Chapter 043: Friends Close, Enemies Closer (2)
"Ah, was I too harsh? I meant to convey it plainly, but I suppose I went too far. If I offended you, I apologize. But my intentions remain unchanged."
"…."
"Trade between Conwell and the Empire. A capable merchant like the Deputy Leader could surely carve out new paths. In a different way than before. I hope you don’t miss this opportunity."
It was a blatant warning to abandon sinister schemes and focus solely on the duties of a merchant.
It also carried the implication that if she showed "pure" goodwill to the future lord, past transgressions might be overlooked.
To think a threat could be delivered with such elegance—it was almost admirable.
How had I handled things? I’d stormed into the Gunbel Trading Company’s office alone and grabbed Jewel by the throat.
…My face feels hot just thinking about it.
"Hahaha."
Jewel let out a low laugh, glancing around.
Her gaze was fixed on me, but it felt like she was sizing up Jayden and the Easton guards.
She’s probably calculating furiously in her head.
Jewel likely already knows Adeline’s forces are weak.
She’s no match for the Archduke in terms of military strength.
Power comes only when legitimacy and force are balanced—whether in the Empire or the Kingdom.
That laugh of hers must carry this meaning:
Duchess, don’t bluff. You’re in no position for this.
Jewel spoke.
"I understand. From now on, the Gunbel Trading Company will support Duchess Adeline."
I’ve been blindsided multiple times today.
No, my predictions weren’t entirely off.
Jewel has merely set aside the cards she was holding and picked up a new hand.
"I’m glad we’re on the same page. Then, let’s get to the main point."
"There’s more?"
"Yes. A request for support with the subjugation force."
If a tongue were a blade, Adeline was wielding it with lightning-fast swordsmanship.
She pressed forward like a tidal wave, giving her opponent—none other than Jewelina Gunbel—no room to prepare. Was this the dignity of an empress?
"Subjugation force?"
"Demonic Corruption is occurring in Talrug Canyon, at the northernmost edge of Conwell."
"Ha, that’s surprising. Managing an entire territory while engaging in a covert struggle with the Archduke is no easy feat. But doesn’t the Duchess lack military authority? How do you plan to organize a subjugation force?"
"You needn’t worry. I only lack command over Conwell’s regular army."
"Ah, that sounds rather intimidating."
"As you pointed out, our forces are inevitably at a disadvantage. I’d like the Gunbel Trading Company to help compensate for that."
"You mean…."
"What I ask of the Gunbel Trading Company isn’t financial or material support—it’s troops."
Why is a trading company called a trading company?
It’s a combination of merchants and an armed force.
In other words, the private army a merchant cultivates to protect their interests and assets is often stronger than most mercenary bands.
As far as I know, the Gunbel Trading Company’s escort force stationed in Easton numbers only about a dozen.
But for Adeline, who’s desperate for even a single pair of hands in a Demonic Corruption subjugation, that’s no small number.
Adeline, when did you calculate this far….
To take stock of the situation: my stance is clear.
I aim to help the Imperial settlers in Canchester and prevent further innocent sacrifices.
For that, I need Jayden, a “knight” who will serve as a sturdy shield, and I must eradicate the Blood Devil and its followers who prey on living sacrifices.
Thus, in terms of sharing strength with Adeline, my situation isn’t so different from Jewel’s right now.
Reaffirming my position, I glanced at Roland and Eugene sitting across from me.
"…."
Even the talkative Roland was completely silent.
Eugene remained his usual stoic self.
No words were needed to understand…
This situation was entirely Adeline’s doing.
* * *
I volunteered to escort the Gunbel Trading Company out.
Personal feelings toward Jewel aside, this was the minimum courtesy I owed as a warrior.
Had I known Adeline’s plan in advance, things might’ve been different, but I was the one who summoned them here in the first place.
"I was curious, you know."
Jewel muttered as we walked side by side.
Her sudden comment caught me off guard, and I looked at her.
"What kind of person could possibly win over the infamous Bihen Benkou?"
"Don’t misunderstand. Adeline and I simply share the same goals. Nothing more, nothing less."
"Whatever the case, you’re close, aren’t you? Closer than I am, at least."
She seemed genuinely clueless about why I disliked her.
This wasn’t an act of feigned innocence—it was the mindset of someone so self-absorbed that only their own perspective mattered.
In other words, there was no need to engage.
I responded with an unrelated jab.
"Your decision to help Adeline has extended your lifeline. What schemes are you cooking up now?"
"Schemes? I’m just playing along."
We reached the village entrance leading outside.
When I stopped, Jewel took a few more steps before turning to face me.
"Friends close, enemies closer."
"…."
Jewel kept her eyes locked on me and gave a subtle nod.
A burly escort untied a bundle from his back and respectfully handed me its contents.
It was a cloak adorned with ash-gray fur.
"What’s this?"
"You ordered some Kingdom clothing from me last time, remember? No matter how much I searched, I couldn’t find anything satisfactory. I have my pride as a gift-giver, you know. Especially since it’s for you, I couldn’t just pick anything."
I ran my hand over the fur.
The lush strands flowed like waves between my fingers, soft to the touch.
"This feels like an Imperial luxury."
"Your eye is as sharp as ever. It’s an improved version of Lenoir wolf fur, originally brought for display. Tailored by a master craftsman renowned in Conwell."
Lenoir is the northernmost region of the Empire, once called Northland.
Its origins trace back to barbarian warriors who roamed the frozen lands, wearing nothing but fur, striking fear even into the mainland.
Imperial warriors donning fur for winter stems from that tradition.
Before the Igraine dynasty, the Empire considered it a barbaric custom.
Anyway, I digress because I’m genuinely stunned.
Lenoir wolves are a rare species, treated as top-tier luxury even on the mainland.
No, even that’s an understatement.
To think something more valuable than most treasures was handed over so casually—how could I stay calm? Warriors are, by nature, obsessed with the value of the gear they wear.
"Take it back. You think I’d accept a bribe?"
"You’re being harsh again. A bribe? It’s a gift. Besides, since you’re still growing, this will be far more useful than clothes. They say Lenoir wolf fur wards off the malevolent energy of Demonic Beasts. Some warriors revere it as a divine blessing, claiming it makes them impervious to blades."
"I’ve heard as much."
"Winter’s coming here too. If this can ease your homesickness even a little, I’d be delighted."
Her silver tongue was something else.
This was how she’d charmed countless knights.
"If you insist."
Whoosh.
I draped the cloak over my shoulders.
Warmth enveloped me instantly, like the touch of a divine hand around my neck.
"See you at the subjugation, Jewel. Keep your act together from now on."
Jewel bowed politely.
I silently watched their retreating figures as my farewell.
If Jewel…
If she stopped the human tributes, repented her past wrongs, vowed to reform, faithfully fulfilled her promises to support the Slash-and-Burn Farmers, softened the Empire’s ambitions to invade the Kingdom, actively shared information with me, and swore to eliminate threats to the bonds I’d formed in the Kingdom— Our relationship might improve.
Of course, I know that’s pure fantasy.
When else would I indulge in such delusions if not now?
* * *
Several days passed since Adeline and Jewel’s meeting in Canchester.
Let’s recap what’s happened.
First, I hurried back to the guard barracks.
I moved alone.
I desperately needed both mental discipline and physical recovery.
It’s strange to think about.
The place where I feel most at ease now is the guard barracks.
It feels like just yesterday I was sighing at the sight of that rundown, dilapidated place.
Anyway.
After days of focusing on Benkou Vision and rest, the rest of the guard unit returned.
"Thought you’d snuck off somewhere alone, but here you are, sprawled out?"
Roland was with them.
I instinctively tensed up, recalling the moment.
Before I could even ask why he was here, he stood in the middle of the barracks, waved his hand through the air, and in an instant, the massive oval mist I’d seen before appeared.
It felt like I was a primitive encountering a marvel of civilization.
Staring blankly at the spectacle, I asked,
"What the hell is this? Magic?"
"You could say that. It’s called a Spatial Transfer Gate. My own name for it. I’m the only one in the Kingdom who can create it."
I swallowed hard without realizing it.
The thought was terrifying.
If the Imperial army in my past life had mastered this, they could’ve executed unimaginable mobile tactics.
Roland didn’t seem inclined to elaborate further.
"It’s connected to the assembly point, so come through at noon on the day of the subjugation."
As he said this and prepared to step through a smaller Spatial Transfer Gate he’d created, something occurred to me.
"Are you sure this is okay?"
"About what?"
"Eugene was worried. He said Talrug Canyon is dangerous. He even asked me to convince the Duchess to reconsider, saying he needed to discuss it with you."
Roland was utterly calm, like a seasoned bureaucrat.
"When the lord makes a decision, it’s our duty not to question it."
⋅
⋅
⋅
Benkou Vision.
Kyaaaaaaaak—!
The ghostly wails I encountered while entering the Altar of the Abyss grew sharper, like a dulled blade freshly honed.
I don’t know why.
Shuuuu—
The ceiling of the altar was brimming with the fruits of my past deeds.
Souls with human faces glared at me with resentment before being sucked into the braziers.
Whooosh!
With Quake Earth added, there were now four braziers.
I carefully observed the braziers, each burning with flames of purple, dark gray, blue-white, and ochre.
As I watched the four braziers, I suddenly turned my head.
There was another change.
The dark walls surrounding the altar, once pitch-black, were now dotted with golden specks like stars, their number increased and their glow brighter.
I no longer needed to approach to see them clearly.
….
I still don’t know what these golden specks are.
But a thought lingered faintly.
If this place, the Altar of the Abyss, represents my psyche—
The dark backdrop might symbolize the me of my past life.
And these golden specks could be traces of my current life.
Yes, this is where the Bihen Benkou of my past life and the Bihen Benkou of my present life intersect.
Whooosh!
I gazed at the fiercely flickering flames of the braziers.
The pitch-black darkness of my past life must be illuminated by the stars and flames of my present life.
I will lift the veil, the great wall that blocked my progress in my past life.
The peak of the middle stage is not far off.
With that conclusion, I relaxed my meditative posture and leaned back leisurely.
If the golden specks grew even brighter, this place might feel less like the Altar of the Abyss and more like the backyard of my hometown estate.
The backyard where I used to sit side by side with my grandmother, gazing at the constellations in the night sky.
⋅
⋅
⋅
"Let’s go."
Jayden stood before the Spatial Transfer Gate and spoke.
Janson and Bill were taking deep breaths, steeling themselves.
Even to me, they looked brimming with resolve.
"Take care, Captain. Janson, Bill. Keep your wits about you. Don’t slack off hiding in the rear."
Henry saw us off alongside Ayan.
I adjusted my wrist guards and straightened the leather boots that reached just below my knees—supplies from Henry.
Naturally, I also wore the Lenoir wolf fur cloak from Jewel.
I spoke from behind the three.
"Let’s move."
It’s time to accumulate good deeds.