1138
fury
At the master’s fierce shout, the subordinates hurriedly nodded their heads, pulled the lever on the wall, and ran into the passage leading to the underground sewer.
There were some crazy knights roaming around outside right now, so I had to move through the secret passage to contact my other colleagues in the city they knew.
-Should I go and give you the call? Tell me quickly. Don’t forget to report it and pass it on.
“… … ”
“… … ”
The thieves were truly shocked when they saw the Death Knights calmly speaking to them from the underground sewers where no one knew of their existence.
What was even scarier was that he was just talking to me leisurely, like a guard on patrol.
-Aren’t you going to answer?
“… Okay, I will do that.”
-Yes. Hurry up! We are busy people, and your successor is even busier. If you don’t find them, we can’t predict what you will do!
‘You crazy wizard bastards! You crazy devil worshippers bastards!’
The thieves ran through the damp underground passage, cursing everything in the world.
Why did they come to this city and fight among themselves instead of just fighting among themselves outside?
* * *
The nightmare of Befaim City did not end at the tavern.
If even one of them was caught, he couldn’t be released without having to reveal everything about the suspicious places in the city, and as a result…
Many small-time citizens of Befaim City, who had been conducting illegal business with humble and honest hearts, were struck by lightning.
“Is this it?”
“Yes! Yes! Please let me go!”
“I have to check and then let him go. If there’s no suspicious guy here, you and I will go to Ainrogard.”
“… … ”
The smuggler looked as if he was seriously considering whether he should take the poison now.
Long ago, there were several of my comrades who were taken to Einrogard and never heard from again.
“Tell everyone inside to come out.”
Naturally, the herbalist protested loudly at Lee Han’s words.
This shop, which had a brass pestle-shaped sign hanging on its signboard, dealt in not only various remedies but also illegal goods, and this type of shop was a little different from the previous tavern.
As it is located in a bustling area, it receives support and protection from nobles and the wealthy.
So the herbalist took out the name of the baron to whom he had given the most money.
“Are you crazy?! Do you know where this is! Baron Waltaha…”
“Did you hear that? Please bring it in.”
-Yes. Yes.
The knights walked away, their speech leisurely, like merchants taking goods out of a display case.
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At that sight, the herbalist froze as if he had been hit by a cold spell.
What he just saw frightened the apothecary more than any threats, shouting, or swearing.
“Huh… Don’t brag. You can’t just arrest the Baron in Bephaim City like that. Do you know what kind of person the Baron is?!”
“I don’t care since I’m going back to Ainrogard anyway.”
Lee Han responded calmly.
I’ve been feeling this lately, but there have been many times when my status as an Ain Rogard has been secretly helpful.
Especially if you return to Einrogarde after an accident, there isn’t much you can do, even if it’s the law of the empire.
Of course, he would be punished by the angry skeleton headmaster according to the laws of Einrogarde, but wouldn’t it be better than being punished outside?
‘Is this why my seniors were having accidents outside?’
While Lee Han was gaining a dangerous realization, the herbalist was at a loss as to what to do.
No matter what, common sense told me that I wouldn’t be able to capture Baron Waltaha in the middle of the night, but at the same time, I also thought that he might really be crazy since he came from Einrogard.
If we really capture the Baron…
‘This is a big deal.’
From Baron Waltaha’s perspective, he will first try to capture and kill the apothecary, regardless of whether he protests to Einrogard later or not.
How can you be so confident in something like this just because you took a bribe and gave me some favors?
“Lord Wardanaz. While we wait, should we check to see if there are any illegal reagents inside?”
“That’s a very good idea. Please.”
“Wodanas!?”
The herbalist opened his eyes wide when he heard the family name.
“If you are a wizard of the Wardanaz family, then you must be a wizard who devotes himself to the good people of the Empire!!”
“It looks like you misheard the rumor.”
-It’s not a rumor.
As Lee Han answered bluntly, the knights next to him intervened.
Of course, they were turning the herbal medicine shop upside down, but even in the process, the knights wanted to tell their successors that the good rumors were true.
-Do you know how much work the student Wardanaz has done here? If you knew, what are you blabbering about now? Anyway, I couldn’t even say anything like that to the Baron.
-Who saved the city of Bephaim from famine? You ungrateful bastard. Don’t you know shame?
“… … ”
Despite the knights’ criticism, the herbalist was simply dumbfounded.
Why would such a great and kind wizard come here in the middle of the night and do this?
-I brought it!
The knights appeared, carrying the Baron on his horse, with a distant clattering sound. The Baron, who was wearing his nightgown, had a pale face.
“Your Majesty, your face looks strange. Are you threatening me?”
“Shh. Be quiet, Father Siana.”
Nigisor quickly silenced his friend’s whispers. The people in the surrounding shops were watching, murmuring.
“You must be cold because you came out at night. Also, since you are undead, there is an unnatural cold air flowing around you.”
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Tijingling spoke quickly as if interfering. The people in the surrounding shops made ‘oh’ expressions at those words.
The priest had a very sincere impression, so whatever he said sounded plausible.
Of course, Siana wasn’t fooled by that. She was just surprised.
‘I never thought that Priest Tijiling would tell such a lie…!’
“Baron! Help me… ugh!”
“You crazy bastard! You crazy bastard! What kind of evil demon is in your heart that you are dragging me into this!”
The Baron was so angry that he hit the apothecary with the pajama hat he was wearing.
It was not the sort of thing a dignified city gentry would see on the street in the middle of the night, but Baron Waltaha had no choice.
I was suddenly kidnapped in the middle of the night and taken away, and I was even threatened with a few harsh words of resistance along the way. And all of this was because this herbalist was dragging me in like a water ghost.
“You should die alone!”
“Oh no! I was wrong!”
The dead-eyed herbalist confessed to the truth about his hidden ledgers and the suspicious men he had seen recently.
Unfortunately, not all of them were evil-worshipers. They were mostly smugglers and thieves who had recently taken advantage of the chaos to sneak in.
-Oh, that’s too bad.
-Ah. What a pity. I really thought this guy was a demon worshipper.
-Why? Because your impression is so evil?
-No. I thought it was suspicious that he lived a regular life as a criminal.
-indeed!
Baron Waltaha coughed as he watched the knights chatting.
Although he had little authority because of his pajamas, the Baron still squeezed out what little authority he had left and spoke.
“Ahem. Ahem.”
-Ah. Woof woof… Woof… ? Um, Baron. What’s the matter?
The knight quickly changed the subject after hesitating because he was confused about the names. It would have been more rude to try to guess the answer by force and end up getting it wrong.
“Now that this insolent herbalist’s business is over, can I go back as well?”
-Yes. Let’s go together.
“Are you going to stand as my escort?”
-You mean escort? Ah… yes. I have to provide escort on the way and also inspect the mansion.
“… … ”
The baron, who was about to take a step, froze in place.
Where were you just investigating?
“I, I think I misheard… Why are you investigating my mansion?”
“You received money from the herbalist, so we should investigate. There might be an evil spirit worshipper inside the mansion.”
Lee Han answered instead. The Baron was furious.
“What nonsense are you talking about! Do you have any proof that I did that?!”
“You said you received money from the herbalist.”
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“How many people in this city took money from herbalists!”
“Then tell me everything.”
“… … ”
Baron Waltaha was astonished at the sense of emptiness that seemed to be facing a wall.
What kind of guy is this?
“I will never tolerate this!”
-What are you going to do if I don’t accept it?
The knight who had personally accompanied the Baron asked quietly. Baron Waltaha froze at the question.
The threat I had just heard on my way here came back to me.
-By the way, Baron. Do you know where the supplies provided to Befaim City came from? They came from Count Buyong’s mansion.
“Your Majesty, you are misunderstanding. To be precise, it is not that we robbed, but because of the embezzlement of relief supplies…”
Although Lee Han explained, the Baron had already fallen on deaf ears.
– Baron. We don’t usually give two warnings. But you’ve already warned us twice. Do you think we’re some kind of puppet knights of the Empire?
Although such occurrences have been relatively rare in recent times, these knights were originally cruel riders who brought destruction and ruin at the command of the Skeleton Headmaster.
The Baron swallowed without realizing it as the incidents he had seen in the Imperial newspapers during his childhood came to mind.
“… No. Absolutely not.”
-Be careful with your actions in the future.
The Death Knights spoke with their eyes shining with a ghostly light. Lee Han consoled them instead.
“If you cooperate, nothing will happen.”
“… … ”
Honestly, Baron Waltaha was more afraid of this wizard than the knights.
How can you be so calm while commanding these crazy undeads…!
* * *
As the night passed and morning came, a storm of protest letters began to arrive.
Of course, those who had been robbed at night could not send such things, and those who had not yet been lucky enough to be robbed were frightened and took the lead.
They can’t just sit still, not knowing when the blade will fly at them.
The first place they contacted was the bishops of the church. Because the disaster in Befaim was so severe, the bishops were nearby.
“Bishop! Please listen to our request! Even if we came here to do good deeds, are you saying that we can ignore the laws and morals of the empire and do whatever we want?! There is a procedure for everything!”
The city’s thugs brought with them laws and rules that were not usually observed.
That’s why I was so scared.
Some crazy wizard is leading a raid with his death knights…
But the bishops’ reaction was very different from what was expected.
“If you are a wizard from the Wardanaz family, aren’t you a wizard who spares no effort in providing material and spiritual support during this disaster?”
“If you are trying to slander the young wizard because of Count Buyong’s business, the Order can never agree to it.”
“Ah, no…! It has nothing to do with Count Buyong…! It’s really pure…!”
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The bishops and priests in this area were the most popular, so no harm was done.
One bishop even shouted, “How can you slander such absurdly? You wicked people!”
The ruffians, swallowing their anger and retreating, looked for their next target: wizards from other magic schools in the empire.
It may be a little unsightly, but it’s still a magic school after all…
“Great archmages from Baldrogard! Please, watch out for the evil deeds of a fellow wizard…”
“Huh! I know everything! You evil people. You must be trying to cause discord between Baldrogard and Einrogard. Even if Wodanaz used a bit of extreme methods, do you think that will work?”
‘little?’
Zandani’s junior was skeptical, but unfortunately, the person in charge of the Baldrogard students was this senior.
When no amount of persuasion or reporting worked, the scoundrels retreated again, shedding tears of blood.
“Are you saying there are no laws in the empire?”
In the end, the ruffians made the choice they least wanted to make.
It was to be reported directly to the officials.
As it happened, there was an overseer sent ahead of the bishops because of the disaster.
The Imperial Overseer, his bones bruised from overwork, frowned as he inspected the damaged farmland and saw the crowd rushing in.
Some of them were people doing suspicious business whose faces were known even to the supervisor.
“What’s going on?”
“Your Majesty! Please resolve our grievances!”
There were no people on worse terms with the Einrogard wizards than the imperial officials, especially the high-ranking officials.
Even if it was for the sake of justice, it wouldn’t have been strange for me to immediately get angry and write a letter if I heard that the Skeleton Principal’s minions were running wild in the city without any laws.
“Wodanaz? You said clearly that it was the Wodanaz family?”
“Yes! It’s definitely the Wardanaz family that is currently attending Einrogard!”
“I see. I understand. I will write a letter and send it to His Majesty the Emperor. Then everyone, go back.”
“Thank you! Thank you!”
As the ruffians left in ecstasy, the supervisor immediately burned the note he had just written in front of them.
If it had been the evil archmage himself who had caused the accident, it would have been reported immediately, but if it had been the boy from the Wardanaz family, it was a different story.
How could His Majesty the Emperor, and even the officials under him, report a young wizard who he cared about just because of a few slanderous words from those guys?
‘I’m sure my bastards caused the accident.’
It was a sight that would have made the skeleton principal collapse with jealousy.
