Chapter 81

Bastatin pulled up his green scales to his face before hiding them again and smiled brightly.

“How is it?”

“Get your face away. I don’t like seeing a man’s face so close.”

Valenciaunos felt the blue liquid spreading rapidly as he gripped the table tightly with both hands.

It was being absorbed into his muscles, flowing through his bloodstream.

It felt like his body was warming up, yet it also seemed like his strength was draining.

“That’s expensive!”

“I won’t break it. I have enough control for that.”

Crack!

The edge of the wooden table caught in Valenciaunos’s grip broke off, causing his body to sway.

Bastatin shouted in shock.

“Are you alright?”

“You’re suddenly getting short with your words.”

Valenciaunos exhaled roughly, and Bastatin shook his head.

“I wasn’t asking you, Your Highness! I was talking to the table! It’s such a kind and gentle thing.”

Valenciaunos rolled his yellow eyes.

The vertically split pupil had returned to its original state.

“You brat. Are you smoking tobacco?”

“No! This is alive! It’s a living tree. Look, the vines are stretching out the window!”

Valenciaunos confirmed that the long stem next to the table was indeed a living vine and felt a sense of admiration.

It was quite an impressive interior.

“This is pretty good. I apologize. I’m sorry. What kind of tree is this? I want to get one too.”

“Benotia Philocladium.”

Bastatin recited the scientific name with a smooth voice.

After hearing the answer, he pondered for a moment before asking.

“Isn’t that a forbidden poisonous plant?”

“Eh? Of course I knew… No, this is the first time I’m hearing it.”

“You’ve narrowly escaped death about three times today.”

“Have I?”

Valenciaunos pondered for a moment before checking his condition.

The scales had receded, and the fluctuating feelings he had resembled those of a pubescent boy, now calmed.

He closed his eyes and opened them again, summoning the energy of incantation.

“Hiiik!”

Bastatin screamed at the sight of the golden wave.

Valenciaunos smiled in satisfaction.

“Yeah. The medicine is very effective. I will overlook all the rudeness you’ve shown me today.”

“What rudeness? I don’t know what you mean.”

“A failed assassination of a royal is punishable by burning, if you poison a royal, you get torn apart by wyvernfit, and if you commit royal blasphemy, you’ll lose all your possessions and end up on the streets.”

“Just let me live.”

“I just said I’d overlook the rudeness.”

Bastatin raised both his hands high.

Valenciaunos laughed sadistically and shook the vial.

Bastatin dropped his hands.

His once-bright face became as gloomy as a cold lizard.

“That’s expensive.”

“I know. It seems likely. But surely, it can’t be more expensive than the taxes you’ll pay?”

“The streets are filled with unlicensed merchants! Why did you have to come to me…!”

Bastatin protested, choking back emotion.

Valenciaunos spoke to comfort him.

“Do you think you’re the only one paying those taxes?”

“Eh?”

Suddenly, Bastatin remembered that Valenciaunos, despite his infamous reputation and terrible rumors, was still by Jeilliris’s side.

Months ago, when the managers of the red-light district were taken down for tax evasion, drug trafficking, contract killings, and worshipping antiquities.

At that time, he had heard that the only survivor who became the king of the red-light district had a close relationship with Valenciaunos.

How much had the emperor taken from the red-light district?

Bastatin lowered his voice and asked.

“Your Highness. No way.”

“No way?”

“Is His Majesty targeting Magic Street as well?”

Valenciaunos neither confirmed nor denied it.

“This place has become as famous as the Ivory Tower special zone. Local nobles come here to buy goods.”

“Eh.”

“But since this place was hastily made, there’s no management at all. The worship of antiques and black magic factions aren’t controlled. You’re even growing poisonous plants yourself, aren’t you?”

“That’s right.”

“His Majesty has purged all members of his family. How long do you think a person who values control and stability that much will leave a place like this, which can also collect taxes?”

Bastatin swallowed hard.

He considered organizing his money, finding a place to hide it, and thought about selling the strange medicines through membership.

Valenciaunos changed his expression as he spoke.

“It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say I’ve saved your life so far.”

Bastatin could only nod.

“Then, give me the blue medicine you have.”

He could only nod at the follow-up remarks.

* * *

I stepped out of Magic Street holding a square bag filled with blue medicine.

Jin, wearing a black hood, followed closely beside me.

With his dark gray hair and blue eyes created by the potion, he still looked handsome and earnest.

“A lot of issues have arisen during the vacation period.”

“Those with nothing to do must have started their private research. Since it’s the Academy, there are likely some dangerous books in the professors’ research rooms.”

“Yes. You’re right.”

“Were you able to handle it well on your own?”

“Fortunately, it wasn’t from the antiquities faction, it was from the demon faction.”

Of course, the essence of both was the same.

However, demons, compared to those referred to as antiques, understand human society much better, and communication or negotiation is possible.

“You’ve started dabbling in black magic, then.”

“Some of the royal illegitimate children have shown talent for summoning. However, due to the nature of this place, summoning spirits is impossible… so they inevitably turned to demons.”

“Isn’t that harder to deal with? Are you okay?”

When corrupted by the antiquities, one becomes a mindless monster, but making contracts with demons makes one even more sly.

Jin shook his sturdy jaw from side to side.

“I didn’t win.”

“Then?”

“They went to the slums to find human sacrifices. Two of them were beaten by werewolves there and dragged to the church, and I dealt with three of them while trying to escape. There were also some regular students caught up in it, so it was exhausting.”

Werewolves.

I narrowed my eyes momentarily at the word.

“What do you mean by ‘dealt with’?”

“I completely burned them and scattered them in the canal.”

“Good job. It must have been hard.”

“If you know…”

“It’s golden treatment. Take it. It’s one of the best medicines I know of.”

As I handed him the heavy leather pouch, Jin smiled broadly.

“Are you thinking of buying meat?”

“I should. Many kids have missed scholarships because their grades dropped from holding back recently. I don’t know if you’ll believe me, but these are capable kids with aspirations for the royal family.”

I nodded calmly.

“Then you should take good care of them. So that talents don’t get lost. Take another one for yourself. And if you see any truly good kids, bring them along. Whether it’s a mage, knight, or administrative officer.”

“Is that possible?”

“If I say I’ll keep them close and utilize them while supervising, His Majesty would likely approve rather than oppose, especially for mages.”

I had noticed that Jeilliris always had an eagerness for expanding military strength.

“We’re going to need a lot of metal mages and skilled incantation circuit engravers soon. We’re thinking about mass-producing scrolls and creating armor at the level used by the four knight orders of the Imperial Court. Get the graduates prepared for this year. I’ll recommend them.”

Though I would probably have to roll around in Selearajie’s workshop without eating.

Jin bowed his head.

“Thank you.”

“Lift your head. Hurry inside. It’d be a big deal if people heard my infamous tales increasing recently.”

I continued walking as Jin asked from behind.

“But where are you going now?”

“To the slums. I’m planning to catch a carriage.”

“Just to let you know in advance, it has changed quite a bit over there.”

Someone who could change that place.

There was a connection.

* * *

Sounds of hammering and sawing echoed from various places, and hands stacking bricks were visible.

Makeshift buildings made of planks were collapsing everywhere, and surveying knights received greetings from the slum laborers.

I entered a fairly decent temporary wooden assembly church.

“Oh.”

“God of Radiance.”

Several injured people lay on the floor, but their injuries weren’t from brawls or stab wounds.

Most were wounds from falling while working on the roof or stepping on nails.

Fortunately, it seemed there were no gaps in medical care.

“Please receive treatment and attend the prayer meeting before leaving. If you’re in a hurry, come on Sunday.”

Seminary students flooded the temporary church with the start of the vacation.

On one side, they had set up a stove and were baking biscuits that wouldn’t easily spoil, and on another side, they were pouring water into a large pot.

On yet another side, they were purifying items brought in by the poor, deemed heretical or corrupt, and beside them, a man wearing a large cross necklace was bestowing healing grace.

Was that an incantation inscribed there…? Diminished presence?

I immediately recognized it as similar to the one inscribed on the stone pillar of the Duke’s house.

“Is this your last one? You should be careful moving forward.”

“Yes, teacher. I’ll make sure to see you only during the prayer meetings from now on.”

I quietly approached him.

“Saint? What are you doing here?”

“Duke Valen? How did you recognize…!”

A tall man with jet-black hair and equally dark eyes.

The one who sentenced to be burned, the black saint Matheos Tumor was healing the poor in the slums.

Dressed in the attire of the seminary instead of his ornate ceremonial robes.

“This is a secret from Bishop Hong.”

He glared at me with eyes full of intensity.

I nodded and smiled mischievously.

“Would there be any problem?”

“Let’s move to a more private place.”

The saint pulled me behind the temporary church.

“Duke Valen, unless you came to find me, why are you here? Surely it’s not for human hunting?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Do you really think I’m still doing that?”

“Still?!”

The saint was taken aback.

I hastily clarified.

“No, I didn’t mean it like that. I meant, do you still think I would do something like that?”

“Considering you suggested to toy with 200 holy knights and kidnap Bishop Hong…”

I fell silent, not having a counter to that.

The saint opened his mouth again.

“Returning to the point, unless you came to find me, and you’re not here for human hunting, what’s brought you here? I doubt you came for voluntary work.”

I shrugged and smiled.

“I can partake in a bit of volunteer work too, you know.”

“Don’t speak nonsense.”

“Such things do exist. Just take note of it.”

He stared at me intensely with his dark eyes, then let out a deep sigh.

“I see you’re up to some suspicious plot again. Very well, it can’t be the same incident that happened at the Purioaito duchy, can it?”

Now it was my turn to sigh.

Has it already reached this far?

Truly, the church’s intelligence network was impressive.

As I remained silent, the saint hurriedly asked.

“Is it correct that you took advantage of the emperor to set fire to Duke Sigmaine, violated his youngest daughter, and placed a puppet duke in power while exiling the siblings who would help?”

I glared fiercely as I responded.

“Yes. I clearly did that. I did everything. I burned down the duke and had a clandestine meeting with his daughter in the dead of night. You can say that in your sermons.”

“Oh my God!”

He looked as if he would faint.

Leaving the black saint, who was shouting for repentance, I headed to find Konel.

It seemed that the demolition of some makeshift buildings had just finished, and I felt the gaze of a wolf from a neatly arranged brick building.

As I climbed the stairs step by step, a few men surrounded me from above and below.

They were solidly built, with intense gazes typical of those from the slums.

The spirit of the wolf, a lover of warriors, resonated with Amon.

I recalled being beaten by the werewolves.

I chuckled slightly as I confidently ascended the stairs, changing my yellow pupils to vertical.

“Konel.”

“You seem to have grown stronger.”

A girl with bright reddish-brown hair cut in a bob, slightly freckled cheeks, with a cunning and sharp expression.

Dressed neatly in a light ivory coat, leaning on a prosthetic limb and a cane, she was looking down at the street.

“It seems like things are being managed well?”

“Do you require verification?”

“No. It’s fine.”

I genuinely smiled, expressing my satisfaction.

“I’ve seen enough already.”

Soon, the slums would no longer be called slums.

Through the hands of that girl.

“Take this.”

“Now… this is acceptable.”

I handed her a pouch of money, and Konel returned it.

It was quite a pleasing sight, having seen the end of the tour.