In the city of Arkan, Belrak, known as the ‘Underground King,’ was seated before his subordinates.
“Tomorrow morning, I will have Gelmore the mayor’s life in my hands.”
At Belrak’s words, his subordinates perked up from their hunched positions.
“Finally, we can harvest the seeds we’ve been sowing! Boss!”
Seeing the excited subordinate, Belrak flashed a grin.
“Yes, it’s time to shed this title of ‘King of the Jerks.’ Hahaha!”
Belrak lit a thick cigar, his protruding belly bouncing with each breath.
The reach of Belrak’s drug operations was more extensive than one might think.
It was because this city was not a hereditary noble territory but a direct-imperial appointed mayoral territory that an ordinary drug dealer like Belrak could fully plant his roots here.
A woman approached a skinny man sipping his drink and whispered a few words.
“Did you hear? The agent of First Princess Brigitte arrived in Arkan this morning. He single-handedly drove out the revolutionaries from the train?”
David, serving as Belrak’s advisor, frowned.
“I received this information from one of our informants in Halo… It seems quite credible…”
Hearing David’s words, Belrak chuckled slyly.
“Someone like that would be in a hurry to finish their business. Do they have time to worry about us? And we’re not that weak.”
Belrak eyed a huge man standing behind him.
“I can handle revolutionaries myself. Even if he tries to hinder us, I can eliminate him. My drugs have enslaved all corners of this land.”
A thick, gray smoke billowed from Belrak’s lips like a dark cloud.
“Even those trusted by Gelmore.”
*
At the inn, Volo.
Yuma had nothing that could be considered baggage; he just brought down the bag Cloney was carrying and headed to the first-floor dining area.
A staff member greeted him with a gentle smile.
“Steak and tea. Enjoy your meal.”
Displaying a very kind smile, the staff introduced the meal, then bowed gracefully and disappeared.
“Yuma.”
Cloney was watching Yuma intently.
It was because of what Yuma had just said before leaving their room — that even if the food arrives, they shouldn’t eat just yet.
“Try using magic.”
And then they asked if there was anything mixed in the food.
“Yes.”
The material analysis magic, Elemental Spectrum, was completed along Cloney’s fingertips.
The target of the spell was the tea in the cup.
Cloney’s eyes widened.
In front of Cloney floated the formulas of chemistry and magical engineering. It indicated that something was off with the tea in front of her.
Cloney whispered into Duke Yuma’s ear.
“…It’s poison. It seems like it could be a sleeping or anesthetic type.”
“Is that so?”
The image of a man with blue hair, Gelmore the mayor, popped into Yuma’s mind.
‘Looks like your city is no longer yours.’
The inn of the person introduced as reliable had already turned into a den of corruption.
Mixing such drugs into food could only mean human trafficking or organ trading.
Since the original goal was to find out whether they were up to something rather than just having a meal, the objective was accomplished.
“Can you evaporate the tea in the cup?”
Yuma was thinking of throwing out a bait.
To ensure that those who tampered with the food wouldn’t notice their trick had failed.
“Yes.”
Following Cloney’s gesture, the tea in both cups slowly evaporated.
Those empty cups would serve as the bait.
It didn’t matter since they had already finished their meal before entering the inn.
“Let’s go up.”
“Yes!”
Cloney nodded vigorously, thrilled at being useful.
Entering Room 302 assigned to them, the two began preparing to welcome the guests who would soon be lured by the bait.
Step by step, the sounds of multiple footsteps were heard coming up the stairs.
“They didn’t touch the food?”
“They drank all the tea without leaving a drop. By now, they should both be out cold.”
“The guy can just lose a kidney… Ah, he had a nice face. Would selling him to the ladies be better?”
“What about the girl?”
“What do you mean, damn it! Hahaha!”
“Weren’t we just saying tomorrow is the day Belrak grabs Gelmore by the throat?”
“That’s right, we’re finally turning our fate around. What are we worse than those knights? Huh?”
With the voices of a very vulgar conversation.
“Alright, the key.”
Clink clink!
The doorknob shook violently.
The door opened.
“…Uh? You’re not passed out?”
Creeeak—
Duke Yuma stood still in front of the door.
The three men exchanged glances with him.
The men, confirmed that Cloney was okay next to them, looked quite bewildered.
A man with brown hair scratched his head.
“Did you just lick your tongue and catch on? Are you a foodie? But… you definitely drank all the tea.”
Duke Yuma quickly scanned the levels floating above the three men.
[Lv.34] [Lv.31] [Lv.27]
‘Just mobs.’
The man at [Lv.31] stepped forward.
“Ha, you’re making us bleed for no reason.”
Despite saying he didn’t want to see blood, the man grinned widely and unsheathed his sword without hesitation.
Swish—
“Hey, this is what aura looks like.”
A pale aura danced over the longsword.
It was true that they were called mobs, but compared to those Yuma had faced before, they were indeed just mobs.
And he swung it toward Yuma.
The longsword struck like a storm.
Clang!
And the following sound of metal.
<Absolute Counter>
From the end of <Black Dragon Bernac’s Tooth>, a purple aura slashed like a scythe.
Swoosh──gack!
The man’s head rolled across the floor.
The corridor slowly became stained with red blood.
“…Uh?”
A dazed sound escaped the mouth of the man whose head was floating above [Lv.34].
Duke Yuma strode toward him.
“F…k.”
The man twisted his lips.
He didn’t even recognize the purple blade that had blown off his companion’s head.
Yuma’s lazy expression, which made him seem like a fool who didn’t even recognize his own grave, began to look like the face of a relaxed strongman.
The guy was acting like a strong man by just standing there with his hands in his pockets while the other drew his sword.
“Hey.”
He gestured toward the remaining companion. A pathetic guy who still couldn’t handle aura properly.
But now, there was no choice but to rush in together with that guy.
“We’re going together. We absolutely have to kill that bastard.”
[Lv.27] nodded vigorously. He was even more full of confidence than the man at [Lv.34]. It was possible because he had a slightly shallower understanding of swords than the man.
He nodded. In fact, he was more confident than the [Lv.34] man. It was possible because he had slightly less knowledge about swords than the man.
The two of them stomped the ground at the same time.
Screeeeeeech!
Swooooosh!
Two streaks of light surged forward.
Duke Yuma fixed his gaze on the trajectories of the two swords.
And in an instant, he calculated it.
Wooooooosh!
The timing for the perfect parrying. Two golden impacts burst forth.
The neck of [Lv.27] was severed.
The heart of the [Lv.34] was pierced by a gust of wind.
Thud.
Boom!
It was the moment when one corpse became three.
Duke Yuma passed by the three bodies and moved forward.
A middle-aged man with white hair sat there with a dazed expression.
Towards the owner of the inn, Meidel.
[Lv.6]
He seemed to be an ordinary person without any noteworthy strength.
Duke Yuma walked elegantly while sheathing his dagger, Vernak.
“Seems like we need a long conversation, don.”
“I-I-I couldn’t recognize the esteemed guest!”
Duke Yuma lowered his head to meet Meidel’s gaze. In his eyes, where he witnessed strong men directly given by Belrak fall with just one blow, a deep fear had arisen.
“I heard quite an interesting conversation before I killed these guys.”
-Did they say that tomorrow is the day when Lord Belrak will seize the neck of Duke Gelmore?
It was something one of the three recently turned cold corpses had said.
Upon hearing that, Duke Yuma recalled the information he had learned that morning from William, the head of the Akkan branch, about the underground king Belrak.
“Underground King Belrak. What is he plotting? Is he trying to push out Gelmore, the mayor of this Akkan?”
The reply was delayed.
Crack!
“Ghahhh!”
Duke Yuma slammed the sword held by the [Lv.27] onto the ground, right next to Meidel’s right leg.
The effect was devastating.
“Wow, he probably won’t be completely pushed out! Gelmore is, after all, the mayor personally elected by the Emperor! He’s trying to seize his weaknesses and manipulate him as a puppet!”
“Weakness?”
“Uh, Gelmore’s brother! Gelmore’s brother has been completely soaked in Belrak’s drugs! They plan to use him as leverage against Gelmore to turn him into a puppet! I believe the execution date was tomorrow!”
The underground king, who ruled the depths of the city of Akkan, was preparing to rise to the surface.
