Children of the Holy Emperor - Chapter 427



Only Noblemtl

427. Transaction (5)

It was inevitable that Furiano would become a huge refugee camp.

This area, located in the central part of Ortona, was far from the western mountain range and rarely encountered by sea creatures. The surrounding area was nothing but arid wasteland, making it unattractive land for cultivation by the nearby lords.

But the most important factor of all is probably that Furiano was ‘moderately’ destroyed by the civil war.

There were no intact facilities left on the ground of Furiano, to the point where the lord’s family gave up on reconstruction altogether and fled.

On the other hand, there are still sewer systems underground that are not completely damaged. Thanks to this, even though people gather in large numbers and emit pollutants for several years, there are still no major diseases and the stench remains at a tolerable level.

“And the wide sewers of Furiano also make for a suitable hiding place. It is no exaggeration to say that the most shady of criminals are all hiding in these underground sewers.”

The man who had handed over Sungjin and his party as a ‘special delivery’ spoke while guiding them along the way.

He was a middle-aged man with a bushy beard, and he seemed to be a mid-level manager in the free underground passage where hierarchy was ambiguous.

“Those who hide underground here are not ordinary refugees or petty criminals. They are serious criminals who must avoid the eyes of the Inquisitors. It is no wonder that Giovanni is worried about them.”

The guide, who had been continuing his explanation, stopped in front of an old tent blocking the gap between the broken walls. Then he started tapping on the tent and getting irritated.

“Hey! How many times do I have to tell you! Stop pitching tents in the passageways! What are you going to do if you block the path of people?”

Then, a refugee who had jumped out of the tent took the tent away with a disgruntled expression on his face.

Knock knock knock.

Soon the obstacles disappear, revealing a narrow, dirty alleyway.

“This is the shortcut.”

As I followed him through the winding alleys, a wide square appeared before my eyes. It was a messy place, filled with dirty tents.

“Where did I end up? Oh, right. Some of those who have hidden away are heretics like alchemists or magicians, and the rest are all evil devil worshippers. They are in places that are not visible… Hey! Don’t look around too much. People might misunderstand that you are picking a fight.”

Owen, suddenly alerted, turns his head in surprise.

Then, Masain, who had been following along silently until then, opened his mouth to the guide for the first time.

“But what’s the point of avoiding eye contact? People are already looking this way.”

As he pointed out, Sungjin and his group were attracting people’s attention as soon as they entered the refugee camp.

People who were brushing and drying grass and mud, and people who were beating laundry near the dirty fountain. The moment they spotted Sungjin and his group, they all stopped what they were doing and stared at them intently.

“Somehow the atmosphere is a bit… … .”

It was no wonder that Owen whispered with a tired face. The sight of those skinny people covered in soot with expressionless faces and only a glint in their eyes was bizarre at first glance.

The guide glanced around and then spat on the floor.

“That’s because you guys are so different from ordinary refugees. No matter how much dust you cover up, you’re still too pretty! Come on, don’t create unnecessary discomfort and hurry up!”

He quickly passed through the crowded square and finally led Sungjin and his party to the entrance of a smelly sewer.

“Well, we’ve arrived. The person you’re looking for is probably inside here.”

“Wait a minute. Do we have to go in there ourselves?”

Marsain asked in confusion. It was understandable, because the man who had guided the group had already taken a few steps back, holding his nose.

“Haven’t you already finished talking with Giovanni? We won’t directly attack those who have taken refuge in the stronghold.”

“No, no matter what… … !”

While they were bickering, Seongjin silently stared at the sewer.

“hmm.”

Knock knock knock.

In the dirty entrance where sewage dripped down, there were many stems hanging down that were indistinguishable from plants or some other debris.

Aside from the musty, humid air, the damp, slippery filth stuck to the walls is so unpleasant that it’s hard to even imagine what its ingredients are.

but-

‘Time is running out. For some time now, I’ve been feeling like something is slowly going wrong.’

In that case, we have no choice but to hurry.

“If the sewers were built throughout Furiano, they would surely be as complicated as a spider’s web. We need someone to guide us, or at least a map to help us understand the internal structure… … .”

“That’s ridiculous. You’re looking for a good map in a ruined refugee camp?”

“Then, at least a torch… … .”

“Sir Marsain.”

Seongjin held up a small, blinking lamp to the guide, who was arguing tirelessly with Masain.

“It’s okay. We have this guy.”

Then the demon king starts showing off for the first time in a long time.

[Ahem! Leave it to the great Demon King!]

Seongjin tapped the lampshade that was flashing with pride-

“Okay, let’s go.”

After saying a few words, he strode into the sewer.

“Me, your Majesty?!”

It was when the startled Masain tried to stop him.

Bam.

Owen tapped him on the shoulder and said something in a bright, unintelligible voice.

“You won’t need a guide or a map, brother. New…Mores is really good at finding his way through dungeons, isn’t he?”

…yes?

* * *

“How long do I have to wait?”

At that moment, in a deep hiding place in the sewers.

Giacomo Milo, who Seongjin and his group were looking for, was desperately recruiting someone in the darkness.

“There is a limit to human patience, wizard.”

Giacomo Milo’s current appearance was a mess. He had a dirty appearance, messy hair, and sunken eyebrows.

Looking at him, no one would guess that he was once the lord of a prosperous merchant family in the North.

“It’s okay if it’s a little imperfect. Hurry up and give me that leap… …!”

Then, the one called the magician slowly got up. Although he was completely covered in black robes from head to toe, his strangely gentle demeanor gave him the feeling of a noble lady.

“It’s not time yet. Wait.”

The wizard walked slowly past Jacoro Milo, then stopped in front of several rat cages arranged against one wall.

Click! Crack!

There, surprisingly, half-rotten rats were moving around. Their hearts had long since stopped beating, but they were biting each other and gnawing at us as if they were still alive.

Crack, crack.

“Haha.”

It was a horrible and disgusting sight, but the wizard carefully caressed the dirty cage as if it were a cute pet.

“As you can see, the completion of the leap is near. Just wait a little longer… … .”

“Isn’t that enough? That level of perfection alone would be a great disaster for the humans of the zodiac!”

“It is not wise to seek revenge rashly, Giacomo Milo. Do you want to act foolishly and lose everything you have left?”

At those words, sparks flew from Giacomo Milo’s eyes.

“Don’t make me laugh! I, I have nothing left to lose!”

“… … .”

The wizard stared at his bloodshot eyes for a moment, his mouth closed.

‘Yes. The author has already lost the top position he has worked for his entire life. Even if he thinks he has lost everything, there is nothing he can do.’

But in the wizard’s view, Giacomo still had something to lose. And the devil he had made a contract with must have known that.

The reason why those who still have something remain so self-destructive. It is probably because… … .

‘Is this the inevitable words of the devil’s contract holder? Since the wish that was initially made is no longer fulfilled, the devil is trying to induce the contract holder to break the contract and steal his soul.’

The wizard, who had carefully examined his noticeably darkened complexion, could once again confirm that it was evidence of slow erosion.

‘It won’t be long anyway. It’ll be hard to hold out until the leap is complete.’

But it’s none of your business.

A contract with the devil is a matter between the parties involved. Even if it is excessively provoking, it is still fundamentally the will of the evildoer. So, it is only natural to respect it.

‘I must receive what I can, even now.’

The wizard, having made up his mind, took out a small vial from his bosom. It was an ominous object, filled with a thick black substance.

“Here it is. So what is the price of this leap?”

Then Giacomo Milo also hands the wizard a small book. It was an old magic book that he had stolen when he ran away from his family.

“I am the secretary of Dacianus, as promised. Rumor has it that she holds the secret to immortality.”

As the wizard silently accepted the book, Giacomo Milo snatched it away as if he were snatching a bottle of elixir. Soon, a faint light of relief came over his face as he confirmed the black liquid sloshing inside.

“I’m saying this because it’s a done deal, but I can’t guarantee the truth of that secretary.”

“I know that too. Most of the ancient books collected by nobles are the work of fraudsters.”

“Then why did you insist on asking for something like that?”

Then the magician twisted the corners of his mouth that were revealed under his hood. It was a smile that was too bitter and painful to be called a smile.

“Well, what can we do? Those who know the deep mysteries of the world cannot help but lean on something like this.”

If you knew that an extremely painful life and an even more horrible afterlife awaited you.

* * *

“Gasp! Gasp!”

Giacomo Milo, who finally got what he wanted, ran through the sewers like a madman. He had to get it to the imperial capital and spread it as soon as possible.

Of course, he himself who carried this would not be safe either. But now, that didn’t matter at all. What was driving him now was nothing but a vicious desire for revenge against the world.

– Remember, Giacomo Milo. That leap is nothing more than a trick to deceive ‘rest’.

My breath hitched to my chin. In my brain, dazed from lack of oxygen, the wizard’s last words flashed through my mind.

-So you must be careful not to encounter ‘him’. Such tricks will be of no use in the face of the true master of death.

The true master of death. It wasn’t hard to guess who that meant.

but-

‘Even if it’s a mistake, I won’t encounter him. I won’t enter the zodiac directly! I’ll first release this deadly disaster on the outskirts of Regina, infect enough people, and then finally sweep the zodiac away in an instant!’

But as has been the case with everything up to this point, the world was not on his side this time either.

Blink, blink.

The moment Giacomo Milo noticed a small red light glowing in the pitch-black darkness, he knew something was seriously wrong.

[Ouch! Get out of the way, Giacomo! That’s a reserve!]

His demon, Salisbury, screamed in his mind. But soon the sound faded away from his ears.

“hey.”

And finally, the tall, handsome boy who filled his eyes.

“It’s not as I remember it, but I think you’re what I’m looking for.”

The boy’s eyes, which were gradually narrowing, flashed a strange red light for a moment.

“How about it? If you have time, can we talk for a bit?”