“I heard from the lord that more than ten of your subjects have already fallen victim to the demon. Is that true?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Are there any particular characteristics or commonalities among the victims?”
“Most of them were merchants who left the territory to trade goods. They were all found as corpses with their hearts missing.”
“Hearts, you say… Did the perpetrator only attack defenseless civilians?”
“Yes. It’s a very cunning foe. We sent knights disguised as merchants outside the territory, but the demon somehow sensed it and didn’t show up.”
“That means there’s a spy within the territory.”
“I don’t want to believe it, but the chances are high. The knights the lord has dispatched so far have been focusing on this possibility…”
After briefly discussing the current situation with Baron Etvan, I followed him into the territory.
One peculiar thing was that the monkeys, called bibi, were freely roaming around the village.
“Kiik, kiiiik—”
They were begging for food from the villagers or sunbathing on rooftops, completely blending in with the people of the territory.
Seeing this, I was convinced.
‘As expected, this place is similar to the Jerfelt Territory I visited in Disa.’ The rural territory nestled in the mountains was generally quiet and peaceful.
Except for one thing.
‘Damn it, they’re here again. This is the fifth time already.’
‘Damn… I wonder how much they’ll mess around this time.’
‘One young guy and two novice knights. Judging by their appearance, they’re not going to get anywhere this time either.’
The people watching us walk with the lord were whispering among themselves, their eyes full of distrust as sharp as arrows.
Even without asking, I could guess why.
It was because the knights previously dispatched had turned the territory upside down in their search for the demon.
The lord seemed well aware of the public sentiment, and the way he looked at us was far from friendly.
“How long do you plan to stay here?”
Instead of asking how to catch the demon that killed his subjects, he was asking about our duration of stay. This was the evidence.
Even his tone was somewhat cautious.
Understandably, even though Baron Etvan held a title, he was from the lesser branch of the Aster family, specifically the Jerfelt family, which ranked the lowest in hierarchy.
In other words, he was a noble in title only, with power akin to that of a village head.
On the other hand, even though my status was fake, I was a formal knight of the Royal guard, one of the most powerful factions.
If he provoked me, it could cause trouble in the future, so despite the difference in status, he was very careful with his tone and manner.
Seeing Baron Etvan cautiously gauge the atmosphere to avoid further harm to his people, I clicked my tongue lightly inside.
‘Tsk, tsk… You should have handled it moderately. Simply scolding your subordinates won’t solve the problem.’
Cursing the brute Belkan in my mind, I approached Baron Etvan with a sly smile.
“I understand very well what you are concerned about, my lord.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Lowering my voice, I whispered to him, who looked puzzled.
“The lord will visit the Jerfelt Territory in two weeks.”
“That means…”
“It means the lord himself will come to resolve this issue.” Of course, it’s a lie.
The proud Belkan would never come to such a rural territory.
Not just unlikely, it’s absolutely impossible.
Even though I played the Jerfelt Territory quest in Disa multiple times in various ways, Belkan never appeared once.
‘I feel a bit sorry for lying, but this is the fastest and safest way to clear it.’
Baron Etvan, unaware of the truth, seemed to completely believe my story, his haggard eyes widening in surprise.
“Is that really true?!”
I quickly covered his mouth as he shouted.
“Shh, this must never be leaked. The lord has strictly ordered it, so you must keep it.”
Even though it was quite rude for a mere knight to behave like this towards a baron, the startled Etvan didn’t seem to notice.
“Yes, I understand.”
After hastily nodding, I released his mouth and continued quietly.
“Therefore, our mission this time is not to search, but to control. The lord has commanded that no one leaves the territory for the next two weeks to prevent further victims.”
“Don’t worry! We have plenty of supplies stored in the territory’s warehouse, so two weeks is no problem at all! Just leave it to me!”
Baron Etvan thumped his bony chest confidently.
‘He’s even more naive than I saw in Disa.’
Confident that things were progressing as planned, I pretended to be weary and looked at the ground.
“First, I’d like to rest a bit. Is there a decent inn nearby? Preferably one with a tavern.”
“The guards know such places well. I’ll send someone right away, so please wait here for a moment.”
With a bright smile on his gaunt face, Baron Etvan walked away.
After confirming he had completely disappeared, I turned to the Rat and Buta, who had been following me quietly, and the old coachman.
“You know what to do, right? Just follow the plan.”
“Yes, sir!”
Both nodded simultaneously. The old coachman, still unaware of the situation, only rolled his eyes.
“Ugh… I’m dying. I can never get used to riding in a carriage.”
Guided by a guard, I went up to the second floor of an inn with a tavern and collapsed onto the bed with a groan.
Before I possessed this body.
The mattress in my rented room was cheap and uncomfortable, but this bed was much more comfortable compared to the barracks.
“Phew, how long has it been since I enjoyed such luxury?”
Enjoying the comfort of the clean but old sheets, I closed my eyes to check my strength.
[Strength]
▶ [221]
[Summary]
▶ You’ve finally built the core, the foundation to use mana! Your growth rate is beyond imagination.
But don’t get cocky. You’re still just a beginner. Always stay humble!
‘A beginner, huh… Damn it. Who the hell is this guy?’
The tone of the status window was completely different from the game.
I didn’t know its identity, but I didn’t like it.
But I wasn’t too upset. Thanks to building the core through Hyuncheon Gong, my strength had nearly doubled.
‘221, huh… The standard for reaching 3-star strength was 500, right?’
Now that I could use mana, my growth rate would accelerate significantly compared to before.
‘Great. At this rate, I can reach 4-star strength in a year and a half at most.’
As I lay there, staring at the ceiling with satisfaction, a familiar voice whispered in my ear.
- A knight on a mission lying on the bed, doing nothing. You’re living quite a life, aren’t you, disciple?
Since that question, Idrian had remained silent, like a clam.
Sensing an opportunity, I decided to provoke Idrian to satisfy my curiosity.
‘Who are you calling a disciple?’
- Look at this shameless brat! I opened your senses to mana and even personally taught you my prized Hyuncheon Gong, and you deny being my disciple?
Four years of playing Disa.
Twenty thousand hours of playtime.
Having dealt with countless NPCs, I had a knack for handling types like Idrian.
Idrian, who was talkative, proud, and loved to show off, would respond better to calculated provocations than polite questions.
‘From what I’ve learned, it doesn’t seem any different from a regular cultivation technique. Why are you so boastful about it?’
- What?! You fool! You, a descendant of the Sword Clan, fail to recognize the greatness of Hyuncheon Gong?
Idrian’s voice trembled with anger at my insolent reply. It seemed I had deeply wounded his pride.
‘Isn’t it true? You keep making vague claims about constructing a spiritual domain or whatever. Had I known, I would’ve just learned the Sword Style… But now that I’ve already mastered Hyuncheon Gong, there’s no turning back. What are you going to do about it? Take responsibility.’
- You, you insolent brat. Listen up. Let me tell you what Hyuncheon Gong, which I painstakingly created, is all about…
Hooked by my provocation, Idrian began to explain Hyuncheon Gong in detail.
It was a lengthy and elaborate explanation.
However, I found it neither boring nor pointless.
Rather, I was filled with joy at obtaining such a tremendous opportunity, a hope that I could survive in this damned world.
- … So, I assure you, Hyuncheon Gong is an unparalleled cultivation technique that has never existed in this world. Do you understand?
Idrian concluded his nearly hour-long lecture with a gruff remark.
- But if you have no intention of becoming my disciple, then I have no intention of teaching you any further. Go back to your clan and learn their precious Sword Style.
‘So, should I start calling you master now?’
- Hmph, you, a descendant of the Sword Clan, are too proud to… What?!
Startled by my unhesitating response, Idrian yelled. I sat up straight on the bed and spoke in a deliberately respectful tone, sealing the deal.
‘I said I would become your disciple.’
- You, you spineless wretch of the Sword Clan. How can you change your stance so easily?
‘Does pride fill your belly? There is one thing I need to clarify, though.’
After a moment of silence, Idrian spoke quietly, as if lost for words at my shameless attitude.
- … What is it?
‘Is it true that one can master Hyuncheon Gong and the Sword Style simultaneously?’
- Didn’t I tell you? Hyuncheon Gong, based on the spiritual domain, is different from ordinary cultivation techniques. If you learn it first, it’s possible to master the Sword Style as well.
Normally, it would be impossible.
Once a core is established, learning another cultivation technique is impossible within Disa’s system.
But Idrian claimed it was possible.
This meant that if I mastered Hyuncheon Gong properly, I could surpass the limitations I knew.
‘Then I look forward to your guidance, Master.’
- What an odd fellow…
As I smiled brightly and greeted Idrian, a commotion erupted from the inn’s tavern on the first floor.
“What the hell, you bastard! If you’ve got a problem, come at me!”
“Y-yeah, bring it on. Do you know who we are?”
Crash!
The sounds of scuffling and breaking objects accompanied the shouts of Rat and Buta.
“Those guys. They’re doing just as instructed.”
Muttering softly, I got up and headed downstairs to carry out my mission.
