SWDnovel Chapter 143: City Of The Wretched (6)
Chapter 143: City Of The Wretched (6)
* * *
“I believe I can prove this young man’s innocence.”
Upon hearing the unfamiliar voice, both Yeomyeong and the elf turned their heads almost simultaneously.
The sound of footsteps approaching from beyond the rubble of a collapsed building could be heard clearly.
Noticing how light the steps sounded, Yeomyeong frowned slightly.
This was a subject beyond just footwork or mana. It was impossible for a person with flesh and muscle to produce such light footsteps.
“Who are you? Reveal yourself.”
As soon as he finished asking, a figure cloaked in rags emerged from beyond the darkness.
And after closing the distance between itself and Yeomyeong, it threw off its ragged cloak to reveal its face.
“It’s been a while, Earthian guided by the stars.”
Surrounded by burning blue flames, a skeleton with empty eye sockets and without a trace of flesh or muscle revealed itself.
The simplest kind of undead, animated by twisted mana.
“A necromancer using blue Necromancy? Did one of them really manage to survive against the U.S. army…?”
While the elf murmured in disbelief, Yeomyeong felt a familiar mana emanating from the skeleton’s flames.
A will-o’-the-wisp he had seen somewhere before.
“Could it be…”
As suspicion turned to certainty, the skeleton cut him off.
“Earthian Cheon Yeomyeong, even if that elf acts ignorantly and violently, does that mean you should reciprocate in kind? Humans should never stoop down to the level of mere beasts.”
“…”
“You should just cut off the arm of that foolish elf who can’t even differentiate between the crystal sold to Dungan Heavy Industries and the one that was stolen—this is practically animal cruelty.”
“Dungan Heavy Industries? Cheon Yeomyeong?”
The elf looked up in shock upon hearing that, but Yeomyeong only raised his sword toward the skeleton.
The Sword Aura, infused with the mana of the Surging Wave technique, trembled, ready to strike at any moment.
“Oh, it looks like your instincts have improved.”
The will-o’-the-wisp in the skeleton’s eye sockets curved into a crescent shape, as if it were smiling.
Upon seeing that smile, Yeomyeong was now certain.
How could he ever forget? That arrogant undead’s sneer, always looking down on humans.
“…Kahal Magdu.”
The skeleton dragon who had slaughtered his fellow mercenaries back in North Manchuria before coming after his life.
The skeleton before him was undoubtedly one of the undead created by that creature.
Yeomyeong didn’t bother asking how the creature had ended up in Dreitherial or why it was here.
After all, Kahal Magdu was an international criminal who roamed the battlefields for profit. What Yeomyeong needed to exchange with it was not words but violence.
Having made up his mind, Yeomyeong unleashed his Sword Aura, shattering the skeleton to pieces.
“Stop lurking around and come here personally.”
Even though bone fragments scattered and the skull was split in half, the skeleton dragon’s voice continued to flow out.
“I simply dropped by to say hello, yet it seems that your personality still hasn’t caught up with your skills. Is it because you’ve been hanging around the Saintess?”
“…Shut up, you worthless pile of bones that can’t even produce broth.”
It was the same expression the Saintess had once used to insult Kahal Magdu.
On hearing Yeomyeong repeat it, the remaining half of the skull burst into laughter.
“Your tongue has indeed improved. But what about the rest? The Saintess won’t be here to help you this time.”
“…”
“If you’re scared, you can flee by catching a train tomorrow. Just like in Manchuria, I’ll show you special mercy…”
Before it could finish speaking, someone stomped on the skull.
The one who did so raised their foot again and ground the skull into powder before shaking off the dust and looking at Yeomyeong.
“This has become more complicated than I expected.”
Upon seeing Seti smile wryly, Yeomyeong nodded.
And after noticing the short-haired girl peeking from behind her, Yeomyeong couldn’t help but wear the same wry smile as Seti.
“He…hello, brother-in-law?”
* * *
The sight of the burning city was beautiful.
The flames roaring under the night sky looked like the flames of purification burning away the old trash.
However, the ‘Chicken’ knew that the fire wouldn’t last long.
The fire would only affect a portion of the city, and more importantly…
“There isn’t enough fire to burn those who should be burned.”
With yellow eyes more beastly than that of a human, it pierced through the firefighters, staring directly into the darkness of the city.
At the edge of his vision were numerous Superhumans.
Mages under the command of the Western Count Palatine, knights of the Southern Count Palatine, and… a witch wielding a giant spear.
Shrouded in the darkness of the night and the flames, they watched the disaster caused by the elf and the mysterious human superhumans while hiding amidst the people and buildings.
Not only did they avoid taking a direct approach, but their behavior of subtly keeping each other in check was utterly ridiculous. However, the Chicken did not laugh at them.
That just showed how great of an item the World Tree’s crystal was. Leaving the burning city behind, it was a priceless treasure, one so precious that no one could hide their ugly greed.
If it weren’t for the orders from the Patriots… he would have probably been standing with them,
A young man with golden eyes and black hair leaning back comfortably in his chair with arms crossed.
His appearance seemed strangely familiar.
He was sure he had seen someone like him before.
As the old man was lost in thought, the elf’s voice interrupted his reverie.
“Give us the clearest liquor you have, one bottle.”
Upon hearing his order, the old man frowned deeply.
It wasn’t a regular order—it was a secret code known only to the elf and the tavern keeper.
“Are you serious?”
The old man asked as if he couldn’t comprehend the situation, and the elf just shrugged his remaining shoulder.
A silent affirmation.
The tavern keeper scanned the other customers once again, then sat at the table with a bottle of liquor and two cups.
“Finel, if this decision brings harm to the city… Demerond himself will have to come in person to clean up.”
The moment the name ‘Demerond Ipp Marx’ escaped the tavern keeper’s lips, the atmosphere among the customers changed.
Did they realize that the old man wasn’t just an ordinary tavern keeper? The young man uncrossed his arms and even placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.
Of course, he didn’t draw the sword.
Instead of making any threatening gestures, the old man immediately pulled out a bottle and opened it. A rich, luxurious aroma of fine liquor, out of place in the modest tavern, filled the table.
“How about we start introducing ourselves first?”
The young man, looking confused, glanced back and forth between the elf and the tavern keeper before tilting his head and speaking.
“I’m Cheon Yeomyeong.”
“What? Cheon Yeomyeong? Really?”
Unsure if he heard him correctly, the tavern keeper turned to the elf. The elf shrugged again.
Seeing this, the tavern keeper licked his lips, then leaned forward and asked.
“Are you really ‘that’ Cheon Yeomyeong?”
“’That’ Cheon Yeomyeong?”
“I’m asking whether you are the Dragon Liberator.”
Dragon Liberator? Now, what was that about?
The young man who introduced himself as Cheon Yeomyeong, as well as the girls munching on the snacks, all stared at the tavern keeper as if asking to elaborate.
As if surprised they didn’t know, the old man widened his eyes and said.
“Cheon Yeomyeong! The Earthian with a conscience! The man who freed the dwarf royal family’s guardian dragon, Orsay Taboul, from the hands of the Korean army without taking any compensation in return!”
“…?”
“…If you just happen to be someone with the same name, then I apologize.”
As soon as he finished speaking, an awkward silence fell over the table.
And just as the silence was about to stretch on, Cheon Yeomyeong spoke up with a slightly flustered tone.
“I did free Orsay Taboul, but… the ‘Dragon Liberator’ is a bit…?”
Before he could say anything else, the tavern keeper suddenly grabbed his own cheek and peeled off the skin.
Or, more precisely, he removed the intricate artificial mask that had been covering his face.
The sound of skin tearing echoed as the mask was removed, revealing…
The face of the old man wasn’t that different from the tavern keeper’s. The only difference was that he had an unusually stern expression.
While the sudden unmasking startled Yeomyeong and the girls, the tavern keeper looked at them expectantly.
An awkward silence ensued once more.
It was clear that no one recognized who the old man was. Feeling embarrassed, the old man cleared his throat and introduced himself.
“My name is Bykov Alexeyevich Marmeladov.”
Hearing the long Russian name, Neti narrowed her eyes, but Seti and Yeomyeong tensed up for a different reason.
It was because his name had come up when extracting information from the desert Wraith, Dagal.
“…The citizens of this city call me the Eastern Count Palatine.”
The Eastern Count Palatine. The old man before them was one of the three Count Palatines ruling the city.