dead, used to control the slaves.
It was best to see it as an item to break the spirit of rebellious slaves and make them obey.
Collars were especially common among slaves used in noble’s mansions or important public institutions because the ‘collar’ itself wasn’t a cheap item.
The nickname might make it seem like you can get it anywhere, but the official name was ‘Magical Restraint and Execution Magic Accessory.’
It was a magic tool that had to be made directly by a mage and imbued with a magic circle.
From sturdy iron chains and luxurious necklaces to weak straw chokers, collars could be made in any form.
However, most mages would rather earn money by doing research than spend time making collars, so slave collars weren’t commonly available on the market.
“I’m saying this because it doesn’t seem profitable?
Do you think slaves will be worth it?”
Collars were mostly used when trying to enslave a truly dangerous individual, or to prevent any possible issues in noble families, so they were bought at a high price.
The special case excluding those was the straw choker, which was deliberately made of easily breakable material and designed to kill the wearer if the string broke.
It was a sadistic item where they would inform the slave of this condition, induce them to break the string, and enjoy watching the slave struggle to prevent the string from breaking.
“If you teach them and dress them up, they become prostitutes.
If you teach them more, they become soldiers.
Don’t you know that better than anyone?”
Vivian swallowed a groan and turned her head away again at Jebi’s words, which were clearly aimed at the Henia.
Of course, the Henia were a special case, but they were beings who had something to replace the collar.
The Henia followed Enic, the benefactor of their lives and freedom, and chose to serve him voluntarily with the lure of pleasure that no female could refuse.
Before they entered the den, the Henia during the special evaluation were originally weak beastkin females.
A few punches and kicks were enough to scare them into begging for their lives.
What threat could such weak females pose, who had to spread their legs and beg for a man’s cock in front of their husbands in order to continue their miserable lives?
Moreover, in the case of the males, especially the males of the predatory species, they weren’t particularly strong, and their existence was primarily for meat shields.
The mercenaries controlling them were replacing the collars, so the collars were unnecessary for those who were going to die to Arachnella anyway.
In the current situation, where they were looking for beings who would simply listen well and keep secrets instead of the Henia, they didn’t want beings who needed time to be tamed like the Henia.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea…”
“Deckard’s slave market.”
The moment Vivian felt the space turn cold at Jebi’s words, an unknown chill ran down her spine.
Vivian swallowed hard at Jebi’s calm yet playful voice that created that atmosphere.
Deckard. The emperor of the back alley.
The strongest in the back alley, a person that even nobles couldn’t carelessly touch, possessing the largest private army made up of slaves.
Could she really step into his territory?
It was an issue that could be resolved by sending others in her place, but true to her nature of trusting herself more than others, Vivian wanted to see with her own eyes and find the rough diamonds if she had to do it anyway.
“They have everything.
You can find anything you want.”
“Haa… even nobles…?”
“There might be some fallen nobles.
The important thing is… good items sell quickly.
Time is always flowing. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.”
Vivian suppressed her subtle feelings as Jebi’s soft voice imitated the sound of a clock, nodding her head towards him and turning away from her spot.
“Hey, what do you think…
Doesn’t Deckard dislike me?”
In the midst of that, Vivian stopped in her tracks and glanced back, her voice echoing faintly in the hallway.
“Why do you think so?”
“I messed with that Laratina, right?
Laratina had a lot of money, enough to not be ignored…
But the reality was that she was so weak that she would be destroyed if I messed with her…
Then Deckard could have messed with Laratina if he wanted to, right…?
But the fact that he didn’t means…
There might have been a deal between them…”
Jebi, listening to Vivian’s words in response to his question, made an exaggerated surprised expression as if it was an unimaginable answer, and then returned to his usual calm expression, letting out a hollow laugh.
“Haha…!! I suppose you could think that way…
But I think he might like you.”
“Why? Why…?”
“Newbies always get attention everywhere.
I think ‘I’ would find it quite exciting.”
Vivian, who was only slightly turning her head back and glancing sideways at Jebi’s grinning face, had a subtle doubt in her eyes.
Along with the question of whether she could trust this subtly whimsical guy’s words.
.
.
.
At the same time.
“Reorganize the defense line!!
The front line falls back and rotates with the rear line!!”
“This wave is too big…!!
What the hell is going on…!!”
“Catch one more instead of complaining!!”
A place where a fierce battle for life is taking place.
Therefore, a place where heroes are born.
With a fortress wall between them, some are fighting with bows and magic attacks from above, and others are fighting with swords and shields against the enemies below.
“Crazy!! Five elder trolls are too much…!!
The club is coming!! Duck!!”
The front line continued with intense combat as usual.
Hideous and powerful monsters, and the Guardians (the common name for those who fight on the front lines), who are like a ray of light for humanity, fighting against them.
“I don’t think this is going to work…?
I’m going to use a big one…!!”
In the midst of that, a mage who realized that the state of the front line wasn’t good shouted from above the fortress wall, causing the warriors fighting below to start showing the whites of their eyes.
“Kuh…!! What are you saying…!!
If I use that again, then next time…!!”
“Then should we all hold hands and go together happily!!
Echt al Curiosa… Ahgan Taliaso……!!”
“Seriously… you’re going to die……!!”
“You crazy bastarddaaa…!!
I’m going to get you first if I die…!!”
As light began to emanate from the mage’s staff, who was preparing a big one, the other mages around him sighed and began to add magic power to it.
And the other swordsmen and warriors were cursing and desperately pulling the front line back.
The casting of wide-area combat magic could harm allies if done wrong, so the warriors also needed to avoid getting caught up in it.
But in the midst of that, the warriors who felt that the elder trolls and monsters weren’t approaching them looked back with doubtful expressions…
“Uh oh…!! What are they doing!! Right now…!!”
The sight of an incredible woman who was left alone to fight five trolls while everyone else was retreating.
The warriors, who seemed to have experienced this more than once or twice, made expressions as if their hearts were breaking, pounding their chests with their fists in frustration.
“Are you crazy, really……!! Hey!! Bitch!!
You’re a crazy bitch, I swear…!!”
“Someone…!! Has to hold them!! Back!! Right!!”
A woman who avoids the attacks of small monsters with flashy movements, and at the same time, persistently cuts only the legs of the trolls to hinder their progress, dancing with a sword in the middle of the battlefield.
The mage, who was watching that and holding a huge mass of magic power over his head, shouted loudly towards the bottom, albeit with a slightly trembling voice.
“Preparation…!! Is over……!!
Get out… quickly…!!”
“Really!? Then should we go with Plan C!?”
“It was Plan B last time, you crazy bitch!!
Shut up and catch this quickly……!!”
A bundle of rope that a muscular warrior threw with all his might.
The woman, who snatched almost the end of the rope that continued to unravel and fly through the air, smiled and winked at the monsters as she looked back at them.
“Unfortunately, I hope you meet a better woman than me…
It’s good to be this popular, but I have standards too… Ugh…!!”
As the warrior pulled the rope with all his might as if he were throwing it, the woman hung on the rope and flew through the air as if she were being catapulted.
And as a large sphere of magic crossed paths with her, the two who passed each other were flying towards their respective destinations.
“Pulcinella, you crazy bitch!!”
“Sorry~ Sorry~ Let’s be careful with our heads, okay?”
“Are you the one to talk!! Ouch!!”
The woman’s hair was fluttering in the storm as she landed at high speed on the warrior’s arm due to the shockwave of the explosion that occurred like that, and hid in search of cover.
The warriors, who were coughing from the shock that lasted for almost ten seconds, as well as the dust that didn’t think of settling down, were pouring all sorts of curses towards the top of the fortress wall.
“Kuaaaaak!! Kuhek!! Guheok!!
This crazy bastard is going wild!!
Control the firepower a little……!!”
Still, they were fighting monsters until just now, but now they didn’t seem to be particularly worried, and the warriors who had completely let loose were showing that they trusted the destructive power.
“You crazy battlefield bitch!! You’re the problem too!! You too!!
Is it so difficult to retreat together when you retreat!?
You’re the first person I’ve ever seen who’s so desperate to die!!”
“Eyy… Ahahaha… It just happened~”
“This fuck……!!
Just die to me!!
What, should we do it with a knife!?
Or die in bed!?”
“Hee~ In bed? Let’s say it right~
Even if yours stands up, it’s smaller than mine, right?
I’ll win with reach even if we fight with swords, right?
When I do it with you, I thought we were doing lesbian sex?”
The sight of the woman swaying her hips as if she had something in her groin, making jokes, caused laughter to erupt around her.
Perhaps it was because it was a 100% true story, which was heartbreaking.
Only the man’s painful scream, his face turning red, echoed emptily in the sky of the front line.
Still, the woman, who playfully touched the man’s balls and gestured as if to follow her, had a sly smile on her lips.
“Aaa~ I know~!!
I’ll do lesbian sex with you again today~
So stop being angry~
Where are you going to kill me today?”
“Wow!! It’s a lez sex!! Let’s go watch!!”
“I’m really going to die!! You bastards!!”
“Euhahahahat!!”
The comfort of the blood gradually cooling down after the battle, and the bond that forms between those who fought back to back.
At that very moment when everyone was enjoying the break, intoxicated by it.
Everyone was covering their faces with their arms and sleeves as a strong wind blew.
“It’s the sky……!!”
“Which bastard is…!! Keuek!!
I’m unidentifiable!!”
“Ugh……!! Me too… well……
Is that… a wyvern……!?”
In a situation where it was difficult to even recognize the shape of the enemy, the veteran Guardians were making the best choice to suppress the opponent at someone’s words.
Enemies flying in the sky must be dropped first.
“Guspe… al Lichtahinas!!”
A mage was drawing a magic circle for long-range attack magic with magic power, and was putting the trigger word to cast the magic into his mouth.
The moment a ray of light like a laser cut through the sky and flew towards the unwelcome guest.
“Impact…… failed…!!”
The enemy, who narrowly avoided the ray of light, caused another storm-like wing wind and flew over the fortress wall.
“It went over the fortress wall!! This damn it!!”
“Uhhh!!? Why isn’t that coming to us!!
You bastard!! Come back!!”
The mages were frantically firing magic and the archers were shooting arrows at the sight of the guy who was ignoring the Guardians and flying far away, but the range didn’t reach the guy who had already flown away.
The warrior’s low murmur, making a frustrated expression at that, was representing the hearts of everyone there.
“We’re fucked, really……”
“First of all, the Grenas direction…!!
Wait… if it doesn’t change direction…
The royal capital……!! It’s the royal capital direction…!!”
