Chapter 75: Special Request (1)
A few days after leaving Viscount Kilkearn's domain.
Harang was moving towards Marzen in a much better mood than usual.
The conversation with his Godok Peers, whom he had met after a long time, had remained as a good memory.
‘They accepted it much better than I thought, everyone.’
I still remember it.
When I talked about the various pleasures of the outside world, the flushed expression Aratus showed.
The interested gazes Grizel and Mets showed.
But the most surprising were Rank 7 Cecilia and Rank 10 Verner.
It couldn't have been just Harang's thought.
Anyone who recalled their actions in the village would have thought so.
‘But, those guys have changed too. Just like Hagio.’
That's right.
Just as Hagio, who had only learned people-killing techniques his entire life, became an Orphanage director helping lost children, possibilities were open for other Godok as well.
They just lacked opportunities.
The obstacle called the village would no longer be able to block everyone.
Of course…….
‘It's not a situation where I can just be completely at ease.’
Harang, his smile gone, recalled Grizel's words.
That even if everyone here combined their strength, they wouldn't be able to handle the village's chief administrator, let alone a high-ranking administrator.
That if one of them appeared, they would be helplessly dragged away again.
That they would be trapped and raised like livestock in the village.
He wasn't wrong.
Although he hadn't faced a single crisis since coming to the outside world, Harang knew all too well that it was merely due to good luck.
‘I need to get stronger.’
For himself as well.
And for the connections in Marzen that had become precious beings to him.
He needed to get stronger as soon as possible.
Of course, he couldn't neglect information gathering either.
Feeling the rattling of the carriage heading to Marzen, Harang recalled the stories he had heard at the meeting one by one.
‘Unfortunately, definite information about the village's identity…… no one managed to find out.’
Perhaps it was only natural.
They didn't know at first, but now everyone knew.
How much stronger their martial prowess was compared to the people of the outside world.
Being a Graduate was much more remarkable than they thought.
However, among the thirty Godok, there was no one who hadn't reached that stage.
What was important here was that the village's total strength was far greater than all of them combined.
‘It wouldn't be so easy to uncover the secrets of such a formidable organization.’
By the same logic, it seemed difficult to uncover the secrets of the group that attacked the village.
He even thought that perhaps in the underworld unknown to them, two factions, or even more, were fiercely fighting.
Perhaps that was why they didn't have the capacity to retrieve them.
‘No, let's put aside such comfortable thoughts. No one knows what will happen in the future.’
Harang, shaking his head vigorously, once again recalled the information he had obtained from his Peers.
It wasn't information related to the village, but stories about organizations they should be aware of as they lived in the world.
First, the religious order exerting influence across the entire continent.
They were polar opposites to them, who lived in the world of darkness, and the strongest force; there was nothing to lose by being cautious, was Aratus' assertion.
In fact, from Harang's perspective, he wondered what gods had to do with him, but since all the other Peers nodded, he went along with it.
He thought there must be a reason why everyone agreed.
Second was the Demon-Worshipping Group Heukdang, in which Harang also showed great interest.
It was because he felt that the existence of ‘Demons’ was similar to yet slightly different from the ‘village.’
‘Demons are beings who grant power commensurate with a huge price…… They invariably lead their contractors to ruin, but they are quite neat and fair in that they inform them of this fact before the contract.’
The fact that they emphasized ‘transactional relationships’ rather than ‘coercion’ also didn't feel bad.
Thinking this way, he felt that the ‘village’ might be even worse than the ‘Demons’ so tabooed by the world.
Of course, the reason Cecilia brought up stories about them wasn't because of that.
It was because the village's method of raising ‘Godok’ was the method of ancient Black Magicians, and Black Magicians were beings who had split off from demon worshippers.
‘Perhaps this place is also an organization related to the village. Though it's just a very faint suspicion.’
Harang nodded, recalling Cecilia speaking with her purple hair fluttering.
He certainly thought it could be possible.
However, there was no room to delve deeper, so his thoughts didn't proceed further, and other information subsequently came to mind.
The Red Magician, a master of black magic known as one of the two disasters of the southern continent.
Akanthus, a secretive group in a hostile relationship with him.
The Seed Swordsmanship Hall, the organization boasting the largest power in the south.
As he reviewed these and other various things one by one, time passed quickly, and before he knew it, the carriage arrived in Marzen.
Harang, bidding farewell to the coachman, looked at the Marzen city walls spread out before him once again and smiled naturally.
It was different from when he returned from Ruibil Castle.
Unlike then, when he was plagued by all sorts of worries and anxieties, not a single shred of hesitation remained in his heart now.
That made Harang's smile even deeper.
“Well then, shall we go.”
To the place where I belong.
The black-haired young man, swallowing the latter part of his words inwardly, passed through Marzen's gate with a confident stride.
Familiar streets.
Familiar noises.
Familiar people.
As he walked steadily, gazing at the incredibly endearing scenery, the most familiar building soon appeared.
It was the hideout of the Eddy Family, no, the Eddy Mercenary Corps.
Just then, he caught sight of one of them, Glen.
Harang waved at his figure, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, and Glen, confirming this, rushed over breathlessly.
Harang was slightly startled.
The current situation overlapped with when he heard the news that Eddy had been kidnapped by Dukan Iter.
Fortunately, the matter Glen brought up was far from such bad news.
“Sheratiya Viyan came looking for me?”
“Yes. She didn't just come today; she's been here for three consecutive days already. As if clocking in for work……”
“What is it? Ah, perhaps it's because of that?”
Harang, pondering for a moment, nodded his head.
It seemed to be because of his request.
It had already been well over a month since he wanted information about Black Poison, no, the Black Hydra.
‘But, it's not important enough for her to visit every day…….’
Of course, for him, information about those related to the village was important, but for the incredibly busy Sheratiya Viyan, it wouldn't be the case.
That piqued Harang's curiosity.
“Is she still inside?”
“Yes. In the guest room……”
“Then I'll go there first. I was planning to have a meal with the Mercenary Corps members after a long time, but I guess I'll have to do it later.”
“Phew, we're fine anytime. Take care of your business first, Boss.”
“Alright, then.”
Harang, nodding, entered inside with a slightly faster pace, and Glen watched his figure for a short while.
And when his figure completely disappeared from sight, he quickly ran off somewhere.
His destination was the largest room in the Hideout, and there, Eddy, Pale, and other executives of the Mercenary Corps were all gathered.
“Bosses, Bosses!”
“What is it?”
“Why the fuss?”
“Well, Boss Harang has returned!”
“What!”
“Now?”
In an instant, the executives, their lethargic expressions vanishing and their eyes glinting.
It couldn't be helped.
Thinking they could finally resolve their curiosity about ‘Sheratiya Viyan,’ their biggest interest recently, their hearts pounded without them realizing it.
“S-So. What happened? What on earth is going on that the high-nosed Lady Viyan would come to such a humble place…… and for three consecutive days at that?”
“That's what I'm saying. What exactly is the relationship between you two and Boss?”
Iron Fist and Bloody Fist Thomas spoke with flushed expressions.
They weren't the only ones.
Eddy and Pale, no less excited than them, threw out various speculations.
It couldn't be helped; Sheratiya Viyan was as famous for her sharp personality as she was for her beautiful appearance.
In addition to that, her reputation as a Merchant was considerable, so everyone in Marzen knew that her schedule was as tight as an elaborate mechanical device.
And yet, for Lady Viyan to visit the Hideout every day to see Boss, they couldn't help but suspect their relationship.
“Are they dating, perhaps?”
“Nah, I don't think it's that much, is it? Boss Harang has been busy lately. He's been going around taking care of business……”
“One of those businesses was Lady Viyan's request, wasn't it? I heard he performed exceptionally well on the escort mission; feelings might have developed then.”
“Hmm…… It's possible. But isn't it too fast? Aren't they just in the stage of getting to know each other?”
“That much is certain……”
“Perhaps Lady Viyan is unilaterally interested.”
“That aloof Lady Viyan?”
“Why, our Boss Harang is a decent person too, isn't he?”
“But……”
The room was as noisy as a marketplace.
The atmosphere was incredibly heated.
With the rare arrival of pink-hued speculation in the Mercenary Corps, teeming only with men, an early spring had arrived in everyone's hearts.
A gentle spring breeze pushed the midwinter chill far away.
However, not everyone was like that.
A being suffering from immense stress due to the recent continuous hellish training.
The former assassin Daereon made a remark that broke the mood.
“Why are you all talking such nonsense so seriously?”
“What?”
“What did you just say?”
“This bastard, those two actually look good together…… Why are you being so grumpy?”
“Exactly. Why is this bastard suddenly acting up?”
“No, am I wrong? No matter how fallen, she's still a noble, and a Viyan lady rumored throughout Marzen for her beauty at that. What's so good about a commoner that she'd show interest?”
“What? This bastard……”
“Why, why! Can't I even voice my own opinion!”
Daereon yelled, his face deeply creased.
However, his inner thoughts were different from the words he spat out.
He, who knew the value of Harang's swordsmanship skills better than anyone, was already in a situation where the thought ‘Perhaps, really?’ had thoroughly dominated his mind.
But.
‘I don't want to admit it!’
That's right.
Considering his own situation, where he had aged enough for his hair to start thinning, yet still had no woman by his side.
Considering his own situation, where he continued days of only swinging a sword, sleeping after training, sleeping after training…… without even proper leisure, his heart couldn't help but shrink to the size of a sauce dish.
‘Absolutely not!’
Daereon screamed inwardly.
Of course, he didn't hold any ill feelings towards Harang.
He had saved his life and even taught him swordsmanship.
Although the process was undeniably grueling, he wasn't such a bad guy as to deny that it was a great favor.
But…….
‘Still, still, while I'm busting my ass, I hope you don't look too happy!’
This was the honest sentiment of Daereon, a 42-year-old unmarried man.
And at that moment.
In the drawing-room, a shocking conversation that no one had imagined was taking place.
“Pretend to be my lover for a bit.”
“What did you say?”
In front of Harang, who asked again, Sheratiya Viyan spoke once more.
“In front of my parents, I need you to act as my lover.”