Chapter 183

Chapter 184. The Contract Must Be Honored (3)

“Damn it, a carriage smaller than a doghouse. How did I end up like this…!”

Inside the moving carriage, Marquis Galahind kept complaining, hitting the walls of the carriage.

As he said, the carriage wasn’t small. It was a 4-seater, and since he was alone, there was plenty of space to even lie down.

But for Galahind, who used to ride in 12-seater carriages, a 4-seater was worse than the size of a doghouse in his mansion.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t afford a 4-seater. It was because of the law that only lower nobles could ride in 6-seaters, and anything larger was reserved for upper nobles.

“Those Sephira bastards, how dare they sue me? I will definitely pay them back.”

Galahind’s words weren’t just empty threats. As Keter had predicted, he had plenty of hidden funds.

Moreover, Galahind had even decided to seek asylum in the Empire.

“With this country’s secrets and millions of gold, I can become a count in the Empire. Hehehe.”

Galahind clenched his fist, already envisioning himself rising through the ranks as a noble of the Empire.

“Just wait. With the Empire’s power, I’ll make Sephira and Eslow grovel at my feet.”

Just as Galahind was vowing revenge…

“Whoa!”

Screech! Thud!

The carriage came to an abrupt halt, and Galahind’s face slammed into the wall.

“Gah! My, my teeth!”

Galahind, who had hit his mouth first, groaned in pain, clutching his shaky front teeth. He opened the carriage window and shouted.

“You trash! Why did you stop suddenly? Tell me the reason right now, or I’ll cut your throat!”

“Someone suddenly jumped out, so I had to stop.”

“Wha, what? Someone?”

Galahind’s face turned pale.

‘Is it Keter? No, it can’t be. I left immediately after the trial and took the carriage. How could he know where I went?’

Galahind had sent the allied nobles ahead as bait, fearing that Keter might chase him, and he had left last.

‘It’s impossible for him to track me down specifically!’

Though Galahind believed that in his heart, the fear didn’t subside.

“Who, who is it? Who’s blocking the road?”

“A one-armed man.”

“Huh? One-armed?”

Was Keter one-armed? No. Galahind had seen him with his own eyes, so it couldn’t be. Just to be sure, he asked.

“Is he carrying a weapon?”

“He’s holding a pitchfork.”

“A pitchfork? What’s that?”

“It’s a farming tool. Used to grab hay or straw.”

Galahind summarized the coachman’s words.

“So, a disabled farmer dares to block my path?”

“It seems so.”

“Damn it! Start the carriage now!”

Realizing it wasn’t Keter or anyone formidable, Galahind ordered the carriage to move.

But the coachman didn’t start the carriage. He couldn’t.

Rustle.

From both sides of the road, people began to emerge. Galahind saw them clearly. It wasn’t just one or two people. Dozens of them.

And they had something in common. Each was missing a body part. One-armed, one-legged, or missing an eye or ear.

Their attire varied, but the dirt on their bodies and the weapons in their hands were all everyday tools. Flails, rolling pins, kitchen knives…

“Marquis Galahind, no, Baron Galahind. Do you know who we are?”

A middle-aged man with one leg stepped forward and spoke. Galahind sneered.

“How would I know you disabled people? Get out of the way!”

Though the crowd blocking the road was large, Galahind wasn’t scared at all.

The one-legged middle-aged man muttered with a sad expression.

“I expected this, but hearing it from your own mouth makes me even angrier.”

“Hey, what are you mumbling about? Hey! Kill them all right now!”

At Galahind’s shout, four mercenaries who had been following the carriage dismounted.

The reason Galahind wasn’t afraid of the crowd was because of the mercenaries he had hired. Four in total. All platinum-level mercenaries. Each capable of wielding aura.

Ordinary humans could never defeat aura-wielding martial artists. Galahind knew that common sense.

The mercenaries, following Galahind’s orders, drew their swords and walked toward the crowd.

“Kill them quickly! Don’t waste time!”

Just as Galahind was shouting and urging them on…

The mercenaries, who had reached the front of the crowd, suddenly turned around and looked at Galahind.

“……?”

Not just one or two, but all four mercenaries turned their backs simultaneously, leaving Galahind momentarily stunned.

“Truly, you are beyond saving.”

The highest-ranked mercenary, a Diamond Mercenary, shook his head at Galahind.

“These people here aren’t bandits. They didn’t gather by chance. Do you really not know, Marquis Galahind?”

“Yo, you! What are you saying now? Yo, you mercenaries dare to betray your employer?!”

Galahind pointed his finger and looked around, but there was no one here to help him.

The Diamond Mercenary ignored his tantrum and continued.

“We are the people who worked under you. As servants, as employees, as maids… and even knights who had been loyal to you for decades. But you crippled and expelled us for trivial reasons.”

The crowd surrounded the carriage. Galahind could do nothing but tremble.

“I lost my right arm for dropping a fork.”

“You plucked out my left eye because it was raining.”

“You cut off my left leg because I had red hair.”

“I served as a knight for the Marquis’s family for 20 years, but was expelled for being over forty.”

The crowd gathered here were all commoners who held grudges against Galahind.

This wasn’t a coincidence.

Though they were now disabled, how could they have gathered here so quickly?

Galahind had only become a common noble an hour ago. Even his movements had been meticulously tracked.

‘Someone must have given them information!’

Someone who had planned from the beginning to kill Galahind.

“We must take back what you took from us.”

Clunk!

The Diamond Mercenary opened the carriage door and dragged Galahind out.

“Gahhh!”

Galahind rolled on the ground. Then, a shadow loomed over him.

“Sorry to interrupt your fun.”

A familiar voice pierced Galahind’s ears. The crowd, consumed by anger, stirred. A single person had suddenly appeared.

Galahind looked up.

“I have business with this guy too.”

Keter looked down at Galahind and smirked.

* * *

It was so obvious that Galahind would run, so I attached a strand of my hair to him. Since the hair contained mana, I could track his location.

And so, I found Galahind, who was met by guests waiting for him—the crowd who held grudges against him.

Was this a coincidence?

Absolutely not.

‘As expected of Ultima, even the cleanup is neat.’

He knows that if you betray someone, you must finish the job cleanly.

For him, having Galahind and the allied nobles alive must have been unsettling.

But he couldn’t openly kill them, so he gathered those who held grudges against Galahind to handle it.

I work alone, but he has an information network. Finding people who held grudges against Galahind and tracking his movements wouldn’t have been difficult.

‘It’s good that the job is clean, but Galahind is mine.’

Ultima can handle the three allied nobles, but Galahind is non-negotiable.

I don’t have deep resentment. I was hardly directly involved with him, and even if I was, it was shallow.

But that’s in this life. In my past life, do you know how much I suffered because of you?

Galahind contributed greatly to Sephira’s downfall. Thanks to that, my life was ruined along with Sephira’s. Including the mischief at the tournament, I can’t let this slide.

But dying at the hands of the crowd’s revenge is too bland for your end.

“Sorry to interrupt your fun, but I have business with this guy too.”

As I revealed myself in front of Galahind, he looked up at me in shock.

“Ke, Keter!”

“Yeah, it’s me.”

“Ke, Keter, you say?”

“It’s really Sir Keter…”

The crowd, recognizing me, stepped back.

Then, one of the mercenaries stepped forward and spoke to me.

“Prince Keter. I know you also hold a grudge against Marquis Galahind. We are the same.”

We’re not enemies, we’re allies, I know that.

But I need to pretend otherwise for now. Galahind needs to fall deeper into despair.

“Same? What’s the same? I just stepped in because Marquis Galahind seemed dangerous.”

“……?!”

“Wh, what do you mean? Are you protecting Marquis Galahind now?!”

“What if I am? Huh?”

With a single furrowed brow, the crowd hesitated. Marquis Galahind, looking confused, I reached out my hand.

“Get up, Marquis. What kind of state is this?”

“Uh, uh?”

I forcibly helped Marquis Galahind up and dusted off his clothes.

“Marquis. It seems you’re in a dire situation. Should I save you?”

“……!”

“Th, that can’t be!”

At my words, the crowd despaired.

Yes, despair more. That way, the hope that comes later will be even sweeter.

On the other hand, Galahind, who found hope, regained his color and spoke.

“Sa, save me, Prince Keter. I will never forget this favor!”

“No need to repay the favor. Just pay me right now.”

“Ri, right now? I don’t have a single penny. You know that. The Lord confiscated all my assets.”

“Then die.”

Thud!

I pushed Galahind toward the crowd. The angry hands of the crowd grabbed the pushed Galahind tightly.

“Wa, wait! I’ll give it! 100,000 gold!”

“Is your life worth only 100,000 gold? Just die.”

“How much do you want?!”

Well, I don’t know how much you have. Let’s probe.

“5 million gold. You have at least 10 million gold stashed away, right?”

“Te, ten million gold?! I don’t have that kind of money!”

Hoho, that tone and look. It’s true you don’t have 10 million, but you probably have about half.

“Fine. I’ll compromise. Just give me 3 million gold. By the way, this is the last offer. If you refuse, I’ll just leave.”

I’d like to take all 5 million, but Galahind would rather die. He’s that kind of guy.

Trying to get everything, you lose everything. You need to show him a way out. That’s how you can take it.

“3, 3 million? 300……”

Galahind, held by the crowd, pondered. The crowd, watching my expression, couldn’t do anything to Galahind.

I could hear Galahind’s eyes rolling. The crowd was hoping Galahind would say he didn’t have that kind of money.

“Re, really, if I give you 3 million gold, you’ll save me?”

“I swear on Sephira’s name and my soul. I’ll save you.”

“I’ll give it, 3 million gold. Bu, but I can’t give it to you right here. It’s hidden elsewhere.”

Finally, he took the bait.

I immediately grabbed Galahind, who was being held by the crowd, and pulled him toward me.

“Location, tell me. I’ll check right now.”

I took out a communicator and shook it.

“You’re going to check here right now?”

“Do you think I’ll just take your word for it?”

“Wi, will you swear on Queen Lilian?”

“If you delay one more time, the deal’s off.”

“Al, alright. I’ll tell you. The coordinates are……”

I sent the coordinates Galahind gave directly to Ultima. I hadn’t told Ultima in advance, but within 3 minutes of sending the coordinates, I got a reply.

-Found a secret warehouse. Looks like at least 2 million gold.

It’s not certain if it’s the promised 3 million, but it’s at least over 2 million.

“Good, confirmed.”

Galahind let out a sigh of relief. Then he pointed at the crowd.

“Hahaha! You trash! You’re all dead! I’ll pull out all your limbs!”

I kicked Galahind’s butt.

Thud!

Galahind, pushed again, was buried in the crowd, and the crowd, not understanding the situation, didn’t know what to do.

I guess I need to give a hint.

“I said I’d save you, but I never said I’d protect you.”

“……!”

The crowd, understanding my words, changed their expressions. The anger that had subsided was palpable.

Galahind, realizing the situation late, desperately reached out to me and shouted.

“Wh, what are you doing, Sir Keter! You swore! You promised to save me!”

“Yeah. I’ll definitely honor that contract. Don’t worry. You absolutely won’t die.”

“……!”

“Alright, I’m a bit busy, so could you all hurry up and beat Galahind to death? Just don’t cut his neck.”

The crowd, watching my expression, slowly surrounded Galahind. Someone bravely kicked first.

That was the spark. One kick started a relentless beating.

Thud! Crack!

The sound of the brutal beating echoed. It had a certain rhythm.

“Alright, everyone stop for a moment.”

When Galahind, after being beaten, seemed like he might die, I used an elixir and medical skills to revive him.

Even if his neck was broken, his heart stopped—

“Gah! I, I’m alive?”

I nodded to Galahind, who had briefly died and come back to life.

“I said I’d save you, right? Definitely.”

I stepped aside again.

The crowd’s anger wasn’t fully vented. Those who hadn’t had their turn to kick were overflowing.

And so, Galahind repeatedly died and came back to life.

“Kill me… Just kill me……”

I grabbed Galahind’s hair, who was now begging to be killed, and whispered.

“Can’t do that. A contract must be honored. You absolutely won’t die.”

Death is too good for you.

After paying for the crowd’s anger with his body, Galahind’s appearance was pitiful.

Of course, there were no wounds. I used elixirs, and a physician recognized by the Lord treated him. Though his appearance was intact, his mind was probably shattered. He had died and come back to life dozens of times.

If his mind hadn’t broken after this, I’d acknowledge it. You have the right to survive.

“Thank you, Prince Keter.”

“We’ll take our leave now.”

The crowd, having vented their anger, tactfully stepped aside. The coachman, who was also in on it, drove the carriage away.

But I was done too.

“Take care, Galahind. Whether you live or die is up to you now.”

And so, I left. Leaving Galahind, writhing like a worm, behind.

Five minutes after Keter left.

A young boy emerged from the bushes with a kitchen knife and stood in front of Galahind. He had been among the angry crowd.

The boy, holding the kitchen knife high, muttered.

“…I’ll never forgive you for my father’s grudge.”

Thud!

The kitchen knife clumsily stabbed into Galahind’s neck.

“Eeek!”

The boy, feeling the strangeness in his hand and the fear of his first murder, screamed and ran away.

And so, Galahind, bleeding from his neck, met his end as a cold corpse on the deserted road.

* * *

Upon returning to the city, an immortal knight approached Keter as if waiting for him and said.

“The Lord is looking for you.”

“I figured.”

I won the Southern Sword Tournament.

So, do I just get the title of Southern Palace and that’s it?

No way.

First place comes with a prize of 1 million gold. 3 million from Galahind, 1 million from the prize.

‘The money I spent on Decameron is being replenished here.’

Money really does go round and round, Keter thought.

Returning to the palace to receive the prize, Keter was immediately guided to Eslow’s office.

“The Southern Palace has arrived, my Lord.”

Keter greeted naturally as he entered.

But Eslow wasn’t alone in the office.

‘Why is Henya here too?’

Henya was next to Eslow. And in a very strange attire.

Instead of her usual black armor, she was dressed like a noble lady. Her hair was braided, and she wore makeup.

And most notably, her expression was utterly rotten.