Chapter 146: Demons (2)
In a spacious, ornate room, on one side, mbers of the Viyan rchant Guild gathered, while on the other, figures from the mafia, who dominated Crove Kingdom’s comrce, took their seats.
Under normal circumstances, a fitting tension should have hung between them.
The mafia was a group closer to thugs, quick to draw swords when things went awry, while the Viyan rchant Guild was a rising powerhouse in the rcantile world.
Though they had arranged this eting for mutual benefit, both sides were on edge, knowing that showing weakness could an being devoured.
But that atmosphere shifted abruptly when Maria, the mafia boss, called out the na of the guild’s escort.
“Harang?”
“…Maria.”
‘What’s this?’
‘They know each other? What’s their relationship?’
In an instant, suspicious glances poured in.
The mafia mbers, in particular, reacted this way.
Their boss had appeared in Crove Kingdom out of nowhere, like a bolt from the blue. Everyone was curious about her past but too afraid to ask.
Now, an unexpected figure who seed to share that past had erged, sparking intrigue about where this conversation might lead.
Sheratiya felt a similar curiosity.
Though she’d grown much closer to Harang, she still knew nothing of his past.
Where he ca from.
What he’d done.
How he beca so strong.
She’d been dying to ask but held back, fearing such questions might provoke him.
And now… soone who knew Harang’s past had appeared?
A woman, no less?
“…”
She wanted to say sothing, but no words ca to mind.
The mafia side was the sa, their eyes rolling as they awaited their boss’s next words.
“Hm.”
Maria, the boss, sensed the awkward atmosphere.
This wouldn’t do.
Business ca first.
Hiding her surprised expression, she flashed a vibrant smile and spoke to Sheratiya, the guild’s representative.
“Sorry about that. I didn’t expect to et an old acquaintance here.”
“Oh, I see…”
The question ‘How do you know each other?’ rose to the tip of Sheratiya’s tongue, but she barely restrained herself.
Now wasn’t the ti for that. Taking a deep breath and shaking her head slightly, she began discussing business.
“So, by drying the malt without using peat… in a classic style, the opposite of the current trendy whiskey market…”
“Hm, treating peat as an impurity, huh? It might feel outdated to youngsters… but it could resonate well with older nobles.”
“Exactly. This full-sherry whiskey is aid squarely at wealthy, powerful old nobles.”
“Hm, hmm…”
The conversation was incomprehensible to anyone unfamiliar with liquor.
Harang, however, could follow. Unlike before, he’d recently developed quite a knowledge of alcohol.
But it didn’t sink in.
An old acquaintance, long unseen.
Godok Rank 30, Maria.
The mont he saw her face, his mind was consud with a wish for this eting to end quickly.
And it seed he wasn’t alone in that thought.
Moving faster than usual, without any push-and-pull, the mafia boss boldly promised cooperation and called out to Harang.
“Harang.”
“Yeah.”
“Want to talk privately?”
“Sure.”
“Follow . Maybe over a drink… Oh, do you like to drink?”
“I’ve grown to enjoy it lately.”
“You’ve been seasoned by the world, huh. Never thought you’d change like this… No, we’ll end up starting here. Let’s continue elsewhere.”
With that, Maria, the mafia boss, left the room.
Watching her, Harang sought Sheratiya’s permission.
“May I step out for a bit? She’s not exactly an old friend, but it’s been a while since we t.”
“…Well, the talks went well… Go ahead. I’ll give you the day off.”
“Thank you.”
As soon as he spoke, Harang quickly followed Maria.
Watching them, the mafia side whispered again, and so guild mbers threw out speculative remarks.
Only Sheratiya remained silent.
But unlike her tightly shut lips, her eyes and expression flickered with a myriad of thoughts.
***
“I didn’t expect this.”
“Expect what?”
“You’re not using a fake na or hiding your identity… You’re openly roaming the continent? With a rchant guild, no less. I never thought you’d expose yourself so completely. Aren’t you afraid of the village?”
“You’re one to talk. Using your real na, leading a massive organization anyone would recognize… You’re in no position to judge.”
“True.”
With a smirk, Godok Rank 30, Maria, poured fortified wine.
The purple liquid splashed into the glass with a glugging sound.
Silently watching, Maria soon began her story.
“I was as good as dead, wasn’t I?”
“…”
“Be honest, it’s fine. Everyone thought I’d be next. I was the weakest surviving Godok. It wouldn’t have been strange if I died any day…”
“But things changed drastically before that.”
“Right. I don’t know what lunatics they were, but they attacked the village, and I escaped in the chaos… But.”
“But?”
“I thought it was only a matter of ti before I’d be dragged back to the village.”
Maria downed the wine without savoring its aroma and continued.
“You know what the village is like. They’re… incomprehensible. You can’t escape them. At least, I thought so. With my skills, no matter how stealthily I hid or lived like a corpse, I’d inevitably be pulled back.”
“…”
“So I lived recklessly. Like there was no tomorrow. Like being content with today was enough… I tried everything I couldn’t do while confined.”
And she truly did. Maria lived a fulfilling, joyous life, as if she could die tomorrow with no regrets, embracing the outside world to the fullest.
She filled every al with delicious food she’d never tasted in the village.
Though she didn’t get tipsy like others, she savored flavorful drinks.
When trouble arose, she swung her fists boldly without worrying about consequences, listened to bards’ tales, and visited famous ruins and tourist spots.
It was a joyful life.
A happy life.
Had she not co to Crove Kingdom, she might have truly thought, as she’d once believed, that she could die without regrets.
“But I can’t do that anymore.”
“Why?”
“Because I’ve found people more important than myself.”
“That’s…”
“Yes. My mafia family.”
Whoosh—!
Huff…
Lighting a cigarette with a magic lighter, Maria took a deep drag and exhaled.
The smoke rose briefly before vanishing.
Maria felt her situation was no different from that smoke.
“I’m scared now.”
“…”
“Not of losing myself. You might not understand, but… I’m terrified of losing my connection with my mafia family forever, of never seeing them again, of not laughing and talking with them… And beyond that, the fact that my existence could endanger their lives is unbearably frightening.”
“I understand.”
“You do?”
“Yes. I have… precious people too, just like you.”
“Really? That’s surprising. I actually thought you’d co to capture .”
“What? Why would I do that?”
“You were soone who’d survive until the very end, no matter what. I thought you were fine with village life. I figured you were hunting down Godoks to restart the ritual.”
“…”
What kind of weirdo did she think I was?
With that thought, Harang let out a deep sigh.
It was understandable, though. The person he was in the village was vastly different from who he was now.
But that wasn’t the important part.
What mattered was that both she and I wanted to completely break free from the village.
To continue our bonds with our precious people.
That was the only truth that mattered.
Sharing these thoughts, we talked endlessly, oblivious to ti.
Our eting was far more rewarding, enjoyable, and fun than expected.
Had we realized we shared this mindset sooner, we might have been better friends even in the village.
But—
As if all the pleasant conversation had been a lie, Harang spoke seriously.
“Maria.”
“Yeah?”
“You haven’t gotten any stronger.”
“…”
“I’ve t several peers so far. Zeb, Cecilia, Berner, Hagio, and others… probably seven or eight in total. What do you think they all have in common?”
“…They got stronger?”
“Exactly. They never slacked in their training to avoid returning to the village, to truly break free. And I’m the sa.”
Yes.
Harang felt no sha in his words.
Of course, he was still lacking. He couldn’t compare to Sword Masters or the village’s top three administrators, presud to be peak-level Graduates.
But that was only the present.
To improve, to grow stronger, he trained so relentlessly that 24 hours a day felt insufficient.
‘It’s not just .’
Hagio had made trendous progress too.
While not to the sa degree, Zeb, Cecilia, Berner, and other Godoks also displayed far sharper presences than before. They’d taken the new environnt as a stimulus, honing themselves with harsher training than ever.
“What do you think, Maria?”
Harang asked again.
A piercing question. Maria gave a bitter smile.
She felt a bit wronged.
It wasn’t that she hadn’t tried. From the mont her mafia family beca irreplaceable, Maria picked up her sword every day, grinding herself down.
But her skills didn’t improve.
Her swordsmanship didn’t advance.
Despite shedding tears of desperation and swinging her sword until her hands bled, she couldn’t get stronger.
‘Telling him this… he wouldn’t understand.’
Maria sighed.
He was that kind of person.
A being who seed to possess all the world’s talent.
An unfair existence, one you could be certain would soday reach the ‘Master’ level with ti.
To him, soone stagnating like her must seem like she simply didn’t try.
But—
‘I won’t make excuses.’
Her situation was too pathetic for that.
Explaining her pitiful talent in detail to convince him felt too cruel.
Instead, she introduced a different approach, a new breakthrough she’d found to survive.
“Maybe you should consider this direction too. It might hold more potential.”
“What?”
“Honestly, we don’t have enough ti. In thirty years, you might be strong enough to stand against the village’s top administrators or the general manager… but we don’t know when things might blow up.”
“…”
“So, I chose a thod to secure my safety much faster.”
“What’s that?”
“Connections.”
“Connections?”
“Yes. I’m going to align myself with a group stronger than the village.”
“A group like that… Ah.”
It clicked.
A group with seven Sword Masters.
A nation wielding influence not just in its holand but across the world, undisputedly the continent’s strongest.
The Holy Kingdom.
“Yes. I… will resist the village with the power of priests and paladins.”
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