"The final, third condition is... hmm. Speak up now if you don't want to hear it."
"...I'll listen."
Bekan swiftly dodged Yuria and moved to the side. He drew a dagger hidden in his robe and swung it at me, the blade shimmering with condensed aura. His target was my left arm.
He likely believed I was Yuria's master and had ordered her to cut off my arm. Or perhaps he simply thought I looked weak.
"First, repay the debt for my arm!"
I didn't move. There was no need to.
Yuria had reached my side faster than Bekan.
Clang!
The daggers clashed.
"When...!"
Bekan staggered back in shock.
Yuria moved. She seized Bekan's right arm, snapped it, and then plunged her dagger into his left eye before withdrawing it.
"Aaaaaaaah!"
Bekan's body collapsed to the floor. Yuria's boot mercilessly kicked his head.
"There's a limit to overstepping your bounds...! I never imagined you could be such a fool as to not even recognize your place! Master! Grant me just one hour! I'll teach this man his proper place!"
Yuria declared, her voice laced with irritation. I was stunned by her vehemence. I never expected her to react so violently.
"Y-yes, of course. An hour or so should be fine," I said, slightly overwhelmed.
"Thank you. I'll use the vacant room next door. Now, let's go, Mr. Bekan."
"Gah!"
Yuria roughly grabbed Bekan by the hair with her gloved hand and dragged him out the door. I stared blankly at the door before lowering my gaze to the floor. Bekan's blood and the fluid from his eyes were splattered messily across the floor.
A moment later, a horrifying scream erupted from the adjacent room.
"Aaaaaaah! Stop! Stop it!!!"
I had a good idea of what was happening, and curiosity surged within me. I cautiously slipped out the door and peeked through the crack of the neighboring room's door.
"Ugh... I was wrong... Please stop... I was wrong... Aaaagh!"
"I thought you'd be a bit more rational. Even though you were part of a mercenary group, you're now the owner of the city's top merchant guild. But it seems your true nature hasn't changed."
Crackling electricity!
"Grrr...!"
Electricity crackled from Yuria's hand.
Unlike me, who could only use the Youngcheon Style's Thunderlight, Yuria could wield both Thunderlight and Dark Shadow.
"There's only one thing you need to do: treat our master with respect. Even a fool like you should be able to manage that, right?"
Electric torture was standard. They didn't hesitate to cut flesh or peel skin. Yuria even used potions generously to ensure the torture never stopped.
Ugh...
I averted my gaze. Watching it made me feel like I was the one being tortured.
The agreed-upon hour had passed.
Bekan sat across from me again, just as before. But unlike before, his left arm and left eye were gone. And while he had radiated a determined aura earlier, now his face was etched with terror.
Glance, glance.
Bekan kept glancing nervously at Yuria, who stood beside the table. Every time she so much as twitched, his body trembled violently.
"Bekan, look at me. I'm the one you're talking to now, not Yuria."
"I-I'm so sorry! Forgive me! Forgive me!"
Bekan bowed his head toward me, his posture almost pitiful. It was astonishing how much he had changed in just an hour.
"...I forgive you. Shall we continue our earlier conversation?"
"I'll surrender my merchant guild! I'll pay all taxes on time! I'll do whatever you say! So... sob..."
Bekan glanced nervously at Yuria as he spoke, trembling violently.
"Hmm. Very well. Then I'll tell you the third condition you must fulfill. Yuria."
"Yes, Master. I'm here."
Yuria placed a glass bottle on the table. Inside was a viscous, pitch-black liquid that looked like tar, making me uneasy.
"Ten-Day Toxin. Once poisoned, it slowly corrodes the heart. The process takes ten days. If the antidote is taken within that time, the corrosion reverses, but the toxin remains active, resuming its slow assault on the heart."
There are two types of antidotes: a complete antidote that neutralizes the toxin entirely, and a partial antidote that stops the heart corrosion, leaving only the underlying toxicity, which grants another ten days before the corrosion resumes.
I have no intention of giving her the complete antidote.
For reference, this toxin was created by Yuria, who learned the secret formula from Hassent. It's a highly specialized poison.
According to Hassent, a top-tier Detoxification Mage could easily neutralize this toxin with magic... but such mages are exceedingly rare.
Above all, I have no intention of merely feeding him poison and neglecting surveillance. The moment he tries any foolishness, I'll kill him.
"Eat. I'll give you the antidote at regular intervals."
"..."
Bekan couldn't bring himself to reach for the poison bottle. Taking it would be tantamount to becoming my slave. No, in some ways it would be worse than slavery. At least slaves don't have to ingest poison.
"Even without taking this... I can do well! I'll pledge my loyalty to the Young Master. So...!"
"I don't need your kind of loyalty. Eat. Don't make me say it three times."
"..."
Yuria glared at Bekan and said coldly, "Eat. Surely you're not defying your master's orders?"
Bekan flinched at Yuria's frown, startled.
"No! No! I'll eat it right now!"
He frantically grabbed the poison bottle and hastily poured it into his mouth.
I was impressed. Despite his rough exterior, Bekan was a seasoned mercenary who had once worked in the trenches.
As a low-tier Aura Expert, he possessed considerable skill. Yet after just an hour of torture, this once-ferocious wolf had been reduced to a terrified mutt.
Yuria's torture skills are beyond imagination.
It made sense. Though she hadn't done so recently, Yuria used to visit the prison daily to torture members of the Pfrek Mercenary Group.
Glug, glug.
Bekan swallowed the poison right in front of us.
I clapped with a satisfied smile.
Clap, clap, clap, clap.
"I look forward to working with you, Leader Bekan. Let's strive together for the boundless prosperity of Tevra. Hahahaha!"
"Yes..."
"While we're at it, let's change the guild's name. Black Tiger? Such a provincial name is hardly fitting for a guild of this stature! Don't you agree, Guild Master?"
Bekan's delayed response to my friendly overture earned a soft click of my tongue. Yuria subtly revealed the dagger at her hip.
"...I, I agree, Young Master," Bekan stammered, nodding frantically.
"The guild's name should be Heavenly Demon... no, that doesn't suit this world. Pegasus is decent, but it lacks appeal. Let's name it Korea."
"Korea... a fine name. May I ask what it means?"
"Do I really need to tell you? Can't you find out yourself?"
"My, my apologies. I'll look into it myself."
"You'd better. Don't disappoint me. If you do... I'll have to educate you."
At the word "educate," Bekan's face turned ashen.
"I-I'll do my best! I'll never disappoint you!"
"I trust you, Korea Guild Master. Hahahahahahahahaha!"
"..."
"Why aren't you laughing? Can't you find humor on such a fine day?"
"I was too busy thinking about the future of the Korea Merchant Guild to laugh. Hahahahahahahahaha!"
"The future of the Korea Merchant Guild is very bright. Don't worry. Hahahahahahahahaha!"
The laughter never stopped. What a harmonious relationship between ruler and subject!
The next day, after returning to Prucus Manor from Tevra Port City, I asked Elaine if I could go on a trip.
She granted permission on the condition that I travel with ten escort knights. We also needed to bring servants to attend to the knights' needs, bringing the total number of people to twenty-five, including myself.
I didn't complain. Just getting permission to travel was enough.
As I was returning to my room, I ran into Kyle in the hallway. He had just been released from prison.
"Here. The key. You used it well."
"You can keep using it, brother."
Sung Yujin didn't accept the key Kyle offered. He didn't need the key to the ancient warrior training grounds right away.
"Sung Yujin, you're going on a trip tomorrow, right? Where are you headed?"
"To Huge Snow Mountain, in the northern part of the kingdom."
"Huge Snow Mountain? That mysterious mountain where the snow never melts, even in the heat of summer? Lucky you. I'd love to go there someday."
Legend has it that an Ancient Silver Dragon died on Huge Snow Mountain in ancient times. Because of this, the mountain's snow never melts, remaining frozen year-round. Strangely, any snow taken from the mountain melts instantly once it's brought outside.
"Want to come with me, ??"
"Would I be intruding on your trip?"
"It's fine. We're brothers, after all."
"Alright. Just a moment. I'll go ask Mother for permission."
Kyle happily hurried into Elaine's office.
Sung Yujin didn't mind Kyle joining the trip. After all, it wasn't a real vacation anyway.
Once I receive the barony and become Lord of Tevra, I'll no longer need Elaine's permission to act.
If nothing else, the freedom of movement appealed to him.
I need to bed Elaine too... but she's such a fortress. It'll be tough.
He had tried to create intimate moments with Elaine when they were alone, but she remained impenetrable. She never crossed the line, not even when he subtly initiated physical contact while her senses were heightened.
I can't bed her through ordinary means.
Should I resort to some cheap trick? No... if anything ever happens between us, it has to be because she wants it too. Where's the fun otherwise?
The greater the challenge, the greater the satisfaction upon success. Time was on his side. Whether due to Mana or her own meticulous self-care, Elaine maintained her youthful appearance.
Heh heh heh. I can't wait for the moment that iron wall crumbles.
Four of us were riding in the large carriage, including myself.
Yuria and I sat together, facing Kyle and Lucy. Lucy was Kyle's personal maid.
Lucy Cobret.
She was the daughter of Baron Cobret, a vassal of the family.
With her curly auburn hair, Lucy was younger than Yuria. She had only been Kyle's personal maid for about six months. The previous maid had quit after marrying a clerk who worked at the manor.
Hmm.
She was as pretty as she had been in the original story.
It's... ambiguous.
Her face was beautiful, but her build was slim rather than curvy. Instead of a voluptuous figure, she gave off a neat, delicate impression.
"I have no intention of attacking you."
Lucy was Kyle's personal maid. Any clumsy move could easily backfire. Since she wasn't exactly my type anyway, I decided to leave her alone.
"This is my first time going to Huge Snow Mountain! I'm so excited! Ms. Yuria, have you ever been there before?"
"No, this is my first time visiting Huge Snow Mountain as well. I'm really looking forward to it too."
Lucy was a lively and energetic woman. Moreover, her eyes shone with respect and admiration whenever she looked at Yuria.
Yuria is quite popular among the servants.
Yuria possessed exceptional beauty and was skilled at everything she did. To a young maid like Lucy, she must seem incredibly impressive.
I turned to Kyle, who was staring blankly at Yuria, and asked, "Hey Kyle, have you ever been to Snow Mountain before?"
"Snow Mountain? Well... no. I've never been there either. This is my first time too."
In his previous life, Kyle had visited Snow Mountain. The Volcano Mountain where he lived would transform into a snow-covered peak during winter.
"I heard Yetis live on Snow Mountain..."
Boom!
Hiiiiiiiiing!
A heavy thud and a horse's scream pierced the air. The carriage lurched violently before coming to a halt. I frowned, certain something had gone wrong.
Kyle swiftly opened the carriage window.
"Sir Hent, what's happening?"
"A group of monsters and someone else are fighting ahead," Sir Hent, commander of the Plum Knights, replied, his expression grim. He and the dozens of knights escorting us clearly weren't pleased by this unexpected incident.
"What's the situation ahead? Is it dangerous?"
"No, they appear to be from another noble house. Their knights are handling the monsters. We don't need to intervene."
Kyle shook his head and stepped out of the carriage.
"Let's join the fight. It might be dangerous."
"Young Master Kyle, we'll handle the combat. Please wait inside the carriage."
"No, I'll help too. I can't just stand by when people are in danger. Sung Yujin, Lucy, Yuria, you three stay inside the carriage."
I simply nodded. Knowing Kyle's personality, I had expected him to get involved from the start.
This is such a typical clich .
Traveling with Kyle, the protagonist, was a mistake. If he hadn't been here, this situation wouldn't have happened. Probably.
If the person we rescue turns out to be a noble lady, I'll eat my hat. Seriously.