Chapter 118: Geum Taeyang Hiding His Power?
“Welcome!”
A beautiful female employee greeted us.
Where’s Master Hephal?
The employee looked at me as I looked around and said,
“Are you perhaps Mr. Geum Taeyang?”
“You know me?”
“Yes, the Master asked me to give you this if you came.”
Master?Ah, I still have a long way to go before I can adapt to this city.
This woman isn’t an employee, she’s Master Hephal’s slave.
“So the weapon is finished? Show me.”
“Master! May I go and report back?”
“Sure. Choose whatever you like.”
The employee placed a small box on the table.
When she opened the lid, a crescent moon-shaped dagger was revealed.
A custom-made dagger.
My weapon, commissioned by Verdia to the Hephal family.
Can I take it now?
I made eye contact with the employee.
“This dagger is a combat dagger, its name is Dawn Moon (Seo-wol).”
Dawn Moon.
What kind of name is that for a dagger?
I guess this being another world, the sentiment of naming a sword is a bit cringeworthy.
But….
I understand the desire to give a cool sword a name.
You can’t help but think of the moon when you see the white, beautiful blade.
As I was examining Dawn Moon, I asked something that was bothering me a little.
“Did I ask for a combat dagger?”
“Well, the Master said… that this dagger was ordered as a combat dagger….”
Unsure of herself, the slave’s shoulders slumped.
“He’s right. I did order it for combat. Your master saw right through me.”
“I-Is that so…! That’s a relief.”
That old man, he’s a pro after all.
Verdia probably requested a self-defense dagger, but from the moment she asked for a blade length of over 18cm, Hephal might have already understood the true meaning behind my request.
This weapon is for combat… or rather, for killing.
In that case….
I picked up Dawn Moon and flicked the blade with my finger.
It’s flexible.
It bends easily due to its elasticity, but it doesn’t break.
And yet, the blade is extremely sharp.
To think he created a weapon that’s not inferior to modern technology… That’s amazing.
The slave looked at me anxiously as I played with the blade, but….
It won’t break because it’s flexible.
If it were just hard, it would break when force is applied.
“I like it.”
Only after hearing my words did the slave’s expression brighten.
“Tell him I’ll take a few more pieces of equipment from the store.”
“Yes, sir.”
No need for payment!
I’m good for it.
I sheathed Dawn Moon, attached it to my belt, and walked over to the display case where Cecil was.
“Did you choose?”
“Looking for knuckles!”
“Knuckles….”
I think Cecil is good at fighting in general, using her whole body.
If she even wears knuckles…? I wouldn’t be confident in winning even with a sword….
“Ugh. It’s hard to choose, they’re all good.”
“How about this one?”
I went to the next display case and pointed to a pair of knuckles that were clearly in a different price range.
“Th-That’s too expensive….”
“It’s only 10 gold coins?”
“Oppa, your sense of money is messed up! Knuckles shouldn’t cost 10 gold coins, it’s a rip-off!”
The employee, who was listening from afar, laughed awkwardly.
…Well, even I would think it’s strange if a kitchen knife cost over ten thousand dollars.
“Our lives are on the line, we need to buy good equipment.”
“That item is made from the bone of a Primordial Dragon, so….”
“Wow! A dragon!”
“A dragon? Those exist…?”
“It was imported from Dragon Street.”
Ah….
Come to think of it, there was a street with such a fearsome name in this city.
“Dragon Street.”
I wonder why that place isn’t the highest difficulty.
Is there a Dragon Slayer in the Devil’s District?
“Would you like to try them on?”
Cecil looked surprised as she put on the white knuckles.
“They’re light!”
“And sturdy.”
“You want these?”
“Yes! I like them. I feel so much stronger!”
We decided to pay for them later.
Since I didn’t have any cash on me….
Cecil also picked out quite a variety of other weapons. 12 throwing knives, a chain whip, a short spear, a shield, a pair of swords….
I started to get a little worried as I watched her.
“Are you sure you can use all of that? You’re not just picking them up randomly, are you?”
“Yes, I can use them all!”
“Even so….”
Isn’t this a bit excessive?
My worries were short-lived as Cecil attached the twin swords to her waist, hid the chain whip and throwing knives in her clothes, strapped the shield and short spear to her back, and freed both of her hands.
“Fully armed Cecil! Ta-da!”
“What’s your current combat power?”
“Around 600!”
It’s gone up by 100.
“It’s better to have more spare weapons. You never know what might happen in a dungeon.”
“This is all I need.”
I tapped the dagger on my waist.
“Oppa, are you good with daggers?”
“Better than swords.”
“Show me!”
“Show you what…? You mean like this?”
I showed her how to spin the dagger.
“Wow! Wow! Teach me how to do that!”
“You’ll cut your fingers off.”
“Oppa, you’re like an acrobat!”
“This is nothing. Master was even….”
“The Orc mister?”
“No….”
That’s a story for when I met my second master.
Was Bior my fourteenth…?
It might seem like I changed masters every year, but I always learned diligently.
To become a man worthy of my destiny.
“It’s an old story.”
Of course, I don’t have any embarrassing memories of running around with a dagger in my school days.
And I have no intention of bragging about such things as heroic tales.
I can’t do things like “17 Division.” I can’t even see the “Death Line.”
The reason I’m good with daggers isn’t because of that… but because I used to hunt wild animals for a living, so it naturally became familiar to my hands.
I’ve never actually had the chance to fight a person with a blade. And that’s only natural.
Because I lived in a world where you’d get thrown in jail for picking a fight with someone while holding a blade.
My opponents were always animals. The toughest ones were definitely wild boars.
They’re aggressive and don’t die easily, so personally, they were tougher than bears.
“I want to hear about your past, Oppa!”
“It’s not interesting. It was just a lot of hardship.”
Who would understand if I told them all that hardship was for the sake of stealing other men’s women?
This is my own, unique destiny.
In this world, I might even become a murderer for the first time.
I might take someone’s life.
‘I’m nervous.’
This was a first for me.
Cecil also became quiet as we left the store and headed towards the Devil’s District.
There’s no one here.
Really, there was no one.
As if it were a sin to even come near this street, there was a clear absence of people.
As we passed through the dark forest and reached a thick wall, we spotted guards guarding a checkpoint.
But they felt different from the Chartreuse guards.
“Oppa. Those people are strong.”
“I think so too.”
Why do only they have a different atmosphere?
It’s because they’re not residents of this city.
The guards’ eyes were sharp, as if they were still in the middle of a war. Their equipment was messy and their helmets weren’t worn properly, but….
I get the feeling that they’re dangerous.
Can we really pass through here so easily?
‘Calm down.’
They’re just lowly guards.
What’s with this fear already?
I slowly approached the checkpoint with Cecil.
“Halt.”
As soon as we moved, the guards pointed their spears at us.
“This isn’t a place for pups from the Beast District. Turn back.”
I raised my hands playfully.
“You’re not even going to ask ‘Who goes there?’ before telling us to turn back?”
“I don’t care who you are, if you don’t want to die, turn back.”
Cecil clenched her fists.
No, it’s okay….
If I get worked up here too, Cecil might jump out and cause a scene.
I patted Cecil’s head reassuringly and walked forward.
“I have a permit from the Chartreuse family. Please allow me to pass through to the Devil’s District.”
“What?”
“You’re not messing with us….”
“You’re telling me someone actually brought a permit like that?”
“….”
Wasn’t this the right way to do it?
Seeing the guards openly annoyed, it seems like no one has recently come here with a permit from the Four Great Families like me.
Looking closely, the guards weren’t human.
Beastmen, like Rufus.
Their heads were those of beasts. One was a dog, the other a bear….
The one that looked like a bear spoke.
“It looks real…. The seal, the elegant handwriting….”
“Sniff sniff. Is that the scent of that famous noblewoman?”
“….”
These bastards….
As if Verdia’s scent would be on the permit.
Even if they are like this, they seem to know the authority of the Four Great Families.
“Hold on. We’ll go show our captain.”
“….”
Tsk….
Even though they know I’m under the protection of the Four Great Families, their tone doesn’t change….
It seems these guys really aren’t residents of the Beast District.
They just look at me curiously, even after I show them the permit.
‘This place is definitely dangerous….’
In the Beast District, my social status protects me.
But beyond this wall… all of that means nothing.
I’m just a clueless foreigner wandering around.
‘It’s fine.’
That’s why I brought Cecil.
Cecil is considered one of the strongest in the Beast District, with no one able to match her.
She swept aside the guards at the Grace mansion like fallen leaves.
Could these gatekeepers possibly be a match for her?
‘Cecil is definitely stronger.’
Than these two, at least.
Soon, a large beastman, who seemed to be their captain, blocked our path.
He’s huge….
He must be over 2 meters tall.
A beastman like Rufus…. No, he’s practically a beast standing on two legs, with over 90% of him being animal.
Blue fur and golden eyes!
The scar that ran diagonally across his face was very impressive.
It’s definitely not a fashion statement…. How did he almost get his face split in half?
“Captain. It’s these guys.”
“I brought a permit from the Chartreuse family.”
“Let me see.”
What, you didn’t memorize it?
The beastman, called the captain, scratched his chest hair and read the permit.
“I can’t let you pass.”
“I’ll take responsibility if it’s a forgery. The landlord of this district also vouched….”
“That’s not what I mean, buddy.”
The beastman captain cut me off and ripped the permit Verdia had written.
What…!
Is this guy insane?
A measly checkpoint captain…!
“Do you have any idea what you just did?”
“I do. I just ripped up a permit officially issued by the Chartreuse family.”
“What’s your reason….”
“A reason? There’s no grand reason. I just ripped it because I felt like it.”
He ripped it… because he felt like it?
“You think weaklings like you should be wandering around a place like this? Get lost.”
“Hehehe. The captain has spoken, you’re not getting through here.”
“Scram!”
“Who do you think you are….”
Damn it, this is so absurd I’m speechless.
Just because…? He ripped it just because he felt like it?
“You, you got something you’re confident in?”
“If you want to overturn my decision, bring a dragon or something.”
“His word is absolute here!”
“Kneel before Lord Viscal, the Beast King!”
If they’re going to be this unreasonable, we have no choice but to force our way through.
I took out Dawn Moon and looked around.
“Absolute, you say? It’s just a small forest with a checkpoint… and a single room.
What kind of Beast King are you? Don’t make me laugh!”
“Hahaha.”
Viscal burst into laughter.
“You have no idea what it means to guard this place. It’s understandable that a little chick like you wouldn’t understand.”
He’s looking down on me until the very end….
“I’ll give you a hand if you can’t walk out of here on your own two feet.”
Viscal reached out to me.
And at that moment!
“Don’t touch my Master!”
Cecil, who had been in battle mode the whole time, jumped out.
It was a mistake to shout and draw attention if she was planning a surprise attack.
But I’ve never seen Cecil move so fast!
Something white flashed by…!
Viscal’s body was thrown back!
“You think you need help before me…?”
“Huh…?”
Cecil’s ankle was caught in Viscal’s hand.
It looked like she was thrown back… but it was an illusion.
Viscal lifted Cecil like a fish and burst into laughter.
Fear gripped me more than anger.
Their levels… are on a different scale…!
“Hehehe.”
“Uhihi.”
“That girl is pretty, why don’t we have her for ourselves, Captain?”
“You idiots. That’s why you’re stuck as my underlings.”
“That’s harsh, Captain.”
“If you want a female, go get one yourself. Don’t rely on scraps falling from my plate.”
Viscal looked Cecil up and down and said,
“You look quite tasty. But I can’t have you…. A weakling like you is useless once you get knocked up.”
“Ugh!”
I drew Dawn Moon.
Even if I have to run, I need to save Cecil first!
“Let go of Cecil.”
“What are you going to do with that little knife….”
Viscal’s eyes widened.
“What are you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Why are you being protected by a female weaker than you?”