Chapter 74 - From the Beginning (9)

Not applying it meant my half-and-half hair would be too conspicuous, but applying it ruined my concept. After a desperate act, I applied the hair dye to my head while looking thoroughly annoyed.

As an aside, because Lukkwan was the only one at eye level with me, we eventually had to stop for a moment. DeB let out a huge sigh of relief.

"The dye will start taking effect in about 30 minutes. Once it sets, it should last until roughly daybreak. Ah, while we're at it, let's change clothes too."

"But the Knight is..."

Since we had stopped anyway, they went ahead and changed into clothes for their disguises. In an instant, four slaves and three guards were born.

Me? I absolutely refused to do it. Dyeing my hair was within the safety zone, but disguising myself as a slave or a demon worshiper guard would completely collapse my immersion as the Demon Knight. Especially the latter.

"Then, as planned, we'll take care of the lower levels."

Anyway, even the task I had pushed off to the end was finished. We hurried to the end of the secret passage and recalled our respective missions.

The Inquisitor, DeB, and four Thieves would roam the city, find the places offering sacrifices and the demon dens, and eliminate them. Lukkwan and I would search the main castle to kill the heads, including Bipurit.

It was a very perfect division of roles. Even if you had to add the fact that we didn't know the exact locations of our targets, nor how the city or the castle's interior had changed.

"You must have a constitution that resists magic, Sir Knight. Seeing as your hair color still hasn't changed."

DeB looked like he wanted to follow me, but if I was only taking one person, a local who knew the geography well was better.

Thus, Lukkwan, who ended up sticking with me, quietly spoke to me. She probably wasn't expecting an answer; I figured it was a question closer to talking to herself.

Actually, it was something I was curious about too.

Seriously, why wasn't my hair color changing? When the time came for Kimchi Dumpling, a reddish-brown color had swiftly spread down from her hair roots.

"Let's go right away."

Anyway, she guided me out of the secret passage. She didn't even glance at the map that the Minister of Finance and the Captain of the Guard had put their heads together to make.

As if it was already memorized, she skillfully wove through the corridors and found the right path.

"I worked here before the city fell, so I know the geography of the main castle a bit."

I hadn't exactly asked, but it was suitable small talk. I thought she had photographic memory or something like that.

"Of course, I don't know what these fucking demon bastards might have changed."

Meanwhile, Lukkwan easily picked a locked door and led me inside.

SHK.

The door locked soundlessly, and soon, footsteps echoed into the corridor we had just been in.

CLICK, CLACK.

Thanks to my enemy detection skill, I knew something was approaching, but this was my first time using an evasion method like this.

Hiding as naturally as flowing water, then leaving the room as soon as the footsteps passed—it wasn't the skill of someone who had only done this once or twice. Well, I had no intention of making an issue out of it, and since I was receiving help, I just wanted to give her a thumbs up.

"Damn."

However, no matter how outstanding a thief she was, she couldn't casually roam the castle without having investigated the patrol routes or schedules.

We hid in a room to avoid the servants dragging chains. Both of us had no joke of a physique, so cheers to the wardrobe that accommodated both of us at once.

The people who came in a few steps behind us starting to organize the sheets was definitely not a 'cheers' moment. Was this a room currently in use?

"Who did they say was in charge of Sir Bipurit's room today?"

"No one. As of yesterday, he said not to send anyone up. Didn't you hear?"

"U-Uh. Really?"

Still, there was something to be gained. Thanks to the servants starting to chat while cleaning the room.

Of course, it was called a chat, but it was closer to a lamentation about how they would at least survive today with their lives hanging by a thread. Voices heavily drenched in sorrow, terror, and resignation mixed with the sound of a feather duster.

Around then, Lukkwan and I met eyes. It had only been a day and a half since we started working together, but I felt like I knew what that gaze meant without her saying a word.

Lukkwan spread her fingers wide, then slowly folded them in order starting from the thumb, then the index finger, and the middle finger.

"I hope there isn't another corpse when we go to clean..."

And when the pinky finger was finally folded.

CLATTER!

"...!"

"Gah—!"

We kicked the wardrobe open and subdued the servants one by one.

When a pitch-black man and a pitch-black Shaggy pounced on them, both of them trembled as if they were about to faint. Honestly, I think it's a relief they didn't pass out.

If it had been me, I definitely would have fainted.

"Shh. We aren't enemies."

While I clamped my hand tightly over their mouths to stop them from screaming, Lukkwan began to gently soothe the servants.

"We are here to kill Bipurit and the demons, and reclaim the castle."

That was quite effective. The servants' eyes widened, and they silenced themselves. Since they no longer looked like they were going to scream, I slightly loosened the strength in the hand blocking their mouths.

"Then, may I release my hand? Please promise not to scream."

Only after getting that promise were the two servants released from our hands, panting weakly.

"A-Are you two..."

"We came from the outside."

For this sort of thing, Lukkwan was a more fitting person than me.

I accepted that early on and stood near the room's door. It was to keep watch in case someone approached while she was persuading them.

Ignoring their conversation as much as possible, I pressed my ear to the corridor, and my first impression was that it was still dead silent.

"...so I want to know Bipurit's location or the places where other important figures are staying. Or anywhere they might be up to something."

Meanwhile, the interrogation continued. It was about a minute later when the hesitant servants finally squeezed their eyes shut and began to speak.

The information we needed to prioritize started pouring out smoothly.

"We should've brought at least one more person to this side. If we did, we could've sent a messenger to inform the others."

I don't know about that. Wouldn't that have been difficult since the messenger's life would be in too much danger?

We had just been lucky not to encounter them, but there was a high chance that demons were roaming around here too. The proof of that was the unidentifiable filth smeared everywhere along the paths we came through.

"For now, Bipurit is staying in the room where the Lord used to reside. I know the location of that place, so we just have to figure out how to break through the guards."

Things were going more smoothly than expected. Feeling a bit uneasy about that, I also harbored a slightly contradictory sentiment.

It was roughly a thought along the lines of, 'If the path there is this easy, it means the boss is gonna be disgustingly difficult. I'm screwed.' Or an anxiety that there was something prepared to smack me in the back of the head.

But could I really not enter just because I was anxious? If a blind run party keeps backing out, they'll never be able to clear that dungeon forever.

"We're moving."

"I'll guide you."

Judging that we had gotten everything we could from the servants, we immediately left the spot.

Showing a little sincerity—which was really just a bit of food—to those who cooperated was a bonus. Their sunken cheeks just bothered me too much.

"As expected, the security on the upper floors is quite strict. From here on out, unless we climb the walls, we have no choice but to run into the guards."

Anyway, based on the information we obtained, we targeted the Lord's room. It wasn't that there were no secret passages connected to the Lord's room, but from what we checked, they had already been sealed off.

Now there was really no choice but to break through head-on.

"What will you do?"

Well. It's not a stealth and assassination game, and I never expected to reach the Lord's room through perfect stealth anyway, but...

I clenched and unclenched my fist, feeling my right arm tingling.

"Take care of your own body."

"Pardon?"

"From here on out, I go alone."

I had seen the map too, and I knew where the Lord's room was, so a guide was no longer necessary. On the other hand, Lukkwan didn't seem like she would be of much help in a fight.

With Lukkwan around, the chances of Bipurit's assassination actually being carried out stealthily seemed low too. Right, wasn't our opponent a guy who joined hands with demon worshipers and swallowed the city?

He had definitely prepared for this, and it would inevitably spread into a chaotic disturbance. In that case, it was right to leave behind Lukkwan, who was at a disadvantage in a melee.

"... Understood."

Fortunately, Lukkwan wasn't the stubborn type, nor was she the type to believe she absolutely had to be included. She instantly melted into the darkness.

Now it was my time.

The Dumplings were carrying out their missions within the city anyway, so causing a ruckus in the castle wouldn't bring them any harm.

* * *

"Looks like the boss finally caused an incident."

The torches flaring up all over the castle were perfect for signaling an anomaly. Approaching the slave pens, Deathbringer clicked his tongue.

"He must have found Bipurit."

"Looks like he just flipped the place over before even finding him..."

"What did you just say?"

"I said hurry up and change your clothes. There's no need to pretend to be a slave anymore."

"... I will."

He drove away the stubborn blockhead with his words and immediately pressed himself against the slave pen.

"Who are you...?"

"Please wait a moment. We came to rescue you."

After all, this was a location they had barely managed to figure out by playacting as an escaping slave and the guard who caught him, and this was time they had barely bought by tossing sleeping gas bombs at the sentries.

There was no time to zone out. They didn't know when the sleeping gas would wear off.

"You came to rescue us?"

"Saving everyone right now is impossible, sir."

Even for those skilled in infiltration, moving quietly while avoiding the zombies roaming the city was difficult. If more people were added to this, it would be absolutely impossible.

He clarified that point and began his explanation. Fortunately, there was someone among the captured slaves who could be considered a leader, so the conversation flowed smoothly.

"So, I'd like to ask a favor..."

"Don't worry. If it's to drive out these damn demons, we'll cooperate in any way...!"

"Great. Then, for guidance, we need someone to swap places with one of our people here..."

"I will do it."

Deathbringer briefly glanced at the person who volunteered for the leader role. A beard left to mat with mud due to not even having time to shave, and greasy curly hair.

Since he was a typical person of the Yabad region, mimicking him didn't seem like it would be difficult. As proof of that, the person with the most similar build among those wearing slave clothes was already preparing his disguise. He wouldn't stand out at all once he just attached a beard.

"Alright, that gentleman over there will pretend to be you. I ask the people around to cooperate as well."

"Don't worry."

"More importantly, did you say you were going to burn down the ritual site earlier?"

CLACK.

Deathbringer finally picked the lock on the pen and opened the door.

"Yes?"

"There's a bigger problem than that."

"What is it?"

"They summoned a dragon. And that's not all. They're performing some additional ritual at the castle. From what I heard, it's a spell to awaken some Great Demon—"

The padlock he was holding dropped to the floor with a thud.

"What?"

* * *

"Ene— Keugh!"

Loudly, yet quietly.

I advanced slowly, killing every single bastard in the hallway. It took less than 30 minutes for the corridor leading to the Lord's room to become my final path.

"Raise your weapons! It's the enemy!"

It was already too late. I grabbed the scruff of the neck of the guy standing guard in front of the Lord's room and crushed it.

It seemed a commotion was starting as bodies were slowly being discovered, but that couldn't be helped. I could only hope that as attention focused on me, the watchful eyes cast over the city would loosen up.

"Evacuate Sir Bipurit at on—"

My foot cut perpendicularly across the hallway and smashed a guy into the wall in an instant.

When my foot, imbued with mana, landed a direct hit, his waist didn't just bend but caved into the wall, and his bones and internal organs were so crushed that his skin burst, spilling some blood.

Cruel or not, there were still three bastards left. My hand deflected an incoming sword and grabbed that guy's neck in return. With a crunch, the broken neck bone turned that body into a giant hunk of meat, or rather, a weapon.

SMASH!

As the body with the broken neck cleaved through the air, the two guys were blown away helplessly. The only thing left for me to do was simply drive my sword into the necks of the two fallen men.

CRASH!

Even before reinforcements could arrive, the door leading to the Lord's room opened. And...

"Well, well."

CLAP. CLAP. CLAP. A clapping sound, like the popping of air, flowed out from the darkness. An ominous feeling grabbed my ankles.

"You're visiting earlier than expected. I only heard the day before yesterday that the sacrifice might come this way."

Because I highly trusted that intuition, I tried to step back immediately.

Right, whether the traitor had already snitched or whatever else, the opponent had known about my intrusion for a long time. Furthermore, instead of running away, they had waited for me to come while acting perfectly normal.

That was by no means good news.

"Still, it's complete."

However, it seemed I was already too late. From under my feet to that hallway. Sweeping even over the walls of the castle, a red, ever-so-red light that seemed like it would inevitably corrupt into an inky blackness began to flow.

It was similar to the time in the sewers.

"It's time to stop wandering around, Gretchen."

Fuck, I'm falling for this twice. Is it a consolation that chains aren't popping out this time? Huh?

"I've gone to these lengths for you, so don't tell me you can't swallow the vessel, right?"

Consolation my ass. Having my movements restrained against my will felt like shit, even if it was the second time.

Moreover, back then there had at least been a clear physical substance in the form of chains; right now, I was being bound despite there being nothing visible. It was extremely unpleasant.

"When I break free..."

With a heavy thud, I was inevitably forced to my knees.

"I'll mince you up first."

Even though I hadn't lowered my eyelids, a pitch-black darkness covered my vision like dripping paint.

'You're pulling a boring stunt.'

「Curse!」

SHATTER.

Suddenly, the faint sound of something shattering could be heard. Then, a complete blackout.