Chapter 1583 – 1583. The Plum Blossom Swordsman Reincarnated Into The Baek Family
“Do as I say if you don’t want to die.”
Tatary’s eyes twitched. She couldn’t hide her flustered expression as she looked down at the dagger pointed at her throat.
I understand how she feels. Honestly, I didn’t see Yuria’s movements either. By the time I realized it, it was already over. It was a relief that Yuria wasn’t an enemy.
“E-even if I die, the Adventurer’s Guild won’t disappear. Count Prucus, please think carefully. Are you going to turn all the adventurers on the continent against you?”
Tatary spoke up. Even with a dagger at her throat, she was still talking so impudently. It seemed she didn’t get the title of Guild Master of the Adventurer’s Guild in the labyrinth city of Lavite for nothing. She had guts. The problem was that she was showing that guts to me.
I raised my index finger. My index finger pointed at Tatary’s left arm and moved down from top to bottom.
*Swish!*
“Kuh?!”
Surprisingly, Tatary’s left arm was cleanly severed. It was cut off so cleanly that there wasn’t even any blood splattering. Thanks to my concentration, I could see what happened. A shadow appeared like a blade under Tatary’s arm and cut off her left arm.
Judging by her expression, Tatary didn’t seem to have any idea what had cut off her left arm.
“People think highly of adventurers. They investigate ancient ruins, uncover the secrets of the world, and fight monsters in labyrinths. It sounds very good, doesn’t it? But how many adventurers do you think actually became adventurers for the sake of being adventurers? In my opinion, most of them became adventurers because they didn’t want to be mercenaries. Tatary, what do you think?”
“…Our adventurers basically pursue freedom. At least, I became an adventurer for freedom. No matter how much of a Count you are, you have no right to infringe upon our freedom. You never will. Count, if you want something, make a request to us!”
“You insolent wench. You’re talking about freedom like you’re something special. Just because you’re an adventurer, does that mean your origins disappear? Do you think this labyrinth city is a different world from the kingdom? You were born commoners, and in the end, you’re just citizens of the kingdom. A commoner who has to do as I say, a noble.”
If all the adventurers in this world were to unite around the Adventurer’s Guild, it would be troublesome even for me. But that’s something that can’t happen. Adventurers aren’t the type to be so cooperative. Most of them would run away if it wasn’t their own business.
“Tatary, I’ll give you one last chance. Do as I say. I didn’t come here to rule over this sweaty city.”
“…If you didn’t come to rule the city, what purpose did you come for?”
Tatary asked through gritted teeth. I pondered for a moment. Judging by her attitude, Tatary wouldn’t actively cooperate unless she heard a proper reason.
‘Should I just kill her? …No. Who knows how long it’ll take for a new Guild Master to appear? The administration in this world is fundamentally too slow. Annoying wench. I’ll have to kill her when I go back later.’
I crossed my legs and opened my mouth.
“I received intelligence that a Demon King is hiding in this city.”
“…Huh? A, a Demon King? The, the king of demons?”
Tatary’s face crumpled. It must be absurd to hear that there’s a Demon King, who only appears in legends.
“I need to find and kill the Demon King, so cooperate with me.”
“…If you had told me that from the beginning, I would have promised to cooperate.”
“Why do I have to explain everything to a commoner like you?”
Tatary frowned deeply.
“…Count. I don’t know where you heard that information, but there is no Demon King in our city. If there was a Demon King, the city wouldn’t be so peaceful.”
“Of course it would be peaceful on the surface if the Demon King is hiding. Can’t you think straight?”
“……Please tell me the information about the Demon King. I will do my best to help you return home as soon as possible.”
“Everything I’m about to say is top secret. The moment this information is leaked, I will find and kill you and your entire family.”
“I promise not to leak it to anyone.”
Honestly, I didn’t trust her.
‘She’s openly defying me even after losing an arm, so I have no choice…’
I thought of the Demon King.
Getting information about the Demon King in this world was beyond difficult, it was impossible.
The information about the Demon King written in ancient documents is meaningless. Because what’s written there is the information of the previous Demon King. Getting information about the Demon King through demons? That was also difficult. The demons didn’t know much about the current Demon King.
The reason I knew about the Demon King was simply because I knew the original story.
“The Demon King’s name is Asterix. He has the power of possession.”
I only said a part of it because I couldn’t trust Tatary.
Asterix.
That was the Demon King’s name. But his power wasn’t possession.
‘The power to copy demonic powers.’
Theoretically, the Demon King can use all demonic powers. The power of possession is just one of them.
‘And he can use three demonic powers at the same time.’
What I was most wary of was the power of possession.
What if the Demon King used the power of possession to steal Yuria’s body? The worst-case scenario would unfold.
‘Absolute Spirit doesn’t protect the body. Even if the spirit is fine, the body’s authority can be stolen.’
There were also demonic powers that didn’t appear in the original story.
‘The only good thing is that he can’t use the powers of dead demons.’
The reason why Kyle in the original story couldn’t face the Demon King one-on-one was because of the power of possession. If he got possessed while fighting one-on-one, it would be the end.
“I understand why you want information about the citizens, Count. Why do you want information about the labyrinth?”
“I was planning to conquer the labyrinth while I was here.”
“……”
“If you understand, give me the information. Especially information about citizens whose lives have changed significantly in the past few years. Of course, adventurers belonging to the Adventurer’s Guild are no exception.”
“It’s difficult to prepare right away. I need time.”
“I’ll give you ten days. Have it ready.”
Having said everything I needed to say, I got up from my seat. Yuria lowered the dagger that was pointed at Tatary’s throat.
“……”
Tatary kept her mouth shut and looked at her left arm that had fallen to the floor. It was the moment she was about to pick up her arm. Her severed left arm fell into the shadow swamp.
“That is the price for disrespect. Please be polite in the future.”
With Yuria’s cold words, we left the office.
***
“This is crazy.”
Tatary muttered in the office where she was left alone. She swept back her bangs with her only remaining right arm and looked at her left arm. She could still feel the pain.
‘Count Prucus. I’ve kept hearing rumors that he fought and killed demons. The fact that he came to find the Demon King must be true.’
The Demon King is hiding somewhere in this city. It was information that made her spine tingle. It would have been much better if she hadn’t known.
‘Now that I know, I have to take action.’
The problem wasn’t just the Demon King.
Count Eugene Prucus.
Tatary, who was a slave, recalled her past when she saw his eyes. The noble who killed her parents. Count Prucus had the same eyes as that noble. Count Prucus doesn’t see her as a human being. He only sees her as an object. Count Prucus will dispose of her when the job is done.
‘I’ve heard rumors about Count Prucus’s nature. If things don’t go well… he’ll wipe out the labyrinth city and still have power left over.’
Count Prucus had the power and authority to do so. In the current Rapelli Kingdom… no, in the current continent, there were hardly any who could openly oppose Count Prucus.
‘But this is the labyrinth city.’
Ignoring the pain in her severed left arm, she turned around. Outside the large window was the labyrinth, the core and center of this city. Anything could happen in the labyrinth.
‘As the Guild Master of the Adventurer’s Guild, I have to protect this city. I have to call them.’
She looked at her empty left arm again. If she showed them this, they would know how serious the situation was.
***
“Did the story go well?”
I came down from the Adventurer’s Guild Master’s office. Melissa, the leader of the AM unit, who was sitting on a chair on the first floor, asked while sipping a cold drink. Looking around, the first floor was more like a pub where you could drink alcohol and other beverages.
“If it went well, it went well. But why are you slacking off here?”
“I wasn’t slacking off, I was waiting for my master.”
Melissa answered shamelessly.
She got up from her seat and followed me. We went outside the Adventurer’s Guild. The combat maids who were on guard duty approached me as if they had been waiting and stood guard.
The adventurers’ gazes were directed at us. We ignored their gazes.
“What are you going to do now? Are you going to charge straight into the labyrinth?”
Melissa asked.
“No, we need to get a place to stay first. I didn’t get any information about the labyrinth. Let’s go into the labyrinth tomorrow morning.”
Melissa smiled. Her eyes were sparkling so much that it was overwhelming.
“I’m finally going into the labyrinth that I’ve only heard about. If you’re lucky in the labyrinth, you can get excellent artifacts, right?”
“If you’re really lucky, yes.”
I said indifferently.
The labyrinth was similar to a dungeon in reality. However, it was just bigger and deeper than a dungeon.
We rented the best hotel in the city entirely. There were guests staying there before us, but when I ordered them to, they quietly left the hotel.
Even though it was a top-class hotel, it was inferior to a mansion.
“Master. It seems the Adventurer’s Guild Master has other intentions.”
Yuria said while I was checking the feel of the bed.
“That woman?”
“Yes. Just in case, I attached a shadow to her, but as soon as we left the Adventurer’s Guild, she summoned the adventurers. It seems to be the leaders of the adventurer groups that are the main force of this city.”
“That’s annoying. Should I just kill her now?”
“It’s not too late to deal with her after receiving the information. But if you don’t like it… I’ll deal with her now.”
“No, it’s okay. Let’s get rid of her after we get the information. Right now… I need to test how good the beds in this hotel are. Yuria, will you help me?”
“Of course.”
Yuria smiled and approached me.
