Awakening (??) (6)
Zeke took out a recording crystal ball from his pocket.
It was a small orb with a button attached to it.
The Guild Master's eyes followed Zeke's hand.
‘That’s mine! Mine!!! Give it back!!!’
The Guild Master, his throat still being crushed by the bread, stretched out his hand, trembling.
*Thud*
“Gasp……!”
*Click.*
As Zeke pressed the small button on the crystal ball, a man’s voice filled the room, accompanied by static.
“Ah, ah. Is this working? Guild Master, how are you? I always appreciate your dedication to the Empire. I’d love to express my gratitude further, but since the crystal ball’s usage time is limited, let’s get straight to the point. Haha.”
A cheerful man's voice echoed from the orb.
“Please don't tell anyone about the information I’m about to share. Of course, I’m saying this because I trust you, Guild Master.”
He lowered his voice, subtly switching to a hushed tone as he revealed his main point.
“Oh?”
Zeke's curiosity piqued, wondering what intriguing story the man had to tell.
“Do you know the Eulshir region? There’s a man there, a Viscount. I’ve witnessed a dreadful sight. An abnormal phenomenon where the sun doesn't rise.”
‘The Eulshir region? I’ve never heard of that place. I’ll have to look into it. Could magic be involved?’
Zeke touched his lips, listening intently to the recorded voice.
Indeed, the sun not rising in a specific region was not a normal phenomenon.
“I heard knights from Ramielli Academy have been dispatched. They’re seasoned veterans, so I believe it will be alright. As long as I follow orders, I’ll be safe.”
‘What is this guy talking about? He says he's telling this in secret, but knights from Ramielli Academy have already been sent? Something doesn’t add up… Or is there some secret knight order from Ramielli?’
“What can I, someone who didn’t even attend Ramielli, do? All I can do is deliver this information to you, Guild Master.”
The man sniffled.
“Tonight’s dinner will be delightful. I can smell the soup from here. It seems to be rabbit stew. Is there beer too? Haha.”
The man’s voice, previously cheerful, suddenly lost its jovial tone and turned serious.
“Haha. Keep this in mind, Guild Master. Three months.”
*Bzzt*
The voice recorded in the crystal ball ended abruptly.
‘That’s it?’
Zeke had expected some information containing the weaknesses of powerful individuals or a secret mission to carry out. Instead, he found himself staring suspiciously at the Guild Master, perplexed by the unexpected content.
“What does this mean?”
He slightly loosened his grip on the bread that was lodged in the Guild Master’s throat, allowing him to speak.
The Guild Master, his eyes trembling, looked at Zeke and stammered,
“Cough. A, an adventurer secretly passed this information to me!”
“Lies.”
*Thud!*
“Tell me. What does it mean?”
“Gah!”
The pressure emanating from Zeke now was on another level.
A true taste of imminent death.
The Guild Master’s teeth involuntarily chattered.
He trembled, his thick flesh rippling with fear. Yet, his eyes burned with a fierce determination.
“T-That’s all I know!”
Zeke's eyebrows shot up.
“… You fear him, no, the one above him, more than you fear me.”
In that case, there was only one thing to do.
“Fine. Stay strong and don’t say another word, Guild Master. I’m curious to see how long you can last.”
*Crackle*
The transformation inscription carved on the back of Zeke’s hand flared up, emitting a sinister and ominous aura.
‘Can I even handle the aura of that guy, the one with the most twisted hobbies among the Demon King’s subordinates?’
Zeke recalled the torture techniques of a particular demon from a dark fantasy world he’d experienced – a being whose entire body was made of rotting slime.
He slowly brought his hand towards the Guild Master’s head. The aura from his hand seeped into the Guild Master’s pores.
‘Aaaaaargh!!!!!!!’
The Guild Master's eyes rolled back.
His blood vessels, starting from his face and spreading throughout his body, pulsed and throbbed.
He wanted to scream, but no sound escaped his lips.
It felt as if each and every blood vessel was being scorched, his bones melting in real time.
An excruciating burning sensation surged from within, engulfing his entire being.
Drool dribbled down his chin.
He yearned to lose consciousness and escape the torment, but the pain wouldn't even grant him that mercy.
‘Monster!!!!!!!!!!! Aaaaaargh!!!!!!!!!!!!!’
He had vowed to keep his mouth shut with unwavering resolve, but now he realized the utter foolishness of his decision.
‘I’ll talk!!! I’ll tell you everything!!!!!!’
He stretched out a trembling hand towards Zeke, though his voice remained trapped within.
But Zeke, lost in his own thoughts, paid him no mind.
‘I… I said I’ll talk!!!!!! Please, just make it stop!!!!!! Aaaaaargh!!!!!’
*Click. Click. Click.*
Zeke replayed the recorded voice over and over.
A nagging sense of unease continued to gnaw at the back of his mind.
The man’s tone at the end, especially, held a peculiar quality that seemed significant.
“Guild Master, how are you?... The information I’m about to share… Of course, I’m saying this because I trust you…”
‘Think.’
Zeke pictured the expression on the Guild Master’s face earlier.
Two days ago, when the Guild Master had sent assassins after him, Zeke had assumed that the crystal ball contained information so sensitive that its exposure would threaten the Guild Master’s life.
Even after witnessing Zeke split a wall with a single piece of bread, the Guild Master had hastily dispatched poorly prepared assassins.
Such a trivial piece of information didn’t warrant such a desperate response.
‘And he desperately wanted the crystal ball back. The look on his face… it was pure terror.’
In truth, the Guild Master’s terror was being constantly renewed in that very moment, but Zeke, lost in thought, didn’t even glance his way.
‘I… I’ll tell you… just let me…!!!!’
What could possibly frighten the Guild Master to such an extent?
The clue must lie in the man’s final words from the crystal ball: “Three months.”
‘An alias that sticks in the ear, perhaps? Or did he imbue his voice with mana?’
“Gasp… I’ll… talk…”
“Quiet. I’m trying to think.”
The Guild Master, through sheer willpower, forced his uncooperative mouth open, attempting to convey his message to Zeke. But Zeke remained fixated on the crystal ball, his gaze intense.
‘The Eulshir region… It’s most likely a small village on the outskirts of the Empire.’
*Click. Click.*
Zeke, habitually pressing the button, suddenly realized that a particular word from the recording kept snagging his attention.
“…Sacri…fice…”
‘What?’
No, it wasn’t a single word.
It was…
“Guild Master! Where’s your pen and paper?”
Zeke turned his gaze towards the Guild Master.
‘I… I was going to tell you… ugh…’
He gestured towards the desk with trembling eyes.
Zeke quickly retrieved a pen and paper from the desk.
‘Guild Master, how are you? I always… I’d…’
‘I, I’d, I… No, that’s not it. It’s after that. Take the first letter of each sentence from there.’
‘I’m saying… Of course… Eulshir…’
‘Sacrifice!’
As if possessed, Zeke began to break down the man’s words into sentences, jotting down the first letter of each on the paper.
His eyes widened as he looked at what he had written.
Goosebumps erupted on his arms.
‘Am I… a genius?’
[S］[a］[c］[r］[i］[f］[i］[c］[e］[s］. [P］[r］[e］[p］[a］[r］[e］ [o］[n］[e］ [h］[u］[n］[d］[r］[e］[d］. [L］[a］[i］[o］[s］ [M］[o］[u］[n］[t］[a］[i］[n］[s］[T] [h] [r] [e] [e] [M] [o] [n] [t] [h] [s].
“Sacrifices. Prepare one hundred. Laios Mountains. And… three months.”
The words left Zeke’s mouth in a flat monotone.
“So that’s the secret of that laughter. It was the beginning and end of a coded message.”
Zeke turned to the Guild Master, a look of satisfaction on his face.
The Guild Master, still writhing in pain, looked utterly wronged.
Zeke manipulated a bit of mana, allowing him to speak.
“Th-That’s… what… I was… trying… to… tell… you… you… bastard…”
“Well, it’s no fun if you just give me the answers, is it? You little…”
Zeke withdrew the mana he had implanted in the Guild Master’s mind.
**
*Sob* *sob*
*Whimper* *whimper*
“Crazy bastard… You’re insane…”
The Guild Master buried his face in the blanket and sobbed uncontrollably, though thanks to the sound proofing spell Zeke had cast earlier, his cries didn't escape the room.
He had been ready to spill everything from the moment Zeke first walked in, but the madman had insisted on solving the clues himself, wasting precious time.
And all that despite the fact that he hadn't even screamed, even though he couldn't open his mouth!
“You crazy…!”
*Whack!*
“Oof!”
A dull pain throbbed in his head.
The Guild Master wanted to thrash and rage against the injustice of it all, but the man was an unreasoning force.
He had made the mistake of provoking someone he shouldn't have.
“Crazy bastard? That’s a bit harsh, don’t you think? What is that smell, anyway?”
Zeke frowned at the Guild Master.
The bizarre torture technique had been incredibly effective in breaking the Guild Master's will, and with the release of tension came a less dignified side effect.
*Sob* *sob*
Zeke subtly inched back.
“Stop crying and speak. So, I’ve solved the clues. Who’s behind this order, and what do they mean by sacrifices?”
“Sob… Sob…”
But the Guild Master was too busy weeping to answer Zeke’s question.
*Whack! Whack! Whack!*
“Sob!!! I-I’ll talk!! J-Just stop!!!”
*Whack!*
“Yes, quickly now. My patience is wearing thin.”
The Guild Master struggled to hold back his tears.
“S-Sob… It’s… It’s Viscount… Viscount Lobenu… Lobenus…”
“Viscount Lobenus?”
“S-Sob… Yes… And the sacrifices… he said he needs them for his… magic research…”
“Dark magic, then.”
“I-I don’t know the specifics…”
*Whack!*
“Ow!!!”
What more could he possibly say, how much more honest could he be to escape this madman's wrath?!
The bread might have looked ridiculous, but it certainly didn’t feel ridiculous when it collided with his head. Of course, it was nothing compared to the earlier torment, but this external pain was a different beast altogether.
“S-Stop it!!! I… I was just… following orders!!! He had leverage on me!!!”
“Being threatened doesn’t give you the right to hurt others. At the very least, you should be fighting back against the one who’s threatening you.”
That was easy for Zeke to say.
The Viscount might not be as high-ranking as royalty or a Duke, but those noble bloodlines were few and far between. So even a Viscount held immense power, especially to someone like the Guild Master.
He wouldn’t dare defy a direct order. And now, with his weakness exposed, what choice did he have but to obey?
The Guild Master glared at Zeke, then immediately regretted it as another blow landed on his head.
‘And what about you?! Who are you to judge?! Don’t tell me… you’re working for another Viscount or a Duke?!’
The Guild Master nursed his bruised head, pondering.
Zeke was an unknown element, someone not mentioned in any of the information he had received. But his strange abilities and nonchalant demeanor sparked a glimmer of hope.
‘This lunatic tortured me nearly to death, but he didn’t actually kill me. That means…’
The Guild Master cautiously spoke,
“C-Can you… protect me?”
“Hmm? Why would I do that?”
Zeke’s eyebrows shot up.
It hurt to even speak, but the Guild Master knew this was a crucial moment. He steeled his resolve.
“I’ll give you all the information I have and act as a double agent.”
“And in return… you want my protection?”
“…Yes.”
*Whack!*
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
‘Look who’s talking!’
The Guild Master bit back his retort.
Zeke’s gaze was far from pleased.
‘This two-faced bastard was perfectly happy to gather up sacrifices and wrap them up with a bow on top until just now. And now he’s putting on this innocent act.’
Hmm. But using this guy to bring down the Viscount and his operation… that could be interesting.
Zeke was also curious about the magic of this world. And he had a strict policy against dealing with anyone who used humans as sacrifices for their dark magic.
No, "dealing with" wasn't the right word. He abhorred them.
‘I’ll deal with this pig after I’m done with those bastards. But this genre drift is getting out of hand. Why does this keep happening in this romance fantasy world?’
“Three months, you said?”
“T-To be precise… it’s one month and two weeks from now…”
“Hmm…”
‘Right, the kids should be ready to catch a dark mage or two by then.’
Zeke turned his gaze back to the Guild Master.
“Fine. I can’t promise protection, but I’ll decide based on your performance.”
“That means…!”
“But I don’t trust you.”
Zeke channeled mana into the Guild Master’s head once more.
‘Gah!!!!!’
The Guild Master’s eyes bulged, his body convulsing.
Mercifully, this time the pain was short-lived. But it left behind a lingering terror, more potent than ever.
A single glance from Zeke was enough to make the Guild Master’s bowels loosen.
“Remember that pain. Every time you think about betraying me, remember that pain. I can bring it back whenever I want.”
‘Yeah, right. If I had something that convenient, I wouldn’t have been stuck playing that dark fantasy game for ten years straight.’
But the Guild Master, unaware of Zeke’s inner monologue, could only see the cold, hard truth in his eyes.
Tears welled up in his beady eyes once more.
He had stumbled into the clutches of a genuine madman.
“Report back to me once every two weeks with any new information. And release all those people you captured as sacrifices. Tell the Viscount that the gathering is going smoothly. A little deception. You can manage that, right?”
The Guild Master could only nod.
* * *
That night.
*Knock. Knock. Knock.*
Selena, her cheeks flushed, was engrossed in a book when she heard a knock on the door. She quickly closed the book.
‘Who could it be at this hour…? Ailey?! But this is a crucial moment!’
The red cover of the book read, in small letters, *[50 Shades of Shadows on the Duchess’s Face]*.
‘Ailey has probably seen all my other books by now, but not this one! Not this one!’
Ailey knew better than to enter without permission. There was plenty of time to hide the book.
Everything was under control.
Selena cleared her throat and answered,
“Ailey?”
“It’s me, Selena. May I come in?”
A deep voice, unexpectedly close, startled her.
“Instructor Zeke?!”
She blurted out in surprise.
“Very well. I’ll excuse myself then.”
Zeke took her surprised response as dismissal and turned the doorknob.
*Click.*
*Creak.*
Selena hastily shoved the book under her blanket.
‘Oh no! Oh no! Oh no!’
She had no time to compose herself before Zeke entered.
“W-Welcome back! You’re a bit later than usual. Is something the matter? Is it about massage? I’m actually free tonight since we didn’t train…”
“No, I have something important to discuss.”
“Oh, I see… Right now?”
Selena forced a smile.
“Yes. Please, have a seat.”
“…!”
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