Chapter 124 – The Plum Blossom Swordsman Reincarnated Into A Baron’S Family
124. The Plum Blossom Swordsman Reincarnated into a Baron’s Family
“The last, third condition is… Hmm. If you don’t want to hear it, say so now.”
“…I will listen.”
Bekan quickly moved to the side to avoid Yuria. He took out a dagger he had hidden in his bosom and swung it at me. His dagger was imbued with aura. The dagger was aimed at my left arm.
He must have thought that I was Yuria’s master and that I had ordered Yuria to cut off my arm. Or maybe he just thought I was an easy target.
“First, you’ll pay for the debt to my arm!”
I didn’t move. There was no need to.
Yuria was already by my side, faster than Bekan.
Clang!
The dagger collided.
“When…!”
Bekan stepped back in shock.
Yuria moved. She grabbed Bekan’s right arm and broke it, then stabbed his left eye with the dagger and pulled it out.
“Kkyaaaaaaah!”
Bekan’s body fell to the floor. Yuria’s shoe mercilessly kicked Bekan’s head.
“There is a limit to being presumptuous…! I never thought you’d be such an idiot as to not even know your place! Master! Please give me just one hour! I will educate this man on his place!”
Yuria said. I was startled by the irritation in her voice. I never imagined she would react so violently.
“Y-yeah. An hour or so is fine.”
I said, slightly overwhelmed.
“Thank you. I will use the empty room next door. Now, let’s go, Mr. Bekan.”
“Kuh!”
Yuria roughly grabbed Bekan’s hair with her gloved hand and went out the door. I stared blankly at the door, then lowered my gaze to the floor. Blood and fluid from Bekan’s eye were splattered messily.
A little while later.
Terrible screams came from the next room.
“Aaaaaaah! Stop! Stop it!!!”
I could guess what was happening. At the same time, curiosity arose. I slipped out the door and peeked inside the next room through the crack.
“Ugh… I was wro… wrong. Please… stop. I was wro… Aaaah!”
“I thought you would be a little more rational. Even though you were a mercenary, you are now the owner of the city’s top merchant guild. But it seems your true nature hasn’t changed.”
Pzzzzzt!
“Krrrrrr…!”
Electricity flowed from Yuria’s hand.
Unlike me, who could only use the Lightning Flash of the Spirit Stream, Yuria could use both the Lightning Flash and Shadow of the Spirit Stream.
“There is only one thing you need to do. Treat Master with respect. Even an idiot like you should be able to follow that.”
Electric torture was basic. She didn’t hesitate to use torture that involved cutting flesh or peeling skin. Yuria even used potions generously, torturing him without rest.
‘……Ugh.’
I looked away. It hurt just watching.
And the promised hour passed.
Bekan sat facing me again, just like before. However, unlike before, he was missing his left arm and left eye. Also, while he had a rather determined atmosphere before, now he had a look full of fear.
He kept glancing sideways.
Bekan was constantly watching Yuria, who was next to the table. He trembled whenever Yuria made the slightest movement.
“Bekan. You should look at me. It’s me, not Yuria, who’s talking to you right now.”
“I-I’m sorry! Forgive me! Forgive me!”
Bekan bowed his head to me. It was pathetic. It was amazing how much he had changed in just one hour.
“…I forgive you. Shall we continue the conversation we were having earlier?”
“I will give you the merchant guild! I will pay taxes regularly. I will do as you say. So… ugh….”
Bekan spoke while looking at Yuria. He was trembling severely.
“Hmm. Good. Then I’ll tell you the third condition you have to follow. Yuria.”
“Yes, Master. I’m here.”
Yuria placed a glass bottle on the table. Inside was a sticky, black liquid. It looked like tar and made me feel uncomfortable.
“The Ten-Poison Transmission. Once poisoned, it slowly corrodes the heart. It takes ten days for the heart to be completely corroded. If you take the antidote within ten days, the corrosion will disappear, but the poison will not disappear, so it will start corroding the heart again.”
There are two types of antidotes. A complete antidote that completely detoxifies the poison, and an antidote that eliminates heart corrosion and leaves only the source of the poison, giving you another ten days.
I have no intention of giving him the complete antidote.
For reference, this poison was made by Yuria after being taught by Hasent. It’s a secret poison.
‘According to Hasent, the highest-level detoxification mages can easily detoxify this poison with magic… but there’s no way I can easily meet such a mage.’
Above all, I have no intention of just giving him the poison and neglecting surveillance. The moment he tries to do something stupid, I’ll kill him.
“Drink it. I’ll give you the antidote at regular intervals.”
“……”
Bekan couldn’t reach for the poison bottle. Drinking this meant that he would become my slave. No. In some ways, it’s worse than being a slave. At least slaves don’t drink poison.
“I don’t need to drink this… I can do well! I will pledge my loyalty to you, young master. So…!”
“I don’t need your loyalty. Drink it. Don’t make me say it three times.”
“……”
Yuria looked at Bekan. And said coldly.
“Drink it. Surely you’re not ignoring Master’s words?”
Bekan was startled when Yuria frowned.
“No! No! I’ll drink it now!”
Bekan hurriedly grabbed the poison bottle and quickly poured it into his mouth.
I was impressed. Bekan, despite his appearance, was a mercenary who had done rough work. He was a lower-level Aura Expert, so he had some skill. But after being tortured for just one hour, the rough wolf had become a terrified, cowardly dog.
‘Yuria’s torture skills are beyond imagination.’
I understand. Yuria hasn’t been like this recently, but in the past, she went to the prison every day to torture the Pflekk mercenaries.
Gulp, gulp.
Bekan swallowed the poison in front of us.
I clapped my hands with a satisfied look.
Clap, clap, clap, clap.
“I look forward to working with you in the future. Bekan, head of the merchant guild. Let’s work together for the boundless development of Thebra. Hahahaha.”
“Yes……”
“Let’s change the name of the merchant guild while we’re at it. Black Tiger… How can you run a merchant guild with such a tacky name! Don’t you think so too? Head of the merchant guild?”
I was being nice to him, but his answer was slow. When I clicked my tongue softly, Yuria subtly showed her dagger.
“I… I think so, young master.”
Bekan nodded, startled.
“The merchant guild’s name will be Cheonma (Heavenly Demon)… No, that’s not a suitable name for this world. Pegasus is also a good name, but it doesn’t quite appeal to me. Let’s name the merchant guild Korea.”
“Korea… That’s a good name. May I ask what it means?”
“Do I really need to tell you that? Can’t you figure it out yourself?”
“I-I’m sorry. I will find out myself.”
“You better do well. Don’t disappoint me. If I’m disappointed in you… I’ll have to educate you.”
Bekan’s face turned black at the word ‘education.’
“I-I will do well! I will never disappoint you!”
“I believe you. Head of the Korea Merchant Guild. Hahahaha.”
“……”
“Why aren’t you laughing? Can’t you laugh on this good day?”
“I couldn’t laugh because I was thinking about the future of the Korea Merchant Guild… Hahahaha!”
“The future of the Korea Merchant Guild will be very bright. Don’t worry. Hahahaha!”
The laughter didn’t stop. What a harmonious lord-vassal relationship this is.
•••
The next day. After returning to the Prucus mansion from the port city of Thebra, I asked Elaine if I could go on a trip.
I was granted permission on the condition that I be accompanied by ten escort knights. We also had to bring servants to take care of the knights. In the end, there were a total of 25 people, including me.
I didn’t complain. It was enough that I had been allowed to travel.
As I was returning to my room, I ran into Kyle in the hallway. Kyle said he had just come out of prison.
“Here. The key. I used it well.”
“You can use it more, brother.”
I didn’t take the key Kyle was offering. I didn’t need the key to the Ancient Warrior Training Center right now.
“Eugene. I heard you’re going on a trip tomorrow? Where are you going?”
“To the Hughes Snow Mountain in the north of the kingdom.”
“Hughes Snow Mountain? That mysterious mountain where the snow doesn’t melt even in the hot summer. That’s great. I want to go too.”
There is a legend that an Ancient Silver Dragon died on Hughes Snow Mountain in ancient times. Because of that, the snow on the mountain never melts, even in summer, and remains snow forever. Strangely, if you take the snow piled on the mountain outside the mountain, it melts immediately.
“Do you want to come with me, brother?”
“Can I join your trip?”
“It’s okay. We’re brothers.”
“Okay. Wait a minute. I’ll go get permission from Mother.”
Kyle went into Elaine’s office, delighted.
It didn’t matter if Kyle joined the trip. After all, it wasn’t a trip for the sake of traveling.
‘Once I receive the barony and become the lord of Thebra, the reason to get Elaine’s permission to move will disappear.’
If nothing else, I liked the fact that I would be free to move around.
‘I need to get Elaine too… but she’s such a fortress, it’s hard.’
There were a few times when I had created a suggestive atmosphere when I was alone with Elaine. But there was no sign of success. Elaine was a fortress. Elaine never crossed the line. Even if I subtly used skinship using heightened senses, it was the same.
I can’t get her with ordinary methods.
‘Should I use an aphrodisiac? No… I shouldn’t rely too much on aphrodisiacs. It’s not fun if I only rely on aphrodisiacs.’
The greater the difficulty, the greater the satisfaction when I succeed. There is plenty of time. Whether it’s the power of mana or management, Elaine is maintaining her youth.
‘Hehehe. I’m looking forward to the moment that fortress crumbles.’
•••
There were four of us in the large carriage, including me.
Yuria and I sat together, and Kyle and Lucy sat across from us. Lucy was Kyle’s exclusive maid.
Lucy Cobret.
She was the daughter of Baron Cobret, a vassal.
With her curly, reddish-brown hair, she was younger than Yuria. It had only been half a year since she became Kyle’s exclusive maid. The woman who was originally Kyle’s exclusive maid had quit her job after marrying a clerk who worked at the mansion.
‘Hmm.’
She was as pretty as she was in the original story.
‘It’s ambiguous.’
Her face was pretty, but her figure was weak. Even considering that she was younger than Yuria, she was too weak. When Yuria was that age, her chest was at least slightly swollen. But her chest wasn’t swollen at all. She didn’t have any.
‘I have no intention of attacking her.’
Lucy was Kyle’s exclusive maid. If I touched her carelessly, there was a high chance that I would fail. She wasn’t really my type either, so I decided to leave her alone.
“It’s my first time at Hughes Snow Mountain! I’m so excited! Have you ever been to Hughes Snow Mountain, Yuria?”
“No. This is my first time going to Hughes Snow Mountain too. I’m very excited too.”
Lucy was a lively woman.
And her eyes were full of respect and admiration when she looked at Yuria.
‘Yuria is popular among the servants.’
Yuria is beautiful and good at everything. In the eyes of a young maid like Lucy, she must seem very impressive.
I spoke to Kyle, who was staring blankly at Yuria.
“Kyle, brother. Have you ever been to a snow mountain?”
“Snow mountain? Well… no. I haven’t. It’s my first time too.”
Kyle had been to a snow mountain in his previous life. The volcano where he lived would snow in the winter and become a snow mountain.
“I heard there are monsters called Yetis living in the snow mountains….”
Thud!
Hiiiiiiiiing!
A heavy sound and the screams of horses were heard. The carriage shook violently and then stopped. I frowned. Something must have gone wrong.
Kyle quickly opened the carriage window.
“Sir Hent. What’s going on?”
“A group of monsters and someone are fighting in front of us.”
Hent, the leader of the Plun Knights, said. Hent’s face was not bright. He and dozens of other knights were in charge of escorting us. This kind of accident was unwelcome.
“What’s the situation ahead? Is it dangerous?”
“No. It seems to be a noble family as well. Their knights are taking care of the monsters. It doesn’t seem like we need to help.”
Kyle shook his head and went out of the carriage.
“Let’s join them. It might be dangerous.”
“Young Master Kyle. We will do the fighting. Please wait inside the carriage.”
“No. I’ll help too. I can’t just stand by when someone is in danger. Eugene. Lucy. Yuria. You guys wait inside the carriage.”
I just nodded. I knew from the beginning that Kyle’s personality would lead him to take action himself.
‘This is a typical cliché.’
It was a mistake to come on a trip with the main character, Kyle. If Kyle hadn’t been there, this situation wouldn’t have happened. Probably.
‘I’ll bet my hand that the person they saved is a noble lady. Seriously.’
