I Became God of War’s Youngest Disciple - Chapter 362



Only Krnovel

Episode 362

At that moment, Ludwig strode towards me and struck me in the face with his sword.

Bam.

My head snapped up, and Ludwig spoke in a chilling voice.

“Hey, you outcast. Who told you to open your mouth like that? Keep your mouth shut and hunched over. You sinner.”

‘Hey… … .’

As expected from Brother Ludwig.

From his lively expression to his voice, his acting skills are truly killer.

Now that I think about it, my current status is that of a prisoner of a different race.

Just being a different race is despised, and just being a prisoner is despised, but I am a being that is a combination of the two.

In general, fusion is a man’s dream, and it mostly creates positive synergy, but…

In a case like this, evil and evil are mixed together to create the worst.

And as James, a knight of Badniker, I would not look kindly upon daring to defy the Iron Duke.

‘then…….’

I bit my cheek lightly inside my mouth to make blood flow from the corner of my mouth. It was for dramatic effect.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“… … .”

I see myself responding briefly… no.

The guy who had a 90% chance of being Seren looked at me with meaningful eyes. The atmosphere seemed to have become somewhat colder.

And Ludwig pretended not to notice, and watched the scene closely with his snake-like eyes.

‘Oh… … .’

It seems that he was trying to figure out Seren’s disposition by deliberately treating a foreign race rudely.

Since the opponent is the master of the secretive information guild, it would be better to have as much information as possible.

Of course, to me, who knows all the identities, it was a comedy that happened up close.

“Shii-hyun? Shyuhyeon… … . Hmm. That’s an unusual name. Is it Dongbu-sik?”

Ludwig muttered to himself and then continued.

“Then what should I call you? Mr. Si? Or Mr. Hyun?”

“Call me whatever you want. But my name is Sihyeon.”

“Really? Then why don’t you just call me Master? It’s really hard to pronounce.”

When Ludwig said that, Sihyeon nodded, and there was a moment of silence.

“… … .”

And I was once again dumbfounded.

‘… What on earth is this situation?’

To sum up, all three of us were currently hiding our true identities.

Seren probably didn’t know that we were both in disguise…

Ludwig only knows my identity.

Finally, I am the only person in this room who knows everyone’s identity.

In other words, among the three of us, I am the only one who has an overwhelming advantage.

‘… I feel pretty good?’

anyway…….

Ludwig and Seren are both trustworthy people, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they can work together.

That’s because both guys are great people with strong self-consciousness.

Even Ludwig drew his sword to stop me a few days ago.

So how should we take advantage of this monopoly on information?

First of all, I think we need to know why Seren became the master of the Southern Information Guild.

By the way, why did this guy choose Sihyeon as his pseudonym?

After thinking about it for a while, I thought that maybe that was also a clue Seren left for me.

So, this guy also prepared insurance in case we ever cross paths.

I’m probably the only one in this world who knows about the unique name ‘Sihyeon’.

That means… … .

Wasn’t Seren in a situation where she couldn’t come to the North from the beginning?

I couldn’t keep my promise, so I deliberately used the name ‘Sihyeon’ in case I came all the way to the South.

If we assume this, everything will be consistent.

“Have you eaten? This place looks shabby, but the owner’s cooking skills are quite good.”

“Okay. Let’s talk about work first.”

Seren gently dismissed Ludwig’s sly suggestion and took the documents out of her bosom.

“Take it.”

“What is this?”

“This is information about Marcus, one of the managers of the Lahild Force Station. It includes his appearance, daily routine, and favorite luxury items. For reference, if you want to know more information… … such as his family history, personal preferences, and womanizing, there will be an additional fee.”

“Hmm… … . Okay, I understand. Let me think about it.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Can I check this now?”

“Of course.”

At those words, Ludwig received a fairly thick document and flipped through it as if he was skimming through it.

Even if it looks like they’re just skimming through it, they’re actually checking the contents of the document more thoroughly than anyone else and looking for anything unusual.

After a while, Ludwig nodded, having quickly finished reading the documents.

“They say that Airuga’s information source is held tightly by [Bastard], and it turns out that his reputation is well-deserved.”

“Don’t mention it. By the way, you probably wouldn’t have been able to see the city properly in half a day, but you heard such a rumor. I guess our efforts were not in vain.”

“… … .”

A heavy silence fell for a moment as Seren’s natural words came to pass.

‘…You already know when we came?’

I glanced over to see if Ludwig had mentioned it in advance, but it didn’t seem to be the case.

Because there was a smile on this guy’s face to hide his agitation.

Of course, I didn’t move around in a particularly sneaky manner, but as Seren had just said, it hadn’t even been half a day since I set foot in Airuga.

That means Bastard has placed eyes and ears all over this huge city.

‘You didn’t come here to organize information, but rather to hear a report on our activities?’

Actually, it’s not a strange reaction.

Seren doesn’t like her own family, the Goodsprings, very much, but she probably doesn’t have any good feelings toward the Badnikers either.

Rather, they are people who should be more cautious due to their status, so it is not strange for them to be suspicious of the sudden contact with James, who is a member of the Iron-Blooded Knights.

Seren’s gaze glanced at me.

“Is this the lizardman that Sir James wants to consign to the workhouse?”

“That’s right. Since he committed a serious crime, I want to make him rot in a labor camp for about 30 years… … .”

“… … .”

30 years is pretty much asking a Lizardman to rot there for the rest of his life.

This is because the lifespan of this lizard species is not very long.

Ludwig said, shaking his head slightly.

“… Honestly, I don’t understand the situation. Wasn’t the Rahild Workhouse a hell for sinners, comparable to Northern Utgard, a final destination… something like that? And yet, you have to bribe them to hand over prisoners? Am I understanding it correctly?”

“Yes, sir. Of course, you are not mistaken. It has not even been ten years since the workhouse changed.”

10 years ago is relatively recent.

Ludwig frowned.

“How exactly did it change?”

“… … .”

Seren was silent for a moment.

It felt like a silence to break the flow of conversation, rather than a time to organize what was being said.

“…Do you know the location where the workhouse was built?”

“Ra-Hirudaras. Above the capital of the ancient nation known as the Golden Land.”

“Yes. Although it is now covered in sand and weathered, many valuable items were actually discovered at that ancient site. I think everyone knows this.”

“What next?”

“Ten years ago, monsters began to appear from under the sand at the work site.”

“A monster?”

“Yes.”

Seren continued.

“We still don’t know exactly what the monster is, but most of them look like insects. Some say it’s an ancient species that was simply sleeping under the sand, while others say it was an experimental creature to protect the royal family of Ra-Hirudaras. Either way, this unidentified monster is quite strong.”

“If strong, how much?”

Seren thought for a moment and then said.

“… there was a scarab with a shell that glittered like gold. It was about the size of this inn, and twenty-five people died while trying to subdue it, and about twice that many were seriously injured. Among those who participated were A-class mercenaries, former knights, and even magicians.”

“… … .”

With that level of power, isn’t it on the level of a decent A-class mercenary group?

By Heros standards, it’s almost like a class A monster has appeared.

For reference, an A-class monster is a dangerous monster that can destroy several villages on its own, excluding monsters that are too dangerous, such as the Jewel Tree of the Jewel Mountain Range.

At least the ones that come, like manticores and drakes.

But if the insect monsters that appeared while excavating the relics were that strong… … .

“Shouldn’t we close down the workhouse immediately and request reinforcements from the Imperial Palace or Heros?”

Ludwig put my thoughts exactly into words.

Seren nodded coolly, as if she had expected such a reaction.

“If only monsters had come out, then so be it.”

“… … ?”

“What’s important is that their appearance ignited the fire of excavation results.”

Ludwig asked with a puzzled look on his face.

“It’s on fire?”

“Before the emergence of the monsters, the number of relics unearthed was usually around 5 to 6 per year.”

It may seem like a small amount considering the investment of thousands of workers, but it is actually to be expected.

The size of the workhouse was that large, and if the efficiency of excavating relics had been good in the first place, it would not have been used as a workhouse to force prisoners.

The empire would have pushed much harder and deployed experts.

“But after the monsters appeared, the situation changed completely. The number of artifacts discovered in the year the monsters appeared was exactly 137. Even at a conservative estimate, the discovery rate increased by more than 2,000 percent.”

“… … !”

“Of course, not all of the excavated artifacts were usable… … .”

Seren added slightly, but that didn’t make the surprise any less.

The value of ancient relics, of course, varies greatly depending on their type, but if they are from the Golden Land, they are worth at least several hundred gold.

The expensive ones could be several times, or even dozens of times, that amount. Depending on the type, you could even build a castle with just one relic.

If a hundred or so such items are discovered every year… … .

‘Is this really Nodaji land?’

Seren said.

“To put it simply, it became worth risking your life for. Since then, the Rahild workhouse has become a place with completely different values ??than before. Now, a system has been established.”

“If that much relics are being poured out, then that could be possible. But does the Imperial Family know about this?”

“Of course. Most of the artifacts excavated from the forced labor camp are destined for the imperial palace.”

This means that the current operation of the workhouse is legal.

Ludwig’s expression slowly hardened as he began to feel that the place called the workhouse was very strange.

“I understand the situation. But what does it mean that a bribe is needed to put a prisoner in a workhouse?”

“… … .”

Then Seren’s gaze glanced at me.

Ludwig nodded, realizing the meaning of the gaze.

“You can just tell him. He won’t be able to resist us, and no one will believe him even if he talks nonsense. He’s a different species.”

“If they are of the same species, can’t you trust them?”

“Look at the markings on his face. He is an outcast lizardman. He has been abandoned by his own kind.”

“…okay.”

Seren nodded and said.

“Let’s say a prisoner who was sent to a labor camp gets lucky and gets his hands on a relic. After appraising it, he finds out that it’s a fairly rare relic, and its value is set at around 1,000 gold… … Then, the Empire gets half of that, or 50%.”

Those punks.

You eat a lot.

“The remaining 30% goes to the prisoner, and the remaining 20% ??goes to the prisoner’s sponsor.”

“A sponsor?”

“If we put this lizardman in the workhouse, Sir James will become the official sponsor of this prisoner. According to the calculations just made, that would mean about 200 gold pieces in Sir James’ hands.”

“… … .”

My head was spinning with the system that was beyond my imagination.

I expected the workhouse to have its own system, but isn’t this a bit too much?

Ludwig burst out laughing.

“Interesting. So there’s no room for prisoners to fight monsters and explore relics in the workhouse?”

“That’s true for now, but sponsors who have earned income can put in a deposit. It’s a system to encourage motivation. There are many things to spend money on even in the workhouse.”

“… What a waste.”

Now I’m starting to get a feel for the conditions at the workhouse.

After hearing the story, I ended up frowning.

‘This… might actually make things worse.’

I thought that Gustav ending up in the Rahild workhouse was a much worse development than going to the Utgard concentration camp.

If there are so many vested interests involved in the workhouse, it is only natural that there will be many loopholes in the system.

Even what Seren just said is true.

This means that if you have money, you can send as many prisoners as you want to the workhouse.

And for Gustav, known in the West as Big Boss, these mud fights are his specialty.

From the beginning, he must have been a person who toyed with the law and gained power.

“Yes. I know that there is some crazy going on in the South. This place is more rotten than I thought. But Guild Master, aren’t you being too hasty in your speech?”

“What does that mean?”

“What if I report this story to Badniker? The lord is not one to turn a blind eye to such illegality.”

“The fame of the Iron Blood Lord is well known even in the South. However, he will not be able to interfere in this matter.”

The corners of Ludwig’s mouth went up in a crooked manner.

“Can you take responsibility for those words?”

Depending on how you look at it, it could be seen as an underestimation of the power of the Iron Blood Clan and, by extension, the Badniker Clan.

Even though Seren must know that fact, she continues to speak calmly.

“The person who is currently supporting Rahild is a man comparable to him. Sir James must have heard of the Lord of Airuga.”

Ludwig frowned.

“…Golden Duke Taina Sater.”

“Yes. He is currently in charge of the business of the Rahild Labor Office.”

“Even if he is the Golden Duke, he cannot stop the Master’s actions. Everyone in the Empire knows who His Majesty the Emperor trusts the most.”

“That may be so. But even so, the Iron Blood Lord will not budge.”

“What do you believe and are sure of?”

Seren was silent for a moment, then let out a faint sigh.

“Normally, information on this matter would be top-notch… … at least several dozen golds, but Sir James is a Badnikker, so I’ll tell you something special.”

“what?”

“Two days ago, the Iron-Blooded Duke came to this Airuga. He immediately visited the lord’s castle and met with the Golden Duke alone.”

“… … !”

Ludwig and I’s eyes widened.

Because I never thought I would hear about the Iron Blood Knight’s actions that I had missed from Seren’s mouth.

“No one knows what the conversation was about. But I heard that the night the Iron Duke visited, the Golden Duke held the biggest banquet of the year.”

“… … .”

“Do you understand now?”

Seren looked at us and said.

“Even the Iron Blood Lord condoned the actions of the Rahild Force Master.”