I Became a Dark Knight in the Game - Chapter 50



49 – Gabi Merchant Group (4)

Money is a serious matter.

When I pretend to be a knight, I only take a single coin for the sake of ‘nobility,’ but as a mercenary, I scrape together every last penny of the contract fee. There’s a reason for that.

[You’re really crazy. I can’t tell how much of your chivalry is genuine and how much is an act.]

[Do you doubt my lord’s reverence for chivalry? You vulgar creature.]

[Yes, yes. I apologize. …But really, am I more vulgar than an Abyssal demon sword?]

Morgina and Armed, who seemed somewhat deflated by my words, both replied that they had no interest in the reward.

Well, one is a saint who probably gets a maintenance allowance from the church, and the other has enough wealth and skills to handle non-profitable work like the Abyss Prevention Society.

Among the three of us who would be visiting, or rather, attacking the Gabi Merchant Group, I’m the only one concerned about money.

I should have just asked Mazar for more money. I felt a brief regret.

“By the way, Orisin. What does Armed’s diagnosis say?”

[It’s not much different from Morgina’s. I’ve experienced various purification spells for spirits and other natural beings.]

Orisin’s account, which included even being scrubbed with a blade as if doing laundry, conveyed a deep sense of fatigue.

In conclusion, the diagnosis was the same as Morgina’s. ‘I don’t know why this won’t come off, but the stubborn stain won’t disappear.’

[I can’t accept this reality! That the Abyss has tainted the pure white mane of Orisin!]

[Didn’t that mane get cut down to a quarter? Only the neck remains.]

“Well. Cheer up. Both the wizard and the priest failed, but we still have the spirit master.”

Orisin, who had bowed his head at Tuon’s merciless verbal assault, soon regained his resolve. I nodded in satisfaction as I watched him.

Shouldn’t I bring three expert opinions to submit when I return to the Western Army?

Fortunately, spirit masters are even rarer than wizards, so when asked, ‘What took you so long to return to the unit?’ I could use the excuse, ‘Haha, it was hard to find a spirit master who was sociable and knowledgeable enough to diagnose someone else’s spirit.’

The military usually doesn’t pay much attention even if you bring expert opinions. It takes about three people for them to think, ‘This guy is serious.’

I’m not applying for a medical discharge, but I planned to use it as an excuse for the prolonged mission, so the more opinions, the better.

‘Hmm. Let’s say it takes about two months to meet one person, then I can fill up half a year and return to the Western Army?’

It was indeed a brilliant plan. As soon as I return, I will receive my overdue discharge papers and return to society.

*

They were unexpected guests.

Mazar Gabi was bewildered as he looked at the people lined up in front of him.

Kriel was an expected guest since he had declared yesterday, ‘I will come again.’ What bewildered Mazar Gabi were the two people, Morigina and Armed.

‘Could someone in a saint’s position move so lightly?’

Unless it was a fairly large order, a saint was a high-ranking personnel, usually one per order. More precisely, a ‘living’ saint. Those who received the stigmata of God while alive were rare, not one per order, but one per generation.

It was only because the shadow of the Demon King War had not yet been completely erased that so many saints appeared, comparable to the mythological era. Before the Demon King War, they were people you might see once in a lifetime.

Even though Kriel had assured he would bring them, he wasn’t sure Morigina would come to help him.

They were strategic resources that should be deployed for more important matters at the order level.

He wondered why someone as significant as a saint had come to manipulate his duel trial, but considering it was an engagement issue of the great warrior, it was probably an issue the order couldn’t ignore internally.

What Mazar Gabi hadn’t anticipated was that most of these ‘strategic resources’ were stubborn individuals who prioritized the order’s doctrines and beliefs over its interests.

Morigina, as the face of the order, preferred to follow Kriel and smash the head of the abyss rather than officially visiting the duchy and having a conversation with the duke to expand the influence of Eve Kaha.

This was why Mazar Gabi encountered a saint who, contrary to the typical Eve Kaha believer, showed a compassionate expression and performed miracles of healing for the patients.

And.

“What brings you here?”

“Managing business partners.”

Even Armed, with a face full of fatigue.

Currently, Kriel was legally Armed’s fiancée, so it wasn’t strange for Armed to accompany him under any pretext.

Mazar Gabi let out a hollow laugh, feeling the irony.

Originally, if he succeeded in getting engaged to Armed, he planned to take her to lift his father’s curse. He thought it was the only means to normalize the family.

After losing the duel trial, he thought everything was over. His father’s life would slowly wither, and the family would fall apart. The only future left was a grand fight between siblings using his father’s death as an excuse.

I had resigned myself to it, but hadn’t the situation turned out much better than the original plan?

It was absurd, but quite hopeful.

“Haha. Thank you for this. I should have entrusted my father’s health check-up to you earlier.”

“Indeed. Instead of wasting energy on engagements and such, you should have spoken honestly.”

“Do you think I could talk about such matters to others? Our Gabi merchant guild has as many enemies as it has wealth.”

Mazhar shrugged. He had only spoken so candidly because Kriel had approached him with the attitude of ‘I know everything’ after saving his life, but originally, he had intended to keep the fact that the Abyss had cursed his family a secret until the end.

‘That’s probably why my sister and brother opposed gathering people on a large scale to help father…’

If the information spread that the head of the Gabi merchant guild had not temporarily stepped back to watch his children’s competition, but was in a helpless state, unable to respond to any attacks due to a curse?

The competitors of the Gabi merchant guild would not miss such a good opportunity.

Moreover, the fact that the person who cast the curse was associated with the Abyss was also a problem. Inevitably, suspicions would arise about what exactly had been done to incur a curse from the Abyss.

Although the Abyss had used so many schemes that just being cursed would not lead to a trial, the reputation of the Gabi merchant guild would surely decline.

In the silence of his siblings, his father was dying. Mazhar could not accept that.

“So, can you move your body?”

“If there’s enough money, most injuries can be easily treated. A short journey from the duchy to home is bearable.”

“Then let’s depart immediately.”

“…Now?”

“Do you have any unfinished business?”

Mazhar pondered over the guild’s affairs. Most of the reason he had chased all the way to the Argetlam duchy was because of the marriage proposal to Armed Ket. Now that it had fallen apart, the only remaining business was the branch office’s operations.

But even that business was temporarily halted thanks to someone setting the building on fire. There was no reason to delay.

“No. You are right. I should call for a carriage.”

*

Mazhar’s wealth, enough to easily call for a carriage, was a boon for Kriel. Thanks to the mark of the great warrior, the essence of the dark knight was concealed enough that the horses would not refuse to carry him if he rode in a separate carriage instead of directly on their backs.

Unexpectedly, it was a pleasant journey.

“…First, there are some things I need to ask of you before we enter the estate.”

“Ask of me?”

“Meeting my father won’t be difficult. But you must leave all your weapons behind.”

It was absurd to be heavily armed next to a patient. Kriel silently nodded.

“And please, as much as possible, follow my lead. Although my brother Jaren and sister Arshika rarely stay in the mansion anymore, if we run into them, they might cause unnecessary trouble.”

Jaren, the eldest of the Gabi siblings, and Arshika, the second. The two ambitious siblings were more interested in the consequences of their father’s death than his death itself. If they knew Mazhar had brought someone to prolong their father’s life, they would immediately try to interfere.

Kriel nodded obediently. He had come to fight the Abyss, not to support anyone in the Gabi family’s struggle, so he wanted to avoid unnecessary conflicts.

From noble mtl dot com

However, even if he would never publicly support someone from the Gabi family, he might publicly attack someone.

“Let me ask you one thing. What if the curse is connected to your family?”

Mazhar closed his mouth, swallowed several times, and took deep breaths before he could speak again.

“My brother and sister, they are greedy for money and power, but I don’t believe they would conspire with the abyss to commit parricide. But if it comes to that…”

Mazhar bowed his head. His words continued heavily with a deep sigh.

“At least give me a word. I need to be prepared.”

*

“Speak.”

“What?”

Ten minutes after visiting the mansion. Kriel raised his fist.