Chapter 106

A space that looks like a not-so-large warehouse.

A woman with an eye patch and tattoos on her body shook the blood off a grayish blade onto the floor and spoke.

“This punk doesn’t know either.”

As soon as the woman spoke while shaking the blood off the blade, the five bound men and women in front of her trembled violently.

“P-please… spare me…”

It happened in an instant. The moment the man begged for his life, his head and body were separated.

*Splat*

*Thud*

“Gasp… Hii… Ugh…”

“Did I say you could open your mouth?”

As soon as the woman spoke, everyone held their breath so quietly that even the sound of breathing disappeared. A clear sign of how terrified they were of her.

After a while of silence, the woman spoke again.

“Shintae, speak up. What were you planning to do with the embezzled funds and drugs?”

“…B-boss…”

“Tch… I told you not to call me that. It’s cringe, you little punk.”

“P-please, just spare me this once! I-I was blinded by greed! Just one chance…”

“Shut the hell up, you punk. I picked you up from the back alleys where you couldn’t even act like a human, gave you a chance to handle some money, and this is how you repay me? Sneaking around behind my back.”

“P-please…”

“Shut it. Just tell me where you stashed the money and drugs.”

“W-well…”

“Ugh, hey, cut off one of this punk’s arms.”

As soon as the woman finished speaking, a man holding an axe stepped forward from beside her.

“Yes, ma’am.”

As the axe-wielding man approached, the bound man frantically started to speak.

“I-I’ll talk! Wait, just wait!”

“F*ck off. You should’ve taken the chance when I gave it to you. You think I can’t find the drugs and money without you?”

“No…! No…!”

Soon, the sound of something being cut and the man’s scream echoed, but most people in the room remained unfazed.

“Ugh, damn… This is why you gotta be careful who you do business with.”

At the woman’s cold words, the man next to her bowed his head and spoke.

“…I’m sorry, Master.”

The woman placed her hand on the apologetic subordinate’s shoulder.

Her arm looked fragile compared to the man’s, as if it would break if touched, but the man didn’t dare resist.

“Yeah, you know what I’m saying, right? I told you to pick people carefully. Right?”

“…….”

“Let’s do better, okay? People make mistakes, but if you keep making the same ones… I can’t let it slide. Got it?”

“…Yes, thank you, Master.”

“Good. As for the rest of you, deal with these punks and find out what you can. Then we’re done here.”

“Yes!”

As the room was being cleared, one of the dragged men screamed in rage.

Of course, everyone’s attention naturally turned to him.

“You… you devil! Born as the daughter of a famous yakuza on Earth, having everything from birth…! Over some money…! You bitch! Kill me! Just kill me!”

Everyone froze as if they’d seen a ghost.

The sight of everyone watching one person’s reaction was indescribable.

“……”

“Y-you… damn bitch…!”

“Bring him forward.”

“Yes, yes…!”

The man who had been screaming was dragged in front of the woman, and after hesitating, he continued trembling.

“F*ck, you bitch! Kill me! If you’re gonna kill me, just do it—!”

“…Well, we’ve got a brave warrior here. Fits right into Eras, huh?”

“W-what are you…”

The woman crouched down to eye level with the man and glared at him.

“Of course, you don’t know how to use your own head. You just drool over other people’s achievements. If you were so greedy, you should’ve used your brain to start your own business instead of stealing and running away.”

The man was utterly overwhelmed by the woman’s blood-stained, menacing face.

Her face, if cleaned of blood, would be captivating enough to make men’s hearts ache, but the man facing her felt nothing but terror.

“Well, since you’ve pissed me off, you’ll have to pay the price. You’ll be begging me to kill you quickly soon enough. Look forward to it.”

“W-wait…!”

“Get the syringe.”

“Huh… Boss, y-you’re really gonna use that?”

“The syringe.”

“Ah… Yes! Here…”

As soon as the woman took the syringe, she immediately stabbed it into the bound man’s neck.

“Gah! Ugh! Ughhh!”

The syringe contained a drug that heightened the senses several times over.

While it could amplify pleasure, it was also perfect for inflicting pain.

“Skin him alive and dump him.”

“…Yes!”

As the woman walked away from the scene, a man who seemed to be her close aide cautiously spoke up.

“Um, Master. I have something to report.”

“What is it?”

“Well… the drug distribution line in Baronia has been cut off.”

“…Explain.”

“It seems… some clans in the Neutral Country were hired to investigate. One clan looked into the drugs, and the Red Ant Clan Master was captured and executed. Naturally, the clan is practically dissolved… It might be hard to find a new route.”

“Tch… Really? I expected it to be busted eventually, but I didn’t think the Neutral Country would act this fast.”

“……”

“Whatever. I was planning to ditch that route anyway after the Red Ant Clan Master changed.”

“Ah… Is that so? Any reason…?”

“The new Clan Master… he’s a coward.”

“…A coward?”

“I could see it in his eyes. He was going to bail soon. The previous Red Ant Clan Master was a perfect business partner. It’s a shame.”

“Ah… I see.”

“What was it again? Something about a slave escaping and killing everyone? I couldn’t believe it when I heard it.”

“…A single slave?”

“Yeah, at first I thought it was nonsense, but turns out it was true. Tch, seriously…”

“……”

“Anyway, who’s been messing with my business? At least give me a name.”





“Shouldn’t you know?”

“Ah… well, it’s the Eternity Clan.”

“…Eternity Clan? The one I know, with the crazy master from Baronia?”

“Yes, that’s correct, Master.”

“Didn’t that clan fall apart? I heard Gu Yeon-jeong died.”

“Ah… it almost did. Most members left the clan except for the new recruits.”

“…But?”

“Here’s the crazy part. Surprisingly, the remaining newbies went on an expedition, succeeded, contributed to uncovering a spy from the outlaws, and didn’t act like newbies at all. They even solved a case commissioned by the royal palace and revived the clan.”

“Huh…”

“Right now, Baronia is buzzing because of this. Plus, they’re in an alliance with the Myth Clan.”

“…An alliance with the Myth Clan?”

As soon as the Myth Clan was mentioned, the woman’s eyes lit up.

“Yes…”

“Yoon Yeon, that’s the clan she’s the master of, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“…Interesting.”

“…And although the Eternity Clan solved the commission, the main contributor this time was a male clan member named Lee Yun-seong.”

“Lee Yun-seong? Never heard of him.”

“He’s been making waves in Baronia lately. Turns out he’s connected to all the major events—uncovering the outlaw spy, the alliance with the Myth Clan, and the royal palace commission. Of course, the current Clan Master, Yoo Ju, is also famous for her unbelievable strength for a newbie.”

“…Really? Anyway, is this Lee Yun-seong deeply involved in this matter?”

“…Yes.”

“Huh… A clan with such a hot streak lately… I’d like to meet them. Yoon Yeon, I’d like to see her face too.”

“……”

“Once this matter is settled, I’ll have nothing left to do here. It wouldn’t be bad to go see the cute brat who messed with my plans. Since it’s related to Yoon Yeon too… This could be fun.”

“…..”

“Find out as much as you can about the Eternity Clan and that Lee Yun-seong guy.”

“Yes.”

******

The royal palace’s subjugation operation has concluded. The result: success. The palace announced that they successfully subjugated all but one escapee.

If you go out into the streets and enter a tavern, you’ll always hear stories about it.

“Hey, did you hear? Those lunatics conducting human experiments were captured in a mass subjugation by the royal palace.”

“Despicable bastards. I heard they even bought slaves for their experiments.”

“They got what they deserved. It’s all thanks to the wise leaders of the neutral countries, right? I heard Tayos and the Eastern Alliance couldn’t even speak up because of these guys.”

“Thank goodness we live in a neutral country. They were taken down before they could do anything…”

“Hey, did you hear? The Eternity Clan is the one who actually solved this.”

“Ah… that guy from Eternity, what was his name? Lee Yun-seong?”

“Yeah, I heard he was the one who really made a difference during the outlaw spy incident too.”

“Wow… hasn’t it only been about a year since he arrived here? To make such an impact in such a short time…”

Everywhere you go, it’s all people talk about. Honestly, when the conversation turns to me, I feel so embarrassed I want to hide.

It’s only natural, though. I’ve only been in this world for about a year, and I’ve already been involved in all sorts of incidents.

“Everywhere you go, it’s all about your clan. Must be nice.”

“…Charis, you’re technically a member of our clan too.”

“Sorry, but I don’t feel any sense of belonging to this clan. I’m an indigenous person, after all.”

“Well… you’ll get used to it eventually.”

“Yeah, right.”

Wi Ho-yeon, who had been listening to my conversation with Charis, chimed in with a sharp tone.

“Charis, please refrain from using rude language towards Lee Yun-seong. He is your direct superior.”

“…Hmph, you’ve got yourself a loyal subordinate.”

Charis, who disrupts group discipline, and Wi Ho-yeon, who strictly enforces it, seemed unlikely to ever get along.

‘Why can’t there be a middle ground? Why are they both so extreme?’

“Well, even if it’s half-hearted, haven’t we given you the freedom you wanted? There haven’t been any major incidents, so it’s been quiet. Isn’t this the life you wanted, Charis?”

“…What I want is to build a family like everyone else and grow old as a mother. Not this.”

“Life doesn’t always go the way you want. Sometimes you have to compromise. Haven’t I been accommodating enough?”

Honestly, it’s my fault she ended up like this, even though she didn’t do anything… but I’ve been pretty lenient with her.

After all, I’m in a position where I could control her as I please.

I’m not exactly a saint, but if she had fallen into the hands of truly vile people, it wouldn’t have ended this well for her.

She would’ve suffered all sorts of horrors.

And slave magic doesn’t even allow the slave to die.

“I am… a little grateful for that. But…”

“What do you want me to do? There’s nothing more I can do for you. Who knows? If you behave and continue to contribute to the clan, maybe I’ll grant you full freedom.”

“…What?”

Of course, that’s a lie. My conscience pricks a little, but I have no intention of ever letting her go.

‘Am I crazy? Let go of such a valuable asset?’

You have to make the most of such talent.