"Everyone, step aside. I need to speak with the mastermind alone for a moment."
Malrikon, the owner of the ruins.
Very few people knew her true identity.
Except for a few high-ranking officials residing on the top floor, very few people knew her true identity, so that was all there was to say.
But then, a mysterious man suddenly appeared and discovered the identity of the Ruins Merchant.
Even Malrikon agreed to a private interview with the mysterious man.
"What? You're allowing me to talk to you so easily?"
Naturally, it was a situation that could only be worrisome for the escort knight Lauren.
He, who had been watching the situation, immediately volunteered to be Malrikon's bodyguard.
"Master, just in case, I should stay here…."
"no."
But Malrikon, the owner of the ruins, shook his head without a moment's hesitation.
"The Mastermind is right. If he had any ulterior motives, he would have killed us all long ago."
"That, that is...."
"It's okay, so go ahead. I'll take care of the problem with the mastermind."
"...."
Nod-.
Lauren nodded reluctantly and followed the others.
But no matter how much the Master said it was okay, it was inevitable that he would feel worried as a guard.
'… … This won't work.'
Slurp-.
Finally, Lauren, unable to bear her anxiety any longer, decided to resort to a desperate measure.
One of his secret techniques is [Shadow Penetration].
This was a technique to store one's own clone in the shadow of a specific target in case of an unexpected situation.
Even on regular occasions, Lauren would use this technique to escort Karajan while he was away.
"under."
But at that very moment.
The man's laughter echoed throughout the room.
"I would have definitely requested a private meeting with the owner of the ruined merchant group."
"...!"
Swish-.
As soon as he finished speaking, the man's gaze turned towards me.
His eyes were sharp, as if he had immediately grasped Lauren's trick.
'Wh, what… …!'
A startled Lauren quickly canceled her technique.
His body froze like a rabbit facing a lion.
Creak-.
A suffocating silence flowed.
Even as the top-floor door slowly closed, the man's eyes remained fixed on Lauren.
Although his body was thin as if he had starved for several days, the aura that flowed from the man was extraordinary.
Completely overwhelmed by this, Lauren swallowed hard.
'In that short gap, you see through my skills...?'
A cold sweat ran down my spine.
Not only did he kill the human butcher jenkoid with a single stroke, but he also saw through his own [Shadow Infiltration] in an instant.
At what level must one have reached to be able to do something like that?
Lauren couldn't dare to measure the man's strength.
Squeak, thud-!
But that doubt was fleeting.
The door to the top floor closed tightly, and a quiet silence fell over the hallway.
All the high-ranking officials who were suddenly kicked out just looked dumbfounded.
… … Now, no one will know the conversation between the strange man and the owner of the ruined merchant house.
* * *
'Phew.'
After confirming that the door was closed, I sighed in relief.
'I tried stabbing Shadow Knight Lauren just in case... ... .'
It seems like he really intended to use [Shadow Infiltration] on the Ruins Merchant.
It was fortunate that I had blocked that possibility in advance.
If not, the guy would have been hiding in the shadows and sabotaging everything I did in the past.
Interfering with our conversation using telepathy.
'That must never happen.'
anyway.
Having successfully chased away the intruders, I turned my attention back to Malrikon.
Malrikon still looked at me with a half-doubtful expression, as if She was unsure if I was really the one who saved her life.
I opened my mouth to alleviate Malrikon's doubts.
"When a vagrant girl said she wanted to become a world-class tycoon, I just laughed it off."
"...!"
"I never thought you would really achieve that ambition."
Malrikon's eyes widened.
Only after hearing the story that had been shared only between her savior and herself did she shake off her doubts.
"I, I have been waiting for you to come…!"
dump-.
Malrikon, lying flat on the floor, began to nod her head at my feet.
Her voice dripped with an indescribable emotion.
It seems like She is very happy that she has finally met her savior.
"I won't ask you anything about why you came to see me, or why you came only now."
"...."
"If it is what Your Majesty desires, then anything... I will do anything within my power."
Strictly speaking, this situation may not make logical sense to Lea de Malrikon.
Why on earth was the savior among the slaves?
Why did the human butcher jenkoin kill?
No, that aside… …what on earth did that person come here for?
Well, there are probably hundreds of other questions plaguing her.
'But that doesn't really matter.'
A character who is usually extremely calculating and cold-hearted, but who blinks when it comes to her savior.
That was the setting of Malrikon, the ruin merchant who appears in the game.
As the novel progresses, there comes a moment when Malrikon learns of her savior's death.
A few days later, she loses her will to live and gives up her life.
'To be honest, I feel like the character settings are a bit excessive... but... it's a novel setting, so whatever.'
At least for Lea de Malrikon, reuniting with her savior was the purpose of life.
'In that sense... ... .'
Saved Malrikon's life.
No, to be precise, I was impersonating that savior and could now ask her for anything.
There's no need to engage in pointless chatter. Let's take advantage of Malrikon's clouded judgment to get what we need and get out of here quickly.
From the moment I first set foot on this top floor, I had one thing in mind.
"Leah de Malrikon."
"yes."
"I understand that almost all the goods on this continent flow into the upper part of the ruins."
"Yes, that's right."
"That's good."
I nodded and continued.
"A few years ago, my precious sword was stolen."
"...!"
"I heard a rumor that the Ruins Merchant Group has a secret collection warehouse of "divine spirits." I'd like to take a look around. My sword might be there."
Secret collection warehouse.
Originally, it was a space that only the highest-ranking officials of the ruins could enter.
That would be the case, as each item stored in the warehouse was extremely valuable, worth billions of ashhillings.
What's more, even the VVIPs, the big shots in the black market, didn't even know about the existence of this secret warehouse, so that says it all.
'I never show this warehouse to outsiders.'
but....
"...Yes. I will guide you straight to the secret warehouse."
As I said before, Malrikon cannot refuse my request now.
To her, the value of the country as a person was much higher than that equipment.
'It can't just be because I'm a savior.'
A skilled swordsman who easily killed the human butcher jenkoin and even saw through the Shadow Knight Loren's [Shadow Infiltration] in one go.
It was clear that there was nothing wrong with gaining the favor of such a person.
Because Lea de Malrikon was originally infinitely good at this kind of 'calculation'.
* * *
"A world overflowing with monsters. A world where all of humanity's great civilizations have collapsed."
This sentence was a catchphrase that ran through shav's worldview.
'… …Humanity is no longer the master of the continent.'
Unable to build a large civilization because of the monsters, humans huddled together in closed cities and lived in hiding.
The number of people venturing outside the city, into the "unexplored areas" where monsters swarm, has been decreasing.
As interaction naturally decreased, each closed city began to develop its own distinct characteristics, and laws and regulations varied greatly depending on its geographical characteristics.
The world has been flowing like that for hundreds of years.
This world was slowly heading towards its end.
'To put it simply, it's easier to think of it as a dark fantasy-style apocalyptic setting.'
anyway.
The reason why I am suddenly explaining this in detail is because… … .
'… …I need to decide for sure what kind of relationship I should maintain with Malrikon from now on.'
The ruins are topped by Lea de Malrikon.
She was the one who reigned like a queen in the shadows of this chaotic world.
In this dark world where all kinds of crimes occur on a daily basis.
There was no need to say what kind of influence the Ruined Group under her command had.
'If we establish official friendly relations with Malrikon, we can receive enormous help from the Ruined Company.'
Financial support.
Rare item airlift.
Even going so far as to assassinate characters that are difficult to deal with directly.
There are countless other ways to utilize the ruins.
'But we shouldn't blindly pursue friendly relations with the Ruins Merchant Group because of the convenience.'
If there are advantages, there are also disadvantages.
In any case, the Ruins of the Upper Class was clearly a guild with evil tendencies.
If you hastily form an alliance with them, there is a high risk that your relationships with other characters will become complicated.
'First of all, all forces with a good disposition become enemies... ... .'
Middle Temple.
The sacred family.
The Sisters of the Assumption.
Relics investigation team.
In addition, many forces that oppose the Ruins Upper Group become my enemies.
'... ... Above all, the moment you establish friendly relations with the Ruins, you will be locked in the shadows for the rest of your life.'
Why don't noir stories often say that the only way to escape an organization is through death?
The same was true for the upper part of the ruins.
Once you form a deep connection with them, it's almost impossible to break that connection.
Because the mark of the ruins is permanently left on my body.
The moment that mark is engraved, the areas I can roam and the Characters I can meet are limited.
It's like my freedom of action has been significantly reduced.
This would have been a huge penalty for my future.
'So the action I have to take is simple.'
You shouldn't necessarily be hostile to the Ruins, but you should form an opaque relationship with them that allows you to cut them off at any time.
It means that you should only beat up the guys to the extent that you can handle the consequences.
And the tip of the 'line' I had set was right here, the secret collection warehouse on top of the ruins.
"We have arrived."
Following the guidance of Malrikon, the owner of the ruined merchant group, I arrived at the secret warehouse and looked around.
A warehouse with soft magic lights.
Inside the display case, where the security spell was hung, dozens of splendid weapons were on display.
I couldn't help but be amazed when I saw the items I had only read on the phone come to life.
'These are the miracles.'
A sacred weapons .
As befitting their name as weapons given by God, each of these weapons had special effects.
For example, this blue spear in front of me, "Heavenly Dragon's Tooth," has an incredible use effect that creates lightning around the anyone every time it is swung.
'But this is of no use to me.'
As I stroked the spearhead of the long spear, I turned my gaze to other weapons.
'There's only one weapon I need right now.'
I briefly recalled the incident when I had dealt with the human butcher, jenkoid.
Immediately after I used the skill, the one-handed sword couldn't withstand the impact and cracked.
Even that crumbled to dust before long.
'... ... I need a durable sword that can withstand the [Soul of the Sword Master].'
If you use a cheap sword, your weapon will break every time you use a skill.
That much money will be leaking out.
Weapons should never become expendable.
Especially when you consider Shav's worldview, where there are only a few blacksmiths left who know how to make proper weapons.
So I was thinking of getting equipment with specs that would allow me to get to the ending here.
"I can't see my sword."
"...!"
Lea de Malrikon's eyes trembled.
"Then, Your Majesty, you may take any sacred item you wish."
"...anything?"
"Of course. Consider it a reward for saving my life. No divine gift is worth more than my life."
Okay.
Everything is going according to the scenario I had in mind.
Of course, there are those who criticize it, saying that it sucks out even the marrow of Malrikon, the owner of the ruined guild… … .
I was the one who saved her life.
No, at least Malrikon believed so.
'Well, if you think about it, this is also cheap.'
With that shameless thought in mind, I glanced around the warehouse again.
'...uh?'
Just then, a longsword entered my sight.
'crazy.'
The moment I saw that weapon, I couldn't hide my surprise.
"...Why is this weapon here?"
I muttered to myself and approached the longsword as if in a trance.
A blue sword body that exudes a cold aura.
But as you go down the handle, you see a sword with a peculiar appearance that is covered in red metal.
It was definitely true.
Among the many new weapons, the "Snow Glow" was one of the most highly regarded weapons by character.
It was said that it was ranked first in preference for sword-type items in a survey of top characters.
"You have good taste."
At that moment, Karajan, who was next to me, spoke quietly to me.
"This is the sacred artifact we acquired a few days ago, called the Serinoeul. It's a one-of-a-kind sword. It's also the most valuable weapon in our collection."
"...."
"Do you like it?"
Gulp-.
After listening to Malrikon, I swallowed hard and rolled my eyes.
Sunset.
The effectiveness of this weapon has always been considered top tier among all weapons.
Finding this sword here alone made the search for the secret vault worthwhile.
'But there's something I don't quite understand... ... .'
… … Originally, at this point, was Seorinoel the owner of the ruins?
weird.
If I remember correctly, this weapon should be in the hands of another owner by now.
Swish-.
I was lost in thought for a moment, and slowly lifted the Serinoeul that was on the shelf… … .
Chaeng, chae chae chae──!
"...?"
That was the moment.
Seori Noeul started rolling around on the floor making an ear-piercing noise.
"It's a fake."