Chapter 148: Demons (4)
“Hello. I’m Harang, a Gold Plate rcenary with Eddy’s rcenary Corps, operating out of Marzen.”
“Gold Plate rcenary?”
“What? He’s a Gold Plate rcenary?”
“Who? That black-haired youth?”
“Really?”
The crowd, fixated on Juberroa Schmitz’s every move, was shocked by Harang’s words.
A Gold Plate rcenary ant he’d reached the Graduate level.
For such a young-looking man to boldly claim that sparked both surprise and intrigue.
‘See? My escort is this impressive!’
Sheratiya Viyan felt a surge of pride on his behalf. She struggled to keep her lips from curling into a grin, though her slightly raised chin was unavoidable.
Unlike the surrounding mood, Harang’s mind was burning.
‘What is this guy?’
He wasn’t just strong.
In terms of raw power, Harang thought even rcenary King Austin wouldn’t lose to this man.
But beyond that, Juberroa Schmitz’s presence was far more sinister. And dangerous.
It felt like a giant snake was scanning him with sharp eyes.
Why?
Because he seed unusually strong for his age?
Or was there another reason?
He couldn’t tell.
What mattered was that revealing his full strength here would be foolish.
‘…Let’s use Acting Lowly appropriately.’
In truth, he’d already been doing so.
From the mont their eyes t.
Not completely like a fool, of course. Harang artificially projected the presence of soone barely at the Graduate level.
All the while, Juberroa Schmitz relentlessly scrutinized every inch of him, trying to pierce through.
“…”
“…”
“…”
Silence.
Stillness.
Quiet.
In the strange atmosphere, ti dragged on endlessly. Nearby people, sensing the odd mood, stood frozen like statues, unable to speak. Sheratiya and Maria watched the standoff with even tenser expressions.
Of course, Harang felt the most pressure.
Sweat dripped as he endured the middle-aged man’s piercing gaze. Half was an act, but the other half was genuine strain.
Fortunately, the uncomfortable mont didn’t last forever.
“Hm! My mistake!”
“…Pardon?”
“No, it’s nothing! Just the ramblings of a senile old man! Haha, old age does this sotis! You’ll understand when you’re older! Anyway, sorry. Sorry for troubling you! To be a Graduate at such a young age—impressive!”
Retracting his suspicious gaze, Juberroa Schmitz offered an apology.
His subsequent charm eased Harang, Sheratiya, and Maria, who all sighed inwardly.
They didn’t know exactly why he’d acted that way.
But regardless, they were relieved. Maria, the mafia boss, spoke with a smile.
“He’s remarkable. One of maybe fifty Graduates in their twenties on the continent.”
“Hm? Aren’t you the sa, Miss Maria? Haha, subtly gilding your own face?”
“Caught ? But this brazenness is part of my charm.”
“Haha, true. Oh! And… who’s this lovely lady? I frequent Crove’s social gatherings, but your face is unfamiliar. From another kingdom, perhaps?”
“Greetings. I’m Sheratiya Viyan, running a rchant guild in Marzen, the comrcial city of Nadan Kingdom. It’s an honor to et the esteed First-Class Demon Inquisitor, Juberroa Schmitz, whom I’ve long admired.”
“Haha, admired for just a First-Class? Still, it’s not bad to hear. I’m especially weak to a beautiful woman’s praise. Haha, hahaha!”
As if his earlier sharpness was a lie, Juberroa Schmitz acted jovially.
He naturally discussed the whiskey business with Sheratiya and Maria, laughing frequently, clearly pleased. When gifted a 50-year-aged full-sherry whiskey, his grin stretched ear to ear.
“Oh my, look at the ti! I got caught up talking and forgot to et others!”
“Oh, do you have sowhere else to be?”
“Sadly, yes. I’m swamped these days. I shouldn’t even be here, but I snuck out for a bit of fun. Gotta head back now.”
“Oh, I’m so disappointed. I wanted to hear more of your heroic tales…”
“I’ll say it again, I love that flattery. But I’d prefer it a bit more refined and clever.”
“Eek! I’ll keep that in mind!”
“Haha, good. I’ll take my leave then! Oh, you too, it was nice eting you. Your na was…”
“Harang.”
“Right, Harang. I’ll rember you. A young, talented youth.”
Winking greasily, Juberroa Schmitz sauntered out of the ballroom.
His gaze lingered on Maria, then Sheratiya, but far longer on Harang before vanishing.
It wasn’t odd behavior.
As he’d said, it was natural for a skilled swordsman to take interest in a talented junior.
From Sheratiya’s perspective, it was even gratifying.
To have an escort impressive enough to surprise Juberroa Schmitz, known as the strongest among First-Class Demon Inquisitors!
What a proud mont!
‘I made the right choice bringing Harang.’
Lost in such pleasant thoughts with a delighted smile, Harang suddenly did sothing unexpected.
“Maria.”
“Yeah? What?”
“Let’s talk for a bit.”
“Hm, sounds serious.”
“Yes. It’s important.”
“…!”
“Sorry, Sheratiya Viyan. May I step away to talk with Maria for a mont?”
“…Go ahead.”
Harang’s sudden request to speak alone with Maria was deeply unsettling.
Honestly, she didn’t want to allow it. She wanted to scold him for straying, to order him to stick by her side throughout the ball.
But she couldn’t.
This wasn’t a battlefield; it was a safe ballroom. Denying him this small convenience would be too much.
Above all, she didn’t want to give the impression of openly checking Maria.
At that thought, Sheratiya was startled and reflected on herself.
‘Checking? What’s that supposed to an? Why would I check Maria?’
Exactly.
Maria was a business partner. Far from checking, she was soone to embrace.
No, before that, what did she gain by checking Harang’s conversation with her?
“Right. Checking, what’s that about, Sheratiya?”
Muttering to herself with a smile, her smile was painfully awkward. As ti passed, she couldn’t even maintain that forced smile.
‘Might as well drink.’
In the end, Sheratiya found herself sipping her own liquor in a secluded corner of the ballroom.
At least in that mont, she was the loneliest, most solitary person there.
***
“Cut ties.”
“With who?”
“Juberroa Schmitz. If cutting ties completely is too hard, at least keep your distance.”
“What? Out of nowhere…”
“He’s soone you can’t handle.”
“You think just saying that makes throw away all the effort I’ve put in?”
“…”
Harang fell silent.
She was right.
Though their efforts differed, Maria had been doing her utmost to escape the village and live her own life. His words would nullify all that, so her reaction was natural.
But Harang had no choice but to say it.
He was a snake.
A snake ready to devour anyone for his own gain.
To rely on or seek help from soone who felt even more sinister and dangerous than the village’s top administrators?
It was unthinkable.
At least, that’s how Harang felt.
“Above all, that man… his eyes seed to know sothing.”
“Know what? What are you talking about?”
“I’m not sure exactly. But the way he looked at … it wasn’t just curiosity or suspicion because I’m strong for my age. Maybe, just maybe, Juberroa Schmitz already knows about the village and Godoks…”
“Shh! Quiet.”
Maria glanced around nervously before continuing.
“…How would he know that? Are you sure? Are you sure?”
“I’m not sure. It’s just a hunch.”
“…Damn it.”
A coarse curse slipped from Maria’s lips.
It was only natural.
Harang’s hunches were special.
That single short sentence carried more weight than all the words he’d said before.
Of course, that didn’t an she could imdiately cut ties with Juberroa Schmitz.
Both personally and in business, she was too deeply entangled. Trying to forcibly distance herself now would only raise more suspicion.
A true catch-22.
Maria’s face visibly showed anxiety, her mind filled with worry.
Then—
Grab.
“Calm down.”
“…”
“I’ll help you. If things turn out worse than you think, if a serious situation arises… co to Marzen in Nadan Kingdom.”
Wooong—
Harang clasped her hand, sending a warm aura through it.
His expression and energy radiated sincerity.
Of course, that alone wouldn’t solve everything. The obstacles ahead were still too high, the threats too sharp.
But it was better.
Compared to bearing it all alone, the burden felt significantly lighter.
In a reassuring feeling she’d never known in the village, Maria felt a smile bloom unbidden.
“Oh, what’s this!”
“…Sheratiya?”
“You two, hic! Why are you holding hands?”
At that mont, Sheratiya burst through the serious atmosphere.
She was utterly drunk. Despite her high tolerance, she staggered, likely having downed several bottles of hard liquor alone.
“Why’s she acting like that?”
Harang muttered, and—
“I think I know.”
Maria replied with a smile.
She let go of Harang’s hand.
Approaching the Viyan heiress with a warm expression, she found teasing this lady quite amusing, but taking it further felt too cruel.
Just as she was about to calmly explain that it was nothing, that there was no need to worry—
A loud voice rang out from the center of the ballroom.
“Hello! I’m Craig, Crove Kingdom’s premier jester and skilled magician, greeting you all! Please, spare a mont for my magic!”
“Whoa! A magician! Wow, a magician!”
Sheratiya, as if she’d never been upset, gleefully welcod the magician’s arrival with childlike excitent.
Seeing her, both Maria and Harang couldn’t help but chuckle.
They nodded, flanked Sheratiya on both sides to support her, and prepared to watch the performance magic of this Craig fellow. Others in the ballroom gathered in small groups, focusing on the magician.
A short ti passed.
After so witty banter, the magician struck the ground with his staff.
Snowflakes began falling from the ceiling, creating a romantic atmosphere.
“Wow!”
“Snow!”
“Not just any snow. These are beautiful, crystalline flakes.”
“Snow indoors… Quite charming, isn’t it?”
The reaction was positive. People smiled at the cozy snowflakes falling in the warm room, and it seed the atmosphere would last until the ball’s end.
But it didn’t.
Swish.
Swish—!
Snowflakes that didn’t lt and reached the floor suddenly grew larger.
More precisely, they sprouted into skeletons with snowman faces.
Ard with swords and shields, or lances and bows, these cute-faced snowman soldiers stood.
“What’s this?”
“Part of the performance?”
At that point, people didn’t grasp the severity of the situation.
But that lasted only a mont.
Slash—!
Thwack!
“…”
“…”
“…A, a, aaaaah!”
When a snowman soldier with a longsword beheaded a nobleman, screams filled the ballroom.
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