The Berserker’s Second Playthrough in the Game - Chapter 151



Only Krnovel

Episode 151 At least one friend like that (6)

The position of Secretary in Maltana is not an official position.

The title sounds like an official appointed by some council, but in reality, it is just a position that a village leader has called himself. The title of ‘village chief’ is too old-fashioned, and if you impersonate ‘council officer’ without caution, you could get in big trouble, which is how this ambiguous title of ‘administrator’ came to be.

Of course, the officer is not the only one playing the armband game. Everyone in Malta recognizes him as the most powerful man in town. Not because of his title, but because of these things.

A man with great wealth who owes a great debt to all the townspeople, and mercenaries from the Galentana underworld under his command.

Several years ago, when a great famine struck, the magistrate opened his treasury and storehouses and generously lent money and grain. The village people praised the secretary’s kindness endlessly. If I had known that what I received back then would be a debt that would suffocate me for the rest of my life, I probably wouldn’t have done it.

The secretary charged exorbitant interest on the borrowed money and grain.

It was impossible to not pay back the debt, even if it was a full-on debt. The mercenaries of the underworld were truly great people who would cut open the debt and collect it. The villagers who saw the debtors who could not pay back on time get beaten by the mercenaries and their families destroyed had no choice but to somehow pay off the debt, even if it meant crying and eating mustard.

However, no one was able to completely pay off their debts, and in the end, everyone in Malta became like serfs or slaves under the magistrate. The secretary, who had complete control over money power, labor, and military power, became the undisputed ruler of Maltana in just a few years.

Of course, there were minor crises along the way, such as when someone discovered that the clerk was deliberately causing a famine by destroying the farmland… .

But the case was closed when the witness disappeared for ‘unknown reasons’. Now there was no one in Maltana who could pose a threat to the officer.

As he was such a great official, he couldn’t help but feel this way when he heard the news about his late son.

“My son, Hurek… … “You said you fainted after being beaten by that peddler’s son?”

It was like a king hearing the news that his prince had been beaten by a vagabond.

The officer was not a man who loved his son so much. However, this was a matter that touched the pride of the family. The officer was furious and immediately brought the vagrant to behead him himself.

Fortunately, Aluben, the leader of the underworld mercenaries, came up with a better solution.

“Sir, I am sorry to hear of your son’s misfortune, but perhaps this is a good opportunity. That peddler, Duncan, seems to have made a fortune, as rumored. We were just at his house, and he has been paying off all the debts and interest without blinking an eye.”

“… … .”

“I know you’re very angry, but please calm down and do this. I’m going to bring that boy in on charges of assaulting your son. And I’m going to tell Duncan to pay the bail money. He loves his family so much that he’ll obediently follow me even if I tell him to give up all his assets… .”

“… … “Are you telling me to take hostages like a miscellaneous boat?”

“It’s not hostage-taking, haha, it’s just enforcement of the law, Secretary. Shouldn’t there be punishment in some way anyway? And rather than recklessly taking away property, isn’t the picture a lot clearer this way?”

A secretary silently pondering with his chin resting.

I already knew through rumors that the peddler had made a lot of money. The original plan was to tie the family to the village and gradually extort their wealth. After hearing it, Aluben’s proposal seemed much more convenient and justified.

There was just one thing that was bothering me.

“Didn’t you say that the peddler brought some very large barbarian? I think I briefly heard that he was a notorious mercenary… … .”

“… … It’s just a rumor, so don’t pay attention to it. If you really care, just take care of it right away. Just then I found out that the barbarian was not there… … .”

“… … .”

The worries didn’t last long. The secretary immediately ordered Duncan’s son to be transported. Al Reuben chuckled, raised the corners of his mouth, and headed back to Duncan’s house with his men.

The transport process was very easy. The situation is such that not only the barbarian, but even Duncan is empty. Except for Duncan’s wife, who was crying and making a fuss, there were no obstacles. The kid who was captured was also quite resolute.

“Kid, do you know why you’re being taken away now?”

“Yes, yes… … That… … Isn’t it because the clerk’s son… … hit Hurek during the day?”

“Huh, you know me well. But aren’t you afraid of being punished?”

“Yes, yes, it’s okay…” … . I didn’t do anything wrong. And if the adults catch me… … You promised to help me… … .”

“… … ?”

Aluben made a sullen expression, but quickly erased it. When he lowered his gaze, he saw Duncan’s wife struggling to get her son back. He quickly handed the child over to his subordinate to prevent any mishaps.

“Look, Mrs. Wheeler. If anyone saw us, they’d think we were catching the kid. If you just bring the bail money, we’ll let you go tomorrow morning.”

“How much, how much do you have to take!! What do you mean by money that you take someone else’s child like this!! How much more do you have to take before you feel satisfied, you sons of bitches!!”

“Oh, don’t scream because it hurts my ears. We are enforcing the law right now. And, um, bail… … .”

Alruven crossed his arms and pretended to be worried, then grinned and raised the corners of his mouth.

“Bring it with sincerity and sincerity. Yes, I hope it’s just as much as you love your son.”

*

Duncan felt a rage more intense than he had ever felt in his life.

“Whew, whoosh, whoosh… … .”

The heart rate is soaring, the heartbeat beating mercilessly against the ribcage. Both eyes bulged red, and hot breath leaked out from between the teeth. It seemed as if the blood of the rampaging berserker had spread all over her body.

People have boundaries that they should never cross. Kidnapping his son was not just crossing the line for Duncan, it was breaking the line. He was bubbling with the urge to rush in and beat up everyone involved in this matter.

However, a timid peddler still remained in one corner of his heart.

He said, be realistic, that you can’t do it on your own, swallow your pride and negotiate with the officer, or… … go find Khadim right now and ask for help.

It was a whisper that was hard to refuse.

I don’t know if it was just his own life, but this time, even his son’s life was at stake. It’s a situation where you can’t gamble based on emotions alone. The belief that he had decided that this struggle was his responsibility was swaying precariously like a reed in the face of a profound crisis.

Duncan clenched his fists and asked his wife.

“Julia, so… … “How much money did they ask for?”

“I asked for it sincerely, sincerely… … . It probably means giving up all your assets… … .”

“… … .”

“Calm down, Duncan… … . Ugh, calm down… … For now, just do whatever those damn kids ask you to do… … . Our son, I, I, I can’t live without our son, Duncan… … .”

The money I had now was only pennies compared to the goods that went to Delutana. But is giving money as demanded the right solution? Take a moment to think about it in a short period of time, like scribbling densely with several brushes on a narrow piece of drawing paper.

Finally, Duncan made up his mind.

“… … I’ll be back, Julia.”

“More, Duncan? You’re going to pay the bail, right? You, you’re not thinking of anything strange, are you?

“Yeah, no. We will definitely bring our son back safely… … “Don’t worry, just take care of yourself.”

Carrying my inventory, turning my back to my wife who was shaking with anxiety, passing bystanders clutching her burnt shoulders and crowds of people making way in fear.

Duncan left for the secretary’s residence alone.

The office’s mercenaries were already gathered there.

A fearsome face, leather armor and weapons such as an ax and an iron flail. He tried to create an unpleasant atmosphere by gathering everyone with their own expressions, but Duncan did not budge. He has been accompanied by a warrior who makes even demons tremble with fear.

We were guided to the spacious basement of the mansion. Under the soft torch light, quite a few mercenaries, the secretary, Aruben, and his own son were lined up side by side.

“Oh, Dad!”

“… … Dunsen.”

When he heard the young voice, his boiling anger subsided somewhat. However, his emotions did not disappear. His anger sharpened like a cold blade when he saw his son in a state of being tied up tightly.

“… … What is this, officer? Didn’t you already pay off your debt? How dare you kidnap someone else’s son like this?”

“her. Jeokbanhajangdo is also oily resin, kidnapping? “Do you think you know that this guy put my son like this?”

“… … !”

A child, crippled and in disarray, jumped out from behind the secretary.

Duncan was momentarily speechless. My son beat up that big guy like that? I couldn’t believe it at all, but seeing the guy keep looking at Dunsen’s eyes, it didn’t seem like he was lying.

If you hit someone, you definitely deserved to be punished. However, the same was true for the secretary’s son. Duncan immediately launched a rebuttal.

“… … Secretary, don’t think that just because I left town I have no ears to hear. I heard it all from her wife. That kid has been harassing our kid… … . Have you ever tried to discourage your son from hitting others? … .”

“Ah, that’s enough. If you have eyes, look at your son. How can this look like a kid who was being bullied?”

“… … .”

It made sense. Dunsell looked remarkably clean, except for the dirt on his head. That was because Kadim had healed all his injuries so perfectly with his bloodthirsty medicine yesterday.

There was a suspicion, but the evidence was completely lacking. The officer proudly held his chest up, and Duncan furrowed his brows for no reason. The mercenary captain, Aluven, who had been watching from a distance, stepped forward and sorted out the situation.

“This is truly unfortunate, Mr. Duncan. So not only do you make money, but you also take good care of your children, right? Well, according to principle, your son should receive the capital punishment, but the merciful secretary said that he would be granted bail just this time… … .”

“… … .”

“… … Please show some sincerity, Mr. Duncan. Show your son how much you love him by placing them neatly in front of him. “As long as there is enough love, my son will definitely be liberated safely.”

Aluben smiles leisurely and points to the table. The secretary cleared his throat and rubbed his beard, and the fierce mercenaries looked at him with lustful eyes.

Duncan glared at everyone with a stern face and silently began taking out the money he had taken from his inventory.

Clang, clang, clang… … .

At first, the atmosphere was somewhat light. The mercenaries watched the gold coins pile up on the table, smiling sinisterly. Some even made bets with their pocket money on how much bail money would be accumulated.

Clang, clang, clang –

As the money bag popped out following the gold coins, the atmosphere gradually became more heated.

The mercenaries whistled softly and cheered. He said he had a lot of love for his children and even made jokes about farmland. The secretary and Aruben also exchanged meaningful glances, saying that the income was not that bad.

Boom, boom, boom – !

However, when a money box came out in addition to the money bag, the atmosphere changed a lot.

Like a cold wave, the embarrassment, whistles, and cheers gradually subsided. At best, it looked like it was worth millions of Luden. It was an amount that far exceeded everyone’s expectations. Moreover, I wonder where that small bag keeps popping out… … .

Boom – ! Boom – ! Boom – !

Finally, when the chests of money reached the ceiling, the atmosphere in the basement became completely frozen.

Sigh! Ting, Ting, Tiding… … .

As Duncan stepped down from the table, a waterfall of gold coins and purses flowed down, a flash of light inside the glittering chest, and a golden wave that made even the light of the torches fade.

“… … .”

“… … .”

“… … .”

There is a magic in money that makes people sick. It makes their skulls tingle and their tongues harden like a block of wood. None of them had ever seen so much money in one place. The clerk and the mercenaries stood still, their mouths wide open, like mutes who had swallowed gold.

The first to break away from that magical power was Aruben. He barely got his mind together and opened his lips.

“Ha, haha… … Mr. Duncan, you love your son so much. To be honest, I’m a bit, quite surprised. I didn’t know you would bring this much bail money… … .”

“… … What are you talking about? “This is just a down payment.”

“… … !!”

“I can’t pay for my son’s life with this little money. I will pay the principal again as soon as I get it later. Of course before that… … “If only you would release my son.”

As if to change his mind, the clerk hurriedly untied the child. Under the careful guidance of the mercenaries as if attending a distinguished guest, Dunsen was able to safely return to his father’s arms. Duncan hugged his confused son tightly and quickly left the basement.

Those left behind held a golden festival. The mercenaries rushed towards the pile of gold coins at the same time as if they had put it all together.

“Oh my god, this is fucking awesome! How much is this!”

“Even if I can’t do it, I’ll just hand over 10 million Luden! “As of today, we will all give up our mercenary work, just!”

“Hahahaha! From now on, I won’t have to worry about food for the rest of my life!”

“Don’t touch it! Don’t touch it! It’s all my money! For Christ’s sake, I’ll divide up your share later, so you all back off for now!”

The administrative officer’s control was also ignored. The mercenaries stuffed whatever gold coins they could find into their arms. No one stopped until Aruben threatened to cut down anyone who touched the gold coin from now on.

But at the festival, Duncan suddenly came back.

He was alone, having returned after seeing off his son. The mercenaries’ faces suddenly froze. They sent him a murderous, wary look, as if they were afraid that he might ask for the gold coins back.

But Duncan waved his hand as if to say not to worry and rummaged through his pockets.

“Oh, by the way, there’s something I forgot to tell you earlier.”

Ting!

A flash of light flashed dimly, and Aluben narrowed his eyes and accepted it.

“Ahem? What is this, Mr. Duncan?”

“It’s ten ludens. It’s enough to buy a loaf of bread on the street. And… … ”

Duncan counted the number of enemies one by one with his fingers, then suddenly opened his eyes like a bird of prey and declared.

“… … “It’s the price of the lives of all 20 of you.”

Everyone who heard those words had tears in their eyes.

Flap – !

The hem of the black cloak fluttered like the sails of a ghost ship, and the silent spirit suddenly melted into the darkness.

“… … What, what is it?”

“Uh, huh? Where did you go… … .”

The mercenaries looked around in panic. As I was hurriedly raising the metal object, I heard a chilling voice, like the whisper of a grim reaper, in my ear.

‘… … Get out of here, damn it.’